Isthmus: Jan 12-18, 2016

JANUARY 12–18, 2017

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VOL. 42 NO. 2

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MADISON, WISCONSIN

WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Fuller Opera House c. 1900

MADISON’S

lost theaters Remembering our city’s entertainment palaces

2

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

■ CONTENTS

■ WHAT TO DO

4 SNAPSHOT

BREAKING THE HUDDLE

The competition is fierce to play for the Madison Blaze, the city’s female football team.

6-9 NEWS

UNOPPOSED

Despite Madison’s politically active electorate, few people are running for city council.

10 TECH

SLINGSHOT MARY LANGENFELD

JAY RATH

ALLISON GEYER

4 SNAPSHOT WHEN STAFF WRITER Allison Geyer was in elementary school, she went through a proto-feminist tomboy phase and became obsessed with playing pickup football at recess. When the boys told her to get lost because “there’s no such thing as the WNFL,” she became outraged and told her dad, who found the whole thing hilarious. She revisits her childhood dream this week with a Snapshot about Madison’s badass women’s football team.

15 COVER STORY DOWNTOWN MADISON was once home to nine theaters that hosted live entertainment.

The days of vaudeville, silent film and radio dramas are long gone, as are many of the theaters that were home to such shows. Long fascinated by entertainment history, Jay Rath writes this week about our lost theaters and what they tell us about civic life and the arts in turn-ofthe-century Madison.

UW students rise to the top in Elon Musk’s hyperloop competition.

12 OPINION

IGNORE AT YOUR OWN PERIL Democrats can’t afford to count out urban candidates for governor.

15 COVER STORY

PALACES OF YORE

The history of Madison’s downtown theaters.

21-26 FOOD & DRINK

MAKE A LIST

Take note of these special pours on tap at this year’s Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest.

LALO LAND

A new Mexican spot on the west side excels at nachos and more.

28 SPORTS

HAIL YES!

The Packers face a fierce opponent in the Cowboys. Can Green Bay prevail?

30 BOOKS

EPIC TALE

We three kings...

Friday, Jan. 13, Centro Hispano, 4-6 pm.

Miss the Santa photo op this year? Here is another chance.

Only Santa will be replaced by the three kings, who will be giving out presents to kids at the annual Día de los Tres Reyes celebration.

Centro Hispano expects more than 400 families to attend the community event, which for many families of Latin American heritage is the time Christmas is really celebrated. Expect music, hot chocolate and rosca de reyes, a sweet bread made with candied fruits.

(Don’t forget to put your shoes out.)

A debut YA novel revisits David and Goliath.

Don’t drop it!

31 STAGE

Saturday, Jan. 14, Barrymore Theatre, 7 pm

FUNNIER THAN REAL LIFE

The 47th annual MadFest Juggling Extravaganza features international performers such as Jack Kalvan & Company and Andrea Noel, and local superstar Truly Remarkable Loon. For those who would like to participate in juggling activities rather than just watch the pros, get thee to O’Keeffe Middle School for a weekend of events, starting at 6:30 pm on Friday, Jan. 13. For info: madjugglers.com.

What a Joke makes light of the incoming prez.

31 MUSIC

SHINY POP ROBIN SHEPARD

21

BEER THIS YEAR MORE than 112 brewers and 500 beers (and 25 cheesemakers) are expected at Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest. Thanks goodness for Robin Shepard, who offers his picks of beers that should not be missed at the Jan. 21 event. A lot of work goes into creating such a list — it’s not all fun and drinks.

Sunspot’s first label release hits the mark.

32-33 SCREENS

MAMA DRAMA

A new documentary highlights a couple’s struggle to expand their family.

40 EMPHASIS

MAKE YOUR SPACE

Brown & Beam is a design-savvy furniture store in a warehouse.

IN EVERY ISSUE 9 MADISON MATRIX 9 WEEK IN REVIEW 12 THIS MODERN WORLD 13 FEEDBACK 13 OFF THE SQUARE

34 ISTHMUS PICKS 41 CLASSIFIEDS 42 P.S. MUELLER 42 CROSSWORD 43 SAVAGE LOVE

PUBLISHER Jeff Haupt ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Craig Bartlett BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Mark Tauscher EDITOR Judith Davidoff NEWS EDITOR Joe Tarr ASSOCIATE EDITOR Michana Buchman FEATURES EDITOR Linda Falkenstein ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Catherine Capellaro 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

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 • © 2017 Red Card Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

Monday, Jan. 16, Capitol Rotunda, noon; Overture Center, 5 pm

The state’s 37th annual Martin Luther King Jr. tribute and ceremony at the Capitol features a talk by Milwaukee businesswoman Valerie Daniels-Carter and gospel music by the Brown Sisters of Chicago and Tremper High School wind ensemble. Madison and Dane County’s observance kicks off with a freedom songs sing-in at the Overture Rotunda and moves to the Capitol Theater at 6 pm with guest speaker Mary Frances Berry, former U.S. Commission on Civil Rights chair, and the MLK Community Choir.

We are the world Wednesday, Jan. 18-Saturday, Jan. 21, Overture Center

Madison hosts this year’s International Performing Arts for Youth conference, bringing together artists and venue administrators from around the world.

A number of showcase performances are free and open to the public, including L’Aubergine (Canada), Red Bridge Arts (United Kingdom) and Theatre Lovett (Ireland). For schedule and ticket reservations, see overture.org/events/ipay-2017.

FIND MORE ISTHMUS PICKS ON PAGE 34

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

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, Joel Patenaude, 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

The dream lives on

3

n SNAPSHOT

Madison Blaze veteran Stormy Justice was one of about 30 women who showed up for a Jan. 7 team tryout.

Playing like a girl

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

BY ALLISON GEYER n PHOTO BY MARY LANGENFELD

4

There’s a quiet intensity on the football field where about two dozen players are running drills. There’s no clack of pads or helmets, no shrill blasts from a coach’s whistle, just the muted pounding of cleats on artificial turf. When voices are raised, it’s to shout instructions or offer words of encouragement. The players are working hard — so hard that head coach Justin Weaver has to remind them to take a break.

This isn’t a prison camp, he says, lightening the mood.

But it is a serious tryout for a serious squad — the Madison Blaze is a full-contact, professional football team that travels all over the Midwest. They’ve won the division title three years running. The players train hard and hit even harder. Oh, and they all happen to be women.

The Jan. 7 tryout at the American Center, a UW Health sports medicine and performance facility on Madison’s east side, is the first event of the 2017 season for the fiveyear-old team. Veteran players are here to show coaches how they’ve grown from the previous season, and a fresh crop of rookies are eager to make an impression. Nobody

is getting cut, but players are jockeying for their preferred positions.

“This is a rebuilding year for us,” says Tiffany Loomis, a player and team co-owner, watching from the sidelines. Last year’s roster was in the low 30s, but she’s hoping to boost the number closer to 40 this season, and she’s pleased with the fresh talent. Players range in age from 18 to 50, and some have traveled from as far as Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells and Iowa.

“This team is a big draw because it offers something different,” Loomis says. “People don’t expect it at all.”

That certainly applies to coach Weaver.

A former defensive coordinator for the University of Chicago who now works in the UW-Madison athletic department, he didn’t even realize a serious women’s football league existed until about three years ago, when a Blaze player reached out to him about possibly coaching the team. “The only thing I had known about was lingerie league,” he says, referring to a novelty franchise founded in 2009 that features women playing football while wearing skimpy underwear. But his interest was piqued when

Year Madison Blaze was founded: 2013

Lydia Sujewicz, who goes he saw a promotional video by the nickname “Savage,” of a Blaze player making a Previous women’s football remembers her boyfriend heroic tackle. teams in Madison: laughing at her when she “I saw that hit, and I WOLVES, COUGARS (GROAN) told him she wanted to try was like ‘Wow, they really Independent Women’s Football out for the Blaze. Four years are playing football,’” he League Division Championships: later, she’s coming off her recalls. “This is football as I 2014, 2015, 2016 best season ever, and the know it, and they’re playing boyfriend is no longer in the their butts off. I want to try New league for 2017 season: picture. “This team is a fammy hand at this.”

Women’s Football Alliance ily,” she says. “People allow Katie Hurtis, a 28-yearWant to play? you to be who you are.” old Epic employee, found NEXT TRYOUT IS JAN. 15, The team also has the her way to the Blaze by way 7:30-9:30 AM, UW HEALTH power to inspire. On the of the Madison Gay Hockey AMERICAN CENTER, 4602 sidelines, 11-year-old Association. A three-sport EASTPARK BLVD. Aveyaunna Hughes is athlete in high school, she ready with a caddy of wawas looking for a way to meet ter bottles; she sprints onto new people and stay active.

“Being on a team was an aspect of life that I was the field when her dad, one of the coaches, missing,” she says. And while the women on the signals that his players are ready for a drink. team are connected by their love of football, the She watches the drills closely, imitating the politics of feminism and women’s empowerment footwork patterns. She says she wants to be a quarterback someday. When asked if the boys are also central to the team.

“There’s a lot of powerful women out there,” at school give her any trouble, she says it hapHurtis says from the sidelines. “And for us to pened once, but she dealt with it easily. be playing football, traditionally that door isn’t “I took the ball,” she says, “and I threw it farther than him.” n open to us.”

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n NEWS

Safety concerns Madison clubs and theaters ponder security in an age of terror attacks

BY ELISA WISEMAN

As a frequent concert-goer, Chooey Cornelius says safety is all about self-awareness.

“As long as you have the right people with you, you know who you’re with, it’s fine,” says Cornelius, who was waiting in line at the Orpheum in November to see Flosstradamus.

With terrorist attacks and mass shootings on the rise in recent years, entertainment venues around the world face a potentially greater need for security measures.

But Cornelius, a 20-year-old Appleton resident who often attends concerts in Madison and Milwaukee, says she’s never felt unsafe attending a concert in the area.

“When everyone is inside, you can see who you’re surrounding yourself with,” she says. “And you have to go in with the right mindset. If you’re going to a rock concert, there’s going to be a lot of people with different attitudes and different energies than if you’re going to an EDM concert.”

Regardless, recent attacks targeting people out for a game or the night — including the 2015 terrorist attacks at a Par-

is soccer stadium and theater, the mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub last summer, and the New Year’s Eve mass shooting in an Istanbul club — have raised the stakes for venue owners.

Tag Evers, a Madison-based promoter and founder of True Endeavors, says more security may be in his industry’s future, but cautions that a balance needs to be struck between safety and overreaction.

“What has to happen is that people need to feel safe when they go out, but it also needs to be balanced,” he says. “We can’t enter into a type of hysteria where we lose our sense of freedom. On the other hand, if these things start to happen on a more regular basis, then it’ll have to change….

The chances of dying of a terrorism attack are extremely remote, but it clearly has everyone on notice. The industry is adjusting.”

Some local venues have made major security adjustments in the past year.

UW-Madison officials announced in early October that the Kohl Center, home to the university’s basketball and hockey teams,

Shoo-ins With no challengers, most voters won’t have a choice for Common Council

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

BY DYLAN BROGAN

6

DAVID MICHAEL MILLER ILLUSTRATIONS

When Madison residents head to the polls on April 4, most won’t have a choice on who represents them on the Common Council. Although all 20 seats are up for election, only five of the districts will have more than one candidate on the ballot. The other 15 council members are running unopposed, the fewest number of contested races since 2001.

“It’s very disappointing,” Mayor Paul Soglin tells Isthmus. “I can’t understand why in such an activist city as Madison — where virtually everyone has an opinion on every subject — that we should find an extremely low number of contested races. It is disturbing.”

Soglin worries that if council members aren’t challenged at the ballot box, they will become complacent. He calls it “dangerous” for elected officials to run unopposed.

“It gives [council members] the false sense that they are right about everything,” says Soglin. “As much as it’s a strain and a challenge to go through a grueling election — and I’ve been fortunate to experience a good number of them over the years — I think it’s not only good for the community, it’s good for the candidate.”

Alds. Rebecca Kemble and Paul Skidmore agree. Neither face opponents this year but they aren’t celebrating. Skidmore says he was hoping for a spirited toe-to-toe with a challenger.

“Opponents stimulate a conversation,” says Skidmore. “It’s kind of sad because we have all sorts of issues that need discussing.”

“Competitive elections are good for everyone,” adds Kemble. “They help all candidates clarify their thinking and positions, especially when the community organizes public debates and candidate forums.”

Ald. Mark Clear sees two contradictory forces driving the lackluster number of opponents: “Jadedness and disgust” felt by voters about politics in general, and satisfaction with how local government is being run.

“Despite the mayor’s claim that the council is irresponsible and clueless, I think actually the council has functioned well,” says Clear. “That’s reflected in the fact that there is not an urgency to replace incumbents.”

Voters have at times ousted alders — even some well-entrenched ones — seeking reelection. One of the biggest

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Destination! would install metal detectors at every entryway. The Overture Center started doing bag checks after a few employees attended a May 2015 industry conference in New York City, where a session was dedicated to discussing security trends in the industry — namely, checking bags for firearms and other potential threats.

Others, though, haven’t made as many changes — mostly because the threat doesn’t seem particularly immediate.

“When the media covers stories about those incidents for an extended period of time, there might be fear in people going to large spaces with large groups of people, but we want to encourage people to go about their lives as they always have,” says Matt Gerding, co-owner of the Majestic.

“It’s still safe.”

Gerding says that it would be natural for patrons to think twice about attending a concert immediately after an incident occurs somewhere in the world. But the initial fears inevitably fade, and people realize that Madison, and the live music venue commu-

nity in general, is under no urgent threat.

“The initial response is to hibernate out of fear, but people tend to realize that it was an isolated incident,” he says.

Resistance to increasing security might also stem from the fact that it doesn’t come cheap, says Evers. Larger venues have the resources to pay for comprehensive measures. Smaller ones don’t.

“Larger venues are responding more quickly or with more immediacy, partly because they have bigger operations and are doing more shows, and, perhaps, there is more liability at stake,” Evers says. “But metal detectors cost around $5,000 each.

You couldn’t find a club in town that could take on a cost like that very easily. To have more uniformed security present at every single show and checking [patrons] and patting them down, that starts to add up to several hundred dollars a night. I would say that it’s most likely true that nobody who owns a club in town is excited about taking on that additional cost. But the world is changing.” ■

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“I think that is clearly one reason why there are so few contested races. Typically, there are more candidates when there is an open seat,” says Verveer, who last faced an opponent in 1999. “The lack of challengers — you’d like to think — is also because incumbents are doing a decent job.”

Brenda Konkel, former alder and election chair of Progressive Dane, says running for Common Council can be daunting for a newcomer. To wage a competitive campaign, a candidate needs to knock on thousands of doors in the dead of winter and raise upwards of $10,000.

“There is a high interest in running,” says Konkel. “But when you actually talk to someone about what it takes to run, it drops off real quick.”

Alders’ unwillingness to rock the boat is also a factor, says Konkel.

“In the past, alders pushed contentious issues forward. So people challenged them. This council sort of sits back and responds to things. They let the mayor do a lot of the work.” ■

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upsets came in 2013 when John Strasser unseated longtime council member Tim Bruer, who had represented his southwestside district for 29 years. Strasser served for one term, but then lost his reelection bid to Sheri Carter in 2015. That same year, Samba Baldeh won his east-side seat by defeating incumbent Joe Clausius, a fourterm veteran.

