What to do in Madison this week: May 4-7, 2026

Jane Smiley, Bad Momz of Comedy and more Isthmus Picks

by

Arts

  • David R. Harper, through Aug. 30, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: “Good Morning Sweetheart,” a new exhibition by artist David R. Harper, is described by MMoCA as a look at “how memory takes shape in objects.” In Harper’s creative world, that includes a couch and related objects suspended in the Icon staircase, and the State Street Gallery filled with familiar materials remixed in unexpected ways. The exhibition will likely reward lingering, sinking into the mood, and deciding on your own interpretation of its meaning.
  • Katie Dahl + Julie Wolf, Monday, May 4, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Folk music singer-songwriter Katie Dahl’s work carries on the tradition of Ellison Bay culture writer and poet Norbert Blei. That’s fitting since Dahl lives in Door County, home to her family for 175 years. Her songs explore family, body image, broken promises, hope and more, all while revealing her own shortcomings, something that immediately connects her with audiences. And she’s funny. Folk-rock producer and composer Julie Wolf, who has collaborated with Indigo Girls and Bruce Cockburn among others, supports. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
  • ZZ Top, Tuesday, May 5, Orpheum, 8 p.m.: None other than Keith Richards inducted the Texas boogie trio ZZ Top into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. The star adoration, especially for lead guitarist Billy Gibbons, didn’t start there; Jimi Hendrix called Gibbons his favorite American guitarist back in 1968 when Gibbons' former band opened for Hendrix. Then and now, ZZ Top returns the favor, conjuring hook-filled rock in the style of Hendrix and Richards lacquered with a heavy coat of Texas nastiness. With McKinley James. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • Liubóv Szwako, through May 16, Edgewood University: You may know him as Triangulador, the guy who spray paints art on abandoned curbside mattresses. But Liubóv Szwako is a prolific muralist and is about more than just transforming found objects, even though that is a significant part of his practice. An exhibit of new large scale paintings called “OUTSIDER” will fill Edgewood’s roomy gallery space in The Stream.
  • Jacob Augustine, Tuesday, May 5, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Jacob Augustine is one of the best loved indie vocalists in the Northeast. Born in Maine and based in Philly, he’s also one of the most mysterious. He’s earned the right to be an enigma. He’ll release an album or two, tour hard for a few months, then disappear for a few years. He writes with the crooked heart of Vic Chesnutt and his pipes resemble the glassy, clear vocals of Wisconsin’s flannel mystic, Justin Vernon. Madison’s own man of old-time music mystery, artist and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Christensen, opens. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
  • The Center for Black Excellence and Culture Grand Opening, Wednesday, May 6, 671 W. Badger Road, 2-6 p.m.: The South Park Street corridor has been the scene of vibrant renewal in recent years, led by Madison’s communities of color. The Center for Black Excellence and Culture is a brand-new facility offering a home for educational and wellness programs, artistic expression, financial empowerment and more for the region’s Black community. All are welcome to the grand opening event, with building tours and a chance to meet the Center’s leadership and learn more about upcoming programming. RSVP here and learn more at theblackcenter.org; read Lauren Hafeman's preview of the Center's arts programming here.
  • Jane Smiley, Wednesday, May 6, Central Library, 7 p.m.: The title character in Jane Smiley’s latest novel, Lidie, first appeared in the 1998 bestselling historical novel, The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton. In that book, no-nonsense Lidie tracks down the killers of her abolitionist husband in the Kansas Territory in 1855. Now, two years later, she’s back for more travels and adventures in this stand-alone sequel. Lidie returns to her hometown of Quincy, Ill., and befriends her self-assured and mischievous niece, Annie. Circumstances lead them to Liverpool, England, where they each attempt to find fulfillment during a volatile era. We should also note that Smiley won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for 1992’s A Thousand Acres. Smiley will discuss her work at this Wisconsin Book Festival event.
