Milwaukee’s concert scene has a lot going on, so we look at the shows coming up to find the ones you’ll look back on and be glad you went. Then we add them to our weekly Milwaukee Concert Picks.
Most of the time, our weekly pick is exactly that — one pick. Occasionally, we find ourselves split down the middle between a couple options and tell you about both. For the first time, we’ve decided to give you a daily show so that whenever you have time between now and Saturday, you’ll have live music to check out.
Wednesday: Built to Spill @ Turner Hall
A little more than two years ago, we welcomed Doug Martsch and his Built to Spill project for a Studio Milwaukee Session that encapsulated why he prefers to rotate band members from time to time. With Melanie Radford on bass and Teresa Esguerra on drums, the band’s sound was fresh and wide-ranging while maintaining a nicely laid-back vibe.
The same trio will be at Turner Hall this Wednesday as Built to Spill plays a set that includes a 30th anniversary back-to-front performance of impactful album There’s Nothing Wrong With Love. If you dig the band, expect to hear a few cuts they’ve rarely (if ever) played live prior to this tour. Sounds like a can’t-miss one to us.
Thursday: Fresh Coast Jazz Festival
We have this one slotted for Thursday, but the annual event runs all the way through Saturday with performances at the Pabst Theater and late-night soirees at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center.
Since we’re talking about Thursday, we’ll highlight “The Pairing” — a wine tasting and concert at The Fitzgerald. Saxophone craftsmen Marcus Adams and Dee Lucas will play the music of Grover Washington Jr. as attendees sip on a curated selection of vino at an event that gets started at 6 p.m.
Friday: Bob Schneider @ Shank Hall
Many Summerfests ago, your humble author had one of those rare concert experiences in which an artist you had no idea existed absolutely blew you away and turned you into a fan on the spot. Bob Schneider was so outstanding that day, a few of us jumped off the picnic table and made a beeline for his merch tent to buy a burned CD (yes, it was that long ago) of the performance we just witnessed.
My memorable run-in with Schneider is commonplace for an artist known for putting together a great live experience, regardless of the venue. He keeps those skills sharp as a stalwart and celebrated member of the Austin music scene, and takes them on the road for shows like Friday’s at Shank Hall.
Saturday: Green Day (and more) @ AmFam Field
If you caught Green Day at the Harley-Davidson Homecoming in 2023, you know the trio can still bring it in a big way more than 30 years after their breakout album. Their live chops are enough of a reason to enjoy the friendlier confines of American Family Field this Saturday, when they’ll play 1994’s Dookie and the more recent American Idiot in their entirety. Add Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and The Linda Lindas to the bill, and you’re out of reasons not to go.
Best concerts in Milwaukee this week
- Aug. 21: Gego y Nony (ArtBlaze) @ Bradford Beach, 6 p.m.
- Aug. 21: Built to Spill @ Turner Hall, 7 p.m.
- Aug. 21: Old Pup (Vivarium in the Park) @ The Vine Humboldt, 6 p.m.
- Aug. 22-24: Fresh Coast Jazz Festival @ various locations
- Aug. 23: Bob Schneider @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
- Aug. 23: Maggie Rose w/Crystal Rose @ Vivarium, 8 p.m.
- Aug. 23: BALTHVS, Dak Dubois @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.
- Aug. 24: Ben Goldsmith @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
- Aug. 24: Moonglow (EP release party) w/Emmett Mulrooney, League Two @ Vivarium, 8 p.m.
- Aug. 24: Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, The Linda Lindas @ AmFam Field, 5:30 p.m.
- Aug. 24: New Kids on the Block, Paula Abdul, DJ Jazzy Jeff @ AmFam Amp, 7 p.m.
- Aug. 24: WMSE Backyard BBQ w/Guided by Voices, Buffalo Nichols, NEWSKI, Jinksie, The EXOTICS @ Humboldt Park, noon
