What to do in Madison this weekend: Freezing Man, Silvesterchlausen and more Isthmus Picks

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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.

Añamarié Edwards + Warren King, through Jan. 11, Watrous Gallery: Head up to the third floor of the Overture Center for this fall-into-winter paired exhibit from two Milwaukee artists. Añamarié Edwards' “The Home of Joy” delves into what joy might look like for Black and brown communities, in paint and mixed media. Warren King’s “Homecoming” showcases his abstracted cardboard sculptures (mostly of human figures) that are influenced by the Chinese tradition of lacquerware. Regular gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.

Wisconsin Fests, Jan. 9-23, 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. The first concert features folk (Jan. 9, Majestic) by Minnesota troubadour Charlie Parr, Madison breakout band The Spine Stealers, and Chicago/Wisconsin roots revivalist Lou Shields. 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.

Freezing Man, Jan. 9-10, The Sylvee, 7 p.m.: This annual star-studded benefit concert for Joey’s Song, the Madison-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting epilepsy research and education, will bring Grammy winners, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, alt-rock heroes, and Top 40 hitmakers to The Sylvee stage for two nights. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning comedian Charlie Berens, this year’s concerts feature “unplugged” sets on Friday and the big rock showcase on Saturday. Madison’s favorite son, Butch Vig, will pull double duty as musical director and a member of the all-star house band, The Know-It-All Boyfriends. The evolving lineup features Freezing Man newcomers including Jane Wiedlin and Gina Schock of The Go-Go’s, Max Collins of Eve 6, and Curt Smith of Tears for Fears. They will be joined by a returning roster that includes Duke Erikson (Garbage), Vicki Peterson (The Bangles), Gail Greenwood (Belly), Rick Nielsen and Daxx Nielsen (Cheap Trick), and many others. Take our word for it: This will sell out. See the story by Judith Davidoff and Bob Koch here. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Kat and the Hurricane, Friday, Jan. 9, Gamma Ray, 7 p.m.: This trio fuels their queer synth pop with equal amounts of strength and emotional openness; the name of their newest album, Got It Out, is apt as a descriptor for the themes of healing (and sing-along hooks) in their songs. This evening celebrates keyboardist and singer Benjamin Rose’s 30th birthday, with a live KatH set, drag by Amethyst Von Trollenberg, Coyote Graves and Jasper Madison, and DJs Femme Noir and Ciggy. One dollar for every ticket will be donated to the Goodman Community Center food pantry. Tickets at gammaray.bar.

Driveway Thriftdwellers album release, Friday, Jan. 9, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Madison’s Driveway Thriftdwellers have won country-themed awards from both the Wisconsin Area Music Industry and Madison Area Music Association. But until late last year, the band hadn’t released a full-length record since 2018. High Top Van dropped in November and revealed a wider musical palette than their previous album. This belated album release performance will showcase the band’s expanded sound, which now more robustly incorporates roots rock, alt-country and even pop. No wonder we once called Driveway Thriftdwellers’ sound “country music for people who might not like country music.” Milwaukee roots singer-songwriter Joseph Huber opens. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Silvesterchlausen, Saturday, Jan. 10, downtown New Glarus, 2 p.m.: Silvesterchlausen. Gesundheit! Seriously, Silvesterchlausen is a time-honored Swiss New Year’s tradition that includes revelers in costume, parading the streets of, in this case, New Glarus, yodeling and ringing cowbells…in other words, the Swissest thing ever. The procession starts at 2 p.m. at the Swiss Center of North America, 507 Durst Road, and wends its way through the town. At 6 p.m., more Swiss music will fill The Alpine wine bar, 130 5th Ave. And when is it not a good time to spend some time in New Glarus? Yodel-ay-ee-oo, yo-del-la-dee-doo, doo-be doo-be doo.

Arts and Literature Laboratory exhibits, through Feb. 20, ALL; reception Jan. 10, 5-7 p.m.: ALL is chock-a-block full for its 2026 gallery debut. A Roundhouse Studios exhibit showcases the artists working at these Commercial Avenue studios, a project spearheaded by none other than ALL. It’s a wide-ranging visual feast, with prints, paintings, fiber arts and installations; 25 + artists are represented. “Diastole and Systole: The Pulse of Life,” a collab from Madison artists Richie Morales (paintings) and Beth Racette (acrylic ink paintings, sculpture and installation) looks at the opposing forces in our work and highlights the need for balance and harmony. Madison’s Randall Berndt is publishing a retrospective book of his work, Stories: Words & Images. The book launch (with images from the book displayed) is Jan. 17 from 3-5 p.m.; a reception for all the exhibits is Jan. 10, 5-7 p.m.

