MUSIC

The 10 best Milwaukee concerts of 2018 — and the worst show of the year

Piet Levy

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It was a concert year unlike any other in Milwaukee.

With the opening of the Bucks' $524 million Fiserv Forum this fall came an influx of major arena, amphitheater and stadium concerts — 40 total, the most in the Milwaukee area in a decade — which took place not only at Fiserv Forum, but Summerfest's amphitheater, Miller Park and a reopened Alpine Valley Music Theatre.

But my favorite concert of the year wasn't a huge show. And a couple of concerts from this year's top 10 took place at the old arena, the BMO Harris Bradley Center, before it closed its doors.

Naturally I couldn't get to everything (my biggest regret: being out of town when David Byrne played here), but I did see quite a lot. Let us know what your favorite — and least favorite — concerts were this year on Facebook, or you can email me at plevy@journalsentinel.com for a possible story.

Janelle Monae performs at the BMO Harris Pavilion July 6.

1. Janelle Monáe (July 6, BMO Harris Pavilion, Summerfest): Perfection is unattainable. But what Monáe did at Summerfest was as close to perfect as a pop show could possibly be. It was playful, with Monáe preaching love with cheeky costume choices, and inviting fans for on-stage dance freakouts. It was profound, as she infectiously sang about black pride, the power of women and self-love. And with dazzling choreography, imaginative staging and irresistible funk — all evocative of her mentor Prince — Monáe put on one hell of a party.

Bon Iver celebrates the 10th anniversary of debut album 'For Emma, Forever Ago' at a sold-out BMO Harris Bradley Center on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018.

2. Bon Iver (Feb. 17, BMO Harris Bradley Center): There may never be a Wisconsin album as revered as Bon Iver's breakthrough "For Emma, Forever Ago," and for its 10th anniversary, Justin Vernon and bandmates old and new revisited the songs in his home state at a special one-of-a-kind concert — and a one-of-a-kind arena show, where a room of 15,000 people frequently fell into an awed hush. This wasn't a cheap nostalgia trip though, with Vernon reimagining some material with the kind of sprawling experimental rock that has become his forte, and shattering the album's "lone songwriter in the woods" mythos by acknowledging artists, like Sarah Siskind, who were crucial in its creation.

Jack White performs at a sold-out Eagles Ballroom at the Rave Friday.

3. Jack White (April 20, Eagles Ballroom, the Rave): What could have been the year's most crushing disappointment in concert became the single most thrilling experience at a Milwaukee show. Following a live-wire set, White left the stage (and the roadies stripped the gear) without performing the White Stripes' classic "Seven Nation Army." But White's army of fans turned on him, thousands unwilling to budge, and singing the song's signature guitar lines, until after several minutes of uncertainty, roadies set up the stage all over again and White came back out to rip through the tune. "Well damn Milwaukee," White exclaimed. "Are all the bars closed tonight or something?"

Lorde kicks off her "Melodrama" North American tour at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 1, 2018.

4. Lorde (March 1, BMO Harris Bradley Center): Lorde's exclusion from performing at the Grammys a few weeks prior — the only album of the year contender who didn't — seemed to trigger a shake-up of the awards that will hopefully remedy ongoing issues of gender inequity. Her tour kickoff in Milwaukee, meanwhile, showed just how stupid it was to leave a performer of Lorde's command and imagination out of the ceremony. Bypassing pyro and grand video displays, Lorde staged something that was smaller in scale but far more personal, and ultimately grander, thanks in part to the mesmerizing modern dance choreography (much of it in a suspended glass rectangle) by Milwaukee native Andrew Winghart.

Comedy great Bill Murray sang songs and offered literary readings at the Riverside Theater Tuesday night, at a concert joined by cellist Jan Vogler, violinist Mira Wang and pianist Vanessa Perez.

5. Bill Murray (April 17, Riverside Theater): At a show as peculiar and engaging as the comedy legend at its core, Murray went for the funnybone — playing a piano with his butt, frolicking on stage to "I Feel Pretty" — and showed off his acting chops with absorbing readings of Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway. But this was a concert first and foremost, with beautiful classical arrangements by cellist Jan Vogler, violinist Mira Wang and pianist Vanessa Perez, and with passionate, moving singing by Murray, especially for Van Morrison's "When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God."

