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.
Mr. Chair, Thursday, Sept. 5, Majestic Theatre, 8 pm: The contemporary quartet, along with guest performers, celebrates the release of Nebulebula, a double-CD or triple-LP set. Well versed in classical, jazz and electronic music, this Madison-based group combines the tendencies of all to create intricate musical voyages. Songs like “Freed” do just that, whisking the listener away to strange worlds of sonic liberation.
Real Numbers, Thursday, Sept. 5, Communication, 7 pm: The Minneapolis five-piece pop act visits Madison for a night of fast-paced twee guitars and charming vocals. On their 2016 album, Wordless Wonders, songs like “Frank Infatuation” weave lyrics both forlorn and thrilling with simple guitar riffs. Local act Proud Parents opens with a similar brand of slightly harder guitar pop.
Madison’s Favorite Concert, Friday, Sept. 6, 100 block of State Street, 5-10 pm: We’re inclined to pick this one for obvious reasons. We ask our readers to choose their favorite everything, from bands to bars, and the results are published in Isthmus City Guide (inserted into this very newspaper). The music kicks off with Milwaukee’s Pat McCurdy (6 pm) and the duo Gender Confetti (7:25 pm). The headliner is WheelHouse (pictured, 8:45 pm), the 2018 #MadFaves winner for Americana band. The whole glorious night is emceed by the charismatic Kevin Willmott II, frontperson for Don’t Mess with Cupid and many people’s favorite bartender and karaoke host.
Ellis Paul + Sam Lyons, Friday, Sept. 6, Threshold, 7 pm: One of Madison’s brightest young songwriters is paired with a national touring legend. It’s a clever bill by the curators at Wisconsin Room, the local folk collective. Multi-instrumentalist and 10-time MAMA Award winner (including 2019 Best R&B/Pop Album) Sam Lyons will hold his own in support of storyteller Ellis Paul, who has averaged 200 shows-per year for the past two decades. Paul ran smack into the rich Boston folk scene, literally, as a track star at Boston College. A regular at the Newport Folk Festival, Paul is a songwriting machine who welds character and story together with breathtaking grace. Hopefully, he’ll sing “The Battle of Charlottesville,” which is as powerful as Woody Guthrie’s best. It’s a haunting documentation of the 2017 white supremacist violence he witnessed in his adopted home town.
Jake Victor 5tet, Friday, Sept. 6, Arts + Literature Lab, 8 pm: Composed of musicians from all over the world, this contemporary jazz group’s debut album, Twisted Heads, was conceived during the bandleader’s time at Lawrence University in Appleton and semester abroad at a conservatory in Amsterdam. Across the record, songs like “Call To Prayer” feature impressive solo work while channeling tones of hope and regret.
SoDown, Friday, Sep 6, Liquid, 10 pm: The Colorado native brings his unique take on bass-forward dance music to Madison. Saxophonist/producer Ethan River Wright’s music bursts with musicality and danceability. His most recent track, “Hold On,” featuring guitarist Marvel Years and vocalist Fahari, takes the listener to new heights.
Jesse Bannister, Shubhen Chatterjee & Pratik Shrivatsav, Friday, Sept 6, Eagle School, Fitchburg, 7 pm: A night of masterful improvisation that spans the globe. Saxophonist Jesse Bannister has carved out a unique niche of respectfully translating a Western instrument into the deeply intricate world of Indian classical music. He’ll play with renowned percussionist Shubhen Chatterjee, who fuses raga-based Hindustani music with jazz improvisation on the traditional tabla, and the practiced Pratik Shrivatsav on the stringed sarod.
Graham Elwood + Ron Placone, Friday, Sept. 6, Brink Lounge, 8 pm: On the “Progressive Comedy Tour,” Elwood (Comedy Film Nerds podcast co-host) and Placone (Get Your News on With Ron host) bring the political fury by actively inviting progressive political candidates to discuss, and riff on, politics with the masses. Both funny and educational, if you desire change, this is a great place to find that spark.
Dessa, Friday, Sept. 6, Majestic, 9 pm: Dessa has a lot to say. The Minneapolis-based rapper, singer and writer cut her first EP in 2005. Since, she joined hip-hop collective Doomtree — of which she was at one time CEO — worked with collaborators like Justin Vernon in the indie supergroup Gayngs, contributed to the Hamilton Mixtape, published a few books and has written for The New York Times Magazine. Dessa fearlessly expresses smart, brash, earnest messages with hints of pop and blues, backed by sounds as multi-faceted as her projects and interests. With Monakr, Zed Kenzo.
Sheer Mag, Saturday, Sept. 7, UW Memorial Union Terrace, 9 pm: Philadelphia DIYers Sheer Mag open their latest album, A Distant Call, with a scream from frontperson Tina Halladay, which is apt considering the album’s subject matter. “The Killer” calls out war-mongering politicians, and “Chopping Block” fantasizes about making the powerful pay. Other songs touch on grief, poverty, disillusionment and telling fatphobic concern trolls to fuck off. Her powerful words are punctuated by a plethora of tasty pop-metal riffs. It’s as if ’80s hair metal bands traded their excess for activism, put their dicks and cocaine away, and gave a shit about the world around them.
