What to do in Madison this week: Frozen Assets events, Pilobolus, and more Isthmus Picks

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Frozen Assets Festival Week, through Feb. 5, Edgewater Hotel/Lake Mendota: Before events ramp up with the festival proper on Feb. 4-5, the Clean Lakes Alliance hosts a week's worth of Frozen Assets events. Many happenings are related to skating on the Edgewater's rink; skating party themes include Frozen (Jan. 30), the tropics (Jan. 31), and youth hockey (Feb. 1). Other events include a concert and fish fry (Feb. 3); a "Women in Water & Sustainability" panel discussion (Jan. 30); and a pond hockey tournament (Feb. 2-3). Some events require registration; find info and a full schedule at cleanlakesalliance.org.

Mayoral Candidate Forums, Monday, Jan. 30, Sequoya Library, 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 31, Urban League, 6:30 p.m.: During the 2023 spring primary election on Feb. 21, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway will face a pair of challengers: Gloria Reyes, the previous CEO of Briarpatch Youth Services and a former deputy mayor; and Scott Kerr, a longtime city employee with traffic engineering, building inspection and the parking utility. Hear from the three candidates at a pair of forums this week. Monday's event is hosted by seven west-side neighborhood associations, and moderated by former Wisconsin Public Radio host Joy Cardin; find a Zoom option here. The candidates convene again on Tuesday for an event hosted by the Urban League and several partner organizations; register here.

Airness, Jan. 26-Feb. 12, Overture Center-Playhouse: Is air guitar the most truly American of the art forms? This comedy by Chelsea Marcantel centers on Nina, who enters an air guitar competition only to find levels of meaning she didn't suspect were there, like the importance of setting yourself free. Forward Theater Company's production of Airness is the Wisconsin premiere. For those about to rock, we salute you. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, plus 2 p.m., Feb. 4 and 11. Also: FTC is hosting an Air Guitar Summit featuring rock trivia, an air guitar workshop and more, at 7 p.m., Jan. 30, High Noon Saloon; admission is free.

Ojibwe Storytelling Series, Tuesdays, through Jan. 31, Zoom, 7 p.m.: The winter months are for storytelling in Ojibwe culture, and the Wisconsin Historical Society invites you to listen. Join in on Zoom in January as tribal leaders share stories sure to be both interesting and educational. Each Tuesday, Indigenous speakers will share stories that entertain while teaching attendees about Native American culture and history; the final speaker is Wanda McFaggen, on Jan. 31. Register for each livestream at wisconsinhistory.org.

Oshima Brothers, Tuesday, Jan. 31, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: DIY mad scientists, the Oshima Brothers hail from Maine and really stepped up the experimentation on their second album, Dark Nights Golden Days. The new project takes the acoustic impulse of their past and infuses it with loops, beats and, as Jamie Oshima tells it, “some songs will have hundreds of tracks and others just the vocals and a guitar.” Sean Oshima does most of the writing and has since the brothers were middle schoolers. The two are deeply in tune with their creative connection and in performance celebrate the real brotherhood of it all. Newgrass pickers The Arcadian Wild support.

Immersive Van Gogh, through Feb. 20, Greenway Station: If you've ever wanted to just fall into a scene depicted in one of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings...this traveling presentation by Lighthouse Immersive is about as close as you can get. Spaces are transformed with large-scale projections of digitally recreated incarnations of Van Gogh's works. Purchase tickets for timed entry at vangoghmadison.com; the experience is hosted at 1651 Deming Way, Middleton, in the Greenway Station retail center. The residency continues through Feb. 20.

Daniel Grabois with Christopher Taylor, Wednesday, Feb. 1, UW Hamel Music Center-Collins Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Daniel Grabois, who plays the horn, will be accompanied by Christopher Taylor on the piano. These two UW-Madison faculty will launch into a contemporary program featuring works by Arvo Pärt, Edith Borroff, Dana Richardson, Robert Baksa, and Carl Nielsen. If you like classical that leans to the theoretical and the surprising, this Wednesday night has your name on it.

Pilobolus, Wednesday, Feb. 1, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7:30 p.m.: A worthy New Year's resolution is to endeavor to see more contemporary dance. You won't be sorry, and it is so much easier than dancing yourself. This athletic troupe (think gymnastic floor routines crossed with flash mob choreography) has been around for 50 years, and its routines on this tour draw from that repertoire.

Adam Melchor, Wednesday, Feb. 1, Majestic, 8 p.m.: 2022 was a busy year for singer-songwriter Adam Melchor, including tours both headlining and opening for a sold-out run of Noah Kahan dates (including a Sylvee stop); a Saturday Night Live appearance singing with Post Malone; and the release of his official debut album, Here Goes Nothing! The mostly gentle piano and acoustic guitar approach and catchy songcraft match Melchor's lighter-than-air vocals well. With an opening set by Minnesota-based popster Miloe.

Andrea Nelson, Thursday, Feb. 2, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Andrea Nelson, a former professional boxer who coaches at Ford's Gym, has written a memoir about a different kind of fight. Fort Unicorn and the Duchess of Knothing: A Mother's Fight to Save Her Daughter tells the story of Nelson's late daughter, Shyloh, who struggled with addiction and mental illness. Nelson will discuss the book with Doug Moe. Register here to attend in-person, or join the Crowdcast webinar.

Comedy at the Cabaret, Thursday, Feb. 2, North Street Cabaret, 7:30 p.m.: Producer and host Allie Lindsay's Comedy at the Cabaret series has been a mainstay at the North Street Cabaret almost as long as the venue has been in operation. The showcases — around for more than five years and currently holding down first Thursday each month — continue to be as compelling as ever, judging by the February lineup. Headliner Rachel Mac is fresh off a weekend of shows in Austin, Texas, and is joined by Megan Diaz-Ricks, Mike Jonjak and Jared Porter, plus music by Jake Snell. Find tickets here.

Hir, through Feb. 4, Bartell Theatre: It's a dysfunctional family drama for the 21st century when soldier Isaac finds many changes at home upon his return from Afghanistan. His father has had a stroke, his mom is finding herself, and his little sister now identifies as non-binary. Strollers Theatre presents Hir, a funny, revelatory drama from up-and-coming playwright and 2017 “Genius Grant” recipient Taylor Mac. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (2 p.m. on Feb. 4).

The Abortionist: A Woman Against the Law, through Feb. 11, Broom Street Theater: Anyone missing the days when Joel Gersmann was artistic director of Broom Street Theater, or anyone who missed those exuberant years altogether, take note. The company is bringing back one of Gersmann's trenchant plays, The Abortionist: A Woman Against The Law, in a new adaptation directed by Scott Feiner. Sadly, the 1995 play is even more timely now than when it was written given the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning a constitutional right to an abortion. The play is about a real woman, Ruth Barnett, who ran an illegal abortion clinic in Portland, Oregon. Performances will be held at 1119 Williamson St. at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Jan. 20-Feb. 11. Walk-up tickets are available; advance tickets here.

Umphrey’s McGee, Feb. 2, The Sylvee, 8:30 p.m.: Over the course of a quarter-century, Umphrey’s McGee has broadened the “jam band” concept by consistently releasing solid studio albums despite touring incessantly and morphing in and out of rock, metal, funk, jazz, bluegrass and electronic music — sometimes all within the same song! To celebrate 25 years since its 1998 debut gig in South Bend, Indiana, the band is hitting the road with almost all of its original members intact. Umphrey’s also released its umpteenth album in 2022, the dynamic and cohesive Asking for a Friend, which proves these guys still have plenty of years left.

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