Isthmus: Mar 3-9, 2016

Madison area Chefs Network presents

official event guide o n ly i n t h i s i s s u e

MARCH 3–9, 2016 VOL. 41 NO. 9 MADISON, WI

Brian Whitmore, UW-Madison police officer

Officers risk being branded as traitors to their community

POLICING WHILE BLACK A N DY M A N I S

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■ CONTENTS

■ WHAT TO DO

4 SNAPSHOT

EXPRESS YOURSELF

Anything goes at Goodman Center Drum Circle.

6-10 NEWS

CALL ME MAYBE

Million-dollar phone campaign for Rebecca Bradley fizzles.

FREE SPEECH JANE BURNS 28 FOOD & DRINK

STEVEN POTTER 16 COVER STORY How individuals react when their profession comes under scrutiny has always been of interest to Steven Potter. How does the stockbroker feel, for instance, when the market tanks? In the same vein, how are police officers faring with their profession under increased scrutiny due to recent fatal police shootings involving people of color? More specifically, what is the impact on African American officers? That is the question at the heart of this week’s cover story.

For much of her life Jane Burns hated cheese. But after returning to Wisconsin in 2005 and discovering good cheese, she realized it was simply Kraft slices she disliked. She now has the zeal of the newly converted. Jane recently left the Wisconsin State Journal after a long reporting career to work for the business school at UW-Madison. This week she previews the upcoming World Championship Cheese Contest.

Alice Dreger talks tenure, intersex and Galileo’s Middle Finger.

12 TECH

MICROCOSMS

UW’s Biotron creates mini-environments.

14 OPINION

AND THE WINNER IS...

...anybody’s guess on April 5.

21 COVER STORY

Strike a pose

COLOR BIND

Black cops find themselves caught in the middle.

25, 37 MUSIC

DEATH LIVES!

Slayer proves that heavy metal is here to stay.

OUT OF THIS WORLD

Stellar MSO season opens with “The Planets.”

Fri., March 4, 7 pm-midnight, Union South Varsity Hall Check out the hottest runway looks west of NYC at the fifth annual UW Fashion Week fashion show. Presented by Moda Magazine, the event features a red carpet pre-show mixer with student designers. Be sure to smile for the paparazzi.

27-32 FOOD & DRINK

NOODLE NIRVANA

Rainbow connection

THE CHEESE STANDS ALONE

Sat., March 5, Warner Park Community Center, 9 am

Taigu showcases food from Shanxi.

World championship welcomes spectators, nibblers.

Madison is partnering with Dane County and a slew of community organizations to make sure all of our young ’uns have access to nature. Get in on the ground floor at this planning meeting, part of a national initiative called Cities Connect Cities to Nature.

34 SPORTS

SHADOW LEAGUE

An after-hours court report.

38-39 STAGE ALAN TALAGA 14 OPINION Isthmus readers get a taste of Alan Talaga’s “near obsession” with state and local politics in a variety of forums. He is cocreator of the weekly “Off the Square” cartoon, a blogger for Madland and an opinion columnist. “Writing about politics is actually pretty easy — people attack me for my views,” he says. “As opposed to other forms of writing, where people attack me for bad prose.”

CLASS ACTS

Festival celebrates UW student playwrights.

PERFECT HARMONY

Motown the Musical is a loving tribute to black artists.

40 SCREENS

Sat., March 5, Chazen Museum of Art, noon-3 pm

LOST IN TRANSLATION

A War focuses on miscommunication in Afghanistan.

48 EMPHASIS

LET YOUR GEEK FLAG FLY Expo caters to the elite geek.

IN EVERY ISSUE 10 MADISON MATRIX 10 WEEK IN REVIEW 14 THIS MODERN WORLD 15 FEEDBACK 15 OFF THE SQUARE

Spin room

42-47 ISTHMUS PICKS 49-50 CLASSIFIEDS 49 P.S. MUELLER 49 CROSSWORD 51 SAVAGE LOVE

Join the folks at the Chazen for “Art Spin,” an afternoon of participatory projects, including “Teeming Pictures,” a workshop with local artist Joshua Newland; and storytelling, juggling and magic with Bob Kann.

Us vs. Them Thurs., March 3, 7pm, UWMadison Red Gym

Author and educator Shakil Choudhury talks about his latest book, Deep Diversity: Overcoming Us vs. Them, which explores racial bias, prejudice habits and systematic discrimination through an understanding of the conscious and unconscious human mind.

PUBLISHER Jeff Haupt ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Craig Bartlett BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Mark Tauscher EDITOR Judith Davidoff NEWS EDITOR Joe Tarr ASSOCIATE EDITOR Michana Buchman FEATURES EDITOR Linda Falkenstein ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Catherine Capellaro MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Jon Kjarsgaard STAFF WRITER Allison Geyer CALENDAR EDITOR Bob Koch ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Fath STAFF ARTISTS David Michael Miller, Tommy Washbush CONTRIBUTORS John W. Barker, Dylan Brogan, Kenneth Burns, Dave Cieslewicz, Nathan J. Comp, Aaron R. Conklin,

ISTHMUS is published weekly by Red Card Media, 100 State Street, Suite 301, Madison, WI 53703 • Edit@isthmus.com • Phone (608) 251-5627 • Fax (608) 251-2165 Periodicals postage paid at Madison, WI (ISSN 1081-4043) • POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 100 State Street, Suite 301, Madison, WI 53703 • © 2016 Red Card Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

Leapin’ Leopold Sat., March 5, UW Arboretum Visitor Center, 9:30 am-3:30 pm, and UW Discovery Building, 10 am-noon

Celebrate our beloved home-grown environmentalist at this Aldo Leopold twofer: Madison Reads Leopold, a celebrity read-aloud from A Sand County Almanac and other writings, at the Arb; and Saturday Science, with hands-on family activities such as animal identification, tracking and nature journaling.

FIND MORE ISTHMUS PICKS ON PAGE 36

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

Ruth Conniff, André Darlington, Marc Eisen, Erik Gunn, Bob Jacobson, Seth Jovaag, Stu Levitan, Bill Lueders, Liz Merfeld, Andy Moore, Bruce Murphy, Kyle Nabilcy, Kate Newton, Jenny Peek, Michael Popke, Adam Powell, Katie Reiser, Jay Rath, Gwendolyn Rice, Dean Robbins, Robin Shepard, Sandy Tabachnick, Denise Thornton, Candice Wagener, Rosemary Zurlo-Cuva ADVERTISING PRODUCTION MANAGER Todd Hubler ADVERTISING MANAGER Chad Hopper ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Laura Miller ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Lindsey Bushart, Peggy Elath, Amy Miller WEB ANALYST Jeri Casper CIRCULATION MANAGER Tom Dehlinger MARKETING DIRECTOR Chris Winterhack EVENT DIRECTORS Kathleen Andreoni, Courtney Lovas EVENT STAFF Sam Eifert EVENT INTERN Megan Muehlenbruch ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR Kathy A. Bailey OFFICE MANAGER Julie Butler SYSTEMS MANAGER Thom Jones ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Carla Dawkins

3

n SNAPSHOT

Jonathan Rubin (from left), Frank Goode, Elmore Lawson, Christopher Wirth, Charles Latimer let loose at the weekly drum circle.

Reaching the primal soul

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

BY ESTY DINUR n PHOTO BY CHRIS COLLINS

4

It’s snowing and cold outside, but in the Goodman Center’s Teen Loft, sweat is dripping. In a circle of about 20 people, everyone is either drumming or dancing.

This is the Sunday Drum Circle, free and open to anyone. Today’s participants are 6 to 70 years old, from all walks of life. “We all interact,” says Elmore Lawson. “We’re all connected through the circle.”

Lawson started the circle eight years ago on UW-Madison’s Library Mall where he’d sit and drum every Sunday. Passersby would watch, and Lawson offered them a percussion instrument to join in. People joined. The circle grew.

Twenty years ago, Lawson came to drumming with a similar invitation while observing a lone drummer at a Chicago festival. “The energy was so intense, I’d never experienced anything like that before,” he says. It piqued a fascination with drumming across many cultures.

Drumming, he says, is but a tool. “I was trying to find a way to break down the barriers, the illusion that we are separated. A connectedness hap-

pens — the drummers, the dancers, become one unity,” Lawson says. “It’s not about drumming, it’s about spirituality, a way of life, a being, becoming.

When you drum like that, you stop trying, the body relaxes, and you don’t know what you’re looking at anymore. The names in your mind cease to exist.”

At Goodman, 6-year-old Lenore Raven Jones, a regular at the circle, has been scarf dancing, hooping, drumming and swinging poi balls on stage — skills she learned at the circle. She wants to sing Native American songs, and the drummers join in. “It’s fun,” she says, “I have friends here. I like music and dancing.”

Her grandparents, David and Dianna Jones, mostly drum, though Dianna sometimes dances. David says: “We love it; it’s people oriented.

So welcoming, so friendly. Sunday is now set up for the drum circle.” Dianna never expected she’d learn to drum or dance at 67 years old.

In addition to the exercise, she appreciates the communal experience. “It’s great to see what others are capable of doing,” she says. “Everyone does their own thing, dances their own way.”

Another regular, 69-year-old Sariah Daine, has been participating for four years. “I come for the energy, camaraderie, the invitation to express yourself fully, however you are,” she says. “This is my favorite thing to do of all time. It completes my soul and spirit. It reaches my primal soul.”

Full expression happens at the circle. “People don’t criticize here. It’s amazing how they support each other,” says Elmore. “The community is the greatest teacher I’ve ever had. It allows me to explore, make mistakes and stop making mistakes.”

Drummer Charles Latimer, a private detective and boxing and martial arts instructor, agrees. He’s played in other drum circles, but this one, he says, is special. “Elmore is a great facilitator; he has an uncanny way to bring people together. He’s like a conductor without ever trying to control.”

“People should feel permission to explore,” Lawson adds. “But sometimes they need a community to allow themselves to do so. That’s what we are.” n

ELMORE LAWSON’S BACKGROUND: Originally from Batang, Philippines, a remote fishermen’s community without electricity where his grandfather was a Protestant minister.

HOW MANY INSTRUMENTS DOES HE OWN? Enough to facilitate 400 drummers.

UNCONVENTIONAL INSTRUMENTS IN HIS COLLECTION: “pots and pans of all sizes.”

INSTRUMENTS FROM MOST-FARAWAY PLACES: djembe from West Africa, dumbek from the Middle East, congas from Latin America.

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Issue ad may have earned votes for Bradley, but mostly failed in purported “dialogue” goal

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An outside interest group that spent $1 million on TV and radio ads in support of Justice Rebecca Bradley in her bid for a 10-year term on the state Supreme Court was either disingenuous about its stated goal or else failed monumentally.

Wisconsin Alliance for Reform began running the ads two weeks before the Feb. 16 primary election, in which Bradley narrowly led a field of three candidates in snaring 45% of the vote. She will square off in the April 5 general election against appellate court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg, who got 43%. A third candidate was eliminated.

The TV ad urged viewers to “tell Rebecca Bradley you believe in a fair and independent judiciary” while displaying the phone number for her Supreme Court office. The radio ad told listeners to “call Rebecca Bradley” at this number to impart the same.

But while these messages were heard, again and again, by millions of Wisconsin residents, only a few followed through, most to convey a contrary message.

Bradley, in response to an open records request by Isthmus, released records of 62 calls she deemed “possibly in response” to these ads. About half were voicemail messages retained by the office and half were “while you were out” memos taken on calls answered by staff.

Some of the calls failed to stake out a clear position on the race, instead requesting a radio interview or help with a legal problem. One caller asked: “I’m wondering if Rebecca Bradley is running for judicial court in Walworth County. I don’t think so.”

Of the remainder, 34 calls were critical of Bradley, some harshly. Only 16 were supportive, including four calls from the same person, a resident of Elkhorn.

“Keep up the good work, Judge Bradley,” this caller said on one voicemail. “I’m glad you were appointed by Gov. Scott Walker. I support him also.” Other positive calls ask for information on how to make a campaign contribution or obtain yards signs. Bradley said her office would have forwarded such messages to her campaign.

One caller, whom staff flagged as a supporter, asked Bradley “can you do something w/ your hair,” the memo relates. Another reads simply, “good luck.” It’s from a caller in Florida.

Bradley, whom Walker appointed to an open Supreme Court seat in October, has significant ties to conservative groups and the Republican Party. In her campaign to keep the seat, she has accepted help from the state GOP and attended GOP events. She insists she is nonpartisan.

Many of the 34 critical callers focused on these connections. Several stated that they do support a fair and independent judiciary but added, in one iteration, “which is why I will not be voting for you.” Other callers referred

Tell her how you really feel: A still shot from the ad that asked voters to tell Justice Rebecca Bradley “you believe in a fair and independent judiciary.”

to Bradley as a “Walker puppet,” “Walker minion” and “Walker yes-lady.” One person said: “We will be voting for anybody but you. I don’t care if it’s a wino off the street.”

A caller who described himself as “a former Republican” blasted Bradley for her ties to the Republican National Lawyers Association and the conservative Federalist Society. Another opined, “I’m sure [Walker] has paid you well for your votes. If not, the Koch Brothers probably have.”

Some callers took issue with the ads themselves. One person found them “annoying”; another called them “improper and unethical” because they directed listeners to a “state-paid phone number and state-paid answering system.” But Bradley is not responsible for the Alliance’s decision to give out her office number — and given the response, probably wishes it hadn’t.

Bradley says her office received some messages for which no records were created. It only began archiving these after it learned that Isthmus had made a records request. The released records date to Feb. 4, two days after the TV ads first began airing.

But even if there were as many as 30 supportive calls, that means the Alliance spent an average of $33,333 generating each.

Wisconsin Alliance for Reform is a conservative nonprofit that purports to be a “coalition of concerned citizens and community leaders.” It lists a Madison P.O. box and gives a Milwaukee-area phone number.

The Alliance, which has also run attacks on Russ Feingold, a Democrat seeking to reclaim his U.S. Senate seat, is headed by Chris Martin, formerly a spokesman for the state Republican Party, and Luke Fuller, formerly chief of staff to a GOP lawmaker. The group does not reveal its funding sources or report its expenditures.

Martin, asked whether the ads failed in their stated purpose or whether they

actually were meant to influence votes, responded with a statement: “We’re pleased to see that our grassroots lobbying efforts sparked a productive statewide dialogue on the important public policy issues facing our state’s judiciary as well as about Justice Bradley’s record and work on these issues.”

The Alliance spent $748,100 on broadcast TV ads, $140,064 on cable TV ads, and $116,065 on radio ads, according to One Wisconsin Now, a liberal advocacy group that paid a media tracking service. OWN executive director Scot Ross speculates that Bradley would not have finished first without the boost her campaign got from these ads.

The ads were controversial because they used footage of Bradley that was taken by her campaign and posted on her website.

While Wisconsin law, pending court challenges, allows active coordination between a candidate’s campaign and an outside interest group engaged in running issue ads, Bradley has pledged that her campaign would not coordinate.

Issue ads are not subject to campaign disclosure precisely because they do not directly tell voters how to vote, instead claiming to encourage some other action — like calling the subject to impart a message, as in the Bradley ads. Critics say that is a ruse, particularly when these ads appear in the lead up to an election.

Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, says the Alliance’s proBradley ads clearly belong in this category.

“What we’re talking about here is a classic phony issue ad,” he says. “Their purpose is to sway votes, not educate voters about issues.”

There will likely be significant additional outlays on issue ads by outside interest groups supporting both candidates in the weeks prior to the April 5 election. A recent Marquette Law School Poll showed Bradley and Kloppenburg in a virtual dead heat, with a large number of undecided voters. n

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STEMMING THE TIDE: GOODKIN RICHARD RICHARD GOODKIN RICHARD GOODKIN RICHARD GOODKIN BALZAC AND STATISTICAL HUMANITY Professor of French, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Professor of French, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor of French, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor of French, University of Wisconsin-Madison STEMMING THE TIDE: Professor of French, University of Wisconsin-Madison STEMMING THE TIDE:

RICHARD GOODKIN

STEMMING THE TIDE: HUMANITY BALZAC AND STATISTICAL STEMMING THE TIDE: BALZAC AND STATISTICAL HUMANITY STEMMING THE TIDE: BALZAC AND STATISTICAL HUMANITY Professor of French, University of Wisconsin-Madison BALZAC AND STATISTICAL BALZAC AND STATISTICAL HUMANITY HUMANITY

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THE WIZARD OF OZ

7

n NEWS

Evidence-based justice Dane County hopes new pretrial assessment tool will help eliminate bias

BY ALLISON GEYER

Dane County Circuit Court Judge Nicholas McNamara remembers the first time he decided to release a person who was in jail on a cash bail order.

The offender was poor — unable to pay the amount deemed necessary for his release. McNamara, a newly elected judge, decided the man had been locked up for long enough. He changed the cash bail to a signature bond and set the man free.

Twelve hours later, the man stabbed his brother.

The case highlights a significant challenge within the criminal justice system — determining appropriate conditions for pretrial release. Under Wisconsin statute, these conditions are “designed to assure [the alleged offenders’] appearance in court, protect members of the community from serious bodily harm or prevent the intimidation of witnesses.” But getting the decision exactly right is difficult, McNamara says.

“You’re asking humans to do assessments of other humans using imperfect information,” he says.

The U.S. Supreme Court has stated that the pretrial period is “perhaps the most critical” part of the legal proceedings and a time during which defendants require the “guiding hand of counsel.”

Pretrial risk assessment tools can help, using objective, evidence-based standards to determine which individuals should be detained and which should be released. Only about 10% of courts nationwide use such models, but research has shown that they have the potential to reduce jail populations and increase public safety.

Dane County officials announced March 1 a new partnership with the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, a philanthropic organization that uses “evidence-based, multi-disciplinary approaches” to solve problems in areas like criminal justice, education and research integrity. The county’s Criminal Justice Council and pretrial reform subcommittee has been reviewing “best

saying that sentencing decisions “should not be based on unchangeable factors that a person cannot control, or on the possibility of a future crime that has not taken place.” He argues that minority and low-income communities could be adversely affected by the approach.

“It could turn out that applying a risk assessment instrument actually increases the number of people who are required to post bail,” says Dane County Circuit Court Judge Juan Colas, who serves on the county’s Criminal Justice Reform Council.

He is “hesitant to say” that the county needs a wholesale change when it comes to pretrial release and conditions of bail, but he is in favor of more data to provide insight into the current system.

pretrial practices” for the past two years with an eye toward reforming the system and reducing racial disparities in incarceration.

The county will become one of nearly 30 jurisdictions nationwide to implement the Arnold Foundation’s Public Safety Assessment, a pretrial risk evaluation model that has garnered positive results in pilot sites nationwide by evaluating conditions related to criminal history, charges and age.

