What to do in Madison this weekend: March 26-29, 2026

Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts, Endurance Improv Festival and more Isthmus Picks

by

Arts

  • Endurance Improv Festival, March 26-28, 609 E. Washington Ave.: Atlas Improv Company is feeling 22! It’s celebrating its birthday with an extravaganza of free performances, starting at 7 p.m. March 26 with improv including experimental forms taking place offstage. March 27 features “Theatersports” at 7 p.m. (a family-friendly show) followed by long-form sets by company and guest teams at 8:30 p.m. The improv marathon begins at noon March 28 and will run until 2 a.m. Sunday morning, with a new show starting every half hour. Come and leave when you please, but laugh a lot. More at atlasimprov.com.
  • Richard J. Davidson + Cortland Dahl, Thursday, March 26, Central Library, 7 p.m.: Does the pace of modern life leave you feeling a little brain-fried? Perhaps this Wisconsin Book Festival talk can help: UW-Madison neuroscientist Richard J. Davidson and meditation researcher Cortland Dahl will discuss their new book, Born to Flourish: How New Science and Ancient Wisdom Reveal a Simple Path to Thriving. Drawing on research from the Center for Healthy Minds (home to both scientists), they outline four skills that can be trained over time — awareness, connection, insight and purpose — to help people handle stress and find a little more steadiness in daily life. Expect a thoughtful conversation plus a few ideas you can actually try the next morning.
  • Middleton Community Orchestra, Thursday, March 26, Middleton-Cross Plains Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m.: The consistently engaging and excellent Middleton Community Orchestra returns with its annual early spring concert, joined by conductor Oriol Sans. The program features guest violinist David Perry, a UW Mead Witter School of Music faculty member since 1995 and known to classical audiences worldwide as a member of resident chamber ensemble the Pro Arte Quartet; Perry will join the MCO for Brahms' Violin Concerto in D major. The orchestra will also perform Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff.
  • The Butter and Egg Man, through April 4, Bartell Theatre: If folks know George S. Kaufman’s work these days, it’s probably for the early 20th century comedies The Man Who Came to Dinner and You Can’t Take it With You, written with Moss Hart. The Butter and Egg Man is Kaufman’s only solo play, a comedy (naturally) about a dreamer trying to hit it big on Broadway. Madison Theatre Guild takes on this lesser-known bauble, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday (except 2 p.m. on April 4) and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.
  • Corpus Christi, through April 4, Bartell Theatre: The play Corpus Christi, written by celebrated American playwright Terrence McNally, reimagines the story of Jesus Christ and his disciples as gay men in modern day Texas. Unsurprisingly, the play has often been subject to protests by the Christian right. StageQ’s production will incorporate themes of the current persecution of the transgender community by political conservatives. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (except 2 p.m. on April 4) and 2 p.m. Sunday; tickets at bartelltheatre.org.
  • TrainCar Comedy, Thursday, March 26, Local Motive, 7:30 p.m.: Emily Winter and Chris Calogero are writers-comedians who recently relocated to Madison, where they have established the new, appropriately named showcase TrainCar Comedy in the cozy confines of Local Motive. The next edition, hosted by Winter, features stand-up sets by Calogero, Chuky Razo and Lizzie Kirch, and doubles the fun with a cheese tasting by Fromagination as part of the ticket price. The evening is also a fundraiser, with proceeds earmarked for the Kickstarter campaign for a film project by Calogero. Tickets at ticketleap.com.
  • Cowboy Junkies, Thursday, March 26, Barrymore, 7:30 p.m.: Cowboy Junkies’ 1988 album The Trinity Session sold a million copies and thrust this Toronto alt-rock band into the spotlight. They’ve never taken a performing hiatus and the three Timmins siblings continue to be the core members of the band, an ensemble that captures equal parts pain and pleasure with their unique rock. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.
  • Richard David Foundation for Young Bassists faculty concert, Friday, March 27, Arts + Literature Lab, 7 p.m.: Beloved Richard Davis — longtime professor at UW-Madison and a bassist with a staggering resume in jazz, pop and beyond — spent as much energy mentoring young players as he did performing. After his passing in 2023, that spirit lives on through the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists, which convenes for a conference in Madison each spring offering instruction and performing opportunities for young players. Public events include a free Friday night concert by faculty members, featuring a performance of songs from Davis’ "Love Suite" from throughout his career. The weekend also includes a student recital at 7 p.m. Saturday at Madison Youth Arts.
