What to do in Madison this week: Banff Centre Mountain Film Fest, Kishi Bashi, and more

Note: Many venues and businesses may continue to maintain individual requirements for masking, as well as proof of COVID-19 vaccination and/or a negative test for entry. Before heading out for any in-person event, confirm it is still taking place and check for any attendance guidelines on the relevant business websites or social media accounts.

POSTPONED: James Baldwin’s Creative Process: Theorizing the 1941 Manuscript of Go Tell It on the Mountain, Monday, April 4, Zoom, 5 p.m.: More than three decades after his death, the work of writer James Baldwin holds a prominent place in American letters, and one that grows in stature with ongoing study (as well as being refreshed in the visual medium with the Academy Award-winning adaptation of If Beale Street Could Talk). Baldwin's debut novel, Go Tell it on the Mountain, had an extended gestation period before its publication in 1953; how the novel got there will be discussed by Jacqueline Goldsby, Thomas E. Donnelly Professor of African American Studies at Yale University. The talk is part of the Humanities Without Boundaries series hosted by the UW Center for the Humanities, and takes place on Zoom; register here. (April 4 update: This lecture is postponed due to illness.)

Kishi Bashi, Monday, April 4, Majestic, 8 p.m.: Omoiyari: A Song Film by Kishi Bashi, a companion piece to his 2019 album Omoiyari, premiered in March at SXSW. The album and film emerged from the songwriter and violinist's research into the history of internment camps for Japanese Americans during World War II (and recent government policy and political rhetoric fueling white supremacy). The music converts those heavy topics into songs that are elegiac yet hopeful. Kishi Bashi's current tour looks back to more recent history, celebrating the 10th anniversary reissue of his debut album, 151a; he will play the album in its entirety, with a full band. With Tall Tall Trees.

Flight of Lights, March 25-April 17, along International Lane, 7:30-11:30 p.m.: How are traditions hatched? This one was born out of the first year of the pandemic, when experiencing anything resembling mass entertainment was best from within the confines of your car. This third annual spring light display features six installations along the route around the airport, including tributes to first responders, the medical community, Wisconsin sports, animals and nature, tropical and nautical themes, and some favorite destinations. And just in case you've forgotten how to get to the airport, this can act as a practice drill. Vehicles enter the “Flight of Lights” route via International Lane. More info at flightoflights.com.

Dance with the Dead, Tuesday, April 5, High Noon Saloon, 7 p.m.: The duo of Tony Kim and Justin Pointer create a horror-themed mix of electronic music and metal guitars in Dance with the Dead. Visit a skeleton rave in the video for "Hex," from the new album Driven to Madness, released in January. Also on the bill: the cloaked-and-masked Idaho trio Magic Sword; and the gothy synth pop of Montreal-based Das Mörtal.

Jeffrey Boldt, Wednesday, April 6, Leopold’s Book Bar Caffé, 6 p.m.: Good news for avid readers: With each passing month, more authors are returning to in-person events. Madison’s Jeffrey D. Boldt — a former Wisconsin administrative law judge who received a master of fine arts degree in fiction three years ago — will launch his debut novel, Blue Lake, at Madison’s newest book store. This timely and highly readable environmental legal thriller, set in Wisconsin, has drawn comparisons to John Grisham’s work, and the rich descriptions of the Upper Midwest will resonate with readers. Boldt decided environmental cases in this state for 25 years, and his passion for the earth and our state seeps through every chapter.

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival, April 6-7, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7 p.m.: It's two nights of adventure films (14 in all) brought to Mad City from the heart of the Canadian Rockies. This film fest is all about immense landscapes, wild animals, athletic feats on the edge (often literally), and environmental consciousness. Reawaken your senses, live vicariously and revel in the terrifying and the sublime. The program on April 7 includes a screening of Breaking Trail, about Ice Age Trail through-hiker Emily Ford. Find tickets at overture.org.

Nektar, Wednesday, April 6, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: The prog progenitors Nektar returned in 2020 with an acclaimed new album, The Other Side, and are finally getting to hit the road to present its songs live. More than five decades since coming together as British expatriates in Germany, the rhythm section of bassist Derek "Mo" Moore and drummer Ron Howden lead the band (along with the continued presence of Mick Brockett, who coordinates the light show and visuals). Check ticket availability here.

Wolf Alice, Wednesday, April 6, The Majestic, 8 p.m.: With its bass-heavy riffs and energetic, often off-beat drumming, Wolf Alice's sound recalls grunge bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Veruca Salt. But vocalist Ellie Rowsell is sunnier than the big grunge gods and injects a bare minimum of hip-hop timing to bring this winning formula into the roaring '20s. It's a big sound; revel in it. With Charlie Hickey.

