Feature 50 bands, 25 venues, 1 street: Eastside Music Tour descends on Brady Street

Back in December, the third annual Riverwest Fest proved that snot-freezing temperatures and a ridiculously loaded schedule weren’t enough to keep throngs of crazed Milwaukee music fans from checking out some of the city’s best bands. It was a celebration of not only local music, but also of a beloved local neighborhood. Earlier this February, Burnhearts’ first annual Mitten Fest accomplished the same thing for Bay View, weather be damned. But what about Milwaukee’s East Side? Doesn’t the Ellis Island of Milwaukee neighborhoods deserve its own music fest? Must it wait until summer for drunken musical revelry? (Oh, summer…)

Not anymore. On Saturday, March 2, the inaugural Eastside Music Tour descends on Brady Street, cramming more than 50 local acts into more than 25 venues. Organized by ART Milwaukee, the fest includes longtime Milwaukee favorites like Jaill, The Fatty Acids, Hugh Bob And The Hustle, and Hello Death, along with dozens of up-and-comers. Likewise, some of the venues are no strangers to live music (Up And Under Pub, Exclusive Company), while others are a bit on the quirky side. (If you ever wanted to see a band at a dog-training facility, now’s your chance.)

Tickets come in two flavors: $15 will get you an all-venue pass (space permitting, of course), and deals on drinks, food, and Brady Street shopping. $25 entitles you to everything above, plus an Eastside Music Tour T-shirt. All profits will be used to repaint the creature statues at Cass Street School. Oh, and did we mention the tickets come in the form of fanny packs? Because they do. Oh well, nothing’s perfect.

Check out the full schedule below. Our picks for each hour are in bold, in case you feel like stalking us and/or seeing some of the best live music Milwaukee has to offer.

4 p.m.
Brady Street Futon: Connor LaMue
Casablanca: Valerie Benton And the Boyz
Cempazuchi: Joe Wray
Dragonfly: Jack Tell And Friends
Dry Hootch: Bryon Cherry
Exclusive Company: Ikarus Down
Hosed On Brady: The Many Men
Mari’s: Justin Cohen
Roman Coin: The Pillowsnatchers
Nomad: The Thriftones
Waterford Wine: Kyra O’Brian

5 p.m.
Brewed Café: Kurt Spielman
Casablanca: Evan Christian
Club Brady: Chicken Wire Empire
Crisp: Hungry Hutch
Garage: The Traveling Suitcase
Green Fields: Jen Cintron Cuevas
Hybrid: Uncle Larry
Redlight (Trocadero): Fjvrds
Up And Under Pub: Hot Coffin
Zoom Room: Meadow Parish

6 p.m.
Brewed Cafe: Kevin Cross
Exclusive Company: Boy Blue
Balzac: Into Arcadia
Hosed On Brady: Overtalk
Jo-Cats: Blax
Nomad: Myles Coyne And The Rusty Nickel Band
Philly Way: DJ Night Visitor
Rochambo: Bright Kind
World Of Beer: All Good Things

7 p.m.
Brewed Cafe: Justin Rolbiecki
Crisp: Ivy Spokes
Garage: Paper Holland
Hybrid: Roxie Beane
Redlight (Trocadero): Fresh Cut Collective
Up And Under Pub: The Fatty Acids

8 p.m.
Balzac: Honest Monday
Club Brady: Crooked Keys
Hosed On Brady: Shoot Down The Moon
Jo Cats: D’Amato
Nomad: Hewn
Rochambo: Hello Death
World Of Beer: WaxWorks

9 p.m.
Casablanca: DJ Kenny Perez
Club Brady: Jaill
Crisp: Albydamned/Demix
Garage: Sir Pinkerton & The Magnificients
Redlight (Trocadero): Kane Place Record Club

10 p.m.
Nomad: Frank Straka + David Arnevik
Garage: DJ Romke
Up and Under Pub: Hugh Bob And The Hustle