What to do in Madison this week: Diana Ross, Chasten Buttigieg and more Isthmus Picks

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Madison Public Market Open House, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 200 N. First St., 5-8 p.m.: The building still looks like the city’s old fleet services station, but all systems are finally “go” for the development of the Madison Public Market on this site. Before it gets all dusty, though, take a sneak peek with more than 20 vendors who are slated to sell their wares at the market, from Melly Mel’s Soul Food to Creative Vixen Design. Hint: Most of the vendors are dishing up food, so come with an appetite. Registration here is appreciated.

Earth Connections, through Oct. 31, Farley Center, Verona: More than 25 artists are creating installations designed to be short-lived throughout the grounds of the Farley Center for Peace, Justice and Sustainability; all works in “Earth Connections” are made with materials that will break down. It’s an elegant way to point out the ephemeral nature of most of our world, including ourselves. Find more info at farleycenter.org.

Shannon Clay, Tuesday, Sept. 12, A Room of One’s Own, 6 p.m.: Long before the political right wing made the nebulous antifa movement a favorite catch-all bogeyman, there was Anti-Racist Action — a perhaps slightly less decentralized collection of local responses to neo-Nazis and fascists co-opting the skinhead and DIY punk cultures in the 1980s. The new book We Go Where They Go: the Story of Anti-Racist Action tracks the movement’s history; Shannon Clay, a co-author (along with Lady, Kristin Schwartz, and Michael Staudenmaier) will discuss the book and participate in a Q&A at this event.

Diana Ross, Tuesday, Sept. 12, Orpheum, 8 p.m.: With 12 No. 1 Billboard hits, The Supremes were one of the dominant groups of the 1960s, helping make Motown Records into an institution. After going solo in 1970, Diana Ross became an icon, keeping the charts bumping well into the 1980s and beyond (including a recent collaboration with Tame Impala, “Turn Up the Sunshine,” from the soundtrack of Minions: The Rise of Gru). The hits are the focus of Ross’ “Music Legacy Tour,” and one of a handful of Midwest dates is right here in Madison. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Kelly Mathews, through Sept. 15, Union South-Gallery 1308: Kelly Mathews probes her own past for the exhibit “Being Bipolar in a Polarized World”; her bipolar disorder leads her to question contemporary society and how it treats those experiencing mental illness, addiction, and even those in recovery. What is “normal”; how can we tell? Her chosen media are encaustic (pigments and hot wax) and photography. The gallery is open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Chasten Buttigieg, Wednesday, Sept. 13, Central Library, 7 p.m.: In the 2020 memoir I Have Something To Tell You, Chasten Buttigieg tells the story of his life, from growing up and feeling out of place in rural Michigan, eventually coming out to his family, and meeting his future husband — Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, a 2020 presidential candidate, and current U.S. secretary of transportation. At this Wisconsin Book Festival event, Chasten Buttigieg will discuss a new young adult edition of the memoir with Wisconsin Public Radio reporter Maureen McCollum.

The Garbologists, Sept. 7-24, Overture Center-Playhouse: ‌Forward Theater kicks off its 2023-2024 season with this recent play by Lindsay Joelle about two sanitation workers in an odd-couple matchup that recalls not only the Neil Simon play but such buddy comedies as Lethal Weapon. In The Garbologists, a white, blue-collar garbage truck veteran is paired with a Black, Ivy League-educated woman. The worst and best that can happen is that they’ll learn something about each other, and themselves. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, plus 2 p.m., Sept. 16 & 23. Tickets at overture.org.

