M AY 2 6 – J U N E 1 , 2 0 1 6
■
VOL. 41 NO. 21
■
MADISON, WISCONSIN
Wolf at Mike Burns’ “Updraft” sculpture, Brittingham Park.
CREATIVE FORCE Karin Wolf is a tireless advocate for art Laura Zastrow
HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE DOING THIS SUMMER...INSIDE!
June 24-26, 2016 University Ridge Golf Course Madison, WI
Hosted by 12-time PGA TOUR Champion
Steve Stricker
For tickets and more information:
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
AmFamChampionship.com
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■ CONTENTS
■ WHAT TO DO
4 SNAPSHOT
NO DRONES
Two vets peacefully protest the deadly weapons.
6-9 NEWS
NONSTARTER
Sector67 is squeezed out of Starting Block plan.
SAFETY NET
New adoption laws aim to protect families, children.
10 TECH
SHAPE UP
Personalize your workout with UpDown app.
12 OPINION
DUMP TRUMP
Only Hillary can save the GOP.
14 COVER STORY
LEADER OF THE PACK
Karin Wolf brings everyone together for the arts.
19-25 FOOD & DRINK
TOOTHSOME TALES
A roundup of Mad City’s offbeat candies. Above (from left), Allison Geyer, Joe Tarr and Linda Falkenstein get in touch with garbage. At right, Bill Lueders (left) and Michael Popke are winners.
GOOD NEIGHBOR GRUB
Middleton’s Mid Town Pub is a cut above.
26 SPORTS
DUCK DYNASTY
ELLEN MEANY, former longtime Isthmus creative director, can be persistent. She tried for years to interest the staff in doing an entire issue about garbage. Finally, we dedicated our annual Earth Day issue to what features editor Linda Falkenstein dubbed “our complicated relationship with waste.” We surveyed a local scrapyard, interviewed city recycling czar George Dreckmann, talked with the band Garbage, identified Madison’s trashiest dishes, and illustrated what we toss and where it goes. The effort earned us a Milwaukee Press Club gold award for best multi-story coverage of a single feature topic or event. Many contributed, but those listed on the award are Noah Phillips, Allison Geyer, Joe Tarr, David Michael Miller, Michael Popke and Max Miller. Isthmus won gold for best special section design for our Summertimes music preview. Art director Carolyn Fath and staff artist Tommy Washbush worked on this piece. Tommy liked being able to Photoshop pictures of artists into silly situations — like Jimmy Buffett hanging out in a backyard pool and The New Pornographers in a tree.
Mallards look forward to a championship year.
ISTHMUS ALSO WON three silver awards for: Best special section design: Isthmus Drinks (Carolyn Fath, Joe Rocco) Best coverage of a single news topic or event: The Death of Tony Robinson (Judith Davidoff, Allison Geyer, Joe Tarr) Best short feature story: “For the Love of a Pen” (Bill Lueders) And two bronze: Best single editorial: “Our Votes Just Don’t Matter” (Bruce Murphy) Best illustration or cartoon: “Campus Carry” (James Heimer, Carolyn Fath)
40 EMPHASIS
IN ADDITION, our new staff writer, Dylan Brogan, won three awards for his audio work at WORT 89.9 FM.
28 COMEDY
FUNNY BIZ
Madison’s DIY comedy showcases take over.
Stand up for peace
PETER PATAU
Mon., May 30, Gates of Heaven, 12:45-3 pm Ruth Conniff, editor at The Progressive magazine, is the featured speaker at this annual Veterans for Peace Memorial Day celebration at James Madison Park. VFP is also sponsoring a “Memorial Mile” display honoring soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, visible May 28 to June 4 at Olbrich Park along Atwood Avenue. It’s a sobering display.
29 MUSIC
A WAY WITH WORDS
Bratapalooza
30 BOOKS
Fri.-Mon., May 27-30, Alliant Energy Center, bratfest.com
Aesop Rock has crazy lyrical skills.
HIDDEN HISTORY
Jews in Wisconsin is a revelation.
30 STAGE
RAPPIN’ FOR JC
Broom Street play puts the scandal in Christian rock.
32 SCREENS
BROKEN IDYLL
A Bigger Splash ruins a rock star’s retreat.
A WOODSHOP OF ONE’S OWN
Capitol Joinery gives Chris Jungbluth room to create.
IN EVERY ISSUE 8 8 12 13 13
MADISON MATRIX WEEK IN REVIEW THIS MODERN WORLD FEEDBACK OFF THE SQUARE
34 41 42 42 43
ISTHMUS PICKS CLASSIFIEDS P.S. MUELLER CROSSWORD SAVAGE LOVE
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 WRITERS Dylan Brogan, Allison Geyer CALENDAR EDITOR Bob Koch ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Fath STAFF ARTISTS David Michael Miller, Tommy Washbush
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.
Celebrity sing-along Wed., June 1, Elks Lodge (711 Jenifer St.), 6:30-10:30 pm
Local celebrities take the mic at “Stand Up — and Sing! — for Kids,” an annual fundraiser for the Canopy Center and Dane County CASA (court-appointed special advocates). With live and silent auctions, hors d’oeuvres, decadent desserts and performances by the Gomers and members of VO5. Which local celebs? You’ll have be there to find out.
Watch the birdie Sat., May 28, Odana Hills Golf Course, noon-1 pm
The parks department is sponsoring this free Saturday golf class. (Six more are being offered at various courses through the summer.) Get advice from professionals on such topics as putting, drivers and swing mechanics. Schwing!
FIND MORE ISTHMUS PICKS ON PAGE 34
MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
CONTRIBUTORS John W. Barker, Kenneth Burns, Dave Cieslewicz, Nathan J. Comp, Aaron R. Conklin, Ruth Conniff, Michael Cummins, 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, Steven Potter, 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, Lauren Isely WEB ANALYST Jeri Casper CIRCULATION MANAGER Tom Dehlinger MARKETING DIRECTOR Chris Winterhack EVENT DIRECTORS Kathleen Andreoni, Courtney Lovas ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR Kathy A. Bailey OFFICE MANAGER Julie Butler SYSTEMS MANAGER Thom Jones ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Carla Dawkins
The World’s Largest Brat Fest pretty much says it all. The four-day festival packs in a Hot Dog Jog, Take Your Brat to Work Day, a kids sport zone, Brattyball, a car show, helicopter rides, a massive music lineup, fireworks...and lots of brats. You’ll be in wiener heaven.
3
n SNAPSHOT
Planting a seed for peace
David Soumis, left, and Lars Prip, center, talk with Sachin Deshpande beneath a drone replica at the Dane County Farmers’ Market on Capitol Square.
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
BY ESTY DINUR n PHOTO BY LAUREN JUSTICE
4
It’s a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning at the Farmers’ Market, and David Soumis is patiently listening to a man make a point. “I’m a warmonger,” asserts the man. “No, call me a militarist. I believe in strong defense and a strong military, but I also believe in the Constitution.” Soumis, who’s wearing a Veterans for Peace vest, advocates a much different worldview. But he doesn’t try to change the man’s mind. “I allowed him to say his piece. I am not confrontational. I do not yell. I do not persuade,” Soumis later says. “My place is to listen, to understand where others are coming from, and present a peaceful alternative, which I did earlier in our conversation. Plant a seed, if you will. It is up to each of us to find peace within ourselves.” Soumis and Lars Prip are a regular presence on Capitol Square. They’re members of Veterans for Peace Chapter 175, based out of Janesville, and started No Drones Wisconsin. During this Saturday morning, they interact with several people. A photographer who takes aerial photos with drones is “tired of hearing all the bad stuff that the military does; it gives drones a bad name.” A U.S. Marine thanks them for being here. Another man suggests they put the number
of people killed in drone attacks on a sign. “You just gave someone a full-time job,” answers Prip, a Marine veteran who provided security for the American embassy in Saigon in 1968. Prip’s parents moved from Denmark to the United States when he was 10. His twin brother, Sorn, also a Marine, died in combat in Vietnam. “Fifty-eight thousand Americans were lost in Vietnam,” says Prip, “and that doesn’t count the injured, those who still commit suicide because of it, and the millions in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. All this loss of life, and nothing has improved.” Soumis had strong anti-war feelings in high school, but his draft lottery number was 81, a guarantee he would be drafted. In an attempt to avoid combat, he enlisted as an aircraft mechanic and was sent to Phù Cát Air Base in Vietnam. He saw action during the Vietcong’s 1972 Easter Offensive. “I spent six months there, in war,” he says. Almost 40 years later, both felt called to a different sort of action when they came to the Capitol in 2011 to protest Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature. “Something happened to take me out of my comfort zone,” says Prip. “I came here and never left.”
Similarly, Soumis “felt an energy that overcame me, and I had to get off my butt and get in the streets and talk with people.” They met at the June 2011 Democracy Convention in Madison. In October 2011 they went to Washington, D.C., for a protest against air warfare. There they met Nick Mottern, a Vietnam-era Naval pilot who had built six drone replicas and put them in front of the White House as a protest display. They asked for one and got it in 2012. In summer, they bring it to the market most Saturdays. “The American Air Force and CIA assassinate targets in residential areas, at funerals and weddings, and routinely murder children, mothers and entire families,” Prip says. Today, people greet their presence positively. One person says, “Sorry you have to be here for another year.” Several men admire the drone. Prip says, “It’s a slow process, teaching people what the government is doing. If just one person today changes their minds, I did a good job.” Sharon Dawley Carr sits at the Mensa table nearby. Another market regular, Carr sometimes sees people say negative comments to the vets. “I’ve seen these guys with people like that, and they’re kind and calm and don’t engage with the other person’s anger. It’s beautiful to watch.” n
MILES PRIP HAS DRIVEN TO PROTEST AT THE CAPITOL: A Beloit resident, he estimates 26,000 miles just for the Saturday protest in the past five years. NUMBER OF HOURS PRIP AND SOUMIS HAVE PROTESTED: About 4,000 each. PLACES THEY’VE PROTESTED BESIDES MADISON: Washington, D.C., Chicago, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Minnesota. WHAT THEY DO IN WINTER: Demonstrate in front of the Veterans Museum and in the Capitol.
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n NEWS
Stumbling block Sector67 out of ballyhooed StartingBlock development BY NATHAN J. COMP
In mid-2013, Chris Meyer’s nationally acclaimed makerspace, Sector67, became the centerpiece of a plan introduced by a new coalition of local entrepreneurs and business leaders called StartingBlock to establish an entrepreneurial hub in Madison’s Capitol East District, between the Square and the Yahara River. For Meyer, the coalition’s plan ensured something Sector67 desperately needed: new space, and more of it. Its membership had not only outgrown its 2100 Winnebago St. location, but the property’s owner planned to demolish the building. “We were very concerned about not having a place to be, because the amount of equipment we have makes it very hard to move,� Meyer says. “Resettling our business takes about two years.� But the StartingBlock project ended up being unable to accommodate its marquee tenant. In April, Sector67 was squeezed out of StartingBlock’s proposed $69 million ecosystem of office suites and startup spaces. As an anchor tenant, Sector67 had believed it would own the space it moved into. Not so, says StartingBlock executive director Scott Resnick. “Deep into negotiations they decided to pursue a location they were able to own or condo,� he says. “Without going too far into the numbers, there was no viable option.� Sector67’s departure has dialed back the blind enthusiasm StartingBlock engendered early on. Nearly three years after announcing its plan to establish a centralized matrix for the city’s thriving tech community, investor response has been slow, with StartingBlock still $500,000 shy of its $3 million fundraising goal. The city’s $1.5 million contribution, approved last year, will subsidize construction costs for the roughly 100,000-square-foot American Family Insurance-owned building. American Family will use about half of the space, while StartingBlock will sublease parcels to qualified tenants for the rest. Resnick says a land-use plan for developing the south side of East Washington Avenue’s 800 block is nearly ready for city review, add-
Ald. Marsha Rummel, whose district includes the project site, says Sector67 is everybody’s jewel, but it doesn’t bring in the kind of money needed to sustain a new building. “They appeal to all kinds of people who want to get in on the tech,� says Rummel. She adds that the StartingBlock plan is complicated “with a lot of moving parts. Even the parking structure they’ve envisioned is a new model for the city.� Negotiations continue between the city and Madison Gas and Electric over utility-owned property eyed by developers for a city-operated parking ramp with upward of 500 stalls, which would be available for public use on evenings and weekends. Both projects need Urban Design Commission, Plan Commission and Common Council approvals before moving forward.
ing that he expects to break ground by the end of the year. “From my perspective, I wish Chris [Meyer] the very best,� Resnick says. “I’m a huge fan of Sector67. It’s unfortunate there wasn’t a sustainable model that allowed us to proceed together.� StartingBlock’s initial vision called for $13.5 million to purchase and renovate an eastside warehouse, but that changed in 2014 after American Family Insurance joined the project. The insurance company wanted to build rather than renovate. “They wanted new construction, which was more parallel to what they’re used to doing,� says Meyer, who developed the idea for Sector67 as a UW-Madison mechanical engineering graduate student. On Feb. 18, he emailed questions to American Family regarding Sector67’s ownership option in the new building. The reply, which arrived 18 days later, deferred to StartingBlock since it was negotiating tenancy arrangements. Meyer says moving forward on any property was always contingent on Sec-
tor67’s ownership, which would save $50,000 a year in taxes and spare it from the whims of impulsive landlords. For these reasons, a rental agreement of any kind had been a nonstarter from day one, Meyer says. “This was pretty clear to the StartingBlock folks, but it didn’t translate well to American Family,� he continues. “As negotiations with American Family got underway, it became obvious that they weren’t going to entertain the option for us to either own or condo the space.� A spokesperson from American Family did not respond to Isthmus’ request for comment. Ald. Mark Clear calls the news a huge disappointment. “But I don’t think there is any blame or that it is a fatal problem,� he adds. Resnick says interest remains high among prospective tenants. Although he can’t say how many letters of intent he’s received from prospective tenants, he adds several are being “actively signed.� “Our organization is still robust and strong,� he says. “We’re continuing to move forward.�
According to an Economic Development Division memo issued last May, StartingBlock’s goal is to provide and help startups find affordable office and co-working space, among other things. It also states: “StartingBlock will provide a permanent home for Sector 67....� “The finances of the project did not allow for the condo or the ownership,� Resnick says. “It would have blown the project total to an astronomically high level.� At the end of a fruitless three years, Meyer is surprisingly diplomatic about being priced out, chalking it up to “obliviousness� on American Family’s part. “Cutting us out of the project will certainly help them, but honestly I don’t think it was anything calculated on their end,� he says. Resnick says American Family had nothing to do with negotiations, calling the insurance giant a “phenomenal player� that has been doing “everything in its ability to ensure StartingBlock could integrate Sector67.� But with 100 members, Meyer is now in a rush to secure new digs for his makerspace. “This is really a sustainability move for us,� he says. “If we can own the building we can operate into perpetuity. And we’ve certainly got the revenue to keep that going.� n
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■ MADISON MATRIX
n WEEK IN REVIEW BIG CITY
After a semester marred by numerous hate and bias incidents on campus, UW-Madison officials announce 107 proposals to improve the racial climate at the institution.
SUNDAY, MAY 22
n Wisconsin confirms its
n Madison sees yet another
first case of Zika virus in a woman who had recently traveled to Honduras, but health officials don’t expect the infection to spread in the state.
Gov. Scott Walker still has nearly $900,000 in campaign debt from his unsuccessful presidential bid. Failure is expensive.
PREDICTABLE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18
SURPRISING
Anchors aweigh: Madison-based AnchorBank announces plans to cut 140 positions following the bank’s May 1 sale to Old National Bank of Evansville, Ind.
n Presumptive GOP pres-
idential nominee Donald Trump releases his short list of potential Supreme Court nominees, which includes former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and current federal appeals court judge Diane Sykes. She’s also the ex-wife of Charlie “#NeverTrump” Sykes.
The family of David Thompson, a Madison man who died under mysterious circumstances in Jamaica on April 26, believes medical professionals let Thompson die while extorting thousands of dollars from them. SMALL TOWN
instance of gun violence with a shooting just after 3 a.m. in the parking lot of La Hacienda restaurant on South Park Street. Two 26-year-old men are injured, but police say witnesses and victims aren’t providing information about the crime. n The Madison Fire Department responds to what might be the most highfalutin grease spill in Madison history after vandals overturn a 55-gallon drum of duck fat in the alley behind Rare Steakhouse — presumably intended for duck fat frites. TUESDAY, MAY 24 n Right-to-work is back on
the books — for now. Wisconsin’s 3rd District Court of Appeals rules to grant an emergency request from state Attorney General Brad Schimel to put a hold on an April ruling from a Dane County judge that struck down the law as unconstitutional. Now
the case will likely go to the state Supreme Court. n Lawyers challenging the legislative district map redrawn by Wisconsin Republicans in 2011 slam the plan as “one of the worst partisan gerrymanders in modern American history” in their opening statements. n Wisconsin Badgers basketball star Nigel Hayes withdraws from the 2016 NBA draft and will return to UW-Madison for his senior season.
