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Home Storyhill
Midvale Community Lutheran Church 4329 Tokay Blvd., Madison, Wisconsin 53711
press release: Billboard-charting folk duo Storyhill perform a special holiday show, playing songs from their latest album Bethlehem (2020). Embracing the full depth and meaning of the Advent and Christmas season, the acoustic album leans into the message of hope for a more peaceful world. A concert intent on bringing the spirit of the season to audiences of all ages, Storyhill’s holiday show will include reimagined Christmas classics, seasonal songs and originals from their 30+ years of writing and performing together--all stitched together with their signature harmonies and string section featuring cellist Heidi Nagel (Trebelle Piano Trio) and Jenny Hermanson, a chamber musician in the Seattle area.
Storyhill’s Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson started working on Bethlehem in 2019 when they were touring behind their 30th anniversary release Where to Begin. They were in Chris’ living room in Bozeman, Montana on the first day of summer woodshedding parts to “Lo, How a Rose Is Blooming” when, as if on cue, dark clouds came rolling over the mountains releasing a flurry of snow that covered the green grass and dandelions in the yard. Two inches had fallen by the time they finished their arrangement of the hymn. From that auspicious beginning, the duo continued to write new songs and rework familiar holiday favorites like “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” for which they crafted a new melody.
“We wanted to make a record that added something new to the conversation about the Christmas story--a vision that flips the narrative of this world and makes the first last, the last first and lifts up the lowly among us,” John says. “We wanted to explore the story of a poor refugee, born in a manger, because no one would take him in.”
These themes became increasingly relevant as their touring came to an abrupt halt in March 2020 with the onset of the pandemic. During that time they worked remotely with Chris in Bozeman and John in St. Paul, Minnesota. When it was safe, John drove his 1970 VW bus out to Montana for some extended recording sessions, parking his camper in Chris’ backyard next to the chicken coop.
Although both experienced engineers who have produced countless projects for other artists, Chris and John had never produced their own Storyhill albums without additional producers and engineers. Making Bethlehem provided a unique opportunity to capture themselves at their best, recording all but two tracks at Chris’s studio Basecamp Recording. “We gave ourselves the time and space to find our natural rhythm for performing these songs to our highest potential,” Chris says. “It was liberating being the only two cooks in the kitchen--free from the clocks and distractions of others.” The originals “Could It Be” and “The New Colossus” (adapted from the Emma Lazarus poem) were recorded at Sacred Heart in Duluth--a spacious cathedral-turned-music center that lends an ethereal quality to these reverent songs. Adding just the right amount of extra ornamentation and dimension to the record are a few of their favorite musicians--Tom Murphy (mandolins), Heidi Nagel (cello), Mike Parsons (upright bass, fiddle, banjo), and Mai Bloomfield and Marcie Lovgren (background vocals).
Centered solidly around Chris and John’s acoustic guitar work and unearthly brotherly harmonies, Bethlehem has delighted acoustic music fans and is quickly becoming a Christmas folk classic. Selling out venues like St. Paul’s iconic Fitzgerald Theater, this engaging all-ages show is a perfect fit for theaters and performing arts centers, providing an oasis of peace and calm in a time when we need it most.
STORYHILL is a modern folk duo based in Bozeman, Montana that brings brotherly harmonies, infectious melodies and smart story songs together in one perfect package. Their beautiful music and passionate performances have won them much critical acclaim and devoted fans (“Hill Heads”) all over the country. Celebrating over 30 years of playing together, members Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson breathe and play as one unit, showing why Billboard and the Austin Chronicle have likened them to the great songwriting duos of our time--Simon & Garfunkel, the Indigo Girls, The Everly Brothers and The Jayhawks’ Gary Louris & Mark Olson. They have charted on Billboard and have been favorites on national radio shows like Mountain Stage and A Prairie Home Companion.
Chris and John started performing together as teenagers, while growing up in Bozeman. Both were musical from the get-go, singing with choirs and playing in bands. Although their 7thgrade world geography class is what ostensibly brought them together, it was their musical passions that made them close friends and lifelong musical collaborators. They recorded their first tape as Chris and Johnny in 1989, upon graduating from high school. Although they then temporarily parted ways—Chris going to Spain and John to Minnesota for college—they continued to play music, reuniting at St. Olaf College. After graduating in 1993, they toured the country full-time for four years--recording as independent artists and selling more than 50,000 records. Although Chris and John, or Storyhill as they were now known, were at the pinnacle of their career, they were exhausted from the travel and finding themselves pulled in different directions. They decided to call it quits. Chris went west and eventually settled down back in Bozeman while John moved to Norway and then back to Minneapolis. They each started families, built their own recording studios and worked on separate musical projects.
Storyhill fans continued to clamor for more, so in 2001 Chris and John played a few sold-out reunion shows in Minnesota and Montana. Discovering the old chemistry was still there along with some new creative energy, they reformed Storyhill and fully committed themselves to touring and recording as a duo. They enlisted the help of rock/pop songwriter and Grammy winner Dan Wilson (Semisonic, Dixie Chicks, Trip Shakespeare) to produce Storyhill’s next album, their first to be released on independent roots label Red House Records. The album, simply named Storyhill, was a return to the basics that had made the duo so popular—strong melodic songs. While the album was largely acoustic, Wilson added some extra instrumentation while noted drummer Eric Fawcett (N.E.R.D., Mike Doughty, Spymob) rounded out the Americana sound. Released in 2007, Storyhill received rave reviews and was selected as the Best CD of the Year by the Indie Acoustic Project. They also went on to win the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Contest, which launched such acclaimed songwriters as Anais Mitchell, Robert Earl Keen and James McMurtry.
After recording two critically acclaimed albums on Red House, the duo decided to take an open-ended hiatus to reflect and recharge, focus on their families and work on some of their individual projects. Chris continued producing records for other artists out of his studio, Basecamp Recording while releasing solo recordings and playing periodically with select local players. John also released two solo albums and founded a music production company called Egg Music.
Meanwhile that magical spark, born out of years of writing, recording and performing together, continued to burn brightly. Inspired by their sold-out 30th Anniversary shows and the old material that they relearned for the tour, Chris and John are back at it with renewed energy, releasing two new albums within a year--Where to Begin and their holiday album Bethlehem. They are currently working on a new album. Storyhill also continues to host their annual Storyhill Fest, a popular summer festival that takes place in Deerwood, MN, featuring performances by some of their favorite songwriters and bands from across the country like Lucy Kaplansky (NY), John Gorka (MN), Grace Pettis (TX) and Wild Ponies (TN).
For more about Storyhill and their annual festival, please visit www.storyhill.com.
Location Midvale Community Lutheran Church 4329 Tokay Blvd., Madison, Wisconsin 53711 | 2022-11-04T20:24:41Z | isthmus.com | Storyhill - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/storyhill-mclc/ | https://isthmus.com/events/storyhill-mclc/ |
Home A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder
A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder
Edgewood High School 2219 Monroe St., Madison, Wisconsin
press release: Edgewood High School presents "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"
November 17-20, EHS McKinley Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $15 general admission; $10 students, seniors; $25 preferred seating
"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" is the “knock-'em-dead,” uproarious hit and the most-nominated show of the 2014 season. With 10 Tony nominations and four wins, including Best Musical, Book, Direction and Costumes, it also earned seven Drama Desk Awards (including Best Musical), four Outer Critics Circle Awards (including Best Musical) and one Drama League Award (Best Musical).
“Downton Abbey with murder,” Composer Steven Lutvak said ”but funny!” referring to his original pitch for the show in an interview with Time Out. The musical is a send up or pastiche of the rousing and comic English Music Hall entertainments and Victorian melodrama of Gilbert and Sullivan.
Rebecca de Waart, EHS music director, said “We chose this play because of the opportunity it provides our musical theater students with strong musical and acting challenges that are completely different stylistically from what we had done with 'A Killer Party,' 'Lightning Thief,' and Mamma Mia.' The show has given our actors a chance to work on their comedy chops, explore the mores of a historical period in flux, and entertain our community."
The transitional part of the early reign of Edward the VII, poignant today with the death of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II, was peppered with the legacy of the diminishing Victorian Empire. The comic force behind the show is the send-up standards of imperialism and supremacy of Edwardian English culture.
“Well, I’m not sorry the D’ysquiths are dying. For me, each member of the family represents horrible realities that we’d like to think are behind us but are quite present and relevant to today. We can experience in the theater, through this play, an uncomfortable laughter that reminds us how much work there is still to do. It is the purpose of art to move us, to inspire us, and to expand our thinking. Gentleman’s Guide’s brilliance will not only leave you laughing but also wondering about the world in which we live.“ - Movement Director Beverly Martin.
EHS Production Team: James Wagoner, Director; Rebecca de Waart, Music Director; Beverly Martin, Movement Director; and Katherine Shannon, Stage Manager and Costume Head
Location Edgewood High School 2219 Monroe St., Madison, Wisconsin | 2022-11-05T01:15:47Z | isthmus.com | A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/a-gentlemens-guide-to-love-and-murder/ | https://isthmus.com/events/a-gentlemens-guide-to-love-and-murder/ |
Home From Wisconsin to Luxembourg
From Wisconsin to Luxembourg
press release: Tom Barrett, BA ’76 Economics, JD ’80 will discuss his journey from UW-Madison to the world stage and his career in public service. Barrett, the current U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg, has served in the Wisconsin legislature, the U.S. House of Representatives, and as mayor of Milwaukee.
In celebration of International Education Week, US Ambassador, UW alumnus (BA'76 and JD '80) and former Milwaukee mayor Thomas (Tom) Barrett will discuss his experiences in politics and diplomacy. He will also share with us his thoughts on the relevance of international education in today's world. Ambassador Barrett will be interviewed by UW Law School Dean Dan Tokaji during this livestreamed event. | 2022-11-05T01:16:13Z | isthmus.com | From Wisconsin to Luxembourg - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/from-wisconsin-to-luxembourg/ | https://isthmus.com/events/from-wisconsin-to-luxembourg/ |
Home Gaelic Storm
courtesy Reliant Talent
(2022 pick) Regular visitors to Madison and the upper Midwest in the vicinity of St. Patrick's Day, Gaelic Storm is back for their first Madison show since 2019 on the aptly-named “We Missed You Tour.” Gaelic Storm's lively take on Irish music is rowdy enough for the rockers and rooted enough for the traditionalists. (They even have a Packers-esque scarf in their merch for this tour, as modeled on the group's Facebook page by co-founder Patrick Murphy.) Tickets at barrymorelive.com. Hot tip: Make a night of it by catching Killarney Blarney playing next door at the Atwood before (starting at 7 p.m.) and after the Barrymore concert.
press release: Tickets: $25 ADV/$30 DOS; Gold Circle: $40 ADV/$45 DOS. Gold Circle includes early entry and preferred seating. This is a General Admission show.
Chart topping Celtic band: 7 times billboard #1 world music, on tour 200+ days a year for 20+ years! More fun than a barrel of drunken monkeys.
It’s hard to imagine a band just coming into their own after 20 years of success, but that’s exactly what makes a true anomaly. This multi-national, Celtic juggernaut grows stronger with each live performance, and as you can imagine, after two decades and over 2000 shows, it is a true force to be reckoned with. With their latest release, Go Climb a Tree, their music has never sounded more representative of themselves as musicians and as live performers.
The band attributes their continued success to their fanatic audience, and it’s a well-diversified crowd for sure. The country-music folks adore the storytelling, the bluegrass-heads love the instrumentals, Celtic fans love their devotion to tradition, and the rockers simply relish the passion they play their instruments with. Each band member, in their own way, expresses a deep gratitude for their fans, but it’s best summed up in the words of Patrick Murphy: “The fans are the ones that have given us this life. We’re here for them.”
On Go Climb a Tree, co-founders of Gaelic Storm, Steve Twigger and Patrick Murphy, along with longtime friend and co-writer Steve Wehmever, are again at the helm of song-writing duties. The album has everything —party drinking songs (“The Beer Song”), patriotic anthems (“Green, White and Orange”), beautiful folk songs (“Monday Morning Girl”), spritely instrumentals “”The Night of Tomfoolery”), perfectly poppy songs (“Shine On”), and even a raucous pirate song (“Shanghai Kelly”). When speaking of the overall concept of the album, Patrick Murphy gives some insight: “With all the craziness and division in the world, we wanted to make an album about ‘contemplative escapism.’ Go Climb a Tree certainly isn’t about dropping out of the conversation, it’s just about taking a short hiatus to recharge the batteries before you take on the world again.”
Gaelic Storm takes a true blue-collar, hard-nose approach to touring, consistently traveling the US and internationally over 200 days a year, forging a unique path in the Celtic music world. “You have to see us live. We are the true working-mans’ band,” says Ryan Lacey, who joined the lineup in 2003. “We still, and most likely always will, tour most of the year, and that’s how we constantly hone our craft.”
The dedication to live shows date all the way back to the mid-1990s, when Gaelic Storm kicked off its career as a pub band in Santa Monica, California. Due to their discovery at the pub, by the end of the decade, the musicians had appeared in the blockbuster film Titanic (where they performed “Irish Party in Third Class”). This laid the groundwork for a career that would eventually find them topping the Billboard World Chart six times, making appearances at mainstream music festivals, and regularly headlining the largest Irish Festivals across the country, all the while gaining a reputation as a genre-bending Irish rock band, whose songs mix Celtic traditions with something uniquely creative.
Looking to the future, Gaelic Storm is excited about what lies ahead. They’ve added a new fiddle player, Katie Grennen, and she has affectionately become the “purple squirrel” of the band, meaning she is the perfect new addition. Pete Purvis who joined the band in 2005 said, “With the addition of Katie, the band has never sounded better, we’re gelling on a whole new level, and the idea of sharing these new songs with our fans is exciting!” | 2022-11-05T01:16:19Z | isthmus.com | Gaelic Storm - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/gaelic-storm-barrymore/ | https://isthmus.com/events/gaelic-storm-barrymore/ |
Home Janesville Choral Union
Janesville Choral Union
Cargill United Methodist Church, Janesville 2000 Wesley Ave., Janesville, Wisconsin 53545
press release: Choral Union will present Mendelssohn's Elijah, the story of the prophet Elijah's battle with the priests of Baal to end a three-year drought. We have heroes and villains, miracles and fizzles, drought and famine, and struggles between life and death! It's exciting stuff, making it easy to understand why it has been so frequently performed as a favorite with singers and audiences alike, featuring many familiar choruses and arias.
Choral Union's performance of Elijah will be Sunday, December 4th at 2:00 p.m. at Cargill United Methodist Church, 2000 Wesley Avenue, Janesville. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. More information is available at www.ChoralUnionJanesville.com or www.facebook.com/JanesvilleCho
Choral Union is a community chorus based in Janesville.
Location Cargill United Methodist Church, Janesville 2000 Wesley Ave., Janesville, Wisconsin 53545 | 2022-11-05T01:16:45Z | isthmus.com | Janesville Choral Union - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/janesville-choral-union-elijah/ | https://isthmus.com/events/janesville-choral-union-elijah/ |
Home RSVP for Club 201
RSVP for Club 201
press release: 12/02/2022 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm, Overture Center for the Arts | 201 State St, Madison, WI 53703
Ticket Price: $50 ea. Please purchase your tickets by Monday, November 21.
Join your Madison Symphony Orchestra and fellow young adult classical music lovers for a special Club 201 social gathering at A Madison Symphony Christmas on Friday, December 2! Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with caroling in the lobby before the concert, two opera stars, three local choirs, and the Madison Symphony Orchestra under the direction of John DeMain. Immediately following the concert, you’re invited to the after-party with hors d’oeuvres and drinks in the second-floor Promenade Lobby. This is your chance to meet Madison Symphony Orchestra musicians, Music Director John DeMain, special guests, and music enthusiasts like you. Your ticket includes a fantastic seat at the concert and an invitation to the after-party.
After purchasing your tickets, you’ll receive an automated confirmation email from us. We’ll be in touch via email with final details closer to the concert, but please plan to arrive to Overture Hall early enough to check in at the MSO Courtesy Table in the lobby, where you’ll pick up your concert tickets and get directions to the post-concert reception. The lobby will be open beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 2. Caroling begins at 6:40, and the concert begins at 7:30. | 2022-11-05T16:46:45Z | isthmus.com | RSVP for Club 201 - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/club-201-dec-2/ | https://isthmus.com/events/club-201-dec-2/ |
Home Italian for all Tastes: (Hi)Stories of the Italian Language of Food
Italian for all Tastes: (Hi)Stories of the Italian Language of Food
press release: 7th Annual “Week of Italian Cuisine in the World,” featuring a lecture by Prof. Giovanna Frosini (University for Foreigners of Siena, Italy)
Welcoming Remarks by Dr. Luca Di Vito, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Chicago, and Prof. Grazia Menechella, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Prof. Frosini’s lecture will focus on central moments and aspects of Italian language and food experience; particular attention will be given to the analysis of turning points from Middle Ages to modern times, followed by a reflection on current language trends in relation to food.
Giovanna Frosini is Professor of History of the Italian Language at the University for Foreigners of Siena (Italy). She is a member of the Accademia della Crusca, and Vice-President of the Ente Nazionale Giovanni Boccaccio. She is co-editor of the journals Studi linguistici italiani and Rivista di studi danteschi. She is a member of the Scientific Committee for the critical edition of Saint Catherine’s Letters, a member of the Steering Committee of the Accademia della Crusca for the Vocabolario Dantesco project, and a member of the Scientific Committee of Casa Artusi. Prof. Frosini is the national coordinator of the project PRIN AtLiTeG (Atlas of the Language and Texts of Italian Gastronomic Culture from the Middle Ages to Modernity). Her research focuses on Italian literary language and the language of food from the Middle Ages to modern times. She has given numerous lectures at universities world-wide, curated exhibitions and she has over 130 publications in Italy and abroad. The volume Dante, l’italiano (co-edited with Giuseppe Polimeni, 2021) was published on the occasion of the Week of Italian Language in the World in 2021. Among her publications are La lingua di Machiavelli (2021), Storia dell’italiano. La lingua, i testi (ed., 2020), “Domestici scrittori”. Corrispondenza di Marietta Sabatini, Francesco Ruffilli e altri con Pellegrino Artusi (with Monica Alba, 2019), Il secolo artusiano (co-edited with Massimo Montanari, 2012), and Storia della lingua e storia della cucina (co-edited with Cecilia Robustelli, 2009).
For more information, contact Prof. Grazia Menechella at gmeneche@wisc.edu
Sponsored by the Center for European Studies and the Department of French and Italian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Italian Cultural Institute and the Consulate General of Italy in Chicago, and Casa Artusi in Forlimpopoli (Italy). | 2022-11-05T16:46:54Z | isthmus.com | Italian for all Tastes: (Hi)Stories of the Italian Language of Food - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/italian-for-all-tastes-histories-of-the-italian-language/ | https://isthmus.com/events/italian-for-all-tastes-histories-of-the-italian-language/ |
Home RSVP for Out at the Symphony
RSVP for Out at the Symphony
press release: 12/03/2022 6:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Overture Center for the Arts | 201 State St, Madison, WI 53703
Ticket Price: $50 ea.
Join your Madison Symphony Orchestra for a special Out at the Symphony social gathering and A Madison Symphony Christmas on Saturday, December 3! Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with caroling in the lobby before the concert, two opera stars, three local choirs, and the Madison Symphony Orchestra under the direction of John DeMain. Immediately following the concert, you’re invited to the after-party with hors d’oeuvres and drinks in the second-floor Promenade Lobby. This is your chance to meet Madison Symphony Orchestra musicians, Music Director John DeMain, special guests, and connect with members of the LGBTQ community and friends age 21 and above. Your ticket includes a fantastic seat at the concert and an invitation to the after-party.
After purchasing your tickets, you’ll receive an automated confirmation email from us. We’ll be in touch via email with final details closer to the concert, but please plan to arrive to Overture Hall early enough to check in at the MSO Courtesy Table in the lobby, where you’ll pick up your concert tickets and get directions to the post-concert reception. The lobby will be open beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 3. Caroling begins at 7:10 and the concert begins at 8:00.
Please purchase your tickets by Monday, November 21. | 2022-11-05T16:47:14Z | isthmus.com | RSVP for Out at the Symphony - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/out-at-the-symphony-dec-3/ | https://isthmus.com/events/out-at-the-symphony-dec-3/ |
press release: Diplomacy Confronting Hate
UNA-USA, Dane County Chapter Distinguished Lecture Series Presents Former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Hannah Rosenthal
Zoom link ☞ https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88957087492?pwd=UWhoTUNLdTZaRmpSSS81NHFzd21PQT09
Hannah Rosenthal, former Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, US State Department and former CEO and president of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, has spent her career successfully advocating for feminist and Jewish causes. She has demonstrated an ability to build relationships within and between communities, creating unique connections with local, national and international influencers. As an agent for change, Hannah was responsible for a significant new approach to combating anti-Semitism in her recent position with the State Department. Hannah is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and studied for the rabbinate in Jerusalem and California. She recently represented the at-large community as a congressionally appointed Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and serves on the Committee on Holocaust Denial and State-Sponsored Antisemitism of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | 2022-11-05T16:47:34Z | isthmus.com | United Nations Association-Dane County - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/una-dane-nov-8/ | https://isthmus.com/events/una-dane-nov-8/ |
Home A & E What to do in Madison this week: Fran Lebowitz, Majeska Monday and more Isthmus Picks
What to do in Madison this week: Fran Lebowitz, Majeska Monday and more Isthmus Picks
Majeska Monday, Monday, Nov. 7, Up North Bar, 6 p.m.: At 30-plus installments and counting, Majeska Monday has grown into a must-see event for roots music listeners and players alike. Many shows feature a one-time only mix of musicians, coordinated by Armchair Boogie guitarist-vocalist Ben Majeska; he's joined this month by Dig Deep banjo player Oscar Noetzel and Sloppy Joe members Bobby Burns (mandolin) and Stef Lee (bass). Majeska also often brings along bands who haven't had the chance to play Madison too often, and November's lineup features northern Wisconsin bluegrass band The Foragers.
She's Beautiful When She's Angry, Tuesday, Nov. 8, Central Library, 6:30 p.m.: The local discussion group the Peregrine Forum presents a free screening of the 2014 documentary about the women's liberation movement, She's Beautiful When She's Angry. The woman-directed and -produced film highlights the founding of the modern women’s movement from 1966 to 1971, from the birth of NOW to more radical factions. C'mon babe, surely you can give us a smile about that. (Note: Rescheduled from Oct. 11.)
A close-up of Fran Lebowitz.
Fran Lebowitz, Tuesday, Nov. 8, Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Caustic Fran Lebowitz has certainly earned her place in the pantheon of American humorists including Dorothy Parker and H. L. Mencken. She's a (transplanted) New Yorker to the core, a witty assayer of the zeitgeist from her debut essay collection, Metropolitan Life, to her more recent appearance in the Netflix documentary series Pretend It's a City, directed by Martin Scorsese. Triple M's Jonathan Suttin will introduce and interview Lebowitz. Tickets here.
Clean Lakes 101, Wednesday, Nov. 9, Edgewater Hotel, 8 a.m.: Emily Dickinson had a fanciful take on prairies: “To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee.” Charming, but to make a prairie one actually needs prairie seeds. And many volunteers collecting those seeds from other prairies. This Clean Lakes Alliance series talk, “Native Seeds for the Future: Dane County's Seed Program,” by Dane County Parks botanist Lars Higdon, will explain how the county creates its extraordinary prairie restorations with the aid of volunteers who collect native seeds to be used in more prairie restorations, all of which aid in environmental improvement for water and wildlife. The seeds collected will be used to restore hundreds of acres of land. Free, but registration is required (there is also a Zoom option).
Dakota Mace/courtesy Center for Design and Material Culture
Huipil (blouse) by Kaqchikel Maya Sololá, Guatemala, 1965-1975.
Uncut Attire, through Dec. 14, UW Nancy Nicholas Hall-Mecklenburg Textile Gallery: The UW-Madison's Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection is one of the unsung assets of the school. For the exhibit Uncut Attire: How Weaving Informs Wearables, curators have drawn from the collection to examine how weaving, as a form, has influenced clothing design. Some cultures have developed woven forms for garments that involve no cutting or sewing — hence the name of this show, which ultimately prompts viewers to reconsider our own fast fashion trends. Find gallery hours at cdmc.wisc.edu.
Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale, through Nov. 20, Overture Center-Playhouse: This dark comedy by up-and-coming playwright Kirsten Greenidge takes on both the familiar trope of the haunted house and social issues. In this second production of Forward Theater's season, a young couple buys an old house haunted by the spirit Beatrice, who keeps upping the ante on her invasion into their lives. Greenidge's exploration of race and class in Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale will be augmented by programs before each Saturday performance (at 6:30 p.m.), discussing horror noire, the history of housing discrimination in Madison, and playwright Lorraine Hansberry. Performances are at 7:30 pm Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sundays, plus 2 p.m., Nov. 12 and 19.
Mike Ainscoe
The band Yes on stage.
Yes, Wednesday, Nov. 9, Orpheum Theater, 8 p.m.: After more than a half-century as a band, progressive rock pioneers Yes operate these days with a lineup containing no original members. But the music endures, as evidenced by the group’s decision to perform Yes’ fifth studio album, 1972’s Close to the Edge — a cornerstone of the genre — in its entirety on this tour. Yes also has been playing a selection of classic cuts, plus songs from the band’s latest album, last year’s The Quest. The tour is dedicated to longtime Yes drummer Alan White, who passed away in May at age 72.
Nehemiah: Celebrating 30 Years of Transformative Impact, Legacy and Change, Friday, Nov. 11, Monona Terrace, 6-10 p.m. (RSVP by Nov. 10): The nonprofit Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development has been working to help meet the needs of the Madison area's Black community since the early 1990s, and with its Justified Anger initiative has engaged non-Black allies to work to change the entrenched systems perpetuating racism. Join them to celebrate 30 years of leadership and progress at this event featuring social time, a program, and a dance party with music by Kinfolk. Purchase tickets by Nov. 10; find info at nehemiah.org/30th-anniversary.
Elly Griffiths, Thursday, Nov. 10, Crowdcast, 6 p.m.: Mystery to Me goes back to its roots with mysteries with this Crowdcast discussion between local journalist Doug Moe and Elly Griffiths. Her new novel, Bleeding Heart Yard, concerns murder at a school reunion (actual, not just wished-for), with a cast of friends who also killed someone back in the day. Register here.
christinaandmichellenaughton.com
Two people in front of open water.
Christina and Michelle Naughton.
Amy Schumer, Thursday, Nov. 10, Orpheum Theater, 7 and 10 p.m.: Comedian Amy Schumer has essentially conquered most mediums since her sensational sketch show Inside Amy Schumer went on hiatus in 2016. Her resume now includes a bestselling book, a Best Actress Tony nomination on Broadway, a podcast, a couple television reality shows, co-hosting the Oscars, and even an arrest at the U.S. Capitol during a protest of Supreme Court then-nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. We hope she keeps it up, because Schumer's incisive and irreplaceable worldview is needed right now more than ever. The early show on the opening night of Schumer's “Whore Tour” has been sold out forever, but tickets were still available as of this week for the late show. | 2022-11-07T13:41:32Z | isthmus.com | What to do in Madison this week: Fran Lebowitz, Majeska Monday and more Isthmus Picks - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/isthmus-picks-nov-7-to-10-2022/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/isthmus-picks-nov-7-to-10-2022/ |
Home FOOD & DRINK Meet the chef
A new film remembers UW-Madison alum Charlie Trotter
by Jane Burns
Paul Elledge Photography PAUL ELLEDGE
Chicago chef Charlie Trotter: We knew him as Chuck.
When a guy named Chuck left UW-Madison in 1982 with his political science degree in hand, he took his newly found love of food on a trek across Europe and the U.S. to learn absolutely everything he could. It wasn’t just the food he wanted to know about, but also the wine and the service and what made a restaurant truly great.
What happened next seems the stuff that movies are made of and a new documentary, Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter, tells that celebratory and cautionary tale. Chuck became Charlie, as in Charlie Trotter, the legendary Chicago chef who died of a stroke in 2013 at the age of 54.
Trotter was one of the first true celebrity chefs, with his eponymous restaurant opening in 1987. It was before the Food Network, before chefs were so well known that they had their own brands of cookware, before most people had heard of quinoa or the concept of farm-to-table. He put his native Chicago on the fine dining food map, where it has remained ever since.
“I think his legacy does stand to be lost to time because people are so used to flipping on TV and watching Chef’s Table and that’s who the culinary world is,” filmmaker Rebecca Halpern says in a Zoom interview. “What we fail to realize is there’s a long legacy of chefs on whose shoulders these current day chefs stand and Charlie Trotter deserves to have a place in that pantheon of greatness.”
Trotter’s is a complicated legacy. In time, he became known as temperamental and difficult. But he was also generous, committed to helping young culinary students through scholarships and training. In 2012 he was the James Beard Society’s Humanitarian of the Year. He gave the winter commencement address at UW-Madison in 2001, and recorded a commercial for the university in 1998.
“When I was hired to direct this film part of my mission was to make sure that his legacy would be remembered for the right reasons,” Halpern says. “I didn’t want to make a puff piece though. I really tried hard to show warts and all.”
As Trotter’s success grew, so did his reputation in the kitchen — and not just for the food. His tyrannical approach placed him No. 2 (behind Michael Jordan) in a 1996 Chicago Magazine poll of the 50 meanest people in Chicago. Staff sued him over compensation and labor violations.
Other great Chicago restaurants emerged, some run by Trotter proteges, like Grant Achatz (Alinea). In 2012, Trotter closed his restaurant with a plan of attending graduate school to study philosophy.
“Anyone whose identity becomes consumed by their work runs the risk of losing sight of their true self. Charlie Trotter became consumed by the role of Charlie Trotter and if you play the same role long enough for 25 years, ultimately do you become that person?”
Identity is a theme throughout Love, Charlie. As a kid and college student, Trotter went by Chuck, not Charlie. The name change came because Trotter thought “Chuck Trotter’s” would sound too much like a steakhouse. In the film, we get to know Chuck through a huge cache of postcards and letters. He was a prolific correspondent, and the filmmakers had access to more than 350 postcards and letters Trotter had written to friends and family throughout his life.
The correspondence shows a joie de vivre, a curiosity and a lifelong pursuit of excellence. The latter was his blessing and his curse, something not everyone appreciated.
“You got him or you didn’t and he didn’t feel the need to explain himself too much,” Halpern says. “He didn’t need to explain himself — the work spoke for itself.”
Love, Charlie will be released theatrically on Nov. 18 and stream on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
Food & Drink Movies Food News | 2022-11-07T15:45:07Z | isthmus.com | Meet the chef - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/food-drink/love-charlie-trotter-film-apple-tv-amazon/ | https://isthmus.com/food-drink/love-charlie-trotter-film-apple-tv-amazon/ |
Grace Episcopal Church 116 W. Washington Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
A person at a microphone with a flute and guitar.
media release: Grace Episcopal Church is delighted to announce that award winning Native American recording artist, performer, songwriter, activist, painter, and world-class native flute player Bill Miller will be in concert at the church at 7pm on Friday, November 18th. A Mohican Indian from northern Wisconsin, he will bring the audience on a compelling spiritual journey through song.
Miller has produced more than a dozen albums, received three GRAMMY awards, numerous Native American Music Awards & Association (NAMA) awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and has led Wisconsin’s La Crosse Symphony Orchestra.
In his early days, Miller faced virulent racism because of his Native American heritage, but he persevered. In time, he made tremendous inroads, writing songs with Nancy Griffith, Peter Rowan and Kim Carnes, and sharing the bill with such diverse artists as Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder, the BoDeans, Richie Havens and Arlo Guthrie. He got his big break when Tori Amos asked him to be her opening act on the “Under the Pink” U.S. and Canadian tour.
A $20 per person donation is suggested. Proceeds to go to the artist and the Grace Episcopal Church Mission and Outreach Program. Everyone is welcome.
Location Grace Episcopal Church 116 W. Washington Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53703 | 2022-11-07T16:44:22Z | isthmus.com | Bill Miller - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/bill-miller-grace/ | https://isthmus.com/events/bill-miller-grace/ |
media release: Bob's Your Uncle is a vocal trio offering harmony-packed arrangements of well known tunes drawn from rock, pop, roots, blues, and country, plus a few originals. They perform music from the likes of The Beatles, Grateful Dead, Badfinger, Townes Van Zandt, Alison Krauss, Kacey Musgraves, Joni Mitchell, America, The Eagles, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, and lots more! See bobsyouruncle.band for details. In the cozy loft; acoustic show, very lightly amp'd. | 2022-11-07T16:44:35Z | isthmus.com | Bob's Your Uncle - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/bobs-your-uncle-hop-garden/ | https://isthmus.com/events/bobs-your-uncle-hop-garden/ |
Home Finding Your Muse
Finding Your Muse
Jane Fulton Alt: "Finding Your Muse"
Jane Fulton Alt began exploring the visual arts while pursuing a career as a clinical social worker. Her photography explores universal issues of the human condition and the non-material world. She has authored two books; Look and Leave: Photographs and Stories of New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward, and The Burn and the Crude Awakening portfolio was printed worldwide. Alt is a three time winner of Photolucida’s Critical Mass for her Katrina and Burn portfolios. She is the recipient of many awards and artist residencies. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and can be found in many permanent collections.
She is represented by Les Etoiles Gallery in New York City; and Walker Fine Art in Denver. She currently splits her time living and working in Chicago and New Orleans. For more information see www.janefultonalt.com | 2022-11-07T16:45:03Z | isthmus.com | Finding Your Muse - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/finding-your-muse/ | https://isthmus.com/events/finding-your-muse/ |
Home Joseph M. Taylor
Joseph M. Taylor
media release: Join us at the official release party for "The Walking Tree", a lovely new children's book by local artist Joseph M. Taylor.
Original art from The Walking Tree will be on display for the first time! There will also be other original artwork by Joseph M. Taylor for sale in addition to signed copies of the book.
Art will be on display from 6:30-9:30 PM with a reading and Q&A at 7 PM.
An all-ages art project will keep the kiddos and other fiddly fingers busy.
Live music and mingling will follow, plus an all-ages art project will keep the kiddos and other fiddly fingers busy.
Author/Artist Bio:
Throughout his life, Wisconsin artist, Joseph M. Taylor, has expressed creativity through countless outlets. 2015 marked the beginning of his career as a visual artist. At that time, he discovered the unique possibilities of working with recycled skateboard wood. With the colorfully dyed maple veneers in skateboards, his palette expanded and so did his craft. Taylor enjoyed telling whimsical stories with his visual art but as his artistic abilities evolved, the images seemed to be demanding a written story. In 2019 Taylor began writing The Walking Tree.
Alongside the written story, he began physically creating possibly the first ever children's book illustrations that use recycled skateboards and other found wood as a medium. The process would take two years to complete. In that time Taylor would cut thousands of pieces of wood in shapes that would become blades of grass, trees, and his main characters. These pieces were then arranged onto hand painted backgrounds and photographed to one day adorn the pages of The Walking Tree. Upon completion of this project, it is safe to add Author and Illustrator to Mr. Taylor's growing list of titles | 2022-11-07T16:45:09Z | isthmus.com | Joseph M. Taylor - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/joseph-m-taylor-walking-tree/ | https://isthmus.com/events/joseph-m-taylor-walking-tree/ |
Home Hot Tuna
Stoughton Opera House 381 E. Main St., Stoughton, Wisconsin 53589
Acoustic concert.
media release: The name Hot Tuna invokes as many different moods and reactions as there are Hot Tuna fans — millions of them. To some, Hot Tuna is a reminder of some wild and happy times. To others, that name will forever be linked to their own discovery of the power and depth of American blues and roots music. To newer fans, Hot Tuna is a tight, masterful duo that is on the cutting edge of great music
All of those things are correct, and more. For more than four decades, Hot Tuna has played, toured, and recorded some of the best and most memorable acoustic and electric music ever. And Hot Tuna is still going strong — some would say stronger than ever.
www.hottuna.com
Location Stoughton Opera House 381 E. Main St., Stoughton, Wisconsin 53589 | 2022-11-07T22:33:21Z | isthmus.com | Hot Tuna - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/hot-tuna-soh/ | https://isthmus.com/events/hot-tuna-soh/ |
Home Teaching Classic Chinese Stories as a Bridge to Interculturality
Teaching Classic Chinese Stories as a Bridge to Interculturality
UW Center for East Asian Studies lecture, on Zoom.
press release: Professor Jinai Sun's main research areas include American students' motivation and interest in learning Chinese, effective teaching strategies, and the cultivation of cross-cultural communication skills in Chinese language classrooms. She has taught Chinese at the university level since 2011 and has designed and offered a number of beginning, intermediate, and advanced Chinese language courses integrating traditional and modern Chinese culture. Rooted in years of theoretical explorations, classroom teaching, and teacher training, Professor Sun’s lecture will provide insight to researchers and front-line classroom teachers to meet new and rapidly changing pedagogical challenges in the areas of integrating language and culture toward building students’ global perspectives and skills as a global citizen.
