What to do in Madison this weekend: Gamma Ray grand opening, 'POTUS' and more Isthmus Picks

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Anna Purnell, Larry Stout, Ron Hansen & John Widdicombe, Thursday, May 30, Otto’s Restaurant, 5:30 p.m.: Otto’s is a dear favorite to many Madisonians, with its chill Mediterranean menu. It matches that with a chill music roster Tuesdays through Fridays this summer. This show features Madison’s Anna Purnell (Reptile Palace Orchestra, Combo Noir) on vocals with Otto’s Thursday regulars Larry Stout, keyboard; Ron Hansen, drums; and John Widdicombe, bass. Reservations are required at 608-274-4044.

POTUS: Or Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive, May 30-June 15, Bartell Theatre: Strollers Theatre wins the sweepstakes for longest event title this month with its production of Selina Fillinger's 2022 play POTUS: Or Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. Hint: it’s a farce. The all-female cast plays on the old trope of “behind every great man…” by all seven of them intervening to prop up POTUS. While the play received mixed reviews on Broadway, its themes are timely this crazy election year. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (except 2 p.m. on June 15) and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

LunART Festival, through June 2, Arts + Lit Lab and Hamel Music Center: “Rebirth” is the theme for the LunART Festival, an annual event celebrating women in the arts. Concerts include Birsan with a chamber ensemble (7:30 p.m., May 31, Hamel), a gala concert featuring new work by Pulitzer Prize-winner Melinda Wagner (this year's composer-in-residence) and this year’s call for scores winners (7:30 p.m., June 1, Hamel), and the Composers Hub participants (2:30 p.m., June 2, ALL). Find more info and tickets at lunartfestival.org.

German Art Students + Echo Rays, Thursday, May 30, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: This double bill is pure Madison. The Echo Rays play jangly surf rock riffs that should get summer off on the right foot. The German Art Students combine a deft hand for garage pop with a brainy, cheeky take on the foibles of contemporary life with hymns to absurdity like “Civil War Reenactor” and “Robots in Raincoats.” Tickets at seetickets.us.

Weekend of the Burnt Piano, through June 8, Broom Street Theater: It sounds like a classic Agatha Christie-style plot, one of those gathering-in-a-house deals. In Weekend of the Burnt Piano, a slight twist: “Four friends gather to mourn a fifth who has recently been murdered but as the weekend goes on they begin to suspect one of them did it.” The situation provides a hothouse atmosphere for revelations, and we’ll bite. This is writer and director Sean Langenecker’s first play; Langenecker, also an actor, was a standout in Forward Theatre’s production of Clyde’s last fall. Shows are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, plus 8 p.m., May 29. Advance tickets at eventbrite.com., or pay-what-you-can at the door.

Solstock, Friday, May 31, Couillard Solar Foundation, Deerfield, 3-9 p.m.: This annual mini-fest raises awareness and funds for the Couillard Solar Foundation, an organization assisting nonprofits and other community organizations with moving to renewable energy sources. Along with a silent auction and raffle, there’s kids' activities and four musical artists, including Milwaukee folk-rockers the Chris Haise Band (with a new album, Busy People, on the way June 12). The lineup also includes Madison classic rock/folk trio Bob’s Your Uncle (with Michael Bryant, Bruce Buttel and Tracy Jane Comer), bluesy singer-songwriter Bill Armstrong, and the Mike Cornell Approach. RSVP at couillardsolarfoundation.org.

The Door Anniversary Show, Friday, May 31, Crucible, 6 p.m.: The Door, a punk and metal shop plopped in the middle of a strip mall on Monona Drive, has opened up a whole new world for music fans who may not always find what they're looking for at Madison’s other fine record stores. Seven loud and proud regional bands will take the stage to celebrate The Door’s fourth anniversary. They include Madison’s own Whippets, Ruin Dweller and Calamity, along with Tantivy (Wausau), Ashbringer (Minneapolis), and Contracharge and Lethal Shöck (both from Chicago). Tickets are cheap, too ­­— $10 at The Door and $12 at the door.

Madison Bike Week, June 1-9, various locations: Biscuits for bikers? A bike ride with dogs? An e-bike expo and meet up? All are happening on the opening day of Madison Bike Week, June 1-9. The week also includes the traditional commuter stations along bike paths with safety checks and snacks, and an extensive slate of other activities for all ages and abilities. Find the still-expanding list of events at madisonbikes.org (and statewide bike week events at wisconsinbikefed.org).

