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4 Shows 4 July in Door County

It’s July, which means the live music scene is in full swing on the peninsula. You can find it everywhere – the beaches, the bars, the parks, even on an occasional bus ride – but if you’re looking for the big stage here are a few shows not to miss.

July 1
Big Mouth
Florian II, Baileys Harbor, 9 pm
Big Mouth plays a lot of gigs, so why pick this one? Because it’s at the Florian! Baileys Harbor was once a hotbed on the DC live music scene, with the Florian at the center of it all. It’s got a classic supper club vibe, a huge bar, and a great stage. Take a step out of your usual haunts and see a Door County classic in a Door County classic.

July 8
Jeff Tweedy
Door Community Auditorium, 8 pm
The Wilco frontman’s solo set is one of the most-anticipated shows of the year. With Wilco, Tweedy helped popularize the alt-country genre and revolutionized the industry – the Warner label Reprise Records dropped the band in 2001, only to watch as Wilco streamed their album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot for free online to universal acclaim. It would become the best-selling album of their careers and it landed on nearly every best of the 2000s list.

July 16
Tony Brown
Third Avenue Playhouse, 7:30 pm
Once a peninsula regular, Brown now brings his reggae stylings to our shores only intermittently, so catch him when you can. He’ll be fresh off a set opening for Taj Mahal at Summerfest, when his blues/ska/ reggae mix reverberates down 3rd Avenue. $16.

July 27
Jazz Orgy
Martin Park Bandshell, 7 – 9 pm
Don’t let the jazz in the name intimidate you. Though Jazz Orgy won the 2010 Wisconsin Area Music Industry award for Jazz Artist of the Year, they’re certainly not your typical jazz band. One doesn’t need to be a jazz aficionado to enjoy the sound of the Oshkosh-based band. They’ll mix TV theme songs, video game soundtracks, and R&B favorites like Alicia Keys and Sam Cooke into their jazz interpretation and are just as comfortable playing the bar scene as a jazz lounge.
They’ll take the stage at the new Martin Park Bandshell in Sturgeon Bay as part of the Harmony by the Bay concert series that has quickly become a city favorite.