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.
Mal-O-Dua, Thursday, May 2, Mickey's Tavern, 5:30 pm: United by their love of Romani-French jazz composer Django Reinhardt, guitarists Chris Ruppenthal and Cedric Baetche play their own delightful mix of hot gypsy swing and fingerpick-y Hawaiian music. French influences take center stage on their new album, Au Nouveau Chat Noir, which the duo will play in full at both the Ohio (April 25) and for their first outdoor patio concert of the season at Mickey’s Tavern.
Monks of Doom, Thursday, May 2, Ruby, 7:30 pm: First surfacing as a recording project by most of the members of ‘80s college rock heroes Camper Van Beethoven, Monks of Doom released four albums of weird and wonderful music before disbanding in the early ’90s. Thankfully, the Monks returned in the new century, first with a covers project and in 2019 with The Brontë Pin, a new album of spacy, sprawling rock and folk. As a bonus, on this tour Monks/Camper bassist Victor Krummenacher and His Flying Circus will also play an opening set.
Strand of Oaks, Thursday, May 2, High Noon Saloon, 8:30 pm: Timothy Showalter is the heir to John Mellencamp’s throne as the greatest Hoosier rock star. An Indiana native, the musician behind Strand of Oaks creates expansive, populist heartland rock that’s both accessible and brainy (impressive, given that one generally needs to be sacrificed to make way for the other). His latest, Eraserland, is a hazy return to Showalter’s roots that features a guest appearance by the king of Americana himself, Jason Isbell, as well as most of My Morning Jacket. With Apex Manor.
Madison Craft Beer Week, Thursday, May 2-Sunday, May 5, Madison area: There’s plenty to pack in during the final four days of this celebration of suds, including Cinco de Mayo, Friday fish fries, the 5 and 10K Donald (not Trump) Dash, a golf scramble with craft beer and plenty of Star Wars shenanigans as the Fourth is With Us. See the full schedule at madbeerweek.com.
ALL Jazz Fest, Friday, May 3, Schenk-Atwood neighborhood, 5-10:30 pm: The folks at the Arts + Literature Lab have organized a vibrant roster of artists at six venues, displaying the full range of the jazz experience. At MadCity Music, Ben Phillips’ Scorpio Moon creates an otherworldly sound with trumpet and looping effects. At ALL, the Vincent Davis Trio headlines with their bull-rushing improvisation. It’s no accident that this festival falls on Gallery Night, so add some jazz destinations to your evening’s agenda.
Fareed Haque, Tony Monaco & Rob Dicke, Friday, May 3, North Street Cabaret, 8 pm: Prepare for an evening of first-class jazz with guitarist Fareed Haque, Hammond B-3 organ master Tony Monaco, and versatile drummer Rob Dicke. Best known for blending Indian and Pakistani influences with jazz and rock, Haque plays without borders, taking cues from both John McLaughlin and Ravi Shankar. Monaco’s mentor was none other than B-3 pioneer Jimmy Smith, and Dicke is a longtime veteran of Chicago’s revered jazz and rock scenes. Haque and Monaco have headlined many high-profile jazz festivals as a trio (with different drummers sitting in), and an intimate club gig like this one is sure to be special.
Lala Lala, Friday, May 3, UW Memorial Union-Der Rathskeller, 9 pm: On her sophomore LP, The Lamb, Chicago-based songwriter Lillie West lays bare her struggles with addiction, sobriety, insecurity and loss. With simple, stripped-down indie instrumentals, hauntingly deadpan vocals and cutting lyrics, West examines angst and adulthood with a collection of songs that are at once gloomy, expansive and vulnerable. With The Slaps.
MMoCA Gallery Night, Friday, May 3, multiple locations, 5-9 pm: Madison launches spring (for real, this time?) with an explosion of visual arts exhibits at more than 75 locations around town. Plan a visit to Madison College’s Commercial Avenue Learning Center where you can tour tiny houses and the jewelry and ceramics studios (with live music from accordions, ukuleles and more). At MMoCA, celebrate openings for Shimon Attie: The Crossing, a film on Syrian refugees, and Tyanna Buie. Overture has an opening for FUTURE HISTORY NOW, from the art-punk duo Simone and Max. Tandem Press opens a dazzling group show called Bloom. And celebrate the grand opening of the new Artworking space at 1966 S. Stoughton Road with live screen printing demos. Plan your visit by using the interactive map at mmoca.org/gallery-night or use your handy guide in this issue of Isthmus.
The Tallest Man On Earth, Saturday, May 4, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 8:30 pm: The Swedish singer-songwriter returns to Madison with a new album. With gently eddying guitar riffs and a dewy voice, Kristian Matsson spans the depths, examining his relationships in the 10 fever dream tracks of his latest, I Love You. It’s A Fever Dream. On the album’s self-titled finale, Mattson both cherishes and mourns his journey.
ACTORS, Sunday, May 5, Crucible, 8 pm: This Canadian band brings a fresh perspective to post-punk. Though properly punk in their use of guitar and punchy percussion, the band also has a penchant for pop in their catchy and cinematic hooks. This is especially true on their latest single, “Mining for Heart,” when frontman Jason Corbett sings over drawn-out synth chords on the song’s breathtaking chorus. With Chicago’s Bellwether Syndicate and Madison’s Null Device.
Shovels & Rope + Frank Turner, Sunday, May 5, The Sylvee, 7:30 pm: This show features not one, but three can’t-miss folk rock acts. Shovels & Rope are a husband and wife duo whose stomping barroom tunes sound far bigger than you’d expect from just two people. Joining them is English folk punk Frank Turner and his band, The Sleeping Souls, one of the hardest working and most consistently great bands in the genre. Rounding things out is Trapper Schoepp, a Milwaukee-based singer-songwriter who recently made headlines by helping complete a lost Bob Dylan song about Wisconsin.
Roy Zimmerman, Sunday, May 5, James Reeb Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 7:30 pm: Are we sick of political satire yet? Is it even possible to laugh at our current situation anymore? If anyone can bring some levity to our collective nightmare, it’s Roy Zimmerman, whose signature blend of heart and hilarity has been delighting audiences and pushing for social justice since the 1980s.
Damsel Trash, Sunday, May 5, High Noon Saloon, 7:30 pm: The enduring project from Meghan Rose and Emily Mills celebrates their third independent release, a nine-track cassette tape packed with catchy queer-punk bangers covering topics ranging from bicycle safety to how much Trump sucks. With psych-doom rockers Tubal Cain and surf punks Venus in Furs. This show also advertises “actual fire,” so get ready.
Lucius, Wednesday, May 8, Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm: The music of folk duo Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig is firmly resolute yet starkly vulnerable. This is especially so on their 2018 effort, Nudes, where the two frontwomen bare all of their complexities for the world to see. On “Right Down The Line,” they layer their haunting and rootsy voices over minimal twang to address pasts they would rather leave behind. With Pure Bathing Culture.
Pine Travelers, Thursday, May 9, High Noon Saloon, 9 pm: Madison’s Pine Travelers, led by the songwriting duo of Alex White and Nick Clutter, combines rootsy goodness, twang and funk into their rock sound. At this show they celebrate the release of the new EP, Straw House. Opener Joe Marcinek Band also enjoys blending styles — a refreshing elixir of jam rock and jazz.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
