What to do in Madison this week: RagTag, ‘Improbable Ascent’ and more

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Note: 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.

David Landau, every Monday, 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.

Improbable Ascent, Tuesday, March 29, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7:30 p.m.: Maureen Beck fell in love with rock climbing at an early age, even though she was born with only one hand. Following years of figuring out her own innovations to be able to climb safely, Beck continues to lead on finding ways for the differently-abled to participate in the activity; along the way she has also captured a pair of world paraclimbing championships. Beck shares her story in this National Geographic Live presentation at Overture. Find tickets at overture.org.

Sofia Hagström Møller, through April 3, UW Nancy Nicholas Hall-Mecklenburg Textile Gallery: Lineage is an exhibit by the Denmark-based textile artist Sofia Hagström Møller. Recent works that grew out of a 2020 residency at the Weaving Lab in the UW School of Human Ecology explore how Scandinavian design concepts have inspired or been inspired cultures around the world, as depicted by works held in the school’s Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. Current gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday; and noon-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; or by appointment: cdmc@sohe.wisc.edu.

Nickolas Butler, Wednesday, March 30, Leopold's Books Bar Caffe, 6 p.m.: Author Nickolas Butler's first three novels (including the excellent Shotgun Lovesongs) were set in his Wisconsin home base. But his most recent, Godspeed, moves to a new setting: the resort-laden Jackson Hole valley of Wyoming. The story follows a trio of friends who own a small construction business as they take on a difficult job for the promise of a big payday...if they can deliver on time. Butler will sign copies of the new book and also give a talk at 7 p.m.

RagTag: A Circus in Stitches, Wednesday, March 30, Madison Circus Space, 7 p.m.: Live performances are revving back up at Madison Circus Space, and this week includes a visit by Boston-based collective Cirque Us. The group's touring show RagTag: A Circus in Stitches considers the threads holding together modern life by exploring how six circus artists with different specialties weave together a shared story. Find tickets here.

UW Arts Crawl, March 31-April 2: You will be glad to know that the crawling is optional; the art, however, is not. The UW-Madison Arts Crawl is really a pileup of spring arts “experiences” — demos, workshops, class visits, lectures, talks, performances, exhibitions and rehearsals, showcasing the vibrancy of the creators at UW-Madison. It's a pick-and-choose fest; go to many events or a few. Many are free and open to the public. Some events require advance registration or tickets. See the schedule at go.wisc.edu/ArtsCrawl.

Leslie Kirk Campbell, Thursday, March 31, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Leslie Kirk Campbell will read from her short story collection, The Man With Eight Pairs of Legs, winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize for short fiction, and discuss it with Madison's Michelle Wildgen, author of Bread and Butter and other novels. The stories are wide-ranging, but touch on “the risky decisions we make when pushed to the extreme.” And who hasn't been pushed to the extreme of late? The event is live, with an audience limit of 35; proof of full vaccination and masks are required. Free, but advance tickets are required for the in-person event; join on Crowdcast here.

Amirtha Kidambi & Elder Ones, Thursday, March 31, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 p.m.: Fans of forward-thinking music likely breathed a sigh of relief when Amirtha Kidambi & Elder Ones reappeared on the concert calendar; the group's scheduled March 2020 concert collided with the early days of the pandemic lockdown. Kidambi's compositions for the quartet create unexpected worlds of musical interplay, encompassing many musical reference points into a blend that lands somewhere between free jazz and avant-garde classical. The music should be a thrilling listen in a live setting. Check ticket availability here.

Kris Lager Band, Thursday, March 31, Bur Oak, 7 p.m.: The song title “Ministers of the New New Feel Good Funk” (on their 2019 album, Spectrum) is a good description of what the Nebraska-based Kris Lager Band is up to musically. The group mixes blues and rock with a positive message and Lager's soulful vocal style. This Music Makes a Difference concert is free (it's a buck to reserve a ticket online, which will be returned at the door). With an opening set by Wisconsin singer-songwriter Sam Ness.

The Power of Unity and Re-Envisioning America, Thursday, March 31, Union South-Varsity Hall, 7 p.m.: The past few years have exposed a fragmented American society, to the point where at times it feels even basic facts are up for debate. Though social and political discourse may feel impossibly fractious, a way forward must be charted. During this lecture hosted by the Wisconsin Union Directorate and the UW-Madison Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Student Center, activist and writer Helen Zia will talk about ways to mend society's fractures, including finding the common histories shared by America's many communities and interest groups, and the importance of growing community with a multicultural focus. RSVP here to attend the lecture.

Charley Crockett, Thursday, March 31, Majestic, 8 p.m.: Some listeners might call Charley Crockett country, some blues, but Texas music might be a better descriptor if you need one. Crockett's prolific DIY catalog over the last decade or so (the latest is the 2021 double LP Music City USA) touches a lot of American vernacular music bases. But no matter the style, straight-shooting storytelling, unflashily emotive singing, and incisively lean musical arrangements are guaranteed. With Vincent Neil Emerson.

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.