In Mecklenburg County, N.C., the jail population has dropped nearly 20% since implementing the model in spring of 2014, according to the Arnold Foundation. In Kentucky, which has used the model statewide since 2013, both the jail population and the number of crimes committed by people out on bond have

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decreased. The PSA has also proven to be both gender- and race-neutral in its outcomes.

Dane County’s racial disparity in arrest and incarceration rates has been wellpublicized in recent years, prompting local officials to approve a comprehensive criminal justice overhaul to improve outcomes for minority and low-income individuals. Proponents hope that a new pretrial assessment system could help mitigate the problem by eliminating bias, but some fear that the data-driven approach could have the opposite effect.

Despite the Arnold Foundation model’s success, the use of pretrial assessment tools does have its opponents — former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has warned against the use of data-driven criminal justice programs,

In addition to the PSA tool, Dane County will also participate in a study led by researchers from Harvard University examining the new model’s impact. Since the jurisdiction is small, it will take several years to get usable data from the study, but local officials hope the analysis can help guide the criminal justice system as it explores reforms — particularly those that address racial disparity.

In Madison as well as nationwide, criminal justice reform activists have spoken out against incarcerating people for “crimes of poverty,” like being detained for being unable to make bail. This is a rare occurrence in Dane County, McNamara says — about 80% of misdemeanor offenders and 60% of felony offenders are released on signature bonds, by his analysis. But moving to a pretrial assessment model that releases people based on whether or not they pose a danger instead of whether or not they can pay could reduce the number of people who are being held unnecessarily.

“Racial disparity is real, economic disparity is real” McNamara says. “So if it’s true that too many poor people are being held in jail pretrial simply because of poverty, then that’s wrong, and we need to change that.” n

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n NEWS

Taking a stand Sex researcher will talk at UW about academic freedom

BY MARY ELLEN BELL

When her dean at Northwestern University insisted that Alice Dreger, a professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics, remove a controversial article from Atrium, an academic journal that she edited, she was gob-smacked.

Because Dreger believes so firmly in academic freedom she decided she could no longer work at Northwestern, and, last August, she quit.

The article in question, by William Peace, was about consensual sex between a nurse and a patient. In her resignation letter, Dreger notes that she was working at the time on a book about academic freedom: “When in early 2014 I learned that my dean had given the order to censor the article, it seemed like a cosmic joke. I was doing the final fact-checking, lawyering and page-proofing of Galileo’s Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science, which is a book about academic freedom that focuses on researchers who get in trouble for putting forth challenging ideas about sex.”

Dreger, who is an intersex patient rights activist and sex researcher, will give a talk about academic freedom at noon, March 4, in the Education Building’s Wisconsin Idea Room.

Isthmus spoke with her about her work and her resignation.

What is the central thesis of Galileo’s Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science?

The central thesis is that the pursuit of evidence is a moral imperative in a secular democracy like our own. We have to protect the pursuit of truth — because social policy cannot be sustainable without it — and we also have to protect the pursuit of justice — because people cannot be safe without that.

In the end I argue that we should all put the pursuit of evidence before any other ideology, because that is how we best serve each other in the long run.

What prompted you to focus on issues related to intersex individuals?

In graduate school I was interested in gender and science, and one of my dissertation directors suggested I look at the history of people who had been labeled “hermaphrodites” in the 1800s. When I published that work, people who had been born with intersex conditions contacted me and asked me to help them with the intersex patient rights movement. I joined that movement and ended up being one of the leaders of the Intersex Society of North America (now closed). I’ve worked on intersex rights for about 20 years now.

n MADISON MATRIX

What challenges do intersex people face?

People confuse sex (biology) with gender (how we feel), and think intersex is always an identity when it is really about a biological condition that for some adults is the basis for a political identity. Surgeons think that genital “normalization” is necessary, safe and effective. Families get totally inadequate professional psychosocial support. Endocrinologists and other clinicians engage in risky interventions that are optional without waiting for the patient to grow up and consent to them.

As you may know, Wisconsin removed tenure protections for UW faculty from state law.

Is this a threat to academic freedom and, if so, why?

Any time faculty members feel they can lose their title, livelihood, health insurance, home, identity and retirement security because they have upset someone, we have a situation where faculty will work hard to never upset someone. That kind of “safe” research and teaching will lack any shred of daring innovation or challenging inquiry, and will leave the people we mentor (students and junior researchers) in the position of having terrified sheep teaching them how to exist in the

UW-Madison officially posts a job opening for men’s basketball head coach, prompting speculation that athletic director Barry Alvarez is ready to give the job to interim coach Greg Gard.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 n A 24-year-old woman,

Poverty in Wisconsin is getting worse, according to a UW-Madison study. The number of state residents living in poverty hit 13% during a five-year period ending in 2014 — the highest rate since 1984.

later identified as Christina Hatcher, is found dead in her north-side apartment in an apparent domestic homicide. Police later arrest her boyfriend, 39-year-old Jose Vasquez-Garcia, as a suspect in her death.

It’s Madison’s second homicide this year.

THURSDAY, FEB. 25 n The latest Marquette

PREDICTABLE

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

world. Terrified sheep are good for neither democracy nor capitalism. America needs tenure.

Would you like to return to academia?

I would only feel safe doing so if I worked at a place that had adopted the Chicago Principles [a free speech policy statement developed at the University of Chicago]. n

n WEEK IN REVIEW BIG CITY

10

Alice Dreger resigned from Northwestern after an article she edited was censored.

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Lands’ End, a Dodgeville retailer best known for fleece pullovers and monogrammed totes, apologizes for featuring feminist Gloria Steinem in its spring catalog after complaints from customers and an article on an antiabortion website.

A candlelit skiing and hiking event in Sun Prairie turns into a 15-acre grass fire thanks to a rogue sky lantern.

SMALL TOWN

University Law School poll shows huge support for Donald Trump among Wisconsin Republicans and a tight race between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton among Democrats in the presidential primary. Russ Feingold still has a commanding lead over U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, and state Supreme Court justice Rebecca Bradley and JoAnne Kloppenburg are tied in the race for a seat on the high court.

n The city of Madi-

son’s Community Development Authority is teaming up with the United Way of Dane County and others to transform two dozen vacant apartments in Truax Park into “rapid re-housing” for homeless families, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26 n Dane County Executive Joe

Parisi vetoes a resolution calling for a master plan for the Alliant Energy Center, but the county board appears likely to override his action, the State Journal reports.

TUESDAY, MARCH 1 n As the investigation into

alleged abuses at Lincoln Hills youth prison continues, federal officials are also considering launching a second investigation into possible violations of inmates’ civil rights, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

n Gov. Scott Walker signs

58 bills into law, including one easing stripsearch regulations. The day before, he signed 46 bills, including one banning county executives from serving concurrently in the Legislature.

He also tweeted a picture of his hand before Tuesday’s signing, prompting some fun Internet mockery.

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n TECH

Field stations in a box At the UW’s Biotron, every climate on Earth is simulated except one

BY LIZ MERFELD

Never mind Punxsutawney Phil. The thirteen-lined ground squirrels that hibernate in plastic drawers in the UWMadison Biotron take their cues from Hannah Carey.

The Biotron is a three-story laboratory on Observatory Drive designed “to simulate every climate on Earth except Antarctica.” (The coldest it gets is -5 degrees Fahrenheit.) Carey calls it “a field station in the middle of campus.”

In addition to serving as the facility’s director, Carey specializes in gastrointestinal physiology and hibernation biology and teaches comparative biosciences at the neighboring School of Veterinary Medicine. For 26 years she’s used the Biotron to study the squirrels’ digestive tracts as they emerge from torpor.

Built in the 1960s, the Biotron consists of 45 computer-controlled rooms and 29 climate-controlled greenhouses.

Rooms are all on the second floor, separated from the HVAC on the third floor.

(One 30-foot-tall room spans two floors.)

They are grouped in quads, and each resembles an industrial walk-in freezer.

You access each room through a metal hatch door. Open one door and a rush of cold, wet fog escapes. Inside are rows of about 100 Tupperware-type containers with turfgrass inside, lined up on a table. Here researcher Paul Koch investigates what fungus grows — or doesn’t — on golf course turfgrass treated with pesticides in an artificial Wisconsin winter.

Open another door and get transported somewhere tropical. It’s warm

BRYCE RICHTER/UW-MADISON

Freshwater snails feed on lettuce in one of the Biotron Laboratory’s controlled environment “boxes.” This experiment studies the human blood parasite Schistosoma mansoni.

and bright, and there are cornstalks thicker and taller than you’ve ever seen, stretching toward a ceiling of lamps that put out “half-strength” daylight, 100 times brighter than supermarket lighting.

Animal life is sparse in the Biotron — just squirrels, rats and mice live there now, but the facility has also hosted Siberian cranes and rhesus monkeys.

Each room in the Biotron has its own airhandling system, with individual heating, air conditioning and humidifiers. In rooms designed for plant experiments, there is separate air conditioning for the lights alone so they operate at a

constant and cool temperature. Everything is programmed by computer, and multiple sensors are set so that if a temperature is more than a degree off, someone on-call responds.

Pausing in the hallway, Carey opens a door to show how each box-shaped room shares no walls with any other room. You can walk behind and between them.

“We were part of the Wisconsin Science Festival, and we used the tagline ‘Global Biology in a Box,’” Carey says.

As for her box, Carey’s work has some intriguing applications, including advising the European

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Space Agency on the possibility of humans some day traveling in deep space.

“They want to know if it is feasible if we could put humans into a semihibernating state. There are compelling reasons to think that we could get there,” she says, explaining that hibernation “is in the blueprint of the primate genes.”

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs from Madagascar, for instance, live off the fat stored in their tails as they hibernate in tree holes.

“How are they tweaking their systems to pull this off so safely?”

This is not Biotron’s only connection to space research. It was here that NASA conducted tests on the Galileo probe before its journey to Jupiter in 1989. The probe was tested in a wind tunnel to get information about the behavior of the components and temperatures below the freezing point of water, an important transition.

Biotron is also the place that plants were first grown using LED lights in 1986, according to the laboratory’s literature, laying the groundwork for another first: In December, NASA astronauts on the International Space Station grew food in space for the first time, harvesting and eating lettuce they grew under LED lights.

In 2012, work began on a $6.1 million energy-saving renovation to Biotron. Now complete, Carey is hoping to attract more UW researchers and private companies alike to rent rooms for testing. Among their repeat customers are Harley-Davidson, which tested paint integrity in various environments.

Visitors are welcome from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on weekdays. n

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n OPINION

The spring elections are looking strange A competitive presidential primary on April 5 could sway other races

BY ALAN TALAGA Alan Talaga co-writes the Off the Square cartoon with Jon Lyons and blogs at isthmus.com/madland.

I can often make an educated guess on the outcome of a race a month or so before Election Day. Not with certainty, but I usually have a general feeling how things are going to shake out based on polls and enthusiasm. I felt pretty confident about Barack Obama’s chances by October 2008 and 2012. While I held out hope, I didn’t feel so great about Tom Barrett or Mary Burke four weeks out from their respective gubernatorial elections.

Sometimes, you can read the tea leaves even further in advance. That’s why Gov. Jim Doyle decided not to run for a third term. In this very paper, I called the 2016 Senate race in Wisconsin for Russ Feingold nine months ago, and I’m even more confident in that claim now.

But when it comes to the spring elections on April 5, I have no idea what is going to happen.

For starters, it appears that both the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries will be competitive. Wisconsin’s late primary usually means that other states have decided the presidential candidates for us. The latest Marquette University poll shows Donald Trump leading Wisconsin among Republican primary voters, with 30% of support, compared with Sens. Marco Rubio at 20% and Ted Cruz at 19%.

The Super Tuesday primaries showed that Republican voters are following national trends. Trump continues to build on his terrifying lead, while Cruz has won enough states to stay in the race. Despite having won only one state, Rubio’s campaign is already trying to propose the idea of a brokered GOP convention, so he’ll be around for a while too. All three will probably still be in the race

by Wisconsin’s primary.

On the Democratic side, the Marquette poll shows Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders virtually tied in Wisconsin. While Clin-

DAVID MICHAEL MILLER

ton’s primary victories on Tuesday may give her a boost in Wisconsin, that is probably only going to move the needle a few points. Sanders still won more states on Tuesday than many expected, and his camp doesn’t appear ready to shut down anytime soon. Besides, Wisconsin’s Democrats are more liberal — not to mention whiter — than many of the Democrats who voted on Super Tuesday, and that will help Bernie in the Badger State.

These competitive primaries will, in turn, drive more voters to the polls and heat up other races.

Take the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

The Marquette poll found Justice Rebecca Bradley and Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg virtually tied, with 30% support from voters. Bradley is going to get more of the dark money that has in recent years bought seats on the high court.

But she is deeply tied to Scott Walker — the governor has appointed her to successively higher office three times over the last five years — and Walker is not a super-popular guy right now.

At the local level, our state’s largest metro area has two races that are going to be more

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

LIVE MUSIC SATURDAYS

14

competitive than first suspected. Moderate Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele isn’t getting the easy reelection he hoped for in his fight against liberal State Sen. Chris Larsen.

On the contrary, Larsen actually beat Abele in the primary election. Meanwhile, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is getting a robust challenge from conservative alder Bob Donovan. I don’t think Donovan is going to win, but the recent rash of crime in Milwaukee has made Barrett more vulnerable than usual.

THIS MODERN WORLD

With all this volatility, it’s a shame that most of our local elections will be sleepy.

All three Madison School Board incumbents up for reelection are sailing through without challengers. Only four of 37 Dane County Board seats are being contested.

It looks to be a good year to be a challenger, but Dane County residents are missing out on the opportunity to have a real choice when it comes to their representatives.

Local blandness aside, all of these big races around the state could affect one another. Many races in Wisconsin have been decided by razor-thin margins. The last time we had a high-turnout state Supreme Court race was in 2011, when the election became a de facto referendum on Act 10.

JoAnne Kloppenburg was also in that race; she lost by only 7,000 votes.

Even a few thousand voters could affect any one of these races. Could Donovan’s Milwaukee mayoral campaign bring out enough conservatives to sway the statewide total in the Supreme Court race? Will Sanders supporters in Milwaukee help boost Larsen over the top? Is Trump seriously going to be the nominee?

Every election is important. But not every election is this weird. It will be an interesting month of politics to watch. It will be an election that even the most apathetic of voters has no excuse to skip out on. Who will come out on top? Ask me on April 6. n

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n FEEDBACK

Where’s the justice?

“Insider Art” (2/18/2016) covered programming at Oakhill Correctional Institution and the “Artists in Abstentia” show.

The article disregards racially disproportionate mass incarceration and sanitizes imprisonment, claiming that Oakhill “looks...like a liberal arts college campus.”

Prisons are not like liberal arts colleges.

Oakhill, where some of us have volunteered, occupies a former school campus.

But it is not a college. It is a prison. Oakhill incarcerates 685 people, a fraction of Wisconsin’s total prison population of over 35,500. Wisconsin’s racially disproportionate incarceration rates are the worst in the country: African Americans are more than 10 times as likely as whites to be incarcerated. Other communities of color are similarly impacted at state and local levels.

Nationwide, people of color make up over 60% of a prison population of 2.2 million.

Many people, including incarcerated people and their families, the Young Gifted & Black Coalition and UW faculty members, are dedicated to critiquing the prison system and ending mass incarceration. Ignoring these issues is offensive and unacceptable.

Julia Dauer, Chris Earle, Vanessa Lauber, Lenora Hanson, Karma R. Chávez, Sara McKinnon, Irene Toro Martínez, Steel Wagstaff, Anna Vitale, Devin Garofalo (via email)

“Insider Art” touts the “Artists in Absentia” exhibit as progressive and enlightened, a blow for “social justice.” It is strange to advertise an advance for justice without ever pointing to what exactly is unjust. One of the project’s creators says that it’s about “giving voice” — and along with prisoners’, Isthmus raises here the voice of a self-congratulatory prison warden and two UW students who are hoping to work for the Department of Corrections. Nowhere does Isthmus suggest that caging people as a routine form of punishment is both inhumane and harmful to society. One might think, from this article, that both the exhibit organizers and Isthmus feel that the greatest injustice is merely the underrepresentation of prisoners’ voices and art in the public space. The injustice at hand is the deprivation of freedom of over 2 million people in the U.S. and the existence, and recent multiplication, of horrific places like Oakhill Correctional.

Almost all of the actual work by prisoners reproduced in the story speaks to the horrors of imprisonment. The article fails as a call for justice, contributing instead to a confusion about what justice for prisoners would really mean.

Glen Frieden (via email)

Correction The March 10 “molecular dinner” mentioned in last week’s article on Chef Week 2016 will be held at Harvest, not Gib’s Bar.

Share comments with Isthmus via email, edit@isthmus.com, and via Forum.isthmus.com, Facebook and Twitter, or write letters to Isthmus, 100 State St., Suite 301, Madison WI 53703.

All comments are subject to editing. The views expressed here are solely those of the contributors.

These opinions do not necessarily represent those of Isthmus Publishing Company.

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n COVER STORY

POLICING WHILE

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

ANDY MANIS PHOTOS

16

Officers risk being branded as traitors

N

By Steven Potter

ot all of Brian Whitmore’s friends wanted him to become a cop.

It wasn’t that they feared for his safety.

It was because they saw him as a traitor.

“All you’re gonna do is lock up more brothers,” friends told Whit-

more, who is black. “You’re just going to oppress more of us because that’s the system you’re going to work for.”

“It was a hard thing to deal with,” admits the 34-year-old Whit-

more, who nevertheless shrugged off the disapproval to became a UW police officer in 2010.

While those friends saw Whitmore supporting a racist criminal

justice system, he saw it as a chance to help. “They didn’t get it,” he says. “I want to be a role model for other young black men.”

Race-based backlash — whether from family, friends or someone

encountered on the job — is not a frequent occurrence for black police officers. But it’s something they all face in their careers, several local black officers say.

Deon Johnson, a Madison police officer, was confronted with the

stigma a couple of years ago while arresting a drug dealer on the city’s south side. “There was this young kid with his phone camera out referring to me as ‘Uncle Tom,’” he says. “He wasn’t happy we

BLACK

were there, and he took to me as a way to channel his anger.”

Johnson gets the sentiment. “Being a black man, I can understand

some of the frustration that comes from the black community [toward police],” says Johnson, who has been with the Madison

➡

to their community MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

Brian Whitmore, a UW police officer since 2010, says people often expect him to choose between his race and profession, “that I should be on one team or another.”

17

n COVER STORY Police Department since 2007. “It’s a themversus-us mentality.”

