Cindy Cashdollar / Dale Haussner
Clockwise from top left: Big Sean at Summerfest, PJ Harvey at Pitchfork, Nick Thune at Turnbuckle, LOLO at Sunset Series, Cat Clyde at Mile of Music, and Cindy Cashdollar at Central Park.
Ah, summer. That wonderful time of year when Midwesterners emerge from their cocoon of blankets bleary-eyed but grateful that they don’t have to put on 17 layers just to get the mail. And what better way to celebrate those fleeting warm months than with live music, from local legends to household names?
The Revelers at Memorial Union Terrace, Lost Lakes at High Noon Saloon
Memorial Union Terrace
(Wednesday through Saturday, May 12-Aug. 25, Madison)
When the colorful chairs get busted out, great music is never far behind. And this year, the Terrace is set for another one to remember. Be sure not to miss sets from Red Baraat (Jul. 15), a funky Indian fusion act that NPR described as “the best party band in years,” and the swampy, Cajun rock ‘n’ rollers the Revelers (Aug. 19).
(Thursday evenings through Sept. 28, Madison)
The High Noon is a phenomenal place to see music year round, but in the summertime, with its spacious patio and prime location downtown, it really shines. This summer’s lineup goes heavy on the folk-tinged — including notable sets from Lost Lakes (June 22), Faux Fawn (Aug. 3) and the Mascot Theory (Sept. 21). Start clearing out your Thursdays now, folks.
NE-HI at Shitty Barn Sessions, Liz Cooper & the Stampede at Sunset Music Series
(Mostly Wednesdays, with some Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, May 3-Oct. 11, Spring Green)
One of the most beloved venues not just in Wisconsin, but in the Midwest, the Shitty Barn is set for another year of music that’s anything but shitty. Sorry, a whole mess of the shows are already sold out. But while supplies last, be sure to pick up a ticket for NE-HI (July 19), a Chicago quartet that specializes in a brand of indie pop awash in reverb, and Freakons (Sept. 14), an amalgam of two of alt-country’s weirdest and most legendary bands, the Mekons and Freakwater.
(Thursdays, June 8 and 22, July 13 and 27, Aug. 10 and 24, East Side Club, Madison)
You can get one of the most beautiful views of Madison looking out over Lake Monona, so what better way to enjoy it than with live music? The Sunset Music Series will highlight some killer acts this year, including LOLO (June 22), a poppy soul siren with a seriously huge voice, and a southern-rocking season finale featuring Desert Noises and Liz Cooper & the Stampede. Plus, each night will be catered by a different local food cart.
Avett Brothers at Breese Stevens Field, Har Mar Superstar at Turnbuckle
(Fridays, May 26 and June 23; Saturday June 17, Madison)
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and home to soccer, high school football and professional ultimate Frisbee, Breese Stevens Field also comes alive on summer nights when the stage goes up and the sun goes down. This year will feature the classic rock legend Boston (May 26), folk rock trio the Avett Brothers (for the record, the first band to sell out Breese Stevens), who will make their return on June 17, and country star/’90s rock icon Darius Rucker, who will take the stage June 23.
Turnbuckle Comedy and Music Festival
(Fri. May 26-Sat. May 27, Codfish Hollow Barnstormers,
5013 288th Ave. Maquoketa, Iowa)
Presented in part by Sean Moeller, the father of Iowa’s legendary Daytrotter Studios, the inaugural Turnbuckle Comedy and Music Festival looks like the most fun you’ll have all summer. Each night will feature headliners in both music and comedy, with Nick Thune and Diarrhea Planet on May 26 and Kyle Kinane and Har Mar Superstar on May 27. Turnbuckle will also showcase dozens of comics from around the Midwest, bands from all over the country (including Louisville’s buzz-building punkers White Reaper on May 26), and a semi-professional wrestling showcase on May 27. Saying “there’s something for everyone” may be a cliché, but that might actually be the case here. And yes, the venue is a barn in idyllic Iowa. With a drive that’s just a little over two hours from Madison, it’s actually closer than Eau Claire.
