Elizabeth Gilbert
Winter is rearing its head again in Wisconsin this week, but there is plenty to do amidst the wind and snow. The calendar includes: talk by William Marler, UW staff on digital technology, and Elizabeth Gilbert; performances by Pilobolus Dance Theater and of Pouring Tea; Mad Toast Live; and, more live music by Dark Star Orchestra, Derrick Ashong, Gene Ween, and ZoSo.
Monday 2.8
BIRTHDAYS: Actress Mary Steenburgen, 1953; BoDeans singer-guitarist Sammy Llanas, 1961.
UW Memorial Union's Great Hall, 7:30 pm
A prominent personal injury lawyer, Marler is a force to be reckoned with in the realm of food-borne illness litigation. His talk, called "How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Do Good in Society?," is a Distinguished Lecture Series event.
Tuesday 2.9
NOTEWORTHY: Beatles' live debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, 1964.
Overture Hall, 7:30 pm
Founded at Dartmouth in 1971 and named for a fungus, the Pilobolus company has long practiced a patented form of movement that combines elements of mime, modern dance and sheer aggressive entertainment. You might have seen their witty shadow puppetry at the 2007 Oscars.
Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales
UW Memorial Union's Fredric March Play Circle, 7:30 pm E. Patrick Johnson, African American studies professor at Northwestern, presents a one-man show based on his oral history Pouring Tea. He performs the narratives of nine Southern black men.
Brink Lounge, 8 pm
It's a night of songwriters as hosts Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines are joined by Nashville-based popster Andrew Belle, Belle's tour mate Allen Stone, and local singer Marty Finkel.
Wednesday 2.10
NOTEWORTHY: House of Reps passes Civil Rights Act, 1964. BIRTHDAYS: Elton John drummer Nigel Olsson, 1949.
Barrymore Theatre, 7:30 pm
DSO re-creates Grateful Dead performances down to the last detail, from their vocal arrangements to the musical equipment they use. So if you're looking to relive a concert from back in the day -- or truly experience one that happened long before your time -- this is about as close as you'll get.
Wisconsin Union Theater, 7:30 pm
Musician and activist Ashong made a big impression on YouTube, thanks to his focused responses to an aggressively glib interviewer at a 2008 Obama rally. He speaks at this Distinguished Lecture Series event.
Chazen Museum of Art, 7:30 pm
Literature professors and a librarian talk about the effects computers and networks are having on humanities scholarship in this UW Center for the Humanities discussion.
Thursday 2.11
BIRTHDAY: Grammy-winning singer-guitarist Sheryl Crow, 1962.
Overture Hall, 7:30 pm
The literary sensation shows up to talk about, presumably, Eat, Pray, Love, the recent follow-up Committed, and whatever else is on her mind.
High Noon Saloon, 9 pm
The singer of Ween, the super-silly but melodically gifted pair who brought you "Push th' Little Daisies" and "Piss Up a Rope," will show whether he can hack it as lead guitarist as well. Find out more in this week's Tour Stop. With Pezzettino.
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
Led Zeppelin ceased to be a band when drummer John Bonham died, and more endlessly lingering classic-rock acts should take a cue from that graceful act. But the Zep legend lives on, as cultivated by, among others, this tribute band.