Being a cop is a tough job for anybody, but for black officers, it comes with the extra challenge of navigating the historically fraught relationship between black residents and the police — including police abuse of its powers and the resulting hostility of the black community toward the profession. A spate of police killings nationally of young, unarmed black people — including the killing of 19-year-old Tony Robinson a year ago — has only inflamed the hostility. Of the 986 unarmed people killed last year by police officers around the country, almost 40% were black men, according to The Washington Post. Yet black men make up only about 6% of the U.S. population.

In most of these cases, officers were cleared of wrongdoing. Madison police officer Matt Kenny, who killed Robinson, was cleared by both the Dane County district attorney and the police department.

“Every time we see an event that seems to be a miscarriage of justice or an unfair application of police methodology, most [black] people say, ‘Here we go again,’” says Greg Jones, president of the Dane County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Whitmore understands the anger, but resents having to pick sides.

“People have an expectation that I should feel a certain way about current events because of my race or profession — that I should be on one team or another,” Whitmore says. Instead, he feels for both sides. “I’m not here to dictate what was right and wrong because I wasn’t there when those things happened. We have some families in mourning and we have families of officers who are going through a really bad stretch in their life right now.”

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

Michael Penn II knows a lot

18

of cops. His grandfather was a police officer, and his father and uncle are both on the force back in his home state of Maryland.

Nevertheless, Penn, a recent UW graduate, steers clear of cops.

“I just don’t interact with police. I ignore them,” says Penn, a black musician who performs as CRASHprez. “I try to stay away from them.”

“Even with my dad, who I love to death, sometimes there’s a little bit of a disconnect there because we obviously think differently about it,” he adds. “He’s not oblivious to [recent events], but he’s been [a cop] for 20 years, so he’s going to have a different opinion than me.”

Penn’s wariness is typical of many in the black community, says the NAACP’s Jones.

These feelings have long simmered, in part because of the large racial disparity in arrest rates between blacks and whites, Jones says, but they’ve been exacerbated by incidents like the Robinson killing.

Jones, who is involved with a task force on law enforcement issues, thinks increasing community policing programs would help.

“What you’re seeing where the police departments are engaging with the community is they begin to build a level of knowledge, understanding, respect and trust,” he says.

M Adams, co-founder of the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition, believes the law enforcement system needs an overhaul. “We don’t have any power over the police,” she says. “We don’t have any power over the issue of security and safety in our community. This system is fundamentally flawed, and it has to be dismantled as it stands.”

For Adams, police represent the system of slavery. Police departments in the antebellum South were formed to protect the property of rich white people. “Their property was black people,” she says. “We see [the police] continue to serve the interests of a ruling elite and continue to suppress and oppress the black community.”

YGB advocates for policing that focuses on helping people instead of locking them up, she says. The community needs complete control of the police, she adds. “People who are police need to live in the communities which they serve, and there would also be control over the priorities, practices and policies of the police,” she says.

There’s one thing she doesn’t think helps: “If black people want to fundamentally change what is happening to our community as it relates to police violence, being a police officer does not do that.”

Harrison Zanders is on the lookout for a 16-year-old African American kid who lives in the south-side precinct where Zanders has worked as part of the gang unit for two years.

“I’ve heard some things about him driving dangerously, [that he’s] possibly involved in selling narcotics,” explains Zanders, who is showing a reporter around the precinct. “I want to make sure he knows I’m aware of what he’s doing. I want to tell him to slow down, tell him to be cautious, know your worth. Whether or not he takes the advice, we’ll see.”

Moments later, a call comes across the police scanner about the kid Zanders wants to talk to.

The 16-year-old’s mother has called police, worried that her son might become violent.

As Zanders pulls up to the home on Taft Street, a couple of police cars are already there.

Zanders enters the home, and after 15 minutes, he and two white officers come out along with the 16-year-old and his mother. Everyone is calm, and no one is in handcuffs. After some remarks between the residents and police, some handshakes are exchanged. Everyone’s smiling.

“He was requesting me,” says the 36-yearold Zanders. “We had the conversation, and he knew exactly what I was talking about. I told him how I was worried that he was gonna be rolled over in a ditch somewhere or he may hurt someone else accidentally and get locked up for a very long time.”

In situations like these, it can be an advantage being black, some officers say. Zanders can relate to what the 16-year-old is going through. He grew up in the Quad Cities area during the crack epidemic of the 1980s. “I had some family members that were plagued by that drug, so I’ve seen some crime,” he says.

“Even at the age of 5, witnessing some criminal activity, it kind of started me off to wanting to be a police officer.”

“I wanted to become a police officer to help change the perception of the police by communities of color,” Zanders adds.

The MPD’s Johnson, who is 43, worked in the mortgage industry before becoming a cop. He has also seen the advantages to being black in his job. “Whether or not folks know what my background is, they may assume that ‘this officer knows where I’m coming from. He can relate to what I’m going through, and he’s probably seen it or lived it, so I may feel a little more comfortable talking to him.’”

Sometimes black officers are expected to give special treatment. “I have individuals who believe that because I am black that I should afford them opportunities because of that bond we have in race,” says Whitmore, adding that he’s been told, “You’re black, I’m black, so we have issues that you can help me with.”

“No. I’m a black man, yes, but I work for a police department that has a goal and ideal that I strive to live up to every day in respect, integrity and honor,” he responds. “It doesn’t matter what color I am.”

Howard Payne, who has been an officer with the Madison Police Department for almost 20 years, has heard a variety of comments based on race. “You’re making this decision because I’m black. Or, you’re making this decision because you’re black,” says the 44-year-old. “Or, you’re making this decision because you’re working for the white man.

You’re making this decision because, deep down, you’re racist. You’re one of them.”

“I’ve gotten it from both sides,” he says. “I’ve gotten it from white men who tell me I’ve got a racial agenda against them because I’m black.”

Payne says those who bring up race are usually trying to push an officer’s buttons. “Race is always an easy thing to grasp onto,” he says.

“And I think people use it for different reasons.

I believe race is sometimes used to make people uncomfortable, and it’s deliberate, especially if you’re a police officer.”

Race and policing are so contentious, Payne often doesn’t tell people what he does for a living. But when they find out, he gets questioned sharply. “‘I can’t believe you’re black and a cop’ — almost as though it’s a disgrace. ‘Why are you part of the problem?’” they continue.

Nevertheless, Payne understands why people of color view the criminal justice system as being inherently racist. “I do not think anyone would deny that African Americans historically have been forced to live within a legal system with seemingly unequal applications of justice,” he says.

Zanders also understands the resentment: “I know black officers as well as Latino officers face [being called a] traitor because historically, this has been looked at as being a white profession, specifically a white male profession.”

Many assume that the problems between police and the black community are rooted in the War on Drugs that began in the 1970s, which concentrated an extraordinary amount of police power in African American neighborhoods.

While the War on Drugs — which led to profiling and stop-and-frisk tactics — exacerbated tensions, the conflict dates back to the country’s early history, says Simon Balto, an assistant professor of history at Ball State University.

Madison police officer Deon Johnson was once called an “Uncle Tom” by a bystander while making an arrest.

ANDY MANIS

you’re talking about 1919 or 1965 or in 2015 — they’re all talking about one of the core problems being not having enough black officers.”

There is another reason people want more black officers on the force, adds Balto. “They’re good middle-class jobs for black people.”

Hiring minorities with the

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goal of having a police force as close to racially representative to the population it serves has been a longstanding goal of the Madison Police Department, says Sgt. Tim Patton.

“Diversity is part of our core values,” he says. “By comparison across the country, [the Madison Police Department] does a fabulous job reflecting the diversity of the community it serves.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, Madison’s black population was just over 7% that year. About 10% of the city police employees with arresting authority are black. That figure has held steady since 2010, and at the beginning of this year, the percentage of black officers on the force climbed above 10%.

Patton, who manages the department’s recruitment and training, adds that the city’s police force is about 30% female, which exceeds the national average of about 10%. “The only group that we’re behind with, in regard to race, is the Asian population,” he says.

The UW Police Department also exceeds representation, with between three and four black officers serving on its force of 66 over the past five years. That’s a higher percentage than the number of black undergraduate students, which is just over 2% of the almost 32,000 undergraduate students.

To increase their chances for a diverse pool of applicants, MPD casts a wide recruiting net, including doing national searches. “Our process is geared toward getting as many candidates as far along in the process as possible and getting to know them as people instead of just how they look on paper,” he says. “Everyone who applies is getting invited in for testing. We have set our standards at a level that keeps more people in the [hiring] process.”

The department makes a concerted effort to reach out to nontraditional applicants who work in other professions, says Patton. Most are recruited via word of mouth from officers and other MPD staff to individuals.

About 30% of the academy’s current class of 23 come from nontraditional professions and backgrounds. The starting salary for a Madison police officer is just under $50,000 a year, with a $5,000 bump after six months.

Patton admits that the recent string of police-involved killings nationally has made recruitment difficult. The number of applications the department received has dipped from 900 applicants in 2014 to 700 in 2015.

“One theory is that people in law enforcement cease to recommend the field to

ARTHUR ELGORT

“There are a lot of people who locate early policing efforts within the context of slave patrols. And police were in part charged with upholding Jim Crow statutes in places where they were in place,” says Balto, who studied relations between the police department and the black community in Chicago for his graduate degree from the UW and is writing a book on the topic. “So, in that sense, there’s nothing new.”

In many black neighborhoods, police are seen as out to harm, not help. “Say you’re young, black, and live in a majority black neighborhood. One of the central challenges you face in terms of navigating daily life is that you can’t walk anywhere without being constantly worried that you’re going to be stopped, frisked and possibly picked up by the police,” he says.

“It is a constant possibility that you’ll be stopped — some might say harassed — despite not having done anything demonstrably wrong to justify the stop. This is a state of being overpoliced.”

But in many black neighborhoods, people also feel underprotected. “Every time you step out your door, you also experience a form of extreme unsafety,” Balto says. “Your neighborhoods are dangerous. Whatever policing strategies have been undertaken in your neighborhood — for your entire lifetime — haven’t done much to better the situation. You live in fear. You’re on edge. This is a state of being underprotected.”

This puts black police officers in a precarious situation.

“It’s a challenge. And the most intense challenge eventually becomes how [black officers] walk the line between being someone who represents their racial community and their best interests while at the same time operating as an agent of an organization that most people in that community see as repressive,” says Balto. “People look at a cop and they don’t so much see a black face as they see a blue uniform.”

Despite these tensions, black people have worked as police officers for a long time, Balto says, with the first hired around the turn of the 20th century.

One of the most well-known early black officers was Samuel Battle, who joined the New York City Police Department in 1911 as a patrolman. He would later become New York’s first black police sergeant and lieutenant and, finally, the first black parole commissioner.

Here in Madison, the first black police officer was Johnny Winston Sr., who was hired in 1969 and reached the rank of lieutenant before retiring in 1998. The city’s first black female police officer was Pia Kinney-James, who was hired in 1975. She retired in 2004 after reaching the rank of special investigator. The city’s first black police chief was Richard Williams, who held the position from 1993 until 2004. His successor, Noble Wray, was Madison’s second black police chief.

He retired in 2013.

Many see having black officers on the force as a way to help combat racism, says Balto. “Black citizens and black reform activists seeking police reform — whether

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their own kids, and [another theory is that] the nontraditional applicant, who might be thinking about testing the waters with a career change, might be negatively affected by the climate of the most recent two years,” Patton says. “Fewer people may be considering this as a viable career in light of the national attention on the criminal justice system.”

Patton has yet to look in-depth at the applicants from last year to gauge their experience levels and work history. But he says if the city is getting fewer nontraditional applicants, “that would be of concern to me because that really does speak to our diversity.”

Despite the drop in applications, Madison is faring better than other departments. “I’ve heard numbers of applications being down between 30% and 60% elsewhere,” he says.

It’s also possible that the recent events are attracting applicants who previously hadn’t considered a job in law enforcement, says Patton.

“It’s a small group, but I have had conversations with people who have said, ‘Right now, more than ever, it’s important to have our police forces reflect the diversity of the community, to have people in the ranks who strongly agree with the necessity for criminal justice reform,” he says.

“It’s a small percentage but we have had those phone calls as well.”

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spurred massive protests against the Madison police, including a vigil in front of the Williamson Street home where the 19-year-old was killed, and demonstrations on East Washington Avenue, in front of the Dane County Courthouse and at the state Capitol.

Zanders worked security for some of these protests, helping to keep order as scores of protesters chanted at him “Fuck the police” and “Arrest, convict, send those killer cops to jail, the whole damn system is guilty as hell.”

The hostility was impossible for Zanders to ignore. “I tried not to focus on the discontent and the things that were being said. I tried to not let the negative things that were said get to me,” he says.

“We were there to do our job.”

While he didn’t work any of the protests following Robinson’s death, Johnson still caught flak about it while doing his job. He remembers detaining a 17-year-old black male for trespassing and taking him home to his mother. “As I was explaining to his mother why we had contact with her son, she stated [to her son], ‘Oh, you know how Madison police are — you don’t want you to get Tony Robinson’d,’” Johnson says. “I think it was just an emotion that the mother had about police being in her home.”

Needing to get back out on patrol, Johnson let the statement slide. “You don’t really want to address it [because] it’s emotional,” he says. “It didn’t have anything to do with why we were there.”

Zanders says that the protests did not make him reconsider his career, but they did reinforce his value of community. “I learned that we need to stick together as an entire community — police and community members.”

No matter their skin color, police everywhere share in the heavy scrutiny brought on by recent events. But when race is used as another reason for criticism, Zanders says, it’s apparent.

“White officers get a lot kickback from the [black] community, and black officers get some of that same kickback,” he says. “It hurts when a person tries to degrade you and they come from a similar background as you.” n

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

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Heavy metal forever The success of Slayer shows the genre is here to stay

BY MICHAEL POPKE n PHOTO BY MARCUS HAUSLER

a loyal and fervent fan base that defies demographics, doesn’t give a damn about musical trends and sometimes still dresses like it’s 1985 in high-tops, ripped jeans and denim jackets covered in band-logo patches.

Last fall, Slayer released its 12th studio album, Repentless, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold a band-high 50,000 copies its first week. The following week, Repentless was the No. 2-selling album in the world, and Guitar World magazine proclaimed it “the metal album of the year.”

Slayer is celebrating 35 years in 2016 by headlining a highly anticipated tour with two other veteran bands, Testament (founded in 1983) and Carcass (founded in 1985). This trio of thrash/death metal titans will invade the Orpheum Theater on March 9.

“The reason for the fan loyalty is that it’s obvious we all love doing what we do. It’s genuine,” says Slayer’s Gary Holt. The founding guitarist of the California thrash band Exodus, he replaced Slayer’s original guitarist and songwriter Jeff Hanneman under circumstances that sound like a Slayer song: Hanneman contracted a flesh-eating virus from a spider bite in 2011 and died from alcohol-related cirrhosis in 2013.

“Trends come and go, but heavy metal is here to stay — even though it’s been declared dead many times,” Holt continues, rattling off a list of gutted genres that include disco, grunge and rap-metal. “We’re still here, and a lot of those other bands aren’t.”

Contrary to what mainstream critics claim, heavy metal music is some of the purest and

most complex you’ll ever hear. For proof, just listen to Kirk Hammett’s guitar solos on Metallica’s “Creeping Death” and “One.” Heavy metal music also is in the midst of renaissance, powered by old-school bands that not only are touring but also putting out new music.

Since last August, such stalwarts as Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Saxon and Danzig have released new albums, and Metal Church and Judas Priest will drop new or live releases this spring.

Of the so-called Big Four thrash-metal bands — Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax — only Metallica has not released an album of new material in the past six

CONTINUE D ON PAGE 37

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MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

If you saw the 1987 cult classic film River’s Edge — a harrowing drama about a high school stoner who kills his girlfriend, starring Dennis Hopper and a cast of then-unknowns including Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye and Crispin Glover — you might remember the breakneck, blistering and brutal heavy-metal soundtrack as much the engaging story line.

That movie was my first exposure to the thrash-metal band from California called Slayer, whose songs “Captor of Sin,” “Tormentor,” “Evil Has No Boundaries” and “Die by the Sword” were featured in the film.

Say it with me: Slayer.

The word even sounds sinister. Today, Slayer still lives up to its name, its song titles and its reputation as one of metal’s most controversial yet influential bands. It built

25

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Shanxi style Taigu brings handmade, hand-cut noodles to Middleton

Join us on

BY CANDICE WAGENER

Middleton may have struck gold for Chinese food with the new Taigu.

Owner Hong Gao named the restaurant after the county in China’s Shanxi province where she grew up. Gao and her family bring diners the real deal. Portions are substantial — often big enough for two meals — and much of the food’s made from scratch, with fresh ingredients.

There are two menus, American-Chinese and “traditional.” Between them, you may feel overwhelmed. Staunch AmericanChinese fans should be pleased; most of the standards are here; they’re all homemade and stand apart from their cornstarch-laden counterparts at other area takeout spots.

Even the crab rangoon, a guilty pleasure of mine that can often taste like it was cooked in the microwave, is served as six large, crispy, handmade triangles accompanied by the usual sweet-sour sauce. The filling was a bit heavy on the cream cheese, but the crunchy pastry made up for it.

But the true standouts at Taigu are on the traditional menu. Especially fine are the noodle dishes, Shanxi style, which many Americans may be unfamiliar with. Noodles are made onsite by Gao and her brothers and father.

Choose from either cats’ ear, shaped as such, or knife-cut, which are similar to fettucine in length and girth yet have even more body and chewiness to them; this allows them to hold their own in their simple sauces or broth.

The tomato and egg boiled knife-cut noodles — a staple from Gao’s childhood — is a bowl full of happiness. Long, thick noodles are completely slurp-able; they come in a hearty broth with chunks of stewed tomato and scrambled egg. The flavors are simple, yet delicious; this dish was a favorite even with the kids.

The scallion knife-cut noodles are done perfectly al dente, this time complemented with just a hint of soy sauce and chili oil — which added a definite heat — and a good amount of scallions and sesame seeds, which gave the dish a welcome crunch.

Must love sour: Pickled Chinese cabbage with beef.

St. Patty’s Day and

Sunday, Mar 13

DURING THE ST. PATRICK’S PARADE

$4.50 pints Guinness $3 shots Tullamore Dew, 2 Gingers, and Hell-Cat Maggie

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www.thenewparadiselounge.com

RYAN WISNIEWSKI

TAIGU n 7610 Elmwood Ave., Middleton, n 608-831-3458 n taiguchineserestaurant.com 11:30 am-8:30 pm Sun., 4-9 pm Mon., 11 am-2 pm & 4-9 pm Tues.-Fri., 11 am-9 pm Sat. n $4-$16

Spicy pork belly with dried tofu balanced rich pork belly with anise and red chili, which magically transformed tofu from bland to tangy.

Green peppers and onion were still crisp, adding extra texture.

