The woods are waiting for you during the DNR's annual Free Fun Weekend, with free admission at all state parks June 6-7, 2020.
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 (so far, still mostly happening online) in the Isthmus Picks section of the calendar. You can still find them collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events. With our print publication still on pause, we thought it might also be handy to have our Picks in a single weekly post.
NOTE: The online edition of Cows on the Concourse has been postponed until a later date; the Salman Rushdie talk is rescheduled for June 17.
The Rascal Theory
MMAD Battle of the Bands, Thursday, June 4, 7 p.m.: Music Makes a Difference is coordinating a virtual band battle, with 16 local artists submitting two videos each in the opening round. Fan votes are $1 each at Broadjam, with all funds going to the voted-for bands. Division 1 competitors are Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets, Old Oaks, The Rascal Theory and Tent Show Troubadours; voting begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday and is open through 7 p.m. on Monday, June 8. Subsequent rounds featuring 12 more local performers follow the same schedule beginning Thursdays, June 11-25, with a final four finale and live voting on July 9.
Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell.
Real Talk: Virtual Summit on Racial Justice, Friday, June 5, 9 am-5 pm: Madison365 and Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, along with many community partners, are hosting a series of online panel discussions with a racial justice theme. Kicking off at 9 a.m. Friday and continuing throughout the day, topics will include education and criminal justice reform, the role of corporate leaders and government in promoting equity, and more. The full schedule is here; confirmed participants include One City Schools founder Kaleem Caire, state Rep. Shelia Stubbs, Freedom Inc. co-director M. Adams, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell (pictured), and many others. Find the livestream at the Madison365 Facebook page.
Works in the "Put Your Boots On" exhibit by Ryan Myers.
Ryan Myers opening reception, Friday, June 5, Abel Contemporary Gallery, Stoughton, 5-9 p.m.: "On a whim" and "spur of the moment" are yesterday's M.O.s, baby. Now it's all about reservations. The terrific Abel Contemporary Gallery in Stoughton is hosting real in-person opening receptions for its new shows, but controlling the crowds and the space by making them reservation-only. The first, for Ryan Myers' Put Your Boots On, takes place June 5. Madison-based ceramicist Myers is inspired by pop culture and ancient history in the creation of his sometimes unsettling, human-animal-form vessels and sculptures. The gallery is limiting attendance to 25 persons at a time, with the evening divided into four one-hour sessions. Tickets (available here) are free and attendees can see all three of the gallery's concurrent shows: Myers', a group show called Constructed Landscape, and Pranav Sood's Life is About Love and Love is Complicated. A similar reception for Sood's show will take place Saturday, June 20, 5-7 p.m.; tickets here.
Jonathan Zarov
John Urban filming the T-Rex Dance-off.
SummerPalooza, Saturday, June 6, 10 a.m.: Madison Children's Museum has been closed since March 14, but maintained a robust program of interactive events both via Facebook and with self-guided "Sidewalk Surprises" outdoor activities around Madison. The museum's traditional summer kickoff, SummerPalooza, will also transition to Facebook this year. Along with a virtual parade, there will be music by DrumPower, Forward! Marching Band, Ken Lonnquist and Dan & Claudia Zanes, magic by James the Magician and Truly Remarkable Loon, and more.
Hip-Hop + Architecture as Design Justice, Saturday, June 6, 11 am: The Hip Hop Architecture team, led by Michael Ford, is launching an open call for ideas on creating a "Just City. A City which has dismantled and defeated racism," and inspired by the deep well of hip-hop protest music. You don't need to be an architect or a rapper to dream up ways to make our communities more inclusive; all ages and backgrounds are invited to submit ideas through June 19. Learn more about the concept during a virtual launch event on Zoom, with special guests including rapper Lupe Fiasco. RSVP at bit.ly/hiphoparch for the link to participate.
Mother Fool's owners Jon Hain and Stephanie Rearick.
Mother Fool's 25th Birthday Variety Show Party, Saturday, June 6, 8 p.m.: Has it really been 25 years since Mother Fool's opened its funky, vegan, ur-Willy doors? (No, really it's been 26 — but 25 since Jon Hain and Stephanie Rearick bought it from Jean Lister.) The coffeehouse that embodies the hippie, boho, eat-local, make-art, question-authority spirit of Williamson Street celebrates its quarter-century anniversary virtually via a Zoom variety show featuring Mother Fool's owners, Art Paul Schlosser, Andy Ewen and others, plus photos from the past, art and video. A few seats will be available outside the coffeehouse but room for all on Zoom.