  • Black Label Society, Friday, March 27, The Sylvee, 7:30 p.m.: Best known as the guitarist in Ozzy Osbourne’s band, Zakk Wylde also fronts Black Label Society, a free-flying, riff-heavy Southern heavy metal outfit spiked with tasty melodies and some of the most virtuosic old-school guitar playing you’ll see this year. BLS is expected to drop a new studio album, Engines of Demolition, in late March, which will be the band’s first in five years. In addition to performing as BLS, Wylde, bassist John “JD” DeServio, and drummer Jeff Fabb will deliver a set as Zakk Sabbath (a Black Sabbath tribute band), while guitarist Dario Lorina will front gritty rockers Dark Chapel. Expect references to Ozzy all night long. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • New Works: On Deck, March 28-29, Overture-Playhouse: Four Seasons Theatre joins the World Premiere Wisconsin roster with staged readings of a pair of nautical-themed works. Steady She Goes (2 p.m., March 28-29) is a play by Erica Berman currently being developed as a musical with FST; it tells the true story of Mary Ann Brown Patten, who took command of a merchant ship in 1856 after her husband fell sick. Dan Seavey: Confessions of a Great Lakes Pirate (7:30 p.m., March 28) is a one-man show created by actor and musician Tom Kastle recounting the tale of the real-life Wisconsin-Michigan jack of all trades. Tickets at overture.org.
  • Madison Symphony Orchestra, March 28-29, Overture Hall: The opening notes of John Williams’ “Raiders March” may be one of the most recognizable themes in movie history — and it will sound even better with a live orchestra. The Madison Symphony Orchestra performs Williams’ Grammy Award-winning score to the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, while the film plays on the big screen. Conductor Kyle Knox leads the orchestra through the propulsive music that follows Indiana Jones through Peruvian temples, desert chases and other showdowns. Williams’ score is as much a character in the film as Dr. Jones's whip and fedora. Performances at 7:30 p.m. on March 28 and 2:30 p.m., March 29. Tickets at overture.org.
  • Extraordinary Popular Delusions, Saturday, March 28, Cafe Coda, 8 p.m.: This long-running ensemble has been enlightening audiences with a residency at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago for many years. Extraordinary Popular Delusions is bringing their experimental improvisations on the road for a night at Cafe Coda. For a sample of the fireworks listen to their most recent album, The Last Quintet, a concert recording featuring the saxophone wizardry of the late Mars Williams. Tickets at cafecoda.club.
  • Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts, Saturday, March 28, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: The Rusted Hearts can switch from tight pop to epic jams in the blink of an eye. Either way, three- and four-part harmony vocals make this veteran Rockford band special. Miles is the son of Cheap Trick guitar fanatic Rick Nielsen but long ago escaped the shadow of his father’s rock legacy. Long-time Nielsen studio collaborator and ace drummer Darren Garvey opens. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
  • Abram Collier Nonet, Saturday, March 28, North Street Cabaret, 8 p.m.: Chicago vocalist and baritone saxophonist Abram Collier is part crooner, part bandleader, and he is fully committed to keeping the big band tradition alive. Leading a nine-piece ensemble of top Chicago jazz players, Collier writes his own arrangements for jazz standards, modern pop songs, and even the occasional video game soundtrack. Influences like Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr., and Michael Bublé are clearly in the room, but Collier’s charts add a contemporary sheen and a playful sense of surprise. Tickets at eventbrite.com.
  • MAMA Cares Fundraiser Ball, Sunday, March 29, High Noon Saloon, 3 p.m.: MAMA Cares is a Madison Area Music Association program established more than a decade ago to offer financial support during personal or family medical emergencies for local musicians (who often don’t have health insurance). This annual fundraiser features raffles, auctions, and of course music by a trio of covers-focused bands: Foo Foo Dolls, The Hounds, and Power Take Off (who have also been picking up some national attention with their original music, including singles such as the rockin' “Revolution”).

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

Editor's note: This post has been edited to add the time for the Saturday young bassists concert.