Isthmus Picks (July 16-23)

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With the printed version of Isthmus on pause, we thought it might be handy to have the Picks in a single weekly post. You can still find the Picks in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.

The Hate U Give, Thursday, July 16, Warner Park Duck Pond, 7 pm: This 2018 film could only be more timely if the social tensions of the plot included a global pandemic. The issue here is the inequities between African Americans and the police. It's set in a fictional historically Black community called Garden Heights. The protagonist is Starr, a Black high school girl who attends a white prep school outside of the neighborhood. While Starr is riding in a car driven by a Black friend, a traffic stop goes horribly wrong and her friend is shot by a white police officer. Amandla Stenberg is terrific as Starr; the film also includes appearances by Issa Rae and Common. If you like The Chi, you should find a lot to like in The Hate U Give. The gates open at 6 pm. The showing is sponsored by the Young Professionals Coalition and proceeds from tickets ($10) and concessions will benefit YWCA Madison and its mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.

MAMA Cares Day of Giving, Thursday, July 16: The Madison Area Music Association's musician relief fund is responding to the COVID-19 crisis with an all-day fundraising drive on July 16. Donations can be made through PayPal (mamacares@themamas.org), or by mail (PO Box 8754, Madison, WI 53708). Keep an eye on Facebook for info on livestream concerts in support of MAMA Cares, including a set by Robert J at 6 pm. Musicians can apply for assistance here through July 25.

Madison Early Music Festival, Through July 18: A UW-Madison campus institution since 2000, the Madison Early Music Festival features both instructional workshops for musicians and a concert series for music lovers. The program originally scheduled for this summer is postponed until 2021, but the festival will go on virtually, via Facebook Live. The final programs include a lecture by Peggy Murray (noon, July 16), a  performance by Nota Bene (7 pm, July 17, pictured) and a past fest sing-along (7 pm, July 18). For info, visit memf.wisc.edu.

Guided by Voices, Friday, July 17, 4 pm: Here in Madison we have only had one shot during the last decade to see a current version of Guided By Voices, the most famed outlet for one-man art factory Robert Pollard's hyperactive songwriting skills. This oversight is now being partially rectified in summer 2020 fashion with this livestream concert for all comers. It's the full band and full-on electric, so be sure your coolers are also full-on stocked for this BYOB to your couch concert. The hardest working rock band in Dayton, Ohio, recently announced their second LP of 2020, Mirrored Aztec, scheduled for release Aug. 21, and some new songs will likely be part of this show, hosted on noonchorus.com.

An Improbable Fiction, Friday, July 17, 7 pm: Thank goodness for American Players Theatre. When the Spring Green-based company announced it was closing down for the season due to COVID-19, the group reorganized to present play readings online. The final offering is An Improbable Fiction, and it comes from veteran actor and playwright James DeVita. Using Shakespeare's own words, the play is set during the plague when the Bard's actors are out of work. Sound familiar? With the all-star cast of Brian Mani, Sarah Day, Tracy Michelle Arnold, Nate Burger, Gavin Lawrence and Melisa Pereyra. The play goes live at 7 pm at pbswisconsin.org and the APT Facebook page, and the other plays in the series are available to view until July 26.

Lesser Lakes Trio, Friday, July 17, 8 pm: Lesser Lakes Trio is a collaboration by three of Wisconsin's busiest jazz players: Madison bassist John Christensen, Milwaukee drummer Devin Drobka, and Racine trumpeter Jamie Breiwick. When they do get the chance to come together and play, instrumental fireworks are guaranteed from these three gifted improvisers. This concert is part of Cafe Coda's livestream series.

Hip Hop Architecture Camp, Aug. 1-11: Madison College's Michael Ford, the Hip-Hop Architect, spearheads an online camp for middle and high school students. Sessions include appearances by hip-hop artists, athletes, fashion designers and architects; classes in product design and rap; and a celebration of the 47th anniversary of hip-hop on Aug. 11. Space is limited for this Zoom camp, so register soon.

