What to do in Madison this week: Skegss, Andrea Potos, and more Isthmus Picks

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Press Play: Recorded Sound from Groove to Stream, through Dec. 22, UW Memorial Library-Special Collections: Long before there was a recording industry, inventors were trying to figure out how to preserve and reproduce sound. Since the late 1800s the results have been available in a multitude of ways, up to today's plethora of streaming choices. Press Play: Recorded Sound from Groove to Stream, a new exhibit on display through Dec. 22 in the UW-Madison Memorial Library's ninth floor Special Collections area, catalogs and explains formats both ubiquitous (LPs) and forgotten (minidiscs, anyone?). Curated by Nathan Gibson, an author, musician and preservation archivist, and the staff at Mills Music Library, the exhibit works as a basic beginner's overview of recording formats and the cultures that developed around them, and offers many examples of Wisconsin's part of the history. The exhibit is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; a visitor's pass can be acquired at the Memorial Library front desk. Preview a playlist of recordings in the exhibit and find more info here.

An Isthmus Conversation with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Tuesday, Nov. 29, Facebook Live, 7 p.m.: Sen. Tammy Baldwin is making national headlines for her lead role in championing a bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, that would give federal protection to same-sex and interracial marriages. To hear more about the fight to accomplish this from the senator herself, tune in to this Isthmus online chat with publisher Jason Joyce and editor Judith Davidoff. We will talk with Baldwin about her role shepherding this historic legislation, her early years in Madison, rise in politics, and more. Viewer questions will be pulled via the comment section; find the livestream at facebook.com/IsthmusMadison.

Immersive Van Gogh, Nov. 24-Jan. 8, Greenway Station: If you've ever wanted to just fall into a scene depicted in one of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings...this traveling presentation by Lighthouse Immersive is about as close as you can get. Spaces are transformed with large-scale projections of digitally recreated incarnations of Van Gogh's works. Purchase tickets for timed entry at vangoghmadison.com; the experience is hosted at 1651 Deming Way, Middleton, in the Greenway Station retail center.

Art Spiegelman, Tuesday, Nov. 29, Crowdcast, 7 p.m.: In the history of comix and graphic novels, there so far has been only one Pulitzer winner, in 1992: Maus, a collection of work by Art Spiegelman originally serialized in the magazine Raw. The genesis of Maus can be found in an early 1970s strip in Spiegelman's first collection drawn from his underground comix work, Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*!, which is returning to print in December. Spiegelman will discuss this early work during a Wisconsin Book Festival talk, on Crowdcast; register here.

Skegss, Tuesday, Nov. 29, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: In their native Australia, rock trio Skegss is a sensation; their most recent album, Rehearsal, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Australian Albums Chart in 2021. Rehearsal's songs don't reinvent the wheel but (as is often the case) that's a good thing; it's sunny rock 'n roll mixing twang and a bit of crunch for a set of catchy, heartfelt tales from laid-back living. Skegss is on tour with a pair of other rising artists: fellow Australian and alt-country songwriter Adam Newling and Vermont rock band Sir Chloe.

Tudor Holiday Dinner and Concerts, Nov. 30-Dec. 4, UW Memorial Union-Great Hall, 5:30 p.m.: Bring on the figgy pudding! The Tudor Holiday Dinner Concerts are back! This much loved tradition took a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. The Memorial Union’s splendid Great Hall is transformed in this holiday celebration that harks back to Merrie Olde England, with ancient Yuletide traditions and carol singing from the Philharmonic Chorus of Madison. But those who are here for the feast should know there's a new menu this year, with entrees of maple-glazed pork tenderloin or a vegetarian maple-glazed acorn squash, and for dessert, the figgy pudding will be set aflame. And yes, there will be wassail. Hopefully you didn't wait on tickets, as the concerts sold out by early November; find more info at union.wisc.edu.

BGCDC Holiday Gift Drive, through Dec. 2, various locations: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County is once again collecting board games, toys and books appropriate for ages 18 and under, for distribution to member families during the holiday season. Through Dec. 2, new, unwrapped donations can be dropped at any BGCDC location; all Dane County Walgreens; BMO Harris Bank, 4726 East Towne Blvd. and 7447 University Ave., and Carbon World Health, in Madison; Cardinal HVAC and Full Mile Brewing in Sun Prairie; and JSD Professional Services in Verona. No time to shop for a gift? Find links for an Amazon wish list or monetary donations at bgcdc.org/holidayextravaganza.