Carter now faces her own challenger, college student Jose Rea. Ald. Barbara McKinney will face IT manager David Handowski for her far-west-side district.

Near the UW campus, Ald. Zach Wood is running against John Terry Jr., a homeless activist. And Ald. Maurice Cheeks is up against state business analyst Steve Fitzsimmons for his west-side seat.

Ald. Tim Gruber is the only council member stepping down. Gruber promised not to run for reelection when council leaders appointed him to serve out the term of former Ald. Chris Schmidt, who resigned last January. Policy analyst Arvina Martin and consultant Bradley Campbell are vying to replace him in the west-side seat bordering Shorewood Hills. There will be no council elections on the spring primary ballot (Feb. 21) because there are only two candidates in each contested race.

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Critics mobilize against snowmobile trail DNR Board to reconsider approval in face of lawsuit

BY JOEL PATENAUDE

Strong opposition didn’t stop the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board from approving a snowmobile trail through Blue Mound State Park, but critics are stepping up their efforts in advance of a reconsideration of the policy later this month.

The controversial snowmobile trail was approved Jan. 27, 2016, by the board, which sets policy for the Department of Natural Resources based on the recommendations of DNR staff.

But the DNR was sued in Dane County Circuit Court in November by Karl Heil, former superintendent of the park, and area resident and

park user Kenneth Wade, for lobbying members of its governing body to approve the trail in violation of the state open meetings law.

Seeing this as a last-ditch opportunity to scuttle the motorized trail, Heil is now beating the bushes for lovers of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and winter mountain biking at the park to send in written comments or agree to speak at the Jan. 25 board meeting.

“I’m sure they don’t want to change their votes,” Heil said of the seven members of the Natural Resources Board who voted unanimously for the snowmobile trail nearly a year ago. “If this time the public comments come back 50/50 for and against it, they won’t change

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Writing and arts workshops at the Arboretum The land ethic in today’s world Walking meditations Special events exploring humans’ relationship with nature

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their votes. So it’s up to us, the silent sports users of the park, to step up to bat.”

Nearly 200 people expressed in writing their concern for the noise, speed, exhaust and safety risks that could come with a 1.4-mile, $170,000 snowmobile trail linking the Military Ridge State Trail along the park’s southern border to private property north of the park.

Only 12 snowmobilers asked for legal passage through the park. The trail will bisect and require rerouting of an existing ski trail.

After the Legislature and Gov. Scott Walker eliminated tax support for state parks in 2015, the DNR has looked for ways to make these properties self-supporting. Blue Mound remains one of the most popular parks, especially among silent sports enthusiasts. Participation in the Horribly Hilly Hundreds bike ride and Blue Mound Trail Run generated much of the $714,000 the Friends of Blue Mound put back into the park between 2008 and 2015.

There’s fear within the Friends group that snowmobiles in the park will chase away silent sport visitors and their sizeable donations.

According to Heil’s lawsuit, DNR officials broke the open meetings law in the way they “lobbied and polled” board members to support the snowmobile trail before last year’s vote.

In addition to emailing and calling board members individually, the night before the meeting, DNR staff hosted a dinner for the board, at which the project was discussed. Because the briefing involved official business without public notice, the DNR violated state law, the attorneys for Heil and Wade argue.

Consequently, the plaintiffs have asked the court to declare void the board’s approval of the snowmobile trail.

In a response to the lawsuit, filed Dec. 23, state Attorney General Brad Schimel denied that the DNR broke the law. Regardless, Schimel said the complaint “is moot” because, at the urging of the DNR’s legal counsel, “the issue of the Blue Mound master plan [will] be

placed before the board anew following a vote to reconsider the January 2016 approval.”

Heil, who retired as park superintendent for Blue Mound in 2011, scoffed at this. He compared the DNR to someone caught “doing 80 in a 55 mph zone, appearing in court and pleading not guilty by saying that the next time they drove down that road they obeyed the speed limit.”

In November, after the litigation uncovered email in which DNR officials discussed the intent of their pre-vote dinner, a DNR spokesperson said the agency will no longer host such events with board members.

The Capital Off Road Pathfinders mountain bike club supported the snowmobile trail last time around, in exchange for a change to the Blue Mound master plan to keep a choice mountain trail open. But in advance of the board’s reconsideration, the club has shared with its members, through its website and Facebook page, Heil’s plea to fight construction of the snowmobile trail.

The Madison Nordic Ski Club, which has about 250 members, also opposes the trail. Board member Renee Callaway says the club is updating a letter for submission to the DNR Board; it cites noise, pollution, impact on wildlife and the need to reroute part of an existing ski trail as reasons for the club’s opposition.

Heil says local residents can oppose construction of the DNR-backed snowmobile trail without opposing snowmobiling through the park. There’s already a signed trail within the right of way of Mounds Park Road that gets snowmobilers to and from the same points. Other possible routes exist east and west of the park.

The deadline to submit written comments to the Natural Resources Board is 11 a.m. on Jan. 13. The deadline to request to testify at the Jan. 25 board meeting is 11 a.m. on Jan. 20. Comments and requests to speak should be sent to board liaison Laurie J. Roth at Laurie.Ross@wisconsin.gov. ■

■ MADISON MATRIX

BR

UW-Madison scientists write an open letter to the state Department of Natural Resources urging the agency to get it together and embrace climate change science. Ignoring the facts “portrays the Wisconsin state government as anti-science,” the letter says. If the dunce cap fits….

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State K. A. E. D. Attorney General Brad Schimel spent $10,000 of taxpayer money to mint 2,000 commemorative coins bearing his name and his favorite slogan, which stands for “Kicking Ass Every Day,” columnist Dan Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

WINNING

LOSING

Exact Sciences Corp. is working with Mayo Clinic on seven new cancerscreening products, including a blood test to detect early lung cancer that’s showing high levels of accuracy in preliminary tests, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.

State Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) accuses UW-Madison of waging a “war on men” for offering a program that explores masculinity.

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n Gov. Scott Walker announces the state budget will include

$6 million to expand and renovate the Cream Puff Pavilion at the Wisconsin State Fair. The funding will come entirely from private gifts, and the project will be completed in 2019. Priorities!

SUNDAY, JAN. 8 n State Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack

tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she wants roughly $20,000 a year pay raises for herself and other judges, including appeals and circuit court judges. The 16 percent increase would cost $6.4 million per year. Wisconsin ranks 41st in the nation for judicial pay.

TUESDAY, JAN. 10 n Walker blindsides UW

Bob Seitz as his pick for Department of Transportation deputy secretary.

Seitz is a former lobbyist for the mining company Gogebic Taconite and a former executive assistant at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.

cleanlakesalliance.org/frozen-assets

WEDNESDAY, JAN 11 n Five former Depart-

ment of Natural Resources secretaries release a letter urging the Legislature to reject a proposal that would break up DNR programs into five different agencies.

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JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

System officials with a surprise announcement in his State of the State address that he plans to cut tuition for instate students. Facing diminishing state aid, universities had been hoping for an end to the tuition freeze, but Walker says the cut will be paid for in the budget.

n Walker announces

9

■ TECH

Tunnel vision UW-Madison students wind up Elon Musk’s hyperloop competition

BY ESTY DINUR

This month, Elon Musk’s SpaceX is running a competition to test hyperloop pods designed and built by university students and independent engineering teams. A team of UW-Madison students will be there.

The company is constructing a test track near its Hawthorne, California, headquarters for the competition.

The hyperloop, a tube over- or underground that is similar but larger than the pneumatic tubes used by banks and pharmacies, would allow for super-fast travel between cities that are less than 900 miles apart.

In an earlier design phase, a prototype built by the team of undergraduates at UWMadison, dubbed Badgerloop, placed third in a field of 125, behind graduate-student-driven teams from MIT and Delft. The manufactured pod, which is expected to reach 200 mph over a one-mile run, was unveiled on Dec. 6 at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, in a ceremony complete with red lighting, music and speeches; students explained their part of the project in a variety of stations around the hall.

A full-scale pod is projected to travel 760 mph.

More than 150 students from numerous disciplines participated in 18 sub-groups,

working on issues related to electrical systems, braking, structure, control, industry relations, finance and marketing. None of the work was done in the classroom for credit.

David Van Veen, who just graduated in electrical engineering, has served as the president of Badgerloop. The students, he says, are participating in creating a brand-new technology, a futuristic mode of transportation that could make travel much faster and more eco-friendly — if testing shows that it’s possible to do it with renewable energy. Currently, the pod is fueled by electricity.

“Being a part of a project like this, we learned a lot about engiThe Badgerloop will be tested later this month. neering, building a big team, things you can’t learn in a classroom,” Van Veen says. “Also, working on a project that can Duncan Carlsmith, a UW-Madison physshape things in the world has helped us think ics professor, advised the team throughout the about what we want to do, what problems we project. “It has had a profound impact on the stuwant to solve, what impact we want to have in dents, and is an inspiration for students here and the world. There are a lot of big problems fac- throughout the world,” he says. “They have grown ing the world today, and climate change is one up considerably. Many will soon be leading reof them, so we all were empowered through search divisions at major companies, I am sure.” the project to feel that we can...help in solving Besides providing technical help, Carlsmith this problem.” suggested that the team explore licensing its

2

technologies with WARF and convinced his department to offer the students space to construct the pod. The Physics Department Board of Visitors supplied some management and technical guidance, which enabled the team to organize, anticipate turnover and transition through the graduation of the project’s originators. The board also assisted in looking for vendors and external supporters and ultimately contributed financially to the pod construction.

Kyle Grieger, a computer science and engineering senior, said at the pod’s Dec. 6 unveiling that the experience has been “extremely arduous. You need to have a high threshold of tolerance for not knowing.” He has a job waiting for him at a software company in San Francisco but hopes to find his way back to transportation, having realized that important improvements can be made in the field.

“I choose to believe undergraduate students can do most anything, if just allowed to succeed,” says Carlsmith. “This team bears that premise out.” ■

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n OPINION

Anywhere but here?

Don’t rule out Madison and Milwaukee candidates for governor DAVID MICHAEL MILLER

BY ALAN TALAGA Alan Talaga co-writes the Off the Square cartoon with Jon Lyons and blogs at Madland.

As Democrats scour the state looking for potential candidates to challenge Gov. Scott Walker in 2018, I’ve heard a refrain repeated over and over: “Find someone who isn’t from Madison or Milwaukee.”

There’s good reason why Democrats would be simultaneously hopeful and anxious about the next election. Midterm elections almost always hurt the president’s party. Walker rode national Republican waves to victory in 2010 and 2014. Assuming Walker chooses to run for a third term, he’ll face a very different kind of election in 2018. With unified Republican government at the state and federal level, there’s no one for Walker to use as a scapegoat.

But even a national Democratic midterm wave wouldn’t make the gubernatorial race a lock. Walker is a nationally known figure who will have a huge fundraising advantage. While Walker wilted under the national spotlight during his brief presidential campaign, he’s an experienced and talented campaigner in Wisconsin.

Democrats are tired of losing, and many believe a rural candidate would have a better chance of winning. It makes sense on some level. The last two Democratic gubernatorial candidates were from Milwaukee and Madison. Spoiler alert, they both lost.

But Tom Barrett and Mary Burke had problems that extended far beyond their zip codes. They were decent but unspectacular candidates who ran during national Republican waves. Location became a nonfactor; Barrett and Burke would have gotten creamed even if they had been born and raised at Lambeau Field.

While it is indisputable that Democrats need to find candidates and issues that will make them competitive in rural Wisconsin again, they can’t magically generate rural appeal through a candi-

date who just happens to live in a rural part of the state. Rural voters aren’t looking for folksy pandering; they are looking for an affable, inspiring leader who talks about issues they care about. That’s more important than the candidate’s zip code. Bernie Sanders won support across rural parts of the state — ultimately winning more votes than any other Democratic or Republican candidate during Wisconsin’s presidential primary — thanks to a platform that authentically resonated with Wisconsinites, even if sounded like a Willy Street fever dream.

Don’t get me wrong; I think a gubernatorial contender from Eau Claire or the Fox Valley is a great idea, but a different geographic location alone doesn’t make for a good candidate.

Selecting a nominee through triangulation is exactly how the party ended up with Mary

Burke. She was a moderate business leader and a tremendous philanthropist. Many thought her lack of political experience would help her rise above the muck. She was an ideal candidate on paper — but we don’t elect resumes, we elect people. She occasionally came off as a neophyte against the more experienced Walker. Having faced no serious primary challengers, Burke was ill-prepared for a statewide race.

Additionally, a Democratic candidate needs to outperform Barrett and Burke in places beyond rural Wisconsin. Milwaukee County faced a huge dropoff in turnout between the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. If that one county alone had turned out for Clinton in the numbers they turned out for Obama, Clinton would have carried the state.

Find a Democratic candidate who can fire up voters in rural Jackson County and urban Kenosha and you’ve found the next governor of Wisconsin.

But that won’t be easy. With a thin bench, Democrats can’t afford to write off candidates from any part of the state. That includes small towns, midsized communities like La Crosse, as well as bigger urban areas like Madison and Milwaukee. Think of

THIS MODERN WORLD

all the experienced leaders in Madison and Milwaukee — the vast majority of Democratic state legislators, city and county officials, successful entrepreneurs and heads of nonprofits. Some of them might be worth enduring some anti-urban political potshots.

The best way to find a great Democratic candidate is through a contested gubernatorial primary. I’d love to see three or more candidates crossing the state, meeting with voters from Kenosha to Superior. Let’s see if Dane County Executive Joe Parisi’s message resonates with the rural voters at the Taylor County Fair. Let’s see if Rep. Dana Wachs (D-Eau Claire) can fire up the crowds in Milwaukee. Let’s see if the economic populism of Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) is enough to make pro-choice Madison overlook Vinehout’s previous pro-life stances.

Let’s see if anyone other than former Sen. Tim Cullen wants to see Tim Cullen run for governor.

Every candidate has a hometown, but, through an open primary, Democrats might just find a candidate who feels at home in any town across Wisconsin. n

BY TOM TOMORROW

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

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n FEEDBACK

Voter suppression

Honorable mention

“The End of Voter Registration Drives” (1/5/2017) describes the most recent voter suppression legislation, which eliminates special registration deputies (SRDs), effective this month.

Reid Magney, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Elections Commission, is quoted as saying, “I don’t have figures, but [registration deputies] make up a relatively small percentage of voter registrations.” Well, here are some figures that were provided to me about two years ago by Brian Bell, a former state elections staff member who is now head of the state Ethics Commission. In 2008, there were 140,561 approved voter applications with SRDs listed as the source. In 2012, there were 64,499.

Why the 54% drop between 2008 and 2012? Probably because the Legislature eliminated statewide SRDs in 2011. Since then, if you were trained and appointed by a municipal clerk, you could only register voters who lived in that municipality. Even these lowered numbers were apparently too much for the voter suppressors. You can see details on the voter suppression legislation since 2011 at fairelectionswi.com/supression.htm.

Paul Malischke (via email)

I enjoyed reading the review of the new Food Fight restaurant, Everly (“Enlightened Eating,” 1/5/2017).

Yet, in all the enlightenment and descriptive adjectives about the various food tasted, there was no mention of the executive chef, Scott Harrell, or sous chef Matthew Austin.

