Amtrak and WGCIdelivered last night, as they brought some of the biggest names in rap music to the 2016 Summer Jam. Despite a last minute cancellation from ‘My Wap’ rapper Fetty Wap, the Summer Jam brought a number memorable performances, from Desiigner, Young Jeezy, 2 Chainz, Migos, Plies, Famous Dex, Lil Durk and more, that the Windy City will not soon forget. With Plies for the ladies, Desiigner for the GOOD Music fans, T.I. for the old school rap heads, Migos and 2 Chainz for the crowd’s ATL fix, Jeezy for the marquee and Lil Durk, Katy Got Bandz and Famous Dex for their hometown, the Summer Jam had something and more for everyone in attendance.
While no single act stole the show, one of the night’s best moments came when 2 Chainz reached the end of his set time. Instead of playing by the rules and saying his goodbyes to Chicago, Tity Boi kicked down the LCD screen ticker that read 0:00, and performed until he felt that his set was actually over and dropped the mic before he stepped off stage. 2 Chainz raised the energy levels in the United Center, which set the tone for Jeezy’s headlining performance where he gave one hell of an introduction to Lil Durk, who joined the ‘Put On’ rapper on stage and helped cap off the night. This was definitely a Summer Jam for the ages!
Check out our photos from the 2016 WGCI Summer Jam below.
Moments ago, Grammy-nominated rockers Cage The Elephant gave a performance that Milwaukee, Wisconsin will not soon forget. Performing at The Rave’s Eagles Ballroom, the Bowling Green, Kentucky natives were joined by the equally entertaining, Portgual. The Man. Led by singer and guitarist Matthew Shultz, Cage The Elephant is currently on tour in support of their critically acclaimed 2015 album, Tell Me I’m Pretty, an LP that was produced by The Black Key’s Dan Auerbach, and earned the guys a Best Alternative Album nom at the 2015 Grammys.
Fans tonight saw much more than some awesome performances from Tell Me I’m Pretty though. Those in attendance not only saw a great opening set from Atlantic Records’ Portugal. The Man, but Cage The Elephant’s headlining performance also consisted of songs and fan favorites from their previous albums, Melophobia,Thank You, Happy Birthday and their 2008 self-titled debut, as well as an energetic encore that alone was worth the price of admission. Cage The Elephant have easily put together one of the best can’t miss rock tours of the entire summer.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and check out the remaining dates on their North American tour here.
Moments ago, California indie rock band The Neighbourhood (“The NBHD”) stepped off stage after a memorable sold out performance at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, WI. Known most for their #1 alt-rock hit, ‘Sweater Weather’, the Jesse Rutherford led group performed much more than their A-side singles and brought some talented supporting acts to set the tone for the rest of the night. With some awesome opening sets from Canadian R&B artist, JAHKOY, and one of rap’s most exciting emerging artists, Kevin Abstract, The Neighbourhood had a tough act to follow, and fortunately for their Wisconsin fans, The NBHD put on as great of a headlining performance as the talented artists before them.
Kicking off the Nu Waves Tour tonight was indie rap artist, Kevin Abstract. An artist who admittedly draws inspiration from Childish Gambino, an super-talented but very polarizing rapper, Kevin Abstract is nerdy and weird in the bestmost abstract way. Not only did he perform a quarter of his set in his signature motorcycle helmet, but he did it while someone was waving a flag throughout the show, moments before he busted out a Razor scooter. And although Abstract has definitely built a core fan base in the past couple years especially, the Texas-native turned a lot of heads with his music video for ‘Echo’, easily one of the best videos of 2015. Performing ‘Echo’, ‘American Boyfriend’, ‘Empty’ and more, Abstract gave fans a taste of his debut, MTV1987, and what they can expect from his forthcoming album, They Shoot Horses. He is certainly his own artist, but if you’re a fan of Childish Gambino, Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean, Kid Cudi or anyone in between, you’ll love Kevin Abstract.