Nate Chappell Asks You Several Questions, Wednesday, Sept. 13, Gib’s Bar, 7:30 p.m.: Does anyone care what you think? Nate Chappell does. In his running gig, “Nate Chappell Asks You Several Questions,” the comedy flows when he queries Johnny Fisher, Allie Lindsay, Bianca Martin, Joe Thompson and Kevin Willmott II. It’s all about as serious as The Hollywood Squares. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Toad the Wet Sprocket, Wednesday, Sept. 13, Barrymore, 8 p.m.: There was a period in the mid-'90s when the introspective, melodic indie rock of Toad the Wet Sprocket was everywhere, from the radio to the soundtracks of the movies you were going to see. Three of the original four members are back, with a 2021 album and a remastered greatest hits package. The Verve Pipe opens. Read Stephen Coss’s preview here. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Jason Moon, Thursday, Sept. 14, Up North Pub, 6 p.m.: Milwaukee native Jason Moon has been living in Arizona in recent years. But the singer-songwriter is back in Wisconsin and playing shows this fall in support of Warrior Songs, a nonprofit that taps the creative arts to help military veterans recover from trauma; planned future album projects will focus on the experiences of BIPOC veterans. A series of regional concerts this week includes a double bill with Kyle Rightley (6 p.m., Sept. 14, Up North) and a solo show (5 p.m., Sept. 15, VFW Post 1318). Watch for info on more shows at facebook.com/WarriorSongs.

Beth Nguyen, Thursday, Sept. 14, A Room of One’s Own, 6 p.m.: Beth Nguyen, a creative writing instructor at UW-Madison, wrote what USA Today and NPR both deemed one of the most anticipated books of the year. Owner of a Lonely Heart is a memoir about family, connection and belonging. A refugee from post-war Vietnam, Nguyen was 8 months old when she and her father fled the country with her sister and other relatives for Michigan, leaving Nguyen’s mom behind. Over the course of her adult life, mother and daughter have spent fewer than 24 hours together, and the book recounts those handful of visits while also exploring the roles various mothers have played in Nguyen’s life. This event will include a reading and discussion.

TetraPAKMAN, through Sept. 29, Dark Star Art Bar: The work of Madison-based artist TetraPAKMAN has long considered concepts around conservation, and often created using repurposed/recycled materials. In recent years a focal point has been climate change and the role of the fossil fuel industry. That continues with “The Monster Across The Street,” a collection of work visualizing the environmental harm caused by burning methane (aka natural gas).

Fair Meadows Open House Days, Sept. 14-16, Fair Meadows SNA, Milton, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.: Fair Meadows, designated a state natural area in 2005, includes varied habitats for wildlife and plants, including a marsh, oak savanna, wet prairie and other terraforms. Madison Audubon now owns the property, and is opening it up for hikers, or just visitors who want to settle in and view the landscape, for three days, Sept. 14-16, with an RSVP. It's a special opportunity, as Fair Meadows remains closed to the public for spontaneous visits.

Ovef Ow, Thursday, Sept. 14, Communication, 7 p.m.: Chicago quartet Ovef Ow released their debut full-length, Vs. The Worm, in August. Its songs mix driving rhythms, glossy synths, and distorted guitars to create a set of socially conscious yet catchy anthems. Opening is BingBong, Madison guitar pop stalwarts who picked up MAMAs for Rock Performer of the Year and Rock/New Wave Song of the Year (for the single “Good Stuff”) at the recent Madison Area Music Association Awards. Tickets at communicationmadison.com.

Yard Act, Thursday, Sept. 14, UW Memorial Union Terrace, 7 p.m.: A set of dispatches from post-Brexit England, The Overload piled up critical accolades on its release in early 2022. Yard Act’s debut album is angry and funny, punky and dancey, unafraid to experiment, and probably was an instant favorite for fans of bands like Gang of Four, Art Brut or Pulp. The natural follow-up is, of course, an eight-minute song “about” trench coats (honestly, it does make sense, stick with it). If Yard Act continues to grow musically, this will be a show you will be very glad to have seen for free on the Terrace. With spiky Chicago quartet Stuck.

Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson-Apt. 2B, through Aug. 6, UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre: What is it with the post-pandemic mystery-solving? From Only Murders in the Building to the true crime podcast onslaught, everybody is a sleuth these days, it seems. Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson-Apt. 2B grows from that premise, with two roommates solving mysteries as a contempo-feminist Holmes and Watson pairing. This University Theatre production shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 14-24. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu (or at the theater box office one hour prior to performances).

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