Certainly the culinary team behind all the flavor, textures and direction of this innovative menu deserve recognition for their skill, hard work and craft.

Patti Glasz (via email)

Renaissance man “Making a Scene” (12/8/2016) is an interesting, wonderfully written and highly readable article about Johannes Wallmann.

Johannes is certainly a Renaissance man in the truest sense of the word. A German-born, Canadaraised UW-Madison School of Music professor who is a jazz pianist and a hockey team captain is bound to catch anyone’s attention. However, it was author Jane Burns’ writing style that sealed the deal.

Ron Johnson (via email)

Correction An article in the Jan. 5 issue, “The End of Voter Registration Drives,” misattributed a quote: “So if you’re trying to do a door-to-door registration drive and you find someone without [the right] ID, you’re going to have to pull a Xerox machine out of your back pocket.” It was said by Paul Malischke. The article also incorrectly stated that an estimated 300,000 people were unable to vote in the November election because of voter ID requirements. That estimate was from 2014.

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.

OFF THE SQUARE

BY ALAN TALAGA & JON LYONS

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■ COVER STORY

Madison’s

lost

theaters Remembering our entertainment palaces The view down State Street, 1930

BY JAY R AT H

IF

■

PHOTOS FROM THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

THERE IS MAGIC

short acts of every kind: dancers, strongmen, jugglers, comics, plate-spinners, puppets, animal acts, hypnotists, politicians delivering speeches and cartoonists with blackboards offering “chalk talks.”

After a series of mergers the Orpheum circuit became Radio-Keith-Orpheum, or RKO, the movie studio that produced Citizen Kane, King Kong and the musicals of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Passersby may wonder why the sign reads “New Orpheum.” It’s an authentic replica, reflecting the fact that Madison once boasted two Orpheum theaters. The “old” Orpheum once stood at 111 Monona Ave. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard), roughly the site of today’s Francesca’s al Lago restaurant.

Diane Kostecke, a writer and former producer for Wisconsin Public Television, researched Madison’s early theater history while a UW-Madison graduate student in the late 1970s. “I was lucky to find and interview people with direct working knowledge of the early- to mid-20th-century theater history of Madison,” says Kostecke. This history connects generations, she adds. “As long as people are willing to gather together in a darkened room to watch stories unfold on a stage or a screen, we have a connection reaching back to our recent and distant ancestors.”

Kostecke’s research focused on movie palaces of the 1920s.

“They were such amazing structures reflecting a mish-mash of exotic styles and a gaudy manifestation of imagination in service of com-

merce. They brought a kind of glamour and show-biz aesthetic to even medium-sized cities like Madison,” she says. “Theater-going was a formative experience in the 20th century.”

Obviously, theaters are more than their physical structures. They are centers of culture and community, and their flourishing and eventual demise reflect changes in the city. “The course of Madison’s theatrical activities so closely parallels the growth of the city as to clearly mark its place in the city’s culture,” Henry Youngerman wrote in an article in the 1947 Wisconsin Magazine of History. “Gateway to much of the West, host to many who came to the frontier better to understand the making of a nation, Madison nourished and supported the theater for professional and amateur alike.”

Adding to the many mysteries of Madison’s early theaters are the frequent name changes.

When the New Orpheum opened, the original became the Garrick Theatre. Later it became the New Madison. (An earlier Madison Theater was at 204-206 State St., across from what today is the Overture Center for the Arts.

Its original name was the Grand. Nearby, at 216 State, was the Varsity Theatre.) Downtown was a bustling theater district; counting early storefront movie houses, or “nickelodeons,” there were at least nine within seven blocks of the capitol.

As Madison celebrates the reinstatement of the Orpheum’s sign, we thought it was time to revisit a time before Netflix and social media, when even a small city like Madison was bursting with live entertainment. ➡

The restored Orpheum sign has changed the face of State Street.

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

in a theater, there’s even more in theaters now lost to us. We still have the shadows of the silent films that ushered in the cinematic age, but the earlier road companies and tent shows aren’t even history book footnotes. The showtime laughter and tears of our grandparents and great-grandparents are long forgotten, but a few reminders are left — if you know where to look.

Madisonians are hungry for glimpses of these past beauties. When a replica of the 1926 Orpheum Theater’s massive, original sign was lit in early July, a crowd thronged State Street, despite thunderstorms. “You won’t believe how many people stop me in the street to shake my hand,” says Orpheum owner Gus Paras. “People I’ve never seen in my life, young and old, and they want to thank me for bringing back the Orpheum, and especially the sign.”

In 2013, Paras told Isthmus he wanted to restore the theater to its former glory to give back to the city that had welcomed him; he sees the more than 100-year-old institution as a community treasure. “The Orpheum to me is not private property,” he said. “It belongs to Madison.”

The Orpheum’s sign restoration pays homage not only to the largest intact movie palace we have left, but to the Orpheum “circuit,” a national organization that booked vaudeville entertainers into Orpheum theaters around the countr y. Vaudeville was the only mass pop-entertainment medium other than comic strips when it began in the late 1880s. It was an ever-changing variety show, with multiple

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n COVER STORY

Madison Theater (first Orpheum Theater)

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

The Orpheum’s original décor was Second Empire, with huge murals, gilt and lavish French ornamentation. Yet despite its highbrow appearance, it was built for lowly vaudeville, and for vaudevillians only.

These were the dog acts, the plate spinners, the ventriloquists and “living statues” — hourglass women dressed in tights, standing stock-still as “art,” to beat censorship boards.

There were several vaudeville circuits, or franchised chains of theaters. The western Pantages circuit was dubbed “Siberia” by vaudeville performers; travel was by train, and far-apart theaters meant lost time. The top circuit was the Orpheum, whose flagship was Broadway’s celebrated Palace Theatre.

Young Judy Garland, George M. Cohan, W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Will Rogers, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Wisconsin native Harry Houdini all “rode” the Orpheum circuit. But by the 1930s, vaudeville gave way to radio and motion pictures, and ornate French décor was out of favor. In 1934 Madison’s original Orpheum closed for two years. It reopened with a stunning art deco theme, featuring a piano-key proscenium.

Our first Orpheum (which later became the New Madison) closed and was demolished in 1957.

16

The Madison Theater (formerly Orpheum), 1936

The Madison Theater interior, 1936

The Strand’s last marquee, 1980

The Strand Preservationists fought and fought, hoping to save at least the lobby and façade, then just the façade, but the remains of the Strand Theater, 16 E. Mifflin St., were finally demolished in 1996.

The Strand began just after 1900 as the Amuse Theater, a humble nickelodeon. After a name change, it was rebuilt and vastly expanded in 1916. Officially named the New Strand, the successor venue was designed by distinguished Chicago theater architects Rapp & Rapp, who also designed our current Orpheum and the Capitol Theater, now part of Overture.

The Wisconsin Historical Society saved the Strand’s last marquee.

The Strand Theater, 1930

Hooley’s Opera House Manager P.T. Barnum created the stage name for the singer, dancer and comedian, helping make him an international sensation.

Hooley’s was built in 1855 and seated 800. Sometimes spelled “Hoolley’s,” it was first called Van Bergen Hall, after its owner. But Peter Van Bergen later changed the name, apparently to claim association with Chicago’s famed Hooley’s Theatre.

Despite its claim to be Madison’s oldest theater, the earliest was likely Lewis’ Hall, 221 Wisconsin Ave., at the corner with Johnson Street, built in 1851 and demolished in 1922.

General Tom Thumb

➡

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

One of Madison’s earliest theaters was Hooley’s Opera House, which opened on the third and fourth floors of a building framed by South Pinckney, East Main and East Doty streets, just off the Capitol Square, above today’s Marigold Kitchen. Such pre-vaudeville venues operated much like live theater today, booking touring presentations of plays and individual stars.

Hooley’s once hosted live comedy, music and dance. It was at this thriving hub that Madison witnessed performances by Charles Sherwood Stratton (1838-1883), the little person known as General Tom Thumb.

17

■ COVER STORY

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Madison’s best venue for decades was the Fuller Opera House, on the Capitol Square, mid-block and roughly behind what today is the Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club. It opened in 1890 and was renamed the Parkway in 1921.

It was demolished in 1954, but dramatic destruction nearly came twice earlier. During a performance in 1896, a tornado lifted off the roof and dashed it a block away, onto the area today occupied by the Bartell Theatre.

By chance or the designs of fate, onstage was comedian Eddie Foy Sr. He calmed the audience, perhaps gleaning experience that allowed him to remain front and center during Chicago’s horrific Iroquois Theater fire seven years later. More than 600 died in the “fireproof ” building. An unexpected hero, Foy stayed onstage, begging all to exit in an orderly fashion, even as burning scenery collapsed around him.

The Fuller’s own fiery turn came in October 1925. A live fashion show was ending when, apparently, a spark ignited backstage rigging. Fire spread quickly. The asbestos fire curtain was dropped, but when stagehands fled by a rear exit, the sudden inrush of fresh air caused a “backdraft.” A massive, exploding fireball flashed onto 1,000 theatergoers.

Betty Harb, age 13, was attending with Roland Allen, a 6-year-old she was babysitting. “The curtain suddenly burst into flames and swung right out towards us,” she told a reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal. “I didn’t know what to do, but I remembered the folks had said, ‘Take care of little Roland.’”

She sheltered the boy with her own body, suffering smoke inhalation and third-degree burns on her face and hands. The flaming roof fell in.

Miraculously, though the fire’s ferocity led Fire Chief Charles Heyl to believe “the entire block was going,” there were no fatalities.

The Fuller’s name was changed in 1921 to Parkway. Something of it survives. For many years its transplanted 1926 pipe organ was a beloved icon of Iowa State University, in Ames. Played virtually to death, some of its abandoned components are now parts of the organ at the opera house in Pella, Iowa.

Open Air Theater In 2013 Webb Management Services Inc., a New York consulting group, delivered a performing arts study requested by Mayor Paul Soglin. It identified the need for a permanent, “well-equipped outdoor performance space.”

We once had one. Little is known today about the Open Air Theater at the UW-Madison, but it lasted at least from the 1910s through 1920s. A more formal classical outdoor theater was first considered, similar to the one still used by the University of California at Berkeley, the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre.

The Open Air Theater was an experiment launched by Thomas H. Dixon, a UW-Madison theater professor, who helped create a pastoral “meadow theater” behind Bascom Hall, just north of Sterling Hall. The meadow theater had two incarnations, with the first one facing north. “Groups of trees frame the wooden platform stage at both sides, but at the back is an almost unbroken view of Lake Mendota,” wrote Sheldon Cheney in his 1918 book, The OpenAir Theatre.

“The whole forms a very pretty composition,” he concluded, “and a more satisfying background for pageant-like production could not be desired.”

The Open Air Theater sloped behind Bascom Hall toward Charter Street.

UW-MADISON ARCHIVES

Hidden Bascom

An anthropology lecture in room 272 Bascom, where theater luminaries once had their turn in the spotlight.

BRYCE RICHTER / UW COMMUNICATIONS

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Not all of Madison’s lost theaters are truly lost. One has merely been disguised and obscured. It’s the UW Department of Theatre and Drama’s former home stage, or — as it’s known today — room 272 in Bascom Hall.

The building’s theater wing, which was added in 1899, included a stage and seating for 347. The proscenium was framed elegantly if minimally by scrollwork and ornamental leaves. The theater included a fly loft, into which backdrops were raised and hidden, for fast changes of scene.

This stage hosted the live performances of Broadway and Hollywood legends, among them Don Ameche (1908-1993); Uta Hagen (1919-2004), a three-time Tony winner including one for lifetime achievement; Madison native Gena Rowlands (1930- ), four-time Emmy winner and recipient of an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement; and Fredric March, the only actor to receive two Tonys and two Oscars. And then in 1972, the UW underwent a different kind of scene change. Vilas Hall opened, its modern stages so eclipsing their predecessor that Bascom’s theater doesn’t even appear in a UW history of campus arts.

Everything from the curtain-line back was walled over, leaving only the hint of a stage in what is now a Bascom lecture hall. Used today for storage and shop space, the “backstage area, including the fly loft and catwalk, of the original Bascom theater is still extant,” says Steve Wagner, UW Facilities Planning & Management communications director.

Perhaps, like King Arthur in Avalon, our oldest surviving theater is not dead but merely asleep, waiting to someday be awakened — when needed. n

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FOOD & DRINK ■ SPORTS ■ BOOKS ■ STAGE ■ SCREENS

Beer scouting Special brews to look for at the 2017 Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest

BY ROBIN SHEPARD ■ ILLUSTRATION BY TODD HUBLER

Ale Asylum Festival attendees will get an early taste of Ballistic IPA, which begins its annual seasonal run later this month. Ale Asylum is holding details close to the brew house, but it’s also planning to pour the latest in its Spawn Series of pilot brews.

Alt Brew Brewmaster Trevor Easton will unveil a new gluten-free beer, a light-bodied kölsch called Kickback, made with sorghum and rice.

Bent Kettle Brewing Fans of K’Paui, the brewery’s coconut porter, will be treated to a special version aged in rum barrels from the Old Sugar Distillery. K’Paui made my list of Isthmus’ best beers of 2016.

The brewery also plans to unveil Occam’s Razor Belgian-style dubbel. It will also be offered in a brandy barrel version. A fest-only treat will be a pale ale, infused with tangelos.

Brenner Brewing Company This Milwaukee Brewery will offer tastes of its newest beer, Lightning Bug Night-Light stout, plus six others.

➡

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

The annual Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival is a showcase for well-known beers, plus many smaller releases that appeal to so-called beer hunters — those who enjoy searching for tastes they’ve never had before. Here are some of the new and/or limited releases that brewers know they’ll be bringing to the 2017 fest. But they’ll keep adding new surprises, likely right up until the last minute.

21

■ FOOD & DRINK

Special brews continued from 21

Capital Brewery Look for brewmaster Ashley Kinart to have her Colectivo Coffee-infused Munich Dark on tap. Capital has also been working with Merkt’s Cheese to create new cheese spreads. The brewery will be offering samples of one made with Mutiny IPA and another made with Supper Club.

Dead Bird Brewing The brewery’s newest beer, Pumpernickel, is a rich, robust porter made with a half-dozen malts and a touch of flaked rye. It’s a strong beer at 9 percent ABV. As a fest-only treat, the brewery will serve it side-by-side with a second batch made with toasted oak. This is an early taste of Pumpernickel, which will appear in 22-ounce bombers later this year.

Fermentorium The Fermentorium, out of Cedarburg, just started self-distributing into Madison over the past month.

This will be an opportunity to try several of its beers, including its double IPA called Underwater Panther and the Belgian tripel, Divine Sanctuary.

Great Dane Pub and Brewery The big reveal will be a black saison. Expect a dry and peppery farmhouse beer with mellow dark malt character. Brewer Michael Fay is also expected to bring his Rauchbock, a smooth, caramelforward lager with a smoky and spicy background.

The Hop Garden Here the big draw will be an American stout called Resilient. It’s the overall winner from last summer’s Verona Hometown Brewdown.

Hop Haus Brewing If you haven’t yet ventured down to Verona to pick up a bottle of Hop Haus’ barrel-aged barleywine or its barrel-aged stout, now you don’t have to. Both will be served at this year’s fest.

