Enjoy a compilation of selected tracks by artists playing shows we're excited about in Madison during the week of Feb. 1-8, 2018. For more information on these shows, read on under the playlist!
JJ Grey & Mofro,Thursday, Feb. 1, Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm: Carrying on a rich Southern tradition of combining swampy rock and soul, JJ Grey & Mofro are a bit of a throwback. The Jacksonville, Florida, seven-piece formed in the late 1990s and gained popularity in the jam band scene (initially as Mofro). Their most recent release is 2015’s Ol’ Glory, their seventh studio album. With The Commonheart.
Clyde Stubblefield All Stars, Friday, Feb. 2, High Noon Saloon, 5:30 pm: The All Stars continue namesake Clyde Stubblefield’s mission to bring the funk to the people. Led by drummer Joey B. Banks, the collective also includes Carolynn Schwartz Black and Kevin Willmott II on vocals. In February the group remembers Stubblefield nearly a year after his passing (Feb. 18, 2017) with the release of a new DVD and CD of a 2015 All Stars concert featuring the Funky Drummer behind the kit — the last recorded during his lifetime.
Elysia Crampton, Friday, Feb. 2, UW Memorial Union-Der Rathskeller, 9 pm: This innovative, experimental producer explores her intersecting identities as a trans woman, Native American and Latinx with richly textured electronic compositions. Made using keyboards and sampling genres ranging from Southern rap to psych folk, her music is both surrealist and naturalistic. Above all, it’s an expression of survival and political resistance. Her latest release, 2016’s Demon City, is a collection of collaborations with other experimental producers and has been described by Crampton as an “epic poem.” With Emili Earhart.
Diet Cig, Friday, Feb. 2, Union South-The Sett, 9 pm: Anchored by uplifting, gutsy lyrics, Diet Cig is on its way to being an indie-pop powerhouse. Although the music could come off as a bit precious, it’s always coupled with a punk sneer that would make Tom DeLonge nod his head and shout “ALROIGHT” in approval. With Spook School, Great Grandpa.
Jerry Seinfeld, Friday, Feb. 2, Overture Hall, 7 & 9:30 pm: What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld? The quintessentially New York comic remains one of the funniest, most influential stand-up acts of all time, not to mention a household name thanks to his eponymous sitcom. Sorry folks, but this one sold out faster than you can say “Hello, Newman.”
Free the 350 Bail Fund Benefit, Saturday, Feb. 3, Art In, 7 pm: A night of hip-hop for an important cause. Free the 350 is a local organization fighting to address issues of race and poverty in the criminal justice system and free those held on bail who can’t afford to pay it. All the proceeds from the concert will go to the group’s bail fund, and the organizers have recruited a talented group of emcees and singers to help out. Hard-hitting emcees such as UW student HANKS will be joined by crooners like Dequandray. The headliner is K.I.L.O. of the group Bloodline, a veteran of the scene with political messages in her music to match the purpose of the event. Also with John Denver aka The Profit, Rambunxious, TG, Tha Catalyst, Willie Wright, Evaridae.
BingBong LP release, Saturday, Feb. 3, Mr. Robert’s, 8 pm: The Madison scene vets who came together as BingBong celebrate the release of an excellent new album, Pop Restoration, a collection of catchy, sparkly guitar pop available first on vinyl. (A CD with bonus tracks will follow at a later date for those who have not jumped back into the analog world.) BingBong will play two sets, starting with the album in its entirety, and DJ Randy B will also spin tunes all night long. See story at isthmus.com.
Daye Jack, Saturday, Feb. 3, Union South-The Sett, 9 pm: A rapper with airtight flow who’s spent time in Nigeria, Atlanta and New York City, Daye Jack also pulls from his experience as a virtuoso coder, helping produce his unique sound. His breakthrough EP was ironically titled NO DATA, and many of the instrumentals bring in some electronic influences. He’ll be joined at The Sett by Milwaukee emcee Carti Bankx.
Nathaniel Bartlett, Sunday, February 4, Overture Center-Promenade Hall, 3 pm: Experimental electronic composer Nathaniel Bartlett presents a concert of immersive audio recordings designed specifically for a high-definition eight-speaker sound system. The performance includes a rendition of Edgar Varèse’s “Poème Électronique” from the 1958 Brussels World Fair, one of the first pieces of surround-sound electronic music. Bartlett’s own recordings combine unearthly machine sounds and marimba.
Postmodern Jukebox, Tuesday, Feb. 6, Orpheum Theater, 8 pm: If you haven’t witnessed the phenomenon known as Postmodern Jukebox, it’s time to treat yourself. The rotating cast of extraordinary musicians and dancers re-imagines modern pop songs (Radiohead, Taylor Swift, Soundgarden, Cyndi Lauper) and arranges them into magical, jazz-swing-era tunes. The singers will give you goosebumps, and the tap dancers will knock your socks off. A rotating worldwide touring cast ensures that the experience is different every time. When PMJ was here last, the sold-out crowd was ready to dance. Let’s hope the Orpheum got the memo and will open up some dance space this time around ... Come on, guys!
ZZ Ward, Tuesday, Feb. 6, Majestic Theatre, 8 pm: ZZ Ward has serious soul. Effortlessly combining R&B and blues, Ward has a sound that’s timeless with a contemporary edge. It’s the reason she’s been able to play cool kid festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella and tour with classicist stalwarts like Eric Clapton. Ward’s latest LP, The Storm, was released in 2017 and peaked at number one on the U.S. blues charts. With Black Pistol Fire, Billy Raffoul.
Jens Lekman, Wednesday, Feb. 7, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: Swedish maestro Jens Lekman brings his melancholy, sample-laden guitar music to High Noon Saloon. The prolific Lekman, who in 2015 released a new song each week, is touring in support of his most recent album Life Will See You Now, which drew high praise from Pitchfork: “Lekman has never been as skilled at his craft.” With Peter Oren.
Yonder Mountain String Band, Thursday, Feb. 8, Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm: The genre known as “progressive” often calls to mind endless, noodling guitar parts and ambitious rock operas. Not so with Yonder Mountain String Band. The bluegrass act utilizes modern alternative rock and jam-band tropes in its fingerpickin’ good, Ozark-indebted campfire jams. Plus, they’re prolific as hell, releasing 12 albums on their own Frog Pad records since the turn of the millennium, with the most recent being 2017’s Love. Ain’t Love. With The Southern Belles.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
