Pomegranates
Summer eases into its latter half this week with a busy calendar that includes: The Dan Potacke Show; a Beatles tribute at Concerts on the Square; and, a barrage of live music from Bear in Heaven, the Lucas Cates Band, YellowFever with Venus in Furs, Squeeze, The Killigans, Dubtonic Kru, and Pomegranates.
Monday 7.19
NOTEWORTHY: Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 14,000 points for the first time, 2007.
BIRTHDAYS: Queen guitarist Brian May, 1947; filmmaker Atom Egoyan, 1960.
Frequency, 6:30 pm
After some time off, the comedian returns with his nightclub variety presentation. Guests are comedian Matt Sloan, of Chad Vader fame, and electronic musician Matt Fanale, of Caustic fame.
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
The Brooklyn psych-pop band, which shares a label (Hometapes) and a musical approach to minimalism with Madison's All Tiny Creatures, stops by the High Noon on its way to the Twin Cities from Chicago's Pitchfork Music Festival. With Twin Sister and Mountain Man.
Tuesday 7.20
NOTEWORTHY: Neil Armstrong takes "one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind," 1969.
BIRTHDAYS: Grammy-winning guitarist Carlos Santana, 1947; Grammy-winning Soundgarden/Audioslave singer/songwriter/drummer Chris Cornell, 1964.
Capitol Square, noon
Hometown rocker Lucas Cates brings his bandmates and two albums' worth of material to Capitol Square's King Street corner for a free lunchtime show.
Project Lodge, 7 pm
YellowFever's art-pop, composed of drums, keys, bass and vocals, takes many of its cues from 1980s Rough Trade artists like Young Marble Giants and the Raincoats. Madison's Venus in Furs channels Death From Above 1979 and the Rapture, mixing this style of dance-punk with surf rock; the results should get even the wallflowers grooving to the beat. Learn more about Venus in Furs in this week's music column.
Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm
The English band that grabbed Americans' attention in 1981 with "Tempted," then again with "Hourglass" six years later, re-formed in 2007. Lately, they've rerecorded 14 of their greatest hits to create an album called Spot the Difference, affirming that their songs sound just as slick and cool as they did in the '80s.
Wednesday 7.21
NOTEWORTHY: Roger Waters mounts an all-star live performance of The Wall at the dismantled Berlin Wall, 1990.
BIRTHDAYS: Oscar-winning actor/comedian Robin Williams, 1952; U.S. soccer star Brandi Chastain, 1968.
Capitol Square, 7 pm
This week the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra pays homage to the four lads from Liverpool as the Beatles tribute band Yesterday joins in on English folk songs like "She Loves You," "Penny Lane" and "Revolution."
Frequency, 8 pm
Fans of the Pogues, Dropkick Murphys and Social D will dig this folk-punk six-piece from Lincoln, Neb., which incorporates accordion and mandolin into rollicking celebrations of working-class life.
Thursday 7.22
NOTEWORTHY: Milwaukee serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer arrested, 1991.
BIRTHDAYS: Indigo Girl Emily Saliers, 1963; actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, 1971.
High Noon Saloon, 9 pm
This Jamaican quintet, winding up a U.S. tour that started last winter, plays appealing, breezy reggae. Word is that band will celebrate the birthday of Haile Selassie at the stroke of midnight, so prepare accordingly. With Kingtown Rockers, Mash'Alla and Tropical Riddims Sound System.
UW Memorial Union Terrace, 9:30 pm
The Cincinnati-based quartet claims to be a fusion of surf and soul, but that's not quite the case. You may find elements of these genres in their sound, but you're more likely to file their mp3s near those by fellow indie darlings Islands and the French Kicks. Come down to the Terrace and see how their live act compares with the Islands show that took place there last week.