Summerfest 2019: A Retrospective by the Lake

If you live anywhere near Wisconsin, chances are you’ve been to Summerfest in Milwaukee. Advertised as “The World’s Largest Music Festival”, 800+ bands played to 900,000+ attendees over 11 days this year.

This was my second time going to Summerfest, but it was the first time I didn’t go to see the headlining act. Although I don’t know if I’ll ever see another live show as breathtaking as The Weeknd’s set last year, several of this past weekend’s performances came pretty damn close. Without further ado, let’s run back one of the most action-packed days of my life.

Shle Berry

The very first act we saw was Milwaukee-based rapper Shle Berry. It was her first time performing at Summerfest, but she commanded the crowd like a veteran. Stage presence sets great rap shows apart from amateur ones, and Shle easily fell into the first category with her Summerfest set. Opening with the fan favorite “Blueberries”, she didn’t let the energy slip for the entirety of the 45-minute show. Rapping to the crowd from atop a picnic table near the stage, inviting two fans up mid-performance to have a beer chug-off, leading the venue in a sing-along of “Get Low” by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz - in short, she pulled out all the stops for this one. Easily one of the most entertaining sets of the night. If you haven’t checked out Shle Berry, you won’t be disappointed - her music reaches much farther than Wisconsin.

deM atlaS

After Shle Berry, we headed to the Miller Lite Oasis Stage for a talent showcase hosted by Rhymesayers - the Minnesota hip-hop label home to acts such as Aesop Rock and Atmosphere. Although 27 year-old deM atlaS is one of the newer faces to the imprint, he’s easily one of the most musically diverse artists his field right now. His unique blend of traditional hip-hop, hard rock and sleek R&B sounded great on stage - as soon as he walked out wearing a torn American flag over his head, we knew we were in for a hell of a show. He brought a new energy to his music during his set, even busting into mid-air splits at several points during his slot. Tearing through passionate renditions of highlight tracks such as “Pneumonia”, “Bad Loves Company” and “Dandelions”, deM atlaS definitely did not disappoint at Summerfest.

Evidence

Immediately following atlaS was California rapper Evidence. Although less rowdy (the man’s 42), his set was my favorite purely based off his positive energy and charisma alone. Performing in front of a screen broadcasting weather footage (tying into the theme of his latest album Weather or Not), Ev’s toothy smile didn’t leave his face for the entirety of the show. He breezed through the most iconic tracks of his decade-long discography, penultimately inviting an elementary-aged fan up on stage to rap along to “Mr. Slow Flow”. This resulted in possibly the single most wholesome moment at a rap concert ever. Sandwiching positive mantras in between wordy boom-bap bangers is a style of performance I’d like to see more often after this amazing show.

Brother Ali

Although we didn’t catch Brother Ali’s entire performance (we left 15 minutes early to see Bleachers), we definitely saw enough of it to rule it as an incredible set. Backed up by bright, psychedelic visuals, Ali lead the audience in chants of gibberish in between tracks just to make sure we weren’t taking ourselves TOO seriously during the show. I think the overall feel of the show can be summed up by one singular moment of the set: when Ali looked over his shoulder to see a massive picture of him projected onto the stage, laughed, and said “hey, that’s me!”

There was a true childlike innocence in his stage presence, only interrupted when he momentarily flamed Donald Trump during the appropriately titled “Goddamn Uncle Sam”. With that exception, the rest of the performance was plastered with good vibes. I left his show feeling amazing, even though I had a dry throat for the majority of the set and I had just witnessed someone break their thumb in the pit. If that’s not a shining compliment, I don’t know what is.

Bleachers

Easily the most packed show of the night - and since we left so late from the Brother Ali set, we were near the very back. Although we didn’t have the greatest view (especially judging by the videos I took), this was a damn monumental concert and I’m so grateful I was there to experience it. In short, this set obviously meant a lot to Jack Antonoff (the man behind Bleachers) - it was the only show he booked all year for a reason. In between songs, he talked directly to the crowd about the musical and personal inspiration he’s taken from the festival. I truly don’t believe I’ve seen a performer break the barrier between the stage and the crowd better than Antonoff did.

It would be a miracle if any show with this much emotional connection to the artist fell flat - no surprise, the performance was amazing. Jack and his excellent backing band had a seemingly endless supply of energy, not skipping a single beat throughout their hit-filled setlist. Even from the very back of the venue (where I could barely even make out the stage), I still had the time of my life. The one-two punch of “I Wanna Get Better” and “Don’t Take the Money” was a spectacular way to end off the show, but it also did a number on my vocal chords as I screamed every lyric into the night sky above me.

And that was it. That was Summerfest 2019. I had a great time, and I’m glad that I got the chance to see so many amazing performers all in one day. Thank you Milwaukee, and thank you Summerfest. See you next year.