Enjoy a compilation of selected tracks by artists playing shows we're excited about in Madison during the week of June 22-28, 2017. For more information on these shows, read on under the Spotify playlist!
LOLO, Thursday, June 22, East Side Club, 6 pm: LOLO’s latest album, In Memory of When I Gave a Shit, moves from anger and disillusionment to self-realization in tracking the singer’s recent journey from Broadway back home to Tennessee. It’s not that she didn’t have success in the big city; her songwriting credits include Panic! at the Disco tracks and Songbird, an Off-Broadway musical. But her own voice is one worth hearing. With soulful Milwaukee singer-songwriter Abby Jeanne.
Whitey Morgan, Thursday, June 22, Majestic Theatre, 8:30 pm: For a guaranteed night of classic ‘70s-style country fun, Whitey Morgan will deliver an authentic experience, melding Americana sounds with those of legends Willie Nelson and Jack White. Morgan’s new album Sonic Ranch details life in post-industrial Flint, Michigan, with the region’s classic blues howl. Equally retro-leaning crooner Tony Martinez opens.
Ken Vandermark and Nate Wooley, Thursday, June 22, Art + Literature Lab, 8 pm: Veterans of experimental scenes, Chicago’s Vandermark (saxophone) and New York City’s Wooley (trumpet) have been making some freaky jazz together, exploring the fringes of the art form. Wooley speaks through his trumpet, offering up spooky growls and shrieks. And he proudly quotes a review that called his playing “exquisitely hostile.” This concert celebrates the first anniversary of ALL’s wildly successful jazz bookings, so they’re offering a raffle and treats.
Faun Fables + Paul Fonfara + Stephanie Rearick, Thursday, June 22, The Frequency, 8 pm: Faun Fables plays whacked out, mystical shit — blending science fiction and mythological themes, and anchored by Dawn McCarthy, whose singular voice was described by The New Yorker as “one of the more compelling instruments in contemporary music.” Also riveting are the contributions of McCarthy’s musical partner and co-parent, Nils Frykdahl (Free Salamander Exhibit, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum), who adds electric guitars, bass, flutes and vocals. Paul Fonfara (Painted Saints) is also an intrepid experimenter. Add in Stephanie Rearick’s classically inspired keyboard/looped dreamscapes, and you’ve got a mind-blowing night of music.
Darius Rucker, Friday, June 23, Breese Stevens Field, 5:30 pm: Former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker brings his chart-topping country sound to Breese Stevens. Rucker’s concert caps off the first day of the 2017 PGA TOUR Champions American Family Insurance Championship, June 23-25 at University Ridge; the events raise funds for the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation and American Family Children’s Hospital. With Georgia singer-songwriter Corey Smith and Madison blues/rockers the Ryan McGrath Band.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Friday, June 23, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: Kip Berman’s critically acclaimed indie-pop outfit The Pains of Being Pure at Heart plays High Noon Saloon in advance support of their upcoming album, The Echo of Pleasure. Over four albums, the band has arced from lo-fi, fuzzed-out sonic territory into crisp, ‘80s inspired pop — with a knack for infectious hooks all along the way. With Beverly, Ablebody.
Groovesession, Friday, June 23, Alchemy, 10:30 pm: The polished wood décor of Alchemy will rattle when Los Angeles-based trio Groovesession returns to Madison. The up-and-coming three-piece is on a mission to end the “jammin’ famine” by laying down thunder-chunky grooves tuned to 432 hertz. Sometimes bringing smoking-hot rock and roll and at other times cosmic funk, Groovesession will fill this east-side venue with positive vibes. “Just get us cheese curds, a brat and a Spotted Cow and we’re good to go,” singer and percussionist Manny Sanchez told Isthmus.
Harmonious Wail, Friday, June 23, Brink Lounge, 8 pm: Madison’s longtime Gypsy jazz stars celebrate their 30th anniversary by bringing back alums Chris Wagoner, Jon Cooper and Laurie Lang. All three have gone on to make beautiful music in other ensembles, but it will be a delight to see the old crew reunited. As a bonus, the band promises to tell some stories of their three decades together, including a rundown on the 30 (!) bass players who have played with the band.
Fiendish Phantoms, Friday, June 23, The Frequency, 9 pm: The Fiendish Phantoms, a horror-rock band that sounds like a Frankenstein monster mashup of the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack and Iron Maiden, are dropping their first full-length album. It’s sponsored by Bordello of Horror, a cable-access late-night horror show, so this night might genuinely terrify you. Local punks The Brash Menagerie, Urban Descent and Not Dead Yet open.
Shake the Lake, Saturday, June 24, John Nolen Drive, 4 pm: Kick off the season of Independence Day celebrations with Wisconsin’s largest fireworks display, a human cannonball, music and a market featuring local vendors. Most of the action is along John Nolen Drive between Broom and Blair streets. California popsters Saint Motel (who just completed a virtual reality companion to new album Saintmotelevision) and blues rockers the Record Company will co-headline the rock stage; Parmalee will headline the country stage. Fireworks begin at 10 pm. Public service announcement: Consider medicating your canine companions.
Susan Werner, Saturday, June 24, Art in the Barn, Fitchburg, 7:30 pm: Iowa native Susan Werner emerged in the folk scene of the early ‘90s, but has refused to let her sharp songwriting or musical curiosity be constrained by genre boundaries. She’s recorded jazz, ‘70s pop covers blended with classically-styled arrangements, and concept albums on topics ranging from religion to farming. This concert is a benefit for Haiti Allies, a nonprofit giving assistance to students at Cite Soleil Community School near Port au Prince; come early to check out Haitian art for sale. With Tom Kastle.
William Elliott Whitmore, Sunday, June 25, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: The son of an Iowa farmer, Whitmore grew up learning the meaning of hard work. Now he has adapted that ethos in his varied musical career, using his relentless, workmanlike approach to garner a rabid global fan base and play with everyone from punk rock bands to country troubadours to no-shit rock stars like the late, great Chris Cornell. He last released Radium Death in 2015. With Lou Shields.
The Whiskey Farm album release, Wednesday, June 28, High Noon Saloon, 6:30 pm: Madison Area Music Award-winning Americana band The Whiskey Farm leans FM pop country — in the best ways possible: huge hooks and fluid, catchy melodies. With support by other local folk luminaries, the band hosts a political chautauqua with all proceeds going to the ACLU. Songs of Resistance, the band’s fourth album, is a Utah Phillips’-style collection of original songs about justice and human rights. With Evan Murdock, Ryan Mauer & the Angry Fix, Frank Busch, Amber Sebastian.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.