Isthmus: Dec 22, 2016 - Jan 4, 2017 by Isthmus

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

VOL. 41 NO. 51

■

MADISON, WISCONSIN

F E AT U R I N G

YEAR IN REVIEW YEAR IN REVIEW YEAR IN REVIEW YEAR IN REVIEW YEAR IN REVIEW

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■ CONTENTS 4 SNAPSHOT STUCK ON YOU Putting compulsive thoughts to paper.

7-12 NEWS SEE ME AFTER CLASS MGE fares poorly on green energy plans, rates.

14 TECH A NEW RIDE IN TOWN Limo service follows the Uber model, in part.

16 OPINION PUNDIT UNDETERRED Predictions for 2017, despite 2016’s misfires.

17 OFF THE SQUARE NAIVE TIDINGS Did we really say that?

19 CHEAP SHOTS LOW BLOWS Our annual awards for deserving souls.

25-30 FOOD & DRINK OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS There were changes galore in the restaurant scene. Have you been keeping score at home?

ESSENTIAL DISHES OF THE YEAR When we look back years from now, these are the foods that will say “2016.”

31 SPORTS THE YEAR IN REVIEW Hey, the Packers now stand a chance!

34-35 MUSIC IN YOUR EARS Our favorite concerts from the year.

36-37 STAGE MESMERIZED The critics look back at the highlights in theater and dance.

39 SCREENS THE WORLD ON FILM We take a close look at what movies are showing where. You might be surprised.

48 EMPHASIS MENDING HALL Schwa Tailor will fix your beloved duds.

IN EVERY ISSUE 8 MADISON MATRIX 8 WEEK IN REVIEW 16 THIS MODERN WORLD

17 FEEDBACK 40 ISTHMUS PICKS 49 CLASSIFIEDS

50 P.S. MUELLER 50 CROSSWORD 51 SAVAGE LOVE

DAVID MICHAEL MILLER

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 STAFF WRITERS Dylan Brogan, Allison Geyer EDITORIAL INTERN Elisa Wiseman CALENDAR EDITOR Bob Koch ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Fath STAFF ARTISTS Todd Hubler, David Michael Miller,

Tommy Washbush CONTRIBUTORS John W. Barker, Kenneth Burns, Dave Cieslewicz, Nathan J. Comp, Aaron R. Conklin, Ruth Conniff, Michael Cummins, Marc Eisen, Erik Gunn, Mike Ivey, 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, Tom Whitcomb, 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 Tim Henrekin MARKETING DIRECTOR Chris Winterhack EVENT DIRECTORS Kathleen Andreoni, Courtney Lovas CONTROLLER Halle Mulford OFFICE MANAGER Julie Butler SYSTEMS MANAGER Thom Jones ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Carla Dawkins 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.

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

WE WILL ONCE AGAIN SKIP A PRINT EDITION the week before New Year’s in order to take a break over the holidays. But that doesn’t mean we won’t have fresh content planned for you — just check Isthmus.com instead of your favorite pickup location. We’ll have a post on our Top 10 web stories of 2016 — that is, the ones that got the most page views. We’ll follow that up with a rundown of the stories that should have made that list — call it the “Sour Grapes Top 10 List,” compiled by Isthmus editors and staff. Also on tap: Former Isthmus editor Marc Eisen’s annual magnus opus on his favorite concerts of 2016, Aaron R. Conklin’s picks for best videogames, and Robin Shepard’s list of the year’s best Wisconsin beers. We’ll also post a playlist of our favorite albums from 2016, among other stories. And for those who’d like to get a little creative, we invite you to color in this week’s front cover and compete in our contest; see full instructions at Isthmus.com. We’ll post some entries in an online gallery and the winner in each age group will receive a $25 gift certificate to Roman Candle.

n SNAPSHOT

Milwaukee artist Colin Matthes (right) leads a drawing workshop at Arts+Literature Laboratory. Also pictured: Marin Laufenberg, Simone Doing and Angela Richardson (from left).

Art of obsession

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BY ALLISON GEYER n PHOTO BY PAULIUS MUSTEIKIS

The exercise begins with the disclosure of an obsession. Ten strangers, seated around folding tables arranged in a square, are asked to reveal something that’s been consuming their thoughts lately, whether fleeting or an idée fixe. “In light of recent events, I’ve been reading a lot about cockroaches,” says 28-year-old Rhea Ewing, alluding to the outcome of the presidential election. “When times are good, they form these egalitarian communities. And they can survive almost anything.” Compulsively checking the news on Twitter. A primal urge to connect with nature. Fretting over how to get a picky turtle to eat. Brainstorming ways to get your partner to stop snoring. These are just a few things on the minds of the people gathered for a workshop on “Essential Knowledge Shared Visualizations,” led by Milwaukee artist Colin Matthes. Matthes, one of the artists featured in the Wisconsin Triennial at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, has developed an unusual project aimed at sharing what he calls “essential knowledge.” Part drawing, part instruction manual, Matthes creates step-by-step illustrated guides for survival scenarios — real and imagined.

“It’s a graphic communication project and an archive of unique bits of knowledge that people have,” Matthes tells his students. “I hope it makes you want to draw — and think about drawing differently.” The workshop, held Dec. 6 at Arts + Literature Laboratory, a gallery and performance space on Madison’s east side, was conceived as a way to connect an established gallery artist with the community where his work is on display, says Max Puchalsky, a Laboratory curator. “The point of this is to engage with the concept behind Colin’s work.” Matthes’ idea for Essential Knowledge came when he was living in the Burren region of Ireland, home to vast, bleak, rolling hills of exposed limestone. He walked an hour each day to his job as an artist-in-residence at Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan. As he trekked through the remote hills, he thought about how he would survive if he lived out in the wilderness. “I made sketches of things I could learn how to do — how to make water drinkable, how to kill an animal and prepare it for food,” Matthes says. “As time went by, a year or two, I kept making sketches. It became the thing that sort of stuck.” When he moved back to the U.S., his obsession with survival continued, but his focus

shifted with his return to an urban environment. He imagined how to make boats from the ruins of an empty gas station, how to clear buildings in the event of urban warfare. Before his daughter, now 2, was born, he mapped out baby-related scenarios, like packing a hospital “go bag” and fashioning an emergency diaper. He also made a drawing on how to survive a black bear encounter before taking his baby camping. “It became a way to do research, and also a way of sharing experiences,” he says. “And a way of coping with anxiety.” In the workshop, Matthes asks participants to share their essential knowledge — something personal that only they can teach. “The goal for today is to rethink drawing and how it conveys information,” he tells the group. “And a little bit of humor helps as well.” Working with pen and ink (ditching erasers to encourage decisive drawing), the amateur artists illustrate personalized survival guides for scenarios in their own lives. Matthes digitizes the drawings with plans to compile them into a book, which he promises to send to every contributor. “It’s amazing to have contemporary artists who are engaged in community-based work,” Puchalsky says. “Because most of the time you learn about art in an academic context, reading about dead white men.” n

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n NEWS

“Report card” gives utility D+ MGE scores poorly on renewables, customer service, rates BY DYLAN BROGAN

ties” in the state with higher monthly charges for residential customers. Isthmus could not verify this claim. Brueck did not provide verification either.

“At the workshop, our customers told us they want MGE to ‘meet them where they are,’” writes Brueck. “That means ‘one size doesn’t fit all.’ It will take many different kinds of partnerships with many different partners to meet customers’ needs and to advance Energy 2030, and we’ve already begun establishing partnerships in pursuit of shared goals.” In its report, RePower Madison praises MGE’s new community solar project in Middleton. But Brey says compared to neighboring utilities, MGE is lagging behind on renewables. In 2016, Alliant Energy — also based in Madison — announced renewable energy projects that will eventually produce 500 megawatts of power. The solar initiatives announced by MGE this year will only produce 0.6 megawatts. “We give MGE credit for the solar projects in Middleton. But 31 utilities in Wisconsin source a higher percentage of power from renewable energy. It was really astonishing to see how small [MGE’s renewable energy initiatives] are compared to other utilities,” says Brey. “Clean energy technology has been advancing rapidly, and prices have fallen dramatically. MGE needs to address its coal dependency, but it won’t be easy given its long-term investments in coal.” When asked if MGE is pursuing renewable energy projects in addition to the solar projects in Middleton, Brueck writes, “We are actively looking at new renewable projects and will share information as we make decisions.”

In 2016, Madison Gas and Electric charged more for electricity than any other utility in the state, according to data compiled by the Public Service Commission. MGE’s residential customers will also be paying more for power in 2017. The PSC gave MGE final approval on Dec. 15 for a small rate increase on residential electricity use while lowering the rate for some commercial and industry customers. “MGE’s rates remain below the rate of inflation,” writes Brueck. “The average annual increase in MGE’s electric rates from 2013 through 2017 will equal 0.2 percent, while the average increase in MGE’s natural gas rates will equal 0 percent.” Earlier this year, MGE wrapped up a yearlong campaign seeking community input to help inform its Energy 2030 Framework (which was released in November 2015). The public outreach campaign was capped off with a “community energy workshop” at Monona Terrace. The event was not open to the public, but specific business, nonprofit and community leaders were invited to attend. The Energy 2030 Framework sets a goal of supplying 30 percent of retail energy sales with renewable resources by 2030, increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

In October, MGE announced longtime CEO Gary Wolter will be stepping down. Jeffrey Keebler, senior vice president of energy supply and planning, will take over as CEO in March. Keebler declined to be interviewed for this story. The change in leadership, Brey says, could be an opportunity to make “Madison a national leader in clean energy with fair and affordable bills.” “We are hopeful that [Keebler] will able be to change course and take some actions more rapidly. It’s incumbent on the new CEO to show that [MGE] really wants to make Madison a leader.” Madison Ald. Rebecca Kemble is less optimistic. She’s worried that the next presidential administration will thwart the city’s effort to significantly reduce carbon emissions and source more power from renewables. “In light of President-elect Trump’s promises to deregulate the coal industry, even permitting coal plants to remove already installed scrubbers, there will be even less economic incentive for MGE to transition away from dirty fuel,” says Kemble. “We can’t depend on market forces to support our collective values of clean air and water.” n

Monthly Bill

$80 $60 $40 $20 MGE

WE Energies

Xcel Energy

WPS

Alliant Energy

Municipal Utility Average

Sun Prairie Utilities

Marshfield Utilities

MGE has the lowest customer satisfaction in Wisconsin 690 685 680 675 670 665 660 655

MGE

Large Midwest Average

Midsize Midwest Average

WE Energies

Alliant Energy

WPS

Xcel Energy

650

SOURCE: REPOWER MADISON

more than 90 electric utilities regulated by the PSC). In 2015, MGE raised its fixed fee from $10.49 to $19. It had originally proposed an increase of $49 in 2016 in conjunction with decreasing the rate it charges for electricity use. That plan was panned for disproportionately affecting low-income customers and discouraging efforts to conserve energy or install solar panels. Any rate change needs approval of the Public Service Commission — the three-member panel in charge of regulating Wisconsin utility companies. Brey says the commission is no longer “keeping utilities in check,” and MGE is taking full advantage of the loose regulatory climate. “The utility regulatory system is broken in Wisconsin,” says Brey. “You’d hope that the regulators would be protecting the public interest. But in fact, they seem to be promoting the interests of the utilities and their shareholders.” The Public Service Commission is composed of three commissioners appointed by Gov. Scott Walker: Ellen Nowak, former chief of staff to Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas and deputy director of School Choice Wisconsin; former Republican lawmaker Phil Montgomery; and former secretary of the Department of Administration Mike Huebsch. MGE says if you include rates charged by electric cooperatives in Wisconsin — nonprofit utilities owned by customers that are not regulated by the Public Service Commission — there are “more than a dozen other utili-

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

RePower Madison scores MGE’s commitment to renewable energy a “C” — the highest letter grade given to the utility in the report. The group says MGE earns belowaverage marks in reducing greenhouse gas and energy efficiency. The utility gets a “D” in customer satisfaction, rates and corporate behavior. According to RePower Madison, the company has the lowest customer satisfaction of any electric utility company in the state. “Over the last few years, Madison Gas and Electric went from one of the toprated utilities to being near the bottom,” Brey says in an interview, citing customer surveys from J.D. Power. “That drop in customer satisfaction lines up exactly with their decision to increase mandatory [fixed] fees.” In response to the survey from J.D. Power, Brueck counters, “Very little detail is disclosed about these surveys, but we know rankings tend to vary over time and from year to year.” The company’s mandatory fixed rate — the flat fee it charges to be hooked up to the grid — is the second highest in the state among public utilities (there are

MGE has the highest residential bills in Wisconsin

Score in JD Power’s 2016 Survey

Madison Gas and Electric scores poorly on a new “energy report card” released by local utility watchdog RePower Madison. The nonprofit gives an overall grade of D+ to MGE based on individual scores in six categories: customer satisfaction, rates, corporate behavior, greenhouse gas pollution, energy efficiency and renewables. “Most businesses wouldn’t survive with high prices and unhappy customers,” Mitch Brey, campaign director of RePower Madison, writes in a statement about the report. “But as a poorly regulated monopoly, MGE takes your money without any guarantee of satisfaction.” RePower Madison is releasing the report card to inform MGE customers of the company’s rate structure and efforts to ease away from fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy sources. “We’ve been monitoring MGE and keeping stock of its actions and inactions. The report card is a snapshot of where MGE is and where they have been,” says Brey. “They have a lot of work to do to serve the community in the way we expect.” MGE spokesperson Dana Brueck would only answer questions submitted by Isthmus via email. “I’m not going to comment on a report I haven’t seen,” Brueck writes. “What I do know is that we have pursued a rigorous, transparent and robust customer engagement process with lots of different forms of input. We know what our customers have said the last two years, and we know that our long-term direction is consistent with their input.”

■ MADISON MATRIX

n WEEK IN REVIEW

Madison’s affordable housing initiatives may be in jeopardy thanks to major corporate tax cuts promised by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

n State Attorney General

Gov. Scott Walker quotes 1980s rock song “The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades” to make a point about Wisconsin’s economy. When asked if he knew that the song was about nuclear war, Walker says, “that’s why I didn’t quote the whole song.”

SURPRISING

PREDICTABLE

Madison is named the “most caring city in America” by WalletHub, a credit report website that also does research studies.

ing multiple women, is released from the Dane County Jail after a judge cut his bail in half and his parents paid $100,000. Cook’s next hearing is Jan. 20.

THURSDAY, DEC. 15

BIG CITY

Cellular Dynamics International, a company founded by UW-Madison stem cell pioneer James Thomson, is leaving Madison for Verona. It’s a major boon for the little city, which is already home to Epic Systems and a rapidly expanding biotech cluster.

SMALL TOWN

Does your child struggle at school?

Brad Schimel tells the Wisconsin State Journal that his agency will likely convene a grand jury to investigate a leak of evidence collected during a secret criminal investigation into whether Gov. Scott Walker’s recall campaign violated state campaign finance law. n The state Public Service Commission approves a plan to raise Madison Gas and Electric’s electricity rates by 0.13 percent for residential customers and reduce rates up to 2.35 percent for some commercial and industrial customers. Is the utility taking advantage of a loose regulatory climate? See story on page 7. FRIDAY, DEC. 16 n UW-Madison selects

Kristen Roman, a captain and 26-year veteran of the Madison Police Department, to be the new chief

MONDAY, DEC. 19 n Sen. Steve Nass (R-

of the campus police force. Roman, who starts her new job Jan. 9, has extensive experience in community outreach, mental health issues and services to vulnerable populations. n Alec Cook, a suspended UW-Madison student accused of sexually assaulting and harass-

Whitewater) airs yet another grievance against “the politically correct agenda of liberal administrators and staff” at UW-Madison. This time, he’s outraged over a course called “The Problem of Whiteness,” which aims to help students understand racial identities. Here’s an idea: Maybe Nass should enroll. n Mario Brown Jr., a 24-year-old Madison man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting on Sunday in Portage, turns himself in to Madison police. Authorities say the homicide was a “drug deal gone bad.”

