What to do in Madison this weekend: Artists' Night, Ashley Gavin and more Isthmus Picks

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GLEAM, Wednesdays-Saturdays, through Oct. 29, Olbrich Gardens: Time grows short to view Olbrich Gardens' latest installment of GLEAM: Art in a New Light. This annual fundraiser transforms the already magical botanical paths into something otherworldly when the gardens are dotted with art displays that involve light. Timed entry is available from 6:30-9:30 p.m. with the gardens closing at 11 p.m. in October; tickets sold in advance only at olbrichgleam.org.

Halloween thrills, Oct. 27-29, various locations: Indoor haunted houses are a bit scarce around Dane County, but one spot that’s still kicking and spooking is Screamin' Acres, at 3865 Hwy. 138, Stoughton. For this site (recommended for ages 13 and up), tickets are sold in advance only for entry times from 7-10 p.m. on Oct. 28-29 (and next weekend, Nov. 4-5). Outdoor hauntings take place this weekend at the Haunted Forest at Schuster's Playtime Farm, Deerfield, with timed entry from 7-10 p.m. on Oct. 27-29 (this one is for ages 14 and up); and Terror at Tyrol is at Tyrol Basin, Mount Horeb, with ticket sales in-person only from 6:30-10:30 p.m. on Oct. 27-29. Fun for the wee ones (including trick-or-treating) can be found as Boo at the Zoo returns to the Henry Vilas Zoo, from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Oct. 29.

Tonstartssbahndt, Thursday, Oct. 27, UW Memorial Union-Rathskeller, 7 p.m.: You can do plenty with a guitar, drum set and voices, as proven by the trippy, harmony-laden jams created by Tonstartssbahndt on the 2021 album Petunia. Brothers Andrew and Edwin White have created a prolific catalog of musical explorations since beginning their journey as a band in 2007, which continued through a decade living in different cities before they returned home to Orlando, Florida, in 2016. Experience the shape their songs take live during this WUD Music concert; Mason Lindahl opens.

Stones in His Pockets, Oct. 27-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.

Ashley Gavin, Oct. 27-29, Comedy on State: With more than 900,000 TikTok followers and the popular podcast We're Having Gay Sex, Ashley Gavin is ready to take on the world. Her high-energy stand-up comedy ranges from social commentary to poking fun at herself to roasting any audience members/hecklers who insert themselves in the path of her rapier wit. This weekend Gavin takes over Comedy on State for shows at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 and 7:30 and 10 p.m., Oct. 28-29.

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 is Oct. 28, if the limit has not been reached). 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.

Lunar Moth EP release, Thursday, Oct. 27, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Madison trio Lunar Moth will celebrate the release of a new EP, In the Mourning, with a costume contest and a strong lineup of local bands. The group blends doom, garage and psych, ultimately creating a rock category of their own. Lunar Moth put out their first album, Honestly, Maybe in 2021, and teased the EP with the crunchy single “Sunshine Veins” in September. With Totally Cashed, Shoobie, Flying Fuzz and Smoke Free Home (and note, it is a Thursday show, not Wednesday as stated in the October print edition).

HR, Thursday, Oct. 27, The Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Legendary Washington, D.C., punk band Bad Brains play as hard and fast as anyone, but have also explored other styles along the way — particularly reggae. The latest single by Bad Brains singer HR, “Easy,” holds down a laid-back roots reggae groove topped by his inimitable vocal style. HR is on tour supporting the single and the forthcoming album Let Luv Lead The Way. With Sumpp, Meskales, DJ Kayla Kush.

Artists' Night, Friday, Oct. 28, hours vary, but most 4-8 p.m.: An alternative to this fall's MMoCA-sponsored Gallery Night next weekend, Artists' Night was conceived to support artists troubled by the museum's Triennial, “Ain't I a Woman?” (surrounded by allegations of racism and unequal treatment of the participating artists). But organizers also see Artists' Night as another opportunity to share art. And indeed there are many new names on this list, speaking to the event's inclusivity and the breadth of artists in the community. Venues range from The Bodgery makerspace to a tattoo parlor. An after-party will be held at Giant Jones Brewing 8-10 p.m. See the complete list of locations at communicationmadison.com.

Emo Halloween, Friday, Oct. 28, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Emo isn't necessarily connected to Halloween, but both favor eerie iconography, and what are the chances that several somebodies turn up dressed as Robert Smith? (Of course, they might look like that every day.) Featuring The Black Parade (My Chemical Romance tribute), Mersey Brothers (The Cure), The Up & Up (Fall Out Boy), and Pink Halo (Paramore). Worth it for Mersey Brothers covering "Just Like Heaven" alone.

Skalloween, Friday, Oct. 28, Harmony Bar, 9 p.m.: Our winner for this year's “best band name for Halloween weekend” goes to Space Monkey Mafia, a hard-touring Minneapolis outfit mixing horns, harmony vocals and punk rock. Also traveling from the Twin Cities are ska-tinged rockers Goodbye Mordecai. Rounding out a dance-friendly bill is Madison's own ska-punkers Courtesy of Tim (who released both an LP and EP on vinyl in 2021, a seemingly impossible achievement in pandemic times).

Pumpkin Hollow Art Center Grand Opening, Oct. 29-30, 3956 Hoepker Road, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m.: Street art-focused Momentum Art Tech is now Pumpkin Hollow Art Center, which opened its newly renovated and expanded space Sept. 7 at 3956 Hoepker Road (take a right off Highway 51, heading north from East Washington Avenue). Along with graffiti/muralist art supplies and classes, the center will provide gallery space and rentable studios for local artists. The grand opening weekend features free art classes at 2 p.m. daily, and a graffiti competition and DJ at 7 p.m. Saturday. Find more info at pumpkinhollowartcenter.com.

