Summerfest! It runs June 26-30, and July 2-7! Over that 11-day span, approximately 800 acts will perform on 10 stages (not to mention all the side stages). With that much entertainment packed into such a tight window, we understand if you’re stressing about how to Fest to the best of your ability.
In an effort to help you make some potentially difficult Summerfest decisions, Milwaukee Record will offer some Record Recommendations for each and every day of Summerfest, including a suggested headliner, a reason to show up early, a can’t-miss local act, and a tip for a way to have a cheaper and/or better experience. Here are our Record Recommendations for Summerfest Day 11, a.k.a the Big Gig’s final day.
HEADLINER
Lil Wayne + Snoop Dogg, Schoolboy Q, and DJ Bizzon
7:30 p.m. @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater
Summerfest isn’t exactly going out with a whimper. In fact, the festival has saved one of its biggest and best Am-Fam bills for last. Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg will co-headline an outstanding show that also features Schoolboy Q and Milwaukee’s own DJ Bizzon.
EARLY BIRD
Steering Ships With Empty Bottles
4 p.m. @ The Rebel Stage
Since starting out with “a few guys, some instruments, and only one available power outlet” back in 2008, The Rebel Stage has livened up a (comparatively) low-traffic area of Henry Maier Festival Park with dozens of local bands hailing from all corners of the sonic spectrum. More than a decade later, The Rebel Stage remains locally-focused, 100 percent volunteer-run, and without any semblance of corporate sponsorship.
The small-but-awesome DIY stage returned to the grounds for the 2019 festivities, and they’ve brought an eclectic mix of genres to make this year as weird and wonderful as ever. The Rebel Stage will finish up in strong fashion with the homespun roots music of Steering Ships With Empty Bottles (or S.S. Web, if you’d like).
LOCAL
Willy Porter
8 p.m. @ Uline Warehouse Stage
Mequon native and Summerfest regular Willy Porter has been treating audiences in metro Milwaukee (and far beyond) to his impressive and inimitable guitar stylings for more than 30 years. The hometown hero will help play the new Uline Warehouse Stage off with a headlining set that’s sure to features a treasure trove of material from his 12 studio albums.
DEAL/TIP
From noon until 3 p.m., you can get free admission by showing up. That’s it.
During that same time frame, Summerfest will be giving out 30,000 free tickets to the 2020 festival at all gate entrances.