Following Abstract’s energetic performance was JAHKOY, also not an indie rock performer. While you may expect The Neighborhood to recruit other indie rock artists, perhaps ones that sound like lesser versions of the headliners, you couldn’t be more mistaken. Although it definitely makes sense to stay within your “genre” to set the tone for your forthcoming performance, The NBHD flipped the script by recruiting an R&B singer and a rap artist. And if it were just any R&B artist, or any rapper, this method could have easily failed. However it would be difficult for The NBHD to have chosen any two better emerging acts in the hip-hop world than JAHKOY and Abstract. JAHKOY is seeing a huge wave of success and co-signs in the past year, especially with the debut of his single ‘Odd Future’ on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 Radio just a few months ago. Lowe wasn’t the only huge name in music to give the Def Jam artist a big co-sign, as Drake later played the same record on his OVO Sound radio program. While still building up a discography of his own in his very young career, JAHKOY introduced himself to fans tonight with a selection of some of his newest records, and while many didn’t expect to attend an R&B concert tonight, they are glad they did.
After a brief intermission between performances, it was time for The NBHD’s return to Milwaukee. Performing in support of their 2015 album, Wiped Out!, the guys opened with the LP’s record, ‘Greetings From Califournia’. And while the crowd overwhelming enjoyed the performances from Abstract and JAHKOY, you could instantly tell this was the moment they were waiting for. Throughout the night the crowd was singing along every word, whether it was one of Wiped Out!’s B-side tracks, or whether it was a track from The NBHD’s earlier years. The energy never reached a low point, even for the band’s most laid back records, and all eyes watched Rutherford’s every move throughout the night. Closing the night with two awesome performances of their number one hit, ‘Sweater Weather’ and Wiped Out!’s equally successful closing track ‘R.I.P. 2 My Youth’, The NBHD definitely delivered for Milwaukee tonight.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and check out the remaining dates on the Nu Waves Tourhere.
Last night English alt-rock band The 1975 traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to perform a sold out show at The Rave’s Eagles Ballroom. Performing for an excited crowed of a few thousand, the ‘Chocolate’ artists did not travel alone either. In support of the show, the guys were joined by The Japanese House and Grammy nominated London natives, Wolf Alice. From top to bottom, fans in Milwaukee certainly left with their money’s worth after three memorable performances in the night.
Kicking off the night was The Japanese House, and despite minor sound issues in their opening song, the group gave a unique sound and performed a few tracks from their most recent Clean EP. Unlike Wolf Alice and The 1975, The Japanese House’s set tonight was their first introduction to many in attendance, but they certainly made a great first impression to their new Wisconsin fans.
Next up was 4-piece alt-rock band, Wolf Alice. Coming up a huge nomination at the 2016 Grammy Awards, for the Best Rock Performance, Wolf Alice demonstrated to fans why their deserved such an honor. The Ellie Rowsell led group performed a number of their track, include their hit single ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ and a few tracks from 2014 EP, Creature Songs. To any 1975 fans planning on traveling 90 miles south of Milwaukee to catch the 25th Anniversary of Lollapalooza, not only will The 1975 be performing, but Wolf Alice is currently scheduled to put on a great set as well.
After a brief intermission, as production set up the stage and house lights turned up and a buzzing noise was heard throughout the venue as anticipation continued to build up to its maximum heigh, it was time for The 1975 to take stage. Matthew Healey and company opened their set with their I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It record ‘Love Me’. Screams could be heard throughout the night from their biggest fans as the group performed the majority of their 2016 album, mixed in with some of their earlier work. After a four-track encore, Milwaukee saw one of it’s best alternative performances of the year. If you were left wanting more, or simply missed out and couldn’t get tickets in time, The 1975 will return to the Midwest in just a couple months for a Lollapalooza performance that will surely leave people talking.
Check out our photos from The 1975’s performance below and check out their current tour dates here.
In support of their new studio album, PersonA, indie-folk band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros brought their summer tour to the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, WI. Following their memorable 2015 performance at the city’s lakeside festival, Summerfest, the sold-out crowd was more than excited to see the talented indie favorites, and they didn’t travel alone either. Joining the band tonight were Los Angeles-natives and alternative rockers, Harriet. While Harriet introduced themselves to many in Milwaukee tonight, the guys certainly picked up a number of new fans with performances from 2014, What’s Mine Is Yours EP.
