Isthmus: Feb 9-15, 2017 by Isthmus

FEBRUARY 9 - 15, 2017

■

VOL. 42 NO. 6

■

MADISON, WISCONSIN

INSIDE

Dave Cieslewicz looks for a path to Democratic victory D AV I D M I C H A E L M I L L E R

Thank you sponsors! OVER 6,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED! TITLE SPONSORS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

MAJOR SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

JAY & HOLLY

JENSEN

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

ABOVE ZERO SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

Faith Technologies • Summit Credit Union

SNOWMAN SPONSORS

Gingras Cates & Luebke • Habush Habush & Rottier • Hammes Co. • Hilldale Shopping Center • The Rockwell Group

Festival Partners: Blue Ribbon Outdoors, Cabela’s, Central Midwest Ballet, Colony Brands, Inc., Dane County Office of Lakes and Watersheds, Figure Skating Club of Madison, Fireman Rob Foundation, Casey FitzRandolph, Funny Faces Family Entertainment, Henry Vilas Zoo, Keva Sports Center, Kite Riders LLC, David Landau, Madison Bikes, Madison Capitols, Move Out Loud, North American Ice Fishing Circuit, Phi Gamma Delta - Mu Chapter, Rutabaga Paddlesports, Rockin’ Jump, Saris, Studio 88, Sweat Associates, Trek Bicycle Store, UW-Madison Center for Limnology, Wisconsin Kiters Club Event Partners: Dynamic Events by David Caruso, Event Essentials, La Marca, Majic Productions, Joel Gott Wines by Trinchero Family Estates

■ CONTENTS

■ WHAT TO DO

4 SNAPSHOT

TEE TIME

Playing disc golf in the dead of winter.

7-9 NEWS

SCHOOL GOVERNOR

Wisconsin will soon vote for a public school superintendent.

10 TECH BRUCE MURPHY

OPINION THE PRICES FOR solar and wind power have plummeted since 2009, yet Wisconsin continues to rely predominantly on fossil fuels. Bruce Murphy looks at how the state lags behind its neighbors on this score and why Gov. Scott Walker might be reluctant to shift gears, given his 2018 reelection run.

DAVE CIESLEWICZ

Sector67 finds a new home not far from its current space on Madison’s east side.

12 OPINION

SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Why does Wisconsin remain so reliant on coal energy?

15 COVER STORY

SEARCH PARTY

Dave Cieslewicz goes looking for what ails the Democrats.

23-25 FOOD & DRINK

STAMM-INA

1847 at the Stamm House hangs on and in this iteration as a nouveau supper club, gets it right.

26 SPORTS

COVER STORY DAVE CIESLEWICZ, who served as Madison mayor from 2003 to 2011, says he’s a Democrat like he’s a Catholic — raised in the tradition and just not able to decide he’s something else. Worried that his party has drifted away from its bluecollar roots and is paying the price at the polls, Cieslewicz explores what ails the Dems in this week’s cover story.

PERMANENT HACKERSPACE

ICE ICE BABY

Wednesday, Feb. 15, Edgewood College-Anderson Auditorium, 3:30 pm

21, 28 MUSIC

Edgewood School of Business hosts a panel discussion on the economic challenges facing the African American community. Speakers include Ruben Anthony, president of the Urban League of Greater Madison; Laura Dresser, associate director of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy; and Enis Ragland, deputy mayor of administration and finance. RSVP at edgewood.edu/executive-speaker-series.

The Badger women’s hockey team takes on Minnesota Duluth on its way to the WCHA playoffs.

FUNKY MENTOR

Joey Banks learned from a legend. Now he’s paying it forward.

29-30 STAGE

PURE PAULA STEVEN POTTER

MUSIC STEVEN POTTER SAYS he is always curious about the support network behind successful people. So he asked local drummer Joey Banks who might have helped him along the way, and a familiar name came right up: legendary drummer Clyde Stubblefield. Potter writes about the relationship in his profile on Banks.

Economic inequities

Guess which famous comedian has 14 cats!

31 SCREENS

Recycle and recast

LOCKED UP

Saturday, Feb. 11, Sector67, 10 am-6 pm

Starless Dreams looks inside an Iranian juvenile detention center for women.

At FeLion Studios’ annual Pour’n Yer Heart Out “community iron pour” event, reclaimed metal is melted down and cast in sand molds designed by the public and guest artists. Spectator admission is free, and molds are available to design for $40; all profits this year from food and other sales will be donated to Sector67’s relocation fundraising campaign.

40 EMPHASIS

YOU’RE INVITED

Paper Source wants to inspire customers to do something creative. Or just buy a card.

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

32 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 Riley Vetterkind 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.

Wednesday, Feb. 15, UW Gordon Dining and Event Center, 7 pm

Nikki Giovanni, a towering activist and writer who emerged during the civil rights movement, delivers a free Black History Month keynote lecture. She’s talking about black love. And, unlike Frederick Douglass, she’s still alive!

Grow room Friday-Sunday, Feb. 10-12, Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall

Wisconsin Public Television’s Garden Expo is a respite from the gray days — and news — of the moment. From decorative landscaping to food production, it’s all here, with speakers and demos on everything from botanical craft cocktails to Milwaukee’s super-successful Victory Garden program. There’s a farmers’ market, too.

FIND MORE ISTHMUS PICKS ON PAGE 32

FEBRUARY 9–15, 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, Lauren Isely, Rebecca Jaworski 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

People’s poet

n SNAPSHOT

Approach shots

Professional disc golfer Holly Finley shows the proper throwing technique.

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

BY MICHAEL POPKE n PHOTOGRAPH BY MARY LANGENFELD

With light snow swirling around her, Holly Finley works her way down a line of about 30 people at Yahara Hills Golf Course. At this moment, they all are standing between what is — beneath a crisp layer of snow — the green for the west course’s ninth hole and the tee-off area for the 10th hole. Each person holds a colored disc, measuring about 9 inches in diameter and weighing between 120 and 180 grams (about 4 to 6 ounces). After Finley approves everyone’s grip and body position, she steps off to the side and yells, “Throw it hard and make a face!” Discs fly all over the place. Some go far; others don’t have a chance. All of the discs — depending on how hard they’re thrown — wind up either partially buried in the snow or skipping across it. And so it goes at the Madison Parks Division’s first ever “learn to” event for winter disc golf on the final Sunday in January. Temperature: 25 degrees. The group practices more throwing and then gathers around a basket (which plays the same role as a hole in traditional golf ) for a putting competition known as Ring of Fire, in which all participants release their discs at the same time. It should be noted this activity does not involve an actual ring of fire.

Finley is a professional disc golfer and international model (how’s that for a compelling combination?) who lives in Verona and, up until Yahara Hills’ winter disc golf course opened in late November, practiced during the colder months at Bird’s Ruins Disc Golf Course at Charles Langer Family Park in Marshall. She also hosts random-draw doubles tournaments at Yahara Hills on Tuesdays at noon and Saturdays at 10 a.m., where up to several dozen winter disc golfers compete for cash prizes. Disc golf is a fast-growing sport that dates back to at least the 1920s, and it adheres to the same general rules, terminology, scoring and etiquette as traditional golf — or “ball golf,” as some disc golfers call it — except players throw a disc at a standardized target. It’s serious stuff, with more than 4,000 disc golf courses located across the United States, including several in the Madison area. Almost 600 people competed in the Professional Disc Golf Association Amateur and Junior Disc Golf World Championships held in Madison last summer. Now officials hope winter disc golf will gain the same kind of popularity as the warmweather version. The 18-hole winter course at

Yahara Hills, located off the driving range in an area enhanced by blind spots and natural obstacles such as trees, changing elevations and a frozen pond, is Madison’s only public winter disc golf course. People who are serious about disc golf are out there as often as possible. “We have two choices in Wisconsin: No disc golf or winter disc golf. And we will take disc golf anytime we can,” says Don “Duster” Hoffman, 72, who looks a little like Santa Claus and is considered the pioneer of disc golf in Wisconsin. He’s designed several courses around the country and served as a consultant for the winter course at Yahara Hills. Hoffman attended last month’s clinic to check out the next generation of winter disc golfers. It’s hard to say how many people at that event will be back before the spring thaw, or even after the disc golf courses at Elver and Hiestand parks open for the warm-weather season. But Hoffman makes a pretty decent case for giving the sport a whirl. “You’re outside among nature and tossing a Frisbee,” he says. “You can make this sport as complicated as you want, or it can be the simplest thing in the world.” n

82: Number of participants in Madison’s first Charity Disc Golf Tournament, held Jan. 29 at Yahara Hills and benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank $40: Cost of an annual city of Madison Parks Division pass to play winter disc golf at Yahara Hills (winter) and warm-weather disc golf at Elver and Hiestand parks 576: Number of participants that competed in the Professional Disc Golf Association Amateur and Junior Disc Golf World Championship, held in Madison in July 2016 86,000: Members of the Professional Disc Golf Association

A world without soil: Can we preserve this precious resource? Jo Handelsman

Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Thursday, February 16, at 7:30 p.m. Discovery Building Town Center 330 North Orchard Street

discovery.wisc.edu/crossroads

FEBRUARY 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Part of a monthly series on thought-provoking public issues.

! T I B I H NEW EX

Stair Trek: Core to Cosmos FEB. 10-12

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center Madison, Wis.

Visit MCM’s newest exhibit, Stair Trek: Core to Cosmos, a journey through Earth and sky. Start at the Earth’s core and trek up our fivestory stairway through underground, forest, sky, and up into outer space.

WE’RE TAKING STAIRS TO A NEW LEVEL Design to Move: Stair Trek is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Richard B. Anderson Family Foundation, Diane Ballweg, the Pyle Foundation, Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, and Jim Berbee & Karen Walsh.

wigardenexpo.com 100 N. HAMILTON ST. | MADISONCHILDRENSMUSEUM.ORG

■ NEWS

Less talk, more action Madison looks to run city operations on 100 percent renewables BY DYLAN BROGAN

C C

OF MADISO Y IT

AN ENERG

Jeanne Hoffman, the city’s facilities and sustainability manager, says there are different scenarios the consultant could propose for reaching the city’s goal to operate exclusively on renewable energy. “You could be very aggressive, put the additional costs into the city budget, and in five years we could be at 100 percent renewables and zero net energy. The information will help the policymakers decide at what pace they want to try to achieve this goal.” Hoffman says in addition to conserving energy and installing clean energy generators, the city could also purchase “renewable energy credits” from local utilities and the free market to offset fossil fuel use. Madison Mayor Paul Soglin supports the initiative but cautions that it won’t be easy. Transitioning Madison Metro buses and the city fleet to run on renewable energy will prove particularly challenging. Even so, the mayor says it’s time to make a move.

“If we’re going to get there in five to 10 years, we’ve got to start now,” says Soglin. “Eventually, the cost-savings will be there as technology improves.” Campbell predicts investing in renewable energy now will save the city money later. “Once we install renewable power generation, it locks in the price at some of the lowest rates. The price of solar [installations] has just plummeted in the last few years. This is about being fiscally savvy,” says Campbell. “It’s also a plan that creates jobs. Right now, so much money goes out of state to buy the coal and gas. If we act on this resolution, that eventually won’t be the case.”

Who says yo u ca n’t

Who says you What Cupid dips hislcan’t arrow in. b uy so m eo ne’s ove? b uy someone’s love?

CAN D IN CA ND I NAS AS

One reason the city needs to step up, Ahrens argues, is that the local utility, Madison Gas and Electric, hasn’t. Ahrens CHOCOLATIER says MGE’s reliance on coal limits the comCHO CO L AT IE R pany’s ability to participate in the city’s ef608.845.1545 • www.candinas.com C 2435 H O Old C OPB, L AT IER Verona fort to move away from fossil fuels. 608.845.1545 • www.candinas.com or “You can’t be a green player and at 11 West Main on the Capitol Square the same time derive 60 percent of your Candinas_ad_03.indd 8 11/30/06 4:49:00 PM 608.845.1545 • www.candinas.com power from coal,” says Ahrens, citing a 11/30/06 4:49:00 PM statistic the utility confirms. “MGE is Candinas_ad_03.indd 8 in the position of having a customer base that is more than eager for renewable-sourced power. But they’ve made long-term investments in burning coal and are being regulated by [the state Public Service Commission], which is hostile to renewables.” After a year of public engagement, MGE’s Energy 2030 Framework sets a goal of supplying 30 percent of retail energy sales with reCome toCome our booths to our booths (427-429(427-429 & 507) & 507) newable resources by 2030. Spokespertofor our Come to Come our booths a booths for a son Dana Brueck says MGE — which has Come to our (427-429 & booths 507) (427-429 & 507) LARGE SELECTION a representative on the Sustainable Madi(427-429 & 507) LARGE SELECTION for a for a of of culinary herbs anda blooming for culinary herbs and plants. blooming plants. son Committee — supports the city’s resLARGE SELECTION LARGE SELECTION olution to reach 100 percent renewables. LARGE SELECTION Visit our greenhouse for an enormous Visit our greenhouse for an enormous of culinary herbs andplants. blooming plants. herbs and blooming of culinary herbs and bloomingperennials, plants. hanging ofselection annuals, perennials, hanging “We’re already collaborating...and if this of culinaryselection of annuals, Visit fresh our greenhouse for an enormous greenhouse for enormous cutan flowers, vegetables & herbs. & herbs. baskets, fresh cut flowers, vegetables resolution passes, we plan to continue to try Visit ourbaskets, Visit our greenhouse for an enormous of annuals, perennials, hanging ofselection annuals, perennials, hanging selection selection of annuals, perennials, hanging to identify areas to partner and to help the selectionOur retail store has a tremendous ofselection of Ourcut retail store vegetables has a tremendous baskets, fresh flowers, herbs. baskets, fresh cut flowers, vegetables & herbs.and& baskets, fresh cut flowers, vegetables &organic herbs. garden decor and pottery, natural city reach its goals,” says Brueck. garden decor and pottery, natural and organic Our retail store hasfertilizer, a tremendous selection of a tremendous selection of pesthas controls and mulches pest controls andsoils, fertilizer, soils,and mulches and But for now, Ahrens says MGE “lacksOur retail store Our retail store has a tremendous selection of garden decor and pottery, natural and organic andtools. pottery, natural and organic hand Our“Potting Shed” offers you the you the hand tools. Our“Potting Shed” offers garden decor and pottery, natural and organic concrete plans” to advance its renewablegarden decor pest and fertilizer, soils, mulches pest controls andcontrols fertilizer, soils, mulches and opportunity to plant your containers whileand at while at opportunity to plant your containers pest controls and fertilizer, soils, mulches and energy sources. As a result, the onus is tools. Our“Potting Shed” offers you at the hand tools. hand Our“Potting Shed” offers you the Klein’s, without thewithout mess at home. Klein’s, the mess home. hand tools. Our“Potting Shed” offers you the on the city to drive change towards clean opportunityopportunity tocontainers plant your while containers at to plant your at while opportunity to plant your containers while at Klein’s, mess at home. energy. Klein’s, without thewithout mess atthe home. Klein’s, without the mess at home. “If we were getting our power from Alliant Energy in Iowa, for example, the city’s effort would be less pressing because so much of its power comes from wind,” says Ahrens. “But ultimately, we’ll be winners because we’ll have a cleaner, safer environment, and it’ll be less expensive for the city 3758 E. Washington Ave. Madison 3758 E. Washington Ave. Madison in the long run.” (608) 244-5661 (608) 244-5661 Under the pending resolution, the 3758 E.www.kleinsfloral.com Washington Ave. Madison 3758 E. Washington Ave. Madison www.kleinsfloral.com 3758 E. (608) Washington Ave. Madison consultant charged with making Madison 244-5661 (608)Conveniently 244-5661 located atlocated the at the Conveniently (608) 244-5661 a leader on renewable energy would have www.kleinsfloral.com www.kleinsfloral.com intersection of Stoughton Rd (Hwy 51) intersection of Stoughton Rd (Hwy 51) www.kleinsfloral.com until January 2018 to make recommendalocated at the Conveniently located theWashington andConveniently East Washington (Hwy 151)(Hwy 151) andatEast Conveniently located at the of Stoughton Rd (Hwy 51) tions. ■ intersectionintersection of Stoughton Rd (Hwy 51)

