Do you like to laugh?

Madison Comedy Week is here, in Isthmus Picks for July 29-Aug. 5

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DJ Ryan Parks, Thursday, July 29, Crucible, 8 p.m.: In the absence of strobes, lasers and fog, attendees at Hush: A Low Sensory Dance Night are free to dance to quieter music as lighting shifts slowly from one calm hue to another. DJ Ryan Parks — a professional events DJ of 25 years and the host of Something Wonderful, a Monday evening electronic music show on WORT-FM — will play music free of beat drops or fast tempos. Hush, which debuted in 2019, is designed for those with sensitivities, disabilities, or anyone simply looking to enjoy a quieter and more relaxed night out. Crucible is wheelchair accessible, and will provide dance-floor-adjacent seating.

Li Chiao-Ping Dance SEED performances, Friday, July 30, LCPD Studio, Oregon; 6:30 p.m.; and Saturday, July 31, UW Lathrop Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Friday, “On the Farm Dances” will take place outdoors at the LCPD Farm Studio near Oregon; Saturday, “Fresh Picked Dances” will be performed at the H'Doubler stage in Lathrop Hall on campus. Both evenings of contemporary dance are the result of the week-long Li Chiao-Ping Summer Exploratory Experimental Dance Intensive and Performance Festival (SEED Festival). The Friday performance will be followed by a cookout; bring your own picnic and seating. Tickets for Friday (location address will be sent to registrants) here; Saturday tickets here. Both performances are free, but tickets are necessary. Info on vaccination and social distancing requirements at lcpdance.com.

All's Well That Ends Well, Friday, July 30, Madison Country Day School, Waunakee, 6:30 p.m.: All's Well That Ends Well is one of those Shakespearean mistaken identity/gender reversal comedies that is neither as popular as Twelfth Night nor as coherent as As You Like It. And ethically it may give modern viewers pause, as The Taming of the Shrew and Measure for Measure can do. Yet those chinks in the bard's work provide openings for directors and actors to mold the material in various ways, keeping Shakespeare great material for centuries. Madison Shakespeare Company gives a full-length production of this seldom-performed play outdoors at the Madison Country Day School amphitheater; audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. ALSO: Saturday-Sunday, July 31-Aug. 1, 4 p.m. More info including reservations available at madisonshakespeare.org.

Vincent Davis Percussion Plus, Friday, July 30, Garver Feed Mill, 7 p.m.: Chicago-based drummer Vincent Davis has played shows or recorded with a constellation of artists — from the legendary Roscoe Mitchell to youthful phenom Isaiah Collier — since studying in the early 1980s at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee. As a bandleader, one of Davis' longest-running projects is Percussion Plus; this BlueStem Jazz concert brings back various alumni from past configurations. Davis will be joined by Micah Collier (bass), Justin Dillard (keys), Scott Hesse (guitar), Hanah Jon Taylor (sax) and Corey Wilkes (trumpet).

Madison New Music Festival, Friday, July 30, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 7 p.m.: A recurring celebration of contemporary classical works, the Madison New Music Festival returns in 2021 with a concert focusing on participants in the Wisconsin Composers Project. The program features a pair of works by Eric Delgado, including "Phased Meditations," with audience participation; and new compositions by Chiayu Hsu, Evan Williams, and a collaboration between Anastasia Adams and nibiiwakamigkwe. The concert takes place on the rooftop, and it's free but seats are limited.

New Glarus 175+1 Anniversary Celebration, Friday, July 30-Sunday, Aug. 1: It's actually New Glarus' 176th, but last year's festivities had to be postponed. New Glarus is perhaps the most ethnically distinct of southern Wisconsin small towns, with its Swiss heritage evident from its architecture, restaurant cuisine, polka bands and yearly Wilhelm Tell enactment. Friday the community picnic and Volksfest at Village Park will include a chicken barbecue, fireworks, live music, and more (4:30-8 p.m.). Saturday, there's a parade (10:30 a.m.) and Sunday it's a carnival from noon to midnight. culminating with a pork fry (4:30-7 p.m.) and music from Kings of Radio from 8 p.m.-midnight. Full schedule at swisstown.com/events.

