Have you ever been walking to class and that familiar sensation hits? That feeling of needing to relieve yourself in the imminent future? There’s always a dilemma when this situation hits. Where to go?The answer seems simple. One might respond, “To the closest bathroom, obviously!” However, our campus has a… Read more »

Roch Gersbach looks out the glass of the projectionist’s room down at the crowd of about 50 at the Cinematheque theater, located in Vilas Hall. The crowd, as usual, is made up of primarily older individuals, people who have spent years crafting sophisticated film tastes. The theater is small but… Read more »

Redefined, the University of Wisconsin’s premier co-ed a cappella group, retunes music on campus with its dynamic sound and wide range of vocal styles. The group plans to give all profits from its end-of-semester concert at the Overture Center for the Arts this Friday to the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music, a… Read more »

As the sun begins to create unbearably hot afternoons, it’s time to start heading to cool theater spaces for a summer of superhero blockbusters, actor reunions and highly-anticipated animated sequels and prequels. Here is a glimpse of the most exciting films debuting in the next four months.  MayThis weekend marks the… Read more »

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 »

“Gangnam Style.” Everyone has heard it, everyone has danced to it and everyone has laughed to it. And, nearly a year after its release and the subsequent diminishing of the fad, South Korean sensation Psy’s hit single and music video has left behind a pop culture legacy that will take… Read more »

This year’s spring break is going to be cold. We’re talking really cold, as in barely getting above freezing in Madison. Those lucky enough to have the funds to escape this frozen climate can enjoy beaches, fun in the sun and beautiful weather. But those who are not so endowed… Read more »

Although it’s hard to believe, spring is quickly approaching, and that means the Wisconsin Film Festival is just around the corner. About to enter its 15th year, the festival, which is programmed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arts Institute and the UW Department of Communication Arts’ film studies program,… Read more »

Venturing into the world of homebrewing can seem like a waste of time and energy when a good beer is right around the corner. Although pursuing a hobby that produces a plentiful, cheap and delicious beverage may not seem worth it to the average beer drinker, the homebrewers of Madison… Read more »

When Adam Ernst, who often goes by his Chinese tea name Qi Hong, opened his teashop nearly five years ago, he knew he wanted it to be a place for members of the community to discuss their ideas and bond over a simple cup of tea. Now, this teashop, Dobra… Read more »

Chances are you knew the words to the Oscar Mayer Wiener theme song growing up. Sure, everyone has wished they could be an Oscar Mayer Wiener, but would you want to drive one across the country for 12 months? Well, that’s a job many would “relish.” And yes, using ridiculous puns is… Read more »

Happy Valentine’s Day! Well, not quite yet, but it’s time to plan for the big day this Thursday. We’ve a great night lined up for any student budget with dinner options, a show and something for the sweetest of teeth. We guarantee any date will enjoy a night away from campus at… Read more »

For the last two weeks, Park City, Utah, has been abuzz with filmmakers, press and eager audiences, all in great enthusiasm for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. As a member of the Wisconsin Union Directorate Film Committee, I had the opportunity to attend the festival with six other committee members… Read more »

A new semester means less time for sitting back, relaxing and watching a week’s worth of backlogged shows. With current shows starting back up and new shows sneaking in under major shows’ mid-season break, we sorted through the good and the bad to recommend what you should stop watching, keep… Read more »

43 North Cuisine: Contemporary American Location: 108 King St. With its delectable menu and sleek interior, 43 North is sure to be a classy dining experience. If you’ve dined in Restaurant Muramoto or Sushi Muramoto, you’ve likely experienced the attention to detail and to flavor experimentation typical of owner Shinji Muramoto’s… Read more »

Our long, luxurious month of break is nearly upon us, but without homework and class to skip, what will we do? At ArtsEtc., we have some ideas. Whether you’re sticking around Madison or venturing off to wherever you call home, there’s plenty to keep you occupied this break, even if… Read more »

Ben Mulhern has a mind for murder. Well, maybe not for committing it, but certainly for writing about it. Mulhern, a 2005 University of Wisconsin graduate and Madison native, recently released his debut e-book, Everybody Wants You Dead. The Badger Herald caught up with him by telephone from his current home in… Read more »

In an electronic scene where music has been reduced to the letter M and DJ booths have become DJing optional, Canadian-born, San Francisco-bred ill.Gates cuts an unusual figure. Over his nearly 20 year career, .Gates has preferred the term respect to rage, IDM to EDM and music production to theatrical… Read more »

State Street, extending from Library Mall to the Capitol building, is a well-known nexus of fine food, atmosphere and relaxation for University of Wisconsin students. The latest addition to the street’s growing collection of worldwide cuisine comes in the form of Dragon-I, an Asian fusion restaurant specializing in Chinese, Thai… 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 »

When a fire destroyed downtown venue O’Cayz Corral on New Year’s Day of 2001, owner Cathy Dethmers knew she was not ready to be done running a music venue. Three years later, she founded what would become the High Noon Saloon. She had a clear idea of what she wanted… Read more »

Since the opening of the Barrymore Theatre in December 1929, the music venue has served different arts-related functions in the Madison community. Its significance for the Madison entertainment scene cannot be underestimated after renowned performances at the theater, including Phish, Green Day and Dave Matthews. Steve Sperling, the theater’s general… Read more »

A woman dressed as a crow threads her way past an ’80s hair metal band. Another woman takes the stage to perform a Lady Gaga lip-sync accompanied by a scantily clad cowboy. The music is loud, and every wall is covered in photographs and multimedia displays. Upstairs in the mezzanine,… Read more »

One-room schoolhouses, log cabins, barns or anything else people think up. These are examples of the many creative Little Free Libraries people have made around the world, and many students have probably seen them around Madison. For those who do not know much about the Madison-based organization, the group’s documentary,… Read more »

Conducting an interview with the cast members of 1UP Original Student Stage & Screen Productions was an entertaining experience. Over the course of answering questions, the group could not help but joke around, improvising together. “Funny shit just comes up,” said Matt Huppert, a junior on the team and former… Read more »

In May of 1969, Doug Bradley wasn’t expecting Uncle Sam to notice his graduation from college. Nonetheless, the United States Army sent him a letter to acknowledge the event: Graduate school was no longer grounds for military deferment. Now that Bradley was no longer a student, he was eligible for… Read more »

The 2012 ‘Reel Love’ Film Festival, focusing on LGBT-centered films and themes, ended its successful run Sunday after four days of non-stop programming. Organized by the WUD Film Committee at the University of Wisconsin, the festival, now in its second year, drew film connoisseurs and LGBT activists alike with its… Read more »

The Orpheum Theatre is an historic icon of downtown Madison, though its recent past is riddled with dirty dealings, carelessness and marred friendships. The former owners, likened to soap opera personalities by The Capital Times in a revealing piece in June, brought more drama than harmony to the city during… Read more »

Carts of books, scrap paper notes-to-self and manilla folders outlined the perimeter of Micaela Sullivan-Fowler’s office. In charge of Ebling Library’s historical services department, Fowler has been collecting materials since May for today’s opening reception of the exhibit Fallout: The Mixed Blessing of Radiation & the Public Health. Fowler curated… Read more »

When Eduardo Urbaez was 14 years old, his mother remarried. The Venezuelan-born teenager had been living in Miami for most of his life, but his mother’s new marriage forced him to move to Spain. In this foreign country, he wished desperately to fit in and assimilate into the local culture.… Read more »