The eighth annual Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival will take place Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Alliant Energy Center. The two-hour premium tasting session gets under way at noon; the doors open for general admission from 2-6 p.m. Fest goers can expect to find nearly 100 breweries serving some 400 beers.

Tickets available via isthmusbeercheese.com.

House of Brews Making a limited appearance will be a bourbon barrel-aged version of Kremlin, a Russian imperial stout.

Karben4 Brewing The brewery plans to share a booth with Just Coffee Cooperative, so watch for coffeeinfused beers like a special version of its Threat Level Midnight: American stout.

Melms Brewing Company Wisconsin brewing history buffs might recognize this name. C.T. Melms was one of the original Milwaukee breweries from the 1840s. The brewery eventually became part of Pabst. A group of investors is attempting to bring back a taste of that history. This is the first time Melms’ beer has been served at the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest. The booth will have Honey Badger IPA and Walker’s Point Wheat.

Octopi Brewing The Waunakee brewery is bringing two of its 3rd Sign trial pilot brews, a hoppy pilsner and a mild-mannered table beer. It will also offer its Osiris imperial stout and two new beers aged in whiskey barrels: a lager called Little Dingy and a dark ale called Big Schooner.

O’so Brewing Company Watch for a new one from the Plover brewery — it’s called Prickly Pear, a kettle-soured wheat beer made with pear puree. In the premium session, O’so plans to serve Arbre Qui Donne, a barrel-aged sour made with Georgia peaches, not yet available in bottles.

Parched Eagle Brewmaster Jim Goronson will bring his popular black saison Alferd, along with his newest beer, an imperial stout called Geronimo.

Three Sheeps Brewing Look for the Belgian quad, Veneration, to be served in the premium tasting session.

It’s a rich malty beer with hints of fig and molasses. Hope that some of it makes the general session.

Woodman Brewery For the premium tasting session, there will be a brandy barrel-aged barleywine from this tiny southwestern Wisconsin brewpub.

Viking Brewpub A very limited Chocolate Peanut Butter Coffee porter and the brewery’s seasonal doppelbock called Winter Wonderland will join the Stoughton pub’s Ironside IPA.

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Beer does not stand alone at the fest, and neither does the cheese.

Alongside beer, you’ll find a growing number of beverages from meaderies and hard cider producers. Crafted Artisan Meadery and Bos Meadery join Seattle Cider Company, Virtue Cider, Cider House of Wisconsin, Mershon’s Cidery, Restoration Cider Co. and Ciderboys. Keep an eye out for Seattle Cider’s Cold Brew Coffee cider and Mershon’s Snowed In Cinammon (both premium tastings). Crafted Artisan Meadery will have a Bananas Foster version of the fermented honey drink.

Make sure to try some award-winning cheeses from Marieke Gouda (the Thorp, Wisconsin, cheesemakers won honors at

last year’s World Cheese Championship in Madison). Check out Golden (aged 12-18 months), young gouda and honey clover gouda. Not enough gouda for you? White Jasmine will have its tandoori, cilantro, barbecue and cumin goudas.

Martha’s Pimento of Milwaukee returns to the fest. If you have not yet discovered this Wisco version of the South’s favorite spreadable cheese, make tracks. Finally, try a little goat cheese at the Mont Chevre booth.

Want more substantial fare? Slide, the Rigby and Banzo will be selling lunch in the food court area. You can’t go wrong with Slide’s cheese-stuffed meatball sliders, Banzo’s hummus and pita or the Rigby’s soft pretzels.

— LINDA FALKENSTEIN

The chicken fajitas nachos can function as an appetizer or a meal.

LAURA ZASTROW

Simple pleasures Partners and childhood friends Oscar Gonzalez and Eduardo Trejo have brought another spot for Mexican food to Madison with their new venture, Lalo’s. Trejo, a veteran of his family’s restaurant, Park Street’s Taqueria Guadalajara, is clearly cooking food that’s near and dear to his heart at Lalo’s, which opened last fall.

Tucked away in an aging retail strip on University Avenue (formerly home to Marrakech, Shish Cafe and a host of other eateries over the years), Lalo’s has been fairly quiet when I’ve visited. That’s too bad. It’s not a huge space, but it can fit a decent crowd. The dining room boasts a beautiful hand-painted mural; there’s a bar area to one side.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that matter. At Lalo’s, the chips and salsa drop on your table immediately after you sit down — one of many reasons why this can be a top dining choice for families with young kids. Lalo’s provides two salsas, a salsa verde thick with tomatillos, and a rojo.

Both are spicy, so if the kids are dipping, you might want to spring for the queso dip or the guacamole; both are excellent. The queso

offered stuffed with either cheese or chicken, combined with either a verde or de raja (roasted pepper) sauce. They’re not big, so order a few, or a side to go along with them.

Smaller appetites can go à la carte with tostadas or tacos. The taco’s crisp corn tortillas stand up to a saucy meat filling (choose from chicken, al pastor, steak or chicharron).

The tacos could use a little more meat with a little more seasoning. My favorite tacos in town are still at Los Gemelos; these — at least the al pastor — seemed somewhat bland in comparison.

Try to include a Saturday trip, as there are added breakfast dishes like huevos rancheros. It made for a particularly good, filling meal, with two fried eggs in a tomato chile sauce accompanied with rice, beans and tortillas. Slow-cooked specialties like pozole and menudo also are sold only on Saturday.

Lalo’s menu is more extensive than what’s usually found at a taqueria, but less wide-ranging than at a Laredo’s, with its many dinners and combo meals. It’s a great addition to the west-side/Middleton area, distinguishing itself from Pasqual’s-Hilldale, Chipotle, Cocina Real and Lupe’s as a real, family-run spot that feels like a taqueria but acts like a restaurant. ■

5510 University Ave. ■ 608-422-5479 ■ 11 am-10 pm Mon.-Sat., may close earlier during winter break ■ $2-$13

Eats events Portugal is known for its port. However, the coastal nation has upped its wine game with other varieties in recent years. Learn by tasting at this class hosted by the Madison Wine School. Tickets ($25) at madisonwineschool.com. At 5930 Seminole Centre Court in Fitchburg, 6:30-8:30 pm.

Ribollito Soup Tuscan Braised Short Ribs

Isthmus Beer & Cheese Fest Sneak Peek Saturday, Jan. 14

Before the big wingding on Jan. 21, taste some of the cheddars that will be featured at Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest. Each cheese is paired with a beer from One Barrel Brewing. At both Metcalfe’s Markets, Hilldale and West Towne, 11 am-2 pm.

Bier Dinner Wednesday, Jan. 18

Cafe Hollander and Central Waters Brewing team up for a five-course pairing dinner. Expect pork belly on a stick, sweetbreads, duck breast, venison loin with winter root vegetable potato pancake, and flourless chocolate tart with raspberry coulis, along with stouts and ales.

Tickets ($50) at tinyurl.com/cwbierdinner. At Cafe Hollander, 701 Hilldale Way, 7-9 pm.

Cost $47 • Limited Seating Please RSVP by 1/15

425 N. Frances St. • 256-3186 Check out the menu at portabellarest.com

Porta Bella Restaurant Week Ital Specials SAT. JAN. 21 – SAT. JAN. 28 3 Course Dinners Duo Canneloni $ 25 Roasted Beef Tenderloin $30 Chicken Parmesan $25 Lobster Ravioli $25 Peppered Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo $30 Beef Tenderloin and Portabella Mushrooms in Gorgonzola $30 LUNCHEON SPECIALS $15 View menus online: portabellarest.com

425 N. Frances St. • 256-3186 – Reservations Recommended –

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JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Saturday, Jan. 14

We will be presenting 5 Italian wines along with our four course dinner

Raspberry Tiramisu is essentially just melted cheese, but it’s hard to stop dipping the chips in it all the same. The guacamole’s avocado, tomato and sprinkling of cilantro are fresh and make for a slightly healthier indulgence.

Nachos, though listed in the appetizer section, are really a meal in themselves. In addition to the traditional style and a “Nachos Vallarta” with shrimp, Lalo’s features a super version of fajitas nachos, with either chicken or steak and grilled vegetables — it’s fajitas, just served on tortilla chips instead of a sizzling skillet. It’s an impressive plate, built on “white,” green and red chips, with a cascade of queso and delicious seasoned steak and bell peppers. These are some of the best nachos I’ve tasted.

Dinners include flautas, chiles rellenos, enchiladas, milanesa and tilapia, as well as the Lalo’s Special, a highlight. It’s a large steak accompanied by sweet and spicy grilled chorizo, potatoes, rice, beans and grilled cactus, which was tangy and a bit crunchy. The enchiladas verdes, sort of a bellwether dish for me at Mexican places, highlighted the chicken and weren’t overloaded with verde sauce and cheese, as they sometimes are.

Tamales are another treat to order because, let’s be honest — making tacos or quesadillas at home is no big deal, but tamales? Here, they’re LALO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANTE

The Wines of Portugal

THURSDAY, JAN. 19 6-8:30 PM

Hot Antipasto Dip

Lalo’s feels like a taqueria but acts like a restaurant

BY CANDICE WAGENER

ITALIAN WINE DINNER

23

n FOOD & DRINK

Chocolate and toffee

Shopping while intoxicated

Resilient from the Hop Garden

The idea of a happy hour at a bar inside a grocery store requires some attitude adjustment. Why, you may ask yourself, am I drinking in a supermarket? Has my life come to this? Maybe it has! Jan. 20 approacheth!

Stopping for a drink at the Mezz, the mezzanine bar/eat-in area of Festival Foods, 810 E. Washington Ave., may make grocery shopping more palatable — though you can’t roam the aisles with your Moscow Mule or chardonnay.

Happy hour, 3-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., means a $4 or $5 drink special (and Sundays, it’s $4 bloodys and mimosas all day).

The happy hour might work better if the self-serve checkouts at the deli were operational (they’re being replaced) so you could grab hors d’oeuvre-y stuff from the hot bar and head right upstairs to order a glass or half glass of wine, a pint of craft beer or even a “Mezzarita,” one of a handful of cocktails available. Instead, a detour to the liquor store checkout is needed.

Even so, the bright, IKEA-influenced bar is a nice place to ground yourself while searching for healthy recipes on your phone and scribbling a shopping list.

You won’t find rarities among the eight taps, but there are solid local picks like Glacial

ROBIN SHEPARD

for $8-$9 and should be on most local store shelves by January 14.

This is a very flavorful dark beer, perfect for drinking in cold weather. There’s subtle warmth and spiciness in the finish, though all the malt can be a bit cloying.

And it is almost as robust as an imperial stout. Regardless, Resilient is a very drinkable oatmeal stout.

— ROBIN SHEPARD

LINDA FALKENSTEIN

Resilient was the overall winner in last summer’s Hometown Brewdown in Verona. Homebrewer Larry Leinberger of Milwaukee was the creator; he won the opportunity to work with Hop Garden owner Rich Joseph and House of Brews brewmaster Page Buchanan on a commercial version of his beer. The original recipe was slightly tweaked when it was scaled up to a 10-barrel batch, but it remains substantially the same as the brew that won the competition.

This is Hop Garden’s first stout.

The beer is a showcase of malt with seven different varieties and a touch of oats (just enough to qualify it as an oatmeal stout). There’s a small amount of Wisconsin-grown Fuggle hops, however, they’re so sparingly involved they hardly offer any balance next to all the chocolate, caramel and toffee tones.

It’s fermented with a London ESB yeast and finishes at 7.2 percent ABV. Resilient is available in 22-ounce bombers

Festival Foods’ happy hour

The Mezzarita may start a shopping frenzy.

Trail from Central Waters or Lady Luck from Karben4. And that Mezzarita? The classic margarita, made with Sauza Hornitos Reposado Tequila, might inspire you to grab the ingredients for grilled shrimp tacos or some cheese quesadillas.

— LINDA FALKENSTEIN

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Breakfast of champions Farmers’ market brunch adds new chefs to lineup

BY DYLAN BROGAN

It can seem like the summer Dane County Farmers’ Market gets all the accolades and national attention. But locals know that only the indoor “late winter” market has the Taste of the Market Breakfast.

Now in its 15th year, the breakfast features a different guest chef each week. Many of Madison’s most prominent cooks have participated in breakfast over the years; now it’s reached the point where the list of guest chefs for the season reads like a who’s who of Madison kitchens, from Dave Heide (Liliana’s) to Francesco Mangano (Osteria Papavero) to Tory Miller (Graze, et al.)

With a team of volunteers, chefs prepare a hot meal on-site for over 300 people. “The vast majority of the food comes from our farmers,” says Sarah Elliott, market manager.

“The breakfasts highlight the ingredients at the market and give customers extra ideas for how to cook with them. It’s a nice symbiosis for the breakfast to support the farmers.”

A number of new chefs are participating in the breakfast series this season, including Ben Lubchansky and Kate Zomboracz from 608 Community Supported Kitchen.

Lubchansky plans on making a savory Indian-style breakfast on Feb. 18.

“We’re making dosas stuffed with spinach potato dal and curry cream lentils with chopped egg, fiery pickled carrots and yogurt,” says Lubchansky. “It’s a big production, but we are looking forward to it.” The duo will also serve a breakfast-style khichari (made with rice and red lentils.)

Gil Altschul of Grampa’s Pizzeria and the new Porter will be doing his third breakfast on March 23. This year, he’ll prepare a “giant batch of pozole,” a traditional Mexican soup made with hominy, vegetables and stewed meat (a vegetarian version will also be available).

Other participants include Chris Cubberly of the Graduate and Portage Pi, Rob Grisham of Isthmus Dining Company, Kristina Stanley of Brown Rice and Honey, and Stephan May of Banzo. Groups like Slow Food UW also take the helm.

The Taste of the Market Breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Madison Senior Center, 330 W. Mifflin St.; the cost is $8.50 ($5 for a half portion). The season runs through April 8. Breakfast is served until 11 a.m. or until the food is sold out. It’s a good idea to arrive early because there is usually a line.

“But it’s a different vibe than if you were waiting for a table at popular brunch spot,” says Elliott. “You can grab a cup of coffee while you wait. Talk to your neighbors and the farmers that are standing there. It’s definitely a community event.” ■ The full list of guest chefs for the Taste of the Market Breakfast is at isthmus.com/events.

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■ SPORTS

A date with Dallas

Can Rodgers do to the Cowboys what he did to the Giants?

The Packers’ perilous playoff matchup

BY MICHAEL POPKE

When you win seven games in a row — including a 38-13 NFC Wild Card victory over the New York Giants on Jan. 8 — you deserve to play the conference’s best team.

And that’s exactly what the Green Bay Packers will do when they travel to Dallas and take on the Cowboys on Jan. 15 at 3:40 p.m. in a divisional playoff.

The Pack has not lost since Nov. 20, after which quarterback Aaron Rodgers famously predicted Green Bay would “run the table” and make the playoffs.

All told, this will be the eighth postseason meeting between Green Bay and Dallas, including the 1967 NFC Championship Game, better known as “The Ice Bowl,” which the Packers won, 21-17, as wind chills dipped toward -50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Naturally, Packers fans of a certain age also can’t help but recall those three con-

secutive playoff losses to the Cowboys between 1993 and 1995, when names like Favre, White, Levens, Sharpe, Brooks, Freeman, Chmura and Jacke dotted Green Bay’s roster.

