Madison + 50 miles, seven nights only: a metal headliner at The Sylvee, a full-on rock weekend road trip, plus a Sunday-night melt-you-face-off set at Camp Randall. Hope you didn’t need sleep this week.
Top 5 Picks This Week
- Jinjer w/ Crystal Lake + Entheos (metal)
Sylvee, Madison — Tue, July 13, 2026 — Doors 5:30 pm | Show 7:00 pm - Rock Fest (rock, rock & more rock)
Chippewa Valley Music Festival Grounds, Cadott, WI — Thu, July 16, 2026 thru Sat, July 17, 2026 — All Day & All Night - AC/DC + Pretty Reckless (rock)
Camp Randall, Madison — Sun, July 19, 2026 — Doors 5:30 pm | Music 7:00 pm - Summer of ‘99 Festival (90/00’s rock)
Credit Union 1 Amp, Tinley Park – Sat, July 18, 2026 thru Sun, July 19 — All Day & All Night - The Strokes w/ Cage the Elephant + Thundercat (alt rock)
Am Fam Insurance Amphitheater, Milwaukee — Fri, July 17, 2026 — Doors 6:00 pm | Music 7:00 pm
Big Touring & Major Venue Shows
- Jinjer w/ Crystal Lake + Entheos
One of modern metal’s most dynamic live acts, Jinjer blends progressive metal, groove, djent, and metalcore into a sound that’s both brutally heavy and incredibly technical. Fronted by the powerhouse vocals of Tatiana Shmayluk, the band has become a festival favorite worldwide. Japan’s Crystal Lake brings explosive metalcore energy, while Entheos opens with progressive death metal that will satisfy fans of technical, boundary-pushing heavy music. - Rock Fest
Three days. Five stages. Over 80 bands. 🤯 Rock Fest in Cadott is the Midwest’s largest rock and camping festival and a summer tradition for thousands of rock fans. This year’s lineup is absolutely stacked with Limp Bizkit, The Offspring, Gojira, Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, I Prevail, Machine Head, Hatebreed, Body Count, Insane Clown Posse, Hollywood Undead, Pop Evil, Story of the Year, Butcher Babies, and dozens more across four days of nonstop rock. Whether you’re camping all weekend or making a day trip, Rock Fest—hosted by Lou Brutus—is one of the biggest, loudest rock experiences of the summer. 🤘 - AC/DC + Pretty Reckless
Rock royalty returns. AC/DC continues to pack stadiums with timeless anthems like Back in Black, Thunderstruck, and Highway to Hell, proving they still deliver one of the loudest live shows on the planet. Opening the night, The Pretty Reckless, led by Taylor Momsen, combines bluesy hard rock with modern edge and has become one of rock radio’s biggest success stories. - Summer of ‘99 Festival
Dust off the wallet chain and relive the glory days of late-’90s and early-2000s rock. The Summer of ’99 Festival is stacked with the bands that dominated rock radio, featuring Creed, Limp Bizkit, Bush, Cypress Hill, Sevendust, Candlebox, Hoobastank, Mammoth, Kittie, Puddle of Mudd, Magnolia Park, Sleep Theory, The Pretty Wild, and The Verve Pipe, plus more across two days. Whether you grew up blasting Break Stuff, Higher, or Glycerine, this is a full weekend of nostalgia, massive singalongs, and some of the biggest names from one of rock’s greatest eras. - The Strokes w/ Cage the Elephant + Thundercat
An incredible night for fans of alternative and indie rock. The Strokes bring the cool, garage-rock sound that helped redefine rock in the early 2000s, while Cage the Elephant is known for one of the most energetic live shows in modern rock. Thundercat opens with his unique blend of funk, jazz, soul, and psychedelic grooves, making this one of the most diverse lineups of the summer.