Free Fun Weekend, Saturday-Sunday, June 6-7, throughout Wisconsin: Enjoy your state parks and natural areas for free this weekend. The Department of Natural Resources is waiving park admission fees as well as fishing license and trail pass requirements June 6-7. Be aware: Capacity limits due to COVID-19 remain in effect at some sites to prevent overcrowding. The department recommends that residents still find areas close to home and practice social distancing while using the parks. Current hours at all parks are 6 a.m.-11 p.m. and it’s pack-in and pack-out for garbage and recycling. And hallelujah! A limited number of restrooms will reopen June 3. Other facilities, including shelters, playgrounds, nature centers, headquarters and concession buildings, will remain closed. Find nearby parks here.
Leather + Lace, Saturday, June 6, 8:30 p.m.: DJs Mike Carlson and WhiteRabbit have been bringing electronic dance music of all kinds at this "dressed to kill" event for more than two decades, outlasting several venues along the way (including Leather + Lace host Apollo Marquez's much-missed Inferno). While the monthly dance's current home base, Crucible, remains closed at the moment, the DJs will mix live and bring the dance party to your living room on Twitch, which also offers a chat feature (or join in on Facebook).
Martin Jenich
Southern and Central Jerry Ensembles at the 2019 awards performance.
Jerry Awards, Sunday, June 7, 7 p.m.: The cancellation of many student musical productions was a part of the heartbreaks caused by the interruption in theater company seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Overture Center's annual Jerry Awards celebrate those performers, and the organizers plan to forge ahead virtually on Facebook Live with a 90-minute show including award announcements, clips from musical theater performances, and special guests. Along with celebrating the up-and-coming talent in our state, the show plans to honor the productions that were not able to be staged or reviewed by the Jerry Awards this year. “We’re going to give them the honors and recognition they deserve,” the show's co-host Tim Sauers says in a press release. See the list of recipients here.
Frank Lloyd Wright Birthday Celebration, Monday, June 8, 6 p.m.: Would you have made the trek to Taliesin to celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright's 153rd birthday? Maybe; IRL B.C. (before COVID-19), you might not have gotten an invitation to this annual event hosted by the School of Architecture at Taliesin. But now, you can join the party virtually and see, if not taste, the traditional Wright birthday cake as well as appreciate the special art and floral arrangements. The party will broadcast on Taliesin Preservation’s YouTube channel, Facebook and website. If you're tired of virtual events by now (no matter how exclusive), know that real life tours of Taliesin resumed June 1, with a cap of 10 in each group and thoughtful safety measures. More on COVID-19 prevention and Wright preservation here.
Fierce Females, Tuesday, June 9, 7 p.m.: This songwriter circle hosted by Karen Wheelock is coming up on its second anniversary of monthly shows in July. Usually taking place in the cozy confines of Communication, the show has moved to Facebook Live currently, and June's installment will include sets by Maddie McCray Batzli (LINE), Linn Jennings, Anna Wang and Allison Wexler. Past videos can be streamed here.
Bartell Theatre 2020-21 season announcement, Tuesday, June 9, 7 p.m.: The question remains: Will it be safe to stage live theater productions this fall? The hardworking volunteers at the Bartell want it to be so, and plan to reveal the participating theater companies' plans for the upcoming season on Facebook Live. Here's hoping.
Becky Appleby-Sparrow
Madison-based journalist Siri Carpenter.
Science Writing Panel, Tuesday, June 9, 6 p.m.: As the experience around COVID-19 has shown us, we need informed science reporting more than ever and writers able to present complex material that is accessible to lay readers. Not an easy task. Madison-based journalist Siri Carpenter has edited a collection of articles on the topic, The Craft of Science Writing, and she will be leading a virtual panel discussion on science journalism, hosted by Mystery to Me bookstore. Carpenter’s guests are Laura Helmuth, editor-in-chief of Scientific American magazine and former health and science editor for The Washington Post, and Apoorva Mandavilli, a New York Times reporter who focuses on science and global health, both of whom contributed to The Craft of Science Writing. RSVP here.
Entrepreneurons: COVID-19 edition, Wednesday, June 10, 4 pm: The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's Entrepreneurons series of panel discussions has taken a particularly timely tack during the coronavirus pandemic, and June's edition holds true to form. Pam Jahnke (The Mid-West Farm Report) will lead an exploration of what is working and what is not, as state producers try to adapt the food supply chain to current needs. Those weighing in include DATCP’s Angela James, Wisconsin Grocers' Association CEO Brandon Scholz, Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research Director John Lucey and others. RSVP at warf.org/entrepreneurons for a link to the livestream.