Enjoy a compilation of selected tracks by artists playing shows we're excited about in Madison during the week of Feb. 22-March 1, 2018. For more information on these shows, read on under the playlist or check out all this week's Isthmus Picks.
The Mowgli’s, Thursday, Feb. 22, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: After they helped pioneer the wave of folksy, hand-clappy pop earlier this decade, the Mowgli’s have been largely quiet. The Los Angelinos’ 2016 album Where’d Your Weekend Go? offered a slight turn toward less-acoustic rock. In their recent single “Real Good Life” they move a step further, embracing more synths and vocal modulation to form something that’s as bright and glittery as their past efforts but adding some extra power. With Mainland.
Porches + Girl Ray, Friday, Feb. 23, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: Songwriter Aaron Maine (pictured) became a breakthrough indie success story with his critically acclaimed 2016 release Pool, which swapped out the lo-fi guitar rock of earlier Porches songs for a slick and satisfyingly melancholy synth-pop vibe. He continues on that trajectory with 2018’s My House, an introspective ode to solitude and self-reflection. Porches is touring with London-based trio Girl Ray, whose jangly C86-influenced indie-pop provides an analogue counterpoint. Kevin Krautner, of the excellent dream-pop band Hoops, rounds out the bill with a solo performance.
Palm, Friday, Feb. 23, Memorial Union-Der Rathskeller, 9 pm: Philadelphia’s experimental-rock heroes are playing a free show on their tour in support of the new record Rock Island. The band sounds like the Beach Boys with a case of vertigo, tearing the very idea of rock music apart and stitching it back together again. Dueling guitars form the rhythm section, while the drums and bass take center stage on choruses with ghostly vocals. They are experts in sound production and songwriting, and even those familiar with Palm’s albums should find a new sonic urgency in their live performance. Spirit of the Beehive opens.
Prof, Friday, Feb. 23, Majestic Theatre, 9 pm: Minneapolis’ notorious trash-rapper headlines Majestic with a slew of other Midwestern rappers. With production help from the likes of underground hip-hop acts Atmosphere and Aesop Rock, Prof’s latest album Liability is about “fighters, drunks, and drug addicts,” pushed to the brink by terrible circumstances. Known for his onstage antics, Prof is also an accomplished singer and songwriter. Local rapper CRASHprez opens, and the Twin Cities are represented by Dwynell Roland, Cashinova and Willie Wonka.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Saturday, Feb. 24, Overture Hall, 8 pm: South Africa’s late president Nelson Mandela designated Ladysmith Black Mambazo as “South Africa’s Cultural Ambassadors to the World.” The group that recorded the rich harmonies on Paul Simon’s Graceland went on to win a Grammy for Shaka Zulu, a memorable album that helped thrust African music onto a world stage. The band’s founder, Joseph Shabalala, retired in 2014 — but not before passing the torch to his four sons, who revisited Shaka Zulu in 2017 and continue to tour. The ticketed event is a great way to finish up a day experiencing the free offerings at Overture’s International Festival.
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Saturday, Feb. 24, Stoughton Opera House, 3 & 7 pm: Marty Stuart got his start as a teenager in bluegrass legend Lester Flatt’s group, and also played with Johnny Cash before becoming a hitmaker on the country charts in the ‘90s. Never one to be fettered by genre restrictions, Stuart’s 2017 album with His Fabulous Superlatives, Way Out West, ambles into roots rock territory to great effect.
Clyde Stubblefield All Stars + Loving Cup, Saturday, Feb 24, Knuckle Down Saloon, 9 pm: Two Madison supergroups collide for a night of triumphant tribute. The All Stars (pictured), driven by Joey B. Banks playing favorites from the late drummer Clyde Stubblefield’s funky catalog, always provide an occasion to dance. They will be joined by Loving Cup, a debuting Rolling Stones tribute made up of members of VO5 (Andrew Rohn and Isthmus’ Cat Capellaro co-Jagger) and other talented Stones-loving rockers. The groups’ styles should play off each other nicely, making for a dynamic evening of energized funk and charged rock.
International Festival, Saturday, Feb. 24, Overture Center, 10:30 am-4:30 pm: Get some culture at the Overture Center’s annual family-friendly celebration of music, dance, food and storytelling. This year’s extravaganza includes more than 30 free performances — including the Ho-Chunk Nation, Swiss Alphorns, Chinese lion dancers, Sufi storytelling and klezmer from Yid Vicious. Sample cuisine from around the globe and check out the newly installed photo mosaic in the lobby. There’s no better time to appreciate the rich diversity our immigrant neighbors bring to Madison.
The Pump and Dump Show, Saturday, Feb. 24, Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm: In 2012, comedians and moms Shayna Ferm and Tracey Tee wanted a break from their broods. They put on a comedy show aimed at mothers, and it’s become so popular that the duo has been touring nationally spreading their “Parentally Incorrect” humor to beleaguered moms everywhere. Much more than just simple standup, the “Pump and Dump Show has musical numbers, games with prizes and a segment where audience members submit “f**cked up stories” (the stories are being collected for a book). Find a sitter and take a break with this hilarious pair.
Ani DiFranco, Sunday, Feb. 25, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7:30 pm: Legendary musician, songwriter, poet and founder of Righteous Babe Records Ani DiFranco brings her unmistakable brand of alt-folk-rock-by-way-of-a-dozen-other-things to Overture Center. DiFranco is the rare songwriter who manages to stay at the top of her musical game while staying timely and relevant. Don’t miss this show if you can help it.
Maria Pomianowska, Tuesday, Feb. 27, UW Humanities Building-Morphy Hall, 7:30 pm: Maria Pomianowska returns to Madison to perform her acclaimed take on Polish folk music, Chopin-inspired compositions and her own original work. The world-travelling musician will showcase two ancient Polish instruments, the biłgoraj suka and p ł ock fiddle: violin-like string instruments thought to be lost before she reconstructed them. Her latest album, The Voice of Suka, features a quartet of these old instruments on lush, Polish-folk-inspired compositions. Pomianowska will share the stage with experimental cellist Seth Woods Parker.
Tyler, The Creator, Thursday, March 1, Alliant Center-Coliseum, 7:30 pm: Tyler, The Creator’s name suits him. The L.A. rapper is also an actor, writer, director and fashion designer, not to mention the driving creative force behind the influential Odd Future collective. Here, Tyler (who released the stellar Flower Boy in 2017) will be joined by a fellow Californian emcee, the brainy, wry Vince Staples, as well as his own Odd Future associate Taco.
Sierra Hull, Thursday, Mar 1, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm: Former child prodigy Sierra Hull has not let the half of her life spent in the limelight affect the grounded tenderness of her music. On her fourth album, the bluegrass soloist brandishes a rich voice and a deep understanding of how to intertwine it with different string arrangements. Calm, expansive tracks like “The Hard Way” gradually sweep listeners off their feet before gently placing them back down.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
