A weekly update about upcoming concerts around Madison and notes on the local scene.
On the horizon
show will take place Friday, October 9, at the usual Corral start time of 10 p.m., with Roast Beef and Underground Day One warming up. The Skintones membership has changed a bit during the decade; founders Pete Ress (guitar) and Tony Leskinen (drums) have been joined in the past by bassists Chris Bacchus and Darwin Sampson, with Gavin Lefebvre holding down the low end the past few years. Travis Kasperbauer also currently adds more guitar to the mix. Ress says the band's shows at the Corral can get rowdy, so watch out. "Some one in the crowd got their nose broken once. That was funny."
The cover charge is $5, but anyone playing the club-hopping game that evening can get in free if also attending the Drunk Drivers up the block at the Frequency.
Club watch
News of the closing of downtown favorites Cafe Montmartre and the Cardinal Bar caused much consternation as June turned into July this past summer. Fans of the Cardinal sighed with relief, though, when former owner Ricardo Gonzalez announced in mid-July that he would resume control and reopen the club. After a couple months of renovation the Cardinal is set to re-open Friday, Oct. 9, with music by Mambo Blue and free appetizers at 5 p.m. and DJ Nick Nice spinning at 9 p.m. DJ El Macizo is at the helm Saturday, October 10, at 9 p.m., with a performance by Cabaret Dando Mambo at 11 p.m. And the Tony Castaneda Latin Jazz Sextet will return to their longtime Sunday night home on October 11, with sets at 9 and 11 p.m.
Just announced
Daytrotter.com will send it's second Barnstormer tour through the Madison area on Friday, October 9, at a novel location. The lineup this time out includes Dawes, Suckers, Christopher Denny, Maritime, Snowblink and Paleo; they'll be playing at the Treinen Farm, where hopefully nobody will get lost in the corn maze or pumpkin patch. Showtime is 6 p.m., open to all ages and free, though donations for the bands are appreciated.
On sale
Tickets went on sale this past Saturday for a concert by former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley. While his former band jaunts to stadiums as part of their "Alive 35" concert tour, Frehley will undertake a slightly more low-key tour in support of his new disc Anomaly. He performs at the Majestic Theatre on Saturday, November 7, upping the spirits of Kiss fans disappointed by the band's passing over Wisconsin during their current tour.
Road trip
The past couple years have been a whirlwind for Eau Claire native Justin Vernon, as his Bon Iver project has traveled far beyond the state of Wisconsin since the national re-release of For Emma, Forever Ago in winter 2008. On October 11, he's serving as honorary chair of the 20th annual Aids Walk Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and playing a benefit show at 8 p.m. at the Riverside Theatre. Fellow Eau Claire denizens The Daredevil Christopher Wright are also on the bill; Vernon recorded their debut album released earlier this year.