Airship Caravan, Thursday, Jan. 2, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Hailing from Minneapolis, Airship Caravan plays atmospheric rock music, blending ‘70s arena rock textures with grunge attitude and a bit of a space rock edge on their 2024 EP, My Decorative Pond Is Trying To Kill Me. With Mother Material, a Madison quartet who puts a punk/grunge edge on their guitar rock; and Drive-a-tron, dance-friendly synth-guitar rock from Madison’s Paul Vash. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Exhibit, through June 30, Garver Feed Mill and Olbrich Gardens: If you missed the inaugural Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival in June at the San Damiano grounds, you still have a chance to see the amazing large scale wood sculptures the invited artists created over the course of the festival. Eleven artists carved inventive takes on the theme of nature and the environment, and they are available for viewing at Garver Feed Mill and Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The festival honors the late Harry Whitehorse, a Madison-area and Ho-Chunk sculptor whose own works are part of our public art landscape. More info at olbrich.org.
Funny Girl, through Jan. 4, Overture Hall: There’s something about the classic Broadway musicals of the 1960s: stylish, smart, spunky, singable. Though it’s hard to divorce the impact of Barbra Streisand in the starring role of comedian Fanny Brice from the material, Funny Girl stands well on its own and indeed lives up to the level of iconic, with songs like “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “My Man,” and “People.” Performances at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 2-3, 2 and 7:30 p.m on Jan. 4, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 5. Tickets at overture.org.
Mad City Story Slam, Friday, Jan. 3, Mother Fool’s, 7 p.m.: Madison is home to many talented storytellers. Some take the stage in this monthly good-natured slam open mic to tell five-minute stories adhering to a theme; this month’s is “late nights.” We’ve all had them, so consider your best material and sign up — or just listen.
Bruised Orange, Friday, Jan. 3, North Street Cabaret, 7 p.m.: Bruised Orange pays tribute to the musical legacy of John Prine in this show, which also remembers founding member Chuck Bayuk, who passed away in October. The concert also marks the Madison Folk Music Society’s 50th anniversary. Of course the ultimate purpose is to entertain, and that will happen as Liz Stattelman-Scanlan, Tina Thompson, Colin Bazsali and Jeff Burkhart play Prine’s indelible music. There will also be cake. The show is free to members of the Madison Folk Society, or you can join at the event…helping keep MadFolk alive for another 50 years.
Shilpa Gupta, through Jan. 12, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: “I did not tell you what I saw, but only what I dreamt” features 12 works by Shilpa Gupta, a conceptual artist based in Mumbai, India. The installations (some of which require interactive engagement) encourage viewers to consider issues of culture and identity, the meaning of enforcing national borders, free speech, and more. The exhibition is co-produced by MMoCA and Brooklyn, New York, arts organization Amant.
The Stops, Jan. 3-18, Bartell Theatre: The Stops is both the name of this musical (by Eric Lane Barnes and Drew Emery) and the group name of its protagonists — church organists Euglena, Ginny and Rose. The trio undertakes a tour to raise awareness of the plight of an organist and composer fired by his church for being gay. This production is the inaugural solo outing for Oh My Stars! Productions, a new Madison-area company dedicated to LGBTQ+ themes and scripted works featuring genderfluid casting. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (except 2 pm on Jan. 18) and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.
Heavy Looks, Kitty Butler, Nick Brown, Friday, Jan. 3, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Prior to moving to Madison and their first EP release in 2014 (a heartfelt slab of grunge called Senses Growing Dull) Heavy Looks founders Dirk Gunderson and Roz Greiert made music together in Stevens Point. Two full-length albums later the group has grown into a mainstay in Madison’s rich indie-pop scene. Opener Kitty Butler has some of the same dynamism but is busier paving the way to the dance floor. Nick Brown writes terrific rock songs in the vein of Gram Parsons and his band features arguably the best countrypolitan lead guitarist in the Midwest: Andrew Harrison. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
Dane County Farmers’ Market, Saturday, Jan. 4, Garver Feed Mill, 8 a.m.-noon: Dane County’s “late winter” version of the farmers’ market has found a happy home at Garver Feed Mill, where shoppers drink coffee and snack on pastries in the lounge area, while the vendors cluster in rows offering veggies like greens and carrots and potatoes, as well as honey and maple syrup, cheeses and meats, prepared goodies and yes, hot spicy cheese bread. Be aware that the Garver parking lot cannot handle the load for this popular event; this handy map will give you other ideas, including a lot at Kipp, and Olbrich lots #1 and #2. The market continues weekly Saturdays through April 5, at which point the carrots will likely be gone.
