What to do in Madison this week: King Dunn, 'Dancing at Lughnasa' and more Isthmus Picks

by

Grupo Candela, Monday, Aug. 19, McKee Farms Park, Fitchburg, 6 p.m.: Grupo Candela has been a leader in Madison’s active Latin music scene for nearly two decades. The group was founded by percussionists Manuel Vellón and Roberto Rengel (both formerly of Que Flavor), and over the years of changing lineups has grown from an octet to a 13-piece powerhouse. Be sure to bring your dancing shoes for this Concerts at McKee season closer, featuring an opening set by a youth band from Madison Music Foundry.

Elizabeth Holden, Tuesday, Aug. 20, A Room of One’s Own, 5:30 p.m.: Madison-area author Elizabeth Holden will read from her debut YA novel, Mighty Millie Novak. Holden, who skates with the Madison Roller Derby, has brought that experience to Millie, which is about a queer teenage girl on a junior roller derby team who’s experiencing typical teenage anxieties and seeking the moxie to tackle them. In addition to the reading and a Q&A with Holden and local author Laura Bird, there will be a roller derby demo, and food from Just Veggiez.

Madison Sings! Tuesdays, through Aug. 20, First Unitarian Society, 7 p.m.: Madison Symphony Chorus and First Unitarian Society are collaborating once again on a choral singing series, open to all singers. Each week includes a bit of vocal warmup, rehearsal, and a “performance” with no audience; the final week focuses on excerpts from the Messiah by Handel on Aug. 20. Scores available, or bring your own. For more info: fusmadison.org/madisonsings.

Dancing at Lughnasa, through Sept. 27, American Players Theatre, Spring Green: American Players Theatre opened the second half of its repertory season with Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa, what director Brenda DeVita calls a “beautiful, poetic, gauzy play.” A young Irish boy is raised by his mother and four unmarried aunts in the 1930s; into their poor domestic life pops an uncle and, occasionally, the boy’s itinerant father. Threats to the delicate balance of their day-to-day include the local economy and the Catholic Church. Read Janet Clear’s review here. Shows this week at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 20 and 8 p.m. on Aug. 24. Tickets at americanplayers.org.

Jazz at Five, Wednesdays, through Sept. 4, Capitol Square, 4 p.m.: As it turns out, the return of Jazz at Five to its traditional home at the top of State Street was short-lived. However, this time the summer concert series is moving just a couple blocks counterclockwise on the Square, to the South Hamilton Street corner. Concerts begin with a youth band at 4 p.m., followed by Jazz Flux and the Kal Bergendahl Project, Aug. 21; UW Faculty Jazz Band and Jazz All Stars, Aug. 28; and the DB Orchestra and All That Jazz Big Band, Sept. 4. Find more info at jazzatfive.org.

Historic Taverns, Wednesday, Aug. 21, Argus BarGrille, 5 p.m.: Historic preservation isn’t just about fixing up old houses with period-appropriate wallpaper. This Historic Madison Inc. social celebrates and takes place in the historic Argus bar, 123 East Main St. Doug Griffin, formerly with the Wisconsin Historical Society, will discuss the history of the building, which is one of the oldest still standing in Madison. There will be a tour of the building including a “secret” (or maybe not so secret, if we are telling you about it here?) tunnel. Attendees are welcome to order food and beverages.

Jumping Worms: The Impact of a New Soil Invader, Wednesday, Aug. 21, UW Arboretum Visitor Center, 6:30 p.m.: First the emerald ash borer, now this? Jumping worms may not be murder hornets, but they are bad news. They increase soil compaction, deplete soil nutrients, and increase the spread of non-native plants. But there are ways to fight back. Bradley Herrick of the Wild Ones Madison chapter will present useful info about combatting this new invader species, with hands-on activities including looking for jumping worms in dirt and outdoors.

Medium Cool, Wednesday, Aug. 21, Central Library, 6:30 p.m.: Filmmaker Haskell Wexler won a pair of Academy Awards for his work as a cinematographer, and was acclaimed for many documentary films as a writer-director. But if you have to pick one film from his many excellent works to see first, Medium Cool is the way to go. The story follows a television news cameraman (Robert Forster) who loses his job after protesting the station’s policy of passing footage to the FBI; he picks up a job freelancing at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Chicago native Wexler filmed on location during the chaotic convention, and what resulted in Medium Cool is a mix of fiction and reality that remains head-spinning decades later…and as relevant as ever in our current media landscape. Fair warning: be prepared to be disturbed.

King Dunn, Wednesday, Aug. 21, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: King Buzzo, iconic founder and singer/guitarist of the Melvins, and Mr. Bungle bass player Trevor Dunn have teamed up as “King Dunn” for a two-month late-summer tour. Dunn is playing a stand-up concert bass, while King Buzzo is singing and playing an acoustic guitar. But don’t expect a laid-back evening. As King Buzzo said prior to the tour kicking off, Dunn “has the ability to make his bass sound like an oil tanker crashing into a coral reef.” Yeah, we’re definitely intrigued by this pairing. JD Pinkus, best known for his membership in Butthole Surfers and (natch) the Melvins, opens. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Next to Normal, through Aug. 24, UW Memorial Union-Play Circle: Music Theatre of Madison fulfills its mission of picking new or different works with its production of the 2008 rock musical Next to Normal. The main character is a mother whose bipolar disorder has affected her family deeply. Mental health and family issues come to the fore in this multiple Tony Award-winner and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2010. Though the subjects it treats are serious, the score is lively. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Cribshitter + Vacant Church, Thursday, Aug. 22, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Consider for a moment the concept of stalwart Madison pot-stirrers Cribshitter playing in a vacant church. They may not be rockin' a sanctuary on this night, but are playing with Vacant Church, a trippy Madison folk rock outfit. Vacant Church's most recent single is the atmospheric mid-tempo rocker "Glue." Meanwhile, Cribshitter’s sets in recent times have drawn on their 2022 album Goin' Soft, with a heavy Cali country/yacht rock vibe (and occasional beach balls and onstage kid partying, as during their set opening June’s Pursuit of Happiness fest). Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Hello Dankness, Thursday, Aug. 22, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 8 p.m.: This one sounds like a perfect film for our current moment of AI-driven anxiety about determining what media is real or not. Hello Dankness is a feature film completely created with sampled, grafted and altered material, and examines American politics from 2016-2021. Yes, it’s a horror film, and also a musical, because why not. It’s a creation of Australian artist duo Soda Jerk, and will make its Madison premiere at this Rooftop Cinema screening.

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