As midterm season ascends on the University of Wisconsin campus, students prepare for the spike in stress levels that accompany the slur of exams, papers and presentations. According to the American College Health Association, nearly 50 percent of all college students nationally reported stress or anxiety as factors hurting their… Read more »

The moonlit setting in Olin Park overlooking Lake Monona is creepy enough, but then add a haunted house and you’ve got the makings for a spooktacular way to spend the Halloween weekend. If you’re looking for fun, but don’t want to get too scared out of your wits — Horror… Read more »

Previously seen in “The Help,” Leslie Jordan introduced himself to Wisconsin via the unlikely route of Los Angeles. Shopping in Nordstrom, he selected a shaving brush for purchase, and when it came time to check out, the bill came to $110. “For a shaving brush?” Jordan said. “[The cashier] said, ‘Oh… 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 »

When 2 a.m. rolls around in downtown Madison, the streets are filled with shouts of joy from a night on the town and growls of stomachs hungry for something non-liquid. While pizza joints and Parthenon are always available, those who crave something a little less meat and a little more… Read more »

Psy By now we’ve all drunkenly shown off our best attempts at the pony dance made famous by this South Korean’s “Gangnam Style” music video, and some of us may think we’re pretty damn good. Maybe even good enough to show off our moves in a tuxedo and shades on Halloween. We’re… Read more »

This school year marks the tenth anniversary for the Madtown Breakers, University of Wisconsin’s student organization dedicated to performing the art of breakdancing. A group of UW students founded the group in 2002 due to a common love of breakdancing. What they lacked was a space to practice until they… Read more »

For 30 years, B-Side Records has kept its State Street doors open. Famous musicians — members of the bands The Mekons, Garbage and The Edge — stepped through its doors. Construction jack-hammered State Street’s asphalt in the 1990s. The store’s ownership changed hands. Yet through these changes, Madison’s downtown record… Read more »

The indie rock/progressive band Wook, based out of Madison, is planning to host a benefit concert at the Majestic Theatre to spread awareness about lung cancer in the Madison community. Conceived among school friends in Madison, Wook began as a hobby between like-minded students. “The founding three members went to high… Read more »

Mary Newhauser, a junior at the University of Wisconsin, first attended an event at the University of Wisconsin’s interdenominational Christian ministry when she moved to Madison at the start of her college career. Newhauser grew up in Chicago’s suburbs attending a non-denominational Christian “megachurch.” As a person of faith, Newhauser… Read more »

This story is the first in a weekly series of features introducing you to Madison’s music venues.Nestled comfortably on King Street in the shadow of the Wisconsin State Capitol lies the Majestic Theater. From the exterior, the Majestic could be any concert venue. A simple, unobtrusive marquee greets passersby, and… Read more »

Gaping eyes, outstretched arms and bloodless skin all characterize the most popular image of the living dead. On the University of Wisconsin’s campus, though, all one needs is an orange bandana to hunger for the taste of human brains. Their paranoid victims — other bandana-clad students — are reduced to… Read more »

This is part five of a five-part series. Read the intro to the series here. Interviews have been edited, condensed and arranged by topic to allow a coherent story to emerge. DAVID WEXLER (show creator, writer, producer): My only regret is that we weren’t renewed. I think it would have… Read more »

Warren Spicer steadies his breath and mouths some of the verses he will sing tonight. Nicolas Basque strings out a few melodies. Even though he has performed before, Eric Digras can’t help but notice the novelty of the moment. The stage door opens, and in walks Matthew Woodley. “Woody,” as… Read more »

This is part four in a five-part series about the MTV show “College Life.” Read the intro to the project here. Read part one here. Read part two here. Read part three here. Interviews have been edited, condensed and arranged by topic to allow a coherent story to emerge.JASON SMATHERS… Read more »

This is part three in a five-part series about the MTV show “College Life.” Read the intro to the project here. Read part one here. Read part two here. Interviews have been edited, condensed and arranged by topic to allow a coherent story to emerge. DAVID WEXLER (show creator, writer, producer): I never… Read more »

(Added May 8, 10:15 a.m.: This is part 2 in a 5 part series about the MTV show “College Life”. Read part 1 here.)Interviews have been edited, condensed and arranged by topic to allow a coherent story to emerge. LOREEN STEVENS (independently contracted casting director): I think that you always… Read more »

Why is it that, despite vast differences in culture, the experience of creating and consuming good food seems to be universal? I believe the act of sharing good food bridges all cultures and communication barriers. Picture yourself in any restaurant, anywhere in the world, sharing a dish with someone outside your culture who… Read more »

LORI BERQUAM (University of Wisconsin dean of students from 2008 to present) in a 2009 press release: Unfortunately, it appears that MTV squandered a tremendous opportunity to show one of the most active and engaged campuses in the country. The network’s view of campus life is not reflective of the… Read more »

As a tool for reflection on the University of Wisconsin, “College Life” is a warped and spotty mirror. The MTV show rankled the UW administration, drew the scorn of wizened upperclassmen, provided fodder for campus gossip for the better part of two semesters, inflamed tempers, sparked debates and generally drew… Read more »

Proud Theater, an arts organization dedicated to helping lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teenagers find peace through creative means, will kick off its year-end play, titled “Beyond,” at Memorial Union from May 3-5. The play, which is composed of original skits produced by the teenage members of Proud Theater, speaks… Read more »

It is a bit unorthodox for a band to have its final show also be its debut CD release show, but that’s exactly what Milwaukee natives A Place for the End did last Saturday. The hybrid debut/farewell show took place at Hartford Town Hall in Milwaukee’s suburbs, and also featured… Read more »

It is that time of year again at the University of Wisconsin. Seniors are gearing up for graduation, looking for jobs and answering the age-old and eternally frustrating question: What are you doing after graduation? In an interview with The Badger Herald, Madison musician, artist and writer Emily Mills spoke… Read more »

“Young, fresh, lifted, gifted, blessed, nigga laughin’ cuz criticism can’t conspire success.” A line from 3rd Dimension’s new single “YFN”, which has reached nearly 30,000 views on YouTube, helps illustrate how five best friends from the University of Wisconsin have made it to where they are today by working hard… Read more »

This past Friday marked the 17th annual Day of Silence, a day of silent protest for the LGBTQ community. But at the LGBT Campus Center, Friday was about breaking the silence through [un], a new zine featuring art by LGBTQ community members and allies. Anyone can participate in the Day… Read more »

Some of the world’s finest filmmakers, films and documentaries have come together at the University of Wisconsin this week to celebrate the 14th annual Wisconsin Film Festival. Presented by UW’s Arts Institute and the Department of Communication Arts, the Wisconsin Film Festival gathers together the latest efforts in cinematography, writing… Read more »

Puerto Vallarta. Panama City Beach. Poland. Which of these spring break destinations is unlike the rest? Over spring break, 18 University of Wisconsin students traveled with UW Hillel to Poland. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) organized the service-learning trip. Sophomore Erica Sperber was motivated to participate in the… Read more »

For most college students, throwing back a few beers and talking about the future is a fun pastime, a way to pretend they won’t get swallowed up in the corporate machine like the rest of their classmates. For recently graduated UW alums Jake Gafner and Walker Richardson, however, that fun… Read more »

As I sat in lotus in my skintight pants and Lululemon tank (which showcased my triceps that had been toned from countless Vinayasa flows), I felt anything but Zen. Feeling anxious, I had to wonder: Had my yoga practice, which had once been the activity I turned to for clarity,… Read more »