Serving Madison Serving Madison Serving Madison for Over for Over Serving Madison Serving Madison for 100 Years 100 Years for Over for Over Over 100 100 Years 100 Years Years

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

In 2011, the city adopted the Madison Sustainability Plan, which set goals of obtaining 25 percent of electricity, heating and transportation energy from clean energy by 2025, an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 and a 50 percent reduction in energy consumption by 2030. The council reaffirmed these goals in June 2016 with its Energy Work Plan. The latest resolution, spearheaded by the Sustainable Madison Committee, ups the ante to completely stop the use of fossil fuels to heat and power the city’s 300 buildings. The same goes for the city’s fleet of buses, trucks and other vehicles. But it doesn’t come cheap, at least in the beginning. In 2015, the city spent more than $7 million on power, and that’s not counting diesel used to power vehicles. Ald. David Ahrens, another Sustainable Madison Committee member, says a combination of energy conservation and energy-generating projects (such as installing solar arrays) seems to be the city’s best

option. He says the technology to pull it off exists and is becoming more affordable. All that remains is the will to do it. “We’ve had a fairly limited budget to make changes,” says Ahrens. “Our budget has been about a million dollars a year [for sustainability projects]. You couldn’t replace the windows at the Municipal Building with that. So we’ve got to really step it up.” The city has already completed a number of small-scale solar projects. In 2017, the city is set to build a 100 kilowatt-hour system at the Streets West building on Badger Road and smaller solar projects at Fire Station #12 on the far west side and at one of the city’s water utility wells. It’s a start, but only a minuscule fraction of the energy needed to run the city. In 2015, the city used 51.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and natural gas.

President Donald Trump called climate change a “Chinese hoax” on the campaign trail, and the state Department of Natural Resources recently revised its website to cast doubt on what’s causing climate change. But here in Madison, city leaders aren’t debating the science. Instead, they intend to lead by example. “Our ultimate goal is to run all city operations on 100 percent renewable energy so we aren’t contributing to global warming anymore,” says Bradley Campbell, a member of the Sustainable Madison Committee. “We are going to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.” On Feb. 21, the Common Council will consider spending $250,000 for a consultant to propose options on how to reach this ambitious goal. Campbell says sourcing the city’s electricity needs from 100 percent renewable, carbon-neutral energy is possible by 2022. “It’s not definite. But it is realistic that we could get there within the next five years. That’s why we need to bring in a consultant to look at all the details on how to execute it,” says Campbell. “A hundred percent renewable electricity is within our grasp.” Ald. Zach Wood, also a member of the Sustainable Madison Committee, expects the council to approve the resolution. He says his fellow council members have expressed “nothing but optimism” toward the plan. “This particular resolution won’t get it done. But this will put us on the path to get us where we need to be,” says Wood. “It’s an important first step, and it’s one I’m confident we’ll make.”

OPENOPEN YEAR-ROUND YEAR-ROUND YEAR-ROUND OPEN OPEN YEAR-ROUND OPEN YEAR-ROUND intersection Stoughton Rd (Hwy and East of Washington 151)51) and East Washington (Hwy 151)(Hwy and East Washington (Hwy 151)

n NEWS

Electing “a governor” of the schools Superintendent candidates share goals, but differ on solutions BY JENNY PEEK

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

When it comes to selecting a leader of the public school system, Wisconsin is the only state in the country that calls on “qualified electors” to make the choice. The state superintendent of public instruction, a position established by the Wisconsin constitution, lasts four years and is housed within the executive branch of state government. In most states, superintendents are appointed by a state school board or governor. John Witte, UW-Madison professor emeritus of public affairs and political science, says while the post is meant to be nonpartisan, it has always toed the political line. “Everybody knows which party they’re in and who is supporting them,” Witte says. The superintendent runs the administrative apparatus of the state’s schools — across 424 school districts — overseeing teacher licensing, curriculum standards and student aid, and implementing educational programs, some of which are mandated by state law. The superintendent also sits on the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and the UW Board of Regents. “Around the 1980s things began to change throughout the U.S., and they changed dramatically here in Wisconsin. Superintendents became much more proactive for education, and as the roles of the states increased, so did the roles of state superintendents,” says Witte, referring to state oversight of curriculum and testing standards. “The state superintendent is like a governor for the state school system.” This spring, Wisconsinites will vote for the next school “governor.” The Feb. 21 primary includes three candidates on the ballot: incumbent Tony Evers; John Humphries, a school administration consultant; and Lowell Holtz, a retired district superintendent. Rick Melcher, who teaches math at Park High School in Racine, is running a write-in campaign. The two candidates with the most votes in the primary will face off in the April 4 general election.

One of the controversial topics looming over education policy is school choice and the autonomy parents have in choosing where to send their kids to school. Open enrollment is one way to increase choice; taxpayer-funded state voucher programs are another. Evers, who has been superintendent since 2009, does not support expansion of the voucher program, because it takes resources away from public schools — the state’s Department of Revenue found that the richest 13 percent of earners claimed two-thirds of the vouchers. Both Humphries and Holtz support vouchers, saying competition between private and public schools improves performance.

Tony Evers: Incumbent

Lowell Holtz: “Kidservative”

Another major focus of the campaign is Common Core standards, a national program that establishes benchmarks for math and language skills. Evers argues Common Core gives teachers more flexibility and pushes kids to think deeper. Humphries believes the standards were forced upon educators from outside the state with little consideration for how kids learn. Holtz also opposes Common Core and wants districts to set standards. The candidates agree on the need to address Wisconsin’s achievement gap and racial disparities in test scores, graduation rates and college attendance, but they differ in strategy. Both Holtz and Humphries believe more school options will increase achievement, whereas Evers argues for more funding and resources, particularly related to social, emotional and mental health.

John Humphries: Boat rocker

For Melcher, the write-in candidate, adequate funding for public schools is the most pressing issue. He opposes the state voucher program, writing in a Wisconsin Public Education Network survey, “Make no mistake, this is an entitlement program designed to divert public taxes to privately owned schools or religious schools. Although powerful outside influences have convinced some judges to decide to the contrary, I believe this is unconstitutional.”

“The same people that had angst about government voted to increase taxes on themselves to keep schools running efficiently and effectively,” Evers says. “That’s a great thing. It means local schools are doing a great job and people support them. But it’s not sustainable.” As an advocate of 860,000 kids, Evers wants to restore financial stability to schools, so that referendums alone aren’t what separates the haves from the have-nots. In his 2017-2019 budget request, Evers increased general school aid by $514 million through his Fair Funding plan, which guarantees at least $3,000 of state funding per student, incorporates a poverty factor, and ensures no district can lose more than 10 percent of state aid in any year. Evers says this ensures the money going to school districts helps kids who are struggling. “We weigh different subgroups like kids in poverty, English language learners, students with disabilities and foster kids, because we know they struggle academically, because they’re struggling in other ways,” says Evers. “There are kids that need more help and that generally means more resources.” Evers wants to continue investing in professional development for teachers, focusing on cultural competency and community engagement. He also wants to bolster dualenrollment programs. “We’ve accomplished a lot in the last eight years. Our public schools continue to be strong,” Evers says. “I think I understand the complexities of the achievement gap. It’s easy to say ‘We’ll do some top-down stuff or we’ll do more testing,’ but that’s not the answer. We can’t be chasing test scores; we have to ensure that kids are ready to learn.”

On Election Day, Evers went to bed early. He suspected Donald Trump would win and turned off the barrage of news. The next morning, he scrolled through local papers across the state, checking to see which referendums passed. “That was one of the most encouraging things I had seen for some time,” says Evers. Fifty-five of the 67 school referendums that appeared on local ballots passed, a funding bump approaching $1 billion.

Humphries is ready to rock the status quo. “For too long, people have seen this as a partisan office,” says Humphries. “[Evers] has been at DPI for 16 years, he’s had many opportunities to [try] things that have worked in other states.... He’s comfortable with the status quo, and I’m not.” Humphries’ platform promises to create a state board of education, increase school choice, improve teacher training, limit statemandated testing to three hours a year, and

The top two candidates in the Feb. 21 primary will face off in the April 4 general election.

remove Common Core. He also wants to increase the ways in which voters hold the state superintendent accountable. “One of my proposals is to have a state report card,” Humphries says. “Schools get report cards, school districts get report cards; I want one whole state report card that holds me accountable for statewide results, because if we’re not getting better, I should be answering for that.” He proposes creating a state school board composed of nine members: four appointed by the minority party in the Legislature, four by the majority party, and a board president appointed by the governor. “It’s not a bureaucracy, it’s accountability, and a reasonable check and balance on the power of the state superintendent,” says Humphries. Humphries says Wisconsin’s schools badly need new leadership. “We have to improve our academic outcomes because we’re failing our kids. It’s a moral issue, it’s an economic issue, and it’s an issue we can solve,” Humphries says. “People want to blame poverty, they want to say parent involvement isn’t what it used to be, they want to blame school funding for the problems, but that’s not why our outcomes aren’t better. It’s us as educators, we’ve got to do a better job, and it’s only through new leadership at DPI that we can get around to that.” Holtz calls himself a “kidservative,” in order to keep his focus on the children and avoid partisanship. “When you talk about kids, it doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you’re on,” Holtz says. “You want the best opportunities for all of our kids and teachers.” He’s been campaigning town to town with his wife. “This is an incredible adventure, running a statewide race. We prayed a lot about it, but we really felt we couldn’t turn our back on the kids that we’ve grown to love.” If elected, Holtz promises to eliminate Common Core, reduce the state dropout rate, and collaborate with schools and teachers to return classroom safety and control back to teachers. After working in administration in both rural and urban school districts, Holtz says he has the experience to turn around failing schools in Wisconsin. “I have experience in the high-poverty rural areas, and I certainly have experience turning around large urban districts in Wisconsin,” says Holtz. “We need great schools for all of our kids.” For Holtz, the answer is providing more choice, increasing local control and taking responsibility. “When I grew up you had to name the problem, you had to own the problem, take responsibility for it and then you had to fix it,” Holtz says. “It’s time we had someone in office who was willing to do that.” n

■ WEEK IN REVIEW

■ MADISON MATRIX MONDAY, FEB. 6

■ U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin

■ State Sen. Jon Erpenbach

says she plans to oppose President Donald Trump’s pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch. Gov. Scott Walker immediately responds with a testy tweetstorm. How very presidential of him.

(R-Menomonee Falls) says she plans to reintroduce a proposal to penalize so-called “sanctuary cities,” or communities that refuse to enforce federal immigration law. Under her proposal, municipalities would face fines of $500 to $5,000 per day. A similar bill failed to pass last year.

SUNDAY, FEB. 5 ■ Wisconsin has fined 22

hospitals, including SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, for not complying with state law requiring them to offer emergency contraceptives to rape victims, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.

TUESDAY, FEB. 7 ■ Dane County Sheriff Dave

Mahoney meets President Trump at the White House as part of a delegation from the National Sheriff’s Association. Mahoney tells the State Journal that he urged Trump to

TION TUI HED! S SLA OFF! institute comprehensive immigration reform and that the meeting was “very cordial.” ■ Walker announces a plan to cut UW System tuition by 5 percent starting in the 2018 fall semester. He also proposes adding $135 million in new state funding to cover the lost tuition revenue and other initiatives, but Republican leaders haven’t signed on.

AR 1 YE

The state Department of Justice has tested just nine of Wisconsin’s approximately 6,000 backlogged rape kits, the Green Bay Press Gazette reports. The department 16 months ago received $4 million in grants to get the work done. DE

TMEN PAR T JUSTICE

■ State Rep. Janel Brandtjen

UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank announces a proposal to provide at least one year of free tuition for first-generation transfer students from some two-year colleges. But it won’t happen unless the state provides the funding.

FRIDAY, FEB. 3

(D-Middleton) and Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) introduce two bills aimed at helping users of medical marijuana. In the joint proposal (hahaha), one bill would legalize medical marijuana outright, while the other (a backup measure) would create an advisory referendum allowing voters to decide whether to make the drug available to patients.

BIG CITY

SCONSIN WI

THURSDAY, FEB. 2

K . A . E . D.

WINNING

LOSING

Madison ranks No. 1 on a list of “increasingly youthful cities” identified in a study from CareerBuilder. The city’s share of workers ages 22-34 increased 3.1 percent from 2001 to 2016.

t s e f r e t s b

Gov. Scott Walker and first lady Tonette are setting sail for Alaska this summer to host an “inspirational” cruise along with a group of evangelical Christians, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

SMALL TOWN

per pound save up to $8.01/lb.

Cold Water

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Lobster Tails 10 - 20 oz.