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n NEWS
At the limits of love Wisconsin’s new laws aim to support adoptive parents, children BY LISA SPECKHARD
These are not the first laws to address adoptions ending badly. In 2013, Kleefisch authored a bill in response to a Reuters investigation that exposed the practice of “rehoming” unwanted children. According
strengthening parents’ relationship with local post-adoption resource centers. The laws also increase safeguards for children. Previously, it was not legally required for internationally adopted children to be registered — meaning the Department of Children and Families technically didn’t know these children existed, Johnson says. This made children vulnerable to rehoming and trafficking, Kleefisch adds. The laws attempt to correct this by requiring all foreign adoptions to be registered within a year. Originally, the legislation proposed a registration deadline of just 60 days. The extended deadline was one of several changes proposed by Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg). Other amendments removed some requirements, such as six hours of post-placement training, a face-to-face meeting with a postadoption resource center (PARC) representative, and a $1,000 bond posted for foreign adoptions until the adoption has been registered. After talking to adoptive families in his district, LeMahieu believes the bills added burdens to families already experiencing a hectic time of transition. He saw visiting a postadoption resource center as difficult for families in northern Wisconsin, as there are only six PARCs in the state. “I think the overall intent of the adoption bills was really good, but I wanted to make sure that we didn’t put up a lot more barriers, especially to international adoption, which is a lengthy process with a huge expense,” LeMahieu says. Johnson regrets that some requirements were removed, which she said were the best practices recommended during the study committee. She added that these recommendations not only benefit parents, but ensure the safety of children. Kleefisch believes a reasonable compromise was struck. “It’s a tightrope; you don’t want to make it more difficult for good people to adopt,” Kleefisch says. “At the same time, you have to have measures in there to make sure the children being adopted are going to be safe.” Banks believes that more long-term support would be helpful, including interim assessments in the later stages of adoption, especially during adolescence. Kim Westfahl, director of adoption and foster care at Lutheran Social Services, would love to see long-term, low-cost therapy services and one-on-one post-adoption support. Julie does not see mandated trainings, which may not be applicable to every family, as helpful. She would rather see additional post-adoptive resources and services. “I could do all of the ‘I’ll love you, I’ll stick by you no matter what crazy behavior you do,’” she says. But eventually, she realized, “I really needed a little bit more support.” n
JOE ANDERSON
ioral problems, mental health issues or special needs, says Verneesha Banks, a child and family training consultant at Wraparound Milwaukee, an organization that serves children with mental and emotional health needs. Banks works with minors who have been kicked out by their adoptive parents. She says issues can be especially problematic when they don’t surface until years after the adoption, commonly in adolescence. Even when problems are initially dealt with, they can resurface years later, overwhelming the family. For Julie, after adopting an 8-year-old boy with an “absolutely horrific” history of abuse, years of therapy and love transformed him into a promising student who was extended an invitation to a Harvard science and technology program. But when the boy turned 16, all that progress seemed to dissolve. “I don’t know if it was the hormones, but he almost reverted,” she says. He began exhibiting behaviors he hadn’t displayed in years, such as urinating in the closet. Unfortunately, the initial support provided by social workers and clinical psychologists was no longer available. The new laws aim to better support parents by increasing training requirements and
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When Julie first began the adoption process for one of her foster children, she was excited and optimistic about the future. “I thought love cured everything; you’d just love them and everything would be fine,” remembers Julie, whose name has been changed to protect her children. She was quickly proved wrong. While this didn’t stop her — she is currently adopting her sixth child — she’s learned that it takes more than love. All the children she adopted through foster care have psychological problems, and most have displayed sexually inappropriate behaviors and even violent tendencies. At one point, she had two teenage boys who made her fear for her safety. “They’d rage, and our house would get pretty much beat up and ripped down,” she says. “I got punched in the face a couple of times.” With a social work background and pure determination, she and her husband were able to build a support system for themselves, rearranging their lives and careers in the process. Not every family makes it through these crises intact. Some adoptive parents don’t know where to turn when serious problems arise, which can lead to legal terminations of adoptions or to unofficial “rehoming.” While the frequency of such incidences are hard to track, each can be devastating for the child and family alike. Four bills signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker on April 25 aim to provide parents with more support and children with additional safeguards. But amendments made to the bills throughout the legislative process reflect a tension between helping families and burdening them with extra requirements. The legislation, known collectively as the Adoption Protection Package, increases preadoption training requirements for prospective parents, standardizes home studies for adoption placement, requires that children in the welfare system are identified if previously adopted and requires families who have adopted internationally to register their adoptions. The bills were authored by the Joint Legislative Committee on Adoption Disruption and Dissolution, co-chaired by Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) and LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee). “When parents are ready to adopt, they’ve got much more of a team behind them ready to help them in any way possible with anything that could go askew,” Kleefisch says.
to the report, parents were advertising their adopted children on the internet to arrange private custody transfers. With no government oversight, these children could be placed with potentially dangerous guardians, including, in extreme cases, pedophiles. Kleefisch’s Rehoming Bill made that practice illegal, but he recognized that more information was needed to get to the root of the problem. The bill created a committee to study what common problems confront adopting families and how they could be prevented. “When we did this adoption study, it was just really eye-opening,” Johnson says. “Before, we thought the people who adopt these kids are just horrible human beings for trying to rehome these kids.” But after hearing parent testimony, she adds, “We realized that there are a lot of underlying issues and problems with some of these families.” Some foster care children have intense behav-
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Need to get in shape? Madison startup has an app for that BY NATHAN J. COMP
Traveling the country as an implementation specialist for Epic Systems was good for Chris Freise’s wallet, but not his waistline. In 2013, life on the go was catching up to him. “I was on a plane thinking about how unhealthy I’d been living,� he recalls. “I was staying in hotels, sleeping in a different bed each night and eating a lot of fast food.� While the motivation to shed the extra pounds was there, figuring out how to shed them was not. But that changed during his search for an app that could do the thinking for him. The unsatisfying results led not only to a preoccupation with how to get fit, but also with how it could fatten his wallet in the process. Last November, Freise, 26, his brother Mike, 25, and friend Jes Greenwood, 31, launched UpDown Fitness, an app aimed at helping people achieve their fitness goals by providing customized workout routines based on a user’s body specs and fitness goals. Five months later, the app has seen 16,000 downloads, with upwards of 10,000 active users. “What really makes our product unique is that it provides a really personalized experience,� Chris says. Setting UpDown Fitness apart from thousands of other exercise apps is its proprietary algorithm, developed by Greenwood. To produce a personalized workout routine, says Greenwood, the algorithm first models how the human body produces power from a numerical analysis of actual workout data. “Combining that data with the mathematical model of a person’s body lets us
customize routines, track a person accurately and build them up over time,� he says. Upon signing up, users start with a model based on an average person, which they can adjust to reflect their own weaknesses or strengths. “The algorithm adjusts what routine it gives based upon what you tell it and will build you up over time,� he explains. “The more you work out, the more accurate it gets.� Until now, the company has relied primarily on conventional advertising, such as Google Adwords, but is eyeing partnerships with gym owners, who, in essence, would function as distributors by giving the app to their members. “It will improve the gym experience and help owners with member retention,� says Mike Freise. “Members will be able to participate in gym leaderboards and other communal activities.� Version 2.0 launched on May 2 and will soon become a subscription service costing $12 per month or $10 a month with a year commitment. Subscribers earn tokens when using the app, which they can cash in for gift cards to local shops and restaurants. They’ll also have access to a full library of workouts, and can save up to 100 customized workouts. “I think the value is pretty good,� says Chris. The subscriber data streaming back into the company may have good value as well. Chris foresees the day UpDown Fitness provides custom meal plans or discounted insurance premiums based on workout frequency, duration and intensity. The business launched with $100,000 of seed money; a second round of fundraising began earlier this year.
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The UpDown Fitness app, which launched its second version last month, offers users personalized workouts.
Chris has lost about 15 to 20 pounds using his app. But all three co-founders agree that building their own company has been a much bigger workout. “It’s been harder than I ever thought it
would be,â€? says Chris. “Personal relationships will suffer, even when you’re with your family, because it is always on your mind. Working at Epic is a cakewalk compared to this.â€? â–
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n OPINION
Save the GOP: Vote Hillary! A Trump presidency threatens the country and the Republican Party BY MICHAEL CUMMINS Michael Cummins is a Madison-based business analyst.
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
In March, I wrote a column that would have made no sense to me, a longtime Republican, just a year earlier. I had decided that if Donald Trump became the Republican nominee for president, I would vote for the Democrat. Well, Trump has pulled it off. And, despite an amazing campaign, Bernie Sanders will certainly concede before the Democratic convention. So I write something now that feels even weirder: I will vote for Hillary Clinton this November. I believe that a Donald Trump presidency could threaten the very foundations of our republic. Trump’s flamboyantly unstable temperament would put us in constant risk of disaster — disaster of a magnitude we’re used to seeing only in Third World countries. My sole objective this election season is to see Trump defeated so decisively that he will go away for good. I would prefer his humiliation be complete, so that other aspiring dictators might think twice before engaging the American electorate. I had dearly hoped that, once it became clear we were stuck with Trump as nominee, prominent Republicans would finally get serious, and pledge to do whatever it takes to keep his unsteady hands away from the executive order pen...and the nuclear button. But aside from P.J. O’Rourke, who called Clinton “the second worst thing that could happen to this country,” and a handful of GOP insiders you’ve never heard of, no one has publicly made the same uncomfortable choice that I have. As a matter of fact, a disturbing number of prominent Republicans are “coming around” to supporting Trump’s candidacy. Former rivals for the nomination seem especially eager to do so, despite having demonstrated that they understand just how awful Trump is. Rick Perry, who not so long ago called Trump’s candidacy “a cancer on conservatism,” is just one among a caval-
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cade of turncoats who have recently endorsed the nominee. I fear that much of the erstwhile #NeverTrump crowd is headed in the same direction. I cannot see into the hearts of these party leaders. But I’m sure they are giving in only reluctantly. Though self-preservation is every politician’s lodestar, there is, paradoxically, some spirit of martyrdom behind their conversions. They are concerned about the fate of the Republican Party, hoping it doesn’t split apart. They think they’re “taking one for the team.” They are, in fact, doing just the opposite. Their appeasement of Donald Trump is hurtling the GOP toward its ruin. Victorious presidential candidates dominate their party. They set its tenor and agenda. While America might emerge from four years of Trump-induced havoc largely intact, the GOP would emerge as an unrecognizable mutant. Trump is, to put it mildly, not a bottom-up consensus builder. By the end of his presidency, the party apparatus would be purged of anyone who failed to get with the Trump program, whatever that turns out to be.
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But top Republicans, it seems, are determined to keep whistling past the graveyard. Paul Ryan is still holding back his endorsement, but only in hopes of extracting concessions from Trump. “I want to make sure we do the things not to fake unity, but to actually have unity,” said Ryan this past Saturday. Boy, is he about to get rolled. Of course, Trump will continue to deliver Republican-friendly concessions, like his recent conservative-heavy list of prospective Supreme Court nominees. And, of
THIS MODERN WORLD
course, the concessions will continue to be 100% insincere. With this master manipulator, any apparent GOP unity will be fake. The only true unity will come if Trump wins, and then it will be completely on his terms. What about not-so-new voters like me? Over the last decade, I have held several Republican Party offices at the local level. I have lent my share of grudging support to politicians who applied the party’s smallgovernment principles in a frustratingly selective manner. But I could not work within a party that is under Donald Trump’s control. I do get that Republican leaders are under severe electoral pressure, especially when it comes to keeping their grip on federal and state legislatures. But a party based on conservatism could never fully recover from four years under Trump, a man who went out of his way to remind us that “this is called the ‘Republican Party’.... [I]t’s not called the ‘Conservative Party.’” On the other hand, the GOP might thrive electorally during a Hillary Clinton presidency, as it has under the lackluster reign of Barack Obama. Republicans started this election season with high hopes. But it’s time for party leaders to acknowledge that things have gone terribly, terribly wrong. It’s best that we just take a dive on this one, so that we might live to fight another day. n
BY TOM TOMORROW
© 2016 WWW.THISMODERNWORLD.COM
n FEEDBACK
Enough with the east side already
Ready...set...action!
While I understand east-siders are excited to see so much happening in their part of town, is there really a need to cheerlead development on East Washington Avenue (“A New Downtown District,” 5/19/2016”)? From my perspective the movement of downtown amenities to that corridor is already in the works, and to feature a full-page opinion advertising East Wash development as the answer to the woes of State Street condenses the city of Madison into only downtown and the isthmus. As a resident of the south side of Madison, I am absolutely thrilled at the prospect of Madison College expanding in my neighborhood, hopefully also expanding the opportunities for the folks living here. Similarly, I would think that putting the proposed public market on the south side would express an interest in including all Madison neighborhoods in the cultural and culinary boom being celebrated on the east side. Alan Talaga gives a nod towards lack of diversity, wanting a downtown “that offers something for more than just well-off white people,” but he seems to ignore that there are other neighborhoods in Madison that are already diverse, and hungry for the bounty that east-siders already enjoy. Nigel O’Shea (via email)
I am so glad you folks selected the movie This Changes Everything as a pick of the week, and the review was great (“No More Business as Usual,” 5/19/2016)! I really liked the way it led the reader through the different aspects of the movie; it was very inspiring and hopefully will encourage many folks to see the movie, as well as taking action in their lives afterward. Mary Beth Elliott (via email)
Correction In last week’s article on the Savages, drummer Fay Milton was misidentified in the photo. As shown below, the correct lineup is, from left, Ayse Hassan, Fay Milton, Gemma Thompson and Jehnny Beth.
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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
BY LAURA JONES
I
t’s Gallery Night, a breezy 82 degrees,
and packs of Madison residents are roaming east-side locations looking at art. Karin Wolf, the city’s art administrator, stands under the eaves of a temporary installation near the construction site at Union Corners, noting the way the structure blends in with the canopy of oak trees overhead. Dressed in a zigzag wrap dress, orange beaded necklace and cool-girl glasses, Wolf is an attractive combination of sharp focus and free-range spark. As is often the case, her connection to this particular piece of art is strong. The sculpture, modeled on a Native American longhouse, received a $1,500 BLINK grant from the Madison Arts Commission, which Wolf administers. For the Intentionally Welcoming Communities group, which facilitated the creative process, the grant represented more than a pot of money; it was an important endorsement that allowed the organizers to tap other funding streams. It’s only 5:30 p.m., but this is already Wolf’s second stop. The first was a poetry reading at Michelangelo’s Coffee House on State Street. Rushing out of there, she ran into Andrea Musher, former poet laureate, and after a quick hug, promised to listen to a recording of Musher’s newest project, a musical. Wolf’s schedule is filled with such commitments. Her proposed agenda for Gallery Night was organized into frantic categories like “must go” or “try.” Before the evening is over, Wolf will have visited more than a dozen galleries, shops, new art spaces and the Central Library. If the arts administrator is anything, she’s in demand. Wolf has spent almost a decade nurturing a vibrant network in a creative city; one that runs on little money. The Madison Arts Commission — an appointed advisory committee of 10 citizens and an alder — is responsible for public art projects, music programs, poetry, arts in education and basically any other project you can think of where an individual artist or organization creates something for the city. Wolf is the one full-time staff person devoted to pulling it all off. “Basically, I play with red tape and jump through hoops,” Wolf says. “My role is to fill in the gaps.”
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KARIN WOLF: From left: Longhouse at Union Corners; LAURA ZASTROW
But Wolf, 47, is more than just a bridge for artists. She’s a proactive dynamo who has championed art and artists in an era of low to nonexistent funding. Since her hire in 2006, she has given herself over to the city’s art community, so much so that they feel she belongs to them; and she’s expert at incubating ideas and matching artists to funders. If she’s overcommitted, working long hours, including nights and weekends, to be on hand for openings and events, it’s in the service of her higher calling: art, which she calls “her religion.” Moving into the future, Wolf hopes to institutionalize the city’s financial commitment to art and artists. She is spearheading efforts to create through city ordinance a program that would provide guaranteed funding for art in multimillion-dollar city construction projects. If it passes, the Percent for Art program just might become her legacy. Wolf’s determination hasn’t gone unnoticed. Katie Crawley, deputy mayor for public works and communication, says that in her five years on the job, Wolf stands out as a city employee she’d like to clone: “She’s passionate. She’s an inspiration. She’s one of those people who say, ‘I love my job.’”
