Art Bikes Unveiled, Thursday, June 10, Garver Feed Mill, 4:30-6:30 p.m.: BCycle, Madison's public rent-a-bike program, is featuring creations by area artists this season on 28 of its 300 electric bikes. At this preview reception, riders and art lovers alike can see all the designs together in one place. The theme is “Geared for Change,” with each bike associated with a local nonprofit organization in Dane County. This event is free and child friendly. More information is available here.
facebook.com/mounthorebsummerfrolic
The midway at a past Summer Frolic.
Mount Horeb Summer Frolic, Thursday, June 10-Sunday, June 13, Grundahl Park, Mount Horeb: If all goes as planned, this carnival will feature live music, games, and that most hallowed site of all Midwestern summer festivals: the beer tent. Generally hot, airless and buggy, the tents this summer will be newly appreciated. Also back: bingo, a fun run, a youth baseball tournament, fireworks and a parade. The music headliners are Foo Foo Dolls (8 p.m. Friday) and SuperTuesday (9 p.m. Saturday). See the full schedule for this Mount Horeb parks fundraiser at mthorebsummerfrolic.com.
Natalie Frank, through Oct. 3, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: Artist Natalie Frank creates a feminist perspective on well-known tales in the exhibit Unbound, a survey of her drawings. Frank, based in Brooklyn, New York, takes on fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Madame d’Aulnoy, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” and Story of O, all in separate series in varied media ranging from gouache to chalk pastel. “I restore the identities of these overlooked female artists and transform their stories to create contemporary, paradigm-breaking female heroines,” writes Frank. MMoCA is currently open Friday-Sunday, noon-6 p.m.
Skylar Nahn
Bad Philosopher (left to right): Tony Barba, Chris Di Bernardo, Jason Kutz, Josh Cohen.
Madison Jazz Festival, Friday, June 11-Sunday, June 20, various venues/times: Been looking for the annual Isthmus Jazz Festival? This is its new incarnation, brought to you by Arts + Literature Laboratory and the Wisconsin Union Theater and featuring a mix of free and ticketed events. The fest kicks off Friday with a stellar evening of local performers. Strollin' Capitol East (6-11 p.m. at Brink Lounge, Robinia Courtyard, Salvatore's and The Sylvee) features free sets within a couple blocks from ensembles led by Tony Castañeda, Gerri DiMaggio, Betsy Ezell, Helen Feest, Jon Hoel, Charlie Painter and Jon Wade. Also on Friday, Bad Philosopher unveils the new album Badhalla with a ticketed show (8 p.m., Garver Feed Mill); the electric fusionists are now a quartet with the addition of saxophonist Tony Barba. We hope you made some room on your calendar over the next week-plus, because concerts during the fest also include Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few; Marquis Hill; the quartet of Roscoe Mitchell, Douglas Ewart, Vincent Davis and Junius Paul; Rogue Parade; Nate Smith + Kinfolk; Donna Woodall; and many others. Find the full schedule of in-person and virtual events at artlitlab.org.
Kelly Doering/Stick People Productions
Perfect Harmony Men's Chorus is Madison’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally TTBB (tenor, baritone or bass) chorus.
Perfect Harmony, Friday, June 11, 7:30 p.m.: Madison-based choral group Perfect Harmony returns to the stage with “Together We Will Rise,” the group's first streaming concert. Perfect Harmony features singers in the tenor, baritone or bass vocal ranges, drawn from the LGBT+ community and allies, and the concert will feature music on the themes of social justice and hope. Find a link to the YouTube stream at perfectharmonychorus.org.
Back2Back
Friends of Schumacher Farm Music Fest, Saturday, June 12, Schumacher Farm County Park, Waunakee, noon-8 p.m.: You may guess from the name that Schumacher Farm County Park, on the edge of Waunakee, used to be a farm. Perched on a hill, with gardens and trails, it's also a picturesque spot for outdoor music. The park's fifth annual summer concert features three local bands on a large amplified outdoor stage: Back2Back (noon), Back 40 (2:30 p.m.), and The Honey Pies (5:30 p.m.). Tickets are $10, and kids 12 and under are free. The rain-or-shine event also includes a raffle, silent auction, craft fair, food, beer and wine. Picnic tables will be available, or bring your own chairs.
CVQ, Saturday, June 12, Rennebohm Park, 7 p.m.: Enjoy chamber music? Have a lawn chair or a picnic blanket? Then you’re set for outdoor concert season. Con Vivo! kicks off its 18th season with a free performance by woodwind quintet CVQ, playing music by Copland, Gottschalk, Danzi and Beethoven. “After an unprecedented year with the pandemic, we are so excited to perform again,” writes Artistic Director Robert Taylor in a press release. “The CVQ woodwind quintet members are looking forward to a wonderful evening to reconnect with our audiences.”
Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, Saturday, June 12, 7:30 p.m.: “Brave New World” is an on-point title for the 2021 concert series by Madison-based chamber musicians Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society. Each concert (also sharing names with iconic books) will premiere on Saturdays, June 12-July 3, and remain available on demand through Sept. 1. “The Sun Also Rises” on June 12 features works by David Baker, Eve Beglarian and Astor Piazzolla. For tickets and more information on performers and repertoire, visit bachdancing.org, where you can also find information on one-on-one concerts/talks on Zoom with BDDS performers and upcoming free outdoor concerts.
