Author: CJ Johnson

Kim Gordon plays ‘Play Me’ to appreciative Summerfest crowd

June 26, 2026

Kim Gordon is 73, and her 45-year reign as the queen of the alternative noise-rock kingdom remains unchallenged, as displayed Thursday night at Summerfest's Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard. While she did not...

Father John Misty blesses Summerfest with sultry, strutting set

CJ Johnson

June 20, 2026

Like many, I was initially indisposed to be a fan of Father John Misty, whose Christian name is Joshua Michael Tillman. After leaving his four-year stint as Fleet Foxes' drummer in 2012, he began a solo career ...

Echo & The Bunnymen bring their very best to opening day of Summerfest

CJ Johnson

June 19, 2026

By the time Echo & The Bunnymen hit Summerfest's Generac Power Stage shortly after 10 p.m., the packed crowd had already been thoroughly revved up with great sets by their 1980s post-punk, neo-psychedelia b...

The New Pornographers live up to long-running supergroup status at Turner Hall

CJ Johnson

May 3, 2026

I first saw The New Pornographers in March of 2001, at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. While the internet was purring along at this point, it was before the advent of Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, and the on...

Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman make sold-out Riverside Theater their home

CJ Johnson

April 29, 2026

After walking into The Riverside Theater for Tuesday night's sold-out Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman show, I momentarily thought perhaps I was in the wrong venue. Rather than the usual gaudy trappings of most tou...

Wednesday wow wall-to-wall crowd at Turner Hall

CJ Johnson

March 28, 2026

The last time I caught Wednesday was in September 2023, when they opened for Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit at a sold-out Riverside Theater. Back then, they were touring in support of their 2023 release Rat Saw ...

Author CJ Johnson