Andrea Potos, Wednesday, Nov, 30, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Andrea Potos is one of the many bright lights in the Madison poetry community. She will be reading from her ninth collection, Her Joy Becomes, out this year by the nonprofit poetry publisher Fernwood Press. Potos has earned five Outstanding Achievement Awards in poetry from the Wisconsin Library Association and has won the James Hearst Poetry Prize from the North American Review, and the William Stafford Prize in poetry. Expect meditations on the wonder that is life and the mystery that is the moving on from life. Free, but ticket required (a Crowdcast livestream also available).

Sifting & Reckoning: UW-Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance, through Dec. 23, Chazen Museum of Art: Museums and other cultural institutions have begun the work of recognizing the sometimes tainted provenance of the works they house and acknowledging the underrepresented in their collections. This has itself caused a backlash from the right. UW-Madison Public History Project's Sifting & Reckoning: UW-Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance examines 150 years of struggle, discrimination, exclusion and resistance at the university through various artifacts and oral histories. Kacie Lucchini Butcher, co-curator of the exhibit at the Chazen, calls it “an opportunity for us to reflect on what happened here at UW-Madison so that we can better understand what we need to do in order to create a more equitable future.” A panel discussion by Lucchini Butcher, Vice Provost for Libraries Lisa Carter and UW Archives oral history curator Troy Reeves will take place at 4 p.m. on Dec. 1, at Memorial Library (register here).

Audifax, Dec. 1-March 9, Garver Feed Mill; reception 6-8 pm, Dec. 1: Audifax, the current artist-in-residence for the Madison Public Library's Bubbler program, is a self-taught artist who creates murals/street art and other paintings as well as sculpture. View a sampling of Audifax's work in the exhibit “Centre,” opening at Garver Canvas on Dec. 1, with a reception from 6-8 p.m. New works on canvas and prints will be added throughout December, and Audifax will be working on a sculpture in the space as well (with an unveiling planned as part of the next Femmestival on Feb. 19).

Peter and the Starcatcher, Dec. 1-4, UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre: It's a musical variation on Peter Pan that won a Tony. Peter and the Starcatcher is a University Theatre production that should appeal to the whole family, though a warning notes that it contains “mild rude humor.” You already know the story about the boy who would not grow up, and all the magic and wonder therein. And yes, there arrrr pirates. Performances at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 1-2; 2 and 7:30 p.m., Dec. 3; and 2 p.m., Dec. 4. The Mitchell Theatre lobby box office opens one hour prior to performances for walk up sales; advance tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Shecase Showdown, Thursday, Dec. 1, Harmony Bar, 7:30 p.m.: The Harmony Bar continues to up its game with music bookings since new owners took over this summer. The recurring Shecase Showdown is a great example. Kelly Maxwell (Little Red Wolf, Gold Dust Women) curated and hosts this in-the-round gathering of woman songwriters, featuring a fun mash-up of genres in December. Anapaula Venacio Strader is known for her Brazilian vocal stylings with Samba Novistas. Raquel Aleman’s music goes the way of '90s power pop and R&B. Bassist Claire Kannapell leans traditional jazz but also knows how to create quirky rock songs from her days in Woodrow. Huan-Hua Chye is a member of Madison’s rock mystics Gentle Brontosaurus.

All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Dec. 1-11, Overture Center-Playhouse: An a cappella musical written by UW-Madison graduate and Theatre Latté Da co-founder Peter Rothstein, All is Calm uses period music and the words of the men who were actually there to recount a World War I story that will stick with you long after seeing the play. It's become a holiday tradition for Four Seasons Theatre, which is remounting this production for a third season. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

German Art Students 25th Anniversary, Thursday, Dec. 1, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Can we do better than to quote our own critic, the late Tom Laskin, on the GAS? “Much like the parade of New Wave bands that spread equal amounts of pop and snot across the late '70s music scene, the local quartet holds nothing sacred. Civil War reenactments, self-righteous lefty artists, twee baroque-rock bands: They sneer at ‘em all.” The classic lineup of Andy Larson, Annelies Howell, Kirk Wall and Randy Ballwahn will be on hand to celebrate 25 years of wonky pop snot. And you can dance too. With Jane Hobson.

Them Coulee Boys + Long Mama, Thursday, Dec. 1, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: The Cosmic American Music pick of the week is certainly this twin bill of Wisconsin roots-plus outfits. Them Coulee Boys work from a folk-country base, mixing stellar four-part harmony singing with a punk rock aesthetic and energy. Milwaukee quartet Long Mama builds a spare roots rock frame around the folky songs and warmly direct singing of Kat Wodtke, a combination that works to great effect on their debut album, Poor Pretender.

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