What to do in Madison this weekend: Spine Stealers album release, WCO's ‘Convergence’ and more Isthmus Picks

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John Murray Mason, through Nov. 30, U-Frame-It-East; reception Oct. 10, 5-8 p.m.: Nobody knows Madison’s trees like photographer John Murray Mason. For the last two decades, Mason has been capturing the sculptural beauty of Madison’s trees in black-and-white. This exhibit, held in conjunction with PhotoMidwest, accompanies his new book Madison Trees in Season, which features 51 photos of Madison trees. Is your favorite among them?

Iron Chef Cook-Off, Thursday, Oct. 10, Arboretum Cohousing, 5 p.m.: This fundraiser for the Tenant Resource Center is back. Volunteer chefs (or teams of chefs) will compete with their best recipes for 3-5 bite-sized dishes each incorporating the secret ingredient. Teams cook offsite and arrive at the event ready to serve hungry you — and a panel of celebrity judges. There’s also a "people's choice" voting component. Suggested donation is $25, but no one will be turned away. This is always good noshing and the co-housing site, 1137 Erin St., should make for good companionship while judging. More info here.

Mike Bass, Thursday, Oct. 10, A Room of One’s Own, 6 p.m.: As co-owner of Zip-Dang on Monroe Street, Mike Bass sells “the un-mass-produced unusual.” So it’s fitting that his first book — Frightful Folklore of North America: Illustrated Folk Horror from Greenland to the Panama Canal — arrives just in time for spooky season and explores 100 gruesome and scary tales that were, as Bass notes in this handsome book’s introduction, “spawned by the wilderness, harshness and tragedy of this continent.” Bass also is a printmaker, and his ink and pencil drawings add artistic depth. If you can’t make it to this month’s appearance, Bass also will be at Mystery to Me on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Amazing Acro-Cats, through Oct. 13, Bartell Theatre: Are you a childless cat lady? Or do you just like cats? Or do you prefer dogs but are intrigued by the idea of cats doing canine tricks like jumping through hoops, ringing bells, balancing on balls, and playing in a rock band? Then the Amazing Acro-Cats is for you. It turns out that cats can do a lot more than just type really fast. The show is part of the Rock Cats Rescue organization and its advocacy for clicker training, of which the Amazing Acro-Cats shows are an educational and entertaining aspect. Shows at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10-11, 2 and 7 p.m. on Oct. 12 and 1 p.m. on Oct. 13. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Kanopy Dance Company, Oct. 10-12, Overture Center-Promenade Hall: Kanopy Dance director Lisa Thurrell characterizes “Polaris,” the company’s season-opening program, as “a fusion of Indigenous and modern expressions.” It features guest dancer and choreographer Daniel Fetecua Soto who brings a wealth of experience from his days as a soloist with the Limón Dance Company. Fetecua’s choreography often draws from Colombian folk traditions as well as modern dance techniques. On the program are Wolf: A Transformation, Rejoice: Returning Home and Pacha-Mama. Rosalie “Daystar” Jones, founder of the first Indigenous modern dance company in the U.S. and who choreographed Wolf, will also be on hand. Performances at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m on Oct. 11, and at 3 and 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 12. Tickets at overture.org.

Colin O’Brien + Gaines & Wagoner, Thursday, Oct. 10, North Street Cabaret, 7 p.m.: Nashville-based artist Colin O’Brien is a guitarist and songwriter influenced by the singular roots music worldviews of Leo Kottke and John Hartford, and brings his own style to the party. O’Brien is on a brief Midwestern swing ahead of the release of a new album, Thirteen, featuring solo guitar compositions. He will trade sets and share the stage with Madison music masters Chris Gaines and Mary Wagoner, which should make for a delightful night of music. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Eno, Thursday, Oct. 10, UW Cinematheque, 7 p.m.: Eno is a one-of-a-kind film highlighting a singular musician. Brian Eno, today perhaps best known as a producer, started out as a member of Roxy Music, moving on to a collab with Robert Fripp (King Crimson) before going solo and eventually becoming a pioneer of ambient music. He produced blockbuster records for David Bowie and Devo, and transformed Talking Heads from cerebral art rockers to electronic-world beat funk stars. And, fun fact — Eno composed the Windows start-up tone. Director Gary Hustwit uses software to generate a different version of the movie every time it’s shown.