Professor Jinai Sun, associate professor of Chinese language and culture, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, North Central College in Naperville, Illinois | 2022-11-07T22:33:53Z | isthmus.com | Teaching Classic Chinese Stories as a Bridge to Interculturality - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/teaching-classic-chinese-stories-as-a-bridge-to-intercultura/ | https://isthmus.com/events/teaching-classic-chinese-stories-as-a-bridge-to-intercultura/ |
Home A & E Books Water state
Madison science writer Scott Spoolman delves into how lakes and rivers shaped Wisconsin
Scott Spoolman hopes to get people interested in natural history through his books.
Five years ago, Madison-based science writer Scott Spoolman scored a hit with Wisconsin State Parks: Extraordinary Stories of Geology and Natural History.
It became a best-selling title for the Wisconsin Historical Society Press in 2018 and was named best regional adult non-fiction book that year by Foreword INDIES.
“I think it showed how much people love our state parks and there just wasn’t anything written on the geology of them,” says Spoolman.
Now, Spoolman and the Historical Society Press are back with a companion title, Wisconsin Waters: The Ancient History of Lakes, Rivers and Waterfalls. It follows a similar format with a combination of narrative text, illustrations, 20 maps and 82 color photos.
“Scott is terrific at sharing complex topics in simple terms and the popularity of Wisconsin State Parks made us eager to work with him on another book in the same vein,” says Kate Thompson, director of the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
One glance at a map shows Wisconsin is a water state, bounded on three sides by the Mississippi River and two Great Lakes. But it’s also home to thousands of interior lakes, rivers and streams, each with a story Spoolman is happy to share.
Vilas County, he explains, boasts the largest concentration of freshwater lakes anywhere in the world. The Kickapoo River in southwest Wisconsin is among the oldest rivers on the planet. Lake Michigan is actually an ancient coral sea.
And the oft-photographed “Balanced Rock,” perched atop a quartzite ledge in Devil’s Lake State Park, likely broke off and fell into place during the periods of freeze and thaw cycle of the last glacial advance in Wisconsin some 15,000 years ago.
“I try to get others interested in natural history by explaining about the places people actually like to visit,” says Spoolman, 68, who holds a master’s degree in science journalism from the University of Minnesota and worked for textbook publishing companies, including a stint as geology editor for McGraw-Hill.
Spoolman grew up near Hayward and credits his parents for introducing him to the wild country via blueberry picking as a kid.
The book offers a quick history of Wisconsin’s geologic past, going back some 50 million years, then breaks the state down into the Northern Highlands, the Northeastern Ridges and Lowlands, the Southeastern Glacial Showcase and the Driftless Area.
The new book includes 19 “Travel Guides” which suggest ways for visitors to take their own natural history tour. Madison-area readers will appreciate the section on the Yahara Lakes, which describes how a prehistoric riverway once cut a deep channel through the center of what is today Madison.
“From sites like Picnic Point on Lake Mendota and Turville Point on Lake Monona, where today we gaze out on placid water, a preglacial hiker would have looked down 250 to 300 feet at a wider river winding through the ancient valley,” writes Spoolman.
Later, as the climate warmed and the glaciers began to melt away, large mammals like the wooly mammoth and musk ox migrated up from the south. Giant beavers more than six feet long inhabited local ponds and lakes, with bones of all these animals found in glacial lake beds in eastern Dane County.
It’s believed ancient hunters followed those beasts northward. Eventually, villages sprang up throughout the Yahara chain of lakes, linked by a network of walking trails. The state Capitol today sits at the junction of several well-traveled trails. While the local landscape has obviously changed, Spoolman invites readers to use their imaginations to paint a picture of how water made Wisconsin history and still shapes the state today.
Says Spoolman: “The area around these lakes must have been an amazing place to live.” | 2022-11-08T18:41:26Z | isthmus.com | Water state - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/books/water-state-wisconsin-waters-scott-spoolman/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/books/water-state-wisconsin-waters-scott-spoolman/ |
Home OPINION Opinion Let’s have a contest for Madison mayor
Will anyone step up to challenge Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway so that we can have a conversation about the future of our community?
Madison mayor race 2023 Satya Rhodes-Conway
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has served in the oddest of times, so it’s hard to judge her tenure.
First, she confronted massive challenges from the almost complete shutdown of the city, and many of its revenue sources outside of property taxes, due to the pandemic. Then she had to deal with violence in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha.
But the massive infusions of federal pandemic aid gave her money to play with in all manner of areas. I think she and city staff deployed some of those resources to remarkably good effect in dealing with homelessness. Now, she warns that the bubble of federal largesse will burst in coming years.
Through all of that turmoil she has maintained a low profile, at least by the standards of recent Madison mayors. Both Paul Soglin and I, as well as Sue Bauman before us, tended to be out there on most issues. We usually had an opinion on everything and we would, at least metaphorically, chase down reporters in the hall to share it.
By contrast, Rhodes-Conway picks her battles carefully. Many of her interactions with the press come in carefully worded written statements as opposed to free-wheeling interviews. Her highest profile fight was for a relative detail in the massive Bus Rapid Transit system that will overhaul Madison Metro. The mayor insisted that the BRT system had to cover a couple of blocks on State Street, much to the chagrin of merchants there. She won that fight.
The only other real scrum that comes to mind is one she stumbled into. In the wake of the downtown riots in the summer of 2020 she seemed to justify the property destruction by saying that if people were upset by that they should be more upset by the racial injustice that sparked it. And she followed that up with a video statement of support she intended just for Madison police that, inevitably, got out to the general public, leaving both cops and activists feeling like she was playing to the other side.
But beyond that, what’s your impression of the mayor? I think most Madisonians would have a hard time coming up with one. She comes off as serious, intelligent, earnest and controlled. Adjectives like outspoken, fun or creative would not jump to mind for most of us.
I know her well enough to conclude that this is just who she is as opposed to some grand political strategy. But as a political strategy it probably works to her advantage. She just doesn’t give potential opponents much to attack.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that people aren’t lining up to take her on next April. Only one potential candidate has emerged. As Dylan Brogan reported earlier this fall, former school board president Gloria Reyes is exploring a campaign. Reyes also has run a nonprofit and she served as a deputy mayor under Soglin. Before that she was a Madison police officer, so she’s well qualified.
But does she have a chance to defeat Rhodes-Conway, assuming as most everyone does, that the mayor will go for a second term? The odds are with the incumbent. For one thing, Madisonians tend to give their mayors a second term. It’s the third consecutive four-year term that gets tricky. Ask me or Paul about that.
It’s also hard to see how Reyes could run at Rhodes-Conway from the left, which is how you win in Madison. We have to go back to Joe Sensenbrenner in 1983 for the last time that a more moderate candidate knocked off a candidate from the left. Rhodes-Conway certainly has her critics on the left, but it’s hard to see them rallying around Reyes, who supported school resource officers in high schools until she saw the writing on the wall and finally voted to remove them.
On the other hand, it’s those safety issues that might be the best fodder for any opponent of the mayor. Rhodes-Conway has ducked the issue of police body cameras and she has been eerily silent on concerns about violence in and around Madison’s middle and high schools.
So, it’s possible that a candidate with a stronger stance on law and order would have a chance to break precedent and win from the center. In any event, I hope Reyes jumps in. A mayor’s race is the one real chance we get every four years to have a community-wide discussion about our direction as a city. It’s important to give voters a choice in policies and styles of leadership. (In full disclosure, I did not feel this way in either 2007 or 2011 when I firmly believed that both the policy direction and style of the then-mayor were excellent.)
Reyes might be fighting a losing battle, but it would be no fool’s errand. In fact, it would be a service to democracy and to the community. Let’s have a discussion and a choice.
Dave Cieslewicz is a Madison- and Upper Peninsula-based writer who served as mayor of Madison from 2003 to 2011. You can read more of his work at Yellow Stripes & Dead Armadillos.
Satya Rhodes-Conway Gloria Reyes City of Madison | 2022-11-08T18:41:32Z | isthmus.com | Let’s have a contest for Madison mayor - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/opinion/opinion/lets-have-a-contest-for-madison-mayor/ | https://isthmus.com/opinion/opinion/lets-have-a-contest-for-madison-mayor/ |
Home Creation Care, Climate Change, and Healthy Discourse in Christian Communities
Creation Care, Climate Change, and Healthy Discourse in Christian Communities
Upper House 365 East Campus Mall, Madison, Wisconsin 53715
press release: This event is a collaboration of Upper House and The Loka Initiative.
A renowned scientist will bring research on the health effects of global environmental change. A theologian and leader of the Lausanne/World Evangelical Alliance Creation Care Network will bring biblical and international perspective. And an institutional leadership veteran and conflict resolution expert will bring strategic wisdom about ways to engage in challenging conversations. This unique event foregrounds science, the church, and caring communication, courtesy of a Loka Initiative program to constructively support church leaders and their communities to engage in creation care and climate activities.
You might be either curious or passionate about creation care. You might be a leader or member of a church trying to have meaningful, non-divisive conversations about climate change. The presentations and roundtable discussion at this event will approach the subject of creation care and climate change holistically, as well as bring forward conflict resolution tools to help us have the types of constructive conversations we long to have in this divisive time. We hope you will join us as we focus on a topic that touches all of us—spiritually, environmentally, and communally.
Jonathan Patz, MD, MPH, PhD, is the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor and the John P. Holton Chair of Health and the Environment with appointments in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For 15 years, Patz served as a lead author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (or IPCC)—the organization that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. He also co-chaired the health expert panel of the U.S. National Assessment on Climate Change, a report mandated by the U.S. Congress. An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, Patz is committed to connecting scientists and communities—and engaging with policymakers—to improve health for all. He has written more than 200 scientific papers with more than 100 peer-reviewed, a textbook addressing the health effects of global environmental change and co‐edited the five‐volume Encyclopedia of Environmental Health (2011). Most recently, he co-edited “Climate Change and Public Health” (2015, Oxford University Press).
Dave Bookless, PhD, is the Director of Theology for A Rocha International. A Rocha is a global family of Christian organisations across more than 20 countries engaging in nature conservation, church engagement and environmental education. Bookless co-leads the global Lausanne / World Evangelical Alliance Creation Care Network and, as an ordained Anglican minister, serves in a multiethnic church in London, England. He is also on the Church of England’s Environment Working Group and the global Season of Creation Steering Committee. He has a PhD from Cambridge University on biblical theology and biodiversity conservation and has contributed to many books and articles. One of his books, Planetwise – Dare to Care for God’s World (IVP, 2008) has been translated into multiple languages and is used as a basic biblical guide to creation care. Another, God Doesn’t Do Waste (IVP, 2010), tells the story of Dave and his family’s journey into caring for creation, leading to founding A Rocha UK.
Janel Curry, PhD, is a consultant in higher education whose background includes being Provost of Gordon College, as well as Byker Chair in Christian Perspectives on Political, Social, and Economic Thought and Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Calvin College. She holds a Ph.D. and Masters in Geography from the University of Minnesota. She works with organizations to build mission-centered, forward-looking cultures that exhibit resilience in the midst of change. Curry is also trained in conflict resolution and mediation. Her background includes both research on leadership development and extensive cross-cultural research in environmental policy and on how religious worldviews impact views on environmental stewardship. She has held three Fulbright Fellowships and is the author of several books, and more than 60 peer reviewed articles and book chapters.
Dekila Chungyalpa is the founder and director of the Loka Initiative, a capacity building and outreach platform at the University of Wisconsin – Madison for faith leaders and culture keepers of Indigenous traditions who work on environmental and climate issues. Its mission is to support faith-led environmental and climate action efforts, locally and around the world, through collaborations on project design and management, capacity building, training, and media and public outreach. Dekila began her career in 2001 working on community-based conservation in the Himalayas and went on to work on climate adaptation and free flowing rivers in the Mekong region for the World Wildlife Fund in 2004. In 2008, she helped establish Khoryug, an association of over 50 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries implementing environmental projects across the Himalayas. In 2009, Dekila founded and led WWF Sacred Earth, a 5-year pilot program that built partnerships with faith leaders and religious institutions towards conservation and climate results in the Amazon, East Africa, Himalayas, Mekong, and the United States. She received the prestigious Yale McCluskey Award in 2014 for her work and moved to the Yale School of Environmental Studies as an associate research scientist, where she researched, lectured and designed the prototype for what is now the Loka Initiative.
Dekila is originally from the Himalayan state of Sikkim in India and is of Bhutia origin. She is the daughter of the late Tsunma Dechen Zangmo, a Tibetan Buddhist nun and teacher. She speaks five languages: Sikkimese, Tibetan, Nepali, Hindi, and English.
Location Upper House 365 East Campus Mall, Madison, Wisconsin 53715 | 2022-11-08T19:44:29Z | isthmus.com | Creation Care, Climate Change, and Healthy Discourse in Christian Communities - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/creation-care-climate-change-and-healthy-discourse/ | https://isthmus.com/events/creation-care-climate-change-and-healthy-discourse/ |
Home Election Symposium 2022
Election Symposium 2022
press release: Join the UW Elections Research Center for our in-person 2022 Election Symposium with an online viewing option. The all-day event will feature experts analyzing the results of the 2022 election and exploring key races, abortion, election protection, advertising, and the races in Wisconsin.
When: Friday, December 2, 2022, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., DeLuca Forum in the Discovery Building (and streamed virtually)
Register to attend the event either in person or to receive the Zoom link for online viewing.
Schedule and Speakers
9 a.m. Doors Open (coffee and tea offered)
9:30 a.m. Welcome from Barry Burden
9:45 a.m. Kyle Kondik: 2022 Congressional Elections (moderated by Michael Wagner)
11 a.m. Break (light refreshments)
11:15 a.m. Grace Panetta: Election Administration and Gender Issues (moderated by Kenneth Mayer)
12:15 p.m. Lunch Break and Student Projects
1:30 p.m. Shannon McGregor and Travis Ridout: Candidate TV Advertising and Social Media (moderated by Katherine Cramer)
3 p.m. Break (light refreshments)
3:15 p.m. Charles Franklin: Polling the Wisconsin Elections (moderated by Eleanor Powell)
4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks from Barry Burden
If you are attending in person, the event will be held in the Discovery Building’s DeLuca Forum at the center of the building on the first floor. The discovery building is located at 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715.
Doors open at 9 a.m and light refreshments will be served. You will not be required to show tickets for entry.
The Discovery Building is located near several city of Madison Metro Transit bus stops and UW-Madison bicycle routes. Although onsite parking is not available, three UW-managed lots (17, 20 and 80) are nearby. | 2022-11-08T19:44:35Z | isthmus.com | Election Symposium 2022 - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/election-symposium-2022/ | https://isthmus.com/events/election-symposium-2022/ |
Home The Gilmour Project
The Gilmour Project
press release: T Presents THE GILMOUR PROJECT
JEFF PEVAR, KASIM SULTON, PRAIRIE PRINCE, MARK KARAN, SCOTT GUBERMAN
All-Star Band Explores the 50th Anniversary of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon.
Tickets: $40.00 Advance/$45.00 Day Of Show; Gold Circle: $55.00 Advance/$60.00 Day Of Show; Soundcheck + Gold Circle: $73.00 Advance. General Admission – All Seated Show.
The Gilmour Project continues in 2023, scheduling 50 shows to celebrate the March 15, 1973, US release of Pink Floyd’s masterwork, ‘The Dark Side of The Moon.’ In 2022, the band pivoted to Pink Floyd’s ‘Eclipse’ 1972 US Tour, where the DSOM material debuted, but the album was not released until 1973.
There are Pink Floyd tribute bands … and then there is The Gilmour Project. The 5-piece, All-Star ensemble, quickly gained a reputation for flipping the ‘Tribute Band’ script on its head, with exploratory performances of iconic and deep cut Pink Floyd classics, David Gilmour-centric and solo compositions, and pulling other surprise classic rock masterpieces out of their hats. Their version of (David Gilmour ‘discovery’) Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ appeared nightly in their sets, weeks ahead of its ‘Stranger Things’ buoyed resurgence to the top of the charts and worldwide press … making the band appear spookily prescient. Not satisfied with laurel resting, they immediately began adding geographic / historically prerogative selections … Grateful Dead’s ‘Dark Star’ in San Francisco … Patti Smith’s (Van Morrison’s actually) ‘Gloria’ in Detroit … The Band’s ‘The Weight’ in Ontario … The Allman Bros. ‘Jessica’ in Atlanta … Tom Petty’s ‘Breakdown’ in Florida … Santana’s (Peter Green composition) ‘Black Magic Woman’ in Mexico City.
Their original multimedia, ‘Floydian’ spectacle, eschewed poaching Floyd/Gilmour production assets and imagery – relying instead on visuals created by acclaimed (Blondie and Todd Rundgren) LD Hans Shoop and quadraphonic sound design and special audio FX by The Duke of New York (producer of Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland – The Remixes’). Each show was live streamed, modernizing a page from Grateful Dead’s nihilist marketing playbook, and making the performances available for free around the world for those unable to attend due to Covid concerns, or just unable to attend by being on the other side of the planet.
The Gilmour Project is
Jeff Pevar (lead guitar with CSN, David Crosby/CPR, Joe Cocker, Ray Charles, Bette Midler, Blue Floyd, Phil Lesh & Friends, Ricki Lee Jones, Marc Cohn),
Kasim Sulton (bass & vocals with Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, Meatloaf, Blue Oyster Cult, Hall & Oates, Cheap Trick & Joan Jett),
Prairie Prince (co-founder of The Tubes, original drummer with Journey, drums with Todd Rundgren, Blue Floyd, Jefferson Starship, Phil Lesh & Friends, XTC, George Harrison, Chris Isaak, Dick Dale),
Mark Karan (guitar & vocals with Bob Weir, RatDog, The Other Ones, The Airplane Family, Live Dead ’69, Tom Constanten
Scott Guberman keyboard & vocals with Phil Lesh & Friends, Live Dead ’69, Keystone Revisited, Englishtown Project
The music of Pink Floyd has remained an open work, a myth in constant rewriting from generation to generation like all those that once sustained the modern world. The Gilmour Project, an American supergroup born within classic and progressive rock, has taken up the pen to be one of its most passionate narrators.
The Gilmour Project is and is not a tribute band. It is rather an original ensemble, made up of five musicians with a career in rock since the 1970s and an interest in taking classics from the beloved British group to the fields of jazz and improvisation. The prism of the Dark Side of the Moon, an album whose 49th anniversary brought together several thousand Floyd fans in this place, projected new refractions of his music, as did the legacy of Animals (1977), Meddle (1971), Wish You Were Here (1975) and A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). From the beginning, The Gilmour Project made it clear that it was going all out in the tribute to Floyd’s atmospheres with the chords of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. Nothing was saved in the first set; It was a journey through each facet of the history of David Gilmour’s group, beginning with “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”, the theme of their second album, to pieces such as “There’s No Way Out of Here”, popularized by that solo musician. Along the way were “Echoes”, “Dogs” —whose interpretation blew our minds due to the neatness of the guitar solos by Jeff Pevar & Mark Karan— and the first surprise of the night: a cover of “Running Up That Hill”, original by Kate Bush, who at the time of writing these lines sounds endlessly among a generation of tiktokers and lovers of ‘Stranger Things,’ although it did not come off at all in a set focused on connecting both with fans of the music of late century as with new music lovers.
It was in the second set that Dark Side of the Moon was revived in all its splendor… with a few minor additions. The group performed the work from start to finish and made it clear that the 1973 album has come down to our time with the respect of a Mahabharata or a Bhagavad Gita, that is, a text that stands the test of time and, despite having been translated by a lot of pens, it preserves the essence of a historical piece. This is how the reinterpretations of “Breathe”, “Brain Damage”, “Speak To Me”, “Money” were heard —of the public’s favorites— and “Any Color You Like” —the favorite of who writes these lines, of course. In the middle, The Gilmour Project left us with their very personal reimagining of Fleetwood Mac’s “Black Magic Woman,” where Scott Guberman’s acid old-fashioned organs came to the fore more than ever. By then, the five members of The Gilmour Project had put to rest all doubts about their versatility as musicians and their integration as a band—also, it is worth saying, about their vocal prowess. But it was in the encore with “Comfortably Numb” where they also made clear their power to revive the spirit of listening to the original Pink Floyd live. It was at that moment, with hundreds of raised cell phones, full-throated choirs and a couple of giant balloons jumping from hand to hand, when the purest energy of a rock concert was finally revealed. | 2022-11-08T19:44:41Z | isthmus.com | The Gilmour Project - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/gilmour-project-2023/ | https://isthmus.com/events/gilmour-project-2023/ |
Home Sapphire + The Cry of Love
Sapphire + The Cry of Love
press release: Please join us for MMoCA Cinema, a special afternoon matinee featuring two films recommended by artist Faisal Abdu’Allah, whose exhibition DARK MATTER is now on view in the Main Galleries. The screenings on Sunday, December 4, take place on the final day of Art & Gift Fair: Weekends at MMoCA, so you catch the movies and take care of some gift shopping all in one place.
Both MMoCA Cinema films—one short and one feature-length—were completed in 1959, and each has a distinct take on the issue of race relations during that era. First up, at noon, will be a short film titled, The Cry of Jazz. Directed by American musician and composer Edward O. Bland, The Cry of Jazz demonstrates the imaginative power of Black intellectuals and artists in the Civil Rights era.
At 1 PM, we’ll screen the feature-length film Sapphire, directed by UK filmmaker Basil Dearden. A police drama set in the diverse neighborhoods of London, Sapphire explores race and class in England in the 1950s. | 2022-11-08T19:44:54Z | isthmus.com | Sapphire + The Cry of Love - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/sapphire-the-cry-of-love/ | https://isthmus.com/events/sapphire-the-cry-of-love/ |
Home NEWS News When abortion was illegal
Two Madison women share their personal stories
Photo collage by Tommy Washbush
abortion art
Pat, 73, grew up outside of Middleton and says her early years were the very best of her life. She spent her time indulging in childish whims — making playhouses in the woods, reading, and tooling around in her rowboat.
“I felt free and happy outdoors, and I was nuts about rowing,” Pat says. “I could row forever, even as a little kid.”
Pat and her family attended Luther Memorial Church in Madison. Her family was religious, she says, but not “heavy-duty religious.” Rather, going to church served as an opportunity for her family to bond. Each Sunday, they threw a roast in the oven, went to church, and came back to eat a family dinner.
In 1962, when she was just 12, she was raped and became pregnant.
Pat’s pregnancy was treated as a secret by her family. She says they worried about the social ramifications of an unmarried, pregnant 12-year-old, shamed her for being pregnant, and did not allow her to leave the house. In the last few months of the pregnancy, she was sent to live with another family through the Lutheran Social Services system.
The baby weighed seven pounds, a massive weight for Pat’s small body. The physical strain caused perineal tears and she had to get 56 stitches. The baby was immediately put up for adoption.
For many years, Pat wondered about her child.
“His birthday was a holy day in my calendar,” Pat says. “It was always a day for reflection and for sadness and always wondering, ‘Is he all right? What kind of life has he had?’”
When her child was 39 years old, Pat found him through an online list for birth parents seeking their children. Pat and her son have since maintained a relationship, though she says it has had its ups and downs.
“It’s a real horror story that wouldn’t have been necessary with Roe,” Pat says.
News last spring of a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who had to travel to Indiana to receive an abortion conjured up many emotions for Pat. Her heart broke for the girl, but for herself as well, wishing that she, too, had had support for an abortion.
“And in that I was envious,” Pat says. “I didn’t have support from anyone. When it was over, it was supposedly over and I was supposed to get back to routine.”
But things at home continued to be hostile. Pat thought the only way out of her parents’ home would be to get pregnant again because she knew her mother would force her to marry the baby’s father. So at 16, she became pregnant again.
Her new home, however, was no better. Pat’s husband was both physically and sexually abusive.
“I really had no idea how to have or how to get into an appropriate relationship,” Pat says.
During her five-year marriage, Pat had a second trimester miscarriage. Her doctors told her the baby’s heart had stopped beating and that she would have to wait until her body naturally discharged the tissue. They told her that there was nothing else they could do.
Eventually, Pat started to bleed and was rushed to the hospital. Before she could be treated, though, she had to sign a paper that said she believed it to be a “natural abortion” or miscarriage. This absolved anyone who treated her of responsibility for fetal harm. Had the doctors not intervened, Pat would likely have become septic and died.
The type of procedure Pat had is called a dilation and curettage. D&C procedures account for 95 percent of surgical abortions in the second trimester in the United States. During the procedure, the cervix is dilated to create room for the doctor to remove the fetus and placenta using forceps and a suction device. The procedure lasts around 10-30 minutes.
Because this procedure is commonly associated with abortions, medical providers are often reluctant to perform D&Cs on women experiencing miscarriages in states where abortion is illegal for fear of jail time. Pro-choice advocates have warned that the overturning of Roe means that medical professionals will once again be more averse to treating pregnancy-related issues.
Wisconsin’s 1849 criminal abortion statute classifies the provision of an abortion in almost all cases as a Class H felony, punishable by up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Convicted physicians might also lose their medical licenses.
This leaves many medical providers in a legal predicament, posing serious health risks to their patients. A study of two hospitals in Dallas showed that when the Texas abortion ban took effect in September 2021, women had to wait an average of nine days for their cases to be deemed life threatening enough to justify abortion. While they waited, many of these women suffered health complications like hemorrhaging and sepsis. One of these women had to have a hysterectomy as a result.
The difficulty Pat had receiving care once her fetus had died left emotional and physical scars.
“First of all, to walk around with a dead baby inside you, and for that not to have been able to have been taken care of right away, I was just sad all the time,” Pat says. “Again, another horrifying situation that was totally unnecessary.”
Rain was 19 years old when she became pregnant. An art student in Detroit at the time, she says she never questioned whether she was going to continue the pregnancy. She simply was not ready to be a mother.
“It’s not a requirement for women to have children [or to] get married,” says Rain.
A friend gave Rain the name and number of a doctor who performed abortions as well as contact information for a doctor for a follow-up appointment.
Rain’s friend instructed her to pay the doctor $100 in cash, which felt like a million dollars to an art student like Rain. In today’s money, that equals just over $800. Rain had to ask her brother for a loan; he remains the only member of Rain’s family who knows about the abortion.
Rain arrived alone at the doctor’s office in an office building after hours. The lights were off and she waited for what seemed like hours. She remembers that a man eventually came to get her, but not much after that.
“I remember being in the room and I remember the process, and I think I remember getting up and dressing,” she recalls. “But I don’t even know how I got home or how I got there.”
A few months after the appointment, Rain went to see another doctor for her follow-up appointment. She went in for a standard gynecological appointment and told the doctor about her abortion. The doctor, she says, did not comment on her abortion. He just gave her a clean bill of health and she went on birth control after that.
Rain, who moved to Madison in 1996, has never been shy about saying she had an abortion, or that it was illegal. She also never felt guilty about it.
“I don’t think that any woman should ever feel bad about controlling her own body. Nobody gets to say what happens with your body.”
After her abortion, Rain became more vocal in her fight for women’s rights. She feels that if her abortion hadn’t happened that early in her life, she might not have been as strong a feminist as she is today.
“I wouldn’t have that experience of being told by the greater society that I couldn’t control my own body, that I had to have a baby,” Rain says. “I think it’s a question of agency.”
When Roe was decided, Rain felt a short-lived excitement thinking that women had secured the right to reproductive health and freedom. Now, looking back, she feels silly to have trusted the government.
“How did I ever believe that they would let us have it?” Rain says. “How did I ever believe that the patriarchy would ever let women have rights of their own, to control their own bodies, to control their own lives, to have a job that pays well, to be able to drive, to marry who you want. I’m never trusting them again ever.”
Though disappointing to Rain, Pat and countless others, the Supreme Court’s decision has revitalized the activism of the past. Recently, Rain has been primarily donating money to organizations. And says she would drive anyone out of state to get an abortion if they needed help with transportation.
“What’s happening now is all of us gray heads are just gonna be back in action, and the younger women will have a lot of support from us,” Rain says. “We may not be marching in the streets, but we will be with you.”
abortion Madison Roe v. Wade | 2022-11-08T22:15:23Z | isthmus.com | When abortion was illegal - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/news/when-abortion-was-illegal/ | https://isthmus.com/news/news/when-abortion-was-illegal/ |
Home Cozy Inn 100th Anniversary
Cozy Inn 100th Anniversary
media release: The general public is invited to join the Fong family of Cozy Inn Restaurant for an anniversary celebration at Olde Towne Mall in downtown Janesville on November 14 from 2-4 PM. Cozy Inn is celebrating 100 years in business, making this Janesville restaurant the oldest existing Chinese restaurant in Wisconsin and the second oldest in the United States.
The restaurant first opened its doors on November 1, 1922, at the same location it is today under the ownership of the Wong family. Several generations of the Wong family ran the business for more than 50 years before selling the restaurant to Marie Shum and her husband in 1975. Marie's son, Tom Fong, along with his wife, Amanda, and her sister, Michelle, currently own and run the business. Tom shared, "I've always appreciated how the Janesville community has continued to support our restaurant through both good and hard times."
The November 14 event will feature a meet and greet with members of the Fong family, including Tom, Amanda, Michelle, and Marie. At 3 PM, Chief David Moore, Janesville's acting city manager, will announce an official proclamation recognizing this historic milestone. Attendees can sample some of the restaurant's most popular appetizers including egg rolls, rangoons, and wontons paired with fortune cookies and tea. Marie will also be making an egg tart, her specialty dish.
This celebration is being organized by longtime family friends of the Fongs, Katy Cooper, and Olde Towne Mall partnership, Jackie Wood
In the meantime, hungry patrons can visit the Cozy Inn by venturing up the 20 stairs to the second floor of 214 W Milwaukee Street, look for the red door under the iconic Chop Suey sign. The menu features favorites like egg drop soup, fried rice, Orange Chicken, Sweet & Sour Pork, Broccoli Beef, and Kung Pao Shrimp, along with lunch specials, family dinner deals, and specialty cocktails and ice cream drinks. The restaurant is open on Tuesday-Thursday, 11 AM-9 PM; Friday, 11 AM-9:30 PM; Saturday, 1:30-9:30 PM; Sunday, 1:30-9 PM; and closed on Mondays.
About the Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Our expert staff is here to help you plan your next visit, group tour, meeting or conference event in Janesville, Wisconsin’s Great Outside. The Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private non- profit Destination Marketing Organization, whose mission is to lead, support and promote tourism in the area by promoting Janesville as a prime destination for meetings and conventions, motorcoach, sports events and leisure travelers, thereby creating a positive economic impact on the community and enhancing the quality of life. The JACVB is funded by local hotel room tax and receives approximately 60% of the room tax collected by the City of Janesville with the remainder going into the city’s general fund. To learn more visit janesvillecvb.com. | 2022-11-09T00:22:33Z | isthmus.com | Cozy Inn 100th Anniversary - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/cozy-inn-100th-anniversary/ | https://isthmus.com/events/cozy-inn-100th-anniversary/ |
Home Santa Saturday
Santa Saturday
press release: The City of Sun Prairie’s Downtown Business Improvement District and Tourism Commission will be hosting a series of events on Saturday, November 26 to celebrate the holidays in unique and festive ways. Events and activities will run throughout the entire day beginning at 12:30 p.m. with Santa and closing out the night with him around 7 p.m.
Santa Saturday: Beginning at 12:30 p.m., kids will have a chance to come out to the Historical Museum & Library, snap a photo with Santa and present their gift wish list to him. In addition to time with Santa, staff from the Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department will be adding to the holiday fun by hosting an arts & crafts session in the museum during the event. Families unable to attend this event have no need to worry about this being the only opportunity. The next two events will be on Saturday, December 3 at the Crosse House and December 10 at Flavors! Wine Bar & Grand Hall.
Holiday Decorating Contest: Downtown businesses have been encouraged to bring out the decorations and get creative with their storefront displays. Community members will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite storefront decorations via Downtown Sun Prairie’s Facebook page. The winner of the contest will receive a fun holiday plaque.
Small Business Saturday: This event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is all about supporting small businesses in the downtown area. Local businesses will be decorated with fun décor and offering promotions on select products/services for the community. Starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m., one hundred Shop Local tote bags sponsored by Beans n Cream Coffeehouse will be handed out at their Cannery Square location with a shopping passport attached to each. One hundred more passports will be available once the first round of bags have been given out. Visitors of Downtown Sun Prairie will want to keep an eye out for the eye-catching displays that highlight this event!
Fire and Lights Holiday Parade: All are encouraged to attend the 107th Fire and Lights Holiday Parade in Downtown Sun Prairie. This event is made possible through a partnership between the Sun Prairie Volunteer Fire Department and the Historical Library & Museum, and the Tourism Commission.
As attendees wait for fire trucks to arrive, they can enjoy entertainment and treats beginning at 5:50 p.m. Dancers from Fusion Dance Academy will kick-off the parade with a street performance in front of the Historical Library & Museum. Area fire departments will bring their trucks to town decorated for the holiday season. At 6 p.m., the fire trucks will depart from Kroncke Drive. They will travel east on Main Street and proceed until they are parked side-by-side in two lanes at the intersection of Main Street and Church and Market Streets.
Once all of the fire trucks are parked, attendees can watch as special guest Santa Claus uses holiday magic to light the Downtown holiday tree located in front of the Historical Library & Museum. After the tree lighting, there will be time to get an up-close look at the trucks as they are parked on Main Street and see all their festive splendor. The street will be closed until 8 p.m.
“We are so excited to offer the Sun Prairie community a variety of ways to kick off the holiday season,” said Alyse Peters, Special Events and Sponsorships Coordinator. “These events are all about coming together and sharing a festive spirit.”
Stay on top of all the holiday happenings by visiting Downtown Sun Prairie’s Facebook page or the Downtown page on the City’s website at www.downtownsunprairiewi.com.
Downtown Sun Prairie... we’re having fun down here! | 2022-11-09T00:23:05Z | isthmus.com | Santa Saturday - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/santa-saturday-sun-prairie/ | https://isthmus.com/events/santa-saturday-sun-prairie/ |
Home NEWS News Analysis: In Wisconsin, Evers wins, Barnes seems to have lost. Why is that?
Analysis: In Wisconsin, Evers wins, Barnes seems to have lost. Why is that?
Races for governor and U.S. Senate produce inconsistent results
Gov. Tony Evers did not take the stage at the Orpheum Theater until after midnight to declare victory over Republican opponent Tim Michels.
At the Orpheum Theater Tuesday night, a crowd of supporters of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers gathered to watch the returns. One veteran of such proceedings leaned over the back of her chair to explain to an acquaintance how they play out: “Basically you sit here, you wait, you kill time, until everyone’s screaming.” That pretty much describes the whole election.
It was a little past midnight when Evers’ Republican challenger, Tim Michels, conceded, saying “the math doesn’t add up” in a way that would allow him to win. In the end, the race was decided by about 85,000 votes. Dane County came through in a big way for Evers, giving him 79 percent of its roughly 300,000 votes.
