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.
Anthony Di Sanza, Tom Curry + Mark Hetzler, Thursday, Oct. 3, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 8 pm: In their new composition, Don’t Look Down, three avant-classical and electronic artists use a mix of musical techniques to reflect the changes technology has made on the world. Across 50 minutes and nine movements, the trio of jazz luminaries — Anthony Di Sanza, Tom Curry and Mark Hetzler — uses percussion, tuba, keyboard, trombone and electronics, as well as visual art, to create multi-faceted and richly textured music.
Amit Peled & Daniel del Pino, Friday, Oct. 4, Farley’s House of Pianos, 7:30 pm: The New York Times described cellist Amit Peled’s playing as possessing “a glowing tone, seductive timbre and an emotionally pointed approach to phrasing.” The 6’5” Israeli American cellist and conductor looks every bit the basketball player he once was. But his rich, emotional tones score in completely new dimensions. Performing with pianist Daniel del Pino, Peled’s program includes cello sonatas by Beethoven, Cassado, Eccles and Strauss. It will be the first concert of Farley’s Salon Piano Series 2019-2020 season. ALSO: Saturday, Oct. 5, 7:30 pm.
Neophonic Jazz Orchestra, Friday, Oct. 4, UW Memorial Union Play Circle, 7:30 pm: Formerly known as the Madison Mellophonium Jazz Orchestra, the Neophonic Jazz Orchestra features a cadre of local musicians dedicated to preserving the big band legacy of conductor Stan Kenton and composer Johnny Richards. Directed by Kenton alumnus Joel Kaye, this 24-piece ensemble will perform free as part of the InDIGenous Jazz Fall Series. Expect a little vintage flair and a whole lot of swing.
Madison Jazz Review, Friday, Oct. 4, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm: A peek into what Madison has to offer to the greater world of jazz. The headliner is the Jon Hoel Trio, whose performances of originals like “Captivity Narrative” go from the innermost sanctum of the pocket all the way to its fringes and back again. Grand dame Gerri DiMaggio will be there with her World Jazz Unit, and be sure to check out Barbacoa, a traditional R&B group featuring some of the most soulful musicians Madison has to offer.
MMoCA Gallery Night, Friday, Oct. 4, various locations, 5-9 pm: The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s annual visual arts “crawl” occupies some 70 galleries, museums, coffee shops and other outlets citywide featuring visual arts interpreted in a variety of media. Unique events include a display of works by visually impaired artists at the Wisconsin Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s Willy Street office; original choreography by Rachelle Butler performed by Madison School of Ballet students amid art at Madison Ballet’s Odana Road headquarters; a joint grand opening of the Jenie Gao Studio and Giant Jones Brewery on East Main Street; ARTSPLOSION, an exploration of the intersection of the arts and social justice in the Jackie Macauley Gallery of The Social Justice Center on Willy Street. Gallery Night-ers can return to MMoCA for an after party that runs from 9-11 pm with food, beverages, arts activities, and music by DJ Femme Noir.
Classical Guitar Festival, Saturday, Oct. 5, Overture Center-Wisconsin Studio, 10 am-10 pm: Building on years of twice-monthly showcases at Lakeside St. Coffee House and occasional concerts by touring performers, Madison Classical Guitar Society presents its first day-long fest at Overture, including concerts by students and others, a vendor fair and more. The fest concludes with a 7 pm concert, “A Celebration of Women,” featuring a trio of soloists from around the world: Frances Karim Chiroque (Puerto Rico), Ioana Gandrabur (Romania) and Elina Chekan (Belarus). Ticket options.
The Black Lillies, Saturday, Oct. 5, The Winnebago, 8 pm: Tennessee-based roots rockers The Black Lillies returned to a quartet configuration for their 2018 album, Stranger to Me, allowing its songs room to rock a little harder or stretch out as needed — and letting well-built three-part harmonies ring through clearly. Also on the bill are Wes Urbaniak & the Mountain Folk, a string band trio that uses instruments built by Urbaniak with repurposed materials.
