Enjoy a compilation of selected tracks by artists playing shows we're excited about in Madison during the week of Feb. 15-22, 2018. For more information on these shows, read on under the playlist or check out all this week's Isthmus Picks.
Jorma Kaukonen, Thursday, Feb. 15, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30pm: Jorma Kaukonen is probably best known as a founder of San Francisco psychedelic seekers Jefferson Airplane. But before, during and after the Airplane era, blues and roots music has remained his main occupation, both in Hot Tuna (with bassist Jack Casady) and as a solo artist. His fleet-fingered acoustic picking should sound gorgeous in the intimate Stoughton Opera House.
Joan of Arc, Friday, Feb. 16, Memorial Union Rathskeller, 9 pm: You never know what you're gonna get with Joan of Arc. And maybe that's the point. One of Chicago's most prolific and iconic bands, JOA has been creating “music for no audience” since 1996. With roots in classic emocore, the band has remained in a constant state of flux over the past 20 years, rotating through members and collaborators, infuriating fans, perplexing critics and trying on musical styles ranging from post rock to glitch to experimental electronic. With Zed Kenzo, a hip-hop project from Milwaukee's Zechariah Ruffin.
Travis Agnew album release, Thursday, Feb. 15, Majestic Theatre, 7:30 pm: Agnew is a serious Americana innovator whose new album Under the Sun explores setbacks and successes as reflected by an old, well-traveled soul. His edgy folk rock combines the social resolve of Utah Phillips with a Steve Earle outlaw outlook. Consistent with themes of compassion in his new songs, partial proceeds from the show will benefit Madison's new homeless day shelter, The Beacon. With Kerosene Kites.
Davina & the Vagabonds, Friday, Feb. 16, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm, Head to downtown Stoughton for an old-timey taste of New Orleans jazz by Davina and the Vagabonds. The quintet is led by pianist and vocalist Davina Sowers, whose smoky and precise delivery carries some seriously infectious swing. In the midst of a months-long span of shows, the group promises to be as tour-polished and boppin' as ever.
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Friday, Feb. 16, Overture Center, 8 pm: Grammy-winning, banjo-shredding married couple Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn is known for taking bluegrass into the 21st century. Their new album Echo in the Valley uses only banjos and Washburn’s gritty vocals to create a mix of traditional covers and genre-bending, janglin’ tunes. These Appalachian-infused tracks blend Chinese folk music, jazz, prog rock, classical and everything in between, creating a unique blend of world music supported by their renowned expertise on their banjos.
Krane, Friday, Feb 16, Liquid, 10 pm: Northern California's KRANE pulls from disparate genres to form his swirling nexus of EDM. Born Zachary Krane, the producer deftly alternates calm, sweeping arrangements with stormy drops of percussion and modulated synth. At times, he brings vocalists into the mix, adding to the cinematic quality of epic tracks like “Feel It.” He'll be joined by duo Slumberjack, which generally take on a chiller, lo-fi approach but still brings the reckless aplomb all good EDM ought to have.
PHO, Friday, Feb. 16, High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm: PHO is a Minneapolis classic funk-styled band that delves into psychedelic and hip-hop. Lauded by the late Prince, PHO played the pop star’s Paisley Park stage, and use that homegrown inspiration to continue evolving their massive sound. Dirty Revival is a Portland neo-soul outfit combining the beautiful lead vocals of Sarah Clarke and rapping of MC Evan Simko. For a night full of hip-hop-infused funk grooving, local genre-bender Son! opens with hints of his new synthy project.
Early Eyes + Camp Friends, Friday, Feb. 16, Union South-The Sett, 9 pm: Minneapolis-based indie-rockers Early Eyes play upbeat and deceptively simple tunes with the punk-lounge-singer vibe of the Arctic Monkeys. Bright, jangly guitars and a rhythm section that keeps you on edge support gritty vocals that draw on jazz traditions and funk grooves. The opener, up-and-coming local rockers Camp Friends, are thoughtful and psychedelic. Their first release is a promising demo that slowly meanders through depressing melodies toward a quiet woodwinds solo.
The Central EP release, Friday, Feb. 16, The Frequency, 9 pm: The intense attack of Madison rockers The Central somewhat belies the fact that the band is a duo. On their new Sick and Dying EP, Frankie Furillo and Alex Roberts build on the experiments scattered among the thrash-y/math-y bangers of their last release, Discovery of a Rat, expanding their sonic palette by judiciously employing extended sections of smooth harmonies, slower tempos and sleigh bells as the need arises. The arresting, slow-burning lead single “Quiet Mouse in Muscatine” can be heard on Bandcamp now. With Closet Witch, Mellow Harsher.
MAMA Cares Winter Ball, Saturday, Feb. 17, High Noon Saloon, 7 pm: The Madison Area Music Association provides funds to help pay for health care for local musicians in need through its MAMA Cares fund. Help build the fund by attending this concert, and be rewarded with a lineup of bands mining (and mixing up) various veins of American roots music: scene legends The Rousers and Honor Among Thieves, along with The Lower 5th, an all-star aggregation drawn from The Mascot Theory, Northern Pines and Eugene Smiles Project.
David Briggs, Tuesday, Feb. 20, Overture Center-Overture Hall, 7:30pm: Renowned organist David Briggs is back by popular demand for an evening of dance-inspired music on the colossal Klais organ in Overture Hall. The recital is part of the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s organ season. The maestro and his 174-ton companion will whirl through gigues and waltzes from the Renaissance to modern times. You'll hear music from stately court dances, like Fauré’s Pavane, to Susato’s La Danserye, a suite of upbeat tunes for dancing in the street. Briggs, a marvelous improvisor, will also spin musical inventions on a theme submitted by the audience.
Machine Head, Wednesday, Feb, 21, Majestic Theatre, 8:30 pm: Now in their 24th year, the Oakland hard rockers show no signs of slowing down. That said, on their latest album, Catharsis, they do slow down their music — at times. Their trademark hard-nosed, metal and pedal rock is still present on the album's first half with tracks like “Volatile” and the title track. But in the second half, the band looks inward, sounding almost folky. It's a surprising yet poignant turn, showing that true artists never tire of experimentation. Rest assured, they turn the heat back up to high in the album's concluding tracks.
The Mowgli's, Thursday, Feb. 22, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: After they helped pioneer the wave of folksy, hand-clappy pop earlier this decade, the Mowgli's have been largely quiet. The Los Angelinos' 2016 album Where'd Your Weekend Go? offered a slight turn toward less-acoustic rock. In their recent single, “Real Good Life,” they move a step further, embracing more synths and vocal modulation to form something that's as bright and glittery as their past efforts but adding some extra power.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.