Try as she might, Wolf can’t be everywhere at once. On her whirlwind tour of galleries, an artist takes her aside, upset she’d missed a recent opening. No matter how much she gets to, there’s just not enough of her to go around. “I’m always happy when I look up and she’s at an event,” says Trent Miller, coordinator of the Central Library’s Bubbler program. “But she needs three assistants. There’s just so much going on, and she’s working on it all. It’s an impossible job. Organize all of the art in the entire city? How do you do that?” Boise, Idaho, a city with 30,000 fewer people than Madison, has a Department of Arts and History Public Art Program with 10 employees. Most cities have cultural affairs teams that tackle such activities as place planning, murals, arts in education and grants to artists. In Madison, Wolf administers all of these activities, working as a liaison with
ERIC BAILLIES
various city departments and neighborhoods and helping artists’ vision merge with city needs. “She really knows the whole city infrastructure and how to navigate that,” Miller says. “People don’t realize how many people you have to talk to in order to get something to happen here.” In addition to the BLINK grants, which support creation of temporary pieces, such as the longhouse sculpture at Union Corners, the city offers a couple of different grant programs for public art, including one for permanent work. Mike Burns, a local metalworking artist, received a $5,000 seed grant from the planning department for “Updraft,” a new installation at Brittingham Park that includes a giant steel arched sculpture, benches and ornamentation for the fence around the park’s community garden. Burns says an earlier commission at a different site fell through, but Wolf stuck with him, helping redirect funds and supporting the neighborhood in fundraising efforts. “As artists, we aren’t skilled in all areas. Fundraising is probably the least of our skills. But Karin’s creativity and persistence helps an artist take the long view,” Burns says. Under Wolf’s stewardship even a temporary artwork can have a long-term impact. In 2013, Brenda Baker, an artist and director of exhibits at the Madison Children’s Museum, created “Seed Pod,” a sculpture made of woven branches from invasive plant species. The egg-shaped structure was placed on the walkway to Monona Terrace as part of an ecological conference. “Monona Terrace had never engaged a local artist before,” Wolf says. “It was all strictly Frank Lloyd Wright.” But with Wolf’s cultivation, and the early support of BLINK, more than 1,300 conference attendees from 57 countries had a chance to see it — along with countless local residents who visited the terrace. “Everyone started taking photos there,” Wolf recalls. “It became an icon for the summer. Then Monona Terrace said, ‘why don’t we always do this?’” Now sculpture is a part of the rooftop landscape; in 2014, the convention center started
a temporary art program of its own, curated by David Wells, the gallery director of Edgewood College. It might not have happened without Wolf’s behind-the-scenes intervention. Wolf is proud that “Seed Pod,” which later moved to a Milwaukee sculpture garden, began with a BLINK grant. She is passionate about inserting the arts into every setting. Currently, her position is housed in the planning department, which she appreciates. Planners know what’s going to happen in a place before anyone else, and her mission is to include arts in discussions early on. She knows that not everyone agrees on the importance of public art. Part of her job is to raise public awareness of what the arts mean to Madison — how they contribute to the look and feel of the city, enrich citizens’ lives and bring millions of dollars to the regional economy. Last year, Wolf gave the keynote address at the UWMadison Advocacy Consortium for Entrepreneurs. She showed a handsome photo of ice skaters in front of Monona Terrace and then flipped to another slide where the same photo was manipulated, replacing the convention center with a drab office building. Then she asked the group: “Which Madison attracts talent?” Her message, as she recalls it, was: “If you don’t pony up, we aren’t going to get Frank Lloyd Wright buildings without artists or attention to the environment.” She isn’t one to mince words. (“I take the path of least resistance, because there’s so much to do. If you don’t want a sculpture in your neighborhood, there are other neighborhoods that do. I won’t beat my head against the wall.”) At the same time, she prepares PowerPoints with creative options for new work in parks. She’ll help a poet’s widow craft an elegant book in his memory. If you can pin her down, she might even listen to the long musical you just wrote, headphones on, as you carefully explain the whole thing. “Karin is a major driver for expanding the arts,” says Barbara Schrank, chairperson of the Madison Arts Commission. “She’ll meet with artists that are new to the community and help them make connections. To me that stands out, that she has the energy for that.”
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CREATIVEMORNINGS.COM
Brenda Baker’s “Seed Pod” at Monona Terrace; with Elizabeth Doyle at “Feed the Dream,” Allied Drive Mosaics; speaking at “Creative Mornings,” an online breakfast chat.
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One thing she won’t do is let you buy her a cup of coffee. As someone intimately involved with the grant-making process, Wolf learned early on not to take favors. “Lynn Eich [retired director of the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission] taught me total best practices — complete fairness, ethics. We give out grant money, so I do not take a cup of coffee.”
Growing up in St. Louis, Mo.,
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Wolf’s earliest exposure to the arts came from her mother, an immigrant from Transylvania. The family had little money, but her mother’s love of the arts kept her seeking new and inexpensive cultural experiences to share with her family. Wolf’s father and sister are both musicians; her sister plays oboe, and her father is a brass player. They were art-makers, Wolf says, while she and her mother were the supportive audience. Wolf left home the day after high school graduation, yearning to escape the conservative bubble of St. Louis County. In Madison, she found the likeminded people she craved. She soaked up the radical culture like a sponge. “I’m very curious about everything,” she says. “Everything fascinates me.” That’s evidenced in her undergraduate career at UW, which took 10 years to complete and spanned three majors — history, history of culture and Afro-American studies — and a minor in women’s studies. “I love education, but I resented being forced to learn a certain way. I was doing this kind of protest. But then my teacher said to me, ‘Who’s hearing your big protest against academia? Who are you hurting besides yourself?’ She encouraged me to finish my degree. In the meantime, I collected classes.” Classes and experiences. During that 10-year period, Wolf moved to Sierra Leone for a year, married Abu-Hassan Koroma, and became stepmother to his 4-year-old daughter, Nina. The two later divorced, but Wolf continued to raise their daughter, now 25, who attends UW-Madison. Wolf is now married to former Ald. Brian Solomon, and is once again a stepmother to his children, Kaiya, 12, and Tamirat, 10. Her relationship with Nina was significant. Because Wolf wanted her stepdaughter to attend a good arts-based preschool, she started teaching there as a partial barter for tuition. Like her mother before her, she carted Nina to free or inexpensive programs in the city, including at the Madison Art Center (now MMoCA). “I called Sheri [Castelnuovo], the curator of education, and said, ‘Hey I’m a poor mom, and I’d like my kid to do this.’ I asked about scholarships. Sheri said, ‘Just bring her.’” Wolf began volunteering at the museum, teaching kids about contemporary art with simple materials like pencils and paper. The work called for ingenuity and performative flash. Wolf loved it, and hoped to follow in Castelnuovo’s footsteps and become a museum educator. But in grad school at UW’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, she had an awakening. “I realized, maybe the city is the museum. Maybe I can do
something more than just art in an exclusive domain. It’s about breaking down those exclusions and creating access.” Kia Karlen, a member of the Madison Arts Commission and director of education at the Madison Children’s Museum, says Wolf is intent on making sure all people, regardless of income or race, have access to participation in the arts: “[Karin] has been focused on equity in the arts and making sure they are accessible to everyone.” Wolf represented the city of Madison in Any Given Child, a multi-city Kennedy Center program that examines equity in arts education. Beginning in 2013, representatives from the Overture Center, the school district and the city collected input from the community, examining. racial and economic disparities in arts education in Madison’s K-12 schools. Then the panel created an action blueprint for offering an “arts rich” environment for all schools, regardless of neighborhood income or individual school circumstances. “One of the great experiences has been asking for the truth and then hearing it and deciding what to do,” says Wolf. “We had to face our current state and find out who is getting access and who isn’t.”
To this point, Wolf has accomplished much with very little funding. According to a 2013 study by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Wisconsin ranks 48th in the nation for arts spending. Minnesota ranks first, spending $6.36 per person, while our state squeaks by on just 13 cents. The disparity is dismal. Yet the arts are an economic generator. According to the 2012 study “Arts and Economic Prosperity IV,” published by Americans for the Arts, the arts generated more than $535 million for Wisconsin’s economy in 2010; that’s 66% more than comparably sized states. The Madison Arts Commission’s grantmaking arm issues just $100,000 to artists and art organizations annually. But Wolf excels at leveraging that small pool of money. “Karin definitely helps us do a lot with a little,” says Karlen. “She’s created that culture among the committee members.” This summer, Wolf says she and the commission plan to propose a Percent for Art ordinance for the city, which could dedicate at least 1% of public construction budgets to art. That threshold amount is still being discussed, but Wolf predicts the ordinance would focus on projects with budgets exceeding $5 million. Madison has never had such a program, though the state had one for decades, providing two-tenths of 1% of public construction budgets for art. The 31-year program was repealed by Gov. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin State Legislature in 2011. Nationally, such programs exist in 28 states and several cities, including Boise, San Francisco and St. Paul. Interestingly, Joe Spencer, St. Paul’s director of arts and culture, considers Percent for Art a baby step. (“Welcome to the ’80s!” he says.) That city, which has 50,000 more residents than Madison, has had a Percent for Art ordinance in place for decades. It also employs
Wolf (center) with her stepdaughter, Kaiya Solomon (right) and muralist Sharon Kilfoy at Allied Drive Pavement Painting, August 2014. ingenuity]. I really want to try with Percent for Art to do it in such a way that it doesn’t take off the pressure.” Percent for Art is only one part of Wolf’s strategy for spreading the gospel of arts. She’s also looking at ways the city can better support neighborhood-based creative activity and deepen its relationship with the university. She’d like Madison to help more musicians earn a living wage. And she has a personal passion: restoring the crumbling Annie Stewart Fountain in Vilas Park, which was built in 1925. “After the mounds, this is the oldest art we have. It’s history. It’s the past’s gift to us,” says Wolf. “The neglect of it makes me uncomfortable. If we can’t take care of what we have, I don’t know if we should be aggressively pursuing adding more.”
Wolf is still going strong at 9 p.m. on Gallery Night when she bumps into Faisal Abdu’Allah, a local artist and associate art professor at UW-Madison, on the stairs of the Central Library. He updates her on his project working with at-risk teenagers; how they seemed to come alive while working on the large self-portraits currently on display in the library windows facing Mifflin Street. Wolf listens attentively, excited about the future possibilities for the work. “We are collectively making meaning together; fixing things, celebrating things, through arts and culture,” says Wolf. “I don’t want the light on me,” she adds. “I want the light on all of us and what we are accomplishing together. My role is to do what needs to be done so that the vision and will of the citizens happen.” n
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MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
two salaried artists and a full-time staffer who oversees funding for the arts generated from the sales tax. At this stage, it’s difficult to predict exactly how much money a Madison program could provide for art projects; but with 15 planned projects that exceed $5 million, it could generate as much as $1.71 million in the next two years. Creating Percent for Art would be an important initiative for art and artists in the city, and passing it will require building a strong consensus, something Wolf plans to pursue with her typical devotion. “Whatever draft ordinance is presented, I’m going to make sure [city engineer] Rob Phillips and the Parks Department and all the other stakeholders have signed off on it so there isn’t any resistance.” One of the possible ripple effects of Percent for Art could be additional city staff devoted to the arts. For this reason and more, Wolf wants it to pass. But she also recognizes that the low-budget environment has brought out a certain hearty, DIY culture among artists and organizations in Madison she doesn’t want to lose. She points to the Central Library, where the art budget was just $15,000. “But we have $300,000 worth of art in that library because we scraped together and convinced architects to use artist-made parts; it made the same financial sense. I love that library. To me, it’s the best you can do.” Wolf says she wants to keep that resourceful spirit and work ethic, which, along the way, creates support for ideas and projects that otherwise might not have been there. “As a city, we need both [money and
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FOOD & DRINK ■ SPORTS ■ COMEDY ■ MUSIC ■ BOOKS ■ STAGE ■ SCREENS
Embrace the many-colored treats at It’Sugar.
Candy everybody wants We find and devour an impressive multicultural mix of sweets BY ADAM POWELL ■ PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA ZASTROW
“Candy, Candy, Candy I can’t let you go / All my life you’re haunting me, I loved you so.” — Iggy Pop
But hey, we can be responsible adults and indulge once in a while, right? It’s surely worth it just to get that sense of wonder back, if only for an hour. And why rest with those tired standbys: Milky Ways, Red Vines and Hershey Bars? On a quest for candy thrills, Isthmus took a tour of Madison’s candy shops to find some lesser-known and sometimes just plain bizarre candy.
It’Sugar
It’s more or less Willy Wonka land at It’Sugar, 542 State St., with an emphasis on the weird. Witness the world’s largest gummy worm, which lives up to its billing at the length, width and weight of a baby boa constrictor. When sliced lengthwise, the cherry sections resemble nothing so much as ahi nigiri, all rosy-red and quivering to
the touch. It’Sugar is home to many other peculiar candy treats, like the similarly oversized five-pound gummy bear, nearly the size of an infant child. Expecting couples could practice childrearing with this thing. As far as outlandish candy with not even esthetically redeeming values, the Toxic Waste Drums Sour candy 12-pack case is tough to beat. These sizzle on the tongue
CONTINUE D ON PAGE 24
➡
MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
It is a truth universally acknowledged that candy is for kids. As we grow up, dentists convince us it’s bad: “All your teeth will fall out of your head!” We sigh and reluctantly abandon sugary treats, losing the jolt of excitement we used to feel when peering through the windows of a candy store.
19
■ FOOD & DRINK
Tavern tempters Mid Town Pub offers special touches BY CANDICE WAGENER
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Middleton’s Mid Town Pub is truly a neighborhood place — a gathering space for the community, as pubs are meant to be. A lunchtime visit might include a baby crying off and on, blue-collar workers grabbing a quick bite to eat at the bar and retirees coming in for a mid-day chat. Mid Town’s laid-back atmosphere says it’s a place for everyone to relax. Servers call hello when you walk in the door, and the open seating and bright space are welcoming. At every table and along the bar are baskets of popcorn, fresh and filled to the brim. It’s a welcome sight for kids who can barely hold it together until the food arrives, as well as for night owls who want a little snack with their beer. The menu incorporates pub favorites, but there are some fun twists and unexpected items, too. Vegetarians can get their fill with the Porta-Bleu sandwich (a portabella mushroom cap topped with sautéed onions, artichoke hearts and, of course, blue cheese) or a triple-decker grilled cheese stuffed with corn pico de gallo and three kinds of cheese. Dinner specials like St. Louis-style ribs on Wednesday and blackened fish tacos on Sunday are a fine break from the norm. The house chili, offered as a side but also capable of sustaining a meal on its own, is based on a generous amount of shredded chicken — yet it’s not a white chili. It has a hearty tomato base, with pinto beans and just a hint of cumin. I found it was fine as is, but you can also add shredded cheddar or crumbled blue cheese, diced onion and sour cream. Other small touches distinguish the pub classics. Crunchy jalapeño poppers come with a side of grape habanero jam — the sweetness and the heat are good companions, though I was hoping for more burn, given the promise of habanero.
RYAN WISNIEWSKI
Go green with the Buffalo blue avocado salad.
Burgers, from build-your-own to seven specialty creations, come on a local Colonial Bakery bun. The pub’s “MTP Primers” are an appetizer take on the English dip sandwich. Sliced prime rib is topped with the Pub’s signature “horsey sauce” (a horseradish-laced condiment with minimal kick) and served on mini pretzel buns along with juices for dipping. These are a cut above the usual slider. A true star was the Buffalo blue avocado salad, loaded with chopped greens, cucumber, tomato, avocado and crumbled blue cheese, served with your choice of dressing on the side. Housemade blue cheese dressing went with this quite well, as did the addition of grilled Inferno chicken. And an incredible meatloaf sandwich special featured a thick slice of meatloaf, sweet barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese — comfort food at its finest.
