Isthmus Picks (June 11-18)

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Isthmus Picks have long been a staple of our publication. At one point they were called Critics Choice, but the content has always been a curated list of the area's top entertainment. In recent weeks, we've been highlighting a wider range of community events in the Isthmus Picks section of the calendar (so far, still mostly happening online). As always, you can also find them collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events. With our print publication still on pause, we thought it might be handy to have our Picks in a single weekly post.

Madison Bands Support Free the 350 Bail Fund, Thursday, June 11, Mother Fool's, 5-8 pm: Find music and merch from local bands both current and past at this fundraiser sale for Free the 350, organized by Coney Island Studios. Items (sanitized before/during the event) can be selected by making a cash donation for the bail fund. The list of participants will continue to grow until sale day, and can be found at the Facebook event. It’s a perfect opportunity to help out a good cause and get some good music by a local favorite, or check out some previously unheard artists. 

Chekhov One Acts, Friday, June 12, 7 pm: No theater lover relishes missing encounters with thespians, bats, mosquitos and whippoorwills in American Players Theatre's magical outdoor amphitheater. But the company had to cancel its 2020 season to protect actors, crew and audiences from COVID-19. So the next best thing is a series of play readings, performed and recorded live on Zoom. The company is pairing up with PBS Wisconsin, which will post the readings on Fridays at pbswisconsin.org. The series kicks off with three Chekhov one acts, The Bear, On the Harmfulness of Tobacco and The Proposal, featuring Tracy Michelle Arnold, Brian Mani, James Ridge, David Daniel, Sarah Day, Colleen Madden and Marcus Truschinski — all folks you want to see on your screen.

Armchair Boogie, Friday, June 12, Driftless Music Gardens, Yuba, 6 pm: Although the pandemic caused Driftless Music Gardens to move Bonfire Music & Arts Festival to 2021, the idyllic outdoor venue will instead host drive-in concerts during the next month. The Drive-In Tailgate Concert Series kicks off Friday with Madison bluegrass/funk quartet Armchair Boogie (originally set this weekend to play Blue Ox Music Festival, which is currently rescheduled for August). Tickets are limited to allow for 15 feet of tailgating space between vehicles; for more information and guidelines, visit the DMG website.

Myles Talbott Dyad, Friday, June 12, Hometown Junction Park, Verona, 5:30 pm: Verona Area Chamber of Commerce will host the Music on Main series in 2020, with guidelines including keeping Hometown Junction Park marked for proper social distancing. The series begins Friday with Myles Talbott Dyad, who play rock and folk covers from the 1970s through the present day as well as original music. The Verona duo consists of Merl Halverson (guitar) and Maryanne Halverson (harmonica). Music on Main continues every other Friday through Aug. 7.

Josh Cohen, Saturday, June 13, 7 pm: Bassist Josh Cohen has been a distinctive presence on both Madison stages and downtown sidewalks, where he takes his dazzlingly virtuosic six-string electric technique to the people with a small amplifier. (Cohen's trial date contesting, on First Amendment grounds, a ticket issued under the city's amplified sound ordinance, has been delayed by the pandemic.) Cohen’s concerts seamlessly blend jazz, classical, funk and pop covers with original compositions, including music from an upcoming album, Freedom. You won't believe you're hearing just one person playing during his latest Live from the Bassment livestream, via Facebook Live.

Juneteenth Celebration, June 15-20: Juneteenth is different this year. The celebration marks the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation to enslaved people in Texas, the last of the Confederate states to do so. This year, the usual celebratory picnic atmosphere has been replaced by virtual events that are urgent and educative. The entire week of June 15-20 will feature multiple virtual activities, streaming at the Kujichagulia Madison Center for Self Determination Facebook page. Youth classes in performing arts and social justice take place Monday and Tuesday (register here). A spoken word open mic will take place at 7 pm on Thursday (performers can register at GenerationSpokenMadison@gmail.com). Friday features a Juneteenth opening ceremony at 6 pm, followed by virtual line dance lessons and a Black music tribute. Saturday includes a youth performance showcase at noon; and panel discussions at 1 and 2 pm, centering on health issues and COVID-19, led by Dr. Jack Daniels of Madison College, community health worker Sheray Wallace, Alia Stevenson of The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the Rev. Marcus Allen Sr., pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and many others. Saturday also features a history of African American foodways and cooking demo online (11 am) and a virtual family dinner at 6 pm (with 100 prep boxes for families; pre-register for both here). Follow the Facebook event for updates.

