What to do in Madison this weekend: St. Patrick's Day Parade, 'Connexions' and more Isthmus Picks

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Aldo Leopold Week, through March 10, Crowdcast: The Aldo Leopold Foundation has been hosting this speaker series for a couple decades, and the need to move events online during the pandemic ended up meaning its impact is now global; the 2022 speakers were heard by people in all 50 states and more than 10 other countries. Still to come this year is a talk by author Robin Wall Kimmerer (March 9) and a conversation by the 2022-23 Leopold Fellows (March 10). It's free; register on Crowdcast.

Bach Around the Clock, through March 12, various venues and online: This annual celebration of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach features players professional (guest artists include Sean Kleve, Lawrence Quinnett (note, the Feb. 10 Noon Musicale concert is canceled) and Wolfgang Rübsam) and amateur, and performances both in-person and virtual. March 9-10 includes a lecture and master class by Kleve and concerts by Quinnett and Rübsam; “Festival Day” is March 11, with performances beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing until a 5 p.m. reception at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Pre-recorded performances debut online March 12. This year's festival honors BATC founder and artistic director Marika Fischer Hoyt, who died Feb. 22. Find the full schedule at bachclock.com.

On the Morning You Wake (To the End of the World), March 9-10, UW Science Hall-Room 280, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Jan. 13, 2018, may not be a date seared in your memory...unless you were a resident of Hawai'i at the time. That morning a false emergency alert about an incoming missile attack went out, which went unrecalled for about 40 minutes. The virtual reality documentary On the Morning You Wake (To the End of the World) is an immersive experience placing the viewer in the situation faced by Hawaiians that morning. It's viewed through headsets, so space is limited and registration is required; screenings of either the first chapter or the entire 60-minute film start hourly from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 9 and 10. Bombshelltoe Policy x Arts Collective founder and writer Lovely Umayam will follow at 4 p.m., March 10, on Zoom.

Connexions, March 9-12, Overture Center-Promenade Hall: Witness the political energy of contemporary dance and pay tribute to the great Burt Bacharach, who died on Feb. 8, as Madison's Kanopy Dance Company welcomes guest dancers and choreographers Lloyd Knight and Jamar Roberts. Knight will premiere his timely work Commune; Knight will also perform the Roberts-choreographed Born to Love solo, set to Bacharach's “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me.” Also on the program is Lisa Thurrell’s For Persephone ate the Pomegranate and Robert Cleary's Fear is the Enemy. Shows are at 7 p.m., March 9; 7:30 p.m, March 10; 5 and 8 p.m., March 11; and 1 and 4 p.m., March 12; tickets at overture.org.

Judicial Integrity: Should Judges Decide Cases Involving Their Major Campaign Contributors? Thursday, March 9, Zoom, 6:30 p.m.: This League of Women Voters of Dane County Public Issues Forum will center on the questions surrounding campaign contributions to judicial races. Does money affect judicial independence? Should judges be deciding cases that involve major contributors to their campaigns? With Wisconsin's current Supreme Court race projected to be the most expensive in the nation's history, these questions have never been more timely. Panelists are Louis Butler, former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, and Matt Rothschild, executive director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. The forum is free and open to the public but registration is required; find a link at lwvdanecounty.org.

Sarah Silverman, Thursday, March 9, Orpheum, 7 p.m.: What can't Sarah Silverman do? Talk about a multi-hyphenate — she's a world-renowned, multi-award winning stand-up comedian and an actress who narrowly missed an Oscar nomination for her dramatic turn in 2015's I Smile Back. She also had a hit eponymous sitcom on Comedy Central in the mid 2000s and just spent a week in February hosting The Daily Show. Silverman is currently engaged with the “Grow Some Lips” stand-up tour, which hits Madison for a night. Expect her effortless, charming musings on the state of the world, a vulnerable openness not seen in early works, and a raunchy bit about her bits, probably. Tickets on Ticketmaster.

