What to do in Madison this week: Danielle Trussoni, '1-800-ON-HER-OWN' and more Isthmus Picks

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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.

From Ground Zero: Untold Stories from Gaza, Monday Oct. 7, Central Library, 5 p.m.: A coalition of Madison-area groups will show a collection of 20 new short films from Gaza, made with director Rashid Masharawi. Masharawi recently showed it in a “protest screening” outside the Cannes Film Festival. Co-sponsors are Students for Justice in Palestine-UW, Madison Rafah Sister City Project, World Beyond War-Madison, MADSA, Veterans for Peace and Jewish Voice for Peace-Madison. Social time starts at 5 p.m.; films at 5:30 p.m., and there will be a Zoom Q&A with film producers after the screening.

Danielle Trussoni, Monday, Oct. 7, Sequoya Library, 6 p.m.: Trussoni, a former book columnist for The New York Times, has already penned five intriguing mystery-thrillers as well as a memoir of growing up in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Her latest, The Puzzle Box, is a thriller in which a neurodivergent puzzle master has a limited time to solve a mystery regarding an imperial treasure and two sisters descended from an ancient Samurai clan. This event is sponsored by Mystery to Me. Reserve a free spot here.

1-800-ON-HER-OWN, Tuesday, Oct. 8, Barrymore, 7:30 p.m.: Since the 1990s, Ani DiFranco has forged her own fiercely independent path in art, life and business, in the process becoming an iconic singer-songwriter, social activist and DIY business leader. Director Dana Flor tells DiFranco’s story in the new documentary 1-800-ON-HER-OWN, which premiered this summer at the Tribeca Film Festival. Following the screening, Flor, producer Amy Hobby, and DiFranco will participate in a Q&A. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

American Aquarium, Tuesday, Oct. 8, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Taking its name from the first line of Wilco’s “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” American Aquarium never got as big as that band. But it has been releasing consistently solid alternative country albums for nearly two decades, and that alone is impressive. The North Carolina band’s latest, The Fear of Standing Still, dropped in July, and it’s packed with grit and guts, anchored by incisive lyrics that broach the complexity of Southern identity, the intersection of generational trauma and the dismantling of reproductive rights. Kentucky-based country singer-songwriter Abby Hamilton opens. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Amazing Acro-Cats, Oct. 9-13 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. 9-11, 2 and 7 p.m. on Oct. 12 and 1 p.m. on Oct. 13. Tickets at bartelltheatre.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.

Project Projection, Wednesday, Oct. 9, Arts + Literature Lab, 7 p.m.: Mills Folly Microcinema presents this program of locally made film and video with experimental films, poetic documentaries, music videos, and animation. Some of the films expected to be on the program include 30 Moving Type Studies: 16 Letters, 30 Seconds by Michael Doyle Olson, October by Gregg Williard, Space Film by Dale Kaminski, The Artist I've Become by Al Rasho and flaring memories by Shico. They range from 1-15 minutes. Q&A session with some of the filmmakers will follow.

Ben Folds, Wednesday, Oct. 9, Orpheum, 8 p.m.: Singer-songwriter Ben Folds, perhaps best known for his '90s alt-rock trio Ben Folds Five, has sporadically released solo albums for the past 23 years — including last year’s What Matters Most. But Folds also has performed with symphonies; earned accolades as an author and podcast host; composed for film, TV and theater; collaborated with Regina Spektor and “Weird Al” Yankovic; worked on projects with William Shatner and Nick Hornby; and launched the music education charity “Keys for Kids.” He’s quite entertaining, too. Singer and actress Lindsey Kraft (Netflix’s Grace and Frankie and Obliterated) will open with her own brand of theatrical pop songs — including some from her one-woman autobiographical musical, love, me. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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