The Wiggles
Monday 8.13
Bill & Ken Fitzsimmons
Crystal Corner Bar, 7 pm
Irish rock vet Ken Fitzsimmons brings along his dad to this iteration of the weekly Kissers Sideshow. Let's see if the old man can keep up.
> Tuesday 8.14
The Hall of Self-Reliance
Chazen Museum of Art, through Aug. 26
This exhibition features samples of Chinese painting and calligraphy. They're drawn from the Chazen's recently acquired Simon and Rosemary Chen Collection of Chinese works, dating from the 17th through the 20th century.
Kelly Pardekooper and Blake Thomas and Josh Harty
Mickey's Tavern, 9 pm
It doesn't cost a dime to catch these three talented local singer-songwriters doing their bad thing at the venerable Mickey's. Course you may want to spend some of your savings on a cold one.
Wednesday 8.15
Jazz at Five
State Street and the Capitol Square, 5 pm
This week, the free outdoor series spotlights Madison-based talent. Tony Castañeda's Latin Jazz Sextet gets the party started, followed by local legend Ben Sidran on bebop piano and vocals. He'll be joined by two talented expatriates, vocalist Joy Dragland and drummer Leo Sidran; up-and-coming jazz guitar star Lage Lund rounds out the group.
June
Loft (Lussier Teen Center), 7 pm
The Chicagoans transform the post-emo pop-punk thing into a science on Make It Blur, their recent release for the omnipresent Victory label. They're joined at this hormone-stoked all-ages fest by the Higher, the Graduate, Rookie of the Year, and Cove.
Thursday 8.16
The Wiggles
Alliant Energy Coliseum, 3 & 6:30 pm
It'll be hard to keep your preschooler from rushing the stage as the Disney Channel's favorite band kicks out the jams. Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur and Wags the Dog will also be in the house.
Tony Rocker & the Comeback Special Band
Doubleday's, Cottage Grove, 6 pm
Rocker and his band pay tribute to Elvis on the 30th anniversary of his death. With luck, the simulated Elvis will slip into a facsimile of that smashing leather body suit the King wore during his history-making '68 comeback television special.
The Forge Mountain Diggers and Clack Mountain String Band
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
The folks behind the Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival bring the picking and sawing inside. North Carolina's Forge Mountain Diggers are well-schooled old-time music enthusiasts with a DIY punk background, while Kentucky's Clack Mountain String Band excel at Southern Appalachian sounds.
