Choosing wisely from Summerfest’s vast musical buffet

Considered one of the country’s top music events, Summerfest at the Henry Maier Festival Park along Milwaukee’s lakefront annually features both new bands still cutting their musical teeth and legacy acts looking back on storied careers.

In recent years, both Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones have played Summerfest.

Top that, Bonnaroo and Coachella!

But with so many acts playing so many stages, how can festivalgoers budget their music time to get the best bang for their bucks? What follows is our answer to that question.

The Moody Blues

June 28, 10 p.m., BMO Harris Pavilion

Concept albums were still in their nascent stage in 1967, when Decca Records asked emerging British blues-pop band The Moody Blues to record a rock version of Antonin Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 From the New World to test the company’s stereo recording capabilities.

Demanding artistic license, the Moodies instead recorded their own rock/classical blend, ultimately releasing Days of Future Past to both popular and critical acclaim. The era of progressive rock was born.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of what turned out to be the group’s defining opus, a nice dovetail with Summerfest’s 50th anniversary. Founding band members Graeme Edge, Justin Hayward and John Lodge will perform the album in its entirety.

How the trio duplicates the sounds of the London Festival Orchestra — originally a group of Decca studio musicians drafted at the last minute to provide the album’s orchestral backdrop — remains to be seen. But this is certainly a concert not to be missed.

— MM

Paul Simon

June 30, 7:30 p.m., American Family Insurance Amphitheater

To call Paul Simon the voice of a generation would be doing a disservice to the artist and the subsequent generations his profound, intimately personal songs have influenced.

Since emerging on the scene in 1964 with the release of Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., Simon and musical partner Art Garfunkel captured audiences with their soaring harmonies and Simon’s poignant — and often pointed — lyrics.

After five albums, the folk-rock duo split to pursue independent musical careers. Since then, Simon’s influence has only grown.

Simon has since earned numerous songwriting honors and embraced countless social causes, including being the first American performer to appear in post-apartheid South Africa. Expect to hear much of his solo work, as well as former S&G hits “The Sound of Silence,” “The Boxer,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and others.

After so much music over so many years, the opportunity to be touched once more by this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s music will be both a pleasure and privilege. Singer Brandi Carlisle opens.

— MM

Car Seat Headrest

July 2, 10 p.m., Johnson Controls World Sound Stage

The music industry has changed dramatically in the years since Summerfest’s inception. Gone are the days of globe-trekking record label execs scouting talent at small clubs and showcases. Since the advent of digital downloads in 1999, future rock stars are now found in online forums and the blogosphere.

Will Toledo — the brains behind Car Seat Headrest — is the latest poster boy of the internet age. By the time Toledo signed a deal with independent label Matador Records in 2015, he had self-released 11 projects on Bandcamp and built a cult following on the web.

Toledo delivered on the expectations with his debut studio album Teens of Denial, one of the best — if not the most talked about — indie rock releases of 2016. Working with a producer for the first time — Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Low, Soundgarden) — Toledo fleshed out his angst-y garage rock with ambitious arrangements, blending the best elements of 1970s psych-rock and 1990s alternative.

All of the attention Toledo has received over the past year has drawn the ire of a few peers. In early June, for instance, a musician named Sam Ray — no doubt looking for some attention of his own — penned a scathing and amusing critique of Car Seat Headrest that went viral. Toledo responded the following day with a rap diss track, which has emboldened his fans.

Turns out “Stoney Bologne (feat. Sam Ray)” isn’t Toledo’s first diss track. When he was turned down by Durham’s Merge Records at the age of 17, Toledo responded with a track called “F--- Merge Records,” featuring the chorus “No unsolicited demos, no unsolicited demos.”

Regardless of the quality of Toledo’s music or the hype surrounding his rise, it seems his band’s name is responsible for much of the flak thrown his way. Like it or not, it is a very literal reference to his humble beginnings — a teenage Toledo would drive the family car to parking lots in his suburban Virginia town to record vocals on a laptop because he was too shy to sing in the house.

Having toured behind Teens of Denial for much of the last year with a four-piece band, Car Seat Headrest will headline the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage July 2.

— JG

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Ziggy Marley

July 2, 9:30 p.m., Harley-Davidson Roadhouse

Jamaican musician Ziggy Marley is encouraging audiences to “fly Rasta,” and fans the world over respond to his music’s infectious reggae beat.

The eldest son of the late Bob Marley and inheritor of his father’s musical and social missions, Ziggy Marley espouses celebrating the good times as part of the personal freedoms that his music and its lifestyle supports.

The Grammy and Emmy-winning artist is an avowed humanist and his mission is taking him beyond reggae’s usual niche. At the same time, it’s helping the traditional Jamaican musical style finds its way deeper into the cultural mainstream, with Marley acting as its primary spokesman.

