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.
Orton Park Festival, Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 23-26, Orton Park: Orton Park Fest is back for the 53rd annual celebration under the oaks with a stacked lineup over four nights. In addition to the gravity-defying aerialists of Cycropia (Thursday, 7:30 pm; Friday, 8:30 pm), there’s music galore, with frequent festival dwellers such as People Brothers Band (Friday, 7 pm), Driveway Thriftdwellers (Sunday, 3 pm) and Dead Horses (Sunday, 4:30 pm). Don’t miss headlining sets by rock songsmith Chuck Prophet (Saturday, 8:15 pm) and Chicago’s raucous honky tonkers The Waco Brothers (Sunday, 6:15 pm). For a real treat, catch the midafternoon set by local fuzz rockers (and one of Madison’s most underrated bands) Squarewave (Saturday, 2:45 pm).
Musicians for WORT, Thursday, Aug. 23, Crystal Corner Bar, 8:30 pm: After activities at Orton Park Festival wrap up on the first night, stroll to the Crystal to catch a stellar trio of local rock bands while supporting community radio station WORT-FM with your donations. The Apologists’ originals rock up country and folk sounds, and they will surprise you with covers from various genres. BingBong plays hook-laden power pop. And Negative Example sneaks in their earworms among occasional bursts of dissonance and surprising song structures. With DJs Katie and Tess of WORT’s Another Green World.
Toupee, Thursday, Aug. 23, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm: Chicago’s art punks Toupee touch down for a night of discordant music. Helmed by vocalist/bassist Whitney Allen, Toupee went up and down the punk spectrum on their 2015 record Leg Toucher: “Sensei, Swami, Guru” channels post-punk a la Joy Division, whereas “Glitter Roach” goes knee-deep into pop punk and emo. The consistent point throughout is Allen’s own wailing, manic vocals. With Sissy Spacek, Unmanned Ship, DJ Speedstick.
SunSquabi, Friday, Aug. 24, King Street, 7 pm: SunSquabi is one of Colorado’s hottest electro-funk acts. The three-piece mixes live and electronic elements to make smooth, funky music, also drawing on the improvisational ethos of jam bands. Their latest single, “Caterpillar,” explores the theme of evolution as the band adds in orchestral breakdowns. The similarly groovy Midwestern “creep-funk” band Steez opens this free Live on King Street concert. (NOTE: The show will move inside the Majestic due to forecast rain).
Punk on the Patio, Saturday, Aug. 25, The Wisco, 4-9 pm: Help send off summer on the recently renovated Wisco patio with a six-pack of regional punk bands of various flavors. Madison is represented by the grunge-influenced Bashford, glossy Schmoolio (who just released an acoustic EP split with Four 5 Dive), and straight-ahead Brash Menagerie (also with a new album out this summer). Visiting are pop punkers from Milwaukee (The Disappointments) and Fond du Lac (No Times a Charm), as well as hard-edged Shaky Graves from La Crosse.
Mad With Power Fest, Saturday, Aug. 25, The Red Zone, 5:30 pm: Bang your head and kick summer in the ass with Madison’s own metal gods, Lords of the Trident — who not only are celebrating the release of their seventh album, Shadows from the Past, but are also headlining the second edition of their own Mad With Power festival. Six other bands will join in the mayhem: Madison’s Subatomic (stoner metal), Iowa’s Green Death (thrash), Washington, D.C.’s A Sound of Thunder (female-fronted power metal), Kentucky’s Stagecoach Inferno (power metal), Indiana’s Zephaniah (power metal), and North Carolina’s Mega Colossus (you guessed it: power metal). Want more? How about free pinball and arcade games?
Neophonic Jazz Orchestra, Sunday, Aug. 26, Babe’s Restaurant, 4:30 pm: This 24-piece big band keeps alive the sound of pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton’s forward-looking 20th century ensembles, particularly the early 1960s group featuring mellophones. Musical director Joel Kaye was part of Kenton’s band of that era, and co-founded the Neophonic Jazz Orchestra (then called the Madison Mellophonium Jazz Orchestra) with drummer Rand Moore in 2010.