The Soul Doctors EP release, July 30, The Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Madison quartet The Soul Doctors are showcasing a new EP, aptly titled Emergence, which will be available on CD at this concert. Featuring four original songs recorded at Madtown Mix Studio, it makes for a great introduction to the group's mix of rock, blues and country, topped by the soulful vocal style of Kelly Hepper.

Starfoxx Project album release, Friday, July 30, Crucible, 8 p.m.: The Starfoxx Project will take the Crucible stage to promote the release of their new album, War of the Roses, joined by several other EDM and dubstep artists. On their 2017 debut album, Attrition, the hip-hop/electro based group used futuristic instrumentals and took unique risks, including a one-minute, instrument-only lead-off track. It's sure to be another out-of-this-world exploration of music and space debuting at Crucible. With Sleepy Turtle, Sharp Cheddar, Rickachu, 8Hertz.

CrossFit Games, Through Sunday, Aug. 1, Alliant Energy Center: During our communal days of enforced home time, some of us may have gotten less exercise simply due to that fact (it's hard to bike to work at home, for example). Others of us, however, may have been training even harder than before the pandemic. Those folks will converge on Madison for the return of the international CrossFit Games, competing in various divisions for the title of “Fittest on Earth.” The schedule is still to be announced.

Warrior Songs fundraiser, Saturday, July 31, Bos Meadery, 2 p.m.: Set for release on Aug. 8 is The Last Thing We Ever Do: Warrior Songs Vol. 3, the latest compilation album from Madison-based nonprofit Warrior Songs, which uses the creative arts to help veterans heal. The official CD release show is in Milwaukee, but there are several Madison area events as well, kicking off with a Saturday afternoon concert featuring Warrior Songs founder Jason Moon along with Bone Holler, Matt DeBlass, Lisa Johnson, Mark Lint’s Dry Folk, Kyle Rightley, Kris Sheehan and Chris Wellner. On Aug. 5, a 5:15 p.m. concert at the top of State Street (free and open to all) will be followed by a panel discussion at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum (free). Find more events and info at warriorsongs.org.

Maggie Fest, Saturday, July 31, Art in the Barn, Fitchburg, 4-8 p.m.: What a way to close out July. For those in the know, Art in the Barn is a summer must-do. This year, Harmonious Wail is back in the barn with a special “Maggie Fest” birthday concert for lead singer Maggie Delaney-Potthoff. Special guests are Gaines & Wagoner, Bring your own chairs and refreshments and enjoy some gypsy swing and more. It's not even that far out of town, to be in a barn; 5927 Adams Road is just south of the city in Fitchburg.

Tallman Arts Festival, Sunday, Aug. 1, Lincoln-Tallman House, Janesville, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Art from pottery to paintings is for sale among the historic buildings, including the Lincoln-Tallman House at 440 N. Jackson St. in Janesville, on the grounds of the Rock County Historical Society. But wait, there's more. Food vendors: Route 26 Hamburgers, Kona Ice, Johnny’s Gourmet Street Dogs, Taqueria Taco, Sweet Delight Kettle Corn and Jakarta Café. Not that we're uninterested in the art. You know you should always go art shopping on a full stomach. Music goes all day, from Frank Martin Bush & the Names, Gary the Duo, Soggy Prairie, Brass Knuckles and more. The $5 admission charge to the art fair does not include a specialty art tour in the Lincoln-Tallman House ($10 tickets will be available on site all day).

Phil Van Valkenberg trail dedication, Sunday Aug. 1, Cambridge Winery, 2:30-4:30 p.m.: Southern Wisconsin has a wonderful network of bicycle trails, and this segment is another piece that will one day connect CamRock County Park and the Glacial Drumlin State Trail. The groundbreaking and dedication is at 3 p.m. The event will be held at the Cambridge Winery, 700 Kenseth Way, Cambridge, with live music, a silent auction and soft drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The 4-mile proposed segment between CamRock County Park and the Glacial Drumlin State Trail is the northern end of a much larger regional multi-use trail being named in honor of area bicyclist Phil Van Valkenberg.

