Will the skies clear in time to catch VO5 at Bear Mound Park at 7 pm?
Make Music Madison -- a free, citywide music fest featuring more than 250 performances by about 200 local acts -- was built upon hopes that the sun would shine on the summer solstice. In other words, the event, which began early this morning, consists of many outdoor gigs. So what's a fan to do if the rain continues, as it has for much of the morning?
Here are a few suggestions, plus a glimpse behind the scenes of the event. These 35 standouts -- and many other acts -- will move to a nearby indoor venue if the rain doesn't go away. See the full Make Music Madison schedule for details.
Downtown Musettes
Madison Children's Museum, 100 N. Hamilton St., noon
Museum staff will present an entertaining Motown musical.
Hiebing, 315 Wisconsin Ave., noon
This outfit's indie folk is especially lovely with an eerie backdrop of thunder and lightning.
Bill O'Donoghue, Laurence Nugent and Friends
Dane County Regional Airport, Main Terminal, 1 pm
This ensemble includes a whistling wizard from Ireland.
Wisconsin Historical Museum, 30 N. Carroll, 1 pm
Participate in a rollicking round of karaoke, accompanied by a live rock band.
Madison Media Institute, 3702 Agriculture Drive, 1 pm
Local hip-hop shows can be hard to find since many venues have stopped booking them. Despite this negative development, this trio's rap is as positive as it gets.
Train car E, 640 W. Washington Ave., 1:30 pm
Industrial rock and hip-hop merge in this local group's sound.
Ozone
Oak Park Place, 718 Jupiter Drive, 2 pm
This act's bass-blasting dubstep will persuade passersby to bust a move.
Alan Ng, Elizabeth Simcock and Sheila Shigley
Bernie's Beach, Gilson St. and South Shore Dr., 3 pm
Lots of Irish music will lilt through Bernie's Beach (or a nearby rain location) from noon until 8 pm or so. This group weaves together fiddles, flute, bodhran, melodeon and two voices.
Madison Sourdough Café, 916 Williamson St., 3 pm
This act's inventive blues will get toes tapping, even if they're wearing squeaky galoshes.
East Madison Community Center, 8 Straubel Court, 3 pm
This group claims to be what Kanye West would sound like if he sampled classic rock rather than soul.
Gap, 341 State St., 3 pm
In addition to writing songs and singing them, this artist extracts lovely melodies from a tenor ukulele. She'll also perform at Madison Children's Museum (12:15 pm) and other venues.
Old Sugar Distillery, 931 East Main St., 3 pm
This old-time string band invites dance steps of yore with waltzes, polkas and folk tunes.
Madison Senior Center, 330 W. Mifflin St., 3 pm
This local group harmonizes beautifully while promoting camaraderie among gentlemen of all sexual orientations. They'll also sing at the Wisconsin Historical Museum at 5 pm.
Boys & Girls Club, 2001 Taft St., 4 pm
Competitors from the youth organization's talent show will perform four hours of pop, R&B and kid-centric tunes.
Talbot Studio, 2118 Atwood Ave., 4 pm
Madison Area Music Award winner Mark Adkins sings visceral rock and pop songs under this moniker. You can also catch him at James Madison Park (6 pm), rain or shine.
Wisconsin Historical Museum, 30 N. Carroll, 4 pm
This group brings new meaning to the phrase "rhythm is a dancer," using lively West African rhythms to get even the shiest crowds to move to the beat.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 5701 Raymond Road, 4:15 pm
Though this group's Goodman Community Center gig at 7:30 pm will be canceled if there's a storm, their earlier performance at Good Shepherd is on, complete with the sweet sounds of mandolin, bass and dobro.
Adel Ardalan
SERRV Store, 2701 Monroe St., 4:30 pm
If you've never heard an Iranian lute before, here's your chance.
Amy HeartSong
First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 Old University Ave., 4:30 pm
This Creole-American musician performs everything from cabaret classics to modern world music.
UW Memorial Union Terrace, 4:30 pm-midnight
The first day of this free fest moves into the Rathskeller if the weather is frightful. You can catch performances by the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music's faculty ensemble We Six (6:30 pm), rising Chicago vocalist Typhanie Monique (8:20 pm) and the dance-friendly Madison Jazz Orchestra (10:10 pm), among others. See the Isthmus Jazz Fest website for full schedule.
Rosemarie Lester
Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society, 2010 Whenona Dr., 4:30 pm
This musician accompanies her French and German vocals with rich strains of accordion.
Elvehjem Park, Academy Dr. and Woodvale Dr., 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm
This fest-within-a-fest celebrates the Elvehjem neighborhood with performances by indie acts Double Ewes (4:30 pm), Dietrich Gosser (5:15 pm), Icarus Himself (5:45 pm), Little Legend (6:30 pm), the Luyas (7:15 pm) and Julian Lynch (8:15 pm).
"These bands are some of our local favorites," says Chris Winterhack, the marketing coordinator of Jonk Music, the blog that helped organize the event. "Julian Lynch is obviously a local favorite, but he's known nationally, too, so we weren't even expecting him to say yes, but he did. Solskinn is going to be the last show of his month-long tour."
Froth House, 11 N. Allen St., 5 pm
Classic country tunes shine with during this act's mandolin-and-guitar duets. You can also catch them at WORT Community Radio at 11 am.
Alicia Ashman Library, 733 N. High Point Rd., 5 pm
This guitar virtuoso earned a Grammy for his efforts 25 years ago and is likely to have something equally impressive prepared for today.
Solidarity Sing-Along
State Capitol sidewalk, 5 pm
Nothing short of an earthquake will keep these plucky folks from singing songs that protest the governor's attack on the non-affluent.
Sonidos Suaves
Centro Hispano, 810 Badger Rd., 5 pm
Nothing ends a long week like some pretty Latin American folk from this group.
Meadowood Park, 5810 Thrush Lane, 6 pm
This lovable cast of divas is taking opera to the street, or a nearby park shelter. They'll also perform at Capitol Kids at 11:30 am.
Mexican Coke
Hawthorne Library, 2707 E. Washington Ave., 6:30 pm
A slide guitarist and upright bassist will fill the usually-quiet library with Delta Blues.
Drum Circle with Rockameem Bell
Urban League, 2222 S. Park St., 7 pm
Grab a snare or some congas and jam with other local percussionists at this event, which will move to Penn Park around 8 pm. Rockameem Bell will start the event with some West African grooves.
Kristin Scheeler
Lakeview Library, 2845 N. Sherman Ave., 7 pm
Read a book or simply enjoy the music as this classical cellist serenades visitors.
2122 Rusk St. #2, 7 pm
This singer and guitarist, who performed with Violent Femmes in the 1980s, will summon goose bumps with some original tunes.
Bear Mound Park, 1525 Vilas Ave., 7 pm
It'll be a disco inferno when this group gets going, even if it's pouring outside.
Washington Manor Park, 801 N. Oak St., 7 pm
This group of local ladies proves that a barbershop chorus doesn't have to be an all-male affair.
Adam Dachman
Hilldale Shopping Center, 702 N. Midvale Blvd., 7:30 pm
This composer and pianist will wow the crowd with jazz, classical and ragtime tunes.
Benjamin David Kerns
Goodman Library, 2222 S. Park St., 7:30 pm
What would it sound like if Eminem and Aesop Rock had a rap battle inside a library? Find out at this event. (He'll also rap in the hoos.in train at 640 W. Washington Ave. at 4:30 pm.)
James Madison Park, 614 E. Gorham St., 8:15 pm
Find out why this indie band's fan base has been growing so quickly as you rock your cares away.
