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High Noon Saloon Anniversary Party, Thursday, May 5, HNS, 5:30 p.m.: It doesn’t seem that long since the loss by fire of beloved club O’Cayz Corral and its rebirth a few blocks away as the brand new, purpose-built High Noon Saloon. Time flies. The High Noon has persevered through the pandemic and is now an “adult” at age 18; help celebrate with a concert featuring a cross-section of favorite Madison bands, kicking off with free tunes on the patio by the inimitable honky-tonkers Pupy Costello & the New Hiram Kings at 5:30 p.m. The party moves inside for a ticketed show starting at 7 p.m. featuring Neil Young tribute Shakey, AC/DC experts Bon Squad (with HNS founder Cathy Dethmers on bass), and Droids Attack.
The Unleashed Experience, Thursday, May 5, The Tinsmith, 5 p.m.: This event celebrates the release of a pair of projects from Amber Swenor, a Madison-based business strategist, marketing consultant, and musician. On the business side is Swenor’s new book, Unleashed: A Been-There, Rocked-That Guide to Radical Authenticity in Life and Business. In music, Swenor is the lead singer for the melodic metal band Morningstar; their debut album, Between Your World and Mine, will also premiere as part of The Unleashed Experience, along with “a collection of curated experiences designed to help you connect mind, body and soul,” refreshments, and more. Tickets here.
Geoffrey Brady + Friends, Thursday, May 5, Gates of Heaven, 7 p.m.: In a program titled “Cat Cartoons, Contemporary Compositions and Complaining,” all of these items will be provided courtesy of host Geoffrey Brady, percussionist and theremin wizard, with a little help from some friends: Michael Brenneis, Brennan Connors, Kia Karlen, Lisa Marine, Anna Purnell, David Spies and Kenny Stevenson. From among this lineup of musical all-stars the mighty Sockrates Sock Puppet Carnival of Morals and Logic will emerge, once again bringing to life its periodic dive into the letters section of the Willy Street Co-op Reader.
Madison Symphony Orchestra, May 5-8, Overture Hall: It’s not every day the public is invited to attend a symphony orchestra rehearsal…and probably even rarer to get the chance to hear one featuring a guest as special as pianist Garrick Ohlsson. On May 5, the internationally acclaimed artist will join the Madison Symphony Orchestra in rehearsing for the weekend’s all-Beethoven program; it’s free to attend, but an RSVP is appreciated for the 7 p.m. event. The official concerts also take place in Overture Hall, at 7:30 p.m., May 6; 8 p.m., May 7; and 2:30 p.m., May 8; find tickets here.
Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy, through May 8, Overture Center-Playhouse: Forward Theater Company will round out the 2021-22 performance season with Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy. Employees at the Internet Research Agency in Russia busily post disinformation aimed at Americans ahead of an election. The play, by Sarah Gancher, was named a New York Times Critics Pick, and takes a clever, comedic approach to telling the stories of the employees’ daily lives. This will be the first live stage production of the play, originally written as a virtual production. The final performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on May 5-6, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on May 7 and 2 p.m., May 8. Read Gwendolyn Rice’s review here.
The Importance of Being Earnest, through May 14, Bartell Theatre: If you’re surprised at the continuing popularity of this farce, its author probably wouldn’t be. Oscar Wilde was ahead of his time when it came to gender roles and wise in the ways of hypocrisy. Both are ongoing concerns, even if the basic construction of The Importance of Being Earnest, a comedy about mistaken identities, could have come from Shakespeare’s workbook centuries earlier. Strollers Theatre is using “gender fluid” casting to make the story even more contemporary. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays (except for a change to 2 p.m. on May 14).
Lunch for Libraries, Monday, May 16, Monona Terrace, 11:30 a.m. (RSVP by May 6): Madison Public Library Foundation’s 11th annual Lunch for Libraries fundraiser will feature journalist Guy Raz, whose How I Built This podcast on NPR and book by the same name highlight entrepreneurs on building a successful business. The book is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, and was the bestselling business book on Amazon in 2020. Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit the Wisconsin Book Festival’s year-round gratis author programming and Madison Public Library youth literacy efforts. Tickets must be purchased by May 6 at mplfoundation.org.
MMoCA Gallery Night, Friday, May 6, 5-9 p.m.: Art expands out from museums and galleries to less conventional spaces like a seafood shop, real estate offices, and a taxidermy studio in this spring’s version of the twice-yearly event coordinated by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Among the many highlights, check out works by Rae Senarighi at Giant Jones Brewing, Esther Cho at ALL, Carley Schmidt at Tandem Press, and papermaking and cyanotypes at Olbrich Gardens. See the full list at mmoca.org.
Eilen Jewell, Friday, May 6, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: Eilen Jewell’s alt-country songs turn personal confessions into larger, political truths. Smart, evocative, and with a voice that conquers rooms of all sizes, the Boise, Idaho, native is known for her strong back-up ensembles that navigate not only the country side of things but help her steer the music into other areas, from surf-noir to classic blues. With Sway Wild.
Educational Davis CD release, Friday, May 6, The Rigby, 8 p.m.: Madison musicians responded with a lot of new music during the COVID lockdown, but since there were no shows a lot of that music was released only for streaming. Some notable works are starting to appear for those still in love with a physical music collection, including the excellent 2020 album Navigation, by Educational Davis (also of Therapy Drones, The No & Maybe Game and other past and present bands). Prepare for catchy synth rock adventures and some sly humor. The lineup also includes Ron’s Supper Club, a Madison hard rock band formed in 2020 that plays a mix of original material and ’90s-’00s covers; and Chicago pop punk band No Tagbacks.