Please place your orders with one of our service meat clerks today.

n TECH

SHOW YO U R HO ME S OM E L O V E

Home Remodeling Loans CITY OF MADISON

DEFERRED PAYMENT LOANS No monthly payment! Available through the City of Madison Department of Planning and Community & Economic Development www.cityofmadison.com/homeloans

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

266-6557 • 266-4223

Roofing

Insulation

Siding

Electrical

Bath & Kitchen

Windows & Doors

Sector67’s new home Hackerspace is moving about a mile away BY ALLISON GEYER

Plumbing

Furnace

After about four years of searching, Sector67 founder Chris Meyer has found a new home for his acclaimed hackerspace and community workshop. Meyer has negotiated a $400,000 contract to purchase a warehouse at 56 Corry St. on Madison’s east side and is in the process of raising funds to buy and renovate the building. The property is owned by Joe Krupp of Prime Urban Properties, and is currently being rented to Krupp General Contractors. So far, the nonprofit has raised about $580,000 towards the new space, which is more than 80 percent of its $700,000 target. Meyer hopes to move in within the next 12 to 18 months. “To own our own space is something that we really wanted,” says Meyer, who has been renting warehouse space at 2100 Winnebago St. since he founded Sector67 in 2010. “There aren’t a lot of large, empty warehouses on the isthmus, and what is available is really expensive.” Meyer always knew his time on Winnebago Street was limited — in 2012, his landlord, Accipiter Properties, gave warning that they were considering redeveloping the property. That particular project fell through, but as the economy recovered and as the surrounding Schenk-Atwood neighborhood became increasingly popular, Meyer knew Sector67’s space “wasn’t really safe.” Later that year, Meyer started working with a group of local entrepreneurs to create the tech incubator StartingBlock, which would have provided a permanent home for Sector67. But as the project evolved and more partners came on board, terms changed, and Meyer decided to break with the group in May 2016. Meanwhile, there was another deal brewing at 2100 Winnebago. A group that had been trying to build a cohousing development at nearby Union Corners parted ways with the project and turned to Sector67 landlord Accipiter to see about moving the project to Winnebago Street. In September 2016,

the groups struck an agreement to raze and redevelop the parcels containing Winnebago Studios, Sector67 and Madison Circus Space. Fortunately, Meyer already had his new site identified. After the departure from StartingBlock, Meyer had resumed his property search, turning to former neighbor Key Commercial Real Estate for help with the “impossible task” of finding an affordable warehouse somewhere on Madison’s east side. Staying near Sector67’s current location was important to Meyer, who has grown to love the scrappy, creative vibe of the art spaces and locally owned businesses in the Atwood area. Plus, he wanted to stay near the local schools, where he leads robotics clubs. The folks at Key put Meyer in touch with Krupp, who owns several buildings in the Atwood area. Meyer gave Krupp a “sob story” about his quest to find affordable real estate, and Krupp agreed to sell his Corry Street warehouse, which is less than a mile from Sector67’s original location. “The proximity couldn’t be better,” Meyer says. He’s hoping to build relationships with nearby East High School and the Goodman Community Center to expand his technology and engineering programs for kids. “I think it’s going to be a great partnership down the road.” Meyer plans to fully renovate the 9,600-square-foot warehouse and raise the roof about 10 feet, which will provide a second-story mezzanine for storage and increase the building size to about 17,000 square feet. Creating a vision for the new space is the “fun part,” he says — design schematics submitted to the city of Madison show spaces for woodworking, welding, a classroom, a kitchen and a greenhouse. Much of the design and labor will be done by Sector67 members (they’re pretty handy), and many of the plumbing fixtures and construction materials were reclaimed from the shuttered Madison Municipal Building. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve got a reasonable amount of time,” Meyer says. “I’m excited for what’s ahead.” n

DO WHAT YOU LOVE, AND DO IT OFTEN.

2017 SUBARU

OUTBACK 2.5i Premium

EPA MPG HWY

Financing Available!**

• All-Wheel-Drive • CVT Automatic Transmission • Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive • Cruise, Tilt, & Telescopic Steering Wheel • Power Windows/Seats/Locks • Splash Guards • Heated Mirrors/Windshield Wiper De-icer • Starlink Connective Convenience Services and More!

LEASE FROM

AWD+ MPG!

239

/mo+tax**

36 mo/10,000 mile/year lease. $1,939 due at signing. No security deposit.

Model HDD-11 Stock #27-3127

A 2016 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with EyeSight®. Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive + 32 mpg3. And it’s enabled with Subaru StarlinkTM Automatic Collision Notification19. Consider all that you hope to get done, done. 2016 SUBARU

CROSSTREK 2.0i

1.9%

AWD+ MPG!

2017 SUBARU

FORESTER 2.0XT Premium

EPA MPG HWY

STANDARD WITH: • All-Wheel-Drive • 6.2” Starlink MultiFinancing media System Available!** on 2016 models • Rear Vision Camera • Power Windows/ Locks • Heated Seats/Mirrors • Windshield Wiper De-icers and Much More!

2017 SUBARU

LEGACY 2.5i Premium

STANDARD WITH: • Standard Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive • 250-hp Turbocharged Subaru Boxer® Engine • Subaru StarlinkTM Safety and Security Connected Services Enabled19 • 18” Alloy Wheels

O% Financing

Available!**

on ‘16 and ‘17 • A 2016 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ models • CVT Automatic • Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive • Interior/Exterior Auto Dim Mirrors w/ Compass • Heated Seats/Mirrors/Windshield Wiper Deice • Starlink Connective Convenience Services & More!

AWD+ MPG!

IMPREZA 2.0i Premium

EPA MPG HWY

on 2017 model

AWD+ MPG!

LEASE FROM

/mo+tax**

36 mo/10,000 mile/year lease. $1,919 due at signing. No security deposit.

Available!** s

2016 SUBARU

219

% O cin Finan g

Model HAD-11 Stock #27-3203

• Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive • Vehicle Dynamics Financing Control Available!** • Side-Curtain Airbags on remaining • Subaru Advanced 2016 models Frontal Airbag System • Front Seat Side-Impact Airbags • Anti-Theft Alarm & Immobilizer System • Air Conditioning • Rear Vision Camera • 4-Wheel Disc Brakes w/Brake Assist • Anti-Lock Braking System

EPA MPG HWY

Model GLF-11 Stock #26-4229

WEST: 5822 Odana Rd. • 442-3200 • donmillersubaruwest.com SALES: MON.-THURS. 9AM-8PM; FRI 9AM-6PM; SAT. 9AM-5PM

EAST: 5339 Wayne Terrace • 258-3636 • donmillersubarueast.com SALES: MON.-THURS. 9AM-8PM; FRI 9AM-6PM; SAT. 9AM-5PM

East & West Service: MON.-FRI. 7AM-5:30PM; SAT. 8AM-1PM • SUBARUSERVICE@DONMILLER.COM Subaru, Forester, Impreza, Legacy, Outback, and EyeSight are registered trademarks. Pandora is a registered trademark of Pandora Media, Inc. 1Star ratings are a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safecar.gov program (www.safecar.gov). 2EPA-estimated hwy fuel economy for 2017 Subaru Legacy 2.5i models. Actual mileage may vary. 3EPA-estimated hwy fuel economy for 2017 Subaru Outback 2.5i models. Actual mileage may vary. 4EPS-estimated hwy fuel economy for 2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i CVT models. Actual mileage may vary. 5EPA-estimated hwy fuel economy for 2016 Subaru Impreza CVT non-Sport models. Actual mileage may vary. 12Based on manufacturer-reported interior volumes according to the EPA’s Midsize Car class as of April 2016. 19Activation with subscription required. Includes one-year trial subscription to Safely Plus connected service. See your retailer for details. 22 Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are systems designed to assist the driver by monitoring the rear and side areas of the vehicle during a lane change or reversing and are not a substitute for safe and attentive driving. Offers end 2/28/2017.

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU!

n OPINION

A fiefdom of fossil fuel Gov. Walker continues to oppose wind and solar power despite plummeting costs BY BRUCE MURPHY Bruce Murphy is the editor of UrbanMilwaukee.com.

Wisconsin is a pretty windy state. While far behind wind powerhouses like Texas or Kansas, Wisconsin ranks 17th highest in wind power potential, according to the American Wind Energy Association, with enough to produce four times more energy than the state’s total electrical needs. Wisconsin was making progress on that front, with more than 20 wind-related manufacturing businesses in the state when Gov. Scott Walker took office in 2011. Then all that momentum came to a sudden stop. A law passed by Walker and the Republicans in 2011 delayed any development for a year and called for a more stringent review. It sent a negative signal to wind companies, says Tyler Huebner, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, “and there’s been no state signal to counteract that and bring companies back.” Since then, a Wisconsin Department of Health Services review of scientific literature found no human health concerns with wind turbines, but there has been no movement by the Walker administration to embrace wind power. State Public Service Commission members appointed by Walker have also been unfriendly to clean energy. The PSC approved a plan by We Energies, the state’s largest utility, to charge a fee for homeowners installing solar power, which discouraged solar installation, only to have the courts overrule the fee. Walker and Republicans cut the Focus on Energy program providing rebates for homeowners and businesses that installed energy-saving features, including alternative energy, slashing annual funding from more than $4 million to just $2 million in 2011 and 2012. Since then funding has been restored to its former level, a small bright spot.

The overall message to wind and solar producers is “not welcoming, that’s for sure,” as Gary Radloff, a policy analyst for the Wisconsin Energy Institute, told Bloomberg.com. Wisconsin’s become “an island of renewable-energy stagnation amid a sea of growth,” he added. Other states have taken advantage of plummeting prices for wind and solar, which have dropped 60 percent and 65 percent, respectively, since 2009. States surrounding Wisconsin have embraced wind power: As of 2015, Iowa had 6,209 megawatts of wind energy, Illinois 3,842, Minnesota 3,235, Indiana 1,895 and Michigan 1,531, while Wisconsin had just 648 megawatts. The picture isn’t much better for solar power, where Indiana had 120 megawatts of solar as of 2015, Illinois had 57, Minnesota 27, Iowa 25 and Wisconsin just 22 megawatts, ranking it ahead of only Michigan (18 megawatts). No Midwestern state added less solar power, the Solar Energy Industries Association told Bloomberg. There has finally been some good news on solar: Dairyland Power Cooperative has launched a project to build 20 megawatts of solar energy, and a just-announced joint project by NextEra Energy Resources and WPPI Energy of Sun Prairie hopes to build 100 megawatts of solar energy by 2021. But the state is still playing catch-up. “We’re behind,” says Huebner. “The potential for alternative energy in Wisconsin is basically limitless. We have plenty of hills and spots where we can put up wind turbines. We have plenty of rooftops and plenty of land to put up solar panels.” Yet the state has actually become more dependent on fossil fuels under Walker: It now gets 63 percent of its energy from coal, up from about 55 percent in 2011. That’s largely because the Kewaunee nuclear power plant was closed, but also because the state has been asleep on solar and wind power.

DAVID MICHAEL MILLER

Just nine states in America are more dependent on coal, and those tend to be states like West Virginia, Kentucky, Wyoming and North Dakota — big producers of coal. There is no economic advantage for this state in Walker’s fealty to fossil fuels. Wisconsin spends more than $12 billion annually to import coal and gas, importing pollution to this state and exporting potential jobs to coal and gas producers while failing to grow alternative energy jobs here. That leaves Walker out of step with the many Wisconsin businesses embracing so-

THIS MODERN WORLD

lar and wind power, like S.C. Johnson of Racine, Rockwell Automation in Milwaukee and Reynolds Storage and Transfer of Madison. Nationally, 71 of the largest 100 corporations have launched renewable energy plans. Walker is also out of step with average voters: 70 percent believe the U.S. should put more emphasis on wind energy production, and 76 percent support increased solar. He’s even out of step with his Republican base: The same survey found 60 percent of conservatives support actions to accelerate clean energy use. But Walker’s position is doubtless supported by the Koch brothers, whose profits are generated by fossil fuels. And they have rewarded Walker with $5.6 million in campaign donations from 2010 through 2014, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. That total will likely grow when the group updates its numbers. And Walker will need more such donations for his 2018 run for reelection and a possible second try for president. As a result, alternative energy seems to be booming everywhere but here. When it comes to solar and wind power, Wisconsin is clearly not open for business. n

BY TOM TOMORROW

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

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

To be eligible, you must be currently experiencing depression and insomnia, be 18-65 years old, and have access to regular care with a primary care provider. Participants will receive up to $400 to $450.

■ FEEDBACK

The good fight Dave Cieslewicz’s latest column dismissing the Women’s March is misguided (“Nothing’s Happening Here,” 2/2/2017). Writing about preservation of rule of law under authoritarians, political scientist Paul Gowder articulates why demonstrations such as those seen so far are critically important: “A visible and loud opposition is self-reinforcing. By communicating anti-regime preferences, opponents signal that other people who might oppose the regime will have allies, and also signal that those who would engage in antisocial behavior in support of the regime cannot rely on the silent support or acquiescence of their communities. In this vein, the sudden mass protests at airports as well as aggressive widespread action by volunteer lawyers in defense of executive order detainees is very heartening.” More and more people participate in resistance “when they think that they have a critical mass of people who agree with them.” Erica Chenoweth’s research shows that civil resistance campaigns with sustained participation of at least 3.5 percent of the population virtually always succeed. The Women’s March was key. I do agree with Cieslewicz on the need for “building a broad-based movement” that includes focus on “jobs, wages and fairness for everyone.” And diverse nonviolent resistance methods will need to be deployed, beyond demonstrations. Gregory Gelembiuk (via email)

Something is happening here, Dave, and what it is, despite your caution, is pretty damn clear. The Women’s March in D.C. and the march here in Madison were both part of the largest national protest in our nation’s history, harbingers of the incipient worldwide resistance to President Trump. In dismissing the march, you mentioned nothing of the follow-up efforts to channel enthusiasm into concrete action. From the “Next-Up Huddles” suggested by the organizers of the nationwide women’s marches to the Leading Locally group organized by Ald. Maurice Cheeks, the groundwork is in place for sustained resistance, not the solipsistic self-soothing you rightly fear. History shows protests can galvanize change. Dr. King called for marches in Selma and D.C., and these led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And regarding Vietnam, you’re wrong to suggest the protests did nothing to shorten the war. As one white guy to another, I wouldn’t dismiss the Women’s March as muddled identity politics. Women across this country are “grabbing back,” and we men do best to stand with them. The imaginary white couple in Racine you proffer as a political litmus test can be reached with a message of “jobs, wages and fairness for everyone,” but our message must be inclusive. After all, Tammy Baldwin didn’t deny her sexual identity in her successful bid for the U.S. Senate, nor should we define our politics too narrowly in order to win back Trump voters. Tag Evers (via email)

PAY IT FORWARD WITH COVANCE! You can help medicine advance with study 8362-260. Here are the study details: • Healthy, Non-smoking Men & Women 18–55 • 3–4 separate stays of 6 nts & 3 OPV each at the Madsion clinic with 1-2 follow-up phone calls. Compensation up to $7,025–$9,300 may be provided for time and participation. Go to CovanceClinicalTrials.com or call 866-429-3700 New studies are added regularly. 3402 Kinsman Blvd., Madison, WI 53704 ©2017 Covance Clinical Research Unit, Inc.

