What to do in Madison this weekend: Homiefest II, ‘Memento Mori’ and more Isthmus Picks

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Elly Griffiths, Thursday, Nov. 10, Crowdcast, noon: Mystery to Me goes back to its roots with mysteries with this Crowdcast discussion between local journalist Doug Moe and Elly Griffiths. Her new novel, Bleeding Heart Yard, concerns murder at a school reunion (actual, not just wished-for), with a cast of friends who also killed someone back in the day. Register here. (Note: The time for this event has been corrected from Monday's post.)

Stones in His Pockets, through Nov. 20, American Players Theatre, Spring Green: It's getting chilly out there, as APT introduces its final show of the season inside the Touchstone. Stones in His Pockets, a story of Irishmen down on their luck hired as Hollywood extras, is sort of a seize-the-day tragicomedy. Nate Burger and Marcus Trushinski play every role in the show, and the audience will be in good hands. Find the schedule and tickets at americanplayers.org, and read Gwendolyn Rice's review here.

Madison Symphony Orchestra with Christina + Michelle Naughton, Nov. 10-13, Overture Hall: November's special guests for the Madison Symphony Orchestra's program “Enchanted Piano & Personal Favorite” are well-known to Madison audiences. Twin sisters and pianists Christina and Michelle Naughton grew up in Madison, and were two-time winners of the MSO's youth concerto competition in the '00s; since then they have performed around the world. For this concert they will take on Max Bruch’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra. The schedule includes an open rehearsal on Nov. 10 (free, but tickets required) and concerts at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 11; 8 p.m.; Nov. 12; and 2:30 p.m., Nov. 13. Find ticket info at madisonsymphony.org.

Michelle DuVall. Doug Brown & Ben Ferris, Thursday, Nov. 10, North Street Cabaret, 7 p.m.: Until singer Michelle DuVall left Madison some years back, she and guitarist Doug Brown teamed up for many a jazz gig as a duo (including a long-running residency at Mickey's Tavern), in small combos, and as part of the bigger band Get Down, Mr. Cat. DuVall's way with the Great American Songbook and Brown's nimble playing always made for a great night out, and happy times are here again for their fans: DuVall has moved back to Madison, and more shows will be forthcoming. Bassist Ben Ferris will help make the rafters ring for their return to action at the North Street Cabaret.

Amy Schumer, Thursday, Nov. 10, Orpheum Theater, 7 and 10 p.m.: Comedian Amy Schumer has essentially conquered most mediums since her sensational sketch show Inside Amy Schumer went on hiatus in 2016. Her resume now includes a bestselling book, a Best Actress Tony nomination on Broadway, a podcast, a couple television reality shows, co-hosting the Oscars, and even an arrest at the U.S. Capitol during a protest of Supreme Court then-nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. In 2022, Schumer has come full circle, premiering a fifth season of Inside on Paramount Plus in October. We hope she keeps it up, because Schumer's incisive and inimitable worldview is needed now more than ever. The early show on the opening night of Schumer's “Whore Tour” has been sold out forever, but a few tickets were still available for the late show as of early this week.

Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale, through Nov. 20, Overture Center-Playhouse: This dark comedy by up-and-coming playwright Kirsten Greenidge takes on both the familiar trope of the haunted house and social issues. In this second production of Forward Theater's season, a young couple buys an old house haunted by the spirit Beatrice, who keeps upping the ante on her invasion into their lives. Greenidge's exploration of race and class in Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale will be augmented by programs before each Saturday performance (at 6:30 p.m.), discussing horror noire, the history of housing discrimination in Madison, and playwright Lorraine Hansberry. Performances are at 7:30 pm Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sundays, plus 2 p.m., Nov. 12 and 19. Read Gwendolyn Rice's review here.

Act a Lady, through Nov. 19, Bartell Theatre: StageQ takes on Jordan Harrison's play, Act a Lady, set in a Midwestern hamlet during Prohibition. The town's men decide to put on a play in which they portray women — and as we have known since Shakespeare's time, this is a situation ripe for both comedy and growing self-awareness. Harrison has a good feel for the complexities of gender roles and the script is a good fit for StageQ. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (4 p.m. on Nov. 19) and 4 p.m., Nov. 13.

