Isthmus Jazz Festival 2013 turns UW Memorial Union Terrace into a chilled-out getaway Sun, surf and swing Isthmus Staff on Tuesday 06/18/2013 With Make Music Madison, Solskinn and the Madison Area Music Awards, this weekend is a flurry of tuneful activities. The Isthmus Jazz Festival on the Terrace at the UW Memorial Union is probably the most relaxing option. Most of it is outside, swathed in Lake Mendota breezes and the brat stand's tantalizing aromas. >MoreCitizen Dave: Wisconsin conservatives are killing jobs, boosting Minnesota Dave Cieslewicz on Tuesday 06/18/2013 11:54 am, (2) Comments Minnesota is levitating. The state is lifting away from Wisconsin and heading off into the 21st century while Wisconsin is working hard to reestablish the economy and social mores of the Dark Ages. Simply put, the backward policies of Governor Scott Walker and the illegitimate Republican majorities in the Legislature as well as the bought-and-paid-for-by-big-business state Supreme Court are driving Wisconsin's economy down the tubes. >More
Four Lakes Wildlife Center helps wild animals and their would-be rescuers Sick bay for bunnies and friends Liz Merfeld on Thursday 06/13/2013 Last May, the girls next door found a baby bunny hopping near their tomato garden, scooped her up and placed her in a box in their garage. "What should we do with her?" they asked me, the neighborhood's token animal rescuer. >MoreThe cost of rejecting Medicaid funds for Wisconsin Studies predict more uninsured residents and a higher price tag for the state Erik Gunn on Thursday 06/13/2013 Last week, the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee voted 12-4 on party lines to reject federal money to expand health insurance for the poor. As a result Wisconsin lawmakers saddled the state with a bigger price tag in return for less health coverage. >More
Beer Here: St. Thomas Belgian Abbey from Potosi Brewing Robin Shepard on Friday 06/14/2013 2:00 pm The Belgian Dubbel isn't generally considered to be summer beer. But the style can be quite wonderful though all seasons. Its solid caramel and chocolate maltiness blends into a spicy-warm profile, with an accent of dark fruit sweetness. Potosi Brewing just released St. Thomas Belgian Abbey, a brew that certainly makes for a special summer treat. Brewmaster Steve Buszka just brought it back after its original release over a year ago as a draught-only beer at the Potosi brewpub. >MoreSummer sips from Madison's developing cocktail culture Brash, heady and irresistible André Darlington on Thursday 06/13/2013 The revival of the television comedy Arrested Development has caused a rift among Madison bartenders. Many think the comedic timing is off -- the new episodes simply aren't funny. But even if the series is not a complete hit, it has at least helped revive bottle service in Madison. >More
UW Cinematheque to screen comedic gems by Pierre Étaix and a tribute to Roger Ebert in summer 2013 Jessica Steinhoff on Friday 06/14/2013 5:35 pm The UW Cinematheque debuted its summer 2013 schedule today, after announcing that a record 5,800 viewers attended its programming between January and May. The new season runs July 11 to Aug. 23 at 4070 Vilas Hall and Union South’s Marquee Theater. The lineup includes five features and three shorts by French comedian and filmmaker Pierre Étaix, plus a tribute to Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert. All screenings will feature 35mm prints, and all programs are free. >MoreAll hell breaks loose in the sixth season of True Blood Vampire inferno Dean Robbins on Thursday 06/13/2013 True Blood, the modern-day vampire series, begins its sixth season in ghastly fashion. Bill (Stephen Moyer) dies, then returns to life as something else -- something bloody and horrible. He emerges from a burning building and shoots into the sky "like a naked evil Superman," according to the fleeing Jason (Ryan Kwanten). >More
Souls of Mischief celebrate a West Coast hip-hop classic Obnoxious glee from '93 Scott Gordon on Thursday 06/13/2013 East Bay hip-hop foursome Souls of Mischief will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut, '93 Til Infinity, by performing the entire album at the Majestic Theatre on June 19. Its production still feels funky and warm, and MCs Opio, A-Plus, Phesto and Tajai still come off as both thoughtful and happily obnoxious. >MoreCan Make Music Madison and the MAMAs get along? Peace and harmony Jessica Steinhoff on Thursday 06/13/2013, (1) Comment Next weekend may be one of the noisiest in Madison history. Most of the noise will be joyful: live music at more than 100 pop-up venues on Friday, June 21, for Make Music Madison, and nearly a dozen performances at the Madison Area Music Awards at Overture Center on Sunday, June 23. >More
American Players Theatre's The Two Gentlemen of Verona is an early example of Shakespeare’s comedic talent Katie Reiser on Sunday 06/16/2013 10:19 am A pre-show downpour at American Players Theatre's outdoor theater in Spring Green didn't delay the opening of The Two Gentlemen of Verona (through Oct. 6). The play, one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies, can be a bit dreary and ponderous, but it has bright spots as well. We see hints of the Bard's hallmark tropes and themes, including a female character disguising herself as a boy and the bizarre foibles of young lovers. >MoreAmerican Players Theatre's Molly Sweeney shows what’s lost when a blind woman gains sight Laura Jones on Sunday 06/16/2013 9:48 am Even if Hamlet isn't your thing, this season's Molly Sweeney (through Sept. 28) just might be. This play by Brian Friel is composed of monologues written for three actors, which tell the story of a blind Irish woman rendered mostly sightless at a young age. Molly (Colleen Madden) is far from discouraged by her blindness. She's confident, ebullient and bold, sucking up life's tactile wonders with every pore. That is until her husband, the overly enthusiastic Frank (David Daniel), decides she’d be better off with sight. >More
Carmen Lundy took a circuitous route to becoming a great jazz singer and composer. The soulfully seductive songstress is still on a unique road, with dates in Spain and South Africa after she headlines the Isthmus Jazz Fest at the Memorial Union Terrace on Saturday, June 22. Her free set is 8 p.m. at Mills Hall in the UW Humanities Building. >More
Typhanie Monique's fans know how versatile she is. The jazz vocalist's recordings have included forays into funk, soul and even house music. What they might not know is that she also loves to teach. She just completed her master's degree at Northeastern Illinois University, whose vocal pedagogy program has had a marked effect on her singing. >More
Madison has a lot of jazz vocalists for a town its size, but Michelle DuVall is the only one with a residency on the Mickey's Tavern patio. At those gigs, which take place the second and fourth Thursday of each month, she usually forms a stripped-down trio with guitarist Doug Brown and bassist Nick Moran. She'll change things up at Isthmus Jazz Fest, where she'll front the eight-piece band Get Down, Mr. Cat! at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 22. >More
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