Summerfest in Milwaukee started the second week with a lineup that heavily catered towards the country and an old-school rock crowd. It also saw Ed Sheeran, Cody Johnson and Post Malone headline at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater.
Day One – Thursday 6/25
Early in the day, Summerfest saw a wide range of performances from students of the School of Rock. Later in the afternoon, Milwaukee songwriter Pat McCurdy took the Generac Power Stage. A local icon in the city known for their songs, “I Love the Green and Gold” and “The Trophy Song,” released shortly after the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
Around McCurdy’s set came a country artist from California, Elijah Scott, at the T-Mobile Stage. He met with a small but passionate crowd.
Scott performed recent hits such as “Cigarettes” and “Let You Go.” Later in the night, Lanie Gardner performed her set at the same stage. She had previously toured with the Jonas Brothers and Jelly Roll. She creates a blend of classic rock and country inspired by her Appalachian roots.
By the end of the night, there were long lines at the merchandise booth for Halestorm. Even throughout the day, small conversations could be heard about Halestorm. The anticipation made it seem as if they were the headliner at the amphitheater.
Day Two – Friday 6/26
Again, the School of Rock performed into the early afternoon. At the Generac Power Stage, there was a set by Bobby Friss from Florida. The band performed covers of numerous songs, like “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. Drawing near his performance came Grouplove at the Uline Warehouse Stage.
Grouplove, an alternative rock band, has produced numerous songs that have charted. Their first single, “Colours,” hit No. 15 on the Modern Rock charts. Their biggest commercial success came in November 2011 with the release of “Tongue Tied,” which made its appearance in an iPad advertisement. The song eventually hit No. 1 on the Modern Rock radio chart in June 2012. It is their only single to be RIAA Platinum in the U.S. and to go gold in Australia and Canada.
The night concluded with Summerfest’s Sound Waves DJ Series at the Aurora Pavilion. This night was hosted by Milwaukee DJ, Mr. New York. The set was dedicated to R&B and hosted small local Milwaukee artists in its opener, including Micah Emrich, Shae Harris, Rob Knapp and others.
Day Three – Saturday 6/27
The day started early with Fuzzysurf at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard. The Milwaukee band proclaims itself to have a focus on indie power-pop and surf-rock. Formed in 2017, they have released four studio albums, with their latest in 2025, “Chameleons.”
Simultaneously, the T-Mobile Stage was held by another Milwaukee artist, Vincent Van Great. They had previously performed live at a Milwaukee Bucks game during halftime. He has also opened for artists like Byrson Tiller, Tory Lanez, Lupa Fiasco and Eric Andre.
Later at the same stage, Soulified, a boy band that was formed on Netflix’s “Building the Band,” performed and brought their nostalgic sound. Their influences are primarily from the 90s and 2000s.
The members have cited artists like Michael Jackson, NSYNC, Usher and Beyoncé as significant to their music. The group claims its goal is to bring back nostalgia to the music industry.
Soulified band members include Bradley Rittmann, Shade Jenifer, Malik Heard and Landon Boyce. The group is managed by Johnny Wright, who had formerly worked with New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.
The night ended with a performance by Little Feat at the Uline Warehouse Stage. The band has a long history as it was formed in 1969. It all started when Frank Zappa from Mothers of Invention fired Lowell George and told him to start his own.
Little Feat’s first members were Lowell George, Bill Payne and Richie Hayward. They went through numerous bass players in their first stint.
The group’s lineup as of 2021 includes: Bill Payne, Sam Clayton, Fred Tackett, Kenny Gradney, Scott Sharrard and Tony Leone. The band has released a great number of projects over the years, with their latest, “Strike Up The Band,” being released in 2025.
Coming Up
Summerfest is set to end the year with the last week going from July 2 to July 4. The headliners for the closing days are Muse, Alex Warren and Jelly Roll.