A farewell love letter to the Vans Warped Tour

The Warped Tour has looked very different in Milwaukee over the years. It’s been at Miller Park, the Rave and for the past few years, at the Summerfest grounds. It’s been an important and safe space for the youth’s counterculture since 1995 through the evolution of punk, pop-punk, emo, metalcore, even some hip-hop and ska. Not to mention, it’s had a huge place in the skate scene over the years.

Warped Tour was accessible, traveling across the country to throw an all-ages music festival for everyone. It’s made a big impact on the growth of the bands and of all of us who attended. But, all good things must come to an end. So, they’re calling this summer their “Final Full Cross Country Tour.”

We’re holding on to the words “full cross country” though. We’re hoping that Warped Tour will stay together for the kids in some way in the future, even if it turns into more of a destination-type festival. We can see it transforming into a few regional dates next summer. In which case—Warped, if you’re listening, we think the Summerfest grounds would make a perfect home for your Midwest stop.

“Summertime Songs” by Field Report

This album from Field Report is their most toe-tapping yet. It still has the rich lyrical storytelling that Christoper Porterfield is known for, though this time, his words are tightened up and put to a more upbeat, resonating folk sound with a higher production value. This album stunned us this year. And, the journey to it  was just as captivating.

“How Are You” by Versio Curs

Versio Curs is pop-punk, but grown up and with a hint of The Smiths. “How Are You” is the first album by this group of young Milwaukee DIYers who should not be underestimated. Like their song “Fourth of July” implies, this is perfect summer indie-rock.

“Table 7: Sinners & Saints” by Lex Allen

This is an album that we were promised in 2017, but it was worth the wait. Lex Allen is a one-of-a-kind pop artist, something that is not easy to be these days. “Table 7” has it all: uplifting anthems, EDM bangers and a heartfelt tribute to his late mother.

“NORF” by Lorde Fredd33

There’s so much to say about this album because there’s so much Lorde Fredd33 has to say in “NORF: The Legend of Hotboy Ronald.” With his honest themes and observations, changing flows and brilliant structure, this is one of the best rap records that’s ever come out of Milwaukee. It’s given our city a hip-hop identity that is on par with the rap greats of our time, while maintaining a style that’s true to our region and to Lorde Fredd33.

“My Mother the Moon” by Dead Horses

Sarah Vos’ voice has a way of breaking your heart one minute and putting it back together in the next. Dead Horses’ “My Mother the Moon” is the epitome of a beautiful and soulful folk album. We just can’t stop swaying along.

Our picks for the last week of Summerfest

From The Weeknd to Janelle Monáe, these are the can’t-miss shows on the final days of Summerfest.

Photo by Brandon Artis Photography

LUXI – July 5 – 5:30 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage

Dead Horses – July 5 – 8 p.m. at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard

The DJs of 88Nine and DJ Jazzy Jeff – July 5 – 8 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage

Denny Lanez – July 5 – 8:30 p.m. at the Uline Warehouse Stage

Jason Isbell – July 5 – 9:45 p.m. at the BMO Harris Pavilion

Janelle Monáe – July 6 – 9:45 p.m. at the BMO Harris Pavilion

The Weeknd – July 7 – 7:30 p.m. at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater

Big Boi – July 7 – 7:30 p.m. at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater

James Hunter Six – July 7 – 8 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage

Phantogram – July 7 – 10:15 p.m. at the Miller Lite Oasis Stage

(We’re hoping for a surprise Big Grams appearance too. Big Boi should be finishing his opening set just in time to sneak on stage with Phantogram.)

Soccer Mommy – July 8 – 4:15 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage

Arcade Fire – July 8 – 7:30 p.m. at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater

Listen to the full Tap’d In podcast above to hear more on why we’re so excited for these acts. We’ll see you on the grounds! Check the full schedule here.

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Our Summerfest picks this week

From Chromeo to Abby Jeanne, these are the can’t-miss shows of the week.