M.O.D. Media Productions
Madtown Mannish Boys
Madtown Mannish Boys, Tuesday, June 15, Capitol Square, noon: When PA equipment starts appearing in the Capitol walkway at North Hamilton Street, it's a sure sign of summer — and YOUR Lunch Time LIVE, the free weekly concert series sponsored by the Madison Central Business Improvement District. Bring a camping chair or blanket, join downtown office workers for a long lunch, and enjoy music from Madtown Mannish Boys, experts at Chicago-style blues designed to make you get up and get down.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Quiara Alegría Hudes & Jeremy McCarter, Tuesday, June 15, 7 p.m.: In the Heights was a Broadway hit in 2008, and a long-gestating feature film adaptation is out June 10 in theaters. The play was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes, who have now collaborated with Jeremy McCarter on the new book In the Heights: Finding Home, which follows the trajectory of the play from basement rehearsals to its great success and the community it created along the way. Join A Room of One’s Own for an online launch on Zoom; tickets include a hardcover copy of the book.
Liz Lauren
Brian Mani, Sarah Day and Ronald Román-Meléndez in the American Players Theatre production "An Improbable Fiction," 2021.
An Improbable Fiction, Thursday, June 10, American Players Theatre, Spring Green, 7:30 p.m.: The idea is “What would it be like to sit out the plague at a bar with your favorite Shakespearean characters?” Cheers to that. An Improbable Fiction, James DeVita's original work from last year, uses language taken largely from Shakespearean texts to discuss the strictures cast by the plague (with echoes of our own pandemic). The show was first read via a Zoomcast last fall, but now it's time to hike up to the Hill Stage and see it live. Favorites Tracy Michelle Arnold (Cleopatra), Sarah Day (Mistress Quickly), Chiké Johnson, (Othello), Brian Mani (Falstaff), Melisa Pereyra (Juliet), and Ronald Román-Meléndez (messenger) are all on deck. Performances continue through June 26 but tickets are limited; other showtimes this week are 8 p.m. on June 11, 2 and 8 p.m. on June 12, 1 and 6 p.m. on June 13, and 7:30 p.m. on June 15-17. Find Gwendolyn Rice's review here.
We Stand on Their Shoulders: A History of Wisconsin Women and Voting, through Dec. 30, Wisconsin Historical Museum: The Wisconsin Historical Museum is open again, and features a new exhibit detailing the history of Wisconsin women and voting, focusing especially on the passage of the 19th Amendment and Wisconsin women who fought for the right to vote and other civil liberties. The anniversary of the 19th Amendment was 2020, but it's not too late to see these archival documents in person. The exhibit is on the fourth floor, and the museum's current hours are Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kujichagulia-Madison Center for Self Determination
Tracy Corder is a deputy campaign director for Action Center on Race and the Economy; she will be giving a talk on "Voting, Social Injustice & The Power of Black Voices" as part of the 2021 Junteenth online events from Kujichagulia.
Juneteenth, Wednesday-Friday, June 16-18, online; Saturday, June 19, Penn Park, noon-4 p.m.: The Madison area's celebration of the culture and history of Black Americans, hosted by Kujichagulia-Madison Center for Self Determination, begins 2021 with a series of online events. June 16 includes a college fair (10 a.m.) and motivational speaker for youth (6 p.m.); June 17 features a talk on voting by Tracey Corder (Action Center on Race and the Economy, 6 p.m.) and spoken word open mic (7:30 p.m.); and June 18 will be panel discussions on health (noon), welcome convocation (5 p.m.) and a community dinner (6 p.m.); all except the dinner can be viewed on Facebook. The traditional Saturday festival returns to Penn Park on June 19, featuring kids' activities, exhibits, vendors, music (including a Madison Jazz Festival set by Donna Woodall at 2 p.m.), speakers (remarks by Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes at 3:30 p.m.), and much more. Saturday kicks off with a parade to the park; set-up begins at 10 a.m. at Fountain of Life Covenant Church. For more information and registration links to join online events and the parade, visit kujichaguliamcsd.org.
Cottage Grove Firemen's Festival, Thursday-Sunday, June 17-20, Firemen's Park, Cottage Grove: Did somebody say beer tent? You betcha. If you didn't get enough summer festival in Mount Horeb, Cottage Grove is happy to help you out with this fundraiser for its fire department featuring all the favorites: bands (including QUEST, 7 p.m. Saturday), baseball, carnival rides, parade, tractor pulls, and the traditional beer tent. There's also a barbecue contest and a pancake breakfast. See the full schedule at cottagegrovefire.org.
Dina Nina Martinez
ExtraAF Comedy: Pride 2021, Thursday, June 17, Crucible, 7 p.m.: Lady Laughs Comedy's ExtraAF series jumps back into clubland with this showcase celebrating Pride Month. Host Sarah Schmidt is joined for stand-up sets by guests Lalita Dee, Justin Frisque, KB Marion, Dina Nina Martinez and Katie Zane. The event doubles as a second anniversary celebration for the series. Purchase tickets here.
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.