What to do in Madison this week: Aug. 24-27, 2026

Brandi Carlile + I'm With Her and more Isthmus Picks

by

Arts

  • Brandi Carlile + I’m With Her, Monday, Aug. 24, Breese Stevens Field, 6 p.m.: Three years (almost to the day!) after Brandi Carlile played Madison in 2023, the 11-time Grammy winner returns with an even higher profile. She performed “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl LX in February and released her fifth Top 10 album, the soul-baring Returning to Myself, last October. And now she’s in the midst of “The Human Tour,” on which she digs into her two-decades deep catalog. If you missed her last time, now’s your chance to not make the same mistake again. Arrive early, because renowned folk trio I’m With Her — comprised of Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan (Crooked Still) — will open the show. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • clovers daughter, Monday, Aug. 24, High Noon Saloon, 7 p.m.: Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Noor Shami has made a splash in the last year-plus with her current project, clovers daughter, releasing a pair of EPs and an album, and earning artist of the month in June from Minnesota Public Radio’s alternative station, The Current. It’s easy to hear why; Shami is already expert at establishing a dreamy guitar or keyboard base and building compellingly personal rock songs — and musical tension — from there. With Madison rockers Cause & Control and folky solo project Croix Du Nord. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • Rachel Kuo, Tuesday, Aug. 25, A Room of One’s Own, 6 p.m.: To form a coalition strong enough to bring about societal change, activists often have to work together across lines of race, class and other cultural differences — while also navigating political and societal structures built to keep groups segmented. In the 2025 book Movement Media: In Pursuit of Solidarity, UW assistant professor Rachel Kuo examines several movements and considers how changes in media and technology played a role. Kuo discusses the book with two other UW faculty members, associate professor Lisa Bhungalia and assistant professor Amadi Ozier.
  • Overture Center summer exhibitions, through Aug. 30, Overture: It’s summer at Overture and the galleries are packed with new art. In Gallery I, Fatemeh Fani and R-Lo offer “Echoes Between Us,” a look in varied media at what often goes unnoticed. In Gallery II, “Natural Bodies,” a themed show from Blue Naga and Ciel Skål examines the boundaries between the human body and the natural world. In Gallery III, Nika McKagen and Chele Ramos also embrace the unseen and unexplored. All shows should prompt interior reflection on all things seen and unseen.
  • Bonnie Raitt, Tuesday, Aug. 25, Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Bonnie Raitt — long one of the most distinctive voices in American music — returns with beloved hits and recent songs. A 13-time Grammy winner, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Raitt finally broke through in the pop world in a big way with the album Nick of Time in 1989. More recently, 2022's Just Like That... earned three Grammys, including Song of the Year for the title track. Whether she's delivering blues, rock, folk or blending them all in "I Can't Make You Love Me," Raitt is still a force decades after 1971 debut. With Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Tickets at overture.org.
  • Jazz at Five, Wednesdays, through Sept. 2, Capitol Square-King Street, 4 p.m.: Before autumn leaves start to turn, we can enjoy the last days of summer listening to jazz on the Capitol lawn with Jazz at Five. This free performance series happens on Wednesday evenings through Sept. 2. Each concert opens with a youth combo at 4 p.m. followed by back-to-back performances at 5 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. This week features ensembles from UW-Madison's Jazz Department, including an all star combo and one led by School of Music director Dan Cavanagh, plus youth ensemble Trilobite. The series concludes Sept. 2 with big bands Milwaukee Jazz Orchestra, Ladies Must Swing and Central Standard Time. Find the full schedule at jazzatfive.org.
  • Christo Ruppenthal album release, Wednesday, Aug. 26, But Oak, 8 p.m.: Guitarist Christo Ruppenthal is not only one of the best traditional Hawaiian lap steel players in the Midwest, he’s among the world’s best. He’s currently the president of the International Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association and returned in July from Waikiki where he was a judge for the annual guitar players contest. His new release, Get Under the Moon, is an album filled with covers of Ruppenthal’s favorite cuts from 78 rpm discs of the 1910s-1940s; he’ll play with Christo’s Novelty Combo at the album release party, with opener Gaines & Wagoner. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
  • Supertanker, Thursday, Aug. 27, High Noon Saloon, 5 p.m.: Veteran Madison quartet Supertanker plays a variety of shades of rock on their most recent album, Broiler. From the blues-soaked title cut to crunchy harmony pop like the single “Internet Declaration of Love” or self-explanatorily fired up “E=MC5,” their songs are catchy and well-constructed enough to be an earworm danger. They will celebrate the release of the album on LP at this free patio show.
  • Women's Equality Day Celebration, Thursday, Aug. 27, Goodman Community Center-Brassworks, 5 p.m.: The Wisconsin Women's Network gathers each year near the anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to celebrate gains in equity for women, and make connections to help advance the work that still needs to be done. The theme for this year's Women's Equality Day Celebration is “Building the Next Generation of Leaders,” and the evening features a panel of leaders from around the state discussing mentorship, community and more. Find tickets at wiwomensnetwork.org.
  • The Sun Never Sets, Thursday, Aug. 27, UW Cinematheque, 7 p.m.: Following the loss of its summer slate due to air conditioning issues on campus, film fans will be happy to learn that UW Cinematheque’s fall season will get rolling on schedule. Thursdays again will feature Madison premieres of recent films, kicking off with an acclaimed indie, The Sun Never Sets. It’s the first film from director Joe Swanberg in about a decade, and tells the story of an Alaskan couple who decide to take a break to make sure commitment is in their future. Complications ensue. IndieWire calls the film “a masterful portrait of humanity’s inability to figure out what we actually want at any given time.” Swanberg will attend the screening. Find the full Cinematheque fall schedule at cinema.wisc.edu.
  • Justin Alan Payne, Thursday, Aug. 27, Yahara Bay Distillers, Fitchburg, 7:30 p.m.: Singer-songwriter Justin Alan Payne is based in Nashville, and, yes, there is a bit of country in the sound of his latest album, Moonflower. But there’s also soul and rock and a bit of show-tuney swing for good measure in the Ohio native’s sound. It’s all about where the song leads, and his versatile, emotive vocals tie it all together. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

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