Los Kausas EP release, Saturday, Jan. 10, Rigby, 7 p.m.: Sample four bands for the price of one at this bill with some relatively new groups that have also mostly been highly active on the club scene in recent times. Los Kausas plays straight ahead punk sung en español, and this show will be the live debut of songs from their debut EP, Zanjon. From the grungier/grindier end of the punk spectrum is Irish Sunglasses, a Milwaukee outfit that has released a steady stream of bracing, unpredictable singles since 2024. HeadGamer has been releasing indie pop earworms via SoundCloud for a few years. And Faux Beaux brings a bluesy, jam-rock friendly vibe to the bill.

LOVB Madison, Saturday, Jan. 10, Alliant Energy Center-Coliseum, 4 p.m.: Madison’s pro volleyball team kicks off its sophomore year looking to continue the momentum created in the second half of the 2025 season, when the team won seven straight to advance to the postseason. Returning players include former Badgers athlete Lauren Carlini, who brought home League One Volleyball Setter of the Year honors in 2025, and among the new faces the team welcomes Nebraska superstar middle blocker Rebekah Allick. They face Salt Lake City for the season opener; note, the time has moved up to 4 p.m. due to the Packers wild card game. Tickets at lovb.com.

Piano Summit, Saturday, Jan. 10, North Street Cabaret, 8 p.m.: This annual concert hosted by BlueStem Jazz always features a compelling lineup of players from around the Midwest. This year includes a set from eclectic Madison composer Matt Blair, whose recent work includes solo recordings and the debut of a pair of new band projects, Collector and Yins. Three Chicago-area artists round out the evening: blues pianist Lee Kanehira; experimental creator Mabel Kwan, collaborating with soprano Carrie Shaw; and blues rocker Ivy Ford, who is more often seen playing guitar. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Amythyst Kiah, Sunday, Jan. 11, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: When you can get Butch Walker — who has worked with Taylor Swift, Green Day, Harry Connick Jr. and dozens more — to produce your new album, you’ve attained a higher status in the musical universe. And that’s exactly what Amythyst Kiah has done. Walker produced the Tennessee-based singer-songwriter-guitarist-banjo player’s second and latest album, Still + Bright, and it stands as a shining example of contemporary rootsy alt-rock. Kiah once told Billboard that she strives to prove there are “funny-talking, sci-fi-loving, queer Black” artists “who thrive outside of mainstream Black culture.” We say more power to her. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Juneau Black, Tuesday, Jan. 13, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Juneau Black is back with Mockingbird Court, the sixth installment in the cozy Shady Hollow Mystery Series featuring a colorful cast of anthropomorphic woodland creatures living together in harmony until interrupted by the occasional murder. Journalist turned investigator Vera Vixen (who, incidentally, also is a fox) is on the case to find another killer — and this time she knows the victim. Fun fact: Juneau Black is the pen name for authors Sharon Nagel, from Wisconsin, and Philadelphia-based Jocelyn Cole, and both will be on hand to discuss this final entry in the series. Register at mysterytomebooks.com.

Shared Horizon: New Editions, through Feb. 20, Tandem Press: A great new year’s resolution is to incorporate more visual art into your life. This beginning-of-the-year exhibit from Tandem Press features new editions and monoprints completed in its studio in 2025. Art is from Wisconsin-based Michelle Grabner, who gravitates to strong patterns; Brooklyn, New York-based Marie Lorenz, who draws inspiration from urban landscapes; L.A.-based Alison Saar, who often focuses on images of the African diaspora; Portland, Oregon-based Marie Watt, who interprets Seneca and other Indigenous images; and Madison-born and Minneapolis-based Dyani White Hawk, whose bold geometric works draw on Lakota and other Indigenous traditions.

The Wright Stuff: What to Learn from Frank Lloyd Wright, Tuesday, Jan. 13, First Unitarian Meeting House, 6:30 p.m.: This event kicks off the 75th anniversary year of Frank Lloyd Wright’s First Unitarian Meeting House, one of his most influential designs and one of his most satisfying. A low entryway opens to a high-ceilinged worship area with the building’s signature “prow,” which calls to mind the shape of praying hands, or a plow cutting into a Midwestern prairie, and symbolizes spiritual aspiration. It is a space that both embraces and inspires. Aaron Betsky, author of 50 Lessons to Learn from Frank Lloyd Wright, will speak and sign copies of his book; there’s also a reception and a new art exhibition. The meeting house is, of course, at 900 University Bay Drive. Tickets at unitarianmeetinghouse.org.

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.

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