Fall Wonder and Exploration Outing, Saturday, Oct. 29, Indian Lake County Park, Cross Plains, 1-4 p.m.: Much has been written about kids getting too much screen time and not enough outdoor adventure. This free outing for kids remedies that, in a beautiful setting not so far from Madison that you'll be getting a lot of are-we-there-yets. There will be identification of animals and plants in the park and an easy nature hike. Plus, there will be a campfire and s'mores-making — a nature skill that will be good for a lifetime. This event, hosted by Get Kids Outside Wisconsin and partners, is free, but advance registration by 1 p.m. on Oct. 28 is required.

The Mole Hill Stories, through Oct. 30, Madison Youth Arts Building-Starlight Theater: Based on Lois Ehlert's classic children's books, The Mole Hill Stories follows the adventures of Mole, who is told by Fox that she needs to move her hill. With some help from her friends, Mole explores new terrain and learns a few lessons. The adaptation by Alvaro Saar Rios integrates Spanish language, live music and creative movement. Intended for young audiences ages 3-7, this Children's Theater of Madison production is on stage at 1 and 4 p.m., Oct. 29; and 3 p.m., Oct. 30. Tickets at overture.org.

Judson Claiborne, Saturday, Oct. 29, Communication, 7 p.m.: Missouri-born Christopher Claiborne Salveter cut his teeth on MTV videos before Chicago indie record labels wooed him to the Windy City in 2000. His first band, Low Skies, recorded four albums and toured with Neko Case. Nowadays, recording in a trio called Judson Claiborne, he’s making new music that’s as warm and fuzzy as it is provocative. With Mark Lefebvre.

Freakin' Halloweekend, Saturday, Oct. 29, High Noon Saloon, 7:30 p.m.: This Halloween party coordinated by local musicians has long been one of the can't-miss parties of Halloween weekend, featuring a costume contest that attracts some unique get-ups and a lot of desirable prize packages. Oh, and a lot of mostly one-time-only tribute sets to favorite music legends, this year ranging from Neil Young (performed by Marsden) to LCD Soundsystem (The Earthlings); they are bookends for an evening also including music from The Black Crowes (Murder of Crowes), Genesis/Phil Collins (Shabelles/Gentle Brontosaurus), and REM (Fauxtons).

Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, Saturday, Oct. 29, Orpheum Theater, 8 p.m.: Just in time for Halloween, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin — an offshoot of the Italian progressive-rock band featuring Simonetti on keyboards and known for its film scores — haunts Madison to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Dario Argento's iconic horror movie Suspiria. The band will perform the score in tandem with a screening of the film. Following an intermission, the collective will return to the stage and deliver a second set of vintage Goblin material. (If you just want to see Suspiria, check out the screening at Cinematheque in Vilas Hall that same night at 7 p.m.)

Excuse Me, Who Are You? EP release, Saturday, Oct. 29, The Rigby, 8:30 p.m.: Madison four-piece Excuse Me, Who Are You? is back with their debut EP, About that beer I owed ya', out on streaming services on Oct. 28 (and with a limited cassette incarnation). Among the four tracks is “... In the Test Chamber,” their spiky-shiny-screamy (and excellent) February single. They will celebrate the release with a packed local bill also featuring D'Funk & the Grease Monkeys, Diet Lite, Endswell and Tiny Voices.

Hometown Sweethearts, Saturday, Oct. 29, Crystal Corner Bar, 9 p.m.: The long-awaited return to live music at the Crystal arrived in September, and this will be one of the bar’s biggest nights of the fall. The Hometown Sweethearts are synonymous with the club but, given that bassist Christian Boeger now lives in Australia, the opportunity to hear the band is rare. The Sweethearts are a cover-band-lover’s wet dream. The trio pumps through hits and near-hits of the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and beyond, barely taking a breath between songs.

St. Louis Stompers, Sunday, Oct. 30, Funk's Pub, Fitchburg, noon: Following its current concert season, the Madison Jazz Society is transitioning away from concerts to focus on school residencies and grant programs, so fans of traditional jazz will want to make a special effort to catch this year's lineup. Visiting this month: the St. Louis Stompers, who play Dixieland drawing on traditions from the New Orleans and Chicago strains of the form. Find more info on their remaining concerts at madisonjazz.com.

Sami Schalk, Sunday, Oct. 30, A Room of One’s Own, noon-4 p.m.: Sami Schalk, an associate professor of gender and women’s studies at UW-Madison, will sign copies of her new book, Black Disability Politics — a groundbreaking work that draws on the archives of the Black Panther Party and the National Black Women’s Health Project to explore how issues of disability have been (and continue to be) central to Black activism. She also identifies common qualities of Black disability politics, including the need to ground public health initiatives in the experience and expertise of marginalized disabled people so they can work in antiracist, feminist and anti-ableist ways. During the event, $1 from every book sold will go to Disability Pride Madison.

George Winston, Sunday, Oct. 30, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7 p.m.: Pianist George Winston's works form an impressionist backdrop for just about any event you can think of — intriguing but never so overt as to distract from the other doings at-hand. His work has always related to nature and the seasons; he's touring in support of his 16th solo studio album, Night, but also pulling songs from his vast back catalog. Props to Winston — he's touring throughout Wisconsin, with eight stops, including smaller cities like Minoqua, Oshkosh and Wausau.

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