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n NEWS

“Whatever is within our power” Madison teen delivers presents to Chicago children touched by gun violence

A.J. Carr drove to Chicago’s west side on Dec. 18 with a carload of donated gifts from Madison residents. He traveled with his parents, Dorecia and Durante Carr, and his younger siblings to Amberg Banquet Hall, where they delivered an early Christmas to children touched by gun violence. Carr turned 14 that day, and this was his birthday gift to himself. Gun violence is personal to Carr, whose grandmother, uncle and cousin were murdered in Chicago. After spending this summer in Chicago, he founded the Madison-based organization Building Bosses, a nonprofit dedicated to building leadership and entrepreneurship in youth of color, in part to address the grief of violence. This year alone, more than 4,000 Chicago families were affected by shootings. LaToya Howell’s 17-year-old son, Justus Howell, was killed by police in April 2015 in Zion, Illinois. A month after her son was killed, Howell traveled to Madison to attend the Justice for Tony Robinson Rally, where she befriended Carr. “Only a handful of people in the world have the kind of determination that A.J. has; this was something from his heart,” says Howell, who attended the Chicago event.

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moved. When there was an overflow of people hoping to contribute to the Giving Tree, she recommended they give to Building Bosses’ Chicago Christmas event instead. “It’s hard for people to grasp what this young man does and where his heart is,” says Johnson. “Just from delivering toys to their home, you realize it’s real. He gets a lot of attention, but I never felt it’s about him; it’s about the children in Chicago and serving them. He

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sets an incredible example for the youth and the adults around him.” Despite Sunday’s snowfall, more than 30 kids came out with family members from five extended families. The children, who were identified through social media and interviews through Chicago media, each received a gift selected for them and wrapped with their name on it — Barbie dolls, action figures, remote-control trucks and trains, as well as gift certificates for older teens. The children were also able to select from an assortment of clothes and other toys. The remaining gifts were then given to Howell, who added it to the children’s holiday giving program for her organization FOCUS (For Our Children’s Undistracted Success). “People look at the number of shots, and some think it’s an issue too big for anyone to take on,” says Carr. “But we all need to do whatever is within our power to help this situation. This is what I can do.” n

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A.J. Carr, in a Santa hat, is flanked by families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, including LaToya Howell (second from right), and her daughter, Jayla.

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Howell isn’t the only one in awe of Carr. “I look forward to seeing what that kid does. It’s going to be something pretty amazing,” says Becki Rayln of Monona, who contributed to Sunday’s event. Rayln met Carr during his first Madison event at Warner Park in September, where he connected Madison police and firefighters with families of color. The goal was to help emergency responders see black youth less as suspects and more as sons, daughters, sisters and brothers. Rayln decided Carr was someone she wanted her mixed-race daughters to learn from, so she and her wife, Jessica, and their daughters, Alex and Charlee, volunteered at the event. Since then, Rayln helped organize and promote another one of Carr’s events. “My daughter Alex said she didn’t realize you can do things at a young age, that you don’t have wait until you’re older to make a change,” says Rayln about Carr’s influence. “He and his family are positive people to be around. As two lesbians raising two biracial kids, it’s nice to be around a family that has ideas of how we can all live in harmony.” Bethany Johnson is a retired Monona resident who volunteers with the Giving Tree, a program that facilitates gift-giving from parents in prison to their children. She met Carr during his October Building Bosses event and was

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■ NEWS

Heat misers Data shows Madison’s lakes are ge ing warmer BY JAY RATH

There were headlines this summer and fall when Great Lakes water temperatures reached record-level highs from over the past few decades. Lake Michigan is above its long-term average by 3.81 degrees Fahrenheit. That may not sound like much, but, as the Detroit Free Press puts it, “Think about how long, and how much energy, it takes to warm that volume of water that many degrees.” Similarly, Madison’s lakes are also warming, according to data accumulated over a century. “Lake Mendota, at least 100 years ago, was frozen for an average of four months out of the year,” notes Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “Now that average is three months out of the year.” Because they are large, lakes tend to have consistent temperatures. And so temperature variations can be easier to spot in lakes. “Because lakes have this big thermal mass, we can measure temperature change in lakes and typically see this clear warming pattern that would be quite a bit more variable in other systems — for example,

in measuring the temperature above an agricultural field or elsewhere,” says Jordan Read, scientist at the Madison-area office of water information, U.S. Geological Survey. Consistent Great Lakes temperature data go back only to 1979. We’re a lot better off locally. One of the benefits of having a research university on its shores is that Mendota serves as a living laboratory. “Lake Mendota is often referred as one of — if not the — most well-studied lakes historically, on earth,” notes Read. “So we have temperature records that date back to at least the early 1900s, and I think there might even be a few from the late 1800s.” These records show that the warming up of our lakes came relatively recently. “What we’ve seen with Mendota, and a lot more lakes with those longer-term records, is a pretty rapid rate of warming in the time period from about 1985 to present day,” says Read. The Great Lakes are warming at rates that are slightly higher than those of inland lakes. “There are a number of different ideas as to why that difference exists,” he says. “One of them is the very big difference in ice cover on those large lakes.” For example, Lakes Superior and Michigan some years can have lots of ice cover, and other

More frequent algae blooms are one consequence of warmer lake temperatures.

SAM OLIVER/UW-MADISON CENTER FOR LIMNOLOGY

years relatively little. “What that does is impact how the spring and then summer temperatures are going to set up,” he says. On inland lakes that freeze over every year, such as Mendota, variability of temperature is less drastic.

“Lake Mendota was included in a global study that we put together that looked at rates of warming across almost 300 lakes spread out over the globe,” says Read. The 2015 study included the Great Lakes but had a number of inland Wisconsin lakes as well. The study found that warming rates were on the order of .3 degrees centigrade per decade — or 1.5 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 30 years. And the consequences? Warmer temperatures typically are associated with a greater frequency of algae blooms, which are bad for lakeshore property owners. Temperature also affects the growth and reproduction of fish. “With warming in lakes, there are winners and losers,” says Read. “For example, if you’re really into largemouth bass, you would see warming lakes potentially as a good thing.” Looking toward the future, Parisi notes, “this has a lot of implications for runoff into the lakes, for pollution and for flooding, and what we do about that.” ■

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Like Uber, but fancy New tech startup Alfred wants to be your private driver BY ALLISON GEYER

Josh Massey was an early user of Uber and Lyft when the ridesharing companies first started shaking up the transportation scene a few years ago. He was living in Chicago at the time and loved the convenience of being able to summon a ride at the press of a button. A frequent passenger, he even befriended some of his favorite drivers. “[Uber and Lyft] were revolutionary in helping me with my business,” says Massey, who owns a technology-focused recruiting and staffing company. “There was nothing more handy in the winter of Chicago than to get door-to-door, easy, seamless service.” Massey, a UW-Madison graduate, watched with interest the evolution of what has come to be known as transportation network companies (TNCs). These are broadly defined as car services that connect passengers, via website and phone apps, with drivers who provide rides in their own vehicles. Massey’s background in staffing made him particularly interested in the TNC employment model, which has been controversial for, among other things, blurring the line between independent contractor and traditional worker. But he says the model, as

followed by such companies as Uber and Lyft, is flawed. “They only care about being a tech platform, versus being an employer,” Massey says. “I wanted to solve that problem.” His solution is Alfred, a new ridesharing company that launched in Madison in November. It’s a hybrid concept — Massey describes it as a combination of Uber, a limousine service and a personal concierge. Massey is operating Alfred under a new Wisconsin law that exempts TNCs from municipal taxicab regulations. Passed in 2015 to allow the expansion of companies like Uber and Lyft, Alfred is the first local business to take advantage of the newly deregulated industry. Massey is also looking into expanding Alfred into different cities — namely Milwaukee and other Big 10 school cities. When asked if Alfred’s business model falls under the definition of a transportation network company, Madison Assistant City Attorney Adriana Peguero said she hadn’t heard of the new company, but she believes it would be fall under state statute, not the city’s taxicab ordinance. “The preemption in the statute is pretty clear; there’s not a lot of room for ambiguity,” she says. The only uncertainty is Alfred’s hybrid approach of using drivers’ personal vehicles as well as owning a fleet of cars. “Once

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you get into a fleet, it gets a little more ambiguous,” she says. “If the city took the opinion that [Alfred] is a taxicab company, then we could presumably fight them for operating as an unlicensed taxicab company.” The biggest difference between Alfred and Uber is that Alfred hires only “professional” drivers — people who have gone through a driving exam. Both companies also require background checks. Though Alfred employs a mix of full-time and contract workers, the idea is to attract employees who are interested in driving as a career rather than driving as a side job to earn extra money. “It adds another layer of qualification,” Massey says. Alfred also aims to provide a fancier vehicle than a traditional taxi or an Uber. The company owns a fleet of high-end “black cars” (think Mercedes-Benz wagons), but drivers can also use their own vehicle if it’s up to snuff. Uber used only high-end vehicles when it launched, but now its standard service is UberX. It’s billed as a lower-cost option, but the range of vehicle quality can vary. Massey says Alfred’s luxury vehicle require-

ment provides consistency for customers looking for a higher-end experience. While Uber is useful for summoning a car when you need a ride immediately — like at bartime or after a sporting event — Massey is positioning Alfred to be a more of a “book-ahead” car service (though customers can schedule same-day rides). It’s less nimble than the Uber model, but it has two big benefits: Customers can select a driver based on his or her online profile and develop a relationship with a trusted chauffeur, and drivers have a structured schedule with guaranteed income. The base rate for an Alfred is $109 an hour. Massey is also working with local hotels, including the Edgewater, to offer Alfred as an option for tourists and travelers looking to explore the city via a “customizable excursion.” He’s also looking to partner with an “affiliate network” of breweries, wineries and restaurants. Blending the industries of transportation and tourism makes Alfred unique, he says. “I feel like it’s a new category of transportation.” n

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“Court of Last Resort” does not mention that the current true crime documentaries related to injustice are part of a long tendency for the media to champion those who were imprisoned. One of the most prominent of those activities was the actual “Court of Last Resort,” a group of nationally known experts convened by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner and Henry Stege, publisher of the men’s adventure magazine Argosy. Starting in 1948 they would select cases sent to them by convicts who felt they were unjustly imprisoned. For 10 years, a case

appeared in almost every issue of Argosy in which the Court, at their own expense, succeeded in freeing someone who was unjustly convicted. It is interesting to reflect on how in the staid, conservative ’50s, justice mattered enough for a national magazine to take it on as a project. I am glad that commitment continues today in other media as many in our country could use some justice. George Hagenauer (via email)

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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A BASKET OF DEPLORABLES Cheap Shots offer relief from a difficult year BY BILL LUEDERS

2016 was full of surprises, some pleas-

ant, many not. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. And Donald Trump was elected president. Way to go, Cubbies! Quite a few great people died in 2016. David Bowie. Prince. Gene Wilder. Patty Duke. Leonard Cohen. Muhammad Ali. Gwen Ifill. We also lost Phyllis Schlafly and Antonin Scalia. The comedian John Oliver ended his season by letting a cross-section of people curse and flip off the year, before igniting a huge pyrotechnic depicting the numbers 2-0-1-6.

Merriam-Webster picked “surreal” as its word of the year. Let’s face it: 2016 was, in many ways, a deplorable year. Our politics has never been more degraded, our nation more divided. One survey found that 70 percent of American voters felt the presidential campaign “brought out the worst in people.” And the other 30 percent? Screw them. But as the year fades into what we hope will be a brighter tomorrow, it’s time for an old tradition, a series of parting recognitions we call “Cheap Shots.” That these are low blows is right in the name, so don’t complain.

Brownnoser of the Year: Scott Walker Quite a few Republicans competed for this honor by cozying up to Donald Trump after he repeatedly insulted them. But our only governor rose to the top of the dung heap with his eventually full-throated support for the man who, to quote a Washington Post headline, “destroyed Scott Walker’s presidential chances” by stealing his thunder as a regular-guy contender. Trump even prompted a Janesville audience to boo Walker, blasting his performance as governor and taunting, “He certainly can’t endorse me after what I did to him in the race, right?” Not if he had a smidgen of principle, he couldn’t. Oh, wait....

Most Spineless Politician: Paul Ryan

Rationalize This! Award: Alberta Darling This longtime Republican state senator proudly served as cochair of Wisconsin Women for Trump, even after the release of video showing her candidate boasting about grabbing women “by the pussy.” Darling called Trump’s comments “indefensible” and then proceeded to minimize them, saying “he’s since married, has a wonderful little child.” There are just two things wrong with this defense of the indefensible: 1) Trump made his comments in September 2005, eight months after he married his third and current wife, Melania, while she was pregnant with their impending wonder child; and 2) everything.

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DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

The Wisconsin congressman and House speaker intoned that Donald Trump’s dissing of a federal judge for his Mexican heritage met “the textbook definition of a racist comment,” but continued to back him. Ryan said Trump’s crude comments about women left him “sickened,” but not enough to rescind his support. Ryan proclaimed he was done defending the Donald, but then voted for him. And, immediately after the election, Ryan assumed his new role as a Trump defender, starting with backing his pick of white nationalist fave Steve Bannon as a top strategist. People like Ryan are why supporters of Trump loathe politicians; in this case, they got it right.

n CHEAP SHOTS

Oh, What a Lucky Man He Was Award: Ron Johnson This Wisconsin senator was seen as vulnerable for many reasons. He’s an Ayn Rand acolyte who blames climate change on sunspots and plans to disinherit his children if they are convicted of more than one felony or have more than one child out of wedlock. He was largely unknown among state voters even after years in office and trailed former Sen. Russ Feingold in the polls. But then he threw his support behind fellow “change agent” Donald Trump and was embraced by dark-money groups and — voilà! — he won another six-year term. But now, into the future, he’ll have to own his president’s and party’s actions. Will his luck hold out?

Toughest Teflon: Rebecca Bradley While seeking election this spring after being appointed by Gov. Walker, this state Supreme Court justice came under fire for things she wrote in college. Not your normal, embarrassingly college-y sort of things, but things like suggesting that people with AIDS (“degenerates”) deserved to die and branding then-President-elect Bill Clinton “a treehugging, baby-killing, pot-smoking, flag-burning, queer-loving, bull-spouting ’60s radical socialist adulterer.” Bradley won anyway, saying this was all in the past and branding the criticism it drew “blatant mudslinging.” Wouldn’t want any of that.

Unlikeliest Sex Symbol: Dean Strang

ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

In striking down Wisconsin’s voter ID law, federal Judge Lynn Adelman noted that the state had not identified “a single instance of known voter impersonation occurring in Wisconsin at any time in the recent past”; the law, he warned, would “prevent more legitimate votes from being cast than fraudulent votes.” Adelman was overturned and voter ID reinstated, but his prediction proved correct. In the fall election, there was no sign of voter fraud, and hundreds of state residents were turned away or made to cast provisional ballots, most ultimately uncounted, because of voter ID. Mission accomplished.

Throwback of the Year: Daniel Kelly

This Wisconsin Supreme Court justice hung up his robe in July after 18 years on the bench. His fiery tenure included calling one fellow justice a “total bitch” and vowing to “destroy” her, and putting his hands around the neck of another female colleague and then blaming it all on her. His court colleagues failed to act on a Judicial Commission recommendation that he be disciplined, but had no problem renaming the state Law Library in his honor. And maybe that’s a perfect emblem for what the court has become.

In picking Prosser’s replacement, Gov. Walker passed up applicants who appeared to have the inside track in favor of this Milwaukee attorney, who has likened affirmative action to slavery (“morally, and as a matter of law, they are the same”) and warned that letting gay people marry “will eventually rob the institution of marriage of any discernible meaning.” These are not ancient views uncovered through deep opposition research; they are from a 2014 book chapter that Kelly included with his application. Both Walker and Kelly insist these extreme views will have no impact whatsoever on how he does his job. Of course not.

Delaying the Undoing of Injustice Is Just Unjust Award: Brad Schimel

This Madison attorney found himself the object of international swooning after “Making a Murderer” showcased his welldeveloped principles and adorable rectitude. There was even a Buzzfeed spread of Valentine’s Day Gifts for fans of Strang and co-counsel Jerry Buting, including an “I Dream of Dean” coffee mug, and “Integrity is Sexy” t-shirts. Strang took it all in stride, vowing to use his celebrity to “talk about what’s wrong in our courts and the weaknesses of the system.” Gosh, don’t you just want to pinch his cheeks?