People Brothers Band at Bonfire, New Pornographers at Live on King
Bonfire Music and Arts Festival
(Thursday, June 1-Saturday, June 3, Yuba)
Tiny Yuba, Wisconsin, is home to only 73 people, but its population will explode temporarily when Driftless Music Gardens hosts the Bonfire Music and Arts Festival this summer. Over three days, Americana and roots acts from around the region will take over. Each night’s headliners (Wheelhouse, Horseshoes and Handgrenades, and the People Brothers Band, respectively) will each do two sets.Also, be sure not to miss Madison’s own roots-rock throwbacks Coyote, who just released their debut album Fool’s Gold earlier this year.
(Select Fridays starting June 23, 115 King St., Madison)
With the Majestic celebrating the 10th anniversary of its current ownership, this year’s series is going big. The lineup of the annual free music series includes a few repeat performers like indie rockers the New Pornographers (Aug. 4) and Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra (June 23), which is truckin’ into its third straight year. Among the notables making a King Street debut are Twin Cities rap legend Brother Ali (July 28) who — who, fun fact, was born here in Madison — and Americana darlings Shakey Graves (Aug. 4).
Sheryl Crow at Summerfest, Septeto Santiaguero at Central Park
(Saturday, June 24, John Nolen Drive, Madison)
While the fireworks may be the main draw of Shake the Lake, the music planned for the accompanying street festival is nothing to gloss over. Again, the acts will be split between two stages. The country stage will be headlined by chart-topping quartet Parmalee, while the rock stage will feature jams from funky indie poppers Saint Motel and shit-kicking blues rock trio the Record Company (whose singer, Chris Vos, grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm). With its family-friendly atmosphere and free admission, you really can’t go wrong at Shake the Lake, no matter which stage you pick.
(June 28-July 2, July 4-July 9, Milwaukee)
For its 50th anniversary, Milwaukee’s lakefront music festival is going even bigger than usual. Headliners are set to include Red Hot Chili Peppers (June 28), two nights of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with Chris Stapleton (July 5-6), and an evening with three of hip-hop’s biggest stars: Future, Big Sean and Migos (July 8). But the real crown jewel of the amphitheater is a July 9 event that will include Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell and Nathaniel Rateliff. Add that to ground stage acts like the Shins, Peter Frampton, Atmosphere, Huey Lewis & the News, Tegan and Sara, Bleachers, Third Eye Blind, Car Seat Headrest and T-Pain, and it’s safe to say that Summerfest is unusually stacked this year. Don’t miss out.
Angel Olsen at Pitchfork , Septeto Santiaguero at Central Park
(July 14-16, Union Park, Chicago)
Summers were made for road trips, and the jaunt to Chicago’s annual Pitchfork festival is one of the best you can make. This year’s lineup has a little something for everyone, with an eclectic lineup that includes LCD Soundsystem, A Tribe Called Quest, Solange, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, PJ Harvey, Danny Brown, Angel Olsen, Thurston Moore Band, Vince Staples, Ride and American Football.
(Wednesdays and Thursdays starting Aug. 2), 202 S. Ingersoll St.
Sponsored by the Literacy Network, the Central Park Sessions will again be raising money for various nonprofits through their weekly concert series. Acts this year will include Marcia Ball, the Texas stomp-rock icon, with support from legendary pedal steel and dobro player Cindy Cashdollar (Aug. 2), trippy indie rockers Foxygen (Aug. 3), and a night of Latin-flavored jams (Aug. 10), courtesy of Mexico City’s Centavrvs and Cuba’s Septeto Santiaguero.
(Aug 3-6, multiple venues, Appleton)
Founded by Wisconsin music mainstay Cory Chisel, the Appleton-based Mile of Music festival has become a hub for all things Americana. Seriously, every act from your friend’s washboard duo to Grammy-nominee Sturgill Simpson has played it. This year’s fifth incarnation will feature several newcomers, including San Fermin, Ron Gallo, Cat Clyde and Octave Lissner, as well as returning artists including Wild Adriatic, LOLO, Swear and Shake, and JC Brooks. See full schedule at mileofmusic.com
(Jun. 16-17, Foster Farm near Eau Claire)
Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon has spent much of his wildly successful career turning Eau Claire into one of the strangest, most active music scenes in the country. Eaux Claires, the festival he curates each summer, enters its third year of existence and boasts another round of typically varied artists including a double dose of Wilco (frontman Jeff Tweedy’s family band, Tweedy, is also set to perform), hip-hop megastar Chance the Rapper, and an up-and-coming artist by the name of Paul Simon.
