Here’s a Martha Wainwright review I wrote for Fan-Belt Milwaukee: I’m not going to lie: Martha Wainwright and not headliner KT Tunstall was the reason I went to the Pabst for the second night in a row. I’ve been in love with her voice, her impassioned delivery and her obscenity-laced confessional songs since her self-titled […]
August 14, 2008
Here’s a Bon Iver review I wrote for Fan-Belt Milwaukee: Actually, I’m kinda miffed that I had to share Justin Vernon with 100x more people than the last time I saw him. A bunch of people braved the zero-degree weather in January to watch that Mad Planet show, which was also sold-out. Back then, Bon […]
May 5, 2008
Friday night’s was pretty busy (Gallery Night, etc.), which probably accounted for the Pabst Theater, three-fourths filled, at the Stars show. For some reason that made me feel bad — not only were many Milwaukeeans missing out on one of the best bands in the world, but I also have this crazy, possessive, protective feeling […]
April 1, 2008
The fact that Sunday’s Explosions in the Sky show was sold out surprised me, but it shouldn’t have. The Austin-based band, after all, plays the kind of music that everyone describes as ‘epic’ and ‘mind-blowing.’ Obviously, most Milwaukeeans can get into that, as evidenced by the glowstick wielders in attendance, and the conversation of the […]
March 21, 2008
Three days after seeing Swedish troubadour Jose Gonzales at the Pabst, I’m still marveling at how economically powerful it was. I left the theater in a daze — bewildered by how one man with a guitar, a percussionist with conga drums, and a woman singing back-up could give such a powerful performane. There were no […]
September 20, 2007
Here’s what The National is reading on their tour bus: Aaron Dessner is on Marcel Proust’s “Swann’s Way.” His twin brother Bryce is reading a book on Austerlitz, and Bryan Devendorf is reading “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy. At least, that’s what he said over the phone; maybe bands carry around heavy tomes while […]
September 13, 2007
You could say I am a Bloc Party concert connoisseur, having seen the British band about six times since 2005. So I will say this: the band seemed pretty hyped to be playing for the first time ever in Wisconsin. (With the help of a couple of Red Bulls and a Pokemon stuffed toy onstage.) […]
August 28, 2007
Rufus Wainwright’s show at the Pabst Theater last night was sort of like a vacation into an exotic, foreign country. It was mezmerizing, sexy, sometimes uncomfortable and tiring but constantly surprising. Because he was shooting the show for a DVD, he apologized in advance for doing some of the songs over. But to the enthusiastic […]
August 2, 2007
Here’s the biggest reason I love Milwaukee: On Monday, I saw three awesome bands — Dappled Cities, Interpol (see lead singer Paul Banks’ photo above) and the Fratellis — in one night. I shuttled to and from the Pabst Theater and the Rave to do so, but it wasn’t a hassle at all. No expensive […]
August 19, 2008
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