Nehemiah: Celebrating 30 Years of Transformative Impact, Legacy and Change, Friday, Nov. 11, Monona Terrace, 6-10 p.m.: The nonprofit Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development has been working to help meet the needs of the Madison area's Black community since the early 1990s, and with its Justified Anger initiative has engaged non-Black allies to work to change the entrenched systems perpetuating racism. Join them to celebrate 30 years of leadership and progress at this event featuring social time, a program, and a dance party with music by Kinfolk. Purchase tickets by Nov. 10; find info at nehemiah.org/30th-anniversary.

Catherine Young, Friday, Nov. 11, Mystery To Me, 6 p.m.: Catherine Young — a writer, naturalist and performing artist from Wisconsin’s Driftless Area — will be in town to promote Geosmin, her latest book of ecopoetry. With a Greek title that translates to “scent of soil,” the collection celebrates “the startling and shimmering earth, praising creatures of soil, sky and in-between.” Young’s publisher, Water’s Edge Press, says her poems “journey through earth, water, tree and stone, the heartbreak and beauty of seasons across a rural year, and take a panoramic view of aging.” Perfect for a fall evening in Wisconsin. Find in-person tickets on Eventbrite and the Crowdcast livestream here.

Lucid Dreaming Sketch Comedy, Nov. 11-12 and 18-19, Broom Street Theater: Sketch comedy group Lucid Dreaming is known for its wacky and bizarre shows. This upcoming scripted comedy show, “Stockholm Syndream,” is sure to be another fun and unusual creation, featuring a cast of Jason Compton, Alex Devaux, Amanda Gatewood, Annie Jay, Shauna Jungdahl, Matthew Korda, Jackson Rosenberry, Ben Seidensticker, Mitch Taylor and Mary Wallin. Along with producing comedy shows for the past seven years, the Madison group has also hosted many writing workshops for comedy-writing hopefuls. Catch the show at 7 p.m., Nov. 11 and 18; and 5 p.m., Nov. 12 and 19. Find tickets on Eventbrite.

Memento Mori: Dances of Life, Death and Rebirth, Nov. 11-12, Madison Circus Space, 8 p.m.: This innovative set of new dance work from Isthmus Dance Collective revolves around birth, life, aging and death. Collaboration is the word of the day. You might see modern dancers on skateboards, and other unexpected takes on folk and world dance traditions. It's the latest installment (after the bike path dances) from IDC, which is devoted to inclusivity in the Madison dance community.

Whoop-in-Song Live, Saturday, Nov. 12, Madison Youth Arts Center, 11:30 a.m.: Whoopensocker is a theater arts residency program in Madison schools led by artists from the UW Community Arts Collaboratory program. They have compiled some favorite songs created during past residencies and are ready to undertake a new project: a live album recording session, taking place at this matinee concert for all ages. Find tickets and more info at go.wisc.edu/whoopinsong2022.

Wendy Red Star, Nov. 12-Feb. 26, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: Wendy Red Star is Apsáalooke (Crow) and a multimedia artist focused on Indigenous perspectives of the received Native American narrative. Vintage imagery and her own photos combine to create a trenchant commentary on current U.S. culture. In “Apsáalooke: Children of the Large-Beaked Bird,” Red Star annotates portraits of Native Americans taken during the late 1800s-early 1900s when Crow leaders traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. officials. Her commentary provides needed and appreciated context. MMoCA's current hours are noon-6 p.m., Thursday-Sunday; a reception takes place Friday, Dec. 9. from 5-8 p.m.

Homiefest II, Saturday, Nov. 12, The Rigby, 3-11 p.m.: Fourteen bands on two alternating stages will keep The Rigby humming all evening (with, thoughtfully, a dinner break on the schedule around 6:30 p.m.). If you have been curious about what Madison's punk and emo scene is like circa fall 2022, this is an excellent primer. And frequent clubgoers already likely have this one on the schedule, with the bill including faves such as Kule, Excuse Me Who Are You, Barely Civil, Dear Mr. Watterson and Endswell.