Meanwhile, in the state’s other marquee race, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes declined to throw in the towel, even though he was trailing by some 40,000 votes with 93 percent of the votes counted. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson took to the podium at his election night gathering in Neenah at around 1 a.m. to tell his supporters, “I’m not going to declare victory until all the numbers are in,” something he expected would happen later this morning. But, he added, “This race is over.” (As of 9 a.m. today, Johnson’s lead had fallen to about 27,000 votes, with 99 percent of votes counted.)
It was a fittingly messy denouement for races that set new records for high spending and low blows. These were ugly and divisive contests. They demonstrated anew that Wisconsin is not so much a purple state as it is a black and blue one.
The two gubernatorial candidates and outside groups spent a combined total of $114 million through Oct. 24, breaking the previous spending record of $93 million in the 2018 election. Evers’ campaign parted with $43 million; Michels, a construction company exec, spent $24.5 million, including $18.7 million of his own money. Outside groups, not including those running “issue ads” that stop short of telling people how to vote, dumped at least $45 million into the race.
One ad from a conservative outfit called Restoration PAC which aired in the final days of the campaign accused Evers of racism — against white people. It said he “once headed an agency that suggested that white people wear ‘privilege wrist bands.’” This is apparently based on a claim in a 2013 column by conservative pundit George Will regarding the state Department of Public Instruction, which Evers headed at the time, that the nonpartisan PolitiFact rated as “Mostly False.”
A Marquette University Law School poll released less than a week before the election found that voters were nearly equally split on the question of whether Evers or Michels “better understands the problems faced by ordinary people in Wisconsin.” That’s a bit surprising, given that Michels is a billionaire who owns mansions in other states where he sent his kids to school while Evers is practically the definition of an ordinary guy.
Moreover, Michels has no experience in the political realm and seemingly little grasp of what the job entails. His appeal to the voters essentially came down to this: I’m a businessman. If elected, I will find out whatever is wrong and fix it.
In his one and only debate against Evers, in mid-October, Michaels was asked about the state’s formula for sharing revenue with municipalities. Michels gave no sense that he understood the topic, veering off into a spiel about “surging” crime. Reminded that the question was about shared revenue, he said:
“You know, there’s plenty of money in government. There’s $43.5 billion dollars spent every year. Those are the taxpayers’ money. I’m going to sit down with the Legislature and the smart people, my lieutenant governor, Roger Roth — we’re going to make sure that we come up with the right formulas, and we are going to adequately make sure that there’s funding for the issues that the people of Wisconsin are so concerned about.”
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, right, and his supporters were successful at pegging his opponent, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, as a scary Black man who likes crime and wants to see more of it.
In pursuing the third term he promised not to seek, Johnson also presented as possessing a glaring lack of competence. He has spread dangerous misinformation about COVID-19, called the science of climate change “bullshit,” and publicly cast doubt on the 2020 election result while privately conceding that Biden won. (He even took part in a scheme to present a slate of fake electors to Vice President Mike Pence.)
Johnson proposed stripping Medicare and Social Security of their status as entitlement programs, making them subject to the year-to-year whims of Congress. And he refused to try to prevent a manufacturer from moving jobs from Wisconsin to South Carolina, where the workers are cheaper, saying “It’s not like we don’t have enough jobs here in Wisconsin.”
But Johnson and his supporters were successful at one thing: pegging Barnes as a scary Black man who likes crime and wants to see more of it. Barnes was accused, among other things, of wanting to “defund the police,” something he has never called for and which is contradicted by the fact that the Evers administration directed $100 million in COVID-19 relief funds to law enforcement and public safety initiatives.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee ran an ad that branded Barnes as “different” and “dangerous” as it pictures him alongside three congresswomen of color who are members of “The Squad,” none of whom has campaigned with him. Meanwhile, the state Republican party sent out a mailer in which the color of Barnes’ skin has clearly been darkened.
“There’s definitely a racial overtone,” Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School poll, recently told The Guardian about the messaging that wiped away Barnes’ seven-point lead in the polls. “The massive amount of negative advertising attacking Barnes on crime more than anything else is surely the explanation for why he has seen the gap close since August, or a big part of it.”
What made these attacks especially ironic, as Barnes pointed out, to no apparent effect, is that Johnson himself has a looming lapse in his crime-fighting credentials — his declarations of affinity for the mob that descended on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that left 140 officers injured. Johnson proclaimed that the attackers were “people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law.”
Barnes seems to have lost his election while Evers won because a significant share of voters believed the scary Black guy messaging over the efforts to make Evers out to be a scary white guy. Even in Dane County, with 98.5 percent of the estimated vote counted, Barnes had 77.3 percent of the vote compared to Evers’ 78.6 percent, a gap similar to that in the state as a whole. Overall, Evers snared about 1,350,000 votes, compared to Barnes’ roughly 1,300,000.
Put another way, as many as 50,000 Wisconsinites may have, for some reason, voted for both Tony Evers and Ron Johnson.
Let the screaming begin.
politics 2022 Midterm Elections Tony Evers Tim Michels Mandela Barnes Ron Johnson | 2022-11-09T18:28:52Z | isthmus.com | Analysis: In Wisconsin, Evers wins, Barnes seems to have lost. Why is that? - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/news/analysis-evers-wins-barnes-seems-to-have-lost-why-is-that/ | https://isthmus.com/news/news/analysis-evers-wins-barnes-seems-to-have-lost-why-is-that/ |
4Pillars4Health EcoSpace, Monona 6020 Kristi Cir., Monona, Wisconsin 53716
press release: LIMITED SEATING - ONLY 37 TICKETS AVAILABLE. RESERVE ASAP BEFORE ITS SOLD OUT!
Bill Miller is a 3x Grammy award-winning Native American recording artist, performer, songwriter, activist, painter, and world-class accomplished flute player. Miller has produced over a dozen albums, received three Grammy Awards, numerous NAMA awards (including a “Lifetime Achievement Award) and led Wisconsin’s La Crosse Symphony Orchestra. Bill grew up amid the streams and woodlands of his reservation in northern Wisconsin.
His tribe is properly called Mahicanuk, which means People From Where The Waters Are Never Still. “I’ve always been connected to water,” says Bill. “My reservation was in northern Wisconsin, so I grew up near lakes and rivers. There’s a mystical energy in water. Every Native creation story has water in it.”
“I’ve been given a lot of second chances in my life,” he says. “I’ve been through alcoholism and other problems. I was lifted out of the ditch, and I still see a blue sky above. After years of living against the grain, I see things as rivers, creeks and rainstorms, as the liquid layers of my life.”
Location 4Pillars4Health EcoSpace, Monona 6020 Kristi Cir., Monona, Wisconsin 53716 | 2022-11-09T19:19:09Z | isthmus.com | Bill Miller - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/bill-miller-4pillars/ | https://isthmus.com/events/bill-miller-4pillars/ |
Home flipturn, Hotel Fiction
flipturn, Hotel Fiction
Amanda Laferriere
Five people pose for a photo.
flipturn
media release: Following an unprecedented run of sold out shows in celebration of their debut album Shadowglow, flipturn today announced the second half of their North American tour for February 2023. The band will be joined by Hotel Fiction for a 19-show run.
In a post-COVID world, many artists are having trouble selling tickets as they compete with multiple shows in major markets on any given night. However, flipturn has seen record-breaking support from fans across the US on the current leg of their headline tour, with over 10,000 tickets sold to date. Shows are selling out far in advance, even with increased room capacity (Boston’s Paradise Rock Club, over 1000 tickets), and second nights added in select cities like New York’s Bowery Ballroom (1,100+ tickets). In Los Angeles, the band tripled their sales in less than a year, from Moroccan Lounge in 2021 to a sold-out Teragram Ballroom last month.
Back in August, flipturn released their debut album Shadowglow via Dualtone Records. Met with tremendous reception, the album received praise from the likes of Consequence, V Magazine, Paste and American Songwriter. Heavily championed by Spotify’s editorial playlists, and added to over 260k independent playlists by fans, the band went on to break the coveted million monthly listeners on the platform and the album has amassed over 5.1M streams. In celebration of the album release, flipturn hosted Playground Music Festival in Gainesville, FL, one of the most important cities to their formative years, which brought out a crowd of over 1,400 people. Two weeks ago, the band released a creature feature/ 1950s Sci-Fi inspired official video for album standout “Sad Disco.” | 2022-11-09T19:19:29Z | isthmus.com | flipturn, Hotel Fiction - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/flipturn-hotel-fiction/ | https://isthmus.com/events/flipturn-hotel-fiction/ |
Home Sierra Club-Wisconsin Chapter Awards Celebration
Sierra Club-Wisconsin Chapter Awards Celebration
press release: Save the date for the 2022 Awards celebration! We hope to see you on Thursday, December 1st for this event. Every year, the Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter recognizes some of our many wonderful volunteers and community leaders for their dedication, passion and leadership. We could not do our work alone, and celebrating our award winners is one of the best parts of our year. This virtual ceremony will allow us all to be together and celebrate these environmental leaders from across the state.
More details, including this year's winners, coming soon! | 2022-11-09T19:20:08Z | isthmus.com | Sierra Club-Wisconsin Chapter Awards Celebration - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/sierra-club-wisconsin-awards-celebration/ | https://isthmus.com/events/sierra-club-wisconsin-awards-celebration/ |
Home Stein/Smith/Shead + Roscoe Mitchell
Stein/Smith/Shead + Roscoe Mitchell
media release: BlueStem Jazz featuring Stein/Smith/Shead + Roscoe Mitchell. Shows at 7 & 9 pm, $30.
Roscoe Mitchell - reeds
Jason Stein - bass clarinet
Damon Smith - double bass
Adam Shead - drums & percussion
The trio of Jason Stein (bass clarinet), Damon Smith (double bass), and Adam Shead (drums) features some of the most influential, creative, and prolific musicians currently working in the fields of jazz and improvised music. The trio has toured extensively throughout the United States since the release of their debut album Volumes & Surfaces (April, 2022) on the Balance Point Acoustics record label. Receiving institutional support from such organizations as South Arts, the Doris Duke Charitable foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The group has been described as "undiluted free jazz with energy as its calling card and attention as its driver" by Mark Corroto of All About Jazz.
For tonight's performance the Stein/Smith/Shead trio will perform two shows with NEA Jazz Master, NAACP Image Award recipient, and founding member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Roscoe Mitchell.
https://adamsheadmusic.com/
https://www.jasonsteinmusic.com/
https://balancepointacoustics.com/
Presented by BlueStem Jazz https://bluestemjazz.org/
and Audio for the Arts https://audioforthearts.com/ | 2022-11-09T19:20:14Z | isthmus.com | Stein/Smith/Shead + Roscoe Mitchell - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/steinsmith-shead-roscoe-mitchell/ | https://isthmus.com/events/steinsmith-shead-roscoe-mitchell/ |
Home Veterans Day Ceremony
press release: The Wisconsin Dept. of Veterans Affairs' 2022 Woman Veteran of the Year, Natalie Isensee, will be the keynote speaker at Madison College's Veterans Day ceremony.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 10, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in room D1630 at the Truax Campus. Isensee is a former Marine Corps captain, who was deployed to Kuwait and served in the U.S ground invasion of Iraq. She is currently the manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at WPS Health Solutions. | 2022-11-09T19:20:28Z | isthmus.com | Veterans Day Ceremony - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/veterans-day-celebration-madison-college-RISE/ | https://isthmus.com/events/veterans-day-celebration-madison-college-RISE/ |
November 16, Mark Copelovitch of the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Department of Political Science will speak on "Inflation, the Global Economy, and the Consequences of the Midterm Elections.”
Bio: Mark Copelovitch is a Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs. Copelovitch studies and teaches international political economy, with a focus on global financial governance, exchange rates and monetary institutions, the effects of global capital flows on national economic policies, and theories of international cooperation.
His 2020 book with David Singer of MIT, Banks on the Brink: Global Capital, Securities Markets, and the Political Roots of Financial Crises, is published by Cambridge University Press.
Professor Copelovitch is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D. in 2005. Prior to his appointment at Wisconsin, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton University.
Explore More: https://markcopelovitch.com
https://www.amazon.com/Banks-Brink-Securities-Political-Institutions-ebook/dp/B0845VWD4N/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WJB3UQG7PL5S&keywords=banks+brink&qid=1666845952&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=banks+brink%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-1
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/06/02/usd-dollar-reserve-currency-economy/
November 23 we’ll go dark on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. | 2022-11-09T19:20:34Z | isthmus.com | Wednesday Nite at the Lab - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/wednesday-nite-at-the-lab-nov-16/ | https://isthmus.com/events/wednesday-nite-at-the-lab-nov-16/ |
On November 30 Michael Arnold of Material Science & Engineering will give a talk entitled “The Sun Is Ready to Make Your Electricity Greener and Cheaper in Wisconsin.”
Description: The Earth is continuously bathing in over one-hundred-million-billion watts of sunlight. Photovoltaic solar cells can harvest this green energy and convert it into electricity. Over the last ten years, the price of solar electricity has plummeted, global installations have increased more than 10-fold, and solar is beginning to significantly penetrate into Wisconsin.
This presentation will focus on the materials and composition of photovoltaic solar cells and the principles of their operation. It will discuss the history of photovoltaics, how efficiency has increased, and how price has dramatically decreased. Finally, the presentation will provide a forward-looking perspective at upcoming growth, challenges, and opportunities in photovoltaics and how solar electricity will fit into our future.
Bio: Michael Arnold is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign before completing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University.
His research focuses on the development of new semiconductors for electronics and energy applications, with an emphasis on carbon-based nanomaterials such as semiconducting carbon nanotubes and graphene.
In his free time, he enjoys tennis, mountain biking, running, eating Babcock Dairy quadruple scoops, and spending time with his partner and children.
Arnold research group website: https://arnold.engr.wisc.edu/about.html
US Department of Energy Solar Photovoltaics Technology Basics: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-photovoltaic-technology-basics | 2022-11-09T19:20:41Z | isthmus.com | Wednesday Nite at the Lab - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/wednesday-nite-at-the-lab-nov-30/ | https://isthmus.com/events/wednesday-nite-at-the-lab-nov-30/ |
Home Bob the Drag Queen
7:30 pm on 1/12 and 7:30 & 10 pm, 1/13-14, Comedy on State. $55-$35.
media release: VIP tickets available – prime seating in front rows!
The alter ego of non-binary comic/actor Caldwell Tidicue, “Bob The Drag Queen” describes herself as “hilarious, beautiful, talented and…humble.” Bob’s unabashed confidence won her the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” on season 8 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” multiple acting roles for HBO, Netflix, Sony Tristar, MTV, and VH1. The third season of Bob’s Emmy Award nominate HBO Max series ‘We’re Here’ is coming out at the end of 2022. Bob is also an accomplished stand up comedian with two solo specials under his belt and a starring role in the recent Netflix comedy concert film ‘Stand Out’ executive produced by Wanda Sykes. Sibling Rivalry – Bob’s podcast with his comedy partner Monet X Change – is now on its sixth season and is also hitting the road playing major venues in the US and Canada in the Fall of 2022 and Winter of 2023. | 2022-11-10T02:43:51Z | isthmus.com | Bob the Drag Queen - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/bob-the-drag-queen-2023/ | https://isthmus.com/events/bob-the-drag-queen-2023/ |
Home Chris Redd
7:30 pm on 2/2 and 7:30 & 10 pm, 2/3-4, Comedy on State. $25.
media release: Chris Redd’s first one-hour comedy special “Why Am I Like This?” will premiere on HBO Max later this year. Redd was a repertory player on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” for 5 seasons, and is the co-creator, writer, and star of Peacock’s scripted comedy series, “Bust Down”, which premiere earlier this year. He received the Emmy Award in 2018 for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the “SNL” song “Come Back, Barack.” In 2019 Redd released his debut stand-up album, “But Here We Are.” Redd starred in the independent horror film “Scare Me” and can be seen in the comedy films “Vampires vs. the Bronx”, “Deep Murder,” “The House” and “A Futile and Stupid Gestures.” He appeared in the 2016 film “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” and opposite Kathy Bates in the Netflix original comedy series “Disjointed” and was featured in the series “Wet Hot American Summer,” NBC’s “Will & Grace,” Netflix’s “Love,” TV’ Land’s “Teachers,” ”Comedy Central’s “Detroiters” and “Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents.” He portrayed the character of ‘Gary Williams’ on the NBC comedy “Kenan” for two seasons. Redd has also loaned his voice to many projects including Netflix’s “Big Mouth,” Audible’s “64th Man” and Disney’s “Star vs. the Forces of Evil.” Additionally, he was featured as a 2016 Standup New Face at Just for Laughs in Montreal.
Feb 3, 2023 10:00 PM | 2022-11-10T02:44:03Z | isthmus.com | Chris Redd - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/chris-redd-2023/ | https://isthmus.com/events/chris-redd-2023/ |
Home Sam Tallent
7:30 pm on 12/29, 7:30 & 10 pm on 12/30 and 5:30, 8 & 10:30 pm, 12/31, Comedy on State. $50-$5.
media release: Known for whip-quick wit and rollicking improvisations, Sam Tallent is one of the sharpest, most original rising talents in comedy today. For the last 10 years, he has performed at least 45 weekends annually across America, Canada and France. Called “the absurd voice of a surreal generation” by the Denver Post, Sam is beloved by fans of contemporary comedy. He was a New Face at the 2019 Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival, he won his battle on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, hosted the Denver episode of VICELAND’s Flophouse and appeared on the Chris Gerhard Show to impress a girl. His critically acclaimed debut novel Running the Light – heralded as the “definitive novel about stand up comedy” (Marc Maron, WTF) – was published by Too Big to Fail Press in 2020 and his short fiction has been published on VICE.com and in BIRDY magazine. He lives in Colorado with his wife and his dog. | 2022-11-10T02:45:12Z | isthmus.com | Sam Tallent - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/sam-tallent-2023/ | https://isthmus.com/events/sam-tallent-2023/ |
Home A & E Music Cafe Coda celebrates five years with five days of world-class jazz
It’s a musical milestone for the Madison jazz hub
courtesy Cafe Coda
The Sun Ra Arkestra on stage.
Sun Ra Arkestra’s Café Coda appearance was originally scheduled for April 2020, but was derailed by the pandemic.
A fifth anniversary is not something most people would celebrate with five days of world-class jazz performances. But Hanah Jon Taylor is not most people.
As Madison’s preeminent jazz sax and flute player, Taylor has performed with such artists as Miles Davis, Richie Havens and Nina Simone. He is also owner/operator of Café Coda, the only club in the city devoted to jazz performances. It’s an environment Taylor feels best suits the music. Café Coda is Taylor’s baby and he is honoring its fifth anniversary with CodaFest, a blow-out that brings together many strains of jazz under one roof, from Nov. 16-20.
The five CodaFest days will feature 25 events or artists, and with Café Coda’s capacity of just 99 people, it’s possible every event will sell out.
The Fest’s performers are drawn from Taylor’s musical contacts and represent jazz royalty:
• Roscoe Mitchell, a Chicago native and former Madison resident, is considered one of the leading figures in avant-garde jazz. He co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and formerly served as the Darius Mihaud Chair of Composition at Mills College in Oakland, California, where he currently lives. Mitchell and his trio help open the Fest on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
• Taylor’s own Artet will perform on Saturday, Nov. 19, and this performance will include bassist Reggie Workman. As a young player, Workman joined the John Coltrane Quartet, and also has played with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Freddie Hubbard, Pharoah Sanders, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, and a host of other artists. He currently serves as a professor in the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School in New York City.
• Vocalist Dee Alexander follows Taylor’s Artet with her own quartet. A favorite of the Chicago jazz scene, Alexander has been voted the Windy City’s best vocalist and her quartet originally opened Café Coda in March 2017. She hosts Sunday Jazz with Dee Alexander, which originates at Chicago’s WFMT-FM and also is carried by Wisconsin Public Radio.
• Saturday’s closing highlight is the Sun Ra Arkestra, a Philadelphia-based 12-musician ensemble as well known for its colorful costumes as for its jazz/funk blend. The band was among the earliest purveyors of Afrofuturism, a cultural aesthetic that explores the intersection of the African diaspora with science and technology. Founder Sun Ra, born Herman Poole Blount, later changed his name to Le Sony’r Ra, then Sun Ra and claimed to be from Saturn. He died in 1993, passing the reins to fellow band member and sax player Marshall Allen, who still leads the group at age 98.
Sun Ra Arkestra’s Café Coda appearance, originally scheduled for April 2020 but derailed by the pandemic, is a particular source of pride for Taylor, who himself was asked to join the ensemble years ago but declined due to family obligations. The group’s stability, longevity and creativity best characterize the concept of both jazz and CodaFest, Taylor says.
“Music is not something you can disconnect from life, and we should learn to experience it in more than just a sonic way,” he says. “Sun Ra always offers a bombastic experience that takes art much farther than a pedestrian concept of what music is.
“It’s a little different than bebop,” he adds. “If your impression of jazz stops at Charlie Parker, then you are doing yourself and the music a disservice.”
The venue, at 1224 Williamson St., was intended to elevate the genre. “It’s Madison’s only real jazz club with a stage, concert grand piano, and a Green Room,” Taylor notes. “You must have those three things in any real jazz venue, and Madison didn’t have such a venue before.”
That elevation is important in several ways. “Let’s acknowledge that jazz is not a museum piece, but it’s the music of the time,” Taylor says. “We’re offering an opportunity for the community at large and especially young people to accept jazz as a new music, not just the music of their grandparents.”
Ticket info is available here; tickets also are available at the club. | 2022-11-10T15:42:13Z | isthmus.com | Cafe Coda celebrates five years with five days of world-class jazz - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/music/madison-cafe-coda-celebrates-five-years-codafest/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/music/madison-cafe-coda-celebrates-five-years-codafest/ |
Home NEWS News Panel of experts set to analyze the election in Thursday live stream
Join Isthmus for a discussion featuring Michael Wagner, Julia Azari, Jeff Mandell, and Susan Webb Yackee
Panelists include, from top left and clockwise: Moderator Mike Wagner, Julie Azari, Susan Webb Yackee, and Jeff Mandell.
Still trying to make sense of what happened in the midterm elections? Join the club! Wisconsin voters went with a Democratic governor and Republican U.S. senator, while resisting a veto-proof state Legislature.
How did we get here? And where are we headed?
Isthmus has assembled experts in politics, voting, public policy and media to help answer those questions and more in a panel discussion, streaming live Thursday night at 7 p.m. on our Facebook page.
Moderator Michael Wagner is an Isthmus board member and professor in the UW-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. His research, teaching, and service are animated by the question, “How well does democracy work?” Wagner approaches this question from a variety of perspectives, incorporating into his work the study of political communication, political parties, journalism, public opinion, political psychology, political behavior, religion and politics, the presidency, and biology.
Julia Azari is a political science professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Her research and teaching interests include the American presidency, American political parties, the politics of the American state, and qualitative research methods. Azari is a regular contributor to the political science blog The Mischiefs of Faction. Her work has also appeared in the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage blog and in Politico.
Jeff Mandell is one of Wisconsin’s leading election law litigators. He represented Gov. Tony Evers in several challenges to the validity of Wisconsin’s 2020 election and represents the city of Green Bay in relation to the Wisconsin Assembly’s broad investigation of Wisconsin elections. He previously prosecuted the complaints that kept Kanye West and Howie Hawkins off of Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential ballot, represented Disability Rights Wisconsin in defending the statutory provision that guarantees “indefinitely confined” voters access to absentee ballots, and he helped the Service Employees International Union block efforts to purge hundreds of thousands of registered voters from Wisconsin’s rolls.
Susan Webb Yackee is director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs and a Collins-Bascom Professor of Public Affairs at UW–Madison. Her research and teaching interests include the U.S. public policymaking process, public management, regulation, administrative law, and interest group politics. Yackee received the 2019 Herbert A. Simon Career Contribution Award from the Midwest Public Administration Caucus, the highest award in the field of political science for the study of bureaucracy and public administration. | 2022-11-10T22:17:59Z | isthmus.com | Panel of experts set to analyze the election in Thursday live stream - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/news/panel-of-experts-set-to-analyze-the-election-in-thursday-liv/ | https://isthmus.com/news/news/panel-of-experts-set-to-analyze-the-election-in-thursday-liv/ |
Home OPINION Citizen Dave RoJo could have been defeated
RoJo could have been defeated
Time to start a new, moderate sub-party within the Democratic Party
Ron Johnson Mandela Barnes illustration
It turned out to be a pretty good night for Democrats. We woke up Wednesday morning to find, amazingly, that control of the House was still in doubt and that Democrats were slightly favored to keep control of the Senate.
Here in Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers won re-election by a margin about three times greater than it was four years ago and Attorney General Josh Kaul followed Evers to victory.
But there were two results that weren’t so happy. The infamous Sen. Ron Johnson will return for a third term of embarrassing Wisconsin in Washington. Democrat Mandela Barnes ran almost 50,000 votes behind Evers and he’s even a few thousand votes behind him in Milwaukee County, which is Barnes’ home county and a place where he would have been expected to run up the Black vote.
It also looks like Democrats will lose at least one more seat in the state Senate and one or two in the Assembly. The Republicans are likely to have no less than a 22-11 seat advantage in the Senate and 64-35 in the lower house. That makes for a veto-proof majority in the Senate while they might be only two seats short of that in the Assembly.
Barnes, while he came pretty close to wresting the seat from Johnson, represents a missed chance for Democrats. RoJo should have been beaten. His approval ratings have been consistently below 40 percent and he broke a promise to not run for a third term. Moreover, he said and did one bizarre thing after another. Mouthwash could prevent COVID. The Capitol rioters did not present an armed threat. If you don’t like Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion law, well, just move. A chance to build electric U.S. Postal vehicles in his hometown of Oshkosh? Nah, we’ve got enough jobs.
How did Barnes lose to this guy? He is a good retail politician, but a fair analysis is that his loss was years in the making. His social media and public statements were strewn with landmines that he couldn’t defuse. He had suggested that he was for defunding the police before he said he wasn’t. He held up an “Abolish ICE” T-shirt, but said he wasn’t for abolishing ICE. He said on camera that the founding of America was “awful.”
Barnes’ effort to court the party’s hard left made it all but impossible for him to beat even a deeply flawed opponent. In my view, Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson was the party’s best bet, but State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski also had a better shot than Barnes. I felt that Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry’s chances were not as good.
Exit polling that showed that Pennsylvania Republican Mehmet Oz’s relatively short tenure as a state resident may have doomed his candidacy reinforces my view on Lasry. He had lived here only for a few years, having grown up in New York, where he also still keeps a residence. Republican Tim Michels’ strong ties to his Connecticut mansion may also have played a role in his defeat.
My overall point is that we had a test case between a more moderate Democrat in Evers and a full-throated progressive in Barnes. Arguably, Evers had the tougher opponent in a businessman without much of a record who could write his own script while Johnson had already dug a deep hole for himself. And yet, the moderate won and the progressive lost.
Moreover, Democrats can’t afford to just throw up their hands and say that gerrymandering dooms them to a deep legislative minority — possibly one that gives the Republicans a veto-proof majority in both houses at some point — for at least another decade.
I think the answer might be to create a party within the party. A party of Moderate Democrats.
This fall I stumbled on a great read, Jonathan Kasparek’s Fighting Son. It’s a biography of Phil La Follette, younger son of Fighting Bob. Phil served as Wisconsin governor in the 1930s and he was generally recognized as the leader of the Progressives in their latter years after Robert La Follette, Sr., died in 1925. Phil’s older brother, Bob Jr., took his father’s seat in the U.S. Senate, but he was much more a creature of Washington while Phil stayed mostly at home and tended to the family business, which was the Progressive movement.
But here’s the thing. For most of their half-century-long history and for all of the time that they were most influential, the Progressives were not their own party. They were a subset of the Republican Party. They held their own conventions, had their own platforms and nominated their own candidates, but that was all leading up to trying to win Republican primaries.
By the time they actually broke away from the Republicans and became their own Progressive Party, they were already on the down slope. That short-lived party faded away by mid-century and its remnants formed the foundation for a new, reinvigorated Democratic Party in Wisconsin.
I recount that history because I think it may form at least part of the answer for the current dilemma faced by any of us who are to the left of Attila the Hun.
I am a moderate Democrat. I wasn’t always. I used to be quite liberal, but after Trump won in 2016 my party lurched to the left while I either stayed where I was or maybe nudged a bit toward the center. I’m not alone. Actually, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey, half of Democrats consider themselves to be moderate or even conservative and only 15 percent say they are “very liberal.”
And yet it’s that 15 percent that defines our party in the public mind. That’s why the Democratic label is so toxic in so much of America outside of big cities and college towns. That’s why Brad Pfaff, a guy who grew up on a dairy farm and served as Wisconsin ag secretary, lost to a Republican election denier in the Third Congressional District, which moderate Democrat Ron Kind held down for two decades. The fact that Pfaff was able to keep the margin within five points, without any help from national Democrats, may have helped deliver a second term for Evers, but it’s a seat Democrats should be able to win.
Over on my other blog last week I wrote about how a center-left guy like me, whose views match up pretty well with where the majority or a plurality of Americans are at on a bunch of issues, would wander around the forest of interest groups searching in vain for a kind word. He wouldn’t get one in either set of single-issue interest groups supporting either party. For moderates it’s a wilderness out there. There simply is no infrastructure to back up a set of views that are held by most Americans.
I’ll take just one issue to illustrate my point. On abortion, I like the Bill Clinton formulation that it should be “safe, legal and rare.” And, in fact, that’s where most Americans still come down on the issue. They’re for freedom of choice, but not without some restrictions and caveats. But “rare” is now out of fashion on the hard left. To speak that word in this context is to touch one of the many third rails among the elites who run the Democratic Party.
But for the hard right “rare” isn’t good enough. They’d prefer “never.” So safe, legal and rare is also a third rail among Republicans for just the opposite reason.
My point is that the position on abortion that captures where the bulk of voters are at is not welcome in either party. And the same is true on a host of other issues.
That leaves me uncomfortable with the Democrats but repulsed by the Republicans. The answer might be a third party, like the new Forward Party. And maybe that would work in the eight states that allow “fusion” voting. Under fusion, a candidate can run under more than one party banner and then add his votes together. But that’s not allowed in Wisconsin, so I won’t bolt the Democrats for Forward or any other third party because I don’t want to help elect Republicans.
Until I read Kasparek’s book I thought I was stuck. But what if moderate, conservative and maybe even some practical liberal Democrats took a page from the Progressives? What if we formed our own sub-party with its own agenda, organization and infrastructure? What if we nominated our own candidates to compete in Democratic primaries? Better yet, what if we started in non-partisan races for county board, town and village board and city council seats and other local offices all over the state?
A Moderate Democratic sub-party might have been able to push the nomination away from Barnes to a more electable candidate and we wouldn’t be faced with six more years of Ron Johnson.
Interestingly enough, the Progressives of Phil La Follette’s era saw themselves as the true moderates, fending off conservative “stalwarts” in their own party on the one hand, but also socialists and communists on the other. The Progressives’ aim was not to overturn capitalism but to make it more humane and to make it work for the broader public interest. They saw themselves as the voice of reason and responsibility, not revolution.
The current Democratic Party has all but thrown in the towel on winning outside of urban areas. The party left a dozen Republican Assembly seats go uncontested. That sort of fatalism simply won’t cut it. Even under fair legislative maps, we’d still lose because we don’t connect with enough average voters across the landscape. We have to stop whining about what a bad hand we’ve been dealt in redistricting and figure out how to win back non-college voters, especially those in rural areas and small towns, who have abandoned us and mostly for very good reasons.
But wouldn’t a less liberal Democratic Party run the risk of reducing enthusiasm and votes in deep blue places like Dane County? It might, but if the tradeoff was an equal number of votes in other places that would be a net plus because it would give Democrats a better chance at picking up more seats in the Legislature and a better shot at two more Congressional districts.
Democrats did okay this week, but they still ended up retreating overall, losing seats in the state Senate and Assembly, one Congressional seat and the State Treasurer’s office. One way to turn this around might be a new party within the old one.
Mandela Barnes Ron Johnson | 2022-11-11T20:38:56Z | isthmus.com | RoJo could have been defeated - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/opinion/citizen-dave/rojo-could-have-been-defeated/ | https://isthmus.com/opinion/citizen-dave/rojo-could-have-been-defeated/ |
Home A & E Sports Forward Madison’s Conor Caloia meets criticism head-on
Forward Madison’s Conor Caloia meets criticism head-on
Friendly fire after another disappointing season
Conor Caloia against a white background.
Caloia: "We're in sports for a reason: We want to win championships."
Forward Madison F.C. boss Conor Caloia catches the first shot early, right after delivering his opening remarks at the team’s postseason town hall meeting in the new Forward Club at Breese Stevens Field on Oct. 26.
“Last season you said that coach Carl Craig wasn’t moving the team in the direction you wanted. Last season, we finished ninth in the league,” a fan watching a video stream from home writes, referencing the team’s 2021 coach, fired after just one season. “This year: another ninth place finish. Is this the direction you were hoping for? Or will (coach Matt) Glaeser be let go?”
Another query is equally tough on Caloia, the club’s chief operating officer, part owner and administrative face: “At what point does ownership have to take responsibility for the failure of this team the past three years?”
Some irritation from Madison soccer fans is fair, which Caloia acknowledges throughout the town hall.
Forward just finished its fourth season in USL1, the third tier of professional soccer in the U.S., with a combined record of 32 wins, 33 losses, and 37 ties. The team hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since 2019, its first season. Despite leading the league in revenue with its third-highest player payroll — according to Caloia — the Flamingos had the lowest win total this season, managing just seven victories. They won only four games at Breese, none after mid-July, and scored just two goals in their last five games.
“The only person, I think, who feels more pain than the fans is me,” Caloia says. “I started this business, with my great partners, and I’m running it day-to-day. It’s on me and I’m responsible for it. We have to do better and I’m confident we can do better.”
Caloia says he isn’t going to fire Glaeser and that the two have been “working on 2023” for the past five weeks. The team hopes to bring several players back next season, but defender Eric Leonard, the one name from the original roster still with the club, is the only player currently under contract.
Despite the team’s struggles on the field, Forward Madison led the league in attendance this year, drawing an average of more than 3,800 fans per game. Nearly 4,500 fans showed up to the final home game on Oct. 8, an irrelevant 0-1 loss to league-leading Richmond. And an unrepresentative survey of the two season ticket holders I know revealed no loss of love for the experience of watching FMFC play at Breese Stevens Field.
“I love those games so much — the venue, the atmosphere,” says David Anstaett, a season ticket holder since season one who also plays soccer. “And despite the dire end to this season, the quality of soccer is really good in my opinion. And my sense from some of the guys I play with, and who are also season ticket holders, is that they feel the same.”
Much of that positivity is built on a commitment to fan engagement, evident in events like the town hall, which was open to everyone from hard core season ticket holders to infrequent spectators. It’s a smart strategy to tie fans to a community around the club instead of the individual players, especially when so many of them come and go each year. That’s borrowed from Caloia’s experience running the Madison Mallards baseball team, which refreshes nearly 100 percent of its roster each summer.
Mallards owners, many of whom are invested in Forward Madison, have made no secret about needing to focus on fan experiences that don’t rely solely on winning titles. Having succeeded, at least in terms of attracting that committed community, Caloia is part of a group building a Milwaukee club that will play in the USL Championship — one rung above USL1 — starting in 2025. As they did in Madison in 2018, they are polling the community for the team’s name and identity now.
But Caloia doesn’t need the fans to remind him that with so much support, the club is obligated to build a team that performs much better than it has so far.
