As we enter the fall season, the kickoff time of year for so many of Madison's traditions, we have taken the opportunity to rearrange the furniture in the music room. That means, gentle reader, that we have altered the lineup of our core pop music commentators.
The big move is the addition of contributor Andy Moore to the local music news and review lineup. Moore has been a fixture for many years in Isthmus with his monthly general-interest column, "Close to Home." In his new endeavor he'll have to stick to one topic, the local music scene.
Moore becomes the third leg of an accomplished trio who handle the local popular music coverage. Rich Albertoni, in fact, holds the cover of this week's issue with an overview of concerts that showcase the accomplishments of Madison musicians, emphasizing their quantity and diversity. Albertoni contributes his oversight of the scene to our pages every other week.
Jessica Steinhoff, previously a weekly contributor, has moved to the Chicago area to work for the coupon purveyor Groupon (something like IsthmusSaves). She will still contribute to our pages once every six weeks.
So now comes Moore, who inherits all the writing slots that the other two don't fill. His inaugural column takes us to the Madison Music Foundry, a local enterprise that started out mainly as a rehearsal studio. It is now a rehearsal studio cum music prep school, educating young musicians not only on instruments, but also on the music business. It's preparing the future of Madison's local scene. Welcome to the music room, Mr. Moore.