Rancid was modern-rock radio�s gateway in the mid-�90s from punk revival to ska, and it sometimes feels like they�re punished for that. While their contemporaries Green Day re-emerged as the improbable voice of the next generation, Rancid saw their agreeable old hits slowly purged from alternative radio, even though those singles have aged well��Roots Radicals,� �Salvation,� �Time Bomb� and �Ruby ...

"Our entire set tonight is dedicated to the memory of Michael Jackson," Conor Oberst announced at the start of his Summerfest performance last night, and sure enough, he periodically evoked the fallen pop singer throughout the evening, albeit imprudently. It's doubtful, for instance, Jackson would have found much solace in the atheist rally cry "Nikorette," and Jackson's grieving family almost cer...

Thursday, June 25, Rise Against w/ Rancid and The Riverboat Gamblers @ Harley-Davidson Roadhouse, Summerfest, 6:30 p.m. As with previous Rise Against albums, the band’s latest record, Appeal To Reason, mixes hard-charging punk tracks with more traditional rock songs...

The Shepherd Express' annual Summerfest Guide is on stands now, inserted in today's issue, so pick up a copy and start highlighting acts of interest. My first read on the (nearly) finalized Summerfest 2009 line-up: It's better than recent years'. My usual preface remains: Summerfest is not Milwaukee's answer to Lollapalooza or All Tomorrow's Parties, and the festival has been pub...

Ike’s Legacy: The ever-sharp Donald Fagen, everyone’s favorite half of Steely Dan, wrote a wonderful Ike Turner obit for Slate yesterday. Where other send offs painted Turner as a sinister villain, this one depicts him as a misguided and pathetic soul who never comprehended how he lost the career he worked so methodically to build: After Tina finally left in '76, Ike, already way shredded fro...

Spoon last came through Milwaukee as part of their breakthrough year in 2007, touring behind their album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga with a well-received show at Summerfest, then a return to the city that October for a long, heated performance at the Pabst Theater, where they appeared happy to be on the road again after spending the week preparing for their debut appearance on "Saturday Night Live." They slowe...

Here it is! We are very pleased to announce the 2009 Cascio Groove Garage lineup with our partners Casico Interstate Music and 91.7 WMSE.