“We’re in sports for a reason: We want to win championships,” he says at the town hall. “We’re not doing this for the financial part. That being said, our financial incentive is if we win, we sell more tickets. People want to be around a winner. And so we are greatly incentivized.” | 2022-11-12T15:30:02Z | isthmus.com | Forward Madison’s Conor Caloia meets criticism head-on - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/sports/forward-madison-conor-caloia-meets-criticism/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/sports/forward-madison-conor-caloia-meets-criticism/ |
Home Blood Moon
Tony Barba
media release: Tony Barba is a saxophonist/educator/producer whose career has spanned the last twenty-five years. Originally hailing from Acton, Massachusetts and previously living in NYC and Chicago, Tony has resided in Madison, Wisconsin since 2013. He has performed, taught and toured professionally all over the world. A long standing member of the globe trotting Youngblood Brass Band, Tony has also performed and recorded with such notable and diverse artists as Makaya McCraven, Bon Iver, David Murray, Josh Ritter, the Mountain Goats, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and the Temptations. In Madison he is currently a member of Acoplados, Golpe Tierra, Immigre, Michael Brenneiss Plutonium, and the Paul Dietrich Jazz Orchestra. He co-leads the organ quartet Barbacoa and the improvised duo project Outside the Sphere with drummer Michael Brenneis. Additionally, Tony leads Blood Moon, a new quartet with an album of all original music which is slated to be released in the spring of 2020. He also has recently released two solo albums featuring saxophone and electronic manipulation entitled Winters Arms (2016) and Ether (2019). Tony has been the instructor of the Memorial High School Jazz Band since 2017 and has a growing private studio of saxophone students.
Award winning bassist, composer and Shifting Paradigm recording artist John Christensen supplies an open-hearted solidity and adventurous spirit to all of his music endeavors. With an appetite for expressing in many musical genres and situations, John has found a unique compositional voice, as demonstrated on his highly acclaimed debut album as a leader, Dear Friend.
While an ardent student and practitioner of improvised Black American Music, Johns music also has deep roots in Rock, Folk, and Americana. Content to have his bass playing compared to Charlie Hadens lyricism, as in reviews for Johannes Wallmanns latest album Precarious Towers, hes also happy to have comparisons difficult to find. His compositions strive toward a hopefulness and appreciation for the beauty and awe of life, and the wonder of small, important things.
John Christensen began his bass studies with Chris Wood in high school. After brief stints at Berklee College and North Texas, John moved to San Francisco and played in the burgeoning music scene during the late 90s. Since Moving to Wisconsin in 1999 John has become a highly sought-after side musician, playing with numerous regional and international artists and bands. He leads his own groups and is also a co-founder of Lesser Lakes Trio with longtime collaborators Devin Drobka and Jamie Breiwick as well as KASE, an improvised hip hop trio with Jamie and Turntablist Jordan Lee. | 2022-11-14T19:41:11Z | isthmus.com | Blood Moon - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/blood-moon-nsc/ | https://isthmus.com/events/blood-moon-nsc/ |
Home Dietrich, Gold, Courage, Drobka
Dietrich, Gold, Courage, Drobka
media release: Paul Dietrich has been described as “an apt bandleader, an exceptional composer, and a superlative performer” (All About Jazz) and “a skilled composer” (JazzTrail) and his music has been praised as “stunningly beautiful” (Audiophile Audition) and “captivating” (Chicago Jazz Magazine).
A composer, trumpet player and educator based in the Midwest, Dietrich has been the leader of the Paul Dietrich Quintet since 2012 and the Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble since 2016. The Chicago-based Quintet has released two albums: Focus (2017, ears&eyes) and We Always Get There (2014, Blujazz). The Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble’s 2019 album Forward features guest artist and world-renowned drummer Clarence Penn (Dave Douglas, Maria Schneider) alongside many of the Midwest’s best jazz musicians, including Greg Ward, Russ Johnson, Dustin Laurenzi, Matt Gold, and Andy Baker.
Brian Courage co-founded a Twin Cities-based quartet with fellow saxophonist Nelson Devereaux. Courage, who spent several years as one of the Twin Cities' best bass players, is now an active member of the New York City jazz scene, and has played with Lew Tabackin, David Hazeltine, Billy Mintz and the Minnesota Orchestra. | 2022-11-14T19:41:56Z | isthmus.com | Dietrich, Gold, Courage, Drobka - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/dietrich-gold-courage-drobka/ | https://isthmus.com/events/dietrich-gold-courage-drobka/ |
Home Joe Policastro Trio
Joe Policastro Trio
Hailed by Downbeat for its “deft analysis of choice repertoire,” and by the Chicago Reader for its “diversity of approaches to all kinds of source material,” the JOE POLICASTRO TRIO is a forward-thinking, Chicago-based jazz trio led by bassist Joe Policastro featuring guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery. While firmly rooted in jazz, the band’s open-minded, inclusive nature draws upon a wide array of musical styles and sources while still keeping the aesthetic of an acoustic trio intact.
The band has released five albums to date. Their newest release, Sounds Unheard 2012-2022, is an assemblage of new recordings, outtakes, and unreleased recordings documenting the life of the trio from its earliest iteration its recent incarnation. Their last album, Nothing Here Belongs (2019) focused on the band's original music, whereas previous releases, West Side Story Suite (2013), POPS! (2016), and Screen Sounds (2017), highlighted the trio's ability to remake unlikely songs in its own raw, highly idiosyncratic fashion.
True bands are a rarity in jazz these days, especially ones who hone their craft as consistently as this one does. For over a decade, the band held court thrice-weekly at Pops For Champagne. Beyond Chicago, the band has been extensively playing together throughout the US and Canada having even performed for President Barack Obama.
As sidemen, Joe Policastro (Pat and Debby Boone, Sheila Jordan, Phil Woods, Diane Schuur), Dave Miller (Clarice Assad, Patricia Barber, Algernon), and Mikel Avery (Joshua Abrams, Theaster Gates, Rob Mazurek) have shared the stage with a wide array of musicians but dedicate collectively to this trio. Whether highlighting the original music of its members, re-contextualizing modern music, or performing jazz classics of the likes of Thelonious Monk, Chico Hamilton, or Charles Lloyd, the trio readily displays its singular approach, sound, texture, and simultaneity.
"The trio have refined their layered blend of the familiar and faintly far out, playing three nights a week at Chicago’s Pops For Champagne and through extensive roadwork. Their deep understanding of each other and deft analysis of choice repertoire repays repeat and close listening."
- Michael Jackson, Downbeat
Known for its eclectic taste and approach, the Joe Policastro Trio "makes the case that such musical hybridity is worth celebrating." "Policastro…is a melody-minded bassist who prioritizes group cohesion over individual displays of virtuosity."
- Brian Zimmerman, Downbeat
"There are always new wrinkles to be found in the familiar. That's a political stance that seems to serve the Joe Policastro Trio well…putting alternately gritty and focused touches on songs we've come to love….Policastro and company have found their niche tapping into different breeds of treasured songs."
- Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
The Joe Policastro Trio is a band that can turn "pop tart into Jazz art" (Travis Rogers, Jazz Owl) and one that "should have wide appeal among both jazz fans and listeners of other genres." (Hrayr Attarian, Chicago Jazz Magazine) | 2022-11-14T19:42:48Z | isthmus.com | Joe Policastro Trio - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/joe-policastro-trio-2022/ | https://isthmus.com/events/joe-policastro-trio-2022/ |
Home Michael Hackett Quintet
Michael Hackett Quintet
media release: Michael Hackett, Trumpet Tom Gullian, Saxophone Chris Rottmayer, Piano Nick Moran, Bass Matt Endres, Drums
Dr. Hackett has performed extensively with touring entertainers and pops orchestras across the country backing up artists such as Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, and Perry Como. His playing has been featured in many national television and radio commercials, the movie sound track to “The Aviator,” and many commercially available recordings, including those with Scott Whitfield’s Jazz Orchestra East, three recordings with The Buselli/Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, and “Basically Baker: the Music of David Baker.”
Saxophonist Tom Gullion brings a deep, soulful performance style, a sophisticated avant-garde sensibility, and a quicksilver technique. Now, at the peak of his musical maturity, he is launching a new album entitled Carswell, which includes ground-breaking compositions featuring like-minded musicians such as percussionist Ernie Adams, Chicago, and has even found time to organize the Driftless Jazz Festival in Southwestern Wisconsin. "Humbly walking in the footsteps of Sonny Rollins and other who have taken time for reflection in their careers, I've found my path is to bring music to the people. And that's exactly what these new projects are about."
Chris Rottmayer has been a freelance jazz pianist since 1990, was a pianist for Walt Disney World from 1999 to 2020, and has released three albums as a leader: Reactive Synthesis (2013), Sunday at Pilars (2019), and So In Love (2020). Chris is currently the Instructor of Jazz Piano at the University of South Florida, where he has taught since 2007, and is pursuing a DMA in Piano Performance at the University of Wisconsin- Madison where he holds a Teaching Assistantship in the Theory department.
Nick Moran has toured internationally and performed with a diverse collection of internationally renowned acts, including Ben Sidran, Lee ‘Scratch‘ Perry, Clyde Subblefield, David ‘Fathead‘ Newman (Ray Charles’ sax player), Ana Laan, cajón ambassador Juan ‘Cotito’ Medrano (Susana Baca, Novalima), dance hall pioneers Chaka Demus and Pliers, and hip hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc. In 2001, Nick was honored to record and perform with master of afro cuban percussion and Grammy Award winner Roberto ‘Vizcaino” Guillot.
Matt Endres has performed extensively as a bandleader and a sideman in national and international venues. He is the drummer for the international award-winning group Old Style Sextet, which in 2014 placed second in the world-renowned Cotai Jazz and Blues Competition in Macau, China. He has appeared on multiple albums, including It’s About Time (2013) with the Adrian Barnett Septet; the Old Style Sextet self-titled album issued by Blujazz (2014); Chris Beyt’s 120 (2015); The Clark Gibson Studio Orchestra’s record, Bird with Strings: The Lost Arrangements, issued by Blujazz (2015); The Chris Beyt Trio’s, A Trio For Three, issued by Ears&Eyes Records (2020); The University of Illinois Concert Jazz Band’s record, The Music of Pepper Adams (2020); and Places with the group, Gate Check. Endres also currently holds an endorsement with Bopworks Drumsticks, based in Austin, Texas.
Endres has worked with talented artists, including, Grammy-award winner, Doc Severinson, Brad Leali, Chris Brubeck, Charles McPherson, Jim Masters, Sharel Cassity, Marquis Hill, Robert Irving III, Frank Gambale, Tom Garling, Víctor García, Michael Blum, Shawn Purcell, Darden Purcell, Oliver Nelson Jr, Jim Pugh, Dave Pietro, Grammy-award winner, Charles “Chip” McNeill, Ron Bridgewater, Dave D’Angelo, Carlos Vega, Larry Gray, Jeff Halsey, Glenn Wilson, Richard Drexler, Mark Colby, Alex Graham, Clark Gibson, Tito Carrillo, John “Chip” Stephens, Joan Hickey, and Adrian Barnett. | 2022-11-14T19:43:01Z | isthmus.com | Michael Hackett Quintet - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/michael-hackett-quintet-nsc/ | https://isthmus.com/events/michael-hackett-quintet-nsc/ |
Home Peter Dominguez & Mark Urness
Peter Dominguez & Mark Urness
UW Mead Witter School of Music Guest Artist Series. $15.
media release: Peter Dominguez grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, participating in the Music for Youth Orchestras, and performing with his father, pianist and singer Frank DeMiles. His teachers included Willard Feldman and Clyde Russell. Peter went on to study with Roger Ruggeri and Richard Davis at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he earned his baccalaureate and masters degrees with a teaching assistantship 1980-82.
In 1981 he was the first recipient of the Milton J. Hinton scholarship competition award. A teaching assistantship and doctoral studies with Dr. Lucas Drew at the University of Miami, Coral Gables followed in 1982-84. Eventually securing positions in both the Florida Philharmonic and Michigan State University, Peter chose MSU, served as Professor of Double Bass and Jazz Studies 1984-96, and was instrumental in developing their Jazz Studies program. During his Michigan years, he continued studies with Robert Gladstone and performed with the Detroit Symphony.
Currently he is Professor of Double Bass and Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Mark Urness is a versatile bassist, composer, and educator. His diverse performance experience encompasses orchestral, chamber, solo, jazz playing. He is an associate professor of music at Lawrence University in Appleton Wisconsin and the principal bassist of the Weidner Center Philharmonic Orchestra. His playing on the unaccompanied jazz album, Foreground, was described by Bass World magazine as “completely in command of the instrument and the tunes, rife with good ideas, melodic instinct, and groove.” Recent performances include Chamber music broadcasts on Wisconsin Public Radio, Concerto performances as guest soloist with the Fox Valley Youth Orchestra, a Solo Recital at the 2018 ISB convention, and jazz performances with Bill Carrothers, Danilo Perez, Peter Erskine, and Joe Locke. | 2022-11-14T19:43:14Z | isthmus.com | Peter Dominguez & Mark Urness - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/peter-dominguez-mark-urness-hamel/ | https://isthmus.com/events/peter-dominguez-mark-urness-hamel/ |
Home Slum Village, Isaiah Linder, Carter Clouud
Slum Village, Isaiah Linder, Carter Clouud
UW Union South-The Sett 1308 W. Dayton St., Madison, Wisconsin 53706
media release: Rising from the rough corners of Detroit, Slum Village carried the old-school, funk, and soul-filled hip-hop torch of genre pioneers A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and the Pharcyde. Originally comprised of rappers Baatin, T3, and producer J Dilla, the group debuted in the early '90s as Ssenepod, later changing their name to Slum Village for the release of their debut, Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 1, in 1997. Over the course of almost a dozen efforts, Slum Village issued their highest-charting album, Trinity (Past, Present and Future), in 2002, peaking on the Hot 100 in 2004 with the single "Selfish," featuring Kanye West and John Legend. Their lineup experienced significant changes over the decades -- notably with the deaths of J Dilla in 2006 and Baatin in 2009 -- and Slum Village became a duo in the 2010s comprised of T3 and producer Young RJ.
Location UW Union South-The Sett 1308 W. Dayton St., Madison, Wisconsin 53706 | 2022-11-14T19:43:39Z | isthmus.com | Slum Village, Isaiah Linder, Carter Clouud - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/slum-village-isaiah-linder-carter-clouud/ | https://isthmus.com/events/slum-village-isaiah-linder-carter-clouud/ |
Home Trevor Noah
media release: Trevor Noah is the most successful comedian in Africa and is the host of the Emmy® Award-winning “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. Under Trevor, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” has broken free from the restraints of a 30-minute linear show, producing engaging social content, award-winning digital series, podcasts and more for its global audience. This year, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” landed a record number of seven Emmy Award nominations.
Trevor’s success has spanned to sold out stand-up comedy shows over 5 continents. Trevor also served as the Grammy Awards host in 2021 and 2022.
Trevor has written, produced, and starred in 12 comedy specials, including his upcoming, “I Wish You Would,” for Netflix. His previous special, “Trevor Noah: Son Of Patricia” received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety Show, as well as a Grammy Award nomination.
Trevor is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” and its young readers adaptation, released in 2019, “It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood,” which also debuted as a New York Times bestseller. The Audible edition of “Born a Crime,” performed by Trevor, was produced by Audible and remains one of the top-selling, highest-rated, and most-commented-on Audible performances of all time. To date, “Born a Crime” has sold over 3 million copies across all formats.
Trevor’s production company, Day Zero Productions, a joint venture between Paramount Global and Trevor Noah, develops and produces diverse, high-quality creative content for a global audience. With projects set up both within the Paramount Global family, as well as at other studios, streamers, and live platforms, Day Zero focuses on entertaining and impactful content, with an eye toward authentic stories from diverse points of view. | 2022-11-14T19:43:58Z | isthmus.com | Trevor Noah - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/trevor-noah-2023/ | https://isthmus.com/events/trevor-noah-2023/ |
Home The UW Now
press release: Stream at the WAA YouTube channel.
Nov 15: The Future of Energy
As geopolitical conflicts and environmental threats highlight the ongoing risks of fossil fuel dependence, many nations are accelerating their transition to clean, sustainable energy. What does this transition entail, both in the short term and long term? Is solar energy cheap and efficient enough for widespread utilization in the U.S.? How safe are nuclear energy and its byproducts? In addition to reducing carbon emissions, can existing carbon be removed from our atmosphere?
On the next UW Now Livestream, hosted by the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, UW-Madison experts will discuss the future of energy. The talk will be moderated by Mike Knetter, CEO of the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association.
Our featured guests:
Tim Donohue, PhD, is the Ira L. Baldwin Professor of Bacteriology and the UW Foundation Fetzer-Bascom Professor at UW-Madison. He is also the director of the Wisconsin Energy Institute. Donohue is an internationally recognized expert on bio- and genome-based conversion of renewable resources into valuable products. He is a past president and current secretary of the American Society for Microbiology, the oldest and largest biological sciences professional society in the country. He is an honorary fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology, has served on numerous federal and international advisory panels, and has led large federally funded cross-disciplinary graduate training programs. Since 2007, Donohue has served as principal investigator and director of Great Lakes Bioenergy, a renewable fuels and chemicals research center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
Greg Nemet, PhD, is a professor at UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs. His research focuses on understanding the process of technological change and the ways in which public policy can affect it. He teaches courses in energy systems analysis, policy analysis, and international environmental policy. Nemat’s first book, “How Solar Became Cheap: A Model for Low-Carbon Innovation,” was published in 2019 by Routledge. From 2013 to 2018, he chaired the UW’s Energy Analysis and Policy program. In 2015, he received the H. I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship, which honors outstanding UW-Madison faculty members for their research contributions. He was named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow in 2017. He was awarded the inaugural World Citizen Prize in Environmental Performance by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management in2019. He is currently a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report.
Line Roald, PhD, is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and a Grainger Institute Fellow at UW-Madison. Her research focuses on modeling and optimization of energy systems to ensure reliable grid operations as renewable sources, such as solar and wind, replace traditional forms of generation, such as coal and nuclear. Her group is developing mathematical tools and software implementations to model and optimize system operation and energy markets, while taking into account the impact of uncertain events such as variations in renewable energy production, component failures, and large-scale outages
More info: https://www.allwaysforward.org/uwnow/. A recording of this livestream will be available on uwalumni.com after the event. | 2022-11-14T19:44:04Z | isthmus.com | The UW Now - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/uw-now-nov-15/ | https://isthmus.com/events/uw-now-nov-15/ |
Home Weston Roundtable
Weston Roundtable
UW Mechanical Engineering Building 1513 University Ave. , Madison, Wisconsin
media release: SAGE is pleased to announce the return of the Weston Roundtable Lecture Series for the Fall 2022 Semester! Lectures will be held in 1163 Mechanical Engineering from 4:15-5:15 p.m.
After Environmentalism
Speaker: Ted Nordhaus, Founder and Executive Director, The Breakthrough Institute
The Weston Roundtable is made possible by a generous donation from Mr. Roy F. Weston, a highly accomplished UW-Madison alumnus. Designed to promote a robust understanding of sustainability science, engineering, and policy, these interactive lectures are co-sponsored by the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Office of Sustainability. These lectures build on the tremendous success in past years of the Weston Distinguished Lecture Series and the SAGE Seminar Series.
Location UW Mechanical Engineering Building 1513 University Ave. , Madison, Wisconsin | 2022-11-14T19:44:10Z | isthmus.com | Weston Roundtable - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/weston-roundtable-nov-17/ | https://isthmus.com/events/weston-roundtable-nov-17/ |
Home Fall and Winter Birding for Beginners
Fall and Winter Birding for Beginners
media release: Birding is the perfect hobby to brighten up what can feel like a long and cold winter! Get started by joining members of the Feminist Bird Club-Madison Chapter for a beginner-friendly birding outing to Governor's Island, a small but hidden gem on Madison's northside. Learn the basics of how to get started with birding, discover what migratory bird species may be passing through during fall migration, and get familiar with our region's resident species that you can expect to see and enjoy all winter long. The Feminist Bird Club-Madison Chapter will also share some tips about how to stay warm while birding through the upcoming winter season!
No birding experience is required. All are welcome! A limited supply of binoculars will be available to borrow, and binoculars can also be checked out via the Birding Backpack program at all Madison Public Library locations.
We expect to walk approximately 1-mile on a flat, dirt-packed trail that traverses through woods and borders the lake. We'll be moving at a slow pace. The parking lot is unpaved with ample parking space. There are no restrooms or benches on site. Be sure to bundle up warmly as this location is adjacent to the lake and can be windy.
Registration is required; space is limited for this event. Please register using the link below, or call your local Madison Public Library location for assistance.
The Feminist Bird Club is a birdwatching club dedicated to promoting inclusivity in birding while fundraising and providing a safe opportunity for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC, and women to connect with the natural world. The Madison chapter was founded in 2019 and offers monthly outings that are open to everyone who supports their mission, no birding experience required! | 2022-11-15T06:29:46Z | isthmus.com | Fall and Winter Birding for Beginners - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/fall-and-winter-birding-for-beginners-nov-20/ | https://isthmus.com/events/fall-and-winter-birding-for-beginners-nov-20/ |
Home Fruit Bats
Annie Beedy
A person in front of a wall.
media release: Eric D. Johnson’s Fruit Bats released a new song, “Waking Up in Los Angeles,” in support of an extensive April and May tour in the United States and Canada.
“Waking Up in Los Angeles” – Fruit Bats’ first newly composed material since 2021’s The Pet Parade and the following single “Rips Me Up” – strolls out of bed with a strident guitar strum, shaker percussion, and buoyant drumbeat; daydreaming of shimmering, affirming, groovy times ahead. The song’s message is a longing for place but also a hope for contentment in the present, when Johnson sings: “Well, we all want a home – metaphorical or real / Some place to make us feel whole.”
“This is a sad song masquerading as a happy one,” Johnson says. “Or maybe vice versa? This might be the first song I’ve written where the first verse is a disclaimer – and, yes, I am talking to YOU with this one. This is about spiritual homes, the geography of the heart, and waking up in a weird, hard world where the birds still sing.”
In conjunction with the release of new music, Fruit Bats announce a two-month tour beginning on April 12 in Indianapolis, IN and ending on May 27 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. | 2022-11-17T04:45:10Z | isthmus.com | Fruit Bats - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/fruit-bats-2023/ | https://isthmus.com/events/fruit-bats-2023/ |
Home Jason Vargas & the Apollos
Jason Vargas & the Apollos
courtesy the band
media release: Formed in the basement of Sellery Hall, Jason Vargas and The Apollos are ready to rock. Inspired by the music of the '60s and '70s, Jason Vargas and his Apollos put an electric twist on everything they touch. $10 cover. | 2022-11-17T04:45:23Z | isthmus.com | Jason Vargas & the Apollos - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/jason-vargas-apollos-harmony/ | https://isthmus.com/events/jason-vargas-apollos-harmony/ |
Home Mossmen, West Nile Crows, Educational Davis
Mossmen, West Nile Crows, Educational Davis
A band plays to Lake Monona and listeners.
Educational Davis
media release: Gutentag, amigos and amigas! Mark your calenders for a night of synthesizers, libations, guitar pedals, and all the other unwieldy shit bands use to make noise.
Mossmen
https://www.facebook.com/themossmen
https://mossmen.bandcamp.com/
West Nile Crows (Milwaukee)
https://www.facebook.com/WEST.NILE.CROWS
https://westnilecrows.bandcamp.com/
https://educationaldavis.bandcamp.com/album/navigation
FREE ($5 donation to musicians are encouraged & appreciated) | 2022-11-17T04:46:13Z | isthmus.com | Mossmen, West Nile Crows, Educational Davis - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/mossmen-west-nile-crows-educational-davis/ | https://isthmus.com/events/mossmen-west-nile-crows-educational-davis/ |
Home Pat Ferguson & the Sundown Sound, Barbaro, High & Rising
Pat Ferguson & the Sundown Sound, Barbaro, High & Rising
Pat Ferguson & the Sundown Sound
media release: Frank Productions has announced a co-headlining performance of LoHi Records recording artist (and Madison’s own), Pat Ferguson (with his band, The Sundown Sound) and the award-winning Minneapolis bluegrass fusion quartet, Barbaro. The pair of Midwest powerhouses will be performing on Saturday December 3, 2022 at the historic Majestic Theatre. Groovy grass trio High & Rising supports.
Originally making waves as a founding member and lead guitarist for longtime Midwest music scene staple, Smokin’ Bandits, Pat Ferguson has emerged as a nationally renowned solo performer, songwriter, and vocalist. His finger and flat-picking style channels Americana, bluegrass, and folk; a signature sound deeply influenced by his Upper Mississippi River musical roots. Ferguson's sophomore solo record "Solace," produced by Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth), is set to be released in 2023 and features members of Railroad Earth, Jacob Jolliff, Elliott Peck (Midnight North, Phil Lesh & Friends), banjo great Tony Trischka, and more. His first solo record "Light of Day / Dark of Night" was produced by Adam Greuel (Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, The High Hawks) and released in 2018 on LoHi Records.
Following his time on the road with Smokin’ Bandits, Ferguson spent 7 years as the House Musician at HotelRED in Madison. Most recently, he toured as a part of the acoustic trio Ferguson, Carbone, & Peck which featured Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) and Elliott Peck (Midnight North, Phil Lesh & Friends).
In two decades of touring, Ferguson has shared the stage with the likes of Merle Haggard, Peter Rowan, Little Feat, Jason Isbell, Todd Snider, Railroad Earth, Trampled by Turtles, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, and many more.
Barbaro’s musical vision explores their collective life experiences through intricate instrumentation, creatively bending traditional music into a style that is all their own. The Minneapolis-Winona based rising stars have created their eclectic sound through original songwriting craft, with inspiration derived from bluegrass, jazz and chamber music. Their new album, Dressed in Roses, released January 2020, “Stands as a true testament to their musical identity and the sound that has launched one of the Midwest’s most in-demand acoustic acts.” | 2022-11-17T04:46:27Z | isthmus.com | Pat Ferguson & the Sundown Sound, Barbaro, High & Rising - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/pat-ferguson-sundown-sound-barbaro-high-rising/ | https://isthmus.com/events/pat-ferguson-sundown-sound-barbaro-high-rising/ |
Home Raising Red
Raising Red
media release: Raising Red combine Americana and rock music with a touch of the blues. Their debut album “Something for Everyone” is now available on all platforms, with their new single “29 Years” out October 21, 2022. Recorded at Madison’s own Blast House Studios, Raising Red takes you on a sonic journey through multiple genres of storytelling.
Catch the full band at the Red Rooster in Madison, WI on Wednesday, December 21! Music starts at 6:30pm. | 2022-11-17T04:46:40Z | isthmus.com | Raising Red - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/raising-red-red-rooster/ | https://isthmus.com/events/raising-red-red-rooster/ |
On December 7 Mitchell Ramuta of professor David O’Connor’s lab will speak on “Pulling Viruses Out of Thin Air.”
We are using air sampling as an alternative environmental surveillance strategy to improve the detection and monitoring of (re)emerging viruses in the community.
Bio: Graduate student in the Cellular and Molecular Biology Ph.D. program, Dr. David O'Connor's laboratory
There's Something in the Air: Monitoring Indoor Air for SARS-CoV-2
https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/blog/theres-something-in-the-air-monitoring-indoor-air-for-sars-cov-2/
Let's Meet the Virologist (LMtV) Episode 92: Game Changer? Environmental Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2
https://lmtv.podbean.com/
In the Air Tonight: COVID Testing Spaces, Not Faces.
https://microbiologycommunity.nature.com/posts/in-the-air-tonight-covid-testing-spaces-not-faces | 2022-11-17T04:47:31Z | isthmus.com | Wednesday Nite at the Lab - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/wednesday-nite-at-the-lab-dec-7/ | https://isthmus.com/events/wednesday-nite-at-the-lab-dec-7/ |
Home A & E What to do in Madison this weekend: The Cut, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and more Isthmus Picks
What to do in Madison this weekend: The Cut, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and more Isthmus Picks
Peter Gannushkin
A person leaning on a bass.
CodaFest, through Nov. 20, Cafe Coda: Cafe Coda has been a steadfast presence since reopening on Williamson Street in 2018 — including a rapid transition to the virtual world in 2020 to keep the music flowing through pandemic times. And in mid-November, the venue will be the center of the jazz world during the inaugural Coda Fest. The lineup: Sun Ra Arkestra (led by Marshall Allen), William Parker Trio, Thaddeus Tukes Trio, Alexis Lombre Quartet, Chicago Yestet, Lynne Arriale Trio...and that is just the start. Evening sets are packaged as a group of shows for one ticket price, and there is also an option for a full-fest ticket; early afternoon shows are free. Find the full schedule and tickets at cafecoda.club, and read Michael Muckian's preview here.
Noj Tsiab, Thursday, Nov. 17, Life Center Madison, 10 a.m.: The Hmong “pre-New Year” of Noj Tsiab is a happy way to celebrate or learn more about a tradition that thanks the community (all are welcome) and the spirits for a good harvest and healthy life. The event features Hmong rituals, dancing and music, and is capped by a luncheon of delicious Hmong foods. Free, but RSVP to may.lor@thehmonginstitute.org or call 608-692-8918.
A person in a turkey suit carrying a turkey.
The Goodman turkey helps load groceries into cars on distribution day in 2021.
Thanksgiving Basket Drive, through Nov. 20, Goodman Community Center: Each November, the Goodman Community Center assembles meal kits for a full Thanksgiving dinner for Dane County families, and this year more than 4,000 households are signed up (the deadline was Oct. 28) and will begin picking up kits on Friday. That's a lot of turkeys and other items to collect, and you can be a part of it by donating food items from the list or money by Nov. 20; find an updated list of items still needed at goodmancenter.org/thanksgiving. Donations can be dropped off at the Goodman gym from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
Alison Townsend, Thursday, Nov. 17, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Wisconsin writer Alison Townsend will be discussing her book, The Green Hour: A Natural History of Home, with Madison poet Marilyn Annucci live and in-person at this Mystery to Me bookstore event. Townsend, who has published several volumes of poetry, turns to the essay here to parse five rural and wilderness landscapes, and how we as humans connect to the land. Free, but advance tickets are recommended (or register for the Crowdcast stream here). Note, this event was rescheduled from Oct. 20.
A man in front of a wall with a guitar.
Marsden, Thursday, Nov. 17, High Noon Saloon, 7 p.m.: On the new album Tune It Out, Madison singer-songwriter and guitarist Marsden channels the angst generated by the overwhelming nature of modern life into driving modern rock, with a dash of '90s grunge for spice. It's a worthy follow-up to the 2017 space-themed concept album, Gravity. Marsden celebrates the release of Turn It Up with this concert, also featuring sets by IT-themed punk heroes Help Desk and Queens of the Stone Age tribute The Regular Johns.
Act a Lady, through Nov. 19, Bartell Theatre: StageQ takes on Jordan Harrison's play, Act a Lady, set in a Midwestern hamlet during Prohibition. The town's men decide to put on a play in which they portray women — and as we have known since Shakespeare's time, this is a situation ripe for both comedy and growing self-awareness. Harrison has a good feel for the complexities of gender roles and the script is a good fit for StageQ. The final shows take place at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 17-18; and 4 p.m., Nov. 19.
Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale, through Nov. 20, Overture Center-Playhouse: This dark comedy by up-and-coming playwright Kirsten Greenidge takes on both the familiar trope of the haunted house and social issues. In this second production of Forward Theater's season, a young couple buys an old house haunted by the spirit Beatrice, who keeps upping the ante on her invasion into their lives. Greenidge's exploration of race and class in Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale will be augmented by programs before each Saturday performance (at 6:30 p.m.), discussing horror noire, the history of housing discrimination in Madison, and playwright Lorraine Hansberry. The run ends with performances at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 17-18; 2 and 7:30 p.m., Nov. 19; and 2 p.m., Nov. 20. Read Gwendolyn Rice's review here.
bits ‘n pieces, Nov. 17-19, UW Lathrop Hall-H'Doubler Space: Li Chiao-Ping Dance presents a program of works choreographed by its founder. “bits 'n pieces” is just that; a compendium of rarely seen pieces, premieres, and company favorites like Nuts and Bolts and segments of The Knotcracker. The concert, appropriate for all ages, takes place at 8 p.m., Nov. 17-18; and 2:30 p.m., Nov. 19. Check ticket availability at artsticketing.wisc.edu.
Renewing Civic Life in Wisconsin: Fulfilling the Legacy of Bill Kraus, Friday, Nov. 18, UW Gordon Dining & Event Center, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: The actions of a disturbing number of Wisconsin's current political representatives can best be described as hyper-partisan. When confronting the day-to-day damage caused by intractable partisans, it's easy to forget it hasn't always been this way in Wisconsin. In the past, contentious situations often resolved in consensus, thanks to people willing to work with the other side to figure out a solution. People like Bill Kraus, a former Republican strategist and longtime co-chair of Common Cause in Wisconsin. This conference, hosted by the UW Center for Communication and Civic Renewal, will examine the problem and what can be done about it, with panel discussions and speakers, including a keynote by former Gov. Tommy Thompson (4 p.m.), who knew a thing or two about working across the aisle to get things done. A reception follows. It's free to attend; a Zoom link can be found at go.wisc.edu/civicrenewal, and the full schedule on this PDF.
Joseph Mougel + Richard Moninski, Nov. 18-Jan. 22, Overture Center-James Watrous Gallery: This winter, explore the great outdoors inside the James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy as it unveils a pair of new exhibits. The “Herbarium” series by photographer Joseph Mougel explores plants and colonization, and plays with nature’s tension between the scientific and whimsical in his collection. In “Clash/Meld,” painter and digital artist Richard Moninski contrasts the natural with the man-made to explore nature, history and culture. Join the artists for a reception at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. The exhibit is up through Jan. 22; regular hours are noon-6 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.
Atlas Improv Company
A collage of three people.
Emily Blick, Jacob Moyer and Holly Rucker are the final contestants for the 2022 edition of The Cut.
The Cut, Friday, Nov. 18, Atlas Improv, 7 p.m.: After missing a couple seasons, Atlas Improv Company's annual improvisation competition returned in October. Nine contestants entered, and three remain for the final week: Emily Blick, Jacob Moyer and Holly Rucker. Judges critique what the competitors come up with, but audience voting determines the winner (who, for surviving The Cut, gets fame, fortune, and the chance to join the Atlas cast, whichever comes first). Find tickets at thecutshow.com, and more info on Atlas' weekly performances (7 and 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday) at atlasimprov.com.
Lucid Dreaming Sketch Comedy, Nov. 18-19, Broom Street Theater: Sketch comedy group Lucid Dreaming is known for its wacky and bizarre shows. This upcoming scripted comedy show, “Stockholm Syndream,” is sure to be another fun and unusual creation, featuring a cast of Jason Compton, Alex Devaux, Amanda Gatewood, Annie Jay, Shauna Jungdahl, Matthew Korda, Jackson Rosenberry, Ben Seidensticker, Mitch Taylor and Mary Wallin. Along with producing comedy shows for the past seven years, the Madison group has also hosted many writing workshops for comedy-writing hopefuls. Catch the show at 7 p.m., Nov. 18; and 5 p.m., Nov. 19. Find tickets on Eventbrite.
Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Friday, Nov. 18, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7:30 p.m.: The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra starts its 2022-23 Masterworks series with the program “Two American Masters” — the masters in this case being guest violinist Elissa Lee Koljonen and 20th century African American composer Florence Price. Koljonen has played around the world with symphonies and in chamber music settings, and makes her Madison debut at this concert with a performance of Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch. Price's Symphony No. 1 in E Minor closes the concert, which also includes the overture from The Hebrides by Felix Mendelssohn. A lecture (at 6:30 p.m.) and post-show talk back, both hosted by WCO music director Andrew Sewell, bookend the concert. (Note: This is of course a Friday concert, not on Saturday as posted originally.)
A person posing for a studio photograph.
Amanda Shires, Friday, Nov. 18, Majestic, 8 p.m.: Grammy- and Americana Award-winning violinist and songwriter Amanda Shires goes into raw, scary places on her new album, Take It Like a Man. It’s the product of a love-hate relationship with the isolation of COVID and what she and her husband, Jason Isbell, experienced with it. The album title may cause uncomfortable feelings in 2022, but the title track turns out to be a deeply urgent confessional. The new record is filled with such confessions — though the project, the Nashville-based artist says, is not a break-up album. Okay. But it’s about as close to one as anybody could possibly get. With Honey Harper, on tour behind the October release Honey Harper & The Infinite Sky.
