Lovejoy Rocks Summerfest 2025

Lovejoy rocked the Land of Cheese on Thursday, July 3 with a blistering, high-octane set at the Summerfest music festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. I was fortunate enough to attend - here’s my recap of the evening, plus some local reviews and audiovisual goodies courtesy of a few friends. Listen to our next episode for in-depth Summerfest coverage! 

Local Reviews:

OnMilwaukee - Lovejoy proved to be a phenomenon in the making at Summerfest

From Benson Boone to Alex Warren, best, worst of Summerfest 2025 's Weekend 3 in Milwaukee

We saw more than 100 concerts at Summerfest 2025. These were the 25 best and 8 worst

The band’s headlining slot didn’t begin until 10:15 p.m., but you’d never know many of these fans had been waiting for hours in the sun. Their energy and enthusiasm buzzed throughout the pit and lower bleachers area as we audibly counted down the last 20 seconds prior to the show. Lovejoy delivered right out of the gate with the frenetic, fast-paced “Normal People Things”, a song that would set the tone for the rest of their set, followed by “Call Me What You Like” and “Perfume”.

The unwavering intensity of the loyal Lovenjoyers in attendance seemed to fuel the band, especially Will Gold. Will had a big bounce in his step and an extra-wide perma-smile, which was great to see. The band appeared to appreciate the audience’s amped-up vibe, lending itself to a very synergistic, intimate atmosphere.

“Foxholes”, an unreleased song that Lovejoy’s played on their two most recent tours, recently received a reworked outro and was a big crowd-pleaser. Joe Goldsmith stepped into the vocal spotlight and absolutely shone, with extra singing time and a hair-raising scream at the end.

Lovejoy’s brand-new single “With Rob As My Witness” followed “Taunt”, “Warsaw” (wiggle included), and “Model Buses”. Fans shouted every single lyric, taking it upon themselves to add in the echo at the end of “there’s little life left in the sea bed”, to which Will grinned and orchestrated a sing-along with the front rows for the echoes on the next two lines. Following “Rob” was a standout version of “Cause For Concern”, showcasing traveling trumpeter Alan’s mad skills, and fan favorite “One Day”.  

“Perfect Blue”, another unreleased track from Lovejoy’s forthcoming debut album, was next on the setlist. True to its name, “Perfect Blue” has a very, well, bluesy feel, almost reminiscent of Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love (that’s a comparison I never thought I’d be making!),and really showcases Lovejoy’s ability to effectively dabble in any number of subgenres. The soulful guitar riffs combined with video artist Misha’s (Yovozol) beautiful visual backdrops made this one of the evening’s highlights for me.

The powerful, gritty churn of “Scum” followed, the latter portion of dueling guitars and screaming vocals doing their job, as always, of whipping the crowd into a frenzy until the last note. Next up were the OG “dancy song” Concrete and bass-heavy “Portrait Of A Blank Slate”.  Lovejoy closed with “The Fall”, it’s multiple calls-and-responses perfect for ending the night with a bang.

I’ve been to my share of Lovejoy gigs, and they’ve never failed to impress, but their Summerfest set felt as if they’ve reached a completely new level of sound, skill, and artistic ability. I can’t wait to see how this carries over into their (assumed) forthcoming tour!

All video and photos taken by @alex_kabosu

CAMP FM 102.1! Lovejoy's private acoustic performance at NorthSouth Club on July 3, 2025.

Lovejoy performs Fox Holes at Summerfest 2025

Lovejoy performs Warsaw at Summerfest 2025

Lovejoy performs Call Me What You Like at Summerfest 2025