The Downtown Madison Open House is highlighting local businesses on the isthmus this weekend, one of the busiest of the year for shopping. The calendar also includes: the Black Friday Freakshow with live Rocky Horror; a screening of Derby, Baby!; a book reading by Kevin Henkes; productions of Jersey Boys and 3-Legged Tale; performances by the Oakwood Chamber Players with Navan, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble; the '80s vs. '90s: Back 2 Basics dance party; and, live music from Gemini Club, Natty Natoin, Never Shout Never, Kiernan McMullan, Titus Andronicus, Cash Box Kings with Joel Paterson, and Turbo Fruits.
Friday 11.23
NOTEWORTHY: First jukebox goes into operation, 1889.
This is the central business district's answer to Black Friday madness, featuring gift bags, activities for kids, trolley rides and more. Many stores offer something special, from refreshments to bargains. Stop by Overture Center on Saturday 10 am-2 pm and have your kid's picture taken, then look for it at IsthmusParents.com.
Last chance to see the local run of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, chock-full of irresistible songs, drama and comedy. It recounts the unlikely rise of the 1960s pop group the Four Seasons.
Oakwood Chamber Players with Navan
The local chamber ensemble presents "A Celtic Christmas: Christmas Lights," along with the accomplished Celtic vocal quartet Navan. The concert will feature a mix of Gaelic-flavored vocal and instrumental music.
This Chicago trio will try to turn a laid-back State Street coffeeshop into a dance club with their indie electronica, which is crafted live with custom rigs and an iPad app they play like an instrument, with a set of zany fingerstrokes.
This paean to peculiarity kicks off with la crème de la crème of filmic freakshows: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, complete with "virgin rituals" performed by Velvet Darkness, a troupe of local actors who transform screenings of the movie into a live-theater experience. At 10 pm, four local DJs -- Wyatt Agard, Eurotic, Kinn and Teknicolor -- will join forces with booming bass, blinding lights and go-go dancers at a sultry electronic-music bash called electroLUST.
For the local five-piece, Black Friday is a day to celebrate the African diaspora. They'll share Caribbean-inspired reggae, rock and dub, and their friends from Mama Digdown's Brass Band will delve into New Orleans' rich jazz tradition. With Tropical Riddims Sound System.
Saturday 11.24
NOTEWORTHY: Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species, 1859.
Capitol Kids, noon
The Madison-based children's-book legend has embarked on a series for beginning readers, featuring his customary insight into a child's psyche. He reads from the lovingly crafted Penny and Her Doll at an unconventional venue.
Loft at Goodman Community Center, 6:30 pm
Singer-songwriter Christofer Drew isn't shy about baring his soul, not even in Hot Topic, which thrust him into the limelight by showcasing his Yippee EP's emo-leaning tunes in 2008. Check out his newest release, Indigo, at this show. With Man Overboard, Mod Sun and Me Like Bees.
Majestic Theatre, 7 pm
Actress Juliette Lewis narrates this documentary about roller derby's latest incarnation as a fishnet-clad expression of female empowerment. The screening is presented by our own Mad Rollin Dolls, natch.
Marriott-West, Middleton, 8 pm. Also Sunday, Nov. 25, 1 pm
Get your wassail on as vocalist Aaron Thompson and the Middleton High School Concert Choir join the WCO's Wisconsin Pops to help you get in the holiday mood. In this year's Middleton Holiday Pops, they'll play selections from The Nutcracker and Christmas on Broadway.
Gates of Heaven, 8 pm. Also Sunday, Nov. 25, 3 pm
The local period-instrument group performs gems by Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann and Monteverdi.
Redamte Coffee House, 8 pm
Raised in Hong Kong, Australia, Ireland and the U.S., this singer-songwriter draws inspiration from around the world. He also dabbles in nearly every musical genre, including jazz, funk, electro and hip-hop. See what kinds of hybrids he produces at this show. With Taylor Warden and Gabe Burdulis.
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
Bust out retro moves such as the Sprinkler and the Humpty Dance as DJs Mike Carlson and Nick Nice share some of the funniest and most memorable videos from the 1980s and '90s.
Frequency, 9:30 pm
Like the Shakespearean tragedy that inspired their name, this band's music is both visceral and violent, the kind of thing indie mags are calling punk these days. Paste describes their new album, Local Business, as "meat-and-potatoes punk that is smart, unpretentious and fun." With Ceremony.
Cash Box Kings with Joel Paterson
Harmony Bar, 9:45 pm
Paterson, a Windy City guitarist, will add sizzling licks to the Cash Box Kings' locally sourced Chicago blues sound.
Sunday 11.25
NOTEWORTHY: Hollywood movie studios blacklist 10 filmmakers accused of having ties to Communist Party, 1947.
Overture Center's Capitol Theater, 3 pm
Canada's Theatre de l'Oeil presents a wordless vision of nature for young audiences, as a squirrel finds a camera perched atop a tripod in the forest. The machine explores its environment, drawing us into its micro- and macroscopic observations.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
This offshoot of the teenage garage-punk project Be Your Own Pet has matured into a quartet of twentysomethings who pair snappy hooks and crackling riffs with tales about barrooms, motorcycles and post-college ennui. With Little Legend.