Courtesy of Chromeo

Sunflower Bean – June 29 – 6:45 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage

MILCK – June 29 – 8 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage

Spoon – July 1 – 9:45 p.m. at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse

Chromeo – July 1 – 10 p.m. at the Miller Lite Oasis Stage

Kesha – July 4 – 9:45 p.m. at the Miller Lite Oasis Stage

Local picks at Summerfest

Bo & Airo – July 1 – 3 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage

Lex Allen – July 1 – 8 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage

Abby Jeanne – July 3 – 8:00 PM @ Johnson Controls World Stage

Listen to the full Tap’d In podcast above to hear more on why we’re so excited for these acts. We’ll see you on the grounds! Check the full schedule here. We’ll be back next week to give more recommendations.

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And, check out RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts for our full lineup of weekly podcasts, delivered right to your computer or device.

Available on our site, on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Our picks for the first day of Summerfest

In our humble opinions, these shows are the move for Summerfest opening day. It’s the schedule we’ll be following at least.

Caroline Rose – 5:30 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage

Robin Pluer – 6 p.m. at Klement’s Sausage & Beer Garden Stage

Imagine Dragons – 7:30 p.m. at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater

Greatest Lakes – 8 p.m. at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage

Party Favor – 8:30 p.m. at the Miller Lite Oasis Stage

Grizzly Bear – 10 p.m. at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage

Summerfest guide

Any frequent Big Gig festival goer knows that Summerfest’s official website is less than user friendly (though its much better than it used to be). But, here are two great resources to get your Summerfest plan together and make sure you don’t miss anything.

Journal Sentinal’s interactive Summerfest schedule

See the schedule for each date of the fest, filter by genre, stage, local artists, see Piet’s picks and create your own list on the Journal Sentinel’s interactive Summerfest schedule here.

The official Summerfest app

Summerfest created an app to be your guide to this year’s lineup, stage schedules and entire festival experience.  Sync the festival schedule to your mobile device to keep up-to-date, get schedule recommendations, find where all your favorite beers are sold and discover new artists. Some other cool features:

Before the headlining show at the new U.S. Cellular Connection Stage each night, fans can participate in a crowd-sourced synchronized light show through the app.

iPhone users can share schedules or set up a plan to meet friends right from an iMessage conversation. The “plan” feature allows users to exchange schedules and coordinate their favorited live shows at the festival with other iPhone users.  The “meet” feature lets users choose from several locations at Summerfest and set a time and place to meet via group text.

There is an interactive map of over 35 beers and adult beverages sold at the fest and where to find them.

Listen to the full Tap’d In podcast above to hear more about who we’re excited to see at Summerfest this year and a conversation on who we’d like to see more of next year—female headliners.

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The return of Alpine Valley for summer 2018

After taking last concert season off, we thought it might be the end of an era for Alpine Valley. But, it’s back this summer with a solid lineup.

Following its history as a Deadhead and jam band destination, Dead & Company will be playing two concerts: one on Friday, June 22, and another on Saturday, June 23. This should be a great show for Grateful Dead fans, especially with the addition of John Mayer to the group.

For the rest of the summer, country music will be coming to the valley in a big way. On July 7, Brad Paisley will be bringing his tour and on August 11, Zac Brown Band is returning to the venue.

A brief history of Alpine Valley

With over 45 years of large, legendary concerts, Alpine Valley is full of history. Going back to the summer of ’89, when there was less competition and no other venue like it, Alpine hosted the Who, Metallica, the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead—all in one summer.

After that, The Grateful Dead made a home at this venue. They did 20 shows there in the ’80s and contributed to many of Alpine’s legendary stories. In ’86, heavy rains ruined many parking spaces, causing a long backup of cars on the highway. Some fans walked for six miles to get to the show. But, that was nothing compared to the crowds that came in ’88, where Deadheads showed up in hordes like a very mellow stampede. The Dead were playing four shows across five days. A third of the thousands of people who showed up didn’t even have tickets. The police essentially gave up trying to direct traffic, people were walking on foot for miles and sleeping wherever they could: in ditches, fields, etc.

The helicopter crash and death of Stevie Ray Vaughan at Alpine is another event that makes the venue’s history stand out, though it was tragic. His last show was here with Eric Clapton’s tour.

In the ’90s and 2000s, Alpine Valley hosted big shows like Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary festival and The Beastie Boys’ Tibetan Freedom concert. It also became a staple in the Dave Matthews Band and Jimmy Buffet tour schedules practically every year.