Madison Bach Musicians, Saturday, Oct. 5, First Unitarian Society of Madison, 8 pm: Kicking off their 16th season, MBM honors Georg Philipp Telemann, one of the most heralded German composers of the 18th century. The group will play three of Telemann’s story works based off Gulliver’s Travels, Don Quixote, and his tragic-comic lament on the death of a canary. For the final piece, the ensemble will be joined by mezzo soprano Clara Osowski. ALSO: Sunday, Oct. 6, 3:30 pm, Holy Wisdom Monastery, Middleton; each concert is preceded by a lecture by artistic director Trevor Stephenson 45 minutes before showtime.
Madison Mystery Tour, Saturday, Oct. 5, Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm: Our current world may have problems, but at least it’s not one in which The Beatles didn’t exist. Helping Madisonians remember in recent years has been Get Back Wisconsin, a collective of local musicians that has played concerts featuring each successive Fabs album, near its release date. Abbey Road emerged in the U.S. on Oct. 1, 1969, and will be performed this Saturday by the newly renamed band, now known as Madison Mystery Tour.
Chanticleer, Sunday, Oct. 6, UW Hamel Music Center, 7:30 pm: Described by The New Yorker as “the world’s reigning male chorus,” Chanticleer returns to Madison with “Trade Winds.” The song cycle features the melodies of the Pacific Islands and seafaring European nations, including the work of early music composers Monteverdi, Gesualdo, Victoria and, for the group’s first time, Portuguese composer Filipe de Magalhães. And you get a chance to check out the fantastic new concert hall on campus.
The SpongeBob Musical, Tuesday, Oct. 8, Overture Hall, 7:30 pm: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants, of course! And that sunny yellow sponge is succeeding at taking over all media. The enormously popular animated series on Nickelodeon is starting its 13th season; a third movie about the residents of Bikini Bottom is in the works; and the Broadway musical version is touring the country after garnering 12 Tony nominations in 2018. Co-conceived and directed by renowned Steppenwolf member Tina Landau, the goofy, uber-theatrical, visually stunning production was deemed a “ginormous giggle” by New York Times critic Ben Brantley. The eclectic pop music soundtrack features artists as diverse as David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Sarah Bareilles, Lady Antebellum and the Flaming Lips. ALSO: Wednesday-Thursday, Oct. 9-10, 7:30 pm. Through Oct. 13.
Middleton Community Orchestra, Wednesday, Oct. 9, Middleton Performing Arts Center, 7:30 pm: This little orchestra proves the wealth of talented classical musicians in the Madison area. The concert features JJ Koh, who serves as the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s principal clarinetist, playing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. It’s conducted by Steve Kurr, who will launch the season with his own composition, “Good Neighbors,” and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” The orchestra honored retired Isthmus critic John W. Barker by dedicating this season to him.
ghostar, Wednesday, Oct. 9, The Winnebago, 8 pm: Madison post-rockers ghostar have a way of making you feel weightless. The duo builds airy soundscapes that crest and crash like waves. One minute you’re soaring through the clouds, and the next you’re in free fall. This is a band to watch. With Shoobie, Parsing. See story, page XX
Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer with Rakesh Chaurasia: Thursday, Oct. 10, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 8 pm: Grammy Award-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck continues his genre-bending musical journey alongside classical/bluegrass bassist Edgar Meyer, Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and Indian bamboo flutist Rakesh Chaurasia for an evening of music that touches every geographical and stylistic corner of the musical world. The music of Fleck et al. defies easy categorization, but is powered by the instrumental mastery each musician demonstrates during a typical powerhouse performance.
Boy Harsher, Thursday, Oct. 10, Crucible, 9 pm: Three acts present twists on dark electronic music for a night of dancing and reflection. Boy Harsher’s minimal wave would fit well in a danceable David Lynch film, while Chrystia Cabral’s dark and airy project, Spellling, provides haunting atmospherics. With locals Klack, whose industrial electronics have seen unexpected success in the duo’s short lifespan, and DJ Ben Archive.
Lizzo, Thursday, Oct. 10, The Sylvee, 8 pm: Swoon! We don’t have enough adjectives in the English language to describe Lizzo. She’s a superhero — a big, bold, black feminist with an outsized talent. She raps, she sings, she dances, and she’s a classically trained flutist. Her career is blowing up right now, and this show on her “Cuz I Luv You Too” tour sold out long ago. Do you understand how lucky we are to have this goddess appear before us? Also, in the regrets department: You could have seen her perform at Yum Yum Fest or FRZN Fest a few years ago. With Ari Lennox, DJ Sophia Eris.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