FIG. 2 | PREFERRED FULL WITHOUT TAGLINE

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

FIG. 6 | REVERSE ON A CO BACKGROUND

Speaking his mind in the city he once ruled!

Read him online at Isthmus.com

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

starring former Madison Mayor

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15, 2017

n COVER STORY

Dave Cieslewicz looks for a path to Democratic victory

BY DAVE CIESLEWICZ

The Democratic Party is lost in the wilderness. I went looking for it.

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Let’s start by documenting just how deep in the forest it is. The Republicans hold a 64-35 majority in the state Assembly, their biggest margin since 1957, and a 20-13 edge in the state Senate, their largest since 1971. Republican Gov. Scott Walker has won three straight elections. In 2012 he became the first governor in American history to survive a recall election. While technically a nonpartisan body, Republican-backed candidates hold a fiveto-two majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Democrats could not even muster a candidate to challenge conservative Justice Annette Ziegler. How could it possibly have gotten this bad? To try to understand it better, I tapped a handful of the best political thinkers I know. Whenever I could, I plied them with coffee or cocktails in cozy settings. ➡

n COVER STORY

I did not go to official party sources because we already know what the party line is; it goes something like this: By losing both houses of the Legislature and the governor’s office in a national conservative uprising in 2010, Republicans were handed the keys to decennial redistricting after that year’s census. They used their power ruthlessly and, combined with the latest data and software, drew districts that will lock in their majorities until the next redistricting, which won’t be in place until 2022. There is truth in that. Democrats have won a federal court case challenging the Republican gerrymandering as unconstitutional. This will wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court before too long, and, if they can win there, new, more fair districts might be in place in time for the next round of elections in 2018. Or maybe not. If the high court rules in favor of the Democrats, it would be the first time in history that the court has struck down a map based on political, as opposed to racial, considerations. In short, don’t count on it. The gerrymandering argument is now such an ingrained part of party lore that it has become a crutch, a way to avoid dealing with deeper problems. We know the Republicans did a bad thing to the Democrats. They dropped them off in the middle of nowhere without a compass. Okay. So how do they find their way back?

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

Blue populists

It’s the week before Donald Trump will become president. Paul Maslin and I are sharing lunch in downtown Madison. The Democratic pollster has worked for lots of top-shelf clients, like former U.S. Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl. He also takes second-tier pols, like me in 2011, when I tried for a third term as Madison mayor. Gregarious and with a deep, loud voice, Maslin does not hold back. He recounts a conversation he had with another Democratic operative just after the 2016 election. That person suggested that the working class is gone, and that the party should reach out to affluent suburbanites. “This guy thinks the future of the party is in Waukesha,” Maslin says with disdain. “If our future is to be the affluent, educated, latte party, then I’m checking out. That ain’t my party, because if that’s who we are, then we’ve lost our soul.”

Maslin thinks the solution may be to answer Trump with a liberal populist message and to downplay, but not abandon, the party’s message of social diversity. “We should be proud that we are the more tolerant and diverse party. But just for a second, can we not lead with our chin so much?” He believes that the party hits on the diversity message to such an unrelenting extent, “that anybody who’s not black or Latino or gay or urban hip feels like they’re put off, that they’re not part of the special club.” He re-emphasizes that he does not want his party to abandon social justice for an economic message. But, he asks plaintively, “Can’t we do both?” “We owe it to ourselves to try a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren populist approach as much as we can.”

Today Mitchell, who attended the same Delavan high school as the governor, is still a Madison firefighter, and he leads the 5,000-member Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin. “Our membership is probably 95 percent white guys, and a lot of them voted for Trump,” he says. “They just didn’t feel that Hillary Clinton was speaking to them.” After he got over the anger and grief of the November election, Mitchell spent a long January night writing down his thoughts, trying to make sense of it all just for himself. When he finished he had 21 pages of notes. His central conclusion was that the Democrats need to change their message from one of “silos” of interest groups to one of “commonality.” He faults Clinton for listing in her stump speech all the groups she would fight for, including African Americans. “But if you’re going to start naming groups of people you better name all of them, or the ones who don’t get named are going to notice,” says Mitchell, who is black. I ask him to name a group that got left out. “Well, obviously white guys,” he says with a laugh. In other words, a lot of his members. Mitchell also echoed a common theme of those I interviewed. Democrats, he says, rely too heavily on reason and policy proposals. “But politics is about getting people in their gut. It’s about emotion.” His prescription? “Democrats are in a state of emergency right now. Firefighters like to keep things simple. You get to a scene and you just try to sort things out and do what you can and move on to the next problem.” For him the simple answer is to move a common message about economic opportunity to the center of the Democratic agenda. He believes that that kind of message will resonate “from La Crosse to the inner city of Milwaukee.”

Emotional rescue

Show up and listen

Mahlon Mitchell and I grab a cup of coffee in the “glass bank” building on the Capitol Square. It was just outside those big windows that Mitchell, clad in his dress firefighters uniform, led marches during the 2011 Act 10 protests. His activism helped propel him to be the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor in the following year’s recall election against Walker.

Kathy Cramer’s new book, The Politics of Resentment, hit the market this fall just as Trump shocked the world. Critics put it in the company of other books, like Hillbilly Elegy, that try to make sense of a white working class that seemingly votes against its own interests. Cramer, a UW-Madison political scientist, spent six years traveling the state,

“ We owe it to ourselves to try a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren populist approach as much as we can,” says Paul Maslin.

visiting several times with each of 39 groups at gas stations, bars and diners. She listened in as they talked about Madison, taxes, the Department of Natural Resources, their schools and their towns. What she heard was a way of thinking that makes sense if you listen closely enough. They oppose social welfare programs because they think that they will benefit only the undeserving in places far away from them. They oppose regulations — even ones that would protect their own water — because they

Mahlon Mitchell says Democrats rely too heavily on reason and policy proposals. “But politics is about getting people in their gut. It’s about emotion.”

believe more rules will cost jobs and be ineffective anyway because they will be administered by bureaucrats in Madison. Above all they see themselves as residents of a place — rural Wisconsin — that is little understood or cared about by the big shots in the cities. I ask Cramer, while having a beer at the Memorial Union’s newly remod-

Times change

FEBRUARY IS HEART MONTH

just a national phenomenon. The white working class seems to be in revolt against the establishment everywhere. He notes the Brexit vote and other movements in Europe. He also reminds me that while Wisconsin had not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Reagan, many of the Democratic candidates won by razor-thin margins. But he doesn’t think the prescription is to double down on identity politics. “The Democrats are perceived as a party of identities as opposed to a party of interests,” he says. Taking the long view, he says that African Americans were Republican voters before the Democrats made progress on civil rights in the 1960s. In the same way, he says that Democrats should not be too sanguine about a fast-growing Hispanic population coming to their rescue in the future. Times change, so counting on particular demographic groups can be disappointing. But he also notes that after the Democratic rout of Barry Goldwater and congressional Republicans in 1964, that party was given up for lost much like the Democrats might be now. His prescription is identical to Cramer’s. Listen and “ask what voters really care about.”

➡

We listen to more than just your heart Great care starts with knowing our patients and their families – listening to their concerns and working closely with them to find a treatment that not only fits the condition, but the person. Because when patients feel connected to their physician, their outcomes are better. It’s just one reason why SSM Health Heart & Vascular Care is the right choice for heart health.

deancare.com/cardiac

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

A week later and just down the corridor in the Memorial Union, UW political science professor Ken Mayer and I chat over a cup of coffee. Mayer is nationally recognized for his research on elections and the presidency. He is an expert witness in that lawsuit challenging the Republican gerrymander. It killed me that sitting across the table was a guy who knew more about the greatest source of Wisconsin Democrats’ distress, but, because the case is pending, he couldn’t talk about it at all. He agreed that the Democrats’ problems went beyond the maps. Like Cramer, Mayer made it clear that he was not a partisan and that whatever insights he might have about the Wisconsin electorate were applicable to anyone who wanted to heed them. “A segment of the electorate feels like they’ve been left behind. Whether or not that’s true is beside the point,” he says. But he does cut the Democrats some slack. He emphasizes that what happened in Wisconsin is not

Kathy Cramer spent six years traveling the state, talking to rural voters. Her advice to Democrats: “Showing up and listening matters.”

eled Rathskeller, how her book had been received. She tells me that she has been invited to speak to the Congressional Democratic Caucus in Washington and to other groups of Democrats looking for answers. She hastens to point out that her book is an academic work, that she is not by any stretch of the imagination a partisan consultant, and that before she accepted the invitation to speak in Washington she contacted Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan’s office to offer to speak to his caucus as well. He has not yet taken her up on the offer. After reading her book, I agree that what political lessons might be derived from it are applicable to either party. It’s just that the Republicans long ago internalized them, while many Democrats treat her study as the strange and fascinating rituals of some forgotten tribe. Cramer, who is a true Wisconsinite with the accent to prove it, still keeps in touch with some of the dozens of people she talked with all over the state. Her advice to Democrats: “Showing up and listening matters.”

n COVER STORY

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

Somebody not like you

Gaylord Nelson put the minority in minority leader. When the future governor and U.S. senator served in the state Senate, Democrats were even deeper in the wilderness than they are now. In the mid-1950s, Nelson was the leader of only five Democrats in a 33-member body. I met his daughter, Tia Nelson, for a drink at a cozy bar in downtown Madison. Years ago Tia and I both worked at the Nature Conservancy, she running international programs out of Washington while I was the Wisconsin chapter’s government relations guy. You may recall her name because up until last year she led a quiet state agency that manages 80,000 acres of public land and administers a fund to help public schools. At least it was quiet until a member of her oversight board banned her or her staff from so much as talking about global climate change, even though these changes affect management of public lands. She eventually resigned and now works for the upstart Outrider Foundation. I wanted to report that these times were just like the 1950s, when her beloved and iconic father led the Democrats from nowhere to prominence. No dice. “These are not really comparable times,” she says. “Papa and others were building a party where for all practical purposes there had been none.” By contrast, today’s party is wellestablished but with significant problems. “We’ve lost control of the narrative,” she says. “We think that the blue counties that went red are the working class voting against their own interest. I believe that to be quite mistaken, and a dangerous misunderstanding of what’s happening.” Nelson says that rural voters know their own interests very well, that they go into elections with their eyes wide open and that they reject Democrats because they often see them as the greater of two evils. Nelson also believes Democrats have to reconnect with rural Wisconsin voters. “If identity politics worked, Donald Trump would not be president.” She ends the evening by telling a story about how, after Bob Kasten defeated her father for his U.S. Senate seat in 1980, she worked with Kasten on environmental issues. And she did it with her father’s blessing. She laments the loss of that kind of spirit in today’s politics.

Her advice for her fellow Democrats: “Go talk to somebody who is not like you.”

It all starts with the county clerk So, I dialed up somebody who is not like me. That someone was Pete Helios. Helios is the Democratic Party chair in Clark County and now the leader of all the county party chairs in the state. He was among the folks interviewed by Cramer for her book, and she referred me to him.

Ken Mayer does not think the prescription is to double down on identity politics. “The Democrats are perceived as a party of identities as opposed to a party of interests.” Helios is a hell of an interesting story in his own right. He grew up in Chicago, and his grandfather was a South Side ward captain in the Democratic machine. “I learned politics from Professor Richard J. Daley,” Helios says in the husky and gruff voice of a 69-year-old who has seen some of the world.

About 24 years ago Helios and his wife moved to Granton, where he continued mink farming and stayed active in Democratic politics. He remains convinced that the strength of the party is in the grassroots. His complaint with the state party is that it doesn’t pay attention to races below the state Assembly level. By contrast he works hard to get good candidates to run for local offices like county clerk and register of deeds. He told me that the late Gov. Pat Lucey told him that a strong set of county courthouse candidates might add 200 to 300 votes to the total for a candidate for state Assembly — enough to win in some cases. A man who clearly likes and understands people, Helios says he could feel the Trump wave coming. “I saw the people with their Trump lawn signs going out of the county fair. I’d stand there at my Democratic booth and watch them walk by with smirks on their faces. I knew something was up.” He also believes that folks in Madison just completely miss issues in northern Wisconsin. I ask him what’s important up there right now. “Wolves,” he says flatly. His neighbors see the expansion of the state wolf population as a significant threat to their livestock. Remember, Helios was a mink farmer. If Madisonians think of wolves at all, we are likely to believe that they are majestic animals that should be protected. Clark County residents are more likely to think of them as predators that should be shot. I find Pete Helios compelling, and he gets me thinking heretical thoughts. If liberals didn’t fight so hard to save every single wolf, would that really be so bad? Would I sacrifice a wolf or two to pick up an Assembly seat?

Finally, my deadline arrives.

I run out of time. Even with my selfimposed prohibition on talking to anyone who would give me the official line, I have a dozen more people I want to contact. Virtually every source suggests at least one more person I just need to speak with. Still, the diagnosis and the prescriptions are remarkably consistent. Urban elite liberals need to change their attitude. Over a strong Belgian beer, Scott Resnick, the former Madison alder and mayoral candidate who grew up in Wausau, tells me that Democrats need to make people like Pete Helios and his

“ We think that the blue counties that went red are the working class voting against their own interest,” says Tia Nelson. “I believe that is a dangerous misunderstanding.” neighbors “active contributors to our agenda, rather than treating them like they need saving.” The idea that working-class voters are too dense to understand their own interests is condescending, counterproductive and wrong. The notion that Democrats have policy papers to answer every need misses the point that politics is not about 10-point plans but about emotions and perceptions and narratives that help people make sense of their lives. Democrats are not just losing because of gerrymandered lines on a map. They are losing because they are not connecting on an emotional level and they have conceded the narrative to the Republicans. A Republican will tell you a half-true story that resonates; a Democrat will show you a totally accurate graph that does not. Still, I like to think about Gaylord Nelson and his five-member caucus, and how he helped build that into a new, dominant Democratic majority. Times are certainly different. But each party has risen from the ashes before. Just before we end our call, Pete Helios offers a final word about his party. “Hey, listen,” he says in a voice that has become suddenly more soft. “We’ll live to fight another day.” n

DON MILLER MAZDA IS

Madison’s Mazda

Destination!

Who needs college?

Mazda CX-5 Sport

2016

• 2.5L SKYACTIV®-G Engine • 35 MPG Hwy EPA • Automatic

Live in Madison March 7, 7 p.m.

Lease for 36 months

169/Mo.

from

$12 Tickets at wpr.org/100

with $3,675 Due at Delivery

& No Security Deposit!