1788-L, Friday, May 6, Liquid, 10 p.m.: Electronic producer 1788-L burst on the scene in 2018 via Soundcloud, alternating original music with attention-grabbing remixes of Virtual Self and Daft Punk. A flurry of releases followed over the next couple years, but there was a bit of a break before the debut of a pair of new songs in 2021 on the Parallel: S EP, and the “HI-TECH” single. Do these songs indicate a new, slightly less aggressive direction? The “Synthetic Automaton” tour may provide the answer when 1788-L visits Madison for the first time. With Lick. Tickets here for this concert rescheduled from January.
DarRen Morris, May 2-27, UW Extension Pyle Center: “I did not know then that there were actual Black artists,” writes DarRen Morris in the artist statement on his website. Morris is currently in a Wisconsin maximum security prison, sentenced to life without parole at age 17. Morris says he was “party to the unintentional death of an innocent man. Although I was involved in this death, I am not a murderer.” In this show, Wisconsin Images: From Kenosha to Green Bay, expect to see works that showcase an artist who often must rely on memory and the imagination. Current hours at the Pyle Center are 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays.
UW Family Gardening Day, Saturday, May 7, UW Campus, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: A chilly April did at least include some showers (and snow) which should help May flowers grow when the weather warms. All ages can learn more about how to care for plants in the home and garden at the UW-Madison’s annual Family Gardening Day. Hands-on activities are available, and master gardeners will answer gardening questions. You can even pick up some seeds to take home. Free events take place at Allen Centennial Garden, the D.C. Smith Greenhouse, Steenbock Memorial Library and Wisconsin Energy Institute
Latino Art Fair + Mariachi Herencia de México, Saturday, May 7, Overture Center, 4-6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Cinco de Mayo should be more than a drinking holiday. The Overture Center does this holiday up right with a free art fair and a special performance from Mariachi Herencia de México. The mariachi tradition comes from Guadalajara and Mexico City and lives on in Chicago, home of the Grammy-nominated Mariachi Herencia de México. The group will perform many classic songs. Tickets for the balcony are still available for the 7:30 p.m. Capitol Theater concert. Before the show, visit the Promenade Hall and Terrace from 4-6 p.m. for the 8th annual Latino Art Fair featuring Wisconsin Latino artists, coordinated by the Latino Chamber of Commerce and Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development.
Kassa Overall, Saturday, May 7, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 p.m.: Brooklyn-based Kassa Overall is an in-demand session and live drummer in the jazz world, and also a rapper/singer and producer in the independent hip-hop world. On recent projects Overall melds these and other genres into a sonic universe of his own, balancing avant-garde and pop sensibilities on the steady rhythmic heart of his songs. The 2020 album I Think I’m Good examines subjects such as mental health and incarceration, and listening now it feels like a response to the last two years rather than an album released just before the pandemic shut down the world. With Rob Dz. Tickets here.
Disney’s Freaky Friday the Musical, May 7-22, Madison Youth Arts Center: When teenager Ellie and mom Katherine swap bodies, they have only 24 hours to switch back in this mystery-comedy musical. Though the two never see eye to eye, they must set aside their differences before they’re stuck in each other’s bodies forever. This incarnation of the classic Disney film and novel by Mary Rodgers is presented by Children’s Theater of Madison at the new Madison Youth Arts Center Starlight Theater. The musical premieres Saturday, May 7, and will run through Sunday, May 22, with showings at 7 p.m. on Fridays, 2:30 and 7 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 and 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Dulcé Sloan, Saturday, May 7, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7 p.m.: Dulcé Sloan will be on campus for a stand-up show intended to be a celebration after a challenging couple years. You may recognize Sloan from her starring role on the animated series The Great White North or her appearances on The Daily Show as a correspondent. The Atlanta-born comedian isn’t afraid to tackle important issues, and is known for her infectious energy and vivacious stage presence. It’s free, but sign up here for tickets.
Madison Mystery Tour, Saturday, May 7, Barrymore, 7:30 p.m.: The Let It Be 50th Anniversary Concert celebrates the final original album released by The Beatles. Madison Mystery Tour is a six-person ensemble that has learned and performed The Beatles catalog in chronological order to celebrate the band’s legacy and ongoing influence. It’s been a long and winding road due to COVID but they will finally get a chance to complete the journey by performing Let It Be down to every note, along with an all-star orchestra of winds, strings and percussion.
Pink Mountaintops, Sunday, May 8, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Singer-songwriter Stephen McBean has offered listeners parallel universes over the last couple decades: the heavy psych of Black Mountain and the not always as heavy but trippier Pink Mountaintops. The new album Peacock Pools provides a phantasmagoria of McBean melodies, mixing and matching genres and influences as the mood requires, but it all flows into a coherent album. He even makes a Black Flag song sound like Pink Mountaintops. With Ashley Shadow (aka Ashley Webber, the sister of Black Mountain’s Amber Webber).
We hope it’s handy for you to find Picks grouped together in a single post. The individual Picks can still be found in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.
Note: Many venues and businesses may continue to maintain individual requirements for masking, as well as proof of COVID-19 vaccination and/or a negative test for entry. Before heading out for any in-person event, confirm it is still taking place and check for any attendance guidelines on the relevant business websites or social media accounts.
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