The one meal I found bland and unimpressive was the fish fry. The beer-battered cod was almost flavorless, the batter soggy. And the Chicago dog, while tasty and thoughtfully created, is not a Chicago dog — yellow mustard is replaced with Düsseldorf, and the sport peppers, bright green relish and celery salt are all missing. Of course, we can’t forget the other side of the pub. Ten beers are on tap, including such locals as Karben4 Fantasy Factory and Ale Asylum Hopalicious. But there’s also Miller Lite and Hamm’s, plus over 100 bottled beers. On weekends, Mid Town Pub sets up a bloody mary bar, offering 30 different juice mixes and toppings that go far beyond celery and beef sticks. Come summer, Mid Town Pub will be taking advantage of its proximity to Lake Mendota. Staff will deliver anything from the menu to your boat via its boat ($20 minimum order). Now that’s service. ■
MID TOWN PUB ■ 2405 Allen Blvd, Middleton ■ 608-826-5129 ■ midtownpub.com Full menu 11 am-1 am daily; bar hours (and snacks) 11 am-2 am Sun.-Thurs., 11 am-2:30 am Fri.-Sat. ■ $4-$14
Three to try Mangonadas Paradise Island, 4552 Monona Dr.
Fresh slices of mangos are paired with bold chamoy sauce, tart lime juice and hot chili powder, and then capped with a sweetspicy-salty tamarind candy straw. Hello, summer.
Hot Peanut Butter ice cream Various locations
Madison-based Calliope Ice Cream makes this creamy dessert, and yes, it really is spicy and cool at the same time. The flavor is sold at select markets including area Chocolate Shoppes and Ian’s Pizza.
The Barberini Grampa’s Pizzeria, 1374 Williamson St.
More heat and cool in the same dish, with calabrian chiles paired with watercress and honey on the same pie.
Robinia Courtyard
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MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
Caroline Smith
2016
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■ FOOD & DRINK
Beer buzz: Brewers love collaborating Beer Camp 2016 includes a special guild-made saison Another collaboration
BY ROBIN SHEPARD
When Sierra Nevada’s 2016 Beer Camp Across America fest rolls into the Midwest this summer, it will be serving a brew created with assistance from the Wisconsin Brewers Guild. Wisconsin Brewers Guild executive director Mark Garthwaite and Tanner Luke of Sand Creek Brewing in Black River Falls traveled to Chico, Calif., in March to brew with other guilds from across the country to create a saison made with rye, oats and Amarillo hops. That draught-only beer will be served at the six national Beer Camp festivals. One of these regional fests will be in Milwaukee on June 11 at the Milwaukee Brewing Company. This is ROBIN SHEPARD the first time brewery guilds have diTanner Luke (le ) and Mark Garthwaite rectly participated in making a beer to represent their groups. represented the Wisconsin Brewers Guild. The festival also showcases the imperial brown ale made with cocoa, honey six collaborative Beer Camp brews made by and Minnesota wild rice. Several brewers commercial brewers from six regions across from the north central U.S., led by the August the country. These are bottled and go into Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, Minn., one-time-only variety six-packs. The 2016 devised the recipe. Midwest beer is called Family Values; it’s an
COFFEE ROASTERS
A drop-in visit last March by former Capital Brewery brewmaster Fred Scheer became the basis for a collaboration beer. Scheer, who brewed for Capital from 1985 to 1987, joined current brewmaster Ashley Kinart in the brew house on May 24 to re-create a pilsner based on his original recipe. The collaboration is among several special releases that the brewery has planned this year to mark its 30th anniversary. Capital is also testing home delivery of beer in the western U.S. The brewery is using a third-party delivery company to ship beer directly to customers in Arizona, California and Colorado. Brewery president Scott Wiener describes it as a beer-of-the month-club type of program.
Taking flight With an eye to wider distribution, Pigeon River Brewing has started construction on a new brewery in Marion, Wis., about 140 miles north of Madison. Owner Nathan Knaack says he’s looking to send his beer to Madison, a large potential market for him, by late summer or early fall. Knaack’s expansion plans involve combining forces with Northwinds Banquet Hall to create a brewpub with a brewery, bar and dining area. Knaack also purchased bottling equipment from O’so to turn out six-packs of 12-ounce bottles on a regular basis. He expects the first beers in Madison to be his Townie cream ale and Wet Willy oatmeal stout.
Beer to watch for: Pollux from 3rd Sign of Waunakee The beers of 3rd Sign of Waunakee haven’t really caught my attention until now. However, on a recent visit I discovered Pollux, an interesting twist on the Belgian wit style.
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House of Brews is out with Duplexx Double. It’s rich in dark caramel, oak and vanilla from three months of aging in bourbon barrels. At the recent Dells Rare Barrel Affair festival, this was one of the best I discovered. Lakefront Brewery’s summer seasonal, SMaSH (“single malt and single hop”) ale has arrived in Madison. It’s made with Vienna malt and Willamette hops. This is a light, crisp hoppy beer, great for summer. Ale Asylum marked its 10th year in business with an anniversary party last week at which it released a Belgian pale ale called Rictus Grin. The label art is as special as the beer; it was created by designer Emek x. ■
Maple Syrup 101
FEED Kitchens Fundraiser
Saturday, May 28
Thursday, June 2
Learn how maple syrup is produced at this family-friendly tutorial. The Aldo Leopold Nature Center provides a free intro to forest wildlife, tapping maple trees and the unique process of turning sap into sweet syrup. At DreamBank, 1 N. Pinckney St., 9:30 am noon, 608-286-3150.
Grab a snack or dinner while raising funds for the Food Enterprise and Economic Development (FEED) Kitchens. The nonprofit supports food entrepreneurs with training as well as providing low-cost access to commercial kitchen space and equipment. Nine food carts will be vending and donating 15% of sales to the business incubator. Each cart will have items for $4 or less. At FEED, 1219 N. Sherman Ave., 3-6 pm. More info on Let’s Eat Out’s Facebook page.
Monday, May 30
320 West Beltline Hwy.•608-277-2266 • ZimbrickHyundaiWest.com
More beers to watch for
Eats events
Tiki Bar Grand Opening Honda West Hyundai
To make Pollux, brewer Isaac Showaki relies on a core Belgian witbier with a high percentage of wheat malt and a touch of flaked oats. Coriander and lime peel are added at the end of the boil, using a hop back. A unique adjunct to the beer is soursop, also called guanábana. It’s a South American fruit that lends slightly sweet citrus flavors of pineapple, strawberry and banana. About 180 pounds of the fruit is added to a 100-barrel batch. “It’s a softer flavor that really makes this wit different,” says Showaki. There’s also a peach puree version, available at the taphouse, that’s even better. What I like about this beer is the different path it takes. Sure, there’s the expected coriander and Belgian yeastiness; however, the hint of lime gives it a crisp, even edgy citrus accent, while the soursop comes in later and softens that a bit with light sweetness. The soursop works well with the soft, wheaty background. This is a nice entry into Madison’s early summer beer lineup. Pollux finishes at 4.5% ABV and 32 IBUs. It’s available in four-packs for around $7 each.
The outdoor Tiki Bar at the East Side Club is back in business starting Memorial Day. Enjoy a beverage while taking in a spectacular view of the skyline and Lake Monona. At the East Side Club, 3735 Monona Dr., noon-10 pm.
MAY 26â&#x20AC;&#x201C;JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
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■ FOOD & DRINK
continued from 19
like sulphuric acid, and the packaging is festooned with warnings about how eating too much at a time can make your head explode, like that old urban legend about Mikey, the Coca-Cola and the Pop Rocks.
Multi-Cuisine • North & South Indian • Indo-Chinese Lamb • Chicken • Tandoori Specialties Vegetarian • Biryani Specialties – OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK – Lunch (buffet & à la carte) 11:30am-3pm Dinner (à la carte) 5-10 pm
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kind of like a creamier, mellower Starburst. Plum candy is big here: plum hard candies a swirl of vanilla,•plum lollipops, plum 119 W.with Main St. Madison 608-256-2263 y. Why is plum so unusual in the States, www.taff thenewparadiselounge .com anyway? Instead of gummy bears, there are what look like gummy tapeworms, with a smiling plum-flavored head tapering into a ribbed lime flipper. Frankly, this one freaked me out. Prince of Peace ginger candy is “100% natural” and is made of ginger extract immersed in super-chewy goo, dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Takes two minutes to eat one.
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The old-school pharmacy at 3506 Monroe St. used to sell the candy cigarettes with perfect logo imitations and names like Victory Smokes, but those are frowned upon nowadays. You can, however, get the even olderschool “Nik-L-Nips,” little wax bottles filled with syrup. Bite the top off and then suck out the syrup, or chew the whole mass up, like a cow with cud. The east-side store at 1255 Williamson St. has these as well.
Santa Maria Grocery This bodega at 1326 S. Midvale Blvd. has an excellent selection of Mexican candies. Rollo de Guayaba is a sugared guava roll about the size and shape of a dill pickle; it’s eaten like a fruit roll-up but is thicker and less elastic. Chongos de Tamarindo are sweet and sour; this candy is made from the pod-like fruit of the tamarind tree. Bandera de Coco is tricolored for the Mexican flag and is a coconutflavored hard candy. This place is awesome.
Whoops! and Co. Whoops, 555 S. Midvale Blvd., is more of a toy store, but it also carries the addictive and devious Zotz. These little pieces of candy are like fireballs, initially sweet, then becoming explosive in the middle. They are sold individually and come in a rainbow of colors, flavored from watermelon to cherry to grape. These are so potent, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
Inter Market Don’t get too complicated with your questions at Inter Market, 5317 Old Middleton Rd., unless you speak Russian. This small grocery is packed with interesting foods from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Mother Russia. Because package lettering is in Cyrillic, you’ll have to eat whatever you bought before you know what it is. This is candy as discovery. If the label bears a white cat wearing a sweater sniffing an enormous pink flower...what’s that gonna taste like? In the case of an orange-and-green-striped bag depicting a cow surrounded by flowers and floating, iridescent hearts, the surprises turned out to be thumb-sized caramel, fudge and almond paste calorie bombs dunked in dark chocolate. And Shipuchka turned out to be, more or less, a Zotz. ■ LAURA ZASTROW
The DOWNTOWN The DOWNTOWN neighborhood bar neighborhood bar Candy
After-dinner trip Sip your way to Italy with limoncello Lombardino’s, 2500 University Ave., is a Madison institution. Founded in 1954 by Matt Lombardino, the Italian restaurant changed hands in 2000, but the kitschy, “old-country” decor — complete with murals and Roman columns — remains. Cozy up to the bar under the mosaic-tiled scene of a cliff-lined Mediterranean coast and order antipasti, insalate, pasta or whatever floats your boat. But at this restaurant known for seasonally inspired dishes (and an extensive wine list), do not overlook the house-infused limoncello. A lemon-flavored liqueur hailing from Southern Italy, with its abundant citrus groves, limoncello is listed on the menu as a “digestivo.” In other words, sip one after dinner to help aid digestion. At Lombardino’s the liqueur is made by combing Smirnoff 100-proof vodka with lemon zest (or lime or blood orange zest) and letting it sit for four to six weeks. The zest gets strained out, and simple syrup is added. Then the bottle is kept in the freezer until served. The result is a sweet, citrusy, ice-cold and alcohol-forward drink that transports you to the Amalfi Coast, if only for a night.
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MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
Sun Prairie barbecue joint Porktropolis is moving to a bigger space at 126 N. Bristol St., and adding more Southern cuisine items to its menu of ribs, pulled pork and beef brisket. Porktropolis is currently located 10 blocks away at 1110 N. Bristol St. Renovations are underway at the former Apostolic Church of Sun Prairie, which Porktropolis will soon call home. Owner Todd Dukes says the new restaurant space will open around July 1, and the look is going to be completely different: “We’re going from being like the Subway of barbecue, to a real restaurant,” he says. “We’ll be tripling our seating space.” Also new: table service, revamped appetizers and a separate dinner menu. The latter will include a Southern-style take on the Wisconsin Friday fish fry. Dukes plans on frying up catfish, grouper and cod (which will be breaded with walnuts). What makes it Southern? “Not many folks are serving grouper north of Mississippi,” says Dukes. The Friday buffet will include side dishes such as mashed sweet potatoes, hush puppies and cheese grits. Porktropolis also operates two food carts in the Madison area. Eventually, Dukes wants one of the carts to focus exclusively on Creole barbecue favorites: “We hope to be rolling that out early next year.”
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Greater Madison Jazz Consortium Presents
n SPORTS
Power hitter Danny Mayer of Pacific College is heading to Madison to debut as a Mallard.
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Must be a duck! The Mallards are prepped and aiming for a championship
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26â&#x20AC;&#x201C;JUNE 1, 2016
BY MICHAEL POPKE
26
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Last year, the Madison Mallards erected a large sign spanning the gated entrance to Warner Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Duck Pond: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Welcome to Your 9-Inning Vacation.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for fans to come into our ballpark with a smile, keep it all night and leave with that smile,â&#x20AC;? says Tyler Isham, the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general manager. But for the 30 college baseball players who will be on the Mallardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; active roster this season, the next 72 games will be far from a vacation. As part of the 18-team Northwoods League, Madisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 15-yearold collegiate summer team could be one of several steps in their journey from obscurity to a Major League Baseball lineup. Remember Phil Gosselin, the utility infielder who played for Madison in 2008? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Or J.R. Graham, the Mallardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; flamethrower from 2009 and 2010? He made his debut with the Minnesota Twins last year. The Mallards open the 2016 season on the road May 31 with two games against the Battle Creek Bombers and then travel to Rockford, Ill., for the first of a two-game series with the Rivets. The second game will move to Madison for the Mallards home opener on June 3.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our goal is to win the league championship,â&#x20AC;? Isham says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the expectation around here.â&#x20AC;? The Mallards came close last year, losing the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s South Division championship game to the Kenosha Kingfish. While this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pre-Opening Day roster included only one player from Wisconsin â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Alex Hintze, a lefty pitcher out of Oshkosh North High School who plays for the University of Connecticut â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Isham says fans should keep their eyes on 245-pound, 6-foot-5-inch outfielder Danny Mayer, a power hitter from Pacific College, and Oklahoma State pitcher Luke Matheny, the second of St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Mathenyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sons to play for the Mallards. Tate Matheny, currently in the Boston Red Sox farm system, played in Madison in 2013. Off the field, fans will see changes, too. Updates in the TDS Triple Play Club area created more common space for groups and improved the sightlines, and new tabletops in the Great Dane Duck Blind Club are crafted from recycled bleachers acquired from an old high school ballpark. Additionally, six postgame fireworks shows are scheduled, including one on opening night. And the first of eight bobblehead dates will be June 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; featuring the likeness of late comedian Chris Farley, who grew up in Madison. n
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n COMEDY
Standups at Winedown (clockwise from top left): Joe Meeker, Emma Kennedy and David Schendlinger.
ERIC TADSEN PHOTOS
DIY funny stuff Local comedy showcases proliferate in Madison
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
BY ALAN TALAGA
28
It’s Saturday night at Winedown on State Street. And audience members are grabbing cocktails and wine slushies before heading to the back room for the Winedown Comedy Showcase. They look for the few open spots among the 50-ish chairs set up at tables in the tuckedaway back room. Meanwhile, the comics look over their notes one last time. For some, like Kevin Schwartz, who regularly kills in short sets at the Comedy Club on State, this is a rare opportunity to do a longer, 15-minute set. Schwartz writes whip-smart, delightfully dark one-liners: “Ever go shopping without a list and totally forget what you wanted to live for?” “I don’t always cry myself to sleep. I have insomnia.” A three-minute set of short, snappy jokes is relatively easy. Building a longer set takes organization and practice, and showcases like Winedown are invaluable to help Schwartz develop as a comedian. Audiences have been steadily climbing for the event, which led producer Jake Snell to expand it from a monthly to bimonthly format (first and third Saturdays at 9 p.m.). Madison has a strong local standup scene with an impressive number of open mics for a city of its size. The crown jewel is
the Comedy Club on State’s Wednesday open mic, which is — no joke — one of the top comedy open mics in the entire country. But open mics are for workshopping new jokes. They aren’t the places where comedians hone their craft by developing longer, polished sets. That’s where the DIY comedy events come into play. In the quest for more stage time, comedians have become producers, putting on standup shows in bars, restaurants and art studios. The management at the Comedy Club on State hopes these shows will help keep talented comedians in Madison. “Instead of having all these great comedians move away to a bigger city, with [local show producers’] help, we can have enough stage time so they can stay in Madison and improve,” says Comedy Club manager Joe Buettner. Some showcases provide a traditional standup show, where comics do 10-minute sets. Comedy at 123 Doty (Great Dane Downtown, the last Sunday of the month, 9 p.m.) has been running in this format for more than a year. Producer Spencer Graham creates a welcoming space where comics who aren’t performing like to hang out and enjoy the atmosphere. Comedy Club headliner Todd Barry made a surprise stop and watched the show when he was in town last July.
