Author: Cal Roach | Page 4 | Milwaukee Record

Third annual Eaux Claires festival weathers rain and growing pains, emerges triumphant

June 19, 2017

When you throw a party as successful as the inaugural Eaux Claires festival, you risk setting unreasonable expectations for your next attempt. There's pressure from all sides to replicate that success, to make ...

Perfume Genius intoxicates and discombobulates at Turner Hall

Cal Roach

May 24, 2017

Too Bright proved to be a significant breakthrough for Perfume Genius (a.k.a. Mike Hadreas). The Seattle singer-songwriter's 2014 album featured what is still his trademark number, "Queen," an unforgettable sta...

Painted Caves’ Ali Lubbad talks “Solidarity: A Benefit For Refugees,” Saturday at Riverwest Public House

Cal Roach

April 11, 2017

As far as Milwaukee is concerned, the ongoing Syrian Civil War may seem like more of a political sticking point than a war, but the truth is there are victims of this crisis in need of help right here in our ci...

Umphrey’s McGee ease into latest three-night stand at Riverside Theater

Cal Roach

March 31, 2017

Flashback to summer 2004: Phish breaks up "for good." The jam-band world wonders: Who will take up the mantle? Amongst a handful of second-tier contenders in the glowsticks-and-hula-hoop sweepstakes, Chicago-ba...

PHOX says goodbye (for now) at Pabst Theater

Cal Roach

February 2, 2017

Farewell tours must be the worst. Imagine being onstage, "celebrating" this thing that has made you who you are, knowing the whole time that it's about to end. Especially when you're an iconic frontwoman gett...

Mayhem conjures up evil nostalgia at Turner Hall

Cal Roach

January 25, 2017

Believe it or not, Milwaukee was once a haven for metal. There was a time—let's call it "The '90s"—when cult European bands that American metalheads never dreamed they'd get to see in person would make a spec...

“Tribe UNCOVERED” redefines A Tribe Called Quest, showcases an eclectic Milwaukee music scene

Cal Roach

January 21, 2017

There are good reasons you don't hear a lot of rappers covering other rappers. Much of hip-hop's success lies in the idiosyncrasies of its MCs; individuality is job one, and the self-referential bent of rap ly...

Snoop Dogg and company bring good vibes, plenty of smoke to Riverside Theater

Cal Roach

December 23, 2016

Snoop Dogg's original Puff Puff Pass Tour rolled out in 2001. Its sequel, which sold out the Riverside Theater on Thursday night, featured only Kurupt and Warren G from the first iteration. Fans of '90s G-fun...

‘Milwaukee 53206’ looks for hope, solutions in nation’s most incarcerated zip code

Cal Roach

October 3, 2016

What have you heard about the city of Milwaukee lately? What have you read? Particularly if you don't live in Milwaukee, but even if you do, the media hasn't been painting a pretty picture. Along comes a docu...

MFF2016: Inside The Milwaukee Show II

Cal Roach

October 2, 2016

Here is our second and final round of interviews with local directors participating in the Milwaukee Film Festival's Milwaukee Show series. The second installment screens Sunday, October 2 at the Oriental T...

MFF2016: Inside The Milwaukee Show I

Cal Roach

September 26, 2016

Not only does the Milwaukee Film Fest get bigger every year, it gets more Milwaukee every year. The Cream City Cinema program continues to spotlight some of the city's established and rising talent, and 201...

Bon Iver, Chance The Rapper, and black metal: Eaux Claires goes big, weird in 2016

Cal Roach

August 15, 2016

// A festival curated by two indie-rock dudes is bound to be a niche event. The inaugural edition of Eaux Claires featured a handful of oddball choices filling out the lineup (Melt-Banana? Not that we're co...

Deerhoof keeps the party going at post-Center Street Daze Mad Planet

Cal Roach

August 8, 2016

// Hours after most folks had stumbled home from the chaos of Center Street Daze on Saturday night, the party raged on indoors at most of the usual Riverwest venues. The Mad Planet after-show was the only e...

Paul McCartney still had something to prove at last night’s Marcus Amphitheater show

Cal Roach

July 9, 2016

// When Paul McCartney came to Miller Park in July of 2013, Milwaukeeans made some silent calculations and determined that this would probably be our last chance to see the Beatle perform. Some 43,000 of us...

Built To Spill plays to unconventional strengths at Turner Hall

Cal Roach

June 20, 2016

// The definition of "indie rock" may have changed over the years, but the sound of the music has not. Take everything in your iTunes library assigned to that genre, make a giant playlist and hit shuffle: s...

Ani DiFranco opens up, digs deep at Turner Hall

Cal Roach

April 11, 2016

// Far be it from Ani DiFranco to stay home during an election year. The relentless folk singer released Allergic To Water in 2014, and she's been touring almost nonstop since…well, since her career began. ...

Kurt Vile presides over listless, occasionally lively show at Pabst Theater

Cal Roach

April 6, 2016

// "Don't know much about history," Kurt Vile sang in his opening number, "Dust Bunnies," Tuesday night at the Pabst Theater. Indeed, despite the smattering of "I Voted" stickers on lapels throughout the crow...

Puscifer pushes crude humor, lucha libre wrestling at Riverside Theater

Cal Roach

March 28, 2016

// It's difficult to fathom an enjoyable concert derived solely from the recorded works of Puscifer. Whether or not you're a fan of Maynard James Keenan's voice and/or lyrics, Puscifer albums have trended m...

Lizzo brings the party (and a message) to Turner Hall

Cal Roach

February 22, 2016

// The Brew City has seen a lot of Lizzo over the past year or so. The Minneapolis-based rapper (no, she's not on Rhymesayers, and no, she's not in Doomtree) impressed attendees as the unorthodox opening ac...

Godspeed You! Black Emperor ascends, evolves at Turner Hall

Cal Roach

February 15, 2016

// Milwaukee has been spoiled on the post-rock front thus far in 2016. Three weeks ago, Mad Planet somehow landed a Tortoise performance—only the band's second live date following the release of its first n...

Author Cal Roach