Eric Church
A new touring arts and music season gets underway in Madison this week. The calendar includes: performances by Blue Man Group; a benefit for Feeding America with Avicii; and, live music from Small Houses, Communist Daugher, Eric Church, Paul Collins' Beat with Jaill and Sugar Stems, XV, and Paper Diamond.
Monday 1.23
NOTEWORTHY: Milwaukee Brave Warren Spahn signs $85,000 contract to become highest-paid pitcher in baseball, 1964.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
Flint, Mich., native Jeremy Quentin -- a.k.a. Small Houses -- builds indie-folk gems out of poetic lyrics and finger-style guitar licks. With Count This Penny and Paul Otteson.
Tuesday 1.24
NOTEWORTHY: Gold discovered at Sutter's Mill, 1848.
Overture Hall, 7:30 pm. Also Wednesday & Thursday, Jan. 25 & 26, 7:30 pm; through Jan. 29
Who knew slipping on blue latex head-mask thingies, making funny faces and pounding around on every available surface would lead to world domination? Frankly, these blue guys are probably not the exact same ones you saw in, say, Vegas, but they'll be just as entertaining.
Feeding America Benefit with Avicii
Orpheum Theatre, 9 pm
Fueled by excitement about a Grammy nomination for "Sunshine," the dance track he co-produced with David Guetta, Swedish DJ Avicii will perform 26 shows in 27 days, including one here in Madison. Proceeds help Feeding America, which fills the bellies of hungry families across the country.
Wednesday 1.25
NOTEWORTHY: United Mine Workers established, 1890.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
Named after a Neutral Milk Hotel song, this Twin Cities band weaves melancholy folk-rock from gossamer harmonies and heartrending lyrics, winning praise from Rolling Stone and The Fader. With Crane Your Swan Neck and Julia Klee.
Thursday 1.26
NOTEWORTHY: Packers beat New England 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI, 1997.
Alliant Energy Center Coliseum, 7:30 pm
The country star highlights tunes from his third studio album, Chief, whose hits "Homeboy" and "Drink in My Hand" propelled it to the top of the Billboard charts in 2011. With Brantley Gilbert.
Paul Collins' Beat, Jaill, Sugar Stems
Frequency, 9 pm
In addition to being a power-pop idol, Collins heads an innovative project called the Beat Army, which uses his band's fame to boost that of talented underground artists such as Milwaukee's Jaill and the Sugar Stems. Learn more in this week's Tour Stop.
High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm
The soul music of the past meets the hip-hop of the future when XV hits the stage with heavy drumbeats and vocal delivery reminiscent of Drake's. With Sincere Life, Tre Money and Wes3.
Majestic Theatre, 10 pm
Amid the crisp mountain air of his Colorado home, Paper Diamond melds fresh beats with rumbling bass and the ethereal sparkle of synthesizers. Watch him make musical magic at this show. With M Machine and Gnarlzard.
