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

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 brethren The Dream Syndicate and Modern English. Still fronted by founding members Ian McCulloch on vocals and guitarist Will Sergeant, Echo & The Bunnymen enthusiastically took the stage on what was the second-to-last night of the band’s 2026 North American tour, touted as “The Very Best of Echo & The Bunnymen 1978-2026.” Despite the billing, this was not a nostalgia act, but rather an excellent 12-song, 90-minute set by a beloved band that balanced fan favorites with hidden selections from an almost 50-year-old catalogue.

At 66, McCulloch still plays the part well—long and lean in his trademark dark shades and long overcoat, he seemed in great spirits. While his voice was perhaps not as precise as his 22-year-old self, it was still wonderful and full-throated. Not surprisingly, the guitar chops of 68-year-old Sergeant have aged just as well. His signature sweeping and atmospheric style was on full display as he camped out rather unassumingly at stage left, while McCulloch gladly took on the lead singer role. McCulloch engaged the crowd with joyous banter throughout the set. Well, it certainly seemed joyous, though his Liverpudlian accent, while charming, made deciphering challenging.

While a shout-out to the host city is a given in most shows, during a sweet rendition of “Nothing Lasts Forever,” the band transitioned into Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side” and changed up the lyrics appropriately:

A hustle here and a hustle there
Milwaukee is the place where they said
“Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side”
I said, “Hey Milwaukee, take a walk on the wild side”

Yes, they likely changed it up in Philadelphia and Minneapolis too, but it still felt good.

They closed out the set with a killer one-two-three punch of “Bring On The Dancing Horses,” “The Killing Moon,” and “Lips Like Sugar,” all performed flawlessly. While hitting all the nostalgic heartstrings, McCulloch and Sergeant delivered a confident and vibrant set of their decades-old endearing songs to the utter delight of the packed crowd on a lovely opening night for Summerfest.