Enjoy a compilation of selected tracks by artists playing shows we're excited about in Madison this week. For more information on these shows, read on under the playlist or check out all this week's Isthmus Picks.
Whitey Morgan & the 78’s, Thursday, Feb. 21, Majestic Theatre, 8:30 pm: If Waylon Jennings had decided to go in a hard rock direction in the latter half of the ’70s (rather than adding a disco backbeat), it may have come out sounding something like Hard Times and White Lines, the new album from Whitey Morgan & the 78's. A song cycle on the downsides of mid-life drinking, drugging and dead-end jobs, the hard country arrangements match well with Morgan’s tales of lost souls. With Alex Williams.
A Bowie Celebration, Thursday, Feb. 21, Orpheum, 7:30 pm: The Thin White Duke lives on thanks to this critically acclaimed act headed up by David Bowie’s longest-serving sideman — keyboardist and band leader Mike Garson — along with talented alumni of Bowie’s bands from across the decades. These guys play all the hits, plus new Bowie songs fans haven’t heard before.
Into the Woods, Thursday, Feb. 21, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7:30 pm: It’s all hands on deck for a joint production from University Opera and University Theatre. Into the Woods is Stephen Sondheim’s intertwining of classic fairy tales, with Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and more. This production will fill the stage with 20 singer-actors and 70 musicians and backstage personnel, putting Madison’s deeply talented stage artisans through their paces. ALSO: Friday (7:30 pm), Saturday (2 & 7:30 pm) and Sunday (2 pm), Feb. 22-24.
Alan Jackson,Friday, Feb. 22, Alliant Energy Center Coliseum, 7:30 pm: Country Hall of Fame member Alan Jackson was one of a handful of dominant singer-songwriters to take the charts by storm in the 1990s and ‘00s. He remains one of Nashville’s best storytellers — in 2018, he became a Songwriters Hall of Fame member — and biggest stars, bringing a much-needed traditional honky tonk ethos to modern C&W. With William Michael Morgan (“I Met a Girl”).
Tippy, Friday, Feb. 22, Communication, 8 pm: In this sometimes solo, sometimes full-band project, Madison musician Spencer Bible masterfully evoked ’90s slacker rock for his 2016 self-titled album. Now back with another release, he’s channeling “jaguar energy” and “Yugoslavian lounge vibes.” How intriguing. With smooth crooner Mr. Jackson (the Black Gandalf!) and sad synth prince Cop Circles. Visual installations from Jeremy Nealis and Dan Fitch.
Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail Lewis, Friday, Feb. 22, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm: Linda Gail Lewis has proven an ace duo partner in the past, with both her brother (Jerry Lee) and singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Her collaboration with Robbie Fulks, the excellent 2018 Bloodshot release Wild! Wild! Wild!, may be the best of all. Fulks wrote new songs with Lewis and her storied history in mind; the results seamlessly mix rock, country and soul in a fashion befitting a Southern legend. With Scott Miller.
Bonnie X Clyde, Friday, Feb 22, Liquid, 10 pm, Los Angeles-based EDM duo Bonnie X Clyde is a collaboration between synthpop producer Daniel Litman and vocalist/producer Paige Lopynski. The high school friends bring their breezy blend of house music and powerful pop vocals to Liquid, touring behind last year’s EP, While We’re Young, which features the moody hit single “The Unknown.”
International Festival, Saturday, Feb. 23, Overture Center, 10 am-5 pm: Overture brings the world to Madison for this festival celebrating cultures from all over the globe. It starts at 10 am with the haunting sounds of 12-foot-long Swiss Alphorns and a traditional Ho-Chunk welcome. Throughout the day and in every nook and cranny you’ll find food, costumes, music and dance: Middle Eastern dancing, Chinese lion dance, Brazilian capoeira, Irish stepping, Indian classical dance, Spanish guitar, Eastern European a cappella music, Sufi stories, and so much more. Plus you can participate in language lessons and a community mandala project. See the whole schedule at overture.org/international-festival.
Young the Giant, Saturday, Feb. 23, The Sylvee, 8 pm: Sameer Gadhia of Young the Giant has one of those voices that really fills a room. On songs like “It’s About Time” and “Crystallized,” Gadhia sounds like an arena hero of decades past. He has the kind of swagger that turns every Young the Giant show into Queen at Live Aid rather than just a tour stop in the upper Midwest. With tropical indie poppers Sure Sure.
