Monday 3.12
Brink Lounge, 6-9 pm
After you've discovered who's in the running for a 2007 Madison Area Music Award, sit back, sip a little wine, and take in the swinging Gypsy jazz of Harmonious Wail.
Wisconsin Historical Society auditorium, 7 pm
The executive producer of HBO's Def Poetry Jam discusses the collision of hip-hop, poetry and theater.
Wisconsin Union Theater, 7:30 pm
Lewis is the author of Race Against Time: Searching for Hope in AIDS-Ravaged Africa, an outgrowth of his work as U.N. special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. He'll explain what (urgently) needs to be done as part of the UW's Distinguished Lecture Series.
Tuesday 3.13
Overture Center's Promenade Hall, 7 pm
Uhlir is the director of design, architecture and landscape for Chicago's spectacular Millennium Park. He'll discuss parks, urban design and sustainable growth with our own Mayor Cieslewicz in a program called "Millennium Park: A Triumph for Chicago, an Inspiration for Madison."
Share-a-Meal
Bunky's CafÃ, Cafà Soleil, Dardanelles, Harvest, Maharaja, Roman Candle, Tornado Club and the Weary Traveler all donate a portion of March 13's proceeds to Community Shares of Wisconsin. So you can treat yourself and make a charitable contribution at the same time -- a rare win-win situation.
Wednesday 3.14
High Noon Saloon, 6 pm
The buildup to St. Paddy's Day continues as the local Celtic-philes celebrate a new CD with help from Boston's Matt & Shannon Heaton and Daithi Wolfe.
Thursday 3.15
Chazen Museum of Art, 5:30 pm
An expert on Asian textiles and culture, Fitz Gibbon explains "How Women Preserve Cultural Identity" in a talk on Uzbek Steppe embroidery.
High Noon Saloon, 5:30 pm
Cinephile alert: Isthmus hosts a free happy-hour bash to preview this year's Wisconsin Film Festival (April 12-15), featuring clips to whet your appetite. You can also see short films from Madison's Wis-Kino, load up on complimentary snacks and win festival tickets.
Edgewood College's Edgedome, 7 pm
Bobby Seale co-founded the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and faced trial with the Chicago 8 after the 1968 riots at the Democratic National Convention. (The judge, notoriously, ordered him bound and gagged in court.) He should have plenty of hair-raising stories to tell in this appearance with his wife, Leslie.
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 7 pm
MMoCA's series focuses on cutting-edge work by contemporary filmmakers -- stuff you'll never see in theaters. This week's installment features videos by Kalup Linzy, who uses soap-opera conventions to explore African American culture.
Barrymore Theatre, 7:30 pm
The sagacious Canadian singer-songwriter looks back on an unpredictable, remarkably varied career that's swung from inward-looking folk material to indignant political rock to mature love songs.
Annex, 8 pm
The Oklahoma hard-rockers aim to groove, yearn and swagger their way into arenas and hockey rinks everywhere, and they may just succeed. Think Tool without the weirdness or any number of nu-rock vets minus the fist-balling rage. Showbread and Tyler Read open.
High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm
Proceeds from this appropriately hard'rocking benefit will help defray medical bills incurred by Mr. Blues, one of the local music scene's feistiest characters.