Note: Public Health Madison and Dane County allowed the most recent face covering public order to expire on Feb. 28. Many venues and businesses may continue to maintain individual requirements for masking, as well as proof of COVID-19 vaccination and/or a negative test for entry. Before heading out for any in-person event, confirm it is still taking place and check for any attendance guidelines on the relevant business websites or social media accounts.
Bonnie Manley Photography
David Landau with guitar.
David Landau
David Landau, Monday, March 14, Harmony Bar, 5:30 p.m.: Recurring events hosted by favorite east side hangout the Harmony Bar have been gradually ramping back up as Omicron wanes. That includes the return of David Landau's weekly Monday residency, featuring songs and stories for the younger set (it's aimed at ages 2-8). The winner of multiple Children's Entertainer of the Year titles at the Madison Area Music Awards, Landau is sure to inspire laughs and sing-alongs.
Madison StorySLAM: Awards, Monday, March 14, High Noon Saloon, 7:30 p.m.: Storytelling, one of the earliest human art forms, goes on today with a resurgence in the performative genre fueled by The Moth podcasts. Here Madison's own StorySLAM encourages five-minute tellings of stories that have something to do with awards, either earned or bestowed. The host is musician and storyteller Kevin Willmott II (a longtime fixture on the Madison scene in the bands Cowboy Winter and Don't Mess with Cupid). High Noon currently requires proof of COVID vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours for entry; a mask is also required for this event. Find tickets here.
Wayne Jeansonne
Birdability founder Virginia Rose (left) and coordinator Freya McGregor on Lake Creek Trail in Austin, Texas.
Evenings with Audubon, Tuesday, March 15, Zoom, 7 p.m.: This evening's edition of the free Madison Audubon monthly lecture series is about inclusion, access and disability in birding. Freya McGregor, coordinator with the new nonprofit Birdability, will speak on how the group is striving to make the outdoors more accessible for everybody, especially those with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, and many other concerns. McGregor will address ways to be a more welcoming and inclusive birder and the Birdability Map. It's on Zoom (RSVP here for link) or stream on Madison Audubon’s Facebook page.
Wisconsin Was There: Sharing the Legacies of Printmakers Who Served in the Military, March 16-June 1, Wisconsin Veterans Museum: Yvette Pino, curator of veteran art for the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, organized this exhibit featuring works spanning from the Civil War to modern times by more than 20 artists with state ties. The exhibit opens in conjunction with the SGC International's annual conference in Madison. During the conference (March 16-19) from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, Pino, Shawn Ganther and Ash Kyrie will demonstrate printmaking techniques in the museum's front window. Also, Pino will host a virtual edition of the museum's Drink and Draw art-making program, demonstrating monoprint techniques; it's free, but RSVP for a link (7 p.m., March 18).
courtesy Lawrence Quinnett
Lawrence Quinnett
Bach Around the Clock, March 16-20: A celebration of Johann Sebastian Bach featuring players both professional and amateur performing the composer's works, Bach Around the Clock takes place each year near Bach's March 21 birthday. The 2022 fest features a hybrid program of in-person concerts and lectures which will also be recorded for on-demand streaming. It all kicks off with the monthly Just Bach concert (noon, March 16, Luther Memorial Church); “Festival Day” is March 19, with performances beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing through the day at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Guest artist Lawrence Quinnett will teach a master class and play all six of Bach's Partitas during three concerts during the festival. Find the full schedule at bachclock.com.
Understanding Wisconsin's Courts and Judicial Elections, Wednesday, March 16, Zoom, noon: Until you have to interact with it in some way, the judicial system may feel like a concept unrelated to everyday living. But the decisions made by Wisconsin's judges at every level affect us all...and, we can affect the members of the judiciary, because these influential posts are all elected officials. Learn more about the structure and duties of the state court system during this webinar hosted by the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, featuring retired Court of Appeals Judge Paul Higginbotham, UW-Whitewater associate professor Jolly Emrey, and moderator Joy Cardin. Register here for a link to the Zoom livestream; a recording will be later posted to the LWV Wisconsin website and YouTube page.
Tig Notaro, Wednesday, March 16, Orpheum Theater, 7 p.m.: When actor, writer and comedian Tig Notaro's name appears in the credits of a film or TV show, it's probably a sign it is worth checking out. The deadpan and fearless Notaro's own work blends funny and feels in a one-of-a-kind fashion; her 2021 stand-up special, Drawn (HBO), is the first to be entirely animated. Notaro has been busy during the pandemic, launching the new podcasts Don't Ask Tig (advice) and Tig and Cheryl: True Story (discussing documentary films with Cheryl Hines).
courtesy Overture Center
Gary Mullen and the Works
Gary Mullen & the Works, Wednesday, March 16, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7:30 p.m.: Queen, that staple of sports arena bombast, has been gaining cred that's more than nostalgia. Freddie Mercury's vocals, Brian May's guitar, and the layering acrobatics the band recorded with 24 tracks, or less, on tape, are amazing. In “One Night of Queen,” Gary Mullen & the Works perform all the hits for those who saw Queen live, never got to see Queen live, or have no idea who, or what, Queen was. While Mercury is a tough act to mimic, Mullen does a creditable take and the band will soar. Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy? Fantasy, in this case, is good enough.
WIAA State High School Boys Basketball Tournament, March 17-19, Kohl Center: Students from around the state descend on the UW-Madison campus once again as the state boys basketball tourney returns to the Kohl Center. March 17 sessions feature Division 3 (1:35 p.m.) and Division 4 (6:35 p.m.) semifinals; Division 5 (9:05 a.m.), Division 2 (1:35 p.m.), and Division 1 (6:35 p.m.) semis are on March 18. Championship game sessions are at 11:05 a.m. (Div. 3-5) and 6:35 p.m. (Div. 1-2) on March 19, in descending order by division. Final brackets will be announced following sectional play at wiaawi.org.
courtesy Mel Chin
"Bat and Dove," by Mel Chin, 2007.
Mel Chin reception, Thursday, March 17, MMoCA lobby, 5-8 p.m.: Conceptual artist Mel Chin will speak about his exhibit There's Something Happening Here, which looks back on his 43-year career with objects, projects, prints and drawings. The reception is free, and includes music from soprano Caitlin Mead accompanied by The Stolen Sea, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and a nonalcoholic cash bar. Chin's lecture will take place at 6 p.m.; reservations are all claimed for the in-person talk, but find a livestream here. While you're in the neighborhood, pop in next door for the Overture Galleries' winter/spring 2022 exhibitions, featuring four galleries of work by printmakers coinciding with the SGC International annual conference; a reception and artist talks are from 4-6 p.m.
We hope it’s handy for you to find Picks grouped together in a single 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 with new information on the Mel Chin reception.
