10 top concerts to beat the Milwaukee winter blues, from Travis Scott to Blake Shelton

It was a massive year for concerts in Milwaukee — but it didn't start that way.

Following the first full venue-stuffed year of shows in town post-pandemic, it felt like touring artists let out a collective sigh once December hit. Quality shows drastically dropped off in Milwaukee. Fiserv Forum didn't even host a concert in 2023 until March.

Not the case in 2024: Three arena tours will swing through town the first two months of the year. A few acts accustomed to bigger venues will be playing smaller ones in town this winter.

And Milwaukee will see the opening of a brand-new venue — the Pabst Theater Group's 500-person-capacity club Vivarium — in February.

Of the shows announced so far for a surprisingly robust winter of concerts in Milwaukee, these 10, listed in order of occurrence, are the highlights. Not considered here are all the Christmas concerts coming to town — covered in a previous story — or any New Year's Eve shows, which will be highlighted in a separate feature in December.

The Black Keys

Time and again, WLUM-FM (102.1) has flexed its weight with its annual Big Snow Shows, regularly booking arena-level acts for the 3,500-person-capacity Eagles Ballroom. And the Milwaukee radio station has done it again with bluesy rock duo the Black Keys, who have released two albums — "Delta Kream" and "Dropout Boogie" — since their last gig in town at Fiserv Forum in 2019.

When, where, prices: 8 p.m. Dec. 6, Eagles Ballroom, the Rave, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave. $66 at the box office and therave.com.

Lovejoy

Big Snow Show isn't actually just one show this year. The night after the Black Keys, fast-rising British alt-rockers Lovejoy will step onto the Eagles Ballroom stage. Led by popular Twitch streamer and YouTuber Wilbur Soot, Lovejoy leaped from a planned gig at the 300-person-capacity Back Room at Colectivo Coffee in May to the 2,500-seat Riverside Theater for the group's Milwaukee debut, and still swiftly sold out the venue. Seven months later, their Milwaukee audience will be even bigger.

When, where, prices: 8 p.m. Dec. 7, Eagles Ballroom, the Rave. $47.

Train

WLUM isn't the only local station ending the year with a big show. WMYX-FM (99.1) is bringing Train to town for the band's first Milwaukee show in 11 years, for the all-acoustic "Deck the Hall Ball." We're guessing some holiday tunes may end up in the mix alongside the hits, not just from Pat Monahan's band, but the other two artists playing the "ball": Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik and Phillip Phillips.

When, where, prices: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8, Miller High Life Theatre, 500 W. Kilbourn Ave. $54.75 to $205 at the door, the Pabst Theater box office (144 E. Wells St.) and pabsttheater.org.

Turnpike Troubadours

It’s been gratifying to see Americana artists like Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and Noah Kahan become popular enough to play for massive audiences in Milwaukee. The drawback is tickets for their local shows are hard to come by, and prices, given the demand, often are exorbitant. Consider this alternative featuring their talented peers Turnpike Troubadours — they’re playing some stadium shows with Bryan next year — who have yet to make a practically inevitable leap to the A-list.

When, where, prices: 7 p.m. Dec. 15, Fiserv Forum, 1111 N. Phillips Ave. $64 to $221 at the box office and fiservforum.com.

John Mulaney

We rarely highlight comedy shows in our seasonal concert previews, but if there’s any season when we’d recommend a good laugh, it’s winter in Milwaukee. And a few noteworthy comics are braving the freezing temps for shows this winter, including breakout stand-up heartthrob Matt Rife (who sold out two February shows at the Riverside Theater) and Jerry Seinfeld. But we’d argue John Mulaney, playing a theater in town instead of his customary arena, is the must-see stand-up set of the season, especially since he’s likely to test out some new material.

When, where, prices: 7 p.m. Jan. 11, Miller High Life Theatre. $94.50 to $500.

Travis Scott

In 2019, Travis Scott ushered in a new age for rap in Milwaukee with the first of what’s been several major hip-hop tours each year in Milwaukee’s biggest arena — after over a decade without any. That show also remains one of the most elaborate, making our list of top concerts of the year. But two years later, tragedy struck during Scott’s performance at his Astroworld festival in Houston, when 10 people were killed due to crowd surges. His current tour is his first after he wasn’t found criminally liable.

When, where, prices: 8 p.m. Jan. 17, Fiserv Forum. $56.50 to $747.

Black Violin

At 50 years old, hip-hop has not only become the most popular genre in America, it’s had an impact on the sound of nearly every other genre. And that includes classical music via Black Violin, comprised of two creative, genre-blending, classically trained string players and composers.

When, where, prices: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9, Uihlein Hall, Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. $35 to $140 at the box office and marcuscenter.org.

The Kills

Two decades after their breakthrough debut "Keep On Your Mean Side," and seven years after their previous album, singer Alison Mosshart and guitarist Jamie Hince show there's still plenty of life and creativity to be found in their partnership on their grimy and grand new album "God Games," one of the best-reviewed of their career.

When, where, prices: 8 p.m. Feb. 13, the Rave, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave. $42.50 to $49.50.

Bryan Adams

Think the "Summer of '69" was a long time ago? Guess what — the fall of 1984 was, too. That's when the Canadian pop rocker's blockbuster album "Reckless" came out, featuring other signature hits like "Heaven" and "Run to You," which likely will join other hits for Adams' first Milwaukee concert in 13 years. Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics will warm up the crowd.

When, where, prices: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22, Fiserv Forum. $30 to $144.

Blake Shelton

With his career-changing run on "The Voice" after 23 seasons, Shelton has returned to fully focusing on what's bound to be his biggest legacy, as a 21st-century country entertainer with a deep knowledge and affection for the sounds and artists that came before him. Dustin Lynch, one of the few modern-day country stars proudly wearing a cowboy hat, will open for Shelton, as will one of the many singers Shelton guided to the finals on "The Voice," Emily Ann Roberts.

When, where, prices: 7 p.m. Feb. 24, Fiserv Forum. $69 to $464.50.

Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on X at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 10 top Milwaukee winter concerts, from Travis Scott to Blake Shelton