Phoniest Issue: Voter Fraud

We Knew Thee Perhaps a Bit Too Well Award: David Prosser

Wisconsin’s Republican attorney general went to the mat to keep Brendan Dassey in prison after his conviction for aiding his uncle, Steven Avery, in a 2005 murder was overturned. A federal judge ruled — as millions of people plainly saw, in the Netflix series Making a Murderer — that Dassey, then 16, was duped into admissions after his ability to answer freely was “overborne.” Schimel’s office is appealing that decision, even though Dassey’s confession was so incredible it was not even used at Avery’s trial. Dear Mr. AG: Want to come out a winner on this one? Accept this loss.

Double Your Standard Award: John Doe Leak Plumbers When John Doe probe target Eric O’Keefe was openly violating court secrecy orders by leaking select documents to certain media, the backers of unlimited and unaccountable spending on elections uttered not a peep of protest. (In fact, almost everyone liked getting to peek behind the veil.) But when The Guardian published documents it obtained showing how Gov. Walker and others schemed to funnel money to “independent” groups, GOP lawmakers demanded that the culprits be tracked down and punished. Even after Wisconsin’s conservative-dominated Supreme Court refused to get on board, the state Department of Justice plans a grand jury probe — conducted in secret, of course. Sort of makes you want to leak.

Contempt for Democracy Award: Mary Lazich According to sworn testimony this spring by former GOP legislative aide Todd Allbaugh, Republicans in a 2011 closed-door caucus session were “giddy” about passing a voter ID bill. “They were talking about impeding people’s constitutional rights, and they were happy about it,” Allbaugh stated in federal court. Lazich, a Republican state senator from New Berlin, allegedly stood up and said, “We’ve got to think about what this could mean for the neighborhoods around Milwaukee and the college campuses around the state,” where voters tend to favor Democrats. Lazich was “unavailable” for comment at the time and did not respond to an email query from the guy writing Cheap Shots, meaning that she has not denied it.

Most Ethically Challenged Ethics Overseers: Wisconsin Ethics Commission One of the first things the state’s new partisan Ethics Commission did this August was to allow its members to donate to political campaigns, including those of candidates they may have to decide ethics complaints against. Then, in October, it tried to purge from its mission statement language about “furthering Wisconsin’s tradition of clean and open government.” By year’s end, appointee Robert Kinney resigned, the headlines said, “in disgust.” He got that right.

Hypocrites of the Year: Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Shadowy groups with right-wing agendas often seek to sway elections without even mentioning the issues they care about, like school choice, instead bashing candidates for loving taxes or cuddling criminals. The state’s big-business lobby group took that to a new level this fall when it ran an ad ripping a Democratic state Senate candidate for favoring a gas-tax hike that WMC itself has backed! Remarked Scot Ross of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, “There is no explanation for this dishonesty other than they are more interested in electing Republican politicians than advancing an issue agenda.” Sounds about right.

Enabler of the Year: Paul Soglin

Amnesia Award: Jesse Kremer

Hothead of the Year: Mike Koval Madison’s volatile chief of police blew his stack over a proposal to study ways to reduce the number of unarmed people his officers kill, first in an incendiary and threatening blog post and then with his publicly peevish behavior at a Common Council meeting. Koval treated council members with open contempt, rolling his eyes, pounding his fist on a table and at one point threatening to walk out. But Koval was probably right about one thing: The $400,000 the city allocated for this study will be a colossal waste of taxpayer money — as long as he is around to disregard its recommendations.

Safest Prediction: PFC Inaction The Madison Police and Fire Commission in November heard testimony in complaints against Koval filed by the grandmother of Tony Robinson, an unarmed young man killed by a Madison cop in 2015. Koval admitted that he twice called the woman “a raging lunatic” and that “I did not retain the composure I would have liked.” But we expect the PFC will impose no discipline when the case wraps up next year, because it is just as useless at policing the police as Soglin.

One of the complaints filed with the UW-Madison’s Bias Response Team during the last school year, as reported by The Capital Times, was from a student angered that another student wouldn’t listen to her opinions, which “implied that I am not as good as her.” Another student complained about a professor for supporting a student who was arrested by police, saying this “encourag[ed] hatred and violence” and was “incredibly disgusting and personally offensive.” Hey kids, have you heard about your new president?

Child Poisoners of the Year: UW-Madison

Most Tone-Deaf Corporation: iHeartMedia

For at least a decade, residents of University Housing raised concerns about peeling paint that could pose a danger to children, according to a Wisconsin State Journal report. But the university apparently ignored the issue until a confirmed case of child lead poisoning this April prompted officials to send in crews wearing hazmat suits. And while photos taken just a month before show pillars with peeling paint, the housing agency’s director insisted it had “a consistent record of appropriate responsiveness.” Yeah, and those kids probably ate only appropriate amounts of paint.

This national radio outfit, which specializes in extracting money from local communities while providing as little as possible in return, pulled the plug on Madison’s progressive talk station, 92.1 The Mic, the day after the fall election, even though the station recently earned what was said to be “the highest share in liberal talk radio in the U.S. registered by Nielsen.” The company (formerly Clear Channel), whose other Madison stations are 96.3 WMAD FM, 101.5 WIBA FM, 104.1 WZEE FM, 1070 WTSO AM and 1310 WIBA AM, went from serving a vital community function to playing, initially, holiday music. Hey, iHeart, here’s some holiday music for you: Go bleep yourself.

Good Riddance Award: Bo Ryan This longtime UW-Madison basketball coach abruptly left his job last December, saying he had decided after talking to his wife “that now is the right time to step down.” In March, it emerged that a woman with whom Ryan had a longterm extramarital affair accused him of misusing university resources; the charge was not sustained, although the woman is now suing UW officials over their handling of the matter. Ryan called the probe “absolutely unrelated” to his retirement, and maybe he was correct. As the State Journal reported, “the Badgers were playing poorly and had a 7-5 record when Ryan left” — an offense far worse than infidelity.

Lake

Me n d o t a

Dire Prediction of the Year: USA Will Be the Next Madison In an appearance on “Meet the Press” just before the election, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich forecast that if Donald Trump were to be elected — as Gingrich hoped — the nation’s future would be rife with strife. “It will just be like Madison, Wisconsin, with Scott Walker. The opposition of the government employee unions will be so hostile and so direct and so immediate, there will be a continuing fight over who controls the country.” He added mournfully, “I wish it wasn’t true.” Don’t we all? n

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DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Microaggressions of the Year: UW Bias Complaints

When Kathi Hurtgen, an assistant director at Monona Terrace, alleged that center executive director Greg McManners violated city ethics rules, this arbiter of city ethics came together to decisively... dismiss the matter in minutes without even letting her talk. The see-no-evil, hear-no-evil board did not conclude that no rules were broken. Rather, it decided that Hurtgen’s complaints were filed too late (which she disputed) or alleged illegal behavior beyond its jurisdiction, even though the city’s Ethics Code expressly states that city officials “shall not exceed their authority or breach the law.” But hey, the board got to go home early that night.

This Republican state representative from Kewaskum in June criticized President Obama for his “divisive racism, hatred of Christianity, and lambasting of the military and law enforcement.” As if that were not crazy enough, he went on to say, “I don’t remember race ever being a problem before he took office.” Maybe Kremer should visit the new National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., to jar his memory.

University Housing residents snapped this photo of peeling paint in March 2016.

Most Worthless Public Body: Madison Ethics Board

Madison’s so-called Red Mayor, who rose to prominence as a student protester, has become the sort of leader who once shrugged as cops bashed in the skulls of people like him. After police brutalized a 105-pound woman at East Towne and killed a mentally ill man in the throes of crisis, Soglin declared that the city had a serious problem — of people not complying with police orders. His comment sounded like it came from a comic book villain: “Resistance is not an option.” The conduct of officers in both cases, no surprise, was deemed hunkydory, with no protest from Soglin, who reserved his ire for restaurants that serve alcohol and people who doze off on sidewalks.

■ CHEAP SHOTS

I N M EMOR I A M Rosemary Lee: She died last Dec. 21 at age 78, several months after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer. She never ran for election or drew pay from any interest group, but was as engaged a citizen as Madison has ever seen, earning recognition as the city’s “21st alder” for religiously attending Common Council meetings and serving on committees. “She really took tremendous pride in civic engagement and bemoaned the lack of interest on the part of the public,” recalled longtime Madison Ald. Mike Verveer. She set an example we can all look up to. Jim Baughman: This beloved UW-Madison journalism professor helped train generations of students to become thoughtful and conscientious members of the Fourth Estate. “He commanded respect and demanded excellence, yet he never let the work seem out of reach,” recalled his J-School colleague and former student Katy Culver. “Through him, his students came to believe in themselves and deliver their very best.” Baughman died from lung cancer on March 26 at age 64.

Tom Laskin: Any editor who has worked with lots of writers can tell you: Some people just have it. Tom Laskin had it. As his former colleague Dean Robbins recalled, he “never used a cliché in a quarter-century of writing for Isthmus. [H]e always had an original take, an original turn of phrase — just what you’d expect from this thoroughly original personality.” A musician as well as writer, Tom — or Laskin, as we called him — died in Amsterdam on June 15, at age 59, of a kind of brain cancer. David Medaris: Former Isthmus editor Marc Eisen, in his tribute in these pages, was right: We all had our reasons for loving David Medaris. The paper’s longtime calendar editor and staff writer was such a happy presence in our lives, so full of curiosity and gratitude and so absent of meanness or guile. He died of brain cancer on Oct. 18 at age 57, after beating back his illness for many years. We are all the better for the time we spent knowing — and loving — him. Sherry Masters: This longtime mathematics instructor at MATC was a key source for a series of Isthmus articles in the late 1980s about problems with indoor air quality at the college’s then-new Truax campus. But she was also a source of much more: redemption for math-phobic students; affirmation for those with deep passions, like she for Johnny Cash; and joy over her dear companion, online phenom Chauncey Poodle. She died on Nov. 3 at age 70, three weeks after being diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Chauncey passed some months before. — BILL LUEDERS

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ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

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The land ethic and its legacy The great Wisconsin conservationist Aldo Leopold encouraged readers to cultivate a deep knowledge of nature as the foundation for knowing and protecting it. Explore Leopold’s legacy, and build some knowledge yourself. Writing and arts workshops at the Arboretum The land ethic in today’s world Walking meditations Special events exploring humans’ relationship with nature Classes start in January. Register today!

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An Inspiring Lecture Series for Women Christina Baker Kline #1 New York Times bestselling author of “Orphan Train” and advocate for at-risk adolescents and aged-out foster care youth

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Leigh Anne Tuohy Champion of cheerful giving and inspirational matriarch of the #1 New York Times best-seller and Academy Award nominated film, “The Blind Side”

Monday, May 22, 2017

Reyna Grande Award-winning author, inspirational educator, and former undocumented Hispanic immigrant

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BUY TICKETS (608) 258-4141 overture.org 201 State Street, Madison, WI *Additional fees apply to online and phone orders. Speakers and dates subject to change. All series subscriptions are final, no refunds.

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Monday, June 12, 2017

Social connections and shared experiences are essential to your health and well-being. Join with family, friends and colleagues to be inspired by these powerful stories of strength, hope and resilience.

ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201C;JANUARY 4, 2017

FOOD & DRI NK ■ SPORTS ■ STAGE ■ MUSIC ■ SCREENS

Things that are round for $500, Alex? BY LINDA FALKENSTEIN

If 2015 was the year of the multi-tapline pub in Madison, 2016 may have been the year of the doughnut. National chain Hurts Donut moved into what had seemed to be an irredeemably cursed Middleton location (originally home to the Blue Spoon Cafe, most recently to Max’s Farm Table). Hurts opened to long waits for its elaborately glazed novelty doughnuts. Mornings, housemade doughnuts are in the glass case at Field Table, a seasonal food temple that opened on the Square. And Dough Baby came to State Street with fantastical concoctions like cheesecake doughnuts from L’Etoile pastry chef Kristine Miller.

Doughnuts...is there anything they can’t do? Well, in 2017 they’re going to have to rise to the occasion. Oh sugary tori, we need you more than ever.

TR IU M PHS Red, the intimate sushi spot that opened quietly in 2011 in the former Haze (remember the Haze, the American/Asian barbecue joint from Justin Carlisle and Dan Almquist?), moved to splashier quarters in the revamped AT&T building on West Washington Avenue. Red is poised to pioneer fine dining in this overlooked quadrant of downtown.

The original Sun Prairie Salvatore’s Tomato Pies moved to bigger digs too, with of-the-moment industrial chic decor and an expanded menu that’s not just pizza. Entrees from spaghetti and meatballs to Arctic char make this a destination. Lucille, the pizza emporium from Merchant owners Patrick Sweeney and Joshua Berkson, proved an irresistible draw for both pizza and cocktail lovers. Field Table brought a touch of haute hippie to the Square with more than just pastries — a macrobiotic bowl joined other healthy fare and locally sourced meats on a carefully curated menu.

➡

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Doughnuts, pizzas, sushi rolls, poke bowls...it’s the 2016 Madison restaurant scene

n FOOD & DRINK

Restaurants

continued from 25

And the relaxed yet bustling Robin Room set a new standard for cocktails. Bartender Chad Vogelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homey lounge opened in late February.

TRENDS In a remarkable ramen renaissance, Ramen Kid on West Gilman Street and Ramen Station on South Park Street both opened early in the year. And Morris Ramen, a new venture from chefs Matt Morris and Francesca Hong, opened on King Street in December. Pacific cuisines ruled on the near west side. Miko PokĂŠ, serving Hawaiian raw fish salads, opened in part of the former Bluephies; Everly, a California concept restaurant, took over the rest. Unsurprisingly, beer-focused eateries continued to launch. Rockhound Brewing Company opened in a new mixed-use building on South Park Street. The Lone Girl Brewing Company opened in a rapidly revitalizing downtown Waunakee. Another outlet of the Mr. Brews Taphouse chain came to east Madison at 5251 High Crossing Blvd. Luckyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Regent Street moved down the block to the restored Foreign Car Specialists to become Luckyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1313 Brewpub, but no beer is yet being brewed on-site â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that may start by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Sconniebar took over the former Luckyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Many new fast-casual spots are moving into the ground floors of student high-rises. Some are homegrown â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Cafe Social opened in the new Uncommon apartments on South Bedford Street. More are chains; Salads Up and Glaze Teriyaki opened on the street level of the Hub.

THWARTED POTENTIAL Noosh, featuring Sephardic Jewish cuisine from Laila Borokhim of Laylaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Persian food, opened to good reviews but closed soon after due to a dispute with the landlord. Borokhim

hopes to keep the concept alive as a food cart. McGeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, which features Southernstyle food, took over. Porktropolis in Sun Prairie closed just a few months after its move to a larger space. 43 North closed its doors for good this fall after a series of plumbing problems. Surco Peruvianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brick-and-mortar restaurant on Cottage Grove Road couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t withstand the long reconstruction of that thoroughfare and closed, though its food cart remains. The Wiener Shop on West Gilman also closed in part due to ongoing construction. And Feilerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Supper Club threw in the towel in January. Its site had become a virtual no-manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land in the reconstruction of the 12/14 and 18/151 interchange. The Bayou closed, as did Takara on State. Bellini, the long-running Italian restaurant in a decommissioned church at 401 E. Washington Avenue called it quits; it was the last remaining restaurant operated by the Gargano family, a dynasty in Madison Italian cuisine. El Bolillo, a modest and too easily overlooked Mexican spot on Monona Drive, sadly, closed. The Beach House, a longtime fish fry favorite on the shore of Lake Waubesa, also closed.

