Lake Park is a solid hang, especially during the summer. Great setting, plenty of activities, fancy restaurant and — if you’re there on the right day of the week — some free live music to soundtrack your visit.
Lake Park Friends recently shared the lineups for this summer’s two weekly music series: the genre-less and all-ages Musical Mondays, and the family-friendly Wonderful Wednesdays (complete with treats from Musa Ice Cream Truck). As the group pointed out in their release, you’ll get a little bit of everything when you drop in on either of those evenings — jazz, bluegrass, R&B, folk, Irish and Latin influences, and even opera.
That last genre will get the honor of kicking off the park’s summer concert season with a very special performance by Florentine Opera’s Mozart in the Park from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 5. The organization’s Summer Studio Ensemble will perform scenes from Mozart’s most beloved operas in the most welcoming, least intimidating way possible. No need to bust out the formal wear or opera glasses. Just bring your lawn chair and kick back to Wolfgang’s greatest hits.
You can find the full lineups for the other two series below and more information about the park’s music programs on the Lake Park Friends website, as well as their Facebook page.
Musical Mondays (6:30-8 p.m.)
- July 10: Black Cow — Top Milwaukee musicians reel in the jazzy side of Steely Dan with their own takes on records like Aja.
- July 17: Feufollet — Young, vibrant Southwest Louisiana band starts with Cajun, honky-tonk and string-band music, and blasts off from there.
- July 24: Jamie Breiwick Quintet (feat. Abigail Riccards) — Songs from the Great American Songbook brought to life by hard-swinging A-list Milwaukee jazz musicians and a featured vocalist.
- July 31: Toty Ramos Sextet — Playing jazz with a Latin tinge, the Milwaukee guitarist / arranger’s new group continues where his storied La Chazz ensemble left off.
- Aug. 7: R&B Cadets — Revered Milwaukee supergroup featuring headliners Paul Cebar, Robin Pluer, John Sieger and Juli Wood playing a dance-inducing blend of originals and obscure covers.
- Aug. 14: JigJam — Multi-award-winning quintet from the heart of the Irish midlands blending the best of traditional Irish music with bluegrass and Americana.
- Aug. 21: Bon Bon Vivant — Genre-bending New Orleans band blending singer-songwriter, jazz-inspiration, Americana and up-tempo indie dance rock that pays homage to the bawdy New Orleans sound.
- Aug. 28: Robbie Fulks — Grammy-nominated performer and songwriter whose career spans Americana, folk, rock and more, on the road with a new album, Bluegrass Vacation.
Wonderful Wednesdays (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
- July 12: Main Street Song & Dance Troupe — Enjoy a Disney-themed performance by this nonprofit show choir, comprised of a talented group of teens 12-18 years old.
- July 19: Duke Otherwise — Madison-based guitarist, singer, tap dancer and wacky wordsmith with his full band.
- July 26: Little Miss Ann — Award-winning Chicago folk rock kids’ musician with a fun, interactive, educational song list.
- Aug. 2: Fox and Branch — Their dynamic mix of old-time music, original songs and family folk music appeals to children and adults, giving everyone a chance to actively participate.
- Aug. 9: Susan Salidor — Award-winning children’s music composer and performer who has won multiple awards, including several Parents’ Choice Awards and an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award. She is joined onstage by Matt Yanny-Tillar.
- Aug. 16: Ms. Jen and the Jellyfish — Ms. Jen will have audiences up and moving to the “kindie rock” musical stylings of the Jellyfish, featuring songs and teachers from the Music for Aardvarks’ Milwaukee family music classes.