Outdoors Access 4 All! Saturday, June 1, Lunney Lake Farm Park, 1-5 p.m.: Access to the outdoors may seem easy in a place like Wisconsin, with so many city, county and state parks, national forests and other natural areas, but those of differing mobilities can encounter obstacles. Enter Access Ability Wisconsin, which wants anyone to be able to enjoy the outdoors beyond the asphalt paths. The group has been instrumental in making off-road wheelchairs available for hiking. This celebration of the group's 10th anniversary includes adaptive fishing, kayaking, hand cycling, and wildlife photography. plus some fundraising — a silent auction and raffle. And yes, there will be food. More info at equipment.accessabilitywi.org.

Festa Italia, June 1-2, McKee Farms Park, Fitchburg: The Italian Workmen’s Club of Madison hosts Festa Italia each summer, celebrating Italian culture with music, family-friendly activities, and food (pasta eating contest? Check.). Kids' entertainment and games are from noon-5 p.m. daily, and music includes fest stalwarts like Joe Scalissi, Gerri DiMaggio and VO5, plus Saturday evening sets by rockers the John Masino Band and Prince tribute Purple Veins. Sunday’s schedule includes soccer demonstrations by Forward Madison FC players. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Full schedule at iwcmadison.com.

Gamma Ray Bar grand opening, Saturday, June 1, 121 W. Main St., 4 p.m.-1 a.m.: 121 W. Main St., just off the Capitol Square, has hosted a variety of clubs over the past several decades; most recently it was BarleyPop Live, preceded by music venues The Frequency and The Slipper Club, and a bit farther back The Rainbow Room. The space will be reborn again on Saturday with the grand opening of Gamma Ray Bar, a new music venue venture by local musician, storyteller and bar manager Kevin Willmott II. The opening night will kick off with karaoke (planned to be a mainstay at the venue), followed by sets from a whole pile of local favorites: Dearly Brearly, Raquel Aleman, Jimmy Sugarcane, Cribshitter, Hottt Probs, Mickey Sunshine and Willmott’s rock band Cowboy Winter, plus music between bands all night by The Real Jaguar. Advance tickets went quickly for this one, but watch for updates at facebook.com/p/Gamma-Ray-Bar-61557841695584.

Grazing at Ground Floor Studios, Saturday, June 1, Linden Cohousing, 107 Sutherland Court, 5:30 p.m.: Studio spaces for visual artists have always been in short supply in Madison, and that became even more so when Winnebago Studios closed in 2017 to make way for the Linden Cohousing project. Today, Winnebago Studios is Ground Floor Studios Cooperative, which has purchased space at Linden for artist studios and is working to pay down the mortgage as fast as possible to make the spaces more affordable in the future. Grazing at Ground Floor Studios is a fundraiser for the project, featuring “grazing tables” with food (including drinks and desserts), artist demonstrations and a talk about the cooperative, music by Moldy Jam, and an auction. For tickets and more information: facebook.com.

A.S.T.R.O. album release, Saturday, June 1, Cafe Coda, 8 p.m.: Madison composer Anders Svanoe’s ongoing “State of the Baritone” series showcases the tonal versatility of the baritone saxophone — and the wide musical range of Svanoe’s writing and playing. Eclipse (Vol. 6 in the series) emerges at this album release party, and features one of Svanoe’s most ambitious ensembles yet: A.S.T.R.O., or Anders Svanoe’s Teleporting Rhythmic Orchestra. The stage is filled with two drummers (Michael Brenneis and Nick Zielinski), two bassists (Henry Boehm and Brad Townsend), two trumpets (Jon Ailabouni and Jim Doherty), three sax players (Pawan Benjamin, Tony Catania and Svanoe), guitarist Louka Patenaude, and vibraphonist Geoff Brady. Recorded at the WORT-FM studios, Eclipse displays many sides of the ensemble, from the swinging “Whistle Stop” to the ominous “Klokka Er Fem”…and that is just the first two cuts. Tickets at cafe-coda.turntabletickets.com.

Mad Gluten Free Festival, Sunday, June 2, Alt Brew, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.: Many folks are choosing to eat less gluten in their diets, but some, who have celiac disease, need to avoid gluten altogether; the autoimmune disorder causes a severe intolerance to any gluten. This first-ever gluten-free fest in Madison highlights gluten-free food and drink. It’s being held in the parking lot of gluten-free brewery Alt Brew at 1808 Wright St., near Madison College-Truax. Mostly local purveyors of gluten-free consumables will be on hand as well as celiac-specific health service providers. Vendors include Delicate Essence bakery, Tisha's Delicious Bakery, La Cosecha Tortilla Co., goodAFbaking, Molly’s Gluten Free Bakery and more. More info at facebook.com/people/Mad-Gluten-Free-Festival/61551397370598.

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