Shakey Graves and the Punch Brothers treated Summerfest concert goers to an evening of alt-country
and Americana music on an albeit not-so-summery 60 degree evening overlooking beautiful Lake Michigan at the BMO Harris Pavillion.
Photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
Shakey Graves, the stage name of actor turned songsmith, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, put on a riveting 75 minute set to open the evening of energetic rock music often with blues, country and southern influences. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Shakey Graves certainly gave off a southern rock vibe with a Texas flag hanging off the stand of his keyboard. Early on in the set, Shakey Graves encountered problems with their amplifiers and pa system. A stalwart performer, Rose-Garcia was able to keep the crowd engaged despite technical difficulties. The highlight of the show was Rose-Garcia inviting surprise guest Monica Martin, lead singer from Phox, to join him for a duet on "Call it Heaven," which was followed up with an impromptu and energetic rendition of the band's hit, "Dearly Departed." Live, Rose-Gracia is quiet a proficient guitarist, alternating from quick picking Americana style to electric rock. His energy alone made him an entertaining and engaging act.
photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
The Punch Brothers followed. The Punch Brothers are somewhat of an all-star ensamble of bluegrass musicians, featuring Chris Thile on lead vocals and mandolin. Thile is considered one of the best mandolin players living today, and his virtuoso licks, especially on more traditional bluegrass numbers was exemplary. Joing Thile were four other stand out musicians including, Noam Pikelny (formerly of Leftover Salmon) on banjo, Gabe Witcher on fiddle, Chirs Eldridge on guitar, and Madison native Paul Kowert on upright bass. Kowert had lots of time to shine on stage and was pretty amazing showcasing his skills on the bass.
After the raucous foot stomping of Shakey Graves, a lot of the audience at the BMO Harris Pavillion left, leaving the Punch Brothers to play to a quarter-filled amphitheater. That didn't stop the Punch Brothers from putting forth their best effort, but it was harder to get the crowd up and as energetic. A more intimate venue may be a better fit to showcase the talents of these outstanding musicians. Still, it was a great evening of jams and good music.
So, after making the bold claim in my last review that My Morning Jacket was the best live act touring today, could they back it up two nights in a row in the same town, with many of the same fans in attendance? Simple answer- Yes, they could!
There was definitely a different vibe to the Sunday show, which consisted of 21 different songs that were not played the night before. For starters, the theater was about half-full, the smallest crowd I've seen for a Jacket show since I first saw them in 2006. The fact that many of the Jacket's fans are men in their 30's-40's with families, like myself, and it being Father's Day might have had a lot to do with this fact. However, once again, the band gave it it's all and then some. For night, "Numero Dos" to quote Jim James, The Jacket started out on a more mellow note, choosing a set list of songs that are lyrically more reflective in nature and musically a little slower in tempo than the night before. In a bold move, the band chose to play a lot of deeper cuts (9 of which were over ten years old), and showcased only a couple of tracks off of their most recent record, The Waterfall. And for the mood of the crowd, this was exactly the right fit.
After a riveting "Spring (Among the Living)" from 2015's The Waterfallto open the show, the band started off a series of songs that worked perfectly together to create a chill vibe to fit the atmosphere at the Riverside. "Compound Fracture," perhaps the most radio accessible song off of The Waterfall came second. Another early highlight was the reggae infused groove-laden "Off the Record," which the band flowed into "First Light." Reflective tunes like "Golden," one of the stand out tracks from It Still Moves, was set against another softer number, "Thin Line," off of The Waterfall.
The "jam band" theme really came out more towards the latter part of the main set, with a truly creative sonic run of tunes that started with the often requested, "Dondante" off of 2005's Z album sequencing perfectly into "War Begun," a track that dates back to the band's debut alum, 1999's The Tennessee Fire, and then flowed into the reggae infused set closer, "Phone Went West," which hearkens back to 2001's At Dawn record.
If there was any doubt that The Jacket would segue from more slow tempo numbers to rockers, it was quickly refuted in the encore. After a solo acoustic, "I Will Be There When You Die," (also from 1999's Tennessee Fire disc), The Jacket cranked it up to eleven for a run that would feature "Strangulation," into an epic "Run Thru" and then finishing off with crowd pleasing tracks, "Anytime," and "Mahgeetah."