Fences, through March 10, UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre : General rule of thumb: don't pass up the chance to see a play by August Wilson. In Fences, Wilson chronicles the bitter decline of Troy Maxson, who's gone from starring in the Negro baseball league to working as a garbage collector. It's a timely production that mirrors this country's ongoing struggles with race and racism. “August Wilson shares history we cannot allow to disappear but must remain on our stages,” says University Theatre production director Baron Kelly. Final performances are at 7:30 p.m., March 9-10; check ticket availability at artsticketing.wisc.edu; or at the lobby box office one hour prior to performances. Read Gwendolyn Rice's preview here.

Comedy at the Cabaret, Thursday, March 9, North Street Cabaret, 7:30 p.m.: Madison’s east side needs some more comedy love, and Allie Lindsay’s Comedy at the Cabaret has been stepping up for the past five years to bring fun stand-up and original music to life. The pairing of improvised music by Madison funnyman Jake Snell and stand-up from hilarious locals make this a show unlike anything else you’re likely to see, no matter what side of town you’re from. This month features local comics Glenn Widdicombe, Andrew Rynning, Samara Suomi and headliner Charlie Kojis, who is preparing to release his first album/special, A Normal Amount of Pain, in 2023. Tickets on Eventbrite.

Audifax, through April 2, Garver Feed Mill: Audifax, the current artist-in-residence for the Madison Public Library's Bubbler program, is a self-taught artist who creates murals/street art and other paintings as well as sculpture. View a sampling of Audifax's work in the exhibit “CENTRE,” featuring paintings, prints and a sculpture created specifically for the space (unveiled as part of Femmestival in February). The exhibit has been extended through April 2 at Garver Canvas, with a closing reception from 8-11 p.m. on March 31. Current hours: noon-6 p.m. Thursday and Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Friday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday.

Bad in Bed (A Fairy Tale), through March 11, Bartell Theatre-Evjue Stage: This comedy by Madison-based playwright Karen Saari centers on one of those unrequited loves from college days that comes back to tease those in its thrall. Saari also wrote the book and co-wrote the lyrics to Ten Days in a Madhouse, produced by Music Theatre of Madison last year. Bad in Bed (A Fairy Tale) is part of World Premiere Wisconsin; Madison Theatre Guild and Madison College Performing Arts are collaborating for the first time. Final shows are 7:30 p.m. on March 9-10, and 2 p.m. on March 11. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org,

Adam Greuel & the Space Burritos, Thursday, March 9, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Maybe Adam Greuel gets 90 percent of the work of getting the audience in the door done by playing with a band called The Space Burritos. The other 10 percent is the excellence of this folky-bluegrassy group, with Greuel (of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades) on lead vocals and accompanied by plaintive fiddle over plentiful guitars. “I don't drink as much as I ought to, lately, it just ain't my style,” he sings over the band in a Waylon Jennings cover. He might not, but you can. Tickets on Ticketmaster.

Canoecopia, March 10-12, Alliant Energy Center: As the largest paddlesport consumer event in the world, Canoecopia is like the World Dairy Expo of canoes and kayaks. In addition to gear galore, attendees will find more than 100 presentations and clinics about everything from skills on the water to the best places to go to practice those skills. Presentations engage in timely topics, too, from toxic mining near the Boundary Waters to equity in nature sports. The expo runs 3-8 p.m., March 10; 9 a.m.-6 p.m., March 11; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m., March 12. Find more info at rutabaga.com.

