What to do in Madison this week: MarchFourth, Amor Towles and more Isthmus Picks

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Can I Tell You a Story? Monday, April 29, Hamel Music Center, 6 p.m.: “Can I Tell You A Story?: A Door at the Center of a Table,” on exhibit through May 17 at the UW Memorial Union Main Gallery, features work by the UW Division of the Arts Interdisciplinary Artist-in-Residence Marlon F. Hall, who builds tables to use when preparing meals to inspire community connections. April 29 will feature a special performance related to the exhibit blending music, film, storytelling and poetry; an improvisational jazz ensemble featuring Johannes Wallmann, Hanah Jon Taylor and other guests will be conducted by composer and arranger Keyon Harrold. Find more info on the residency and registration for the performance at artsresidency.wisc.edu.

Young Playwrights Festival, Tuesday, April 30, Madison Youth Arts, 7 p.m.: The Young Playwrights program by Children's Theater of Madison provides a workshop in creating theater and writing feedback for middle and high school students. This year’s theme was “Caring for Our World,” and short plays written by area youth in the program will be given a staged reading at the Young Playwrights Festival. You may just hear an early work by a future star: One of the 2023 plays, Masks by Sennett Middle School student Elena Meloy, was a national winner in the Playwrights for Change competition. More info at ctmtheater.org.

Amor Towles, Tuesday, April 30, Orpheum, 7 p.m.: Madison is lucky to get a bestselling novelist like Amor Towles (The Lincoln Highway, A Gentleman in Moscow). He’s in town to promote his fourth book, Table for Two: Fictions (Viking), a collection of six stories based in New York City circa 2000 that also includes a 220-page novella set in the Golden Age of Hollywood and featuring Evelyn Ross, a main character from his 2011 debut novel, Rules of Civility. Madison author Christina Clancy (Shoulder Season) will join Towles in conversation at this free event with general admission seating. All attendees receive a pre-signed copy of Table for Two, courtesy of the Wisconsin Book Festival and the Madison Public Library Foundation.

Rae Senarighi, through May 4, Giant Jones Brewing: The joyful and colorful painted portraits of trans and non-binary individuals by Madison-based artist Rae Senarighi (aka Transpainter) have found an international audience in recent years. His current exhibit at Giant Jones features the debut of the first two portraits (of Madison artist Nipinet and Two Indigiqueers and a Mic podcast co-host Adrian Garcia) of a collaborative project with Seattle-based photographer Steven Miller, featuring Two Spirit, transgender and nonbinary folks living in the Midwest. The exhibit continues through May 4.

Djangophonique + Christo's Novelty Combo, April 30, Leopold’s Books Bar Caffe, 7:30 p.m.; May 4, North Street Cabaret, 8 p.m.: Romani guitarist Django Reinhardt died more than seven decades ago, but the swinging, joyful jazz guitar style he pioneered lives on in the playing of countless acolytes. Djangophonique, led by fleet-fingered Andrew Brown, builds an eclectic sound on the guitar concepts of Django; the Ann Arbor group uses clarinet (by Tyler Rindo) as a counterpoint, and recently added vocalist Katie Smith and second guitarist Nicholas Martin. For a run of Midwest tour dates, Djangophonique is joined by Christo Ruppenthal and Forrest Evans of Christo’s Novelty Combo. Ticket info at djangophonique.com.

Cat Birk, through July 14, Chazen Museum of Art: The 2024 Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize exhibit, “my mother is a horse,” features paintings by Cat Birk. As stated in the Madison-based artist and researcher’s bio, “Their interdisciplinary practice brings transgender studies, queer theory, and critical theory into the expanded field of painting.” During the exhibit’s run Birk will introduce screenings of two films on themes of transformation: Piaffe (5 p.m., May 1) and Desert Hearts (5 p.m., May 29). More info at chazen.wisc.edu.

CHEW, Wednesday, May 1, Goodman Community Center-Ironworks, 7 p.m.: There is nothing quite like a community cookbook. Recipes from real people’s kitchens provide a snapshot of a culinary place and time. There will be a lot of tater tot casseroles, sure, but there is always the stunning gem, the recipe or prep method you never would have imagined. In the Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin's monthly meeting, presenter Catherine Lambrecht (founder of Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance, the Chicago Foodways Roundtable and participant in a lot of other food-related activities) will discuss Breathing Life into Your Community Cookbook Collection: A Culinary Yearbook, and how to make such collections more accessible.

