Wail and Disq

Belated album release parties and many more Isthmus Picks for Dec. 2-9

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The face covering requirement from Public Health Madison and Dane County is currently extended through Jan. 3. Many venues and businesses continue to maintain individual requirements for proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test for entry, as well as face masks. Before heading out, confirm events are still taking place and check for current guidelines on the relevant business websites or social media accounts.

Anwar Floyd-Pruitt, through Dec. 3, Edgewood College-The Stream Gallery: Milwaukee/Madison artist Anwar Floyd-Pruitt follows his 2020 show Supernova at The Chazen with a smaller but maybe even more impressive and focused collection of mixed media works on paper and canvas, titled Usable Scraps. Questions of identity and self-representation recur as Floyd-Pruitt stencils, collages and paints rough and hodgepodged portraits on crumpled paper and found materials that are pinned, grommeted and stapled. While the cobbled-together representations can be disconcerting, the overall effect is of unrestrained exuberance. The final hours for this exhibit are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Friday.

The Nielsen Trust, Thursday, Dec. 2, Majestic, 7 p.m.: It's not a financial plan, it's a rock band. The Nielsens in this case are Daxx, Miles and Rick, all veteran musicians from the Rockford area, joined by Miles' wife, singer-songwriter Kelly Steward. (Hint: You may have seen the three Nielsens at past Madison shows by Cheap Trick and Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts.) Expect songs from everyone's catalogs and plenty of rock 'n roll stories. With Dan Hubbard. Tickets at majesticmadison.com.

Northside Arts Collective Social, Thursday, Dec. 2, Bierock, 7 p.m.: The Northside Artists Group, founded in 2005 with a focus on the visual arts, has been reborn as the Northside Arts Collective, with an expanded mission including the literary and performing arts. The new co-leaders of the organization are Our Vibrant Community founder Rhiannon Gurley and SmereTactics founder Sara Meredith. The results of a survey of what north-side creatives are interested in will be discussed at the first NAC Arts Social, where you can also learn more about the collective and how to become a member.

Common Chord, Thursday, Dec. 2, Brink Lounge, 7 p.m.: Beginning as a duo project of former Sticky Fingers members Michael Bryant and Tracy Jane Comer, Common Chord quickly grew into a quintet with the addition of Faye Bruggink, Bruce Buttel and Delores Jenison. Together, the band brings some serious multi-instrumental chops and winning vocal harmonies to a wide range of material, from folk to the Great American Songbook to classic rock. For this concert they'll mix in some holiday music, both familiar, newly arranged, and newly composed by Common Chord members. Donations for admission benefit Porchlight.

Bonnets, Thursday, Dec. 2, UW-Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre, 7:30 p.m.: Not to be confused with Baskets, the television series co-created by Zach Galifianakis, Bonnets — also, admittedly, a dark comedy — is subtitled “How Ladies of Good Breeding Are Induced to Murder.” The play is a feminist look at how violence and power live on, but these bonneted females are ready to take matters into their own hands. Written by Jen Silverman, this University Theatre production is one of several new plays by and about women commissioned as part of the Big Ten Theatre Consortium New Play Initiative. ALSO: Friday-Saturday (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.), Dec. 3-5; through Dec. 12. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Harmonious Wail album release, Thursday, Dec. 2, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: After March 2020 and into this year, Madison's Gypsy swing ambassadors stayed active with a weekly livestream concert series and shepherded the release of their 10th album, Beyond the Pale, in August 2020. But the group wasn't able to host an in-person release party for the album — until now. Beyond the Pale features new original songs and well chosen covers set to the Wail's own swinging groove. The release also marks Harmonious Wail's first outing to be released on LP (CD and digital versions are available,too), and the show is a great way to track down a copy.

Winter Fantasia, Thursday, Dec. 2, Overture Center-Promenade Hall, 7:30 p.m.: A city snowstorm is a special magic and urban sounds inspire Kanopy Dance Company’s “Winter in The City,” an homage of sorts to Leonard Bernstein’s score for On the Town. Scandinavian folklore inspired the other dances on the 2021 Winter Fantasia program: “Once Upon a Winter's Eve” and the “Norse Tree of Life." ALSO: Friday (7:30 p.m.), Saturday (2 and 5 p.m.) and Sunday 1 and 4 p.m.), Dec. 3-5; find more info at kanopydance.org.