Abundant Life Christian School Benefit, Sunday, Jan. 5 and 12, Red Rooster, noon-6 p.m.: Community organizations and local musicians are coming together to raise money for the United Way of Dane County’s fund for the families of Abundant Life Christian School recovering from the Dec. 16 gun violence. Jan. 5 will feature performances by The Ramble, Sortin’ the Mail, Thomas Heiber-Cobb, Matt Logan, and Madison Blues Society members, and Jan. 12 includes The Also-Rans, Lynn Gillitzer, Roscoe Foster and Between Two Lakes; more performers will be announced.
Hurricane Helene Benefit for Western North Carolina, Sunday, Jan. 5, Bur Oak, 3 p.m.: The devastation that Hurricane Helene’s rain and flooding brought to western North Carolina will take years to repair. Right now, housing is a critical need — as winter is a fact even in the south. In this benefit, Madison-area bands do their part as Son del Atlantico, Shotgun Holler Collective, and Your Weird Uncles take the stage. Son del Atlantico plays Latin dance, including cumbia, chandé, cumbion, vallenato and porro, fused with funk, rock and reggae. Shotgun Holler Collective evokes the music of the Asheville area with its folk/Americana. And acoustic folk-rockers Your Weird Uncles will also be counting this show as the record release party for their self-titled debut album. The majority of the proceeds will go to the groups BeLoved Asheville and Bounty & Soul. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
Freezing Man, Jan. 8-11, multiple venues, 7 p.m.: What began as Joey’s Song in 2010 — a one-night-only annual fundraiser for epilepsy research that over the years has contributed more than $1.3 million to the cause — is now a four-day festival rebranded as Freezing Man. (That’s a play on the week-long Burning Man desert festival in Nevada, in case you’re wondering.) This year’s lineup is massive, with Grammy winners, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and other renowned artists performing at multiple venues on the city’s east side. Many also will appear in “The Big Show” at The Sylvee on Saturday night. Musicians include The Know-It-All Boyfriends featuring Butch Vig and Duke Erikson of Garbage, Portugal.The Man, Letters to Cleo, Freedy Johnston, KennyHoopla and Silversun Pickups, as well as members of Cheap Trick, Goo Goo Dolls, The Bangles, The Breeders, Toto and more. All musicians volunteer for this gig, and many have loved ones directly impacted by epilepsy. For more info and ticket links visit joeyssong.org, but hurry: This thing is gonna sell out!
Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin, Wednesday, Jan. 8, Goodman Community Center, 7 p.m.: Area chowhounds know that CHEW is interested in more than the next trendy place to eat. The group gets granular with food and drink. At this month’s meeting, Evan Ackers, a market manager from Dane’s J. Henry & Sons, will talk about the amazing success story of this distillery that produces bourbon and rye with grains grown on the family farm. In fact they grow and use an heirloom red corn developed at the University of Wisconsin in 1939. Will there be samples?
G. Love & Special Sauce, Wednesday, Jan. 8, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: In the mid-1990s, G. Love & Special Sauce bounced from a regular gig at a Cambridge, Massachusetts, bar onto the national scene with the MTV and alt-radio hit “Cold Beverage.” The laid-back and fun mix of rock, blues and hip-hop propelling that early hit has proven durable, and the original trio is on tour celebrating three decades since the release of their acclaimed second album, Coast to Coast Motel. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
Game-Never-the-Samer, Thursday, Jan. 9, Bur Oak, 7 p.m.: The Dropout TV streaming show Game Changer, created by and starring Sam Reich, blends improv and game show tropes with unpredictability; six seasons in, it’s inspired spinoffs on the network, and now in Madison’s comedy scene. Game-Never-the Samer will feature comedians Nate Chappell, Elizabeth Joy and Peter Jurich facing off in unknown competitions, with ticket sales going to charities chosen by the contestants. Stand-up follows a pair of games. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.
