Anoushka Shankar
Chill out after the bustling weekend with a few tasty digestifs of talks and tunes. The calendar this week includes: talks by John W. Hall and Elaine Pagels; a performance of Ecotones; and, live music by Worrier, Jeffrey Siegel, Carbon Leaf, Horse Feathers, Monotonix, Anoushka Shankar, Captured! By Robots, and Red Sparrowes.
Monday 4.19
BIRTHDAY: Actress Kate Hudson, 1979.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
Worrier's music can sound anxious, with noisy, chirpy guitars and vocals that fall somewhere between sneezing and singing. However, the effect is more calming than agitating. With All Tiny Creatures and Orphan Bloom.
Tuesday 4.20
NOTEWORTHY: 13 killed and 35 wounded in shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Colorado, 1999.
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 7 pm
The UW professor of military history talks about "Warfare and Public Perception in 2050" in this Academy Evenings presentation.
Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations
UW Humanities Building's Mills Hall, 7:30 pm
The roving pianist and lecturer presents "Chopin and the Future."
Ecotones: A Musical Ecology of Wisconsin
Overture Center's Promenade Hall, 8 pm
To observe Earth Day, musicians and composers from the UW present original works honoring the landscape of this pretty state of ours.
Wednesday 4.21
BIRTHDAY: Queen Elizabeth II, 1926.
Majestic Theatre, 8:30 pm
For many years now the Virginia rockers have pleased audiences with a punchy, jangly folk-rock sound. The group has roots in Celtic music, but that's hard to tell these days.
High Noon Saloon, 8:30 pm
Though the West Coast duo is named after a Marx Brothers film, its rustic melodies and sharp hooks have a slightly disturbing edge. With Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps and Juniper Tar.
Frequency, 9:30 pm
The Israeli garage rockers have some new walls to scale in Madison: those of the Frequency. The band has filled the much larger High Noon Saloon, so expect this show to be a particularly raucous event. With the Hussy and Screamin' Cyn Cyn & the Pons.
Thursday 4.22
EARTH DAY
BIRTHDAY: Oscar-winning actor Jack Nicholson, 1937.
Chazen Museum of Art, 7 pm
The Princeton religion professor, noted scholar of the Gnostic gospels, talks about "The Cultural Impact of the Book of Revelation" in this UW Year of Humanities lecture.
Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm
The sitar master studied at the feet of her famous father, Ravi. Most recently she collaborated on the release Breathing Under Water with electronica producer Karsh Kale.
Annex, 9 pm
Jay Vance and his traveling troupe of foul-mouthed, metal-lovin' automatons drop in (see Tour Stop). With the Killer Dolphin with Rabies.
High Noon Saloon, 9 pm
The post-rock band with a deep love of pedal-steel guitars channels the spirits of Isis, Pelican and the Dillinger Escape Plan while carving out a unique identity. With Caspian and Fang Island.