Loop the Lake, June 15-21: It turns out that riding a bicycle around the lake is more of a state of mind than a specific route on a map. This year's Loop the Lake fundraiser for the Clean Lakes Alliance is a little loosey goosey, as folks can cycle, run, walk or paddle "anywhere at any distance" from Monday, June 15, through Sunday, June 21, in order to free up social distancing space that would be limited if everyone were heading out on the same route at the same time. A $35 entry fee includes an event T-shirt (register by June 11 to have shirts mailed) and goes to fund lake improvement projects, water quality monitoring, and educational programs. Event organizers have a lot of fun ideas for personalizing your adventures, from looping multiple lakes to creating your own takeout-centric food tour loop.

Hip-Hop: Past, Present and Future, Wednesday, June 17, 10 am: Monona Terrace's free Lakeside Kids series features five virtual events this summer, and kicks off with a presentation by Urban Community Arts Network. UCAN board members Mark "ShaH" Evans and Pacal Bayley (aka DJ Pain 1) will talk about the development of hip-hop, with plenty of photos and some demonstration of DJ methods. Register here for the series, presented via Zoom.

Salman Rushdie, Wednesday, June 17, 7 pm: It's been decades since Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering the execution of author Salman Rushdie over the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses. The author survived and has been prolific since. The Wisconsin Book Festival had hoped to host Rushdie for an appearance around his latest book, Quichotte (a Booker Prize-nominated novel inspired by Don Quixote), but had trouble landing the booking. Now the festival is teaming up with book festivals from around the country to co-sponsor the author’s video appearance (moved to June 17).

Stacey Abrams, Thursday, June 18, 7 pm: Democratic rising star Stacey Abrams and chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin Ben Wikler will discuss Abrams' just-released book, Our Time Is Now. Abrams, who was narrowly defeated in the race for Georgia governor (though she has not conceded), is a frequently mentioned veep candidate for presumptive Dem nominee Joe Biden; she is currently the chair of Fair Fight Action, a voter rights group, and founder of Fair Count, a group promoting a thorough census count. Abrams says of Our Time Is Now: "This is a narrative that describes the urgency that compels me and millions more to push for a different American story than the one being told today. It's a story that is one part danger, one part action, and all true. It's a story about how and why we fight for our democracy and win." RSVP here for this Wisconsin Book Festival virtual event.

Creation Story: The Clam Lake Mounds, Thursday, June 18, noon: Miss those noontime brown bag history talks at the Wisconsin Historical Museum? Or maybe it's one of those things you never got around to taking advantage of. Now you can brown-bag it virtually, via a free Historic Preservation Month webinar from the State Historic Preservation Office. State Archaeologist John Broihahn will tell the story of mounds on Clam Lake — yes, that Clam Lake, the one way up by Cable where your high school friend's mom and dad had a cabin. The mound site at Clam Lake dates back 1,000 years, and contemporary exploration of it 85 years. RSVP here; you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar, rescheduled from May 28.

Lunch for Libraries, Thursday, June 18, noon: The Madison Public Library Foundation’s 2020 Lunch for Libraries will be a livestreamed fundraiser with Mark Bittman, who will be interviewed by To the Best of Our Knowledge producer Shannon Henry Kleiber. Bittman is not only the author of the big cookbook How to Cook Everything (how does one move on from that title, you ask?) but a passionate advocate for conscious eating, which means more greens and whole grains and a lot less meat. He’s even advocated becoming a vegan before 6 pm. Bittman focuses on clearly written, very cookable recipes. And he’s no fan of b.s., in print, live or via livestream. Individual tickets are $75 for the event and include a copy of Bittman’s book How to Eat (or, for $125, add a Wisconsin Book Festival annual membership). A link to join the livestream on Crowdcast will be sent following ticket purchase.

Midwest Log Rolling Championship, Through June 27: Regardless of your actual log rolling experience, you may have felt, over the past few months, as if you are on top of a slippery log scrambling madly to stay upright and afloat. That's why this year's Midwest Log Rolling Championships are gonna be perfect for you! Taking place virtually, competitors can submit a 1-2 minute video to madisonlogrolling@gmail.com; the $10 registration benefits Huntington's Disease Society of America. Show ’em your best trick. If you can stand-up paddleboard, you can hula hoop on top of a log. (And yes, there will be prizes.) Not up for falling off a log? You can vote to help choose the winners at the Midwest Log Rolling Championships website through midnight, June 27.