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.
Lee Ann Womack, Thursday, Sept. 26, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm: The Texan empress of forlorn crooning returns to the venue of a sold-out 2018 show. Perhaps best known for her 2000 crossover hit “I Hope You Dance,” Womack has released nine albums, the most recent being 2017’s The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone. The title track references styles as diverse as grunge and funk, with Womack’s honeyed vocals bringing it all together.
Judah & the Lion, Thursday, Sept. 26, The Sylvee, 8 pm: It’s been said that great art is inspired by great suffering, and if that’s true, then Judah & The Lion can check more than a few boxes with Pep Talks, the Nashville band’s third studio album. Frontman Judah Akers watched his family implode, then used the experience to expand the band’s musical horizons, incorporating, of all things, electronica into J & the L’s familiar alterna-folk rock mix. Album-track collabs with Kacey Musgraves and Jon Bellion have also expanded the band’s reach well beyond the “Take it All Back” fan base. Apparently, what doesn’t kill you doesn’t just make you stronger — it also makes you evolve musically. With Flora Cash.
Comedy & Artistry Night, Thursday, Sept. 26, Art In Gallery, 8 pm: Madison- and Milwaukee-area comedians and rappers convene for a night of cross-genre word artistry. Comedy starts the night; watch out for the fast-talking, often dirty hilarity of Sasha Rosser and extreme set-ups from Bennett Brown. Also with comedians Jeff Spankowski, Mo.B, Big C and Will Isenberg. Performances from area rappers follow; of special note is the smooth vibes of Shaun Vyse. Also with K. Sankofa, J-Terror, Yuung AB, Amyr, Hunchogang Jay.
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Friday, Sept. 27, The Sylvee, 8 pm: Originally created as a vehicle to channel the frontman’s fuzzier tendencies, the Innocent Criminals have evolved over two decades into a funky guitar force all their own. They display a wide breadth of range — from cute and danceable (“Steal My Kisses” from the 1999 debut Burn to Shine) to ballads (“Deeper and Deeper” off their most recent album, Call It What It Is).
Surf Curse, Friday, Sept. 27, Union South-The Sett, 9 pm: The LA-based duo hangs ten into Madison for an evening of tubular and highly catchy guitar-forward indie rock. On their recently released album, Heaven Surrounds You, tracks like lead single “Disco” layer guitar riffs and tom-tom heavy drum grooves to create swelling verses and choruses that crash onto audiences. With Dirt Buyer.
Madison Symphony Orchestra, Friday, Sept. 27, Overture Hall, 7:30 pm: Maestro John DeMain kicks off the fall season with “Love, Lust and Redemption,” a program featuring a potent mix of Wagner’s Tannhäuser overture, Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7. But the concert’s focal point is principal organist Greg Zelek’s performance of Barber’s Toccata Festiva on Overture’s mammoth Orgelbau Klais organ that will shake the concert hall to its very pipes. ALSO: Saturday (8 pm) and Sunday (2:30 pm), Sept. 28-29.
Katie Ernst, Friday, Sept. 27, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 8 pm: The Chicago upright bassist performs her “Little Words” project, in which she sings Dorothy Parker poems to her own bass compositions. Parker’s poetry is already musical, and Ernst expands this inherent musicality. Her impeccable plucking and exquisite voice shines new light on vital contributions to the American poetry canon.
New Pornographers, Friday, Sept. 27, Majestic, 8:30 pm: Now in their second decade, The New Pornographers are one of rock’s most inventive acts. And they are incredible live — power pop demands energy, and The New Pornographers always deliver. The Canadian collective is releasing its eighth album, In the Morse Code of Brake Lights, the day of this show, so come out and celebrate with them. (Also, don’t miss any opportunity to see Neko Case live.) With Lady Lamb.
Savage Love Live, Friday, Sept. 27, Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm: He’s the Christian Right’s worst nightmare. An outspoken LGBTQ activist, author, curator of sexy home movies, advice columnist and podcaster Dan Savage is a former Madisonian who departed to make a name for himself and his “Savage Love” brand in Seattle at The Stranger. Get your sex and love questions answered onstage at this live podcast recording with Savage and guest comedian Emily Galati.
Nitti Gritti, Saturday, Sept. 28, Liquid, 10 pm: A very different Nitti Gritti than Madison’s legendary campus-area bar and grill descends for a night of raucous, multi-style dance music. On his latest track, “Eyes on You,” the Florida DJ (real name Ricky Mears) teams with crooner Jimmy Levy for a forlorn but still danceable track. On others, though, such as “11:25,” Mears embraces hip-hop for a more positive and groovy experience.
Toto, Sunday, Sept. 29, Orpheum Theater, 7:30 pm: In the decades since Toto ruled the charts with a series of one-word-title singles (“Africa,” “Rosanna,” “Pamela”), the band has consistently released new music that showcases broad influences and immaculate chops. Toto remains huge in Europe and Japan — putting on blistering live shows — but unfortunately doesn’t tour North America frequently. Which makes this 23-date U.S. trek in support of 2018’s compilation album, 40 Trips Around the Sun, so special. Even more impressive is that the band’s current lineup still includes three original members (Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro and David Paich) plus longtime vocalist Joseph Williams.
Not Just Another Grand Opening, Sunday, Sept. 29, Goodman Community Center, noon-4 pm: The folks at the Waubesa Street institution celebrate a campus expansion with performances, all-ages science and art activities, and community resource information. Enjoy fare from local food carts, and tour the renovated and renamed Ironworks building and the recently rebuilt Brassworks building across the street. The entertainment is provided by Overture Center’s Kids in the Rotunda series, featuring a diverse lineup ranging from traditional Ho-Chunk songs and stories of the Wisconsin Dells Singers to steel drum island sounds by Panchromatic Steel.
Knocked Loose, Tuesday, Oct. 1, Majestic, 7 pm: Kentuckians Knocked Loose are an encyclopedia of music. From hardcore to black metal to punk rock, the quintet has crafted a sound that’s unrelenting and surprisingly refined. On their recently released sophomore LP, A Different Shade of Blue, Knocked Loose delivers mosh pit catharsis. It may be the heaviest self-improvement album since Idles’ 2018 masterpiece Joy as an Act of Resistance. With Stick to Your Guns, Rotting Out, Candy, SeeYouSpaceCowboy.
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, Wednesday, Oct. 2, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm: One of the most exciting live bands currently touring, Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires mixes up intense garage punk with Southern soul testifying. It’s captured on their latest album, Live at the Nick, but the best way to experience it is in a packed club. They are accompanied on their fall tour by Athens, Georgia, folksters Nana Grizol, and the Mickey’s bill also includes hook-laden locals Rocket Bureau.
Anthony Di Sanza, Tom Curry + Mark Hetzler, Thursday, Oct. 3, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 8 pm: In their new composition, Don’t Look Down, three avant-classical and electronic artists use a mix of musical techniques to reflect the changes technology has made on the world. Across 50 minutes and nine movements, the trio of jazz luminaries — Anthony Di Sanza, Tom Curry and Mark Hetzler — uses percussion, tuba, keyboard, trombone and electronics, as well as visual art, to create multi-faceted and richly textured music.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
