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.
Novo Amor, Thursday, March 28, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: Despite the fact the multi-instrumentalist behind the project is Welsh, “Novo Amor” is actually Portuguese. It means “new love,” and is representative of what Ali Lacey found in his solo project following a bad breakup in 2012. Novo Amor’s output deals heavily in experimental soundscapes that are easy to get lost in. Sounds a lot like love to us. With Gia Margaret.
Tret Fure, Friday, March 29, North Street Cabaret, 7 pm: Tret Fure is a veteran of the independent folk music scene, with 40 years in the music industry, opening for big names like Yes and recording 16 albums. Her latest album, 2018’s Roses in November, is another acoustic effort, full of poet ry and pleasant guitar tunes. Presented by the Madison Folk Music Society.
King Promise, Friday, March 29, Ruby, 9 pm: Hailing from Ghana, Gregory Promise Bortey Newman’s music slides smoothly into the global renaissance of R&B. His newest song, “Tokyo,” is a fitting addition to the canon of crooners singing about whisking a loved one off to locales across the globe. With slick beats, infectious synths and skillfully delivered rap-sung vocals, King Promise certainly delivers on his promise.
National Geographic: Symphony for Our World, Saturday, March 30, Overture Hall, 8 pm: Fans of nature documentaries will not want to miss this larger-than-life spectacle: 90 minutes of breathtaking National Geographic footage that begins under the ocean, climbs onto the coastlines and soars into the sky. It’s all timed to a five-part symphony played by the expert musicians of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The music was composed by Austin Fray and Andrew Christie for a TV special, but we are betting the live experience will be mind-blowing. (Note: John DeMain will not be conducting at this concert.)
Deafheaven + Baroness, Saturday, March 30, The Sylvee, 8 pm: This bill promises to deliver a huge hit of face-melting metal. Deafheaven’s most recent release, “Black Brick,” a B-side from their last album, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, is metal AF, with frontman George Clarke’s gremlin growl set amid a wall of distortion and metal riffs. Fellow metalsmiths Baroness are set to release a new album, Gold and Grey, later this year and have been performing songs from the upcoming release on this tour. Openers Zeal & Ardor, who just released a new live album, Live in London, forge a different kind of metal that’s sometimes black, sometimes bluesy.
PHUN, Saturday, March 30, High Noon Saloon, 8:30 pm: It’s difficult to pay tribute to Phish, given their penchant for hyperextended jam sessions. But Madison’s PHUN has been recreating the jams of Trey Anastasio and company for a decade now. They’ll also perform a set as PHUN is Dead, another tribute to the Grateful Dead. After 10 years together, these guys have the same effortless chemistry as both of those legendary bands, so you really shouldn’t miss this.
Weezer + Pixies, Sunday, March 31, Alliant Energy Center-Coliseum, 7 pm: Rolling into town on the strength of not one, but two recent releases — that unexpected collection of WTF covers (TLC’s “No Scrubs”?) and the more traditional Black Album — Rivers Cuomo and the gang in Weezer continue to pursue their bizarre muse with the same calculated abandon they’ve been rocking for nearly three decades now. This is one of those shows where the argument that the billing could be flipped carries some weight: Alt-rock legends The Pixies won’t have Kim Deal in the fold this time, but their groundbreaking catalog has only grown in stature and influence.
Kaia Kater, Sunday, March 31, North Street Cabaret, 7 pm: Canadian-born country crooner Kaia Kater picked up her traditional Southern folk music style from time well-spent in West Virginia. Her latest of several albums, 2018’s Grenades, is full of banjos, finger-picking guitar, and Kater’s sorrowful vocals. The title track uses synths and soulful percussion, opening up her familiar style with a foray into pop music.
Haley Heynderickx, Tuesday, April 2, UW Memorial Union-Der Rathskeller, 8 pm: The Oregon artist’s 2018 project, I Need To Start A Garden, may sound banal, but it stands for so much more. The track “Oom Sha La La” begins with Heynderickx’s longing voice flipping through memories before arriving at the track’s breakdown where she begins to scream “I Need To Start a Garden.” This is relatable angst for young listeners who have dreamed of once-attainable goals, like owning a house and garden. With Addison Christmas, a new project by Abby Sherman (Trophy Dad).
Miss Saigon, Tuesday, April 2, Overture Hall, 7:30 pm: Originally by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, this musical tells a story set during the Vietnam War of a young Vietnamese woman and an American G.I. whose encounter changes both of their lives forever. While there has been national and local controversy over the show’s portrayal of Vietnamese life, the musical is an epic tale of love and heartbreak. Don’t miss hit songs like “Last Night of the World.” ALSO: Wednesday-Thursday, April 3-4, 7:30 pm. Through April 7.
Mitski, Wednesday, April 3, The Sylvee, 8 pm: Mitski Miyawaki is one of the greatest contemporary singer-songwriters working today. Her 2018 LP, Be The Cowboy, carries the weight of a pantheon of influences (like Fiona Apple and Joni Mitchell) and moves forward in her own direction. Just listen to “Nobody,” where Mitski flaunts her vocal prowess at the song’s breakdown, writes lyrics “Venus, planet of love, was destroyed by global warming” and still somehow makes a danceable synth ballad of a song about existential aloneness. Mitski’s music doesn’t simply engage with the world, it builds new ones altogether. With Jay Som.
Line Breaks Festival, April 3-7, UW Memorial Union-Play Circle: UW-Madison’s First Wave’s annual showcase of its nationally drawn talent returns. During this five-day festival, members of the hip-hop scholarship program will showcase all that they’ve been working on, including plays, poems, visual pieces, dances, songs and more. On Wednesday (April 3), catch several “flash talks, including one on Muhammad Ali’s influence on hip-hop an and a visual arts reception. Concluding the festival’s events on Sunday is a display of the program’s musical talent, including Synovia Alexis. Songs like the titular track of her 2018 EP, Signature, display the singer’s knack for both rapping and melody.
Makaya McCraven, Thursday, April 4, Cafe Coda, 8 pm: Contemporary jazz composer and savant drummer Makaya McCraven blends hip-hop into his experimental approach to the American musical tradition. His band seamlessly shifts focus between tight melodicism and ruminative soloing, while McCraven’s complicated beats and percussion often take center stage. He makes great use of diverse electronic effects and looping, pushing jazz in new directions.
Wild Belle, Thursday, April 4, High Noon Saloon, 8:30 pm: Los Angeles-based sibling duo Wild Belle is singer Natalie and multi-instrumentalist Elliot Bergman. Their polished blend of dub reggae and modern pop makes for smooth hits like last month’s single, “Mockingbird.” Their message of individualism and positivity shines throughout the just released album, appropriately titled Everybody One of a Kind.
Robyn Hitchcock, Thursday, April 4, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm: Whether playing spiky rock or quieter fare, Robyn Hitchcock’s songwriting maintains a consistently excellent standard over what is now four decades worth of work, both as a solo artist or with The Soft Boys, Egyptians and Venus 3. These days he most often plays shows solo, but if you’re worried he may skip the more raucous material, never fear: Hitchcock is likely to pull out just about any song you can think of at any time during his wide-ranging sets.
Caamp, Thursday, April 4, Majestic, 9 pm: Caamp has a way of burrowing into your soul. Lifelong buddies Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall make a raspy brand of folk-pop that’s intimate and accessible. Their songs are a personal feeling that you can share with scores of other people. And Caamp — who play live as a trio — have a way of maximizing their sound that must be experienced to be understood. With West Virginia indie rockers Ona; and former Lazy Sunday member Sam Filiatreau.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
