Open Art Studios
Spring builds up steam this weekend as Madison commences the busiest month of the season. The calendar includes: Open Art Studios; the conclusion of the Tales from Planet Earth film fest; comedy from John Hodgman and Clownvis Presley; a Mad Rollin' Dolls bout; productions of Simply Barbra and This Beautiful City; performances by the MSO and Nathaniel Bartlett; a Jazz at Five fundraiser; and; more live music by Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks, Eliza Rickman, Erik Brandt, The Daredevil Christopher Wright, the Del McCoury Band, the Sprial Joy Band, Jess Yoakum with Beth Varela, Dubtonic Kru, Peter Wolf Crier with Milagres, and Uncle Bonsai.
Friday 3.30
NOTEWORTHY: Two police officers, press secretary James Brady & President Reagan wounded in assassination attempt, 1981.
The UW's Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies concludes its annual festival of films with environmental themes. Visit TalesFromPlanetEarth.com for the final weekend's schedule.
Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm
Hicks has graced the cover of Rolling Stone no less than three times over the past four decades, during which he's crafted a unique sound that teams gyspy swing, country and bossa nova with his razor-sharp wit.
Project Lodge, 7:30 pm
Though she's a pastor's daughter who resides in sunny California, Rickman's tunes sport a dark edge reminiscent of Kate Bush's oeuvre. With Mega Deft and Cait Shanahan.
Overture Hall, 7:30 pm. Also Saturday (8 pm) & Sunday (2:30 pm), March 31 & April 1
Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto demands poetry and sparkle, and you can expect pianist Philippe Bianconi to provide both when he joins the big ensemble this weekend. Also on the program: Kevin Puts' "Inspiring Beethoven" and Richard Strauss' mammoth "Ein Heldenleben."
Majestic Theatre, 8 pm
Daily Show contributor Hodgman is an expert in made-up trivia of the sort he compiled in his latest book, That Is All, a follow-up to The Areas of My Expertise (which was preceded by More Information Than You Require). Hear him opine about wine, sports and other topics at this event. He may or may not be wearing shoes. With Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett.
Overture Center's Capitol Theater, 8 pm
The nails and the hair are fake, but Steven Brinberg's passion for Barbra Streisand is real, and his impersonation of her is remarkable. Expect him to sing the standbys -- "Evergreen," "Memories" -- and pray he does "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," Babs' duet with Neil Diamond, because Brinberg sings both parts.
Bartell Theatre, 8 pm. Also Saturday, March 31, 8 pm
StageQ presents this musical, from New York's "investigative" theater company the Civilians, about the evangelical movement in Colorado Springs, home of Ted Haggard and Focus on the Family. Characters include conservative Christians, secular progressives and a Wiccan.
Mother Fool's Coffeehouse, 8 pm
The high school English teacher and frontman of the Urban Hillbilly Quartet performs tunes from his third solo album, The Long Winter, which brims with Americana-infused rock and a Wurlitzer-driven ode to William Blake. With Duke Otherwise.
Inferno, 9 pm
We still laugh when we think about the America's Got Talent broadcast on which clown/Elvis impersonator Clownvis brutally heckled the judges. "Howie Mandel hasn't made a good thing since Little Monsters," said Clownvis. Ouch. With Peach Pies Caburlesque and comedy by Nate Bjork.
The Daredevil Christopher Wright
Frequency, 9 pm
Though their latest album, In Deference to a Broken Back, explores many varieties of loss, from cross-country moves to struggles with cancer, this Eau Claire band's tone is hopeful, even joyful. Find out how they do it at this show. With Pioneer and Jentri Colello.
Saturday 3.31
NOTEWORTHY: President Lyndon B. Johnson announces he will not seek reelection, 1968.
11 am-4 pm. Also Sunday, April 1, 11 am-4 pm
Artists from Fitchburg to Deforest and points in between open their studios to you, the art-hungry public. Ogle their work in its natural habitat.
Alliant Energy Center's Coliseum, 6 pm
The roller derby outfit stages its final bout of the regular season as the Unholy Rollers take on the Vaudeville Vixens and the Quad Squad skates against Kansas City's Dreadnought Dorothys.
Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm
The Del McCoury Band has been strumming, picking and fiddling for 45 years, sowing a love of bluegrass in nearly every corner of the country. This visit will most likely focus on its two most recent albums, 2011's American Legacies and the just-released Old Memories: The Songs of Bill Monroe.
Project Lodge, 7:30 pm
This experimental outfit draws part of its roster from Pelt, a Virginia-based trio that fuses drone, Appalachian folk and Indian ragas to create mystical rock 'n' roll soundscapes. At this performance the band fetes the arrival of Plowed, a trio of tapes including live material from the past five years. With Black Eagle Child, Noxroy and Jivas.
Mother Fool's Coffeehouse, 8 pm
These friends from the Berklee College of Music will perform two sets, one in which Yoakum accompanies Varela's songs with a flute, and a second in which Varela adds percussion to Yoakum's folk-tinged tunes.
Dragonfly Lounge, 9:30 pm
Blazing the trails of contemporary roots reggae, Dubtonic Kru melds music traditions from the tropics with spoken word and jazz. With Kingtown Rockers, DJ Trichrome.
High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm
Folk and pop converge in odd, beautiful ways when Peter Pisano and Brian Moen morph into Peter Wolf Crier, a Minneapolis band signed to Jagjaguwar Records. Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., Milagres flavor their indie rock with falsetto vocals, ethereal choruses and a hearty helping of reverb. Learn more about their latest release, Glowing Mouth, in this week's Tour Stop. With Blessed Feather.
Sunday 4.1
NOTEWORTHY: Adolf Hitler sentenced to five-year jail term for Beer Hall Putsch, 1924.
Brink Lounge, noon
The local musicians of Madisalsa and the Michelle DuVall Quartet with Doug Brown join forces to scare up some cash for Jazz at Five, the outdoor concert series that's a late-summer Madison tradition.
High Noon Saloon, 7 pm
Blessed with angelic voices and bizarre humor, this Seattle-based folk trio rose to cult-favorite status in the 1980s with weird, wonderful songs that scared the bejeezus out of the FCC. Expect a set list filled with ditties such as "Penis Envy," "Cheerleaders on Drugs" and "Boys Want Sex in the Morning." With the Prince Myshkins.
Promenade Hall at Overture Center, 8 pm
The marimba virtuoso returns to the Overture Center to premiere (((Clang))), in which his instrument of choice converses with computer-generated sounds and an eight-channel cube of loudspeakers. Audience members sit in the middle of a 3-D soundfield, which lets them swim in the sonics rather than simply drinking them in.