As many gear up for Dane County’s first outdoor farmers’ market of the year this Saturday, Madison music lovers will be abuzz for more than farm-fresh cheese bread: The fifth annual Record Store Day celebrates a different brand of local goodness. Since the all-day, international event kicked off in 2008,… Read more »

“You would be too young to remember this,” Dan Woll says, “but there was a black and white TV show in the late ‘60s called ‘The Fugitive.’” Woll is describing a primary reference point for the style of Death on Cache Lake, the new book he co-authored with the late… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin is known for its competitive edge, with football and basketball teams consistently ranked near the top in the nation. And it’s no secret that Madison students have a knack for eating and drinking. So maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this college town is… Read more »

Many students have seen Patrick Awesome around town flicking controls and blending beats in dark basements and sweaty frat houses. Some assume that all DJs succeed merely by buying a Macbook Pro and a flat-brimmed hat. But Patrick Mayer’s road to local DJ fame was a long one achieved through… Read more »

Chiddy Bang, an alternative hip-hop group from Philadelphia, killed it on the stage at the Majestic last night as part of the AXE One Night Only Tour. The group Chiddy Bang is made up of Chiddy, the emcee, and Xaphoon Jones, the DJ and producer. The Badger Herald caught up… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker’s talking about it. President Barack Obama’s talking about it. It’s the “Year of the Veteran” in Wisconsin. And we’re all talking about veterans’ need for jobs. The conversation tends to go like this: American veterans are coming home from tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, only… Read more »

MODA Magazine, UW’s online fashion magazine, brought fashion awareness to campus this past week in a big way. The magazine, which will be celebrating its one year birthday soon, is the brainchild of its editor in chief, Mia Hanekamp, who had the idea while interning at a Chicago lifestyle magazine… Read more »

It was 1975. A group of three met in New York City’s West 39th Street Garment District. In a relic of a bar, two men and one woman sat around a table. First, a successful business executive, Jerome Chazen. Next, Chazen’s former roommate, Art Ortenberg — back from university days… Read more »

At 6:43 p.m. on a Thursday, the few patrons in The Plaza Tavern seem blissfully unaware of the storm that will hit the bar in a few hours. About eight 50-somethings are up at the bar chumming with each other and the bartenders. Meanwhile, a lady wearing a ribbed white… Read more »

There is something about the term “festival” that suddenly becomes less colorful when the word “film” gets tacked on the front end. Visions of balloons, performers, activities and delicious foods are instantly replaced with a flickering screen and quiet, darkened theater. The Israeli Film Festival committee is determined to steer… Read more »

In a small basement venue, crowded but not packed, Chicago rockers in Young Jesus are set to take the stage, preceding a pair of local Madison bands — Temple and Pushmi-Pullyu. A mingling audience pays little mind to the imaginary stage barrier, one broken throughout the night as the bands… Read more »

While University of Wisconsin students were still on winter break, presumably in the comfort of their parents’ houses, a safe haven for Madison’s homeless was badly damaged by fire. This January, Porchlight — a non-profit that provides a variety of services including counseling and shelter for the homeless — incurred… Read more »

“We dance because we can; we stand for those who can’t.” This motivational phrase has been adopted by Wisconsin Dance Marathon, a local student organization dedicated to helping provide health care for children at the American Family Children’s Hospital here in Madison. The committee puts on a dance marathon event… Read more »

Tucked away in a Williamson Street office park is an inconspicuous doorway marked “Suite H.” Straight to the point, the glass pane lists only the hours of operation in practical white stickers. If you weren’t already aware, you might never know of the public services the staff and volunteers inside… Read more »

Performing for a crowd that seemed about as responsive to jokes as a funeral party would be to a keg stand, comedians from all over the upper Midwest have come to Wisconsin’s capital city to compete in the preliminary round of the third annual Madison’s Funniest Comic Competition at The… Read more »

While walking down West Johnson Street on a Thursday evening, you’d expect to find a couple early revelers, some buses and maybe a few pregame parties. But every month, something special takes place there, and people are starting to pay attention. An innocuous loft resides on the corner of Bassett… Read more »

Have you ever watched an old Disney movie and found it way more interesting as a 20-something college student? Right off the bat, “Fantasia” comes to mind. There’s just something about seeing through adult eyes all those trippy, seminude half-horse characters that completely entrance children that makes it totally worth… Read more »

Like many celebrities, comedian Demetri Martin has never been to Madison. Although he is excited to perform his comedy routine in front of a packed house tonight, it’s unlikely he’ll get to experience much of the city. Martin’s pit stop in Madison marks the 17th stop on his whirlwind “Telling… Read more »

It started with a love between a boy and a guitar and bloomed into “A Love Electric.” Todd Clouser, a Minneapolis-born musician, comes to the High Noon Saloon Feb. 21 to show Madison exactly how his love for music led him to become one of the big names in the… Read more »

The stacks were empty, the desks were chopped, the computers were tossed, and the library had gone “Bookless.” Before making room for the long-awaited, sparkling new Central Library on Mifflin, the old and beloved library first had to be reduced to rubble. However, since it was destined to be destroyed,… Read more »

Every four years, professors from the art department step away from studios, critiques and syllabi and into the spotlight at an exhibition in the Chazen Museum of Art. The first faculty show to be exhibited in the new expansion is Compendium 2012: Art Department Faculty Exhibition. Opening with a preview… Read more »

Those looking to celebrate Carnival can explore Brazilian culture without having to leave campus by attending Taste of Cultures: Discover Brazil in the Great Hall at Memorial Union Feb. 9. This event — or rather, party — will feature a slew of examples of Brazilian culture, including music, dancing and… Read more »

Tucked away in a warehouse on the Near East Side lies Sector67, Madison’s own hacker space. Officially dubbed a Center for Prototyping, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing, the mystery of just what goes on at Sector67 remains even after stepping through the nondescript door. Although the middle of the industrial space… Read more »

The Oscar’sThe paparazzi, the gowns, the almost-sincere acceptance speeches. Yes, the Oscars are back, and Joan Rivers along with them. The 84th Academy Awards promises to be the star-studded event it always is, with both George Clooney and Brad Pitt in attendance. Nominees fresh off the Golden Globes will fight… Read more »

The lights come up on a giant stack of boxes. Piled high and wide, the stage is filled with dozens of manila crates used for filing old tax returns. Projected onto those boxes is the New York City skyline, which pulls the audience into an office at the Met as… Read more »

When Tiffany Thom Kenney, marketing director at Madison Magazine, left Las Vegas in 2006, she brought something back with her. Rather than, say, gambling debt, or a weird rash, or a diamond ring of unknown origin, Kenney carried an idea back to the capital city of America’s Dairyland, one that… Read more »

Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye. Four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie. When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing; wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before the king? Pastry chef Mandy Puntney always knew she’d like to run a bakery named “4 & 20” after the pie-oriented… Read more »

There are some places on Earth that few people have ever seen. Places where humans, if unprotected, would die within moments. Places like deep-sea chemosynthetic vents, where the Earth’s crust emits deadly fluids, where some creatures have actually adapted to survive and thrive. Artist and natural illustrator Karen Jacobsen, with… Read more »