So, after two evenings, approximately five hours of music, unique lighting for each song, music spanning the band's discography, and fans with ear-to-ear grins and fists in the air for the whole time, is My Morning Jacket the best regular touring rock band out there today. The simple answer is yes.
Opening both nights of My Morning Jacket's residency at the Riverside Theater was Floating Action, a band fronted by Seth Kaufmann and hailing from Black Mountain, North Carolina. Like My Morning Jacket, Floating Action is a rock band with southern grooves. Their sets both nights featured members of The Jacket sitting in, including Carl Broemel guesting on lap guitar both nights, and drummer Patrick Hallahan joining the opener to pound the skins the second night. Floating Action was highly entertaining and had Dante Schwebel, the guitarist of Hacienda and most recently Spanish Gold, jamming as a member of the band, Floating Action was a perfect rock opener to get fans pumped for My Morning Jacket, and stood out as a great soulful rock act.
My Morning Jacket Set List: Courtesy of Setlist.fm 6/21/15
My Morning Jacket is the best actively touring rock band out there. Period. That is a very bold thing for me to say, and I know it, but after their performance at the Riverside Theater before a sold-out audience on Saturday night, I think that most fans in attendance would agree with me.
As a fan of "The Jacket" since their breakthrough album It Still Moves came out in 2003, I've had the chance to see Jim James and company's steady rise. What makes the band so great is their constant evolution in their performance. Earlier shows played around more with vocal distortion and strobe lights amid more succinct renderings of their songs. Later shows, including the band's past two "Spontaneous Curation" tours include set-lists that vary nightly and allow for fan input and requests on social media. Their last stop in Milwaukee at the BMO Harris Pavillion in July of 2012, was my favorite concert of the year that year, and I recall writing about The Jacket was at the height of their powers.
Fast forward three years, and with a return-to-form album, this year's The Waterfall, in tow, and The Jacket might be at their best yet. This summer the band is playing multiple venues for multi-night residencies, including the beautiful Riverside Theater.
For their first night, The Jacket opened with the lead-off track off of The Waterfall, "Believe," and proceeded to enter a nearly two and a half-hour jam fest. The band seamlessly flowed songs into one another, with fluid transitions, much like you'd expect when seeing an act like Phish or Widespread Panic in their late 90's prime. "Circuital," rolled into "Evil Urges," "Only Memories Remain," jammed into "I Will Sing You Songs," and then into "The Way that He Sings," and my set highlight, "Dancefloors." The always powerful, "Steam Engine," rolled into the rarer track, "The Bear." The Jacket's light show clearly is the band's sixth member, and created nothing short of a glorious tapestry of lights to go along with each of the numbers.
While often dubbed, "the indie rock jam band," My Morning Jacket showcased their musical prowess and improvisational skills like never before in the first night of their Milwaukee run.
Glass Animals front man Dave Bayley holds Milwaukee near to his heart, and for good reason. The highly energetic singer and guitarist of Oxford England's electro-psychedelic indie pop act, Glass Animals recalled that Milwaukee was their first stop on their first ever US tour. A few songs later Bayley again gave props to our fair city, stating that the Riverside Theater is one of the most beautiful venues his band has ever played in. These factors and a highly energetic crowd helped Glass Animals bring their A game for a set on non-stop energy and fun. The diverse crowd, which ranged from high school students to men and women my age and older, bobbed their heads, swayed, and pumped their fists in their air for an hour and ten minute set that heavily featured of the band's debut album, Zaba which dropped last year.
Like their contemporaries from the other side of the pond, Alt-J, Glass Animals incorporate loops and catchy melodies to drive their tunes. Glass Animals at times mixed up how the melodies were delivered, however, performing some of them on the drums, which were set up with a hybrid electronic pad and traditional kit set up.
As for their performance, Bayley is a true front man, running about the stage, climbing ontop of the speaker stack and into the box seat area, and even crowd surfing while singing "Love Lockdown," a Kayne West cover which the band used as their encore. Several of the tracks from Zaba received extended jams, including their signature tune, "Gooey," The well-choreographed light show paired well with Glass Animals grooves and dancable jams, leaving the crowd smiling throughout the set,
