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Shooting to the top
on 05/02/08 at 10:00 am | Fourteen, 17 and 19 may seem young, but these are the ages at which members of the Jam, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones formed the most iconic bands in rock 'n' roll history. And how about Waukesha, West Allis and Milwaukee — just Wisconsin bergs? More like the birthplaces of music legends Les Paul, Liberace and Al Jarreau. Clearly, musical aptitude has no age requirement or designated zip code. |
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Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness at the 2008 Wisconsin Film Festival
on 04/06/08 at 3:30 pm | Madison does not offer many urban exploring opportunities for folks like myself who relish jumping fences and getting dirty in tunnels, so being able to live vicariously through the adventurers in Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness was a treat and a half. The film does a thorough and engaging job of showcasing the multitude of personalities, gear, rules, fears and hopes that compose this exhilarating pastime. |
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Art Star and the Sudanese Twins at the 2008 Wisconsin Film Festival
on 04/05/08 at 1:00 pm | Before the screening of the Art Star and the Sudanese Twins at the Play Circle in UW Memorial Union, a well-dressed, fidgety volunteer shared a few jumbled words about eccentric artist Vanessa Beecroft's obsession to adopt two African children. |
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Ben X at the 2008 Wisconsin Film Festival
on 04/05/08 at 9:00 am | Backpackers on the trains in Ben X may be aliens to the title character's home in Belgium, but Asperger's syndrome makes him an alien to the world. So, Ben escapes to the digital realm of Archlord, where his sunken cheeks, blue pallor and etched appearance blend easily. |
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Galactic rocks the Majestic from the corner to the block
on 02/22/08 at 11:35 am | Digging the family Pinto out of a snow bank is a helluva lot different than seeing it float down the street. Each situation could certainly inspire a somber lyric, though one would more likely spark a heart wrenching minor key riff. As the New Orleans based band Galactic recorded their last album a few years back, From the Corner to the Block, Hurricane Katrina hit and scattered band members around the country. But instead of changing their tune to echo the devastation to their home, they picked up the pieces, went to the Poconos and pumped out a pulsating fusion LP that screams change louder than an Obama rally. |
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View photos of Bill Clinton at the UW Stock Pavilion in Madison
on 02/14/08 at 9:17 pm | Former president William Jefferson Clinton spoke at the Stock Pavilion on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus on Thursday afternoon, speaking to a heavily-student crowd in an effort to bolster the Hillary Clinton campaign effort in Wisconsin. |
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View photos of Mike Huckabee's campaign stop at the Concourse Hotel in Madison
on 02/14/08 at 12:59 pm | Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee stopped at Madison's Concourse Hotel Thursday morning in what many consider a futile race for the Republican nomination. He is looking to make a big showing against front-runner John McCain in the Wisconsin primary on Tuesday, Feb. 19. |
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Editors and Hot Hot Heat punctuate a quiet night in Madison
on 01/30/08 at 10:26 am | Hot Hot Heat is one of those bands that sounds like, well, everybody else, lately. Stealing from the pile of successful, cassette tape era bands seems to be in vogue or at least it was before the 1950s became the new black. Editors didn't flee too far from a New Wave sensibility either. Hot Hot Heat's high strung party was traded for a darker intoxication, striking a deeper chord in the crowd. A girl in the audience, possessed by their sound, moved so languidly that she could've charged admission. |
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Verbal Kent can't at Der Rathskeller
on 01/26/08 at 10:32 am | Verbal Kent gets his name from Kevin Spacey's character in The Usual Suspects, but at last night's show at the Memorial Union, the Chicago emcee lacked the charismatic intrigue afforded to Spacey's alter-ego. |
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Spice up your weekend with Salsa Saturday at the Majestic
on 01/09/08 at 2:45 pm | The debut of theme nights at the Majestic Theatre -- most recently its Brew and View series -- delivers dancing, music and drinks to melt away the winter blues with more than just margaritas and the occasional global warming heatwave. Now comes Salsa Saturday, the Majestic Theatre's music and dance celebration and the latest Latin delight to spice up Madison -- and your weekend plans. |