To view the formatted version of this page, go to http://issuu.com/badgerherald/docs/thestudyguidefall2011/6. I’m hustling, but I can’t quite catch up to Jeremy Ryan. I’ve arrived early to his suggested meeting place before our interview, the first floor of Capitol Rotunda, next to the Constitution. But he’s on the move, rolling counterclockwise… Read more »

Students in the University of Wisconsin’s art department have committed the egregious error of underselling their passion and talent for creating works of art. All 12 students are enrolled in the department’s Advanced Painting Workshop, a thesis painting class for the university’s “most talented undergraduate painters,” professor Nancy Mladdenoff said.… Read more »

Cheese curds, custard, New Glarus beer, falafel. Which of these is not like the rest? Operating since the annual city food cart review this fall, the bright lime-green Banzo food cart has dared to be different. Their risk has definitely been worth the delicious reward to the Madison community. Banzo,… Read more »

Raunchy, original and authentic, “Claptrapp, or The Sound of Musicals” captures theatergoers at the Bartell, a local community theater. The show pulls lyrics from over 40 musicals and combines them to create a “non-musical parody of musicals” while following the overarching setting and theme of “The Sound of Music.” The… Read more »

With the winter season quickly approaching, the University of Wisconsin Horn Choir is greeting the holidays with their annual winter concert this Saturday in the recently renovated Chazen Museum of Art. According to Mary Carr Lee, assistant director for external affairs, this collaboration between the horn choir and the Chazen… Read more »

When the UW MadHatters, one of Madison’s elite male a cappella groups, started this school year, they faced a difficult journey after many of last year’s members and leaders graduated. The group had auditions earlier this fall, and around 80 aspiring singers competed for four coveted spots. “They’re all really… Read more »

Myles McNutt won’t say exactly when “The Office” began to go downhill. He won’t express, as some might, the idea that a show shot in semi-documentary style may be doomed by its own form the longer it drags on. He won’t circle a date in July 2010 when Steve Carrell… 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 »

Poetry on the bus lines, sidewalks, radio; poetry ingrained in everyday life — such is the world Fabu Carter Brisco envisions. Carter Brisco, known simply as Fabu, is Madison’s current Poet Laureate. She is the third person to hold the position of Poet Laureate for the city of Madison, following… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin’s art department opened its studio doors last week for its annual Studio Days, giving the public a taste of what’s going on in the graduate art community. Art lovers on campus have plenty of opportunities to see the final products created by students in the graduate… Read more »

Hanna Roth knows child abuse and hopes to end it through her nonprofit organization based in Madison, the Rainbird Foundation. She wants to put an end to stories like that of one 2-year-old Kenosha girl. The toddler arrived at an Intensive Care Unit covered in so many bruises doctors stopped… Read more »

To the cash-crunched student, finding money on the ground is a luxury and thrill. To the curious human, however, there’s something about a crumpled wad of loose leaf notebook paper that incites just as much excitement and wonder: Is it a note? After all, a note is where subject matter… Read more »

Tonight, Madison’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community will have the chance to glow in the limelight. Through Sunday, the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Film Committee will be hosting the Reel Love Film Festival. This festival is the city’s first film fest devoted to exploring LGBT identities and cultures. While the… Read more »

The online career service Jobbook has emerged from controversial beginnings and arrived in Madison. Self-described as a “dating service” on its website, the Montreal-based company is distinct from other job search engines by its standardization of the job search process. Jobbook inserts itself into what is typically a two party… 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 »

Unrequited love, regrets, mistakes and jealousy — sound anything like your life now or your dorm floor freshman year? If so, you have a lot in common with Madison Opera’s production of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin,” which takes the Overture Center’s stage this weekend. “It’s a very passionate story, and there… Read more »

Hey everyone, here are some haunted house reviews from in and around Madison just in time for Halloween. The first haunted house reviewed was at “Screamin’ Acres” at Eugster’s Farm Market, 3865 Highway 138 in Stoughton. Arriving early I happened to be the first one there. The dark landscape illuminated… Read more »

The UW department of theater and drama has taken a journey into a land of myth and fable with its latest production, “Ti-Jean and His Brothers,” which opens Friday in Hemsley Theater. “Ti-Jean and his Brothers,” by Caribbean playwright David Walcott, is a West Indian fable about a group of… 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 »

Since the groundbreaking ceremony of the Chazen Museum of Art’s expansion more than two and a half years ago, a diverse assortment of art lovers have anxiously awaited the opportunity to experience the new addition. This weekend marks the end of a long construction period, as the Chazen opens its… Read more »

What do you get when you combine Glee, the Madhatters and a bit of Judaism? Add bi-weekly practice and fun-loving members and you get Jewop, the University of Wisconsin’s premier Jewish a cappella group. In a word, club member Rebecca Schwab said, “Jewop is simply vibrant and new.” Sponsored by… Read more »

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, compassionate individuals ranging from doctors to teachers traveled to the Gulf Coast from all parts of the U.S.. Among them was Francesco Lovascio di Sangis, an artist from Cape Cod fed up with the lack of appreciation for fine art among the “bourgeois” seaside… Read more »

Outerwear can bring to mind Columbia jackets, North Face coats, Patagonia vests and even, for the most daring, the occasional pair of fleece-lined jeans. RubyJupe, a newly-opened local clothing company, redefines traditional outerwear with its fashionable, fun and functional insulated outerwear skirts, giving outerwear a feminine spin. Danielle Boorstein and Midori… Read more »

When sophomore Kevin Kousha arrived at the University of Wisconsin last year, he looked for a student organization dedicated to longboarding, only to learn none existed. For Kousha, the solution to this problem was relatively simple: He needed to create his own. “I appreciated that I wasn’t necessarily the best… Read more »

Your closest experience to the real land down under might be late TV personality Steve Irwin’s crocodile hunting or the animated ’90s sequel to “The Rescuers.” If this is the case, get ready to break some barriers (cultural, not reefs) with Taste of Cultures: Discover Australia!, an event sponsored by… Read more »

The restaurant business is said to be brutal. Capicola-thin margins, constantly changing trends and fickle, fickle customers make the prospect of owning an eatery a tough one to stomach, so to speak. This must be especially true in Madison, a town where restaurants crowd every corner and square, where even… Read more »

Fabrics, lights and shadows are weaving themselves into the walls of Sterling Hall. Individuals need only see the artwork of professor Carolyn Kallenborn to know that she is the one who is responsible. Kallenborn has been teaching textile and garment design at the University of Wisconsin’s design studies department since… Read more »

It’s Saturday night in Madison and some students are getting pumped up for an intense night of … ballroom dancing? That’s right — the University of Wisconsin Madison Ballroom Dance Association holds a social dance open to all UW students and UWMBDA members every weekend. Those who have never learned… Read more »

Get ready for the circus. Michael Ian Black is adopting a bold new performance style complete with fire breathers, stilt walkers and lion tamers for his “Black is White” comedy tour. Or is he? Black may have promised what sounds like good ol’ family fun in an interview with The… Read more »

Happy Fashion Week, Madison! Nothing says Fashion Week quite like a pop-up shop — the choice retail option for short-term events. Last week the ladies of Vintage Madison mounted a fashion show previewing the best of their individual vintage fashion collections at High Noon Saloon. This week, you can get… Read more »

Picture yourself surrounded by a beautiful tropical garden, sitting underneath an ornate Thai pavilion and floating off into a world of serenity and rejuvenation. Sounds like a great Sunday afternoon, but where can you find that in an urbanized city like Madison? The answer is closer than one might think. Yoga… 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 »