Since emerging on the scene in 2003, Marley has been a full-on proponent of the Rasta lifestyle and all that that implies. His 2011 graphic novel MARIJUANAMAN makes clear his mission.

Ziggy Marley will serve up an evening of music to which you can dance — or at least sway.

— MM

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Steve Miller Band

July 2, 9:45 p.m., BMO Harris Pavilion

For local Summerfest fans, Steve Miller’s backstory is almost as interesting as his lengthy rock ’n’ roll career.

The Milwaukee-born Miller is the son of jazz aficionados who stood up in the wedding of Waukesha guitar wizard Les Paul and singer Mary Ford.

The family moved to Texas, where Miller met singer Boz Scaggs, who later followed the budding rock guitarist to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where they formed their first band, The Ardells.

In Madison, the pair hooked up with Racine-born jazz pianist Ben Sidran and the three became the core of the first Steve Miller Band, which burst on the San Francisco scene in the late 1960s.

The three parted ways, but Miller continued to perform and record under his own name. He amassed a lengthy catalogue of hits, as well as a variety of monikers that included Space Cowboy, the Gangster of Love, The Joker and several others. In 2016, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Miller has been no stranger to Wisconsin in recent years, but it’s always fun to see what The Joker has up his sleeve this time.

— MM

Alessia Cara

July 4, 10 p.m., Miller Lite Oasis

You can always count on Summerfest to deliver an “of-the-moment” pop star with a mega radio hit. This year that role is being filled by 20-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter Alessia Cara.

Cara’s earworm is “Scars to Your Beautiful,” a body-positive anthem celebrating that “beauty is on the inside.” It is undeniably awesome and it will be glorious when thousands of teenagers sing the chorus and the call-and-response bridge.

While Cara has a Disney connection — she sang on the Moana hit “How Far I’ll Go” — she is no Hollywood starlet. Cara is known for a laid-back style — lots of plaid, denim and often no makeup. When a Twitter user criticized her clothing choice during an appearance on the season finale of The Voice, she quipped back, “It’s called the voice, not the outfit.” Savage!

The Brampton, Ontario, native got her start doing acoustic covers on YouTube. She hit it big with the sultry, downtempo single “Here,” an anthem for those who find house parties awkward. Heaps of praise from Canadian rap superstar Drake didn’t hurt her career either.

Cara’s 2015 debut record Know-It-All has been certified platinum — for those keeping track at home, 1,500 streams now equals one album sale.

Cara often is compared to pop phenom Lorde, whose sophomore record is on the horizon. If Cara has even half the talent of the New Zealand born songstress, her Summerfest debut will be worth checking out.

— JG

WebsterX and other local acts to catch

Since the demise of the all-local KNE New Music Stage, Milwaukee musicians have had an uphill battle landing spots at The Big Gig.

This year, a handful of them are playing the Emerging Artists Series at the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage.

Others, like experimental hip-hop artist WebsterX, have earned their own spot on a major ground stage.

“Lakeside 4Cast” July 4 at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard is a showcase of the younger generation.

Headlined by Milwaukee’s own IshDARR, the “fest inside a fest” will also include Chicago’s Saba, Joey Purp and Jamila Woods. “Lakeside 4Cast” is the brainchild of Chicago (by way of Milwaukee) producer oddCouple, who will perform after Milwaukee’s WebsterX.

IshDARR’s online following and role in an upcoming Matthew McConaughey film may have landed him the headlining spot, but — based on his and WebsterX’s Turner Hall Ballroom performances — the latter has proven himself a more formidable showman.

WebsterX’s recent show at Turner Hall was a full-on experience. As Piet Levy of the Journal Sentinel wrote, “the 24-year-old born Sam Ahmed performed like he was across the street at the Bucks arena, making a hometown stop on a sold-out world tour.”

With two major Summerfest performances under his belt, this will be WebsterX’s first since the release of his stellar debut studio album Daymares — distributed by Chicago independent label Closed Sessions.

The record is full of uplifting, anthemic tracks, perfectly suited for shouting into the ether. If his performance approaches the energy and drama of the Turner Hall show, it will raise the bar once again for homegrown music.

Other notable Wisconsin acts playing the Emerging Artists Series on the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage include Trapo (July 6, 5:30 p.m.), D’Amato (July 6, 4:15 p.m.), Rose of the West (June 29, 4:15 p.m.), Abby Jeanne (July 5, 3 p.m.), Devil Met Contention (June 30, 4:15 p.m.) and Vincent VanGREAT (July 6, 6:45 p.m.). Dead Horses (July 1, 8 p.m.) and GGOOLLDD (June 29, 8 p.m.) will also play the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage.