MarchFourth, Wednesday, May 1, Majestic, 7:30 p.m.: This 20-member marching band/circus act from Portland, Oregon, are musical anarchists of the highest order. It’s hard to believe the Majestic Theatre will be able to contain them. And for all the theatrics they bring (stilt walkers, burlesque dancers, etc.) the musicianship is gold. Their cover of Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4” at the Waterfront Festival a few years back drove the crowd into a joyous frenzy. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

The Supersuckers + Electric Six, Wednesday, May 1, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Whether playing hard rock or country, it’s always guaranteed The Supersuckers (these days a trio) will leave it all on stage with an intense, entertaining show. Electric Six are similarly committed to fun with their cheekily excessive take on arena rock. The two veteran bands are joined for this tour by Volk, a Nashville duo who — you guessed it — plays high energy honky tonk infused rock. Be rested and ready for this one. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Los Straitjackets, Wednesday, May 1, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: “30 Anos de Los Straitjackets” celebrates three decades of the surf rock revivalists’ touring and recording (16 albums). In recent years, when not on their own tour, they’re Nick Lowe’s band on his outings. They perform in traditional lucha libre Mexican wrestling masks and since they’re an instrumental band — never singing or even speaking for that matter — experiencing Los Straitjackets is like witnessing Japanese kabuki theater if Japanese kabuki included music by Dick Dale and The Ventures. With southern rockers Wasted Major. Tickets at seetickets.us.

Madison’s Funniest Comic, Wednesdays, through May 1, Comedy on State, 9 p.m.: Every spring, Madison’s Funniest Comic takes the place of Comedy on State’s popular open mic. This year more than 90 (!) folks participated in the preliminary rounds, and it's down to just five left standing for the final found on May 1: Rich D'Amore, Hayden Fredriksen, Chelby Morgan, David Schendlinger and Syed. Note, tickets are available only at the door, starting at 7:30 p.m. Watch for updates on the competition at facebook.com/comedyonstate.

Trout Days, May 2-4, Cross Plains: An annual tradition in Cross Plains for four decades, Trout Days marks the opening of trout fishing season. The main event is May 4 at Zander Park, kicking off at 8:30 a.m. with a tot trot followed by a 5K run/walk. Kids' activities and recreation-themed workshops start at 10 a.m., and from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Creekside Music Fest features Some Assembly Required, Lost Lakes, Soggy Prairie and Host of Sparrows. A downtown wine walk closes the festivities from 3-6 p.m. Leading up to Saturday, community-wide rummage sales and other activities take place May 2-3; find the full schedule at crossplainstroutdays.com.

From Fiber to Hand, May 2-June 13, Textile Arts Center; reception May 3, 5-9 p.m.: The new Textile Arts Center features "From Fiber to Hand," curated by UW-Madison papermaker Veronica Pham. The exhibit explores fiber in many different forms, including weaving, sewn objects, paper, basketry and even netting. Featured are UW students and recent alumni Esther Cho, Kate Forer, Heather Kohlmeier, Kate Morrick, Sam Northcut, Hannah O’Hare Bennett, Veronica Pham, Maia Rauh, Noa Rickey, Ava Schueller, Annmarie Suglio and Edward Xiong. The TAC is at 2436 Pennsylvania Ave. and will be open Friday, May 3, from 5-9 p.m. during Madison’s citywide Gallery Night; regular hours are from noon-4 p.m. Thursdays and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, through June 13.

Chief Adjuah, Thursday, May 2, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7:30 p.m.: On his website, Chief Adjuah opens a “Letter to a future artist” with a succinct statement of his creative approach: “As an artist, I am always attempting to do things that haven't been done.” Adjuah rose to prominence in the jazz world playing trumpet, but plays many different instruments on his latest album, 2023’s Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning, which respects the past and looks to the future while merging music traditions of New Orleans and West Africa; it’s a hypnotic listening experience. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.

Editor's note: This post has been updated to add the Madison's Funniest Comic finalists.