Madison Comedy Week, Aug. 1-8, various venues: To everything there is a season, and summer in Madison in recent (non-pandemic) years has included a season for your face to hurt from laughing. Madison Comedy Week returns in 2021 bigger and better than ever, with almost 30 events over eight evenings at The Bur Oak, The Rigby and several other venues (including headliners Kevin Bozeman and Mary Mack at the Pursuit of Happiness Session at McPike Park on Aug. 6-7). Highlights during the first half of the week (at The Bur Oak) include the now-traditional “Madison Comedy Awards” ceremony (at 9 p.m. Sunday), and both Fresh Faces (7 p.m.) and Seasoned Vets (9 p.m.) showcases on Tuesday. Find the full schedule and ticket links at madisoncomedyweek.net.

Family Night on Lake Mendota, Tuesday, Aug. 3, UW Memorial Union Terrace, 4 p.m.: Beat the heat with your family on Lake Mendota. Outdoor UW paddling instructors will guide families through an evening of paddling, games and sightseeing on the lake. Stick around after for dinner, snacks or ice cream on the Memorial Union Terrace and for one of the best sunset spots in Madison. Outdoor UW asks that families arrive 15 minutes before the event begins, and meet at the Outdoor UW desk in Memorial Union.

Buckcherry, Tuesday, Aug. 3, Majestic Theatre, 8 p.m.: Buckcherry are torchbearers for old-school hard rock, with a side of glam for good measure. The band has remained a constant presence on the Billboard mainstream rock radio charts since their first hit, "Lit Up" in 1999; time will tell if any songs from their new album, Hellbound, will follow suit. Buckcherry remains anchored by the distinctive rasp of vocalist Josh Todd and longtime guitarist Stevie D. With Core.

Jazz on State, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 100 block of State Street, 5:30 p.m.: Event organizers have had to be both flexible and improvisatory to react to changing public health needs due to COVID-19. One example: Jazz at Five moved to Fitchburg to allow for more social distancing room. An improvisatory response followed by Jazz at Five co-founder and longtime director Cathy Sullivan, who quickly pulled together a new concert series for the downtown area: Jazz on State. The opening concert on Aug. 4 will feature music by the Gerri DiMaggio Quintet and Hanah Jon Taylor Ensemble. Attendees are encouraged to visit area restaurants, so there will be no on-site food or beverage sales. Concerts continue on the following two Wednesdays, with Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Band on Aug. 11 and Leo Sidran and special guests on Aug. 18.

Thulani Davis, Wednesday, Aug. 4, online, 7 p.m.: Thulani Davis examines a decade's worth of jazz, soul and punk in her latest book, Nothing But the Music, a collection of documentary poems authored between 1974 and 1992 on artists such as the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Bad Brains, MFSB, Henry Threadgill and many more. Davis, a scholar, author, poet, playwright and assistant professor at UW-Madison, will discuss the book with author and journalist Barry Singer in a livestream hosted by A Room of One’s Own.

Trace Johnson, Wednesday & Friday, Aug. 4 & 6, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 p.m.: Cellist Trace Johnson, a Madison native, has performed as a chamber musician, soloist and orchestral musician across the world, and will visit the Arts + Literature Laboratory for a pair of solo performances. Johnson currently plays with Sarasota Orchestra in Sarasota, Florida, and the Southwest Florida Symphony in Fort Myers, Florida. Besides performing, Johnson is a composer, arranger, recording artist and educator.

Ms. Pat, Thursday, Aug. 5, Comedy on State, 7:30 p.m.: Before age 20, Patricia Williams was a single mother of two, also caregiver for her sister's children, and making ends meet by selling drugs. During this time, Ms. Pat discovered her knack for humor, performing at her first open mic at the encouragement of her case worker. Ms. Pat told her story in the 2017 memoir Rabbit; today, the comedy veteran of 13 years is also co-host of the podcast The Patdown, and creator and star of The Ms. Pat Show, a sitcom based on her own life premiering on BET+ August 12. Before then, you can catch Ms. Pat’s standup set right here in Madison. ALSO: Friday-Saturday, August 6-7, 7:30 and 10 p.m.

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 to add a few missing picks.