What to do in Madison this week: The War & Treaty, 'Black Like Me' and more Isthmus Picks

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Janice Arnold, July 29-Jan. 5, UW Nancy Nicholas Hall lobby: “Woolen Clouds” is a two-story immersive felt installation with video elements that is likely to change your perception of felt. It ushers in a larger companion exhibit at the School of Human Ecology, “Feel the Beat,” focused on felt, which opens Sept. 4. It took fiber artist Janice Arnold a year to make the diaphanous felt in “Woolen Clouds.” The folds may evoke various emotions and associations in the viewer, and bring to mind the dynamic between strength and fragility.

Dane County Executive Candidates Forum, Monday, July 29, Sequoya Library, 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, Aug. 1, First Unitarian Society, 7 p.m.: With the retirement of Dane County Executive Joe Parisi in May, a special election is taking place this fall to fill part of the remainder of his term (Jamie Kuhn is currently serving on an interim basis). Four candidates have stepped forward: Regina Vidaver, Madison District 5 alder; Wes Sparkman, director of Dane County’s Tamara D. Grigsby Office for Equity and Inclusion; Dana Pellebon, executive director of RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center; and Melissa Agard, District 16 state senator. Hear from all four candidates at a pair of forums this week, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Dane County and UW-Madison Center for Communication and Civic Renewal (July 29, Sequoya Library; RSVP for a Zoom option) and by the First Unitarian Society Climate Action Team and Sierra Club Four Lakes Group (Aug. 1 at FUS).

Jennifer Knapp, Monday, July 29, High Noon Saloon, 7 p.m.: Jennifer Knapp became a star in the contemporary Christian field in the late 1990s before walking away from the industry for seven years. When returning to music in 2010, Knapp also became one of the first Christian musicians to come out as gay. Through it all her passionate vocal style and direct, melodic folk-rock songwriting have remained a constant; her most recent release is a 25th anniversary reimagining of her 1998 breakthrough album Kansas. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Blooming Butterflies, through Aug. 11, Olbrich Gardens, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: While the outdoor gardens are the place to be in the summer, there’s good reason to head into the Bolz Conservancy as well. It is magical to see butterflies — up to 19 species — inhabiting the tropical dome. Sharp-eyed visitors may even witness a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. The theme continues in the outdoor gardens with a kids pollinator scavenger hunt. Butterfly Action Day (10 a.m.-2 p.m., Aug. 2) will present booths highlighting ways to help threatened butterfly populations. More info at olbrich.org.

Old Oaks, Tuesday, July 30, Capitol Square-King Street walkway, noon: Lunch Time Live is the best way to spend your Tuesday noon hour — pack a lunch and listen to sweet music before you return to hunching over your screen, or whatever. Old Oaks offers a refreshing acoustic set. Mount Horeb singer-songwriter Frank Laufenberg (also of Wurk) is the heart of the band, playing 12-string guitar on folk-jazz originals and some folk rock classics. This version of Old Oaks is a duo, with Laufenberg joined by saxophonist Daniel Haschke (also a bandmate in Wurk).

Black Like Me, Tuesday, July 30, Cafe Coda, 6 p.m.: The Black Like Me podcast, hosted by the Rev. Dr. Alex Gee, will celebrate the launch of its 10th season soon. Help get it started by attending a live recording session for the podcast, featuring a conversation by Gee (who also recently celebrated the groundbreaking for The Center for Black Excellence and Culture, set to open in late 2025) and City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin, along with live music. More info/RSVP at facebook.com/DrRevAlexGee.

Olbrich After Hours, Tuesdays, through July 30, Olbrich Gardens, 7 p.m.: The summer concert series at Olbrich Gardens is now called Olbrich After Hours, and features food carts, a bar, and more (along with the gardens being open later each Tuesday). This month’s lineup comes to a close July 30 with Kenosha-based singer-songwriter Ben Mulwana & the Village; the series continues through Aug. 13. Find more info at olbrich.org.

The War & Treaty, Tuesday, July 30, High Noon Saloon, 7:30 p.m.: The past year has been a whirlwind for The War & Treaty: Grammy, CMA and Academy of Country Music award nominations; guest spots on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and a Zach Bryan album; and even an opening set for the Rolling Stones in Los Angeles. Led by the husband and wife singing duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War & Treaty creates a captivating blend of soul and country. Catch them in the cozy confines of the High Noon before they’re playing a much bigger room next time. With The Kentucky Gentlemen. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Angels in America, part 1: Millennium Approaches: July 25-Aug. 4, Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre: Possibly the definitive American play of the early 1990s, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America has won just about every award given. Set in the early days of the AIDS epidemic in New York City and elsewhere, the plot weaves real people with fictional figures; eight actors double up on roles. Characters include the real life lawyer Roy Cohn, a Mormon housewife, gay men with AIDS and their families, even Ethel Rosenberg. Although three decades have passed since it was penned, the political and social themes in the play are still relevant and even newly re-invigorated. The play will be remounted in September, along with a staged reading of Angels in America part 2: Perestroika. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Vets on Frets, Thursday, Aug. 1, Dean House, Monona, 5:30 p.m.: Vets on Frets is a group of Madison-area military veterans who gather to play rock and folk songs; this summer, they hit the stage at the “Big Gig,” Summerfest in Milwaukee. This Back Porch Concert series should be a little lower-key than Summerfest, but it does include the annual pie and ice cream social, starting at 5:30 p.m., with pie from Monona Bakery and Chocolate Shoppe ice cream. Music starts at 7 p.m. It’s a fundraiser for the Historic Blooming Grove Historical Society and operation of the Dean House museum.

Haze & Dacey, Thursday, Aug. 1, Paoli Schoolhouse American Bistro, 6 p.m.: A bit of rock, a bit of folk, a bit of country, and you have the sounds mixed by the duo of Haze & Dacey. Featuring singer-songwriter Kirsten Hazler and bassist John Dacey, the duo plays both original music (their most recent album, Letters from Gilead, is a set of songs based on the Margaret Atwood novel The Handmaid’s Tale) and covers of artists ranging from Queen to Patty Griffin. They’re making a rare Midwest appearance on a summer tour from their Virginia home base.

Pete Holmes, Aug. 1-3, Comedy on State: Holmes looks like the good natured guy who sat in front of you in senior English and never read the books — the boy next door, but without charisma. Known for his “clean” comedy (you might know him from the semi-autobiographical Crashing on HBO), Holmes' earnest awkwardness usually results in genuinely amusing bits with occasional detours into cringe. Shows at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 1 and 7:30 and 10 p.m., Aug. 2-3. Tickets at madisoncomedy.com.

Our Home States, through Aug. 17, Broom Street Theater, 8 p.m.: Broom Street Theater is sending it back to the states with its ongoing short play festival Our Home States, now in its second year. Last year BST covered 12 Midwestern states. This year BST’s piling in the car and heading east to the New England and Atlantic states. The nine short plays cover the eastern seaboard from Maine (On the Beach by Arthur Boatin) to Pennsylvania (Hellbender: Live by Valerie Work). They also visit New York (Über by Ron G. Rosenfeld), New Jersey (The Jersey Who? by Andrew R. Heinze), New Hampshire (Swimming to Tuftonboro by Mitchell P. Ganem), Rhode Island (Same Jokes by Mark Sawtelle), Massachusetts (The Other Side of the Street by Laura Neill), Vermont (Like a Kite by Ron Fromstein), and Connecticut (Feeder by Julie Linden). Shows are at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.

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