The last time the Packers faced the Cowboys was Oct. 16, with rookie quarterback Dak Prescott well on his way to replacing Tony Romo as Dallas’ starter. The Cowboys were in the middle of an 11-game winning streak and beat Green Bay, 30-16.

Prescott threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns at Lambeau Field, and the hometown fans booed Rodgers.

The Packers and Cowboys also faced off in a 2014 divisional playoff game at Lambeau.

Green Bay won, 26-21, following a controversial fourth-down play. As ESPN.com so succinctly recapped: Fourth-and-2, Green Bay 32, Romo

MATT BECKER/GREEN BAY PACKERS

completes a 31-yard pass down the sideline to [Dez] Bryant, who is covered by Sam Shields.

The Packers challenge the ruling, saying Bryant didn’t maintain possession going to the ground.

Referee Gene Steratore overturns the call. The Cowboys never get the ball back.”

Green Bay fell to Seattle in overtime the next week in the NFC Championship Game.

If the Packers — who might be without wide receiver Jordy Nelson after he left the Giants game

with a rib injury — can beat Dallas, they’ll likely end up playing the Seahawks again with a trip to Super Bowl LI on the line.

Of all the teams Green Bay could have faced at this juncture in the postseason, Dallas will be the toughest to beat; the Cowboys probably feel the same way about the Packers. There’s a reason this game headlines the weekend’s slate of playoff matchups. ■

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Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

26 Thursday

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

28 SAturday

FamJam

10:00am - 4:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

28 SAturday

Bounce (21 + up)

7:00 - 10:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

30 MONDAY

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

6 Monday

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

9 Thursday

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

9 Thursday

Wright Design Series 7:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

10 Friday

GEN-X Dance Party The Prince Experience 7:30-10:00pm, 21 + up Tickets on Eventbrite

13 Monday

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

16 Thursday

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

16 Thursday

PechaKucha Night Madison “Myth Busting” 7:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

20 Monday

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

23 Thursday

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

27 Monday

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

3 FRIDAY

Funky Dance Madison DJ ACE/KinFolk/BBI 6:00 - 10:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

6 MONDAY

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

9 Thursday

Lunchtime Yoga 12 noon - 12:45pm

9 Thursday

Wright Design Series 7:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

13 Monday

Meditation at Monona Terrace

12 noon - 12:45pm Mondays through May 1

20 Monday

Meditation at Monona Terrace 12 noon - 12:45pm

27 Monday

Meditation at Monona Terrace 12 noon - 12:45pm

Meditation at Monona Terrace 12 noon - 12:45pm

7 Friday

Health & Wellness Presentation

“Eating Well for Healthy Energy and Sleep” 12 noon - 1:00pm

10 Monday

Meditation at Monona Terrace 12 noon - 12:45pm

13 Thursday

PechaKucha Night Madison “STEM Mayhem” 7:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

17 Monday

Meditation at Monona Terrace 12 noon - 12:45pm

24 Monday

Meditation at Monona Terrace 12 noon - 12:45pm

25 Tuesday

Wright Design Series 7:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

Meditation at Monona Terrace 12 noon - 12:45pm

2 Tuesday

Yoga for Strength & Flexibility

12 noon - 12:45pm Tuesdays through May 30th (except May 23)

9 Tuesday

Yoga for Strength & Flexibility 12 noon - 12:45pm

13 Saturday

Madison Mini Maker Faire 10:00am - 5:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

16 Tuesday

Yoga for Strength & Flexibility 12 noon - 12:45pm

17 Wednesday

Wright Design Series 7:00pm Tickets on Eventbrite

30 Tuesday

Yoga for Strength & Flexibility 12 noon - 12:45pm

27 Thursday

Health & Wellness Presentation

“Shifting into Positive Gear” 12 noon - 1:00pm

28 Friday

Moon Over Monona Terrace

MONONA TERRACE® One John Nolen Dr., Madison, WI 53703 • PH: 608.261.4000 • TTY: 771 or 800.947.3529. communityevents.mononaterrace.com

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

7:30 - 9:30pm Tickets on Eventbrite

29

n BOOKS

David vs. Goliath Local pastor updates the biblical tale in Tyrants and Traitors

BY MICHAEL POPKE

Araceli Esparza, Judith Claire Mitchell and Timothy Yu will all read at the Jan. 15 event.

Literate resistance Writers speak out against Trump

BY TOM WHITCOMB

Donald Trump’s contentious election to the U.S. presidency has mobilized massive numbers of people eager to join the political discourse.

Now members of Madison’s literary community will stand up and speak out.

On Jan. 15 (Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday), at least a dozen cities nationwide will host Writers Resist events. Organized by poet and feminist activist Erin Belieu, the events will give poets and writers the mic. “Writers will come together in solidarity to reassert the principles of democracy and civil liberty that we feel are central to the American promise,” says Madison co-organizer Sean Bishop, who helped put together a Writers Resist event at Gates of Heaven, benefiting the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin.

Many participants will read original works, and some have chosen from a curated selection of published works on the issues of democracy and free expression. Co-organizer Rita Mae Reese says after she shared a list of possible authors and works with participants, a number of writers wanted to read the powerful 1952 poem

by Alberto Rios, “The Border: A Double Sonnet.”

The diverse lineup includes Masood Akhtar, Marilyn Annucci, Derrick Austin, Moisés Villavicencio Barras, Jamel Brinkley, Natalie Dawn Eilbert, Araceli Esparza, Fabu, Sarah Fuchs, Marcela Fuentes, Lissa McClaughlin, Rubén Medina, Judith Claire Mitchell, Sean Patrick Mulroy, Bar-

rett Swanson and Timothy Yu. The evening will close with an open mic, for members of the audience.

At a time where anti-intellectualism and “post-truth” are the new normal, this type of public solidarity is critical, says Bishop. “Poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction are so essential to our current moment. Poems and stories have the ability to address what rings true intuitively, while also engaging with the factual truth.”

By featuring a racially diverse group of participants, Writers Resist provides an outlet for people marginalized or vilified by Trump and his supporters. For local author and educator Araceli Esparza, it’s difficult to know where to start. “To be honest, I have mixed emotions about what I want to read,” says Esparza, whose family emigrated from Mexico, a country that has often faced the brunt of Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. “It’s hard, because my family is separated by a border.”

Even so, Esparza remains hopeful. “I’m approaching the next four years as I have the last four, with great determination to thrive,” says Esparza. “I show my children and other youth around me that no matter the age you are, no matter where you came from, you have a voice in our civil democracy. Your voice matters. And your opinion matters.” n Writers Resist takes place at Gates of Heaven, 302 E Gorham St., Jan. 15, 6-9 p.m.

AN AFTERNOON OF SONATAS W I T H A RT I S T FA C U LT Y

PERFORMING:

Sonatas for Violin and Piano

by Corigliano & Fauré

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

4:00 PM Sunday, January 22

30

Mills Hall, Humanities 455 N. Park Street

The opening sentence of Tyrants and Traitors — the first title of the Lion’s Dynasty trilogy

by Madison author Joshua McHenry Miller — sets the stage for a rollicking debut novel inspired by the biblical story of David and Goliath: “This was the first step toward revolution; an adventure bards would retell for generations. It was also, technically, stealing.”

With these words, Miller makes clear that this is no pious retelling of the epic conflict between the Israelites and the Philistines from the First Book of Samuel. The author is a Lutheran pastor at The Bridge Madison, but he realizes that most contemporary fiction fans don’t want to read a 275page Bible tale based on an ancient conflict in a land that today is occupied by southern Israel and the Gaza Strip.

While the giant-slaying story of David and Goliath serves as the centerpiece of Tyrants and Traitors, published by Blue Ink Press, Miller creates a deep and ancient backstory in which the role of David is carried out by Niklas, a likeable Israeli lad with a large family, a mind for mischief and a cunning ability to think on his feet and crack jokes at just the right time — especially under pressure. Tyrants and Traitors introduces the shepherd boy at age 15 and concludes when he is about 18.

“Find the traitor hiding within Israel, or our nation will be enslaved and your hometown slaughtered,” a seer warns Niklas early in this story, sending the boy on the mindblowing journey of a lifetime that doesn’t even peak with his slaying of Goliath, the giant Philistine warrior. Adventures with a voracious lion, Niklas’ tireless training to become a member of the Seraphim army of covert assassins within Israel’s military, and a climactic and cinematic battle for Bethlehem add to the book’s high-energy pace.

The boy’s encounters with Israel’s deranged king, his enviable friendship with the king’s son, and an evolving romance with the king’s daughter also create drama and intrigue.

TYRANTS AND TRAITORS: BOOK ONE OF THE LION’S DYNASTY Joshua McHenry Miller n Blue Ink Press

Alternately bloody and violent, sharp and witty, and historical yet supernatural, Tyrants and Traitors rarely ventures toward the preachy.

The book’s message is based on a belief in Yahweh, the Israeli name for God. But Niklas’ faith wavers constantly, and the book concludes with an emphasis on the young man’s ongoing yet uneasy relationship with Yahweh.

Miller’s influences include Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files, The Aeronaut’s Windlass), and his enthusiasm for this story, his amusing first-person narration as Niklas and his vivid battle scene descriptions make Tyrants and Traitors a thrill to read — even if you’re not necessarily a fan of the Bible or historical fiction.

Although geared toward the young adult market, Tyrants and Traitors will appeal to a wide range of readers in much the same way young adult novels by J.K. Rowling and C.S. Lewis extended far beyond their initial target audiences.

Miller also works as a community developer in the Leopold neighborhood and regularly writes on race relations for Madison 365. n

Madison Area Jugglers present the 47th Annual

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Inaugural humor What a Joke festival responds to the incoming president

WIN TICKETS T O I S T H M U S ’ U LT I M AT E FROSTIBALL EXPERIENCE

BY TOM WHITCOMB

For many Americans, the events of Nov. 9, 2016, still seem like some sort of cruel cosmic joke. How could the United States of America — one of the bastions of liberal democracy — elect a man whose campaign was built on fear and hate? While that question remains unanswered, a group of comics is seeking to alleviate the pain with some much-needed lightheartedness.

On Jan. 20 — Inauguration Day — 28 cities across the country (as well as Oxford, England) will be hosting local incarnations of What a Joke, a comedy festival with proceeds benefitting the American Civil Liberties Union. Madison’s event kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Majestic Theater. And, as local producer Alan Talaga, an Isthmus contributor, puts it, “you can’t throw a nationwide protest and not have Madison involved.”

The headliner, Nate Craig, has more than a passing familiarity with Madison’s political legacy. The Los Angeles-based comic is a Madison native, a graduate of both West High and UW-Madison, and someone who believes in comedy as a force for social change.

Craig, who has appeared on Last Comic Standing and MTV’s Ridiculousness, says he doesn’t want to force political comedy on an unwilling audience. “I personally prefer my

comedy much more threatening, but when talking about moving people to consider different perspectives, I’m not sure how effective it is,” says Craig. “I can’t say how many Reagan Republicans enjoyed [George] Carlin’s later work.”

The challenge, says Craig, would be to get people who don’t agree already to still enjoy the jokes.

Reena Calm, a Chicago-based comic who will be joining Craig on the bill, agrees. “The longer I do comedy, the more I want my jokes to matter. I mean, of course the point is to have fun and to be funny, but the moment I realized I could be funny and say something I cared about, there was no turning back.”

For Talaga, booking the two comics was a no-brainer.

“It was important to book comedians who cared about the cause of the fundraiser.

Nate and Reena both passionately care about civil rights and civil liberties, the issues that the ACLU fights for.”

“Comedians have helped me process everything I know about the world,” adds Calm. “If it weren’t for political humor, I wouldn’t be able to deal with the actual news. Funny is funny, and the world is super messed up. If you can’t find a way to laugh at it, I feel bad for you.” ■

PAC K AG E I N C L U D E S

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Out of the wilderness Sunspot celebrates label debut EP

Children of the rainforest

BY LAWRENCE GANN

GOONGOO PEAS Caribbean Folk

January 21 Performances @ The band will unveil new tunes Jan. 14.

The EP closes with “Sulfur,” an electropop meditation on judgment, forgiveness and self-righteousness. “Be careful what you burn,” Huberty warns over swollen synth pads and claps, “’cause all you’ll taste is the sulfur of how right you thought you were.”

Wilderness of Almost Was and Never Were is bigger and catchier and, to its benefit, deals with more personal subject matter than the anxious anthems of American Monsters. Cherry Pit Studios in Menomonee Falls produced the tracks, which have more space to breathe than previous releases and nicely emphasize Sunspot’s anthemic tendencies and live-band instincts. ■

10:30 a.m./1:30 p.m.

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Madison power trio Sunspot debuts Wilderness of Almost Was and Never Were on Jan. 14 at the Frequency, the group’s first release on Dartboard Records. It’s a followup to 2016’s EP American Monsters and the MAMA-winning LP Weirdest Hits.

The EP is a hooky three-song release that treads variations on Sunspot’s driving, electro-rock sound.

Wilderness of Almost Was and Never Were kicks off with its eponymous track, a catchy, anthemic consideration of friends who chose to settle down — or just settle — rather than pursue their passions. The tune is powerful, reminiscent of late-era Green Day, and vocalist/bassist Mike Huberty keeps the song pulsing while hooking into harmonized fills on the edges.

The heaviest track on the EP, “Shadow,” leads immediately with chugging guitar triplets from Ben Jaeger and drummer Wendy Staats’ hard, barreling beat. The song about a friend struggling with addiction meets its emotional crescendo with a satisfying power-metal solo from Jaeger.

www.olbrich.org

Photo Credit: Leah Ershler

31

n SCREENS

Film events An Injury to One: International Workers of the World Social Action & Solidarity Committee documentary screening (with “The Wobblies”). Central Library, Jan. 12, 6 pm.

The Automatic Hate: Cousins attempt to find out what has kept their families apart. Ashman Library, Jan. 13, 6:30 pm.

The Emissary: A spaceman visits Door County, hoping to disarm an extraterrestrial power generator lost during the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald; Q&A with co-creators Tim and Holly Erskine. Threshold, Jan. 13, 6:30 pm.

The Empire of Corpses: Anime Club screening (RSVP: 608-246-4548). Hawthorne Library, Jan. 13, 7 pm.

The Secret Life of Pets: Animated tale of a terrier whose life is disordered by a new housemate. Central Library, Jan. 14, 2 pm.

3 Women: A trio (Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Janice Rule) gradually transfer identities in this film from writer/director Robert Altman. Bos Meadery, Jan. 18, 7 pm.

The Princess Bride: Based on William Goldman’s novel, this fairy-tale adventure centers on a beautiful young woman who has been kidnapped (Robin Wright), her odious fiancé (Chris Sarandon) and her childhood beau (Cary Elwes), who sets out to rescue her, 9:30 pm, UW Union South-Marquee, Jan. 19 (9:30 pm) and Jan. 21 (11 pm).

