Here is this week's critics' choice calendar. The Guide provides an extended listing of events in and around Madison.
Friday 5.30
NOTEWORTHY: Lincoln Memorial dedicated, 1922.
McKee Farms Park, Fitchburg, 5 pm-11 pm. Also Saturday (11 am-11 pm) & Sunday (11 am-7 pm), May 31 & June 1
This three-day event deserves a "Mamma Mia" for the sheer number of ways it honors Italian heritage and culture (see People). The celebration begins Friday with a hearty pasta and meatball dinner and continues on Saturday with live jazz by Gerri DiMaggio at 2 pm, Italian folk dancing at 4 pm, and much more. Sunday's highlights include a vintage baseball tournament at 12:30 pm, a Flags of Italy ceremony at 2:30 pm and Rat Pack-inspired singing by Joe Scalissi at 3:30 pm.
First United Methodist Church, 7:30 pm
City of Festivals Men's Chorus, a group of singers from Milwaukee, presents a collaborative concert with Madison's choir for gay, bisexual and transgender men. Dubbed "Naked Man," the performance will celebrate honesty, integrity and moments of soul-baring.
Broom Street Theater, 8 pm. Also Saturday & Thursday, May 31 & June 5, 8 pm. Through June 21
Broom Street Theater presents the latest work by local playwright Rob Matsushita: a courtroom drama set in the future. The audience serves as the jury, so each performance should have an identity all its own.
Good Style Shop, 8 pm
Helmed by Kid Millions of the psychedelic noise-rock band Oneida, this percussion project entrances listeners with rhythmic experiments overflowing with soul. With the Spiral Joy Band and Spires That in the Sunset Rise.
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
Known for taking cover songs to a new level, the band perform early R&B and vintage garage rock with panache. Their take on Otis Redding's "Shout Bamalama" is worth a listen. With Pujol.
Frequency, 9 pm
This L.A. duo put a modern spin on soul music with hip-hop elements, in particular a rhythmic approach to lyrics and a healthy obsession with wordplay. With Heavy Looks.
UW Memorial Union Terrace, 9:30 pm
As Pitchfork recently observed, this band of Pixies and Breeders fans make the kind of rock often described is "millennial": shout-along riffs on existential themes and restless explorations of fading relationships. With Pretty Pretty.
Mickey's Tavern, 10 pm
This Chicago group and their wild live act bridge the gap between snarling garage rock and sassy power-pop in intensely enjoyable ways. With the Motorz.
Saturday 5.31
Alliant Energy Center, 8:20 am. Registration at Willow Island 6-7:45 am
Participants in this 5K run/walk for the Susan G. Komen Foundation will paint the town pink as they raise awareness about breast cancer and raise money for cancer research. There will also be a breakfast for cancer survivors (7 am) and a stage show to rev up the racers (7:30 am).
Overture Center's Playhouse, 1 & 3 pm
For Family Opera Day, the ensemble of young singers presents a new production of Rossini's Barber of Seville. Arrive early to make props for the show and learn its famous choruses. Singing along is encouraged.
First Congregational United Church of Christ, 7:30 pm
This local chamber ensemble made its Carnegie Hall debut last December, so expect meticulously polished performances at this concert. Billed as an "Eastern Block Party," the program includes Wienawski's lovely Polonaise No. 1 for violin and piano and Shostakovich's ravishing Piano Quintet.
Grace Episcopal Church, 7:30 pm
Violinist Leanne League and organist Mark Brampton Smith enrich the choir's sound at this concert featuring works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and several composers he influenced, including Gustav and Imogen Holst.
Crescendo Espresso Bar, 8 pm
This Michigan artist specializes in psychedelic, roots and folk music, and his list of influences includes Tom Petty and Wilco. With Emma Lou and Sam.
Willy Street Pub & Grill, 8 pm
This honky-tonk artist draws inspiration from the alt-country traditions of both Nashville and L.A. Her strong vocals drive songs like "White Boots," a track from 2012's One Good Thing. With Owen Mays & the 80 Proof Boys.
Yid Vicious, Sockrates Sock Puppet Carnival of Morals and Logic
Mother Fool's Coffeehouse, 8 pm
Yid Vicious' lively klezmer music has stolen many a show in Madison, but the sock puppets are likely to be the talk of the town after this performance. They'll present some of the most hilarious and ridiculous letters to an east-side institution: the Willy Street Co-op's member newsletter.