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The third Christmas Craftacular at the High Noon is spectacular
on 11/24/07 at 1:54 pm | Amid the curious aroma of coffee, beer, winter and hot-glue, people mingled and meandered through the mini-walkways of the third-annual Christmas Craftacular on Saturday morning. Held at the High Noon Saloon and hosted by The Glitter Workshop, Emily Kircher, and orangyporangy, the fair offers a variety of goodies by local crafters and artisans, and remain on display for your purchasing pleasure. |
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Modest Mouse gets rowdy in Madison
on 11/11/07 at 2:50 pm | This was the most cutthroat, kickass, hardcore drumming extravaganza I've seen. Two drum kits towered over the rest of the stage, with Jeremiah Green and Joe Plummer lashing into them like a drum corps summoning the apocalypse. The sheer volume made the building shiver and your guts vibrate. |
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A little bit of Locksley at Freakfest
on 10/25/07 at 3:45 pm | Madison expats Kai Kennedy, Jesse Laz, Sam Bair and Aaron Collins, who together form the power pop ensemble Locksley, will return to their old stomping grounds to perform at this year's Freakfest. They'll bring their dancehall jive and hyperkinetic energy to State Street for more than just another gig -- this one will be some hometown fun, from hometown superheroes. Or at least from dudes that dress like superheroes. |
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CONTEXT presents a Halloween runway show at the Majestic
on 10/24/07 at 11:54 am | Fashion, like Crystal Lake killer Jason Voorhees, will never die. And just like the campy classic Friday the 13th, which made the hockey-masked slayer a household fear, the King Street high-end denim and men's apparel shop CONTEXT has no problem poking a little fun at itself. On Friday the 26th, the Majestic Theatre will host "The Death of Fashion." |
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Soundlab dawns Friday at the Majestic Theatre
on 10/11/07 at 1:13 pm | Hipsters, geeks, freaks, dorks -- if you want to get your dance on, Soundlab is your ultimate destination on Friday nights starting this week at the Majestic Theatre with beats care of the one and only, Nick Nice. New Majestic Theatre co-owner Matt Gerding explained that he and business partner Scott Leslie wanted to form an alternative to the regular "club" scene where the draw was the music and the outcome was dancing, rather than binge drinking and grinding up on anonymous partners. |
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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah rile up the Annex
on 10/07/07 at 12:09 pm | Clap Your Hands Say Yeah worked the crowd like an exercise video at the Annex last night. Chinese lanterns hand painted like the cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Show Your Bone cluttered the stage, adding to the DIY, lo fi buzz that emanated from the speakers. |
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Lose yourself in the new Majestic Theatre
on 10/04/07 at 3:29 pm | While living in Madison, I have never gotten into a drunken brawl in front of a nightclub -- at least not on King Street. Which is to say, the recently re-opened Majestic Theatre was new to me when I went there for the Porchlight fundraiser on Wednesday night. |
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Better geek than meek: Geek.Kon invades Madison
on 10/01/07 at 12:44 pm | "The goal of Geek.Kon is to provide people with the opportunities to explore as many different 'geek' activities as possible," says Sarah Eichhorst, the promotions and PR co-chair for the convention, which is co-sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies at the UW. |
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Ryan Adams woos with bad boy charm in return to Madison
on 09/29/07 at 12:42 pm | The audience -- which rumor has it included chanteuse/actress, Mandy Moore -- was under his thumb for the first segment of the show. Nervous onlookers were silent during songs, allowing only music -- instead of drunken babble and a pissed off frontman -- to bounce off the walls. One could practically hear insects scurrying during the harmony rich "Peaceful Valley," which earned my vote for most beautifully lush tune of the night. Perhaps every artist should scare the hell out of his fans now and again? |
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The Brunettes bring big fun to the High Noon
on 09/26/07 at 1:14 pm | This has definitely been the year of the Kiwi: Flight of the Conchords, Black Sheep, and Zoe Bell's role in Grindhouse have all garnered the little island nation lots of attention in the U.S. through 2007. The Midwestern front first heard a reunited Crowded House and then, a short time later, the Veils opened up the Download Festival in Chicago. Last night, The Brunettes rode into Madison high on the transpacific wave. |
