In October, Bird will land at Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater for a two-night stint on including a full band show on Friday, October 16 and a solo performance with support from St. Vincent on Saturday, October 17th.
Chicago fans should seek out Andrew Bird at Lollapalooza on Friday, August 7th. You can check out Andrew Bird’s website for the complete list of new tour dates.
Wilco (The Album) is available today. For me, it’s one of the best albums of the year. I can’t really call this album a grower, because I was pretty attached to it from first listen, but I can say that the more time I spend with it, the more the album continues to reward my repeated listening habit. Regardless of how great the music is, I also have a soft spot for the record because the album artwork was all captured right here in Milwaukee by Autumn De Wilde.
As far as favorite tracks from the record, I am a huge fan of the album opener, “Wilco (The Song)” which parlayed itself from its humorous Colbert debut into one of the album’s best tracks. I also really enjoy the manic “Bull Black Nova” that I hope to someday hear alongside “Spiders” in concert as it shares some similar energy/elements. On first listen, I wasn’t too thrilled with “You Never Know,” but repeated spins and their recent appearance on Conan have turned the tides in it’s favor. As a whole, there’s very little to be disappointed with on this record. From start to finish, I find it to be a much more enjoyable listen than Sky Blue Sky.
Discuss: What do you think of Wilco (The Album)? What are your favorite and least favorite tracks? Where does this album fit in terms of the rest of the band’s catalog?
Set List: Signs // Die Die Die // I & Love & You // At the Beach // Bella Donna // Laundry Room // Paranoia in Bb Major // One Line Wonder // Down With A Glistening Shine // Talk on Indolence // Murder in the City // Denouncing November Blue // LOL, LOL // Ballad of Love & Hate // Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms (Earl Scruggs cover) // Salina // Kick Drum Heart // Dream Appointed (Another Youngster) // Go to Sleep
Encore: The Perfect Space
It had been a couple years since I’d seen a show at the House of Blues in Chicago. I arrived to the venue in great anticipation, The Avett Brothers had teased some new material from their forthcoming album, I and Love and You when I saw them in Austin a few months back. Since then, I’ve had the chance to hear a few live records and have had the title track on in heavy rotation.
New songs “Laundry Room” and “Kick Drum Heart” embody the charging energy side of the Avett’s, while the evening’s closer, “The Perfect Space,” is as reflective as anything they’ve penned to date. It opens with a reasonable wish, “I wanna have friends that I can trust, that love me for the man I’ve become not the man I was” and ends continues with a heavy ending of “I wanna have pride like my mother has, And not like the kind in the bible that turns you bad.”
The Avett Brothers will leave your legs sore, your voice hoarse, and your memory bank filled with joy. They’re a band that you could drag along a pessimist and I’d bet the Avetts could win them over by the time the curtain goes down. Last night’s crowd was a mixture of the usual suspects: the die-hards, the booze hounds, the hippie chics, the businessman, and many more. The beauty of their live show resides within their ability to seamlessly transfer from rocker to delicate acoustic numbers like “Murder In The City.” If you haven’t bought your ticket for their show at the Barrymore in October, it’s never to early to plan ahead. The show will sell out, so don’t be left out.
Discuss: Drop a comment if you made last night’s show in Chicago. What were your highlights and thoughts on the new material?
Here are the Wisconsin and Chicago shows we recommend you take in this week. Check them out below and let us know which ones you’ll be attending or ones you think should really make our list. Also, don’t miss the very solid week of new releases, including our recommended purchases below.
Upcoming Wisconsin Shows:
6/29 – Spoon – Summerfest, Milwaukee
6/30 – White Rabbits – High Noon Saloon, Madison
7/1 – Bob Dylan + Willie Nelson – Summerfest, Milwaukee
7/2 – Femi Kuti – Summerfest, Milwaukee
7/2 – No Doubt/Paramoree/Bedouin Soundclash – Marcus Amphitheater, Milwaukee
7/4 – Richard Swift – Summerfest, Milwaukee
7/4 – Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – Outside Burnhearts, Milwaukee
7/5 – Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Summerfest, Milwaukee
Upcoming Chicago Shows:
6/29 – Black Moth Super Rainbow – Jay Pritzker Pavilion
7/1 – White Rabbits – Empty Bottle
7/2 – Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – The Bottom Lounge
7/4 – Toots & The Maytals – Wild Hare
7/4 – Drive-By Truckers – Taste of Chicago, Grant Park
7/5 – Richard Swift – Schubas Tavern
Just Announced:
9/26 – Arctic Monkeys – The Rave, Milwaukee
10/6 – The Butthole Surfers – Barrymore Theatre, Madison
Paul McCartney jumped on stage with Neil Young last night to guest on vocals during “A Day In The Life.” Pretty great stuff, wish Neil would have turned over vocals to Macca completely, but I’m not gonna complain.
As temperatures begin to rise, The Terrace becomes the destination in Madison for live music, meet ups, hook ups, and an all-around good times. The musical offerings this year have been an eclectic grab bag, combining many genres, and mixing the old and new. Great stuff. Last night, Milwaukee’s own Paul Cebar took the stage and brought the tunes via pedal power. As you’ll see in the pictures below, the Memorial Union set up bikes that provided the power for the music all night long.