In 2017, they said they simply couldn’t book their regulars because they were playing elsewhere. But, this year, some of them are back and the future of this niche venue is looking stable. As long as they can keep booking destination-worthy acts to get people to drive hours on a two-lane highway to East Troy, the Alpine experience should be safe for 40 more years.

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And, check out RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts for our full lineup of weekly podcasts, delivered right to your computer or device.

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PrideFest

Acts we can’t wait to see at PrideFest? More like, who aren’t we excited to see? This year, they have their biggest headliners ever: The B-52s, JoJo, Daya and more. The locals who are slotted to play are also going to rock: GGOOLLDD, Abby Jeanne, Lex Allen, DJ DRiPSweat, ZED KENZO, Luxi, REYNA and more.

The future of Wisconsin festivals

Even though PrideFest is just the first festival of the summer, its lineup alone, along with Summerfest’s lineup, should assure you that festivals are alive and well in Milwaukee. They’re not going anywhere. In fact, they only seem to be getting better, while consistently staying way more affordable than other big festivals.

But what about the fate of music fests in the rest of the state?

The industry is still booming nationally, but many are wondering if we’ve reached peak festival.

Bonnaroo had some challenges this year, Lollapalooza ticket sales have been much slower than usual, FYF Festival got cancelled and so did a few festivals in Wisconsin.

Summer Set Music Festival

Last year, the sun set for Summer Set. The popular EDM music and camping festival in Somerset, WI isn’t returning in 2018 and it’s unclear if it ever will. Even though they’ve recently hosted tons of huge headliners like Run The Jewels, Zeds Dead, Big Gigantic, Chance the Rapper, Post Malone and many more, something went wrong. On New Years Eve, the fest said that they are “taking time to reflect on the vision and direction of the festival and therefore will not be hosting Summer Set in 2018.”

Country on the River is also taking the year “off,” though the fest in Prairie du Chien, WI says they’re taking the time to improve the event to return in 2019.

And, Country USA in Oshkosh, WI, which is five days long this year, is going down to three days next year.

Though these three are going through challenges, plenty of music festivals in Wisconsin—over 10 of them featuring country music—are still surviving and thriving as far as we know. So, even though it looks like the market is getting more crowded, it’s not yet overcrowded.

Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile can seduce you with a whisper and then go right for your gut. And, she’s twice as powerful live. We can’t wait to see her in summer concert in Milwaukee.

Diplo

Friday, June 22 at the Summerfest U.S. Cellular Connection Stage

One of the biggest names in EDM, Diplo, will be doing a free concert to show off the new Summerfest stage. There aren’t any tickets—entry is first come, first serve. So, get in like early!

The Pretenders

Ice Cube

Saturday, July 14 at The Rave

By the end of the night on July 14, we’ll be singing “It Was A Good Day” because Cube is doing a show. It’s been about 30 years since N.W.A and “Straight Outta Compton.” Today, Ice Cube has also sold over 10 million albums as a solo artist. We can’t wait to see what this king of rap will bring to the Eagles Ballroom.

The War on Drugs

Sunday, July 22 at The Riverside Theater

This is one of our favorite rock bands that we play here on 88Nine. Don’t miss your chance to see one of the most talked about bands of the decade at The Riverside Theater.

The National with Lucy Dacus

Monday, July 30 at The Riverside Theater

If you haven’t seen The National live, you haven’t experienced the full spectrum of human emotion. Plus, they’re playing with Lucy Dacus, one of our up-and-coming faves and a perfect pairing for The National.

John Hiatt

Tuesday, August 28 at The Pabst Theater

John Hiatt is a songwriter’s songwriter. ]Celebrating the 30th anniversary of John Hiatt’s legendary album, “Slow Turning,” Hiatt & The Goners, featuring Sonny Landreth, will play the album in its entirety along with his greatest hits.

Skyline Music Series

Tuesdays, July 10 through August 21 at Kilbourn – Kadish Park

COA hosts this great summer music series in the outdoor amphitheater on the hill in the park along North Ave. in Riverwest. Not only does it have a great river and skyline view, the lineup is great this summer. You can see Well-Known Strangers, De La Buena and more.

