Madison’s streets and sidewalks always seem to be littered with people performing or showing off some skill. Walking up Bascom, math professor Uri Andrews might roll by you on his unicycle. Or you might hear street musicians’ tunes wafting through the air while walking down State Street. Papakobina Brewoo, or Kobby… Read more »

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Sallie Ford led her band onstage last night at the Majestic Theatre. She was dressed like Forrest Gump’s mother: cat eye glasses and a somewhat unflattering sweater-dress with leggings underneath. Her hair, just above her slumped shoulders, curled tight right… Read more »

After a late 2012 tour to promote their then-unreleased album Waking Season, post-rock group Caspian is back on the road again.Caspian’s last tour marked their first in three years. The group has shows booked back-to-back on many of their tour dates, and have been driving around the country hoping to… Read more »

The Great Depression and New Deal occupy a special place in the American historical canon. For one, they mark one of the greatest periods of hardship in American history, and the beginning of a process that would end with the United States becoming the most powerful economic force in the… Read more »

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 With the recent marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado and decriminalization emerging in many regions, stoner culture is swiftly returning from the fringe. A new restaurant on University Avenue is looking to take advantage of this growing market as CHeBA… Read more »

Forming an eclectic trio of sounds, Dakotas and Little Legend opened for Turbo Fruits Sunday night. When Dakotas started its set, there were fewer than a few dozen people at the High Noon Saloon, many of them members of Little Legend and Turbo Fruits. Dakotas is a four piece group… Read more »

“Are you guys, like, the new-age Blues Brothers, or what?” a partygoer asked, her voice barely audible over the blaring music. Her question was directed at the DJs. One was wearing turquoise pants, a bright orange vest, a purple shirt reminiscent of the 1970s, a black bow tie and thick… Read more »

Promoting their debut album, Milo Greene came to Madison for their second time at the High Noon Saloon Saturday night. The five-piece pair played with opener Bahamas. Bahamas is more of a one-man show. The four piece set of guitar, drums and two backup singers provides a spotlight for Afie… Read more »

The Infamous Stringdusters made another stop in Madison at the Majestic this past Friday with guests Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Their performance continued a circuit of bluegrass bands touring regularly through Madison, with the most recognizable being Yonder Mountain String Band. Just last year, The Infamous Stringdusters opened for Yonder… Read more »

Some people were sad to see Taco Bell go. For many, the memories were nauseating at best, but a certain die-hard group of fast food lovers lamented the loss of the State Street franchise. Another casualty, too, was Kentucky Fried Chicken. Most people, however, were perfectly happy to see the… Read more »

Paula Poundstone, a comic and regular panelist of “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” will bring her stand-up to the dairyland this weekend. Poundstone will start off at Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater this Friday, then continue on to the Barrymore Theatre in Madison on Saturday. Though she is performing at venues across… Read more »

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting the bi-annual Design MMoCA event, featuring a variety of works from regional artists. MMoCA hosted a Preview Gala Wednesday to kick off the event, and the gallery is open for about two weeks. The Preview Gala presents all of the expected attractions of… Read more »

Madison has no apparent shortage of water. Sandwiched between two lakes with others in the area, many familiar sights around town are near a body of water. Yet water usage and shortage has become a global issue, worsening with the world’s growing population. Certain large organizations and non-profits have tried… Read more »

White Rabbits came through Madison once this school year already, playing on a crowded Memorial Union Terrace. This time, they came through the High Noon Saloon, touring with Gull and guest Coo Woo. While the venues are quite different, White Rabbits put on a good show for both. Opening act… Read more »

Andrew Bird is nearly 40 and has been a professional musician for almost 20 years. His career has not been riddled with hiatuses, endless side projects or significant drama of any kind. He has never gone more than three years without releasing an album. With every release he pushes his… Read more »

University of Wisconsin freshman Max Hoel can easily be seen in a crowd. His short, wiry figure is almost always complimented by one of his snap-back hats, brim up, straight out in front. With his septum piercing and pair of plugs, he is difficult to miss and easy to… Read more »

Along with the chocolate and flowers, this past Valentine’s Day was the release date for Arrow, the newest offering by The Heartless Bastards. Their first album on Partisan records, and produced in the home recording studio of Spoon’s Jim Eno, Arrow was released accompanying the hype of both the fans… Read more »

The Heartless Bastards have a considerable amount of soul. Their music has an infectious, warm, bluesy sound they’ll be bringing to the High Noon Saloon this Saturday night, along with Hacienda and Little Legend. While they’ve gone under the radar of some music lovers, the Heartless Bastards have stayed together… Read more »

Musical taste has become quite the political matter. Music snobbery is often viewed with disdain, but many still pass judgment on the listening of others. People often fret to find bands still mired in obscurity, to discover genres on the upswing and musical pioneers and, of course, to have staple… Read more »

The average skateboarder or longboarder enters the “scene” sometime in their teenage years. Middle-aged parents Barry and Marcy Tilmann were a little late on the trend, only seeing their time consumed by it in recent years after it took the life of Ian, their son. Ian Tilmann died the night… Read more »

The GreenHouse Community is unfamiliar to most. Situated on the first floor of Cole Hall, the learning community focuses on the concept of individually defining sustainability and finding ways to enact those newfound beliefs. As with many learning communities, the GreenHouse offers relevant programming for its members and small seminar… Read more »

State Street does not need another coffee shop. It baffles most that the plethora that exist generally manage to stay in business and that they’re usually full. The area around this part of Madison clearly seems to house the café-going type, however, which keeps the businesses afloat. Perhaps State Street… Read more »

Any Badger likely remembers their tour of the school, if they had one. Despite all of the marketing and hype, tour guides always readily admitted what they believed to be the school’s only flaw: There was no movie theater within walking distance. And yet, despite the frequency of this complaint,… Read more »

A simple wrong turn off State Street leads to a little known side entrance of the Overture Center. Through the side door is the Playhouse Gallery, which is difficult to find from the center’s front entrance. This is the location of 9/11 Then and Now, a photography exhibit opening on… Read more »

“Young at Art” is an assortment of artwork at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. The artists range from kindergarten students to high school seniors. To some, it might sound like a grandiose version of a school art show. In some sense, it is. The walls of State Street’s main… Read more »

Ted Watter doesn’t look like a Pakistani folk musician. Brian Tilley doesn’t look like much of a Pakistani folk singer, either. Yet they are the Pashtones, a band that takes popular Pashto folk songs and adds undertones of Western music to their sound. The songs are still sung in Pashto, and… Read more »

A halfpipe is an unusual thing to see at Memorial Union. Yet that does not seem to faze artist Sofia Maldonado. A Puerto Rican native, Maldonado hosted an opening reception for her new exhibit in the Porter Butts Gallery Friday, adding her typical street art flair. In front of the… Read more »

There’s something cooking In the Kitchen.In the Kitchen Collective started as a group of creative minds joining forces to find their place in Madison’s local music scene. When they first met, they recognized a shared difficulty handling a local music scene dominated by a handful of homogenized genres. Connie Jordan,… Read more »

The title “Materials: re-invented, re-viewed” may conjure images of soda bottles fashioned into a likeness of the Mona Lisa. Natasha Nicholson’s exhibit, in fact, offers a thoughtful examination of memory and sensation. The collection is nestled within the Elvehjem Building’s Kohler Art Library, and appropriately so. It lacks the volume… Read more »