Summer is upon us. We finally have the time, money, warm weather and flexibility to go see our favorite bands live in concert. Here is a preview of some great shows coming to Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago. If you have the extra cash and the transportation, take a road trip to one of the shows in the Midwest.
Let's start off here at our home base of Madison. June 6, Modest Mouse will take center stage at The Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St. Also, The Barrymore Theater, 2090 Atwood Ave., will be home to Neko Case June 8, and The Wallflowers will take the stage July 7. These concerts are must-sees if you will be in the Madison area.
Perhaps you will find yourself in Milwaukee not only for Summerfest, but also to see some great bands at Milwaukee's small, intimate venues.
First up is The Raveonettes, who just released a new album. They will be at Mad Planet in Milwaukee May 12. Next, Hot Hot Heat will come to The Rave in Milwaukee, May 31 as they take their new album on the road.
Finally, Low will perform June 2 at The Modjeska Theater. All of these small venues are extremely intimate, so seeing one of these big bands would definitely be a summer highlight.
Summerfest has not yet listed many headliner acts. However, bands already slated to play are quite a delight. The Miller Lite Oasis will see Moby July 3, which will be an interesting show to see at that type of venue. Ben Folds, regular to the festival, finds the Summerfest stage once again July 4. And, in case you missed out on the Violent Femmes at the terrace, see them July 6.
Also, the Potowatomi Bingo and Casino Stage at Summerfest will host many classic rock and '80s bands if that is more your taste. The Doobie Brothers will play June 30 and Styx July 5. David Lee Roth, former singer of Van Halen, will claim the spotlight July 2 and Whitesnake will play July 8. Find this stage if you enjoy bands from the past.
Chicago should be next on your list of places to stop during your summer tour, especially if you are in to all-day music festivals. Pitchfork announced its first music festival, called Intonation. The festival will be held at Grant Park July 16 and 17. So far, the line-up is incredible, with bands such as The Decemberists, Broken Social Scene, The Wrens and Fiery Furnaces. This new musical festival will surely be a hit, so if you are in the area, support Pitchfork and its new festival.
Why not stay in Chi-town the whole week? The very next weekend, July 23 and 24, Grant Park will be hosting Lollapalooza. So far, the lineup is amazing, with bands such as the Pixies, Arcade Fire, Weezer, The Killers, Cake, Kaiser Chiefs and Death Cab for Cutie. While the festival was canceled last year, this year looks promising with such a strong, powerful lineup.
Wherever you find yourself for the summer, whether you stay here or go elsewhere, make sure you see a show. Have a rockin' summer.
This is Beth Wick's final column. If you're as excited about summer concert-going as she is, e-mail her at eawick@wisc.edu.
