Styx delivered the goods, Tyrese made a genial impression and Hot Mulligan thrashed around on June 19, the second night of Summerfest.
Styx
Classic rock is alive and well. All you had to do was squeeze into the sold-out (or at least very close to it) BMO Pavilion for Styx’s June 19 Summerfest performance. The crowd was packed with Gen Xers and Boomers alike, eager to hear the soundtrack of their lives—and in many cases, their parents’ lives too.
Let me get this out of the way first: the star of the show is still Lawrence Gowan. The vocalist and keyboardist keeps the audience on its toes with his famous spinning keyboard rig. As the keyboard rotates, Gowan somehow manages to play, sing, and pull off gymnastic-like poses—often with one leg stretched dramatically across the keys.
The set was packed with classics like “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” and “Too Much Time on My Hands,” sending the crowd into a frenzy. Styx delivered exactly what the audience came for: power ballads, awesome sing-along choruses, and straight-up rock and roll that reminded everyone why the band has lasted for more than 50 years.
While some legacy acts run on nostalgia alone, Styx still performs like it has something to prove. The songs sounded fantastic, the harmonies remained razor-sharp, and the crowd responded to every note.
– Damon Joy
Tyrese
Following a cancellation by Jeremih due to health issues, R&B veteran-turned-action-film star Tyrese quickly stepped in to fill a headlining slot at the T-Mobile Stage. The Juneteenth performance also marked Tyrese’s first-ever Summerfest appearance; he’d only played Milwaukee once before, 27 years prior almost to the day.
It was only three songs in and Tyrese was inviting ladies onstage, a long quiet storm intro flowing into “Signs of Love Makin.’” The groove was getting deep. And then it became a social media marketing exercise for a few minutes, as modern shows often do.
A spirited if abbreviated rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come” captured the entire crowd, after which Tyrese reverted to genial hype-man/emcee mode, cycling through prerecorded soul classics and encouraging the real fans to sing themselves. The backing band and crowd brought the heat.
“Sweet Lady” was the epic, Isaac Hayes-esque singalong everyone needed, Tyrese’s pipes warmed up by now and wooing the crowd. It was all slow jams tonight, and while it didn’t seem very rehearsed, the combination of spontaneity and beloved grooves kept fans engaged.
The elder statesman even entered the crowd for a slight “Signs” reprise before wrapping up with “How You Gonna Act Like That,” safely back onstage.
– Cal Roach
Hot Mulligan
Hailing from Lansing, Mich., emo outfit Hot Mulligan entered a crowded and retro-heavy field about a decade ago, setting themselves apart from the pack by coming up with non-sequitur song titles that are almost certainly still hilarious to the band members themselves. They headlined the Uline Warehouse stage June 19, pulling enough of a crowd to fill all the seats with only marginal spillover, a weirdly perfect booking.
Frontman Nathan “Tades” Sanville addressed the enthusiastic crowd prior to “Fly Move (The Whole Time),” unimpressed with the media pit separating him from his most ardent fans. “I personally am putting up a bounty on these barricades: DISASSEMBLE THEM.” It was a good-natured gathering, though; despite Sanville’s repeated urgings, a circle pit did not form on Summerfest bleachers.
Sanville himself thrashed around the stage, a rare longhair in the punk scene, more talkative between songs as the night went on, the crowd eating out of his hand. And when he got political, it wasn’t divisive; the crowd roared in shared indignation.
The bon mots were plentiful. The anger was real. But soon enough it was back to lighthearted humor and pop-punk. A weirdly perfect balance.
– Cal Roach
Father John Misty
This guy has confidence. Opening a set with an eight-minute song—“I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All”—takes a certain kind of performer, and an even more specific kind of audience. The hipster-infused crowd at the Generac Power Stage seemed fully locked in, hanging on every cryptic line Father John Misty delivered.
It was hard to tell if he was being satirical or sincere at any given moment. The whole thing felt oddly intimate for a large festival stage—boring and exciting at the same time, strange in the best and worst ways. His sultry voice and sensual movements kept the audience in a kind of spell, even when the lyrics drifted off.
The seven-piece band felt almost excessive on paper, but it paid off, giving the set a cinematic, folk-type experience. The saxophonist, in particular was dope.
I went in skeptical, but Father John Misty won me over—especially with “Mr. Tillman.” No idea what it was about, but it slapped.
– Damon Joy
Amyl and the Sniffers
Amyl and the Sniffers turned the Miller Lite Oasis into a loud, sweaty burst of punk energy, kicking things off right after walking out to Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.”
