Trombone Shorty (nearly) blows the roof off at Milwaukee show

Three years ago, I found myself at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage on the Henry Maier Festival Grounds. It was the opening night of Summerfest. I was exhausted from a workday’s worth of live music, but Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue hit the stage like a cool, powerful breeze off the lake.

The Louisiana-based band put on a bombastic display of horn driven musical mayhem. Their funk-rock originals, covers and interpolations played perfectly to the rowdy late night crowd. To this day, it remains one of my favorite Summerfest sets.

And so, when I saw that the band was coming to Turner Hall Ballroom, I wondered how their sound would translate indoors. After all, Shorty and his crew were raised on the New Orleans marching band tradition, which is best suited for the open air.

The weather was immaculate the day Shorty returned to Milwaukee. There were plenty of outdoor musical offerings that evening, including the nearby Newaukee Night Market, which made parking in downtown a challenge. As a result, I didn’t expect a big turnout at Turner Hall. But by the time Shorty and company took the stage the ballroom was nearly full.

Anticipation was reaching a fever pitch when drummer Joey Peebles walked out, then bassist Mike Bass-Bailey, whose guitar was outlined with lights. Shorty emerged like a gladiator, raising his trombone and trumpet triumphantly before playing a single note. The crowd showered the band with love and the energy never let up.

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Born Troy Andrews, Shorty has been blowing a horn since he was a shorty — his Wikipedia page shows a photo of him playing the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at age 6. When you start that young, you’re bound for greatness. The Turner Hall performance demonstrated the well-honed skills of Shorty and his band, showing why Shorty is one of the few musicians to have his own Sesame Street Muppet.

It felt as if Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue would blow the roof off Turner Hall. The idea made me long for the sun-drenched sonic frenzy of Summerfest.

While Shorty may not be returning to the Big Gig, his opener, DJ Bizzon, will warm up the crowd for rising rap star Lil Uzi Vert (June 27, Harley-Davidson Roadhouse) and the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff (July 5, Johnson Controls World Stage).

Tyrone “DJ Bizzon” Miller is a Milwaukee native and graduate of the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He is the former co-host of 91.7 WMSE’s “Those Hip Hop Guys” and currently a DJ at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee. He is also a youth mentor who founded the Scratch Sessions DJ training program.

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DJ Bizzon has rocked Summerfest’s biggest stage — the Marcus Amphitheater — twice. He opened for Pitbull in 2016, and Future, Migos and Big Sean last summer, bringing along a protégé to each outing.

Lil Uzi Vert may be the most anticipated hip-hop show at Summerfest. Nearly every rap fan I’ve talked to under the age of 25 plans to be there. DJ Bizzon will surely shine when he opens for Lil Uzi Vert and DJ Jazzy Jeff, considering hip-hop is his most familiar terrain.

Opening for Trombone Shorty revealed DJ Bizzon’s ability to mix old-school funk, soul, and R&B with classic and contemporary hip-hop. He even threw a trap beat underneath “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. It was fire. I overheard a woman exclaim to her friend, “the deejay is gooood.”

“I’d never seen Trombone Shorty live and I didn’t know exactly what the turnout would be,” Miller told me the next day. “It was a fun crowd, they were down to dance.”

The Turner Hall audience age range ran the gamut. The vibe was reminiscent of Summerfest. The sun was still shining in when DJ Bizzon asked if there were any James Brown fans in the house. It made me think about the time the “Godfather of Soul” played the same Summerfest stage that Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue set on fire back in 2015.

Who will be remembered after the next installment of the World's Largest Music Festival™?

Only time will tell.

Summerfest kicks off June 27 at the Henry Maier Festival Grounds along Milwaukee’s lakefront. Oh, and if hearing a big band at Turner Hall Ballroom sounds like fun, Rebirth Brass Band will perform August 16.