On July 7, Milwaukee rock bands Tigernite (7 p.m.) and Vinyl Theatre (8:30 p.m.) will perform back to back at the Miller Lite Oasis. Additionally, the Journal Sentinel has put together a “Milwaukee Bands to Watch” showcase for July 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. It will be at the Uline Warehouse Stage and include Faux Fiction, Bo & Airo and NO/NO.

— JG

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

July 5 and 6, 7:30 p.m., American Family Insurance Amphitheater

If Chuck Klosterman’s theory about nostalgia is true — it’s a result of repetition — that explains my undying love for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

No record was played more times in my youth than their Greatest Hits. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” was the go-to jukebox song my friends and I played growing up in smoky Milwaukee bars.

Petty’s poetry may be considered trite and hokey to some, but in my ears, it’s elusively poignant and timelessly rousing.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ records still hold up. For my money, Petty should be considered among rock ’n’ roll’s elite — up there with Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and the Beatles. Heck, Petty and the Heartbreakers held their own as Dylan’s backing band for a few tours in the 1980s. They even recorded an album with Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin in the 1990s.

Not to mention, Petty was in the Traveling Wilburys — a supergroup that included Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and George Harrison. All the while, Petty and the Heartbreakers amassed a body of work that got them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Since 2003, playing Milwaukee has come with some emotional baggage for the band. Nicolet High School grad and Milwaukee native Howie Epstein was their bassist/singer for 21 years. He died at the age of 47 following a struggle with heroin addiction.

“It’s the great tragedy of the Heartbreakers, losing him, this beautiful, wonderful man,” Petty said in the 2007 documentary Runnin’ Down a Dream.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers celebrate their 40th anniversary this year with two performances at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. Acclaimed country music star Chris Stapleton will open the shows.

— JG

Soul Position and other ‘Rhymesayers’

July 7, 5 p.m., Harley-Davidson Roadhouse

A common criticism of The Big Gig is that it peddles nostalgia. It is admittedly difficult to refute this claim. There’s a respectable number of contemporary artists, but “classic” bands are the festival’s bread and butter. In the last few years, Summerfest has expanded that nostalgia to cater to a subset of the “30 and up” crowd.

Those of us who grew up on late 1990s and early 2000s underground hip-hop can now relive the music of our adolescence at the Rhymesayers show.

This evening-long celebration at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse — this year, July 7 — has become an annual gathering of loyal — and dare I say, “old school” — hip-hop heads.

The lineup is almost identical to previous years, with Atmosphere returning as the headliner. The most notable deviation is rapper/producer duo Soul Position. Considering emcee Blueprint and maestro RJD2 rarely perform together, this will be a special event.

Over the years, Rhymesayers has been home to various collaborative projects and supergroups, including Felt (Murs and Slug of Atmosphere), Step Brothers (The Alchemist and Evidence) and Eyedea & Abilities. Arguably, the best modern example of two rap acts teaming up is Run the Jewels (El-P and Killer Mike).

Such is the case with Columbus, Ohio, natives Blueprint and RJD2. Both have carved out distinguished solo careers, but their hometown bond was good for an EP and two records — Unlimited EP (2002), 8 Million Stories (2003) and Things Go Better With RJ and AL (2006) — plus Blueprint’s appearance on the track “Final Frontier” from RJD2’s seminal debut Deadringer (2002).

Seeing Soul Position together onstage is going to be like seeing Simon and Garfunkel, except, you know, for underground indie rap fans.

If contemporary mainstream rap is more your speed, don’t miss the Future/Migos/Big Sean American Family Insurance Amphitheater show July 8.

— JG

Outlaw Music Festival

July 9, beginning at 2 p.m., American Family Insurance Amphitheater

Summerfest’s amphitheater is the place for a daylong Americana “festival within a festival” July 9. Its two top acts are no less than Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.

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The daylong program begins at 2 p.m. with Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson and his Promise of the Real band, which played backup for Willie Nelson’s 2016 Summerfest appearance. The short set will be followed by singer Margo Price at 2:50 p.m. and then Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats at 3:55 p.m.

The musical cachet continues to build, with performances by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit at 5 p.m., followed by Sheryl Crow at 6:30 p.m.

But there’s more.

The legendary Bob Dylan takes the stage at 8 p.m., followed by the equally legendary Willie Nelson at 9:45 p.m.

Even the pair’s most ardent fans admit that neither has ploughed any new ground lately — but legends are judged by what they’ve done, not what they’re going to do.

In the case of both Dylan and Nelson, the chance to experience them live is reason enough to attend.

— MM