Emerging & Local Bands
- Wisconsin Death Metal Trip Volume II w/ Dusk + Yotuma + Ruin Dweller + Vermillion + Drillbit + The Faith Hills Have Eyes
Wisconsin’s underground metal scene takes over for one crushing night. Dusk delivers old-school death metal with relentless riffs, while Madison’s Yotuma brings groove-laden death metal built for the pit. Ruin Dweller and Drillbit keep the brutality coming with traditional death metal, Vermillion adds its own brand of heavy aggression, and hometown favorites The Faith Hills Have Eyes close out the bill with a unique mix of progressive metal, thrash, stoner riffs, and metalcore. If you like your shows loud, local, and absolutely uncompromising, this is where you need to be. - Vanna w/ Dakota + Inherit the Earth
Post-hardcore favorites Vanna return with the emotionally charged vocals, crushing breakdowns, and nonstop energy that made them one of the genre’s most respected bands. Wisconsin’s Dakota and Inherit the Earth round out the bill with melodic hardcore and metalcore influences, making this an easy recommendation for fans of bands like The Ghost Inside, Counterparts, and August Burns Red.
Bar-Heavy Late-Night Routes
Route 1: Post-Sylvee (Tue, July 14)
Hit the show, then keep it downtown and loud: work your way toward the Capitol for a last call that still feels like a backstage hallway.
Route 2: Saturday’s Stacked. Pick Your Poison. (Sat, Jul 11)
You can’t really make a bad choice today. Go all-in at Rock Fest Day 3, relive the glory days at the Summer of ’99 Festival in Tinley Park, or throw up the horns for the local scene at Wisconsin Death Metal Trip Volume II at High Noon Saloon. Whatever you choose, crank it loud.
Route 3: End the Week with a Bang. (Sun, Jul 12)
There’s only one proper way to wrap up a week like this. Kick things off at the JJO AC/DC PreParty at Jordan’s Big 10, then head to Camp Randall for AC/DC with The Pretty Reckless. Cold drinks, good company, and one legendary rock show—now that’s how you finish strong. ⚡🤘
Rock Lifestyle Things To Do
- Strictly Discs (Madison) — Vinyl hunt. Best time: weekend afternoon pre-game.
- B-Side Records (Madison) — Used vinyl + deep cuts. Best time: pre-show warmup.
- Aftershock Classic Arcade Bar (Madison) — Arcade + drinks. Best time: after-dinner, before doors.
- I/O Arcade Bar (Madison) — Games, pinball energy, easy group meet-up. Best time: late-night, post-show.
- Paul’s Club (Madison) — Old-school downtown bar energy. Best time: post-show nightcap.
- Mickey’s Tavern (Madison) — East-side corner-bar grit. Best time: late night when you’re not ready to go home.
- Paradise Lounge (Madison) — Dark-beer-and-jukebox mood. Best time: after 9 pm.
- The Ohio Tavern (Madison) — Dive-bar rock ‘n’ roll attitude. Best time: late night.
Where To Go By Night
MON (Jul 13): Reset Mode 🍺
No major shows tonight? Hit the record store, grab a cold one at your favorite dive, and recharge—you’ve got a BIG week ahead.
TUE (Jul 14): Jinjer w/ Crystal Lake + Entheos ☠️
One of the heaviest tours of the summer rolls into town. Expect crushing riffs, insane musicianship, and enough breakdowns to leave your neck sore.
WED (Jul 15): Bike Night Battle 🏍️
Cruise to the east side for Wheel Wednesday @ NV Corners or head west for Motor Night @ Kurnickis. Bikes, burgers, beer, and live music—there’s no wrong answer.
THU (Jul 16): Choose Your Adventure 🔥
Hit Rock Fest Day 1 in Cadott as one of the Midwest’s biggest rock weekends kicks off—or stay local and catch reunited post-hardcore favorites Vanna tearing it up at The Annex.
FRI (Jul 17): Festival Friday 🎸
Road trip to Rock Fest Day 2 for another stacked day of rock and metal, or head to Milwaukee to catch indie rock icons The Strokes with Cage the Elephant.
SAT (Jul 18): Too Many Good Choices 🤘
Go all-in at Rock Fest Day 3, relive the glory days at the Summer of ‘99 Festival in Tinley Park, or support the local scene with Wisconsin Death Metal Trip Volume II at High Noon Saloon.
SUN (Jul 19): For Those About to Rock… ⚡
Fuel up at the AC/DC PreParty at Jordan’s Big 10 before heading to Camp Randall for AC/DC+ Pretty Reckless. It’s the perfect way to close out one hell of a week.
(Lineups change—double-check venue pages day-of.)
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