David Wax Museum with Sleeping Jesus- Shank Hall, 7/21/16

photo by Will Piper

"My gosh are you ever a smiley crowd," exclaimed Suz Slezak part way through David Wax Mueseum's set.  And smiley and happy the crowd was during the intensely intimate, energetic set of music performed by David Wax, his wife, Suz Slezak and the rest of their band (consisting of a touring drummer, bass player and guitarist) at Shank Hall.  The hundred or so fans who all moved up by the stage for the set were treated to a joyful pageant of a performance.  Simply stated, in a world full of negatives, David Wax Museum provides an escape with music that is positive, happy and uplifting in an authentic way.   There are some bands that just make you say, "gosh it's great to be alive," and David Wax Museum is one of those kind of acts.

photo by Will Piper

The quintet masterfully blends together elements of traditional Mexican folk music with modern indie rock and country styles to create a unique potpouri of sound.  For their Shank Hall performance, David Wax Museum chose to forgo a setlist and play songs based on reading their crowd.  The songs performed showcased a pleasant retrospective of the band's career, with a balance between more poppy numbers and more Mexican infused pieces that, at times, had a "world music" flare. Highlights included "Yes Maria Yes," a tune that showcased David Wax on the jarana, a traditional guitar-like instrument from southern Mexico and Suz Slezak playing the quijada (donkey jaw bone), another traditional Mexican folk instrument used for percussion at parties and celebrations.  Other set highlights included "Harder Before it Gets Easier," a standout track off of their 2012 stellar release Knock Knock Get Up, about being a new parent, and their breakthrough single, "Born with a Broken Heart" off of 2011's Everything Is Saved album.

David Wax and me

Wax's latest release Guesthouse, which came out earlier this year is perhaps the band's most accessible and polished recording to date.  Tracks like "Every Time Katie," "Everything Changes," and the title track "Guesthouse" all translated well live.  In fact "Guesthouse" was a rousing set closer for the performance.  After an encore, the band came out and greeted fans.  Not only are David Wax Museum outstanding performers, they are genuinely humble people who appreciate their fans as much as the fans appreciate them.

Opening up for David Wax Museum was Sleeping Jesus, a jangly romantic indie rock outfit from Winona, Minnesota.  Their sweeping tunes paired well on a warm summer night and they did a great job of warming up the crowd with accessible tunes that benefited from a strong sense of vocal harmonies between the musicians.

photo by Will Piper

Car Seat Headrest, Stef Chura & The Pukes- Turner Hall Ballroom, 7/17/16

photo by Stephen Bloch

Shredding guitar, anxiously gritty vocals and pounding drums boomed throughout the Turner Hall Ballroom during the riveting 70 minute set from young Seattle buzz rockers, Car Seat Headrest.  The quartet has generated a great deal of attention in the music scene these days, and stopped by Milwaukee after playing the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, often deemed a mecca for buzz bands.  

Car Seat Headrest seem like a group of unassuming young fellows on stage, but man can these guys deliver the rock.  For a group of musicians in their early twenties, they have a remarkably advanced sound.  The star of the show was guitarist Ethan Ives, whose stage presence was reminiscent of a young left-handed version of Slash from Guns 'N Roses.  With his moppy hair flailing from side to side, Ives's fast tempoed staccato style paired perfectly with the spoken-word, sometimes yelled, ambiguous vocals from Will Toldeo, the songwriter of the group.  With catchy lines that demand thought and further examination like, the quirky line from "Vincent," "They got a portrait of Van Gogh on the Wikipedia page for clinical depression, well that helps to describe it," Toledo and company tore through their set.  

photo by Stephen Bloch

Car Seat Headrest's material varies in length, and the band wisely complemented their set to balance their longer, jammier explorations like "Vincent" and "The Ballad of Costa Concordia" amidst shorter numbers like "Something Soon," and "Fill in the Blank."  In an interesting choice, the band also did a remarkable cover of David Bowie's "Blackstar," as their second tune of the night.

Car Seat Headrest has nowhere to go but up in the music business and judging from the highly energized and engaged crowd at Turner Hall, I am sure that they will continue to evolve their unique rock sound.

Setlist:
Unforgiving Girl (She's Not An)
Blackstar **- David Bowie Cover
Times to Die
Fill in the Blank

America (Never Been)
Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales
Vincent

Something Soon
The Ballad of the Costa Concordia
Encore:
Stop Smoking
Destroyed by Hippie Powers

photo by Will Piper

Opening for Car Seat Headrest were two bands.  The first was Milwaukee local power-punk rockers, The Pukes.  For their first time at Turner Hall, the band seemed remarkably comfortable on stage and played more tunes in a half hour than just about any other act I can remember recently.  The Pukes's lead guitarist and frontman Jules Frank is quite the entertainer.  Their surfier material was particularly catchy and the large crowd that gathered for their set were bopping along with the tunes from the first note on.

photo by Will Piper

Second act, Stef Chura, hailed from Detroit Michigan and had a bit more of a muddled grunge sound. They were well-received, and, like the Pukes, tried to cram as many tunes into their set as possible.  