Bereft, Saturday, Nov. 12, BarleyPop Live, 5 p.m.: Alex Linden, guitarist/vocalist and co-founder of Madison metal band Bereft, died suddenly in December 2021. The band will play one final show in memory of their friend and bandmate, with all ticket proceeds donated to a memorial scholarship fund established in Linden's name at Madison Music Foundry (find out more about donating at madisonmusicfoundry.com/education/lessons). A strong lineup of heavy Midwestern bands will join them to honor Linden's memory, including Aseethe, Corridoré, The American Dead, PV and Whisky Pig.

Thanksgiving Basket Drive, through Nov. 20, Goodman Community Center: Each November, the Goodman Community Center assembles meal kits for a full Thanksgiving dinner for Dane County families, and this year their goal is to serve 4,000 households (the deadline to sign up was Oct. 28). That's a lot of turkeys and other items to collect, and you can be a part of it by donating food items from the list or a monetary donation by Nov. 20. Find the grocery list, drop-off times and more info on donating at goodmancenter.org/thanksgiving.

Fall Gospel Fest, Saturday, Nov. 12, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 6:30 p.m.: Few genres rejuvenate the soul as readily as gospel music — and, boy, do our souls need some rejuvenating right about now. For 17 years, the Fall Gospel Fest has brought big names to Madison, and this year’s extravaganza is no exception. It will feature performances by young and veteran gospel stars alike, including Grammy Award nominee and GMA Dove Award winner Jekalyn Carr; Joshua Rogers, the first male and youngest winner of BET’s Sunday Best singing competition; and Angela Primm, whose four-octave soprano has backed the likes of such gospel greats as Andre Crouch, Patti Austin and Bill Gaither. Can we get an “Amen!”?

Mike Servito, Saturday, Nov. 12, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: The ongoing Remain in Night techno series (from the folks who bring Musique Électronique to La Fête and Willy Street Beats to the Willy Street Fair) closes out 2022 with a banger of a night. Mike Servito has played clubs all around the world since rising from the Detroit scene in the early '90s. Carlos Souffront, also a Detroit native, is known for eclectic tastes and “one of the most insane acid collections in the world” (per Resident Advisor). Frequent co-conspirators Fabiola and Loreli will team up for an opening set.

Star Monster, Saturday, Nov. 12, The Red Zone, 9 p.m.: Madison native Star Monster (aka Phil Parhamovich ) dedicates his booming new EP, Butterscotch Candy, to the city that raised him, and celebrates its release with a free and revolutionary show. His fresh mix of EDM and sound sampling creates an uplifting experience that’s been welcomed by the Burning Man, Electric Forest and Toxic Summer festivals. With the release of Butterscotch Candy, Star Monster continues to make a name for himself with his galaxy-bending visuals and beats. Openers TBA. Read Veronica Kuffel's preview here.

The MAMAs, Sunday, Nov. 13, Facebook, 6 p.m.: The Madison Area Music Association is keeping its annual awards show in the virtual world for a third year. Hosted by P. C. Allen (a musician and host of WORT-FM's One Fine Morning), the program again features music by local artists filmed in advance by M.O.D. Media Productions; performers announced so far include Lords of the Trident, Ellen Zhou, K.I.L.O aka SkitL'z, The Jimmys and Old Oaks. The performances double as a highlight for professional recording studios, including Warm Glow, Audio for the Arts, Media 22, virtual venue The Spaceship and WORT-FM. Find the livestream at facebook.com/madisonareamusicassociation, and make donations at themamas.org.

WWE Sunday Stunner, Sunday, Nov. 13, Alliant Energy Center-Coliseum, 7 p.m.: For the first time in three years, Madison welcomes the WWE for an in-person spectacle. The night will feature a stunning “street fight” battle between Drew McIntyre and Karrion Kross with Scarlett, as well as a six-man tag-team match of Braun Strowman and The New Day vs. The Usos vs. Solo Sikoa with Sami Zayn. With fights like these, it will be a crowd-quaking marathon brawl.

Puscifer, Sunday, Nov. 13, The Sylvee, 7:30 p.m.: Puscifer, the groovy band with an ugly name, led by vocalist Maynard James Keenan (Tool and A Perfect Circle), has a reputation for releasing companion remix versions of each studio album. So in anticipation of the forthcoming Existential Reckoning: Rewired LP — a reimagined version of 2020’s electro-laced Existential Reckoning — the collective is hitting the road for a fall tour that wraps up shortly after Puscifer’s Madison date. Goth duo Night Club opens.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.