Warped Tour-inspired Not Just a Phase Fest is coming to Milwaukee with the Used and more
Franklin Field and the promoters behind the hip-hop throwback bash Tacos & Tequila Festival are teaming up for a new nostalgic music festival — this one aimed at folks who miss the defunct Warped Tour.
The inaugural Milwaukee edition of the Not Just a Phase Fest has been announced for June 23 at the Milwaukee Milkmen stadium — a day after the second annual Tacos & Tequila Festival at the ballpark. The lineup will feature pop-punk and emo bands that broke out in the late '90s and early aughts (the same timeframe that's inspired the Tacos & Tequila bookings).
The Used is headlining, with Story of the Year, 3OH3! and the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus also on the bill. More acts are to be announced. Beyond the bands, the fest will feature craft retail and food vendors; bars serving cocktails, beer and wine; a throwback video game lounge; art installations and more, according to a press release.
General-admission and VIP tickets will be available at notjustaphasefestmke.com, with prices to be announced.
Not Just a Phase Fest began last year in Kansas City, the home base for promoter Social House Entertainment, and is returning there this June. The Not Just a Phase Fest in Franklin will be the first outside of Kansas City.
Tacos & Tequila Festival also started in Kansas City; the first fest held at Franklin Field last September was headlined by Nelly. The inaugural Milwaukee-area event received criticism on social media from some ticketholders over extended wait times for parking and festival entry, and complaints that tacos and drinks ran out early in the night. There also have been ongoing noise complaints from area residents, with a $200,000 Milwaukee County sound study verifying some of their concerns.
At a Franklin city council meeting in October, Mayor John Nelson told concerned residents that there will be an "aggressive timeline" to remedy sound issues ahead of the May season opener of the Milkmen.
Regarding Taco and Tequila complaints, Franklin Field operator ROC Ventures and Kansas City-based festival promoter Social House Entertainment issued a joint statement, saying "there were aspects of the event that didn’t align with the high standards we set for both teams and our guests," and that they "are already in discussions and are identifying robust solutions to ensure smoother processes for our future collaborations."
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: Warped Tour-inspired Not Just a Phase Fest coming to Milwaukee
