PREVIEW: Summerfest
By: Easton Parks
Spanning nine days across three weekends, Summerfest returns June 20th for Wisconsinites and many more to enjoy. This 2024 lineup can scratch nearly every musical itch for live music this summer and this is EMMIE’s picks for each weekend of Summerfest 2024.
First Weekend
Thursday Artist Highlight:
Citizen
Citizen (TRACY NGUYEN)
FFO: Title Fight, Basement, Brand New, Tigers Jaw, Movements
Must-listens: "Thin Air," "The Night I Drove Alone," “Jet”
Set Time: 6:00pm GENERAC POWER STAGE
Midwest emo shoegaze-tinged indie rockers, Citizen, stop by Summerfest for its opening day during their North American tour supporting Taking Back Sunday. Transitioning from the mainly post-hardcore sounds from their earlier work to dance-punk with their later work, Citizen will momentarily satisfy that alternative tastebud that just isn’t quenched enough this summer. Embodying the introspective and somber tones of the Midwest while still being danceable and raw at times makes this show a must-see.
Friday Artist Highlight:
Chelsea Cutler
Chelsea Cutler (Blyte Thomas)
FFO: LANY, FLETCHER, Jeremy Zucker, Quinn XCII
Must-listens: "Your Bones," "Crazier Things," “Sad Tonight”
Set Time: 9:30pm GENERAC POWER STAGE
Singer-songwriter and producer Chelsea Cutler is for the girlies. With an intriguing brand of electro-pop, she’s no stranger to lending herself to a feature or collaborating with A-list artists, which has contributed to her explosion into fame. A unique voice, passionate relatable lyrics and upbeat instrumentals make Chelsea Cutler our most looked-forward-to act of the 21st.
Saturday Artist Highlight:
Hans Williams
Hans Williams (Hank Miller)
FFO: Noah Kahan, Elias Hix, Zach Bryan, John Vincent III
Must-listens: "All Is Well," "Willows," “Skin”
Set Time: 8:15pm UScellular CONNECTION STAGE
On the back of the massive Noah Kahan set at Summerfest in 2023, Hans Williams, who attended the same high school as Kahan, fills that indie-folk hole that is obviously huge at the moment. While last year was a perfect storm, this year Hans Williams, which is eerily similar to Kahan in sound, will fly under the radar a bit more playing before Black Pumas. With only a handful of songs on streaming Hans’ music is beyond tight, and if this indie folk craze doesn’t die down any time soon, he could be massive.
Second Weekend
Thursday Artist Highlight:
McKinley Dixon
McKinley Dixon (Jimmy Fontaine)
FFO: billy woods, JPEGMAFIA, redveil
Must-listens: "Run, Run, Run," "Sun, I Rise," “Live! From the Kitchen Table”
Set Time: 8:00pm BRIGGS & STRATTON BIG BACKYARD
Off the heels of his well-acclaimed Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? from last year, Dixon provides lush jazz instrumentals with catchy conscious hip-hop choruses where he loosely rides beats with ease. Simply put, this is some of the most opulent hip-hop of this decade with Dixon still being massively underrated. Underground hip-hop fans should be feeding off this performance with this being, quite possibly, the coolest addition to this festival this summer.
Friday Artist Highlight:
The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects (Paul Harries)
FFO: Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, Green Day
Must-listens: "Dirty Little Secret," "Swing, Swing,” "Gives You Hell”
Set Time: 9:30pm ULINE WAREHOUSE
We couldn’t be more excited for a band that peaked in 2008 and hasn’t released an album in over a decade than The All-American Rejects. Essentially self-relegating themselves to becoming a nostalgia band after 2013, sometimes nostalgia is all you need. With bangers released across the 2000s accompanying zoomers and millennials through childhood and teenage years, there’s no doubt you might feel a little old at this show.
Saturday Artist Highlight:
Ethel Cain
Ethel Cain (Kristy Sparow)
FFO: Phoebe Bridgers, Lana Del Rey, Chappell Roan
Must-listens: “American Teenager,” “A House In Nebraska,” “Crush”
Set Time: 10:00pm BRIGGS & STRATTON BIG BACKYARD
Ethel Cain is one of those artists you just need to listen to. Cain’s music is routed in the rural South where their themes struggle with religion, trauma and gender identity. A careful blend of avant-garde ethereal existentialism twists with americana and dream pop along with a hauntingly beautiful voice to create the most interesting stage headliner of the weekend.
Third Weekend
Thursday Artist Highlight:
Mt. Joy
Mt. Joy (Mac Kotas)
FFO: The Lumineers, Noah Kahan, Lord Huron
Must-listens: “Silver Lining,” “Orange Blood,” “Strangers”
Set Time: 9:30pm BMO PAVILION
Talk about the perfect band for Summerfest. Mt. Joy brought quite the crowd in 2022 and is looking to make your holiday even more special. They may not be my favorite studio band, but their style of soft folk rock paired with a Summer Shandy (or in my case, water) is a combo that goes down smooth as can be. They’re just a fun live band, go see them and have a happy 4th!
Friday Artist Highlight:
Lil Tecca
Lil Tecca (Garrett Bruce)
FFO: Lil Uzi Vert, Juice WRLD, Lil Baby
Must-listens: “500lbs,” “Ransom,” “Did It Again”
Set Time: 10:00pm UScellular CONNECTION STAGE
You may remember young rapper and producer Lil Tecca at age 16 when his song “Ransom” blew up in 2019. While that may have been the height of his career thus far, he has steadily grown a fanbase for his particular kind of melodic trap. With a more recent song “500lbs” popular on social media, I’m sure this concert will be full of energy and packed with people.
Saturday Artist Highlight:
JID
JID (Kristy Sparow)
FFO: Kendrick Lamar, EARTHGANG, Denzel Curry
Must-listens: “Surround Sound,” “NEVER,” “Raydar”
Set Time: After 7:30
While opening for Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Yachty on a paid stage is an interesting position for JID, I implore those thinking about going to get there early enough for JID. JID wields one of the most powerful and best flows in all of conscious hip-hop. His project The Forever Story is one of the best hip-hop projects this decade, and with hints of a new album on the way, this is one of the best opportunities to see some top tier hip-hop in Milwaukee.
Stay tuned for interviews and Summerfest updates on our website and social media.