Nate Gibson & the Stardazers, Thursday, Oct. 10, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: You may know Nate Gibson as one of the rotating hosts of Back to the Country on WORT-FM; or as a guitar-slingin' country/rockabilly musician; or maybe as the author of The Starday Story. All of these roles come together for the new show "Y'all Come: Starday Records in Story and Song,” in which Gibson will be joined by his band the Stardazers, with guests Eddie Rivers and Art Stevenson, for a set of music from the legendary label and tales of how the records were made. Tickets at stoughtonoperahouse.com.

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Thursday, Oct. 10, Overture-Capitol Theater, 7:30 p.m.: This is the second installment of WCO’s five-year recording project, Musical Landscapes in Color, called “Convergence.” The program features all Black American composers: Patrice Rushen, Valerie Coleman, Andre Myers and Michael Abels. Among the titles showing the composers' attention to the current state of the world are Umoja: Anthem of Unity by Coleman and Global Warming by Abels. Tickets at overture.org.

PhotoMidwest Biennial Juried Exhibition, through Sept. Nov. 9, Arts + Literature Lab: This celebration of modern photography features work by artists from 13 Midwest states, chosen by New York artist and publisher Kris Graves. Read Graham Brown's preview here. Related exhibits at ALL include Rashod Taylor's collection "Little Black Boy" and the "Flat File Project" including 10 Midwest artists; PhotoMidwest member exhibits include “In Search of Awe,” juried by board member Tim Mulcahy, through Nov. 17 at Overture Center’s Playhouse Gallery; and “For the Love of Light,” through Oct. 31 at the Pyle Center. Find more info on other area photography exhibits, and virtual galleries, at photomidwest.org.

The God Cluster: A Queer Pandemic Revenge Tragedy, through Oct. 26, Broom Street Theater: An intimate play set in a vaccine lab during “the next” pandemic. Mortality, medicine and love are front and center in this timely and thought provoking play by Ernie Lijoi. The God Cluster: A Queer Pandemic Revenge Tragedy was inspired by Lijoi’s two years' working in a COVID ICU. Shows are Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., plus 2 p.m., Oct. 13 and 20.

Mr. Gnome, Thursday, Oct. 10, Gamma Ray, 8 p.m.: Nearly two decades into their musical career, the Cleveland duo Mr. Gnome remains an unpredictable force; are they punk, synth-pop, shoegaze or…? Their new album, A Sliver of Space, explores those styles and more. The duo of Nicole Barille and Sam Meister will be joined by touring member Jonah Meister for what is always an exciting live show. With Pink Frost, VomBom. Tickets at etix.com.

Farm/Art DTour, through Oct. 14, rural Sauk County: This ephemeral combination of food and farming/harvest traditions with art — visual, performance, literary and more — only happens every couple years in rural Sauk County, and is always worth a slow drive along the 50-mile route. Eight artists or teams created new site-responsive artworks in farm fields along the route, which starts at County Highway PF just west of Prairie du Sac and winds through the hills south of Baraboo through Denzer, Leland, Witwen and Plain, where the scenery itself is enough to take your breath away. Performances and other events take place on the weekends. Maps can be picked up at the Sauk Prairie, Reedsburg and Baraboo Chamber of Commerce offices or Kraemer Library in Plain. Find a schedule of events at wormfarminstitute.org.

The Spine Stealers album release, Friday, Oct. 11, Lakeside Street Coffee House, 6 p.m.: As The Spine Stealers, the duo of Emma O’Shea and Kate Ruland play quietly attention-grabbing folk music. The recorded evidence released so far is moody, mellow and occasionally haunted-sounding, as on the intro to the early 2024 single “Midwest Winter.” The duo is releasing their debut, If The Sky Falls Beyond The Sidewalks, at this show, available on CD (or preorder the LP). With Ross Thorn, Bear in the Forest. Read Andy Moore’s profile of the band here.

I Voted for Kodos, Friday, Oct. 11, VFW Post 7591, 7 p.m.: Madison ska-punk outfit I Voted for Kodos was an early ‘00s favorite and one of the city’s dispatches to the national scene, touring around the country for a few years before calling it a day in 2007. The band has played only a handful of shows since then (the last time about a decade ago), so this is a rare chance to catch them in action live; the show also features a first-time LP release of one of their albums. With Something to Do, Four Aspirin Morning.