Outside Voices album release, Saturday, Sept. 7, Bos Meadery, 6 pm: This squad of seven local emcees and producers burst onto the Madison scene a year ago with a self-titled EP they recorded on a whim at a cabin deep in some Wisconsin forest one weekend. As you’d expect with this many members, the super-crew’s sound is a lot of blended, overlapping verses — every track is a posse cut. Matching that vocal variety with laid-back beats, their first offering was reminiscent of early ‘90s rap, when the genre was dominated more by groups than solo artists. We expect more of that from Overture, the album released at this show. With K. Sankofa, 608suvi and Kē aka john doe, as well as comedy by Craig Smith.
Ancient Futures 3, Saturday, Sept. 7, Crucible, 3 pm-2 am: This psych and doom celebration co-founded by Vanishing Kids guitarist Jason Hartman returns for a third year, with a stacked lineup of heavies. Doors open at 3 pm for a record show, followed by performances from 10 different bands, including Madison’s Treatment, Twichard and Vanishing Kids; visitors include occult rockers Sabbath Assembly (pictured) and stoner metal trio Doomstress. Also with Heavy Temple, Wolf Blood, Lost Tribes of the Moon, White Shape, Astral Hand.
Celebration of the Life of Gary Alderman, Sunday, Sept. 8, Brink Lounge, 5 pm: The late Gary Alderman was a fixture in the Madison jazz community as an archivist, collector and friend. For almost four decades, he smoothly introduced listeners to jazz artists and concepts as the afternoon host of Journeys Into Jazz on WORT-FM. Before he passed, Gary asked for a jazz party and jam session in his memory. This event will do just that, honoring his love of jazz organ with a performance by the Mike Cammilleri Organ Trio, followed up by a free-form jam. Musicians are welcome to bring their instruments, and all are encouraged to offer remembrances.
Doug Stanhope, Monday, Sept. 9, Comedy on State, 7:30 pm: Doug Stanhope stands out as one of the gnarliest comedians out there. He’s the guy who wrote a bit about cigarettes just to get around no-smoking rules at clubs. You may recognize him as half of the second pair of hosts from The Man Show back in the day, always seen with a brewski or hard liquor. Not much has changed. Doug is still angry, abrasive and loving every single second of it. ALSO: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 7:30 pm.
The Art of Teaching, Tuesday, Sept. 10, Overture Center-Wisconsin Studio, 6 pm: Spend a night learning science by using your ears. UW-Madison geoscience professor Stephen Meyers (pictured) uses music and sound to teach his undergraduate students about the scientific concepts that govern the physical universe; at this event, he presents a version of that outside the classroom. Contemporary classical ensemble Mr. Chair facilitates a sonic journey into the earth’s interior. A short reception and panel discussion with leading science educators follows the performance, to help clear up any concepts you didn’t get.
Russian Circles, Wednesday, Sept. 11, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: This Chicago instrumental trio deals in post-metal and post-rock, consistently pushing the boundaries of the genres to their limits; it’s metal without the shouting. The prolific band’s seventh album, Blood Year, was released in early August. With support from Windy City art rockers FACS.
We Live, Wednesday, Sept. 11, North Street Cabaret, 6:30 pm: “ We Live” features spoken word on living, defiance, and positive change from two Wisconsin poets. Former Milwaukee poet laureate Dasha Kelly Hamilton (pictured) is a “creative change agent” whose striking poems meld concrete life struggles with feelings that hit deep. Sun Prairie’s Poetic Ye’s work chronicles his own journey from crime and incarceration to self-freedom and positive words and action. An open mic follows for those bold enough to share their own work.
Morgan Heritage, Thursday, Sept. 12, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: The Grammy Award-winning reggae group visits town with a newly released album. On Loyalty, Gramps, Peetah and Mr. Mojo — the sons of legendary reggae vocalist Denroy Morgan — further push the boundaries of the sound they’ve spent decades developing. On “Bedrock,” they show their chemistry as brothers, overlapping their voices and instruments in mesmerizing ways. With Natty Nation.
Stolen Jars, Thursday, Sept. 12, Communication, 7:30 pm: Powerful, emotionally laden vocal melodies from Sarah Coffey and Cody Fitzgerald take center stage on A Reminder, the new LP from Brooklyn-based band Stolen Jars. Lilting, frenetic instrumentation — with plenty of bleeps and bloops — support these meditations on love, loss and healing. An agreeable indie rock band that evokes hues of bedroom pop, Stolen Jars will be sure to engulf the sonic space of Communication. With According to What, Grace Olson.
Pinegrove, Thursday, Sept. 12, Majestic Theatre, 8 pm: When Montclair, New Jersey’s Pinegrove released Cardinal in 2016, the band seemed poised to rocket to the top of indie rock’s hierarchy. But in 2017, frontman Evan Stephens Hall took the band on an extended hiatus after an accusation of sexual coercion threatened to derail their burgeoning career. But the matter appears (at least on the surface) to have been sorted, and in 2018, Pinegrove reemerged with Skylight, another collection of easygoing, tender emo-Americana. Listening to Hall’s reflective lyrics, it’s apparent he’s grown up a little in the process, too. With former AJJ member Stephen Steinbrink and Montreal indie rocker Common Holly.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
