Tagged Show Review

Rick Astley didn’t give up on his hits, but dished out plenty of surprises, too, at Pabst Theater

April 27, 2018

Best known for his late 1980s dance-pop hits "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Together Forever," and "Whenever You Need Somebody," English singer and songwriter Rick Astley and his talented six-piece band brought th...

John Prine reminds audiences of his timeless talents at Riverside Theater show

Lauren Keene

April 26, 2018

Very few touring artists have a career breadth as expansive as John Prine's. The 71-year-old crooner has been cranking out songs, EPs, and albums since the early '70s after being "discovered" by fellow folk leg...

Bill Murray and friends bring the classics to life in delightful Riverside Theater show

Matt Wild

April 18, 2018

"This is where people usually walk out."So joked Bill Murray early on in his highly unlikely, utterly unexpected, and thoroughly charming musical stage show with cellist Jan Vogler and friends Tuesday night...

Weird Al Week ends with recaps of the two Weird Al shows at Pabst Theater

Milwaukee Record Staff

April 11, 2018

Hey! Welcome to (the end of) Weird Al Week! For a full week, Milwaukee Record filled your feed with fresh, funny, and slightly fanatical Al-related materiel. It all led up to the two Weird Al shows at Pabst The...

Here’s the setlist from Monday’s ridiculously self-indulgent Weird Al show at Pabst Theater

Matt Wild

April 10, 2018

If there was any doubt that "Weird Al" Yankovic's Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour would be anything other than, well, ridiculously self-indulgent (and amazing), Monday's show at Pabst Theat...

Ministry gets political, busts out the inflatable Trump chickens at Turner Hall

Cal Roach

April 9, 2018

"Al Jourgensen and Ministry are the undisputed kings of Industrial music," says the event description for the band's Sunday night show at Turner Hall Ballroom. It is a difficult statement to argue against. Thou...

The Decemberists face the awful at Riverside Theater

Matt Wild

April 9, 2018

"There are white supremacists in the White House! You have a douchebag for a governor!"Aaaaand that's how you start your set if you're The Decemberists and you're playing a sold-out Riverside Theater on a S...

Judas Priest rules at Riverside Theater

Cal Roach

April 4, 2018

The metal community was stunned to learn in February that longtime Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and would be forced to drop out of the band's 2018 tour. It's a...

Buckethead takes fans to Bucketheadland at sold-out Shank Hall show

Cal Roach

March 26, 2018

Last year, reclusive guitar virtuoso Buckethead (Brian Carroll) gave an extremely rare interview on a podcast called Coming Alive. He revealed that he'd been dealing with a rare heart condition that had become ...

They Might Be Giants bring damn good times to Pabst Theater

Matt Wild

March 17, 2018

"My excellence at parkour might be unexpected / At the age of 58, it comes as quite a surprise." So sings John Flansburgh on the title track to They Might Be Giants' new album, I Like Fun. It's a typically oddb...

Hot Snakes were worth the wait in Mad Planet (and Milwaukee) debut

Tyler Maas

March 16, 2018

"When's the last time Hot Snakes played in Milwaukee?" guitarist John Reis asked a full Mad Planet as the band prepared to play Thursday night. "Never before, so we'll never be here again. Let's make the most o...

Tyler The Creator, Vince Staples end tour on high note at The Rave

Dan Agacki

March 5, 2018

Approaching The Rave Sunday night for the sold-out Tyler, The Creator show, there was a constant flow of twenty-somethings making their way inside. Police were forced to shut down the block behind the venue in ...

Lorde is the electrifying voice of Generation Z at BMO Harris Bradley Center

Lauren Keene

March 2, 2018

Music fans of a certain age undoubtedly remember when Lorde's magnum opus, "Royals," made its radio debut back in 2012. The indie-influenced track was unlike anything else on the dreaded top-40 radio stations, ...

Steve Aoki shows love for Milwaukee, Steve Aoki at The Rave

Dan Agacki

February 22, 2018

While making the slow cruise to park outside The Rave on Wednesday night, herds of twenty-somethings made their way to the venue—guys in tank tops and girls just in bras, for some reason. It may seem like an od...

Bon Iver combines nostalgia, gratitude in “For Emma, Ten Year” performance

Cal Roach

February 18, 2018

"You gotta be careful about nostalgia," said Justin Vernon, three songs into a show celebrating the 10th anniversary of his band Bon Iver's seminal debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago. "There's…a lot of problems...

Jens Lekman brings whimsy, melancholy, brilliance to The Back Room @ Colectivo

Tommy Ciaccio

February 10, 2018

In a funny way, it’s hard to imagine a more picturesque narration of a day in the dumb, erratic year that 2018 has already been. If it is to begin with the one-two punch of an hour-long government shutdown (the...

Jason Isbell mixes adoration, anger, and adept storytelling at Riverside Theater

Rachel Seis

January 25, 2018

Jason Isbell is a man torn between times. A man caught between Southern roots and worldly ideals. Full-throttle, hard-soaked rebel days and solitary ones spent quieted, comforted, and content with family. Betwe...

King Crimson stands the test of time at Riverside Theater

Cal Roach

November 27, 2017

The only thing worse than a drum solo is a pre-written drum solo with an actual title. But what if instead of one drummer, there were three? That's how King Crimson opened Sunday's show at Riverside Theater: "D...

Axl, Slash, and Guns N’ Roses mine their sleaze-rock past at BMO Harris Bradley Center

Cal Roach

November 8, 2017

During their original superstar phase in the late '80s and early '90s, Guns N' Roses never played Milwaukee, opting instead for the massive amphitheater of Alpine Valley in 1988 and a two-nighter in '91. But Tu...

Kamasi Washington plays jazz for the masses at Turner Hall

Dan Agacki

November 8, 2017

Ruminating on Guns N' Roses' relevance in 2017, I leaned against Turner Hall Tuesday night and watched the masses file into the BMO Harris Bradley Center. As a lifelong GN'R fan, a small piece of my heart float...