Here are my picks for having a good time at Summerfest this year:

Thursday, June 28

• 11 pm, Violent Femmes, Miller Lite Oasis – it’s the Violent Femmes for god’s sake! Go!

Friday, June 29

• 10 pm, Silversun Pickups, US Cellular Connection Stage – I’ve heard the Silversun Pickups disc called “the best album the Smashing Pumpkins never made”. And the music rocks.

Saturday, June 30

• 7:30 pm, OK Go and Mae (skip the Fray), Marcus Amphitheater – This is the show to see if your friend has an extra ticket to the show and you have nothing better to do.
• 10 pm, Rise Against, US Cellular Connection Stage – Mmmmmmmmmm – raw punk! No “I met a girl, fell in love, lost the girl, and got her back” songs here. Rise Against doesn’t completely exclude love from its discussions, but views it as part of a larger realm of issues that make up the human condition. Warning: you will hear young men ruining their vocal cords.

Sunday, July 1

• 7:15 pm, Fever Marlene, US Cellular Connection Stage – They’re a local band – give ’em a listen!
• 10 pm, Local H, Zippo Rock Stage – One song title – “Bound for the Floor”. You will have a good time!

Monday, July 2

• 6:30 pm, Beatallica, Zippo Rock Stage – A band covers Beatles’ songs Metallica style. Or was it that they cover Metallica songs Beatles style? Either way, ROCK!
• 10 pm, Social Distortion, US Cellular Connection Stage – BALL AND CHAIN! Need I say more?

Tuesday, July 3

• 10 pm, Lewis Black, Harley-Davidson Roadhouse – FUNNY, but there’s competition!
• 10 pm, Weird Al Yankovic, M&I Bank Classic Rock Stage – FUNNY’s competition!

Wednesday, July 4

• 7:30 pm, Tool, Marcus Amphitheater – (You are getting sleepy) You are buying tickets to this show (very sleepy) and you will buy enough so I can come and bring my husband (when you click your mouse, you will wake up, follow these instructions, and not remember reading this).
• 10 pm, The Black Crowes, Miller Lite Oasis – Good old-fashioned southern rock!

Thursday, July 5

• 3:30 pm, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard – Most of the time the bands at this stage (with the exception of the Red Elvises when they come) are so-so at best. Not Rodrigo y Gabriela. Watch these two play their set of acoustic guitar songs and you will swear you are hearing instruments that really aren’t there and you will recognize some fantastic covers.
• 8:30 pm, B.B. King, M&I Bank Classic Rock Stage – Don’t even ask me to explain why you should see this one.

Friday, July 6

• 10 pm, Chevelle, US Cellular Connection Stage – Noted for a while as a copycat band, Chevelle has really come into their own. See it for yourself.

Saturday, July 7

• 10 pm, Live, Miller Lite Oasis – Ahh, more 90’s grunge happiness. If this doesn’t quite float your boat hop on over to the Zippo Rock Stage for some (yawn!) Collective Soul.