Amy Taylor hit the stage with no frills and no buildup—just full-speed punk/alt rock chaos from the first note. The band matched her energy, tearing through songs fast and furious. The crowd barely had a second to reset.
The hardcore fans packed in tightly, forming a bouncing mass that wasn’t quite a mosh pit, but was clearly trying to become one. A few Australian flags popped up in the crowd, giving a nod to the band’s hometown.
Taylor led the band with constant motion and attitude—shouting, smiling, and keeping it consistently edgy. Nothing about it felt polished-it was raw, intense and borderline terrifying.
By the end, they were gone almost as quickly as they arrived, leaving behind ringing ears, sweat-soaked shirts, and a crowd that looked exhausted and oddly satisfied.
– Damon Joy
Evan Honer
Although Honer didn’t win “American Idol,” the former reality show contestant and member of the California Baptist diving team has carved out a solid musical career and amassed a fan base. In 2022, he self-released his single “How Could I Ever” and has had a solid musical output ever since.
With his mop of curly hair and a mustache, the 25-year-old Honer, dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved green plaid shirt, and his solid backing band delighted the sizeable Gen Z crowd at the Generac Power Stage on June 19.
Honer’s sweet, pure vocals were perfectly showcased in folky country-pop songs like his opener, the upbeat “Everything I Wanted,” followed by soulful, introspective yet cheeky tunes about relationships, the confusions of navigating early adulthood, and the search for identity, including “Nowhere Fast” and “How Could I Ever.” “This is the first song I ever wrote,” he informed the audience. Honer’s “Mr. Meyers,” a ballad about his older friend, was heartfelt.
He seemed at ease on stage, smiling, raising his eyebrows, and effortlessly strumming his guitar. Honer’s show was a breezy and enjoyable, perfect for a beautiful, albeit cloudy, Summerfest night.
– Catherine Jozwik
Adrien Nunez
Social media influencer Nunez has pivoted to a career as a pop country singer/songwriter. His 2025 debut LP “Low Road” as followed in 2026 by an EP, “Don’t Wanna Go Home.”
The 27-year-old Brooklyn native started off his set at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard with the rock-influenced “WILD.” Nunez showed his romantic side with “Damn Broke,” which he followed up with the bluesy “Broken Pieces,” a new single, and the angst-driven breakup tune “Minnesota.”
“Wow, thank you guys for showing up for Summerfest. It means a lot,” Nunez said to the largely Gen Z audience.
It was pretty clear that Nunez is new to the stage–his vocals occasionally fell flat and his energy was a bit lacking at times. But it was undeniable that he was genuine, humble, and singing from the heart, which the crowd seemed to appreciate.
– Catherine Jozwik
Local Beat: Emmitt James
Summerfest’s biggest hip-hop show for 2026 was happening at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater June 19, with Don Toliver and five opening acts. But one of the best Milwaukee rappers on the Big Gig bill this year was also playing on this day, before the amp show happened, with Emmitt James at the T-Mobile Stage.
Granted James and Toliver are worlds apart, lyrically and sonically. As James joked during his set, he doesn’t rap about money and women because he doesn’t have any. Instead, in an accurate bit of self-description as an artist, he makes songs about his real life. That candidness, combined with his creativity, resulted in two of the best Milwaukee albums of the past couple of years: “Undeniably Ground-Breakingly Excellent” and “It’s Giving Healed Black Man.”
Early in the set he offered the nourishing “Real Love” with fellow excellent Milwaukee rapper Genesis Renji, and “Black Man” highlight “Trying to Heal” about his experience trying therapy two years back. But he also offered a funny and relatable song that could have inspired a Seinfeld bit, “ATM Fees.”
His sound frequently leaning into jazz, James for this Summerfest set was backed by a trumpet player, backing vocalist, keyboardist, bassist, drummer, and electric guitarist, and he relished playing conductor, calling for different instrumentalists to join forces for inspired jams at the end of “Under My Feet.” It was a tantalizing taste of a show James has planned at Turner Hall Ballroom Aug. 21, where he’ll be joined by a whopping 20 musicians. It may also be his last major Milwaukee show for a while – he’s moving to Brooklyn next summer, he revealed at Summerfest – so catch it if you can.
– Piet Levy
Note: This story was updated to add photos.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Styx, Tyrese and the best, worst of Summerfest 2026 June 19
Reporting by Journal Sentinel staff, Special to the Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Journal Sentinel staff, Special to the Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
