BigXThaPlug, Ethel Cain, and the best and worst on Day 6 of Summerfest 2024 in Milwaukee

The rain stayed away from Summerfest Saturday (unlike last Saturday, or the night before).

Here is some of the best and worst our reviewers heard at Maier Festival Park capping off the Big Gig's second weekend of 2024.

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BigXThaPlug

BigXThaPlug was recently named to XXL’s Freshman Class, an annual list that has spotted the superstar potential of such A-listers as Kendrick Lamar, Future, J. Cole and other rappers early in their careers.

But across a half-hour set in front of an overflow crowd at Generac Power Stage Saturday night, there were significant stretches where you couldn’t hear BigXThaPlug rap at all.

The trouble was quickly apparent during second song “Mr. Trouble.” The Dallas rapper had a mic to his mouth and seemed to be rapping the words, but the vocals flowing from the speakers were too smooth to be live. And when he dropped the mic several times, and the vocals continued at the same volume totally unaffected, it confirmed that Plug’s live rapping couldn’t be heard at all.

I don’t think Plug was intentionally trying to fake his way through the set and let prerecorded backing vocals dominate as much as they did. His actual voice started to creep in when he supplied ad libs for a couple of collaborators, Yung Hood and Ro$ama. But then for his biggest track “Mmhmm,” those prerecorded vocals overwhelmed him completely once again.

From my vantage point, the crowd didn’t seem to care. Plug was still plenty entertaining ripping off his shirt and swagging out, and when he tossed stacks of cash into the crowd, the fans really loved that.

But it was only near the end for “Levels” — when his deep, inescapable flow was fully unleashed a capella (and remained prevalent once the DJ came in) that I began to grasp what the hype was about.

— Piet Levy, [email protected]

Ethel Cain

Ethel Cain was on stage in Wisconsin for the first time Saturday, headlining a packed Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard. She wasted little time trying to make a memorable impression, jumping into the pit early in her set and engaging with fans for passionate face-to-face singalongs.

Except, exhilarated as the crowd was, Cain’s cries of loneliness and an unsettling backing band made it clear this wasn’t your typical feel-great rock-star moment. The Florida native, 26, sounded downright eerie, her haunting words extending into subsequent song “Family Tree” as she crooned heart-stopping lines like “Hell don’t scare me/I’ve been times before” and “Let Christ forgive these bones I’ve been hiding/And the ones I’m about to leave.”

“Family Tree” came from Cain’s 2022 debut full-length album “Preacher’s Daughter,” whose Gothic sensibilities, poetic storytelling, and daring and assured genre explorations landed it on loads of critics’ year-end best-album lists. Of course, album success doesn’t automatically translate to stage success, but these songs are so well crafted, and were clearly so well loved Saturday, that Cain accomplished the latter with ease.

And as the hourlong set drew to a close, Cain did conjure some feel-great rock-star moments, via a superb rendition of “Bette Davis Eyes” and her signature “Preacher's Daughter” song, the epic heartland rocker “American Teenager.” Live especially, it sounded a bit like a blend of Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen, with a little “Don’t Stop Believin’”-style guitar riffs sprinkled in.

But judging by the passion and volume of the crowd singalong, Cain’s lyrics remained the star.

— Piet Levy

Key Glock

Rapper Key Glock’s stage show is outer-worldly. There was a giant sculpture of his head right in the middle of the stage. I’m not sure if it was hubris or sheer confidence, but it was working for the fans at the Generac Power Stage Saturday night.

Glock came out in his signature high-end dress code: purple leather pants and a sweater vest. He was greeted by rabid fans who had been chanting his name for the previous hour. Glock showed why he is one of the principal trap rappers around. There was no hype man, just Glock, and the fans monstrously rapping his lyrics whenever he needed an ad-lib. “Big Big Money” never sounded so good.

But the stage itself was the real highlight. Glock spared no expense. He was surrounded by dancers twerking as a laser light show went on simultaneously. Did I mention lasers shot out of his giant head sculpture? There also was a giant video showing random shots of him and slain cousin/label runner/rapper Young Dolph.

— Damon Joy, Special to the Journal Sentinel

Fletcher

Pop artist Fletcher had a great reason to be happy at Summerfest Saturday — explaining to a large crowd at the BMO Pavilion that this was the first time she was headlining a stage at a festival.

It won’t be the last.

The 30-year-old quickly proved she was ready for this moment, dropping to her knees as she belted to the rafters for “Serial Heartbreaker”; jogging in place with her bass player as she jammed on guitar for “Attached to You”; or sending the crowd into a tizzy caressing herself and flirting with her guitarist for “Ego Talking.”

This was a splashy pop show, similar to another on this Summerfest stage two nights back with MUNA. Both acts specialize in sex-positive queer love songs and have a great ear for instantly infectious hooks. But while MUNA’s setlist tended to look on the brighter side, Fletcher opted to get messier, with her set's first two numbers, “Maybe I Am” and “Sting,” fixated on self-sabotage.

