American Folklore Theatre
Both the calendar year and autumn arts season are coming to a close, but it's a lively week in Madison. The calendar includes: the return of Guys on Ice musical; talks by Paul Oakley Stovall, Lynda Barry, and Greg Palast; the Soup & Bread cookbook tour; "Opera Night" at Mad Toast Live and the Joining Forces for Families benefit featuring Phil Vassar; and, more live music from The Barley Brothers, Venice Gas House Trolley, Jim James & the Damn Shames, Social Distortion, Infected Mushroom, Hank3 with Hellbilly, and Orphan Bloom.
Monday 11.28
NOTEWORTHY: Lady Astor becomes first woman elected to British House of Commons, 1919.
UW Vilas Hall's Mitchell Theatre, 7 pm
Only a couple of events remain in the great Stew & Friends series, which has seen musician/composer/playwright/UW artist in residence Stew hosting one mesmerizing guest after another. This one features New York-based writer/composer/actor Stovall, whose recent show Clear: A New Musical Experience is about a gay black man who gets involved in a political campaign.
Malt House, 7:30 pm
Tired of playing air guitar to rock 'n' roll anthems? Roll out your air banjo and invisible fiddle as this local string band performs Cajun tunes, country-blues ballads and old-fashioned hootenanny music.
Cardinal Bar, 9 pm
Adam Gregory Pergament and his crew of groove makers turn the Cardinal Bar into a modern-day speakeasy with a fusion of jam rock and beat-inspired poetry. With DJ Dr. Beatz.
Tuesday 11.29
Beatles alumnus/Traveling Wilbury George Harrison dies, 2001.
High Noon Saloon, 6 pm
With influences that range from Steve Earle to Count Basie, this local outfit harvests an eclectic crop of musical ideas whether it's performing a country-tinged slow dance or a fast-paced rocker. With Ghost Town Council.
Brink Lounge, 7 pm
Violinist Chris Wagoner and cellist Mary Gaines chat with Candid Concert Opera, a company that performs opera music in churches and senior centers, and Fresco Opera Theater, which stages operas with an approach inspired by modern envelope-pushers such as Lady Gaga and Cirque du Soleil.
Overture Center's Playhouse, 7:30 pm. Also Wednesday & Thursday, Nov. 30 & Dec. 1, 7:30 pm
Door County's American Folklore Theatre presents James Kaplan and Fred Alley's ice-fishing musical. Did you think there couldn't possibly be a show tune called "Ode to a Snowmobile Suit"? You thought wrong.
Joining Forces for Families benefit featuring Phil Vassar
Barrymore Theatre, 7:30 pm
The country artist behind the 2004 hit "In a Real Love" joins the chart-climbing Arkansas natives of Edens Edge to raise funds for Joining Forces for Families, an organization working to transform social services by addressing hunger, violence and unemployment.
Orpheum Theatre, 8 pm
Social D spearheaded the SoCal punk sound 33 years ago, but between rehab and lineup changes, they've released only seven full-length studio albums. Check out the latest, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, at this show and in this week's Tour Stop. With Suedehead.
Wednesday 11.30
NOTEWORTHY: President Clinton signs Brady Bill, 1993.
Chazen Museum of Art, 4:30 pm
Ahead of her upcoming, semester-long residency with the UW Arts Institute, the Wisconsin-based comic artist (Ernie Pook's Comeek) discusses her work.
High Noon Saloon, 5:30 pm
Cooks from Graze, Weary Traveler and other local eateries donate soup and bread for this touring event, which is occasioned by the release of Chicagoan Martha Bayne's Soup & Bread Cookbook: Building Community One Pot at a Time. As at similar events Bayne has hosted at Chicago's Hideout nightclub in recent years, donations benefit charity -- Second Harvest Foodbank, specifically.
Barrymore Theatre, 7 pm
The provocative author and journalist -- he said louder than anyone that the 2000 and 2004 elections were rigged -- talks about his new book, Vultures' Picnic: In Pursuit of Petroleum Pigs, Power Pirates, and High-Finance Carnivores.
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
This DJ duo's name doesn't exactly whet one's appetite for food, but its entrancing psychedelic music keeps ears coming back for more, earning a top-10 berth on the Billboard charts for the single "Smashing the Opponent."
Thursday 12.1
NOTEWORTHY: Rosa Parks arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her bus seat, 1955.
Barrymore Theatre, 7:30 pm
The grandson of Hank Williams Sr. tears up the Barrymore with his rabblerousing rockabilly band and selections from their 2010 release, Rebel Within. With Attention Deficit Domination and 3 Bar Ranch.
High Noon Saloon, 9 pm
By melding blues, traditional Indian music, finger-style guitar licks and a glimmer of heavy metal into their rock songs, this local group flout genre labels. Bask in a live performance as they release a new LP. With Tiger Clutch and Colorphase.