DJ Pauly D, Friday, Nov. 18, Liquid, 9 p.m.: Fan favorite Pauly D has proven to be more than just his persona on the MTV show Jersey Shore. He brings bumping beats and his signature spiked hair to Madison, with recent hits such as “Silver and Gold” (with James Kaye) and “That Boy” (featuring Pryde) to go with songs from the show like “Beat Dat Beat (It’s Time To).” With his spectacular antics and high-volume energy, DJ Pauly D is ready to bring the Shore to the isthmus.
Simple Focus Studios
A makers' market.
A past Ten by Ten Collective market.
Ten By Ten Collective Winter Market, Nov. 19-20, Ellsworth Block: After beating cancer at a young age, Allana Randall launched her Madison art shop Ten By Ten with the goal of giving back; $1 of each purchase is donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Randall created Ten By Ten Collective in 2022 with that same goal in mind. Not only does the collective give local artists a platform to showcase their art, but each artist donates a part of their sales to a cause of their choosing. The collective hosts a pop-up market featuring 40-plus vendors from food to art to books at Ellsworth Block (above The Old Fashioned) from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Nov. 19 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 20. And what winter art market would be complete without live music, coffee, beer and baked goods?
Michael Darling EP release, Saturday, Nov. 19, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Following a month of tour dates from Appleton to Austin, Texas, Michael Darling finishes the run with a hometown release party for a new EP. The indie pop, folk rock and jazz artist seamlessly melds his musical experience and upbringing (both parents are musicians) into a style of his own. Darling released the title track for the EP, “Spark” in July; in the song, the artist laments a lack of fire and passion in his life. Darling will be joined by Old Oaks and Bear in the Forest at this launch event. Tickets at high-noon.com.
Madison Polish Film Festival, Sunday, Nov. 20, UW Union South-Marquee: You can still catch the second weekend of this free festival (hosted by a number of UW-Madison organizations), which is the one with more films anyway. F*cking Bornholm (2022) at 1:30 p.m. is about a joint family vacation gone awry; Black Sheep (2022) at 4 p.m. is a comedy about multiple generations coping under the same roof; and Sonata (2021) at 6:30 p.m. concerns a teen who discovers his talent as a musician after receiving auditory implants. More info at gns.wisc.edu.
courtesy Kelly Hunt
A person in a field with an acoustic guitar.
Kelly Hunt, Sunday, Nov. 20, Harmony Bar, 7 p.m.: Kansas City native Kelly Hunt’s unique clawhammer style on tenor banjo and unusual (for folk) operatic voice garnered her a nomination for the International Folk Music Awards 2019 Album of the Year. Don’t let the opera reference distract you. She gets very high up in the mountains with her songwriting and singing. She’s a storyteller, too. Characters come alive in her music, most of whom are from distant times with hard struggles.
Editor's note: This post has been updated to correct the date of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra concert. | 2022-11-17T18:36:34Z | isthmus.com | What to do in Madison this weekend: The Cut, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and more Isthmus Picks - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/isthmus-picks-nov-17-to-20-2022/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/isthmus-picks-nov-17-to-20-2022/ |
Home Bill & Bobbie Malone
Bill & Bobbie Malone
media release: For five decades, as a singer, musician, songwriter, and producer, Tim O’Brien has ceaselessly explored the vast American musical landscape. While Appalachia and Ireland eventually became facets of the defining myth surrounding him and his music, he has digested a broad array of roots styles, reshaping them to his own purposes. Award-winning biographer Bobbie Malone and premier country music historian Bill C. Malone have teamed again, this time to chronicle O’Brien’s career and trace the ascent of Hot Rize and its broadening and enrichment of musical traditions.
At the beginning of that career, O’Brien moved from his native West Virginia to the Rocky Mountain West. In just a few years, he became the lead singer, mandolin and fiddle player, and principal songwriter of beloved 1980s bluegrass band Hot Rize. Seeking to move beyond bluegrass, he next went to Nashville. O’Brien’s success in navigating the shoals of America’s vast reservoir of folk musical expressions took him into the realm of what is now called Americana.
The core of Tim O’Brien’s virtuosity is his abiding and energetic pursuit of the next musical adventure. As a traveler, he has ranged widely in choosing the next instrument, song, style, fellow musicians, or venue. Written with O’Brien’s full cooperation and the input of family, friends, colleagues, and critics, Traveler provides the first complete, behind-the-scenes picture of a thoroughly American self-made musical genius—the boy who grew up listening to country artists at the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree and ended up charting a new course through American music.
Emeritus Tulane University history professor, Bill C. Malone, grew up with country music in East Texas. His dissertation in American History from the University of Texas became the definitive history of country music, Country Music, USA. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in a completely revised edition in 2018, and served as the basis for the narrative in the Ken Burns Country Music series, in which he appeared.He and Bobbie coauthored Songwriting Sweethearts: The Boudleaux and Felice Bryant Story (2020), and his most recent book is Sing Me Back Home, an anthology of his previously published essays. After following Bobbie to Madison where he has hosted Back to the Country, a weekly WORT community radio program in Madison, Wisconsin for the past 24 years, the Malones returned to their home state of Texas and are now residing in San Antonio. You can still hear Bill on Back to the Country on the 4th Wednesdays of the month.
Bobbie Malone grew up in San Antonio, then lived in New Orleans, where she earned a PhD in American History from Tulane University. Her dissertation became Rabbi Max Heller: Reformer, Zionist, Southerner, 1860-1929. She moved to Madison in 1995 to direct the Office of School Services at the Wisconsin Historical Society, where she wrote and edited books for the state’s classrooms. After retiring, she wrote the biography of her favorite childhood author/illustrator, Lois Lenski: Storycatcher, which won the 2016 Indies Editor’s Choice Award in nonfiction, and Striding Lines: The Unique Story Quilts of Rumi O’Brien. Bill and Bobbie had such fun collaborating on Nashville’s Songwriting Sweethearts, that they immediately chose to work on Traveler: The Musical Odyssey of Tim O’Brien, published in the fall of 2022. | 2022-11-17T18:36:36Z | isthmus.com | Bill & Bobbie Malone - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/bill-bobbie-malone-traveler/ | https://isthmus.com/events/bill-bobbie-malone-traveler/ |
Home Chapel Hart
Three people in front of a sunbeam.
Tickets: $45.00 Advance; Gold Circle: $65.00 Advance; VIP: $125.00
press release: Chapel Hart, the country music trio taking the nation by storm, announce their first headlining concert tour, the GLORY DAYS TOUR, launching January 26, 2023 in Wichita, Kansas. 2022 has been an explosive year for the Poplarville, Mississippi family trio, including last week’s sweep at the “Best of the Beat” Offbeat Magazine awards. The trio took home 4 honors, including “Best Music Video,” “Best Country Artist,” “Song of the Year” and topped off the evening with “Artist of the Year” giving audiences four more reasons, as if any more were needed, to get their tickets before even more dates sell out.
The NBC hit show, “America’s Got Talent” deemed them “America’s Sweethearts,” as they claimed a finalist spot on the popular show this year. Chapel Hart has garnered quite a following with fans and the industry alike. Everyone from Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, John Rich, and more have given praises to their songwriting and showmanship. Having captured the attention of country superstar Darius Rucker, he insisted on having them as featured artists on the recently released single “Ol’ Church Hymn.” These girls have truly proven that hard work, trusting your gut and a little bit of elbow grease goes a long way. For further information on the tour, ticket purchases, and more, please visit www.chapelhart.com.
The trio has been preparing relentlessly for this next venture and not taking a single moment for granted. “It feels really amazing to be going out on our first ever headlining tour,” Devynn Hart says, “God has truly had his hands on us and our careers. We are forever grateful for every opportunity.” With fans anxiously awaiting the chance to see Chapel Hart in their respective cities, requests flooded in from coast to coast and Trea stated “...a wise woman once said, ‘Give the people what they want,’ but it’s so much better when it’s exactly what you want as well. We just want to show as many people as we can that anything is possible if you work hard and never give up on your dreams.” Danica exclaimed, “In my entire career, I’ve never been more excited, nervous, proud and every emotion imaginable. We’ll be able to share our songs and stories with the millions of people who got to watch us on TV, and now they get to experience us up close and personal. This tour will remind people that These Are The GLORY DAYS!”
The Glory Days Tour will be a nationwide celebration of love bringing together all kinds of kinds in the name of good country music. Joining these Mississippi girls as direct support is fellow outdoorsman and country artist Lucas Hoge, known for his show “Hoge Wild” on the Sportsman Channel. The Glory Days Tour already includes over sixty (60) cities with even more to come! | 2022-11-18T01:32:36Z | isthmus.com | Chapel Hart - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/chapel-hart-2023/ | https://isthmus.com/events/chapel-hart-2023/ |
Home Madison Bach Musicians
Madison Bach Musicians
$38 ($35 adv.; livestream also available, $20).
media release: Mozart’s Chamber Music with Eric Hoeprich, clarinet
First Unitarian Society–Atrium Auditorium, Madison
April 22, Sat.: 7:15 pm lecture/8 pm concert
April 23, Sun.: 2:45 pm lecture/3:30 pm concert
MBM welcomes guest artist Eric Hoeprich. A leading authority on the early clarinet, Mr. Hoeprich was a founding member of the Orchestra of the 18th-Century and has served on the faculty of the Paris Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague. He is a member of the Smithsonian Chamber Players and has recorded most of the repertoire for the 18th- and 19th-century clarinet on the Philips, Deutsche Grammaphon, EMI, and Harmonia Mundi labels.
Mozart fell in love with the clarinet, a fairly new instrument at the time, during the final decade of his career, 1781–91. One undoubtable influence was the beautiful and virtuosic playing of Anton Stadler for whom Mozart wrote his Trio in E-flat major, K. 498, “Kegelstatt,” and the Clarinet Quintet, K. 581—both featured in this MBM program. Our concert will open with the ever-congenial Kegelstatt, Hausmusik to the nth degree. It is thrilling to think of the first performance of this work—indeed, at a home, that of fortepianist Francesca von Jacquin—with the host on fortepiano, Stadler on clarinet, and Mozart himself (the supreme fortepianist) happily on viola—his favorite string instrument to play. The trio will be followed by the Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 478, whose dramatic opening movement presages the fateful Romanticism of Beethoven. Yet it is Mozart’s supreme gift for lyricism within drama—somehow always moving the action forward—that distinguishes him from his successors. The concert closes with the Clarinet Quintet. Here, Mozart taps into the clarinet’s innate ability to evoke a sense of sylvan ease, suggesting the human voice gliding along in a wordless song. Emily Dickinson’s matchless stanza comes to mind:
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all | 2022-11-18T01:34:30Z | isthmus.com | Madison Bach Musicians - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/madison-bach-musicians-mozarts-chamber-music/ | https://isthmus.com/events/madison-bach-musicians-mozarts-chamber-music/ |
Home Oakwood Chamber Players
Oakwood Chamber Players
media release: Ring in the holiday season with the Oakwood Chamber Players with a festive concert at ALL on Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 2:00pm! Each year, the OCP chooses a cornerstone work to perform for this concert, which they pair with miscellaneous holiday favorites that are sure to leave audiences singing as they leave the concert hall. This year, the OCP will be giving audiences the gift of Maurice Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro, a gorgeous work for harp, flute, clarinet, and string quartet. The work was composed as part of an honest-to-goodness harp duel: In 1904, the Pleyel company had just released its new chromatic harp and commissioned Claude Debussy to compose a work (Danses sacrée et profane for harp and orchestra) to showcase its capabilities. A rival company, the Érard company, had also recently come out with a new harp model – the double-action pedal harp. Upon getting wind of the Pleyel company’s commission, they reached out to Maurice Ravel and asked him to compose a work to highlight their new harp’s expressive range, which he managed to finish in “a week of frantic work and 3 sleepless nights” so that he could attend a boating vacation with friends. Tickets $20 student/senior/ALL member, and $25 general admission.
You can purchase tickets at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/oakwoodchamberplayers/6415/event/1293717
An ever-inventive group of creatives, the Oakwood Chamber Players have been a chamber music staple throughout the Madison community for over 36 years. Driven by excellence in performance, program selection, and outreach to the community, the OCP is committed to bringing Madison and Wisconsin the finest in classical and new art music. Maintaining “a long tradition of stimulating programming” (Madison Magazine), this six-piece, mixed string/wind ensemble’s performances consistently lift up unheard voices, introducing audiences to new composers and works that are sure to become fast favorites. The OCP is particularly overjoyed to be partnering with ALL this season for a year of unforgettable performances. If you’d like to learn more about the players and their upcoming season, please visit https://oakwoodchamberplayers.com/ or find them on Facebook/Instagram | 2022-11-18T01:34:55Z | isthmus.com | Oakwood Chamber Players - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/oakwood-chamber-players-all-dec-11/ | https://isthmus.com/events/oakwood-chamber-players-all-dec-11/ |
Home Sunday Afternoon Live
Sunday Afternoon Live
Chazen Museum of Art 750 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Amandalynn Jones
UW-Madison professor Christopher Taylor.
press release: Join us in Gallery III (3) for a live performance by pianist Christopher Taylor! This concert celebrates our beloved piano, before it travels to Memorial Union for the 2023-2024 concert seasons!
Christopher Taylor, piano
Beethoven/Liszt - Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93
---INTERMISSION---
Beethoven/Liszt - Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
About Christopher Taylor:
Hailed by critics as “frighteningly talented” (The New York Times) and “a great pianist” (The Los Angeles Times), Christopher Taylor has distinguished himself throughout his career as an innovative musician with a diverse array of talents and interests. He is known for a passionate advocacy of music written in the past 100 years — Messiaen, Ligeti, and Bolcom figure prominently in his performances — but his repertoire spans four centuries and includes the complete Beethoven sonatas, the Liszt Transcendental Etudes, Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and a multitude of other familiar masterworks. Whatever the genre or era of the composition, Mr. Taylor brings to it an active imagination and intellect coupled with heartfelt intensity and grace.
Mr. Taylor has concertized around the globe, with international tours taking him to Russia, Western Europe, East Asia, and the Carribean. At home in the U.S. he has appeared with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony. As a soloist he has performed in New York’s Carnegie and Alice Tully Halls, in Washington’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Ravinia and Aspen festivals, and dozens of other venues. In chamber settings, he has collaborated with many eminent musicians, including Robert McDuffie and the Borromeo, Shanghai, Pro Arte, and Ying Quartets. His recordings have featured works by Liszt, Messiaen, and present-day Americans William Bolcom and Derek Bermel. Throughout his career Mr. Taylor has become known for undertaking memorable and unusual projects. Examples include: an upcoming tour in which he will perform, from memory, the complete transcriptions of Beethoven symphonies by Liszt; performances and lectures on the complete etudes of György Ligeti; and a series of performances of the Goldberg Variations on the unique double-manual Steinway piano in the collection of the University of Wisconsin. He has actively promoted the rediscovery and refurbishment of the latter instrument; in recent years he has also been building a reinvented and modernized version of it, a project that relies on his computer and engineering skills and was unveiled in a demonstration recital in 2016.
Numerous awards have confirmed Mr. Taylor’s high standing in the musical world. He was named an American Pianists’ Association Fellow for 2000, before which he received an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1996 and the Bronze Medal in the 1993 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In 1990 he took first prize in the William Kapell International Piano Competition, and also became one of the first recipients of the Irving Gilmore Young Artists’ Award.
Mr. Taylor owes much of his success to several outstanding teachers, including Russell Sherman, Maria Curcio-Diamand, Francisco Aybar, and Julie Bees. In addition to his busy concert schedule, he currently serves as Paul Collins Associate Professor of Piano Performance at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He pursues a variety of other interests, including: mathematics (he received a summa cum laude degree from Harvard University in this field in 1992); philosophy (an article he coauthored with the leading scholar Daniel Dennett appears in the Oxford Free Will Handbook); computing; linguistics; and biking, which is his primary means of commuting. Mr. Taylor lives in Middleton, Wisconsin, with his wife and two daughters. Christopher Taylor is a Steinway artist.
IMPORTANT EVENT DETAILS
Attendance is limited and tickets are required to attend Sunday Afternoon Live in-person. Please arrive by 12:15 pm to find your seat, or your tickets may be forfeited to walk-in guests.
Unable to join us live at the Chazen Museum of Art? A video of this performance will be live streamed on the Chazen Museum of Art Facebook page. No registration is required for streaming from home.
A very special thank you to Dr. Kato Perlman, whose leading generosity helps make the Sunday Afternoon Live program possible.
Location Chazen Museum of Art 750 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53706 | 2022-11-18T01:35:37Z | isthmus.com | Sunday Afternoon Live - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/sunday-afternoon-live-christopher-taylor/ | https://isthmus.com/events/sunday-afternoon-live-christopher-taylor/ |
media release: Pope Francis and Catholics’ views on climate change
Nan Li, assistant professor of life sciences communication
In 2015, Pope Francis issued an encyclical urging Catholics to focus on a broad range of environmental issues, including climate change. How did the U.S. Catholics on both the left and the right respond to the papal teaching? What are the implications on communicating climate change, sustainability and energy-related issues in polarized opinion environments? | 2022-11-18T01:35:51Z | isthmus.com | Sustainable Energy Seminar Series - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/sustainable-energy-seminar-series-nov-21/ | https://isthmus.com/events/sustainable-energy-seminar-series-nov-21/ |
Home Tab Benoit, JD Simo
Tab Benoit, JD Simo
media release: NOLA Funk & T Presents TAB BENOIT
with special guest JD SIMO
Tickets: $32.50 Advance/$37.50 Day Of Show; Gold Circle: $47.50 Advance/$52.50 Day Of Show
Tab Benoit is a Grammy nominated singer, songwriter and guitarist who has built a remarkable 30+ year career on the foundation of his gritty and soulful Delta swamp blues, acquiring a devoted legion of fans along the way, as well as 5 Blues Music Awards, including BB King Entertainer of the Year (twice) and an induction into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He has recorded and/or performed with Junior Wells, George Porter Jr, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Billy Joe Shaver, Maria Muldaur, James Cotton, Cyril Neville, Kenny Aronoff, Allen Toussaint, Kim Wilson, Jimmy Thackery, Charlie Musslewhite, Kenny Neal, Chris Layton, Ivan Neville, Jimmy Hall, Jim Lauderdale, Anders Osborne, and Alvin Youngblood Hart to name a few. Tab’s accomplishments as a musician are matched only by his devotion to the environmental health of his native Louisiana wetlands. Benoit is the founder and driving force behind Voice of the Wetlands, an organization working to preserve the coastal waters of his home state. In 2010, he received the Governor’s Award for Conservationist of the Year from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation.
JD Simo… The Chicago-born, now Nashville transplant is like a one-man crusade dedicated to keeping music real, raw, and honest. No matter the setting and no matter his role (whether it’s wingman or bandleader).
J.D.’s presence infuses the situation of the moment with the music that’s been fueling him pretty much his whole life, spiced with influences that straddle both decades and dimensions.
As a songwriter, guitarist, and producer he has worked with the likes of Jack White, Tommy Emmanuel, Luther Dickinson, Dave Cobb, Blackberry Smoke, and even been a member of Grateful Dead founder Phil Lesh’ “Phil & Friends”. | 2022-11-18T01:35:57Z | isthmus.com | Tab Benoit, JD Simo - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/tab-benoit-jd-simo/ | https://isthmus.com/events/tab-benoit-jd-simo/ |
Home Wendy Red Star reception
Wendy Red Star reception
Wendy Red Star is Apsáalooke (Crow) and a multimedia artist focused on Indigenous perspectives of the received Native American narrative. Vintage imagery and her own photos combine to create a trenchant commentary on current U.S. culture. In “Apsáalooke: Children of the Large-Beaked Bird,” Red Star annotates portraits of Native Americans taken during the late 1800s-early 1900s when Crow leaders traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. officials. Her commentary provides needed and appreciated context. MMoCA's current hours are noon-6 p.m., Thursday-Sunday; a reception takes place Friday, Dec. 9. from 5-8 p.m., with a performance by the Wisconsin Dells Singers.
courtesy Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
Wendy Red Star, "Déaxitchish/Pretty Eagle," 2014. Original photograph of Déaxitchish by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ethnology, from the1880 Crow Peace Delegation, in Washington D.C.
press release: On November 12, Wendy Red Star: Apsáalooke: Children of the Large-Beaked Bird opens at MMoCA. Wendy Red Star is a multimedia artist and a member of the Apsáalooke (Crow) tribe who creates art to offer a narrative of Native people in America that focuses on an indigenous perspective rather than the typical stories told by non-Native scholars. An avid researcher, Red Star uses historic imagery and material culture as direct references for her own photographs and installations.
Please join us for an Exhibition Celebration on Friday, December 9 from 5-8 PM. This free event will include a virtual introduction from Wendy Red Star and a performance by the Wisconsin Dells Singers. A cash bar will be available in the Lobby and in the Museum’s third floor lounge. | 2022-11-18T01:36:03Z | isthmus.com | Wendy Red Star reception - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/wendy-red-star-reception/ | https://isthmus.com/events/wendy-red-star-reception/ |
Home NEWS News UW-Madison students helped get critical youth vote out for November election
UW-Madison students helped get critical youth vote out for November election
Abortion, climate change were motivating issues
by Hannah Ritvo
Hannah Ritvo
Memorial Union voting Nov. 8, 2022
Registration and turnout was up at student wards for the Nov. 8 election. Memorial Union above.
Margaret Keuler, a 20-year-old junior at UW-Madison, skipped classes on Election Day to canvas for Gov. Tony Evers. She began her day at 8 a.m. at Library Mall, and ended the night at 1 a.m. at an election night party at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Madison.
“Your vote really matters in Wisconsin, specifically the youth vote,” says Keuler, chair of College Democrats of Wisconsin.
College Democrats of Wisconsin knew the youth vote was critical for success in the Nov. 8 midterm election, and volunteers worked hard to register students at UW-Madison and around Wisconsin. “Students make up a large percentage of the electorate across the state,” Keuler says. “Especially in a campus as big as Madison's, it's important that people turn out and vote.”
College Republicans of UW-Madison also worked hard to engage students in politics this year, says Bernadette Doray, a junior and deputy communications director for the student group. College Republicans of UW-Madison works to promote principles of the Republican Party and encourages conservative students to get involved in the political process.
“We urged our members to go out door knocking, especially for [U.S. Sen.] Ron Johnson’s campaign,” says Doray. Gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels, who was challenging Evers, and attorney general candidate Eric Toney also spoke at one of their meetings.
Democratic candidates and their surrogates also flocked to campus. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders both spoke at Madison rallies.
Gov. Tony Evers appeared on campus on Election Day.
Data from Dane County’s student wards indicate this work paid off in higher turnout among young voters on campus, when compared to 2018.
In 2018, for instance, 919 individuals voted in Ward 57, which encompasses residence halls Sellery and Witte. In 2022, this number increased to 1394. Similar trends could be seen in Ward 61, where turnout increased from 868 to 1147. Ward 61 includes students living in freshman dorms Bradley, Dejope, Humphrey, Jorns, Kronshage, Leopold, Cole and Phillip.
The percentage of votes cast for Evers increased in both student wards. In 2018, 76 percent of votes were cast for Evers in Ward 57; 83 percent went to Evers in the recent midterm. In Ward 61, support for Evers increased from 69 percent of voters in 2018 to 85 percent in 2022.
Nationwide, the youth vote turned out for Democrats, according to a network exit poll conducted by Edison Research and AP Votecast. This poll showed that 53 percent of young people aged 18 to 29 supported Democrats in Congressional races, compared to 41 percent support for Republicans and 5 percent for independents. The 18 to 29 year old age group had the highest percentage of voters supporting Democrats for Congress.
This was Keuler’s first post-COVID-19 election and she says she was shocked by enthusiasm on campus. When asked what issue young people are most concerned about, she quickly replies “abortion.”
This sentiment was mirrored by other students on Election Day.
“Roe v. Wade is the only thing I care about right now,” said Maggie Brock, after voting at a polling center at Hillel on Langdon Street.
Twenty feet from Brock was Danya Paley, a UW-Madison junior who works the front desk at Hillel on Tuesday nights. Her duties typically include greeting guests, answering calls and directing crowds as needed. On Election Day, she also helped individuals exercise their right to vote.
“People who weren’t registered and didn’t know if they could vote came to me and asked me questions. I didn’t always know how to answer, but we have a sheet here to help,” Paley said.
Paley voted in her hometown of Milwaukee and says she was surprised by the turnout she saw in both Milwaukee and Madison. “The door has been opening every five seconds and there’s been a line every minute of the day today.”
The race for governor this year was the most expensive political campaign in Wisconsin history. Both Republicans and Democrats relied on get-out-the-vote groups to increase enthusiasm for their candidates.
Efforts were visible around campus, with numerous get-out-the-vote groups overtaking Library Mall leading up to Election Day. Volunteers called out to passersby, encouraging them to vote and helping register anyone who needed help. For Wisconsin was one of the groups canvassing.
Ben Wessel, a For Wisconsin volunteer, spent the 10 days before the election registering students on different college campuses across the state. On Election Day he staffed a stand near Memorial Union, the polling place for Ward 60, which includes the university’s Lakeshore residence halls. Wessel said he volunteers because he is passionate about critical issues and the candidates who were on the Nov. 8 ballot.
“I care a lot about climate change. I’m really worried about whether we’re going to do enough,” Wessel said. “I know there’s a big difference between candidates when it comes to climate change, so I’m here to make sure that everyone knows where I stand on that.”
Izzie Behl, chief inspector of Ward 60, said student turnout was high this year and more students registered ahead of time than in previous years. Behl, a student, works the polls to make sure that voting is equitable and accessible for all.
“I want to ensure that nobody is disenfranchised…so people get a chance to vote,” Behl said.
Some students not as passionate about the process or the races showed up to vote anyway. Noah Harris and Trevor Garski, 18-year-old freshmen who voted at Gordon Dining Hall, said they were not particularly concerned about any issues on the ballot.
“We just want to exercise our rights.” Garski said.
Fernando Garza, a sophomore voting at the Hillel location, answered similarly when asked if anything in particular on the ballot brought him to the polls. “I’m not going to lie: not really,” he said. “I picked one party and then selected them all.”
Margaret Keuler, chair of College Democrats of Wisconsin, celebrates Evers’ victory at the Orpheum Theater.
Keuler ended Election Night at the Evers watch party at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Madison. After midnight, when Evers had clinched victory, she tweeted a picture of herself smiling and holding a “Tony for Wisconsin” sign in front of a huge screen showing the results of races nationwide. She tweeted: “We did it Wisconsin, STUDENTS did this Wisconsin!”
John Hawkins, UW junior and finance intern for Evers’ campaign, was also at the party. And he, too, is convinced the youth vote was key to the statewide victories sealed by the Democrats. “Overall, the people of Dane County, especially students, paved the way for Gov. Evers and countless other Wisconsin Democrats.”
2022 Midterm Elections Tony Evers Ron Johnson | 2022-11-18T01:36:09Z | isthmus.com | UW-Madison students helped get critical youth vote out for November election - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/news/uw-madison-students-helped-get-critical-youth-vote-out-for-n/ | https://isthmus.com/news/news/uw-madison-students-helped-get-critical-youth-vote-out-for-n/ |
Home Arts + Literature Laboratory Exhibits reception
Arts + Literature Laboratory Exhibits reception
"Heavy Is the Crown," an exhibition of work by Sharon L. Bjyrd, is part of the Bridge Work Madison program.
Sharon's work includes serving as a juror for Art Fair on the Square 2022; “Honoring the Black Woman” exhibit which is on permanent display at Madison College; "Let's Talk About It, The Art, The Artists and The Racial Justice Movement on Madison's State Street" the book; the State St Mural Project, 2020; emerging artist at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's Art Fair on the Square; and the “Flowers in the Garden exhibit at the historic South Side Community Art Center, Chicago.
Heavy is the Crown is a vibrant celebration of the beauty and strength of Black women. The work examines hair as an integral part of Black culture and explores the fabric of our continued ties to Africa as seen through the use of African print inspired headwraps and motifs. This group of paintings are an introduction to a new iconography of modern Black womanhood.
"What to Expect," an exhibition of work by Sarah Stankey, is also part of the Bridge Work Madison program (read more on the program below).
Artist statement: Deciding to become pregnant comes with loads of expectations. I planned, I read the books, I did everything correctly. I pictured what I would look like as an enormously pregnant glowing goddess of fertility, patiently awaiting the arrival of my baby and getting whisked off to the delivery room where I would have an uncomplicated birth, hold my newborn and immediately fall in love as we shared those first intimate, transcendental moments together. At twenty seven weeks gestation, only six months pregnant, that fantasy ended abruptly. I first saw my baby through multiple layers of plastic while I was still sliced open, lying motionless on a steel operating table, trying not to throw up. I was right about one thing, the moment I became a mother was transformative. The memory of our ninety days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is like a whiplash. It was not one traumatic day or event, but rather months. This exhibition is a culmination of me piecing my memories back together and attempting to live alongside the trauma.
"As All Existence" is an exhibition of work by Katherine Steichen Rosing.
Rosing's work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad, including Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, and Beijing. Her work is included in public and private collections internationally, including the State of Wisconsin Collection.
"Renascence and Waves," is an exhibition of work by Wendi Kent.
She is an outspoken advocate for de-stigmatizing mental illness and raising awareness of invisible disabilities. Wendi highly values being a mentor to Madison youth whether it be through art education, emotional support, facilitating valuable relationships, or activist initiatives. She aims to arm artists with what they may need to build coping skills through their technique. Sharing her process also works to supply viewers with the insight necessary to experience abstract art in new and innovative ways. She resides on a farm with her wife, 2 children, 2 dogs, a snake, and numerous other wild creatures, some welcome, some not so much.
Bridge Work is a collaborative endeavor initiated by Jason S. Yi and Leah Kolb of Plum Blossom Initiative (Wisconsin), with Mat Greiner of Chicken Tractor (Iowa), and Launa Bacon of Darger HQ (Nebraska), and joined in 2017 by the curators of Arts + Literature Laboratory (Madison). Bridge Work provides critical opportunities for emerging artists to broaden the scope of their professional connections and experiences. This multi-state project also endeavors to forge a more interconnected arts community throughout the region by facilitating meaningful artistic exchanges and dialogs among artists and art-centered organizations and professionals. | 2022-11-18T16:10:55Z | isthmus.com | Arts + Literature Laboratory Exhibits reception - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/sharon-bjyrd-sarah-stankey-reception/ | https://isthmus.com/events/sharon-bjyrd-sarah-stankey-reception/ |
Home Sifting & Reckoning: UW-Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance panel discussion
Sifting & Reckoning: UW-Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance panel discussion
UW Memorial Library 728 State St., Madison, Wisconsin
Bob Chiang/UW-Madison Archives
A 1970s protest march on the UW-Madison campus.
Protestors link arms as they march to re-open and expand the cultural centers at UW-Madison.
Museums and other cultural institutions have begun the work of recognizing the sometimes tainted provenance of the works they house and acknowledging the underrepresented in their collections. This has itself caused a backlash from the right. UW-Madison Public History Project's Sifting & Reckoning: UW-Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance examines 150 years of struggle, discrimination, exclusion and resistance at the university through various artifacts and oral histories. Kacie Lucchini Butcher, co-curator of the exhibit at the Chazen, calls it “an opportunity for us to reflect on what happened here at UW-Madison so that we can better understand what we need to do in order to create a more equitable future.” Closed on Nov. 24; a panel discussion by Lucchini Butcher, Lisa Carter (vice provost for UW libraries) and Troy Reeves (Oral History Program head) will take place at 4 p.m. on Dec. 1, at Memorial Library (register here).
media release: The struggle for belonging on campus—in social organizations, housing, athletics and more—will be illuminated in the exhibition Sifting & Reckoning: UW–Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance.
Presented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Public History Project, the exhibition will be a powerful examination of 150 years of struggle and perseverance on campus when it goes on view Sept. 12–Dec. 23 (note new end date), 2022 at the Chazen Museum of Art. Please note that the museum will be closed Dec. 24, 2022–Jan. 25, 2023, for annual maintenance.
Sept. 29, 5 pm: Join us for an Student Night at the UW-Madison Public History Project’s exhibition Sifting & Reckoning: UW-Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance at the Chazen Museum of Art. Learn more about the history of UW-Madison and the impact that students, faculty, and staff have had on changing our campus community. Free food and musical performances from UW’s own First Wave!
Oct. 6, 6 pm: Chazen Director Amy Gilman will join Public History Project Director Kacie Lucchini Butcher in discussion around the UW–Madison Public History Project and the work that went into creating the exhibition, Sifting & Reckoning: UW–Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance. This project was “a multi-year effort to uncover and give voice to those who experienced and challenged exclusion on campus." This conversation will occur in the Chazen Auditorium from 6-7 pm, and tickets are recommended for the in-person talk. Guests who are unable to attend in person will be able to stream this event live on the Chazen Museum of Art Facebook page.
Dec. 1: Join Friends of UW-Madison Libraries for a self-guided group tour followed by a discussion of the exhibition to reflect on the content and consider the project from the perspective of archives. How were items discovered? What was missing? Will this project impact archival retention in the future? Free and open to the public.
3 P.M. Tour: Chazen Museum of Art; 4 P.M. Discussion: Memorial Library Rm 126
Panelists: Kacie Lucchini Butcher, director, Public History Project; Lisa Carter, vice provost for libraries; Troy Reeves, head of Oral History Program
R.S.V.P. for reminder & recording go.wisc.edu/xe6ndl
The UW–Madison Public History Project is an initiative started in 2019 by Chancellor Rebecca Blank to uncover and give voice to the histories of discrimination, exclusion and resistance at the university. The project will make its research accessible to the public through the exhibition at the Chazen, as well as through an exhibition website, curricular materials, events and more.
“More and more, powerful institutions of higher education are recognizing the need to reckon with their past,” says Kacie Lucchini Butcher, the director of the Public History Project and curator of Sifting & Reckoning. “This exhibition is groundbreaking because of its focus on the history of discrimination and resistance on our own campus, and not only on ties to outside events. It’s an opportunity for us to reflect on what happened here at UW–Madison so that we can better understand what we need to do in order to create a more equitable future.”
In Sifting & Reckoning, visitors will explore the various experiences of marginalized students told through objects from more than a century of life on campus, rarely displayed artifacts pulled from UW Archives.
They include the Pipe of Peace, a ceremonial object used by white students in a popular mock Native ceremony. They also include protest flyers, created by students fighting against racism and posted across the campus; buttons and athletic memorabilia; yearbooks; and photographs and film. Recorded oral histories, available on the project’s website, will also shine a light on more than a century of struggle and perseverance. The exhibition will include interactive opportunities for visitors to reflect and discuss the complicated histories presented.
Broadly, the intent of the project is to ensure that students and alumni are aware of the full history of the university, including the accomplishments of campus community members from marginalized populations whose stories previously may have been hidden or not widely known.
“We are proud to partner with the UW–Madison Public History Project and to be the space for this extremely important exhibition,” says Amy Gilman, director of the Chazen. “Understanding and recognizing our own history as a campus is an important part of the work to build more inclusive and representative spaces.”
In addition to Lucchini Butcher, the exhibition is co-curated by Taylor Bailey and Adriana Arthur, graduate student researchers and curatorial assistants; the Public History Project Steering Committee; and collaborative partnerships with student groups, community partners and campus stakeholders.
The UW–Madison Public History Project was made possible with support and funding provided by the Office of the Chancellor.
The museum and café are closed for campus holidays: Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day.
Location UW Memorial Library 728 State St., Madison, Wisconsin | 2022-11-21T22:30:32Z | isthmus.com | Sifting & Reckoning: UW-Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance panel discussion - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/sifting-reckoning-uw-madison-history-of-exclusion-panel/ | https://isthmus.com/events/sifting-reckoning-uw-madison-history-of-exclusion-panel/ |
Home Joe Gatto
A close-up of Joe Gatto.
media release: Joe Gatto has announced dates for his ongoing Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy tour. The comedian and television personality’s live shows are scheduled for the spring of 2023, with a stop at Overture Center on Saturday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Overture Hall.
