Enjoy a compilation of selected tracks by artists playing shows we're excited about in Madison during the week of May 11-18, 2017. For more information on these shows, read on under the Spotify playlist!
Aparna Nancherla, Thursday, May 11, Comedy Club on State, 8:30 pm: She may introduce herself by spilling her antidepressants on the floor, but Nancherla is the funniest red flag you ever did see. She’s a former writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers and currently has roles on HBO’s Crashing and Netflix’s Love. Dozens of publications — from Time magazine to Vulture to Splitsider — have named her an up-and-coming comic force. Her dry observations about modern dating and the drawbacks of working from home add punch to her surrealistic interpretation of herself as a raptor from Jurassic Park. With Nate Abshire, Geoffrey Asmus. ALSO: Friday-Saturday, May 12-13, 8 & 10:30 pm.
The Revolution, Friday, May 12, Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm: It’s hard to believe that Prince has already been gone a year, but the Purple One lives on through his music. The Revolution — which served as Prince’s band for three classic albums — is on the road to keep his spirit alive. Including the original lineup from Purple Rain, the group will celebrate the life, music and strange spirit of Prince Rogers Nelson. Let’s get nuts.
Nick Brown Band (EP release), Friday, May 12, High Noon Saloon, 5:30 pm: Most often spotted holding down the bass in such bands as Brown Derby, Nick Brown is also one of our favorite songwriters thanks to his excellent 2012 debut Slow Boat. The long-awaited followup emerges in the form of a new EP, Contender. Opening is Marty Finkel, another ace local songsmith.
Michael Massey CD release, Friday, May 12, Bartell Theatre, 8 pm: Massey is a Madison institution. The composer, singer, songwriter, pianist and producer has toured the world and appears on countless recordings. Now he’s releasing his masterful and moving album, Naked, at an intimate concert at the Bartell. You want to be there to see what the Piano Man is up to.
Midnight Reruns, Friday, May 12, Mickey's Tavern, 10:30 pm: Guitar pop fans should prepare to settle in for the entire evening, anchored by the shiny hooks of Milwaukee quartet Midnight Reruns. Dual guitar leads and catchy songcraft enliven their new platter Spectator Sports, just out on Dusty Medical. Madison is well-represented by fellow guitar rockers Post Social, jangle popsters Exploration Team and whatever Matt Joyce (Midwest Beat) and TS Foss (aka Tyler Fassnacht of Fire Heads) get up to as a duo.
The Black Angels, Saturday, May 13, Majestic Theatre, 9 pm: Heavy psych rockers the Black Angels have waged a one-band campaign to export Austin weirdness to the world since 2004. The excellent, just-released Death Song LP adds a bit of West Coast sheen to the fuzz guitars and dark subject matter courtesy of producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, the Shins). Combined with the band's name it also completes the VU song title which inspired the moniker in the first place. With A Place to Bury Strangers.
Red City Radio, Saturday, May 13, Frequency, 8:30 pm: Red City Radio is a band that writes like hard-luck country singers, but plays like a balls-to-the-wall punk rock band. The Oklahoma City-based quartet, anchored by Garrett Dale’s melancholically optimistic lyrics, has released three full-length albums, the most recent being 2015’s self-titled affair. They’ll be joined by Albuquerque rock and rollers Russian Girlfriends, as well as Madison staples the Moguls and American Dead.
Amy Helm, Saturday, May 13, High Noon Saloon, 9 pm: Former Olabelle member Amy Helm has a highly expressive singing voice and the authority to make a familiar song her own: Check out the cover of Sam Cooke's “Good News” on her 2015 solo debut Didn't It Rain for a good example. She had a chance to learn from one of the best, with many years of performing alongside her father, roots-rock legend Levon Helm. Opening is dobro and lap steel master Cindy Cashdollar and Brooklyn blues combo Fife & Drom.
Under the Streetlamp, Saturday, May 13, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 8 pm: Fans of the musical Jersey Boys will jump at the chance to hear former cast members deliver hits from the American radio songbook from the 1950s-1970s. Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, Brandon Wardell and Shonn Wiley present polished singing and dancing versions of doo-wop, Motown and old time rock ‘n’ roll, including popular songs by the Drifters, Roy Orbison, Nat King Cole, the Beach Boys, the Beatles and — of course — Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons.
The Dear Hunter, Sunday, May 14, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: A progressive emo outfit with a penchant for heady concept albums, the Dear Hunter is ambitious, to say the least. Now in their second decade of existence, the band — led by chief songwriter and guitarist Casey Crescenzo — released Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional in 2016, the fifth installment in a six-part series that’s been taking shape since the band’s inception. With local indie pop master Brett Newski.
Hugh Masterson, Monday, May 15, Frequency, 7:30 pm: As a youngster Masterson’s parents introduced him to the bars and jukeboxes of his hometown of Butternut, Wisconsin. That’s where he got a headful of artists like Lucinda Williams and The Band. The barroom conservatory lessons paid off. Masterson’s Milwaukee-based outfit, Hugh Bob and the Hustle, nearly hit it big with songs like “This Bar is a Prison,” a throwback to Flying Burrito Bros. era-country-rock. The band broke up in 2015 when Masterson struck out for Nashville. Lost and Found, his first solo record, will be released next month. Recorded in Benton Harbor, Wisconsin, the runaway title track is a song he started writing years ago while recovering from a Milwaukee mugging that left his jaw broken in two places. Hardship has never been this much fun. With Brian Elmquist, Christopher Gold.
All Tiny Creatures, Wednesday, May 18, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: Playing a glitchy, sample-driven brand of indie rock, All Tiny Creatures has established itself as one of the most pleasantly weird bands in modern music. Now the four-piece will hit the High Noon to transport concertgoers with their “pop music from an alternate universe,” as described by band founder Thomas Wincek. They last released Dark Clock in 2013. With Twin Cities-based loopsmith Dosh.
Boy Harsher, Wednesday, May 17, Art In, 7 pm: Dark, dreamy synth-pop duo Boy Harsher brings their brooding-yet-infectious dance grooves all the way from Western Massachusetts. Touring on last year's well-received LP, Yr Body is Nothing, their sound is equal parts ethereal and industrial. Madison acts on the bill include glam-goth synthmaster Samantha Glass; the enigmatic electronics of Auscultation; and a DJ set from the delightful and talented Jared Perez. It might be sad dance music, but you’ll leave happy.
High Plains, Thursday, May 18, Gates of Heaven, 7 pm: The new electroacoustic duo High Plains is comprised of Madison cellist Mark Bridges and Canada's Scott Morgan, an ambient artist also known as Loscil. Their debut for famed experimental label Kranky is a testament to their interest in exploratory, thoughtful composition. Ambient act Anjou and songwriter Alej Perez open.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
