What to do in Madison this week: Matthew Batt, Wisconsin Jazz Fest and more Isthmus Picks

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The Moth StorySlam, Monday, Jan. 22, High Noon Saloon, 7:30 p.m.: Madison’s Moth storytelling event focuses on a theme of “first impressions” tonight: blind dates, fixer-uppers, new job, new school, or however you might interpret the prompt. Prep a five-minute story to perform. Kevin Willmott II hosts. Tickets here.

Matthew Batt, Tuesday, Jan. 23, Mystery to Me, 6:30 p.m.: It sounds like a plot for a novel, but it’s nonfiction. Matthew Batt takes a sabbatical from his teaching job but needs money; he finds himself waiting tables at a high-end brewery/restaurant and loving it. He’ll discuss The Last Supper Club, his memoir about the experience, with Madison’s own foodie/fiction writer, Michelle Wildgen. This is an in-person event and free but an RSVP is requested; a livestream is also available. Register at mysterytomebooks.com.

Ojibwe Storytelling Series, Tuesdays, through Jan. 30, Zoom, 7 p.m.: Relax and listen Tuesdays in January as the Wisconsin Historical Society hosts a series on Ojibwe stories on Zoom. Still to come: Storytellers Tinker Schuman, Lac du Flambeau (Jan. 23) and Liz Arbuckle, Bad River (Jan. 30) will share tales that entertain while teaching attendees about Wisconsin’s Native American culture and history. Pre-register and learn more at wisconsinhistory.org.

Sortin' the Mail, Tuesday, Jan. 23, Red Rooster, 7 p.m.: Long-running local bluegrassers Sortin' the Mail have retooled a bit in the last few years with some new players, but still provide the same down-home instrumental blend and fun original songs. A new batch of tunes can be heard on their excellent 2023 release, Carry On! Or, better yet, in person with the addition of entertaining stage banter at their next gig at the Red Rooster.

Annelise Ryan, Wednesday, Jan. 24, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Is Bigfoot on the loose in Bayfield County, Wis.? That’s the premise of Death in the Dark Woods, the second title in Annelise Ryan’s “Monster Hunter Mystery” series set in northern Wisconsin. In 2022’s A Death in Door County, Ryan (a pseudonym for Beth Amos, who lives in Stoughton) introduced Morgan Carter, a cryptozoologist who owns an odd bookstore in Door County and solves mysteries on the side. Published in December, Death in the Dark Woods is already generating spooky-good reviews. Christine DeSmet, a Madison-based writing coach and author of her own mystery series, will ask Ryan all the right questions. Seating is limited and RSVPs are encouraged, but the event also will be livestreamed on Crowdcast.

Mission Drift, Wednesday, Jan. 24, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 p.m.: What happens when a donor to a nonprofit also has demands that may not be good for the organization? The experimental short film Mission Drift examines this with a story about an art gallery worker and a problematic philanthropist. Filmmaker Charles de Augustin and ALL public programs coordinator James Kreul (an Isthmus contributor) will guide an audience discussion of the film and current funding (or lack thereof) for arts organizations and artists. More info at artlitlab.org.

Wisconsin Jazz Fest, Thursday, Jan. 25, Majestic, 7 p.m.: This year’s Wisconsin Jazz Fest brings together an all-star bill of four local stalwarts. Bassist Ben Ferris brings his Octet; saxophonist Jon Hoel plays with his Trio (also featuring Ferris and drummer Kelby Kryshak); and multi-instrumentalist Rick Flowers is behind the keys with the relatively new ensemble Amalgam X. Rounding out the lineup is the smooth ensemble Feestet, led by vocalist Helen Feest, which released a playful self-titled debut EP in October. Tickets at ticketmaster.com. Due to a snowstorm on Jan. 12, this show moved to the final weekend of FPC Live's Fests series. Isthmus is a sponsor of this year's series.

The Zone of Interest, Thursday, Jan. 25, UW Cinematheque, 7 p.m.: This film in German and Polish (with English subtitles) is an intense look at part of the Holocaust; the lives of Rudolf Höss, commandant at Auschwitz, and his family as they inhabit a dream home just outside the camp. Multiple cameras were set up in a house and actors improvised and experimented with no crew “on set”; the atrocities appear largely as part of the soundtrack. The Zone of Interest was directed by Jonathan Glazer and based somewhat on a novel by Martin Amis; it kicks off the winter/spring UW Cinematheque schedule.

‌Joe Pera, Jan. 25-27, Comedy on State, 7:30 & 10 p.m.: A sleep-inducement podcast (Drifting Off with Joe Pera) is perhaps not the first thing to expect from a stand-up comedian, but Joe Pera is not your standard joke teller. His quiet approach and subtle storytelling style have taken him far beyond the stage to voice roles in Pixar films (Elemental) and even an appearance in the final season of the dark comedy series Search Party. The initial shows of Pera’s Madison stand sold out quickly, but an additional show was added and more tickets released; check for tickets at madisoncomedy.com. With Dana Ehrmann, Andrew Rynning.

The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, Jan. 25-Feb. 11, Overture Center-Playhouse: A klezmer musical and a charming romantic fantasy, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk is based on the life of Marc Chagall and his wife, Bella Rosenfeld Chagall. The arts (painting, dancing, music) are, in a sense, the star of the show. But the couple, living through the anti-Semitism and wars of the early 20th century, ground the play in reality — even while their imaginations are at full sway. This Forward Theater production shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, plus 2 p.m. on Feb. 3 and 10. Tickets at overture.org. Note: The correct opening date is Jan. 25, not Jan. 26 as published in the January print issue.

Dom Flemons, Thursday, Jan. 25, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Dom Flemons opened new doors to old-time music during his years with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Since the Drops disbanded, the Grammy-winning musician and storyteller has stayed busy, including recording a rousing album of new songs. Traveling Wildfire blends his devotion to country and western music with his deep knowledge of Black Americans who helped make it come to life. Tickets at seetickets.us.

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