Joe Gatto, a well-known comedian, actor and producer, is best known for the hit TV shows “Impractical Jokers” and “The Misery Index.” He is one of the founding members of The Tenderloins Comedy Troupe who has toured with a live comedy show to sold-out crowds across the world, including legendary arenas such as Madison Square Garden in New York and the O2 Arena in London.
Joe loves spending time with his two children and his ever-growing pack of rescue dogs affectionately known as the “Gatto Pups.” | 2022-11-22T03:46:12Z | isthmus.com | Joe Gatto - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/joe-gatto-2023/ | https://isthmus.com/events/joe-gatto-2023/ |
Home Passenger Rail Station Study Kick-off Meeting
Passenger Rail Station Study Kick-off Meeting
Madison Municipal Building 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
media release: The city of Madison is hosting a kick-off meeting for the Passenger Rail Station Study on December 7, 2022. The meeting offers in-person and virtual alternatives for attending.
The purpose of the study is to identify a recommended location for a potential future Amtrak Station. With the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law, historical levels of funding are available for new intercity passenger rail service. At the same time, Amtrak has identified Madison as a connection on a future Hiawatha Service extension. The study will leverage these opportunities and work towards bringing passenger rail service to Madison!
The meeting will include a presentation explaining the project, with opportunities to provide input and ask questions about the presentation and the opportunity to correspond with the elected officials, City Staff, Amtrak Staff, and the project consultant team.
The meeting will begin at 4:30 pm in room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.
Virtual via Zoom
The presentation will occur via Zoom at 6:30 pm.
Please register here for the virtual meeting, and visiting the city of Madison Transportation - Passenger Rail Station page for more information.
Location Madison Municipal Building 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Madison, Wisconsin 53703 | 2022-11-22T03:46:43Z | isthmus.com | Passenger Rail Station Study Kick-off Meeting - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/passenger-rail-station-study-kick-off-meeting/ | https://isthmus.com/events/passenger-rail-station-study-kick-off-meeting/ |
press release: Save the date for our next distinguished lecture titled: CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN RIGHTS: A JUSTICE CONUNDRUM?
On Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84234586353?pwd=U044Z2JQRklTY2lRWVF6anhQUUdvUT09
UNA-USA, Dane County Chapter Distinguished Lecture Series Presents: Director of the Global Legal Studies Center at the University of Wisconsin Law School Sumudu Atapattu
Climate change is a defining issue of our generation. From the mass movement of people to the disappearance of island states, from sea level rise to extreme weather events, the adverse consequences of climate change pose unique and unprecedented legal, policy and human rights challenges. Moreover, given the disproportionate impact on poor and vulnerable communities and states, climate change raises profound issues of social justice. This presentation by Dr. Sumudu Atapattu will look at these challenges and the implications for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Sumudu Atapattu is a teaching professor and director of the Global Legal Studies Center at the University of Wisconsin Law School. She is also the Executive Director of the campus-wide interdisciplinary Human Rights Program. She serves as the Lead Counsel for Human Rights at the Center for International Sustainable Development Law, and is affiliated faculty at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights, Sweden. | 2022-11-22T03:47:10Z | isthmus.com | United Nations Association-Dane County - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/una-dane-dec-13/ | https://isthmus.com/events/una-dane-dec-13/ |
Home Ken Medema & Andra Moran
Ken Medema & Andra Moran
McFarland United Church of Christ 5710 Anthony St., McFarland, Wisconsin 53558
media release: Ken Medema is a world-class pianist, vocalist and composer. Andra Moran is a nationally known Christian singer/songwriter, recording artist, author and worship leader. Ken and Andra will do some songs together, as well as on their own.
If you are not familiar with Ken Medema, he is a world-class pianist and vocalist and composer who lives in San Francisco. Ken’s songs have been sung throughout the world since the 1970’s when he began his incredible ministry. Ken, who is not able to see, is most known for his awe-inspiring ability to write “spontaneous songs.” He is able to listen to a story or spoken message from someone and then sit down at the piano and immediately sing back the themes that he just heard in the message. A significant part of the concert will involve Ken inviting audience members to share a personal story about Advent or Christmas and then have Ken “sing the story back” to them. You will be touched, brought to tears, laughter, and simply amazed.
Andra Moran is a nationally known Christian singer/songwriter, recording artist, author, and worship leader who lives in Nashville, TN. Andra has led music and worship at many national and regional denominational events, especially in the United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ. She is well known throughout Wisconsin for her work with youth at various retreats throughout the years.
Location McFarland United Church of Christ 5710 Anthony St., McFarland, Wisconsin 53558 | 2022-11-23T23:45:48Z | isthmus.com | Ken Medema & Andra Moran - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/ken-medema-andra-moran/ | https://isthmus.com/events/ken-medema-andra-moran/ |
Home A & E What to do in Madison this weekend: TRL, Hip-Hop Nutcracker and more Isthmus Picks
What to do in Madison this weekend: TRL, Hip-Hop Nutcracker and more Isthmus Picks
Free Thanksgiving meals, Thursday, Nov. 24: If you're looking for some fellowship (and some good eats) on the holiday, there are multiple options offered by community organizations. In-person meals take place at the Raymond Road location of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (11 a.m.-1 p.m.); Lakeview Lutheran Church (noon; RSVP at 608-244-6181); and Delta Beer Lab (3-5 p.m.; RSVP appreciated).
The Immersive Van Gogh presentation at a Chicago tour stop.
Immersive Van Gogh, Nov. 24-Jan. 8, Greenway Station: If you've ever wanted to just fall into a scene depicted in one of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings...this traveling presentation by Lighthouse Immersive is about as close as you can get. Spaces are transformed with large-scale projections of digitally recreated incarnations of Van Gogh's works. Purchase tickets for timed entry at vangoghmadison.com; the experience is hosted at 1651 Deming Way, Middleton, in the Greenway Station retail center.
Kids in the Rotunda, Friday, Nov. 25, Overture Center-Rotunda Stage, 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.: This edition of Overture Center's free series for kids is extra special for two reasons. First, it is the last chance to see a performance by legendary Madison juggler Truly Remarkable Loon, who will be tossing the flaming torches no more after these three performances. Second, it is a day off from school as part of a long holiday weekend (a double bonus for the kiddos). And it's worth noting that Kids in the Rotunda is also holding down its normal time slot on Saturday, Nov. 26, with performances by Yid Vicious at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Joseph Mougel + Richard Moninski, through Jan. 22, Overture Center-James Watrous Gallery: This winter, explore the great outdoors inside the James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy as it unveils a pair of new exhibits. The “Herbarium” series by photographer Joseph Mougel explores plants and colonization, and plays with nature’s tension between the scientific and whimsical in his collection. In “Clash/Meld,” painter and digital artist Richard Moninski contrasts the natural with the man-made to explore nature, history and culture. The exhibit is up through Jan. 22; regular hours are noon-6 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Nov. 24, Dec. 24-25 and 31, Jan. 1.
Black Friday Market & Pub Crawl, Friday, Nov. 25, near east side, noon-5 p.m.: Madison Makers Market coordinates this blowout of an afternoon of art-trawling and bar-hopping (here is your friendly reminder: don't take your drink between locations). More than 125 vendors are assembled at eight locations; there are dozens at both The Sylvee and Brink Lounge, and smaller groupings at Giant Jones, Imaginary Factory, Old Sugar Distillery, State Line Distillery, Vintage-Capitol East and Working Draft. Why futz with predicted shipping delays when you can do some local holiday shopping from regional makers? Find the full list of vendors at each location on Facebook.
BGCDC Holiday Gift Drive, through Dec. 2, various locations: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County is once again collecting board games, toys and books appropriate for ages 18 and under, for distribution to member families during the holiday season. Through Dec. 2, new, unwrapped donations can be dropped at any BGCDC location; all Dane County Walgreens; BMO Harris Bank, 4726 East Towne Blvd. and 7447 University Ave., and Carbon World Health, in Madison; Cardinal HVAC and Full Mile Brewing in Sun Prairie; and JSD Professional Services in Verona. No time to shop for a gift? Find links for an Amazon wish list or monetary donations at bgcdc.org/holidayextravaganza.
Zoo Lights, Nov. 25-Dec. 30, Henry Vilas Zoo: Tis the season of holiday light displays, and one of the region's most elaborate and unique incarnations can be found at Henry Vilas Zoo. Zoo Lights opens on Thanksgiving weekend, and Santa will be on hand for photos through Dec. 23; tickets also include unlimited carousel rides. Purchase tickets in advance for timed entry from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 18, plus Dec. 20-23 and 26-30.
Dancers suspended in mid-air.
In the air are Seth “REAKTION” Hilliard and Anthony “OMEN” Cabrera, during a performance of The Hip-Hop Nutcracker.
Hip-Hop Nutcracker, Friday, Nov. 25, Overture Hall, 7 p.m.: Of course Tchaikovksy’s The Nutcracker is a perennial favorite, and this contemporary take is a welcome variation on the familiar scenes and pirouettes. This hip-hop version of the ballet takes the holiday scene to New York City and incorporates fresh dance moves (the “Russian Dance” gone street is a particular delight). The plot is essentially the same, and most of the orchestral music is straight-up Tchaikovksy. Tickets at overture.org.
Sean Patton, Nov. 25-26, Comedy on State, 7:30 and 10 p.m.: A staple of Comedy Central, Sean Patton has been seen on shows such as stand-up showcases Live at Gotham and The Half Hour or acting on Inside Amy Schumer. His live stand-up work has taken him around the world to festivals from Melbourne to Glasgow to Austin, and brings him back to Madison for a weekend stand at Comedy on State.
Megan Knudson
A band and guests on stage at the Majestic.
The Driveway Thriftdwellers and guests during the 2021 Celebration of Tom Petty concert.
Celebration of Tom Petty, Friday, Nov. 25, Majestic Theatre, 8 p.m.: t's been five years since Tom Petty died, likely from a buildup of a variety of pain medications. The sound of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers didn't change significantly over the course of the band's career, yet never got old. It was straight-ahead rock, always melodic, with ringing guitars and a driving beat in songs like “You Wreck Me” and “The Waiting.” The Driveway Thriftdwellers, plus members of WheelHouse, People Brothers Band, Wise Jennings, Alex White, Mackenzie Moore and others bring it all back in this fifth Petty party.
Sky Urchin, Friday, Nov. 25, Dark Horse ArtBar, 9 p.m.: Madison rock trio Sky Urchin returns to clubland for the first time in a few years, with a new single as a teaser. “Co-Alone” commences low-key and doomy before shifting into fuzzy banger mode; it's the first glimpse of Sky Urchin's debut album, set for 2023. This show does have a bittersweet aspect: it is your last chance to visit Dark Horse ArtBar, which will be closing after Nov. 25 following a too-short reign on East Washington. With The Vipers, Haunt Smiley.
Denku x Urban, Saturday, Nov. 26, The Rigby, 9 p.m.: Prolific Milwaukee emcee Taiyamo Denku is a frequent collaborator with other artists, and Denku's 2022 releases include Artistic Display, a collaborative album with Madison rapper Urban Legend. Catch the collab in person at this holiday weekend concert also featuring Pestilence, Dash, Chas and DJ Toxic T.
Stuart Berg
A man at a Roland keyboard.
Daryl Hall + Todd Rundgren, Sunday, Nov. 27, Orpheum, 7:30 p.m.: Daryl Hall and Todd Rundgren came up through the Philadelphia music scene in the 1960s, and 2022 finds them touring together. The honey-voiced Hall's latest release is Before/After, the first collection to include work from all his solo albums. The eternally exploring Rundgren's newest, Space Force, launched in October. Don't miss the chance to see two Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees on the same bill, and in the historic, newly renovated Orpheum Theater to boot. | 2022-11-24T11:09:41Z | isthmus.com | What to do in Madison this weekend: TRL, Hip-Hop Nutcracker and more Isthmus Picks - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/isthmus-picks-nov-24-to-27-2022/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/isthmus-picks-nov-24-to-27-2022/ |
press release: The Story of People, Fire, and Pines in the Great Lakes
Do trees remember human history? Join the Charles E. Brown chapter of the Wisconsin Archeological Society and Dr. Evan Larson as he passes on the stories that the trees of the North Woods have to tell. Notions of Wilderness as untrammeled and unpeopled are pervasive in WEstern society and readily lead to the perspective that human impacts are always harmful to the environment. In contrast, a growing recognition that Native American peoples affected the environments around them, just as those environments affected them, is forcing us to rethink the idea of a divide between people and nature. Come hear Dr. Larson discuss a new and amazing study linking tree-ring data, decades of archaeological work in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Indigenous Knowledge, and the rich cultural history of the region. How did people actively shape what is often thought of as a pristine landscape? How can we be better stewards of the land and manage dramatic climate and cultural change? join us and find out!
Zoom presentation: December 8, 2022, 7:00 PM.
Free and Open to the Public. Register for this virtual presentation at: https://wihist.org/CEB-Dec22 | 2022-11-28T21:51:41Z | isthmus.com | Wisconsin Archeological Society-Charles E. Brown Chapter - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/WAS-charles-e-brown-chapter-dec-8/ | https://isthmus.com/events/WAS-charles-e-brown-chapter-dec-8/ |
Home LP Pop-up Shop
LP Pop-up Shop
media release: You have a chance to collect a vinyl piece of Wisconsin history by shopping the personal record collection of Jim Kirchstein, founder of Cuca Records!
This temporary sale will take place at 1922 S. Stoughton Road in Madison, the same location as our Agrace Holiday Pop-Up Shop, December 4 – 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
About the Donation:
Cuca Records, an independent record label founded by Jim Kirchstein in 1959, is said to have “captured the sound of Wisconsin in the 1960s.” The small studio located in Sauk City, Wisconsin, recorded thousands of songs and LP records by Wisconsin or Wisconsin-adjacent musicians until the early 1970s.
After years of curating a personal collection of rock, country, jazz, blues and Americana genre albums, Kirchstein chose to donate his beloved records to Agrace.
For one week only, Agrace is holding the sale of Jim Kirchstein’s personal record collection. Records will be sold for $2 each. Proceeds from the sale will help fund Agrace’s health care services across southern Wisconsin.
Community Calendar Fundraisers, Special Interests | 2022-11-28T21:52:00Z | isthmus.com | LP Pop-up Shop - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/lp-pop-up-shop/ | https://isthmus.com/events/lp-pop-up-shop/ |
Home NCAA Volleyball Tournament
UW Field House 1450 Monroe St., Madison, Wisconsin
press release: For the 10th-straight season and for the 26th time in program history, the Wisconsin volleyball team has earned a bid to the NCAA tournament. The Badgers were selected as the top regional seed and the No. 3 seed overall in the tournament, and will host first and second round matches on Friday and Saturday in the UW Field House.
Washington (20-10) takes on TCU (16-10) in the opening first-round match on Friday at 4:30 p.m. before Wisconsin (25-3) faces off against Quinnipiac (14-14) at 7 p.m. First-round winners advance to the second round of the tournament on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Field House.
“There is excitement about getting another week and another match with this,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said. “You have to earn the right to move on and every match you play is kind of a gift.
“We’re excited about playing Quinnipiac, it’s their first time ever being in the tournament and I’ve been in that place at Albany and I know what that means. (TCU) is a team that was good when we saw them and is a team this getting better as they’ve gone on and progressed. Washington is one of the top teams in the Pac-12. It’s a really well-coached team that plays hard and has big-time players and a big-time setter. We’ll have to get ready to play some of our best volleyball of the year this weekend.”
The Badgers are the reigning NCAA champions and hold a 60-24 (.714) all-time record in the program’s 25 NCAA tournament appearances. UW is 32-8 under Sheffield in nine years in the championship, advancing to at least the Sweet 16 round of play each season, including four appearances in the national championship final four.
UW won its fourth-straight Big Ten Conference championship in 2022, tying a program record for the most wins in the conference season at 19-1. Wisconsin is on an 18-match winning streak, tying for the second longest in program history.
Wisconsin has been a top-four seed in the tournament four other times – No. 4 seed in 2021, No. 1 seed in 2020, No. 4 seed in 2019, No. 3 seed in 2016, and No. 4 seed in 2014.
Six Big Ten Conference teams made it into the NCAA tournament with Wisconsin earning the conference’s automatic bid and the highest seed in the league. Five other league teams also received top-32 seeds -- Nebraska (No. 2 seed in Louisville Regional), Minnesota (No. 2 in Texas Regional), Ohio State (No. 3 in Texas Regional), Penn State (No. 4 in Wisconsin Regional) and Purdue (No. 8 in Louisville Regional).
First and second round all-session tickets go on-sale beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, online at UWBadgers.com, over-the-phone by calling 608.262.1440 or 1.800.GO.BADGERS, or in-person by visiting the McGinnis Family Wisconsin Athletic Ticket Office (1440 Monroe Street, Gate 1 of Camp Randall Stadium) during regular business hours (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Monday – Friday). All-session tickets include one ticket for both first-round matches on Friday, Dec. 2 and one ticket for the second-round match on Saturday, Dec. 3.
Single-session tickets for the first and second rounds go on-sale beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 2.
Available Ticket Prices (all-Session): Reserved Seating | Red Price Level: $15 (All ages); General Admission: $10 (All ages); General Admission College Student: $3
Location UW Field House 1450 Monroe St., Madison, Wisconsin | 2022-11-28T21:52:12Z | isthmus.com | NCAA Volleyball Tournament - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/ncaa-volleyball-Tournament-2022-first-second/ | https://isthmus.com/events/ncaa-volleyball-Tournament-2022-first-second/ |
UnityPoint Health – Meriter
Home SPONSORED CONTENT Seven Acre Dairy Company is set to (re)open
Seven Acre Dairy Company is set to (re)open
It’s been a long time coming — 135 years, to be precise
Seven Acre Dairy Company
Seven Acre Dairy Company is now taking reservations and set to (re)open in just a few short weeks.
It’s been a long time coming–135 years, to be precise.
In 1888, a group of local dairy farmers built their community a cheese factory on the banks of the Sugar River in Paoli, Wisconsin. For nearly a century, the little factory thrived, making award-winning Swiss cheese and sweet cream butter celebrated throughout Wisconsin. But the consolidation of the dairy industry was too swift for the little factory to keep pace, and, in 1980, the factory closed its doors for good.
In 2021, a group of local entrepreneurs purchased the factory to preserve this amazing piece of Wisconsin heritage. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the factory has been restored and reborn as the Seven Acre Dairy Company, a one-of-a-kind destination for a new generation of Wisconsin dairy lovers, where people gather to connect and celebrate at a place steeped in history and natural beauty, all with a touch of joy and warm Midwestern hospitality.
Today, Seven Acre offers
an upscale restaurant and bar, showcasing innovative cuisines that honors farmstead cookery of seasons past.
a casual cafe, featuring coffee, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches in the morning, quick service sandwiches, soups, and salads, and, of course, plenty of ice cream.
a boutique hotel, with 8 well-appointed guest rooms and suites.
event and meeting space for parties and gatherings from 8 to 200;.
a micro-dairy plant producing butter and soft-serve ice cream.
seven acres of restored oak savanna, manicured gardens, and private lawns, all bounded by the meandering Sugar River and local dairy farms.
For more information and bookings please visit us at
sevenacredairyco.com | 2022-11-28T21:52:49Z | isthmus.com | Seven Acre Dairy Company is set to (re)open - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/sponsored/seven-acre-dairy-company-is-set-to-re-open/ | https://isthmus.com/sponsored/seven-acre-dairy-company-is-set-to-re-open/ |
Home Shuguang Gong, Sahada Buckley & Trace Johnson
Shuguang Gong, Sahada Buckley & Trace Johnson
media release: On Friday, December 16, 2022 at 7:30pm, Arts + Literature will present To Space and Back: An Evening of Piano Trios, featuring Shuguang Gong (piano), Trace Johnson (cello), and Sahada Buckley (violin). Tickets $15 ($10 student/ALL member) in advance online at https://spaceandback.bpt.me, and $20 at the door.
A pianist from China, Shuguang Gong is currently working on his master's degree with Professor Christopher Taylor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He got his bachelor's degree from Beijing Normal University and performed at National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing concert hall, and other major concert halls in China during that time. He also joined the exchange program at New England Conservatory, Boston University, and Birmingham School of Music. He was the winner of the 2021 Mead Witter School of Music Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Irving Shain Beethoven Competition, and Irving Shain Woodwind and Piano Duo Competition.
Sahada Buckley
Sahada Buckley is a violinist and cross-disciplinary artist from Fairhope, Alabama. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in Music Theory and Violin Performance and is currently earning her Master's degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying with Pro Arte Quartet first-violinist, David Perry. At UW-Madison, Sahada is a member of the graduate string quartet, the Marvin Rabin String Quartet. In 2018, she performed as a soloist with the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra after winning the 2018 UGASO Concerto Competition and, in 2019, she through-hiked the Appalachian Trail with a violin on her backpack. Sahada has attended festivals such as Meadowmount School of Music, Tanglewood BUTI, Montecito Music Festival, and Green Mountain Music Festival. In Madison, Sahada plays with multiple small ensembles exploring the possibilities of experimental improvisation. Two of her albums have been featured on Bandcamp Daily’s ‘Best Experimental Albums’ List. Sahada spends her free time walking her dog, painting and attending concerts.
Trace Johnson
Trace Johnson is a cellist known for his effortless musicality and fierce commitment to music-making of all styles and genres. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Trace has appeared as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral musician in a wide variety of settings in the United States and around the world. Equally at home teaching in the studio or performing on stage, Trace is a devoted and thoughtful communicator who enjoys a varied career as a cellist, teacher, and musician. Trace holds cello positions with the Sarasota Orchestra in Sarasota Florida and has also recently appeared with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Trace is a Collins Fellowship Recipient at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree. | 2022-11-29T09:55:58Z | isthmus.com | Shuguang Gong, Sahada Buckley & Trace Johnson - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/shuguang-gong-sahada-buckley-trace-johnson/ | https://isthmus.com/events/shuguang-gong-sahada-buckley-trace-johnson/ |
Home Wisconsin Chamber Choir
Wisconsin Chamber Choir
Luther Memorial Church 1021 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53715
press release: Join the Wisconsin Chamber Choir on December 17, for our unique holiday concert, “Snow Samba,” featuring the world premiere of Samba da Neve by Minnesota composer Ann Millikan. The program will include arrangements of favorite carols and music about winter, with works by Claude Debussy, Astor Piazzolla, Abbie Betinis, Stephen Chatman, and Giles Swayne. Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for students, available in advance from wisconsinchamberchoir.org and at the door.
Written from the perspective of a newcomer from Brazil who experiences snow for the first time in the northern US, Millikan’s Samba da Neve (“Snow Samba”) reflects the composer’s strong family ties to Brazil. The piece is suffused with the rhythms of Latin American popular music, including the baiāo and, of course, the samba. Madison guitarist Timothy Steis will lay down a grove to warm everyone’s hearts while the choir’s syncopated vocal lines sail overhead.
The premiere forms the capstone of a set of pieces about winter, both pro and con. The program opens with A Winter Morning, an energetic setting by Russian composer Georgy Sviridov of a poem by Alexander Pushkin. Madison native Stephen Chatman’s setting of Shakespeare’s text, Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind is more ambiguous in tone, while Debussy’s Yver, vous n’etes qu’un villain (Winter, You’re Nothing but a Villain) is decidedly hostile. With Piazzolla’s wordless tango, Invierno Porteño (Winter in Buenos Aires), it’s up to the listener to decide, followed by Millikan’s Samba da Neve, whose narrator finds a cure for the winter doldrums in her spontaneous creation of a new dance genre.
The middle of the concert highlights British composer Giles Swayne’s visionary Magnificat II and Nunc dimittis II, featuring the prodigious talents of organist Mark Brampton Smith and a quartet of vocal soloists drawn from the choir with the addition of mezzo soprano, Rachel Wood. A setting of Mary’s ecstatic song of praise upon learning that she is to bear Jesus, Swayne’s music harkens back to his popular, African-inspired setting of the Magnificat text from 1982, while expanding the harmonic style and the emotional range of the earlier work.
A set of familiar carol arrangements rounds out the program, including Wisconsin native Abbie Betinis’s moving setting of In the Bleak Midwinter, a lyrical version of the Mexican carol El Rorro by guitarist/composer Jeffrey Van, and an elaborate fantasia for choir and piano duet on the Ukrainian Carol of the Bells by Boston composer William Cutter.
Founded in 1998, the Wisconsin Chamber Choir has established a reputation for excellence in the performance of oratorios by Bach, Handel, Mozart, and Brahms; a cappella works from various centuries; and world premieres. WCC Artistic Director Robert Gehrenbeck, Director of Choral Activities at UW-Whitewater, has been hailed by critics for his vibrant and emotionally compelling interpretations of a wide variety of choral masterworks.
Location Luther Memorial Church 1021 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53715 | 2022-11-29T19:55:35Z | isthmus.com | Wisconsin Chamber Choir - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/wisconsin-chamber-choir-holiday/ | https://isthmus.com/events/wisconsin-chamber-choir-holiday/ |
Home NEWS How Sen. Tammy Baldwin built a coalition to pass the Respect for Marriage Act
How Sen. Tammy Baldwin built a coalition to pass the Respect for Marriage Act
In a video interview with Isthmus reporters Tuesday, Baldwin reviewed her work over the past several months to build a bipartisan coalition
Kenneth Burns
In July, when the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the Respect for Marriage Act, which requires the federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial marriages, Sen. Tammy Baldwin was energized.
"I remember being on the Senate floor when I got that news and going over to some of my colleagues saying, 'Hey! Did you see what the House just did? And, frankly, a bunch of Republicans from your state voted for this! And they'll have your back!'" Baldwin said Tuesday night during a video conversation with Isthmus reporters.
Baldwin, the first openly LGBTQ U.S. senator, has been credited with building a bipartisan coalition in the Senate that led to Tuesday's passage of the measure in that body, ultimately convincing 12 Republicans to join her and all of her Democratic colleagues. By Tuesday night, she was hopeful that the House would approve the Senate's version and that President Joe Biden would sign it "maybe by next week, maybe the week after."
In her interview with Isthmus editor Judith Davidoff and publisher Jason Joyce, Baldwin reviewed the steps involved in moving the Respect for Marriage Act through the Senate. She also discussed her history of activism on gay issues, which dates to her time on the Dane County Board in the 1980s and 1990s.
Baldwin also addressed her support for the controversial decision to bring F-35 fighter planes to Madison, the Democrats' performance in the midterm elections earlier in November, and her close friendship with the late Dick Wagner, the former county supervisor and gay rights pioneer.
"He was an out, proud gay man and one of the earliest in our nation to be elected, running as an out gay man," Baldwin said. "He probably is one of the first dozen worldwide, which also says a lot about the progress made between 1980 and today.... We've achieved several important advances."
View video of the interview here:
An Isthmus Conversation with Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Baldwin Marriage Equality | 2022-12-01T02:42:35Z | isthmus.com | How Sen. Tammy Baldwin built a coalition to pass the Respect for Marriage Act - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/tammy-baldwin-respect-for-marriage/ | https://isthmus.com/news/tammy-baldwin-respect-for-marriage/ |
Home NEWS Isthmus Cover Stories Policing pregnancy
Policing pregnancy
Wisconsin’s ‘fetal protection’ law is one of the most punitive in the nation, forcing women into treatment and jail
Tamara Loertscher arrived at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Aug. 1, 2014, despondent. The 29-year-old had suffered depression all her life, but in recent months, her mental health grew especially desperate. She struggled to eat and get out of bed, thinking of harming herself.
Under “reason for admission,” the medical records quoted Loertscher: “‘I really needed help.’”
“The law is a means of allowing the (local health) department to begin working with pregnant individuals to help overcome challenges associated with various (alcohol or drug) concerns, limit the potential effects of continued use on the unborn child and receive necessary treatment and services to assist the individual towards recovery,” says Kay Kiesling, Outagamie County’s Children, Youth and Families division manager. “This early intervention allows for a potentially safer environment for when the child is born.”
Human embryos and fetuses — which the law terms “unborn children” — came under the auspices of Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families in 1998. Amid the national “crack-baby” hysteria, politicians and press called Wisconsin’s Act 292 the “cocaine mom” or “crack mama” law.
Says Michele Bratcher Goodwin, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine: “In terms of civil liberties, I mean, there’s nothing more extreme.”
The racist crack baby myth cast Black, brown and Indigenous women as bad mothers and their infants as permanently damaged, Goodwin tells Wisconsin Watch. She notes that the former director of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect claimed — without evidence — that up to 15 percent of African American children would have “permanent brain damage” from gestational cocaine exposure, even though the majority of crack cocaine users are white.
The conditions required to keep one’s children, or get them back, might appear simple enough: keeping regular contact with a social worker, attending supervised visits, taking parenting classes. But even these may be “unrealistic” for families without reliable transportation, a stable address, or a working phone, the public defender says.
“They said they were going to put me in treatment and keep me there until I had my child, and then they were going to take him away,” she says. “So that’s where I’m like, ‘Well, I’m just going to have to go to jail then.’”
Eventually, Loertscher found a number for the public defender’s office scrawled on a piece of paper by the phone. She called, and an attorney negotiated her release. She agreed to undergo an alcohol and other drug abuse assessment, comply with recommended treatment, and pay for and submit to weekly drug tests, among other things.
Harmonious in second grade.
A week after she left jail, she received a letter from the Taylor County Department of Human Services, saying they had made a separate “administrative finding that she had committed child maltreatment” — a designation separate from her court case and consent decree.
Each element of unborn child abuse is wide open for interpretation, the judge noted. Its key terms “habitually,” “severe,” even “risk,” are all matters of “degree” that neither the statute nor departmental standards define. As a result, the law could be enforced against any pregnant person with a history of substance use disorder, he said, “regardless of whether she actually used controlled substances Fwhile pregnant.”
Fetal protection laws place pregnant people into a distinct legal class, says Afsha Malik, who at the time she spoke to Wisconsin Watch was with the National Advocates for Pregnant Women.
Tamara Loertscher and husband, Dondi Ellner, with their son, Harmonious, now 7.
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (WisconsinWatch.org) is the news arm of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
See isthmus.com for a follow-up story by Phoebe Petrovic, who talks with leading doctors about less punitive and more effective ways to treat pregnant women with addiction issues.
Isthmus Cover Story abortion Reproductive Rights | 2022-12-01T13:15:44Z | isthmus.com | Policing pregnancy - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/cover-story/policing-pregnancy/ | https://isthmus.com/news/cover-story/policing-pregnancy/ |
Home NEWS News Wisconsin’s law on substance use in pregnancy is wrong, leading doctors say
Practitioners say substance use during pregnancy should be treated like any other medical issue — not as a crime
Dr. Kathy Hartke says substance use disorder is “a medical disease that needs to be treated just like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma. We have to (help people recover) humanely."
The law passed in 1997 amid a national “crack baby” hysteria, which in later decades was scientifically debunked. Longitudinal studies found that children exposed to cocaine in utero did not vary cognitively or developmentally from children who were not exposed.
Each year since 2007, Wisconsin authorities have screened an average of 382 allegations of unborn child abuse under Act 292 for further investigation. Wisconsin Watch spoke with two obstetricians with experience treating pregnant people with substance use disorder, along with leaders of one treatment facility, to explore what the state’s approach to this population could look like in the absence of Act 292.
Another flaw, providers say, is that the law’s punitive approach can deter pregnant people from seeking prenatal and addiction care.
In 2018, a Pew Charitable Trusts study of Wisconsin’s substance use disorder treatment found that while there is no “systematic data,” clinicians and patients both reported that “fear of punitive action” under Act 292 potentially deters pregnant women from seeking both prenatal and substance use disorder treatment.
The Pew study found that health care professionals, and national and Wisconsin experts, “generally viewed the involvement of child protective services as negative.” Outagamie County’s Children, Youth and Families manager Kay Kiesling acknowledged via email that families “often see CPS as a punitive agency,” and that they need to build “trust and connection” to successfully engage families.
Schauberger has researched custody rates for women using drugs while pregnant in which child protective services was involved. In his yet-unpublished study of his own patients, 93 percent of women using opioids took their infants home from the hospital, but only 60 percent maintained custody long-term. Only 67 percent of women using methamphetamines took their newborns home, and within five years, only 40 percent had maintained custody. Only 20 percent of women who lost custody ever regained it.
For the past several years, Hartke has worked with a coalition to develop and implement such a wraparound framework in Waukesha, called Women’s Health and Recovery Project. It is described as a county-level “collaborative model for behavioral health, physical medicine, and social services” for cis- and transgender women at risk of substance use disorder and their families, including transportation, child care or housing.
Hartke was dismayed to hear that earlier this year, Marathon County rejected a state Department of Children and Families grant for such a pilot project. It would have provided $327,100 over two years to fund three apartments for parents who had completed court-ordered rehabilitation and who were eligible to regain custody of their children — except for a lack of safe housing.
“It’s fine for decision-makers to say, ‘Well, a pregnant woman using substances should get treatment,’” says Vidal, of Meta House. “Okay, but then how are you supporting that woman to navigate the various systems to get her into treatment, so that she’s not losing rights?”
Separation can traumatize both parent and child, says Christine Ullstrup, Meta House’s vice president of clinical services. Hartke adds that as long as children are in a safe situation, “infants that can stay with their mother do better.”
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch is the news arm of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. See author Phoebe Petrovic's cover story on Wisconsin's Act 292 here.
The National Advocates for Pregnant Women has created a fact sheet for healthcare providers and pregnant people, and offers this advice in a know your rights sheet. | 2022-12-01T14:21:05Z | isthmus.com | Wisconsin’s law on substance use in pregnancy is wrong, leading doctors say - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/news/wisconsins-law-on-substance-use-in-pregnancy-is-wrong-leadi/ | https://isthmus.com/news/news/wisconsins-law-on-substance-use-in-pregnancy-is-wrong-leadi/ |
Home The Charlatans (UK), Ride
The Charlatans (UK), Ride
$69.50/$44.50 ($39.50 adv.).
media release: Two of the UK’s most enduring and best-loved bands, The Charlatans UK and Ride have announced plans for a North American co-headline tour, set to begin January 30, 2023 at New York City’s Webster Hall and then continue through a February 18 finale at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA. Tickets for all announced dates go on sale Friday, December 2 at 10 am (local). For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.thecharlatans.net/gigs and www.thebandride.com.
In 1993, The Charlatans UK and Ride co-headlined Daytripper – two now-legendary concert events held in the British seaside towns of Brighton and Blackpool. The upcoming North American tour will once again see the two bands trading off the headline slot each night, with both performing classic albums in full – The Charlatans UK performing 1992’s landmark sophomore LP, Between 10th and 11th, Ride performing 1990’s debut masterpiece, Nowhere – along with a selection of greatest hits, fan favorites, and more.
The Charlatans – Martin Blunt (bass), Tim Burgess (vocals), Mark Collins (guitar), and Tony Rogers (keyboards) – have been on a remarkable journey for over three decades, from their beginnings as 1990 Manchester scene hopefuls to their current role as one of the most durable and treasured bands in British music, joined by a passionate and loyal following that has given them lasting success. Over the years, The Charlatans have notched 13 top 40 studio albums in the UK – three of them #1s – alongside 22 hit singles, four of which made the top 10. The rollercoaster highs have been accompanied by some shattering lows, any which one of them could have felled a less resilient band, from nervous breakdowns to near bankruptcy and the deaths of two founder members. Somehow, the band have not just carried on but adapted and transformed. The classic Charlatans sound – driving Hammond organ, Northern Soul and house-influenced rhythms, swaggering guitars and Tim Burgess’s sunny yet somehow yearning vocal – is instantly recognizable.
