What to do in Madison this weekend: Star Country’s Class Of 2026, Wisconsin Drag Awards and more Isthmus Picks

by

Arts

Sabina Ott: all this and not ordinary, through Feb. 15, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: Sabina Ott passed away too early at age 62 in 2018. “all this and not ordinary” includes 33 late works from a career that encompassed painting, sculpture and other assemblages using such materials as polystyrene and spray foam. The result is often a “space of transformation” that incorporates “play and wonder,” as the MMoCA explains in its gallery notes. And we can all use some more of that. The exhibit was co-curated by Jefferson Godard and museum director Paul Baker Prindle.

Miscast, Thursday, Jan. 15, Bur Oak, 7 p.m.: “Miscast” is a never-the-same-show-twice concept that travels well. A baker's dozen of singers are featured in roles in which they probably wouldn’t have been cast…usually with unexpectedly rewarding results. Music Theatre of Madison will make the most of the opportunity in this, its 20th anniversary year. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Hamilton, through Jan. 18, Overture Hall: There are a few musicals so brilliant that in hindsight it's hard to imagine anyone ever doubted their ability to amaze. Hamilton is one of them. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop-fueled retelling of America’s founding story is now a full-blown cultural touchstone. Even after a decade, its mix of swagger, wit, and emotional punch still lands. Whether it’s your first time “in the room where it happens” or your fifth, it’s the kind of show that reminds you why we keep going to the theater in the first place. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday; tickets at overture.org.

Oakwood Chamber Players, Jan. 16-18, various venues: Having a chamber group as resident company at a senior community makes a lot of sense, giving the musicians a permanent home and the residents a professional ensemble they don’t have to bundle up and travel to hear. The Oakwood Chamber Players plays its globally inspired series (featuring works by Gabriela Lena Frank, Alexander Glazunov, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gabriel Allier) on Friday at Oakwood Village's Prairie Ridge campus, 5565 Tancho Drive, and on Saturday, at its University Woods site, 6205 Mineral Point Road; both shows are at 7 p.m. On Sunday there will be a 2 p.m. performance at Arts + Literature Laboratory. The public is welcome; tickets at oakwoodchamberplayers.com.

Wisconsin Fests, through Jan. 23, FPC venues: It’s that time of year again when The Sylvee, the Majestic and the High Noon Saloon team up to host a series of multi-genre Wisconsin Fests showcasing artists from around the state. While all of these shows are stacked with powerful lineups, Wisconsin Metal Fest (Jan. 16, High Noon) deserves an extra horns up for including three Madison bands: Lords of the Trident, Casket Robbery and Yotuma. If you’re looking for bands from outside Dane County, consider Bluegrass Fest (Jan. 17, Sylvee), featuring Horseshoes & Hand Grenades from Stevens Point (with a new album, Living Room, out the day before the concert), Feed the Dog from Oshkosh, and Art Stevenson & High Water from Babcock, along with Madison’s Armchair Boogie. Truth is, you can’t go wrong with any (or all) of these, also including hip-hop, Jan. 17, and punk, Jan. 23, at High Noon; and blues, Jan. 16, and funk, Jan. 17, at the Majestic. Find the lineups and tickets via fpc-live.com.

Mo' Onions, Friday, Jan. 16, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Madison band Mo' Onions pays tribute to the music of Booker T and the MGs, the Memphis instrumental combo whose tough and funky sound echoes through countless other artists from the 1960s to now. As the house band for Stax Records, the MGs music also includes a lot of vocal stars, none bigger than the late great Otis Redding. Mo' Onions is back with their annual tribute to the Big O, joined by Roscoe Foster and other guests. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

96.3 Star Country’s Class Of 2026, Friday, Jan. 16, Orpheum, 8 p.m.: This annual showcase hosted by the Madison country radio station has a remarkable track record of featuring future megastars — for example, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen both played the 2018 concert. This year offers five rising artists, including John Morgan, who has already had big hits as a writer for Jason Aldean (he returned the favor with a guest shot on Morgan’s 2025 hit “Friends Like That”). The lineup also includes Alexandra Kay, Billboard’s October Rookie of the Month; Vincent Mason, who received the same Billboard nod in April; Mackenzie Carpenter, whose collaboration with Midland, “I Wish You Would,” was a radio favorite in 2025; and Chase McDaniel, who quickly found a huge streaming following with hip-hop- and rock-influenced cuts such as “Relapse” and "Project." Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

The Faith Hills Have Eyes EP release, Friday, Jan. 16, Gamma Ray, 8 p.m.: Altars of Radness, the new EP from The Faith Hills Have Eyes — a twisty Madison band that specializes in brutal yet melodic metal — will be played in its entirety at this show. The release is limited to only 200 hand-numbered CD copies, and from the bits we’ve heard, it’s a banger. Also on the bill: Nequient, a grinding hardcore band from Chicago; Madison’s Corridoré, which plays atmospheric post-black metal; and Madison mathcore merchants Luxury Problems. A diverse lineup like this one is a great way for metalheads to start the new year. Tickets at gammaray.bar.

