Looking to catch some outdoor tunes before the summer lets up? You’re in luck. The downtown Madison area has plenty of options for catching concerts on hot, sunny days or cool, starry nights.
Hosted by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Concerts on the Square is a perfect option for fans of classical and traditional music. All concerts are held at 7 p.m. in the shade of the Wisconsin Capitol on the King Street corner of Capitol Square. On July 24, four young musicians played Ah, Amour!, a set filled with tunes from Debussy to Tchaikovsky. The series’ 30th season will wrap up July 31 with a set dedicated to the music of John Denver and Dan Fogelberg.
When the sun goes down and the lights of sailboats cast beautiful, rippling reflections across the surface of Lake Mendota, there’s no better place to take it all in than on the Terrace. This summer, buy a pitcher of Spotted Cow or Babcock Ice Cream and check out some of the many concerts scheduled for the Terrace After Dark music series. So far this summer, acclaimed artists such as El-P, Mac DeMarco and Killer Mike have all left their mark on the Terrace stage. Local artists from Pushmi-Pullyu (7/24) to Boo Bradley (7/25) to Kiazma (7/31), as well as national acts such as Pokey LaFarge (8/3), Maxmillion Dunbar (8/9) and Pat McCurdy (8/23), will keep the good Terrace vibes going even as the summer winds down.
Over the past six years, the Majestic Theater has been a haven for music lovers across the Madison area, bringing in big-name artists as well as smaller, local acts. This summer, the Majestic continues its Live on King Street summer series with folk-pop artist Eric Hutchinson (7/26), one-man jam band Keller Williams (8/16), psychobilly outfit The Reverend Horton Heat and San Diego-based indie rock band Delta Spirit (9/20).