608 moved from State Street to Fordem Avenue and became more of a sports pub. Its old site at 212 State St. was taken by Cask & Ale, a fine whiskey bar that also serves barrel-aged cocktails. Chez Nanou, the French bistro on Willy Street, changed hands and is now La Kitchenette. Buraka is back, at last, in the old Jolly Bobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Blair Street BBQ closed; Five Star Korean BBQ opened. Banzo ShĂźk opened in the old That BBQ Joint (which moved down Willy to larger digs in 2015). Cafe Domestique, catering to bicyclists, opened near the bike path, next to Batch Bakehouse. Get Some Burritos is now Tres Amigos. Inka Heritage is now Angkor Wat, a Cambodian restaurant; meanwhile Estacion Inka (an offshoot of Inka Heritage) opened in the old Taco Bros. on University. The Spot closed and is now a second location for La Taguara, Wisconsinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only Venezuelan restaurant. Macha Teahouse, which closed on Monroe Street in 2014, reopened on East Johnson Street. Longtime Mediterranean favorite Bunkyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closed as a standard restaurant, but still operates on Atwood Avenue as a catering kitchen and private event room.

TRANSFORMATIONS

ALTERATIONS

1847 at the Stamm House, painstakingly restored in 2015 and serving a stylish menu from chef Nick Johnson, closed midyear for a retool. It reopened as a classic Wisconsin supper club; Johnson ended up at Black Locust Cafe, itself a re-creation of the A-OK coffeehouse in Robinia Courtyard. Porter, the latest venture from Gil Altschul of Grampaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizzeria fame, opened at the depot on West Washington Avenue, an area seemingly full of potential but which has not sustained a restaurant since the demise of the Hotel Washington in 1996 (despite brief stints in the depot for Crandallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Cafe Kahoutek).

Further east, Om Fusion breathed new life into a former Chinese buffet. Mr. Torta opened in the old Papa Bearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BBQ. Jengâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, a short-lived Chinese place, became La Rosita Mexican Buffet. The Breakwater Monona opened in the former Bourbon Street Grille. The Off Broadway Drafthouse is a revamped pub on the site of the South Bay Lounge. Lagartos opened in the long closed Talulaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. On the west side, Pasqualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Monroe Street closed; a second Bloom Bake Shop is slated to move in. A second location for Rising Sons Lao-Thai restaurant opened in the former El Burrito Loco. Suwanasak Thai closed; Chang Hua Garden opened.

The former Maharajah on Odana reopened as Tandoori Grill. Marrakesh closed; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now Laloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, a Mexican restaurant. Kangchen Indian in the High Point Shopping Center became Haldi Masala. In Middleton, Cold Fusion is now I Love Tacos. Amber Indian opened in a former Chinese takeout in the Parkwood Plaza shopping center. Taqueria Lupe opened in the old Palmyra. In Fitchburg, after a total gutting and renovation of the former Veranda, Me & Julio opened; just down the road, the former Casa del Sol was remodeled into sports pub The Thirsty Goat. Chain restaurants that called it quits in 2016 included the Flat Top Grill, Abuelos, Uno Pizzeria and Grill-Mineral Point Road and the Hometown Buffet. On the other side of the ledger, Madison got a second Chick-fil-A.

DEVIATIONS Madisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AJ Bombers, the social-media-savvy hamburger joint out of Milwaukee, closed (although a sign in the window characterized this change as just â&#x20AC;&#x153;moving to Wauwatosaâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a distance of 75.5 miles). The original Athens Gyros in the Trader Gus Shell station in Westport moved temporarily to a truck parked next door while a brickand-mortar restaurant is being built. The Shell is becoming a Kwik Trip. The storefront once known as the Bakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Window holds the record, I think, for housing the most restaurants in a single year. A Taste of the Caribbean opened there briefly before a hot dog joint known as the Fountain Express replaced it just as briefly. A soul food spot called Sweet Tea is now operating out of the 122 State St. space, and is well worth a visit. Act quickly. And in December, the Sushi Tora awning finally came down. The venture long slated to take over in the former Electric Earth Cafe (original projected opening was February 2015) on West Washington finally â&#x20AC;&#x153;closedâ&#x20AC;? in December â&#x20AC;&#x201D; if you can say that about a restaurant that never actually opened. n

ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201C;JANUARY 4, 2017

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star liquor beer, wine, liquor, gifts. 1209 williamson st.

â&#x20AC;˘

255-8041

â&#x20AC;˘

starliquor.com

â&#x20AC;˘

W i n d t l e i r W W & i s m h r es a W The folks from Mickey’s, the Tip Top and Busses Tavern, would like to wish our Madison community peace, love and rejuvenation this holiday season. We would like to thank our neighbors for their support. It is truly a pleasure to welcome and serve you. –Thank You

Mickey’s, Tip Top, and Busse’s are dedicated to being safe spaces and comfortable/funky establishments for our neighborhood. We celebrate compassion, diversity, community well being, respect, non-judgment, honesty and openness. We also celebrate great food, decent humor, creative arts, non-matching socks, craft beer, matching socks, and love.

THANK YOU

Half-Off French Nasty (while supplies last)

Little Oscar for 100 Years of Quality Bologna!

$1 PBR Tap (while supplies last)

601 North St. 608-241-5515

1524 Williamson St. 608-251-9964

Limit one per customer per day. Expires 1/31/17.

M-Sat 11am-Bartime; Sun 9am-Bartime

M-F 11:30am-Bartime; Sat & Sun 9am-Bartime

Free Game of Pool (on our crooked table)

2005 N. Sherman Ave. 608-244-0320

M 4pm-Bartime; Tue-F 2pm-Bartime; Sat & Sun 11am-Bartime Limit one per customer per day. Expires 1/31/17.

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

We hope to see you this season and in the coming year! We are open for the holidays and you are invited to join us for good food, fine spirits, and great people! Come as you are - you are always welcome.

n FOOD & DRINK

Cream de la crème New Brocach may not look like a traditional Irish pub, but it serves a mean Irish coffee You won’t see any shillelaghs on the walls of the recently remodeled Brocach on the Square. The Irish pub now sports a more contemporary design. Even so, Brocach still delivers on its Irish coffee. The drink traces its origins to a miserable winter night in 1943 in the village of Foynes, a major port in the county of Limerick on the western coast of the Emerald Isle. During World War II, Foynes was home to one of the biggest civilian airports in Europe. Its terminal featured one of the Jameson plus finest restaurants in Ireland, led by chef Joe Sheridan. A Pan Am flight full of American Barriques equals VIPs headed to Newfoundland was forced a brilliant winter to return to Foynes due to bad weather (a warmer. common occurrence at the time). Sheridan added whiskey to coffee to warm up the travelers once they disembarked. A thick layer of non-whipped cream was floated on top of the steamy beverage. When one of the passengers asked, CAROLYN FATH “Is this Brazilian coffee?” Sheridan replied, ample dose of cream. It could be a bit “No sir, it’s Irish coffee.” sweeter, but is still a delightful treat Brocach’s Irish coffee stays true to the original after a long day in the bitter cold. recipe. It uses Jameson whiskey, Barriques’ Smoke— DYLAN BROGAN jumper Dark Roast, presumably a little sugar and an

Something good

One Barrel Brewing will be one of the first area breweries to debut a new bottled beer in 2017 with Tiny Giant Saison. This saison is made with two-row brewer’s malt and a touch of flaked corn. Flaked corn boosts the alcoholic strength of a beer without adding body or mouthfeel. A saison yeast is used for fermentation. It offers some of the grassy, floral and citrus tones to the aroma and flavor that are welcome in the style. The beer showcases Warrior hops for bitterness and Citra in dry-hopping. That combination adds hints of grapefruit and lemon. While there isn’t the hoppy punch of an IPA, the hop character is enough to make it a distinctive saison. I put this among my favorite Wisconsin examples of the style, and Tiny Giant has the potential to become more than just a seasonal offering for One Barrel. Tiny Giant is being rolled out now on tap in the Atwood Avenue brewpub. The draught release is intended to create some buzz ahead of the 12-ounce bottles that should be out by early February. Tiny Giant finishes at 6.1 percent ABV and an estimated 55 IBUs. It sells over the bar at One Barrel Brewing for $5/goblet. Beginning in February it will be available in six-packs for around $9.

— ROBIN SHEPARD

ROBIN SHEPARD

ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

Tiny Giant saison from One Barrel Brewing

Merry Christmas & Happy 2017!

All specials THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US...We have a huge selection of specialty foods that you can’t find anywhere else, like our Jenifer Street Market preserves & jellies & a HUGE selection of imported & good thru Jan. 1, domestic wines & beers. But, one of the biggest questions we get is, “Where is the Jenifer Street 2017 Market?” We’re cozied up among the bungalows, located just blocks from the Yahara River & Lake Monona, about 500 giant steps from the Barrymore Theatre on the near east side of Madison. Still lost? Give us a call at 244-6646. Quality Without the Holiday Hours When you do find us and walk through the door, you’re in for a Pretentious Price! Christmas Eve: 7am - 6pm sensory sensation you won’t soon forget. The smell of fresh 2038 Jenifer St. pies, sourdough & European bread being baked fresh every Christmas Day: CLOSED Madison New Year’s Eve & Day: 7am-9pm day, the aroma of mouthwatering, juicy rotisserie chicken cooking slowly on the spit, the tantalizing smell of fresh bean coffee being Gift Certificates Available! ground & brewed. Best of all: fresh squeezed orange juice. Come & visit us soon! MEAT

PRODUCE

Want a great gift for your special someone? Gift Boxes are available in our Meat Market Meat, Meat & Cheese, Meat & Wine or whatever you like!

Order your Holiday Roast from the best full-service meat market in Madison! Kobe Style Rump Roast • Boneless Prime Rib Roast • Bone-in Prime Rib Roast Choice or Steer Tenderloin Roast • Top Round Roast • Locally-raised Pinn-Oak Ridge Farms Leg of Lamb • Bone-in or Boneless Pork Loin Roast • Pork Crown Roast • Tur-Duck-Hens • Fresh Turkeys • Nueske’s 1/2 or whole Spiral Hams

$ 88

Hand-cut and Trimmed

New York Strip Steaks Pork Chops $ 99 Loin or Thick-Cut

Our pork is the juiciest and most tender

Chicken Breasts $ 79 lb

Summer Sausage OR Sausage Sticks

Ghost Pepper, Habanero, Jalapeño & Cheddar, Bloody Mary,Teriyaki, Bacon & Cheddar, Honey BBQ or Beef

$ 99 7-12 oz

SEAFOOD

5-6oz tails

Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

$ 89

DAIRY

$35/Person* dinner reservations available online at www.tavernakaya.com/nye

Vern’s $ 79 / lb. Sharp Cheddar Cheese 1 lb. chunks Vern’s $ 49 / lb. 10-Year Sharp Cheddar 12oz chunks

DJ Radish

MUSIC AT 10:30 // $10 COVER CHAMPAGNE TOAST AT MIDNIGHT *Excludes Tax and Gratuity // Dinner guests addl’ $5 for Late Night Party

27 E. MAIN STREET, MADISON, WI • 608.286.1548

5 1

DELI

4 $ 99 5

Our Made “In-Store”

Chicken Salad The Best in Madison

GROCERY

Catallia ¢ Corn Tortillas No Preservatives 10 oz. LaCroix $ 99 Sparkling Water 12 ct/12oz cans San Pellegrino $ 00 Mineral Water 2 for 750 ml or 1 ltr.

79 3 3

All specials good through 1-1-2017

Excellence or Classic Recipe (Select flavors)

Anna’s SWEDISH THINS

3.5-4.4oz

$ 29

Walker’s SHORTBREAD COOKIES

5.25 oz

Product of Scotland

$ 39

Turkey Breast Sliced-to-order

32 oz

Lindt CHOCOLATE BARS $ 99

Treat your family to Annas Swedish Thins and make this cherished Swedish tradition your own!

4 13

Golden-Browned or Hickory Smoked

$ 99

We reserve the right to limit quantities

Select Flavors The shortbread is produced to a traditional recipe which has been handed down through generations of the Walker family.

Deep River KETTLE COOKED CHIPS Deep River Chips donate at least 10% of profits to charity every year. Simpler, better ingredients. Assorted Flavors

Lundberg RICE

Assorted Varieties. Non-GMO verified.

$ 99 5.3 oz

99¢

3 5

2 oz.

$ 49 $ 99

Over the years the Lundberg Family has produced high-quality, eco-farmed rice products, we pride to ourselves on growing rice that is good for you and the environment.

32 oz

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

with

8”

Sassy Cow Ice Cream Assorted Flavors

5-Course Dinner Roaring 20s Party

$ 59

FROZEN

Coldwater Lobster Tails $ 00 $ 00

Land O’Lakes $ 00 Butter Regular or Unsalted 2 for 16oz qtrs Fage $ 19 Greek Yogurt Assorted Flavors 5.3 oz

STARTER - SMALL PLATE SUSHI - ENTREE - DESSERT

lb.

BAKERY

Pumpkin or Apple Pies

lb. Sold in 2 lb bag.

Tail-on, peeled & deveined 13-15 ct

OR 2 for

GrapefruitBig$25 lb50Bag! Grape Tomatoes $100 Sweet Potato Yams 75¢ Baked fresh daily!

Jumbo Raw Shrimp $1425 ea.

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■ FOOD & DRINK 1

2. JAMES NORTON/HEAVY TABLE, 3. LAURA ZASTROW, 4. CAROLYN FATH, 5. RYAN WISNIEWSKI, 8. FOREQUARTER

Eight essential Madison dishes in 2016 What the city was eating this year Madison has its enduring classics that need no elaboration. The cheese curds at the Old Fashioned. Bob’s Bad Breath Burger from the Weary Traveler. Hot spicy cheese bread from Stella’s Bakery. But what are the up-and-comers Madison was eating this year? Here are eight essential Madison dishes from 2016. 1. The cretzel at Field Table

This love child of a pretzel and a croissant pairs buttery dough with a salty, shatteringly crisp exterior. It’s stuffed either with pimento or beer cheese, and its big flavor belies its small size. 2. Fig and bacon pizza at Salvatore’s Tomato Pies

While the Trenton-style tomato pie may be

the namesake, the salty/sweet fig and bacontopped pizza has become Sal’s signature dish. It’s won the status of a classic. 3. Black garlic and mushroom pizza at Lucille

This wood-fired white pie boasts ingredients that register salty, funky, creamy, smoky and sweet. 4. Hawaii-style bowl at Miko Poké.

The ahi tuna is clean and fresh, and the soybased Poké Sauce is a savory base for the more delicate fresh flavors of cucumber and edamame. 5. Brandy-cured foie gras at Red Sushi.

This luscious dish to share is served on crostini with red onion marmalade and peach-basil jam.

6. Tacos from the El Grito Taqueria trailer.

With combos like an ancho brisket with peanut sauce and sweet potato topped with 27-ingredient mole, the cart drew crowds at pop-ups from Gib’s to the Robin Room and at a semi-permanent gig at 11. N. Allen St. 7. The limited-edition cheeseburger at Estrellón on Wednesday nights.

Come early; these gooey, cheese-laden, brisket-based, secret-sauce-blessed burgers on challah buns do sell out. 8. Fried mushrooms with black garlic and caramelized shallot vinaigrette at Forequarter.

If it’s still on the seasonal menu, it’s a go-to. Another reason why mushrooms and black garlic may be the ingredients of the year. ■

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The games people played 2016 in the world of sports BY MICHAEL POPKE

GREG ANDERSON/UW ATHLETICS

MAX SIKER/UW ATHLETICS

The UW volleyball team advances to Elite Eight after win over Ohio State (top); the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball team after beating Xavier during March Madness.