Makin' Cake with Dasha Kelly Hamilton, March 10-11, Overture Center-Playhouse, 7:30 p.m.: Four Seasons Theatre presents Wisconsin's outgoing poet laureate, Dasha Kelly Hamilton, in an innovative spoken word production that promises to be “A Creative Community Conversation about Race, Culture, and Class through the History of Cake.” Yes, the cake is there as “a way to examine ingredients,” in Hamilton's words. This is not a cooking lesson, nor is it a history lecture. But the audience will get thinking about race in America — and leave with a cupcake. In fact a “dessert and dialogue” session follows the performance. Can we send some cupcakes to Florida? Tickets at overture.org.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch, March 10-25, Bartell Theatre: An unstoppable sensation since opening Off Broadway in 1998, this rock musical by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask is sure to be as lively as ever when brought to the stage by StageQ (and featuring two casts, alternating nights). Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells the story of a singer's eventful life through a concert that ends up mixing in a lot of storytelling. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (4 pm on March 25) and 4 p.m., March 19. Find tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Let There Be Light, Saturday, March 11, Bur Oak, 2-11 p.m.: This artist market (2-7 p.m.) will help shake off any late winter snow, featuring creators from Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago plus vintage items from Good Style Shop, records and other music formats and merch from Boneset and Jiggy Jamz, and more. Vendors give way at 8 p.m. for a ticketed dance party with music by DJs Kitty Spit and Jules.

Venison EP release, Saturday, March 11, Crystal Corner Bar, 9 p.m.: The early '90s grunge era was a fruitful time for Wisconsin music, with a contingent of uncompromisingly heavy bands strongly influencing those that followed in the oughts. And, as many key '90s players stayed musically active after those '90s projects were retired, giants still occasionally walk the earth when said bands reactivate. The five original members of Eau Claire band Venison reconvened in 2016 and this show celebrates a newly released EP, EC6. Representing the noisy side of '90s Madison is Powerwagon, a trio now based in Milwaukee. Along for the ride are The Jaggernauts, another Eau Claire outfit steadfastly following their own twisted rock and roll path since 2004.

Christina Ramberg, through July 16, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: Christina Ramberg of the Chicago Imagists group was best known for her acrylic on masonite paintings, but she also incorporated found objects into her works, which often center on stylized mid-century depictions of women and their clothes, especially classic fetish-style undergarments. Ramberg, who died in 1995, saw the work as a way to discuss the female body. “Vertical Amnesia” will be on display in the Henry Street Gallery from March 3-July 16. Current hours: Noon-6 p.m., Thursday-Sunday.

St. Patrick's Day Parade, Sunday, March 12, Capitol Square, 1:30 p.m.: Observe St. Patrick's Day a few days early with the annual procession around the Capitol Square, returning for the first time since 2019. The day kicks off with the Dane County Shamrock Club's Irish flag ceremony at noon in the Capitol Rotunda. Following the parade, head to the Brink Lounge for a fundraiser for Celtic Cultural Center of Madison, from 3-7 pm.; entertainment includes The Currach, Lilies of the Midwest, Tit for Tat and the Trinity Irish Dancers, plus Ceili dance instruction by Heidi Hakseth. Find more info at stpatsmadison.org.

Winter Festival of Poetry, Sundays, through March 12, Arts + Literature Lab, 2 p.m.: What kind of lure do you need to get Wisconsinites out of the house in the dead of winter to hear a poetry reading? Cheese, apparently. This year the Winter Festival of Poetry series has adopted “The Big Cheese” as its theme, with each session of the eight-week series featuring a different cheese. Still, it's all about the poets. The final week features readings by F. J. Bergmann, Sharon Rook Daly, Rose Heflin, Kristian Iliev, Freesia McKee and Alison Townsend.

Drive-By Truckers, Sunday, March 12, Barrymore, 7:30 p.m.: The stomping, soulful Southern rock of Drive-By Truckers has often been joined to lyrics with a story to tell, sometimes looking back at history and sometimes mirroring the ills of modern society, as on dark-hued recent albums American Band and The Unraveling. Their latest studio album, Welcome 2 Club XIII, is a bit less intense than those efforts, but no matter what songs they bring along on tour, a blazing live show is guaranteed. With Margo Cilker. Also: Bassist Matt Patton will be stopping by MadCity Music at 5 p.m. to talk records. Tickets at Ticketmaster.

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

Editor's note: This post has been updated to include a canceled concert as part of Bach Around the Clock.