Enjoy a compilation of selected tracks by artists playing shows we're excited about in Madison during the week of April 26-May 3, 2018. For more information on these shows, read on under the playlist or check out all this week's Isthmus Picks.
Scrap Arts Music, Thursday, April 26, Overture-Capitol Theater, 7:30 pm: Scrap Arts Music is a collective of percussionists who convert everyday items into instruments. The Canadian five-member group has been around since 2001, and this production — “Children of Metropolis” from founding members Gregory Kozak and Justine Murdy — features all new instruments and songs.
Smooth Hound Smith, Thursday, April 26, Frequency, 8 pm: Comprised of Zack Smith on guitar/banjo/foot drums/harmonica and Caitlin Doyle-Smith on vocals and percussion, this Nashville-based duo has a slick-yet-rambling sound that blends elements of Delta blues, rock, roots and classic soul. Hardworking DIY-ers at heart, they lived in a van for four years and eventually worked their way up to touring with the Dixie Chicks last summer; they’ve played venues from dive bars to Bonnaroo. Their third full-length album is expected out in 2018. With Forlorn Strangers, Hayward Williams.
No Age, Thursday, April 26, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: They may only be two dudes, but No Age can get loud. The Angeleno noise rockers play an abrasive, driving form of music that serves as both a direct assault on your eardrums and an example of some of the most masterfully crafted jams in indie rock. Snares Like a Haircut, their fifth LP, was released in January. With Behavior, Cool Building, DJ Evan Woodward.
Capital City Jazz Fest, Thursday, April 26, Wyndham Garden Hotel, Fitchburg, 7 pm: It’s the end of an era. The Capital City Jazz Fest is folding after 30 years, and most of the events are already sold out. We hear you can still get in to see Thursday’s free kick-off celebration, which features the Buck Creek Jazz Band, Red Lehr’s Powerhouse Five + One, Marilyn Keller, Bob Schulz and other special guests. More info at madisonjazz.com.
UW Jazz Week, Thursday, April 26, UW Humanities Building-Morphy Hall, 8 pm: Jazz performances continue from ensembles featuring UW students, faculty, high school students and guest trumpeter Marquis Hill, a Chicago musician acclaimed for his innovative solos and fluid lyricism. Each night will consist of Hill performing with various UW-affiliated bands. Thursday is a faculty jazz quartet led by director of jazz studies Johannes Wallmann. Friday’s finale (April 27, 8 pm) includes the UW Jazz Orchestra and the UW High School Honors Jazz Band, which includes advanced high school jazz musicians from the Madison area.
Ralph Shively benefit, Friday, April 27, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm: A regular presence at east side music haunts, Ralph Shively has organized many a fundraiser for community radio station WORT-FM. Now it’s time for the community to help Shively out, as he continues to recover from being hit by a vehicle while crossing Willy Street last winter. Music will be provided by Madison bands The Hussy, Wood Chickens and Educational Davis, as well as Minneapolis visitor Battlerat (led by Celeste Heule, ex-Sleeping in the Aviary).
Pat Ferguson & the Sundown Sound album release, Friday, April 27, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm: A founding member of The Smokin’ Bandits and house musician at HotelRED, Pat Ferguson is releasing his long-awaited solo album, Light of Day/Dark of Night. With production from Horseshoes & Hand Grenades member Adam Greuel and collaborations with many other local artists featured in his backing band, the album is a love letter to the Midwestern folk scene. The single “Fuel the Tide” uses Ferguson’s trademark roots songwriting, delightful harmonies and trilling violins to fashion a modern Americana ballad.
Weaves, Friday, April 27, Union South-The Sett, 9 pm: Weaves is a chaotic indie-pop band from Toronto that constantly shifts genres, from 1990s alternative sounds to R&B ballads. Lead singer Jasmyn Burke’s versatile and gritty voice is a constant, as she weaves between powerful guitars and erratic percussion. The band’s cover of The Beatles’ classic “Help” uses surprising instrumentation to wonderfully weird and artsy effect, contrasting with the tone of the band’s 2017 album Wide Open. The milk-obsessed Wisconsin band Sugar & the Milkmen open.
Dada Life, Friday, April 27, Liquid, 10 pm: The electronic dance DJ duo from Stockholm, Sweden, is touring in support of a new album, Our Nation, six years after releasing their last full-length. The single “Higher Than the Sun” is a house banger that mixes intense rhythm and bass grooves with warm synthesizers and pop vocals about partying. Dada Life is also known for absurd stage humor, partly in homage to the art movement referenced in their name. Milwaukee-based DJ Nico opens, along with DJs Fallout, JET BLVCK and Davilla.
Post Animal, Saturday, April 28, High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm: Chicago’s psych-rock revivalists have been churning out introspective, bluesy jams from the cities’ growing DIY community. Their latest single, “Gelatin Mode,” is a harder turn for the band, utilizing driving percussion and reverb-soaked guitars to dramatic effect, sounding like a 21st century Led Zeppelin. The lineup includes Javi Reyes, a former member of Madison’s Dolores. Locals Slow Pulp and Tippy open.
Asleep at the Wheel, Saturday, April 28, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm: For nearly half a century, Asleep at the Wheel has been a staple of country music. The western swing icons have scored 10 Grammys on the strength of their 20 studio albums and show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. The band’s latest, a 2015 tribute to Bob Wills, features collaborations with everyone from Merle Haggard and George Strait to the Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show. ALSO: Sunday, April 29, 4 pm.
Jim Jefferies, Saturday, April 28, Overture Hall, 8 pm: Jefferies may be from Down Under, but his vicious takedowns of global politics have made him a worldwide superstar. His most recent special, Freedumb, attacked Trump and America’s false patriotism. Now, when we need it more than ever, Jefferies is bringing his searing political takes to the Midwest. Prepare for a night of naughty words aimed at the naughty people who control our nation’s assets.
Gel Set, Wednesday, May 2, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm: Gel Set is the Los Angeles-based minimalist synth project of Laura Callier. The otherworldly, lo-fi pop songs use driving, bass-heavy rhythms, bright keyboards and industrial noises to create expansive landscapes under Callier’s dark, alluring vocal performance. Her latest album, Body Copy, is a surreal journey through ambient sound designs and weird sampling, with songs about past romances and psychedelic, emotional explorations. With Twins, DJs Evan Woodward, Ian Adcock.
Johannes Wallmann “Love Wins” Project, Thursday, May 3, North Street Cabaret, 8 pm: When Johannes Wallmann marked the album release of his jazz suite Love Wins, the powerful performance was missing one thing — the album, which had been delayed by the record company. So Wallmann, a pianist and the director of jazz studies at UW-Madison, and an ensemble will once again perform the work that celebrates the fight for marriage equality. Joining Wallmann will be his collaborator on the project, hip-hop artist Rob Dz. It was the long road to the legalization of gay marriage that inspired the work, but Wallmann’s composition moves beyond the history to simply celebrate love. Spoiler alert: It wins.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