Stock #INCOMING VIN #825179

36 mos./10,000 miles/year.

Buy From

23,830 or 0% APR for 60 Months!

2016 The All New Mazda CX-9 Sport

AWD

Automatic • Power Driver’s Seat • And More!

329/Mo.

Lease for 36 months from

with $3,427 Due at Delivery & No Security Deposit! 36 mo./10,000 miles/year.

Buy From

Stock #46-2651 VIN #102048

symphony

SHOWCASE

2017 Mazda

CX-3 Automatic Sport

179/Mo.

Lease for 36 months from

with $2,299 Due at Delivery & No Security Deposit! 36 mo./10,000 miles/year.

Buy From

21,674 or 0.9% APR for 60 Months!

2017 Mazda6

FIVE SOLOISTS with ONE COMPOSER UW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Sport Automatic

179/Mo.

with $2,389 Due at Delivery & No Security Deposit! 36 mo./10,000 miles/year.

Buy From

0.9% APR for 60 Months!

for

Stock #47-2012 VIN #106102

22,849

Mazda3 i Sport Hatch Automatic

2016

149/Mo.

Lease for 36 months from

with $2,290 Due at Delivery & No Security Deposit! 36 mo./10,000 miles/year.

Buy From

17,999 and 0% APR for 60 Months!

Stock #46-2669 VIN #267635

Just Announced $750 Make a Move to Mazda Program! Qualifying Volkswagen customers receive an extra $750 toward the purchase or lease of a new Mazda.

5812 Odana Road, Madison

RECEPTION TO FOLLOW

www.donmiller.com Sales: 442-3131

M-TH 9am-8pm; FRI 9am-6pm; SAT 9am-5pm

TEST DRIVE A MAZDA TODAY!

MAZDA

Service: 442-3101

M-TH 7am-6pm; FRI 7am-5pm; SAT 8am-1pm *Prices include customer cash, are in lieu of APR program unless stated. Tax, title, license extra. Subject to prior sale and limited to in-stock vehicles. See sales staff for details. Expires 2/28/17.

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

7:30PM SUNDAY, FEB 12TH MILLS HALL

Stock #47-2008 VIN #147954

Lease for 36 months from

UW-MADISON

concerto winners concert

32,479

uuuuuuuuuuuuu Allison Lee and Sons + Trent Lee-Anderson AWARD WINNING NAVAJO SILVERSMITHS appearing in person, just this weekend!

FEBRUARY 10–11, 10am–5pm

Enjoy

15-20% off

to celebrate Katy’s Anniversary and Valentine’s Day Feb. 10, 11, 13, & 14

1817 Monroe St. u 608.251.5451 katysamericanindianarts.com

AUGUSTANA CHOIR CONCERT Jon Hurty, conductor

Featuring members of Madison Youth Choirs Saturday, February 18 at 7 p.m. Luther Memorial Church, 1021 University Ave., Madison Freewill offering will be accepted. augustana.edu/choirtour

uuuuuuuuuuuuu B e o u r Va l e n t i n e

Children of the rainforest ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

Featuring Kalaanjali School of Indian Dance

Fe b r u a r y 1 0 -1 4 Join us for a romantic couple’s meal with our very special three-course Valentine’s Day dinner. Start with a sharable starter like Alpine Fondue or Steamed Mussels, choose your own delectable entrée from favorites like NY Strip

February 18

Caribbean Folk Performances @ 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

with Duck Confit, Rack of Lamb or Crab-Stuffed Salmon, then enjoy a plate of sharable sweets. $100 per couple. Reservations at 294-3031. Overnight packages available.

www.olbrich.org

1 West Dayton Street Madison, WI 53703 circmadison.com

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

The beat goes on Joey Banks carries on the tradition of his mentor Clyde Stubblefield BY STEVEN POTTER ■ PHOTO BY NICK BERARD “I’m probably playing the best I’ve ever played in my life right now,” Banks says. “People are still calling me and I’m still turning them away, so I’ve got to be doing something right.” After getting his first drum set when he was 6, his interest in drumming truly began to take hold when he was 9 and his grandmother enrolled him in the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. “The drums make everybody move,” he says. “We’re the only ones who can get everybody on the dance floor. The drummer has everybody clapping and has everybody synced up — it’s power.”

Banks says one encounter with a drumming idol early on in his career let him know he was on the right path. “The very first time Clyde Stubblefield saw me play, he told me, ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing; it sounds good,’” Banks recalls of the time he met Stubblefield some 35 years ago at what was then the dark and smoky Club de Wash. Banks’ relationship with Stubblefield blossomed after that initial encounter: “He’s been a mentor, a father figure.” Stubblefield — aka the Funky Drummer — played for James Brown during the 1960s, creating the grooves on many of Brown’s biggest hits and laying the foundation for modern funk

drumming. He’s best known for the beat on tracks like “Cold Sweat,”, “I Got The Feelin’,” “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud,” “Ain’t It Funky Now” and “Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved” and the album Sex Machine. Stubblefield also created the rhythm pattern — which earned him his nickname — on Brown’s “Funky Drummer,” one of the mostsampled beats ever. It’s been used dozens of times by rap artists including Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C., N.W.A, Raekwon, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys as well as artists in other genres, including Prince. Banks has learned a lot from studying

CONTINUE D ON PAGE 2 8

➡

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Joey Banks, who’s performed professionally since he was 16, keeps an impressive — some might say impossible — schedule of playing in nine different bands, including funk/rock hybrid the Big Payback and cover band Steely Dane. The 51-year-old drummer also gives private lessons to almost 30 students, manages a handful of artists and is the director of the youth performance group Black Star Drum Line, which performs during Milwaukee Bucks games. Banks has been nominated twice for Grammy Awards. Despite the hectic juggling of obligations, including plenty of late nights and travel, he wouldn’t change a thing.

FEB 10-12 FRI: 3-10

SAT: 10-10

SuN: 10-3

ONLY AT

FUN & MUSIC

ROARING fire pit

FREE OPEN SKATE!

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

BRING YOUR SKATES! No RENTALS AVAILABLE

POND HOCKEY and Broomball tournaments

www.winterpondemonium.com

FOOD &

BEER

e r o f e b s r u o y t e G ! e n o g e r they’

ard’s p e h s n i b o er Wiskatorsmcaodnsin beers of 2016! top 10 wi

w isconsin b rewing c ompany.com • 1079 american way • verona, wi 53593

n FOOD & DRINK

Revamp gets it right 1847 at the Stamm House works as a slightly tweaked supper club BY KYLE NABILCY

The Old Stamm House became 1847 at the Stamm House in 2015 after extensive renovation, and it’s been becoming 1847 at the Stamm House ever since. Chef changes, managerial changes, menu changes — only the slightly hifalutin name has remained. When 1847 temporarily closed in July 2016, a year to the day after publication of Isthmus’ first review, chef Nick Johnson had already exited. There has been another chef change since the reopening in October, but the style of the new menu — less modernist cuisine and more supper club of yore — is what the kitchen is sticking with. It’s a credit to the whole operation that none of that turmoil is apparent when dining at the restaurant. The space is cozy and beautiful, all nooks and crannies on the first floor and an open floor plan on the second. The restaurant is available for private event booking, which seems a smart use of the large space and additional bar upstairs. A supper-clubby menu is bound to focus on comfort foods, a lot of steaks and chicken and calorie-dense side dishes. 1847 does not disappoint in this regard. A six-ounce tenderloin, though underseasoned, was ordered to medium-rare and it came out right in the medium-rare bullseye, trimmed and seared neatly. The surf to its turf — three grilled shrimp — were slightly overdone but fine. If I can quibble, I would say that the plating is still on the fussy side from time to time. The steak, shrimp and a vegetable side dish made up an entirely adequate portion, but the billboard-sized platter made everything look small and delicate. On the other hand, a modest heap of Wisconsin-caught smelt, fried darkly but with excellent flavor, competed with battered french fries for space on a fairly small plate. The cast iron skillet nicely hosted the generous serving of piping-hot mac and cheese. Both a starch and a vegetable side

Grill control, people. It’s evident in the Stamm Burger.

SHARON KATOVICH

are included with all steaks; the brussels sprouts described as “crispy” on the menu were definitely not. I’d go so far as to say the grill control is one of 1847’s strongest suits. To wit: the Stamm burger. Now, the patty itself is fine, not much to speak of. But when I read “crispy cheese curds” as a topping, I think, that’s a little ballpark concession stand for a supper club, no? And surely, they won’t be crispy by the time it gets to my table. What I received was a large, messy burger topped with a small handful of fresh, white curds that had been set on the griddle, allowed to partially melt together and really, seriously brown up on one side. Fascinating. I’ve never seen it done like this before. It’s possible that the burger is worth it solely to experience those curds. The burger also appears on a brunch menu that’s available Saturday and Sunday. But there are better bets that go beyond novel cheese deployment. The trout isn’t just one fillet but two with, no surprise, a crisp layer

of skin on one side, alongside a mess of quite garlicky spinach. A portion of fried lake perch that briefly and erroneously landed at our table looked impressive, too. The chunky whitefish chowder delivered a hearty, warming vibe. So did the potato cheese pierogi. You don’t see a lot of pierogi around town, shame. These are seared hard and brown, toasty and hot. Made in-house, these are a nice share to start a meal. Chicken pot pie is available as a Thursday night special, and the king-sized blanket of golden brown puff pastry on top is something to see. The filling is a touch thin, but not lacking for chicken and good seasoning. A good wedge salad is expected of a steakhousey supper club, and 1847’s, while tweaked a little from the standard, still satisfies. The attitude, the vibe of 1847 at the Stamm House is ultimately what’s been undergoing the most renovation over the last seven months, and it’s very nearly there. The kitchen has pushed through some tough circumstances to deliver truly enjoyable food. n

1847 AT THE STAMM HOUSE n 6625 Century Ave., Middleton n 608-203-9430 n 1847stammhouse.com n $8-$43 4:30-9 pm Mon.-Thurs., 4:30-10 pm Fri., 10 am-2 pm and 4:30-10 pm Sat., 8 am-2 pm Sun. n First floor is handicapped-accessible.

Eats events Will Zoo Be Mine? Nothing says romance like a trip to the zoo. This fundraiser (to keep the Henry Vilas Zoo forever free) promises wine, local cheeses and other valentine-themed festivities. The zookeepers will also be dishing on the mating behaviors of the residents. Register at vilaszoo.org/willzoobemine ($50, $40/member, $100/VIP); must be 21 or older. At the zoo, 702 S. Randall Ave., 6 pm on Feb. 10, 9 pm on Feb. 11.

Return of the Mac Sunday, Feb. 12

Do you make a mean macaroni and cheese? See how your creation stacks up against the competition at this cook-off at the Willy Street Pub and Grill (aka the Wisco). $5 lets you taste and judge the contest. No cover for competitors. Prizes for the top three. At 852 Williamson St.; entries must be in by 3 pm.

Introduction to Hop Production Thursday, Feb. 23

Home brewers, take notice. If you want to grow your own hops this year, now is the time to learn how. James Altwris of Gorst Valley Hops in Mazomanie is teaching the basics: plantation infrastructure, trellis designs, plant nutrition as well as harvesting, drying and processing hops. You’ll even hear about Wisconsin’s storied hop history. Must register by Feb. 16 at tinyurl.com/ hops101 ($15, $12 members). At Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave., 6:30-8:30 pm.

madland isthmus.com

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11

This land is your land, this land is

n FOOD & DRINK

Cart czar New street vending coordinator Meghan Blake-Horst sees a “perfect storm” of opportunity BY LINDA FALKENSTEIN

The city’s new street vending coordinator has heard the complaints from food cart operators and is ready to act. “I’m very optimistic,” says Meghan Blake-Horst, who is taking on the position at a crucial time. She promises immediate changes in the food cart review process for 2017 and a review of key city ordinances that have been stifling the growth of Madison’s mobile food scene. “There’s excitement for change and new opportunities with new people. I’m looking at growing opportunities [for carts], in places that have been resistant to it.” The owner of Absolutely Art, an Atwood Avenue art gallery that closed in 2014, Blake-Horst, 41, has continued to facilitate art shows under the name of her former shop. She’s also the co-founder of the popup food- and craft-centered Mad City Bazaar. She started the vending coordinator job in December 2016 and formally took over the reins last week from retiring street vending coordinator Warren Hansen. “Warren has built an amazing foundation,” says Blake-Horst. “I’m coming into what is a really great opportunity for growth.” Hansen, who guided street vending since 1998, oversaw an explosion of interest in mobile food vending over the past decade. By the time the 2016 city cart review took place in early fall, there was increasing sentiment that the cart scene had outgrown the methods for regulating it, as more and more carts competed for coveted Mall/Concourse spots. The immediate changes in the food cart review process for 2017 have yet to be de-

RACHEL DOLNICK

cided; a small group of cart owners, reviewers and representatives from the city’s economic development staff met on Feb. 8 to discuss ideas for changing the review. On the table: changing the maximum number of, or weighting of, seniority points; extending the review period for existing carts; having reviewers be anonymous (rather than showing a name tag identifying them as judges); simplifying the criteria by which reviewers judge carts; and mandating a training session for all reviewers. Also under discussion: ways to level the playing field for new carts. More meetings are planned. A larger community focus group about the food carts, open to all, will be held Feb. 23, 6-8 p.m., at the Madison Public Library, 201 W. Mifflin St., room 301.

“We’re starting this now so we’ll have time to explain the changes,” says Blake-Horst. “Change is inherently challenging, and I don’t think we have the capacity to make massive changes all at one time. We’ll look at what to change first and build on that.” Any changes to the cart review must be approved by the vending oversight committee as well as the Common Council. Blake-Horst also hopes to work to allow vending on private property, which is currently against city ordinance; this could pave the way for semi-permanent food cart “pod” areas (like those that exist in Portland, Oregon). She’d also like to change the rules so that food trucks would be permissible. Both of these prohibitions have been “a huge bar-

Winter residency

Nate Warnke (left) welcomed chefs Michael Sollinger (center) and John Pickle to his kitchen.

Food cart chefs find off-season gigs at Rockhound

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

BY LINDA FALKENSTEIN

Last fall, Nate Warnke, owner and brewmaster at South Park Street’s Rockhound Brewing, was looking for a new chef. Staffing a kitchen in Madison these days is no easy task, so when Warnke’s friend Adam Haen, manager at the FEED Kitchens incubator, suggested hiring a food cart operator over the winter (while many carts are on hiatus), Warnke leapt at the chance. John Pickle, who operates the Pickle Jar barbecue and pie cart, became the kitchen manager at Rockhound. He in turn brought on Michael Sollinger, of the new Braisin’ Hussies cart, as a cook.