Ryan Adams and The Shining with Fort Frances- Harley Davidson Roadhouse, Summerfest 7/10/16

photo by Joe Eason

"I can tell that 311 just went on because I can hear 'Down'," Ryan Adams quipped as a thunderous rumble of bass and noise came from the stage just north of the Harley Davidson Roadhouse.  After a snicker from the performer and a giggle from his audience, he settled back with his guitar and continued to rock a packed Harley Davidson Roadhouse stage on the final night of Summerfest.   This brief moment in a robust 18 song jammy show somewhat epitomized the change for the better that has come as Adams has matured as a live performer.

photo by Steven Bloom

About a decade ago, when I first saw Ryan Adams perform, this sort of pesky annoyance would have potentially derailed the performance all together.  Adams has a reputation in the past of being an unpredictable performer who would have "off" and "on" nights- and would get easily agitated by the crowd.  However, with his current band, "The Shining" in tow, Adams has evolved into a steady rock 'n roll act.  In fact, of the three Ryan Adam's shows I've seen, the Summerfest performance was by far the best I've seen him and his band play.  Adams was loose, relaxed, and in full-on rock 'n roll mode.  

His set was well thought through for the festival crowd, and kept a strong rocking vibe throughout. One of the most prolific songwriters in modern rock music, Adams's set covered his solo career with emphasis on some of his latest work and his debut solo release Heartbreaker, which he re-released as a deluxe edition earlier this year.  Despite having about as deep of a catalogue as any touring musician today, Adams show was remarkably cohesive, taking the audience on a trip through songs anchored in deeply personal memories and connections. 

photo by Steven Bloom

The show opened with swaggering guitar on "Trouble" and "Gimme Something Good," two standout tracks from Adams's most recent 2014 self-titled release.  Adams played perhaps his biggest hit, "New York, New York," and flowed it nicely into "When the Stars Go Blue," off of his 2001 classic album Gold.  Jammier tunes like "Magnolia Mountain" and "Cold Roses," showcased Adam's affection for roots rock of bands like the Grateful Dead.   A show highlight came mid set when Adams performed the simple and poignant "Everybody Knows," a jangly emotionally retrospective track, which is one of my personal favorites. The set closed with an unexpected rousing rendition of "Halloweenhead" also off of 2007's Easy Tiger album.  

For an encore Adams busted out "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)," his breakthrough opening tack from 2000's Heartbreaker which energized the crowd.  His last two selections sealed this remarkable performance as Adams performed a soulful rendition of "Peaceful Valley," off of 2005's Jacksonville City Lights record, followed by "Come Pick Me Up," perhaps my show highlight, which was beautifully cathartic.

Ryan Adams's live show, stage presence and sense of fun was palpable for both the songwriter, his band and the audience alike, and was a fitting way to close out Summerfest 2016.

Setlist:
Trouble
Gimme Something Good
New York, New York

When the Stars Go Blue
Shakedown on 9th Street
Magnolia Mountain
Let It Ride
Everybody Knows
This House Is Not For Sale
Stay With Me
Dear Chicago
Cold Roses
Kim
Halloweenhead

Encore:
I Got the Blues From Playing the Blues
To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High0
Peaceful Valley
Come Pick Me Up


Fort Frances:

photo by Will Piper

Opening for Ryan Adams and the Shining was Fort Frances, an indie rock quartet from Chicago. Fort Frances has been developing a devoted Milwaukee following, playing solid gigs around town for the past few years (Bastille Days, Whitefish Bay Sounds of Summer, Cedarburg Cultural Center, Club Garibaldi, and even Turner Hall).  Seeing the band on a gorgeous summer's evening, backed with a combination of Ryan Adams's lighting arrangements and performing in front of a large engaged crowd at a prominent time slot at Summerfest gave the performance an extra dose of rock 'n roll "umph" and swagger.

photo by Steven Bloom

In fact, Fort Frances has never been tighter as an ensemble.  New material from their latest full-length record Ailo translated well live.  In a new step for the band, lead vocalist David McMillin had several numbers where he stepped in front of the crowd wielding only a mic.  Highlights of the set consisted of many of of the Ailo tracks including, "Everything Is Starting To Make Sense," a heavily nuanced and layered tune that is one of Fort Frances's more ambitious efforts to date.  "Anonymous," the first single off of Ailo was also well-received with its catchy pop hooks,  as were the hypnotic grooves and harmonies of "Sigh of Relief" along with the rock anthem stylings of "Building A Wall."