Madison's Funniest Comic, Wednesdays, April 6-May 4, Comedy on State, 9 p.m.: Take a deep dive into the pool of emerging comedians with the Madison's Funniest Comic competition, returning after a pandemic hiatus year. Preliminary rounds take place April 6-27, with the finals on May 4; showtime is 9 p.m., but the room fills up quickly so arriving closer to door time (7:30 p.m.) is a good idea. Stand-ups who would like to participate should sign up by March 31 at madisoncomedy.com.

Wisconsin Film Festival, April 7-14: Back in person after a canceled 2020 and a virtual 2021, the Wisconsin Film Festival kicks off on April 7 at the UW Memorial Union, with an opening night reception and presentation of the Golden Badger Awards (5:30 p.m., Main Lounge) and a showing of the film Anaïs in Love (Les amours d'Anaïs) which concerns a young woman who has a fling with a married man but falls in love with his wife — yes, it's in French (7 p.m., Shannon Hall). The fest continues through April 14 with documentaries, dramas, experimental films and animation at venues on campus and Hilldale's AMC 6. Find more details at wifilmfest.org.

Angela Trudell Vasquez, Thursday, April 7, Central Library, 7 p.m.: Angela Trudell Vasquez, Madison's poet laureate, had a number of plans for her tenure but then COVID hit. Fortunately, Vasquez has been reappointed for a second term and some big plans are back. In this Wisconsin Book Festival event, she will read from her new collection, My People Redux. Typical of Vasquez's thoughtful works, the poems encompass stories from her past and her ancestors who came to the Midwest from Mexico in the late 1800s, but they're not limited to that — geographically or imaginatively. In addition Vasquez will be poet-in-residence at Madison Public Library through May 2022, hosting workshops for all ages in which she will pair up with an artist, dancer or nature educator “to provide an interactive exploration that broadens the ways we experience poetry.” See more details at madpl.org/poetry.

Amanda McCavour, through Sept. 11, Chazen Museum of Art: First off, don't think traditional embroidery. McCavour's large-scale “thread drawings” in the exhibit Suspended Landscapes will fill the Paige Court in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Chazen Museum and its inaugural Elvehjem building. McCavour stitches with a sewing machine on a fabric base that dissolves in water, leaving a strong but delicate-seeming web of images. The Toronto based artist visited Madison several times to create a site-specific work incorporating images of Wisconsin flora on a big scale. McCavour also curated a show of artwork on campus that inspired her installation, alongside her own preparatory drawings and materials. The installation is on display through Sept. 11.

The Essential Midwest James, Thursday, April 7, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7:30 p.m.: Mills Folly Microcinema presents a cross-section of the multidisciplinary work of James D. Gavins, a UW-Madison graduate and staff member for the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives since 2019. The program includes a screening of Cicada, a film adaptation of a play written by Gavins and Karl Michael Iglesias which premiered at the 2021 Wisconsin Science Festival; dance theater performances by Gavins, Papa-Kobina Brewoo and Roel Hernandez; and music by Gavins accompanied by drummer Tim Russell. Find tickets at midwestjames.bpt.me.

Joe Hill: Alive as You and Me, Thursday, April 7, Dark Horse ArtBar, 7:30 p.m.: Unionization efforts have been in the news lately, including a successful campaign by Colectivo Coffee workers and the ongoing efforts of nurses to have their union recognized by UW Health. Industrial Workers of the World activist and songwriter Joe Hill was an early 20th century exponent of labor's fight for better conditions, and one of the movement's martyrs; he was executed in Utah under questionable circumstances in 1915. Hear his songs and learn about his life from singer and storyteller Tom Kastle. This Fermat's Last Theater program also includes a post-concert discussion of the modern union movement led by UW School for Workers professor emeritus Frank Emspak. Free admission; proof of vaccination required.

Attack of the Killer Bs, through April 16, Broom Street Theater: Barbara and Glen take a trip to the cemetery to visit a grave and are beset by zombies. If that sounds familiar, you have seen Night of the Living Dead. This play by Sean Abley starts there and then proceeds to tour its characters through a panoply of other classic (and not so classic) horror, sci-fi and exploitation films. It should provide an entertaining travelogue for anyone familiar with vintage drive-in fare, and laughs even if you can't name an Ed Wood movie. Broom Street Theater's production of Attack of the Killer Bs hits the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.

We hope it’s handy for you to find Picks grouped together in a single post. The individual Picks can still be found in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.

Editor's note: This post has been updated to include the postponement of Jacqueline Goldsby's lecture.