It turns out it’s easy to spot a vintage clothing dealer in a crowd — or a café. Most likely, she will be the best dressed woman in the joint. On a summery Saturday morning, Jess Parvin, the creative force behind Wanderlost Vintage, is easy to pick out even if… Read more »

The Nightwatchman came running earlier this year when he felt Wisconsin union protesters needed his legendary songs of justice to inject musical life into their movement. Six months later, and two senate seats stronger, the wound that originally brought the frontman of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave to the… Read more »

Around any corner in the brand new HotelRED, there lies an equal chance of seeing traditional painted drywall as there is rough, gray concrete, complete with indentations where structural beams run through. In another context, exposed concrete walls might make an interior look hastily put together, under-planned or unfinished.  HotelRED… Read more »

When the library seems more like a dungeon and the dorms lack inspiration, head to one of the unions — where studying is accompanied by good grub, eclectic music and peace of mind. Designed with influences from honorary alum Frank Lloyd Wright, the $94.8 million Union South is to be… Read more »

They say there’s no better way to learn something than to try it yourself. That’s what University of Wisconsin senior-turned-film-producer Matthew Mandarino discovered firsthand when he and his childhood friends — a group self-dubbed “The Teenage Head” — decided to make a film. The final product would be “The Ghosts,”… Read more »

With a band name like All Tiny Creatures, it seems fitting to describe its sound as chameleonic. Just as chameleons change their skin according to their body temperature, members Thomas Wincek, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Ben Derickson and Matthew Skemp create their psychedelic and experimental brand of rock by transforming the sound… Read more »

After witnessing another year full of Madison spirit — this one filled with tumultuous protests — bookstore A Room of One’s Own will be hosting its 36th Anniversary Celebration Sunday. In addition to a 10-percent discount on all purchases from Friday through Sunday at the downtown bookstore, the celebration will… Read more »

Abe Sauer sees a disconnect between the press and the people, and it’s shaped like an immaculately-groomed, silver-haired TV icon. Journalists today, he says, “are more of the upper middle class than they are of anything else,” and it’s causing large swaths of the country not to listen to them.… Read more »

Louis Armstrong. Ella Fitzgerald. Duke Ellington. Django Reinhardt? When we think of famous jazz musicians, Armstrong and Fitzgerald are the more common idols that come to mind. Yet, for artists of the gypsy jazz genre, the musical stylings of Django Reinhardt are not only admired, but legendary. For Madison-based instrumental jazz… Read more »

There’s something for everyone at the Farmers’ Market. On any given Saturday during the spring and summer, a stroll around Madison’s Capitol Square leads to a number of discoveries. Who knew you had a hidden taste for kale? Who’s to say portobello mushrooms can’t hit the spot just as well… Read more »

Art has always been his thing. Danez Smith, a 21-year-old Minnesota native, grew up writing, acting and performing his own spoken word poetry. But this weekend, at the Fifth Annual Line Breaks Festival, Smith will take his passion to a new level, premiering his first full-length one person show, entitled… Read more »

Rounding out its first year of helping students develop ideas for the stage and screen, 1UP Student Productions will have its end-of-semester showcase this April. Senior Jordan Epstein is one of the student filmmakers involved in 1UP. Like many budding directors, Epstein admits that filmmaking was always a passion of… Read more »

“You know what would make this place better? A bar.” -Anonymous Summer is rapidly approaching, and with it comes the opportunity to enjoy Madison’s warmer climes. UW students hardly need a reason to imbibe, but warmer weather and more free time especially permit for adventuring beyond the trappings of your… Read more »

The story is familiar. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow made a name for themselves during the Great Depression, leading their gang on a string of bank robberies. The Public Enemy Era, in which the FBI hunted these 1930s fugitives, was good for Bonnie and Clyde’s notoriety — that is, until… Read more »

Solidarity is a popular word these days. We’ve seen it on signs, heard it shouted in and around the Capitol building, and next week, it will be accompanied by the sound of reggae music. Local reggae group Natty Nation is hosting a concert April 7 to continue the solidarity bandwagon,… Read more »

Ascend the stairs of 415 E. Johnson Street. Take in the rustic simplicity of the attic space where strands of glowing Christmas lights illuminate paint-splattered walls and exposed wooden beams. Welcome to Madison’s own Bassment, an alternative music space where bands from cities dotting the Midwest gather to share homegrown… Read more »

Look out, Madison. The gamers are taking over your classrooms. Much like the high-profile games of “Starcraft II” that are broadcast in South Korea, the UW “Starcraft II” club is bringing its love of the game to the whole campus with a public presentation of the final round of… Read more »

As male and female students nurse their aching sunburns and reminisce over memories of warmer climates, it is undeniable that for the two sexes, a simple spring break trip results in vastly different experiences. While men might have the freedom to act as they please with peace of mind, it… Read more »

The words “Wisconsin” and “beer” go together like “summer” and “baseball,” or “April showers” and “May flowers.” Bringing to mind images of satisfaction and, frankly, pure joy, Wisconsin and beer come together in perfect harmony at the Capital Tap Haus. A relatively new restaurant located on the 100 block of… Read more »

As the crowd of loud, passionate students at the Capitol swell in remarkable solidarity with each passing day, Madisonians are reminded of how powerful youthful dissent can be in rabble-rousing change. As students, at moments like this it seems that we are invariably a by-product of our institution. We’re influenced… Read more »

The birds chirp hesitantly in the waning afternoon sun, interrupted at 15 minute intervals by a pastoral chiming from the bell tower of a nearby church. They’ve gathered in one of the trees at the top of the Sixth Avenue hill that cuts straight through the heart of New Glarus.… Read more »

Most of us use improvisation in our daily lives — bumbling over excuses for why we didn’t finish that reading, frantically scribbling a nonsensical answer on a midterm question you know nothing about. But rarely is it fun or entertaining for anyone involved (except for that ping of Schadenfreude when… Read more »

If you’re into derivative Wisconsin football-meets-rap parodies, then you’ve had a good year: “Teach Me How to Bucky,” “We’re Smellin’ Roses,” and “Feelin’ So Fly Like a Cheesehead” have, for better or worse, all staked their claims on newsfeeds across the Wisconsin Facebook network. Some championed these outbursts of creativity… 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 »

The 21st century has not been kind to CDs. Formerly the cash crop for record companies, these days the silver donuts are not only outmoded but also, for many, a pain in the ass. They take up space, cost money, the jewel cases are flimsy at best…if you have an… Read more »

In a city as large and involved in the arts as Madison, it is not all that surprising to find a thriving poetry community. It is surprising, however, to find a poetry reading series that incorporates elements from every poetry reading this city has to offer. This is where the… Read more »

Generally, when one thinks of the expressive use of light and shadows in film, the mind goes to Film Noir. The exact meaning of the term has become a bit fuzzy with overuse, but low-key lighting has definitely become a bit of an obligatory gesture in the crime dramas of… Read more »

Vaginas are everywhere. They go by different names: Vagina, vah jay jay, pussy, punami, cunt…the list goes on. They are impossible to avoid. Everyone has had some type of association with at least one, if not multiple vaginae. In fact, there is a high chance that the reader of this… Read more »

As the Madison community settles down from the big Packers win on Sunday, a new celebration approaches. What could possibly matter anymore after that tremendous victory, you might ask? A celebration that unfortunately will not fill the bars with swarming fans guzzling beer — although that would be pretty phenomenal.… Read more »

