The World’s Largest Music Festival: Milwaukee’s Summerfest 2025 Wrap Up Review

Jul 16, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, ITLM OTRS, Music News, Reviews 0

By Randal Hicks

I really thought I had seen peak Summerfest during weekend two, but weekend three seemed to be a whole new level.

Thursday July 3rd was a scorcher. Not only did the heat and humidity make things interesting, the Summerfest grounds were PACKED. Festivities kicked off for me with Timmy Skelly. Hailing from Sandwich, IL he and his band provided some fun, energetic tunes. One comment he made really stuck with me. I am paraphrasing, but he expressed he had been at this for 8 years or so now. Moved to LA to try and live his dreams, and now in his 8th year, he is starting to gain some traction. I think a lot of us take for granted the amount of effort a lot of bands need to put into their craft before they are noticed. Maybe this should be your reminder to go see local acts whenever possible to support these talented, hard-working musicians.

I moseyed on over to the Miller Lite Oasis to Catch a few songs by Phoneboy. Phoneboy seemed like a party on stage. They were full of energy, full of life, and just so fun to watch and listen to. I kept finding my head bobbing to the beat, which was so heavily driven by their keyboardist. I really don’t know how else to describe their vibe but as blissful fun.

Next stop for my afternoon was glam rock band – Vixen! I was blown away with some super heavy riffs, and amazing guitar solos. Truly a band with some history and great stage presence.

Moving into the evening, things started to pick up speed. I made it to Phantom Planet to catch just a few minutes of their set. They had a solid draw, but I could see the masses had started heading to the AmFam Amphitheatre. Opening the stage for the night was The Aces – The band’s chemistry on stage was infectious while blending polished pop-rock sound with raw, genuine emotion. Speaking of raw, genuine emotion – Bishop Briggs took over the stage next – She commanded the stage with her powerhouse vocals and dynamic energy while walking/running/jumping to each side of the stage. She never stopped moving, and it was an experience I won’t forget!

Nearing the end of the night, 311 closed out the BMO stage. I’ve been hearing 311 since I was eleven. I remember my sister having their CD on repeat. They are a bit older now, but the songs brought me back to younger, carefree times. The wave of nostalgia was real, and it was a treat to catch 311 live.

My final stop for the night was English indie band – Lovejoy. The railing was filled with signs professing their love for the band (and its members). The band’s chemistry was undeniable. The crowd’s energy was infectious. You could see these little smiles on their singer, Wilbur, that just gave off the feeling that he was loving every second of what he was doing. It was a great way to close out night one of the third and final weekend of Summerfest.

July 4th

Friday July 4th was filled with attendees donning their favorite red, white and blue apparel on a gorgeous sunny day.

Plague Vendor kicked off the Miller Lite stage and day for me. Their raw, in your face energy was something that is so unique. I could sit and watch them play all day. Frontman Brandon Blaine puts on a show like no other. He got down into the crowd at one point and poured his soul out. It’s rare to find a band that can draw people in so easily, and they really set the mood for the rest of the day.

Hopping through the mass crowds, I stopped in to check out Everclear. Everclear was a surprise highlight. They delivered a tight, high energy set that played like a soundtrack for everyone’s inner teenager. It’s the music that defined my teens and they gave a great set.

I got to check out the opener in the Amphitheatre – We Came As Romans. They provided some heavy riffs with soaring melodies. The crowd loved it and it was great to see some metal core in the mix at Summerfest!

Onward to a more dreamier atmosphere. Tripping Daisy gave Summerfest a dose of hypnotic fun. While the crowd maybe didn’t recognize the first few songs, singer Tim DeLaughter kicked into ‘I Got a Girl’ stating “maybe after this one you will know who we are.” And he was absolutely right, with many in the area singing along throughout.

I have been a big fan of the band Bully for quite some time now. Alicia gives it her all at every show, and it feels like she wears her heart on her sleeve. One moment I was really in awe of was her taking to the piano, back facing the crowd, and belting out Atom Bomb. It felt intimate, it felt more emotionally filled than anything I had experienced at Summerfest. From my angle, I could see what looked like Alicia wiping tears away during pauses in the song. It was beautiful, and I am so ecstatic to have been there to see it. I will always catch Bully when they are playing around me. You should too.

Chicago is a band with some heavy emotional ties for me. I grew up listening to them with my mom all the time. When they would come on the radio, she would offer me a dollar if I could guess the band and song. We had tickets to go see them together, but were unable to make it due to health reasons. So this was my first time getting to see them live, and I loved every moment of it. It really brought on all of the feelings, and I am thankful for this memory I get to take with me. They were as tight as I expected. Horns blaring, guitars jangling, and so on. They are a class act through and through, and should be a bucket-list band for every Chicagoan.

I made it down to the other end of the festival just in time to catch Alex Warren – some of you may know that he had a number 1 hit just a few weeks back. The crowd certainly knew it and showed up in droves. Walking up the stage I was enamored with just how many people were there. Him coming out on stage was greeted with cheers and screams and I was thankful for ear plugs. Alex has a great strong country voice, his music is catchy and I am sure he is going to keep getting bigger and bigger.

I finished my night with Punk Legends – Social Distortion. Fitting that Plague Vendor is opening for this band on tour currently. The raw magnetism of both bands really lend to each other and couldn’t be a better fit. Mike Ness commanded the stage with charm as they ripped through decades of rebellious anthems.

It was a great way to end the 4th.

July 5th

July 5th was a slower day for me. I didn’t get to the festival grounds until around 5pm. It was hot, rainy, and the final day of a long weekend.

I kicked things off with some ‘Nu Delhi’ metal – Bloodywood. These guys were pure metal. Head banging, gritty riffs, tribal drums, they had it all. It was the perfect tone to set the day.

Mixing things up, I dropped in on Sophie Hunter. She is a self proclaimed alternative pop-rap artist based out of Brooklyn, NY. She had some great lyrics and the crowd was really digging her overall vibe. Her blend of self-reflective storytelling and dark humor made it easy to latch onto her lyrics and feel engaged.

Continuing into the world of “different” was a stop to catch a couple sax performances by the one and only Saxsquatch. How this guy survived the heat in all of that fur is beyond me. But the crowd seemed to love it and it is a fun visual.

I dropped in for Jinjer and then my jaw dropped. I feel like they are a new type of metal. They seamlessly blend core, groove and prog all into one and have this unique distinction among other metal bands. Tatiana’s vocal range is insane. She went from guttural growls to the highest of highs like it was second nature.

I was lucky enough to get into the sold-out Lumineers show in the amphitheatre. It’s easy to forget how big their discography is and just how many hits they have. They are a masterclass of performance with such intention in every note and some of the most beautiful background imagery I had seen at Summerfest. The crowd drunkenly sang along to every word – it was an alluring haze that left all entranced in the music.

Runner-up for closing out Summerfest was The Warning. The band is made up of three sisters – and the bond of growing and playing together really shines in their music and how in sync they come off. They have really grown in popularity over the last couple years. Headlining major festivals and selling out large crowds. It’s no surprise when you see their performances. Each brings such a level of perfection of their craft that it blends into amazing music that could enamor any in attendance.

My night and weekend ended with the Dirty Heads. They blend genres of reggae, rock and hip-hop in a way that feels so flawless. They commanded the crowd with chill reggae beats that turned anthemic with heavy-hitting choruses and vibey grooves. It was a perfect way to end a long and hot night.

Big thanks to the Summerfest team, and all of the friends I made along the way.