What to do in Madison this weekend: Class of 2024, Winter Fun Extravaganza and more Isthmus Picks

by

DJ Zukas, Jan. 18, Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge, 7 p.m.: Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge has been a true sensation in its first couple months open on the north side, to the point that if you try to go on a weekend you need to be prepared for a wait to get in. Maybe a weeknight is the answer? This week two nights are on the schedule with DJ Nathan Zukas, long one of Madison’s most versatile club spinners. This past Monday was part of Lola’s Motown Mondays series; on Jan. 18 Zukas brings a set of music exploring the intersection of jazz and funk.

Advice and Consent, through Jan. 21, various venues: This new comedy from Pile of Cats Theatre Company dwells on the quirks and funny foibles of everyday life, circa right now. Advice and Consent is an evening of original comic shorts, with topics ranging from Adele lyrics to the color brown, written by Ned O’Reilly and directed by Erskine Dahl. The play’s moving around during its run: Thursday, Jan. 18, at Goodman Community Center; Saturday, Jan. 20, at Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center; and Sunday, Jan. 21, at Crucible. All shows are at 7 p.m. To reserve a seat, email pileofcats9@gmail.com.

The Wildwoods, Thursday, Jan. 18, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, The Wildwoods is comprised of the husband-wife duo of Noah (guitar) and Chloe (violin) Gose, accompanied by Andrew Vaggalis on bass. This sweet-sounding Americana-folk trio has received national and international accolades, emerging as 2023 FreshGrass Awards finalists and semi-finalists in the International Songwriting Competition. Last year they even released a delicate take on “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears. The Wildwoods, obviously influenced by acts such as Nickel Creek and Gillian Welch, have released four charming albums — including 2023’s Foxfield Saint John — and make warm music for cold nights. Tickets at seetickets.us.

GearShift Gathering, Friday, Jan. 19, Bikes for Kids Wisconsin workshop, 3-7 p.m.: At this collaboration of local bicycle-related nonprofits, you can learn about upcoming projects and volunteer opportunities, as well as just learn more about the work being done to make biking more accessible to all. It’s hosted by Bikes for Kids Wisconsin (formerly Free Bikes 4 Kidz) at their workshop space at 354 Coyier Lane; they are joined by reps from Bike Fitchburg, Bike Parks for Kids, Bombay Bicycle Club, NICA Wisconsin, Wheels for Winners and Wisconsin Bike Fed. Find more info at facebook.com/bikesforkidswi.

Overture Galleries winter reception, Friday, Jan 19, Overture Center, 5:30-8:30 p.m.: The Overture Center galleries — three hallways that lead to the Capitol Theater and the space outside The Playhouse on the lower level — highlight the art of community members. They are a great place for art to be seen as folks head in to a show. Or show up just for the art at the winter reception, which features talks from the artists. Gallery I features Stephanie Barenz and Stacey Steinberg; Gallery II is Mary Westring and Jay Handy; work from Brian M. House, Susan H. Kaye and Michael Koppa, is in Gallery III; and the Playhouse Gallery shows art by Heather Baker, Amanda Langer, Michelle Schwengel-Regala, Cassandra Smith, Max Sorenson and Francis Stanton. To the extent that there’s a theme, you can expect nature, and reflections on all the ways it both creates and destroys. Galleries I, II and III exhibitions run through March 10. while the Playhouse Gallery exhibit runs through March 3.

Madison Symphony Orchestra with Joyce Yang, Jan. 19-21, Overture Hall: Music director John DeMain is celebrating his 30th season with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and for January’s concert has programmed two works he describes as “desert island favorites”: Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor. Joining the MSO is pianist Joyce Yang, a master interpreter of a wide range of material with orchestras and chamber ensembles the world round. Performances at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, 8 p.m. on Jan. 20 and 2:30 p.m., Jan. 21. Tickets at overture.org.

Makers & Fixers: Celebrating the Can-Do Spirit, Jan. 19-28, TNW Ensemble Theater: Playwright Danielle Dresden visited makerspaces and interviewed fix-it folks to create TNW’s latest production, Makers & Fixers: Celebrating the Can-Do Spirit. The comedy begins as two characters consider potentially life-altering decisions while preparing for a makerspace open house, and promises an “inventive tool dance” by tap dancer Sean Frenzel. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19-28. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Class of 2024, Friday, Jan. 19, Barrymore, 8 p.m.: WMAD-FM (96.3) hosts an annual concert featuring country music up-and-comers, and their track record of picking future stars is on point. This year’s concert includes at least one performer already well on the way to stardom: Chayce Beckham won season 19 of American Idol in 2019 (the first to do so with an original song, “23”) and debuted at the Grand Ole Opry in 2023. Iowa native Hailey Whitters has also already hit the charts with “Everything She Ain’t.” With Josh Ross, Catie Offerman, Chase Matthew. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

Grown-Up Book Fair, Jan. 20-21, The Sylvee: Modeled on elementary school book fairs where students got to choose a number of books for themselves to take home, this fundraiser for Madison Public Library Foundation brings together some of our favorite things: local booksellers (A Room of One’s Own, The Book Deal, Kismet Books, Lake City Books, Leopold’s Books Bar Caffe, Mystery To Me), curated selections of terrific books, other fun vendors, a photo booth, and cocktails. Take your choices home in a bespoke tote bag. Three sessions on Saturday (9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.) and two sessions on Sunday (9 a.m. and noon) sold out in advance; check last-second ticket availability at thesylvee.com.