A stereotypical vision of “opera” might conjure an image of a pristine, high-class society. If not that, then perhaps you’ll think of elaborate arias, sets and melodrama. But this weekend at the Overture Center, Madison Opera’s production of “The Threepenny Opera” will surely transform any predispositions about the art form… Read more »

For most college graduates, life-after-diploma resembles a dark abyss of unemployment or an aversion to real world expectations — picture Benjamin Braddock’s despondent outlook on his post-grad future at the beginning of “The Graduate.” For Kevin Paris, this wasn’t the case. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin last spring… Read more »

As we all recover from snowpocalypse 2011, nurse our wounds after battling for Bascom and sigh a collective groan that classes resume today, one Badger is celebrating the epic blizzard by partaking in a relatively new tradition on Lake Mendota: Snow furniture showcase. This makes that snowman you built yesterday… Read more »

“It’s actually lunchtime right now. Would you be able to call back later?” Faycal Belakhdar is one of the busiest men on the University of Wisconsin campus. And it’s not because he’s a dean, a professor or even a graduate student. Belakhdar is the owner of Mediterranean Café at 625… Read more »

During the first two weeks of December 2010, the Overture Center for the Arts’ future hung in the balance, contingent on two groups striking a deal that would address the performance art venue’s debt, ownership, operation and well-being of employees. At least three marathon negotiation sessions between the board of… Read more »

The great state of Wisconsin is well renowned for many things, including this year’s two wildly successful football teams and, perhaps most importantly, beer and cheese. Combining two of the most quintessential items of Wisconsin commerce, the 2nd annual Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival will satisfy eager consumers at the… Read more »

Imagine turning on your computer for some much needed mental R&R after a long day of classes. Once online, you don’t load Hulu, you don’t load YouTube — instead, you choose to watch the crime fighting exploits of a University of Wisconsin house fellow or events explored in the oppositional… Read more »

Imagine a story filled with cunning deception, politics and murder. Then add a few graduate students, some tomatoes and an amusingly comedic slant, and the product is the Mercury Players Theatre’s production of “The Last Supper.” Opening Jan. 21 at the Bartell Theatre, the show is promising to be a… Read more »

If daydreams of snowball fights, tray sledding and winter wonderlands are helping you get through the final push of the semester, put on your winter gear and celebrate the season with the Aldo Leopold Nature Center Friday night. The center will be holding its 13th annual Winter Solstice Celebration, complete… Read more »

It is perfectly normal to imagine superheroes in the nude. Some would even say you’re supposed to. Much of the superhero image is centered upon a sort of implied sexuality. The implication can range from the indiscreet (see: Wonder Woman) to the even less discreet (see: Wonder Woman’s torso). But… Read more »

There’s a sign on the bridge connecting Vilas and Humanities that reads “POST NO SIGNS,” lest any of UW’s artsy hooligans decide to use the concrete façades as their personal canvases. Of course these futile warnings go ignored, and the occasional anti-Ron Johnson Krylon stenciling or quasi-anarchist graffiti tags often… Read more »

After 34 years, the Children’s Theater of Madison is saying “Bah Humbug!” to tradition and putting the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future on the shelf for a while. Each year, CTM has presented “A Christmas Carol” on the stage of the Capitol Theater for the Madison community with… Read more »

It’s a universally acknowledged fact that waiting rooms can be excruciatingly boring. With only old issues of Reader’s Digest and a few parenting magazines to thumb through, there’s not much else to do but linger in anticipation and anxiously listen for your name to be mispronounced. We’re all familiar with… Read more »

Opening a restaurant isn’t easy, and it’s not cheap. It can’t be rushed, there’s a risk of failure and deciding what to put on the menu is only a small fraction of the overall process. Still, ask Tim and Elizabeth Dahl, the husband and wife team behind Nostrano, a new… Read more »

It’s Saturday afternoon in the Theater Gallery at Memorial Union. Little girls in big red bows and snow boots gallop down the hallway as their mothers try to keep up, holding their hands while dragging behind.The first snow has fallen in Madison, and Dance Wisconsin’s The Nutcracker Fantasy is about… Read more »

Cinematheque is taking a turn to the dark side this December. Starting Friday, the institute will begin its “Mann of the Shadows” series, a retrospective of director Anthony Mann’s genre-defining Film Noir classics from the mid- to late-1940s. The series consists of six of Mann’s films, kicking off with a… Read more »

The simple, monosyllabic word, “love,” is unique not only in its inability to ever truly be defined but in its ability to bring both immense joy and pain. There’s love, there’s sex and there’s the confusion between the two. There’s abortion and there’s physical and emotional abuse — all of… Read more »

When dedicated shoppers hear the phrase ‘Black Friday,’ many prepare for the bloodlust they must channel to weather the hoards of bargain-hunters hoping to work off that slice of pumpkin pie in search of this year’s ‘it’ toy. Black Friday also marks Natty Nation’s third appearance at the High Noon… Read more »

For some, getting engaged can be one of life’s most joyful memories. But Al and Kate Falaschi were suddenly brought back to reality a week after their engagement when Kate was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. Taking a break from chemo therapy to get married may not be part… Read more »

Full disclosure No. 1: I worked for Insomnia Cookies for a semester during my freshman year as a student marketing representative. The other day on Bedford Street, I noticed something I never had before. There’s a parking lot that houses food-vendor carts that are a mainstay on Library Mall by… Read more »

Hot cocoa, holiday lights, frigid weather- all warnings that the holiday season has arrived in full force. One more signifer? The annual Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Holiday Art Fair starts Friday. In case you’re unfamiliar, this isn’t just an arts and crafts show for the meagerly talented. Artists who… 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 »

If you’re looking for something to laugh about amid pre-Thanksgiving break stress, let the Comedy Club be your inspiration. The club will be hosting the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival Wednesday night, offering an hour of comic hilarity and much-needed entertainment. The festival, a national stand-up comedy competition, started last year… Read more »

Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew, cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two? Madison’s newest Campus Candy can. And while the hottest sweet shop on State Street might not mix their treats with love to make the world taste good, students and Madisonians seem to… Read more »

Being sick is no treat. Ask anyone on campus; they should be well aware this time of year if ever. Usually the only consolation of having a cold or the flu is knowing that with enough sleep and soup the illness will likely pass in a few days. Imagine having… Read more »

With a four-act favorite, Madison Opera kicks off its 50th anniversary season Friday with Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” “It’s a charming piece, and that’s a nice way to start off a celebration season,” Madison Opera General Director Allan Naplan said. Naplan also announced Wednesday that Nov. 5 has been… Read more »

Upon first glance, it’s nothing more than a box. Sitting on a pedestal, the device is roughly a foot wide and a foot deep. Extending from the front is a long, thick cord with a round attachment at the end. With the flick of a switch, it emits a soft… Read more »

Emily Mills is talking with her hands. “I took tons of pictures from the lead up to the Iraq war; all this great graffiti was going up. There was one on the corner of, I think, Lake Street and State. Where the Walgreens is. That wall just had a huge… Read more »

How often do you look into your kitchen sink and find that grungy sponge, rotting with leftovers, somewhat beautiful? In the bathroom, does your plunger, toothbrush or toilet paper stir innovative thoughts during your morning routine? Unless you’re Mr. Clean, then you’ve probably never felt very inspired. However, for Julie… Read more »

