Here is this week's critics' choice calendar. The Guide provides an extended listing of events in and around Madison.
Friday 2.21
NOTEWORTHY: Peace symbol designed by Gerald Holtom as part of protest against Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, 1958.
Roots Ethiopia: A Story of Hope
Tamarack Studio & Gallery, through March 21. Reception: 5:30-8:30 pm
Meghan Walsh founded Roots Ethiopia to help families in the African country. On a trip there in December, she took along photographer Lauren Werner, who displays the images she captured in this exhibition.
Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm
This artist got his start in the Toronto blues scene but studied under Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, inventor of the 20-stringed Mohan Veena, in India. He combines mastery of that instrument with his slide-guitar chops.
Overture Hall, 8 pm
Koite is an African superstar who's been called Mali's Stevie Ray Vaughan; Midón is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. They add Latin flourishes to Malian roots music in their impressive live act.
Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm
Buress is a master jokester, having written for 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live. His standup act has shifted to larger and larger venues over the past year.
UW Humanities Building's Mills Hall, 8 pm
This world-renowned four-piece performs a program that includes Schubert's dramatic "Death and the Maiden" and Philip Glass' marvelously minimalist Symphony No. 5.
Overture Center's Capitol Theater, 8 pm
Cello virtuoso Joshua Roman takes center stage for a performance of Haydn's Concerto No. 2 in D major. The WCO will then grab the spotlight for Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony, which concludes with a stunning five-part fugato.
Broom Street Theater, 8 pm. Also Thursday & Saturday, Feb. 20 & 22, 8 pm. Through March 8
The local theater troupe explores the challenges of online dating in this entertaining comedy by Dan Myers (see Theater).
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
Listen to "Stars," a track on this Boston-based group's sophomore album, for a taste of their catchy, reggae-infused pop. With Rdgldgrn and New Beat Fund.
UW Memorial Union Rathskeller, 9:30 pm
Though this Minneapolis duo's garage-pop aesthetic has attracted lots of fans, they went with a soothing R&B feel for their recent single "Yes Indeed." With Xoe Wise.
Broom Street Theater, 10 pm. Also Thursday & Saturday, Feb. 20 & 22, 10 pm
This locally produced parody of the Planet of the Apes franchise was accepted to the New York Frigid Festival, and now its cast and creators need to fund a cross-country trip. Lend a hand by sampling their intriguing combination of comedy, dancing and sound clips from vintage records.
Mickey's Tavern, 10 pm
This redheaded sibling act is known for performing garage rock with attitude. Grungy guitars and punch-in-the-gut vocals complete the package. With Calliope and Cowboy Winter.
Saturday 2.22
NOTEWORTHY: Republican Party holds first national meeting in Pittsburgh, 1856.
Overture Center, 11 am-5 pm
Virtually every square inch of the Overture Center is turned over to this celebration of global culture. More than 25 countries are represented, with music performances ranging from Gaelic fusion to Swiss alphorn to Guinean drumming. There's also a craft bazaar and food from Italy, the Philippines and the good ol' U.S. of A.
Jungle Kings: Every Man Needs a Little Power
UW Lathrop Hall's H'Doubler Performance Space, 2 & 7 pm. Also Sunday, Feb. 23, 2 pm
Rain Wilson's play about a young African American man imprisoned for a gang-initiation crime kicks off the UW's inaugural Multicultural Theatre Festival, which concludes next weekend. The Sunday performance is followed by a reception and symposium at 4 pm in Lathrop Hall's Virginia Harrison Parlor.
Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm
Known for his mastery of "pick and fingers" guitar playing, Thompson is an artist you should really see at a solo acoustic show like this one. Though he might not play a lot of material from 2013's Electric, he's likely to perform originals others have popularized, such as "Wall of Death," which R.E.M. recorded in the mid-'90s. With Teddy Thompson.
Kiki's House of Righteous Music, 9 pm
Best friends who previously worked as solo musicians, Vaughn Walters and Jenny Parrott perform a blend of punk, gospel and country that's infectious, easygoing and ideal for a house concert. With Winn Dixie.