Pickled Chinese cabbage with beef featured large chunks of tender meat, green onion and cabbage along with hints of ginger and lemongrass. The cabbage is definitely pickled, so don’t order it if your palate doesn’t appreciate sour.

Make sure you give the specials board a glance on your way in. I took a chance on a spicy squid special and was thrilled when it came with generous portions of squid cut into large chunks and scored to allow the flavors of the spicy, salty sauce to soak in. Again, crispy vegetables, including green pepper, onion and a nice addition of leafy Chinese broccoli, rounded out the dish.

For families with finicky kids, perhaps choose the “small” portion of fried rice (in veggie, chicken, beef, roast pork or shrimp versions), which fed two hungry preteen boys at just $6. The rice was cooked perfectly with a

good balance of meat, egg, carrots and peas.

Lunch specials ($6-$9), drawn from the American-Chinese menu, are another great value; they include a side of rice and two small egg rolls (the one item that left something to be desired, with little to no flavor).

The restaurant is devoted to large booths and tables, and huge windows let in plenty of light. The decor is enhanced with some of Gao’s original artwork.

Overall, I found the service attentive, but staff often seemed to disappear after they’d dropped your food at the table. While it’s not out of the ordinary to pay the bill at the counter, we also had to head up there to ask for take-out containers on a couple occasions. But that’s a small price to pay for knowing you’ll have another meal in your refrigerator for the next day.

And it’s clear that Gao, who is almost always there, takes great pride in the place and delights in sharing her family’s recipes with her customers. n

Three to try: Artichokes

Porta Bella’s Three-Course Specials $16.95 Includes soup or salad and chocolate chip cannoli Entrée Selections

Prosciutto and Panna Manicotti Chicken Tetrazzinni Lasagna 425 N. Frances St. 256-3186 Parking ramp located across the street

ArtiMelt sandwich

Mediterranean pasta Cheese and artichoke dip

Crema Cafe, 4124 Monona Dr.

Bluephies, 2710 Monroe St.

The ArtiMelt showcases artichokes paired with creamy Farmer’s John provolone, red onions, and spinach, all held together with a little mayo on a perfect crusty baguette.

What goes best with artichokes? Kalamata olives and spinach and a sundried tomato-based red sauce, sprinkled with feta.

All on springy corkscrew pasta.

The Great Dane Pub and Brewery, 123 E. Doty St. and three other area locations

Creamy blend of Parmesan cheese and sour cream, artichoke hearts and scallions occupies the inside of a rustic boule loaf. It comes with broccoli, carrots, red peppers and other assorted veggies for dipping, making you feel better about all that dairy.

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MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

LINDA FALKENSTEIN

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Cheeses are waiting Nibblers are welcome at the upcoming World Championship Cheese Contest

BY JANE BURNS

For an event that started in a cooler in Green Bay, the World Championship Cheese Contest has turned into a hot ticket in Madison.

The contest begins March 7 at Monona Terrace, and what was once strictly an industry-focused event has evolved in recent years into a spectator sport — albeit one that offers a chance to nibble at the contestants.

Judging takes place over the course of three days, culminating in a ticketed evening gala on March 9 called “Cheese Champion.” There, 16 finalists are winnowed down to a winner, and cheese lovers can sample 50 different cheeses along with appetizers.

The contest was founded in 1957 by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, but organizers didn’t really start reaching out to the public until 2012. Pre-

RED WAVE PICTURES

viously, anyone could attend, but there wasn’t a lot to see — or taste.

“You could wander through and see judges spitting out cheese,” says Jeanne Carpenter, specialty cheese manager at Metcalfe’s Market and the organizer of the tasting evening through her business, Wisconsin Cheese Originals. “That was kind of the highlight.”

Now casual observers can try limited samples throughout the exhibition. Cheese Champion is expected to sell out its 500 tickets, with proceeds going to scholarships for graduate research at the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin.

“It had been very much industry-focused, and still is,” says Kirsten Henning, event manager for the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. “But it’s great the consumers are so involved, too.”

The biannual contest alternates with another WCMA event, the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.

This year’s championship will have 2,932 entries from 23 countries and 31 states. In 2014, 34 of 90 category winners were from Wisconsin, but a big-wheeled Emmentaler from Switzerland was named champion. No Wisconsin, or American, cheese maker has taken top honors since Roland Tess of Kiel in 1984.

Carpenter says two Wisconsin companies in particular, Roth of Monroe and Holland’s Family Cheese in Thorp, have a shot at the title

because they are making the kinds of cheese the judges have favored over the years — Swiss Alpine cheeses and Dutch Goudas.

Carpenter has been wowed by Roth’s Private Reserve, a raw cow’s milk cheese.

“This recent batch can stack up against the best Gruyeres coming out of Switzerland, though I don’t know how Switzerland would feel about me saying that,” Carpenter says.

Marieke Penterman of Holland’s Family Cheese was a world finalist in 2014 and a U.S. champion in 2013.

“If she’s entering a Gouda that’s over a year old, she has a chance of winning because her cheese is amazing,” Carpenter says.

The contest is open to the public on Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Monona Terrace’s Exhibit Hall for those who want to observe the judging.

There is no admission charge. For more information, or to order tickets ($25) for Wednesday’s Cheese Champion event, see worldchampioncheese.org. n

Beer buzz: Lager field Next Door plays with a handful of new beers for bottling O’so travels abroad

BY ROBIN SHEPARD

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

Next Door brewmaster Bryan Kreiter has been working on his next new bottle release; it could end up being a lager.

Kreiter has two pilot lagers that he unveiled for his Mug Club members last week.

They appeared alongside a light golden ale that’s also vying for year-round bottle status.

The two lagers are based on the Bohemian Pilsner style, and they both feature New Zealand Motueka hops. Their difference is their malt bills.

As for the golden ale, while somewhat similar to the pilsners, it’ll have a somewhat softer body from a touch of red wheat malt.

All three will be available on tap at the Atwood Avenue brewpub over the next several weeks. The one that’s chosen for bottle production should turn up in sixpacks by summer.

28

ROBIN SHEPARD

For the good of the brewery, MobCraft’s Henry Schwartz will brave the waters of reality TV.

Bottles of O’so beer are making the voyage overseas the old-fashioned way, by ship, to England and Finland. O’so has been selling its beers in the U.K. since last fall, and the plan is to continue periodic shipments, with expansion into the Netherlands. Several of the O’so beers are making the trip; brewery owner Marc Buttera says his Hop Whoopin IPA seems to be the favorite so far.

Closer to home, O’so is set to release Scarlet Letter, a beer made with Wisconsin cranberries and packaged in 750 mL bottles for around $17/ each. Later this spring O’So intends to offer Blood of the Cherry, another sour made with Door County cherries, in its Plover taproom.

company, and have a discussion about trying to make an equity deal,” says Schwartz.

He’s prohibited by the network from revealing what the outcome was.

MobCraft is planning viewing parties in local bars; forthcoming details will be announced on the MobCraft website.

Beer to watch for: Lakefront Maibock

Capital Brewery Bockfest There have been years when it was so cold for Capital’s annual Bockfest that you could barely drink your beer before it froze. “We’ve had three inches of snow and 10 degree temperatures, but this is the warmest ever for Bockfest,” says brewery president Scott Wiener.

This year’s fest, held Saturday Feb. 27, was the 19th annual and drew nearly 2,500 beer drinkers to the brewery’s beer garden. In addition to the release of the Blonde Doppelbock, Capital offered more than a dozen other beers.

New this year was a Friday night preparty for premium ticket holders, a highlight of which was a cellared version of the 2015 Blonde Doppelbock.

CAROLYN FATH

Shark Tank!

MobCraft Beer is jumping into the Shark Tank, the ABC reality television show that gives aspiring entrepreneurs a chance to make their best business pitch to potential investors.

MobCraft CEO Henry Schwartz traveled to California a couple of months ago for the taping of an episode that is scheduled to air Friday, March 11, at 8 p.m. central time.

The weekly show features a five-person cast, or “sharks,” that listen to a company’s best pitch for funding. “You just walk in, pitch your

Lakefront’s new Maibock has a rich Bohemian flair with its Pilsner, Vienna, Munich and German Caramel malts. Plus, Czech Saaz (a traditional German noble hop) lends a background of earthy herbal character. A small amount of Mt. Hood hops go into overall bittering. “We try to make it as traditional as we can,” says Lakefront head brewer Luther Paul.

This one hits all the right notes with these traditional German malts; there are bready, biscuit and caramel flavors throughout. As the beer warmed, I picked up a little more toasted and roasted qualities — nothing overly strong, just a bit more grainy sweetness and a hint of smoke lingering in the finish. The hops were in the background, a little quiet and subdued.

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I was hoping for more of the Saaz to come through — nothing bitter, mind you, just more noticeable and crisp than in this beer. However, if you’re a fan of German malt flavor, then this is a brew that’s worth picking for Maibock season.

Maibock is a versatile meal beer. You really can’t go wrong pairing it with most pub and tavern fare. Lakefront’s version of the style cries out for German sausage with a touch of spice; this is a wonderful companion for currywurst.

The Maibock finishes around 6.8% ABV and is sold in sixpacks for around $9.

ROBIN SHEPARD

More beers to watch for: Diablo Belga from Ale Asylum A Belgian Dubbel, previously called Diablo, is arriving in stores this week for its seasonal run.

Uber Joe Coffee Ale from 3 Sheeps Brewing Made with cocoa nibs and Colectivo Coffee, then aged with maple wood, this is a beefedup version of Hello My Name Is Joe.

Hu$hMoney from Ale Asylum This American IPA will have a hop bill based on pilot batches the brewery has been offering over the past several months.

Dedication from Vintage Brewing Brewmaster Scott Manning took some of his 2015 Belgian dubbel and aged it for 10 months in rye whiskey barrels. It’s currently on tap at the west-side brewpub. n

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The north side has just two coffee shops — Manna Cafe in Lakewood Plaza and the Coffee Gallerie in Northside Town Center, close to Warner Park. Coffee Gallerie is more modest in scope than Manna, but it serves a big purpose and a large area of the city. Pastries and sandwiches, a salad bar and frozen yogurt station round out the food. It’s a pleasant shop with a few nooks and crannies for study, meetings with neighbors or just relaxing.

The shop takes the “Gallerie” aspect of its name seriously, too, always devoting wall space to a local artist, recently Madison’s Ali Brooks.

Coffee Gallerie uses beans from JBC Coffee Roasters, and features a light and a dark roast cup daily, along with the full contingent of more complex drinks.

Recently the server recommended the Colombian dark roast to me as having the edge in flavor over the two cups of the day, and when I asked for room for milk, he asked what kind — skim? Two percent? Whole?

He retrieved it straight from the fridge. Why ruin excellent JBC beans by asking customers to mix warmish skim and half-and-half?

Why don’t more coffee houses do this?

— LINDA FALKENSTEIN

Over 30 area chefs collaborate to combine cuisines, swap restaurants and compete to give you a week of unique culinary experiences

March 4-13 2016

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The Robin Room at 821 E. Johnson St. is another feather in the cap of the East Johnson corridor. Several great restaurants already exist in that neighborhood. But for dedicated drinkers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who may occasionally want to roll out of bed for something other than shots and pitchers at the Caribou â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this new cocktail spot is a definite enhancement.

If I had to summarize the vibe at the Robin Room in one word, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be â&#x20AC;&#x153;cordial.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a double entendre and a compliment. The rotating cocktail menu has drinks made with a variety of homemade ingredients, exemplified by a blood orange and cognac cordial that sweetens the Robin Roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s version of an Old Fashioned, known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wisconsin Compromise.â&#x20AC;? If you like an Old Fashioned sweetened with fizzy corn syrup, this may not be for

you. (But you can get a homemade cocoa nib phosphate soda, right from the tap.)

The Robin Room isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pouring pretention. With draught beers, a conscientious gender-diverse bar staff and a welcoming neon pineapple hanging above the couch, the room is warm, hospitable, neighborly.

It takes experience to run a place that feels this relaxed and easy. The Robin Room was launched by renowned local barman Chad Vogel, who also co-owns the consulting group Three Count Beverage and a bustling national business called the Barmadillo, a nomadic craft cocktail bar in a vintage Airstream trailer.

Now, Vogel also has a room of his own.

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Chefs swapping restaurants, collaborating on special plates and an all-you-can-eat street-foodinspired finale thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a benefit for the Market Double Dollars program. Choose from 36 events. More info at isthmus.com/chefweek.

More than 100 craft beers from more than 50 breweries will be on hand at the Alliant Energy Center, in two sessions (1:30-5 pm or 6:30-10 pm).

Three hours of sampling, a souvenir glass and live music; national breweries, with an emphasis on Wisconsin craft beers.

Tickets ($45/$60) at MadisonOnTap.com.

The Italian-American Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club will be making a traditional dinner including pasta with sausage, salad, bread, dessert, wine and other beverages.

Proceeds go to college scholarships for high school seniors. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church, 1905 West Beltline Hwy., 11:45 am-3 pm; $10/ adults, $5/children. Call 608-271-1763 for more info.

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On the night before the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team notched a signature win at Iowa last week, CarverHawkeye Arena sat empty.

Unless you count a group of student managers from both teams, engaging in a competitive yet friendly basketball game of their own. The Badgers won that one, too, and as of Sunday, were atop the standings in what’s known as the B1G Manager Hoops League with a 6-0 record. (The small number of games played is indicative of how difficult it can be for managers of opposing teams’ schedules to coincide.)

Wisconsin’s manager squad is one of more than 120 teams — representing about a third of all 351 schools in Division I basketball conferences — that collectively have played more than 200 games this season.

They take place in deserted arenas, late at night, with all the luxuries of “real” games — scoreboard, shot clock and sometimes locker rooms. The only thing missing? Fans.

KPI Sports, a website that provides college basketball data, analytics, algorithms and analysis, even logs manager games and ranks teams. Last week, the Badgers were fifth behind No. 1 Kansas, Akron, Virginia Commonwealth and Miami (Fla.). The nearest Big 10 rival was Michigan, way down at No. 23.

The (real) Badgers men’s team has 15 student managers — 12 men and three

women — who perform such thankless tasks as rebounding during warm-ups and collecting water cups after time outs. But not all of them participate in the scrimmages, says senior Ben Eckburg, head student manager. Wisconsin takes only three managers to away games, so other UW staff members, including program assistants and video coordinators, literally jump into action.

“I’ve been doing this for four years, and we put together as many games as we can,” says Eckburg, who played basketball for his high school team in Rockford, Ill. “It’s definitely evolved, which is pretty cool.”

In 2014, two Michigan State student managers established the B1G Manager Hoops League (follow the action @B1GManagerHoops). The Badgers managers have their own Twitter page, too: @BadgerMBBMGRS. A couple of weeks ago, KPI announced plans to organize a national tournament featuring the top 64 manager teams, based on rankings. Games will be determined in part by geographical region, and if specific matchups at conference tournaments aren’t possible, online fan votes will help decide which teams move on. Four regional champions — a Final Four, of sorts — will be announced on Selection Sunday, March 13.

“If that actually happens,” Eckburg says about the national tournament, “that would be awesome.” n

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Stellar music ahead Madison Symphony Orchestra rolls out new season

BY JOHN W. BARKER

The Madison Symphony Orchestra has announced a phenomenal season of eight concerts for 2016-17, opening with Gustav Holst’s epic suite, The Planets on Sept. 23-25, accompanied by a lavish HD video presentation.

“This season, we have a lot of groundbreaking firsts,” says music director John DeMain.

“Every one of our subscription concerts has one or two musical compositions that the Madison Symphony Orchestra has never performed before.”

In October, MSO will bring back popular Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud, playing his own composition as well as Max Bruch’s Concerto No. 1, all framed by Edward Elgar’s surging concert overture, Alassio, or In the South, and Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony — the Pastorale — which DeMain says audiences may recognize from Disney’s Fantasia.

The sister duo Christina and Michelle Naughton will be featured in the concert in November, playing Mozart’s Two-Piano Concerto. The orchestra will add Debussy’s suite Le Printemps and Shostakovich’s mighty Symphony No. 5.

On Dec. 2-4, soprano soloist Sylvia McNair will brighten the annual Christmas program.

And kicking off next year’s offerings, the featured work in February’s concert will be Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, the Pathétique, with Stephen Hough playing the unfairly neglected Piano Concerto No. 5 (the “Egyptian”) of Camille Saint-Saëns, with Samuel Barber’s powerful Second Essay for Orchestra as opener.

Heavy metal continued from 25

months. But deluxe reissues of Metallica’s groundbreaking Kill ’Em All (1983) and Ride the Lightning (1984) are on the way. Metallica also recently was named 2016 Record Store Day Ambassadors and on April 16 will release Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, Metallica!: Live at Le Bataclan, recorded in 2003. Proceeds will benefit the Give for France charity for victims of the November 2015 terror attacks at the Bataclan concert hall and other locations in Paris.

As VH-1 once proclaimed, “heavy metal lies in your heart, not in your outward appearance.”

Mocking metal is easy when you don’t bother to look past an individual’s appearance, question the reasons why you find a particular album cover offensive or fail to realize that a song called “Chasing Death” is about the tragic effects of alcoholism because you didn’t take time to truly hear the lyrics.

But here’s the thing: Many metal bands (not all, I admit) use graphic imagery and explosive words to make political, religious or social statements that, on the surface, appear vulgar, blasphemous or borderline criminal. In reality, they’re conveying compelling ideas that force listeners to consider alternate perspectives. Slayer’s founding guitarist and chief songwriter Kerry King told Metal Hammer magazine last year that his band is neither sacrilegious nor satanic.

“I’m an atheist,” he said. “I don’t care what you believe in, as long as you’re open to listening to what I have to say. Everybody should be able to make up their own mind about whatever they want to do or believe. Perspectives are valuable whether they’re mine or not.”

Anthrax’s new album, For All Kings, dropped Feb. 26. The video for its lead single (yes, single!) “Evil Twin” features blurred images of religious and political leaders juxtaposed with those of violence and tragedy to go along with lyrics referencing “insolence,” “atrocity” and “repulsion.”

The message of the song isn’t to promote hatred, guitarist Scott Ian told Rolling Stone. “Let’s forget for a moment the history of radical extremism and why we live in a world where it exists and just think about now,” Ian said. “That’s what ‘Evil Twin’ is about. It’s my relationship to the violence perpetrated by radical extremists.

It’s my anger towards it, and it’s my hatred towards the inability to stop it.”

