Yeasayer
As the air gets a little crisper, the nights cooler, the days shorter and the campus area a little more clogged with, well, college kids again, the cultural slate also starts filling up with national acts, with shows this week by Ben Cosgrove, Bonnie Raitt, In the Moment, Dawes, and Yeasayer. The calendar also includes: Burgers for Barks at Whole Foods; a book reading by Michael Perry; the third week of Jazz at Five; and, a homecoming show from our pal F. Stokes!
Monday 8.20
NOTEWORTHY: National Football League founded, 1920.
Indie Coffee, 7 pm
This Boston-area musician composed all of his latest album, Yankee Division, and played all of its instruments, too. See how he constructs his tunes live.
Overture Hall, 8 pm
Raitt is just as impressive on paper as she is in performance. Over the course of 40 years, she's released 16 studio albums and won nine Grammy awards. At this concert, she'll showcase her shiny new blues-rock gem, Slipstream. Entertainment Weekly and American Songwriter agree that it's one of her best ever. With Mavis Staples.
Tuesday 8.21
Majestic Theatre, 8 pm
After their MySpace page led to a contract with Century Media Records, this L.A. metalcore band scored spots on several high-profile tours, including Hot Chicks of Metal, Rockstar Mayhem and the Vans Warped Tour. At this show, they'll gear up for ShipRocked, a five-day ocean cruise featuring Godsmack, Korn and Five Finger Death Punch. With Red Tide Rising, Ultrea and Vintage Burning.
Wednesday 8.22
Whole Foods Market, 4 pm
This edition of Whole Foods' Burgers & Bluegrass series will help raise money for the Dane County Humane Society. Hungry humans can enjoy a variety of grilled meats and beer samples from Potosi Brewing Company, and pups can chow down on canine-friendly burgers and ice cream. At 5 pm, the crowd can howl along to a performance by SpareTime Bluegrass.
100 block of State Street, 5 pm
Madisalsa will lend some Latin rhythms to this free weekly series, and the Alison Margaret Quartet will showcase cool, creative arrangements of jazz classics.
Barnes & Noble-West, 7 pm
The Wisconsin author (Population: 485) reads from his latest nonfiction book, Visiting Tom: A Man, A Highway & the Road to Roughneck Grace. Perry profiles one of his small-town neighbors with a lifetime's worth of colorful stories.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
Inspired by artists such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and the Band, these California roots-rockers build summertime jams from acoustic guitars, folk-inspired arrangements and lush vocal harmonies. This show will feature songs from their sophomore album, Nothing Is Wrong, which landed on Uncut's Best of 2011 list.
Thursday 8.23
NOTEWORTHY: Muammar Gaddafi overthrown during Libyan civil war, 2011.
Frequency, 8 pm
This year has been stellar for Madison-bred rapper F.Stokes. His soulful brand of hip-hop has landed on NPR's Morning Edition, his face has graced the Vice website, and his life story is the subject of a forthcoming documentary. See what else he's been up to when his tour swings by the Frequency. With Man Mantis, Baristacide, the Flips, Headlines and the Dirty Feathers.
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
Genre-bending is a vocation for these experimental rockers from Brooklyn, N.Y. Drawing from a deep pool of influences, including Middle Eastern melodies and African beats, they craft songs that are easy to dance to but sometimes hard to describe. With Daughn Gibson.