McMillin explained that the title of Fort Frances's new record Ailo means "hello" in Lithuanian, and he talked about how the band came to play a big music festival in Lituania last year due to the viral YouTube success of their cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's "Summertime."  The band proceeded to do a soulful rendition of that cover to the delight of the crowd.  Another surprise cover of "All My Friends" by LCD Soundsystem riled up the audience for Ryan Adams and had the growing audience singing along.  While McMillan states in "Anonymous," "no one needs to know our name," it is only a matter of time before Fort Frances becomes a household name in town after the rich rock 'n roll performance their audience was treated to on Sunday night.

photo by Steven Bloom

Setlist:
Light Years
Best of Luck
Sigh of Relief
Days Get Heavy
Everything Is Starting to Make Sense
Habits
Anonymous
Take the Wheel
I Had Love
Wrong Man
Building a Wall
Summertime (DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince cover)
Year of Gold
Plastic Hearts
All My Friends (LCD Soundstystem cover)

The Decemberists- Miller Lite Oasis, Summerfest 7/7/16

photo by Will Piper

You can't help but improve your vocabulary by listening to the lyrics of the Decemberists' guitarist and singer, Colin Meloy.  What other songsmith pens tunes with words like "balustrade," "panoply," and "palanquin?"  (For definitions of these words, check out Study Up on Decemberists Lyrics). Given the sophisticated vernacular of the Decemberists' songwriting and intricate nature of their multi-instrumental arrangements, Summerfest, and the Miller Lite Oasis in particular, might have seemed like an odd venue to take in such a prolific, layered and heavily nuanced act.  The smell alone of sloppily spilled beverages, sweet ice cream, donuts and funnel cake, mixed with the hapless remains of Saz's sample platter remnants doused in ranch dressing may turn off some (the Riverside Theater the Miller Lite Oasis is not). However, for the avid Decemberists faithful that gathered for their Miller O performance on Thursday, the band treated them to a show that can be summed up best in two words- immensely entertaining.  

photo from @Summerfest on Twitter

The Decemberists are the pinnacle of professional entertainers, and Meloy, a true theatrical showman.  The band opened with "A Beginning Song," the last track off of last year's What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World release.  From there they went on to perform a plethora of songs that encompassed their fifteen year career. Despite the diversity of their work, the shuffled deck of a setlist seemed to work well, especially after the band started getting into their groove. "Billy Liar," featured Meloy leading the crowd in an accompanying sing-a-long with one side singing one part and the other side another. "The Crane Wife 3" and "The Island" seamlessly flowed into one another and Meloy mentioned that these tunes were part of their acclaimed record, The Crane Wife, which came out a decade earlier.  "The Rake's Song" was another highlight with thumping percussion driving the track.

However, the true highlight of the evening was a spirited rendition of "The Mariner's Revenge Song." While I've seen this tune performed many times before, it was a particular treat to hear the Summerfest masses making sounds pretending they were being swallowed by a whale.  As always, the Decemberists theatrics with the prop whale get a rise from the crowd and end their show on a high note with the crowd leaving thoroughly entertained.

Setlist from Setlist.fm

1. A Beginning Song
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2. July, July!
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3. Calamity Song
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4. Billy Liar
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5. The Engine Driver
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6. The Wrong Year
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7. The Sporting Life
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8. The Crane Wife 3
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9. The Island
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10. Make You Better
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11. Rox in the Box
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12. The Rake's Song
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13. Down by the Water
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14. Dracula's Daughter
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15. O Valencia!
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16. The Mariner's Revenge Song

Chris Stapleton, Alabama Shakes- Marcus Amphitheater, 7/2/16

photo by Chad Gettleman

Soulful, gripping, and deeply engaging are just a few words that come to mind when reflecting on a truly special evening of music delivered by Alabama Shakes and Chris Stapleton.  This one time only performance from both bands filled the Marcus Amphitheater to near capacity on a gorgeous summer night.  While for many, the acts seemed different (Stapleton is a traditional country artist and Alabama Shakes a blues rock band) the raw emotion that emanated from both bands bound them and the audience together.

Alabama Shakes front woman, Brittney Howard, is a performer who leaves her heart and soul on stage.  Her dynamic vocals swept from one end of the Marcus Amphitheater to the other and bellowed from the stage to the bleachers and the grass.  When I fist saw Howard and her band perform it was in the intimate confines of the Pabst Theater for a $10 show before the release of their 2012 debut record Boys and Girls.  It may have been their largest crowd to date at that time.  Fast forward four years and the act has become a true blues rock juggernaut, and Howard one of the most intense, dramatic, and passionate performers you'll find anywhere.  Backing Alabama Shakes this time around was a three piece vocal group who added texture to their soulful tunes.