  • Queery Live, Wednesday, May 6, Delta Beer Lab, 7 p.m.: Did you know that WORT-FM is home to one of the longest-running LGBTQIA+-themed programs on radio? Queery airs every Wednesday at 7 p.m. (at 89.9 FM and streaming), and the show’s hosts will take the show on the road for a live broadcast celebrating its 30th anniversary. Doors open at 6 p.m., and be prepared to be settled in by 6:50 p.m. for the broadcast; a social will follow.
  • Wilder Deitz’s American Canon, Wednesdays, through May 20, Muso, 7 p.m.: Madison musician and educator Wilder Deitz has been playing a variety of instruments and composing in a variety of genres from an early age. For “American Canon,” Deitz will pull together seemingly disparate musical threads and examine their connections in a series of performances-lectures. Deitz will be joined by bassist John Minnich, saxophonist Nathan France, and guests.
  • Susan Simensky Bietila, Thursday, May 7, A Room of One’s Own, 6 p.m.: Susan Simensky Bietila is described by PM Press as a “movement artist, agitator and cultural conspirator;” all three of those characteristics are on bold display in the Milwaukeean’s new memoir, Front Lines: A Lifetime of Drawing Resistance. In it, she chronicles six decades as an activist and an artist; her political posters, comics, protest banners, masks and giant puppets have helped fuel plenty of good trouble. This stirring narrative is accompanied by more than 100 images and 11 comics — making for a fittingly unconventional read.
  • Off the Record, Thursday, May 7, Roxxy, 6:30 p.m.: As more and more of the traditional news media is gobbled up and controlled by corporate (and typically right wing) interests, the continued existence of independent outlets free from political influence is ever more important. One such institution in Wisconsin is The Badger Project, a small nonprofit newsroom focusing on politics and law enforcement issues, which maintains a website and offers its content to newspapers around the state. Off the Record is a fundraiser show featuring stand-up by five nationally known comics: Chastity Washington, Chris Calogero, Dana Ehrmann, Elijah Holbrook and Emily Winter. Tickets at eventbrite.com.
  • Bad Momz of Comedy, Thursday, May 7, Forward Club, 7 p.m.: Since its 2022 debut in Chicago, Bad Momz of Comedy has been steadily growing its roster of comedians (currently including more than 80 moms/females) and extending its reach around the Midwest and beyond. The jokes may often be aimed at moms but will also make everyone else laugh with stories of family chaos, adult survival, and everyday indignities. Cheshire Cat Comedy is hosting a Madison tour stop featuring sets by Bad Momz founder Orly KG, fellow Chicagoan Mo Good, LA-turned-Midwest stand-up Rachel Mac, and Madison’s own Peggy Hurley (Monkey Business Institute) and Sasha Rosser (2025 Madison’s Funniest Comic winner). Tickets at eventbrite.com.
  • The Threepenny Opera, through May 9, Bartell Theatre: Most everyone knows about the character “Mack the Knife” thanks to the still-ubiquitous 1959 Bobby Darin hit, which puts a smooth and swinging gloss on the danger. The Threepenny Opera, where the song has its origins, is a different animal. It’s a show that’s always had an edge, but this Mercury Players Theatre production may sharpen it. Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s story of crime, power, and a world that doesn’t pretend to be fair returns via a new translation by Sean Langenecker and Megan McGlone. It’s part of the statewide World Premiere Wisconsin festival. Final performances at 7:30 p.m. May 7-8 and 2 p.m. May 9; tickets at bartelltheatre.org.
  • Alan Doyle, Thursday, May 7, Atwood Music Hall, 8 p.m.: For those of us who still miss Great Big Sea — the energetic Canadian band of merrymakers that fused rock-pop interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs with their own catchy material — the opportunity to see one of its core members perform is the next best thing. After Great Big Sea parted in 2013, singer/guitarist Alan Doyle embarked on a solo career during which he has consistently released new music. His latest is the six-song EP Already Dancing, released in February, which suggests that while Doyle is in a more reflective mood these days, his songwriting remains sharp. And, yes, he still plays Great Big Sea tunes, too. Bandits on the Run, a quirky indie-folk-pop-americana trio from Brooklyn, N.Y., opens. Tickets at theatwoodmusichall.com.

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