Almost everybody I know seems in a hurry to put 2016 behind them and get started on a new year. Whether the culprit is the presidential election, the loss of several pop-culture icons or some personal tragedy, moving on has emerged as a theme. Even the state of sports bummed people out this year. The NFL experienced double-digit drops in television ratings, the Rio Olympics were plagued with problems ranging from dead body parts to Zika, and â&#x20AC;&#x201D; perhaps most painful for longtime Milwaukee Brewers fans â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since 1908. On top of all that, the Green Bay Packers lost four in a row during a November skid that put head coach Mike McCarthyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future in doubt. Yet, as of this writing, the Packers are on a four-game winning streak, and the NFC North title could come down to the final game of the regular season, when Green Bay meets the Lions in Detroit on New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. That said, 2016 was not all bad, especially when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about local high school sports. Verona won the Wisconsin

Interscholastic Athletic Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; basketball tournament, and Madison Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boys and Sun Prairieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girls claimed state championships in cross country. In boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; swimming, Madison Memorial and Monona Grove won the Division 1 and Division 2 state titles, respectively, while Middleton and Edgewood took home top honors in girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; swimming. Edgewood also won Division 2 championships in boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tennis. Better-than-expected seasons for the UW football, volleyball and menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball teams took Badger fans for memorable rides, too, during a year in which we needed the distraction of sports more than ever. The football team entered the 2016 season unranked and unproven but came within a game of potentially securing a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff. The Badgers now face undefeated Western Michigan in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 2. The UW volleyball team, a dominant force all season, fell short of a national title in the NCAA Regional final at the UW Field House, and the UW menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball team â&#x20AC;&#x201D; reeling from the

surprise retirement of longtime head coach Bo Ryan on Dec. 15, 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; turned things around in time to make a memorable run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. The No. 14 Badgers rode a six-game winning streak into the Florida A&M game on Dec. 23 and look capable of another deep tournament run in March. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not overlook the Madison Radicals, either. Despite snapping a 31-game winning streak at home, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American Ultimate Disc League team hosted the AUDL Championship Weekend V at Breese Stevens Field and put Madison on the map as one of the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most friendly cities in the country. Additionally, Wisconsin residents, including gold medal triathlete Gwen Jorgensen and discus thrower (and former Badger) Kelsey Card, represented our state admirably at the Rio Games. Looking ahead, Madison will host the 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games at the Alliant Energy Center Aug 1-6. Ticket info will be released in the spring, and local volunteer opportunities will be available. n

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■ ARTS

MUSIC THE YEAR IN

JEFF ROSENSTOCK

“WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC

DIRECT HIT!

JESSICA KAMINSKI

SEEKING SOLACE IN PUNK AND PARODY ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

BY TOM WHITCOMB

2016 has been — and pardon the lack of eloquence here — a real shit-show. America and Great Britain are currently hard at work on their political remake of Dumb and Dumber, and every musician or actor you’ve ever loved is now dead. This year was terrible, and it can’t end soon enough. Yet I was lucky enough to be offered some of the best escapes imaginable: live entertainment. I saw more shows this year than I did the year before, which makes narrowing down my favorites more difficult. Direct Hit! tops my list. The Milwaukee punks released an excellent album, Wasted Mind (their first for the groundbreaking label Fat Wreck Chords), and toured relentlessly. I saw them twice in Madison (June at the Majestic and November at the High Noon), and once in Milwaukee, where they opened for

Blink-182 at Summerfest. Two years ago I saw them play the Dragonfly Lounge to about 12 people, so getting to see them take off is pretty cool. In September, I watched punk supergroup The Falcon, a longtime favorite of mine (and a band who’d never really toured before this year) demolish the Frequency. The day after America elected Donald Trump, the audience found catharsis as Jeff Rosenstock tore apart the Sett at Union South (and raised more than $300 for Planned Parenthood in the process). His latest album, WORRY., was USA Today’s top album of the year, by the way. Perhaps the most surprising show I saw in 2016 was Jamestown Revival. I had never heard a single one of their songs until I tagged along with some

friends to see them at the High Noon in October. Their effortlessly cool country rock and charismatic stage banter reminded me of a combination of Gram Parsons and R.E.M. (and their bass player bears an uncanny resemblance to Michael Stipe). Finally, most of my fond memories of 2016 will be centered around one man: “Weird Al” Yankovic. Isthmus assigned me to interview one of my childhood heroes, and talking with him is a memory I’ll cherish forever — along with the experience of seeing him live. With his hilarious multimedia interludes, nearconstant costume changes and the fact that he’s got more energy than most artists half his age, “Weird Al” is still one of the best live acts around. It stands out not just as the best show I saw all year, but the best show I’ve seen, period. ■

BRITS, BREESE AND NOSTALGIA BY AARON R. CONKLIN

OH WONDER

CAKE

ROBERT MCKNIGHT

They only had a mere 13 songs to choose from — and it didn’t matter one bit. Anthony West and Jacqueline Vander Gucht — you know them better as Great Britain’s Oh Wonder — may have brought a modest musical arsenal to the Majestic back in June, but, as they say, it’s not what you have, it’s what you do with it. Backed by enormous ‘O” and “W” lights that kept revealing surprising and unexpected visual depths, the duo proved more than big enough to fill the space. While the uptempo hits (think “Lose It” and “Livewire”) showcased the strengths of West and Vander Gucht’s vocal harmonies, it was the melancholy “All We Do” that brought the crowd to a total jawdrop standstill. Calls to get off your ass and just do something positive really don’t come sharper than this. On a balmy night in August, another piece of Madison’s future music scene crystallized — and it looked an awful lot like John McCrea, wearing his trademark trucker’s baseball cap, prancing around the stage and clutching a vibraslap. Cake’s contrarian vibe has always been a good fit for Madtown, but it was an even better fit for the open air and artificial turf at Breese Stevens Field, where the mini Eaux Claires vibe was both welcome and real. Unfettered by the need to cling to convention and, more pointedly, pimp new material — the band hasn’t produced any in six

years — McCrea and company were free to play (and say) whatever crossed their minds. As McCrea waxed monotone about fear and loathing in Madison, sang “Rock ’n’ Roll Lifestyle” and gave away an actual tree to a lucky concertgoer, the crowd embraced the vibe. Post-election, the band’s “Make America Cake Again” caps may have lost some of their ironic appeal, but the performance won’t. 2016 was yet another year of the Aughts Nostalgia Tour, as another bustle of bands now multiple decades removed from their high-water heydays brushed off the dust from the hits and geared up for one more battle. Some of these were probably better left in the hazy vestiges of our collective memories. But at least one proved worthy of a hearty rememberwhen: Jimmy Eat World, who brought the mod-rock hard to the Barrymore in October. The band leaned heavily into hits from Bleed American, their 2001 platinum breakthrough — a bold and welcome move, given that they have a new slate of songs to hawk. Jim Adkins, still looking as boyish as he did the first time he roared about salt, sweat and sugar, reminded us that there’s a lot more to his band’s hits catalogue than the radio-ubiquitous “The Middle.” And when Jimmy Eat World launched into “Crimson and Clover,” everything was right with the world. ■

CLASSICAL CORNUCOPIA BY JOHN W. BARKER

The Willy Street Chamber Players continued their second season of July concerts on the east side, and the artistry and enthusiasm of these wonderful young players is an absolute joy. I particularly loved their opener, spinning out one of my favorite chamber works, Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence. Another memorable performance was Tchaikovsky’s Quartet No. 1, superbly rendered by the Ancora Quartet in September (with a new first violinist, Wes Luke). In the category of lyric theater, top honors must go to Madison Opera’s flawless, beautifully sung and imaginatively staged Tales of Hoffmann by Offenbach, which played in April. In January, meanwhile, Bill Lutes, Martha Fischer and friends brought us their third “Schubertiade,” now becoming an annual high point in presenting the “social” side of Schubert’s music. With a Shakespearean theme, the Madison Early Music Festival in June was a bit uneven in programming, but included two delightful yet very different concerts — one by New York Polyphony, an all-male quartet, in Tudor sacred music, and the Baltimore Consort performing secular pieces. In April, the Madison Bach Musicians put Handel’s inescapable Messiah back where it belongs, in the Easter season, successfully re-creating the period style. For choral music, the Isthmus Vocal Ensemble gave the Brahms German Requiem about the best performance I have ever heard. Scott McPherson drew out of 114 singers truly remarkable clarity plus outstanding German diction. I am torn between that and Kaler’s Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra performance for my choice as “Concert of the Year.” ■

HENNING KRAGGERUD

ROBERT ROMIK

ISTHMUS VOCAL ENSEMBLE JIM PIPPITT

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

In 2016 I attended 70 or more concerts or musical events; many of these were extremely satisfying, even great, attesting to the remarkable richness and diversity of Madison’s classical musical life. It’s impossible to represent so many riches in the small space allowed here, but here is a tiny sampling of the year’s finest. Among major organizations, the Madison Symphony Orchestra offered a wide spread of repertoire in its seven concerts. As always, there were guest soloists, many of distinction. Two pianists stand out. Playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in March, Emanuel Ax eloquently juxtaposed the poetry and aggressiveness in this fascinating score. He was also completely physically engaged in the music, even when he was not playing. The other pianist was Garrick Ohlsson, who brought intensity and nobility to Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in April. Another notable soloist was violinist Henning Kraggerud, who played Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in October. The most striking solo performance was by Russian violinist Ilya Kaler, who played with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in October. Kaler rescued the Tchaikovsky Concerto from frequent vulgarity and overindulgence to make it a coherent and truly musical masterpiece. This concert was otherwise noteworthy for presenting rare symphonies by William Boyce and Schubert (No. 4). The Middleton Community Orchestra, despite nonprofessional status, continues to reach high performing standards. I particularly admired its April performance of the unfairly neglected Sibelius Symphony No. 3, conducted by Kyle Knox.

■ ARTS

THEATER THE YEAR IN

THEATRE LILA’S “MOJO AND THE SAYSO”

CTM’S “THE WIZARD OF OZ”

ROSS ZENTNER

DAN S. MEYERS

LIZ LAUREN

APT’S “EURYDICE”

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

BY GWENDOLYN RICE

Theatrically speaking, 2016 was filled with a variety of bright, creative and innovative performances on stages in Madison and around Dane County. Several productions deserve to be celebrated once more before the ball drops. It is not an easy task to take a beloved, iconic movie musical and translate it to Overture’s Playhouse stage using a cast filled with children, adults and (of course) an actual dog. But director Brian Cowing did it with aplomb in Children’s Theater of Madison’s The Wizard of Oz. Rather than trying to emulate the movie, he created the production’s own distinctive theatrical magic. With the stellar Delanie Kinney as Dorothy and a lot of imaginative staging, the tornado that transported a little girl from Kansas to Munchkinland also transported audiences, giving them a new and exciting version of a classic. Sarah Streich (the Wicked Witch) and Mark Snowden (the professor/Oz) provided refreshing takes on the villains of the story, who are so often played flat.

At a time when police shootings of unarmed black men dominated the news, Theatre LILA collaborated with Milwaukee’s Bronzeville Arts Ensemble to produce The Mojo and the Sayso, a decades-old play by Aishah Rahman that was disturbingly relevant. The poetic script explores one family’s anger after the death of a son at the hands of the police. The resulting performance was filled with mourning, loss and an aching nostalgia for a happier time as the characters struggled to move forward and make sense of a senseless act. Actors Marvette Knight, Gavin Lawrence, Isáyah Phillips and Wigasi Brant created startling characters, exorcising their demons through movement, song, prayers and ritual. The piece was beautifully realized by director Jessica Lanius. The season at American Players Theatre this year was simply unbelievable. The first helmed solely by artistic director Brenda DeVita, it was an enchanting mix of traditional classics, new interpretations of old favorites, bold casting choices and modern works. The core company actors and the newcomers

who played in the woods in 2016 raised the bar once again. While it’s hard to choose favorites, the overall experience of Eurydice, by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Tyne Rafaeli, was visceral and breathtaking. Ancient myth, modern poetry, extraordinary stagecraft and heartbreaking performances coalesced into one of the most magical and moving pieces of theater I have ever seen. Up the Hill, Brian Mani, Tracy Michelle Arnold, Marcus Truschinski and Casey Hoekstra gave audiences a touching and tragic Death of a Salesman that will be spoken of in reverence for years to come. And to close the season, in Mary’s Wedding Nate Burger and Laura Rook used lyrical words and their own bodies to create whole worlds filled with wild horseback riding, young love, the rural fields of Canada and the grueling battlefields of World War I France. These plays left me counting the days until the summer season begins in 2017. ■ Gwen Rice collaborates regularly with Theatre LILA as a playwright and publicist, but she had no role in creating The Mojo and the Sayso production.

DANCE THE YEAR IN

PERFORMING OURSELVES

MOVING PERFORMANCES BY KATIE REISER

JUAN CARLOS DÍAZ VÉLEZ IN KANOPY DANCE’S “BLOOM”

SHAWN HARPER

URBAN ANCHOR PHOTOGRAPHY

LIZ SEXE’S “TWO: EXPLORING DUOS” Jessica Hoyt (top) and Liz Sexe.

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

MAUREEN JANSON HEINTZ

It’s a good thing I did not know this might be the last time I’d see Juan Carlos Díaz Vélez perform. In April he danced in “Bolero,” which was part of Bloom, an evening of works presented by Kanopy Dance. In his youth, Díaz danced with choreographer Christopher Aponte’s Spokane Ballet and had performed this solo set to Ravel’s “Bolero.” Díaz, an impeccable technician, is always riveting on stage, but this was the best he’s ever been. Had I known he was retiring, I probably would have fallen apart. As it was, the impact of this solo about the demands of ballet gutted me. I wish we could have given him more than a standing ovation in gratitude. The performance in April by Brazil’s Companhia Urbana de Dança at Overture Center’s Capitol Theater was made up of two lengthy, mesmerizing pieces, Entidades and Na Pista from company founder and choreographer Sonia Destri Lie that combined hip-hop and contemporary dance. I wasn’t reviewing it, so I was able to just let the dancing wash over me. Many of the dancers are from Rio’s favelas (slums) and were street and club dancers prior to joining the company. I couldn’t take my eyes off these talented, athletic dancers. In October, UW-Madison Dance Department associate professor Kate Corby offered Compass at Lathrop Hall. The program from Kate Corby & Dancers included two long works. “Harbor,” was choreographed by Corby in collaboration with the marriedin-real-life performers Ben Law and Chih-Hsein Lin, who are thoroughly charming and distinctive dancers. “Trade Winds” from Chicago’s Hedwig Dances also featured solid dancing from all, especially Zoe Lindner and Alberto Gonzalez. Liz Sexe was a busy and clever dance matchmaker in 2016. She approached her Madison “dance crushes,” asking them to contribute a duet to her October performance of Two: Exploring Duos at Madison Circus Space. The program read like a who’s who of Madison’s modern dance scene. Sexe danced (and danced well) in all of the pieces, except her own “Wound-Up.” My favorite was “Will the Calm Come After” from Maureen Janson, danced by Sexe and Oliva Rivard, who shares a similar look and physicality. Looking forward to 2017, I can’t wait for the spring showcase from Performing Ourselves, a nonprofit organization started by Kate Corby that provides movement classes to underserved girls in Madison. Seeing these girls dance provides hope for the future — onstage and off. ■

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■ SCREENS

The state of Madison cinema Foreign-language films are booming, but you still have to hunt for them BY JAMES KREUL

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Bollywood blockbusters, promoted by cardboard standees at AMC Fitchburg, often are not available for preview. In a Twitter exchange, New York Times critic Andy Webster confirmed he “paid like everyone else” to see Dear Zindagi after its global release date. When similar films play only for a week in Madison, a print review would be yesterday’s news at weekly publications like The Capital Times and Isthmus. The Wisconsin State Journal published a helpful introduction to Indian cinema in August, focusing on the audience’s enthusiastic response to screenings of Kabali at Point and Market Square. But Kabali’s run ended by the time the piece was published. I used movie listings and theater websites to compile a list of all of Madison’s foreignlanguage offerings in 2016. And the results reinforce an important lesson: Theater chains do pursue viable niche markets. Marcus Point led the foreign-language race with 32 films, followed by AMC Fitchburg with 20 and Sundance Madison with 18. Sundance did not have any weeklong foreign bookings between Margueritte in May and Our Little Sister in September. The most frequent languages were Telugu (15), Hindi (11), Tamil (8) and Mandarin and Japanese (each 7). The most frequent European languages were French (5) and Spanish (2). Future growth depends on continued commitments from the theater chains. Despite leading the pack due to Indian programming, Marcus Theatres has not updated its “Bollywood Showcase” website page since August 2015. But Point has devoted separate screens to Telugu

and Tamil versions of some films, signaling the chain understands its target audience. AMC Theaters, which runs AMC Fitchburg 18 and is owned by Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group, also seems to get it and has broadened its influence on the international market. Improving the global impact of Asian film industries makes sense for its corporate strategy. AMC confirmed its purchase of Carmike Cinemas in November, making AMC the largest theater chain in the United States. Carmike acquired Sundance Cinemas last year. My prediction: After AMC completes the Carmike transition, Sundance Madison will show its first Bollywood film. Along with a number of mainstream American films, Sundance screened many challenging films this year, including Son of Saul, Aferim! and Francofonia. The Lobster (Greek director, English language) opened wide after a week at Sundance, and ranked second on Box-Office Mojo’s list of limitedrelease films of 2016. But Sundance might be missing out on key audiences: The next film on that list to play in Madison was Bollywood star Salman Khan’s Sultan, which nationally outearned Sundance selections like Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Captain Fantastic. Unlocking the puzzle of Madison’s international cinema scene means continuing to be diligent. I’ll need to continue checking on Fridays to confirm what actually has opened, and double-checking for special engagements through the week, hunting for my next Shin Godzilla. ■