Despite the often serious tone of heavy metal’s message and the extremeness of its delivery, Holt — who is 51 years old and suffers from back problems — has no intention of stopping. Heavy metal is about “having fun, never selling out, sticking to our guns and staying musically honest,” he says. “Fifty years from now, people will still be rocking the Motörhead patches.” n

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$7

(Album Release)

Gomeroke

Tropical Riddims Sound System

5pm $7

9:30PM $6 ADV, $8 DOS 18+

Music Can Beat MS Charity Jamboree 2016 Electric Spanking / WheelHouse The People Brothers Band / The Family Business Circle Of Heat / Primitive Culture / Moonhouse Wrenclaw / 1pm $20 adv, $25 dos, $100 vip SWBMAI Jamboree & CD Release Northern Comfort Bluegrass / Milkhouse Radio / Timbre Junction Bluegrass Tea & Company 12pm

mon mar

9:30pm

DUB FOUNDATION with AKASHA

HAPPYOKE

fri mar Rock Star

4

Local Love Fest The Beast of Bray Road Full Vinyl Treatment One Last Run Malcomexicans

BLACK TUSK & HOLY GRAIL Order of the Jackal 8pm

$5

$10adv, $12 dos 18+

PUNDAMONIUM: The Madison Pun Slam!

6pm $7

tue mar

EVAN ROCKSTAR MURDOCK GOMEROKE

8 & THE IMPERFECT STRANGERS 6pm $5

wed mar

9

BASIA BULAT

The Weather Station 8pm

thu mar

10

live band karaoke 9pm FREE

$13 adv, $15 dos

DROIDS ATTACK (Album release)

ATTALLA / The Gran Fury 9pm

$7

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

As a longtime headbanger, I’m all too familiar with the stereotypes that plague heavy metal and its fans: Metal is music for society’s lowest common denominator, detractors say.

Metal fans are prone to angry outbursts and violence, and they’re nothing more than misfits who wear leather and chains and never seem to cut their hair. (When I told Holt I don’t look like a metalhead, he accused me of perpetuating a stereotype. Touché, dude.)

At the March concert, Carl St. Clair will return as the one guest conductor of the season, with the popular Norwegian trumpet virtuosa Tine Thing Helseth playing Hummel’s concerto, flanked

by Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and the Alpine Symphony, one of Richard Strauss’ most sumptuous works.

In April, MSO tackles Schumann’s brilliant Manfred Overture and the Polish modernist Witold Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra, and soloist Philippe Bianconi will play Rachmaninoff’s challenging Piano Concerto No. 3.

The season finale on May 5-7 will be devoted to Brahms’ eloquent Requiem, with soloists Devon Guthrie, soprano, and baritone Timothy Jones.

Nathan Laube will be the soloist in the British master Charles Villiers Stanford’s Concert Piece for Organ and Orchestra.

And as a bonus event (with ticketing separate from subscriptions) on Jan. 25, the orchestra will offer a special “Beyond the Score” presentation. The orchestra will perform Rimsky-Korsakoff’s Scheherazade in full. The concert will be preceded by a documentary about the music, featuring local American Players Theatre veterans James and Brenda DeVita.

DeMain, whose excellent leadership continues to grow the reputation of Madison’s symphony, says the upcoming season has something for everyone: “As you can see, I’m really pumped by our new season, the variety, the beauty and the talent that will simply dazzle each and every listener.” n

37

n STAGE

The science of racism Smart People looks at the intersection of four lives

BY GWENDOLYN RICE

What if prejudice against dark-skinned people was genetically programmed in Caucasians? What if racism was hard-wired, instead of a conditioned response created and perpetuated by white society? What if scientific proof existed that this was the case and no one wanted to accept it? These are some of the questions Lydia Diamond raises in her issue-packed play Smart People, produced by University Theatre and running through March 13 at the UW Mitchell Theatre.

The story focuses on four people connected with Harvard University: Jackson, an African American medical resident; Brian, a white professor and researcher who is trying to prove his theory about the origins of racism; Ginny, an Asian psychology professor with a shopping obsession; and Valerie, an African American actor who has just received her MFA and is struggling to find work onstage that will pay her bills. They are each intelligent, passionate, accomplished and angry. They are also the victims and perpetrators of both racism and sexism that is either malicious, unconscious, integral to

our DNA, or part of a much more complicated and nuanced problem.

Valerie (a pitch-perfect Aaliyah Boyd) is accused of not being “black enough” both at theater auditions and on her date with Jackson.

Brian (Daniel Millhouse), the smug, abrasive professor, rails against his white liberal colleagues for defunding his research, but he invokes white privilege when he feels betrayed.

He’s forced to question his own biases when he falls into bed with Ginny (a compelling Lucy Tan), who asserts her authority by yelling at customer service representatives at high-end clothing stores. She counsels young Asian women on how to better navigate a system that exoticizes or ignores them, but avoids real contact with others by paying constant attention to her phone. Jackson (Cyle Agee) feels he’s being hazed during his residency and undermined by other doctors because he’s African American.

But Brian accuses him of embodying the stereotype of an “angry black man with a chip on his shoulder.”

Perhaps the most debilitating problem each of them faces is an inability to effectively communicate or connect with one another.

At the exact moment when Americans could claim they have moved beyond racial bias —

Allison Semmes (left) shines as the up-and-coming diva Diana Ross, with Trisha Jeffrey.

ROSS ZENTNER

Culture clash (from left): Aaliyah Boyd, Cyle Agee, Lucy Tan and Daniel Millhouse.

President Obama’s first inauguration — two of the characters talk only about the clothes and surface appearance of the first family. It is a sad commentary on a lost opportunity.

The set, designed by Shuxing Fan, does a good job of placing characters in many distinct locales, but scene changes slow down the pace.

A large projection screen behind the set is used to great effect when cycling through pictures of

A glittering black history lesson Motown the Musical is a tribute to the record label that changed America

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

BY CATHERINE CAPELLARO

38

people of many races to provoke reactions from research test subjects and from the audience. But the photos of each scene’s locale are unnecessary and intrusive. A video of swirling colors between scenes seems especially out of place.

Like the problem of racism itself, there are no easy answers in the play. But there is much discussion, and that is a great place to start. n

From the opening trumpet lines and performers in matching suits dancing and singing in close harmony (representing the Temptations and the Four Tops), Motown the Musical is a captivating history lesson about black music and a time when black lives began to matter in the entertainment business.

Founded in 1959 by a former autoworker and amateur boxer named Berry Gordy, the Detroit-based hit factory known as Motown Records launched the careers of Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and many more.

Audiences will recognize many of the songs and artists in this dizzying parade of hits, interspersed with a narrative about black artists struggling to get a foothold in a racist industry.

Berry Gordy wrote the book around the songs, and his backstory is central to the narrative thread: He borrows $800 from the family’s grocery store business to start a record label. He was inspired by the time he spent working on an auto assembly line to create a place where a talented kid could walk in off the street and become a star. His formula worked over and over again. Gordy was also famous for controlling artists, including what they wore and what they sang; he doesn’t shy away from this paternalism in the script. But eventually Motown became so successful that bigger labels repeatedly poached its artists, making them offers they couldn’t refuse. Even Ross, with whom Gordy also had a

longtime personal relationship, abandoned ship after coming up through the Motown ranks.

The musical moves quickly, and doesn’t delve deeply into too many backstories. But the audience sees the changing culture of the ’60s and ’70s reflected in Motown’s artists. Gordy was also a committed civil rights activist who, as a labor of love, released recordings of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches. At first opposed to Marvin Gaye’s politicized messages, he tells him he can’t release a song with the lyric “trigger-happy policing.” But Gaye perseveres, in a passionate plea to make music that matters. A particularly moving section is Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” posed as a reaction to the King assassination.

Many of the 40 hits in the show are indelibly marked in our collective consciousness, and thankfully, this Broadway treatment is faithful to Motown-era singing styles. David Korins’ stunning set includes a 3-D Detroit streetscape that appears to float above the action on the stage. The costuming is superb, including sequin- and crystal-encrusted gowns and men’s silk suits. The singing and dancing talent in the cast and pit orchestra is dizzying. Several standouts are Chester Gregory’s portrayal of Berry, and Allison Semmes, who captures the blossoming of the diva Diana Ross. Leon Outlaw Jr. is an outstanding Michael Jackson, perfectly re-creating the voice and dance moves of the child star.

Early on, when a radio DJ tells Gordy “We don’t play race music,” Gordy replies that this is everyone’s music. The ability of music to create change, to bring people together: That’s the beauty of Motown. n

The art of theater Student playwright festival tackles timely issues

BY CHELSEY DEQUAINE

From sexuality to gun violence, UW student playwrights are taking on hot-button issues in a series of plays selected for the 25th annual Marcia Légère Student Play Festival.

This year’s winning plays, which will be performed March 10-12 in the Wisconsin Union’s Fredric March Play Circle, were chosen from more than 20 works submitted by current UW-Madison students. A panel of five judges included two local playwrights, two students and one alum.

Black Rose by Ashley Thomas, a native of Harlem, focuses on a conversation between two black women discussing their sexual experiences. Niccole Carner, a Ph.D. candidate

in theater and drama and the show’s director, says she is focusing on bringing the audience’s attention to the women’s relationship. “We are given access to voices not often featured on stages at UW, or anywhere for that matter,” says Carner. “I hope this will be a catalyst for future productions.” Thomas, an African American social work major who will graduate this May, says the voices of women of color are often absent from the stage. “The story is sacred because it’s powerful and often overlooked.”

Jeff Casey says he hopes audience members “laugh their asses off” during his play, Only a Good Guy, which he calls “provocative.” He extrapolates a world where active-shooter events are common and everyone from postal workers to baristas to college students is armed and prepared to be the

“good guy with a gun.” The idea for the play came from campus-carry legislation in Texas, which allows guns on public college campuses.

“I’m a Texan,” says Casey, an interdisciplinary theater studies Ph.D. candidate who expects to graduate this year. “I learned how to fire guns before I hit puberty. Rational democratic communication cannot happen when there is a gun in the room.”

His director, Allie Frank, says she is putting to use the collaborative skills she learned from her high school theater director in Appleton. “The piece is alive and growing as we speak. I cannot wait to see what it evolves into on stage,” she says.

Other plays in the festival include Super

by Kerry Billings, Love Is in the Err by Isaac

M A D I S O N S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A presents

Quasia Heru (left) and Amina Iro rehearse Black Rose.

Ama, and Shelter in Place by Laura FarrellWortman.

Sandy Peterson, managing director of the festival, says the selections make for a diverse and eclectic evening: “This festival provides valuable opportunities for students across disciplines to explore, test and practice the art of theater.” n

WISCONSIN UNION THEATER

ALONZO KING T LINES BALLET 3.11.16 “ Handsome, sleek, accomplished.”

Mansfield University Concert Choir and Madison Youth Choirs with Samuel Hutchison, Organist

(New York Times)

DERVISH 3.13.16 4PM & 7:30PM “An icon of Irish music.”

(BBC)

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 7:30pm Overture Hall

VIJAY IYER 4.14.16

TICKETS

$20 at madisonsymphony.org/mansfieldchoir, Overture Box Office, or (608) 258-4141.

Student rush $10 day of concert

Sponsored by Wes and Ankie Foell and Friends of the Overture Concert Organ

UNIONTHEATER.WISC.EDU

AA

This concert was supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the state of wisconsin and the national endowment for the arts

608.265.ARTS The presentation of Biophony by Alonzo King LINES Ballet was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitably Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Anonymous Fund Evjue Foundation

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

“The most celebrated pianist in jazz.”

(JazzTimes)

39

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Soldiers struggle to connect with civilians in this Oscar-nominated film.

TUESDAY 3/8

JAZZ JAM

w/ THE NEW BREED 9PM • FREE

M ADISON’S CL A SSIC DA NC E B A R

Communication breakdown

MA DI SO N’S C L A S S IC DA N C E B A R

A War centers on NATO troops in Afghanistan

BY KENNETH BURNS

A War, writer and director Tobias Lindholm’s gripping film about violent events in Afghanistan, is part combat thriller, part legal drama.

The film centers on a group of soldiers from Denmark, which participated in NATO’s Afghanistan intervention from the beginning, in 2001. A War was a finalist for this year’s Foreign Language Film Oscar.

When the soldiers and their commander, Claus (Pilou Asbæk), look at Afghans, they often do so through lenses of one kind or another: binoculars, rifle scopes, the cameras they use to document carnage. This may have a distancing effect. Certainly the soldiers operate at a remove from the civilians they’re protecting, and that could explain the lethal choice Claus makes at a critical moment.

As the film begins, soldiers are on patrol in an Afghan province, and Claus monitors them via radio. One is killed in an attack.

This is a brutally gory scene, and shaky handheld cameras capture it and other combat sequences with documentary urgency.

Afterward, Claus’ men are shaken, and he announces that he will begin accompanying them on patrols.

Meanwhile, in Denmark, Claus’ wife, Maria (Tuva Novotny), raises their three young children. She’s a doting mother, and we see her lose patience only once, when the middle child misbehaves. A boy of about 8, he seems to be acting out because of the strain caused by his father’s absence. The family members desperately want to be together again, and after a medical emergency involving the youngest child, Maria breaks down.

Communications between the soldiers and their loved ones are difficult. Claus talks to his family in static-filled phone calls that sometimes are dropped and sometimes don’t happen as scheduled. In a video message, an injured soldier greets his comrades in Afghanistan by flipping through a series of cards.

That scene, at once funny and wrenching, is a good example of the emotional complexity Lindholm finds in this material.

The soldiers likewise have trouble communicating with Afghan civilians. Mediated

by interpreters, their conversations are emotional and confusing, and Claus struggles to connect. The civilians’ wellbeing is the reason the soldiers are there, as Claus says at a briefing, but civilians and combatants aren’t easy to tell apart in this phase of the conflict, when people detonating roadside bombs do so remotely, invisibly.

The drama hangs on a quick decision Claus makes during a firefight. Desperate to evacuate a wounded soldier, he orders deadly airstrikes on a structure that, it turns out, houses civilians, including children. He is charged with war crimes and sent home to Denmark for the trial. Claus is relieved to be back, even as he agonizes over his decision and the court proceeding.

In a scene near the end, Claus’ oldest child, an adolescent girl, asks him whether it’s true that he killed children. This is heartbreaking. Claus has come home and is now able to meet an essential parental commitment: being present for his children. But now he struggles with meeting another one: being honest with them. n

Surviving the unimaginable

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

Sunday, March 20

40

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MadCityBridalExpo.com 847-577-6805

Oscar-winning Son of Saul is a gripping Holocaust drama It’s easy to understand the gut reaction that there’s no new way to approach a drama about the Holocaust, or that it’s an easy grab for emotional weight. But Lázsló Nemes finds a gripping perspective in his story of Saul Ausländer (Géza Röhrig), a Hungarian Jew in Auschwitz’s Sonderkommando workforce. Ausländer becomes obsessed with one dead boy that he identifies as his son and is determined to secure a ritual Jewish burial for the body.

Nemes’ prowling, extended takes rarely feel like showy flourishes, instead creating a unique sense of the concentration camp as a physical

space. And that physicality extends to the focus on the horrifying tasks given to the Sonderkommando — scrubbing down the showers in which Jews are gassed; shoveling out the ashes from the ovens — that emphasize the place as an assembly line for destroying human lives. Röhrig’s haunted, dead-eyed performance adds intensity to his single-minded quest, one that even ends up costing others their lives, as one man who now exists only to facilitate destruction tries to find purpose in treating at least one of those lives as something that deserves respect.

— SCOTT RENSHAW

Géza Röhrig’s haunted performance adds intensity to his single-minded quest.

The film list

GET TICKETS FOR THESE EVENTS!

New releases The Boy and the Beast: A huge success in Japan, this thrilling, if overlong, animated epic from director Mamoru Hosoda is part Karate Kid and part Japanese folklore. It posits a parallel Tokyo ruled by beasts, overseen by aging Lord Soshi (voiced by Masahiko Tsugawa) and rife with kendo-style battles over who is best to succeed him.

London Has Fallen: The U.S. president and secret agents must foil a plot to kill all the world’s leaders at a state funeral.

The Other Side of the Door: A mother grieving the loss of her son learns of an ancient ritual to bring him back.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Tina Fey stars as a journalist on assignment in Afghanistan.

SALVATORE’S TOMATO PIES PRESENTS:

SUNDAY ITALIANAMERICAN 5 COURSE FAMILY-STYLE DINNER AND “GODFATHER” SCREENING Sunday, March 6 at 4pm

Zootopia: Easily one of Disney’s more imaginative CGI offerings in a while, Zootopia uses the classic tropes of anthropomorphized animals and comic references to pop culture touchstones to slyly puzzle out what it means to be “civilized.”

Recent releases Eddie the Eagle: What Eddie Edwards lacked in skill and athletic prowess, he compensated for with fearless determination at the 1988 Calgary Winter Games. The plasterer-turned-ski jumper never won a medal, but his story shows the triumph of having the heart of a champion.

Triple 9: This generic heist thriller renders a terrific cast — Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Winslet, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck and Anthony Mackie — as characters too unlikable to be genuinely engaging, but not complex or twisted enough to be intriguing anyway.

ITALIAN WORKMEN’S CLUB

MACN CHEF WEEK:

SUNDAY FUNDAY GRAZE AND L’ETOILE

BUD LIGHT BARSTOOL OPEN

Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda: QCinema documentary screening. OutReach, March 9, 6:30 pm.

Friday: Ice Cube and Chris Tucker star as friends hanging out, smoking up and looking for something to do. Union South Marquee, March 3 (9:30 pm) and March 4 (11 pm).

The Magician: Max von Sydow in one of his greatest roles for Ingmar Bergman, as a traveling magician/snake-oil huckster in 19th-century Stockholm. Chazen, March 6, 2 pm.

A Monster with a Thousand Heads: A woman takes on bureaucracy when an insurance company refuses to pay for care to keep her husband alive. Cinematheque, March 4, 7 pm.

Trailer Apocalypse Redux: Collection of vintage exploitation film trailers. Union South Marquee, March 7, 7 pm.

Also in theaters Inside Out Kung Fu Panda 3 The Lady in the Van Race The Revenant Risen Room Spotlight Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trumbo The Witch Zoolander 2

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WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri: (1:55, 4:35), 7:05, 9:35; Sat: (11:25 AM, 1:55, 4:35), 7:05, 9:35; Sun: (11:25 AM, 1:55, 4:35), 7:40; Mon to Thu: (1:55, 4:35), 7:40

THE BOY AND THE BEAST

Fri: (2:00, 4:30), 7:00, 9:30; Sat: (11:30 AM, 2:00, 4:30), 7:00, 9:30; Sun: (11:30 AM, 2:00, 4:30), 7:30; Mon to Thu: (2:00, 4:30), 7:30

SLOPIG 2016

A WAR (KRIGEN)

SON OF SAUL (SAUL FIA)

OSCAR WINNER!

