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.
Madison’s Favorite Night, Thursday, Sept. 13, top of State Street, 5-10 pm: This year’s Isthmus Mad Faves concert is all Madison, bringing together three of the best musical acts the city has to offer: the incomparable blues-soul-jam of the People Brothers Band, the high-energy bluegrass and Americana of WheelHouse, and piano-driven pop-rock from Woodrow. The concert also celebrates the publication of this year’s City Guide (and the reveal of the 2018 Mad Faves winners). Stick around to shop the vibrant night market from Madison’s Central Business Improvement District (starting at 6 pm).
Madison World Music Festival, Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 13-15, UW Memorial Union and Willy Street Fair: The lineup put together by Wisconsin Union Theater is compelling from top to bottom, with artists presenting music from the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. Fans of Reptile Palace Orkestra and Yid Vicious will not want to miss a set from the supercharged Canadian-Balkan Lemon Bucket Orkestra, on the Union Terrace (Friday, 9 pm). Another artist to watch is Gili Yalo, whose 7:45 pm set Saturday (at Willy Street Fair) will feature psychedelic soul and funk expressed through his Ethiopian roots. Cuban emcee and flutist Yaite Ramos Rodriguez has the potential to bring the house down with her explosive mix of hip-hop, cumbia, dancehall and reggae. Her project, La Dame Blanche, closes the festival with a 9 pm Saturday set at the Terrace. Schedule.
Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest: Friday-Saturday, Sept. 14-15, Art in the Barn, Fitchburg: This year’s 16th annual celebration of Gypsy jazz includes hosts Harmonious Wail plus a bevy of national and international stars in the genre: Alfonso Ponticelli of Chicago, the Robin Nolan Trio of Amsterdam, Paquito and Sandro Lorier of France, Ultra Faux / Hot Club of Baltimore and the Luke Hendon Project from New York City. A “monster jam session” happens after the programmed music, so bring your instruments. Schedule.
Bully, Friday, Sept. 14, Shitty Barn, Spring Green, 7 pm: Alicia Bognanno, the voice and mastermind behind this acclaimed Nashville indie rock band, makes ’90s-era grunge sound new again. Her 2017 album, Losing, is an exquisitely honest portrait of raw angst, delivered over punchy guitars and Bognanno’s distinctive, visceral scream. With up-and-coming indie rock act Michigander. Sold out.
Mattson 2, Friday, Sept. 14, Ruby Lounge, 8 pm: Mattson 2 is a jazz duo of twin brothers Jonathan and Jared, who in August released their interpretation of the late, great John Coltrane’s ground-breaking album A Love Supreme. The epic “Resolution” is drenched in synths and reverb, and they deftly energize the influential music with electric guitar solos and a wild rhythm section. Melodic pop act Astronauts, etc. opens.
Willy Street Fair, Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 15-16, Willy Street (800-1000 blocks): The annual countercultural bacchanalia returns, closing another Madison summer with programming from three Madison cultural institutions. This year organizers at Commonwealth Development tapped the Wisconsin Union, WORT-FM and Tone Madison to fill three stages with talent from around the world and right here. One act not to miss is Milwaukee’s own The Grovelers (pictured). Blending alt-rock, punk and some twang on songs like “Sicko,” the four-piece’s music is a refreshing blend of rock styles. Some local acts to catch include Saint Saunter, His & Her Vanities and Gender Confetti. The annual parade with Bubble Car, circus performers and fiddle brigade commences at 11 am Sunday at Plan B. Right on! Schedule.
Local H, Saturday, Sept. 15, Majestic Theatre, 9 pm: Grunge duo Local H is celebrating 28 years of alternative rock by playing back-to-back sets. The first one will span their discography from the beginning to today, including hits like “Bound for the Floor.” The second set will consist entirely of their acclaimed 1998 album Pack Up the Cats. Punk guitarist John Haggerty, of Naked Raygun and Pegboy, steps in as a guest guitarist.
Pious Faults, Saturday, Sept. 15, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm: On a 2016 self-titled EP, Australian outfit Pious Faults debuted with six short blasts of memorably energetic hardcore angst and aggression. Returning with this summer’s full-length Old Thread, though, their songs are not only longer but far weirder, as if XTC in its early, angular days had made a straight-up punk record. A strong lineup includes Milwaukee’s similarly intense punk outfit Sex Scenes; the one-man-band madness of Roboman; and the melodic, frenetic punk rockers We Should Have Been DJs.
Kind Folk, Saturday, Sep 15, Arts + Literature Lab, 8 pm: Headed by critically acclaimed trumpeter John Raymond, Kind Folk is a jazz quartet consisting of some of the finest young talent on New York City’s jazz scene. With bassist Noam Wiesenberg, drummer Colin Stranahan and alto saxophonist Alex LoRe, the foursome hits Madison on the heels of the Sept. 14 release of their album Why Not. Raymond is a superstar player who’s already released five albums, but this project should reach new heights thanks to the contributions of his world-class collaborators.