“It’s been fun experimenting with recipes and specials. It’s been a positive collaboration that benefits everyone,” says Warnke. Cart chefs get a chance to play around with dishes too complex for their carts, while infusing new ideas into the Rockhound menu. The Pickle Jar’s homemade pies have made their way onto the dessert menu at Rockhound, as has a well-received bread pudding. Specials have included barbecued ribs, blackened catfish and a succotash side from Pickle’s Southern-inflected cooking. Look forward to a braised pork shoulder from Sollinger. While some restaurateurs might flinch at hiring a chef just for the winter (both Pickle and Sollinger will depart at the end of March

rier to the growth of our mobile food industry,” she says. Other changes will take place sooner. Starting in April on opening day of the 2017 vending season, “there will be five new cart locations on the Square,” BlakeHorst confirms. That will bring the number of Square carts up to 25 from 20 and take five carts off the waiting list. For the first time, carts will park in front of Grace Episcopal Church and the Wisconsin Historical Society Museum, as well as in the gathering area at the top of State Street between 100 State Street and the office building 30 on the Square, where Mexican cart Marimar on Wheels was vending for a short time late last fall. In addition, Blake-Horst will be managing temporary reassignment of carts due to construction to begin in April along South Carroll, East and West Main and South Pinckney streets — currently the heart of where Square carts park. Many of these carts will head to the 100 and 200 blocks of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. At the same time, a building’s worth of city employees have moved from the Madison Municipal Building to 30 on the Square this year, creating a “perfect storm” of new traffic for newly placed carts. Blake-Horst would like to explore other “opportunity zones” around the city that have enough density to support food carts and food trucks, such as office parks. “I’m excited to be able to implement this and see how it goes,” says BlakeHorst. “Every year will be different, and “every year [new changes] will have to be addressed.” n

to once again concentrate on their mobile kitchens), Warnke says it’s been a win and is prepared to offer another “winter residency” to a food cart chef or chefs next winter. In collaborating with another arm of Madison’s

food scene, he sees many possibilities for cross-promotion — for instance, labeling the new barbecue sauce on the menu as “Pickle Jar sauce” as a way to bring a new audience to Pickle’s TRACY HARRIS small business. At the end of March, Warnke wants to hold a special dinner highlighting the two cooks’ food cart entrees, paired with Rockhound beers: “If the three of us put our minds to it, we can make it happen.” n

No permit for pussy pockets Noosh cart went rogue during the Women’s March BY DYLAN BROGAN

The “pussy pockets” sold at the Noosh food cart proved a popular item during the Women’s March on Madison on Jan. 21. Owner Laila Borokhim says she sold out of several varieties of the yemenite puff pastries usually called malawiches. “We renamed them pussy pockets for that day, and yeah, people definitely liked them,” says Borokhim, who also owns the Persian restaurant Layla’s on South Butler. “We also sold out of baklava. All the sales of those were donated to Planned Parenthood.” The Noosh cart was parked at the top of State Street where tens of thousands of marchers converged on the Square. The menu certainly fit the theme of the rally, where pink “pussy hats” were abundant.

JOE TARR

But technically, Noosh was operating without a Mall/Concourse permit required to sell food cart fare on the Square. “We are aware of the situation and are following up with them,” says Meghan Blake-

Horst, the city’s new street vending coordinator. “We try to educate first and provide citations last. There’s a scale we like to move through including warnings.” “Am I in trouble?” laughs Borokhim, who was unaware — until informed by Isthmus — that she needed more than a basic street vending permit to sell in that location during the march. “My food cart friends didn’t think it would be a problem since I wasn’t taking up [another food cart’s] spot,” says Borokhim. “This was a one-time thing. The whole food cart system is very confusing. Last thing I want is to become involved in some sort of food cart scandal.” Citations for violating food cart ordinances range from $30 to $300. The Vending Oversight Committee also has the discretion to revoke permits. ■

Netflix and Chai from Forequarter

Spoiler alert: There’s a boozy finish to the Netflix and Chai.

The drink is made with chai-infused vodka, rum, honey and grapefruit. It’s shaken to a froth and served up, garnished with a fancy twist of orange. The chai spices — cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, clove — lend a warm, complex counterpoint to the acidity of the grapefruit and the sweetness of the honey, and the clear spirits give a nice boozy finish to the drink. While I can’t offer any guarantees that this drink will improve your romantic life, it’s definitely a step up from bingeing on movies and boxed wine — which, let’s be honest, is how most grownups do Netflix and chill.

— ALLISON GEYER

Bock’s O-Chocolates from Vintage Brewing Company

WIN

FREE STUFF FROM

BOCKFEST FEB 11

GREAT DANE – HILLDALE

DISTILL AMERICA SCOTT MANNING

FEB 18

THE EDGEWATER

ISTHMUS.COM/PROMOTIONS

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

— ROBIN SHEPARD

Cajun Meatballs Red Bean Soup Couscous Jambalaya Banana Cream Pie in a Banana Crust

2017

Heart-shaped bocks soaks them for about a week in 10 ounces of bourbon, all added to the aging beer about three weeks before it finishes conditioning. This is a dessert all on its own. Let the beer gradually warm, swirl it gently in a snifter, and allow the malt and toasted cocoa notes to emerge. Bock’s O-Chocolate finishes around 7.3 percent ABV. It sells in the west-side brewpub for $5.50/snifter and $9/22-ounce bottle. Vintage also released about 20 cases to area beer stores. If you see it in your favorite bottle shop, grab one, because most of those venues only received a case each.

We will be presenting 5 Chilean wines along with our 4 course Mardi Gras dinner

Check out the menu at portabellarest.com

DYLAN BROGAN

Vintage Brewing is pouring a Valentine’s Day treat you can drink. The already sweet doppelbock style is ramped up a bit in Vintage’s Bock’s O-Chocolates, which focuses on chocolate, with a more authentic bitter sweetness. It’s made with two additions of organic cocoa, one to the brew kettle and the second during aging. It’s also aged with cocoa nibs. “We take about 20 pounds of nibs and toast them in the brewpub’s kitchen oven, just enough to wake them up and make the whole place smell like chocolate chip cookies,” says brewmaster Scott Manning. He also takes a handful of vanilla beans and

THURSDAY, FEB. 16 6-8 PM

Cost $47 • Limited Seating Please RSVP by 2/12 425 N. Frances St. • 256-3186

Get lucky If you’re anything like me, you googled the phrase “Netflix and chill” back in 2015 and were positively scandalized to learn that teenagers have been using the innocentsounding phrase as a euphemism for hooking up. Youths! But for those who are past the age of inviting a date over to “watch a movie” in your parents’ basement, you can take your sweetheart out for drinks at Forequarter, the romantic and cozy little spot on East Johnson Street. And if you’d like to signal your intentions further, they even have a cocktail called Netflix and Chai. It’s a delicious choice, regardless of your feelings about meme culture or puns.

CHILEAN WINE DINNER

■ SPORTS

This week at Capitol Centre Market

Totino’s Pizza

FREE

9.8-10.9 oz. assorted varieties.

with $20 purchase

Limit 1 Free Offer per Customer With Separate $20 Purchase. Excludes Postage Stamps, Lottery, Gift Cards, Cigarettes, Liquor, and Bus Passes. Offer good 2/6/17-2/12/17.

111 n. broom

FREE DELIVERY

(corner of when you broom & mifflin) shop at our

255-2616

store!

FREE DELIVERY

Now Open

to your door when you order online!

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Buy 1, Get 1

Locally Produced • All Natural Ingredients • Since 1959

FREE! FEB. 9, 10

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

All Clasen’s Breads 7610 Donna Dr. • Middleton • clasensbakery.com 831-2032 (Next to the Bruce Company)

Join us on Facebook!

Rulers of the ice Badger women’s hockey head to playoffs BY MICHAEL POPKE

The No. 1-ranked University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team captured its 500th win in program history on Feb. 3, skating all over Bemidji State, 6-1. The next night, the Badgers scored four goals in the final 35 minutes to rally past the Beavers, 4-2, for win No. 501. To put that in perspective, UW is only the 10th program in NCAA Division I women’s hockey history to reach the 500-victory milestone — although one other Western Collegiate Hockey Association team, Minnesota, beat the Badgers to it. Entering the penultimate weekend of the regular season, the Badgers are 21-2-1 in the WCHA and 26-2-1 overall. They’ve won 12 in a row, with the most recent loss coming way back on Dec. 3 — when Minnesota shut out UW, 2-0. Since then, the most danger UW faced was when several players were tested for carbon monoxide poisoning after a leak at the Lindenwood Ice Arena in Wentzville, Missouri, during a game in early January. The second game of that series was canceled, for obvious reasons, and has not been rescheduled. UW also set an NCAA record for attendance last month during a Fill the Bowl promotion at the Kohl Center, when a crowd

of 15,359 showed up to watch the Badgers beat St. Cloud State, 2-0. Wisconsin now owns the top five single-game attendance marks in the NCAA women’s hockey history. Senior goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens, who has 408 saves on the season — including 43 in the Bemidji State series — is one reason why it’s so fun to watch these Badgers. The reigning WCHA Player of the Year also recently passed two-time Olympian Jessie Vetter for second in program history in career wins, earning her 92nd career triumph in the Bemidji State series and improving to 22-1-1 this season. Offensively, the Badgers are led by top scorers Annie Pankowski, Sarah Nurse and Emily Clark, and collectively this team has fans flashing back to the middle and late 2000s, when Wisconsin won three NCAA championships between 2006 and 2009. This year’s Frozen Four is scheduled for March 17-19 at Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri. Wisconsin hosts No. 2 Minnesota Duluth at LaBahn Arena on Feb. 11-12 in a series critical to the Badgers’ status as they enter the WCHA Playoffs. UW already clinched home ice for the first round, slated for Feb. 24-26 at LaBahn Arena. If you don’t already have plans, buy your tickets now. LaBahn only holds 2,273 fans, and you know this series will sell out. ■

, 11

Thursday, Friday, Saturday

DAVID STLUKA / UW ATHLETICS

Ann-Renée Desbiens has 408 saves this season!

Limit 3 free. Middleton location only.

FREE BEER

oR SODA ALL DAy ON YOUR

BIRTHDAY!

•MADISON’S OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY PLACE •GREAT CRAFT BEER SELECTION •HOME OF THE FAMOUS GRITTY BURGER •POWER HOUR EVERY NIGHT AT 10 P.M.

THEGRITTY.COM

FEB 19

T H R O U G H

O U G H

C o m mun i t y S U p po r t ed

T H R O U G H 2 0 1 7

FEB 23 RD

Fishery

T H R O U G H

0 1 7

T H G H 2 RG0OH1U 7 T H R O U

2 0 1 7

T H R O U G H

22 0 0 11 7 7

2 0 1 7

I S H M O N ROE ISD ON RO E DISH D IS H M MONROE ONROE ON ROE

on the flavors of Monroe on Street

Savor the flavors of Monroe Streetwww.dishonmonroe.com Savor the flavors of Monroe Street www.dishonmonroe.com Enjoy fiveflavors daysof of Monroe delicious with unique Savor the flavors or the flavors of Monroe Street Savor the of Monroe Street www.dishonmonroe.com Savor the flavors ofStreet Monroe Street

Get $ 2 5 o f f your first box www.dishonmonroe.com www.dishonmonroe.com b y e n t e r i n g “ I s t h m u s 1 7 ” at c h e c k o u t at participating restaurants www.dishonmonroe.com www.dishonmonroe.com

roe Street signature dishes, meals and drinks

www.dishonmonroe.com F reib

u rg

F reib

F reuibr g u rg

DishOnMonroe_2017.indd 1

Gastro p u b • Ma d i s o n

F reib

Gastro p u b • Ma d i s o n

1/27/17 4:31 PM

u rg

GastroGastropubd•iM iso n pub • Ma soand

DishOnMonroe_2017.indd 3

u rg

1/27/17 2:51 PM

Gastr o p u b • Ma d i s o n

F reib

ndd 3

www.sitkasalmonshares.c om

1/27/17 2:51 PM

F reib

u rg

1/27/17 2:51 PM

u rg

Gastro p u b • Ma d i s o n

DishOnMonroe_2017.indd 3

1/27/17 2:51 PM Gastro p u b • Ma d i s o n

1/27/17 2:51 PM

Includes choice of draft beer or glass of house wine MENU FEATURES: Chef’s Local Cheese Plate Edamame Guacamole Cheese Curds Crisp Cheese Curds / Chipotle Sauce Caramelized Brussels Sprouts / Bacon

DATE NIGHT MENU FRIDAY, FEB. 10 thru TUESDAY, FEB. 14

Reservations 608-257-4391 6 0 1 L angd o n S t .

www.graduatemadison.com

SATURDAY, FEB. 18 . 6-8PM $10 for Adults • FREE for Children (10 & under)

Visit Essen Haus Madison’s “4th Annual Mad City Chili Cookoff” event page for three ways to save...

Fish Taco Seared Scallops Squash

1) Post a “Chilly Chili” picture of yourself outside in summer clothing for $2 entry

Beet Salad Dane County Salad

2) Reduce the price to $9 by going to the Facebook event

Crispy Chicken

3) Cut the cost to $8 by going to AND sharing the event on your timeline

Blind Burger Hunter Burger Fish Fry Quinoa Veggie Burger Sorbet & Fruit Mini Pi Trio a`la Mode Cookies & Ice Cream Brandy Alexander

www.the madisonblind.com

514 E. Wilson St. Madison 608-255-4674 essen-haus.com

Duo! y a D s ’ e n i Valent . 10 -12 & 14 Feb

ha two wit le r o f r e bott Dinn entary complim s wine or of Hau agne champ $36.95

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

The countdown to Valentine’s Day is on. And let’s be honest, it’s not the thought that counts. We’re here to help you avoid all complaints for some extra x’s and o’s. $40 per couple

f o ll a le p m a s o t n w o d Stop the chili you can handle

n MUSIC

Joey Banks continued from 21

Stubblefield’s techniques. “I’ve been fortunate to observe him up close and share the stage with him. I have a very unique view of his playing style and technique,” says Banks. “I take what I’ve learned from watching him over the years and translate that into educational models that I can use to teach my students.” Over the years, Banks has repaid Stubblefield’s influence and encouragement in a number of ways, including organizing the Coalition for Recognition of Clyde Stubblefield, which has created a youth scholarship in Stubblefield’s name with the Madison Area Music Awards. The group is also campaigning to get the legendary drummer inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and is planning a number of recognition shows,

including one coming up in May, to promote Stubblefield’s contributions to music. “For everything he’s done for drumming, for the industry, he deserves that and more,” says Banks. “I owe it to him.” Banks also directs the Clyde Stubblefield All-Star Band, a group of regionally and nationally known musicians who come together monthly for “Funky Monday” at the High Noon Saloon to jam and raise money for the Stubblefield scholarship. The AllStars have recently released a CD from a live taping of a show that will also benefit the scholarship. During the All-Star gigs, the two men play in tandem, and “[Stubblefield] tells me all the time that this is the most fun he’s had playing

Clyde Stubblefield (left) and Joey Banks first met at the Club de Wash 35 years ago.

with another drummer,” says Banks. “That’s probably the highest compliment I could get.” At 73, Stubblefield has experienced some serious health issues, including bladder cancer that required chemotherapy (Prince helped

pay off his medical bills). He also lost a thumb after burning it during a cooking accident. For the past few years, he’s received dialysis treatment three times a week for kidney failure. He’s become a man of few words, but has just a few choice ones to share about Banks. “I haven’t taught him anything — he taught himself,” says Stubblefield. “He’s a great drummer. That’s all I know.” Banks feels differently. “Without his encouragement early in my career I might not have worked as hard as I did,” he says, adding that Stubblefield’s compliments keep coming. “When something like that comes from him, I don’t really care what anyone else says.” n The next “Funky Monday” show is a special Fat Tuesday edition featuring Clyde Stubblefield All-Star Band, Feb. 27, 6 pm, at the High Noon Saloon.