All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Thursday, Dec. 2, Overture Center-Playhouse, 7:30 p.m.: Four Seasons Theatre and Overture Center kick off the holiday season with a true story of Christmas spirit among enemy soldiers. Written by UW-Madison graduate and Theatre Latté Da co-founder Peter Rothstein, All is Calm is an a cappella musical recounting of Christmas on the Western Front of 1914, told through the words of the men who were actually there. Get ready for a night of peace, poetry and goodwill toward all. ALSO: Friday (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday (2 p.m.), Dec. 3-4; through Dec. 12. Tickets at overture.org.

Steve Feren Glassblowing Demos, Friday, Dec. 3, 2601 County Road MM, Fitchburg, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Steve Feren, glass sculptor and former longtime head of the glass program at UW-Madison, is showing everybody what he does, which is a fascinating and meditative process that involves blowing air into a blob of molten glass. Not bad for something that starts as soda ash, limestone and sand. Demonstrations will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 3-19, at his studio at 2601 County Road MM, Fitchburg. Glass pieces will also be for sale in the connecting gallery. More information: steveferenart.com.

Friday Noon Musicale, Friday, Dec. 3, First Unitarian Society, noon: The weekly free Friday lunchtime concert series at First Unitarian Society is a Madison tradition which has been mostly silenced during the pandemic era. Plans are underway to resume a regular schedule in January, but before then classical listeners receive an early Christmas present: a standalone concert by Chicago pianist Mark Valenti, playing works by Bartok, Beethoven, Debussy and Rachmaninoff.

The Last Glacier + Matthew Warren Lee, Friday, Dec. 3, Overture Center-James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy, 6-8 p.m.: Todd Anderson, Bruce Crownover, and Ian van Coller — two printmakers and a photographer — have dubbed themselves “The Last Glacier” collective, and are using art to document the waning of earth’s remaining glaciers. Also in the gallery is The Book of Miracles, a collection of oil paintings of dominating landscapes by Matthew Warren Lee. In all cases, the art is realistic, but goes beyond realism. Friday's reception features the artists. The gallery is open Thursdays through Saturdays from noon-6 p.m. and Sundays noon-5 p.m. and Overture currently requires all visitors to show proof of COVID vaccination or negative test.

Madison Symphony Orchestra, Friday, Dec. 3, Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.: It's December, which means it's time for the MSO's annual A Madison Symphony Christmas program. Plenty of singing is on deck, with soprano Elizabeth Caballero and tenor Jared Esguerra visiting as guest soloists; the Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Youth Choirs and Mt. Zion Gospel Choir in attendance; and audience participation encouraged for carols (bring your best singing mask). The concert features classical works by Bach, Handel, Rutter and others, as well as plenty of seasonal songs. ALSO: Saturday (8 p.m.) and Sunday (2:30 p.m.), with carols in the lobby 50 minutes prior to each concert. Tickets here.

Flipside, Friday, Dec. 3, Bartell Theatre, 7:30 p.m.: Magnum Opus Ballet debuted in 2017 with a mission to provide uplifting dance performances consistent with the dancers' faith in Christianity. Flipside premiered during the company's second season, and the ballet is staged again in a new version created for the holiday season, appropriate for audiences ages 8 and up. ALSO: Saturday, Dec. 4, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

R.A.P. Ferreira, Friday, Dec. 3, UW Union South-The Sett, 8 p.m.: Rory Allen Philip Ferreira has been blessing the world of underground hip-hop for years. Born in Chicago and brought up in Kenosha, he has been helping get Wisconsin some highly deserved recognition for experimental soundscapes for about a decade, previously under the project names Milo and Scallops Hotel. His most recent audio expedition is R.A.P. Ferreira, which so far has issued two albums: Purple Moonlight Pages and Bob's Son (the latter featuring him as both R.A.P. Ferreira and Scallops Hotel). Ferreira's musical universe of pseudonyms and alter egos is reminiscent of the late, great MF DOOM, and features similar flow-bending rap methods as well. With D.A.R.S.

Lindsey Stirling, Friday, December 3, The Sylvee, 8 p.m.: The award-winning pop violinist is dancing her way to Madison to spread some musical, magical Christmas cheer. Much like Michael Bublé, Stirling has become a holiday celebration staple with her electric violin style and on-stage spectacles. So it’s no surprise that this show will feature not only some of Stirling’s favorite tracks from her critically acclaimed 2017 holiday album, Warmer In The Winter, but also showcase a slew of awe-inspiring dancers dressed in glitzy and glamorous costumes. Tickets at thesylvee.com.