Following Harriet’s opening performance, it was time for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, led by singer Alex Ebert, to hit the stage. The Up from Below artists emerged on stage with the house lights on, waving to fans while Alex shook hands and even signed a young woman’s vinyl. Soon after, they opened their set with a performance of their PersonA track ‘Somewhere’. As expected, the band performed the majority of their new album, which released just last month. Perhaps the highlight of the night came though as Edward Sharpe performed their biggest hit single to dates, ‘Home’. Although the band wasn’t joined by former member Jade Castrinos, the lead female singer on ‘Home’ who parted ways with the band in 2014, it didn’t matter because Alex Ebert and company gave 110% into the performance.
If you go into an Edward Sharpe concert thinking that ‘Home’ is their only record, you couldn’t be any more mistake. The 1,000+ in attendance tonight can personally vouch behind the live performances and studio recordings of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s PersonA, their fourth studio album. ‘Home’ has certainly survived as the band’s stand out song to date, but tracks like ‘No Love Like Yours’ and ‘Let It Down’ have definite potential to be the group’s next breakout track.
What was even more impressive was Ebert’s relationship with his audience. Instantly as he greeted the crowd he paid tribute to the beautiful Pabst Theater, and told fans how his father performed there as an actor many decades ago. Throughout the night the band took multiple song suggestions from the crowd, Ebert would sit down with the crowd, even letting audience members tell their favorite jokes while the rest of the band prepared their instruments, and even small things like Ebert’s eye contact with audience members made the performance an especially intimate and memorable one. Whether you know every one, one song, or none, everyone can leave an Edward Sharpe concert having a great night.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and check out the remaining dates for the tour here.
If you’ve ever seen comedian Aziz Ansari’s stand-up review of an R. Kelly concert and viewed it as sheer entertainment and comedy, instead of an accurate representation of what an R. Kelly performance is actually like, then you were wrong. In Ansari’s special, “Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening”, the Parks and Recreation comedian describes an elaborate production where Kelly splices his music with unimaginable theatrics, video clips, entertaining conversations with the audience, and wild pyrotechnics. Not only is all the above 100% factual, but fans in attendance tonight at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL can attest to it all first hand. To say R. Kelly is a one of the best showmen from the past two decades would be an understatement, and tonight he certainly delivered for his hometown crowd of Chicago.
If R. Kelly was anyone but R. Kelly, we would have expected “The Buffet Tour” to open with a performance of the majority of tracks from Kelly’s most recently LP, The Buffet, with a few of the Chicago singer’s biggest hits mixed in throughout the set and in the encore. And if that predictable and structured layout would have took place tonight, it would have been just fine and fans would have certainly left with their money’s worth. However the night’s performance was nothing but structured and predictable, and totally rewrites your expectations going into a live show. And in the most unique way, despite the show being a weird random mess (for lack of better words), it all worked and fans were more than entertained throughout the night. Beyond the music, highlights of the night included R. Kelly responding to internet haters by watching Kobe’s last game on a 50 ft. screen, a flying blimp robot named R. Bot, and random videos of R. Kelly playing basketball and talking about his love of chili. R. Kelly reinvents the wheel when it doesn’t need reinventing, and in doing so he takes us down a whole new and amazing path that we never knew existed.
Despite being dubbed “The Buffet Tour”, tonight’s performance focused around R. Kelly’s massive catalog of hits instead of pinpointing on just his most recent project. Fans went from feeling sexy during ‘Bump N’ Grind’ to getting emotional while singing along to ‘I Believe I Can Fly’. Kelly’s 2-hour long performance truly reminds you of his consistency in the R&B world and the massive number of hit records that R. Kelly has delivered throughout the years. While the video intermissions and added production value certainly make R. Kelly’s performances stand out, it’s the individual performances of tracks that serve as the highlights of the night. The Buffet Tour left not one fan hungry for more tonight, but many would definitely come back for second helpings if they could.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and check out the remaining dates for The Buffet Tourhere.