WISCONSIN UNION THEATER

GABRIELA MONTERO, PIANO Feb. 11, 2017

ULTIMATE TCHAIKOVSKY:

“SHADOWLAND” BY PILOBOLUS Feb. 23, 2017

the last symphony STEPHEN HOUGH, SAT., FEB 18, 8:00 PM

piano

OVERTURE HALL

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

Enjoy classical music, then connect with members and friends of Madison’s LGBTQ community at an exclusive after-party!

TICKETS Prices range from $40–$60

GERALD CLAYTON QUARTET Feb. 25, 2017

Sponsors:

and include concert, after-party admission and a drink ticket UNIONTHEATER.WISC.EDU 608.265.ARTS

BUY TICKETS AND LEARN MORE: madisonsymphony.org/out

n STAGE

Pure Paula Poundstone

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

The standup pioneer talks about Trump and being a crazy cat lady BY HOLLY HENSCHEN

Paula Poundstone is an institution in American comedy. For nearly 40 years, she’s performed classic standup, spouting sharp humor and engaging in spontaneous crowd work while sporting her trademark tie, vest and suspenders. Poundstone is also a pioneer. In 1992, she was the first woman to host the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. A frequent panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me, Poundstone also voices cartoon characters — she recently played Forgetter Paula in Pixar’s Inside Out. Though the old-school comedian avoids other comics’ acts, she stays on top of politics and has a strong social media presence. After President Trump’s executive order banning entry to immigrants to refugees, Poundstone tweeted, “Maybe we should take down the Statue of Liberty. When a performer is no longer at a venue, you don’t leave their name on the marquee.” Isthmus

talked to Poundstone in advance of her appearance at the Barrymore Theatre Feb. 11. You’ve been in the business 38 years. What keeps you inspired and enthusiastic? It is so much fun. People who type in “LOL” are generally lying. When you’re at home or with your screen device, you just don’t laugh the way you do when you’re with other people. Laughter is contagious, and you’ve got no one to catch it from when you’re watching alone. Whatever ails me, whatever frustration I have with my life, I get to go talk about it on stage, which is so healing to be able to laugh about it. Nature gave us this really terrific device. I don’t know if any other animal has it. Maybe raccoons. Where do you find your material? I try not to watch other standups because I want to know — when I go onstage and an idea floods into my head — I want to know that it came from me. If I watch a bunch of

standups, everybody’s saying a bunch of funny stuff. Last night, I went out to a club in Los Angeles because my friend Kevin Nealon called me up. I went to see him and Dana Carvey, and they were so funny. Dana and I were roommates a thousand years ago in the early ’80s, and you tend to start to sound like the people that you live with. We had catch phrases in common. Who knows who started it. After a while as a performer, I realized I just need to not be around other comics. Your new book, The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness, will be released in May. What findings can you share? The truth about happiness is it’s really more medical science than anything else. It probably has a lot to do with good sleep and balanced nutrition and exercise — which is a really depressing answer. I rented a Lamborghini. I was so hoping that was it. My book is kind of the anti-Facebook. They say that the more time people spend on Facebook, the more depressed they are. How many dates a year do you book? I think it’s like 90. I have 14 cats — I have to sift [litter boxes] four times a day. So the more often I can be on the road, the better. Did you just start collecting cats? I’m an idiot. I have more cats buried around the perimeter of the house than I have inside. So, yeah, there’s 14 of them ruining the little bit of furniture and carpet that I have now. Your Twitter feed includes zingers about the new administration. (“I’ll bet those 3-5 million illegal voters were laughing after they voted illegally, and I’ll bet Trump saw them laughing.”) I just can’t help myself. There’s stuff that cries out to be said. n

MICHAEL SCHWARTZ

The ghost of bebop

thu feb

CLOUD NOTHINGS Moon Bros

8PM

fri feb

$16 ADV, $18 DOS

Mark Shippy Pachinko No Hoax Coordinated Suicides

Lynda & The ZEROS 5:30pm $5

sat feb

sun feb

9:30PM $7

Whad’ya Leon & Mr. Blotto The Dogs Know Mad Grasshoppers A MADISON AT HIGH NOON SALOON NOON $10

TRIBUTE TO LEON RUSSELL 5-7:30PM $8

Trebino/ Ra’Shaun Lucien Parker / DJ Pain 1 Bloodline / Wisco / Bang

4-6pm $5

8pm $10 18+

THE MOTH

Madison StorySLAM PRESENTS “LOVE HURTS” 7:30PM

tue feb

$10

LES COUGARS Valentine’s Day Show

A Loving Tribute to Our Favorite Fallen Icons of 2016 7:30pm

wed feb

9:30PM 18+ $10 ADV, $12 DOS

The Launch Party

Rock The Monkey Benefit

Stone Barone 12 & the Mad Tones

mon feb

18+

HAYES CARLL John Evans 8PM

$20

18+

MADISON POP FEST 2017 thu feb

Proud Parents / Real Numbers Pollinators / Jonesies Exploration Team 8:30PM

18+

tell all isthmus.com/opinion/tell-all

Charlie Parker’s Yardbird is an innovative blend of opera and jazz BY SANDY TABACHNICK

Librettist, Bridgette A. Wimberly, a Harlem-based playwright and poet, says she studied Parker’s life and music for two years before writing the libretto. “In my research I found that Parker’s body was sent to New York’s Bellevue Morgue with the wrong name and age tagged to his toe,” says Wimberly. “He was there for a few days unclaimed while the baroness searched for his last wife, Chan.” In another connection to Parker’s real life, his friend and colleague, Dizzy Gillespie, also appears in Yardbird. In the

➡

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

When Madison Opera’s general director Kathryn Smith saw the world premiere of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird in Philadelphia in 2015, she knew she wanted to bring the show to Madison. “The jazz-inflected score, the truly American story and even its length [90 minutes] seemed a great next choice for sharing the ever-expanding operatic repertoire with our community,” says Smith. Yardbird, which uses a fusion of jazz and opera to illustrate the life of the legendary jazz saxophonist and composer, will have its

Midwest premiere at Overture Center’s Capitol Theater on Feb. 10 and 12. The opera begins after Parker has died in the apartment of his friend and jazz patron, Baroness Pannonica (Nica) de Koenigswarter on March 12, 1955. As the audience enters the theater, Parker’s body is lying on the stage. The show’s director, Ron Daniels, calls it a “ghost opera,” where Parker’s spirit returns to the famed jazz club, Birdland, determined to compose a final masterpiece. “The ghost himself is real,” says Daniels, “as real as the memories he conjures up of his mother and the three women in his life.”

■ STAGE

NOW PL AYING FIFTY SHADES DARKER NO PASSES - CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri: (1:35, 4:10), 6:50, 9:25; Sat: (11:05 AM, 1:35, 4:10), 6:50, 9:25; Sun: (11:05 AM, 1:35, 4:10), 6:50; Mon to Thu: (1:35, 4:10), 6:50

2017 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS - DOCUMENTARY Sat & Sun: (11:15 AM)

2017 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS - ANIMATED Fri to Thu: (2:20), 7:20

2017 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS - LIVE ACTION Fri & Sat: (4:30), 9:20; Sun to Thu: (4:30 PM)

HIDDEN FIGURES BEST PICTURE OSCAR NOMINEE - CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri: (1:50, 4:25), 7:05, 9:45; Sat: (11:10 AM, 1:50, 4:25), 7:05, 9:45; Sun: (11:10 AM, 1:50, 4:25), 7:05; Mon to Thu: (1:50, 4:25), 7:05

LA LA LAND BEST PICTURE OSCAR NOMINEE - 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 CLOSED CAPTIONED Fri & Sat: (1:45), 7:10; Sun to Thu: 7:10 PM

PATERSON

MOONLIGHT BEST PICTURE OSCAR NOMINEE - CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri: (4:15 PM); Sat & Sun: (11:20 AM), (4:15); Mon to Thu: (4:15 PM)

LION BEST PICTURE OSCAR NOMINEE - CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri: (1:40, 4:20), 7:00, 9:30; Sat: (11:05 AM, 1:40, 4:20), 7:00, 9:30; Sun: (11:05 AM, 1:40, 4:20), 7:00; Mon to Thu: (1:40, 4:20), 7:00

ARRIVAL BEST PICTURE OSCAR NOMINEE - CC & DESCRIPTIVE NARRATION Fri & Sat: 9:40 PM; Sun to Thu: (1:45 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 February 10 - February 16

MADISON MUSIC COLLECTIVE PRESENTS

JAZZ ON A SUNDAY Direct from NYC... 4 JAZZ LEGENDS, ON TOUR AS

MVP Quartet Bobby Watson

alto sax

Donald Brown piano

Ray “Bulldog” Drummond bass

Marvin “Smitty” Smith drums

SUNDAY, FEB. 19 3 PM CONCERT

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

(doors open 2:30 pm)

FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY ATRIUM

900 University Bay Dr., Madison, WI

Tickets available NOW at: madisonmusiccollective.org IN ADVANCE: Gen’l Admission $25/$20 MMC, MJS AT THE DOOR: $30/$25 MMC, MJS STUDENTS: $10 with ID

1940s, Parker and Gillespie created a complex variety of jazz called bebop. But Parker’s memories aren’t all rosy. Failed relationships, the death of his child, racial tensions in Jim Crow America and his battle with heroin addiction loom large. The audience even meets his drug dealer, Moose the Mooche. Before Wimberly wrote the libretto, composer Daniel Schnyder requested that the opera center around Parker creating music for a large orchestra, something Parker talked about before he died. In addition to weaving in bebop lines, Schnyder says his score reflects styles that came before and after Parker, including styles reflected in the compositions of Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. While there won’t be any Parker-style saxophone playing — who plays like Charlie Parker? — a sax plays in the latter part of the opera to add the color of the instrument Parker loved. Singers making their Madison Opera debuts in Yardbird include tenor Joshua Stewart (a rising opera star, who plays

Composer Daniel Schnyder wanted to honor Parker’s legacy.

ANJA TANNER

Parker), Julie Miller, Krysty Swann and Rachel Sterrenberg. Returning artists include Will Liverman, Angela Brown and Angela Mortellaro. They will sing in a variety of styles, from bel canto to scat singing. The orchestra, conducted by John DeMain and made up of approximately 16 Madison Symphony Orchestra players, will also explore

multiple styles, and DeMain says his versatile musicians are ready for the challenge. Because of its multiracial cast, some reviewers have compared Yardbird to George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. But DeMain, who won a Grammy for his 1976 recording of Porgy, says there are significant differences between the two operas. “Porgy is a large grand opera with a chorus and a huge cast, while Yardbird is a chamber opera,” he says. By the end of Yardbird, Parker’s spirit can finally rest, knowing that his music will live on. As Gillespie sings, “We hear your music. I swear to God it will echo out there in the universe, the unfinished symphony of your beautiful mind.” In December, Madison Opera announced it was awarded a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the production and related events exploring Parker’s life and music. For information about events, many of which are free, visit madisonopera.org. ■

Body-swapping rom-com Prelude to a Kiss is a mash-up of classic and modern BY GWENDOLYN RICE

The formula for romantic comedies is as old as storytelling itself: Boy meets girl; they fall in love; complications arise; boy gets girl back; they live happily ever after. Craig Lucas’ Tony- and Pulitzer-nominated play Prelude to a Kiss uses the formula to great comic effect. And Strollers Theatre has created a delightful production, running at the Bartell Theatre through Feb. 18. There is a fabulous mash-up of contemporary romance and epic fairytale in the script — Peter and Rita’s undeniably modern dating encounters draw us in with fast, smart, overlapping dialogue and familiar new relationship situations, handled with spark and sex by Sean Langenecker and Kate Mann. After an electric six weeks the couple decides to meet the parents and marry. At the wedding reception, an old man (the understated and genuine Carl Cawthorne) wanders in and asks to kiss the bride. In an instant, he and Rita switch spirits — each inhabiting the other’s body. This makes for an awkward honeymoon and a puzzled groom, who suddenly has nothing in common with the woman he brings to Jamaica. Both Mann and Cawthorne do a marvelous job channeling very different personalities. Likewise, Peter’s gradual realization of the switch is both touching and painfully funny; he can’t abide a stranger’s personality in his wife’s hot body, but he also didn’t sign up to love Rita, trapped in the wrinkled body of a terminally ill senior citizen. The script provides a nice explanation for the magical switch — it has to do with Rita’s fear of the future and the old man’s longing for the past — but the 1988 play also uses the

Sean Langenecker and Kate Mann deliver riveting performances as newlyweds.