There was lyrical joy, though, too — like for “Girls, Girls, Girls,” which borrows the hook from Katy Perry’s early-career hit “I Kissed a Girl.” “Pride Month is coming to a close, so we’re going to go out with a bang,” Fletcher said ahead of the “Girls” performance. It certainly was a swell swan song.

— Piet Levy

Paul Wall

Paul Wall played Summerfest a day too late.

About 20 minutes into his late-afternoon UScellular Connection Stage set Saturday, the Houston hip-hop veteran tried hyping up his track “Swangin’ in the Rain,” suggesting it was his favorite song he ever recorded.

If only he’d been on this stage performing this swagger-drenched song in Friday’s downpours. Guaranteed, it would have been a top Summerfest 2024 moment.

Instead, on a pretty toasty day, the crowd just stood there — although, it must be said, it was a large crowd, the biggest I’ve seen so far for a show starting before 7 p.m.

And perhaps they were just quietly vibing. Wall certainly wasn’t. He brought easygoing charisma to 2000s hip-hop gems like “Drive Slow,” “Break ‘Em Off” and “Girl,” the latter he’s just started performing, nearly 20 years after its release, per requests from fans on his Facebook page. And even though he was sharing audio space with both a hype man and DJ who frequently mimicked his words, Wall’s sticky Southern flow cut through clearly.

The old-school stuff brought 'em out no doubt, but you might want to hold back on calling him a novelty act for now. Wall’s 2023 track “Johnny Dang,” with fast-rising rapper That Mexican OT, is his biggest song on Spotify by far, and was an undisputed highlight of his Summerfest set Saturday.

— Piet Levy

Mario

After an unusual day of time and set changes, R&B icon Mario was finally able the serenade every woman within a 10-yard radius at the UScellular Connection Stage.

Mario’s distinct voice is still sultry as ever. He swooned the crowd with classic singles “Just a Friend 2002” and “Braid My Hair.” He weaved between all of his other hits with ease, without ever missing a note. His crowd interaction was perhaps the focal point. He guided them through his show-making, sure they would never forget his voice … or flowy shirt.

Oddly, Mario did not have a backing band. He performed with a pre-made set the DJ played. While no one seemed bothered, it felt slightly awkward. There weren’t any bandmates to play off, but still Mario flourished. His choreographed moves he’s been perfecting since the age of 14 did not go unnoticed by his adoring fans.

— Damon Joy

Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs

“For the record, I think Milwaukee is a beautiful place,” Mike Campbell said from the Uline Warehouse stage mid-afternoon Saturday.

He’s certainly spent a lot of time here. As lead guitarist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Campbell headlined Summerfest’s amphitheater 15 times, more than any other act — including two shows three months before Petty died in 2017 at age 66.

So for Campbell, and the large crowd that gathered on the hottest afternoon at Summerfest so far this year, his return Saturday with his band the Dirty Knobs felt like a bit of a homecoming.

With a slight strain in Campbell’s voice not too dissimilar to Petty’s, the Knobs’ cover of Heartbreakers classic “Runnin’ Down a Dream” was a heart-racer, and Campbell at 74 showed he’s as ferocious a guitarist as ever. That had already been apparent on some Dirty Knobs originals, particularly thorny blues rocker “I Still Love You.”

Campbell was the star attraction, but another member of the quartet deserving of a shout-out was fellow Heartbreaker Steve Ferrone on drums — and we’re not just saying that because Ferrone mentioned that his girlfriend is a Green Bay Packers fan.

And there was another Heartbreaker on Campbell’s mind Saturday. He dedicated Saturday’s set to the band’s late bassist, Milwaukee native Howie Epstein.

— Piet Levy

SteveDaStoner

A week after busting through 3rd Street Market Hall with Ludacris for a surprise free show, Milwaukee street rapper SteveDaStoner gave Summerfest 20 minutes the likes of which the festival probably has never seen at a packed Generac Power Stage early Saturday night.

After a brief warmup with a DJ, an older man played acoustic guitar — an unexpected palate cleanser — before Stoner and about 30 people of all ages stormed the stage to dance, rap and party.

And it was one hell of a party, with Stoner sharing the spotlight and mic with just about everyone in his entourage. Little kids rapped along and busted some moves for his track “Bang!” Several Milwaukee rappers took turns strutting their stuff, including Mook G for “Be Great” and Carvie P for irresistible regional smash “Rexx.” An older woman even rapped along to Khia’s unapologetically raunchy “My Neck, My Back (Lick It).” (Perhaps not the most appropriate choice with kids present, but indisputably an unforgettable one.)

It’s a shame that some significant sound bleed from The Hold Steady at the Miller Lite Oasis intruded on the fun. But the fact that Stoner was playing Summerfest — after years of the scene getting huge streams and national media attention but few bookings at local venues — nothing could take away from the thrill of that victory. And it was a thrill seeing SteveDaStoner eagerly sharing and spreading the joy.

— Piet Levy

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The best and the worst on Day 6 of Summerfest 2024 in Milwaukee