After a rigorous dance workshop with UW undergraduate and student teacher Ella Rosewood, an elementary school class was asked how the movement had made them feel. “Fun!” was the most common response. Amid these typical third grade descriptions, though, one girl spoke at great length and detail of how exactly… Read more »

Cinematheque is giving the UW campus community a look at both ends of the Italian cinema spectrum this fall. On Oct. 30 at 7 p.m., Cinematheque will be screening the 1977 Italian horror classic “Suspiria” in 4070 Vilas Hall. In the film, a young American, Suzy Bannion, enrolls in a… Read more »

She unknowingly boosted medicine into the 20th century, becoming a martyr for science. And for decades, the heroine’s identity was as much a mystery to the public as her unwitting scientific contributions were to her own family. The cells collected from Henrietta Lacks’ cervical cancer tumor were the first immortal… Read more »

To be released Oct. 19 is The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964, a Bob Dylan collection that includes half-century-old songs like “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.” No, this isn’t a rant of nostalgia or a look at a greatest hits album for the civil rights movement, but rather a… 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 »

Madison just got a little funnier. For that, you can thank the Isthmians of Comedy, a troupe of guys on a simple mission — to make you laugh. In only a year, what started as a concept concocted by locals Stefan Davis and Nick Hart would grow into an attention-grabbing… Read more »

Anticipation thrums through the air as the intimate playhouse awaits the next act, the energy of the barely-contained crowd thick on the air. This heart-wrenching tension is broken as a striking blond walks onstage — her eyes distant and pace staggered, as she slowly makes her way towards the audience.… Read more »

“Whether it’s Jimmy John’s or Subway or Blimpie, there’s not a whole lot of secrets in the sandwich segment. It’s lunch meat put on bread.” -Michael Liautaud, interview with Franchise Times Magazine, September 2006. What’s the secret to sub-shop success? A low, white building sits between the Aberdeen and the… Read more »

A difficult yet vital aspect of theater production involves a play’s ability to perfectly emulate its original manuscript. Audiences often exit shows angry and empty-pocketed after their favorite book-turned-performance didn’t live up to their expectations. What the viewer does not realize, however, are the difficulties of creating a visual and… Read more »

Although she is not a household name like her male counterparts, Mary Lou Williams should be. Her music has transcended and inspired generations. Madison will host a Mary Lou Williams Centennial Celebration this weekend, honoring the year that would have been the renowned jazz musician’s 100th birthday. Williams, who composed… Read more »

After the brutal, no-contest victory over Austin Peay last Saturday, Badger fans deserve a mid-autumnal break. And there is no better way to do so than by heading down to a historic Madison neighborhood this Saturday, located just behind Camp Randall, for the 33rd annual Monroe Street Festival. To help… Read more »

Whether it be through impassioned debates about health care, local elections, or the latest Badger game results, one thing is for certain: Madison is a city rich with multifaceted opinions and beliefs. “Beliefs” is the theme of this year’s Wisconsin Book Festival, which kicks off Wednesday night at the Overture… Read more »

Bryan Krull is not a musician. A University of Wisconsin graduate and recent publisher of the historical fiction 1920’s delta blues novel “Lil’ Choo-Choo Johnson Bluesman,” Krull literally cannot carry a tune. “People ask me all the time if I play in a band or if I’m a skilled guitarist… Read more »

Style. Wit. Poetry. Self-expression. These terms have all been associated with the hip-hop art of Spoken Word. Toss in “education,” “community,” and “scholarship” to describe First Wave, a program under the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiative (OMAI) at UW-Madison. Just what is First Wave? In black and white, it is… Read more »

It’s a story we all know well. It’s about a little girl named Dorothy Gale, a girl who found herself swept into a magical land and into the story of a lifetime. It goes like this — after a tornado leaves her stranded in the land of Oz, little Dorothy… Read more »

The Radio City Rockettes are like the Chrysler Building — they’re standing pillars of quintessential New York icons. Synonymous with precise eye-high kicks and breathtaking glamor, they are Christmas personified. Rare national glimpses of the dance troupe used to be reserved for a 60-second spot on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day… Read more »

Joan Rivers likes cheese. The enigmatic, piercingly honest comedic trailblazer with age and gravity-defying looks will be making a stop at Madison’s Overture Center Oct. 23, and along with delivering a night of laughs, the icon plans to indulge in our state’s most cherished dairy delight. “I’m a cheese addict,”… Read more »

As creatures of a social society, we rely on verbal or textual communication to get across our feelings and ideas. One can greet another with a cheerful “Hey!” to express joy or grunt the same word to show disdain or frustration. But intended thoughts can sometimes get lost in conversation… Read more »

When it comes to owning our own means of private transportation around the city of Madison, we’ve all had our fair share of frustrations. Whether it’s the measly ten minutes to a quarter given by a metered space, or the aggravation of circling the downtown area to find a spot… Read more »

Students looking to view indigenous art might balk at spending a few thousand dollars for a plane ticket to visit the Chauvet cave paintings in the south of France. Fear not! After April 15, UW students and community members will be able to enjoy indigenous art anytime they pass by… Read more »

Fresh and sweet with a balanced radiance depict that wonderful sensation of biting into a flawlessly ripe mango. The minute the skin meets with your teeth and breaks the soft exterior guarding the juice inside, it uncovers a succulent treasure for your taste buds. Though one can’t physically bite into… Read more »

Tomorrow night the Orpheum will play host to a sampling of underground rap courtesy of the “To All My Friends Tour.” But do not let the word “sampling” bring to mind small taste with minimal satisfaction to the musical pallet. The tour, headlined by the Midwestern indie-rap heroes of Atmosphere,… Read more »

Todd Barry, unlike the stereotypical comic, doesn’t seem to talk much. Well, at least not on the phone. While college audiences may know him best as the megalomaniac bongo-player from “Flight of the Conchords,” comedian Barry has brought his humor across many mediums—the first and foremost being stand-up. Taking this… Read more »

Cinematheque is celebrating the centennial anniversary of one of the most acclaimed international directors of the 20th  century with an eight-film series featuring the works of Akira Kurosawa. Kicking off the semester-long series is 1950’s “Rashomon,” the film that made Kurosawa an international sensation. The film explores the complexities… Read more »

In the words of DJ Casper, whose “Cha Cha Slide” chased the heels of the Y2K bug, “It’s time to get funky.” On Sept. 3, the Majestic welcomes back the retro dance party Funky Friday for its fourth anniversary. With a packed summer show line-up rolling to a close, staff… Read more »

Summerfest: June 24-July 4 If we’re talking music, you have to start with the festival that is known and loved throughout every inch of Wisconsin — Summerfest. Yes, as spring draws to a close, finals wind down and the temperature begins to climb, Wisconsinites far and wide get that craving… Read more »

They say this is where it all began. At 326 W. Gorham St., in the town they call Madison, Wis., there’s a glass door emblazoned with The Badger Herald nameplate shoved off into the corner, out of sight to the casual passerby. Most people too occupied with mining for subs… Read more »

Achieving Zen can be difficult even in the calmest of times, and with the stress of upcoming exams, this ancient Asian state of meditation and enlightenment may seem like the least accessible mindset to attain — yet, for sanity’s sake, it could be the most necessary. Macha Teahouse + Gallery… Read more »

Self-described as the Wu Tang Clan pursuing Bachelor’s degrees, a new local rap sensation will be making its stage debut this Friday night at The Pub. “No one has ever seen drunk white Catholic school kids rap/ yell into microphones live at this caliber before,” said X-Tra Mayo, lead vocalist… Read more »