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Growing up with kids of all ages at the Willy Street Fair
on 09/17/07 at 2:10 pm | Children often ask their parents what it is like to be tall, able to reach shelves and see over the heads of others. At the Willy Street Fair, kids on stilts tower over adults, not to mention cars in the parade and the tents lining the street. Most kids have to go to Disney World to see characters from their favorite stories. At this festival, their own dreams become reality. |
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The Willy Street Fair is as fun as ever
on 09/16/07 at 8:49 pm | Hippie wagons, clown cars, bicycle gangs and pirate hordes hitched swarmed several blocks of Williamson Street on Sunday morning as expected. The 30th annual Willy Street Fair started with the regular loony and loopy parade of neighborhood denizens, swathed in a sea of bubbles floating from the heart of the gathering. The whimsy continued thereafter. |
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Wilco builds memories in its latest visit to Madison
on 09/12/07 at 12:24 pm | Certainly, no audience member goes to a sold out, kill your neighbor for a ticket kind of show like Wilco's concert at the Overture Center on Tuesday night without a connection to the act. So how does one adequately review the band that was the soundtrack to a two-year relationship that ended on the day of the show? |
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The Flaming Lips are a whirlwind at the SoCo Music Experience in Madison
on 09/09/07 at 9:09 pm | So where did this idea to mix spectacle with their sound emerge? "There wasn't one specific day," explains Wayne Coyne, lead singer for the Flaming Lips. "We stopped trying to be cool and started being who we were; we're just big dorks." He says that being able to do what they wanted on stage just felt right and he hopes that the fans would understand and embrace the chaos. |
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Sick Puppies introduce themselves to Madison
on 09/09/07 at 9:09 pm | In between sets at the SoCo festival on Saturday evening, I was able to catch up with Aussie band Sick Puppies. Lead singer and guitarist Shimon Moore explained that they were happy to be on the bill at Willow Island, citing that their popularity at an earlier stop in Atlanta aided in getting them attached to the tour. |
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The SoCo music festival in Madison heats up with fun and ferocity
on 09/09/07 at 9:09 pm | The saying goes that the best things in life are free. Anyone who made their way to Willow Island on Saturday afternoon for the SoCo Music Experience can certainly attest to that notion. Nearly a dozen bands held court on two stages from 2 p.m. to well into the night for a beautiful festival of music, booze and magic. |
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Do you realize? The SoCo Music Experience hits Madison
on 09/05/07 at 1:21 pm | The most popular hipster hubbub lately has been if you did or did not score tickets for Wilco at the Overture Center next Tuesday. I walked into such a conversation weeks ago and tried to pacify a forlorn face: "At least you can see the Flaming Lips for free on September 8." I received no words in response, but I did get a "Whaaaaayeaaaaaah!" and an accompanying dance/run down the sidewalk. |
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Getting an early start on Hippie Christmas in Madison
on 08/14/07 at 1:38 pm | Front yards and curbs in the Bassett neighborhood were already being loaded up with refuse and jewels on Monday night. For the most part, items presumed to be recycled have been left in ordered -- or at least separated -- semblance. |
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Stubblefield and friends hold benefit for Charlie Brooks
on 08/10/07 at 3:59 pm | The Madison teacher, mentor, and soul magnate suffers from Hepatitis C and was diagnosed on February 13, 2007 with colon cancer. He is now is two months into a 14-month regimen of weekly injections of Peginterferon, which leave him sick for three to four days. Out of work since February, his with struggles with disability insurance has caused considerable financial hardship. |
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Sending off Madison's National Poetry Slam team
on 08/03/07 at 3:28 pm | The Madison Slam Team is readying itself to travel to the National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas. Four members are traveling south for the competition: Eric Mata (Madison's current reigning slam champion and Haiku Death Match champion), Ryan Hurley, Kyle "El Guante" Myrhe, and Josh Healey. Before they take off, though, the team will celebrate with a poetry exhibition at Escape Java Joint on Saturday evening. |
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