Events

15 things to do this week

Hi there,

Here are three reasons why I'm excited about our new interactive events calendar:

📅 You can filter events by category, date, cost, and more. Looking for kid-friendly events? Live music? We have filters for that.

🔮 You can see the future. Wouldn't it be nice to have more than a week's notice about interesting events? On the new and improved calendar, you can look months into the future.

👀 You can see more events. I am only one person, and the number of events that I can find and share every week is pretty limited. However, the new calendar can sync up to local event organizers' websites and automate a significant amount of compilation work. The calendar has pulled in over 65 events for this week – and we're just getting started!

As we've mentioned before, the calendar software alone costs $200 a month. It simply wouldn't be responsible to take on that additional monthly expense without additional revenue.

So until we reach 200 paying members, the calendar is only going to be available to paying supporters. But here's the good news: we're up to 184 paying members now!

That's right: we only need 16 people to chip in today and then we can open the calendar to everyone.

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We're 92% of the way to our goal.

Will you help us over the finish line?

YES, I WILL PAY MONEY FOR A FREE NEWSLETTER!

Now on to events!

– Sam

Summer Restaurant Week
Today-Friday | All around Madison
Madison Magazine’s Summer Restaurant Week is back. Sample some of the Madison area’s finest local restaurants at deep discounts. Lunch menu and takeout options are available.

Lakeside Cinema: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)
Monday | 9 p.m. | Memorial Union | Free
From IMDb: “Five years after the events of Mamma Mia! (2008), Sophie prepares for the grand reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna as she learns more about her mother's past.”

Presentation: "The Story of Ancient Lava Flows Beneath Lake Superior"
Tuesday | 7 p.m. | Weeks Hall | Free
Nearly one billion years ago, beneath what is now Lake Superior, lava flowed from shield volcanoes and fissures. This talk explores what the environment may have been like as this Midcontinent Rift developed.

Learn to kayak/standup paddleboard + screening of Surf's Up (2007)
Thursday | 4:30 & 6 p.m. | Marshall Park | Free
Learn new paddling skills with the Madison Boats staff. Stick around for a screening of Surf’s Up. From IMDb: “A behind-the-scenes look at the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship, and its newest participant, up-and-comer Cody Maverick.”

Movies on the Water: The Secret Life of Pets (2016) & Best in Show (2000)
Thursday | 5:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. | The Edgewater | Free
Edgewater is showing movies every Thursday night through August 25. From The Secret Life of Pets IMDb: "The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes." From Best in Show IMDb: "A behind-the-scenes look into the highly competitive and cut-throat world of dog shows through the eyes of a group of ruthless dog owners."

Live on King Street: White Denim with Interlay & Pink Halo
Friday | 7 p.m. | Free

Mad Lit: Kilo AKA Skitl'z, Juciee Monroe, Sira Sangaré, Danielle Crim, DJ Ace

Friday | 8 p.m. | 100 block of State Street | Free

Mad Lit returns yet again for another solid block of excellent, free live music. Kilo (aka SkitL'z) headlines this entry into the series, bringing a compelling strain of rap to a community that hasn't always had the best track record when it comes to the genre. Juciee Monroe—who recently delivered a fiery set at The Bur Oak for the Cap Times Live series—will be injecting the evening with an additional jolt of energy. Sira Sangaré, who releases music under the moniker Maliantingz, will offer a smooth blend of exceptional singing and exemplary rapping, providing a bridge between Kilo, Juciee, and the night's other performers. Danielle Crim—whose silky single "Shoestrings (Hold On)" appeared on Tone Madison's Best Songs of 2021 list—recently stood out as a highlight of 2022's Make Music Madison event and will undoubtedly continue to showcase exemplary musical craftsmanship at Mad Lit. Rounding out the night's performers will be DJ Ace, lending another welcome dimension to what's set to be a memorable night.

—Steven Spoerl, Tone Madison

Sounds Of Love And War Jazz Trio

Friday | 9 p.m. | Dark Horse ArtBar | Free

The newly formed Sounds Of Love And War comprises three musicians who've all brought something distinctive to the table in Madison's fertile jazz community. Saxophonist Brennan Connors (also of Stray Passage) draws on influences ranging from blistering free jazz to Irish folk music. Richard Hildner (of projects including Golpe Tierra and Acoplados) is simply one of the most enthralling guitar players you can catch around town on a regular basis, his style rooted in Afro-Peruvian music but branching out from there into a fluid convergence of genres. The youngest of the trio, bassist Ari Smith, has already put out a variety of avant-garde leaning works in different settings: some improvisational, some composition-based, and some in which Smith plays other instruments including organ and guitar. "The purpose of this ensemble is to get inside of the jazz standards and American songbook material and still maintain that level of listening and feeling that is kind of endemic in the Stray Passage project," Connors tells Tone Madison. The trio also plans to work in some original material for this debut show.

— Scott Gordon, Tone Madison

Madonna vs Lady Gaga Drag Brunch
Saturday | Show at 11:30 a.m. | The Bur Oak | $10
Hosted by Bianca Lynn Breeze. Brunch by Ahan + drinks crafted by Stateline Distillery. Performances by Destiny Michelle, Loretta Love Lee, Aylin Voyer and Ja'Nyiah M B D.

Disability Pride Festival
Saturday | 12-5 p.m. | Warner Park
A day of celebration, entertainers, exhibits, adaptive sports, artists, and craftspeople.

Urban Triage's Annual Summer Kick Back 90's vs 2000's
Saturday | 3-7 p.m. | Penn Park | Free
Free food, music, raffles, gift cards, gift bags, and inflatables.

AtwoodFest

Saturday & Sunday | See link for full music schedule. | Along Atwood Avenue | Free

This year's AtwoodFest, true to form, has the makings of a big sweaty dance party in the street. Expect plenty of festive rootsy sounds—including from New Orleans-based Ted Hefko And The Thousandaires—playing Sunday at noon on the Madison Heritage Stage—whose song "I've Got A Right To Carry On" could serve as the unofficial anthem for a blowout like this. Also expect more than a few crowd-pleasing covers—see Sunday's block of Steely Dane (noon), Loving Cup (4 p.m.), and The Funkee JBeez (4:45 p.m.) on the Clyde Stubblefield Stage, with the originals of Little Earthquakes at 2:15 p.m. for good measure. Kat And The Hurricane (Saturday, 2:45 p.m., Madison Heritage Stage), will be fresh off the planned July 29 release of a new cover of Rihanna's "Stay," a staple of the Madison band's live sets and a great fit for its beautifully aching pop. A newly added third stage mixes in American folk and blues selections from the folks behind the Sugar Maple Music Festival including Lawnmower (Saturday, 3 p.m.)—a new collaboration from guitarist Louka Patenaude, Disq guitarist/vocalist Isaac deBroux-Slone, fiddle player Shauncey Ali, and bassist David Havas—and the slide-guitar blues of Donna Herula, (Saturday, 6 p.m.). That stage will also feature a slate of younger musicians presented by the Madison Music Foundry and the Rocksconsin program.

— Scott Gordon, Tone Madison

ArtWorks Wisconsin Art Fair
Sunday | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Garver Feed Mill | Free
Ceramics, Paintings, Fiber, Jewelry, Photography, Sculpture, Wood, and more.

July Really Really Free Market
Sunday | 12-4 p.m. | Free
Do you have items, clothing, books, food, seeds, skills, gifts, talents, services, love, listening, etc. of value that you're willing to give away freely? Nothing at this market is bought or sold!

Madison Music Networking Night
Sunday | 5-7 p.m. | Cargo Coffee East | Free
Drinks, food, coffee and local people who are passionate about music.