Femme fatale Elle is a gripping, puzzling thriller

BY MARJORIE BAUMGARTEN

One of the best films of the past year, Elle is a gripping psychological thriller, something of a Hitchcockian whodunit but with a feminist protagonist. Riveting yet puzzling, the film is guaranteed to provoke reactions — and not all of them sympathetic. The brutal rape sequence whose sounds open the movie accompanied by total blackness serves as more than a trigger warning; it’s a forceful opening volley, made all the more provocative by its sole witness (and the film’s initial image): a watchful cat (who is, perhaps, our surrogate). Once the masked attacker departs, the victim, Michèle Leblanc (Isabelle Huppert, who just received a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama), picks herself up, matter-of-factly sweeps up the broken glass and takes a bath while curiously observing the red blood that colors the water. Clearly disavowing victimhood, Michèle also evinces a perverse sense of stimulation — if not by the act then by the potential to change the scenario, at least in her imagination. Michèle is a daring, complicated character, one that Huppert brilliantly creates in concert with the director, Paul Verhoeven.

After nearly two decades of toiling in Hollywood, achieving contentious and/or dubious successes with such films as RoboCop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Showgirls and Starship Troopers, the Dutch director returns to Europe for Elle, along with the continent’s comparatively complex approaches to char-

Isabelle Huppert portrays a complicated, daring survivor.

acters and sex. The salaciousness of Verhoeven’s Hollywood work is absent in this new effort, although perhaps not the prurience. Nevertheless, no matter how advanced you consider the moral framework of Elle, there is no getting past the knowledge that this is made by the same director who set tongues (and other protuberances) wagging with Sharon Stone’s crossed-leg display in Basic Instinct and Elizabeth Berkley and Gina Gershon’s teasing lesbian scenes in Showgirls. There is no doubt that Huppert’s intelligence and acting skills inform Elle’s narrative.

Michèle is gradually revealed through her contacts with the other people in her life. She runs a gaming software company with her friend Anna (Anne Consigny), where she is seen arguing for a greater orgasmic penetration of a female character by a tentacled monster with her male programmers, some of whom clearly resent working for a woman. There’s her exhusband, Richard (Charles Berling), who has begun a relationship with a young woman (Vimala

Pons) who’s hardly his intellectual equal, as well as her ineffectual son (Jonas Bloquet), who is being taken advantage of by his pregnant girlfriend (Alice Isaaz). She’s also having a dispassionate affair with Anna’s husband, and her mother has tawdry affairs with gigolos. Then there’s the issue of her father’s heinous crime committed decades earlier, which hangs over the movie like a mysterious shroud or potential explanation for Michèle’s sex-positive but strangely pent-up emotions.

The film is not exactly a whodunit, because we learn the identity of the rapist halfway through Elle. It’s what the film grapples with that is its real subject: Michèle’s relationships with the ridiculous and threatening men in her life, the residual fallout from her childhood trauma, the quality of her female friendships and her bemused lobs at social mores. Michèle defies easy explanation; however, you will most definitely leave the theater talking about Elle. n

Unconventional family Documentary project highlights lesbian couple’s struggle to have a baby

A FILM BY

BY ALLISON GEYER

NOW PL AYING ELLE

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri & Sat: (1:15, 4:00), 6:45, 9:30; Sun to Thu: (1:15, 4:00), 6:45

LA LA LAND

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri: (1:35, 4:10), 6:55, 9:40; Sat: (11:00 AM, 1:35, 4:10), 6:55, 9:40; Sun: (11:00 AM, 1:35, 4:10), 6:55; Mon to Thu: (1:35, 4:10), 6:55

PATRIOTS DAY

NO PASSES - CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri & Sat: (1:20, 4:05), 6:50, 9:35; Sun: (11:15 AM, 4:05); Mon to Thu: (1:20, 4:05), 6:50

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NO PASSES - CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

Fri & Sat: (1:30, 4:15), 7:00, 9:45; Sun to Tue: (1:30, 4:15), 7:00; Wed: (4:25 PM); Thu: (1:30, 4:15), 7:00

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HIDDEN FIGURES

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

Fri: (1:40, 4:25), 7:05, 9:45; Sat: (11:05 AM, 1:40, 4:25), 7:05, 9:45; Sun: (11:05 AM, 1:40, 4:25), 7:05; Mon to Thu: (1:40, 4:25), 7:05

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Fri to Thu: (1:25), 6:40

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION

JACKIE

CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri: (4:20), 9:35; Sat: (11:10 AM, 4:20), 9:35; Sun: (11:10 AM, 4:20); Mon to Thu: (4:20 PM)

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

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

Showtimes for January 13 - January 19

Sometimes, when Lena King looks back at her life, she can’t help but cry. Incarcerated at age 12 for stabbing a cousin, she was in and out of a juvenile detention center for the next seven years.

“I cry sometimes because I missed out on so much, I missed out on a whole childhood,” King says. “But they didn’t hold me forever.”

King, who goes by the nickname “Star,” was stabbed by a rival five times in the face shortly after her release at age 19. The stitches were still healing when she encountered Chaka Cabell, a former gang member with an equally troubled past. “We met at a bus stop in Chicago; I was arguing and crying on the phone,” King says. “She asked me if I was okay.” It was the beginning of a friendship that would develop into romance and eventually marriage. King has a daughter from a previous relationship, but the young couple, who moved to Madison five years ago, dreamed of having a baby of their own.

The couple’s unorthodox path to creating a family is the subject of an upcoming documentary from Rodney Lucas, a hip-hop musician and entertainment entrepreneur. Lucas, who goes by the stage name F.Stokes, is Cabell’s brother. As a close family member, he was privy to the details of the couple’s journey and recognized the potential for their story to inspire others. The film, titled Ain’t No Babies in the City, will explore King’s and Cabell’s juvenile incarceration, their mutual healing and their quest to expand their family.

“Part of the overall message is bringing a sense of awareness to the neglect of young, African American women, and lesbians in particular,” Lucas says. “We want to communicate that we don’t always have to look like the family that lives across the street — we can make a family in our own reflection and with what we value in life.”

King and Cabell looked into adoption, but their criminal backgrounds and economic status proved barriers. They tried artificial insemination, but the ovulation-inducing medicine made King sick, and the procedure became too expensive. As a final resort, a supportive male

Star King with her son Mendeecees.

friend volunteered to father the child, and King gave birth to a son, Mendeecees, three months ago.

“I never take no for an answer,” King says. “There’s always a backup plan, always another way.”

Lucas is raising money on the website Indiegogo to fund the documentary, which he intends to release in March or April. He’s about one-quarter of the way to his $12,000 goal. The campaign ends Jan. 16. n

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fri jan 13

FRZN Fest: Noname

MUS I C

Saturday, Jan. 14, High Noon Saloon, 9 pm Despite her choice of a stage name, Noname definitely deserves your attention. At first listen, you’ll notice Noname’s smooth, sharp tone and quick, varied cadence. But after a closer listen, her content hits like a Mack truck as she tackles everything from relationships and quitting drugs to dreams of fame. The spoken word artist and emcee hails from Chicago, where she crafted her mic skills alongside song-mates Chance the Rapper and Mick Jenkins. Even better, Noname was the handpicked opener for none other than Lauryn Hill. Joining her on stage for the last night of FRZN Fest will be theMIND, Mic Kellogg and Rich Robbins. Other FRZN Fest shows (both 8 pm) include Big Thief, Sam Evian, Hoops and Ian Sweet on Thursday, Jan. 12, and Ceremony, Tenement, the Blind Shake and Yoko & the Oh No’s on Friday, Jan. 13.

Wisconsin Hip-Hop Fest Friday, Jan. 13, Majestic Theatre, 8 pm

With seven dope acts, this is a helluva lot of hip-hop for just 10 bucks. Count on Milwaukee’s WebsterX to spit his soulsearching lyrics over slow, spaced-out beats. Also from Brew City, Gerald Walker brings smoother storytelling to more uptempo tracks, and Zed Kenzo’s sporadic, ever-changing flow floats over EDM-esque production. For Madison artists, CRASHprez’s (pictured) high energy and anger about the social status quo and race relations will move the crowd, while Sincere Life’s dark, aggressive tales tantalize, and Broadway Muse keeps you guessing with her varied verbal calisthenics. Live hip-hop band dumate will also take the stage for their first show in a while. Bonus: $1 from every ticket goes to Planned Parenthood.

picks

thu jan 12 PICK OF THE WEEK

MUSIC or starring on Broadway — or becoming a viral sensation for her line of sweet potato pies — she remains one of the most iconic voices to emerge from the 1960s.

Wisconsin Punk Fest Thursday, Jan. 12, Majestic Theater, 8 pm

Oh My Love + Modern Mod

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

Thursday, Jan. 12, Overture-Capitol Theater, 7:30 pm

34

The Capitol Theater hosts a co-headlining set from two standout Madison bands. Atmospheric synth-poppers Oh My Love (pictured, who released an excellent album last year called Ghosts and Bubblegum) will be joined by Modern Mod, a recently disbanded but much loved and super-talented power-pop crew reuniting for one night only.

Patti LaBelle Thursday, Jan. 12, Overture Hall, 7:30 pm

In a career spanning five-plus decades, Patti LaBelle has sung solo and with a number of groups, crossing genre boundaries for hits on the pop, R&B and gospel charts. Whether on records

Some of the area’s fiercest bands will channel their defiance by rocking this festival, headlined by Madison’s own Masked Intruder. With support from Arms Aloft (Eau Claire), Tim Schweiger & the Middle Men (Milwaukee), Jaill (Milwaukee), No Hoax (Madison) and Static Eyes (Milwaukee). Come on out, and up the punx!

Barrymore Theatre: Molly Tuttle, bluegrass, 8 pm.

Brink Lounge: Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo, 8 pm.

Buck and Honey’s, Sun Prairie: Robert J, free, 6:30 pm.

Cardinal Bar: DJ Chamo, Latin, 10 pm.

The Frequency: Rocket Paloma, Heavy Looks, Chris LaBella, 8:30 pm.

Ivory Room: Kevin Gale, Jim Ripp, free, 9 pm.

Tip Top Tavern: Kurt Funfsinn, guitar, free, 9 pm.

Twist: John Christensen Combo, jazz, free, 5 pm.

THEATER & DANCE The Lion in Winter: Upstart Crows Productions: Royalty, heirs and rivals come together for Christmas, 1183, 7 pm, 1/12-14, Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ. Donations. 827-9482.

COM EDY

Debra DiGiovanni Thursday, Jan. 12, Comedy Club on State, 8:30 pm

In 2002, DiGiovanni was named “Best Stand-Up Newcomer” by the Canadian Comedy Awards. After making it to the top 10 in the fifth season of Last Comic Standing, she started touring extensively. With her high pace and infectious energy, DiGiovanni takes audiences on a whirlwind tour of her mind, sharing thoughts on men, dieting, and getting drunk at baby showers. With Jim Flannigan, Adam McShane. ALSO: Friday-Saturday, Jan. 13-14, 8 & 10:30 pm.

SP ECTATOR SP ORTS UW Men’s Basketball: vs. Ohio State, 6 pm, 1/12; vs.

Michigan, 8 pm, 1/17, Kohl Center. $41-$33. 262-1440.

Murdering 2016: A Horror Dress Up Party Friday, Jan. 13, The Frequency, 9 pm

Burn off the leftover angst generated last year by dressing up as your favorite scary character and celebrating the first Friday the 13th of 2017. Dance to the punk/ska of 4 Aspirin Morning, hard rock/metal by the Faith Hills Have Eyes (pictured), sludgy noiserock by Coordinated Suicides, and 2015 Max Ink Radio audience favorite Doctor Noise.

Alchemy Cafe: Nuggernaut, funk/jazz, free, 10 pm.

Bos Meadery: SheShe, rock, free/donations, 7 pm.

Brink Lounge: Funky Chunky, classic rock/soul, 9 pm.

Cardinal Bar: Mike Cammilleri Organ Trio, jazz, free, 5:30 pm; DJ Ashoka, 9 pm.

Cargo-East Washington: County Highway PD, 7:30 pm.

Chief’s: Shari Davis & Hot Damn Blues Band, 6:30 pm.

Club Tavern, Middleton: WheelHouse, 9 pm.

First Unitarian Society: Mark Valenti, piano, 12:15 pm.

Hody Bar, Middleton: Primitive Culture, free, 9 pm.

Lakeside Street Coffee House: Madison Classical Guitar Society Showcase, free, 7 pm.

Mother Fool’s: East Nashville Ramblers, 8 pm.

➡

MINI of Madison

is hosting an isthmus live sessions with

Clocks in Motion A percussion quartet from Madison, that performs groundbreaking concerts which involve performance art, theater, and the construction of new instruments

THURSDAY, JAN. 19, 6-8 PM

MINI of Madison showroom • 310 West Beltline Hwy. FREE Ian’s Pizza, Desserts, and non-alcoholic Beverages

Get a sneak preview of the new 2017 MINI Countryman!

You’re invited to an exclusive Special Event to meet the new MINI Countryman before it’s in showrooms

MINI of Madison 310 West Beltline Highway Madison, WI 53713

(608) 729-6464 MINIOFMADISON.COM

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

It’s the biggest, most adventurous MINI yet!

35

■ ISTHMUS PICKS : JAN 12 - 15 Parched Eagle: The Pine Travelers, free, 7:30 pm.

Red Zone: Marc Rizzo, Oraculum, Squidhammer, Unnecessary Gunpoint Lecture, Disappearance, 7 pm.

Tip Top: Tani Diakite & the Afrofunkstars, free, 10 pm.

Up North Pub: Teddy Davenport, free, 8 pm.

VFW-Cottage Grove Road: Kristi B, 7:30 pm.

THEATER & DANCE

and Sarah O’Farrell’s “Whereupon Memory” (photographs and screen prints) occupies Gallery II. And Erik Baillies and Anders Zanichowsky’s innovative prints for “Alternative Photographies” are in Gallery III. Sarah Bergstrom, Leahyonna Carver, Nicole Pollex: “Brilliantly Bold,” through 2/2, VSA Wisconsin (reception 5-7 pm, 1/13). 241-2131.

S PEC I A L EV EN TS Madfest Juggling Festival: Free open juggling, vendors & more, 6:30-11:30 pm on 1/13, 10 am-5 pm on 1/14 and 10 am-4:30 pm, 1/15, O’Keeffe Middle School; extravaganza variety show 7 pm, 1/14, Barrymore Theatre ($25; 241-8633). madjugglers.com.

PERSPECTIVE THE OAKWOOD CHAMBER PL AYERS may be one of the best kept secrets in the Madison music scene. While they’ve thrilled the residents of Oakwood Village with on-campus performances in the Center for Arts and Education for over 30 years, all music lovers are invited to enjoy this talented, professional ensemble. The 2016-2017 concert season, titled PERSPECTIVE , is filled with interesting viewpoints on life and relationships. Join the Oakwood Chamber Players for an upcoming performance:

Looking Within CAN WE SEE WITHIN OURSELVES THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE?

Saturday, January 21, 2017 – 7 pm Sunday, January 22, 2017 – 2 pm Serenade (Homage de Husa) for large mixed ensemble ARNOLD SCHOENBERG: Notturno for strings and harp FRANCIS POULENC: Sextet for woodwind quintet and piano MAURICE RAVEL/DAVID BRUCE: Kaddisch for large mixed ensemble BYRON ADAMS:

Time Stands Still Friday, Jan. 13, Bartell Theatre, 7:30 pm

Madison Theatre Guild presents a drama from Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies (Dinner with Friends). Two journalists back from covering the Iraq War struggle to re-adapt to life at home, prompting difficult conversations about the role of journalists in wartime. ALSO: Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:30 pm. Through Jan. 27.

