What to do in Madison this weekend: Michael Kosta, Star Country's Class of 2025 concert and more Isthmus Picks

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Freezing Man, through Jan. 11, multiple venues, 7 p.m.: What began as Joey’s Song in 2010 — a one-night-only annual fundraiser for epilepsy research that over the years has contributed more than $1.3 million to the cause — is now a four-day festival rebranded as Freezing Man. (That’s a play on the week-long Burning Man desert festival in Nevada, in case you’re wondering.) This year’s lineup is massive, with Grammy winners, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and other renowned artists performing at multiple venues on the city’s east side. Still to come: Jan. 9 is Letters to Cleo, KennyHoopla, The Nielsen Trust and Portugal. The Man at The Sylvee; Jan. 10 includes Belly, Vicki & Debbi Peterson, Silversun Pickups and Eve 6 at The Sylvee, and Hodgson & White’s Wisconsin Cheese-Capades at High Noon Saloon; and Jan. 11 is The Big Show at The Sylvee, featuring many of the above artists and others. All musicians volunteer for this gig, and many have loved ones directly impacted by epilepsy. For more info and ticket links visit joeyssong.org, but hurry: This thing is gonna sell out!

Game-Never-the-Samer, Thursday, Jan. 9, Bur Oak, 7 p.m.: The Dropout TV streaming show Game Changer, created by and starring Sam Reich, blends improv and game show tropes with unpredictability; six seasons in, it’s inspired spinoffs on the network, and now in Madison’s comedy scene. Game-Never-the Samer will feature comedians Nate Chappell, Elizabeth Joy and Peter Jurich facing off in unknown competitions, with ticket sales going to charities chosen by the contestants. Stand-up follows a pair of games. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

The Stops, through Jan. 18, Bartell Theatre: The Stops is both the name of this musical (by Eric Lane Barnes and Drew Emery) and the group name of its protagonists — church organists Euglena, Ginny and Rose. The trio undertakes a tour to raise awareness of the plight of an organist and composer fired by his church for being gay. This production is the inaugural solo outing for Oh My Stars! Productions, a new Madison-area company dedicated to LGBTQ+ themes and scripted works featuring genderfluid casting. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (except 2 pm on Jan. 18) and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Arts + Literature Laboratory winter exhibits, Jan. 10-March 1; “First Look” Jan. 10, 5-7 p.m.: A new round of artists are inhabiting the ALL gallery for the end of winter and it is an embarrassment of riches. Jennifer Bastian, artist in residence at Thurber Park for the city of Madison, is exhibiting “Grief Wave,” a mixed media examination of her grief following the death of her second mother. Hannah O’Hare Bennett, one of Madison’s foremost papermaking artists, presents “In the Vernacular: People, Places and Things,” a show of low-relief multimedia tapestries. Terri Messinides, a mixed media artist based in Madison, presents “In the Pejorative,” an eye-opening embroidery project about the English language and its war on women. “Pleasure is Power: The Pleasure Art of Sami Schalk and Sam Waldron” celebrates art and activism. A "First Look" at the exhibits takes place from 5-7 p.m. on Jan. 10, and an artist reception is from 6-8 p.m. on Jan. 24. Finally, Karen Laudon’s “Rupture” is being held over from fall.

Shilpa Gupta, through Jan. 12, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: "I did not tell you what I saw, but only what I dreamt" features 12 works by Shilpa Gupta, a conceptual artist based in Mumbai, India. The installations (some of which require interactive engagement) encourage viewers to consider issues of culture and identity, the meaning of enforcing national borders, free speech, and more. The exhibition is co-produced by MMoCA and Brooklyn, New York, arts organization Amant.

Groove & Glide, Friday, Jan. 10, Olbrich Park, 6 p.m.: The annual Groove & Glide ice skating series from Madison Parks has more often than not been dogged by warm weather in recent seasons. But with this week’s cold temps it’s looking like the first session will take place as scheduled at Olbrich Park. The skating location is specified as 201 Garrison St.; that’s behind the botanical gardens lot, near Garver. Skate rentals or concessions are not available for this location, but some loaner skates will be available. Future dates are set for Elver, Heritage Heights, Vilas and Westmorland parks; find the schedule and updates at cityofmadison.com.

96.3 Star Country’s Class Of 2025, Friday, Jan. 10, Barrymore, 7:30 p.m.: This annual concert sponsored by radio station WMAD-FM always features stars in the making, and this year’s artists already broke out in 2024. Drew Baldridge’s self-released single “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” topped some radio airplay charts and piled up more than 65 million Spotify streams across three versions; his follow-up single “Tough People” is poised to follow. Tigirlily Gold picked up a couple CMT Award nominations ahead of the summer release of their debut album, Blonde. Zach Top hit the Billboard country chart and even crossed over into the Hot 100 with singles from his debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music. Dylan Marlowe already has his first No. 1 as a writer (Jon Pardi’s “Last Night Lonely”) and released his debut album in September. And former Waterloo Revival member George Birge hit the country charts in 2024 with “Cowboy Songs.” Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Jan. 10-12, Overture Center: The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is one of the biggest arts fests of the world, as it takes over the Scottish city for nearly a month with countless performances. This mini-Fringe is produced by Tim Sauers, Overture Center’s chief artistic experiences officer; Overture is bringing in five top acts from the 2023 Fringe Festival: The Kinsey Sicks (7:30 p.m., Jan. 10), a drag “beautyshop” quartet; Brave Space, an all-woman circus troupe (1 and 3:30 p.m., Jan. 11-12); Shamilton (5 p.m., Jan. 11), a satirical musical whose subject you can probably guess; Baby Wants Candy (8 p.m., Jan. 11), a comedy/dance revue; and Chris Grace as Scarlett Johansson (2 p.m., Jan. 12) which combines an impersonation of the actress with the songs of Tom Waits. Fringe, indeed. Tickets at overture.org.