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DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

One of my favorite films of 2016, Shin Godzilla, played only four days in town. The Japanese film opened on a Monday, as I discovered at the last minute. And, despite what you might expect, Shin Godzilla played at Marcus Point, not Sundance, where a lot of people expect to see foreign films. Madison is currently enjoying a boom in global popular cinema, which is great for moviegoers who want Bollywood romances, Mandarin swordplay films or access to popular films in their native languages. But the films are not playing when or where you’d expect to find them, and changes in the way they are distributed and marketed mean many films remain hidden in plain sight. Here’s one of the biggest surprises: Marcus Point, home of trademarked recliners, played more foreign-language films in 2016 than any commercial theater in Madison. Sundance Madison came in third. Asian popular cinema, especially from India and China, now dominates Madison’s foreign-language film market. AMC Fitchburg 18 has featured Indian films regularly since 2012. Marcus Point has joined AMC in showcasing Bollywood (Hindi language), Tollywood (Telugu) and Kollywood (Tamil) films. Some Indian titles have opened at both Point and Fitchburg 18, like the actioner 24, sports drama M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story and romance Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Chinese popular titles have increased at AMC Fitchburg since October, with genres including romance (I Belonged to You, Soulmate), comedy (I Am Not Madame Bovary) and action (Operation Mekong, Sword Master). None of the Asian films were reviewed in local print media, which results in a skewed impression of our film culture. Obviously, many people are finding the films they want to see by using apps for showtimes and aggregates for reviews. But the absence of local reviews obscures the films and the local diasporic communities that support them. Digital distribution, which allows chains more flexibility to experiment with international genre films and reach new audiences, has increased the number of flexible special events like Shin Godzilla in Madison. But it also allows theaters to make very late confirmations about what will actually play in a given week. That makes editorial decisions about reviews challenging, and accurate movie listings a near-futile endeavor. It also affects which films get reviewed. In 2016, more than 75 percent of Sundance’s foreign films were reviewed in either The Capital Times or Isthmus — which is great. But Sundance represented about 25 percent of foreign-language theatrical engagements. Sundance justifiably dominates local foreign film reviews because it best addresses deadline issues with advance publicity materials.

Showtimes for December 22 - December 28

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MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri: (1:15, 4:05), 6:55, 9:45; Sat: (1:15, 4:05), 6:55; Sun to Thu: (1:15, 4:05), 6:55, 9:45

FENCES CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION - OPENING CHRISTMAS DAY!!! Sun to Thu: (1:05, 4:05), 7:05, 9:55 NOCTURNAL ANIMALS CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri: (11:00 AM), 9:35; Sat: (11:00 AM)

ARRIVAL CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri & Sat: (4:15 PM) THE ROYAL BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER SPECIAL EVENT!!! Fri: (11:00 AM)

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

Waylan St. Palan & the Magic Elves Friday, Dec. 23, High Noon Saloon, 8:30 pm St. Palan (aka Nate Palan of Hometown Sweethearts) and his merry band of enablers — musical ringers including four wayward Kissers and Nate “Sax Machine” Tredinnick — return for their annual holiday standards show. Expect some new songs, special guests and the distinct possibility the band becomes more inebriated than the audience by the end of the night. Opening are Madison power-pop heavyweights the August Teens, who will play songs from the holiday release Sleigher and more.

NØÅ album release Friday, Dec. 23, The Frequency, 8:30 pm

Noah Gilfillan, of the Madison-based band the Earthlings, is putting out his first solo album as NØÅ. The experimental project sounds a little bit like Animal Collective mixed with Cat Stevens. Come out and enjoy Gilfillan’s cerebral grooves, along with Vesten Kollekive lablemates Shikimo, Holven Fora and Darwin’s Finches. 1855 Saloon, Cottage Grove: David Hecht, free, 7 pm. Cardinal Bar: Bill Roberts Combo, free, 5:30 pm; DJs Chamo, Rumba, Latin, 9 pm. Chief’s Tavern: Dead Sea Squirrels, free, 6:30 pm.

picks

Club Tavern, Middleton: Kings of Radio, ‘80s, 9 pm. Crossroads Coffeehouse, Cross Plains: Joe Snare & Grace Vosen, Americana, 7 pm. Harmony Bar: WheelHouse, Americana, 9:45 pm. Hody Bar, Middleton: Midlife Crisis, free, 9 pm. Ivory Room: Jim Ripp, Peter Hernet, Anthony Cao, dueling pianos, 8 pm. Knuckle Down Saloon: The Jimmys, blues, 9 pm. Liliana’s: John Vitale & Marilyn Fisher, 6:30 pm.

thu dec 22

Mickey’s: Reverend Rectifier & the Sinners, 10:30 pm.

PICK OF THE WEEK LISA KIETZER

MU S I C T HE AT E R & DANCE

COM EDY

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Middleton: John Widdicombe & Cliff Frederiksen, jazz, 6 pm. Tip Top Tavern: SheShe, free, 10 pm.

CO MEDY

Steve Gillespie

Dogs of War

ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

Thursday, Dec. 22, High Noon Saloon, 9 pm

“Rap band” is a term that doesn’t get used a lot, but it’s the best way to describe Dogs of War. The Madison outfit is a “transcendence of rock and hip-hop” that includes members of local scene vets L.O.S.T. S.O.U.L.S. In 2015 they released Unleashed, their debut EP. With fellow local hip-hop experimentalists Bird’s Eye and Chris LaBella. Alchemy Cafe: The Pine Travelers, free, 10 pm. Bos Meadery: Hoot’n Annie, string band, free, 6 pm. Brink Lounge: Madison Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 pm. Cardinal Bar: DJ Jo-Z, Latin, 10 pm. Ivory Room: Luke Hrovat-Staedter, Jim Ripp, 9 pm. Liliana’s, Fitchburg: Ken Wheaton, 5:30 pm Thursdays. Louisianne’s, Middleton: Jim Erickson, 6 pm Thursdays. Malt House: Oak Street Ramblers, 7:30 pm. Tip Top Tavern: Sam Ness, folk, free, 9 pm. Tricia’s Country Corners: Jackie Marie, 8 pm Thursdays. Twist: John Christensen Combo, jazz, free, 5 pm. Up North Pub: Catfish Stephenson, 9 pm Thursdays.

Striking 12 Thursday, Dec. 22, Central Library, 7 pm

In a departure from the usual holiday offerings, Music Theatre of Madison’s Striking 12 features characters who are overwhelmed, lonely or simply cynical about the holidays. Originally devised by the Seattle band GrooveLily, it features a quartet of actors/musicians riffing on the saddest of all holiday stories — Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl. Visit isthmus.com for a full review. ALSO: Brink Lounge, Thursday-Friday, Dec. 29-30, 7:30 pm. A Christmas Carol: Children’s Theater of Madison, 2:30 pm on 12/22 and 2:30 & 7 pm, 12/23, Overture Center-Capitol Theater. $56-$26. 258-4141. The Wizard of Oz: Mercury Players Theatre “Pantostyle” comedy, 12/16-30, Bartell Theatre-Drury Stage, at 7 pm Wednesdays-Fridays. $20/$15. 661-9696. The Nutcracker: Madison Ballet’s holiday classic, 2 pm on 12/23 & 26 and 1 pm, 12/24, Overture Center-Overture Hall. $65-$16. 258-4141. Guys on Ice: Go Fish Productions musical, 7:30 pm on 12/21-23 & 26-30, 2:30 & 7:30 pm on 12/31 and 4:30 pm, 1/1, Barrymore Theatre. $29. 241-8633.

Thursday, Dec. 22, Comedy Club on State, 8:30 pm Steve Gillespie claims that he has nothing except credit card debt and his friend’s Netflix password, but this “gentlemen degenerate” also has solid bits and pinpoint comedic timing. Gillespie, who recently relocated from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, was the runner-up for “Best of the Midwest” at Gilda’s Laughfest in 2013, and his recent appearance on Conan solidified his status as a bona fide rising star. If you’re looking to end your year with some belly laughs, look no further. With Pat Susmilch, Cody Lemke. ALSO: Friday, Dec. 23, 8 & 10:30 pm. Townie Fest 8: Annual Aaron J. Meyer Foundation fundraiser, 8:30 pm, 12/22, Frequency, with stand-up by Nate Craig, DJ Pain 1, raffle. Free admission. 819-8777.

fri dec 23 M USIC

Yid Vicious Friday, Dec. 23, Bos Meadery, 7:30 pm Spectacularly named Madison group Yid Vicious has been a leader in the klezmer revival since forming in 1995, even touring Japan and Argentina. But it’s not the international acclaim that sets them apart; it’s their innate ability to make you get up and dance to their traditional Yiddish folk music juiced up with contemporary influences.

Nate Craig Friday, Dec. 23, Brink Lounge, 8:30 pm

Madison native Nate Craig is a very funny man. He’s appeared on Last Comic Standing, Ridiculousness and The Bob and Tom Show, and runs an always hilarious, occasionally unhinged Twitter account. He’ll be bringing his best Christmas stories to the Brink Lounge, which include showing his “little boy ass” to the congregation at St. Rafael’s. You’ll have to go see him to get all the details.

mon dec 26 S PEC TATO R S PO RTS Harlem Globetrotters: $103.50-$23.50, 7 pm, 12/26, Alliant Energy Center-Coliseum. 267-3995.

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DECEMBER 22, 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201C;JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

■ ISTHMUS PICKS : DEC 27 - 29 Tuesdays of the month. Blythe’s belting and the no-nonsense backing of guitarist Bill Roberts and bassist John Swadley make the perfect holiday season happy hour combo.

tue dec 27 M USIC

Max Ink Radio’s Top 41 of 2016 Tuesday, Dec. 27, The Wisco, 5 pm

Blythe Gamble & the Rollin’ Dice Tuesday, Dec. 27, Mickey’s Tavern, 5:30 pm

Gamble and an acoustic version of the Rollin’ Dice, along with special guests, have been building a scene, bringing the blues to Mickey’s on the second and fourth

If you haven’t caught Max Ink Radio’s The Jimmy K Show, it’s a lot of fun, with Jimmy, co-hosts and friends riffing on the local music scene. This special broadcast features a countdown of the audience’s favorite songs from 2016 from local and regional bands. There’s live music, too, from last year’s No. 1 artist, Doctor Noise. It will be simulcast live by WORT, and it’s free. Cardinal Bar: Madison Bones, jazz, free, 6:30 pm. High Noon Saloon: Gabe Burdulis Band, 7 pm. Luther Memorial Church: Third Day of Christmas, carol sing & organ concert, 7 pm. Up North Pub: Pat Ferguson, free, 8 pm.

THE BUDDIES ARE BACK!

presents

GUYS on ICE ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

Book, Story, & Lyrics by

FRED ALLEY

Dec. 21-23 Dec. 26-Jan. 1 MON. DEC

7:30pm

TUE. DEC

7:30pm

Music & Story by

JAMES KAPLAN WED. DEC

7:30pm WED. DEC

7:30pm

THU. DEC

Starring everyone’s favorite Marvin & Lloyd

DOUG MANCHESKI & STEVE KOEHLER

7:30pm THU. DEC

7:30pm

FRI. DEC

7:30pm FRI. DEC

7:30pm

THEATRE

2090 Atwood Ave. (608) 241-8633 barrymorelive.com

SAT. DEC

2:30pm 7:30pm

SUN. JAN

New Year’s Day

4:30pm

All tickets are General Admission $29 on sale at Sugar Shack, Star Liquor, MadCity Music, B-Side, Frugal Muse, Strictly Discs, the Barrymore, online at barrymorelive.com or call & charge at (608) 241-8633. For Group Rates, please call the Barrymore Box Office at (608) 241-8633.

wed dec 28

High Noon Saloon: Evergreen Grass Band, Gin Mill Hollow, Chicken Bacon, 9 pm.

MU SI C

ART E XHI BITS & EV ENTS

Twist Bar: Bill Roberts Combo, jazz/blues, free, 5 pm.

what is normally visible. The French magazine The Eye of Photography wrote that Brunetti’s process “largely goes beyond the concept we have of photography.” The result is astonishing.

Alchemy Cafe: Jon Hoel Trio, jazz, free, 10 pm.

COM EDY

Cardinal Bar: DJ Dub Borski, 9 pm.

Andrew Santino, Steve Gillespie, Geoffrey Asmus: 8:30 pm on 12/29, 8 & 10:30 pm on 12/30 and 5:30 pm, 8 & 10:30 pm, 12/31, Comedy Club. $40-$10. 256-0099.

High Noon Saloon: Sky Urchin, Ghost Socket, Our Friends, The Savages, 8 pm. Overture Center: Jim Brickman, piano, 7:30 pm.

fri dec 30

thu dec 29 Markus Brunetti: “Facades”

MU SI C

Through Dec. 31, Chazen Museum of Art

Alchemy Cafe: Los Chechos, free, 10 pm. Bos Meadery: Kendra Swanson, folk, free, 6:30 pm. Brink Lounge: Mackenzie O’Brien, free, 8 pm. Essen Haus: Big Wes Turner’s Trio w/Billy Flynn, 9 pm. The Frequency: Heavenfaced, Kayak Jones, Hot Mulligan, Street Names, 8 pm.

BARRYMORE Madison Area Jugglers present the 47th Annual

Markus Brunetti and his partner, Betty Schoener, have spent decades photographing Europe’s grand cathedrals and developing a digital process of overlaying thousands of images to create colossal works that show detail far beyond

THEATRE

SAT. JAN. 14 - 7:00PM

Tickets $20 advance, $25 d.o.s

TICKETS MAKE GREAT STOCKING STUFFERS!

United Way Bluegrass Benefit

FRI, JAN. 20 - 8 PM

SAT, FEB. 25 - 8 PM

96.3 Star Country’s

ONE WOMAN SEX AND THE CITY

CLASS of 2017” FRI, JAN. 27 - 8 PM

TOM SEGURA “No Teeth, No Entry Tour”

FRI, FEB. 3 - 8 PM

A Date with John Waters

The Fly Fishing Film Tour 2017

“End Of The World Tour”

SAT, FEB. 11 - 8 PM

THUR, MAR. 16 - 7:30 PM

Gaelic Storm WED, MAR. 29 - 7 PM 10th Annual

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

sat JAN 14 Noname theMIND Mic Kellogg Rich Robbins

HIGH NOON SALOON

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

at High-Noon.com & 608-268-1122 FRZNFEST.COM

THUR. - SUN, MAR. 30 - APR. 2

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

CUDDLE MAGIC

WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL

SAT, APR. 8 - 7:30 & 10 PM

FRI, MAR. 3 - 8 PM

ZOSO

The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience

SAT, MAR. 4 - 8 PM

BoDeans

DAWES Christopher Titus WE BANJO 3 FRI, FEB. 10 - 8 PM

PRESENTED BY

FRI, MAR. 10 - 8PM

SAT, MAR. 11 - 8PM

Shut The Folk Up and Listen

HUMP! TOUR 2017 SAT, APR. 15 - 8PM

THE ZOMBlES ODESSEY AND ORACLE 50th ANNIVERSARY

TUE. & WED, APR. 18-19, 7 PM

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2017

FRIDAY FEB 3

CAPITOL THEATER OVERTURECENTER.ORG 608-258-4141

SAT, APRIL 22 - 8 PM

JOEY’S SONG BENEFIT

The Know-It-All Boyfriends & Guests

LEO KELLER Paula Poundstone KOTTKE WILLIAMS Listen To Your Mother SUN, MAY 14, 3 PM 8th Annual

Tickets on sale at Sugar Shack, Star Liquor, MadCity Music, B-Side, Frugal Muse, Strictly Discs, the Barrymore, online at barrymorelive.com or call & charge at (608) 241-8633.