Nick Hart’s weekly Bring Your Own Therapy (Bright Red Studios, Thursdays, 10 p.m.) is a combination of showcase and open mic. The gallery space has a looser vibe, giving comics room to try weirder bits. That show also has had some famous drop-ins: Comedy legend Barry Crimmins, the subject of the documentary Call Me Lucky, did an hour-long set at Bring Your Own Therapy back in March. Comedian Tulin Waters created Rated HER (The Frequency, first Fridays, 7 p.m.) as a place for female comedians to feel comfortable in a male-dominated scene. “I wanted a stage where you could express yourself as a woman without judgment or pressure,” says Waters. Rated HER highlights female standups and musicians, blended organically with Waters’ bawdy, enthusiastic hosting style. The Merge (Glass Nickel East, third Saturdays, 10:30 p.m.), produced by the Monkey Business Institute, features a fusion of standup and improv. Host Sean Moore, who performs both types of comedy, wanted to see if he could join the two forms. The show opens with two standup sets followed by scenes inspired by the standup. For example, one show featured comedian Stefan Davis doing a bit about going home with a woman he’d just met. “That led to the improvisers doing a retelling of A Christmas Carol,” says Moore. “An impro-
viser played Stefan as Scrooge, visited by all of his past hook-ups.” The Whoa Show by Anthony Siraguse and Matt Jordan (Broom Street Theater, various Saturdays) gives comics a chance to try unconventional material. They include topical news bits, sketches, video — almost anything a comic would want to try that can’t be done in a normal standup show. “We wanted a space for total creative freedom,” says Siraguse. The local comics have a tremendous amount of love for each other. But sometimes audiences don’t want to see love. They want to see bitter hatred. For that, there’s Marty Clarke’s Big Diss Roast Battle (the Fountain, one Wednesday a month, 11 p.m.). Two comics take the stage. Each has written brutal jokes about the other comic. It’s raw, offensive, way-too-personal and hilarious. Because keeping track of these shows can be a challenge, a group of comics launched LocalMadisonComedy.com as a resource for anyone interested in checking out a showcase. It features calendar listings and lineups. “This is the best bunch of comics we’ve seen in a while,” says Buettner. “They have an opportunity to start something big that can be around for a long a time — a selfsustaining Madison comedy scene.” n
n MUSIC
Fast and furious Aesop Rock creates dark, fantastical storylines BY STEVEN POTTER
Aesop Rock has a way with words. In fact, he’s been named the emcee with the largest vocabulary. Twice. But the New York native with the distinct, deep voice is not just throwing out big words that happen to rhyme. Instead, Aesop, who’s known best for the song “None Shall Pass,” creates fantastical, often dark storylines that are either oddly relatable or too odd to imagine. For these reasons, you either love him or leave him alone. “I work hard at this, and everything has its place,” says the 39-year-old when asked about those who say his tales are too abstract or random. “I understand it can be cryptic or drenched in metaphor and that it may never mean to someone else what it means to me.” Fans will find his latest album, The Impossible Kid — released late last month — to be some of his best storytelling, with tracks like “Blood Sandwich,” which explores a gopher’s gruesome end; “Kirby,” an ode to the everyday antics of a cat; and “Dorks,” a look at the awkward social interactions of rap introverts. The album also contains a handful of theme-less songs like “TUFF” and “Mol-
ecules,” where Aesop flexes his lyrical skill over nod-heavy beats. Aesop brings his eccentric adventures and eclectic wordplay to the Majestic Theatre on June 2, joined by Homeboy Sandman and Rob Sonic. Known as an underground mainstay, the emcee born as Ian Bavitz first got hooked on hip-hop in elementary school after hearing the Beastie Boys and Run DMC. “I think the aggression, poetry and the fact that it pissed my mom off really made me happy,” he says. In middle school, he took a shot at writing his own rhymes. He recorded his first song in high school but didn’t drop his first album, Music for Earthworms, until 1997, when he was at Boston University. Despite being an avid music fan all his life, he sometimes forgets he has fans of his own, especially when working on a new project. “I never think about listeners when writing — I just do it all for myself. I don’t remember others will even hear this stuff until someone finally comments. That’s when it hits me that this weird, private thing I’ve been working on for years is for public consumption,” he says. “People say nice things to me a lot, and it’s amazing — really, I don’t even know how to handle it.” More than just an emcee, Aesop produces a large number of the beats he raps over. He’s also an occasional bandmate, releasing projects
The prolific rapper appears at the Majestic on June 2.
with such groups as the Uncluded (with folk-punk singer Kimya Dawson) and Hail Mary Mallon (with DJ Big Wiz and Rob Sonic), as well as the Lice EP with tourmate Homeboy Sandman last year. The difference between his solo work and group projects is significant. “Sometimes, my solo stuff can be a chore. I love it, but it has to be perfect, and that can be trying,” he says, adding that collaborating feels more enjoyable. “They are two different beasts, but they need each other.” Having such a distinctive voice has pros and cons, says Aesop: “A lot of people find my voice completely annoying — myself included, at times. But I think in order to write the best rhymes, you have to be aware of what your individual voice can do. Only recently have I been able to find how my voice works best, and what I should be doing to get the most out of my writing.” n
BEN COLEN
Spring classical convergence Ancora String Quartet and con vivo! present simultaneous spring concerts BY JOHN W. BARKER con vivo!
Ancora String Quartet
BARRY LEWIS
vited to identify. (It was, in fact, a stripped-down movement from Handel’s “Water Music”.) The program of con vivo! at First Congregational Church offered several novelties. Carl Nielsen composed his “Serenata in vano” for clarinet, bassoon, horn, cello and double bass. The musicians portray country musicians hired to serenade their employer’s lady-love. They play a preliminary address, and then a longingly beautiful melody, but all without response (or “in vain”), so they march off to the nearest pub. Utterly delicious music. Max Reger’s “Lyrisches Andante” is his 1898 arrangement for strings for a vocal Liebestraum
(love dream). As played by a string quintet (with bass), it projects Late-Romantic lushness, despite its brevity. Antonin Dvorak’s “Bagatelles,” Op. 47, for two violins, cello and harmonium, is a set of five short movements, in folksy style, meant as “house music,” to be played by friends in a parlor setting. Its cornerstone is the modest harmonium, a soft miniature pedal-organ. Unfortunately, the ensemble substituted the church’s organ for an actual harmonium, which was simply too overwhelming, almost swallowing up the strings. (In the Thursday evening performance, the replacement instrument was a
piano, which totally wrecked the texture, colors and character of the set.) This delightful music deserves to be heard; but if you don’t have a harmonium, don’t fool around with it. All of the foregoing are intimate chamber pieces, not really suited for a large and acoustically challenged hall. But the closer was more suitable: Beethoven’s youthful chamber hit, his Septet in E-flat, Op. 20, for clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello and bass. This pieces shows the young genius flexing his muscles and ingenuity in 1800, and con vivo! players dug into the kaleidoscopic score with relish. n
MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
You could call it a classical convergence. Or a head-on collision: Two extraordinary classical ensembles, Ancora String Quartet and con vivo!, both performed on Saturday, May 21. Fortunately for this review, both ensembles previewed their concerts at the Capitol Lakes Retirement Center, where I was lucky enough to catch Ancora’s program in advance of their concert at First Unitarian Society. The Ancora players offered two large works and two small ones, played with their usual vigor and enthusiasm. Franz Schubert’s Quartet in A minor is often called the “Rosamunde” for its use of an earlier theater melody of his in the variations movement. It is a serious work, but the group invested it with particular strength and power. The other larger work was Mozart’s Quartet in C, known as the “Dissonance” Quartet for some unsettling harmonic touches at the outset. Here, the players stressed more polished and refined qualities. The two shorter pieces were a pretty “Romance in G minor” by a young Arthur Sullivan (yes, of Gilbert & Sullivan) and a “mystery” item, which the audience was in-
29
■ STAGE
Sex! Scandal! Christian rock! Spread the Nudes is a live musical spectacle at Broom Street BY HOLLY HENSCHEN
Sex, God and rock ’n’ roll come together in an upcoming musical at Broom Street Theater penned by a UW-Madison alum. Spread the Nudes follows the exploits of the Christian rock outfit Spread the News. The post-grunge foursome is set to open on the reunion tour of dc Talk, the 1990s multi-Grammy-winning Christian rockrap group. But then, disaster strikes: The drummer sleeps with the pastor’s daughter and is kicked out of the band. The only replacement they can scrape up is — gasp! — Jewish. The play, which runs Fridays and Saturdays from May 27 to June 11, takes jabs at band politics, right-wing fundamentalists and homophobes. “All the things that deserve to be made fun of,” says Chris Heloyda, writer and producer of Spread the Nudes, which debuted at Milwaukee’s Underground Collaborative in February 2015. The scandalous take on a supposedly squeaky-clean subject is a fusion of Heloyda’s comedic and musical background. He played in the ska band I Voted for Kodos
while attending law school at UW-Madison. Touring with the band provided ample real-life comedy experiences. “When you’re sitting in a hot van for four to six hours with a broken A/C, there’s not a lot else to do but try and out-crass each other,” Heloyda says. While at the UW, he performed standup and was a member of the sketch comedy group Stuart’s Law Revue. Years later, Heloyda still wanted to push the envelope. Inspired by the recent success of bawdy musical theater like Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon, he sought to merge edgy content with good-hearted, relatable characters. The actors in Spread the Nudes perform the music live. Lead singer Chresten (played by Holoyda) is hell-bent on reaching disenfranchised youth with a musical style comparable to Godsmack, Creed and Puddle of Mudd. Guitarist Dave (Landyn
Christian rappers J Cray (Manuel Angel) and Heavy Flow (Lacy Smithmier) on the mic for JC.
Heimerl) is a Stryper fan and shredhead, much to Chresten’s chagrin. Bassist Lance (Robby McGhee) has a crush on a man in the church choir. Jakob, the drummer (Brendan Daly), used to play in a lesbian klezmer band, but is hoping for better luck with Christian girls. Spread the Nudes has some serious rock credibility. Co-director and choreographer Cindy Severt served as assistant choreographer for Prince’s Purple Prince’s Rain. Broom Street artistic director Heather Renken is directing the production with Severt. “Broom Street Theater curates “ its shows each season, so I consider myself lucky that they agreed to host the show,” says Heloyda, who lives in Milwaukee. “It’s a really neat organization. Generally, they focus on homegrown original shows being performed for the first time, but since this is a Madison premiere, they made an exception for us,” Heloyda says. ■
■ BOOKS
“I didn’t know there were Jews in Wisconsin” New book highlights one of the state’s least visible groups
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
BY LINDA FALKENSTEIN
30
Many people think of Wisconsin as a very German state, even though plenty of Irish and Scandinavian immigrants arrived here during the great waves of migration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. African Americans established several settlements in southern Wisconsin as well. Back in 1999, current Madison poet laureate Oscar Mireles published a book called I Didn’t Know There Were Latinos in Wisconsin. And the state’s Jewish population hasn’t really received its due, either. Jews in Wisconsin, by Sheila Terman Cohen, is the latest in a series of books from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press highlighting the history of various ethnic groups in the state. German Jews, Cohen reports, began to arrive in the state along with other German refugees in the 1850s. This surge came not from specific persecution of Jews, but from turmoil ensuing from the failed German revolution of 1848. German settlers were in fact encouraged to come to the brandnew state of Wisconsin (the state even published newspaper ads in Germany).
WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Morris Heifitz, a leader from congregation Beth Israel in Madison, blows the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
Like their gentile counterparts, most Jews arrived via Milwaukee and stayed there. And while Milwaukee remained the hub of Judaism in Wisconsin, some newcomers slowly began looking for opportunities elsewhere in the state. Who would have guessed that Appleton had the second-largest Jewish population in the late 1800s? It was the home of immigrant Eric Harry Weiss (later, better known as Harry Houdini). Edna Ferber, author of Showboat, So Big and Giant, was also from Appleton. Wisconsinites may know that fact more readily than they recognize that Ferber was Jewish. The book does have some of that “fun fact” quality (Did you know that The Settlement Cookbook, one of the first of the best-seller culinary guides, grew out of the Jewish Community Center in Milwaukee and was first sold there as a fundraiser?). But Cohen also does a good job of establishing across the board — from small towns to big cities, from statehood to the 21st century, from
tiny retail stores to positions in government — how much Jews have contributed to the state. Religious persecution of Jews persisted here, though, as well. Cohen details several eras of anti-Semitic fervor. But at crucial junctures, Wisconsin did the right thing. In the 1920s, when many colleges limited the number of Jewish students accepted, the University of Wisconsin did not. The UW-Madison branch of Hillel, begun in 1924, is the second-oldest in the nation. It is ever more crucial in the current political climate to recognize how diversity has always contributed to our society. Ignorance of other cultures — the shrugging off of history — leads to easy stereotyping, untutored opinions. Whether you read this book for fun facts or to absorb the whole fabric of Jews in Wisconsin, Cohen’s stories are important reading for any student of state history, and indeed, anyone claiming to be a Badger. ■
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Sat. June 18
Memorial Union Terrace (rain location - Shannon Hall):
Frederic March Play Circle:
8pm
Best seats available for Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday performances
Shannon Hall, Wisconsin Union Theater
Joey Alexander Trio featuring Dan Chmielinski and Ulysses Owens, Jr.
Must end June 5 OVERTURECENTER.ORG | 608-258-4141
This performance 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.
www.isthmusjazzfestival.com
MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
Jazz Performance: JAZZ WITH CLASS Behind the Scene featuring Marilyn Fisher - Paul Hastil Trio 2:15pm Eric Koppa Triple Saxtet 4pm Film: “The Lighthouse” 5:45pm
Wed. June 22
©Disney
Edgewood College Jazz Ensemble 1:30pm UW-Whitewater Jazz Ensemble One 3pm UW-Platteville Jazz One 4:30pm Gerri DiMaggio World Jazz Unit 6pm University of Wisconsin Jazz Orchestra with Sharon Clark 8pm Charanga Agoza 10pm
31
MADISON / C M Y K
91334 / THIRD-PAGE VERTICAL / ISTHMUS
O
OV
■ SCREENS
Weirdly wicked
The silent treatment
Ralph Fiennes (in pool) and Dakota Johnson wreak havoc on a rock star’s retreat.
A Bigger Splash succeeds as a mood piece BY MARJORIE BAUMGARTEN
Tilda Swinton returns for another go-round with Italian director Luca Guadagnino, following the critical success of 2010’s I Am Love. A Bigger Splash re-creates some of that movie’s lush visual sensibility and unsteady emotional terrain, but in the end one might have hoped for the new film to, um...make a bigger splash. The cast is excellent; the villa on the Italian island of Pantelleria that the characters inhabit is picturesque, as are the environs; and the lazy days and sun-dappled waters lull the viewer like a warm soak in the tub. But beneath the surface, unspoken tensions mount as characters mix and match, recalling memories from the past and conjuring the future. But things never progress past the
parboiled stage before the movie collapses into an almost farcical and expendable police story. Swinton plays a David Bowie-esque rock star named Marianne Lane who has retreated to the island with her photographer boyfriend Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) to rest her vocal chords. Apart from some whispered lines, Swinton’s performance, including an orgasm, is silent. Arriving to spoil their idyll is Marianne’s former producer Harry (Ralph Fiennes) and Penelope (Dakota Johnson), the daughter whose existence Harry only learned of a year ago. Harry is a boisterous whirlwind, inviting friends over to party and jumping naked into the villa’s pool whenever the spirit moves him. Harry and Marianne were a couple years ago, although it was Harry who introduced Paul to Marianne and gave their romance his blessing. Now he’s having regrets, while his Lolita-like daughter
433 West Johnson
has designs of her own. The villa has become a hotbed, but the tone remains set on siesta. The performances are so good, however, that you’ll probably be willing to indulge their futility. Fiennes delivers some of the best work of his illustrious career as an annoying yet tender old friend, and ingénue Johnson is certainly better served here than by Fifty Shades of Grey. Swinton is transfixing, as always, and the physicality Schoenaerts has displayed in previous roles is put to good use here. Aside from Fiennes (whose playful theatricality could put Lord Voldemort to shame), the actors underplay their roles, which keeps the pot on simmer but never provides a satisfying meal. The awkward tonal shift that follows the film’s climax adds to the parting dissatisfaction. Yet as a mood piece, A Bigger Splash leaves a lasting impression. ■
www.theluxmadison.com
608-345-8071
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
Mechanical Valet Parking System • Rooftop Pool Terrace • Theater Room • Fitness Center
32
The Lobster is a devious and dark allegory BY JOSH KUPECKI
Consider The Lobster, the latest salvo from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, and his first English-language feature. Much like his home-school nightmare Dogtooth, The Lobster presents a very controlled, mannered universe with its own set of rules firmly in place. The theme here is love or, more specifically, couplehood, and with a surgeon’s precision, Lanthimos cuts to the heart of contemporary courtship. We are dropped into a pristine, bleak dystopia, one in which being single is outlawed. We meet David (Colin Farrell, appropriately sad sack), whose wife has left him for another. In Lanthimos’ world, single people are shipped off to a hotel resort, where they have 45 days to find a compatible partner. If they fail, they will be turned into the animal of their choice. David’s choice is the titular crustacean, his reasoning being that they live for a hundred years and remain fertile throughout. The premise seems absurd, but once the film’s rules are in place, it offers up wonderfully devious meditations on just how oppressive and confounding modern romance can be. Everyone defines him- or herself by one characteristic (in David’s case, he’s nearsighted, John C. Reilly’s character has a lisp, and Ben Whishaw’s has a limp), with the hope of finding someone with the same compatible trait. In the supremely regimented structure of the resort, guests are given tranquilizer guns to shoot the marginal “loners” in the forest, and bagging a single person is rewarded with an extension of one’s stay at the resort. It is a brilliantly dark allegory that Lanthimos sustains for most of the film, faltering a little in the third act when David flees the hotel to live with the loners, who are under the leadership of Léa Seydoux. But overall, The Lobster packs a wicked punch, eviscerating modern romance in surprising and evocative ways. ■
WELCOMES
The film list New releases Alice Through the Looking Glass: Disney sequel to Alice in Wonderland. Love & Friendship: Matchmaking, Jane Austen-style. X-Men: Apocalypse: The first and most powerful mutant awakes...and decides Earth needs a reset. Recent releases
THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH BARRYMORE 5.31
The Angry Birds Movie: 3-D animated film version of the 2009 avian vs. porcine megaapp. The animation is perfectly honed for a game-based flick, but it can’t make up for a story that feels cobbled together.