Metallica performs a sold-out show at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

6. Metallica (Oct. 16, Fiserv Forum): Fiserv Forum is a fantastic place to see a concert, and we may never see a better example of that than at Metallica's first Milwaukee show in eight years, when the metal titans performed in a boxing-ring-style stage, surrounded by nearly 19,000 people, the venue's maximum capacity, including thousands filling the arena floor. As thrilling as the two-hour-and-18-minute set frequently was, the energy of that enormous crowd, smashed into a tighter space than the upper-bowl-heavy BMO Harris Bradley Center, was just as exciting.

Ed Sheeran performs at a sold-out Miller Park on Oct. 24, 2018.

7. Ed Sheeran (Oct. 24, Miller Park): No Milwaukee concert created more headaches than Sheeran's show at the Brewers ballpark; not only was it delayed a day because of the Brewers' run in the National League Championship Series, the traffic was atrocious, with what would have typically been a 12-minute drive from downtown taking me an hour and 40 minutes. But few shows this year were as rewarding, with Sheeran, performing all by himself, bringing a stadium filled with 40,000 people to complete silence for his most tender tunes.

Justin Timberlake performs at the Fiserv Forum on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. This is his first performance in Milwaukee in 15 years.

8. Justin Timberlake (Sept. 21, Fiserv Forum): Despite lifelong love for the Green Bay Packers, it took Timberlake 15 years to return to Wisconsin for a show. It was worth the wait, with the pop star's charisma, sleek dance moves and smooth vocals compensating for weaker material from this year's "Man of the Woods" album, all supported by one of the most striking productions concocted for a pop tour.

Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac performs at Fiserv Forum Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018.

9. Fleetwood Mac (Oct. 28, Fiserv Forum): Against all odds, Fleetwood Mac fired one of its pivotal players, Lindsey Buckingham, a few months before this show, and in the process, became a more engaging live band. With egos on the line, Stevie Nicks and company brought renewed urgency to setlist standards, and shook things up, honoring the band's early progressive blues years and paying a touching tribute to Tom Petty, led by Mac's new guitarist, and former Heartbreaker, Mike Campbell.

Leslie Odom Jr. performed with 60 members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and his five-piece band at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts' Uihlein Hall Friday.

10. Leslie Odom Jr. (Jan. 19, Uihlein Center, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts): The original Aaron Burr of "Hamilton" said he was ill and performing with about a third of his vocal power, but without that disclaimer, no one would have been the wiser. On a technical level, and an emotional one, his voice was superb, enhanced (but never overshadowed) by a festive backing jazz band, 60 members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the star's easy-going charm.

Fast-rising comedy star Tiffany Haddish performed at a near-capacity Riverside Theater Thursday.

BEST COMEDY SHOW

Tiffany Haddish (Feb. 1, Riverside Theater) became an overnight sensation last year thanks to a hilariously unhinged role in "Girls Trip," but she was far funnier (and, yeah, raunchier) at her Milwaukee show. I was laughing so hard and smiling so wide my face began to hurt, a first for me reviewing a comedy show.

Trippie Redd performs at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater July 3.

WORST CONCERT OF 2018

When I recapped Summerfest 2018, I suggested emo rap rock band L.I.F.T. was the worst performance of the Big Gig, and yeah, it was awful. But in retrospect I will say L.I.F.T. actually put in some effort, which couldn't be said of Trippie Redd (July 3, American Family Insurance Amphitheater, Summerfest), who showed up without his own DJ (slamming him for missing his flight) and interrupted an already short and embarrassing set with a smoke break.

FREE BEST OF 2018 CONCERT
Six acts from the Journal Sentinel's best Milwaukee albums of the year list — Christopher Porterfield of Field Report, Dead Horses, Versio Curs, Buffalo Gospel, LUXI and Lex Allen — will perform at the free "Bands to Watch: Best of 2018" concert, at 7 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Radio Milwaukee Studios (220 E. Pittsburgh Ave.) For more information, visit the Journal Sentinel's Facebook page.

More on Music
Piet Levy talks about concerts, local music and more on "TAP'd In" with Jordan Lee, 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9). Follow him on Twitter @pietlevy and on Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.