Hailed by PopMatters as “a certifiable classic,” Between 10th and 11th was originally released in 1992 and features such classic singles as “Tremolo Song,” “I Don’t Want To See The Sights,” and the band’s biggest US hit to date, “Weirdo.” More recently, The Charlatans celebrated their own 30th anniversary with 2021’s career-spanning best-of, A Head Full of Ideas, and a similarly titled 2021-22 world tour. In addition, frontman Tim Burgess has created the hugely popular Tim’s Twitter Listening Party, an ongoing series of real-time album playbacks via Twitter, featuring stories from bands and fans, rarely seen images, and exclusive insights and anecdotes from the artists who created some of music’s most iconic albums. His acclaimed new album, Typical Music, is out now.
Shoegaze legends Ride floated out of Oxfordshire in 1988 with a primordial blaze of noise and a sound like scorched clouds. Their first four EPs affirmed them as an alternative sensation, with 1990’s full-length debut, Nowhere, rising to the top 20 and proving Creation Records’ first major success story. 1992’s Going Blank Again rose even higher, reaching the top 5 on a celestial torrent of imagination like none other of its era. Two further albums followed before Ride decided to call it a day, their standing as leftfield sonic giants undiminished. Ride reformed in 2014, first with a series of top-billed festival sets (including Coachella and Primavera) and then followed by a full-scale reunion tour. 2017 saw the release of Weather Diaries, the band’s first new album in over 20 years. Ride’s sixth studio album, This Is Not A Safe Place, made a top 10 debut upon its August 2019 release, the band’s highest chart position in 25 years. A 2020 world tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nowhere was rescheduled to 2022, accompanied by the deluxe reissue of their early classic albums – including 4 EPs, Nowhere, and Going Blank Again – all available now via Wichita Recordings HERE. | 2022-12-01T19:17:20Z | isthmus.com | The Charlatans (UK), Ride - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/charlatans-uk-ride/ | https://isthmus.com/events/charlatans-uk-ride/ |
Home Breaking Precedent: Journalism Ethics and the U.S. Supreme Court
Breaking Precedent: Journalism Ethics and the U.S. Supreme Court
UW Memorial Union-Play Circle 800 Langdon St., Madison, Wisconsin 53706
press release: The Center for Journalism Ethics will host a public event – “Breaking Precedent: Journalism Ethics & Covering the US Supreme Court” – at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, at the Memorial Union Play Circle on the UW–Madison campus. In conversation with Kathleen Bartzen Culver, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics, NBC News’ Pete Williams will engage in a public discussion of media ethics and the challenges of covering the U.S. Supreme Court in turbulent times.
This event is free. To attend virtually, please sign up to receive the video link here.
Pete Williams covered the U.S. Supreme Court and the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security for NBC News for 29 years. Among the stories he covered were the Oklahoma City, Olympic Park and Boston Marathon bombings, as well as the federal government’s massive investigation following the 9/11 terror hijackings. He is the recipient of four national news Emmy awards, as well as two Edward R. Murrow Awards and the John F. Hogan Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.
Kathleen Bartzen Culver is the James E. Burgess Chair in Journalism Ethics, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics and an associate professor in the UW–Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication. Culver is interested in the implications of digital media on journalism and public interest communication and focuses on the ethical dimensions of social tools, technological advances and networked information. She combines these interests with a background in law and free expression.
“We’re talking about the Supreme Court more now than at any point in my lifetime,” Culver said. “With political polarization influencing perceptions of news coverage, I can think of no better time to sit down with Pete Williams, who brings an entire career of experience and integrity to our urgent questions.”
Williams will be visiting the Center for Journalism Ethics the week of Dec. 5 as part of the Center’s journalist in residence program, an initiative now in its seventh year. The program brings renowned journalists to campus to promote engagement with UW–Madison students and the public.
The Center for Journalism Ethics, housed in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UW-Madison, provides an international hub for the examination of the role of professional and personal ethics in the pursuit of fair, accurate and principled journalism. Founded in 2008, the Center offers resources for journalists, educators, students and the public, including internationally recognized annual conferences exploring key issues in journalism.
For information, contact Krista Eastman, Center for Journalism Ethics administrator, at krista.eastman@wisc.edu.
Location UW Memorial Union-Play Circle 800 Langdon St., Madison, Wisconsin 53706 | 2022-12-02T00:26:07Z | isthmus.com | Breaking Precedent: Journalism Ethics and the U.S. Supreme Court - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/breaking-precedent-journalism-ethics-us-supreme-court/ | https://isthmus.com/events/breaking-precedent-journalism-ethics-us-supreme-court/ |
Home OPINION From the editor Abortion ruling prompts report on forgotten pregnancy law
Abortion ruling prompts report on forgotten pregnancy law
An investigation into Wisconsin’s 25-year-old fetal protection statute
by Judith Davidoff
Reporter Phoebe Petrovic, left, on the job.
Phoebe Petrovic’s beat at Wisconsin Watch, the nonprofit news arm of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, focuses on threats to civic equality for women and LGBTQ people. Reproductive justice is a big piece of that.
So when the Dobbs decision was leaked, effectively confirming that the U.S. Supreme Court was on the verge of tossing federal protections for abortion, Petrovic and her editors started brainstorming abortion-related coverage. She says she remembered hearing about a law professor who wrote a book (Policing the Womb) about how states’ regulation over reproduction has not been limited to abortion. In Wisconsin and elsewhere, there are so-called fetal protection laws that allow states to intervene in a woman’s pregnancy if she is suspected of using drugs or alcohol.
Petrovic took the book on vacation for some “light beach reading,” and found references to Wisconsin throughout. Author and constitutional law professor Michele Goodwin has ties to the state; according to her curriculum vitae, she received her undergraduate degree from UW-Madison in 1992, and a doctorate in juridical science in 2000, five years after getting her law degree at Boston College Law School.
“I realized there was this whole other side” to the controversy over abortion, says Petrovic. “Not only are there concerns about how the state legislates terminating a pregnancy, but also keeping a pregnancy.”
In 2014, Dee Hall, managing editor at the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, wrote about a Wisconsin woman who was challenging the state’s fetal protection law, which allows pregnant women suspected of drug or alcohol abuse to be detained and forced into treatment as well as jail. At the time Hall was a reporter with the Wisconsin State Journal.
Tammy Loertscher had been detained and jailed after confiding past drug use while seeking a pregnancy test and medical help for severe hypothyroidism at Eau Claire’s Mayo Clinic Hospital. She steadfastly maintained, however, that she ceased all drug use once she learned she was pregnant. Loertscher’s challenge was successful, but then overturned on a technicality. After that there was little media coverage. “It was interesting to me that a lot of attention was paid to this law when there were legal challenges to it,” says Petrovic. “Then we sort of forgot about it.” But, she adds, “It’s still in effect. Women don’t know this can happen.”
In light of the renewed focus on abortion, Petrovic decided to track down Loertscher, who now lives in Georgia. She tells Petrovic she is still traumatized by her experience.
I knew about this law but learned a number of remarkable things while reading this month’s cover story by Petrovic. The law was passed in 1997, with bipartisan lawmaker support but with the opposition of the medical community, during the height of the crack epidemic and amid claims that babies born to addicted mothers would suffer brain damage and other long-lasting impacts due to exposure to drugs in the womb. But Petrovic reports that research has since upended that myth, finding no “scientific evidence of unique, certain, or irreparable harm for fetuses exposed to cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids, or cannabis in utero.”
I was also surprised to learn that the fetal protection law was ruled unconstitutional by the federal court that heard Loertscher’s case, but that it remains on the books nevertheless. Attorney General Brad Schimel appealed the decision and an appeals court ruled the injunction on the law moot because Loertscher had left Wisconsin two weeks after the birth of her son, temporarily moving to Hawaii. It’s a factor that appears minor and irrelevant to the case, yet it’s the reason millions of women in Wisconsin remain subject to a law that was found unconstitutional.
We have been actively partnering with the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism since Isthmus returned to print as a monthly in August 2021. We run the condensed version of one of their investigative pieces, which are still hefty at 1,700 words or so, every month. The nonprofit makes all of their content available for free to media outlets, but most stories appear online only.
The center reached out about a month or so ago to see if we’d be interested in running Petrovic’s piece as the cover in print; it’s longer than our usual cover stories, but we think the piece is worth the space. With abortion now inaccessible in Wisconsin, there could be even more women impacted by the fetal protection law: unable to terminate a pregnancy but also subject to forced treatment or jail if suspected of drug or alcohol use.
With few photos available to accompany the piece, the center also wondered whether our art director, Tommy Washbush, would be interested in illustrating the piece. He was. Now that’s collaboration.
Upcoming: We are now a month into our year-end fundraising campaign and are once again participating in the Institute for Nonprofit News’ NewsMatch program. This year we are shooting to match a $15,000 challenge grant from INN as well as a $15,000 grant from the Loud Hound Foundation. Substantial support is also coming from local donors, including those who, with a minimum $1,000 contribution, are now members of the Isthmus Editor’s Club, which unlocks some special benefits, including access to exclusive events. We recognize these folks in an ad in the paper. Others who join the Editor’s Club before Jan. 1 will also be recognized in the January issue.
It goes without saying that we are grateful for all contributions from our readers and supporters. And all donations before the end of the year will count toward our matching campaign. That’s right, you have up until the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31. Wishing you happy holidays and a good New Year.
abortion Journalism Reproductive Rights | 2022-12-02T02:09:20Z | isthmus.com | Abortion ruling prompts report on forgotten pregnancy law - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/opinion/from-the-editor/abortion-ruling-prompts-report-on-forgotten-pregnancy-law/ | https://isthmus.com/opinion/from-the-editor/abortion-ruling-prompts-report-on-forgotten-pregnancy-law/ |
Home NEWS News Next stop: Madison
Efforts are resurfacing to bring rail to the city
There is potential for the city of Madison to join the existing Amtrak route between Milwaukee and Chicago, also known as the Hiawatha route.
It’s been more than a decade since plans to bring high-speed rail to Madison were quashed by then Gov. Scott Walker. But there is new hope that the city might finally get added to the Midwest’s railroad network — this time, for passenger rail.
Jason Ilstrup, president of Downtown Madison Inc., says a series of factors have made rail in Madison possible once again, including earmarked funding in the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law contains $102 billion in total rail funding and $43.5 billion of that is dedicated to establishing intercity passenger rail.
Both Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration also highlighted Madison in reports they released last year, noting that the city has potential to join the existing route between Milwaukee and Chicago, also known as the Hiawatha route.
“People are understanding how important it is to have more transportation options in the city of Madison,” Ilstrup says.
The city has not yet formally applied for funding to establish this rail service, but is moving forward with an important first step: identifying where an Amtrak passenger rail station would be in Madison. The city is holding a public meeting on Dec. 7 to discuss rail service and the study it has commissioned to help determine the best location for a station.
Philip Gritzmacher, transportation planner for the city of Madison, says the city set aside $120,000 in its budget for funding this study.
There are six potential locations for the station: near the Dane County Regional Airport; the old Oscar Mayer plant; a section of First Street; the Near East Side neighborhood; downtown; and the UW-Madison campus. These are large, general areas, Gritzmacher says, so once one of these locations are chosen, there will be discussion about where specifically in the vicinity a station could be built.
Gritzmacher says there are a number of perspectives to consider when determining a location, including the ability of the city to acquire the desired land for the station, and input from the public. The city has also been working with Amtrak to discuss viable station sites. The city council will ultimately approve the final proposed location, says Gritzmacher.
cityofmadison.com
Six large areas are being looked at for a railway station: near the Dane County Regional Airport; the old Oscar Mayer plant; First Street; the Near East Side neighborhood; downtown; and the UW-Madison campus.
While plans are currently focused on extending the Hiawatha route into Madison, Gritzmacher says the city also needs to consider what locations would allow Madison to be on Amtrak’s route for the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago, or TCMC, intercity passenger rail service. The project would add a second daily round-trip passenger train between Chicago and the Twin Cities.
“Whatever we choose in terms of our station location, this is another constraint. We don’t want to rule out TCMC from occurring,” Gritzmacher says.
The city is waiting for the release in December of a Notice of Funding Opportunity, which will provide information about available funding for the project and allow the city to apply to get into the Corridor Identification and Development Program. If accepted into the Corridor ID Program, Madison would receive funding and federal support for project planning and development.
Mayors from Madison, Pewaukee and Watertown all signed a joint letter to the Federal Rail Administration in June to express interest in joining the Corridor ID Program.
“It’s letting the federal government know it’s not just us interested,” Gritzmacher says. “It’s also other communities that’ll be served by the route that are also interested.”
Six months ago, the city roughly estimated that it would cost $500 million to extend the Hiawatha route into Madison, but Gritzmacher says now this estimate is “based on old information.” He says the upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity will likely “invalidate prior estimates.”
If accepted into the Corridor ID Program, Gritzmacher says the city would receive an estimate for the overall cost of the Hiawatha extension, based on preliminary engineering. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will also release their “Rail Plan 2050” before the end of this year, which will include information about improvements that have been made, or need to be made, for more passenger rail service to be established.
In the meantime, city leaders are largely focused on the ongoing rail station study, which they hope to have completed by May 2023.
Ilstrup says Downtown Madison Inc., whose members include businesses, residents and people who work downtown, would like a passenger rail station to be as close to downtown as possible.
“It’s the political, cultural part of the city where a lot of people work and live,” Ilstrup says. And, he adds, “We want it to be connected to the other current transportation infrastructure that’s in place, so you have seamless connection between our inner city transit system and the larger transit systems to get us around to other cities.”
high-speed rail Amtrak Downtown Madison DMI | 2022-12-02T13:31:20Z | isthmus.com | Next stop: Madison - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/news/next-stop-madison/ | https://isthmus.com/news/news/next-stop-madison/ |
Home A & E Music New world baroque
New world baroque
Madison Bach Musicians celebrate Spain and Indigenous languages in this first-of-a-kind performance here
by Sandy Tabachnick
Holiday stage with musicians and a Christmas tree.
Madison Bach Musicians in a 2017 holiday concert.
For its 12th annual holiday season, the Madison Bach Musicians will present a Latin American Baroque concert, the first of its kind for the popular period performance group. Trevor Stephenson, Madison Bach Musicians’ artistic director, says Latin American Baroque fare is being performed by other groups in the U.S. and Europe, too: “Much of the music from that time has survived, and there’s mountains of repertoire. It’s spectacular.”
In the past, the group focused more on the West European Baroque masters, like Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi. But this season the group will focus on composers like Fernández, Padilla, and Salazar from Spain and the New World. After the Spanish monarchy sponsored the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus, Spain’s influence as a world power spread as far as Mexico, the Americas, and beyond, a vast area sometimes called New Spain.
While many of the songs in the program are in Spanish, Spanish composers in the New World often wrote sacred music in Indigenous languages and a few songs in the concert fall into this category. The opening processional hymn, the anonymous work “Hanacpachap Cussicuinin” (“The Bliss of Heaven”), is in Quechua, spoken in the Peruvian Andes. Gaspar Fernández’s “Xicochi Conetzintle” (“Hush Little Child”) is in Nahuatl, spoken by the central Mexican descendants of the Aztecs. Fernández, from Portugal, worked at a cathedral in Guatemala before taking up his position as chapel master at the Puebla Cathedral in Mexico. He seems comfortable with the Aztec language in “Xicochi,” a peaceful song with an easy lilt.
The ensemble will also perform two villancicos by Fernández’s Spanish protege, Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla. “Villancicos are popular songs in the vernacular,” says Stephenson. “They’re in two parts with a stanza and refrain.” “A La Jácara Jacarilla” celebrates the birth of Jesus with a distinctive rhythm in the words. Syncopation (accent on the offbeat) makes it feel a little off-kilter, but that’s its charm.
The program’s centerpiece is a Latin Mass, Misa a San Ignacio, by Domenico Zipoli, an Italian composer who became popular in churches in South America before his early death. While listening to the Mass on YouTube, I thought it was one of the loveliest I’d heard. The florid singing, beautiful choral writing, and intriguing tempo variations makes for piquant storytelling.
The concert includes both a bullfight and a guitar. Composer Gaspar Sanz takes care of the guitar with two lovely pieces, “Españoletas” and “Canarios.” Diego José de Salazar will let the bull out of the stall, figuratively speaking, with “¡Salga el torillo hosquillo!,” a choral work that combines the birth of Jesus and a bullfight.
It’s easy to feel swept up by the rhythms of much of this music. “If you can’t get your hands on some maracas, you’ll feel like you’re missing out,” says Stephenson.
The music will be in the hands of experts who know Baroque performance practices. Singers will include Grammy award-winning soprano Estelí Gomez; mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski, a prize winner in Madison’s Handel Aria Competition; tenor James Reese, celebrated Baroque interpreter; and baritone Ryne Cherry, velvety-voiced interpreter of both old and new music.
On the instrumental side are violinists Kangwon Kim, assistant artistic director and concertmaster of the Madison Bach Musicians, and Nathan Giglierano, who also makes violins and violas. Cellist James Waldo is a lecturer in strings at UW-Madison. Harpsichordist Trevor Stephenson has introduced Madison audiences to the fascinating world of Baroque music and instruments for over two decades. Master guitarist Timothy Steis has performed on classical guitar nights at Cafe CODA and also makes guitars. And percussionist Sean Kleve is music director of Madison’s experimental, contemporary percussion ensemble Clocks in Motion.
The concert, Dec. 11 at the First Congregational Church in Madison, will be preceded by a lecture at 2:45 p.m. with the music beginning at 3:30 p.m. The event will also be livestreamed and available on demand. For ticket information, see madisonbachmusicians.org.
“It’s wonderful to explore other languages and the beautiful things written in them,” says Stephenson. “This concert will show that there’s a wealth of music around the world, so take a deep dive and see what appeals to you.” | 2022-12-02T14:21:03Z | isthmus.com | New world baroque - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/music/new-world-baroque/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/music/new-world-baroque/ |
Home NEWS Snapshot Last call of the Loon
Last call of the Loon
Madison's juggling icon gets emotional at his final performance
Eric Tadsen
Truly Remarkable Loon retires after 47 years of spinning plates and juggling balls.
Backstage, in the little cramped nook that serves as the green room for Overture’s Kids in the Rotunda, Truly Remarkable Loon is the most somber fool alive. He takes a seat, surrounded by his purple garments hung on hooks. A little shelf overflows with what looks like lucky objects. His set list is taped to the wall. After 47 years of performances, we’re exactly 26 minutes away from the juggling icon’s final show. We know that because his 12-year-old grandson and hammy stage manager “5” sticks his blonde, pony-tailed head in to tell us.
T.R. legally changed his name in his 20s and wears purple every day of the year except April Fools’ Day, when he wears all black. At 66, he’s come a long way from throwing his first object in the air at a backyard party when he was 20 — and at the moment he looks pretty beat from the morning’s two previous shows. Soft-spoken, calm, serious. It’s kind of freaky. But his eyes are alive and dancing, and they strobe like two green sparklers.
I ask him how he’s feeling, what he’s thinking. “I’m nervous,” he says. He quotes a character from one of his favorite Cormac McCarthy novels. “Life is onstage,” he says. “Everything else is waiting.” It’s an unsettling comment coming from a guy who is about to step off the stage for the last time. But he’s ready. “I’m putting this behind me now. It’s time.” He says he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren. As if on cue “5” pokes his head back into the space. “15 minutes,” he says.
Now T.R.’s eyes fill with tears. “I’m emotional about this,” he says. “I’m really fortunate. I found my calling. This is what I was meant to do. I have as much fun as the audience, you know? You show up at a library show in Clintonville and it’s like Elvis shows up. A lot of people have never seen a juggler.” I ask him why laughter is important to children. “Laughter?” he asks. “Everybody needs laughter. Not just children.” And his eyes pool up again. It strikes me that laughter and tears often go hand-in-hand.
I leave T.R. to allow him time alone before his entrance and head to the seats where I wedge my butt into a tight spot on the carpeted rows. I’m completely surrounded by families. I get emotional at the memory of bringing our own children to Loon’s shows, our grown children who now live all over the country.
The house manager takes center stage, makes some general announcements, and then says, “Please welcome, for the final performance of his long career, Truly Remarkable Loon.”
Children love a smart aleck. T.R. knows it. I’ve always thought that this has been one of T.R.’s most dependable secret weapons. Loon emerges from the black curtains, takes a few exaggerated bows and as the applause dies down, makes his way stage left to where the sign language interpreter is working. “Who are you?” he deadpans. And he’s off to the races.
He kills. Age and aches have taken some speed away from his footwork and pivots. But like any seasoned artist, he manages to work his shortcomings right into his act. The audience gets the whole enchilada. The chainsaw routine. The flying gyroscope. The killer mongoose bit. The juggling of the giant bean bag chairs. He closes with the spinning of 10 plates (and the crashing demise of at least 10 more) combined with a swarm of stuffed, flying monkeys. The audience goes nuts and rises for a loud standing ovation. His family, including daughters and partners with both grandsons and his wife, Tracy Tudor, surrounds him on stage. Loon speaks when the clapping ends.
“I can’t do what I’ve done without the people behind me and the people in front of me. Our biggest gift is time. Thank you for the time you spent with me today. Have a truly remarkable afternoon. Parents, please take your children with you.”
Favorite, go-to trick:
The flying gyroscope
Number of dinner plates broken onstage:
At least a thousand
Most number of objects successfully juggled at one time:
Toss juggling: 5 balls, Shaker cups: 6
Plate spinning: 17, Scarves: 96 (but “I did use a leaf blower”)
Approximate total number of performances in career:
47 years of juggling, average 100 dates a year
Advice to a person interested in starting juggling:
“Ask a juggler to help you learn. Juggling is more objects than hands. A beginner has to ask for help. Jugglers usually won’t offer to teach someone unless they ask for help.”
Overture Center for the Arts | 2022-12-03T17:11:34Z | isthmus.com | Last call of the Loon - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/snapshot/last-call-of-the-loon/ | https://isthmus.com/news/snapshot/last-call-of-the-loon/ |
Home A & E Sports Adaptive climbing makes the sport accessible to all
Adaptive climbing makes the sport accessible to all
The thrill of ‘being at the top and looking down’
Christy Klein
Two adults with a child in an adaptive climbing chair
Mallory Jasicky, left, and Talon Edseth-Griffin get Matias ready for the rock wall.
Monica Herrera watches her son, Nicolas, waving from 20 feet above her. Nicolas’s twin brother, Matias, observes from the ground.
“Can I go now?” Matias says, eagerly awaiting his turn. Hieu Giang, his father, laughs as Nicolas sticks his tongue out in response.
The boys, age 11, have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a condition that causes muscle weakness and loss. They get around in motorized wheelchairs, which hasn’t slowed them down. Herrera and Giang keep their sons busy in adaptive sports. Their family has been waterskiing, biking, snow skiing, and now they are trying rock climbing for the first time.
“We like to keep trying new activities,” Herrera says. So far, both Nicolas and Matias have enjoyed snow skiing the most.
The family of four found Boulders Climbing Gym East’s monthly adaptive climbing event through one of the company’s promotional videos that gained popularity on TikTok. Held the last Sunday of every month, the workshop is led by adaptive climbing coordinator Kat Floyd, Boulders employee Talon Edseth-Griffin, and volunteers.
“We’ll teach anybody who wants to volunteer how to assist people in any number of ways,” says Edseth-Griffin. “My favorite thing to do is be a side-climber. I’ll basically climb underneath [the climber], and I’ll place their feet on the rocks for them.”
Nicolas and Matias had just been at the top of a different rock wall with the support of seven-year volunteer Janet Poff. On that climb, she acted as side-climber as the boys took turns; Poff climbed alongside and manually placed their hands and feet on the holds as they scaled the 25-foot route together. The harnesses, connected to the belay line, provided them with enough support so the boys could grip the rocks without requiring the muscle to hold their entire body weight.
Boulders’ adaptive climbing program was started with a grant from UW-Madison in early 2014 by Kim Bruksch-Meck and Sarah Hagedon. At the end of the year, Boulders partnered with Adaptive Adventures, a nonprofit that provides accessible outdoor sports opportunities, so the gym could continue its adaptive climbing program.
Adaptive Adventures provides progressive sports and all needed accommodations for individuals with disabilities; their sports offerings include alpine skiing and snowboarding, kayaking, cycling, whitewater rafting, waterskiing, and of course, rock climbing.
When COVID upended the world, the organization was forced to scale back significantly, leaving many adaptive sports programs without support. Boulders felt it was important to continue the work.
The climbing program at Boulders, which serves all ages and abilities, has slowly been gaining popularity due to word of mouth. In 2015, Boulders also began organizing outdoor trips. Similar programs also run through Adventure Rock locations in the Milwaukee area, and adaptive climbing is gaining popularity throughout the country.
Certain climbing routes and walls at the gym are reserved for adaptive climbers. Volunteers belay them, or manage the rope, and provide whatever accommodation is needed. Those accommodations range from verbal cues to direct side-climbing support to gear, such as a special harness or the ARC Harness, which provides people with more severe physical disabilities the means to climb. Each climber is different, and so the modifications vary depending on who’s on the wall.
“It just makes sense,” says Edseth-Griffin. “Just because they have a disability doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get to do things like [climbing].”
Chad Donahue, who is clinically blind, has been climbing for a year. Today he is working with volunteer Jamie Koenig on his route up the wall. He can make it to the top of the wall with the help of some verbal cues from Koenig.
“I used to play a lot of sports,” he says. “It’s fun to be able to play sports again. I even climbed outside with this group in spring at Devil’s Lake.”
In recent years Boulders has hosted an annual adaptive climbing trip to Devil’s Lake. The rangers there grant permission for needed adaptations, such as the use of the access roads so that the climbers can camp for the weekend and climb the routes there. This year, the trip was held in May. Some climbers camp all weekend, others come out for the day; the trip is designed to be as accessible as possible to accommodate all abilities and all schedules.
After Nicolas is lowered to the ground, Matias is lifted to the top of the rock wall. This time, Herrera and Giang also try their hand at climbing. Herrera makes it halfway up the wall before being lowered to the ground. Giang, who used to climb when he was younger, reaches the top and gives Matias a high-five while the crowd on the ground cheers.
For Edseth-Griffin, this is the reason he loves being a part of adaptive climbing. “I just love hanging out with those folks. Everybody’s so fun, and we have a really strong sense of community.”
The highlight for Matias and Nicolas? “Being at the top and looking down.” | 2022-12-04T16:36:53Z | isthmus.com | Adaptive climbing makes the sport accessible to all - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/sports/adaptive-climbing-makes-sport-accessible/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/sports/adaptive-climbing-makes-sport-accessible/ |
Home NEWS News Don’t stop believing (in plastics recycling)
Contrary to some reports, it still is a worthwhile thing to do in Madison
In the 1967 film The Graduate, a family friend gives a disaffected young man played by Dustin Hoffman a single word of advice: “plastics.” If the movie were remade today, he might want to add: “Most of them cannot be recycled.”
That’s the conclusion of a new report from the environmental group Greenpeace, which called the recycling of plastics “a dead-end street” and largely a waste of time. It found that U.S. households generated an estimated 51 million tons of plastic waste in 2021, “only 2.4 million tons of which was recycled.”
An investigative report released by National Public Radio on the same day quoted Trent Carpenter, general manager of Southern Oregon Sanitation, as saying this about the plastics being collected at the curb: “It’s not going to a recycling facility and being recycled. It’s going to a recycling facility and being landfilled someplace else because [you] can’t do anything with that material.”
And an opinion writer in the Staten Island Advance proclaimed that “for a long time now, there’s been no difference between separating, rinsing out and recycling that plastic juice bottle and simply tossing in with the rest of your household trash. In fact, it’s probably better to put the bottle in the kitchen garbage bag because at least that way it’s contained and will be landfilled.”
Madison recycling coordinator Bryan Johnson begs to differ, saying the recycling numbers tossed about by Greenpeace and others include all plastics that end up in the waste stream, from picture frames to patio chairs, “not just the bottles and jugs that we typically associate with recycling in our homes.”
This year, as of mid-November, the city of Madison has collected a little more than 1,000 tons of plastics, or about 7 percent of the 13,863 tons of material collected from Madison residents, says Johnson. The city pays Pellitteri Waste Systems $32.83 per ton of collected material. (Want to see what happens to it then? Check out the awesome seven-minute YouTube video that comes up when you type “Kipp Street Station MRF” into the platform’s search function.)
According to Johnson, “100 percent of the #1 and #2 plastic containers” — about three-quarters of the plastic being placed in the city’s green carts — is being recycled. Of the rest, about half is #5 plastic, which is being recycled. But the other half —plastics labeled #3, #4, #6 and #7 — “currently does not have a home.” In other words, about one-eighth of the total amount of plastic collected is presently not being recycled.
Johnson says Pellitteri is “working with a couple different facilities in Indiana to accept it, and hopefully that will result in a longer-term home for these materials soon.” In the meantime, “placing it into the recycling cart is still the right thing” in case the market changes, “rather than dooming it to the landfill without hope of reclamation.” Wisconsin, he says, is different from other states in that it has “very specific and strong mandates” about what can and cannot be recycled, reducing waste.
David Pellitteri, vice president of Pellitteri Waste Systems, agrees that Wisconsin’s strong laws and “very robust recycling infrastructure” allow it to do better than other places in terms of how much material can be successfully recycled. He admits that post-consumer plastics present a challenge but says much work is being done “to find mainstream solutions to recycle the type of plastics that currently are not recyclable.” Looking to the future, Pellitteri is optimistic that “Madison will be at the front of the line to get this technology incorporated into our local infrastructure.”
Already, says Jennifer Semrau, waste reduction and diversion coordinator for the state Department of Natural Resources, the vast majority of recycled plastics sold to end users does get made into new products. “The idea is they’re buying a particular resin or plastic because they have uses for that. It wouldn’t make sense for them to purchase plastic and then landfill it, they would be paying for it twice.”
Semrau says there are many things made with plastic that cannot be recycled, “but the water bottle I have here on my desk, I have confidence does go into the recycling stream, does get to an end market and it’s turned into new products.”
The Greenpeace report urges companies to phase out single use plastics in favor of reusable packaging, among other steps. Johnson, too, says those interested in reducing the environmental harm from plastics should shift to reusables: “Let’s recycle what we can with the system that we have, but as consumers let’s make certain we’re rethinking our relationship with all the plastic stuff we’re inviting into our life.”
recycling Madison | 2022-12-04T16:36:59Z | isthmus.com | Don’t stop believing (in plastics recycling) - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/news/dont-stop-believing-in-plastics-recycling/ | https://isthmus.com/news/news/dont-stop-believing-in-plastics-recycling/ |
Home NEWS News Homeless encampment at Dairy Drive meets basic needs, say city officials
Critics counter that the tiny shelters are inadequate and poorly located
by Joe Tarr
The tiny shelters at Dairy Drive have heat, electricity and air conditioning, but no running water or toilets; residents use communal bathrooms.
Madison officials have called the city’s encampment of tiny shelters for the homeless at Dairy Drive on the far east side a success.
The encampment at 3202 Dairy Drive opened in November 2021 with 30 small shelters and communal bathrooms. They were designed to provide housing for people who had been camping in Reindahl Park and other parts of the city and were unable or unwilling to access the traditional shelter system.
Jim O’Keefe, director of Madison’s community development office, says that of the 50 people who have stayed in the encampment, 20 have found permanent housing.
“That’s a pretty strong success rate given that this is by and large a group of people who have in the past turned away from shelter facilities or other services in the community,” he says. “I don’t want to suggest it’s been universally successful. There are about a half dozen who have been asked to leave the facility, mostly because they’ve violated terms of agreement.”
But others in the community have concerns. Nino Amato, a former alder who has been active in city and state politics for 40 years, sees the camp as a colossal failure.
“This borders on physical and mental abuse to put people in an 8-by-8-foot box, with no running water, no toilets,” he says. “There are campers that the city could have bought, with three times the square footage, that would have included a bathroom and kitchenette.”
Amato and Miles Kristan have made a couple of videos criticizing the encampment, claiming that there is open drug use happening on site and that children are living there. They also draw attention to graffiti and violence at the site.
Brenda Konkel, the executive director of Madison Street Medicine, the nonprofit that operates the site, acknowledges that there have been problems. But she says the camp provides a safe place to sleep and a way for people to access services.
“It’s a legal place to sleep at night, which doesn’t really exist [elsewhere],” she says. “It provides an opportunity for couples, people with pets, to sleep at night while they’re seeking other opportunities. The cabins are way better than a tent. It has heat, electricity and AC. Their basic needs are met.”
One of the videos that Kristan and Amato made show Amato confronting a woman at the gate to the encampment, asking her about used needles seen on the premises. The woman responds that “When we practice harm reduction and give people a safe, healthy place to use, it lowers the chance of people overdosing and going to the hospital.” (In the video, her voice is slowed down, which makes it sound as though she’s slurring her words).
Safe consumption sites are facilities that allow people to use drugs in supervised settings with medical personnel nearby in case of an overdose. These types of facilities have operated in Europe for years, and two opened in New York City last year.
What’s happening at Dairy Drive isn’t that, city officials say. People are not using drugs out in the open. But, O’Keefe says officials know that many homeless people are struggling with addictions and they didn’t want to deny them shelter because of it.
“Drug use is not forbidden. It’s certainly not encouraged,” O’Keefe says. “Some of those who use that facility were likely using before they arrived at Dairy Drive. We’ve chosen for that not to be a barrier [for them to stay there].”
Sara Allee-Jatta is the clinical director and counselor at Kabba Recovery Services, which is providing counseling at the Dairy Drive camp. She says that clean needles are provided at the site, as well as naloxone, the drug that is administered to people who have overdosed. Allee-Jatta says that she has revived five people who were overdosing, but says there may have been others who were revived by other campers.
“The difference between the use happening here and the use on the streets is there is more communication and education that staff can give to the residents,” she says. “We can talk about ways to increase motivation for change.”
Kristan and Amato say that they support the strategy of safe consumption, but Dairy Drive isn’t the place for it. “This is not a methadone clinic, it’s a plot of land in the middle of an industrial park,” Kristan says. “They’re not supervising people…. There’s massive failures going on. And we’re talking about millions of dollars of COVID [relief] money being used.”
Amato claims that two people have died from overdoses at the camp. But others offer conflicting reports about the number of deaths. Allee-Jatta says that one person died from an overdose at the camp, but the person had other health issues. Konkel says that another resident died from an overdose, but it didn’t happen at the camp.
Konkel says that many of the people who are living in the camp have serious health problems after living on the street for years without health care. Some residents, Konkel adds, have been hospitalized but she declines to go into details to protect the privacy of her clients.
There have been some incidents that drew law enforcement to the encampment. Last March, one of the residents was arrested for allegedly burning down his shelter. That same month, a woman was stabbed there.
Capt. Jamar Gary, who leads the Madison Police Department’s east precinct, which includes the camp, declined to comment on any public safety issues occurring there. He told Isthmus to file a public information request for data on incidents at the camp.
In a video critical of the encampment, Nino Amato, right, asks a woman at the gate about needles seen on the premises.
Critics also say the location of the camp is terrible. “It is a food desert,” says Amato. “The closest grocery store is a mile and a half away, across Broadway and Stoughton.”
Konkel agrees that the location isn’t the greatest. “To take the bus anywhere from there is a journey,” she says. “Just to get from our site to Walmart and back can take three hours.” The city provides bus passes and gas cards to people living there and a van regularly takes people to the laundry or grocery store.
Konkel dismisses some of Amato’s and Kristan’s other complaints as uninformed. “Kids do not live at the campground,” Konkel says. “Kids visit their grandparents or parents that live at the campground.”
Amato thinks that the city got ripped off in buying the shelters. Amato claims the city spent more than $15,000 each, but could have bought camping trailers with kitchens and bathrooms for about $13,000.
O’Keefe says the city spent a little over $10,000 to buy and install each of the shelters. Konkel notes that if the city had bought campers with kitchens and bathrooms there would have been added costs to connect each of them to water and sewer lines. “It looks like it might have been cheaper, but providing the infrastructure to support those trailers would have probably ended up costing more,” she says.
The camp does have bathroom and shower facilities in a separate building. There is no community kitchen, but people have access to hot plates and small appliances they can cook with. And there is a large recreational trailer that people can use to watch movies or cook, albeit in small numbers.