MAJESTIC 6.3
The Meddler: The title suggests a contentious relationship between widowed mom Marnie (Susan Sarandon) and her adult daughter, but surprisingly little of the story revolves around that relationship. Writer/director Lorene Scafaria focuses instead on Marnie’s complicated road toward finally processing her grief, and Sarandon delivers a rich, heartbreaking performance. Money Monster: George Clooney plays Lee Gates, host of the titular show and predictor of “hot stocks.” When one of his investment tips proves ruinous, a newly bankrupted viewer takes Gates hostage while Gates’ producer (Julia Roberts) keeps the show on the air. Director Jodie Foster has a sure hand with the mounting tension inside this closed space, and while the Occupy Wall Street rage supposedly fueling this thing is flimsy, what’s left is still solidly entertaining. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising: After vanquishing Delta Psi Beta in Neighbors, baby-rearing cool-couple Mac (Seth Rogen, who also directs) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) face another onslaught of collegians. The twist — a smart, effective one — is that it’s not a bunch of beergasming dudebros making life hell for the Radners, but an off-campus sorority.
TOKYO POLICE CLUB AND WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS
SONNY KNIGHT & THE LAKERS
W/ CLYDE STUBBLEFIELD ALL STARS
MAJESTIC 6.10
CAGE THE ELEPHANT
ORPHEUM 6.11
Up to 6 rentals at a time One of each pair may be a new arrival Expires 6/9/16
STUDENT OF LIFE TUESDAYS No Student ID Required! $6 Admission, $6 Popcorn*
*except bucket size
The Nice Guys: A fading porn star commits suicide — or does he?
More film events
STARTS FRIDAY
Cul-de-sac: In this early drama from director Roman Polanski, allegiances shift among a couple and some home invaders. Central Library, June 2, 6:30 pm.
X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
The Deer Hunter: A look at how the Vietnam War disrupted one American small town. UW Arts Institute “Through the Hollywood Looking Glass: PTSD and Beyond” series screening, Signe Skott Cooper Hall Auditorium, May 29, 2 pm.
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS NO PASSES - CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri: (1:45, 4:35), 7:05, 9:30; Sat to Mon:
Purgatorio: A Journey Into the Heart of the Border: Documentary about the U.S.-Mexico divide. Hawthorne Library, May 27, 7 pm.
NO PASSES - CLOSED CAPTIONED
Fri & Sat: (1:00, 4:00), 7:00, 10:00; Sun & Mon: (11:00 AM, 2:00, 5:00), 8:00, 9:10; Tue & Wed: (2:00, 5:00), 8:00, 9:10; Thu: (2:00, 5:00), 8:00
THE LOBSTER
CLOSED CAPTIONED
Fri: (1:40, 4:25), 6:55, 9:25; Sat to Mon: (11:05 AM, 1:40, 4:25), 6:55, 9:25; Tue to Thu: (1:40, 4:25), 6:55, 9:25
BUILT TO SPILL
HIGH NOON SALOON 6.20
STEVE MILLER BAND BREESE STEVENS FIELD 7.1
(11:10 AM, 1:45, 4:35), 7:05, 9:30; Tue to Thu: (1:45, 4:35), 7:05, 9:30
THE MEDDLER
CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION
Fri: (1:45, 4:20), 6:50, 9:10; Sat & Sun: (11:15 AM, 1:45, 4:20), 6:50, 9:10; Mon: (11:15 AM, 1:45, 4:20), 6:50; Tue & Wed: (1:45, 4:20), 6:50; Thu: (1:15), (3:30)
A BIGGER SPLASH
CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION
Fri: (1:35), 6:45; Sat to Mon: (11:00 AM, 1:35), 6:45; Tue to Thu: (1:35), 6:45
SING STREET
Fri to Thu: (4:15), 9:20
CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION
NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING NO PASSES - CLOSED CAPTIONED Fri: (1:25, 4:30), 7:10, 9:15; Sat to Mon: (11:20 AM, 1:25,
Racing Extinction: Documentary about worldwide species loss. Sundance, June 2, 7 pm.
4:30), 7:10, 9:15; Tue to Thu: (1:25, 4:30), 7:10, 9:15
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
Also in theaters Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Showtimes subject to change. Visit website to confirm Closed captioning and descriptive narrative available for select films
The Boss
Showtimes for May 27 - June 2
Captain America: Civil War The Darkness The Divergent Series: Allegiant Hello, My Name is Doris The Jungle Book Mother’s Day My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Sing Street
INDIGO GIRLS
BARRYMORE 7.23
WILCO
BREESE STEVENS FIELD 8.19
Zootopia
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❏ ISTHMUS MOVIE TIMES All the movies, all the times
MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
Hail, Caesar!
33
Fishbone Sunday, May 29, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm Having shared stages with icons from the Beastie Boys to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and collaborated with the likes of Spike Lee and George Clinton, L.A. ska-fusion cult act Fishbone has developed a rabid fan base while still remaining at the edge of the spotlight. Fun fact: According to Say Anything... director Cameron Crowe, it’s actually Fishbone that John Cusack is blasting from his boombox. Peter Gabriel was edited in later.
picks
PICK OF THE WEEK STEADY JENNY
thu may 26
COME DY
MU S I C
Flint Eastwood
fri may 27
Thursday, May 26, The Frequency, 9 pm
Jax Anderson, the creative force behind Flint Eastwood, hails from Detroit. Her father’s musically talented family and her mother’s love of Motown brewed a perfect storm for Anderson’s musical career. Although her first release, Late Nights in Bolo Ties, featured bluesy distortion and emotional vocals on top of energetic electro pop, 2015’s Small Victories is more atmospheric, with carefully crafted layers. Live, Anderson strives to complement the dance-ready music with multimedia touches, so watch for projections, theatrical lighting and costumes. With Soul Low, Sleeping Jesus. Bos Meadery: Hoot’n Annie, string band, free, 6 pm. Bowl-A-Vard Lanes: Vinyl Thunder, free, 6 pm. Brink Lounge: Madison Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 pm. Capital Brewery, Middleton: Dave Larson Jazz Quintet, free, 6 pm. Cardinal Bar: DJ Rumba, 10 pm. Club Tavern, Middleton: John Masino, 9 pm. Essen Haus: Bill Roberts Combo w/ Bob Corbit, 9 pm.
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
Fountain: Aimee Shaw, free, 8 pm.
34
High Noon Saloon: Oak Street Ramblers, free (patio), 6 pm; Project M Finale, Beth Kille Band, free, 7 pm. Ivory Room: Katy Marquardt, Nicky Jordan, 9 pm. Lisa Link Peace Park: The Pine Travelers, free, 5 pm. Merchant: Featherwolf, free, 10:30 pm. Mickey’s Tavern: Pistols at Dawn, Compact Deluxe, The Gubers, Roboman, free, 10 pm. Otto’s: Michael Hanson Jazz Group with John Widdicombe, free, 5:30 pm. Sprecher’s Restaurant: Mark Szmanda, 6 pm. Tip Top Tavern: Kurt Funfsinn, guitar, free, 9:30 pm.
The Lion King: Broadway musical, 5/10-6/5, Overture Center-Overture Hall, at 7:30 pm Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 pm Fridays, 2 & 8 pm Saturdays and 1 & 6:30 pm Sundays (1 pm only 6/5), plus 2 pm, 6/3. $145-$35. 258-4141.
M USIC
Lil Rel Thursday, May 26, Comedy Club on State, 8:30 pm
A true Chicago comedian, Lil Rel got his start at the Lion’s Den Comedy Club. He didn’t win the 2007 season of Last Comic Standing, but soon after that appearance, he started hitting up the TV circuit with appearances on Chelsea Lately, The Arsenio Hall Show and various Adult Swim comedies. Just last year, Kevin Hart helped to produce Lil Rel’s debut full-length standup show, Lil Rel: RELevent. Now he’s here to tell you about Chicago adventures of his youth, how inner-city mothers ruined Moscato and how differences in age affect racial remarks. With Shaun Latham, Turner Barrowman. ALSO: Friday and Saturday (8 & 10:30 pm), May 27-28.
T HE AT E R & DANCE
Sky Full of Stars Thursday, May 26, Diane Ballweg Theatre, Edgewood College, 7:30 pm
Proud Theater, the city’s premier LGBTQ youth theater troupe, offers an evening of theater, music, spoken word, poetry and dance. This year, the group takes on gender identity, racism, intersectionality and transphobia. ALSO: Friday (7:30 pm) and Saturday (2:30 and 7:30 pm), May 27 -28.
three-track EP with Q the Sun that features the song “Everything,” for which WebsterX recently released an arresting, sci-fi-fueled music video. With Trapo, Mic Kellogg.
The Dear Hunter Friday, May 27, Majestic Theatre, 8 pm
With a penchant for dense concept albums and a serious experimental streak, the Dear Hunter stood out in the mid-aughts emo scene that fostered the group. The Providence, R.I., six-piece — led by Casey Crescenzo, formerly of the Receiving End of Sirens — has been telling one story since its inception, a six-part odyssey about “the Dear Hunter” and his brief life and death. The most recent installment, Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise, was released last year. With O’Brother, Rare Futures.
Ben Ferris Quintet Friday, May 27, Central Library, 3rd floor, 7:30 pm
As part of the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium’s InDIGenous Jazz Series, bassist Ben Ferris (who was a student of retiring jazz prof Richard Davis) presents a body of new works inspired by events and experiences in today’s world such as gun violence, information access, ecology and pollinator protection. Band members include trumpeter Paul Dietrich, saxophonist Nicholas Bartell, pianist Paul Hastil and drummer Miguel McQuade.
WebsterX Friday, May 27, High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm
WebsterX is a Milwaukee-based hip-hop artist who in February was named one of the “Best New Artists of the Month” by the influential blog Pigeons & Planes. He has shared stages with Atmosphere and Lupe Fiasco, and in November he released KidX , a
Icarus Himself Friday, May 27, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm
Madison indie-rockers Icarus Himself released the excellent LP Career Culture in late 2011, but shortly disappeared from the scene as extra-musical life came calling. Before leader Nick Whetro departs Madison for Iowa City, the trio will say farewell with one more show in the friendly confines of Mickey’s Tavern. Note: Be on time, as Icarus will play first; the Heart Pills close the night.
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a z o o l a P r e Summ & OFFICAL arty! P g n i n e p Deck-O 0 Y3 A M , Y A D MON E BACK IN
USIC M O I T A P LIVE – O COVER
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COM AST BREAKMFim osas $3 Bloodys, rs & Screwdrive m a 8 -2pm Served from
s&M 2 Domestic $1 Tacos, $ Bottles w re b $3.50 Micro
MON-FRI PATIO MUSIC
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MAY 27
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JUN 2
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SUN
JUN 5
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THE DEAR HUNTER AESOP ROCK
514 E. Wilson St.
Madison • 255-4674 essen-haus.com comebackintavern.com
BARRYMORELIVE.COM 608824188633 TICKETMASTER
GORDON LIGHTFOOT JUNE 27
C APITOL T HEATER
OVERTURECENTER.ORG 608-258-4141 OVERTURE CENTER BOX OFFICE
TOKYO POLICE CLUB WITH
WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS
OH WONDER SONNY KNIGHT & THE LAKERS W/ CLYDE STUBBLEFIELD
Local Artists • 5-8pm – NEVER A COVER –
MAY 31 BARRYMORE THEATRE
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MAJESTICMADISON.COM
ONE OF ROCK S MOST PHYSICALLY POWERFUL AND EMOTIONALLY RESONANT VOCALISTS. - NY DAILY NEWS
H I G H E R T R U T H T O U R
ACOUSTIC - SHOWCASING SONGS FROM HIS ENTIRE CATALOG
JULY 5 OVERTURE HALL TICKETS ON SALE NOW
AT OVERTURECENTER.ORG, 608-258-4141, AND AT THE OVERTURE CENTER BOX OFFICE.
MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
ALL SUMMER LONG!
SPECIAL GUEST
35
schedule
^^^
^^^
PRESENTS
6/9
swear and shake (NY) W/ HAYWARD WILLIAMS 6/23
jessica lea mayfield (OH) W/ FAUX FAWN
LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS! 6−9 pm all shows $5 rotating food carts ^^^
^^^
East Side Club • 3735 Monona Drive • Tiki Bar
6/30
diane coffee (IN)
1855 Saloon, Cottage Grove: Robert J, free, 7 pm. Badger Bowl: Josh Becker Band, rock, 9:15 pm. Bos Meadery: Krause Family Band, free, 6 pm. Brink Lounge: Antique Nouveau, jazz, free, 9 pm. Capital Brewery: Rod Tuffcurls & the Bench Press, 6 pm.
Chief’s Tavern: Sparks Band, ‘60s rock, free, 6:30 pm.
After Hours Ink: Works by local tattoo artists, reception 7 pm, 5/27, Art Hub. 284-8277.
7/14
Essen Haus: Zweifel Brothers, free, 8:30 pm.
W/ OH MY LOVE
7/28
bad bad hats (MN) W/ TBA
los colognes (TN) W/ WRENCLAW
8/25
valley queen (CA) LOCATION TBA
First Unitarian Society Auditorium: Juanito Pascual New Flamenco Trio, 7:30 pm. The Frequency: Pangaea, Growing, Fault Line Empires, The Curse of Hail, 9 pm. High Noon Saloon: Periodicals, Made of Blocks, 5 pm. Ivory Room: Katy Marquardt, Jim Ripp, Leslie Cao, dueling pianos, 8 pm. Knuckle Down Saloon: Brandon Santini, blues, 8 pm.
19
Come and rub elbows with the BEST Madison-area musicians at this Grammy-style event!
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:
OVERTURECENTER.COM OVERTURE CENTER BOX OFFICE
35 VIP 20 REGULAR $ 15 STUDENTS $
S PEC TATO R S PO RTS Madison Radicals: American Ultimate Disc League match vs Minnesota WindChill, 7 pm, 5/27, Breese Stevens Field. $7 ($6 adv.). radicalsultimate.com.
sat may 28
Lucky’s Bar, Waunakee: Ryan McGrath Band, 7:30 pm.
MUS I C
Parched Eagle: Aaron Scholz & Chris Boeger, 7:30 pm.
Bos Meadery: The Fancy Pears, The Earthlings, 6 pm.
The Red Zone: Cold Kingdom, Via, Left of Reason, Modern Echo, Zero Minus One, 8 pm.
Brink Lounge: Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble, 8 pm.
Rex’s Innkeeper, Waunakee: Back 40 Band, 8:30 pm.
Club Tavern: Cool Front with Jon French, free, 9 pm.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Middleton: John Widdicombe & Cliff Frederiksen, jazz, 6 pm.
Come Back In: Mad City Funk, free, 9 pm.