Disaster Passport, Saturday, Feb. 23, High Noon Saloon, 2 pm: Lots of folks got turned away the last time Disaster Passport played its live score to the mind-blowing film Koyaanisqatsi at Communication. Scored and played live by Andy Moore (banjo), Colin Crowley (banjo), Karl Christenson (omnichord and electric baritone guitar), and Luke Bassuener (percussion), it’s a weird and wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Crankdat, Saturday, Feb 23, Liquid, 10 pm: Producer, DJ and expert remixer Crankdat visits Madison for a night of gravity-defying beats. Christian Smith gained fame as a teenager by remixing popular songs into EDM tracks. Now he releases his own music alongside remixes. His 2018 single “Reasons To Run” is as electrifying as anything he’s done, with breakneck synth lines layered onto his own modulated vocals. With Ace, Spookybro, Davilla, ELEVATD.
A Wintry Mix Chamber Music Collective, Saturday, Feb. 23, First United Methodist Church, 7 pm: Women composers. Women performers. Women collaborating and sharing the joy of music. Back for its second year (in June), the LunART Festival is also hosting this concert featuring Madison chamber ensembles Black Marigold (woodwind) and Arbor Ensemble (flute, cello and piano). Both groups will perform separately, then they will mix members and instrumentation.
Steve Adamyk Band, Sunday, Feb. 24, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm: Those looking for an injection of speed and sugar into the bloodstream to prepare for another work week will want to pencil in this show on the calendar. Visiting from Canada, Steve Adamyk Band is power pop at heart but plays with a lot more velocity than most. Local heroes Proud Parents feature three singers and songwriters giving their jangle an extra angle. (Both bands record for the always-reliable Dirtnap label, now based in Madison.) An extra jolt of pop punk is provided by Ohio natives The Raging Nathans.
The King & I, Tuesday, Feb. 26, Overture Hall, 7:30 pm: The classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical is updated and features an international cast. Beloved songs include “Getting To Know You,” “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” “Hello Young Lovers,” “Shall We Dance” and “Something Wonderful.” The show is set in Bangkok in the 1860s and follows the relationship between the King of Siam and a British schoolteacher. ALSO: Wednesday-Thursday, Feb. 27-28, 7:30 pm. Through March 3.
Hippie Sabotage, Wednesday, Feb 27, Sylvee, 8 pm.: Consisting of two brothers, the chillwave-meets-trap of Hippie Sabotage is at once tranquil and tumultuous. Their recently released single, “Carpe Diem,” melds dark synth overtones, slow percussion, and distorted vocals to create something calm but with chaos swirling at the edges. Listening to their music, especially live, is like being perpetually in the eye of a storm. With Sebastian Paul.
Lula Wiles, Thursday, Feb. 28, North Street Cabaret, 8 pm: Lula Wiles is on tour with a sophomore album via Smithsonian Folkways that more than lives up to the high standard set by their self-titled debut. What Will We Do is anchored by the somewhat spine-chilling juxtaposition of “Bad Guy,” an original murder ballad, with “The Pain of Loving You,” a vintage Dolly Parton-Porter Wagoner duet (also re-recorded by Parton on the blockbuster 1987 Trio album). Bonus: The beautiful acoustics of the Cabaret are the perfect home for the instrumental and vocal alchemy created by the trio of Eleanor Buckland, Isa Burke and Mali Obomsawin.
MadeinTYO, Thursday, Feb. 28, Majestic, 9 pm: The emcee (real name: Malcolm Davis) brings his infectious lyrical style to Madison. Known for his unconventional lyrical takes, Davis has excelled during his young career in pairing words that make little sense on paper but work in song. His ultra-hit “Skateboard P” is the perfect example. With Thutmose, 12 HONCHO, Keyz, Reckless Motion.
Marcia Ball, Thursday, Feb. 28, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm: Prepare for Mardi Gras with a night of swampy, funky rock. Louisiana-born Marcia Ball became an institution in her adopted hometown of Austin, Texas. She’s an energetic piano player, a master storyteller, and an outspoken female in a music world dominated by men. On Shine Bright, her latest album released by Alligator Records, she dedicates “Pots and Pans” to the irascible political columnist Molly Ivins. “We’re out in the streets, banging on pots and pans,” she wails. It’s got joyous horn lines over an irresistible beat. With Sonny Landreth, one of the nation’s finest slide guitar players.
Christina P., Thursday, Feb. 28, Comedy on State, 8 pm: Christina P. once said that if she doesn’t make “a shit joke to a room full of strangers” on a regular basis, she gets depressed. And there’s simply no better reason to be an entertainer. You may know her from the popular podcast Your Mom’s House, which she co-hosts with her husband, Tom Segura; from her Netflix comedy special, Mother Inferior; or as one of six comedians in Netflix’s The Degenerates. With Martin Henn. ALSO: Friday-Saturday, Feb. 29-30, 8 & 10:30 pm.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
