What to do in Madison this week: Make Music Madison, Doobie Brothers and more Isthmus Picks

by

Sara DeLuca, Monday, June 19, Zoom, noon: Lucius "Lute" Moseley was a farmer in the Beloit area for most of his life. Before that, he served in the Army during the Civil War, on the Union side, and during the war managed to write home often. His family preserved the letters, which provide a unique glimpse into a tumultuous time in American history and are now shared with the world in the new UW Press book Heavy Marching: The Civil War Letters of Lute Moseley, 22nd Wisconsin. Editor Sara DeLuca will discuss the book in this Wisconsin Veterans Museum webinar; RSVP for a link at eventbrite.com.

Concerts at McKee, Monday, June 19, McKee Farms Park, Fitchburg, 6 p.m.: 'Tis the season for free concerts in the parks (look for one in a park near you). Fitchburg and friends can head to idyllic McKee Farms Park for music on the third Mondays this summer. The season kicks off with Chicagoland party band Soul 2 the Bone, and Madison Music Foundry youth band SLAG. See the full schedule at fitchburgchamber.com.

Madison Marimba Quartet, June 20, Rennebohm Park, 6:30 p.m.: The Madison Marimba Quartet is back! The most mellifluous of the percussion instruments, marimbas are — well let’s just say that if there is sad music written for marimba, it does not stay sad for long. This free concert by the all-marimba band (the indefatigable Jim Latimer, Tim Gruber, Nancy Riesch-Flannery and Jim’s son Jim D.) will include the Kalliwoda Quartet Opus 61, Beatles tunes, and jazz selections from the likes of Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. Bring a chair.

Cardinal Bar grand opening week, June 20-24: Change is inevitable, but there are certain elements of Madison that should just stay the same. And one thing that should stay the same is that the ground floor of the old Cardinal Hotel at 416 E. Wilson St. should be the Cardinal Bar, and once again, it is. The legend begins in 1974, when Ricardo Gonzalez bought and rejuvenated the space that became a gathering spot for both the gay and Cuban communities, and anyone interested in Latin music and dance. After a stint as Nomad World Pub, the space is back as The Cardinal, with opening week festivities June 20-24 including a Willma's Fund Pride Month fundraiser with a blessing of the bar by the Mad City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (8 p.m., June 21) and a Nick Nice-spun dance party called “The Cardinal Thru the Ages” (9 p.m., June 23). And Tony Castañeda and crew are back at the Bird for a Latin jazz happy hour every Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Make Music Madison, Wednesday, June 21, everywhere: Since 2013, the summer solstice is a day that music fans keep circled on the calendar for the return of Make Music Madison; it’s a day to celebrate music making by everyone, whether a pro or beginner. More than 350 artists are listed for 2023, and the schedule provides an embarrassment of riches when deciding how to plan the day. Pick one spot with music all day long, follow a favorite artist to various stages (nine performers have five shows listed), or use the interactive map to find an area to walk between many shows. Some stages that caught our attention as local music scene primers: hip-hop and soul at the Demetral Park shelter, 601 N. Sixth St., and Bizness First Media & Production, 829 E. Washington; local punk and indie at the Wrath and Love Magazine Stage, 614 E. Gorham St.; Americana and a bit of rock at Wirth Court Park, 2801 St. Paul Ave. Find the full dizzying schedule at makemusicmadison.org. Other Dane County communities participating in 2023 include DeForest, Middleton, Sun Prairie and Waunakee; find links at makemusicday.org/cities.

Doobie Brothers, Wednesday, June 21, Breese Stevens Field, 7:30 p.m.: The Doobie Brothers were less a genre-defying 1970s rock band than a genre-encompassing one, and unless you listen to classic rock radio a lot it’s easy to forget how many darn hits they had, from the country-ish “Black Water” to the soulful “Takin' It To the Streets” — as well as the invaluable, unclassifiable (funk ballad?) “It Keeps You Runnin'.” For this 50th anniversary tour, Pat Simmons, Michael McDonald and John McFee are likely to cover all the hits as well as some deep cuts (it was announced in May that founding member Tom Johnston is missing this leg of the tour due to back issues). Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Monét X Change, June 22-24, Comedy on State: In less than a decade, Monét X Change has conquered many media: music (most recently, a cover of Dolly Parton's "Light of a Clear Blue Morning"); podcast host (Sibling Rivalry; Ebony and Irony); stage performer (The Daughter of the Regiment with Minnesota Opera, and the one-woman show Call Me by Monét); television star (RuPaul’s Drag Race). And now, she’s adding stand-up comedy. Shows at Comedy on State take place at 7:30 p.m. on June 22, and 7:30 and 10 p.m., June 23-24; find tickets at madisoncomedy.com.

Rebulú, Thursday, June 22, Robinia Courtyard, 8 p.m.: It’s been a busy spring for Rebulú, with sets at the Pursuit of Happiness Session, Marquette Waterfront Fest and WORTstock. But you don’t have to wait for a festival to catch the big band’s dance-friendly blend of music from the Latin American diaspora — Rebulú plays second and fourth Thursdays as part of the weekly Latin Dance Night at Robinia Courtyard (alternating with La Combi). Each week kicks off with a DJ and dance lessons. Find more info at robiniacourtyard.com.

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