Tres Reyes Celebration, Saturday, Jan. 20, Centro Hispano, 10 a.m.-noon: Every January, Centro Hispano hosts a new year’s celebration of the Three Wise Men who attended the birth of Jesus; it’s a holiday marking the end of the Christmas season (officially Jan. 6) in many Spanish-speaking countries. Centro’s Tres Reyes Celebration is free and open to all community members, featuring gifts for kids, pictures with the Three Kings, cocoa and the traditional holiday pastry rosca de reyes. Find more info at micentro.org.

Beer and Cheese Fest, Saturday, Jan. 20, Alliant Energy Center, noon-6 p.m.: Pity the dry Januarian, who must forgo one of Madison’s happiest afternoons. More than 80 breweries and cideries (with the occasional distillery), mostly from Wisconsin and the upper Midwest, will convene for sampling of both flagship brews and rare one-offs. It’s a great chance to visit small Wisconsin breweries that don’t distribute in Madison or are present in very limited quantities. As always there is cheese to nibble and games. Noon-2 p.m. is open to VIP ticket holders and general admission starts at 2 p.m.; find tickets and more info at beerandcheesefest.com. (Note: Beer and Cheese is no longer a production of Isthmus.)

Mary Burns + Madeline Grace Martin, through Feb. 4, Overture Center-Watrous Gallery: The Wisconsin-centric Watrous Gallery weighs in with another winning pairing. Mercer’s Mary Burns is a textile artist. Her “Women of Water: Woven Portraits from Around the World” consists of almost photo-realist hand-woven jacquard portraits of women from 39 countries around the globe. Milwaukee’s Madeline Grace Martin is a multidisciplinary artist who uses media including watercolor, embroidery, pencil drawings, and hand-cut paper. Her “Of Words and Trees: A Collaboration with My Father” extends her father’s writings with various media, including natural objects and cut paper, to investigate the “inexact quality of memory.” Coming up: Martin, joined by Madison poet laureate Angela Trudell Vasquez, presents an afternoon of poetry and reflection at 3 p.m. on Jan. 20; register at wisconsinacademy.org.

The Nomadz, Saturday, Jan. 20, The Annex, 6:30 p.m.: The most recent single by The Nomadz, “Never Come Down,” is a much more amiable jam than the at times heavy-duty horrorcore beatdowns delivered on the hip-hop supercrew’s 2018 debut album (featuring cuts like “Bury Me in Blood” and “Ready 4 War”). The trio of veteran emcees — Chucky Chuck, The DRP (of Milwaukee) and Insane Poetry — flows together well in creating their old school posse tracks, which should be a blast IRL at this Midwest Mix-Up concert. With Ngs, They Liv3, Ox-E, TG, Monstarz, Nightmares on Milwaukee Street. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Educational Davis, Saturday, Jan. 20, Crystal Corner, 9 p.m.: Madison quintet Educational Davis mixes catchy rock music and a quirky storytelling style and always presents an adventurous live show. And this lineup overall is an embarrassment of riches, featuring rising singer-songwriter Jane Hobson and band, crunchy Madison quartet The Mail Manipulators, and the Chicago mixers CDPROM. (Previously announced Combat Naps are no longer on the bill.)

Winter Fun Extravaganza, Sunday, Jan. 21, Indian Lake County Park, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Now that winter is here in earnest it’s a great time to visit this gem of a county park on the edge of The Driftless. Home to part of the Ice Age Trail, the park is showcasing winter sports with sledding (BYO, a limited number available on-site), snowshoeing ($5 rental), igloo-building, and a bonfire with s'mores and hot chocolate (with a donation to the park’s environmental education programs). Cross-country skiing is free. The park is on Hwy. 19 between Hwy. 12 and Mazomanie. For more information: lussierheritagecenter.com.

Drag Queen Storytime, Sunday, Jan. 21, Bur Oak, 1 p.m.: Miss Lucy Von Cucci will charm the socks right off of the audience of this afternoon family affair. Drag Queen Storytime at the Bur Oak will include Lucy reading from selections by award-winning children's authors. And stories will be mixed in with sing-alongs. Big kid and little kid cocktails, too. Tickets at seetickets.us.

Winter Festival of Poetry, Sundays, Jan. 21-March 10, Arts + Lit Lab, 2 p.m.: This ongoing Sunday series of poetry boasts most of Madison’s big names in verse, and they’re here for this year’s festive theme of “Under the Big Top.” If you think that signals an everything-goes attitude, consider further evidence — the season kicks off with a performance by the recently retired Truly Remarkable Loon. That first reading, “Taming The Lions” also features Maliha Nu'Man, Richard Vargas, Araceli Esparza, Jess L. Parker, Lynn Patrick Smith, and Andrea Potos. See the full schedule for the rest of the season at wfop.org; we do want to give a shout-out to Isthmus contributors participating: Rachel Werner (Jan. 28) and Charles Payne (March 3).

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