The Full Treatment

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

For more information visit:

36

or call (608) 230-4316

6209 Mineral Point Road Madison, WI 53705 www.oakwoodvillage.net • (608) 230-4491

sat jan 14 MUS I C

Friday, Jan. 13, Broom Street Theater, 8 pm

Billed as a “wicked, dark, corporate comedy full of wordplay,” The Full Treatment is the first play from Jay Shearer, a novelist who teaches literature and writing at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The satirical comedy follows a trio of job-seekers at the behemoth Peppercock Industries and is directed by Doug Reed, the incoming artistic director of Broom Street and author of The Lamentable Tragedie of Scott Walker. ALSO: Saturday, Jan. 14, 8 pm. Through Feb. 4.

SP ECTATOR SP ORTS UW Women’s Hockey: vs. St. Cloud State, 7 pm on 1/13 and 4 pm, 1/14, LaBahn Arena. 262-1440.

Madison Capitols: USHL vs. Muskegon, 7:05 pm, 1/13-14, Alliant Center-Coliseum. 267-3955.

ART EXHIBITS & EV ENTS

Tickets available at the door Senior $15 • Adult $20 • Student $5 www.oakwoodchamberplayers.com

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Events: Free community dinner, 4:30-7 pm, 1/13, UW Gordon Dining & Event Center, with music by Madison Music Makers. Urban League’s Youth Recognition Breakfast, 8 am, 1/15, Edgewood High School ($10; RSVP: ulgm.org). State observance, noon, 1/16, Capitol Rotunda. UW campus community observance, 2 pm, 1/16, Union South. Freedom songs sing-in 5 pm & annual city-county observance, 6 pm, 1/16, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, with keynote by Mary Frances Berry, King Humanitarian Award presentation, performance by MLK Community Choir.

More events: facebook.com/kingcoalition. 213-7907.

Claudia Schmidt + Sally Rogers Saturday, Jan. 14, Brink Lounge, 7 pm

Fans of folk music won’t want to miss the dream team of dulcimer-playing vocalists lined up for this Madison Folk Music Society concert. Rogers, a professional music educator and international touring musician from Connecticut, has a voice the Washington Post calls “achingly sweet.”

Schmidt is a talented singer-songwriter and wordsmith from Michigan who the Lansing State Journal called a “firecracker of a singer, irrepressibly emotional and a radiant, almost overwhelming performer.”

Together, the two women inspire rapturous praise. You’ll want to sing along.

Wisconsin Bluegrass Fest Overture Galleries Winter Reception Friday, Jan. 13, Overture CenterPromenade Lounge, 6-8 pm

Get ready for a January art explosion as the Overture galleries host a combined reception. The Bone Folders Guild (artists who make books, pictured) hosts a 15th anniversary exhibit in Gallery I. Carol Chase Bjerke

Saturday, Jan. 14, Majestic Theatre, 8 pm The Majestic’s winter fests wrap up with more banjos than you can shake a bag of thumb picks at. Adam Greuel of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades hosts an evening of bluegrass bands from around the state, including Them Coulee Boys (Hixton), Dig Deep and Armchair Boogie (both Stevens Point), and Chicken Wire Empire (Milwaukee). Headliner the Last Revel sneaks across the state line from Minnesota to join the fun.

SEARCH THE FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT ISTHMUS.COM

Dartboard Records Showcase Saturday, Jan. 14, The Frequency, 8:30 pm

Madison power-pop trio Sunspot unveils The Wilderness of Almost Was and Never Were, their first release via recently established local label Dartboard Records. The evening doubles as a label showcase, and also features sets by aggressive acoustic duo the Apollo Affair, Americana-leaning Gin Mill Hollow and singer-songwriter Danny Fox. See story, page 31.

Alchemy Cafe: No Name String Band, free, 10 pm.

Babe’s: Vehicle 6, classic rock/country, 8:30 pm.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear & Other Treasured Stories: 11 am, 1/14, Overture Center. $30-$20. 258-4141.

701A E. Washington Ave. 268-1122 www.high-noon.com

POL I T I CS & ACTIV ISM League of Women Voters of Dane County Issues Forum: “Homelessness” discussion, 12:45 pm, 1/14, Capitol Lakes-Grand Hall. 232-9447.

S PECI AL I NTERESTS

FRZN Fest 2017

thu Jan

12

8pm

Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap: 9 am-3 pm, 1/14, Alliant Energy Center. $5 admission. bdbikeswap.com.

sun jan 15

Come Back In: MoonHouse, free, 9 pm.

13

MUS I C

sat jan

14

Jazz Fest

mon jan

Sunday, Jan. 15, Cardinal Bar, 6 pm

The Madison Jazz Consortium’s third annual MLK Weekend fundraiser presents a fascinating lineup: Experimental sax master Hanah Jon Taylor (pictured) teams up with pianist Dave Stoler and improvising spoken word artist Rob Dz. They’re joined by bassist Darius Savage and percussionist Dushun Mosely, both out of Chicago. UW’s Jazz Studies director and pianist Johannes Wallmann performs with Darren Sterud’s New Orleans Tribute band, and longtime jazz queen Gerri DiMaggio appears with a newly expanded quartet. A great way to celebrate the Green Bay Packers’ playoff victory over the Dallas Cowboys, which should be happening right as this event kicks off.

Yates Family Cancer Benefit Saturday, Jan. 14, Arts + Literature Lab, 6-9 pm

SP ECI A L EV EN TS Southern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited Icebreaker: 9 am-4:30 pm, 1/14, American Family Insurance HQ with speakers, demos, kids’ activities 1-3 pm, raffle, food. $10 (free ages under 12). RSVP: swtu.org.

K IDS & FA MI LY Outdoor Skate with the Badgers: With UW men’s hockey team, 1-2 pm, 1/14, Edgewater. Free. 535-8200.

EVERY MONDAY 5:30-6:15 pm $3

David Landau

$15 single day, $30 3-day pass 18+

THE KING OF KIDS MUSIC

16

$20 suggested Donation

PROG 8PM

“Zombie Corpse of Christmas” Post Holiday Show

Screening of “Bearding Day” after bands 7:30pm $5

wed Jan

18

Wrenclaw The Bestuls 8pm

thu jan

19

Local artists willingly forgo a Packers playoff game to help a friend in need. Featuring disco ambassadors VO5, powerhouse rocker Beth Kille, folk rockers SheShe (“righteous chicks with righteous licks”) and the Americana wonders the Getaway Drivers (pictured), proceeds from this show benefit cancer patient Kelly Yates. Maybe some things are more important than football?

Brocach Irish Pub-Square: Bi Dana, Irish, free, 5 pm.

Harmony: Cajun Strangers, 6 pm (dance lesson 5 pm).

$6

SARA WATKINS Liz Longley 9PM

Sunday, Jan. 15, High Noon Saloon, 1 pm

$5

Beefus Imaginary Watermelon 17 tue Jan

$24

18+

Marc Rizzo is SHREDDING in the New Year!

Guitarist of

SOULFLY

B OOKS / S POKEN WORD

Writers Resist

with Oraculum, Squidhammer,

Sunday, Jan. 15, Gates of Heaven, 6 pm

Madison’s poets and writers come together to celebrate compassion, equality and free speech in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. With readings by local scribes and an open mic; donations benefit the ACLU. See story, page 30.

Kevin Henkes: Discussing “The Egg,” his 50th book, 2 pm, 1/15, Mystery to Me. 283-9332.

➡

www.harmonybarandgrill.com

The Unnecessary Gunpoint Lecture, Disappearance

FRI JAN 13 . 7PM $10 Adv TIX: WWW.MIDWESTMIX-UP.COM

18+ TO ENTER / 21+ TO DRINK

Watch the Packers on our 35 TVs! 1212 REGENT ST. 608-251-6766

THEREDZONEMADISON.COM

FRI, JAN 13 H 8PM H $7

Tony Kannen and the

Sound Garden

SAT, JAN 14 H 9PM H $7

The

Mannish Boys DAVID DEON and the SAT. JAN. 21 SOUL INSPIRATIONS

2513 Seiferth Rd. 222-7800 KnuckleDownSaloon.com

418 E. WILSON ST. 608.257.BIRD CARDINALBAR.COM FRIDAY 1/13

LIVE HAPPY HOUR

ORGAN TRIO MIKE _CAMMILLERI ______________ 5:30 PM

with DIVA D, D-ON & DISSOLVENT

SATURDAY 1/14

SPICY SATURDAYS

SALSA | MERENGUE | BACHATA | REGGAETON 10PM ____________________

SUNDAY 1/15

JAZZ FEST 2017

Doors 6pm

WED OCT 5 . 7:00PM $13 advance GERRI DIMAGGIO 6:30PM with Paul Hastil, Bob Pesselman, John Mesoloras HANAH JON TAYLOR ARTET 8PM featuring ROB DZ w/ Dave Stoler, Dushum Mosley, Darius Savage THE NEW ORLEANS TRIBUTE 9:30PM w/ Darren Sterud, Nick Bartell, Nick Moran, Johannes Wallmann, Jordan Cohen

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

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

It’s become such a hub of innovation and creativity it’s hard to believe that Arts + Literature Lab (ALL) opened the Winnebago Street gallery and writing space just one year ago. Celebrate the groundbreaking and collaborative work of ALL, which will be doubling its space in 2017, adding a new gallery, small-press library and co-writing space. The event also serves as the opening reception of “Bridge Work: New Art from the Midwest,” a group exhibition that tackles artistic and social themes, including race and the art industry.

$15 single day, $30 3-day pass 18+

1-5:30pm

Mickey’s: Dumb Vision, Solid Freex, Clean Room, 10 pm.

ALL First Anniversary

ON ONE OF OUR 6 HD TV’S

VO5 The Beth Kille Band 15 SheShe / The Getaway Drivers

Liliana’s: John Widdicombe & Tom Waselchuk, 6:30 pm.

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

PACKERS

sun jan

Knuckle Down: Dan Law & the Mannish Boys, 9 pm.

Ellie Schatz & Donna Parker: Discussing “Color Me Purple,” 1 pm, 1/14, Ashman Library. 824-1780.

WATCH THE

Yates Family Cancer Benefit

Ivory Room: Kevin Gale, Trey Grimm, Nicky Jordan, dueling pianos, 8 pm.

B OOKS

SUN. JAN. 15

Noname / theMIND Mic Kellogg Rich Robbins 9pm

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

The Wisco: Neu Dae, Reakt20, Conscious Object, Dizzo, Rawz Option, Leet Moteef, 10 pm.

(608) 249-4333

FRZN Fest 2017

Essen Haus: Zweifel Brothers, free, 8:30 pm.

Tip Top Tavern: Willma Flynn Stone, Desiree Mathews, DeeManda Shott, Afton Avalon, drag, 11 pm.

Ceremony / Tenement The Blind Shake Yoko & the Oh No’s 8pm

Crystal Corner Bar: W%drow, Sam Sardina Band, Griffin Paul & the Lesser Evil Band, 9:30 pm.

Overture Center-Overture Hall: Madison Symphony Orchestra “Behind the Score:” “Scheherazade” by Rimsky-Korsakov, 8 pm. Also: 2:30 pm, 1/15.

$15 single day, $30 3-day pass 18+

FRZN Fest 2017

fri Jan

Brink Lounge: Lucas Kadish’s Tundra 4Tet, 9 pm.

Cardinal Bar: DJ Chamo, Latin, 10 pm.

Big Thief / Sam Evian Hoops / Ian Sweet

2201 Atwood Ave.

37

n ISTHMUS PICKS : JAN 15 - 19 A RT EX H I B I TS & E VE N TS Clairanne Godfrey: “Strength in us, we’re ready,” 1/131, Mother Fool’s (reception 6-8 pm, 1/15).

P OL I T I C S & AC T IVI S M What is the Future of Public Education in Wisconsin?: East Side Progressives forum with candidates for state superintendent of public education, 6 pm, 1/15, Lake Edge Lutheran Church. 222-1798.

THEATER & DANCE

wed jan 18

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8: The Queens: 8 pm, 1/18, Orpheum. $54.86-$23.21. 250-2600.

International Performing Arts for Youth Showcase: Free performances: “Anatomy of the Piano” by Red Bridge Aerts (ages 6 & up), 4 pm, 1/18, Capitol Theater; “Wild!” by tutti frutti (ages 8 & up), 7:45 pm, 1/18, Capitol Theater; “Darius & Twig” by Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences (ages 13 & up), 9 pm, 1/18, Overture Hall; “L’Aubergine” by TerZetto (ages 5-12), 8 pm, 1/19, Capitol Theater. Tickets required: overture.org. 258-4141.

MUS I C

mon jan 16

BOOKS Nick Petrie: Discussing “Burning Bright,” his new novel, 7 pm, 1/18, Mystery to Me. 283-9332.

MU S I C

thu jan 19

High Noon Saloon: Prog, prog rock, 8 pm.

Up North Pub: The Pine Travelers, free, 7 pm.

FU N D RA I S ER S

BoomBox Wednesday, Jan. 18, Majestic Theatre, 9 pm

Donate to Skate: Open skate fundraiser for Dane County Humane Society, 1-3:30 pm, 1/16, Hartmeyer Ice Arena. $5 ($3 youth). 838-0413 ext. 118.

tue jan 17 MU S I C Cardinal Bar: Ben Ferris Octet, jazz, free, 6:30 pm.

Crystal Corner: David Hecht & the Who Dat, 9 pm.

High Noon: Beefus, Imaginary Watermelon, 7:30 pm.

Up North Pub: The Lower 5th, rock, free, 8 pm.

T HE AT ER & DA N CE Forward Theater Co. Play Club: “Outside Mullingar,” 6:30 pm, 1/17, Oregon Library. Free. RSVP: 835-3656.

What’s in the BoomBox? The secret weapon of this funky duo from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, is their trademark hybrid of soulful rock ’n’ roll and groovy electronic tunes. The band’s live shows are laid back and largely improvised, giving their concerts the off-the-cuff flair of a great DJ set. Orchard Lounge’s Ben Silver opens.

M USIC

her famed work with Nickel Creek and the Decemberists to her accomplishments as a solo artist (she’s three albums deep — the most recent being last year’s Young in All the Wrong Ways), the California native has established herself as one of the finest in a genre filled with master musicians. With Liz Longley.

The Devil Makes Three Thursday, Jan. 19, Orpheum Theater, 9 pm

The Devil Makes Three sounds like a band from a different era. Playing a seamless blend of bluegrass, country, folk and other old-school genres, the band sounds more like they should be onstage at a smoky saloon somewhere out West than at the Orpheum. Their most recent record, Redemption and Ruin, was released in 2016. With Lost Dog Street Band.

Bos Meadery: Tin Can Diamonds, Imaginary Watermelons, Sam Ness, Dr. Beatz, free/donations, 6 pm.

Brink Lounge: Mike Massey & Francie Phelps, 8 pm.

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

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

Frequency: Against the Grain, Dos Males, 8:30 pm.

Ivory Room: Katy Marquardt, Peter Hernet, 9 pm.

Bandung: Louka, 7 pm.

Majestic: Luke Combs, Muscadine Bloodline, 8 pm.

Cardinal Bar: DJ Ashoka, 9 pm.

Mickey’s Tavern: Mal-O-Dua, French swing, 5:30 pm.

