This weekend in Milwaukee is so busy that I'd write six things, but five is the magic number.
#1
Bay View Bash
One of the better and (almost the last) street festival of the season is happening this Saturday between Potter and Clement on Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View. Like any good street fest, they'll certainly have all the food, art, music, crafts, books and community organizations you can handle on a relatively long stretch of street. With six stages for music, expect a line-up stocked with local talent and a carnival vibe all the way down the avenue. BVB tends to get quite inebriated so kids might not be a good idea as it gets late, but it's a favorite of mine and is my best recommendation to get the best feel for what Bay View is about.
Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
#2
The Pack A.D. + Brother O' Brother + Yum Yum Cult
Intense, melodic and fierce are all words I'd use to describe the duo Pack A.D. Singer/guitarist Becky Black and drummer Maya Miller have made a sound so gigantic, so fierce, raw and empowering that it's easy to forget there are just two people behind this brilliant, carefully constructed havoc. Shredding and pounding their way through every song, the Pack A.D. swallows you whole inside their fearless Franken-blend of heavy psych-pop/garage-rock. Their lyrics are wild, human and complex: darkly funny disclosures about depression, indictments of digital excess, grief-stricken fire bombs and sly crusades against stupidity.
Thursday at 10 p.m. @ Company Brewing
#3
Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss is a bluegrass virtuoso who effortlessly bridges the gap between roots music and country, rock and pop. Since 1985, Krauss has released 14 albums including five solo, seven with her longtime band/ musical collaborators Union Station and one collaboration with Robert Plant called "Raising Sand," which was certified platinum and won five Grammys including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Get your tickets quick because this one might just sell out!
Friday at 8 p.m. @ The Riverside Theater
#4
Fareed Haque & Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo
Inspired by the rhythms and melodies of flamenco, jazz, classical, rock and the Balkan region, this performance features the unrivaled guitar artistry of two of the finest players of their respective generations. If you love global music, this should be a good one this weekend. Their music is carefully balanced between blazing virtuosity and sheer beauty.
Friday at 8 p.m. @ The Back Room
#5
Fantastic Negrito + B~Free
It’s difficult to summarize an evening so impressionable that every part of the experience lingers with you for days on end. Characterized by an energy so emphatic you could feel it moving through you – it was a night where this relatively unknown artist truly lived up to his name. –Live review – RockShot Mag/UK- 2018
Ditto from me...plus Fantastic Negrito will be in for a Studio Milwaukee session with 88Nine on Monday. So if you miss the show, you can regret it while you listen live on our airwaves.
Sunday at 7 p.m. @ The Back Room
