The Milwaukee Concert

Back in 1991, legendary shock-rocker Alice Cooper stunned a slack-jawed Wayne and Garth on the hit movie "Wayne's World" with his flawless retelling of Milwaukee history. The pair of die-hard rockers looked on in awe while Cooper recited little-known facts about the Brew City. It's typical of the kind of potent yet under-the-radar reputation Milwaukee has enjoyed when it comes to the city's place in rock 'n' roll history.

Milwaukee has had its share of musical accolades. Les Paul, widely considered the father of the electric guitar, was born near Milwaukee in 1915. The Beatles – on what was for all practical purposes the first modern rock 'n' roll tour – made a stop in Milwaukee on September 4th, 1964 at the Milwaukee Arena. Legendary members from the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame ranging from Aerosmith to ZZ Top have made stops in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee also has its share of local musicians that have made it to the national stage, including the BoDeans and the Violent Femmes, the later of which was discovered by Chrissie Hynde of the Prentenders outside the Oriental Theater on Milwaukee's East Side. The great Steve Miller is also a Milwaukee native. Les Paul is in fact Steve Miller's godfather and Steve Miller's dad stood up as the best man when Les Paul married Mary Ford.

Milwaukee has many fine venues for which to attend concerts. Some of Milwaukee's larger music venues include the Bradley Center and the lovely outdoor Marcus Amphitheater, which sits right on the shores of Lake Michigan at the Summerfest grounds. Some smaller venues that are popular among local music fans and touring acts alike include the Riverside Theater, the Pabst Theater, and the newly renovated Milwaukee Theater.

It's difficult to mention the history of live music in Milwaukee without mentioning Summerfest. Summerfest, also affectionately referred to as "The Big Gig," is an annual 11 day music festival held at Milwaukee's lakefront. Started in the 1960's, Summerfest's stages originally consisted of wooden platforms raised on concrete blocks and picnic tables for audience members. Today, nearly one million music fans visit Summerfest each year and the festival boasts numerous stages that are filled with exciting performances from noon until midnight each day. People come from all over the country. Summerfest has become the gold standard for outdoor music festivals.

Milwaukee has always leaned toward being a blue collar town. As the 22nd largest city in the United States, Milwaukee sees its fair share of visits from major concert tours passing through. The city's musical tastes tend to lean toward the workingman sounds of artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger, but the city certainly has a diverse ear for many different genres.

With a diverse community and a number of historic and state-of-the-art venues for which to see a variety of concerts, the beer city plans to be a major stop for many national concert tours for years to come. Milwaukee also has a vibrant local music scene to satisfy music fans throughout southeastern Wisconsin.