Just a few weeks removed from her huge headlining performances at Coachella, Ellie Goulding brought her Delirium World Tour to Chicago’s Allstate Arena in Rosement, IL. What will be Goulding’s second Windy City performance of the summer, as she is scheduled to perform at Lollapalooza’s big 25th year anniversary, the arena was packed with Goulding’s fans who came ready to dance the night away. The ‘Love Me Like You Do’ singer didn’t come alone however, as the English singer/songwriter brought British electronic trio, Years & Years, and the immensely talented, Bebe Rexha.
Kicking off the night as the arena began to fill up was singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha. Perhaps known best now for her G-Eazy collaboration, ‘Me, Myself & I’, a record that Rexha wrote before it found its home on the Bay Area rapper’s most recent LP, Rexha is one of the most underrated songwriters of the past half-decade. Rexha got her big break when Eminem bought her track ‘Monster’, a record that previously had little backing from label heads. Lucky for Rexha, ‘Monster’ became a hit and ever since then the Brooklyn native has continued to prove her doubters wrong. Rexha has had some big festival appearances, has worked with the likes of Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas, David Guetta and Nicki Minaj (to name a few), and now of course she is on a huge U.S. tour leg with Ellie Goulding. During her live performances, Rexha converses with the crowd, reminding fans of catalog of records that she has worked on behind the scenes. Don’t be mistaken though, Rexha is much more than just a talented writer and is well on her way to putting “Bebe Rexha the artist” at the forefront of the records that she produces.
Following Rexha’s performance, electronic trio and London natives, Years & Years, hit the stage in Rosemont. Consisting of frontman Olly Alexander, Mikey Goldsworthy (bass guitar) and Emre Turkmen (keys), Years & Years has seen a great amount of success back home, especially with their hit single ‘King’, and that success has been carrying over to the states. Tonight fans saw performances of a number of the band’s records from their 2015 debut, Communion. Although they have been together since 2010, they really took their time in putting together a quality first studio project, and the results showed. Not only did their debut receive great reception from critics across the board, but its live performances tonight were definitely embraced by Ellie’s electropop fans in attendance.
After a brief intermission between sets, it was time for Ellie Goulding to hit the stage. Goulding has consistently raised in popularity in the U.S., and the energy throughout the arena was evidence of just that. After her 2010 debut, Lights, it would have been hard for many Chicago fans to imagine Ellie headlining her own show at the Allstate Arena. Just a few years ago, Goulding performed at Chicago’s Schubas Tavern, an intimate 550-capacity club in the city’s Lakeview neighborhood. In just a couple year’s time, Goulding would return to the city for a daytime set at Lollapalooza in 2013. So for the Delirium singer to headline an arena show that foreshadows a headlining Lolla performance is huge and indicative of her global success in the past few years.
Goulding’s performance tonight was very similar to her headlining set at Coachella this year, a performance which many thousands caught, whether live in Indio or via the festival’s live webcast. Opening with the Intro to her 2015 album, where the tour get its name, and transitioning into the LP’s second track, ‘Aftertaste’, Goulding performed the majority of Delirium, which brought fans singles like ‘Something In The Way You Move’ and ‘Love Me Like You Do’. Ellie Goulding’s performance tonight was much more than just a carbon copy of the album however. Mixing in intimate acoustic performances, a beautiful tribute cover to Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’, and performing a few fan favorites from her first two albums, Halcyon and Lights, Ellie certainly put on a memorable performances that fans in attendance will definitely want to relive when Ellie returns to Lollapalooza this year on July 31st, as one of the festival’s final performances celebrating a quarter-century of great live music. If you get a chance to catch Goulding at Grant Park this year, jump on the opportunity.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and check out the remaining dates for the Delirium World Tourhere.
Madison’s Revelry Music and Arts Festival has evolved year after year, and while it’s style and location have changed on multiple occasions, one thing that’s consistent is that it always supplies the students of the University of Wisconsin with some great music. Last year was our first year on-site for Revelry, where fans saw great performances from Chance The Rapper, The Chainsmokers, Mick Jenkins and AlunaGeorge, just to name a few. This year’s stellar lineup was no exception to the great lineups of the past. Now hitting stage at Madison’s historic Orpheum Theatre, Revelry saw some great sets from ‘Tuesday’ rapper/singer and OVO Sound artist iLoveMakonnen, GOOD Music‘s Hudson Mohawke, Milwaukee’s talented emerging artist WebsterX, a surprise appearance from IshDARR, Minnesota rapper Finding Novyon, and many more!