National Go Topless Day Celebration and Rape Crisis Center benefit, Sunday, Aug. 26, Majestic Theatre, 6 pm: You don’t have to be topless to attend this body-positive celebration, but you can be. And since it’s organized by Lili Luxe, who promotes shirt-free events, it’s pretty much guaranteed that many people will exercise their right to let it all hang out (at least on top). The rally/event features music, aerialists, burlesque and comedy, all creating a joyous celebration of consensual sexuality. A dance party follows the performances. Note: the event is open to all genders, and no harassment will be tolerated.
Shiver, Sunday, Aug. 26, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: Los-Angeles-based hard rock band Shiver features a lead violin and Madison native Justin Blair on guitar. Inspired by the likes of Led Zeppelin, the four-piece switches off between male and female vocals with an energetic rhythm section driving the songs forward. Local rockers The Racing Pulses and Made of Blocks open.
Surgeons in Heat, Sunday, Aug. 26, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm: Milwaukee indie poppers Surgeons in Heat wear many different hats throughout their stellar June release, Bored Immortals. The album’s opener feels inspired by psych-rock, whereas the album’s titular final track verges into synthy noise-pop. Surgeons in Heat maneuver all sorts of genres with aplomb and a deft touch. With Patti, Dumb Vision, Free Dirt.
Abandoned by Bears, Monday, Aug. 27, Ruby Lounge, 7 pm: Abandoned by Bears hails from Sweden, and mixes pop-punk electronic elements with metal to make their unique easycore music. The five-piece switches between Blink-182-esque vocals and hardcore growling, as the band’s abrasive style is tempered with catchy choruses, hooky guitar parts and warm synths. Boys of Fall and Light up the Sky open.
Abigail Williams, Tuesday, Aug. 28, Ruby Lounge, 6 pm: Named for the famous (alleged) witch, Abigail Williams is the black metal project of Phoenix, Arizona-based Ken Bergeron. With Bergeron’s screeching vocals and ear for intricate compositions, the band also utilizes hardcore metal breakdowns tinged with Scandinavian influences. Ghost Bath, Wolf King, Squidhammer, and local doom-metal band Corridoré open.
Heavyweights Round 1, Wednesday, Aug. 29, Art In, 9 pm: A raucous night of rap features a boatload of talented emcees connected to the Madison scene, including Ra’Shaun, Trebino and RED. Be sure to catch Mobtown Easy, whose Kendrick Lamar-inspired song “Mobtown vs. Everybody” features some of the deftest and hardest-hitting lyricism to be found in Madison. With JFK, Jay B Coolin, Yolo Pacaso, Boo London, X Man, Sed the Jerk, Oskii Grim, Eylon and Granger.
Justin Hayward, Thursday, Aug. 30, Barrymore Theatre, 7:30 pm: Dubbed “the voice of the Moody Blues” (due to the fact that he wrote and sang most of the songs you will remember from the British art-rock group), Justin Hayward is trading on the acoustic approach to present simple, and perhaps more compelling, versions of classics like “Nights in White Satin,” “Question,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” and “Your Wildest Dreams,” the song he admits to being his favorite. This is a chance to get up close and personal with the backbone of one of the bands that changed the direction of rock music in the 1960s and ’70s. Hayward appears with finger-percussive style guitarist Mike Dawes. “Mike is worth the price of admission alone,” Hayward says. “I think people will walk away saying, ‘Wow, Dawes was great. And that other guy wasn’t too bad, either.”
Tunes on the Triangle, Thursday, Aug. 30, across from Schenk Elementary, 4:30-9:30 pm: This benefit for the Kids’ Weekend Nutrition Program features music from Acoustic Collective, Root of the Love Tree, Perfect Fifth, Oak Street Ramblers and Natty Nation. There will also be food carts, a homemade pie auction and a performance by Science Fusion Theatre. Last year, the organization provided 8,000 bags of food for kids in need. Help them fill them up, because no one should have to go hungry in our city of plenty.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