THE LADY IN THE VAN

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri & Sat: (4:20), 9:15, Sun to Thu: (4:20 PM)

A CELEBRATION OF HERITAGE PIGS AND THE PEOPLE WHO DRIVE THE MOVEMENT

Fri: (1:35, 4:25), 6:50, 9:05; Sat: (11:20 AM, 1:35, 4:25), 6:50, 9:05; Sun: (11:20 AM, 1:35, 4:25), 7:45; Mon to Thu: (1:35, 4:25), 7:45

DEADPOOL

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THE WITCH

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Sunday, April 10 at 5:30pm

Fri: (1:25, 4:40), 6:55, 9:00; Sat: (11:10 AM, 1:25, 4:40), 6:55, 9:00; Sun: (11:10 AM, 1:25, 4:40), 7:55; Mon to Thu: (1:25, 4:40), 7:55

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Fri: (1:40), 6:45; Sat: (11:05 AM, 1:40), 6:45; Sun: (11:05 AM, 1:40), 7:35; Mon to Thu: (1:40), 7:35

ISTHMUSTICKETS.COM

Amenity Fees Vary With Schedule - ( ) = Mats. www.sundancecinemas.com/choose LOCATED AT HILLDALE MALL 608.316.6900 www.sundancecinemas.com Gift Cards Available at Box Office

Showtimes subject to change. Visit website to confirm Closed captioning and descriptive narrative available for select films

Showtimes for March 4 - March 10

ALL THE MOVIES

ALL THE TIMES

IN YOUR EMAIL EVERY FRIDAY CLICK NEWSLETTERS AT

isthmus.com

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Ant-Man The Big Short The Choice Creed Deadpool Gods of Egypt The Good Dinosaur Home How to Be Single The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Superman v Batman

6TH ANNUAL

Black Mass: Johnny Depp stars as notorious South Boston gang leader James “Whitey” Bulger, who is serving two consecutive life sentences for extortion, racketeering and murder.

Hawthorne Library, March 4, 7 pm.

I Knew Her Well: A country girl moves to Rome with hopes of being a movie star. Cinematheque, March 5, 7 pm.

SUNDAY FUNDAY

Sunday, March 13 at 3pm

More film events

The Garden of Earthly Delights: Trilogy of avant garde shorts by Ben Russell. Union South Marquee, March 10, 7 pm.

Up to 6 rentals at a time One of each pair may be a new arrival Expires 3/17/16

41

Basia Bulat Wednesday, March 9, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm Everything about Basia Bulat’s music screams “intimacy” — or rather, whispers it. From her wavering voice to her ethereal autoharp playing, the Canadian folk singer crafts music that few other people can replicate. It’s tender without being saccharine and powerful without being deafening. Her new album, Good Advice, was produced

by My Morning Jacket’s Jim James.

With the Weather Station.

picks thu mar 3 MU S I C

Alchemy Cafe: DJs Radish, Dr. Funkenstein, free, 10 pm.

PICK OF THE WEEK

THEATER & DANCE

Badger Bowl: Scott Wilcox, Lo Marie, 8 pm.

The Bayou: Johnny Chimes, free, 5:30 pm Thursdays.

Brink Lounge: Blues Jam with Bill Roberts, 8 pm.

ines body image and the body as spectacle.

ALSO: Friday (8 pm, with post-performance reception in Lathrop Hall’s Virginia Harrison Parlor) and Saturday (2:30 pm), March 4-5.

Cardinal Bar: DJ Jo-Z, Latin, 10 pm.

Chief’s Tavern: Hoot’n Annie, string band, free, 8:30 pm.

Christy’s Landing: Open Mic with Shelley Faith, free, 8 pm Thursdays.

Club Tavern, Middleton: Adams Bartells Band, free, 9 pm.

Essen Haus: Big Wes Turner’s Trio, Americana, free, 9 pm.

Fountain: Drew Vegin, comedy by Vanessa, free, 8 pm.

Great Dane-Downtown: DJ Vilas Park Sniper, free, 9 pm.

Zebras

High Noon Saloon: The Beast of Bray Road, Full Vinyl Treatment, One Last Run, Malcomexicans, annual Local Love Fest show, 9:30 pm.

Thursday, March 3, The Frequency, 9 pm

Ivory Room: Andrew Rohn, Peter Hernet, piano, 9 pm.

One of Madison’s go-to heavy bands, Zebras have been on a run since releasing The City of the Sun in September. They were featured on the local psych compilation Mesmerized in Madison, played the Isthmus Wisconsin Punk Fest and shared bills with Pelican and KEN mode. With Aseethe, Population Control, Tubal Cain.

Knuckle Down Saloon: Blues Jam, free, 8 pm Thursdays.

Liliana’s Restaurant, Fitchburg: Ken Wheaton, fingerstyle guitar, free, 5:30 pm Thursdays.

Louisianne’s, Middleton: Jim Erickson, jazz, free, 6 pm Thursdays.

Merchant: Gin Mill Hollow, Americana, free, 10:30 pm.

Mr. Robert’s: Big Dill & the Boys, Madame Grit, free, 10 pm.

Natt Spil: DJ Jamie Stanek, free, 10 pm.

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

North and South Seafood & Smokehouse: Jerry & Nora, classic rock/country, free, 5 pm Thursdays.

42

Thursday, March 3, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm

The Madison/Janesville electro folk trio play new songs from their not-yet-released second album. With JOBS, Czarbles.

Thursday, March 3, Overture Hall, 7:30 pm

Pretty much everything has become Broadway fodder, from Green Day to Spider-Man. However, no slice of pop culture is more deserving of the musical treatment than Motown. The legendary Detroit-based label launched the careers of artists like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, and the story of its inception is the basis for an acclaimed musical that was nominated for four Tony Awards.

Fans of the genre — or just fans of good music in general — shouldn’t miss this one. See page 38. ALSO: Friday (8 pm), Saturday (2 & 8 pm) and Sunday (1 & 6:30 pm), March 4-6.

Plan B: DJs Brook, Lizzy T, 9 pm Thursdays.

Fluid Measure

The Red Zone: Screaming for Silence, Sleep Signals, Left Of Reason, Modern Echo, 8 pm.

Thursday, March 3, Lathrop Hall’s Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space, 8 pm

Tofflers, New Glarus: The Jimmys, blues, free, 8 pm.

The always innovative and ingenious choreographer Li Chiao-Ping premieres this titular new work exploring kinship and identity. Other repertory works will be performed, including “Mandala,” a meditative solo, and the martial-artsinfluenced “Chi,” which looks at identifying with multiple cultures. In the theater lobby prior to the performance, guest artist Heidi Latsky will present “On Display,” an installation that exam-

Tricia’s Country Corners, McFarland: Frank James & Bobby Briggs, country, free, 8 pm Thursdays.

Double Ewes

Motown the Musical

Up North Pub: Catfish Stephenson, blues/Americana, free, 9 pm Thursdays.

UW Humanities Building-Morphy Hall: Quay Percussion Duo, UW School of Music guest artists concert, free, 7:30 pm.

Smart People Thursday, March 3, Vilas Hall’s Mitchell Theatre, 7:30 pm

This University Theatre production explores the intersection of race and scientific research, examining questions such as whether racism can be hard-wired into our genetics. Renowned Chicago director Chuck Smith took the helm for this one, and playwright Lydia Diamond is a force of nature: an African American woman with a slew of masterful dramas to her credit. Alicia Keys produced her play Stick Fly on Broadway in 2011. See page 38. ALSO: Friday and Saturday (7:30 pm), Sunday (2 pm) and Thursday (7:30 pm), March 4-10. Through March 13.

Monster Boogie: Spoken word/children’s records acted out on stage, 8 pm, 3/3-5, Broom Street Theater, at 8 pm Thursdays-Saturdays. $11. 244-8338.

B O O KS / S PO K EN WO RD Brittany Cavallaro: Discussing “A Study in Charlotte,” 6 pm, 3/3, A Room of One’s Own. 257-7888.

John Powless & Dan Smith: Discussing “John Powless: A Life Well Played,” with journalist Doug Moe, 7 pm, 3/3, Mystery to Me. 283-9332.

➡

BARRYMORE

THEATRE

2090 Atwood Ave. (608) 241-8864

SAT. MARCH 5 - 8PM

The Red Zone Madison and 301 Productionz presents

2201 Atwood Ave.

(608) 249-4333 FRI. MAR. 4

Ireland’s Folk Band of the Year

with

$10 . 18+

Doors at 7

Sleep Signals, Left of Reason, Modern Echo welcomes

9:45 pm $10

DAVID GANS

Mad Gael Productions presents

THURS MAR 3 . 8 PM

$7 adv/$10 door . 18+ Doors at 7

with New Speedway Players

____________________________________

SUN. MAR. 6

6 pm $7 sugg. don.

THE MAINTAINERS

Mel____________________________________ Ford - Frankie Lee - Mark Haines - Tom McCarty EVERY MONDAY 5:30-6:15 pm $3

The King of Kids Music

with special guests

The Sweet Colleens

Debut Album, EVOLUTION OF EVIL

Tickets $25 advance

SAT. MARCH 12 - 8PM

NATTY NATION

with Disappearance, The Fine Constant,

The Unnecessary Gunpoint Lecture

FRI MAR 4 . 8 PM 1212 REGENT ST. 608-251-6766 THEREDZONEMADISON.COM

David Landau

____________________________________

MON. MAR. 7 7 pm $5 sugg. don.

Oak Street Ramblers Come watch Bucky on our 6 HD TVs! www.harmonybarandgrill.com

ALBUM RELEASE PARTY with special guests

F.STOKES • SHONN HINTON & SHOTGUN MEGAN BOBO & THE LUX • DJ TRICHROME $15 adv, $20 dos $1 from each ticket to benefit Madison Music Makers

WED. MARCH 16 - 7PM

A benefit for16 MARCH

5:30pm VIP pre-party, 7:00pm films BARRYMORE THEATER Complete film lineup at MADISON www.wisconsinrivers.org

$12 advance, $15 dos, $30 for VIP pre-party and films Tickets on sale at River Alliance office and Barrymore outlets

FILMS RAFFLE FOOD/DRINK

SAT. MAY 14 - 8PM

presents

#WildScenicWI 5:30pm VIP pre-party, 7:00pm films

$12 / $15 day of show $30 for VIP pre-party and films

$30 for VIP pre-party and films XBOUNDARY - Mining boom in BC has Alaskans concerned over pollution risks

e, B-Side Records, FrugalMARTIN’S Muse, Strictly Star BOAT - Honoring theDiscs, legacy of Martin Litton Liquor, PARKER’S 50 FAVORITE THINGS - The best241-8633. things about rivers, from a child’s eye re, online at barrymorelive.com or call (608) DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR WILD SPACES - Increasing diversity in visitation and employment within our parks and natural spaces

NDARY - Mining boom Alaskans concerned overVIP pollution Tickets: $50 adv,in VIP:BC $70 has adv, (incl.

Early Entry Ticket & Preferred Seating), Meet & Greet: risks $200 adv.

THE LAST DRAGONS: Protecting Appalachia’s Hellbenders - An intimate N’S BOAT - Honoring the legacy Martin Litton glimpse the world of these ancient salamanders Thisof is ainto General Admission – All Seated Show R’S 50 FAVORITE THINGS -SOIL The best things about rivers, from a child’s eye CARBON COWBOYS - Cattle, when properly grazed, offer solutions to soil health andWILD much more SPACES - Increasing diversity in ITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR Tickets on sale at Sugar Shack, Star Liquor, way MadCity Music, B-Side, Frugal Muse, and employment within our parks and natural DENALI - There is no easyspaces to say goodbye to a friend

Strictly Discs, the Barrymore,Appalachia’s online atReturn barrymorelive.com call & -charge at a(608) NOATAK: to theHellbenders Arctic - Twoor adventureres reflectintimate on lifetime241-8633. of outdoor ST DRAGONS: Protecting An experiences and what still awaits nto the world of these ancient salamanders

NATURE Rx - A hearty dose of laughs and the outdoors – two timeless prescriptions when properly grazed, offer solutions to soil ARBON COWBOYS - Cattle, RABBIT ISLAND - Is there an opposite to development?

d much more

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

Tickets on sale at the7:00pm River Alliance office, B-Sidefilms Records, Frugal Muse, Strictly Discs, Star Liquor, re-party, MadCity Music, Sugar Shack, The Barrymore, online at barrymorelive.com or call (608) 241-8633.

43

n ISTHMUS PICKS : MAR 3 - 5 COM EDY

The Bayou: Cajun Spice, free, 6:30 pm.

Brink Lounge: Edi Rey y Su Salsera, 9:30 pm.

Cardinal Bar: Tony Castaneda Latin Jazz Quartet, free, 5:30 pm; DJ Funkenstein, burlesque by Marina Mars, 9 pm.

The Frequency: Mended, Backbone, Baron Park, 7 pm; The Moguls, The DUIs, Half Empty Glass, 10 pm.

ART EXHIBITS & EV ENTS

Club Tavern, Middleton: Playground of Sound, 9 pm.

Harmony: David Gans, New Speedway Players, 9:45 pm.

Angela Johnson: “Inherent Legacy,” MFA exhibit, 3/44/30, Central Library (reception 8-11 pm, 3/4). 266-6300.

Come Back In: John Masino, rock, free, 9 pm.

Madison Potters Guild: Exhibit celebrating 50th anniversary, 3/4-27, HIgher Fire Clay Studio (reception 6-9 pm, 3/4). madisonpottersguild.com. 233-3050.

First Unitarian Society: Festival Choir of Madison, 7:30 pm.

Hody Bar and Grill, Middleton: Electric Blue, free, 9 pm.

Hop Haus Brewing, Verona: Chicken Bacon, free, 7 pm.

Ivory Room: Peter Hernet, Jim Ripp, Eben Seaman, 8 pm.

The Grawlix is the Mile High City’s greatest new gift, a comedy trio consisting of standups Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Orvedahl and Ben Roy. The crew’s TV comedy Those Who Can’t, in which each member plays a Denver school teacher, premiered on the recently rebranded truTV in February and has already been picked up for a second season. With Anthony Siraguse. ALSO: Friday and Saturday (8 & 10:30 pm), March 4-5.

Lucky’s Bar, Waunakee: Brandon Beebe, free, 7:30 pm.

A RT EX H I B I TS & E VE N TS

VFW-Cottage Grove Road: Frank James, 7:30 pm.

Artists in Absentia: Works by Oahkill Correctional Institution inmates, 3/3-31, Central Library (reception 6-8:30 pm, 3/3). 266-6300.

DAN CI N G

Knuckle Down Saloon: The Rascal Theory, 8 pm.

Luther Memorial Church: Concordia Choir, 7:30 pm.

Majestic: G Jones, Nasty Nasty, Yheti, 10 pm.

Mr. Robert’s: Rock Collector, free, 10 pm.

PaintBar: Pocket Vinyl, Owls Foxes & Sebastian, 8 pm.

Rex’s Innkeeper, Waunakee: Universal Sound, 8:30 pm.

Up North Pub: Pat Ferguson, free, 8 pm.

UW Humanities Building-Mills Hall: Uri Vardi & Uriel Tzachor, cello-piano duo, free, 8 pm.

UW Union South-Sett: Ben Ferris Quintet, free, 5 pm; Sara & Kenny, free, 9 pm.

Funky Dance Madison: Dane Dances! fundraiser, 6-10 pm, 3/4, Monona Terrace Exhibition Hall, with music by DJ Ace, ABBA Salute and VO5. $15 ($10 ages 2-12). 261-4000.

April Albaugh: “Yellowstone National Park,” photographs, noon-4 pm Sundays, 3/6-27, PhotoMidwest (reception 7-9 pm, 3/3). photomidwest.org.

First produced at Minnesota’s Carleton College in 1948, German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle gets the Midwestern collegiate treatment once again in this Edgewood production. An exemplary piece of epic theater, the work sets up a play within a play, developing a parable of a maid-turned-mother who adopts the baby of a wealthy governor’s wife.

ALSO: Saturday, March 5 (2 & 7:30 pm).

fri mar 4 MU S I C

Clybourne Park Friday, March 4, Madison College’s Mitby Theater, 7:30 pm

This dark comedy is a Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play, written by Bruce Norris as a spinoff from Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking drama A Raisin in the Sun and set in the same Chicago neighborhood 50 years later. A Madison College Performing Arts production. ALSO: Saturday (7:30 pm) and Sunday (2 pm), March 5-6. Through March 13.

Dub Foundation ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

Friday, March 4, High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm

44

The 10-piece local roots reggae band celebrates the release of March Forth, its second album. With Akasha, Tropical Riddims Sound System.

1855 Saloon, Cottage Grove: David Hecht, free, 7 pm.

Alchemy Cafe: Grupo Balanca, Brazilian, free, 10 pm.

Ancora Coffee-King Street: Chris Trapper, 8 pm.

Badger Bowl: DJs Drew Masters, MC C Scott, 9 pm; Blue Light Scene, 9:15 pm.

SP ECIAL EV ENTS Chef Week: Madison Area Chefs Network and Isthmus present special collaborations by 30+ local culinary artists, 3/4-13, at various restaurants; Sunday Funday street foods party benefits Community Action Coalition, 3-7 pm, 3/13, Graze & L’Etoile ($100). isthmus.com/chefweek.

UW Fashion Week: MODA fashion show, with red carpet 7 pm, “Back of House” preview 7:45 pm, show 8 pm, 3/4, Union South-Varsity Hall. Free. modamadison.com.

Dream Home Showcase: Madison Area Builders Association showcase, 3/4-6, Alliant Center. $5. 288-1133.

sat mar 5

Encore!

Friday, March 4, Overture Center’s Promenade Hall, 7:30 pm

This three-show performance (over two days) is a fundraiser for the performers of the Madison Ballet, which announced last month that it is reorganizing following a shortfall in operating funds. ALSO: Saturday, March 5, 2:30 & 7:30 pm.

Mauritius: A stamp collection leads to drama and comedy in this Madison Theatre Guild production, 3/4-19, Bartell Theatre, at 7:30 pm Thursdays-Saturdays (2 pm on 3/19) and 2 pm, 3/13. $20. 661-9696.

Cardinal Bar: DJ Danny, 10 pm.

Crystal Corner: John Statz, Hayward Williams, 9:30 pm.

Fountain: Andreas Transo, free, 8 pm.

Hody Bar and Grill, Middleton: 5th Gear, free, 9 pm.

Knuckle Down Saloon: James Armstrong, 9 pm.

Liliana’s: John Widdicombe & Paul Filipowicz, 6:30 pm.

Liquid: SNBRN, Tista, Mando, DaVilla, EDM, 10 pm.

Majestic: Everyone Orchestra, Mungion, 9 pm.

Merchant: DJ Nick Nice, free, 10:30 pm.

Mezze: Charlie Painter & Friends, jazz, free, 9 pm.