Chill on the Hill

Tuesdays, June through August at Humboldt Park

Bring your coolers or money for food trucks and get ready to Chill on the Hill in Bay View. Lex Allen will be kicking the series off next week!

River Rhythms

Wednesdays, June 13 through August 29 at Pere Marquette Park 

This downtown music series is always a lot of fun. We’re looking forward to Chicken Wire Empire on June 27.

Tosa Tonight

Various dates at the Rotary Performance Pavilion

Tosa Tonight is super family-friendly. One of this summer’s highlights is sure to be Trapper Schoepp’s Tom Petty Tribute on July 11.

Jazz in the Park

Thursdays, May 31 to Aug 30 at Cathedral Square Park

It doesn’t get more classic that Milwaukee’s Jazz in the Park. But, the music isn’t always all that classic. Catch an eclectic lineup of jazz-infused styles of big band, funk, R & B, reggae, blues and more.

Founder Olivia Doyle and Organizer Ellie Jackson are some of the people responsible for bringing the (amazing) Riverwest Fem Fest 2018 lineup together.

We’re not just talking about music either. This year, we’ll get a night of comedy for Riverwest FemFest Keg Stand Up! at Lakefront Brewery. There’s an entire night of spoken word at Rise & Grind Cafe #2. Fem Fest is hosting a mini film festival and video showcase this year. And, there will be an art walk and a local makers market.

Photo by Milwaukee Record

Jackson and Doyle have put together this community music and arts festival celebrating the powerful and positive impact we can have on each other and the community around us. Founded in 2015 by Doyle, it celebrates the empowerment that comes with surrounding yourself with people who push you to push yourself. It’s a celebration through music, visual arts, poetry and comedy. They not only want to celebrate the feminine impact within our own community, they aim to celebrate, empower and provide platforms for those who have been historically left out of creative spaces. 

​FemFest is also a fundraiser. All the proceeds from FemFest 2018 are going to Courage MKE, Casa Maria and The Milwaukee Women’s Center, a division of community advocates that houses and supports men, women and children dealing with domestic violence, mental health issues and substance abuse.

To hear more about why they’re putting on Riverwest Fem Fest and how, listen to the full conversation in the podcast above. And, check out the lineup below:

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As the “City of Festivals,” Milwaukee tends to overshadow the rest of the state when it comes to summer music festivals in Wisconsin. But, there are plenty of other (dare we say, underrated?) music festivals outside of Milwaukee. Here they are:

Eaux Claires

Justin Vernon’s Eaux Claires music festival may not be underrated, but the lineup has less hype than usual this year…because there isn’t one—yet.

Sufian Stevens, The National, Noname and Wye Oak have all been rumored to be making appearances. And, Francis and the Lights and Justin Vernon himself are almost certain to be playing. Other than that, Vernon is asking us to trust him on this one.

Eaux Claires has always been a bit more of an experimental music and art experience “retreat” in the woods, rather than a traditional music festival. It’s not really surprising that Vernon would try to pull something like this off. People trust him and his music curation. Many of the passes have already sold out.

It’s a great concept: to weed out the attendees that are only there for the headliner, to create an environment of musically open-minded people who will listen to anything, etc.

We just hope that the actual festival lives up to the big things fans are surely imagining. We don’t want another Harley-Davidson Rolling Stones/Elton John incident.

Blue Ox Music Festival

Blue Ox is the other (perhaps lesser-known) festival that takes place in Eau Claire, WI. But, it’s worth the weekend trip west. If you like rootsy Americana and bluegrass music, this festival is for you. Some gems in the lineup are Horseshoes and Hand Grenades and Margo Price.

Country USA Music Festival

This country music festival in Oshkosh, WI is a huge deal for country fans. And, it’s five days long. Check out the lineup:

Rock Fest

If you just like to rock, Rock Fest music and camping festival in Cadott, WI has a pretty hardcore lineup.

Mile of Music

The Mile of Music is an annual Americana music festival located in downtown Appleton, WI, featuring over 200 bands from across the country. It’s got a very Austin-South-by-Southwest-feel spanning Appleton’s downtown streets. Plus, our girls Reyna and Abby Jeanne will be there. And, it’s free. See the lineup here.