Disq, Friday, Dec. 3, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Madison rock quintet Disq made a splash with the national release of their second album, Collector, in March 2020, but the planned tour in support was blocked by the pandemic. Going on two years later (!), Disq finally gets to celebrate Collector with a headlining hometown show. With Chicago's Ganser, who also released an excellent and buzzed-about pandemic-time album, Just Look at That Sky.

Hoofers Ski and Snowboard Resale, Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 4-5, Union South, 8 a.m.: Get slope-ready at this annual fundraiser sale hosted by the UW Hoofers Ski and Snowboard Club. New and used downhill and cross-country skis, snowboards, boots, helmets, poles, jackets, and other items will be available at reduced prices. Community members are also invited to bring in equipment to sell; find consignment info at hoofersns.org/resale. The Hoofers Alpine and Nordic Ski Teams will offer snowboard waxing and ski sharpening. Proceeds from the event benefit the Hoofers Nordic, Alpine and Freestyle Ski Teams and the Hoofer Ski and Snowboard Club. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 4 and 8 a.m. to noon on Dec. 5.

Kloepper Concert, Saturday, Dec. 4, UW Lathrop Hall-H'Doubler Space, 8 p.m.: The UW Dance Department presents its annual compendium of student work, featuring new choreography by a dozen dancers as well as a collaborative work by first-year students. The concerts are named in honor of former professor and department chair Louise Kloepper, who retired in 1975. ALSO: Sunday, Dec. 5, 2:30 p.m.; find tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Billy Idol + Steve Stevens, Saturday, Dec. 4, Barrymore Theatre, 8 p.m.: Christmas comes early for longtime Billy Idol fans, as he teams up with guitarist Steve Stevens — who played on Idol’s multiplatinum 1980s albums Rebel Yell and Whiplash Smile — for a short run of pre-holiday acoustic dates. The tour celebrates the release of a new version of Happy Holidays, Idol's 2006 album that has been remixed and remastered with a better cover and a different track listing. We know what you’re thinking: Is this for real? Oh, yes. Idol trades in his gruff snarl for a jaunty take on “Frosty the Snowman” and a jazzy rendition of “Let It Snow.” No word on whether the duo will stick exclusively to holiday songs, but wouldn’t a live acoustic version of “White Wedding” be a swell companion piece to “White Christmas”?

Winter Choral Concert, Sunday, Dec. 5, UW Hamel Music Center-Mead Witter Hall, 2 & 4 p.m.: This annual end-of-the-semester concert is always a pre-holiday favorite, with the UW Concert Choir, Treble Choir and Madrigal Singers pulling out all the stops. The acoustics are great, the material is always moving (this year's theme: "Peace and Love"), and it's free. The 4 p.m. concert will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

The Saddest Event in the World: Celebrating Chrissy (aka Predator): Sunday, Dec. 5, High Noon Saloon, 3 p.m.: Longtime Madison resident Chrissy Bocan blazed a path across the hearts of many as a founding member of the Mad Rollin' Dolls, a WORT radio host, and on both sides of the bar, slinging drinks or cheering on local bands (and playing with The Pints). Bocan died Nov. 1, and it's time to come together and honor her spirit of fun with a real blowout of a concert. Bongzilla, The Bon Squad, Pupy Costello & the New Hiram Kings, Dogsblood, Jayke Orvis, The Pints and Warhawks will all take the stage, and there will be bingo, food and more. Find more info here.

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Sunday Dec. 5, The Sylvee, 8 p.m.: Isbell plays country music that sounds like long distance trucking, appropriate since he used to play with Drive-By Truckers. It's the perfect blend of old school country, bluegrass and folk, and attuned to grassroots sentiments that are familiar to the rust belt but neither strictly blue America nor red America. Strand of Oaks opens.

POSTPONED: Dizzy Wright, Monday, Dec. 6, Liquid, 7 p.m.: Rapper Dizzy Wright has built a fan base during the last decade while managing to mostly keep it indie. That method of operation was possibly informed by his early exposure to the music industry through family members (including uncles in Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) and his own groups at a young age. Wright is on tour with DJ Hoppa behind his September EP, Slidin' and Glidin'. With Tucson, Arizona, tourmate Marley B, and regional performers BOWDIZZ, Nino Cruz, Okayt98, Snake-Ey3z, TG Music and DJ Cadillac.