Oakwood Village-University Woods Center for Arts & Education: Oakwood Chamber Players, “Children’s Games,” 7 pm. Also: 1:30 pm, 3/6.

Paoli Schoolhouse: Mark Harrod, free, 6 pm.

Plan B: DJs Mike Carlson, WhiteRabbit, Alistair Loveless, Leather & Lace, 8:30 pm.

Rex’s, Waunakee: Universal Sound, 8:30 pm.

Stoughton Opera House: Marty Stuart, 3 & 7 pm.

Tempest Oyster Bar: Richard Hildner, free, 9:30 pm.

M USIC

Tricia’s Country Corners: Midlife Crisis, rock, 9 pm.

Tuvalu Coffee, Verona: The McDougals, free, 6:30 pm.

S PEC I A L EV EN TS

The Caucasian Chalk Circle Friday, March 4, Edgewood College’s Diane Ballweg Theatre, 7:30 pm

WIAA State High School Hockey Tournament: Girls & boys, 3/3-5, Alliant Energy Center-Coliseum. $8/ session. 715-344-8580.

Ingrid Dohm & Tina Duemler: Paintings, 1/8-3/4, Gallery Marzen (reception 5-9 pm, 3/4). 709-1454.

T HE AT E R & DANCE

Jeff Stern: Paintings & drawings, 3/3-4/30, Ancora Coffee-King Street. 255-0285.

SP EC TATO R S P O RTS

Bos Meadery: The Getaway Drivers, free, 6:30 pm.

Bright Red Studios: Skyline Sounds (7-inch release), Neens, Kingbloom, 8 pm.

Thursday, March 3, Comedy Club on State, 8:30 pm

Paul Toepfer, Sherri Milani: “Steampunk Voyage Magnifique,” 3/3-4/30, The Gallery at Yahara Bay (reception 5-9 pm, 3/3). 275-1050.

BOOKS

Barrymore: High Kings, Sweet Colleens, Irish, 8 pm.

Andrea Thalasinos: Discussing “Fly by Night,” her new book, 7 pm, 3/4, Mystery to Me. 283-9332.

High Noon Saloon: Rock Star Gomeroke, 5 pm.

Pete Leege: Photographs; and Carrie Griesemer: Paintings, 3/3-4/4, UW Health Sciences Learning Center. 263-5992.

Bandung: Mideast by Midwest Salsa, free salsa lesson, 8:30 pm.

Club Tavern, Middleton: Sunspot, rock, free, 9 pm.

Chief’s: Frankie Lee, Tom Dehlinger & Cris Plata, 6:30 pm.

The Grawlix

Misalliance: George Bernard Shaw by Strollers Theatre, 3/4-26, Bartell Theatre, at 7:30 pm Thursdays-Saturdays, plus 2 pm, 3/6; 7:30 pm, 3/16. $20. 661-9696.

High Noon Saloon: Charity Jamboree, Annual benefit for Carbone Cancer Center, American Diabetes Association & Multiple Sclerosis Society-Wisconsin Chapter, noon-1 am, 3/5, Brass Ring, Brink Lounge & High Noon Saloon, with music by 25+ local bands. $25 donation ($20 adv.). charityjamboree.com.

B O O KS / S PO K EN WO RD

Damsel Trash Saturday, March 5, The Frequency, 10 pm

The unlikely offshoot of a local alt-country band (Little Red Wolf), Damsel Trash is an entirely different beast. The brainchild of Meghan Rose and Emily Mills is weird, abrasive and unapologetically feminist — basically, a whole lot of fun. The punk duo will be celebrating the release of their second album, Wasted and Broke, with support from another legendary Madison band, punk cabaret hellraisers Screamin’ Cyn Cyn & the Pons.

NOBUNNY Saturday, March 5, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm

Seeing NOBUNNY for free in a stageless, living room-size venue is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Active since 2001, Justin Champlin’s mask-clad alter-ego project is a garage pop machine, whose constant touring and prolific catalog of lo-fi gold have made him a staple of the American underground. Balancing sweetness with chaos, NOBUNNY is an energetic act that treats performing like no other band. With the Hussy, the Momotaros.

Alchemy Cafe: Sortin’ the Mail, bluegrass, free, 10 pm.

Ashman Library: Lil’ Rev, “Jews ‘n the Blues” performance/lecture, free, 2 pm.

Badger Bowl: The Now, 9:15 pm.

Madison Reads Leopold: Annual celebration with readings from “A Sand County Almanac” & other works, 9:30 am-3:30 pm, 3/5, UW Arboretum Visitor Center. Free. 263-7888.

Kevin Henkes & Laura Dronzak: Discussing “When Spring Comes,” their new children’s book, 1 pm, 3/5, Mystery to Me. 283-9332.

A RT EXH I B I TS & EV EN TS Jenie Gao: “Our Relationship with Power,” 2/26-3/19, Arts & Literature Laboratory (reception & atalk 7-9 pm, 3/5; artist at work 4-7 pm, 3/9-11). allgallery.org.

Primates Inc. Art Fundraiser: 2/6-3/5, Hops Museum (reception 7-10 pm, 3/5). 220-2166.

PhotoMidwest 2016 Member Show: Annual exhibit & sale, 3/5-4/2, UW Hospital-C5/2 Surgical Waiting Area, E5/2 Hospital Entrance. 263-5992.

FO O D & D RI N K Madison On Tap: National craft beer tour, 1:30-5 pm or 6:30-9 pm, 3/5, Alliant Center-New Holland Pavillion, with samples, music. $45. americaontap.com.

FUN D RA I S ERS Ski for Cancer: Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer fundraiser skiiing/snowboarding, 8 am-5 pm, 3/5, Cascade Mountain, Portage. $50-$25. Buses hourly 8-11 am, 210 Langdon St. skiforcancerweek.com.

Zonta Zing: Annual Domestic Abuse Intervention Service fundraiser, 7-10:30 pm, 3/5, Turners Hall, with disco theme, costume contest, silent auction, raffle, refreshments. $30. zontamadison.org. 241-2440.

H O ME & GA RD EN Spring Flower Show: 10 am-4 pm, 3/5-20, Olbrich Gardens ($3 admission). 246-4550.

➡

FINAL

SUNDAY FUNDAY PARTY

• 20 MACN chefs will prepare their favorite street foods

• Craft cocktails by Madison’s finest mixologists • Music by the Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Sextet, DJ FRP and the Tropical Riddims Sound System

TICKETS INCLUDE:

MARCH 13 3-7PM GRAZE & L’ETOILE

100

$

PER TICKET

• Unlimited street food dishes • 1 complimentary One Barrel Brewing Company beer • 1 complimentary glass of wine

B u y t i c k e ts at

ISTHMUS.COM/MACNSUNDAYFUNDAY

presented by Proceeds to Benefit the Community Action Coalition’s Madison Farmer’s Market Double Dollars program

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

B r o u g h t t o y o u i n pa r t b y

45

n ISTHMUS PICKS : MON 5 - 10

O’Essen Haus

St. Patrick’s Day THURSDAY, MARCH 17 3PM–CLOSE

Live Music – No Cover!

Deep Pool 6-9PM West Wind 9PM-12AM

All Irish Menu 3-10PM

• Registration is OPEN! • Dates: May 22–August 19 • Sun–Fri leagues available • Must be 21+ • $350 per team

World Championship Cheese Contest: Preliminary rounds, 9 am-4 pm, 3/7-8, Monona Terrace (free; public welcome); “Cheese Champion” sampling event, 7 pm, 3/9 ($25 benefits Wis. Center for Dairy Research). worldchampioncheese.org. 828-4550.

Kids Expo: Annual event, 10 am-4 pm, 3/5-6, Alliant Energy Center, with entertainment, activities. $6 ($3 kids). madisonkidsexpo.com. 848-6705.

Saturday Science: “Aldo Leopold Day,” demos & activities, 10 am-noon, 3/5, UW Discovery Building. Free. 316-4382.

sun mar 6 M USIC

Ivory Room: Taras Nahirniak, piano, free, 9 pm.

Malt House: Birds, Birds, Birds, free, 7:30 pm.

Up North Pub: Derek Ramnarace, free, 8 pm.

FR PARKEE ING

& The Blues Rockers FRI. Westside Andy with Billy Flynn MAR. 11 and Barrelhouse Chuck

222-7800

KnuckleDownSaloon.com

UW Humanities Building-Morphy Hall: UW Jazz Composers Septet, Jazz Standards Ensemble, 7:30 pm.

T H EAT ER & DA N C E Legends of the Leprechauns: Radio-style play based on Celtic folktales presented by Heartline Theatricals, 6:30 pm, 3/8, Verona Library (845-7180); 6:30 pm, 3/9, Garfoot Library, Cross Plains (7983881); 6:30 pm, 3/10, Deerfield Library (764-8102).

Murder Mystery: Written/staged in a week by Are We Delicious?, 7:30 pm, 3/8-9 & 15-16, Bartell Theatre. $12. arewedelicious.com. 293-4999.

B O O KS Steven Coss: Discussing “Fever of 1721,” his book, 7 pm, 3/8, Mystery to Me. 283-9332.

Chazen Museum of Art: Pro Arte Quartet, free, 12:30 pm.

A RT EXH I B I TS & EV EN TS

Coliseum Bar: Tuba Skinny, Madison Jazz Society, 1 pm.

Billy Schenck & Stan Natchez: “Pop Art From Santa Fe,” 3/8-6/3, Biopharmaceutical Technology CenterPromega Gallery (artist symposium, 3:30 pm, 3/8; reception 4:30-6:30 pm, 3/8, with music by WheelHouse). promega-artshow.com.

Olbrich Gardens: Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble, 2 pm.

Prairie Music & Arts, Sun Prairie: Katie Ernst, jazz, 3 pm.

The Rigby: Madison Jazz Jam, free (all ages), 4 pm.

wed mar 9 MUS I C

Tricia’s Country Corners: Frank James, Bobby Briggs, 3 pm.

LUCIE B. AMUNDSEN CO-OWNER OF LOCALLY LAID EGG CO. will share her messy, wry and educational story of her and her husband’s journey from 5 backyard hens to creating a smallscale pastured poultry ranch.

Sunday, Mar. 6 at 2pm

UW Humanities-Morphy Hall: Hunt Quartet, free, 6 pm.

World of Beer, Middleton: David Hecht, 11 am.

BOOKS/SP OKEN WORD Lucie B. Amundsen: Discussing “Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-Changing Egg Farm-From Scratch,” 2 pm, 3/6, A Room of One’s Own. 257-7888.

Winter Festival of Poetry: Readings by Linda Voit, Brenda Lempp, Chuck Cantrell, F. J. Bergmann, Jody Curley, Ronnie Hess, 2 pm, 3/6, Fountain. 242-7340.

mon mar 7 Cardinal Bar: McNally Smith Serbian Ensemble, McNally Smith Fusion Ensemble, Darren Sterud Orchestra, free (ages 18+), 5:30 pm.

The Frequency: Sweet Delta Dawn, Flowpoetry, Derek Ramnarace, Alabaster, Spencer Houghton, 9 pm.

$2 OFF COVER w/ VALID COLLEGE ID ALL SHOWS 21+

2513 Seiferth Rd., Madison

In the past decade, Savannah, Ga., has become an unlikely hotspot for sludgy, shredding metal, spawning bands like Mastodon and Baroness. Black Tusk (pictured) is in that same vein, only they’ve got a prominent hardcore punk influence — so where some of their contemporaries tend to fall into stoner daydreams, Black Tusk’s aggression doesn’t let up. They’ll be joined by L.A.’s Holy Grail, a throwback metal group self-described as combining “death metal riffs, modern breakdowns and power metal singing.” With Order of the Jackal.

High Noon Saloon: SWBMAI “Music for Nepal” CD release with Northern Comfort Bluegrass, Milkhouse Radio, Timbre Junction, Bluegrass TeA & Company, noon.

Powerhouse Funk, Blues & Rock ‘n Roll

Ray Fuller

Sunday, March 6, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm

Harmony Bar: The Maintainers, 6 pm.

Rascal Theory

THUR, MAR 10 H 8PM H $8

Black Tusk + Holy Grail

Frequency: Tyranny is Tyranny, Maple Stave, Bell & Circuit, 6 pm; Mustard Plug, 4 Aspirin Morning, 9 pm.

FRI, MAR 4 H 8PM H FREE SHOW

Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter with Deep Blues Roots

The Frequency: The Jimmy K Show, podcast recording with SheShe, Teddy Davenport, free, 7 pm; R.A. the Rugged Man, Rite Hook, Chas, Artoffact & Uno, Charles Grant, Cory Park, Phat T, 10 pm.

Overture Center-Overture Hall: Mansfield University Concert Choir, Madison Youth Choirs with Samuel Hutchison, Madison Symphony Orchestra Concert Organ series, 7:30 pm.

Tate’s BLUES JAM

James Armstrong

Brink Lounge: Daniel Anderson Trio, free, 6:30 pm.

Mickey’s Tavern: Em Jay, Joe Darcy, free, 10 pm.

THURSDAYS H 8 PM H FREE

SAT, MAR 5 H 9PM H $9

tue mar 8

High Noon Saloon: Evan Murdock & the Imperfect Strangers, 6 pm; Rock Star Gomeroke, free, 9 pm.

GRE BIEREN !

514 E. Wilson St., Madison, WI 255-4674 • essen-haus.com comebackintavern.com

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

FO O D & D RI N K

USTA Tennis Play Day: Free Wisconsin Tennis Association tryouts for kids of all ages/skill levels, 10 am-4 pm, 3/5, Alliant Energy Center-Exhibition Hall. 753-2840.

Corned Beef & Cabbage Shepherd’s Pie Irish Stew... and More!

Come Back In Summer Volleyball Leagues

46

KIDS & FAM ILY

BOOKS NEW & USED 315 W. Gorham St. • (608) 257-7888 www.roomofonesown.com Mon.–Sat. 10–8, Sun. 12–5

Harmony Bar: David Landau, family concert, 5:30 pm Mondays; Oak Street 7 pm.

BOOKS NEWRamblers, & USED Malt Grandpa’s Elixir, free, 7:30 pm.

315 W.House: Gorham St. • (608) 257-7888 www.roomofonesown.com Merchant: Johnny Chimes & Gatur Bait, free, 10 pm.

Mon.–Sat. 10–8, Sun. 12–5 Up North Pub: Gin Mill Hollow, Americana, free, 7 pm.

Slayer Wednesday, March 9, Orpheum Theater, 7:30 pm

The long-standing kings of thrash metal are in their third decade of existence but have yet to show any signs of slowing down. On their 12th full-length album, Repentless, released in 2015, they rock way harder than bands half their age. Be ready to have your face melted off. See page 25. With Testament, Carcass.

tion of experimental rock musicians. Plus, they have a local connection: Drummer Dan Bitney played in ’80s punk band Tar Babies.

1 1 5 K I N G S T R E E T, D O W N T O W N M A D I S O N

Just Announced & ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

The Big Pink Wednesday, March 9, The Frequency, 10 pm

After four years of silence, Londonbased duo the Big Pink plans to return in 2016 with both a new EP and full-length album. The band, which made its first splash in 2009 with the Internet hit “Dominos,” has released two excellent, underrated LPs of stadium-sized rock and electronic music. With the Heirs.

Cardinal Bar: DJ Fabe, 9 pm.

The Frequency: The Gambol, Michael Trevis, 7 pm.

High Noon: Basia Bulat, Weather Station. See page 42.

Mickey’s Tavern: Tani Diakite, free, 10 pm.

Opus Lounge: Alison Margaret Jazz Trio, free, 9 pm.

Up North Pub: MoonHouse, free, 8 pm.

UW Humanities Building-Mills Hall: UW Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, free, 7:30 pm.

Waunakee Library: The Poets of Tin Pan Alley, Four Seasons Theatre performance/lecture, free, 6:30 pm.

FRI

APR 15 Droids Attack One of Madison’s longest-running, most beloved bands is back with a vengeance. Stoner metalheads Droids Attack will celebrate the release of their fourth full-length, Sci-Fi or Die, with style. The group’s latest, which they describe as “a rich landscape of titanic riffs and an apocalyptic alien landscape,” dropped on Feb. 26, and trust us, folks — it shreds. Support comes from Oshkosh’s ATTALLA and Madison’s the Gran Fury.

Buck and Honey’s, Sun Prairie: David Hecht, free, 6:30 pm.

Frequency: Lily & Madeleine, Shannon Hayden, 9 pm.

Mr. Robert’s: Seisma, Chunkhead, free, 10 pm.

Madison’s Funniest Comic: Finals

T HE AT E R & DANCE

Wednesday, March 9, Comedy Club on State, 9 pm

Marcia Légère’ Student Play Festival: One act plays written & directed by students, 7:30 pm, 3/10-12, UW Memorial Union-Fredric March Play Circle. Free. 265-4206.

COME DY

Y

Michelle Wolf Thursday, March 10, Comedy Club on State, 8:30 pm

Tortoise Thursday, March 10, Majestic Theatre, 8:30 pm

THUR

THU

BREW ‘N VIEW:

FRI

G JONES

MAR 3

MAR 4 SAT

MAR 5

THE ROOM

OH WONDER TORTOISE

FRI

ROD TUFFCURLS & THE BENCH PRESS

SAT

HIPPIE SABOTAGE

MAR 11

WITH NASTY NASTY & YHETI

MAR 12

EVERYONE ORCHESTRA

MAR 15

TUE

THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS

FEAT. NICKI BLUHM

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MAJESTICMADISON.COM Isthmus seeks an

Michelle Wolf has only been performing standup for five years, and yet she’s already a writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers. The up-and-coming comedian — who used to work on Wall Street — also has a web series via Comedy Central (Now Hiring), wherein she interviews applicants for a job at a fictional tech company. With James Hodge, Colin Bowden. ALSO: Friday and Saturday (8 & 10:30 pm), March 11-12.

B OOKS / S PO KEN WORD Brian Freeman: Discussing “Goodbye to the Dead,” his new book, 7 pm, 3/10, Mystery to Me. 283-9332.

This is a great opportunity to start or advance your sales career Ideal candidate will: • Enjoy working with local business owners and agencies.

• Be outgoing and not fear rejection.

• Be goal oriented and organized.

• Desire to work for the best company in Madison (as voted by Isthmus staff).

You will focus on selling a range of advertising products into a cross-platform media mix, including print, digital and special events, while maintaining a professional image and a strong commitment to customer satisfaction.

No experience necessary, but media sales experience is a plus. Bachelor’s degree is preferred. Your reward is competitive compensation and good benefits.

This position is available immediately.

PLEASE SEND LETTER & RESUME by email to: Chad Hopper, Advertising Manager: hopper@isthmus.com Subject: Advertising Executive. No phone calls, please.

Poetry Open Mic: 6:30 pm, 3/10, Central Library.

266-6350.