Sprecher’s: Country Wide Rocks, free, 7 pm.
JUNE
A RT EXH I B I TS & EV EN TS Beyond Function: 3D forms, 5/27-6/18, Arts & Literature Laboratory (reception 7-9 pm, 5/27). 556-7415.
Club Tavern: Driveway Thrift Dwellers, 9 pm.
myzica (TN)
World’s Largest Brat Fest: Annual fundraiser for local charities, 5/27-30, Alliant Center-Willow Island, with entertainment stages, sports, kids’ activities, fireworks (9 pm, 5/29). Schedule: bratfest.com.
Cardinal Bar: Bill Roberts Quartet w/Bob Corbit, free, 5:30 pm; DJs Lovecraft, Ashoka, Foundation, 10 pm.
W/ THE PEOPLE BROTHERS BAND
8/11
For more details, visit: LakesideMadison.com
■ ISTHMUS PICKS : MAY 27 - 30
Tempest Oyster Bar: Compact Deluxe, free, 9:30 pm. Up North Pub: Gin Mill Hollow, Americana, free, 8 pm.
Cardinal Bar: DJ Chamo, Latin, 10 pm.
Edgewater Hotel: The Jimmys, free (plaza), 5 pm. Essen Haus: Zweifel Brothers, free, 8:30 pm. Fountain: Dave Schwab, piano, free, 8 pm.
VFW-Cottage Grove Rd: U.S. Silver Dollar Band, 8 pm.
Frequency: Invisible Cartoons, Gentle Brontosaurus, Civil Engineers, 9 pm.
Wisconsin Brewing, Verona: WheelHouse, free, 6 pm.
Harmony Bar: The Zimbobs, Bob Dylan tribute, 9 pm.
THEATER & DANCE
Ivory Room: Katy Marquardt, Jim Ripp, Anthony Cao, dueling pianos, 8 pm.
Spread the Nudes Friday, May 27, Broom Street Theater, 8 pm
Madison’s longtime experimental laboratory presents a live rock musical about a Christian rock band that hires a Jewish drummer for a big gig after their former drummer fornicates with the pastor’s daughter. See page 30. ALSO: Saturday, May 27, 8 pm.
Knuckle Down: Maggie & the Mighty Fines, 9 pm. Liliana’s: John Widdicombe & Dan Barker, 6:30 pm. Malt House: Jeff Larsen, classical guitar, free, 3 pm. Merchant: DJ Phil Money, 10:30 pm. Mezze: Bill Roberts Combo, 9 pm. Mickey’s Tavern: Midnight Reruns, Bud Bronson & the Good Times, The Pollinators, free, 10 pm. Mr. Robert’s: Tea Tsunami, The Modesty Blasters, The Revelators, free, 10 pm.
The Man of Destiny: G.B. Shaw by Upstart Crows Productions, 7 pm, 5/27-28, Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ. $15 donation. 827-9482.
Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub: Retro Specz, 7 pm.
SP ECIAL EV ENTS
Tofflers, New Glarus: Electric Blue, free, 9 pm.
$
Tempest: No Name String Band, free, 9:30 pm. Tip Top Tavern: Miguel McQuade Trio, free, 10 pm. Tyranena Brewing Company, Lake Mills: The DangIts, honky tonk, free, 6 pm. UW Memorial Union-Terrace: Ben Ferris Octet, JMM Studio Ensemble, free, 9 pm.
Art lives here
2016
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
Lodi First Friday Art Walk
36
in historic downtown Lodi
Shops open late local and 5 until 9 guest artists First Friday display art of every month www.facebook.com/LodiArtWalk
This land is your land, this land is
madland isthmus.com
FA I RS & FEST I VA L S
Wurst Times Saturday, May 28, High Noon Saloon and Brass Ring, 11 am-7 pm
WisCon 40 Friday, May 27, Concourse Hotel
Madison’s annual feminist science fiction convention celebrates four decades in 2016, touching down at the Concourse with author readings, panel discussions, workshops, art and more. This year’s guests of honor are novelists Sofia Samatar (pictured), Justine Larbalestier and Nalo Hopkinson; they will also read at the Thursday reception (5 pm, May 26, A Room of One’s Own). Registration is available beginning Friday at 9 am, and the convention continues through Monday, May 30.
The alt music-and-brats festival hits year six with 20-plus performers on three stages, including a CD release set by fingerstyle guitarist Greg Thornburg, electronic pop by Oh My Love and the superb songcraft of Marty Finkel. It’s a fundraiser for Second Harvest Foodbank and the Madison Area Music Association.
PO L I T I C S & AC T I V I S M Memorial Mile: Annual Veterans for Peace display of tombstones in remembrance of service members killed in the Middle East, 5/28-6/4, along Atwood Avenue by Olbrich Park. Volunteers needed for setup (9 am, 5/28) and take-down (3 pm, 6/4). madisonvfp.org.
SEARCH THE FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT ISTHMUS.COM
418 E. WILSON ST. 608.257.BIRD CARDINALBAR.COM
sun may 29
FRIDAY 5/27 LIVE HAPPY HOUR
MU SI C Bos Meadery: Open Mic with Kelsey Miles, 2 pm.
BILLBOB ROBERTS QUARTET CORBIT FREE _with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5:30-7:30PM __
w/ DJs LOVECRAFT, ASHOKA, FOUNDATION ____________________
Cardinal Bar: Charanga Agoza, son/salsa, 8 pm.
9PM
The Frequency: Hour 24, Motherhive, 7 pm. High Noon Saloon: Fishbone, 8 pm. Hop Garden, Paoli: John Duggleby,John Jacobs, 2 pm. Spring Green General Store: BobFest, Dylan tribute (schedule: springgreengeneralstore.com), 11 am.
SATURDAY 5/28 hosted by MARQUIS CHILDS 7-10PM • FREE
Tango Social
_______________
REGGAETON FEVER
Woof’s: DJ Leo, 3 pm.
with DJ CHAMO 10PM ____________________
SP ECTATO R S P O RTS Mad-City Ski Team: Free show, 5:30 pm Sundays, 5/29-9/4, Law Park. madcityskiteam.com. WWE Live: 7 pm, 5/29, Alliant Energy CenterColiseum. $110-$15. 267-3995.
SUNDAY 5/29
GUAYABERA NIGHT with
CHARANGA AGOZA
8PM • $5 ____________________
TUESDAY 5/31
JAZZ JAM
mon may 30
w/ THE NEW BREED 9PM • FREE
MA DI SO N ’ S C L A S S IC DA N C E B A R
MU SI C
John Masino + The Blues Party Monday, May 30, Come Back In, 4 pm
The free summer patio music season opens on Memorial Day at the Come Back In with a twin bill of Madison performers. Legendary guitar slinger John Masino takes the stage for a 4 pm show; at 7 pm trio the Blues Party takes over with classic rock and blues covers, and original songs.
2201 Atwood Ave. The
(608) 249-4333 FRI. MAY 27
9:30 PM $3
Exploding Sons
FRIDAY, JUNE 3 9:00PM 115 KING ST. MADISON ON SALE NOW
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT WWW.MAJESTICMADISON.COM, MAJESTIC BOX OFFICE (115 KING. ST.) OR BY PHONE (800) 514-ETIX
and
Set Fires ____________________________________
SAT. MAY 28
9 PM $5
701A E. Washington Ave. 268-1122 www.high-noon.com
a tribute show for bob dylan’s 75th birthday
____________________________________
MON. MAY 30
CLOSED MEMORIAL DAY
Lonesome Willie Jones & His Dime Store Posse
www.harmonybarandgrill.com
Monday, May 30, Malt House, 7:30 pm
Oak Street Ramblers mandolin slinger Willie Jones takes over the Malt House every month when there is a fifth Monday, and surprises are the rule rather than the exception. This time around he arrives with a new two-guitars-anddoghouse-bass trio dubbed Dime Store Posse, also including the talents of Brad Wolbert (formerly of Off the Porch) and . 18+ Mason Aumanstal$10 (Ghost Town Council). with Doors at 7
Sleep Signals, Left of Reason, Christy’s Landing: Moon Gypsies, 2 pm.Modern Echo
THURS MAR 3 . 8 PM
SP ECI A L EV EN TS
Memorial Day Program: American Legion Post 151 event, 2 pm, 5/30, Sunset Memory Gardens. post151.org. Monona Memorial Day Parade: Ceremony 9:30 am, 5/30, Monona Grove High School; parade departs 10 am from MG to Owen Road. mononaeastside.com.
➡
Tate’s
BLUES JAM
FRI, MAY 27 H 8PM H $9
Brandon Santini National Blues Star
2016 BMA Nominee
Summer Patio Series
thu may
26
Maggie with
VIA, Left of Reason, Modern Echo, ZERO MINUS ONE
FRI MAY 27 . 8 PM
$10 . 18+ . Doors at 7 ZUMBA FITNESS LEAGUE TRIVIA
Mon. 6:30-7:45 PM Thurs. 8 PM 1212 REGENT ST. 608-251-6766
THEREDZONEMADISON.COM
& The Mighty Fines FRI. JUNE 3
JOHNNY RAWLS
$2 OFF COVER w/ VALID COLLEGE ID ALL SHOWS 21+
2513 Seiferth Rd., Madison
222-7800
KnuckleDownSaloon.com
6pm
Project M Finale Followed by The
Beth Kille Band
FREE
7pm FREE
18+
X
The Periodicals WEBSTER Made Of Blocks Trapo / Mic Kellogg 27 fri may
5pm $5
sat May
28
SAT, MAY 28 H 9PM H $7
Chicago Blues Headliner
Oak Street Ramblers
sun maY
29
9:30pm $10
Wurst Times VI
11am $10 sug. don. (discounted with non-perishable food item)
18+
Private Party 10pm
FISHBONE Andy Frasco / Downtown Brown 8PM
$16 ADV, $18 DOS 18+
Psychoswank Bonobo Secret 31 Handshake
tue may
6pm $5
ROCKSTAR GOMEROKE live band karaoke 9pm FREE
The Lately The Anderson Brothers The Begowatts 1
wed jun
8PM Summer Patio Series
thu jun
2
The Wells Division 6pm
FREE
$5
Fire Retarded NO/NO / Neens Gloss Coats 9pm $5
18+
MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
Memorial Day Observance: Annual Veterans for Peace event, 12:45 pm, 5/30, Gates of Heaven, with speakers, poetry, music. madisonvfp.org.
THURSDAYS H 8:30PM H FREE
37
■ ISTHMUS PICKS : MAY 31 - JUN 2
Celebrate Color!
tue may 31
SPECIAL EVENT
M USIC
Friday, May 27•12-4pm Meet JIM KANE 100% Cotton Sportswear from Florida
Our Cottonseed Rep Live Jazz with
DOUG BROWN
SPECIAL ORDERS AVAILABLE
The Tallest Man on Earth
This double bill combines folk, gospel and soul into a melting pot sure to make you dance the night away. Michigan-bred, L.A.based folkies Lord Huron dish up the lush brand of indie folk that turned Fleet Foxes into a household name, and Nathaniel Rateliff (pictured) is a folk singer who got seriously funky in 2013 when he formed the Night Sweats. With Caroline Rose.
Tuesday, May 31, Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm
Alchemy Cafe: Boo Bradley, blues, free, 10 pm.
Noon-2pm
1717 Monroe St. (NE AR ORANGE TREE) 608-231-2621 rupertcornelius.net SUN 11- 4, MON - SAT 10 - 6
WOMEN'S CLOTHING BOUTIQUE 2013-2015
Lord Huron + Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats Wednesday, June 1, Orpheum Theater, 8 pm
(Rupert’s house band)
Comfortable, casual, natural fiber clothing for women
is an assembly of polished musicians presenting pleasing vocal harmonies in front of keys, mandolin, banjo and guitar. With FEATher Wolf, Late Harvest.
Kristian Matsson, aka the Tallest Man on Earth, isn’t physically a giant, but he sure seems like one. Over multiple world tours, four full-length albums and two EPs, the Swedish singer-songwriter has morphed into a modern folk hero. His catalog — which showcases his effortless vocals — ranges from sparse, lyrically dire songs to exuberant full-band folk arrangements. With Basia Bulat.
Old Man Canyon Tuesday, May 31, The Frequency, 8 pm
Earlier this year, this British Columbiabased alternative pop group released its first full-length album, Delirium. The LP marks a stylistic departure from 2013’s Phantoms and Friends, a folk-flavored EP that had songs featured on hit TV shows like Sons of Anarchy and Shameless. With the new work, frontman Jett Pace is leading the band into dreampop territory with soft, echoing vocals and ethereal electronic sounds. With the Present Age, the Wells Division.
Bowl-A-Vard Lanes: Sunspot, free, 6 pm. Come Back In: Field & James, free, 5 pm. High Noon Saloon: The Begowatts, The Anderson Brothers, The Lately, rock, 8 pm. Middleton-Cross Plains Area Performing Arts Center: Middleton Community Orchestra, 7:30 pm. Opus Lounge: Madison Malone, free, 9 pm. Quaker Steak & Lube, Middleton: Lube, free, 5:30 pm. Uno-Mineral Point Rd.: Nine Thirty Standard, 6:30 pm.
A RT EXH I B I TS & EV EN TS Skot Weidemann: Photographs, 6/1-30, UW Health Sciences Learning Center-1st Floor Atrium. 263-5992.
thu jun 2 MUS I C
Capital Brewery: Krause Family Band, free, 6 pm. High Noon Saloon: Psychoswank, Bonobo Secret Handshake, 6 pm; Gomeroke, free, 9 pm Tuesdays. Up North Pub: The Lower 5th, rock, free, 8 pm.
wed jun 1 M USIC
The Numerators Thursday, June 2, The Frequency, 8 pm
The Numerators are a pysch-punk outfit headed by brothers Sammi and Burgers Rana. They released their debut full-length, Strange, last month. The album blends the sounds of Austin’s and New York’s punk scenes: It feels warm, it sounds noisy, and every song is swathed in reverb. With Surgeons in Heat, the Rashita Joneses.
Aesop Rock ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
Thursday, June 2, Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
38
Miner Wednesday, June 1, The Frequency, 8 pm
Miner isn’t the sound you might expect when you hear the term “family band.” Husband and wife Justin and Kate Miner launched the group in 2012, joined by his brother Jeremy Miner and drummer Tobias Urbanczyk. Rather than a host of siblings wielding guitars, this quartet
Widely considered one of hip-hop’s greatest lyricists, Aesop Rock has been a leading light in rap’s underground for the last two decades. The New York-bred emcee has released seven albums that are full of dense, spiraling rhymes, and he’s one half of the critically acclaimed folk/hip-hop duo the Uncluded, which also features the Moldy Peaches’ Kimya Dawson. Aesop’s most recent, The Impossible Kid, was released in April. See page 29. With Rob Sonic, DJ Zone, Homeboy Sandman, DJ Sosa.
ISTHMUS SKY BAR HIGH LIFE SERIES
Live concerts on the roof of the hotel, overlooking Madison THURSDAY, JUNE 9 6-9pm
REYNA with DJ Nick Nice
THUR, JULY 14: SEABIRD with DJ Nick Nice 6-9pm THUR, AUG. 11: SOUL LOW with DJ Nick Nice 6-9pm Get tickets at isthmustickets.com. $25 per includes two 16 oz. Miller High Life cans
1001 WISCONSIN PLACE • MADISON, WI 53703 • THEEDGEWATER.COM/EVENTS • 608 535 8200
THOSE WHO DEFY LABELS, DEFINE THEMSELVES
MINI of Madison 310 West Beltline Highway Madison, WI 53713
(608) 729-6464 MINIOFMADISON.COM
© 2016 MINI USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.
MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
Meet Kyle, a proud Madison MINI owner. MINIofMadison.com/defylabels
39
■ EMPHASIS
Chris Jungbluth spent over 400 hours making the rocker featured in Fine Woodworking magazine (le ). The English walnut desk drawer (above) shows his love of mixing woods. BILL LUEDERS
A woodworker’s dream job Capital Joinery is a one-man shop where function meets art BY BILL LUEDERS
Chris Jungbluth points to a shelf laden with boards — two-inch-thick slabs of walnut. It is beautiful dark wood, awaiting transformation: “This is going to be a table and benches for a customer.” His “mostly” German shepherd, Charlie, sniffs the ground. He’ll believe it when he sees it, if then. Jungbluth, 41, is the sole proprietor of Capital Joinery, a woodworking business on Madison’s east side. He makes furniture, including tables, chairs and beds. Most are custom built — or, as Jungbluth puts it, “not premade things for anyone to pick up and walk away with.” But they can skate away, on one of his custom skateboards. What he makes is functional, but also art. “I’m reaching a niche market of people who want something unique and handmade,” Jungbluth says. He designs and builds rocking chairs, end tables, desks and shelves. One of his conference tables, made while he was working for Baraboo Wood-
works in Madison, now adorns the office of Mayor Paul Soglin. He freely mixes wood types — oak, walnut, maple, teak, cherry, elm, mahogany. He buys boards and sometimes whole sections of trees when the opportunity presents, then waits until he’s hired or inspired to turn them into projects. One of his favorite places to buy wood is “literally out in the middle of nowhere” — Johnson Creek Hardwoods, in Mount Carroll, Ill. A native of Hartland, Wis., Jungbluth has run his own businesses before: He made and sold tie-dyed T-shirts in high school and spent a couple of summers sealing driveways with asphalt after his uncle happened to acquire the requisite equipment. He’s also worked at various times for others. He prefers being his own boss. “It makes me happy,” he says. Plus he gets to bring his dog to work. After graduating from the UW-Madison with a degree in wildlife ecology, Jungbluth spent a year studying woodworking in Fort Bragg, Calif., at one of several campuses of the College of the Redwoods, which bills itself as “a learning com-
munity where lives are transformed.” Under the tutelage of famed woodworker James Krenov, he built a chair special enough to be featured in Fine Woodworking magazine. He ran his woodworking business out of his garage for several years before buying his present workspace last summer. It’s a spacious 2,700-square-foot building just off East Washington Avenue, with an array of saws, shapers, planers, sanders and clamps — hundreds of clamps. It seems like a lot for a one-man operation, but Jungbluth demurs: “Having too much space is almost never a problem.” And it gives his business room to grow. Jungbluth says there are “a lot of people who do what I do, but not a lot who do what I do professionally.” Even for him, it’s not possible to get by on custom furniture alone. So he does other work, like building the wooden frames of furniture for the Straight Thread, a traditional upholstery store on Atwood Avenue. And he has a model bed on display at Satara Home & Baby, a home goods retail
outlet in Middleton. He’ll build a bed based on this model in a choice of sizes and “species.” He’s also built gorgeous wooden in-home stairways under contract with carpenters, as well as custom-made entry doors, including one now in his shop. The entry door, a storm and screen combination, will go for about $7,000, sans hardware and installation. A table and benches might cost $4,000, a single chair between $1,500 and $2,500. “The numbers are a little bit shocking to people, but when I break it down to labor and materials, I should maybe be charging more,” he says. His standard rate is $50 per hour, including overhead. “I want people to be able to afford what I do. But I want to keep the lights on and doors open.” For now, he’s doing just that, covering his costs and looking forward to someday hiring his first employee. “I think as soon as I start making money is when I’m going to bring another person in here,” he says. Maybe even another dog. In a perfect world, things can always get better. ■ Capital Joinery will host an open house on Saturday, July 16, 5-9 p.m.
CAPITAL JOINERY ■ 3223 Burke Ave., Madison ■ 608-556-0306 ■ capitaljoineryllc.com
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
Speaking his mind in the city he once ruled!
40
starring former Madison Mayor
Read him online at
.com
n CLASSIFIEDS
Housing HouseReward.com Thinking of selling? We list homes as low as 4% total commission. Dane County full-service Realtor. Call 381-4804 Lori@HouseReward.com DOOR COUNTY, ELLISON BAY FABULOUS YEAR ROUND HOME Just a half mile from The Wickman House (arguably the best restaurant in Door Co), hidden in the woods,adjacent to the Mink River Conservancy, is a spacious home perfect for artists, craftspersons, writers, or curmudgeons. Open floorplan. Enormous light-flooded second floor - perfect painting studio! Some furnishings included! One bay of garage recently transformed into a well-lit and well-wired carpentry space! Circular driveway with plenty of parking for family gatherings. Fabulous screen porch for sipping Mint Juleps or regaling the youngsters with Horror Stories! Owned by Pat Whyte, marketed by Holly Thomas, Professional Realty. MLS# 128241. Priced well at $399,000 Call HOLLY THOMAS 920-854-4994 8002 CASEY RD., Town of Porter MLS 1765263 SATURATE YOUR SENSES with Pure Pleasure: European architectural influence contributes to serenity and sophistication on 21 bucolic acres: natural ponds, gorgeous views of water, birds and lovely gardens. Enormous Master Suite! Open floorplan. Separate charming apartment for guests OR office OR inlaw suite! Library/Music room, three fireplaces (one in the inlaw suite as well), sweet sunroom and huge screened porch. Did I mention Wood fired Pizza Oven? I envision someone who appreciates beauty and has a desire to live a quiet, intellectual life purchasing this place and feeling he/she has found Paradise on Earth! IF YOU SAW THIS HOUSE IN THE WINTER, YOU NEED TO SEE IT AGAIN! PAT WHYTE 608-513-2200 Phil Olson Real Estate —Since 1984— Residential Homes, Multi-Family, Condos PhilandBeckyOlson.com 608-332-7814 POlson@RestainoHomes.com Powered by Restaino & Associates
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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 Vacation on beautiful Rowleys Bay, northern Door County. Two large rental cottages plus our spacious lighthouse suite. Private beach. Firepits. Boating. Swimming. Kayak/ canoe rentals on-site. Stone’s throw from world famous Mink River. Quiet. Peaceful. 920-421-1257 rowleysbaycabins@gmail.com 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.
Jobs HOUSEKEEPER FULL/ PART TIME NEEDED ASAP, need experience $10-15/hours Americas Best Value Inn Madison – 3438 US Hwy 12-18 Madison 6082127721 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) Caregiver needed to assist with light housekeeping and personal cares. Limited term for weekends and overnights beginning 6/15/16. Please contact (608) 222-5929. Man with disability and health issues needs worker for high level of care. Multiple shifts available. Two employer agencies involved. $11.66/hr. Contact Tina at (608) 630-4369 for more info.
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. Sitka Salmon Shares is hiring a full-time driver to home deliver wild Alaskan seafood. Starting at $11 per hour, plus fish. Send resume to sarah@sitkasalmonshares.com by June 1.
HOUSE PARTY #6 MEMORIAL WEEKEND W/ KOVAL Sunday, May 29 at 6pm GIB'S BAR
REAP FOOD GROUP
BURGERS & BREW Saturday, June 4 – Sunday, June 5 CAPITOL BREWERY
MAD CITY MIX-OFF Friday, Jun 17 at 7pm CONCOURSE HOTEL
DOMESTIC ABUSE INTERVENTION SERVICES & MADISON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION/ A FUND FOR WOMEN PRESENT:
'THE MASK YOU LIVE IN' FILM SCREENING
Monday, June 20 at 5pm SUNDANCE CINEMAS MADISON
AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, June 24 - Sunday, June 26 UNIVERSITY RIDGE GOLF COURSE DO YOUR TICKETING WITH ISTHMUS AND LIST YOUR EVENT HERE. INTERESTED? EMAIL CWINTERHACK@ISTHMUS.COM
ISTHMUSTICKETS.COM
MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
MA
ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM. Lonely? Bored? Broke? Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at Roommates.com! (AAN CAN)
41
JONESIN’
n CLASSIFIEDS
“Plays With Words” — you can’t avoid the drama.
#781 BY MATT JONES ©2016 JONESIN’ CROSSWORDS
ACROSS
1 Alter, as text 6 Does in, slangily 10 Org. that enforces liquid regulations 13 Carpenter’s joint 14 Pouty expressions 16 “Bali ___” 17 Ibsen play with unintelligible dialogue? 19 Shade thrower? 20 “And that’s the way ___” 21 Chekhov play about the empty spaces in wine barrels? 23 Cleveland cager, for short 24 Classic 1950 film noir 25 First-year class, slangily 26 “Family Feud” host Harvey 28 Geek blogger Wheaton 31 Golfer Isao ___
32 Group with pitchforks and torches 36 Captain Hansen of “Deadliest Catch” 37 O’Neill play about a brand-new theater? 41 “Oedipus ___” 42 “California Dreamin’” singer 43 Speedy breed of steed, for short 45 Prevailed 46 Like some IPAs 50 T-shirt store freebie, maybe 52 Dot-___ boom 54 “Much ___ About Nothing” 55 With 61-Across, Williams play about living quarters on a tram? 59 “___ American Life” 60 Canadian singer/ songwriter ___ Naked
61 See 55-Across 63 Honolulu hangable 64 The Care Bear ___ 65 13th-century Mongol invader 66 “C’___ la vie!” 67 Tissue issue 68 Drummer Peter of Kiss DOWN
1 2 3 4 5 6
Business school subject Convene in Fancy salad green They can mean “yes” Hereditary helix University of Nebraska campus site 7 “Watch out for flying golf balls!” 8 Afrocentric clothing line since 1992
9 Behave like a bear 10 “What’s good for ___ ...” 11 Marketing rep’s product package 12 Aspires to greatness 15 Starter starter? 18 “Little” car in a 1964 hit 22 First name of a Fighting Irish legend 24 Jean jacket material 27 “Wet/dry” buy 28 Jane who divorced Reagan 29 ‘98 Apple 30 Last word of a Ricky Martin hit 33 Chew like a beaver 34 San ___ (Italian Riviera city) 35 “___ Buddies” (Tom Hanks sitcom) 37 Like bartered things 38 Inquisition targets 39 Tailor’s goal 40 AOL competitor, once 44 Where Moscow Mules may be served 47 “Mutiny on the Bounty” island 48 Nike competitor 49 Difficult questions 51 Microscope piece 52 Air Force student 53 Boston Bruins Hall of Famer Bobby 56 Grub 57 IRS agent, for short 58 0, in Spain 59 Emperor that hasn’t been around for 99 years 62 Enumeration shortcut LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
Jobs
contd.
Woman in Waunakee looking for a caregiver. Pay rate is $11.66/hr. Hours vary. Call Karen at (608) 577-7884. Man in Waunakee looking for a caregiver. Pay rate $11.66/hr. Hours vary. Call Mark at (608) 849-9571. We are currently seeking experienced Inmates for our kitchen staff. If you enjoy a fun and energetic work environment and share our passion for beer, please apply in person at our current location: 2002 Pankratz St. Madison, WI 53704 or submit a resume via e-mail (no phone calls, please) to bandit@aleasylum.com.
Services & Sales BEST PRICES GUARANTEED! MadTown Commercial Cleaning Industry is home of all your cleaning needs, offering many different services. Check out our website for a complete list of our services www.madtowncommercialcleaningindustry.com or call us today with questions or for your free estimate #608-225-4061 Viagra!! 52 Pills for Only $99.00. Your #1 trusted provider for 10 years. Insured and Guaranteed Delivery. Call today 1-877-6217013 (AAN CAN) AFFORDABLE PSYCHIC READINGS - Career & Finance, Love Readings and More by accurate & trusted psychics! First 3 minutes FREE! Call anytime! 888-338-5367 (AAN CAN) CHECK OUT THE FOUNDRY FOR MUSIC LESSONS & REHEARSAL STUDIOS & THE BLAST HOUSE STUDIO FOR RECORDING! 608-270-2660 www.madisonmusicfoundry.com KILL ROACHES - GUARANTEED! Buy Harris Roach Tablets with Lure. Odorless, Long Lasting. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com (AAN CAN)
CASH FOR CARS: Any Car/Truck 20002015, Running or Not! Top Dollar For Used/ Damaged. Free Nationwide Towing! Call Now: 1-888-420-3808 (AAN CAN)
Happenings BADGER STATE DAHLIA SOCIETY Dahlia Plants 2016 Fri & Sat May 27th - 28th 8:00 am until 3:00 pm 5335 Whalen Rd. Fitchburg WI 53575 Just Call: 608-277-7584 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 800-725-1563 (AAN CAN)
Health & Wellness 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! 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) Struggling with DRUGS or ALCOHOL? Addicted to PILLS? Talk to someone who cares. Call The Addiction Hope & Help Line for a free assessment. 800-978-6674 Viagra!! 52 Pills for Only $99.00. Your #1 trusted provider for 10 years. Insured and Guaranteed Delivery. Call today 1-888-4039028
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ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
Will Bernie run as an Independent if he loses to Hillary? Uncle Gene predicts YES, they’ll do anything to beat Trump.
42
And he’d like to remind you when approaching a four-way stop, the vehicle with the largest tires always has the right of way. 2009 FREEPORT RD. • 271-3827 • NEAR VERONA & RAYMOND ROADS
■ SAVAGE LOVE
Identity cards BY DAN SAVAGE
I am a 40-year-old woman; I came out when I was 16. When I was 17, I met M and we dated for eight years. M was a horrible human being — emotionally and occasionally physically abusive. M still sends me the occasional (creepy) email, wishing me a happy birthday or giving me updates on people I don’t really recall. I don’t respond. A few years back, I got an email saying that M was now “Mike.” I think it’s important to use the pronouns people want you to use for them. But Mike wasn’t Mike when he was in my life. Changing his pronoun when describing him feels like I’m changing my identity — my first real longterm relationship was with someone I thought was a woman. Mike caused a lot of damage in my life — does he get to fuck up (or complicate) my identity, too? It’s not like the subject of Mike comes up daily. When it does, I feel like a liar if I use “she,” using “he” makes me feel like I’m lying about myself, and stopping to explain everything derails the conversation. And it’s not like I’m being a great trans ally when a conversation gets sidelined by something like: “Well, random co-worker whose only trans reference is Caitlyn Jenner, my ex is trans and he’s a psychopath.” Mike’s Hard Lemonade
Block Mike’s number, block his email address, block him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Periscope, Kik, FuckStick, WhatsApp, CumDump, etc., etc., etc., ad infinitum. And stop talking about Mike — don’t discuss him with random co-workers, casual acquaintances or friends. If you absolutely, positively must discuss him with someone — a true intimate with a right to your relationship history, who needs to be sensitive to the abuse you suffered — you can be a good ally to other trans people (not your abusive trans ex) by carefully using nouns and descriptors in place of your asshole ex’s preferred pronouns. So instead of “I met him when I was still a teenager,” you say, “I met the abusive piece of shit when I was still a teenager.” Instead of “It took me eight long years to get away from him,” you say, “It took me eight long years to get away from that asshole psychopath.” What I’m gonna say next will get me slammed on Twitter (heavens), MHL, but I’ve learned not to read my @s, so here we go.... If using male pronouns when referring to your ex is gonna complicate your life — really complicate it — if the “transitioned later” part is likely to get dropped during a game of interoffice telephone, if the qualifier about your ex having identified as a woman while you
CRAIG WINZER
were together is likely to get dropped too, and if either of those drops could lead co-workers or casual acquaintances to assume something about you that isn’t true, i.e., that you’re into dudes and therefore gettable by dudes, and if that erroneous assumption could result in your having to deflect awkward and/or unpleasant advances from confused males, or if having your status as a Gold Star Lesbian questioned could induce orientational dysphoria...I don’t see the nontheoretical harm in you — and only you — misgendering Mike on the rare occasion when a convo about him can’t be avoided. You don’t live near him, no one you know knows him, and the misgendering is unlikely to get back to him. The adage “no harm, no foul” applies here. But it would be simpler, easier, and ally-ier if you sidestepped the issue by not speaking to anyone about your asshole ex ever again. I am a fortysomething bi woman happily married to a newly transitioned 50ish trans woman. I have a history of putting myself about a bit (safely) before our relationship, but we have been monogamous since we met (ex-
cept for a disastrous threesome). My wife hasn’t put herself about and has slept with only myself and one other to whom she was also married — and that threesome. She understands that I have a high libido and mostly she doesn’t. Our sex life is loving and good mostly, but I do want more. There have been discussions on opening up our relationship — but essentially I want to and she is resistant. I want to do this with transparency and with men (mostly), but I don’t feel this is realistic emotionally for her given some conflict we’ve had over this issue. Is cheating the only answer here? Never Overly Terrified I can see how it might be emotionally tricky for a recently transitioned trans woman — that would be your wife — to cheerfully sign off on her second wife sleeping with men (mostly) and with transparency (ethically). But if you absolutely, positively can’t commit to sleeping with only her for the rest of your life, NOT, and you can’t get her permission to sleep with others...then, yes, there’s cheating. There’s also fantasy, masturbation, repression, sublimation, self-sacrifice — and divorce. ■ Email Dan at mail@savagelove.net or reach him on Twitter at @fakedansavage.
You failed Cooking 101. Three times. MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016 ISTHMUS.COM
43
©2016 SFNTC (2)
ISTHMUS.COM MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2016
VISIT NASCIGS.COM OR CALL 1-800-435-5515 PROMO CODE 961950
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44 Isthmus 05-26-16.indd 1
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