What to do in Madison this weekend: 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' at Duck Soup, Bicycle Film Fest and more Isthmus Picks

by

World Dairy Expo, through Oct. 4, Alliant Energy Center: If you’ve never been to the World Dairy Expo, it’s definitely worth attending at least once, and Thursday is your last chance. The exhibits will be more beneficial if you are a dairy farmer, but if you want to understand that dairy farming is both a science and a business, this is a good way to do it. Prize dairy cows in an array of breeds (Ayrshires, Jersey, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein) are shown like beauty queens in the center ring of the Coliseum. The Purple Cow gift shop features cow-themed clothes, art, and other doodads. And don’t miss the food concessions, with UW-Madison ag school's specialty grilled cheese stand (also serving chocolate shakes) always a favorite. Find the schedule and tickets at worlddairyexpo.com.

Nordic Utopia? African Americans in the 20th Century, through Nov. 10, Chazen Museum of Art; reception Oct. 3, 5 p.m.: Forget Paris. “Nordic Utopia? African Americans in the 20th Century” focuses on Black artists who turned to Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, where they found opportunities not available to them in the United States. More than 60 drawings, paintings, photographs, textiles, film, music and dance are featured, with subjects including Josephine Baker and Dexter Gordon. The reception on Oct. 3 will feature a performance by the Dexter Gordon Tribute Band, along with a talk by co-curators Ethelene Whitmire and Leslie Anderson; on Oct. 4, director Janus Køster-Rasmussen will appear at a screening of his documentary Cool Cats. Register for events at eventbrite.com.

In Search of Awe, through Nov. 17, Overture Center-Playhouse Gallery; reception Oct. 3, 5:30-8:30 p.m.: This fall brought the return of Madison organization PhotoMidwest’s Biennial Juried Exhibition, now on display at Arts + Literature Laboratory (along with a pair of related exhibits). Biennial-related exhibits got underway in August with “In Search of Awe,” a collection of photographs by PhotoMidwest members juried by board member Tim Mulcahy. A reception takes place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 3. Find a virtual gallery and info on all exhibits at photomidwest.org. See Graham Brown’s piece here on the exhibits.

Artists Beyond Boundaries, Thursday, Oct. 3, Goodman Community Center-Brassworks, 6-8 p.m.: All artists strive to go beyond boundaries, including those who live with disabilities. Access to Independence hosts its annual Artists Beyond Boundaries reception, exhibiting work by 40 Wisconsin artists. The evening will include an announcement of which works were selected for a 2025 calendar, a community art project and refreshments; register at eventbrite.com.

Bicycle Film Festival, Thursday, Oct. 3, Barrymore, 6:30 p.m.: This evening of bicycling film shorts includes documentaries, narratives and animations. Slated are films about a Diné mountain biker and a family that travels from bike park to bike park across Europe. This is the festival’s first trip to Madison, though it's been around since 2001, promoting the bicycle as eco-friendly good fun (and exercise). There will be a pre-show social hour with vegan food options at Working Draft Beer Company at 4:30 p.m. Tickets at barrymorelive.com. All local proceeds support cycling advocacy group Madison Bikes.

Don Farrell, Thursday, Oct. 3, Bur Oak, 7:30 p.m.: C’mon and enter the time machine for “All the Way: A Frank Sinatra Tribute,” the season opening Cabaret Soiree concert from Capital City Theatre. Don Farrell has made a living all over the U.S. (including Vegas) crooning nostalgia in the voice of Sinatra and other superstars like Tony Bennett, Jimmy Buffet and Neil Diamond. He’s as show business as it gets. He also sings in his own voice with symphonies around the country including Phoenix, Cincinnati and Duluth. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Paul Jacobs, Thursday, Oct. 3, Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.: The 20th anniversary of Overture’s Orgelbau Klais concert organ is the organizing theme for the upcoming organ season from the Madison Symphony Orchestra. The opener showcases the artistry of Paul Jacobs, the first organist to have ever won a Grammy and MSO principal organist Greg Zelek’s teacher at Juilliard. Jacobs will play a varied program that includes Franz Liszt’s gargantuan Fantasy and Fugue on the Chorale Ad nos, ad salutarem undam, and American composer Charles Ives’ Variations on America.

42 Dugg, Thursday, Oct. 3, The Sylvee, 8 p.m.: Detroit rapper 42 Dugg has been a steady presence on the Billboard charts this decade with mixtapes like Free Dem Boyz and Last Ones Left, plus a stream of guest spots on singles dating back to early collabs with Lil Baby, “Grace” and “We Paid.” Following a stint in prison after failing to report for an earlier charge, 42 Dugg returned in 2024 with his first official full-length album, 4Eva Us Neva Them, which pulls no punches in considering his recent brushes with the law. He’s on tour with Audi Money, Yungeen Ace, Cartier and rising Milwaukee hip-hop artist Chicken P. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Gallery Night, Friday, Oct. 4, various venues, 5-9 p.m.: There’s always something fun to discover at Gallery Night, the MMoCA-sponsored open studio event that welcomes art lovers to art spaces all over town. In addition to galleries and studios, you’ll find art in yoga studios, bars, breweries, real estate offices, pet stores, dentist offices, banks and more. Map out your route in advance with this list at mmoca.org.

