Bicycles, film, food, beer and community converge this week at a pair of outdoor summer celebrations: the Eat Play Bike festival at Villager Mall and a visit by the New Belgium Brewing Clips Beer & Film Tour at Olin Park. The calendar also includes: book readings by Marianne Elliott and Dan Savage; Concert on the Green with the MSO and performances by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; more live music from Jackie Myers Band, Ben Sidran, Mewithoutyou, Michael Quinn and the Bourbon Kings, Anna Vogelzang, Everest, Left Lane Cruiser, and Souls of Mischief; and, the RAW: natural born artists "Kaleidoscope" showcase.
Monday 6.17
NOTEWORTHY: President Richard Nixon declares war on drugs, 1971.
Concert on the Green Bishops Bay Country Club, Middleton, 4:45 pm. Optional golf tournament, 11 am
This charity event benefits the Madison Symphony Orchestra's youth education programs. There's a cocktail party, a gourmet picnic in an idyllic setting, and a concert by conductor John DeMain and members of the MSO.
Frequency, 8:30 pm
Funk and blues infuse the poppy yet complex tunes of this Austin band. Myers earns her keep as frontwoman, contributing smoky vocals and unconventional piano licks. With Peter & the Twins and Rusty Maples.
Tuesday 6.18
NOTEWORTHY: Congress declares war on United Kingdom, 1812.
Cardinal Bar, 5:30 pm
The veteran jazz pianist will lead a happy-hour session he's dubbed "Ben Sidran's salon for secular humanists, arch Democrats and freethinkers." Hey, it doesn't get much more Madison than that. With Nick Moran, Louka Patenaude and Todd Hammes.
Barrymore Theatre, 7:30 pm
This South African vocal group rose to prominence when they were featured on Paul Simon's Graceland. Since then, they've become prolific recording artists and ambassadors of South African culture, especially its mbube and isicathamiya singing styles.
Overture Hall, 7:30 pm
Though many people know them for their Christmas concerts and recordings, which have featured celebs such as Gladys Knight and Audra McDonald, these singers have toured nearly every continent and performed at the inaugurations of five U.S. presidents. With Orchestra at Temple Square.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
The Philly-based rockers' 2012 album, Ten Stories, tells the story of a traveling circus whose train crashes in 19th-century Montana. With Shone and Auctioneer.
Michael Quinn and the Bourbon Kings
Frequency, 8 pm
After soaking up the sounds of the Grand Ole Opry as a young child, Quinn moved to Minnesota, where he developed an unquenchable thirst for roots-rock with pop hooks. With Chris Head & the Honchos.
Wednesday 6.19
NOTEWORTHY: First Father's Day celebrated in Spokane, Wash., 1910.
A Room of One's Own, 6:30 pm
Elliott reads from Zen Under Fire: How I Found Peace in the Midst of War. The book recounts her years as a U.N. human rights officer in Afghanistan, focusing on both geopolitical and personal details.
Barnes & Noble-West Towne, 7 pm
The former Madisonian has made his mark with the "Savage Love" advice column, the MTV show Savage U, and the It Gets Better Project, a major statement against gay bullying. He's both compassionate and cutting, as you'll see in this promotional appearance for his latest book, American Savage: Insights, Slights, and Fights on Faith, Sex, Love & Politics.
UW Memorial Union Terrace, 8 pm
Canary in a Coal Mine, the local folk-pop artist's latest album, set Pop Matters critics' hearts aflutter and is in the running for a Madison Area Music Award. With Dietrich Gosser.
Frequency, 8:30 pm
Helmed by Sebadoh's Russell Pollard, the L.A. alt-country band garnered praise from Consequence of Sound for their 2012 album, Ownerless. With Old Lights.
High Noon Saloon, 8:30 pm
Armed with a slide guitar, a harmonica and a healthy obsession with the country-blues tradition, this blues-rock band have been known to slay it live. With White Trash Blues Revival and John the Conqueror.
Majestic Theatre, 8:30 pm
This Oakland-based group have helped shape the past two decades of hip-hop as part of the Hieroglyphics collective. Watch them perform their debut album, '93 to Infinity. (See Tour Stop.) With Michael Medall, Sincere Life, Rob Dz, DLO and Vilas Park Sniper.
Thursday 6.20
NOTEWORTHY: Samuel Morse receives patent for telegraph, 1840.
Villager Mall, 6 pm
The free south-side festival features dance, music, art, a bike parade and food. It's happening every Thursday in June, turning the Villager Mall's parking lot into a family-friendly destination.
High Noon Saloon, 6:45 pm
The local branch of the artists' organization RAW presents an event called "Kaleidoscope," featuring music, film, fashion, spoken word, dance and painting. The dress code is "cocktail attire," so spiff it up, people.
Olin Park, 7:30 pm
The "Beer & Film Tour" features craft brews and a selection of short movies. The companionable event is a fundraiser for Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin.