The Alternative: Live Music Review – Florence and the Machine, The Black Keys, Locksley, Here Come the Mummies, and Michael Franti and Spearhead

Wednesday, July 6^th, 2011 – Summerfest - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Florence and the Machine

Florence and the Machine opened for The Black Keys tonight and I must say that this was the most evocative and exceptional vocal performance I think I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness. Flo was in near-perfect voice and when she announced early in the show that this was the last stop of their concert tour you could tell the energy was going to hit the roof. And she did not disappoint. Floating across the stage in a beautiful flowing gown and pounding a drum at center stage Florence gave the audience everything they paid for and more. Some might even say she outdid the main act (The Black Keys – review below) but I maintain that the two are so different from each other that it didn’t matter. Anyway, her crisp, clear, haunting vocals make Florence and the Machine the best thing to hit the airwaves in years. So very glad I was able to see them live again.

Florence and the Machine
5 out of 5 stars

The Black Keys

The Black Keys put on a brilliant, sound-charged, and power-fused blues performance this evening before a sold out house. Drummer Patrick Carney exercised his amazing ability to create back- and off- beat fills like no other drummer I’ve ever seen and Guitarist/Vocalist (notice the capital letters here) Dan Auerbach may just be the most talented musician on the entire planet. His guitar work, both nebulous and loaded with fuzzy energy, featured bass riffs, rhythm guitar, and lead runs, often at the same time, plus (and here’s what really blows me away) he’s the singer for cryin’ out loud. They are by far the fullest and most interesting sounding blues duo in rock music today. Noteworthy and memorable selections include: Ten Cent Pistol, Everlasting Light, and Howlin’ For You.

The Black Keys
5 out of 5 stars

Thursday, July 7^th, 2011 – Summerfest – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Locksley

Locksley, hailing from Madison, Wisconsin and as close to a hometown group as you can get in Milwaukee, put on an electrifying and energetic performance this afternoon. This is the second time in a year we’ve seen this group and they simply get better with time. Self-labeled as a “doo-wop punk” band their songwriting is profoundly influenced by early British Invasion bands twisted around Buddy Holly rockabilly while their instrumental style is founded more on early American punk and modern garage rock. They, like the Fratellis, are a band that can write lyrical hooks without words (listen to The Whip and you’ll hear what I mean.) The first time we saw them was at the Verge Festival in June of 2010 and have since purchased their albums and made a concentrated effort to see them at Summerfest this year even though they were one of the TBD bands not found in the printed music guide. They performed songs from their album Be In Love and then a few songs from their newly released album Locksley (available July 12^th, 2011.) All in all, a very enjoyable performance.

Locksley
4 out of 5 stars

Here Come the Mummies

I must admit that before seeing them live tonight I had never heard of Here Come the Mummies. Now that I’ve experienced their live show I have only one word to say – holy-frickin’-truly-amazing-wow!!! Rude, crude, and in the groove this nine piece Rhythm & Blues band is as entertaining as any group I've ever heard or seen, living or dead (pun intended.) This is a must-see live performance because their theatricality and stage presence is almost as entertaining as the quality of the music. With songs like Libido Knievel, Attack of the Weiner Man, and Pants (can you say triple sexual innuendo?) this band will appeal to the thirteen year old in all of us but was created for a much more mature audience. The truly outstanding quality of this band, however, is not the theatrics, or their ribald lyrics, nor their costumes. It is their profound musicality. Their sound is melodious, blood-stirring, harmonious, and perfectly in time to the beat of the audience. It’s rumored that a number of Grammy award winners are members of the group but since they all dress in mummy costumes this is hard to verify. Regardless, they have an exceptional four piece horn section, a funky rhythm section, and harmonious vocals and they entertained me and the rest of the crowd from the moment they hit the stage until the curtain fell. This is a funk/R&B show you won’t want to miss. See them if you can!

P.S. My wife and I enjoyed this show/carnival/concert/presentation so much that we purchased tickets to see them at the House of Blues in Chicago on September 17^th, 2011. Can’t wait!

Here Come the Mummies
6 out of 5 stars

Michael Franti and Spearhead

Blending hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock Michael Franti and Spearhead performed to a large audience of very lucky and highly energetic fans on the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee tonight. He brought his signature laid-back West Coast sound and his sultry voice to the Midwest without missing a beat. Full of energy, Franti bounced his way barefoot through the first few tunes and then got down to the slower folk-rock ballads he’s known for. At one point, in the middle of the concert, Franti asked a group of young children and a few sixty-something’s to join him on stage to dance to Say Hey (I Love You). The message? Music (and love) cross every barrier of age, race, or economic status. Franti also came out into the crowd at least three times - once to serenade the folks that had to stand in the back. Michael Franti and Spearhead were a perfect exclamation point to an amazing evening of music and entertainment.

Michael Franti and Spearhead
4 ½ stars out of 5

P.S.S. Oh, and if you ever find yourself in the downtown area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin stop in at Carnevor’s for dinner, great steaks, BTW and lunch at Elsa’s on Jefferson. Best hamburgers in the state, IMO.

Additional Reading:

Music:

Florence and the Machine

The Black Keys

Locksley

Here Come the Mummies

Michael Franti and Spearhead

Other Bands of Interest at Summerfest (yes, I attended these concerts as well):

Cage the Elephant
3 ½ stars out of 5

The Mighty Blues Kings
4 out of 5 stars

Dan Rodriguez
4 out of 5 stars

The Air on Everest
3 ½ stars out of 5