As the semester draws to a close, so does another exciting, vibrant year of arts & entertainment achievements. And so, Marquee presents to you, our loyal readers, entertainment’s best of the best in albums, concerts and movies of the school year.
Best Concert
Mumford and Sons
With beards, banjos and beers, Mumford and Sons was certainly one of the best concerts in Milwaukee this past school year. On Sept. 3, the folk-rock band exceeded all expectations at the sold-out Marcus Amphitheater on the Summerfest grounds. They delivered on their most famous hits like “Little Lion Man” and “Babel” (of course), but they also blew the crowd away with renditions of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” as well as The Beatles’ “Come Together.” The band also knew how to connect with the Wisconsin audience. Banjo player Winston Marshall sported a vintage Packers jersey, and Marcus Mumford shot-gunned a PBR on stage. Mumford and Sons had the crowd on their feet from start to finish and displayed a glorious music performance that everyone should experience. – Kevin Ward
Queens of the Stone Age
The best concert of the year hasn’t happened yet, but next week, American rock band Queens of the Stone Age is coming to the Riverside Theater. The band has been touring since its latest album “…Like Clockwork” came out almost a year ago this June.
Founder and frontman Josh Homme is at the top of his game in the band’s latest album, especially on songs such as “Smooth Sailing,” “I Sat by the Ocean” and “Fairweather Friends.” Expect pounding riffs and the alternative rock/metal sound that makes Queens of the Stone Age stand out, but also power ballads like “The Vampyre of Time and Memory” from its newest album. – Brian Keogh
Best Album
AM by Arctic Monkeys
Look no further than the Arctic Monkey’s “AM” for my favorite album of the year. Since it came out in September, the album quietly sat in the Billboard Top 40. It continued to build the band’s sound and is a far cry from its 2006 debut album, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.” “AM” channels decades of rock with evident influences from both heavy metal and glam rock. The band gets better and better with each album and will be headlining at Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer. – Brian Keogh
Pure Heroine by Lorde
Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, otherwise known by her stage name, Lorde, took the pop culture world by storm with her first album, “Pure Heroine.” Released in September, Lorde’s music is smart, edgy and, best of all, different. With such addictive songs, Lorde should have cut to the chase and titled her album “Pure Heroin” instead, namely in regards to the album’s hit single, “Royals,” which alone won Lorde two Grammys. Aside from the Grammys, Lorde received praise from Kanye West; Bruce Springsteen made a cover of one of her songs; and she even received kudos from the Queen of England. It’s safe to say the 17-year-old has a lot to look forward to in her career and deserves thanks for gracing us with one of the best albums of the school year. – Kevin Ward
Best Film
Wings of Desire
There were a lot of excellent movies at the Milwaukee Film Festival, but for me, the one that still stands out months after the fact is German director Wim Wender’s film full of magical realism from 1987: “Wings of Desire.”
Angels walk the streets of a divided Berlin unseen, hearing mankind’s thoughts but unable to take part in what they see. Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, watch and discuss the going ons of human beings until Damiel falls in love with a trapeze artist and falls to earth to become human. – Brian Keogh
The Wolf of Wall Street
“The Wolf of Wall Street” can only be described in one word – bold. Martin Scorsese delivers on all accounts as he tells the true story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort who lives a life filled with drugs, prostitutes and more drugs. Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance as Belfort is extremely impressive, as is supporting actor Jonah Hill’s performance as Belfort’s partner in crime, Donnie Azoff. The three-hour movie is raunchy, funny and one you should definitely not watch with your parents – but watch it anyway. It gives the audience a satirical glimpse into the lives of the rich and corrupt and is truly one of the best and boldest movies from this past school year. – Kevin Ward
Summer Preview
Dave Matthews Band
Summerfest always has an exceptional line up that attracts music fans from all over the world to Milwaukee, but this year, one band may beat out the rest. Dave Matthews Band will play a headlining show at the Marcus Amphitheater July 2 for the World’s Biggest Music Festival. It is the perfect band for this outdoor venue, accompanied by its upbeat music that will get any crowd on their feet. We can only hope that they will play some of their past classics like “Ants Marching” and “Crash Into Me,” but regardless of the setlist, this will definitely be a concert to add on your summer bucket list. – Kevin Ward