Red Zone, 8:30 pm
Observational humor, impressions and even puns are fair game when a dozen local comics face off at this tournament judged by the audience.
Trinidad Tripoli Steel Drum Band
UW Memorial Union Terrace, 9 pm
This pioneering steel drum group have roots going back to 1942. Since then they've recorded 16 albums of calypso music and other Caribbean styles, and President Ronald Reagan awarded leader Hugh Borde a Golden Medal of Merit in 1986.
The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger
High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm
Sean Lennon, son of Beatle John Lennon, composes and performs with girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl in this act, whose psychedelic creations are reminiscent of late-period songs by the Fab Four. (See Music.) With Syd Arthur.
Sunday 6.1
Capitol Square, John Nolen Drive & State Street, 10 am-3 pm
Bicyclists, skaters and walkers get the roads to themselves for five hours of riding and sightseeing. You'll want to stop along the way to enjoy free music and family activities, and to refuel with refreshments from a variety of local vendors.
High Noon Saloon, 2-10 pm
This new fest includes an exhibition of local art, dance performances, spoken word and a concert featuring singer-songwriter Dana Perry (3:30 pm), folk-rock goddess Beth Kille (7:30) and at least seven other music acts. Proceeds benefit the Demeter Foundation, which serves Wisconsin women who've spent time in prison.
Farley's House of Pianos, 2 pm
The legendary jazz pianist is a gifted improviser and one of the first musicians to record on a Moog synthesizer. He also composed and directed the music for 12 Woody Allen movies.
Merchant, 9 pm
Born in Bulgaria and based in Tampa Bay, this composer and singer performs a blend of indie rock and folk. This show's likely to focus on her third album, White Light. With Sugar Ransom.
Monday 6.2
NOTEWORTHY: Jeopardy! contestant Ken Jennings begins his 74-game winning streak, 2004.
Orpheum Theater, 7:30 pm
This concert was originally scheduled for June 4, but that shouldn't stop the YouTube star and America's Got Talent alum from filling all the seats at the Orpheum. Armed with her trusty violin, she brings classical flair to dubstep, hip-hop and other styles of dance music. (See Tour Stop.) With Dia Frampton.
Tuesday 6.3
Audio for the Arts, 8 pm
The Surrounded by Reality concert series returns to local recording studio Audio for the Arts. At this installment saxophonist Laubrock joins Rainey, a drummer the L.A. Times has lauded for his ability to combine avant-garde inventions with mainstream jazz sensibilities.
Wednesday 6.4
NOTEWORTHY: Allies capture Rome during World War II, 1944.
Middleton-Cross Plains Area Performing Arts Center, 7:30 pm
This group of local players are known for their ambitious programming. To close the 2013-14 season, they'll perform Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor and Dvorak's Romance in F minor with solos from Perlman Piano Trio member Thomas Kasdorf and Madison Symphony Orchestra violinist Alice Bartsch.
Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm
Even if you're not a bona fide fan of this California alt-rock band, you're bound to recognize their music, which has appeared in soundtracks for American Beauty and the Shrek movies. With Chelsea Wolfe.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
This act combines funk, reggae and rockabilly with traditional Russian music to create songs that sound like a cross between the output of Frank Zappa and Gogol Bordello. Check out "I Wanna See You Bellydance" for a good introduction. With Reptile Palace Orchestra.
Frequency, 9 pm
Performing what they call "experiential spiritual orchestra rock," this Michigan band just finished recording a follow-up to their excellent What Wonder Is This Universe! With Vic & Gab.
Thursday 6.5
NOTEWORTHY: Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy assassinated, 1968.
High Noon Saloon, 6 pm
Visual artists, fashion designers, bands and other creative types from the Madison area present their work at a showcase that feels like a giant party.
Majestic Theatre, 8 pm
This Chicago pop-punk act has recorded with Fat Wreck and toured with NOFX. Their latest album, January's Metropole, is a bit more grown-up but no less engaging than their gritty earlier material. With the Copyrights and Sam Russo.
Kiki's House of Righteous Music, 8 pm
The cofounder of the Silos, Rolling Stone's pick for best new American band of 1987, visits Madison for a house show. Though he may highlight rock songs from that era, his latest songwriting efforts deserve just as much attention. With the Wooldridge Brothers.
Edited by Long John Willoughby