Michael Kosta, Jan. 10-11, Comedy on State, 7:30 and 10 p.m.: The Daily Show is currently in a heyday of excellent correspondents, of whom Michael Kosta is the genial, clueless, handsome white guy. What you might not know about him is he is a former pro tennis player (of course he is). His standup tends to good-natured bemusement, relatable frustrations, and poking fun at himself. His four-show run at Comedy on State is well worth catching. Tickets at madisoncomedy.com.

Tom Wernigg, Rich Baumann, Friday, Jan. 10, Wil-Mar Center, 7:30 p.m.: You can’t really call yourself a Madisonian until you’ve been to at least one Wild Hog in the Woods concert. Wild Hog has been supporting folk music in town since 1978. This bill includes Madison’s Rich Baumann and visiting from Grass Valley, California, Tom Wernigg. Wernigg has a lively, folksy delivery and upbeat strummy guitar style that will pick you right up, while Kuhns' more ethereal delivery will prompt some good new year's reflections. (Jan. 10 update: Door County’s Jeanne Kuhns is unable to perform.)

Candlelight Snowshoe Hike, Saturday, Jan. 11, Warner Park, 6-8 p.m.: This is likely to be a snowless hike, not a snowshoe, but hey, it’s not our first snowless hike and it won’t be the last. Warner is an underrated gem in any weather, and the candlelit paths will be almost as magical without the blanket of white. Better known for its rec center, soccer fields and baseball stadium, Warner is also home to a beautiful woodland with many old oaks and a lagoon that is home to waterfowl, muskrats, foxes and more. Stay warm with the campfire and snacks from Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck. Sponsors are Friends of Cherokee Marsh, Wild Warner and Boy Scouts Troops 127 & 7127. Gather at the rainbow shelter.

Josh Johnson, Saturday, Jan. 11, Barrymore, 7 and 9:30 p.m.: It’s a Daily Show weekend here in Madison, with Michael Kosta at Comedy on State and one of the show’s new correspondents, Josh Johnson, lighting up the Barrymore for two shows. While a fresh face on camera at TDS, Johnson has been one of the show’s writers for years, alongside his acclaimed work as one of stand-up comedy’s brightest young voices. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

Wisconsin Fest, Jan. 11, 17 and 18, FPC venues: This year’s Wisconsin Fest lineup tightens the focus a bit, with five genre-themed showcases over three nights featuring a cross-section of Badger State favorites. Hip-hop (Jan. 18, High Noon) features rare Madison visits by Milwaukeeans King Kamonzi (of Kali Tribe) and Wave Chapelle; punk (Jan. 17, High Noon) is headlined by veterans Direct Hit!; a funk triple bill (Jan. 11, Majestic) includes Madison legends the Funkee JBeez; and returning to anchor lineups are Horseshoes and Hand Grenades (bluegrass, Jan. 18, Sylvee) and The Faith Hills Have Eyes (metal, Jan. 11, High Noon). The series is sponsored by Isthmus; find the full lineups and tickets at fpc-live.com/wisconsin-fest-2025.

Seaside Zoo, Saturdays, Jan. 11-25, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Grateful Dead music is timeless but the sunshine and daydreams it conjures are perfect for the gray days ahead as the year grinds to a start. Deadheads and Dead-curious will be well cared for with the “Dead of Winter” residency during January at the Bur Oak. The music is well taken care of, too, as Madison’s Seaside Zoo plays it pretty or rowdy as the song demands, with colorful space jams that know when to come home; themes include recreations of shows from the year 1972 and an Alpine Valley date, and a night of 1960s and acoustic numbers…but you'll have to be there to know which night features which. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Abundant Life Christian School Benefit, Sunday, Jan. 12, Red Rooster, noon-6 p.m.: Community organizations and local musicians are coming together over two weekends to raise money for the United Way of Dane County’s fund for the families of Abundant Life Christian School recovering from the Dec. 16 gun violence. Jan. 5 featured The Ramble, Sortin’ the Mail and many others; Jan. 12 kicks off with Frank Martin Busch and finishes up with Between Two Lakes, and the day also includes sets by The Also-Rans, Lynn Gillitzer, Roscoe Foster, K.W. Klinger, Haunt Smiley, Gaben Moore, and Josh Becker and Michele McCall, along with a talk by Focused Interruption representatives at 1:45 p.m.

Madison Korean American Day, Sunday, Jan. 12, IBEW Local 159, 2-5 p.m.: This annual cultural celebration features food, kids' activities, and performances including takekwondo, contemporary dance, sangmo pangut (drum, dance and more), and music by the Wisconsin Gagok Ensemble. It’s free to attend (RSVP here) and donations benefit the nonprofit AMASIAN. IBEW Local 159 is at 5303 Fen Oak Drive.

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

Editor's note: This post has been updated to add new information on the Wild Hog lineup.