Kristan claims that the fence is locked with a chain and that emergency personnel have had trouble accessing the site. Konkel says the locks were ones that the city police and fire departments gave them to install.
Kristan says that he worries that he’ll be labeled as anti-homeless for criticizing the camp, but says that’s not the case. He notes that he used to run a free store for homeless people at the top of State Street. “We care deeply about the homeless, but we want the best programs possible,” he says.
Konkel believes that the encampment has been a success in getting people out of the cycle of poverty. One thing that she likes about the approach is that when job, housing or income opportunities become available, the clients are easy to find. When people are living on the street, outreach workers have to track them down to follow up on these opportunities.
She would like to see the camp continue, perhaps in a location that’s more accessible to services and jobs. And she’d like community space where residents can cook, relax or meet with counselors to be included.
O’Keefe asks critics to remember the Dairy Drive camp is “not intended to be a permanent shelter. It’s meant to provide temporary resources while people connect to housing.”
In October, the Common Council agreed to continue operating the camp through the end of 2023, for an additional $1.1 million. “After that, we’ll see,” O’Keefe says. “One of the biggest challenges will be funding. We’re benefiting from federal funds and those are not going to be available a whole lot longer.”
Homelessness Dairy Drive | 2022-12-05T13:21:52Z | isthmus.com | Homeless encampment at Dairy Drive meets basic needs, say city officials - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/news/news/homeless-encampment-meets-basic-needs-say-city-officials/ | https://isthmus.com/news/news/homeless-encampment-meets-basic-needs-say-city-officials/ |
Home Morgan Wallen, Hardy, Ernest, Bailey Zimmerman
Morgan Wallen, Hardy, Ernest, Bailey Zimmerman
American Family Field, Milwaukee (formerly Miller Park) One Brewers Way, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53214
media release: Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.com. All tickets are mobile delivery for this show.
The Ticket Office will be open at 9:00 am on the day of the event and remain open until the headliner takes the stage.
Will Call is located at the Box Office near the Home Plate Gate. Those picking up tickets will be required to present a picture ID of the designated will call name and credit card used for the purchase. No third-party Will Call will be accepted for this event; please distribute tickets in advance.
ABOUT MORGAN WALLEN
With over 12.3 billion on-demand streams, multi-platinum certifications and seven chart-toppers at Country radio, it’s no wonder The New Yorker dubbed Morgan Wallen “the most wanted man in country.” His critically-acclaimed, 4x platinum ACM Album of the Year Dangerous: The Double Album (Big Loud/Republic Records) -- Wallen's follow-up to his Double Platinum breakout If I Know Me -- topped 2021's all-genre Billboard 200 Albums year-end chart with 4.1 million units sold earning him 2022 Billboard Awards Country Male Artist top honor while continuing to notch historical chart status as Billboard’s longest running Top 10 album in history for a solo artist (eclipsing Adele’s 21 and Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA). Its success sparking an in-demand 55-show THE DANGEROUS TOUR in 2022 that kicked off this February and wrapped in early October, with the superstar’s first headlining stadium show at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX that saw Wallen shattering attendance records previously held by Elton John and Lady Gaga. The east Tennessean's hit-packed set included “Up Down” (2017), “Whiskey Glasses” (2018), “Chasin' You” (2019), “More Than My Hometown” (2020), “7 Summers” (2020, named one of Time Magazine's Best Songs of the Year), “Sand In My Boots” (2021), and his crossover “Wasted On You.” Wallen's first solo release of 2022, the emotional ballad “Don't Think Jesus,” timed to Good Friday in honor of its redemptive lyrics, earned a Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 debut and landed atop Billboard Hot Country Songs chart making him the first artist to score three No.1 debuts on the chart (based on airplay, streaming and sales) since its inception. Follow up single “You Proof,” released in mid-May, became Wallen’s fastest chart climber to-date, reaching No. 1 after 14 weeks and remaining at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for six non-consecutive weeks. Working outside the traditional Nashville mainframe with producer Joey Moi, Hits Magazine notes, “Wallen continually colors outside the lines,” adding, in turn “he's connected to his fans in ways unprecedented for a country star.” Having already taken home New Artist of the Year in 2020, the CMA New Artist Winner also won AMAs fan-voted Favorite Male Artist and Favorite Country Song at 2022’s awards. The east Tennessee superstar and recent ACM Milestone Award recipient shares, “Awards are awesome, but my true measure of success is my fans, who this year I got to see every single night out on the road and will continue to do so for many years to come.” Thanks to nearly 1 million of his fans, $3 for every ticket sold during his 2022 Dangerous Tour has raised nearly $3 million benefitting the Morgan Wallen Foundation which funds causes close to his heart.
ABOUT HARDY
Big Loud Records' heavy hitter HARDY has never been just one thing. Uncaging his next chapter on January 20, 2023, HARDY will introduce the mockingbird & THE CROW, his dichotomous, 17-track sophomore album and the follow up to 2020 debut, A ROCK. HARDY is the reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year, 2022’s BMI Country Songwriter of the Year and a two-time AIMP Songwriter of the Year. One of CRS' 2021 New Faces of Country Music and a two-time CMA Triple Play award recipient, the pride of Philadelphia, Miss. has earned his reputation as “a breakout in the making,” (HITS) and “a promising purveyor of keeping the spirit of classic heavy Southern rock alive” (American Songwriter). HARDY has written 12 No. 1 singles since 2018, including his own double platinum No. 1 single “ONE BEER” feat. Lauren Alaina + Devin Dawson, and chart-topping Dierks Bentley + BRELAND collaboration, “Beers On Me.” He's previously toured with Thomas Rhett, Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell, and more, and will embark on his own SOLD-OUT headlining Wall to Wall Tour this winter, before launching the mockingbird & THE CROW Tour in 2023.
ABOUT ERNEST
Nashville’s most unpredictable hitmaker ERNEST is “The Charmer” (MusicRow), a triple threat talent and one of Music City’s on the rise artist/writers that’s changing the status quo. A 2022 Variety Hitmaker, the chart-topping songwriter fuses influences ranging from Eminem to George Jones, creating a twist-heavy verse style that’s become his signature, proving its mettle and earning him seven #1 hits to date. The eccentric free spirit and 2022 CMA Triple Play Award winner released his debut full-length album Flower Shops (The Album) in March, named one of Holler and The Tennessean's best albums of 2022 and showcasing the more classically country side of his craft. Nashville's “busiest – and most consistently successful – creative force” (Tennessean) just wrapped his first-ever sold-out headlining Sucker For Small Towns Tour, spanning college towns nationwide.
Establishing himself as one of music’s most exciting new voices, Bailey Zimmerman has arrived at the cusp of superstardom with the 2022 release of his debut EP, Leave The Light On – the biggest streaming country debut of all time and the most-streamed all-genre debut of the year. The EP arrived at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 9 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, affording the Louisville, Illinois, native to join Zach Bryan and Luke Combs as the only country artists in 2022 to earn more than one million streams on each of a project’s tracks during release week alone. In 2021 the twenty-two-year-old released his very first song. Now, in just one year’s time, Zimmerman touts nearly 1 billion global streams, has earned his first pair of Platinum singles, notched three entries on the Billboard Hot 100, and sold out his first headline tour within minutes of tickets going on-sale.
A young artist with the rasp of a seasoned rocker and the heart of a sensitive songwriter, Zimmerman strikes a sweet spot between timeless American country, rafter-rattling arena rock, and the kind of authentic storytelling that tugs at the heartstrings with a sense of humor and a whole lot of soul. With more new music on the horizon, featuring the grit and gravel of his unmistakably Southern drawl, Zimmerman will continue to showcase the straightforward authenticity for which he is known and loved.
Location American Family Field, Milwaukee (formerly Miller Park) One Brewers Way, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53214 | 2022-12-05T18:39:41Z | isthmus.com | Morgan Wallen, Hardy, Ernest, Bailey Zimmerman - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/morgan-wallen-hardy-ernest-bailey-zimmerman/ | https://isthmus.com/events/morgan-wallen-hardy-ernest-bailey-zimmerman/ |
Home NCAA Volleyball Tournament
UW Field House 1450 Monroe St., Madison, Wisconsin
Sixth-ranked Pittsburgh (29-3), seeded No. 2 in the region, takes on 12th-ranked and third-seed Florida (25-5) in the first regional semifinal at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. Second-ranked and No. 1-seed Wisconsin (27-3) faces 11th-ranked and fourth-seeded Penn State (26-7) in the second regional semifinal, 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match.
Semifinal winners advance to the regional final on Saturday at 7 p.m. All matches air live on ESPNU.
The regional champion advances to the NCAA National Semifinals on Thursday, Dec. 15 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The national championship will e held on Saturday, Dec. 17 at the CHI Health Center.
All-session ticket packages go on-sale beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday. All-session ticket packages include one ticket for both matches on Thursday and one ticket for Saturday. There is no re-entry between matches on Thursday.
Single-session tickets for Thursday and Saturday go on-sale beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Single-session tickets are valid for one day.
There is a limit of six (6) tickets per account. The fastest and most convenient way to purchase tickets is online at UWBadgers.com. Tickets may also purchased over-the-phone by calling 608.262.1440 or in-person at the McGinnis Family Wisconsin Athletic Ticket Office, located by Gate 1 of Camp Randall Stadium.
The Horned Frogs edged Wisconsin 35-33 in digs but freshman Gulce Guctekin led all players with a match-high 11 digs.
After Wisconsin dominated the first two sets, TCU challenged the Badgers in the third set with eight early ties, including at 9-9. Behind the service of Crawford, Wisconsin went on a 3-0 run to take a 12-9 lead. UW would up its lead to four (20-16) but TCU would make it just a two-point set at 23-21. The Badgers served for match point at 24-21 but the Horned Frogs would hold off two match points before a block from Franklin and Smrek extended Wisconsin's season.
Location UW Field House 1450 Monroe St., Madison, Wisconsin | 2022-12-05T18:39:47Z | isthmus.com | NCAA Volleyball Tournament - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/ncaa-volleyball-Tournament-2022-sweet-16/ | https://isthmus.com/events/ncaa-volleyball-Tournament-2022-sweet-16/ |
Home Your Favorite New Places and How to Find Them: The Life of a Guide Writer
Your Favorite New Places and How to Find Them: The Life of a Guide Writer
press release: Kevin Revolinski, author of 60 Hikes Madison and Paddling Wisconsin, talks about how he got into writing guidebooks and the work that goes into making them, while sharing a few of his favorite outdoor places in Wisconsin.
Kevin Revolinski is the author of 16 books, including 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Madison(link is external), Backroads and Byways of Wisconsin(link is external), and Wisconsin’s Best Beer Guide(link is external). His travel memoir The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey(link is external) is now in its fifth printing. His short stories have appeared in several literary journals, and his first collection of them, Stealing Away: Stories, was published in January 2021 by Back Burner Books(link is external).
His writing and photography have appeared in publications around the world, including The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, and Sydney Morning Herald, to name but a few. His travels have taken him to over 75 countries. Back home in Wisconsin, he is an authority on camping, hiking, paddling, and craft breweries. He has been featured as a guest regularly on Wisconsin Public Radio, and once on The Today Show.
Event Categories Books, Recreation | 2022-12-05T18:40:27Z | isthmus.com | Your Favorite New Places and How to Find Them: The Life of a Guide Writer - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/your-favorite-new-places-how-to-find-them-revolinski/ | https://isthmus.com/events/your-favorite-new-places-how-to-find-them-revolinski/ |
Home A & E Emphasis Sig’s Treasure Chest and Meep Meepleton’s World of Fun specialize in toys from the ’80s and ’90s
Sig’s Treasure Chest and Meep Meepleton’s World of Fun specialize in toys from the ’80s and ’90s
The new, now vintage
by Steven Potter
Steven Potter
Dave Farrar and Sig Gust each in their vintage toy stores.
Dave Farrar, left, and Sig Gust both own local vintage toy shops.
As a kid back in the ‘80s, Derek Gust cherished the chance to browse the aisles of Toys “R” Us and KB Toys.
“I could easily spend an hour walking around looking at the hundreds of toys and action figures with all of their bright, neon colors — Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe, Voltron, all of it,” he remembers. “I didn’t always get something — we didn’t have a lot of money — but when I did, it was such an incredible feeling to pick something out and take it home.”
Gust, now 42, rediscovered that feeling about a decade ago when he started collecting those same toys he had back then, as well as many others he didn’t have but wanted.
“It took me right back to when you were free to just be a kid, when you didn’t have any worries,” says Gust, who admits he “was into the gross stuff back then like the Boglins puppets and Garbage Pail Kids.”
A few years ago, Gust began reselling vintage toys from the ‘80s and ‘90s and T-shirts online and in June he opened a retail shop on the city’s east side called Sig’s Treasure Chest.
It’s a bit of a trick to find the shop, at 222 North St. It’s located at the rear of the red brick building — go through the parking lot (across the street from Crostini Sandwiches) and ring the doorbell for Sig’s. Gust (whose nickname is Sig) will let you in and take you downstairs to the store. There is also an elevator.
Maybe it’s the obscure entrance or that you have to be let in or that it’s on a lower level, but once in the store, it feels like you’ve walked into someone’s secret treasure chest of toys.
Tables and racks and nearly every nook and cranny are packed with memorabilia from before the turn of the millenium. There are games, VHS tapes, clothes, puppets and an incredible range of toys including everything from Pac-Man and Pee-Wee Herman dolls to sports hero and Smurf figurines to He-Man, Batman and Spider-Man tie-ins.
“As we all grow up, we tend to pull away from the things we loved,” says Gust. “I want to give people a chance to find them again.”
As for the hottest vintage items these days, Gust says it’s “anything seen in or related to the show Stranger Things — it flies right outta here. Everyone, even teenagers and kids right now, just love that stuff.”
Another option for vintage toys is Meep Meepleton’s World of Fun, 912 Williamson St., opened by Dave Farrar and his wife, Amanda, in 2021.
Farrar began his collecting back in the late ’80s when many of the toys we call vintage today were just coming out. “There’s a connection so many of us share,” he says. “During the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, we all pretty much watched the same things — Gremlins, Star Wars, Back to the Future and Ghostbusters about 500 times. So we have a lot of those same memories. That’s a strong bond to each other and to the toys that came out back then.”
Farrar’s space is overflowing with several incarnations of Marvel and DC comic book figures and toys from shows like Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, My Little Pony, The Muppets, The Simpsons and Star Trek. There are also old records and tapes, WWF wrestling characters, movie memorabilia and much more. And as a bonus, there’s Meep’s Workshop, which offers a space where kids and grown folks can paint and decorate squishy foam and vinyl figures.
As the end of the year gift-giving holidays approach, Farrar has some tips for those on the hunt for their vintage toy-loving friends and family: “I always ask if the person they’re buying for has a favorite character or scene from a show or movie and how old they are,” he says. “From there, you can begin to narrow it down and then I try to suggest the first editions of the toys — those usually make a great gift for any level of collector.” | 2022-12-06T15:25:00Z | isthmus.com | Sig’s Treasure Chest and Meep Meepleton’s World of Fun specialize in toys from the ’80s and ’90s - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/emphasis/sigs-treasure-chest-meep-meepletons-vintage-toys/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/emphasis/sigs-treasure-chest-meep-meepletons-vintage-toys/ |
Home OPINION Citizen Dave Train station belongs in downtown Madison
An artists' rendering of a Madison train station.
When high-speed rail seemed headed to Madison more than 10 years ago, conceptual plans were drawn up for a train station below the Department of Administration building on East Wilson Street.
The really good ones never die.
Madison has been talking about a return to passenger rail service for about three decades. We came oh so close in 2010, when $810 million in federal money was earmarked for a Madison to Milwaukee line. Then Scott Walker got elected governor and turned the money away. And the heck of it is, that wasn’t the worst thing he did.
But let’s move on. We’ve got another chance. In the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed last year, Congress appropriated $102 billion for rail improvements and Madison was included on a conceptual map of line expansions put out by the feds.
Okay. So right here let me just say three things. Charlie Brown. Football. Lucy.
Nonetheless, you have to like our chances of getting one percent of $102 billion. So, it’s time to dream again and part of the dream is to dust off plans for a Madison train station.
We went down this track before over a decade ago and the half dozen areas the city is looking at in what its planner describes as a “quick-hitter of a process" were all pretty well vetted back then. Generally speaking, there are two sites on the East Side, two on the North Side, one on campus and one downtown. (And by the way, any planner who promises a “quick-hitter of a process” in Madison is new to town, optimistic beyond reason, or ahead of the curve when it comes to the legalization of recreational drugs in Wisconsin.)
While we’ve been through this before, it’s worth going through the exercise again. There has been a lot of development near all of the potential sites and a major redevelopment is planned around one of them — the old Oscar Mayer plant. At that site the city could move its north transfer point and develop it into an intermodal hub. Also, it’s not too far from the airport, which would be another plus.
Still, I like downtown. Back in 2010 I pushed for a location below the DOA building on East Wilson Street and, in fact, conceptual plans were drawn up for a station there. My view was, and still is, that a train should come downtown because that’s where most people want to be. Oscar Mayer encompasses a nice residential neighborhood and the redevelopment plans are great, but it’s not a destination in itself. That intermodal hub will be needed because just about everyone will be headed someplace else in the city.
But when you emerge from the DOA building you’re two blocks from the Capitol, which not insignificantly, will be one of the first things you see. If you’ve got business with the state, most of state government is steps away. The Monona Terrace Convention Center, which could very well be your final destination, is a half block away as is the Hilton and a new hotel soon to be built. The UW campus is a short bus ride away or a pleasant walk down State Street.
All of the sites identified by the city have their advantages and their drawbacks. But the train station should be downtown.
Transportation Amtrak | 2022-12-06T15:25:12Z | isthmus.com | Train station belongs in downtown Madison - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/opinion/citizen-dave/train-station-belongs-in-downtown-madison/ | https://isthmus.com/opinion/citizen-dave/train-station-belongs-in-downtown-madison/ |
Home A & E Stage Updating a classic
CTM takes the opportunity to freshen the script for ‘A Christmas Carol’
Charles Dickens’s classic tale, A Christmas Carol, was published on December 19, 1843, and only five days later (on Christmas Eve) all 6,000 copies had been sold.
Amid a flurry of reprints in the following year there were already several adaptations for the stage, telling the story of the miserly Scrooge, the impoverished Cratchit family, the ghosts that would haunt Scrooge’s past, present and future, and the grave mistake of ignoring the needs of one’s fellow man. Since then, literally hundreds of versions of the seasonally appropriate, alternately harrowing and heartwarming story have been created. Over the last century the plot and characters have been repurposed for theater, opera, ballet, radio, film and TV productions, as well as comic books, graphic novels and even video games.
This holiday season Children’s Theater of Madison is bringing yet another adaptation of A Christmas Carol to the stage. Area audiences will be able to see this new iteration in Overture Center’s Capitol Theater, December 10-23.
A brand new script was commissioned after longtime Christmas Carol actor and director James Ridge decided that 2021 would be his last year helming the traditionally enormous production. Connected with the show since 2009, Ridge spent several of those seasons directing Colleen Madden’s clever literary adaptation of the material.
“After we got over the shock of doing the show without Jim and Colleen, we suddenly realized that CTM had this great opportunity to refresh the story and update some of the elements,” said the production’s director and choreographer Brian Cowing, in a recent interview over coffee on Madison’s near west side.
While discussing possibilities for a new version of A Christmas Carol with CTM artistic director Roseann Sheridan, Cowing suggested working with playwright Charlotte T. Martin, who holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and works as the literary manager for InterAct Theatre Company. Longtime friends, Cowing and Martin grew up together in southern Wisconsin attending classes and participating in productions at Children’s Theater of Madison in the 1980s and '90s.
Although Martin had never written a play for young audiences before, their background with CTM made them an obvious choice for the project. “Brian was my first theater friend ever,” says Martin. “And now we’re doing my first kids show together!”
So, how does one remake a classic that many audience members regard as a hallowed family tradition and many others know word for word? Cowing and Martin started by asking a lot of people what they thought was absolutely essential about the well worn Christmas story. “We put the question to the CTM staff, to some young performers who had been in A Christmas Carol previously, and some who had only been in the audience,” Martin recounted. “We said, ‘What’s your favorite part? What do you like most and least? What are the things you’ve gotta have?’ And there were some obvious answers. Tiny Tim has to say ‘God Bless us every one.’ Scrooge has to say, ‘Bah humbug.’ But some of the answers surprised us.”
Cowing and Martin explained that some young people they spoke to wanted more drama and pathos, while others wanted Scrooge to work harder to earn his redemption. Adults and children agreed that they were looking for more holiday cheer in the story, which was good news for the collaborators. “We both wanted to focus on joy,” said Cowing. “This version will definitely lean on that. It’s not nearly as dark or dense as the previous version. There’s lots of laughter.”
Cowing, an accomplished musical theater performer, vocalist and choreographer, also wanted more music and dancing in the show, and a story that moved along at a quicker pace. For their part, Martin was intrigued by Tiny Tim’s backstory and wanted to suss out more specifics about the young, tragic character. “Now we get a little more from him,” they said. “We fall in love with him in a new way.” Tim will also look different in this version — he will no longer walk with a crutch. Instead he has a serious illness in the story. “We’ve all lived through COVID,” said Martin. “Kids know what it means to be sick and how scary that can be. That’s enough.”
In another twist, Cowing suggested adding some characters from “The Lamplighters,” a farcical Dickens short story. He explained, “Our version is very much about community. The lamplighters, who passed their profession down from father to son over generations, form one community. Scrooge’s nephew Fred is part of a different community and the Cratchits are another. At the heart of it, that’s what’s wrong with Scrooge. He’s cut himself off from everyone. So now when he reconnects, Scrooge feels that support, but he also realizes he has a responsibility to others.”
In addition to the new script, this production offers audiences a new set and new costumes designed by Shelley Cornia. It also features a new look, with thematic lighting design including 84 lamps, and a slightly smaller cast (15 young performers and 11 adults). Finally, Cowing hints that the Ghost of Christmas Future has a new look as well — very different from the black-clad, haunting figure of death that is normally pointing Scrooge to his doom. Instead he describes the third spirit to visit Scrooge as “astonishing” and “whimsical.”
Martin says “My hope for this adaptation and production is when people leave, they have a magical feeling. That they’ve had a great time and feel like this is part of what Christmas means to them.” | 2022-12-06T19:13:40Z | isthmus.com | Updating a classic - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/stage/updating-a-classic/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/stage/updating-a-classic/ |
Home Bobby Weir & Wolf Brothers with the Wolfpack
Bobby Weir & Wolf Brothers with the Wolfpack
Five people on a staircase.
Bobby Weir & Wolf Brothers
media release: Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros—led by Weir alongside Don Was, Jay Lane and Jeff Chimenti—confirm a run of winter 2023 tour dates. The band will once again be joined by The Wolfpack, a string and brass quintet which features Alex Kelly, Brian Switzer, Adam Theis, Mads Tolling and Sheldon Brown, along with Barry Sless on pedal steel performing the expansive catalogue of Grateful Dead, Bobby's solo albums and more.
The band recently released Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros: Live in Colorado Vol. 2, which debuted at #1 on the Americana/Folk album chart. Pitchfork raves of the LP, “he stages some of the most beloved material in the Grateful Dead’s catalog with the passion and reverence of a couple spending their 50th anniversary looking back on their wedding day,” while American Songwriter says, “Weir and the Wolfs manage to stay true to the template while also taking the music beyond any original incarnation by reinventing them in ways that find imagination and intrigue well stirred in a contemporary context.” Listen HERE.
Weir recently stopped by “Watch What Happens Live,” an appearance of which Vulture said, “he just might be the best guest Andy Cohen’s late-night show has ever witnessed.”
Bobby Weir, a founding member of the legendary Grateful Dead who received a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, is one of rock’s finest and most distinctive rhythm guitarists. Weir has been honored with the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Les Paul Spirit Award, as well as a Goodwill Ambassadorship for the United Nations Development Program. His first solo album in more than ten years, Blue Mountain (2016), was critically praised upon release. Weir currently performs with Dead & Company as well as Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros.
Don Was is a GRAMMY-winning producer and founder of the ’80s funk-rock band Was (Not Was), known for hits such as “Walk The Dinosaur” and “Spy In The House Of Love.” As an in-demand, highly acclaimed producer, Was has been honored with four GRAMMY Awards for his production work in each of the past three decades, including Best Album honors for work with the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt. Production credits include the Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Gregg Allman, John Mayer and Neil Young. Albums produced by Was have achieved dozens of multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold certifications and have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide. As one of music’s top bass players, Was has collaborated with countless musicians throughout his storied career, spanning a multitude of genres.
Jay Lane is a longtime Weir collaborator and drummer who played with Weir’s RatDog for more than 16 years. He was also one of Primus’ first drummers and has recently performed with Phil Lesh and Friends as well as Dead & Company.
Acclaimed keyboardist Jeff Chimenti has a long history of working with former members of the Grateful Dead having performed with Bob Weir & RatDog, The Dead and Furthur. He has been a member of Dead & Company since the band’s formation in 2015. In 2020, Jeff Chimenti joined the Wolf Bros. | 2022-12-07T01:36:10Z | isthmus.com | Bobby Weir & Wolf Brothers with the Wolfpack - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/events/bobby-weir-wolf-brothers-with-the-wolfpack/ | https://isthmus.com/events/bobby-weir-wolf-brothers-with-the-wolfpack/ |
Home A & E What to do in Madison this weekend: Madison Roller Derby, Eastside Winter Market, and more Isthmus Picks
Shawn Harper Photography
A dancer in a winter scene.
Choreographer Udbhav Desai is performing in "Winter Fantasia Reimagined" from Kanopy Dance Company.
A group of people holiding up Radiothon flyers.
Catholic Multicultural Center staff and volunteers are getting ready for Radiothon 2022.
Radiothon, Friday, Dec. 9, Catholic Multicultural Center, 1-7 p.m.: Each December, the Catholic Multicultural Center teams up with La Movida radio to host Radiothon, a bilingual fundraiser for the CMC's many community services (free meals, a food pantry and legal assistance for immigrants are only a sampling). After a couple years of mostly virtual activities, the celebration returns to the CMC, with performers including Ballet Folklórico de Carlos y Sonia Avila (6 p.m.), marimba master Eric De Los Santos (2:30 and 5 p.m.), and others. La Movida's broadcast (1480 AM/94.5 FM), features interviews with staff, volunteers and program participants. Donations can be made in-person, by calling 608-441-3247, or online at cmcmadison.org.
Wendy Red Star reception, Friday, Dec. 9, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 5-8 p.m.: Wendy Red Star is Apsáalooke (Crow) and a multimedia artist focused on Indigenous perspectives of the received Native American narrative. Vintage imagery and her own photos combine to create a trenchant commentary on current U.S. culture. In “Apsáalooke: Children of the Large-Beaked Bird,” Red Star annotates portraits of Native Americans taken during the late 1800s-early 1900s when Crow leaders traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. officials. Her commentary provides needed and appreciated context. MMoCA's current hours are noon-6 p.m., Thursday-Sunday, and the exhibit is on display through Feb. 26; the reception on Dec. 9 will include performances by the Wisconsin Dells Singers.
Ashley Crutcher
Members of a handbell choir.
Madison Area Concert Handbells
Madison Area Concert Handbells, Dec. 9-11, Madison, Monona and Verona venues: This auditioned ensemble features players of handbells and handchimes with more than 250 years of combined experience, so you can bet the group's 25th anniversary concerts will be special. Madison Area Concert Handbells will play their interpretation of a wide range of holiday music during three concerts: 7 p.m., Dec. 9, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Verona; 7 p.m., Dec. 10, Asbury United Methodist Church; and 3 p.m. Dec. 11, St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Monona. Find tickets here.
Toys for Tots Benefit, Saturday, Dec. 10, VFW Post 7591, 10 a.m.-1 a.m.: The Marine Corps Reserve has been coordinating a collection of holiday gifts for kids in Madison for many years, and this annual concert hosted by VFW Post 7591, 301 Cottage Grove Road, has long been a great way to both give donations and receive a full day of entertainment. This year features two stages and 17 performers ranging from classic rock (QUEST, 6:10 p.m.) to '80s-'90s (Your Mom, 12:20 p.m.) to bluegrass (Soggy Prairie, 3:30 p.m.) to the one and only Art Paul Schlosser (4 p.m.). Be sure to bring an unwrapped toy for admission. Find more info on donation locations at madison-wi.toysfortots.org.
Jennifer Bastian
A holiday market at Garver Feed Mill.
The scene at the 2021 Eastside Winter Market, hosted by Communication.
Eastside Winter Market, Dec. 10-11, Garver Feed Mill: One thing we can advise about this popular winter holiday market: Do not drive into the Garver parking lot unless you have a lot of time to kill. (Consider biking, walking or busing!) Garver will be full of artisans and other vendors with merry merch of all descriptions, and the restored factory space will ring with live music all day Saturday. And because nobody wants to get sick before the holidays, masks are required. Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Dec. 10; and 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Dec. 11. Find the music schedule and vendor list here.
Jerry Apps, Saturday Dec. 10, Verona Library, 1:30 p.m.: With more than 50 books under his belt, Wisconsin author Jerry Apps is back with More Than Words: A Memoir of A Writing Life, which travels through Apps’ 60 years in the storytelling business, addressing his creative process and offering advice to writers. Apps’ works include fiction, nonfiction and children’s literature, most often centered around rural history and country life. Register at veronapubliclibrary.org.
TubaChristmas, Saturday, Dec. 10, Capitol Rotunda, 2:30 p.m.: If this has somehow escaped your attention, we assure you: TubaChristmas is, indeed, a thing. And it has been now for 48 years. Each year, tuba and euphonium players get together across the globe to play Christmas music and the best of the repertory for the big brass instruments. Madison is one of seven sites for TubaChristmas performances this year in Wisconsin alone. And just when you think tuba music can't get any more emphatic, stick the impromptu orchestra in the Capitol Rotunda. It's a lot. Players are welcome; please register at noon, First United Methodist Church, with rehearsal at 1 p.m.
Dick Blau
A person on stage with an accordion.
Tom Brusky
Camp Wisco, Saturday, Dec. 10, The Sylvee, 4 p.m.: The Sylvee turns into your Uncle Larry’s Northwoods cabin for an evening of country folk music from Madison’s WheelHouse and polka music by the Tom Brusky Band. Host Adam Gruel (Horseshoes & Hand Grenades) is sure to launch a bluegrass number or two himself. But that’s not all. Author Ron Faiola will be on hand to sign his Wisconsin Supper Clubs books. Uncle Larry would never get a party going without a euchre tournament and a meat raffle. There’ll be a brat eating contest and Wisconsin-themed vendors, too; it's all a benefit for Clean Wisconsin.
Madison Roller Derby, Saturday, Nov. 10, Keva Sports Center, Middleton, 6 p.m.: If it feels like a long time since the skaters of Madison Roller Derby hit the flat track, you are not imagining things; the last rollin' was in 2020. (Long enough that in the interim, the league's longtime home, Fast Forward Skate Center, is scheduled for demolition and still scouting a new location; the nonprofit MRD is also fundraising to build its own venue.) MRD's return to action features a doubleheader of the Unholy Rollers vs. Va-Va-Va-Vixens and Quad Squad vs. Reservoir Dolls. Visit madisonrollerderby.org for tickets and future dates.
A Christmas Carol, Dec. 10-23, Overture Center-Capitol Theater: Children's Theater of Madison has re-adapted its adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic story of holiday moral transformation, A Christmas Carol. LaShawn Banks returns as Ebenezer Scrooge, so that's the same. Word is that this time, Tiny Tim is no longer in need of crutches. But is it still his life Scrooge's generosity is destined to save? Whatever the case, Scrooge's redemption will remain. Shows at 7 p.m., Dec. 10, 16 and 21-22; 2:30 and 7 p.m., Dec. 17; and 2:30 p.m., Dec. 11, 18 and 23. Note: Sensory Kits are available at all performances, including noise-reducing headphones.
The Occasional Quartet, Saturday, Dec. 10, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: Willy Porter, Bill Camplin, Randy Sabien and Peter Mulvey are the Mount Rushmore of Wisconsin folk singer-songwriters. They go by the name The Occasional Quartet but it’s very, very occasional when they gather on one stage. The music will go from songwriter to songwriter with stories in between. Porter is an accomplished songwriter but it’s his Michael Hedges-meets-Leo Kottke-style guitar playing that turns heads. Jazz violinist Randy Sabien is a veteran performer seen on Austin City Limits and A Prairie Home Companion. Peter Mulvey is perhaps the most prolific songwriter of the bunch. And Bill Camplin, the elder statesman of the group, went from a career in songwriting to running a cafe for songwriters, Cafe Carpe, in Fort Atkinson.
A band on stage.
Disq performing at Orton Park Festival, 2022.
Disq, Saturday, Dec. 10, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: October's Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet is Madison quintet Disq's second transmission to the national record wars via iconic indie label Saddle Creek. It's an eclectic and excellent rock album, and this time they have been able to get out on the road and play it for the people. If you witnessed their blazing set at Orton Park Festival in August, you probably already have a ticket to this tour homecoming; if not, don't sleep on this one. With Ratboys, Godly the Ruler.
Madison Vegan Holiday Pop-up, Sunday, Dec. 11, Goodman Community Center, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.: This very paw-sitive event will not only make shopping for the vegan on your holiday list easy, it'll make it easy to make vegan choices while entertaining throughout the season. The event is also a fundraiser for Wisconsin farm sanctuaries, Primates Inc. and Dane4Dogs. Food vendors include Heirloom Bakery and Kitchen, JustVeggiez, and Mindful Baking; organizers encourage preorder and pickup. See the full list at facebook.com/madison.vegan.popup.
A close-up of Kangwon Kim and Trevor Stephenson.
Madison Bach Musicians' Kangwon Kim (left) and Trevor Stephenson.
Madison Bach Musicians, Sunday, Dec. 11, First Congregational Church, 3:30 p.m.: For its 12th annual holiday season performance, the Madison Bach Musicians will present “Latin American Baroque,” the first concert of its kind for the popular period performance group. Instead of Bach, composers on the program will be Fernández, Padilla and Salazar. Singers will include soprano Esteli Gomez, a Grammy award winner; mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski, a prize winner in Madison’s Handel Aria Competition; tenor James Reese, celebrated Baroque interpreter; and baritone Ryne Cherry, velvety-voiced interpreter of both old and new music. The concert is preceded by a lecture at 2:45 p.m., and a livestream is available; find ticket info at madisonbachmusicians.org.
Modest Mouse, Sunday, Dec. 11, The Sylvee, 6:30 p.m.: To celebrate the 25th anniversary of its breakthrough album, Modest Mouse is on the road with “The Lonesome Crowded West Tour.” The album, released in November 1997, is today considered among the best indie records of all time. Just as they did the first time around, the rock band will tour as a quartet, with original members Isaac Brock and Jeremiah Green joined by Russell Higbee and Simon O’Connor. With Mattress; general admission tickets have been long sold out but a few VIP packages may be available.
A person and a guitar sitting in front of a window.
Adem Tesfaye
The Periodicals + Adem Tesfaye Band, Sunday, Dec. 11, Bur Oak, 7 p.m.: WORT-FM always throws a good party, and its wintertime birthday bash is no exception. For its first in-person birthday concert post-COVID, WORT delivers a pair of bands which blend genres into distinctive brews all their own. Adem Tesfaye Band is led by the songwriter-singer-guitarist, who mashes up hip-hop, R&B and reggae. The Periodicals cook up pub rock and soul into a horn-laden stew that is good for you. | 2022-12-08T11:40:56Z | isthmus.com | What to do in Madison this weekend: Madison Roller Derby, Eastside Winter Market, and more Isthmus Picks - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin | https://isthmus.com/arts/isthmus-madison-picks-dec-8-to-11-2022/ | https://isthmus.com/arts/isthmus-madison-picks-dec-8-to-11-2022/ |
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