DJ Summit, Saturday, July 18, 6 pm-1 am: Liquid's periodic DJ Summit events give local dance music fans a chance to check out a whole slew of regional producers, often featuring newcomers to the scene. The Summit returns with a livestream edition on Mixcloud featuring many performers who have taken the Liquid stage in the past, including Wifflin, who played the first Liquid Summit shows in 2018 and has helped coordinate the series. With AJAXX, Arcane, Basch, C.A.M., D-Ski, Dreambay, Jae Hanz, Mithyyka, Phrequency, Slag, Slank, Torcodez, Xcavata.

Madison Burger Week, Through July 19, various restaurants: Madison Burger Week is back, and what better time than now? Hosted by Isthmus, Burger Week has always been a benefit for the River Food Pantry, and the need to support the agencies serving our area's most vulnerable residents has never been greater. (This year, participating eateries donate what they can.) Second, heading to a favorite or new spot for a burger supports our area restaurants in a time when they very much need the business. Third, burgers survive takeout well, so dining onsite isn't even necessary. Burger lovers vote for their favorite (some of which are Burger Week specials, some regular menu stalwarts) to crown the 2020 burger champion. More than 25 restaurants have already signed on, and more details on the burgers are added daily at madburgerweek.com/burgers. This year, Burger Week runs for two weeks. Not because our sense of time is all screwed up (though that's true) but to give everybody more time to eat and vote. As with all Isthmus events, Madison Burger Week helps support local, independent journalism.

MAMAs Finalist Announcement Party, Monday, July 20, 7 pm: The Madison Area Music Awards annual celebration announcing the year's finalists transitions to an online format for 2020, on Facebook Live. Along with the category announcements and auction items, catch music by Kat & the Hurricane, Kelsey Miles (pictured) and the Angela Puerta Band, plus emcee Cooper Talbot (host of Her Infinite Variety on WORT-FM). Final round voting is July 21-Aug. 24.

Seize the Moment: Adapting Old Tools for a Novel Coronavirus, Wednesday, July 22, 4 pm: There’s a lot of noise — mostly political and ideological — surrounding the pandemic. So much so that the important things, including the scientific efforts to study the virus, get lost. But scientists around the world are using the technology and methods they use in their own research to study COVID-19; many of these scientists, according to the Morgridge Institute for Research at UW-Madison, have never studied viruses before. Hear from five Morgridge Institute researchers — Brian Bockelman, John Brubacher, Ben Cox, Tony Gitter and Katie Overmyer — who jumped in to help at this online panel discussion. RSVP here.

Madison Friends of Urban Nature, any time, self-guided: Madison Friends of Urban Nature has been organizing weekend walks in Madison parks for several years, led by graduates of the Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program and others in the know about nature. The walks have been so successful in attracting participants that the Parks Department has scrubbed them for the time being — even though they're outside, it's likely that too many people would gather together in the same place. Instead, take a self-guided walk any time. Playing the part of the naturalist this time around will be, of course, the internet — you have to do a little homework before you head out to the park. This month, the city parks division blog lists resources for a butterfly walk at Tenney, birding at Turville Point, new trees at Warner, frogs and toads at Cherokee Marsh, prairie plants at Owen, cranes at Edna Taylor, creek critters at Starkweather Creek, and marsh life at the Class of 1918 Marsh.

Truth, Trust and the Future of Journalism Ethics, Thursday, July 23, 6:30 pm: What’s a journalist to do in the era of “fake news”? UW-Madison journalism professor Kathleen Culver leads an online lecture focused on how the news media can work to regain the public's trust, even when partisan rhetoric is turned up to 11. Culver will discuss the ethical dimensions of journalism and social media, as well the current state of the media and where it may head next. Receive the Zoom link to this free Middleton Library event by registering at tinyurl.com/truthtrustethics.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This post was updated to include the location of the screening of The Hate U Give.