If you missed out this year, you did just that, you missed out… because everyone from the bottom to top of the lineup delivered tonight. Hit the jump to check out some of our favorite photos from Revelry 2016, as we sent our photographer Dan Garcia to capture some of the festival’s best moments.
Last night The Summer Set brought The Stories For Monday Tour to The Rave in Milwaukee, WI. Traveling with some great company, including Handsome Ghost, Call Me Karizma and States // Capitals, The Summer Set have now performed at all stages within the legendary Wisconsin venue. The punk rockers are currently on tour in promotion of their brand new album, Stories For Monday, but fans last night not only saw performance of The Summer Set’s new records but all of their favorites over the years as well.
Fans sang along, word-for-word for the new tracks and went wild for classic Summer Set songs like ‘Chelsea’ and ‘The Boys You Do’. Brian Logan Dales told fans that they would put on a memorable show for Milwaukee like it was their last show ever, and they did just that. Don’t expect this to be their last time at The Rave though, as the ‘Figure Me Out’ singers practically have made themselves a second home at the venue over the years.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and check out the remaining dates for The Summer Set’s headlining tour here.
Hours after the big announcement of their forthcoming mini-album, Johannesburg, British indie rockers Mumford & Sons brought their huge world tour to Madison, Wisconsin’s Alliant Energy Center. With approximately 10,000 fans in attendance, Mumford & Sons brought American singer/songwriter Blake Mills to help warm up the Midwest crowd and contribute to what would be a memorable night. The rockers mixed the old with the new tonight, performing a number of their fan favorites & B-sides with a number of new records, which we can now expect to hear on their forthcoming mini-album.
Kicking off the night was singer Blake Mills. Mills is certainly not new to music, as the singer has been consistently releasing music since 2010, however he certainly picked up a number of new fans tonight in Madison. A California native, Mills is perhaps best known for his record ‘Hey Lover’ or his work with Simon Dawes, a band Mills co-founded with his high-school friend Taylor Goldsmith. Notably Mills also stands out for his production skills, which grabbed him a “Producer of the Year” nomination for his work on Alabama Shakes’ 2015 album Sound & Color. Tonight though Mills’ set showcased his skills as a solo artist and performer. While Mills’ music, new and old, was new to many fans in Wisconsin tonight, his records certainly resonated well with the sold-out crowd.
Soon after Mills’ opening performance, it was time for Mumford & Sons to hit the stage. Despite their indie status, Marcus Mumford and company have a wide appeal, which is more than evident from their ability to sell out arena after arena on their current tour. While the guys joined forces in 2007, Mumford & Sons quickly rose to their elite status after the release of their 2012 LP, Babel, their second studio album and the follow up to their 2009 debut Sign No More, which brought fans singles like ‘Little Lion Man’ and ‘Winter Winds’.
Mumford & Sons opened tonight’s performance with their record ‘Snake Eyes’, a track from Mumford’s 2015 album, Wilder Minds, a project which debuted a new sound for the band which took their folk sound and traded their acoustic instruments for electric ones. Throughout the night the band jumped from album to album, performing an excellent mix from their three studio albums. Next, Mumford & Sons gave fans some new music with their record ‘Believe’. Throughout the night they made time to give fans a first listen as to what’s to come from the band, records that will likely find home on Mumford & Sons’ upcoming project, Johannesburg.
Highlights of the night were all over. Whether it’s a more upbeat performance or a slower record that turned the arena into an intimate performance, the crowd loved every moment. Of course though when fans had to wait for Mumford’s encore performance of their mega-hit ‘I Will Wait’, the energy levels were at an all-time high. Mumford & Sons have the ability to take intimate performances that you’d expect to hear at your local pub, and bring them to some of the biggest venues and music festivals throughout the world. Their live performances are certainly like none other.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and check out the remaining dates from Mumford & Sons’ current tour here.
The Early Registration 