High Noon Saloon: Wrenclaw, The Bestuls, 8 pm.

Twist Bar and Grill: Bill Roberts Combo, free, 5 pm.

Ivory Room: Katy Marquardt, piano, free, 8 pm.

Luther Memorial Church: Bruce Bengtson, organ recital (repertoire: luthermem.org), free, noon Wednesdays.

Malt House: Don’t Spook the Horse, free, 7:30 pm.

Up North Pub: MoonHouse, free, 8 pm.

Sara Watkins Thursday, Jan. 19, High Noon Saloon, 9 pm One of the best fiddlers in contemporary music, Sara Watkins is one of folk’s true luminaries. From

CO MEDY Ryan Hamilton, Mike Lebovitz, Ali Sultan: 8:30 pm on 1/19 and 8 & 10:30 pm, 1/20-21, Comedy Club on State. $15-$10. 256-0099.

Celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Wisconsin Book Festival!

WINTER/SPRING HIGHLIGHTS

PRESENTED BY MADISON PUBLIC LIBRARY In partnership with MADISON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

For more info and events, visit: www.wisconsinbookfestival.org

38

JAN 17

MAR 13

MAR 16

IF OUR BODIES COULD TALK James Hamblin Central Library 7:00 pm

THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO Margaret George Central Library 7:00 pm

IN THE KITCHEN WITH A GOOD APPETITE Melissa Clark Central Library 7:30 pm

APR 3

APR 14

APR 18

HAG-SEED & TECHNOLOGY Margaret Atwood Union South - Varsity Hall 7:30 pm

KNOWN AND STRANGE THINGS Teju Cole Central Library 7:00 pm

LUNCH FOR LIBRARIES FUNDRAISER Richard Russo Overture Center for the Arts 11:30 am

Contributing Sponsors

Festival Sponsors

Cheryl Rosen Weston Marvin J. Levy

Event Supporters Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission Madison Arts Commission

In Kind Sponsors A Room of One’s Own Webcrafters-Frautschi Foundation

Media Sponsors

SILENT AUCTION RAFFLE LO C A L M U S I C C A B A R E T WINE

BEER DESSERTS & MORE SURPRISES

S P E C I A LT Y C O C K TA I L S H O R S D ’O E U V R E S C H A M PAG N E

A PROUD MEMBER OF

Additional support from Ron & Deborah Krantz, Susan and Jonathan Lipp, Tom Berenz, Rare Steakhouse & Trek Bicycle Corporation.

JANUARY 12–18, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

®

Aesthetic Center

39

■ EMPHASIS

Warehouse of inspiration Brown & Beam mixes new, old and reclaimed furniture and accessories

BY CANDICE WAGENER

Mix and match just about anything, from a Mid-Century sideboard (above) to metal nesting boxes (le ).

Brown & Beam is a different kind of furniture store. Lora Brown’s shop incorporates new furnishings, some vintage pieces, flea market finds and an eclectic mix of original and upcycled accessories.

Among them you might find a denim rug made out of old jeans, or bentwood dining chairs with faux fur seat cushions. They all exist in design harmony in a 3,000-square-foot warehouse in Middleton’s business park off University Avenue.

Brown, who’s lived in a half-dozen houses since starting her family, says she’s “developed a habit of fixing things up.”

The business has been open since November.

The large space looks somewhat sparse right now, but Brown has several dining sets available as well as sofa/chair/coffee table setups. She’ll continue to bring in items for dining and living room areas and will add bedroom pieces in the near future.

“I can’t that say I’m one style or another, so I want to try and offer lots of different styles for other people,” says Brown. “You can mix and match just about anything, if you want to.”

Her motto? “Make the space the way you want to make it. As long as you’re happy, you like seeing these pieces, it doesn’t really matter if other people think they go together or they don’t.”

Brown doesn’t sacrifice when it comes to quality. She wants customers to be satisfied with pieces that will last long term. She makes sure drawers work and chair legs are sturdy and that her vendors back their products.

While Brown & Beam’s primary customer base so far has been designers and B2B, Brown intends to widen that base. She consults and offers interior design services (“Sometimes people don’t even like doing the design or picking things out”) and will do whatever it takes to help people find just the piece they’re looking for.

Brown thinks it’s too easy to “get lost” looking for items online; sometimes it’s much better to see something in real life. Though she’d love for customers to walk away with pieces that are in the store, she’ll also order items and has a selection to shop from on her own website, brownandbeam.com. She also offers a pricematch guarantee, hoping to sway customers from buying off Amazon or Wayfair and to keep their shopping local. ■

BROWN & BEAM ■ 2118 Eagle Drive, Middleton ■ 608-217-0027, brownandbeam.com ■ 10 am-6 pm Wed.-Sat., noon-5 pm Sun., Mon.-Tues. by appointment

Downhill Ski Fundraiser

Saturday, January 21, 4-9pm Tyrol Basin, 3487 Bohn Rd, Mt. Horeb $25 per person includes lift ticket,

ISTHMUS.COM JANUARY 12–18, 2017

ski or snowboard rentals and helmet.

40

Proceeds support MSCR Adaptive Skiing Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Purchase tickets online at www.mscr.org.

Call 204-3000 for more information.

Sponsored by:

MSCR offers activities for all ages - Arts & Enrichment, Dance, Fitness, Skiing, Basketball, Swimming and more.

For more information please visit

www.mscr.org or call 204-3000 Great Selection For Everyone!!!

MSCR is a department of the Madison Metropolitan School District.

tell all t isthmus.com/opinion/tell-all

n CLASSIFIEDS

Housing

Jobs

2820 MARSHALL COURT SHACKLETON SQUARE CONDO MLS 1787534 So many solid amenities for today’s savvy buyer: effortless from the minute one enters the garage - Unload groceries from Whole Foods or Metcalfe’s, grab your mail, traverse the ramp to the elevator - no steps! Warm and welcoming southwest facing three bedroom/three bath unit; two levels but has stairlift to upper level (can easily be removed!).

Well managed condo association, lovely mature grounds with gazebo, pedestrian accessible to True Foods, Sa Bai Thong, hospitals, clinics; close to Hilldale shops! Easy to show.

Call PAT WHYTE 608-513-2200 for additional information.

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

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

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

Work for Hammerschlagen. Part-time.

Weekends only. Starting at $15/hr. For more information, call 1-844-WHACK-IT or visit jobs.hammerschlagen.com

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.

Caregiver needed. $15/hour. Hours vary. Please call Virginia for information at (608) 216-0238.

Looking for a caregiver to assist with light housekeeping and personal cares. Looking to fill part time evenings and overnights. Please contact (608) 222-5929.

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) Volunteer with UNITED WAY Volunteer Center Call 246-4380 or visit volunteeryourtime.org to learn about opportunities Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development is looking for enthusiastic and committed volunteers to be part of their programs.

Many opportunities exist: work directly with people, or serve behind the scenes. A short orientation on Jan 21 will introduce potential and new volunteers to Nehemiah, explain the philosophy of ministry, and help make a volunteer connection with one of the programs.

Become a certified children’s vision screener in your community. After attending a vision screener training presented by Prevent Blindness Wisconsin, volunteers can sign up to perform vision screenings at preschools and child care centers in the greater Madison area. Help identify children with potential vision problems and set them on the road to healthy vision through vision screenings!

United Way 2-1-1 is seeking new volunteers to staff our telephone lines, answering questions about resources available in the service area. If you are looking for an opportunity to learn more about community resources and would like to assist people in finding ways to get and give help, United Way 2-1-1 may be the place for you!

BE

A HAIR STYLIST Discover an amazing career and enroll in our cosmetology program!

Classes start every 5 weeks.

Schedule a VIP tour today!

Call 608.807.5993 Text "Your Name/Tour" to 608.260.7536 Email lauraf@madison.paulmitchell.edu 7021 Tree Lane, Madison, WI 53717 Intersection of Tree Lane and Gammon Rd.

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.

PMTSMad_4.75x5.479_Ad_1216.indd 1

WIN

FREE STUFF FROM

ROLL OUT THE

( TEQUILA )

BARREL JAN 28

January 17th • 8:45-10:00am, 3:45- 5:00pm Please RSVP to (608) 827-6267 or admissions@madisoncommunitymontessori.org

PASQUAL’S CANTINA – E. WASH

ADULT SWIM:

MAKER MADNESS FEB 3

MADISON CHILDREN’S MUESUM

Serving toddlers through 8th grade Madison Community Montessori School • 8406 Ellington Way Middleton, WI 53562 www.madisoncommunitymontessori.org

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“Sweet!” — getting that glazed-over look.

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#814 BY MATT JONES ©2017 JONESIN’ CROSSWORDS

ACROSS

1 5 8 13

Put in stitches Andreas opener Cogitates, with “over” Antioxidant berry in fruit juices 14 Nervous twinge 15 Like a game’s tutorial levels 16 Considered only in terms of money 19 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America bestowals 20 Bird that runs 35 mph 22 Dating site datum 23 1986-to-2001 orbiter 24 Hi-___ graphics 26 Like “The Polar Express” 28 “Ain’t happenin’” 30 “Friends” friend 31 Filet mignon cut 35 Foul, as weather

P.S. MUELLER

36 Number sometimes decoded as “Z” 39 Friedlander of “30 Rock” 42 Amish, e.g.

43 “Buy It Now” site 47 ___ of troubles 49 Ashley and MaryKate, for two 51 Christmas tree choice 52 Fall back, tidewise 54 Quirky comic Philips 55 Unagi, at sushi bars 56 It’s provided by guild members 60 Advice that the four long entries with circles failed to follow 63 Baby garment with snaps 64 Word heard by Marge a lot, I imagine 65 Extreme aversion 66 ___ Martin (007’s car)

67 Part of MS-DOS (abbr.)

68 Fairy tale preposition DOWN

1 Trump tweet ender, often 2 Prefix before friendly or terrorism 3 Brownie ingredients, sometimes 4 Khartoum’s river 5 Uphill battle 6 Supermarket section 7 March Madness gp.

8 Cheese companion 9 Exploitative type 10 Retired hockey great Eric 11 “Dig in, everyone!”

12 High-class group, for short?

15 Hubble after whom a space telescope was named 17 “I’ve got ___ feeling about this!”

18 “Born on the Fourth of July” locale, briefly 20 “To ___ is human” 21 “Little Red Book” chairman 25 James Bond, for example 27 “Como ___?” (“How are you?” in Spanish) 29 Horns that are really winds 32 Iron-___ (T-shirt transfer patterns) 33 London or Brooklyn ending 34 Home of Times Sq. and Columbus Cir. 37 Brings by cart, perhaps 38 Bovine quartet 39 Peanut butter brand for “choosy moms” 40 Instances of agreement 41 Hackers’ hangout that’s tough to find via search engines 44 Keg attachment 45 “I’d like to buy ___” (request to Pat Sajak) 46 Armani competitor, initially 48 “I’ll have ___ Christmas without you” (Elvis lyric) 50 “Rio ___” (John Wayne flick) 53 Ask for a doggie treat, perhaps 54 Judy Jetson’s brother 57 “Make ___!” (Captain Picard’s order) 58 Some PTA members 59 Aloha Stadium locale 60 Morgue acronym 61 Judge Lance played

by Kenneth Choi on “American Crime Story” 62 First number shouted before a ball drop, often LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

n SAVAGE LOVE

Clubbing

r e e b

t f a cr r a e y l al

BY DAN SAVAGE

My partner and I have been playing with male chastity devices. We’ve been considering going to a strip club while his cock is caged up and getting him lap dances.

Is there some etiquette for this with the dancers? Do we let the dancer know before she is on his lap? Or do we not mention it? Is it rude to get a dancer involved at all? I’ve not yet found an etiquette guide for this situation.

Letting Our Cage Kink Show

w nl o a d t he

off

icial app

Beer e vent alerts YE AR-ROUND OFFERS a nd DE ALS JOE NEWTON

I recently left my husband and moved from the suburbs to my own apartment in Philadelphia. It’s very liberating, and I have been starting to venture out for some great sex, something missing in my 25year marriage. Two weeks ago, I decided to be adventurous and went to a clubby bar around the block and brought a guy back to my place. The guy was in his 40s, lean, and muscular. The sex was great! He was very oral, unlike my vanilla husband.

When we got this stud’s clothes off, I saw that his pubic area was completely shaved, basically from his navel down. I don’t know if I looked as shocked as I felt.

While he was humping away — I have never had anyone with such stamina and power — he told me to feel his anus, and that area, too, was shaved. I didn’t want to ask him why he shaves, but I am wondering if this is common these days? Is there some “meaning” to it? And is anal touching now customary? I am really out of it and thought I’d ask you.

Confused Over Under-Garment-Area Region While I love your signoff, COUGAR, sleeping with a lean, muscular guy in his 40s who likes to have his anus touched doesn’t earn a woman her cougar wings or whiskers or whatever. You’re going to have to fuck a few boys in their 20s if you want to be a cougar.

In regards to your recent hookup, the removal of pubic hair has definitely become more common over the last 25 years. Studies have found that upwards of 60 percent of women regularly remove most or all of their pubic hair; there aren’t studies about men removing their pubic hair, but many men do. Shaving or waxing doesn’t necessarily mean anything in particular, other than a preference for hairless junk. And the younger people are — chronologically or in spirit — the likelier they are to remove their pubes.

And while I wouldn’t describe anal touching as customary, there are definitely more straight men around today who aren’t afraid of their own assholes. n Email Dan at mail@savagelove.net or reach him on Twitter at @fakedansavage.

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“I think I speak for most dancers when I say I don’t care what’s going on underneath a customer’s pants,” said Bobbi Hill, a lap dancer based in Portland, Oregon, strip club capital of the United States.

“Grazing over a stiff object in the crotch region is not an uncommon experience when giving a lap dance, and depending on the texture of the device, I might not even give it a second thought.”

While your concern for lap dancers is commendable, LOCKS, the person most at risk of injury is your partner. Nothing is more fun than inducing an erection in someone who’s locked in a male chastity device — a necessarily painful and punishing erection — but the devices are unyielding (ideally), and the cock flesh is weak (even when hard). A dancer who grinds down on your partner’s crotch is likelier to hurt him.

That said, lap dancers don’t like surprises. If a dancer grinds down on your partner’s crotch and feels something hard, clunky, and un-cock-like in his pants, “she might go into air-dance mode,” said Hill, “which is essentially a lap dance where you make as little contact with the customer’s crotch as possible. Of course, you can never go wrong investing in a stripper’s patience and wellbeing — try handing her a Benjamin as you explain your situation.”

Just in case you’re not interested in dancers who are hers, I ran your question by a male stripper.

“I don’t think most dancers would mind if a customer was wearing a male chastity device as long as it caused no physical harm or discomfort,” said Aaron, a dancer at Stag PDX, Portland’s new male strip club. “If all parts of the device are safely tucked away between your legs while you receive the lap dance, there should be little to worry about. But if the device has parts that protrude — and could possibly harm an overzealous dancer while they grind up on you — you may want to be more cautious. It also never hurts to ask the dancers what they’re comfortable with.”

Strippers! They’re just like us! You can ask them questions! They will answer them!

They respond positively when you take their comfort into account! They also appreciate large tips! And good personal hygiene! And clients who aren’t completely shitfaced!

do

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