Tommy Castro & the Painkillers, Friday, Oct. 11, Stoughton Opera House, 7.30 p.m.: Prepare for an evening of award-winning blues. Tommy Castro and his longtime band the Painkillers are still supporting 2021’s Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came to Town, which tells the tale of a young man working on the family farm who gets bitten by the blues bug. While Castro has clarified the songs aren’t about him, he certainly is no stranger to the road, having traveled the world with his soulful and passionate blend of classic and contemporary blues for more than 30 years. In 2023, Castro won the Blues Music Award for “B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year” for the second straight year. The Nick Moss Band out of Chicago, meanwhile, will open after recently winning the 2024 Blues Music Award for “Band of the Year.” Tickets at stoughtonoperahouse.com.

Lords of the Trident EP release + Psychostick, Friday, Oct. 11, Crucible, 8:30 p.m.: Yeah, we know Chicago’s comedy metal band Psychostick technically is the headliner. Their songs like the rousing “Numbers (I Can Only Count to Four)” and the irritatingly catchy “Beer” have racked up millions of streams. But get to the club on time to see Madison’s metal maestros Lords of the Trident celebrate the release of V.G.E.P., which the band will play in its entirety. Four of the tracks were inspired by members’ favorite video games, while the fifth is a magnificent metal cover of Steve Winwood’s “Valerie.” Why? Because that pop song was often playing at the Aladdin’s Castle mall arcade where lead singer and band mastermind Ty Christian spent his formative years. Tickets at brownpapertickets.com.

The Untold Story of the Collyer Brothers, Oct. 11-26, Bartell Theatre: This is the first show for the new Madison Public Theatre (formerly Strollers Theatre), co-produced by Oracular Studios. The told part of the untold story is that the Collyer brothers, Homer and Langley, are hoarders living in a junk-laden, booby-trapped brownstone in 1930s Harlem. The Untold Story of the Collyer Brothers, written and directed by Madison’s Finn Gallagher, takes off from this intriguing true story. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (except for 2 p.m. on Oct. 26) and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Oct. 12-27, Madison Youth Arts: The beloved book series is transformed into a stage musical with the kid-friendly running time of 60 minutes for this Children’s Theater of Madison production. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, intended for ages 8 and up, centers on Greg, a middle-schooler, and his friendship situation. The script helps kids deal with themes like choices and belonging. Shows at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday, plus 7 p.m. on Oct. 25; tickets at overture.org.

Midwest Video Poetry Festival, Oct. 5 and 12, Arts + Literature Lab, 7 p.m.: This hybrid event returns for its fifth iteration, one of only four video poetry festivals in the United States. The art form, combining poetry with contemporary video making, has been taking off globally and has been well received in Madison. The second week of screenings includes a live performance by Diya Abbas and Natalie Hinckley. Filmmakers, poets, and festival organizers will take part in a Q&A after the screenings. Find the film lineups at artlitlab.org.

Bill Banfield & Dan Cavanagh, Saturday, Oct. 12, Cafe Coda, 8 p.m.: The scope of Bill Banfield’s work in classical music, academia and the intersection of the two is immense. Somehow, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s composer in residence has also found time along the way to record and perform as a jazz guitarist. His July album, Take Time to Listen, features contemplative solo guitar takes on songs by Sting, Carole King, Earl Klugh, along with a few Great American Songbook standards and Banfield originals. For this concert he will play solo and as a duo with pianist Dan Cavanagh, another composer and player comfortable in both classical and jazz modes (and director of the UW Mead Witter School of Music). Tickets at cafecoda.club.

Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O., Sunday, Oct. 13, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Multi-instrumentalist Kawabata Makoto has been experimenting with the outer limits of music in various bands since the late 1970s, most famously for about the last three decades in the many incarnations of Acid Mothers Temple. The music is a mix of 1960s heavy guitar psychedelia, the improvisation of jam bands, and avant-garde experimentation, and is always a thrilling live experience. The “Holy Black Mountain Side” tour finds Makoto in a quintet version of AMT; expect fireworks. With Spirit Mother. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

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