WMSE‘s annual Backyard BBQ music festival has featured some big names in recent years: Guided By Voices in 2023, Bob Mould in 2024, and Braid in 2025. And hey! The 2026 names are equally big!
On Saturday, August 22, from noon until 8 p.m. in Bay View’s Humboldt Park, the independent radio station’s 16th annual Backyard BBQ will feature a night-closing DJ set from none other than Sylvan Esso—a.k.a. Amelia Meath and Milwaukee prodigal son Nick Sanborn. Legendary North Carolina indie-rock band Superchunk will play immediately before the Sylvan Esso DJ set. Midwest blues artist Ivy Ford will open the day, followed by Milwaukee’s own Known Moons and Field Report. WMSE DJs will spin throughout the day.
That’s a hell of a lineup!
“WMSE listeners are passionate music fans, and this year’s lineup rewards that passion in a big way,” says WMSE Music Director Sid McCain. “Backyard BBQ is one of the few places where you can discover your next favorite band while also seeing artists who helped shape modern independent music, all in a neighborhood park and completely free.”
Oh yeah, like Sid said, the whole thing is FREE.
“The Backyard BBQ is one of the purest expressions of what WMSE is all about,” says WMSE Station Manager Tom Crawford. “As we celebrate 45 years in Milwaukee, this event brings together community, discovery and unforgettable live music in a way only WMSE can.”
Will the Backyard BBQ—presented by Lakefront Brewery and Gruber Law Offices—also feature food trucks, local craft beer, and family-friendly activities? Of course it will. Will the whole thing absolutely rule? You better believe it.
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