Comedy in the Cavern, Friday, Jan. 16, The Rigby, 8 p.m.: This Cheshire Cat Comedy showcase is headlined by Chicago-based comic Sam Rocha, whose dry and rapid-fire standup examines a wide range of modern American culture, including life as a transgender person (“it’s ok, I’m asymptomatic”) and other aspects of gender differences. Rocha hits a similar swath of topics in her many funny short videos on social media, including a recent spot-on parody ad for political campaign management services. With Neeraj Srinivasan, Olivia May, and host Aris Awes. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Educational Davis + Lonelyproof, Friday, Jan. 16, Harmony Bar, 9 p.m.: Educational Davis always comes through on their promise to get people “in the mood to dance (or cry).” Lonelyproof’s set will be an event unto itself. That’s because it’s a classic super group project with some of Madison’s most ambitious creators. Among them, Kyle Rightley of Driveway Thriftdwellers, one of the city’s most in-demand guitarists, and Lo Marie, a vocal star on loan from the nationally touring Frank Zappa tribute band The Furious Bongos.

Bald Eagle Watching Days, Jan. 17-18, Sauk City/Prairie du Sac: The majestic bald eagle is drawn to the water near the hydropower dam at Prairie du Sac for feeding and the bluffs at Ferry Bluff for nesting. The birds roost there in great numbers, but Ferry Bluff Natural Area is closed to protect them during this time of year. Instead, take in the eagles from the river overlook at 490 Water St., take a bus tour (at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday; free but advance ticket required) from the River Arts Center, or enjoy other raptor programming on Saturday at RAC, the Tripp Museum and Ruth Culver Library. Organizers ask that eagle-watchers not walk along the river, especially at the dam; people on foot scare eagles. They suggest people remain in their cars, using it as a blind. And, we might add, it’s warmer in there. See the full schedule at ferrybluffeaglecouncil.org.

Randall Berndt reception, Saturday, Jan. 17, Arts + Literature Lab, 3 p.m.: A reception and book launch for Stories: Words & Images celebrates the visual narratives by Madison-based artist Randall Berndt. His intricate drawings are often accompanied by just as many words; careful looking is always rewarded. In a 2023 Isthmus article Berndt told reporter Richard Ely that he works on his drawings for weeks or months at a time, calling them “a reporting of my inner images, including autobiographical details.” Curator Martha Glowacki will be in conversation with Berndt about his practice and how image and narrative work in tandem. The accompanying exhibit (on display through Feb. 20) features paintings, drawings and texts from the book.

Julian Davis Reid & Circle of Trust, Saturday, Jan. 17, Cafe Coda, 8 p.m.: On Vocation, his 2025 album, composer and pianist Julian Davis Reid presents a set of uplifting and hopeful new music led by his contemplative and lively playing. Davis' diverse creative world bridges jazz, classical, gospel and pop; just a few examples are the Notes of Rest ministry project, ensembles such as Circle of Trust and the JuJu Exchange, and collaborations with notables ranging from Chance the Rapper to Andrew Bird. Reid and Circle of Trust visit Cafe Coda as part of a brief Midwest tour.

The Rumours, Saturday, Jan. 17, Crystal Corner, 8 p.m.: Those needing some aggressive rock ‘n roll catharsis should be aware that The Rumours are headed to town on the trio’s seemingly endless tour from their Iowa homebase. Led by the duo of Carli Foxx and Ela Moore, this is punk in the heavy, hedonistic mold of early Motörhead or the late, lamented Betty Blowtorch. They are joined by two stalwart yet unpredictably eclectic Wisconsin rock outfits that have shared many a bill over the past few decades: Drunk Drivers and Skintones. The hard rock pick of the week.

Winter Festival of Poetry, Sundays, Jan. 18-Feb. 8, Cafe Coda; Feb. 15-March 8, Delta Beer Lab, 2 p.m.: A potent potable and some poetry on a midwinter’s afternoon? Yes please. The annual Winter Festival of Poetry is switching it up this year, moving to two festive locations, Cafe Coda and Delta Beer Lab for these Sunday afternoon readings. The eight-week fest kicks off on Jan. 18 at Cafe Coda with former Madison poet laureate Angela Trudell-Vasquez, along with Adam Fell, Anupama Bhattacharya, Dominic Holt, Breanna Grow and Isaiah Janisch. Readings continue at Coda through Feb. 8; from Feb. 15 on, readings are at Delta. Upcoming readers include Shoshauna Shy and Andrea Musher (Jan. 25), Fabu and Andrea Potos (Feb. 1), Marilyn Annucci (Feb. 8), and many others.

Wisconsin Drag Awards, Sunday, Jan. 18, The Sylvee, 7 p.m.: The votes are in, and it’s time to learn who has captured the awards as the state’s best performers in the ever expanding world of drag — queens and kings, burlesque artists, DJs, dancers, singers and other categories — as well as performance spaces and scene supporters. The show is hosted by Bianca Lynn Breeze and Kayos Lynn Mirage, with guest headliner Joey Jay (a season 13 cast member of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Madison native); a red carpet pre-show gets underway at 5 p.m. Also, the weekend includes a pre-party (9:30 p.m. Jan. 17) and afterparty (10:30 p.m. Jan. 18) at Five. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

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