photo by Chad Gettleman

Alabama Shakes set consisted heavily of tunes from 2015's outstanding release Sound and Color.  The show varied from slow burning numbers like "Dunes" to more shredding tunes like "The Greatest."  As the show went on, Howard's passion may have gotten the best of her as her glasses literally flew off her face and into the darkness of the stage during her guitar solo on "Gemini" .  She declared to the crowd afterwards that this was the first time she'd ever, "played blind," and went on to nail passionate renditions of "Sound and Color" and the rousing anthemic "You Ain't Alone."

photo by David Bernacchi- originally published on OnMilwaukee.Com

Next up was Chris Stapleton, who proudly announced when he took the stage to a roaring ovation from the crowd, that this was the first time he's ever played Milwaukee.  The Summerfest audience greeted him in fine fashion singing along with the opening licks of "Nobody to Blame."  Stapleton's quartet, comprised of his wife Morgane, a drummer and a bass player delivered an immensely powerful sound bound together by Stapleton's lush vocals. While Stapleton's vocals have been heralded by music fans as outstanding, his guitar work is also noteworthy.  Stapleton's expression on guitar brought his listener into his compelling, earnest tales, told by an exceptional songwriter.  The humility of Stapleton stood out as well.  During a concert highlight, "Fire Away," Stapleton got choked up during the impromptu audience sing-along, asking the fans to sing it again with him, and then stepping away from the mic to "compose himself."  It is rare that you see this amount of honest emotion from a performer, let alone one playing the Marcus Amphitheater, but it is moments like these that made the show extra special.  Chris Stapleton and his band mates set consisted heavily of material off of his 2015 debut solo release, Traveller, as well as peppering in some tunes from his work with the Steeldrivers ("Midnight Train to Memphis" and "Drinking Dark Whiskey").  By the close of his set- a masterful rendition of "Tennessee Whiskey," the audience exploded with applause.

This was one of the best concerts I've ever seen... a performance where musicians left their hearts and souls on stage.  It's the kind of show that sticks to your bones.

Setlists- origianlly published by Matt Mueller OnMilwaukee.com

Alabama Shakes"Future People"
"Dunes"
"Always Alright"
"Heartbreaker"
"Rise To The Sun"
"Guess Who"
"Miss You"
"The Greatest"
"On Your Way"
"Joe"
"Be Mine"
"Gimme All Your Love"
"Don't Wanna Fight"
"Gemini"
"Sound and Color"
"You Ain't Alone"
"Over My Head"

Chris Stapleton"Nobody To Blame"
"Midnight Train to Memphis"
"Outlaw State of Mind"
"Drinkin' Dark Whiskey"
"More of You"
"Might As Well Get Stoned"
"Was It 26"
"The Devil Called Music"
"Hard Living"
"Traveller"
"Fire Away"
"You Are My Sunshine"
"Tennessee Whiskey"
Encore:
"Whiskey and You"
"Sometimes I Cry"

The Record Company- Johnson Controls World Sound Stage- Summerfest 6/30/16

photo by Dan Zaitz/Summerfest
originally posted on OnMilwaukee.Com

"We're the Record Company, we play rock 'n roll,"  emphatically stated Wisconsin dairy-farm born front-man Chris Vos with an ear-to-ear grin donned in his signature black cap, denim jacket, t-shirt, slacks and Chuck Taylor's before launching into the first notes of "On The Move," to kick off their show at the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage. Despite a large downpour of rain the Johnson Controls Stage was packed, heads bobbing and jamming along with the band from the first note on.

The Record Company has been a buzz band in 2016, releasing their infectious debut full-length Give It Back To You in February.  The band has since played shows taking them from their current home in Los Angeles all across the country and overseas, including a sold-out show at Milwaukee's Turner Hall with Buffalo Gospel this past March in addition to a stop at Boneroo last month.

photo by Dan Zaitz/Summerfest
originally posted on OnMilwaukee.Com

The gritty-bluesy trio consisting of Vos on guitar, vocals and harmonica, Alex Stiff on bass, and Marc Carorla on drums, harnesses the spirit of working man's rock 'n roll. Their sound consists of deeply catchy bass and drum grooves anchoring down Vos's thick vocals, lap steal and slide guitar licks, and harmonica interludes.   If there is one thing that makes The Record Company stand out from other acts it's their impeccable work ethic.  Vos and company danced and wailed their way around the stage playing a riveting 75 minute set anchored with tunes off of Give It Back To You.

By the time that the band got to their hit, "Off The Ground," for their first encore, the crowd was already in full-throttle mode having jammed their way across the rockabilly infused "Don't Let Me Get Lonely," the funky-swampy "Rita Mae Young," and pounding every-man sentiment expressed in the poetic anthem "Hard Day Coming Down."

Vos announced before the final number, "Feels So Good," that The Record Company would be returning to Turner Hall this coming October.  Rest assured I'll try to be there.   It is true that rock 'n roll lives, and in the case of Vos and his band mates it is alive and well.