Interwoven, through Oct. 19, Textile Arts Center: The nonprofit Textile Arts Center was founded in 2023 to serve as a hub for the fiber arts community, and since opening has maintained a busy schedule of classes, gallery shows and other events. “Interwoven” is the first exhibition of work by TAC members, and will feature pieces created with a wide variety of techniques by almost 60 regional artists. A Gallery Night reception takes place from 5-9 p.m. on Oct. 4; regular public gallery hours are noon-4 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; find more info at textileartsmadison.org

The God Cluster: A Queer Pandemic Revenge Tragedy, Oct. 4-26, 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 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 and 2 p.m., Oct. 13 and 20. A talkback with Lijoi will follow the Oct. 5 performance.

Kat and the Hurricane album release, Friday, Oct. 4, High Noon Saloon, 7:30 p.m.: During their years together, Madison trio Kat and the Hurricane have blended synth-pop, pop-punk and indie guitar rock into a sound of their own, supporting storytelling about queer and trans lives that ranges from celebratory to cathartic. Unveiled at this show is their debut full-length album, Got It Out; the album was preceded this summer by a series of strong singles including “Costume,” featuring K.I.L.O aka SkitL’z, who is also playing the release party along with Lunar Moth and Secret Menu. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Farm/Art DTour, Oct. 5-14, 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 Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Saturday, Oct. 5, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 2 and 7 p.m.: This year’s Duck Soup Cinema — a classic silent film series screening in the era-appropriate Capitol Theater — starts with the creepy The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari from the 1920s. The German horror film centers around a mysterious stranger and his even more macabre sidekick, and the string of murders that take place after they arrive in a small town. The strange angular backdrops are a hallmark of German Expressionism. Clark Wilson will play the theater’s original Grand Barton Organ, creating period music to accompany the action and underline the actors' emotions. Tickets at overture.org.

SJC Jubilee, Saturday, Oct. 5, Social Justice Center, 4-9 p.m.: The Social Justice Center serves as the home base for 15 community organizations, along with hosting the Jackie Macaulay Gallery. Help support the center and have a good time besides by attending the annual SJC Jubilee fundraiser, which features art, food, an open mic, and music by Flower Buds, Ladyscissors and Def Sonic. More info at facebook.com/SocialJusticeCenter.

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. There will be approximately 34 entries this year for screening, with live performances by Erika Meitner and Michelle Kelley (Oct. 5) and Diya Abbas and Natalie Hinckley (Oct. 12). Filmmakers, poets, and festival organizers will take part in a Q&A after the screenings. Find the film lineups at artlitlab.org.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Saturday, Oct. 5, Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Contemporary dance from the Windy City doesn’t get better than Hubbard Street, returning to Overture after a decade. The program features Echoes of our Ancestors by Maria Torres, Show Pony by Kyle Abraham, Into Being by FLOCK and return to patience by Aszure Barton. Tickets at overture.org.

Robert J, Sunday, Oct. 6, Harmony Bar, 1:30 p.m.: The talented, veteran singer-songwriter returned to the 608 last spring after living in Connecticut for a time. He picked up right where he left off, gigging solo and with others and bringing his blend of blues, country and rock to new and old fans alike. This is a pre-Packers game show with an early start so go for the rock, stay for the Pack.

Madison Red & the Band That Time Forgot + White Trash Blues Band, Sunday, Oct. 6, The Mill, Paoli, 2 p.m.: Any show by Madison Red & the Band That Time Forgot is noteworthy; the jump blues and swing aficionados are expert in a wide range of vintage music, along with writing new songs in the style (like their cheeky tribute to an infamous Madison bar, “Jocko’s Rocket Ship”). For this one the band will be joined by special guests, along with a noteworthy opener: 1960s Madison club favorites The White Trash Blues Band will reconvene for a set. It should be a one-of-a-kind afternoon.

Steve Martin + Martin Short, Sunday, Oct. 6, Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.: It’s not often that two guys described as “comedy legends” are as lively and vital as Steve Martin and Martin Short. In addition to their popular Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, the two are touring with the live show “The Dukes of Funnytown,” with fond ribbing, shaggy dog stories, and even banjo playing. One Youtube clip even seemed to suggest there might be some Happy Feet going on. Dare we hope? Also appearing are frequent Steve Martin collaborators Jeff Babko and the Steep Canyon Rangers for down-home bluegrass. Tickets at overture.org.

Billy Bragg, Sunday, Oct. 6, Barrymore, 7:30 p.m.: Billy Bragg emerged from the politics and punk of his native Great Britain 40 years ago. This tour, “The Roaring Forty,” celebrates his career so far as a live performer as well as a prolific recording artist via a new box set spanning his vast repertoire. His protest songs are delivered with a tenderness that soothes even as they provoke. Springsteen may rock harder but he has nothing over Bragg lyrically or musically when it comes to merging our common cause with a common emotion. With Trapper Schoepp. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.