DAWES BARRYMORE THEATRE • FEB. 6 TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT BARRYMORELIVE.COM

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

MON, FEB. 6 - 7:30 PM

WED, MAR. 1 - 7 PM

Tickets Make Great Holiday Gifts!

Ceremony TENEMENT The Blind Shake Yoko Oh No’s

TRULY REMARKABLE LOON • MARK HAYWARD

GUYS ON ICE

➡

FRI JAN 13

JACK KALVAN & CO. • ANDREA NOEL

16th ANNUAL

When you’re called Sparklefuck, you better have a live show killer enough to back up the name. Luckily, these Madison punk rockers deliver, with a performance that’s impossible to describe,

Bos Meadery: The Earthlings, rock, 6:30 pm. Bowl-A-Vard Lanes: Kings of Radio, rock, 9 pm. Brink Lounge: Erin Krebs Quartet, jazz/blues, 8 pm. Cardinal Bar: Mideast Salsa, free, 5:30 pm; DJ Boyfrrriend, Lex Allen, Annabel Lee, 9 pm. Club Tavern, Middleton: Riled Up, free, 9 pm. High Noon Saloon: Low Czars, 5:30 pm; Civil Engineers, Dub Foundation, Kazmir, DJ Dub Chef, 9 pm. Hody, Middleton: Country Wide Rocks, free, 9 pm. Ivory Room: Katy Marquardt, Nicky Jordan, Lindsay Everly, dueling pianos, 8 pm. Mickey’s Tavern: The Flavor That Kills, DJs Stamp Collector, CNL, free, 10:30 pm. Mr. Robert’s: Billy Dreamer, free, 10 pm. Parched Eagle Brewpub: DJ Cardinal Din Sibo, 5 pm. Rex’s Innkeeper, Waunakee: Universal Sound, 8:30 pm. Sconnie Bar: The Pine Travelers, free, 8 pm.

Big Thief Sam Evian Hoops Ian Sweet

EXTRAVAGANZA

SUN, FEB. 12 - 1 PM

Friday, Dec. 30, Frequency, 9 pm

THUR JAN 12

Juggling WED. DEC. 21 -FRI. DEC. 23 MON. DEC. 26 - SUN. JAN. 1

Sparklefuck

2090 Atwood Ave. (608) 241-8864

MADFEST

madjugglers.com/madfest

M USIC

or forget. Plus, they’ll be sharing the stage with three other great Mad City bands: I.T. punks Help Desk, long-running skate rats the Moguls, and Made of Blocks, a group that features Sparklefuck’s own Ryan Schremp.

n ISTHMUS PICKS : DEC 30 - 31 T HE AT ER & DA N CE

sat dec 31

Old Befana Friday, Dec. 30, Oakwood Village, 7 pm

It’s the 30th anniversary of local troubadour Ken Lonnquist’s nondenominational holiday musical. It’s loosely based on the Italian legend of La Befana, the “Christmas Witch,” who fills shoes with presents and candy, and sweeps away the year’s problems with a broom. Over the years, the show has featured many prominent musicians and artists delivering a message of peace, a message that is needed now more than ever. ALSO: Monday, Jan. 2, live broadcast on WORT-FM, 7 pm. Through Jan. 10 at various libraries and churches. Visit kenland.com.

High Noon Saloon: The Kissers, 5 pm.

Red Rock Saloon: Jacob Martin Band, country, 10 pm.

Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison: Madtown Sound, plus Las Vegas showgirls, free, 8 pm.

The Red Zone: Cherry Pie, 8 pm.

Hody Bar, Middleton: Whiplash, classic rock, free, 9 pm.

Roxbury Tavern: SpareTime Bluegrass Band, 7 pm.

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

MUS I C

Hop Garden, Paoli: Back2Back, 5:30 pm.

Bos Meadery: Imaginary Watermelon, Shotgun Mary, free/donations, 6:30 pm.

Ivory Room: Josh Dupont, Connor Brennan, 8 pm.

Bowl-A-Vard Lanes: Vinyl Thunder, classic rock, 9 pm. Brink Lounge: Missbehavin, classic rock/country, 9 pm.

Liliana’s, Fitchburg: Johnny Widdicombe, Cliff Frederiksen, Mike Turk, Jeff Sime, Brennan Connors, 6:30 pm.

Brocach Irish Pub-Square: WheelHouse, 8 pm.

Liquid: DaVilla, Hipp, 10 pm.

S PEC I A L EV EN TS

Cardinal Bar: DJs Chamo, Fusion, Latin, 7 pm.

Louisianne’s, Middleton: Johnny Chimes, Al Falaschi & LaCouir Yancey, free, 7:30 pm.

New Year’s Eve Celebration: 6 pm-1 am, 12/31, Essen Haus & Come Back In, with music at 9 pm by Live at Nine (CBI) & Tom Brusky (EH). $80 includes buffet/drinks. 258-8619.

Club Tavern, Middleton: DJ Robbie G, free, 9 pm.

Java Cat: The Strung Up Four, Americana, free, 2 pm.

DLUX: DJ Eugene Craven, 9:30 pm.

Madison’s: Jon Hoel Quartet, jazz, 6 pm; DJ Brook, 9 pm.

The Fountain: Dirt Bros, Turk McGuire, Tani Diakite & the Afrofunkstars, The Earthlings, DJs Skrunch, Martinez White, 9 pm.

Merchant: DJ Phil Money, 11 pm. Natt Spil: DJs Dr. Funkenstein, Glynis, Whodie Guthrie, Carrick, Vaughn Marques, WangZoom, free, 10 pm.

Great Dane-Downtown: DJ Vilas Park Sniper, 10 pm; Fitchburg: DJ Dreckks, 9 pm; Hilldale: DJ Landology, 9 pm.

Our House: The Listening Party, house concert (RSVP: annedave@chorus.net), 7:30 pm.

Harmony Bar: The Family Business, rock, 10 pm.

Rare Steakhouse: Anthony Cao & Leslie Cao, 8 pm.

Tavernakaya: DJ Radish, 10:30 pm. Tricia’s Country Corners, McFarland: Decades, 8:30 pm. Twist Bar and Grill: DJ Ace, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority “New Year’s Eve REDsolution” party, 8:30 pm.

African Association of Madison New Year’s Eve Gala: 7 pm-1 am, 12/31, Radisson Hotel, with buffet dinner, activities, raffle. $35. 258-0261. The Gold Party: Planned Parenthood benefit, 8 pm, 12/31, Gib’s, with Otimo Dance, DJs, snacks & champagne punch. $20 ($15 in gold attire). gibs.bar.

➡

SEARCH THE FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT ISTHMUS.COM

For auld lang syne There’s something for everyone on NYE BY TOM WHITCOMB

Alchemy Cafe: Nasty New Year’s turns seven, and Alchemy Cafe’s annual $10 WORT benefit has quite the party planned. DJ Captain Smooth kicks it off at 10 pm, with funk outfit Better Yeti (formerly the Mustache) supplying the tunes beginning at 11, and a free champagne toast set for midnight.

ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

Bartell Theatre: For the third year, the companies that work out of the Bartell Theatre will present their “Ball Drop Blitz.” Beginning Dec. 30, a brave group of actors, writers and directors will spend 24 hours creating a theatrical performance using suggestions pulled from a hat. It’s only $20, and there’s little risk of being puked on by a stranger. Ready or not, the show starts at 8 pm.

Comedy Club on State: 2016 was pretty damn depressing, and there are few better ways to send it off than in a fit of laughter. Andrew Santino, a veteran of comedy proving grounds like The Meltdown and Just for Laughs festival (and former star of the short-lived ABC comedy Mixology), will be performing three shows (5:30, 8, and 10:30 pm). Opening are Steve Gillespie and Geoffrey Asmus.

treated to beer, wine and champagne, a midnight “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” buffet and music from 10-piece big band Talk of the Town. The party starts at 9 pm for a well-spent $100. Concourse Hotel: Those willing to shell out a little extra cash can get their money’s worth at the Concourse. With packages ranging from $199, guests will be treated to a midnight champagne toast and music from VO5, an 11-piece funk and disco band that includes Isthmus’ own Catherine Capellaro. Some packages include jazz from Gypsy swing masters Harmonious Wail, a steak and lobster dinner and a comedy show featuring Rocky LaPorte. Crystal Corner: Hometown Sweethearts, an energetic Madison band specializing in both originals and covers, will be playing their first New Year’s Eve show in four years. The band starts at 9:30 pm, so be sure to bring $20 and your dancing shoes.

Edgewater: The Edgewater is offering a chance to escape Madison entirely with a destination New Year’s party. The theme is New York City, and guests will be

The Frequency: Those looking to rock into the New Year rather than ring it in need look no further than the Frequency. Mad City madmen Pachinko, Cold Black River and Wheelie King will be on hand to melt faces until the ball drops. It’s a $10 cover, and doors open at 8 pm, with the show starting at 9.

Glass Nickel Pizza: Few combinations bring more joy than pizza and comedy. So why not indulge in both at Glass Nickel, where local improvisers from Monkey Business Institute will take the stage at 7 pm. $12 covers the show, and you can fill your stomach before you go out drinking.

Goodman Community Center: Those unable to decide between music and comedy would enjoy Madison staples Lou and Peter Berryman, folk singers known for their humorous observations about life. The show starts at 8 pm, and proceeds from the $22 ticket price benefit the Goodman Center. High Noon Saloon: $10 buys you a night of killer music — tribute sets to Tegan & Sara, Against Me!, Black Sabbath, Otis Redding, Elvis and a combination of ’80s and ’90s hip-hop are planned. The show starts at 9 pm. Kadampa Meditation Center: When most people think about 2016, they want to scream into a pillow. Kadampa invites you to channel that rage into something more positive — peace. From 7 to 9 pm, they’ll be hosting a Candlelight Meditation for World Peace, which includes a meditation class for children.

Knuckle Down Saloon: Spend your New Year’s thinking of sweet home Chicago when the Cash Box Kings perform at the Knuckle Down. The Windy City blues band takes the stage at 9 pm, and will be joined by a secret guest, described as “one of the great young blues musicians in the world — direct from Tokyo, Japan!”

Lucille: One of the Mad City’s newest institutions will debut their “Lucille Ball.” It’s pricey, but inclusive: $75 will cover hors d’oeuvres and chef stations, plus music from Tony Castañeda Quartet from 7 to 10 pm. A late-night party (also $75) includes an open bar, a champagne bar, party favors and music from DJ Fuzzy Duck, starting at 10:30 pm. Majestic: DecaDance is back for the fifth year, with DJs Nick Nice and Mike Carlson spinning 100 years’ worth of music, from Louis Armstrong to Daft Punk. Science has yet to create the time machine, but $25 gets you a century’s worth of dancing. Set your clocks for 8 pm, folks. Mickey’s Tavern: Willy’s wildest dive has a punk rock New Year’s planned that can’t be beat. Starting at 10:30 p.m., Fire Retarded, Wood Chickens and Kazmir will rock you into 2017.

Zimbrick Family Eve: Those looking for a family-friendly option should check out Zimbrick Family Eve. Split between Monona Terrace and Middleton’s Keva Sports Center, Zimbrick will offer arts and crafts, cookie decorating, live animals from the Henry Vilas Zoo and more. The fun starts at 4 pm at Keva and 5 pm at Monona Terrace. Note: for a more complete list of options for Dec. 31, see isthmus.com.

2201 Atwood Ave.

(608) 249-4333 FRI. DEC. 23

Four Star Video Cooperative

9:45 $7

____________________________________

NEW YEAR’S EVE

9:45 pm

 



FRONT & CENTER

Dogs Of War Bird's Eye Chris LaBella 9pm

fri Dec

$10, $5 before 10pm

18+

WAYLAN ST. PALAN AND THE MAGIC ELVES The August Teens 8:30PM

$10

THE

tue dec

GABE BURDULIS BAND CHRISTMAS SHOW 8PM

18+

Sky Urchins / Ghost Socket the Savages 28 Our Friends, 8PM $5

wed dec

Evergreen Grass Band Gin Mill Hollow 29 Chicken Bacon thu dec

9PM

fri Dec

31 mon JAN

18+

LOW CZARS

The Civil Engineers Dub Foundation Kazmir / DJ Dub Chef

Irish New Year with

New Year's eve bash!

5:30pm

9PM $5 ADV, $7 DOS 18+

Token Minority as TEGAN & SARA - AGAINST ME Mad Sabbath as BLACK SABBATH / Tone Broke & DJ Sleezy Rock doing 80's-90's HIP HOP Don't Mess With Cupid as OTIS REDDING 5-7pm $6 / Kids Free! BlowElvis as ELVIS / DJ Easy Data / 9PM $10

The

Kissers

PUNDAMONIUM:

The Madison Pun Slam! 7pm $6

thu Jan

Up to 6 rentals at a time One of each pair may be a new arrival

FOUR FOURSTAR STARVIDEO VIDEOCOOPERATIVE COOPERATIVE••EXP. EXP.9/29/16 1/5/17

fourstarvideocoop.com

MADISON’S PLACE FOR WINTER EVENTS & ACTIVITIES NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION AND MIDNIGHT BALL DROP December 31 @ 6:00 PM

/videoheaven

418 E. WILSON ST. 608.257.BIRD CARDINALBAR.COM FRIDAY 12/23

LIVE HAPPY HOUR

BILL ROBERTS COMBO

feat. BOB CORBIT on Sax 5:30PM

_______________

w/ DJs CHAMO and RUMBA

RICARDO’S BELATED BIRTHDAY PARTY

8-11PM ____________________

CLOSED SATURDAY 12/24 & SUNDAY 12/25 H A P P Y H O L I D AY S ! ____________________ TUESDAY 12/27 BIG BAND SERIES with

Destination New Year’s Eve December 31 @ 9 PM - 1 AM The Edgewater brings the Big Apple to with to Madison Bucky’s backyard an iconic ball drop at midnight, Empire State-inspired with an iconic ball drop at midnight, Empire State-inspired fare and ice skating on our own mini mini Rockefeller Rockefeller Center Center to put in York a New York rink—allrink—all sure to sure put you in ayou New state ofstate mind.ofWays mind. Ways to celebrate: to celebrate: Enjoy Dinner at The Statehouse with a five-course prix fixe featuring iconic dishes from NYC — $85 per person

MADISON _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _BONES ______

JAZZ____________________ JAM w/ THE NEW BREED

6:30PM

9PM

SATURDAY 12/31

New Year’s Eve Party DANCING FROM 8 PM TO 5 AM!

M A D I S ON ’ S C L A S S I C DA N C E B A R

Attend the Destination New Year’s Event in the Grand Ballroom and receive complimentary beer, wine and champagne while enjoying live music from a 10-piece big band! End the night with a midnight “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” buffet. Tickets — $100 per person Book overnight packages with event ticket and dinner options starting at $399

NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH in The Statehouse January 1 @ 9 AM - 2 PM $38 per person Bottomless Bloody Marys or Mimosas @ $15 Complimentary Ice Skating For more information visit

Pupy Costello & The New Hiram Kings

Magma Carta The August Teens

5:30pm FREE

9pm $5

TheEdgewater.com or call (608) 535-8200.