UW Union South Sett, 9:30 pm
Influenced by '90s alt-rockers like the Smashing Pumpkins, this Chicago-based duo make a type of garage rock that's just as enjoyable as the psychedelic variety so many California bands have embraced recently. With Mutts.
High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm
The New York Times nailed this whimsical pop act's essence in a four-word review of a 2010 CMJ Fest performance: "luscious, luminous, lilting lullabies." With You Won't.
Sunday 2.23
NOTEWORTHY: Cuba leases Guantánamo Bay to U.S. "in perpetuity," 1903.
A Room of One's Own, 2 pm
The local author discusses What the Moon Said, her new book for middle-grade readers. Its hopeful story stars a young girl whose family trades city living in Chicago for farm work in Wisconsin during the Great Depression.
Sheraton Madison Hotel, 2:30 pm
What happens when zombies crash a bingo tournament? Find out at this AIDS Network fundraiser, which also features costume and trivia contests. For those who prefer burlesque to bingo, the AIDS Network will have a dance-focused fundraiser at the Inferno on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 10 pm.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
One of this powerhouse singer's YouTube fans described her as "Roy Orbison as a chick, fronting a band of elves." See if you agree when she belts out epic tearjerkers like "The Way It Is." With Arc Iris and Davey Horne.
Monday 2.24
HotelRed's Wise, 7 pm
Local mixologists shake, stir and spike away the Monday blues by inventing cocktails on the fly at this benefit for REAP Food Group. Admission is free for gawkers, while 10 bucks buys you a spot on the judging panel.
Tuesday 2.25
Overture Hall, 7:30 pm. Also Wednesday & Thursday, Feb. 26 & 27, 7:30 pm. Through March 2
The 1983 film, about a welder who dreams of becoming a professional dancer, was one of the first to present its songs in a music-video-style format. A touring company presents the glitzy 2008 musical version, with all your favorite tunes. Legwarmers optional.
Frequency, 9 pm
This band's new album, Xx, features wild, youthful post-punk that will appeal to Against Me! fans. With Exploding Sons and the Evan Riley Band.
Wednesday 2.26
NOTEWORTHY: Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba, 1815.
Shadows of Liberty: The Truth Behind the News Media Cover-Ups & Control
Barrymore Theatre, 7 pm
Jean-Philippe Tremblay's film looks at the shortcomings of mainstream media, with insider accounts from journalists, activists and academics. The screening is followed by a discussion with the director, journalist John Nichols and the Center for Media & Democracy's Lisa Graves.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
"Come to My Party" isn't just a funky new track by this bluesy soul group; it's an order. Enamored of both James Brown and Howlin' Wolf, with showmanship to match, this act will get you moving in ways you never thought possible. (See Tour Stop.) With Pickwick.
Frequency, 9 pm
Though their music is often described as a mix of alt-rock and R&B, this band won Westword's Best Hip-Hop Band award three years straight. With Itch, Michael Medall.
Inferno, 9 pm
Sun-obsessed metalhead Sahaj Ticotin named his band after the Egyptian god of light and fills his songs with references to solar phenomena. With Falling from Fiction and Lullwater.
Thursday 2.27
On Cosmetics and Cosmopolitics
UW Elvehjem Building, Room L160, 7:30 pm
Join Peter Szendy, musicologist and professor of philosophy at the University of Nanterre, as he explains what cosmopolitics is and how it relates to cosmetics. (Hint: Brush up on your Kant.)
Frequency, 9 pm
Combining indie country influences with classic country-western sounds, this band bare their hearts as they comment on political events and social movements. Check out "Banks and Ballrooms" off 2012's The Sun as It Comes for an introduction. With Apache Relay and Promised Land Sound.
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
This electronic artist's music is bold on all fronts. He pairs heavy beats and bass with rich, catchy melodies and heady swirls of synth. With LOUDPVCK and Branchez.
Edited by Tonya Harding