Matthew Rothschild, Tuesday-Wednesday, Dec. 7-8, Crowdcast, 7 p.m.: Wisconsin Democracy Campaign executive director Matthew Rothschild has been observing politics in the Badger State for decades, including as the longtime editor and publisher of The Progressive. You can bet he has some thoughts on what has taken place in state politics in recent times. Rothschild's latest book, 12 Ways to Save Democracy in Wisconsin, is just out from UW Press, and he will discuss some of these solutions in a pair of Crowdcast events this week. Tuesday’s appearance, hosted by Mystery to Me, will feature Rothschild in conversation with Doug Moe (register here); and Wednesday's A Room of One's Own event features state Rep. Francesca Hong (register here).

Tala Mela: A Celebration of the Universal Language of Rhythm, Tuesday, Dec. 7, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7:30 p.m.: Melding jazz and South Indian classical music forms may seem like a tall order, but it's just one of the specialties of composer and saxophonist Arun Luthra, who has led the Interdisciplinary Artist-in-Residence Teaching Program at the UW Division of the Arts this semester. At this final event of the residency, Luthra, guest percussionist Rohan Krishnamurthy, the Contemporary Jazz Ensemble, and students from Luthra's class will perform varied musical selections, including konnakol works. Admission is free.

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wednesday, Dec. 8, First Congregational Church, 7 p.m.: In 2020 everyone had to make do for the Christmas season by listening to Messiah at home. But for 2021, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra is once again bringing the full power of Handel's oratorio to a concert setting, with guest soloists Christopher Burchett, Kirsten Larson, Sarah Lawrence and Gene Stenger joining the orchestra and Messiah Chorus. Find tickets and more info at wcoconcerts.org.

Swallow the Sun, Wednesday, Dec. 8, Crucible, 7 p.m.: Not many bands hailing from Finland’s fertile metal scene find their way to Madison. That’s why this appearance by Swallow the Sun — a death-doom band that emphasizes melody and atmosphere — will be so special. The band arrives here in the wake of its eighth studio album, Moonflowers, which includes a second disc featuring classical versions of the album tracks recorded in a church. To borrow from the title of Swallow the Sun's recent live album, recorded in Helsinki in late February 2020 on the brink of the pandemic, their sound combines “gloom, beauty and despair.” Also on the bill: Veteran black metallers Abigail Williams, progressive-metal upstarts Wilderun, and Madison’s own doomsters Bereft.

Place, Identity and the Great Lakes Region, Thursday, Dec. 9, Zoom, 7 p.m.: How are we shaped by the landscapes in which we live? This question has long preoccupied artists and philosophers. This UW Sea Grant "Lake Talks" webinar will focus on our relationship to the Great Lakes with poet Moheb Soliman, who has lived in both Egypt and the Midwest, in a conversation with Anne Moser, senior special librarian of the Wisconsin Water Library and education coordinator for Wisconsin Sea Grant. Soliman will also read from his poetry. All are welcome; register for the Zoom link here.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live, Thursday, Dec. 9, Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Much like one of the multitude of monsters rampaging through the oft-disastrous films riffed on by its cast, Mystery Science Theater 3000 has proven difficult to stop. Surviving various cancellations and a long hiatus, MST3K returned in 2017 with a new cast for both TV and live appearances; there's no stopping them now. Host Emily Connor and the 'bots visit town on the “Time Bubble Tour” to roast Making Contact, a 1985 Roland Emmerich film about a telekinetic tot. Tickets at overture.org.

Ben Ferris Octet, Thursday-Friday, Nov. 9-10, North Street Cabaret, 8 p.m.: Knowledge is always at the forefront of the Ben Ferris musical journey. The UW-Madison graduate has been educating regional jazz players through both private lessons and his past work leading the Memorial High School jazz program. Along with his Octet, Ferris is involved in many other groups, including the Ben Ferris Trio and the always adventurous ensemble Mr. Chair. Join the Ben Ferris Octet and guest vocalist Rose Heckenkamp-Busch for their annual holiday celebration, expanded to a two-night stand at the North Street Cabaret. The band will mix seasonal songs and non-holiday material, with the audience helping decide the balance by tip buckets during the show; the proceeds from tips benefit the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists. Advance tickets at northstreetcabaret.com are recommended.

Arlo McKinley, Thursday, Dec. 9, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: With song titles like “Suicidal Saturday Night,” “Gone for Good” and title track “Die Midwestern,” you might guess (correctly) that Arlo McKinley's Oh Boy Records debut is not a party time record. But McKinley's song cycle of post-highs and hard times in the heartland will resonate with anyone who has witnessed the hollowing out of small town America. It's Americana for the end of empire. With Jeremy Pinnell.  

We hope it’s handy for you to find the Picks in a single weekly 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 due to the postponement of the Dizzy Wright tour.