MADISON’S PLACE

• DANCING until 5 am! • COCKTAIL BUFFET -- 10pm-2am! • FREE CHAMPAGNE TOAST AT MIDNIGHT! • PARTY FAVORS (horns, hats, etc.) Doors @ 7 pm

• COAT/Purse check available • SafeRider available • FREE soda & coffee for designated drivers! • SERVICE INDUSTRY personnel FREE after 2 am!

$15 Cover

JOIN US!

DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

sat Dec

FREE 449 State St Suite D (on Broom St) Open 10am–Midnight • 608-255-1994

www.harmonybarandgrill.com

thu dec

RENT 1, GET 1

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$10 incl. Party Favors, Snacks & Champagne Toast at midnight!

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■ ISTHMUS PICKS : JAN 1 - 5 DAN CI NG Dairyland Cowboys & Cowgirls: Open dance, 6-10 pm, 12/31, Five Nightclub. 255-9131. Contra Dance: Music by Chuck Hornemann, Hans Verick & Roger Diggle, caller Steve Pike, 8:30 pmmidnight, 12/31, Grace Episcopal Church, with potluck dessert at break. $10. 692-3394.

FRI, DEC 23 H 9PM H $9

The Jimmys CHRISTMAS PARTY Fundraiser for the Madison Area Music Awards & MAMA Cares

tue jan 3 M USIC Alchemy Cafe: Ted Keys Trio, 10 pm Tuesdays; DJs Jorts, Tank Top Troy, Earth, Wind & Fire tribute, midnight. High Noon Saloon: Ladyscissors, Treemo, 5:30 pm.

sun jan 1

Paul Filipowicz

THEATER & DANCE

Bandung: Louka, 7 pm.

MUS I C

Malt House: The North Westerns, free, 7:30 pm.

Java Cat: Nick Matthews, free, 9 am.

Harmony Bar: Oak Street Ramblers, 7:30 pm.

SAT, DEC 31 H 9PM H $20 INCLUDES BUFFET

Malt House: The Strung Up Four, free, 7:30 pm.

S POKE N WORD

NEW YEAR’S EVE BLUES BASH!!

Pundamonium: “Pun slam,” 7 pm, 1/2, High Noon Saloon. $6. 268-1122.

The

Cash Box Kings 2513 Seiferth Rd. 222-7800

ART E XHIBITS & EV ENTS PhotoMidwest Women’s Interest Group: 1/2-2/28, UW Fluno Center. 577-3300. Denise Sauter-Isnor & Jennifer Bucheit: Photographs, 1/2-2/28, UW-Extension Lowell Center. 577-3300.

MOV I ES The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: Documentary by Greg Palast and David Ambrose about Republican voter suppression efforts, 7:30 pm, 1/4, Point. $11. RSVP: gathr.us/screening/18819.

Jersey Boys Tuesday, Jan. 3, Overture Hall, 7:30 pm

It’s a classic American story — four blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks become one of the country’s biggest pop music sensations of all time. This Tony- and Grammy Award-winning musical chronicles the formation, success and eventual breakup of 1960s rock group the Four Seasons. You’ll recognize hits like “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night).” ALSO: WednesdayThursday, Jan. 4-5, 7:30 pm. Through Jan. 8.

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Madison Ballet presents

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Alchemy Cafe: Boo Bradley, blues, free, 10 pm. High Noon Saloon: The Wekons (Mekons tribute), The Tiny Band, 5:30 pm.

Brocach-Square: West Wind, 5 pm.

MUS I C

wed jan 4 MUS I C

mon jan 2

Blues Hall of Fame Inductee

World War I and America: Historical exhibit, 1/3-23, Verona Library. 845-7180.

Malt House: Cajun Strangers, free, 7:30 pm.

Williamson Magnetic: Dumb Vision, Hussies, No Thanks, Once a Month, 8 pm

FRI, DEC 30 H 8PM H $7

S PEC I A L I N T ERESTS

thu jan 5 MUS I C Bos Meadery: Johnny Widdicombe, free, 6:30 pm. Chief’s Tavern: Hoot’n Annie, free, 8:30 pm. Essen Haus: Big Wes Turner’s Trio, free, 9 pm. High Noon Saloon: Pupy Costello & the New Hiram Kings, 5:30 pm; The August Teens, 9 pm.

CO MEDY Jackie Kashian, Adam Degi, Marty Clarke: 8:30 pm on 1/5 and 8 & 10:30 pm, 1/6-7, Comedy Club on State. $15-$10. 256-0099.

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■ EMPHASIS

From 12/19/16 to 12/24/16 at Capitol Centre Market

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For Josh Meier, alterations and repairs mean giving clothes a li le love.

Limit 1 Free Offer per Customer With Separate $20 Purchase. Excludes Postage Stamps, Lottery, Gift Cards, Cigarettes, Liquor, and Bus Passes.

From 12/26/16 to 1/1/17 at Capitol Centre Market

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Josh Meier of Schwa Tailor creates, mends and restores 11.5 oz Assorted Varieties

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ISTHMUS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017

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BY ERICA KRUG

Josh Meier started sewing nearly 40 years ago, but he’s been doing it professionally just since July. That’s when he opened his new tailoring business, Schwa Tailor Shop, at 917 Williamson St. The majority of his work is alterations and repairs, like on the nylon cycling jacket he fixed for a recent customer. “It just needed a little love,” Meier says. “And a favorite cycling jacket lives on.” As if on cue, a customer walks through the front door of Schwa Tailor and asks Meier if he can patch his “favorite jeans in the world” that got snagged by a barbedwire fence. After discussing the mending style (conspicuous or inconspicuous patching?), Meier tells the man to come back in a week to pick up his jeans. Meier also hems pants ($10 and up for jeans, $12 and up for dress pants) and can replace the lining of a coat or a zipper ($30 and up). Sewing started as a hobby for Meier. He grew up watching his mother sew. When he was young, he started designing items for his family members, including the 1800s-style farm dress now on display in the window of his shop. That one he made for his mom, who participated in “Down on the Farm” tours.

See Store or Website for Holiday Hours NICK BERARD PHOTOS

After graduating with a degree in sales and marketing from Madison Business College in 1989, Meier spent 27 years working for the state of Wisconsin. He says he was prompted by the political climate in the state to retire and start tailoring professionally. “If I have enough coffee, thread and music, I can sew all day,” he says. Before starting the shop, Meier made dresses for Renaissance fairs, outfits for steampunk concerts and costumes for science fiction conventions. He helped create the uniforms for Madison’s roller derby team the Dairyland Dolls. He still accepts commissions and is currently working on a traditional Native American ribbon shirt. The name of his shop, Schwa, comes from the second syllable of the phonetic spelling of his name, Joshua. Meier bought the building on Williamson Street in 2012 and lives upstairs. He loves how it feels “20th century” to live above where he works, and he spends a lot of time in his immediate neighborhood. More than anything, Meier is pleased with his new career. “If I can make a living patching someone’s favorite jeans, then that makes me really happy.” ■ SCHWA TAILOR SHOP 917 Williamson St. 608-212-8542 info@schwatailorshop.com schwatailorshop.com

n CLASSIFIEDS

Housing Buy-Sell-Exchange Matching people and property for over 20 years. Achieve your goals! Free consult. www.andystebnitz.com Andy Stebnitz 608-692-8866 Restaino & Associates Realtors Phil Olson Real Estate —Since 1984— Residential Homes, Multi-Family, Condos PhilandBeckyOlson.com 608-332-7814 POlson@RestainoHomes.com Powered by Restaino & Associates ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM. Lonely? Bored? Broke? Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at Roommates.com! (AAN CAN) 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.

WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE? Call 608-251-5627 to place an ad. isthmus.com/classifieds

Jobs

Services & Sales

Tired of stress and long hours? East side Madison disabled man looking for help with in-home personal cares. Hoyer experience required. Part time. $11.66/hr. Contact Deanna at rymaszewskid@clanet.org or (608) 242-8335 ext. 3111. Man with a disability looking for assistance with housekeeping and grocery shopping. Preferably looking for an individual with a flexible schedule and a nonsmoker. 10 hrs/ week at $12.50/hr. Please call 608-819-6887.

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. Now hiring: Dietary Aides, Resident Assistants, C.N.A.’s, LPN’s, and RN’s. Sign on bonuses for some positions. Apply today! www.oakwoodvillage.net Private duty RNs/LPNs needed for a nonvent individual on south side of Madison shift varies. Also seeking PRN shift help. Call (608) 692-2617 and ask for Jill. LOCAL DRIVERS WANTED! Be your own boss. Flexible hours. Unlimited earning potential. Must be 21 with valid U.S. driver’s license, insurance & reliable vehicle. 866-329-2672 (AAN CAN)

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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! MAKE THE CALL TO START GETTING CLEAN TODAY. Free 24/7 Helpline for alcohol & drug addiction treatment. Get help! It is time to take your life back! Call Now: 855-732-4139 (AAN CAN)

CHECK OUT THE FOUNDRY FOR MUSIC LESSONS & REHEARSAL STUDIOS & THE BLAST HOUSE STUDIO FOR RECORDING! 608-270-2660 www.madisonmusicfoundry.com 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)

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DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

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Bring this ad in to receive a FREE Deep Conditioning Treatment and Style or haircut! Financial aid and scholarships available to those who qualify. FAFSA code: 038223 For graduation/completion/placement/licensure rates, median loan debt and other important information, visit PaulMitchell.edu/ge. All services performed by students supervised by a licensed instructor.

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1 Pound cake ingredients 5 Like apples ready to bake 10 Torre pendente di ___ (European landmark, to locals) 14 Short pants? 15 Speed skater ___ Anton Ohno 16 “SVU” part 17 Diamond’s diametric opposite on the Mohs scale 18 Former Orange Bowl site 19 Walk back and forth 20 Cut ties with, on social media 22 I’d be lion if I said it 24 Lane who sang with Xavier Cugat 25 Title for several Trump cabinet picks

P.S. MUELLER

28 Musical miscellany 31 Indeterminate quantity 32 Corp.’s stock market debut 33 Nondairy dairy case item 34 Buccaneers’ bay 36 Pack away 37 1040 filers 38 Cheri once of “SNL” 39 Olympic vehicle 40 Find loathsome 41 Clip joint? 42 Like eight 43 Pokemon protagonist 44 Like some trees or tales 45 Like old rawhide bones 47 Pacific salmon variety 49 Cutty ___ (Scotch whisky) 50 Keystone’s place 51 Wendi ___-Covey of “The Goldbergs”

55 Benjamin Netanyahu’s nickname 57 Non-literal expression 59 Christmas lights location 60 Menaces to hobbits 61 Bourne of “The Bourne Ultimatum” 62 It has its points 63 Hotel counts 64 1997 environmental treaty site 65 “Note to ___ ...” DOWN

1 Caesar’s “And you?” 2 “___ Torino” (Clint Eastwood film) 3 Strange sport? 4 Splenda, mainly 5 “I’m here so I can greet you ... not!”?

Declare one’s view It may have a fork Shade caster “You really think zen master is on my list of attributes?!”? 10 Chrysalides 11 “Birdman” director’s Beetle, e.g.? 12 “Attack, dog!” 13 Finished off 21 “May ___ excused?” 23 “Lit” binary digit 25 Camera used in extreme sports 26 Farthest orbital point from earth 27 Bottom-of-the-line 28 Coffee orders 29 Ciudad Juarez neighbor 30 Item that plays “Soul Meets Body,” for short? 31 Catch a whiff of 35 “___ of Two Cities” 36 Smooth quality 44 Clue hunter, informally 46 Political org. from 962 to 1806 48 Mr. Kringle 49 “Get outta here!” 51 Soybean soup 52 3/5, for example 53 Avocado shape 54 Soft toy substance 55 Literature Nobelist Dylan 56 Burning anger 58 Box on a calendar LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

n SAVAGE LOVE

The intern BY DAN SAVAGE

Sex months? Interesting typo. There’s another way to read your boyfriend’s ambiguity/obfuscation/dishonesty about Tuesday night: equal parts considerate and self-serving. Your boyfriend knew you had to study, he knew his ex-intern is a sore subject/weird tic, and by opting for ambiguity he allowed you to focus on your studies. So that was maybekindasorta considerate of him. And since one person’s “mindful of my toxic feelings” and “handling

JOE NEWTON

it” is another person’s “freak-out” and “invasion of privacy,” your boyfriend opted for deceit-by-omission to avoid drama. And perhaps that was self-serving of him. Want to prove to your boyfriend that he didn’t need to lie to you about spending time with his ex-intern? Retroactively bestow your blessing on Tuesday night’s birthday drinks and stop raking him over the coals. Even the “most honest” people on earth tell the odd harmless, self-serving white lie once in a while. If you want your relationship to last, you roll your eyes at the odd lie and move on. If you want your relationship to end, you do exactly what you’re doing. I would also advise you to apologize to your boyfriend for having “looked at his phone” while he was in the shower, which is both an asshole move and, yes, a sign that you might be the crazy, paranoid and controlling one in this relationship. And for the sake of your relationship, stop following the ex-intern on Instagram. Finally, you mention mismatched sex drives. As several commenters pointed out on my blog, where your letter appeared as the Savage Love Letter of the Day, mismatched sex drives are usually a bad sign. You talk about the libido issue in the past tense, so perhaps it’s not a problem. But if the problem was resolved in a way that left you feeling neglected, insecure and frustrated, it wasn’t resolved, and it constitutes a much bigger threat to your relationship than that ex-intern. I’m a man who is sexually attracted to trans women. I’ve been told that if I’m attracted to women, it shouldn’t matter what genitals they have. I’ve also been told that if I like penis, it shouldn’t matter if the owner presents as male or female. Am I unfairly fetishizing trans women? Gain Understanding Into Loving Trans You’re attracted to women, GUILT, some women have penises, and you find penishaving women particularly attractive. If you’re not attracted to men with penises and you’re not attracted to men like Buck Angel, i.e., trans men with vaginas, then you’re not attracted to men generally, cock or no cock. So long as you can state your preferences in a way that doesn’t dehumanize the people you are attracted to or denigrate the people you aren’t attracted to, GUILT, you have nothing to feel self-conscious or guilty about. n Email Dan at mail@savagelove.net or reach him on Twitter at @fakedansavage. For more of Savage Love see Isthmus.com.

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DECEMBER 22, 2016–JANUARY 4, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

I’m having an issue with my boyfriend, and I don’t know if I am the crazy, paranoid, controlling party here. We have been together for more than a year and a half. We had troubles early on because he has a low sex drive. It made me very insecure, and I think that’s why, at the time, I became extremely jealous of his friendship with his very attractive intern. I fully owned up to my irrational jealousy and decided on my own that it was my responsibility to overcome that. She eventually stopped working with him, and they haven’t been in contact for over sex months. Fast-forward to the present. On Monday night, I asked my boyfriend what his plans were on Tuesday. (I am studying for law school exams, so I knew I wouldn’t have time to spend with him.) Around 8:30 on Tuesday, he texted me and asked how studying was going, and I asked him again what his plans were. He told me he was going to meet an “old co-worker” at a bar for birthday drinks. I didn’t think twice about it. Then, around 11:30, when I got in bed to relax, I saw on my Instagram feed that his old intern posted a photo of her birthday party at the bar. I became extremely upset, because instead of being up front and saying he was meeting HER for her birthday, he was intentionally ambiguous. I confronted him when he got home, and he admitted to being ambiguous to avoid a “freak-out.” I told him that if he’d been up front with me, I would have been jealous but I would have also been mindful of my toxic feelings and not projected them onto him. I told him that as a result of how he handled it, I feel worse, I feel lied to, and I feel insecure. He acted like I was being ridiculous. He insisted it was a last-minute invite and he didn’t want to cause any drama. We went to sleep, and I woke up feeling pretty much over it. But when he got into the shower, I looked at his phone and saw that she had actually invited him on Monday afternoon. So he lied to me when I asked him what his plans were on Tuesday, and he lied to me again when he said it was a last-minute invite. I am not upset with him for getting drinks with her — most of his friends are female and I NEVER feel jealous about them. I have a weird tic about this girl, though, and I’ve owned up to it. I don’t want to control him, but I feel like I can’t trust him now. Up until now, I’ve never once suspected him of being dishonest. Am I Crazy?

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