What to do in Madison this week: John Mellencamp, Trail Running Film Festival and more Isthmus Picks

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Eric Hagen, Tuesday, March 26, Up North, 6 p.m.: Sturgeon Bay’s Eric Hagen is a singer-songwriter who fits somewhere between country and Americana, and moves deftly between acoustic ballads and straight-up guitar rock. His latest recording is the January EP Memories Don't Love You Back. Opening is Hunter Gatherer, also from Sturgeon Bay; the vibe is campfire acoustic.

John Umhoefer, Tuesday, March 26, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Trempealeau, the debut novel from Madison-based author John Umhoefer, blends local fiction, mystery and sci-fi to tell the tale of an elusive geological circle near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border — a generations-old secret discovered in 1974 from space that could literally shake the globe in 2003. Fun fact: Umhoefer also is president of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, and one of Trempealeau’s main characters is…a cheesemaker. Seating for this event is limited and RSVPs are encouraged, but it also will be livestreamed via Crowdcast. Info at mysterytomebooks.com.

Doug E. L. Haynes, through March 29, Neighborhood House: This Madison artist’s hyper-local work will be showcased at “Public Art for the Community” including his murals, collaborative projects, documentary videos and more, as well as a fanciful “selfie station” created for this exhibit. Doug Haynes is also the author of the State Street Coloring Book, and included in the exhibit will be selections from his next work — about the fated-for-demolition UW Humanities building (read Linda Falkenstein’s story here).

Flight of Lights, through April 7, Dane County Regional Airport, 7:30-11:30 p.m.: This spring tradition hatched during the first spring of the pandemic, when looking at things happening from inside your car was, indeed, a thing. This massive light display on the International Lane approach to the airport and the "pickup loop" is still fun and bigger every year. Be sure to keep one eye on the road if you're the driver because you don't want to hit anyone making the trek from long-term parking. Note, lighted hours are 7:30-11:30 p.m., so if you're picking someone up at the airport at midnight, you're out of luck. More info at flightoflights.com.

Message from Our Planet, through June 2, Chazen Museum of Art: This exhibit of new media works includes software and other digital technologies, video, and light-based works. In “Message from Our Planet,” visitors will see vintage examples of media devices from the 1960s to current models. Art is one of the ways we communicate with the future humans of this planet, the exhibit suggests, or even beings from other worlds. Curator Jason Foumberg was inspired by the cultural artifacts that were sent into space via Voyager 1 in 1977 that included music from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Chuck Berry.

John Mellencamp, Tuesday, March 26, Overture Hall, 8 p.m.: These days, John Mellencamp is barely recognizable as the Johnny Cougar who released “I Need A Lover” in 1978 and went on to massive success in the 1980s with his smart and catchy brand of heartland rock. Mellencamp’s voice is now more gruff, his newer songs more dour, and last year the Minneapolis Star Tribune called his show “part concert, part theater, part stand-up comedy, part social commentary, part self-help lecture and part confessional.” Go back and listen to old songs like “Check It Out,” “Hot Dogs and Hamburgers,” “The Face of the Nation,” “Pink Houses” and “Now More Than Ever,” and you’ll realize how relevant his words remain. Tickets at overture.org.

A Bopsody of Rhapsody, Wednesday, March 27, Robinia Courtyard, 7 p.m.: This fun, free variety show features FlowPoetry (Adam Gregory Pergament of Madison) along with guitarists KC McCrum and Jay Moe, classical harpist Lizz Vega, and double bassist Tim Peeters. Songs, spoken word, ambient grooves, and beat jazz come together for a lyrical, experimental evening that may well take you places you didn’t know you needed to go.

Trail Running Film Festival, Thursday, March 28, Barrymore, 6:30 p.m.: Eight short films between six and 20 minutes long make up the roster of the third annual Trail Running Film Festival. Topics range from running in Mexico to rediscover family heritage (Izta) to a healing journey from cancer (Red Needle). Find more info at trailfilmfest.com, and tickets at barrymorelive.com. Sponsored by The Driftless Trail Collective & Driftless Endurance

Kathryn Clarenbach, A Force in the Modern Women’s Movement, Thursday, March 28, Zoom, 7 p.m.: Appropriately for Women’s History Month, the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation gives a local hero her due: Kathryn “Kay” Clarenbach influenced the women’s movement in Wisconsin and nationally especially in the 1960s and '70s. Clarenbach was involved with marital property and divorce reform, establishing the Women’s Studies Program at UW-Madison and much more. Speaker Gary Tipler prepared the landmark nomination for the Kathryn Clarenbach Family Residence at 2229 Eton Ridge, Madison. This program is free but note that registration closes at 5 p.m. the day of the event at tickettailor.com.

Steve Hackett, Thursday, March 28, Orpheum Theater, 8 p.m.: We’re surprised this gig didn’t sell out right away. Steve Hackett, the original guitarist for English progressive-rock band turned mainstream superstars Genesis, has released 30 (!) solo albums — including The Circus and The Whale, which dropped Feb. 16. But his current North American tour celebrates the 50th anniversary of Foxtrot, Genesis’ milestone fourth album featuring the band’s longest recorded song, the 23-minute “Supper’s Ready.” Fans also should expect to hear other early-Genesis favorites along with highlights from Hackett’s own nearly 50-year solo career. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Twilight Bowl, through April 6, Bartell Theatre: Mercury Players' latest production is Twilight Bowl, a 2019 play from lauded Chicago- and Green County-based playwright Rebecca Gilman. A group of young women from a small Wisconsin town face challenges in professional and personal growth but find support and a sense of community at the local bowling alley. Shows at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (except 2 p.m. on April 6), and 2 p.m. on March 31. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Dead Familiars tape release, Thursday, March 28, The Rigby, 8 p.m.: Madison quartet Dead Familiars celebrates a long-awaited physical release for their Turbinado EP — on cassette, courtesy Kitschy Spirit (the former Madison-based label now at home in the U.P.). The EP’s six cuts of uptempo crunchy-catchy rock made up one of the strongest debut releases of 2020. Also on the bill are Fake Twin and Clean Room.

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