Florence + the Machine at the Eagles Ballroom 4/28

I'm really excited that Florence + the Machine is returning to Milwaukee to perform at the Eagles' Ballroom. They dazzled crowds last summer when they opened for the Black Keys and have now become stars in their own right. I think this will be one of the best shows in Milwaukee this spring, along with the Black Keys show at the Bradley Center a few weeks later. The British indie pop band has been making international waves, with their latest album, Ceremonials, debuting at number 1 in the UK and at number 6 in the US.

Florence + the Machine released their debut album, Lungs, in the summer of 2009. Immediately the album rose to the top of the charts in the UK and topped out at number 2 in ireland. When released in the United States, Lungs ultimately climbed to the top of the charts. Interestingly enough, lead singer Florence Welch got a lot of material for her album from a recent breakup with her boyfriend. Sounds familiar! British singer Adele has recently found a lot of success thanks to the album she wrote after suffering a devastating breakup with her boyfriend.

Between numerous television appearances and music featured on soundtracks including the Twilight soundtrack, Florence + the Machine is hot right now in the United States. I was actually surprised to hear that the Rave had secured the band and not the Pabst. Usually I'd expect the Pabst to book an act like Florence + the Machine. It's been awhile since I've been to a show at the Rave, but the Eagles Ballroom is spacious, perfect for the number of people who undoubtedly be in attendance.

The Black Keys with Arctic Monkeys at the Bradley Center 5/16

On May 16th, The Black Keys return to Milwaukee to perform at the Bradley Center with Arctic Monkeys. This show is shaping up to be one of the most exciting concerts of the spring here in Milwaukee. When The Black Keys headlined Summerfest last year, their performance received rave reviews. It turned out to be one of the best shows at last year's Summerfest. (Incidentally, their openers Florence and the Machine will be performing at the Rave at the end of April for what will be another exciting show.) The Black Keys are on top of their game and have seen much success from their seventh and latest album, El Camino. Time magazine listed this album as one of the best of the year, despite the fact that it was released late in the year. You will not want to miss this show at the Bradley Center, especially if you missed their show at the Marcus Amphitheater last summer.

British indie rock band Arctic Monkeys will open for Black Keys. Arctic Monkeys gained a lot of popularity when they released their first album in 2006 and much of their popularity came from fan-based sites on the Internet. Since 2006, the band has released three more albums.

Milwaukee will be the last stop on the tour for the Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys, so here's hoping that they go out with a bang! This should be a great evening of rock and I bet that it will go down in the books as the best concert of spring.

Brewers Fans Await Results of Braun Appeal

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and National League MVP, Ryan Braun is nearing the third week of waiting. He's waiting to see if he will be sitting on the bench for the first fifty games of the season. The MLB panel of three has up until twenty-five days after the opening of the inquiry to announce its decision. Should Braun be cleared of the accusation – something never accomplished before by a major league baseball player – the responsibility of making his innocence publicly known would be up to Bruan and his agent, Nez Balelo. If the panel rejects the player's proposal, it would make an official statement five days after, releasing in that announcement the substance for which he was found guilty of ingesting, and the implementation of his fifty-game suspension.

The star outfielder's innocence is still very much in question, according to most. Prior to the hearing, Balelo told reporters that his client was prepared to argue on the grounds that he either unwittingly took the banned substance or the first test was flawed.

The second point would have gone much further with the panel, considering that being unaware of ingesting a banned substance is not substantive enough to overturn a positive result. It was speculated that Braun would have acknowledged that he did, in fact, employ a second independent test that came back negative. He and his agent were also reported to have argued that the levels of testosterone (the hormone that set off alarms on the first test,) found in the initial reading were of an astronomical proportion. Amounts that (even if he had been taking steroids,) would have been almost impossible to reach and then dissipate by the time the second test was performed. The Brewers have prepared for the loss, signing another outfielder for one season.