Japanese Breakfast, Sunday, Sept. 16, Majestic Theatre, 8 pm: Like many punks, Michelle Zauner needed to evolve beyond the genre to really find her niche. Her work with Philly emo kids Little Big League was promising and showed her deft touch as a songwriter. The 29-year-old plays a dreamy brand of indie pop that seems to roll out of her effortlessly. Soft Sounds from Another Planet, from 2017, is tender and atmospheric, showcasing Zauner’s constant evolution as a musician. Get there early to catch opener Ought, a four-piece punk group that grew out of Quebec’s radical student movement. Their guitar-driven D.I.Y. ethos is reminiscent of early Talking Heads. Room Inside the World, released last year, features grand compositional gestures, including a full backing choir, eerie wind instruments and Tim Darcy’s unorthodox, growling vocal performance.
Cloven Hoof + Vicious Rumors, Sunday, Sept. 16, The Red Zone, 7 pm: Old-school heavy metal will reign supreme when Cloven Hoof — a band from the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal era — arrives in Madison on its first-ever U.S. tour. Born in 1979, active throughout most of the 1980s and then reignited in the early 2000s by bassist Lee Payne (the band’s only remaining original member), Cloven Hoof slots nicely next to the likes of Saxon and early Judas Priest. Joining them will be Vicious Rumors. The American power metal band, which counts more than 30 ex-members since its founding in 1979, will play its 1988 album, Digital Dictator, in its entirety. With Vanlade and Madison’s own Lords of the Trident.
Red Fang, Sunday, Sept. 16, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: Americans do stoner metal really well, dude. And one of the finest purveyors of fuzz is Portland, Oregon’s Red Fang. With a two-pronged vocal attack, heady melodies and complex-yet-accessible arrangements, Red Fang’s ferocious bite is best experienced live. With Big Business, Dead Now. Sold out.
Father John Misty, Tuesday, Sept. 18, Orpheum Theater, 7:30 pm: When Father John Misty dropped the expansive, theatrical Pure Comedy in 2017, it seemed to mark the end of an era for the flamboyant folk rocker. The musician, born Josh Tillman, sings of “closing the gap between the mask and me,” giving the audience a better look at the real person behind the Father John Misty caricature. On this year’s God’s Favorite Customer, Tillman bares his soul once more, trading doomsday pontificating for an unsparing look at personal well-being. From comically over-the-top breakdowns (“Mr. Tillman”) to crumbling intrapersonal relationships (“The Songwriter”), he has created his most personal, straightforward album yet. He returns to Madison for the first time since 2015, alongside garage rockers King Tuff.
Lawrence, Tuesday, Sept. 18, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: The eight piece soul-pop band Lawrence is fronted by siblings, with Clyde Lawrence leading the rhythm section on keys, and Gracie Lawrence belting out her powerful lead vocals. On their latest single, “Make A Move,” off their September released-album Living Room, Gracie sings about asking men out, while the horn section blasts out high-energy funk. With Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers, Victoria Canal.
Counting Crows, Wednesday, Sept. 19, Breese Stevens Field, 6:30 pm: In today’s very special feel-old moment, it’s time to come to terms with the fact that August and Everything After and “Mr. Jones” have passed the quarter-century mark. That’s as good a reason as any to revisit the band’s deep library. Frontman Adam Duritz, still rocking the signature dreads, has been spicing up this tour with a shifting setlist and some serious between-song storytelling. It’s gonna be a great way to close another season of outdoor Breese Stevens shows, with an opening set by Boom Forest.
Gordon Lightfoot, Wednesday, Sept. 19, Overture Center, 8 pm: Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian folk legend, whose music influenced multiple generations of artists, from Bob Dylan to Sufjan Stevens and Fleet Foxes. With 20 albums and multiple Grammys over a five-decade career, Gordon Lightfoot established a popular folk sound that translated the beauty of the country and North American roots music for the 20th century.
Jeff Tweedy, Thursday, Sept. 20, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7:30 pm: Singer-songwriter-guitarist Jeff Tweedy is best known as frontman for wide-ranging Chicago rockers Wilco. Prior to Wilco, he was a founder of alt-country legends Uncle Tupelo, and dedicated fans will also be familiar with such side projects as Loose Fur and Golden Smog. Following the release of Together at Last, featuring solo acoustic re-imaginings of songs from throughout his main bands and side projects, Tweedy is taking the concept on the road for a rare solo tour.
Hannibal Buress, Thursday, Sept. 20, Orpheum Theater, 7:30 pm: Hannibal Buress has risen from comedy’s indie sphere to its forefront largely by embodying the type of hilarious friend or relative you never get tired of being around. His bits, like describing how he reuses the pickle juice from pickle jars, largely pull from the mundane, overlooked moments of daily life. But in turning over these stones and revealing to us what lies underneath in his direct, nonchalant manner, he discovers comedic gold time and time again.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