SEARCH THE FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT ISTHMUS.COM

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY / AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

Touring on their first album in seven years, 2016’s The Catastrophist, Chicago art rock legends Tortoise put their ever-transforming instrumental music on display. Taking hints from punk, prog, dub and jazz, Tortoise’s music possesses emotional depth and exceptional technical playing, creating a groovy and angular aesthetic that has influenced a genera-

SUN

JUN 5

80S VS 90S HIP HOP EDITION

Advertising Executive

thu mar 10 MU SI C

MAR 25

MAR 10

Thursday, March 10, High Noon Saloon, 9 pm

COME DY

The last three contestants perform 10-minute sets as they vie for this year’s crown. Finalists were not set at press time, but semifinalists included Deon Green, Jackson Jones, Charlie Kojis, Cody Lemke, Adam McShane, Kevin Schwartz, Anthony Siraguse, Isthmus contributor Alan Talaga, Esteban Touma and Anya Yovich.

KIEFER SUTHERLAND

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n EMPHASIS Batman heels (far left) from Altered Eco Designs, a crocheted Nintendo baby rattle (left) from Tinankins Creations and Dr. Who plushies (below) from CitizenNerd are all headed to the Expo.

Geekery, curated GeekCraft Expo Midwest comes to Madison

BY AIMEE OGDEN

Being a geek doesn’t require anything more than extreme love for your favorite book, movie or comic. Having all the trappings to go along with that love isn’t required to join the club, but it certainly adds to the fun. Need the perfect pair of comicbook pumps to wear on your next trip to Westfield Comics? Searching for the right keychain to subtly signal your favorite film?

On the lookout for a campy coaster to add to your collection? Then make your way to Madison’s first GeekCraft Expo (geekcraftexpo.com.) on March 19 and 20, which will give customers a chance to pick from a carefully curated set of unique and geeky items made by local vendors.

The Expo, which is now held in over a dozen U.S. cities, will be taking over the Madison Masonic Center, 301 Wisconsin Ave. The GeekCraft team, including founders Kim Matsuzaki, formerly of Ubisoft Entertainment, and Daniel Way, told us what to expect from the upcoming event.

On the origins of GeekCraft Expo: Daniel Way: Kim’s background is as a game developer for Ubisoft, and I’ve been a comic book writer for 13 years, so we’ve both been to tons of comic and gaming conventions. There, you see tables with crafters set up — but hardly anyone visits them! There was no event just for the crafters who make [geek-themed] plushies, jewelry, clothing. No one goes to a comic convention to buy crafts. But hopefully that will change as the GeekCraft name gets bigger.

Literate looks ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

T-shirts that are also jackets — jacket covers, that is

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Out of Print makes T-shirts and bags emblazoned with the jacket designs of classic books, from kids’ tales to classic fiction. For each item sold, Out of Print donates a book through its charity partner, Books for Africa. Locally the shirts (men’s and women’s styles, $30) and tote bags ($18) are sold at Shoo, 109 State St.

— LINDA FALKENSTEIN

On what made Madison the right place to host a GeekCraft Expo: DW: Because I grew up in the Midwest, I knew I wanted a Midwest show. I’ve been working comics for a long time, and I’ve come across so many wonderfully geeky people who are from Madison.

On what makes GeekCraft special for customers and vendors: DW: First, it’s all about keeping it a local event, a part of the community. It’s a place where everyone can meet each other.

You can go to Target and buy a million Captain America T-shirts. Or you can go to someplace like this, and buy a piece where there might only ever be five or 10 like it that exist.

On the kinds of crafts you’ll find for sale: Kim Matsuzaki: To the outside world, “geek” is kind of homogeneous, but once you get in there you realize there’s an incredible spectrum, from sci-fi to steampunk, from Harry Potter to retro games, from classic comics to foreign films. We vet vendors and accept them based on quality as well as quantity — you’re not going to see 10 booths with the same crafts for sale.

On the vendors: KM: Altered Eco Designs in Madison creates ladies’ pumps with comic book sayings on them; and PinkClayMonkey makes tiny book necklaces — books from Harry Potter or other geeky brands, that you can actually read.

DW: At least if you have a magnifying glass! n

n CLASSIFIEDS

Housing Buy-Sell-Exchange Matching people and property for over 20 years. Achieve your goals! Free consult. www.andystebnitz.com Andy Stebnitz 608-692-8866 Restaino & Associates Realtors UW • EDGEWOOD • ST MARY’S Quiet and smoke-free 1 & 2 bedroom apartments starting at $800. Newer kitchens with dishwashers & microwaves. FREE HEAT, WATER, STORAGE. No pets. On-site office with package service. All calls answered 24/7.

Intercom entry. Indoor bicycle parking. Close to bus, grocery, restaurants, and bike trail.

Shenandoah Apartments 1331 South Street 608-256-4747 ShenandoahApartments@gmail.com

LAKESHORE/MANSION HILL 1 bdrm, $800 incl util. Available Immediately.

Quiet - security - laundry - private pier. No pets. 608-256 8525.

ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM. Lonely?

Bored? Broke? Find the perfect roommate to complement your pe ty and lifestyle at Roommates.com! (AAN CAN) Near West Madison: 2 bdrm house for rent, close to UW Hospital and Hilldale. $1050 per month plus utilities. 2833 Barlow St. (608) 213-2915.

All real estate advertised is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or status as a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking; or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Isthmus will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are on an equal opportunity basis.

Services & Sales Are you in BIG trouble with the IRS? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 844-753-1317 (AAN CAN) Caring People Needed!

Energetic, dependable and fun people desired to assist the elderly in Madison. Nonmedical companionship and in-home care. Flexible hours. Home Instead Senior Care: (608) 663-2646.

East side woman with a disability seeking a reliable and compassionate Personal Care Worker. Seeking early morning shifts beginning at 5 am and weekend shifts beginning at 7 am.

Pay is between $11.66-$12.31. Call 204-9416

Furniture & Sportswear Sales Position We are now accepting applications for part time or half time positions selling outdoor and casual furniture in the summer and assisting in our sportswear and clothing department in the winter. This is a year round job with flexible shifts ranging from 15-30 hours per week. If you enjoy working with people, have a flair for color and design and love the great outdoor please stop by our store and apply in person. Chalet is a fun and friendly place to work and we’ve been a member of the local community for over 35 years. We sell the best quality brand name merchandise and provide a high level of personalized service. Chalet is locally owned and we have a great appreciation for our employees and customers. We offer a generous base salary plus commission, paid training, and a nice benefits package.

PREGNANT? THINKING OF ADOPTION? Talk with caring agency specializing in matching Birthmothers with Families Nationwide.

LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Call 24/7 Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions. 866-413-6293. Void in Illinois/New Mexico/Indiana (AAN CAN) Viagra!! 52 Pills for Only $99.00. Your #1 trusted provider for 10 years. Insured and Guaranteed Delivery. Call today 1-877-621-7013 (AAN CAN) KILL BED BUGS & THEIR EGGS! Buy Harris Bed Bug Killers/KIT Complete Treatment System. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com (AAN CAN)

Health & Wellness Miss Danu WORLD CLASS MASSAGE * FE EL GREAT IN ONE HOUR! * Short Notice * Nice Price * 8AM-7PM * 608-255-0345 Swedish Massage For Men, providing immediate Stress, Tension and Pain Relief. Seven days a week by appt.—same day appointments available.

Contact Steve, CMT at: ph/ text 608.277.9789 or acupleasur@aol.com.

Gift certificates available for any reason or season @ ABC Massage Studio!

Larry P. Edwards RPh, LBT Nationally & State Certified #4745-046 Massage Therapist and Body Worker / Madison, WI

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! We Buy Like New or Damaged. Running or Not. Get Paid!

Free Towing! We’re Local! Call For Quote: 1-888-420-3808 (AAN CAN)

Happenings The Wisconsin Vintage Guitar Show will Be Sunday March 20th from 10am-5pm at Madison Turners Hall 3001 S. Stoughton Rd. BUY,SELL,TRADE,BROWSE! All Guitars, basses,banjos, and mandolins are welcome! Admission is $7, $6 if you bring a guitar to show or sell, $5 for kids.

More information at 920-467-4762 or wisconsinvintageguitarshow.com AIRLINE CAREERS begin here – Get started by training as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 800-7251563 (AAN CAN)

Relaxing Unique Massage Therapy Experienced, Results Hypnotherapy! You Deserve the BEST! Ken-Adi Ring LMT. CHt.CI. WELLIFE EXPO APRIL 2-3 Hypnosis Course Starts April 256-0080 www.wellife.org ELIMINATE CELLULITE and Inches in weeks! All natural. Odor free. Works for men or women. Free month supply on select packages. Order now! 844-244-7149 (M-F 9am-8pm central) (AAN CAN) Penis Enlargement Medical Pump. Gain 1-3 Inches Permanently! Money Back Guarantee.

FDA Licensed Since 1997. Free Brochure: Call (619) 294-7777 www.DrJoelKaplan.com Viagra!! 52 Pills for Only $99.00. Your #1 trusted provider for 10 years. Insured and Guaranteed Delivery. Call today 1-888-403-9028

Please stop by the store and apply in person:

Jobs Volunteer with UNITED WAY Volunteer Center Call 246-4380 or visit volunteeryourtime.org to learn about opportunities The United Way Volunteer Center is seeking an organized person to serve as a Website Assistant. This volunteer will be responsible for updating and maintaining the listings of agencies and volunteer opportunities on VolunteerYourTime. org. Must pay attention to detail, be proficient in using internet and general computer skills, and possess friendly phone etiquette.

Are you an artist or crafter? Do you work with animals or love to garden? The Madison Children’s Museum is looking for enthusiastic and engaging volunteers to be Museum Fellows.

This position is for those individuals who are interested in volunteering in our Art Studio, Rooftop Ramble, Wildernest, or Possible-opolis exhibit spaces.

Taco John’s of Monona is looking for people who enjoy working in a fun team work environment along with the fast pace of the restaurant industry. We are currently hiring for all shifts. We offer a flexible schedule, food discounts, room for advancement and more. Apply any of the following ways: in store, send resume to 9216@ quikserve.com or online at tacojohns.com

seeks an

Advertising Executive See Page 47 for more info

“IsthmusMadison” Participants are needed for a study at UW-Madison looking at whether the cautious use of sleep medication reduces depressive symptoms in people with depression and insomnia.

To be eligible, you must be currently experiencing depression and insomnia, be 18-65 years old, and have access to regular care with a primary care provider.

Participants will receive up to $400 to $450.

Contact Daniel Dickson at (608) 262-0169

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

Wisconsin Public Television is seeking volunteers to join the Spring membership drive team March 5-20. Fund drives give viewers the opportunity to call in and make a pledge to public broadcasting. Weekend and week night shifts are available and include hands-on training, refreshments and a free meal.

share and share and like ;p

Chalet Ski & Patio 5252 Verona Road Madison, WI 53711 608-273-8263

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JONESIN’

One Nation.

One Mission.

Many Opportunities.

“Barbe-clues”– this cookout’s missing something.

NOW HIRING

Transportation Security Officers at Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) No experience required Full-time and Part-time pay rate starting at $15.13 per hour (Includes 14.35% locality pay)

PLUS Federal benefits • Paid, ongoing training TSA offers an attractive benefits package including: health, dental, vision, life and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays.

Please apply through March 22 , 2016 online at: https://tsajobs.tsa.dhs.gov or text “TS0” to 95495 or call 1.877.872.7990 nd

Follow us on Twitter @CareersatTSA U.S. Citizenship Required Equal Opportunity Employer Standard Messaging and Data Rates Apply

#769 BY MATT JONES ©2016 JONESIN’ CROSSWORDS

ACROSS

1 5 9 14

Move slowly “Smokey ___ Cafe” “American ___ Warrior” First state to weigh in on presidential candidates 15 Inauguration Day recitation 16 How anchovies are preserved 17 Ink for a fan of ‘60s chess champion Mikhail?

19 Bossa nova relative 20 Photographer Adams 21 Facebook display 23 “I call it!”

26 Crew team need 27 Do a grocery store task 30 Introduction from an Italian guy who doesn’t speak much English?

36 Box score stat

ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016

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37 Having no experience in 38 “Beat it!”

39 English aristocrat 41 Resulted in 43 Feels under the weather 44 Roman ___ (novel genre) 46 Trees that yield hard wood 48 Dir. from Reno to L.A. 49 Insult your private instructor’s headwear?

51 Monopoly token choice 52 Restroom door word 53 Actress Sedgwick of “The Closer” 55 It’s often served sweetened 60 Buddy who bugs Bert 64 Friar’s Club event 65 Barbecue offering, or what the other three theme answers do?

68 First name in fragrances

69 Musician who feuded with Eminem 70 1960s bluesman Redding 71 Consenting responses 72 Blunt-edged sword 73 Get one’s feet wet DOWN

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Falafel accompanier Home buyer’s need, usually Mail deliverers at Hogwarts Behind the times Write hastily, with “down” Grain in granola Prince William’s alma mater Yeezy Boost 350, for one Leaf and Pathfinder, for two 10 Where Chad is 11 Coastal Alaskan city 12 Agree (with)

13 “Only ___” (Oingo Boingo song) 18 Even out 22 Got the most votes 24 Jessica of “7th Heaven” 25 Site of a 1976 antiApartheid uprising 27 Sandwich need 28 Calculators with sliding beads 29 Lena Dunham show 31 Dark Lord of the Sith 32 Onslaught 33 From Limerick 34 Mango side, maybe 35 “Good to go!”

40 “Hmm ...”

42 Word of affirmation 45 Former MTV personality Daisy 47 Buying binge 50 Blast creator 54 Katniss Everdeen’s projectile 55 “Dirty Dancing” actress Jennifer 56 Actress Byrne 57 “... ‘cause I ___ me spinach, I’m Popeye ...”

58 Mr. Hoggett’s wife, in “Babe” 59 Each, informally 61 1920s leading lady ___ Naldi 62 Abbr. in the footnotes 63 “___ quam videri” (North Carolina motto) 66 Late actor Vigoda (for real) 67 Grain in some whiskey LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

n SAVAGE LOVE

Four-word limit

BY DAN SAVAGE

Are you incapable of concision? Your answers are too long! You blather on, often rehashing the problem (unnecessary!) before giving four words (at most!) of (rarely!) useful advice. I’ve heard you say you have to edit letters down for space. Try this instead: Edit yourself! I want more of the letters — more from the people asking questions — and less of YOU. Keep It Short, Savage, Expressed Sincerely Feedback is always appreciated, KISSES. I’m 30, happily married, with my husband since I was 17. First boyfriend, kiss, etc. I never had sex with anyone else. This never bothered me because I wasn’t really into sex — but there have been big changes in the last year. My sex drive increased, and I’ve started reading erotica and fantasizing about getting kinky. As someone who always had strong values and opinions when it comes to sex and marriage and cheating, these feelings really confused me!

So I found a safe and harmless outlet: Second Life. I created a hot avatar and have been role-playing, talking dirty, and banging people across the world for six months. I love it. Before your readers start pulling the cheater card: I have talked about this with my husband, and I have his blessing. He knows I have an SL account and I’m having cybersex.

Here’s where it gets murky. Most of my SL friends haven’t asked if I’m taken in RL, and I haven’t told them that I am. I flirt as if I’m single, though, because I’m worried people will treat me differently

Speaking his mind in the city he once ruled!

Read him online at Isthmus.com

You’re doing nothing wrong, SLASH. I am a kinkster. I have been since I can remember (I am now 21 years old), and I’ve never told anyone about my deep dark desires until the last year. During my time at university, I made good friends with a guy who I was able to open up to about my preferences, as he had similar desires. We created a beneficial arrangement. I suddenly no longer felt like I needed to suppress my “fucked up” masochistic needs and

This land is your land, this land is

madland isthmus.com

became extremely happy and more comfortable with them. I keep a journal, and naturally I wrote about this arrangement and a lot of the explicit details. Last summer, my mother read my entire journal and was horrified. I received a very nasty text message from her about how our relationship was over, she couldn’t believe what I had done, and she was no longer going to help pay for my postgraduate courses, etc. I never wanted my mother to know about any of this, and I feel bad for how it upset her, but this was also a huge violation of my privacy.

The only way to resolve the situation was for me to pretend that I deeply regretted everything, tell her I can see now how messed up those “weird” sex practices are, and say that I’m cured and will never engage in them again. Months have passed and I’m still angry with her for having read my diary. I feel sad about the lies I told and having to pretend that I regret what I did. Because the truth is I’ve never felt more like myself than when I am doing BDSM. It’s not my entire world, but it is an important part of who I am. How do you think I should take things from here?

She’ll never understand, so telling her isn’t an option, but that means suppressing my deep upset at her as well.

Mother Unfairly Destroyed Daughter’s Libido Entirely Fuck mom; be you, MUDDLE.*

CRAIG WINZER

* Shit, I really can’t do this one in four words. Confront your fucking mother, MUDDLE, once you’re out of grad school (priorities!), about the awful, shitty things she did to you: reading your journal; shaming you for your sexual interests and your private, consensual, respectful and healthy sexual explorations; and her unforgivable acts of emotional and financial blackmail. And you should wave the results of this study under her nose when you confront her: livescience. com/34832-bdsm-healthy-psychology.html. It’s just one of several studies showing that people who practice BDSM — not just fantasize about it — are psychologically healthier than vanilla people. n Email Dan at mail@savagelove.net or reach him on Twitter at @fakedansavage.

After Super Tuesday I’m going to predict that it will come down to Donald and Hillary

But the Good Ol’ Boys won’t let them get away with that and will pull an Independent out of the wood works!

2009 FREEPORT RD. • 271-3827 • NEAR VERONA & RAYMOND ROADS

MARCH 3–9, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM

starring former Madison Mayor

if they know I’m married. I do not wish to meet or have RL sex with anyone I meet on SL, and I make that clear to everyone. But if someone asks me if I’m married in RL, I always tell the truth. I’m writing because I’m worried about this one guy. The cybersex is super hot, and he’s sweet. He’s my go-to guy, and I’m his go-to girl. He knows I have cybersex with other people in SL, and I have told him he is obviously allowed to have sex with others too. But I’m worried our SL relationship has become a bit more. He leaves me messages when I’m not online, telling me he misses me and “loves being with me,” and I’ve said the same to him. I’ve also made it clear I have no intention of meeting anyone from SL in RL, ever. Regardless of my intentions, I’m worried that I’m crossing the line and being unfair to my husband. I’m also worried that I’m being unfair to my guy in SL, because I’m sure he must think I’m single, even though he has never asked.

Am I crossing the line? Or am I just having some harmless fun that helps me satisfy this strange new itch that’s driving me crazy?

Second Lifer And Spouse Haver

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ISTHMUS.COM MARCH 3–9, 2016