Now that this season of “Project Runway” is over, maybe you’re itching for more fashion, craving more cutting edge designs and longing to hear Tim Gunn’s voice again. Lucky for you, you won’t have to wait long to get your fix, thanks to the Textile and Apparel Student Association’s annual… Read more »

It felt like yesterday when climbing up the publishing industry’s hierarchical ladder was the only route to superseding the one and only Anna Wintour. But that was yesterday. You’ve heard of Scott Schuman’s thesartorialist.com and likely have heard of the French blogging queen, Garance Dor� - or maybe Rumi Neely’s… Read more »

Upon its release in 1994, “The Lion King” was an instant success, captivating audiences worldwide with its stirring story and award-winning music on the way to becoming the highest grossing traditionally animated film of all time — a title the film still holds. Three years later, “The Lion King” extended… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin is a world in flux, a place where students tromp from class to class, ideas flow and even the misleadingly stable campus buildings move with every change of class and every word spoken. It’s a concept explored in part by “Mobile Spaces: From the Caribbean to… Read more »

The evolution of man extends far beyond the physical transition to include the expansion of man’s creativity. Man’s ability to express artistically has evolved from primitive cave drawings depicting ceremonies to include great works that grace galleries and museums around the globe. “The Procession of the Species,” a “biodiversity art… Read more »

While AIDS and rape normally are not associated with Rihanna, the new musical, “The Awakening: The Hip Hopera,” makes these two terms relevant to the sultry pop icon who has had her own obstacles to overcome. Bringing together two of UW senior Anna Day’s controversial passions, “The Awakening: The Hip… Read more »

An Australian muse is hard to come by in Madison. Sure, there’s the overpopulation of Ugg-ly camel-colored boots, though one can hardly draw artistic inspiration from sheepskin shoes. But if you reset your cultural compass and look toward the music scene, you’ll be able to find some sonic ingenuity from… Read more »

Sometimes, it’s difficult to keep a solid grasp on reality. With the many self-conscious, self-indulgent neuroses we as humans possess, it is amazing we can manage to walk down the street without consuming ourselves in overwhelming feelings of guilt, fear, doubt, love and anxiety. But this is life. As the… Read more »

The latest art exhibit from UW’s National Alliance on Mental Illness, entitled “Healing by Design,” will feature the work of artists in the Madison area living with serious mental illness. “Healing By Design” will allow viewers to peer beyond the mental illness that afflicts featured artists to explore the layers… Read more »

You’re already reading ArtsEtc., so let’s just assume you are, in fact, interested in the arts. Maybe you’re even a movie buff who’s totally unimpressed with what’s currently in theaters — not to mention at least half of the recent Oscar nominees. Sundance offers some solid choices, but it’s off… Read more »

On liberal college campuses it often seems like political correctness has become the new form of censorship — a better-intentioned, less explicit, but equally oppressive form of it. Luckily, when it comes to breaking cultural taboos, few media come better equipped to deal with it than satire. Former Badger… Read more »

Few music awards are as multifaceted as those put on annually by the Madison Area Music Association. The nonprofit group not only nudges more than 300 little-known Dane County artists per year into the spotlight, but also has raised more than $30,000 since the awards’ inception in 2004 to put… Read more »

Michael Paul Miller, a Seattle-based painter, Peninsula college professor and University of Wisconsin MFA graduate, is not inclined to disparage your interpretations of his work with analogies to “I Am Legend” and “Book of Eli.” He wouldn’t be vexed by any attempts at interpretation for that matter, but his claim… Read more »

Whether or not your artistic preferences include art nouveau, surrealism, Japanese work or even squirrels in top hats, chances are Haley Raab can design something up your alley. A Wisconsin native, Raab has worked her way up in the tattoo industry since the age of nineteen, garnering herself an apprenticeship… Read more »

When imagining a woman in red, a vision of a sultry figure in a sequined gown that cradles every curvature of the female anatomy may be your first thought (read “Jessica Rabbit”). But when envisioning Women in REDzine, the multicultural women’s art and literature magazine of the Campus Women’s… Read more »

Walking into Marigold Kitchen is like walking into a mix of your mother’s childhood kitchen and the Madisonian version of Central Perk. Whether perusing the fresh scones and pastries behind the counter or helping yourself to a steaming cup of fresh brewed coffee, Marigold Kitchen feels like home. Opening eight… Read more »

A loose champagne cork rests on the floor of Piece, and Kristin Wild stoops down to grab it, smiling. “It’s from the weekend,” Wild said nonchalantly. It’s Monday, two days after the store’s grand opening, the cork swiped from the floor a product of the celebration commemorating the opening of… Read more »

Pull on your fishnets, lace up your corsets and get ready to revel in the ridiculousness that is “Rocky Horror.” This weekend, Madison audiences will do “The Time Warp” again — but this time they’ll be shouting and singing along with a live cast rather than a film soundtrack. Broadway… Read more »

If you want this feature in a nutshell, here it is: When given recourse to a computer, go to the website provided below and download the EP “In My Mind,” featured on the right hand side of the screen. It’s good music, you’d be supporting a deserving local artist and… Read more »

Going to a rock band to help spread social justice around the world would not have been a novel concept in the ’60s and ’70s, with hits such as “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” by James Brown or Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Today, though, music… Read more »

“Are those the YSL booties?” “Why yes, they are. I bought them a couple of days ago.” “I love what you’re wearing. Would you mind it if we could interview you for Beautiful Stranger.tv? I just want to ask you a few questions about what you’re wearing.” Ninety-eight out of… Read more »

When Daisy Caf� and Cupcakery opened in May 2009, its owners had no idea their little cakes would be such a big hit. “My partner came from Seattle, and there are all kinds of cupcake places there,” co-owner and general manager Kathy Brooks said. “When they moved here, his wife… Read more »

While the Renaissance left an indelible mark on the art community, marble and bronze are not always needed to affect lives through art. Off the Square Club’s mission work demonstrates the inspiring impact of art on a local level. Off the Square Club, founded in 1979 by the Lutheran Social… Read more »

Much like assembling the individual pieces of a puzzle to complete a picture, viewing the Union Galleries’ Late Winter Exhibits in succession provides a true celebration of art by combining the distinct elements of form, tone, color and the unconventional. The work of Elizabeth Karpov depicts the design element of… Read more »

Now that the collective mourning period for our beloved ginger host of “The Tonight Show” has set in, the grueling hunt to fill Conan’s void must unceremoniously commence. Sorry, too soon? Let’s be honest, this wallowing duration is sensitive and may have many shaking their fists at the heavens… Read more »

In a student house like any other on the UW campus, four friends lounge together in their quirky and cozy living room. The friendship between Nathan Schaefer, Krista Rasmussen, Tom Teslik and Ben Knollenberg didn’t blossom from neighboring freshmen dorm rooms or a high school clique. The close friends… Read more »

A month after the Madison Repertory Theatre watched the curtain fall on its 40 years of operation in the Madison community, artistic director Trevin Gay told 77 Square, “I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.” Five hundred thousand dollars of debt had forced the theatre… Read more »

The soul of jazz — its polyrhythmic beats and the swoon of its seductive style — is attributed to African-American cultures of the South which eventually spread to large metropolitan cities like Chicago, New York and San Francisco Yet, Wisconsin too harbored a taste for — or rather an ear… Read more »