JONATHAN J. MINER

fantastic plot twist to raise more serious questions: What does it matter if the love of Peter’s life inhabits the body of a man or a woman? And what was it like for young same-sex couples in the late ’80s to have one partner suddenly physically fragile, aged and sickened by AIDS? The production is elevated by heartfelt performances by the three leads, and blocking by director Erin S. Baal, which effectively uses every corner of the Evjue stage. Unfortunately, the cartoonish characters played by Michael Mejia and Heidi Zepeda often distract from the main

trio. The set, designed by Teresa Sarkela, is an ingenious combination of puzzle pieces, but the noise of moving those sections into position at the top of each scene drowns out the actors. Instead of buying flowers or candy to celebrate Valentine’s Day, take your date to see Prelude to a Kiss. There’s a lot to learn from Langenecker’s charming Peter, who compares love to an unpredictable roller coaster — one that everyone must ride at their own risk. ■

n SCREENS

Life on the inside

Film events

Starless Dreams is an intimate portrait of female inmates in Iran BY JAMES KREUL

The young women profiled in the Iranian documentary Starless Dreams are typical teenagers. They have snowball fights, play spin the bottle and talk about boyfriends. But as inmates at the Center for Correction and Rehabilitation of Young Adults outside Tehran, Iran, they also face charges of theft, drug possession and murder. “Don’t make this political!” one girl chastises another after she mentions Iranian politicians in an otherwise playful exchange. Filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei demonstrates in his compelling documentary that neither girl can avoid the intersection of the personal and political. Oskouei has completed a trilogy of films about the incarcerated women, and each one required patience with Iranian authorities. For Starless Dreams, which screens at the UWCinematheque on Feb. 10, Oskouei completed seven years of research before authorities granted him three months of access to the facility’s girls-only division, including 20 days of shooting. Problems that the inmates face will not be solved by their eventual release. The withdrawn Khatereh escaped from abusive parents, and prefers detainment over returning home. A flamboyant girl charged with adultery and armed robbery calls herself Nobody. She brags about misleading her judge regarding possession of a gun. Like other women we meet, Khatereh and Nobody alternate between street-wise belligerence and youthful vulnerability.

Viaje: Luciana and Pedro run away to the Costa Rican forest after meeting at a party. UW Union South-Marquee, Feb. 9, 7 pm. Love and Basketball: Black History Month screening: The story of a boy and girl’s relationship through friendship, romance, breakup and basketball rivalry. UW Union South-Marquee, Feb. 9 (9 pm) and Feb. 11 (8:30 pm). When Harry Met Sally: Longtime friends (Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal) fear sex would ruin the relationship. UW Union South-Marquee, Feb. 10 & 12, 6 pm. My Love, Don’t Cross that River: Documentary follows a South Korean couple as one partner’s health declines. Ashman Library, Feb. 10, 6:45 pm. Starless Dreams: Documentary about Iranian teens in a juvenile detention center. UW Cinematheque, Feb. 10, 7 pm. See review, this page. Snow White with the Red Hair: Anime Club screening (RSVP: 246-4548). Hawthorne Library, Feb. 10, 7 pm. Romancing the Stone: A romance novelist attempting to ransom her sister in Colombia finds more than she bargained for. UW Union SouthMarquee, Feb. 10 (8:30 pm) and Feb. 11 (6 pm). Divided We Fall: Documentary about the Wisconsin Uprising, plus potluck. Hypatia Co-op, Feb. 11, 6 pm. The Trial of Vivienne Ware: A young socialite is accused of murdering her fiancé; fast-paced early talkie from Fox. UW Cinematheque, Feb. 11, 7 pm.

Interviews demonstrate Oskouei’s formidable skills as an empathetic documentarian. His off-screen voice guides and comforts the women as they describe their troubled pasts and uncertain futures. When he asks in shorthand whether anyone “bothered” them, the word cues the topic of physical and sexual abuse. He relinquishes control to Masoumeh as she fearlessly recounts the conditions that led her to kill her abusive father; the camera lingers on her expressions without cutaways. After a prayer service led by a cleric, the young women ask pointed questions about the ways women and men are treated differently in the Iranian justice system (and

Iranian culture in general). Oskouei cleverly omits the cleric’s direct answers, keeping the focus on the women’s defiance. These women’s situations are certainly dire, but common Western presumptions about gender politics in Iran — that things are so much better here — should not provide false comfort. In fact, the questions raised by the women in Starless Dreams should resonate for anyone who participated in the women’s marches on Jan. 21. Audience members interested in further discussion should stick around for a postscreening chat led by Golnar Nikpour, a UWMadison history professor and scholar of Iranian cultural and political history. n

The horror, the horror, the horror HBO’s Beware the Slenderman is a real-life nightmare

6 Hours to Live: Fantastic tale of a diplomat brought back to life briefly. UW Cinematheque, Feb. 11, 8:15 pm. Bachelor Flat: UW Cinematheque: The arrival of a teenage daughter complicates the titular apartment. Chazen Museum of Art, Feb. 12, 2 pm. Auteur: Ted Fendt: Micro-Wave Cinema short films screening. UW Cinematheque, Feb. 12, 7 pm. Who’s Gonna Love Me Now? UW Hillel Israeli Film Festival: Documentary about an HIV-positive Israel native living in London trying to reconcile with his family. Union South-Marquee, Feb. 13, 7 pm. Orwell Rolls in His Grave: International Workers of the World Social Action & Solidarity Committee screening of documentary about media distortion. South Madison Library, Feb. 14, 6 pm. Sugar Coated: UW Havens Center Social Cinema: Documentary about the food industry’s secret campaign to sweeten the food supply. Union South-Marquee Theater, Feb. 15, 7 pm. Barcelona: A Midwesterner working in Spain has his life disrupted by the arrival of his military cousin. Bos Meadery, Feb. 15, 7 pm. Malcolm X: Black History Month screening: Spike Lee’s epic biopic about the Black Nationalist leader (Denzel Washington). UW Union SouthMarquee, Feb. 16, 7 pm.

BY BILL LUEDERS

experts, including the philosopher Richard Dawkins, are summoned in the documentary to explain. He is a “modern-day bogeyman” whose shadowy presence can signal both menace and protection. He is as real as the Santa Claus that Geyser believed in until she was 11. Try to keep your heart from breaking as Morgan’s mom, explaining why she allowed the child to keep believing, laments, “Who’s in a hurry for their to child grow up?” The girls’ parents are not noticeably bad. They experience horror in its purest form after their daughters’ actions are revealed. Morgan, it emerges, is seriously mentally ill, diagnosed with schizophrenia. From age 3 she saw things that weren’t there, as did her dad, who suffers from mental illness. When her mom asks what she plans to watch at

night on TV, Morgan replies, “That depends on whose turn it is to decide.” And Anissa, poor Anissa, is horror in a glass jar held up to the light. A lonely girl made fun of by others, she was drawn to Morgan and her fantasies. She blames herself: None of it would have happened, she says, if she had not turned Morgan on to Slender Man. There is horror, finally, in what the film reveals about the justice system in Wisconsin. How the cops connived to interview the girls without their parents present, then betrayed them at every turn. How Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren, backed by a pliant appellate court, rejected pleas to treat these girls as juveniles. Slender Man is not the only monster in this film. The two girls are scheduled to be tried separately, as adults, sometime this spring. n

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

Beware the Slenderman, a 2016 documentary now available on HBO, is a horror story in every sense. It’s about the two 12-year-old girls in Waukesha, Wisconsin, who nearly succeeded in their plot to kill a playmate to appease an internet character known as Slender Man. The horror starts here, with Morgan Geyser stabbing young “Bella” 19 times as Anissa Weier urges her on, then deepens as the two-hour documentary unspools. “I didn’t want to do this,” Morgan tells authorities after the May 2014 attack, which followed a sleepover for her 12th birthday. “I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t.” Or, in Anissa’s words, “It was necessary.” There is horror in the casualness of the crime, steeped in childish fears. There is horror in the meme of Slender Man, whom

Run the Jewels Wednesday, Feb. 15, Orpheum Theater, 8 pm Since their start four years back, it’s been said that Killer Mike and El-P are so stylistically different, their pairing in Run the Jewels shouldn’t work. But it does, and maybe their stark contrast is the reason. Regardless, there are now three incredible albums’ worth of Mike’s smooth, effortless flows matched with El-P’s dry, chaffing rhymes. With a deep catalog of politically progressive raps laid over dynamic, driving beats, expect tracks like the head-nod ready “Down,” the hypnotic “Legend Has It” and the rapid, rabid “Close Your Eyes” to set the crowd off. With the Gaslamp Killer, Gangsta Boo, Nick Hook and Cuz. Bonus: RTJ’s DJ — who goes by Trackstar (aka Gabe Moskoff) — is a Madison native.

picks

thu feb 9 MU S I C .

UW Memorial Union-Rathskeller: T-Rextasy, Leggy, 9 pm.

BOOKS/SP OKEN WORD

Verona Library: Rhapsody Trio, “Bach: The Man, Music and Coffee,” concert/talk, free, 6:30 pm.

Love + Evolution

T HE AT E R & DANCE

UW Dance Department: Neither East Nor West: Faculty concerts, 8 pm on 2/9-10 and 2:30 pm, 2/11, Lathrop Hall-H’Doubler Performance Space. $20. 265-2787.

COME DY

Matt Geiger: Discussing “Raised by Wolves & Other Stories,” his new book, 7 pm, 2/9, Mystery to Me. 283-9332.

Cloud Nothings

fri feb 10

Thursday, Feb. 9, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm

Brink Lounge: Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo, 8 pm. Buck & Honey’s, Sun Prairie: David Hecht, 6:30 pm.

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

Crescendo: Levi Parham, Bradley Meilinger, 7 pm.

Crystal Corner Bar: Los Chechos, Dub Foundation, Dub Messengers, Tropical Riddims Sound System, reggae, Wil-Mar Center benefit, 7:30 pm. The Frequency: The Monolithic, Bassliss, Almost Nothing, 8:30 pm. Ivory Room: Katy Marquardt, Josh Dupont, 9 pm. Louisianne’s, Middleton: Jim Erickson, 6 pm Thursdays. Mickey’s: Amanda Standalone, Boo Bradley, 10:30 pm. Tip Top Tavern: Sam Ness, folk, free, 9 pm. Twist Bar & Grill: Bill Roberts Combo, jazz, free, 5 pm. UW Humanities Building-Morphy Hall: UW Blue Note Ensemble with Daniel Schnyder, 7:30 pm.

Thursday, Feb. 9, Majestic Theatre, 7 pm

Wisconsin Public Radio’s To the Best Our Knowledge leaves the cozy confines of Vilas Hall for a live show that explores lust, romance, compassion and other notions of love. Storyteller Dasha Kelly, comedian Esteban Touma and Madison one-man band Asumaya will also be performing. See story, page 23.

Outside Mullingar: Forward Theater Company, 7:30 pm on 2/9-10, 2 & 7:30 pm on 2/11 and 2 pm, 2/12, Overture Center-Playhouse; pre-show talks one hour prior Thursdays & Sundays. $47-$38. 258-4141.

The members of Cloud Nothings may only be in their mid-20s, but they are already four albums deep into some of the sharpest, most striking post-punk that modern music has to offer. Their latest, this year’s Life Without Sound, explores the concept of finding one’s place in the world, all under the wash of the dizzying instrumentation that we’ve come to know and love from the Cleveland quartet. With Moon Bros.

PICK OF THE WEEK

M USIC

Priests Friday, Feb. 10, UW Union South-The Sett, 9 pm

Washington, D.C., post-punk outfit Priests visit Madison following the Jan. 27 release of their critically acclaimed debut album Nothing Feels Natural, which is a striking document of personal and community unrest. Detroit’s Stef Chura, who released an excellent album of grunge pop on the same date, opens. Bos Meadery: Amanda Standalone, Apple Cold String Band, folk, free/donations, 7 pm. Brink Lounge: The Lower 5th, 8 pm. Cargo-East Washington: County Highway PD, 7:30 pm.

Gary Gulman

Crossroads Coffee, Cross Plains: Bindlestiffs, 7 pm. Delaney’s: Bob Kerwin Quartet, jazz, free, 6 pm.

Thursday, Feb. 9, Comedy Club on State, 8:30 pm

Gary Gulman, who you may remember from Dane Cook’s Tourgasm, is the guy at the party who won’t stop talking, yet you can’t stop listening. He’s got a knack for crafting easyto-follow yet surprisingly fleshed-out stories about the most banal, everyday things. He’ll deliver a thrilling explanation of how the U.S. postal code abbreviations came to be, or the difference between “waking up” and “getting up.” With Paul Farahvar, Charlie Kojis. ALSO: Friday-Saturday, Feb. 10-11, 8 & 10:30 pm. Dan Bacula, Michael Schram, Melissa Smith, Mike Jonjak, Vanessa Tortolano, Peter Jurich: 7:30 pm, 2/9, Bos Meadery. Donations benefit Immigrant Defense Project. bosmeadery.com.

East Side Club: Distant Cuzins, Surround Sound, Proxy Child, rock, 7 pm. The Frequency: Meat Wave, Absolutely Not, Twelves, 8:30 pm.

Wood Chickens 7” Release

High Noon: Lynda & the Zeros, 5:30 pm; Mark Shippy, Pachinko, No Hoax, Coordinated Suicides, 9:30 pm.

Friday, Feb. 10, Mickey’s Tavern, 10:30 pm

Hody Bar, Middleton: Killer Cars, rock, free, 9 pm.

Madison is lucky to be home to the cowpunk powerhouse Wood Chickens. Featuring hits with such telling titles as “Death Rides a Horse” and “Prairie Fire,” their live show is a certified barn burner. At this free show, they’ll be unleashing a new 7” single from their upcoming album Countrycide. With the Foamers, Reverend Rectifier & the Sinners, and T.S. Foss.

Knuckle Down: Big Wes Turner’s Trio, 8 pm. Lazy Oaf Lounge: Pat McCurdy, free, 10 pm. Liquid: Cash Cash, Antics, Hipp, 10 pm. Majestic Theatre: Stephen Lynch, 7:30 pm (sold out); DJs Josh B Kuhl, Tanner, ‘90s vs. ‘00s, 10 pm. Monona Terrace: The Prince Experience, 7:30 pm. Sconnie Bar: Country Wide Rocks, free, 8 pm.

➡

701 East Washington Ave. 608-661-8599

Open Tue-Sat 4pm - close

BARRYMORE 2201 Atwood Ave. SAT. FEB. 11

THUR. FEB. 9 . 8pm / NO COVER

Aaron Williams

& The Hoodoo FRI. FEB. 10.

presents

____________________________________

SUN. FEB. 12

8pm / $5

3-6 pm $10 suggested

JIMMY BUFFETT PARTY

The Lower 5th SAT. FEB. 11 .

9:45 pm $8

featuring

CHUCK BAYUK

9pm / $5

Wear Hawaiian

& the Drunken Sailors

Your Mom

See our full event calendar at:

www.thebrinklounge.com

2090 Atwood Ave. (608) 241-8864

FRI. FEB. 10 - 8:00PM

(608) 249-4333

Cash Box Kings

THEATRE

The 6th Annual End Of The World Tour

CHRISTOPHER TITUS with special guest RACHEL BRADLEY

The Barrymore Theatre presents

for $4 margaritas or boat drinks!

General Admission - Seated Show Tickets: $28 / VIP tickets: $38 (incl. early entry & preferred seating)

SUN. FEB. 12 - 1:00PM The 16th Annual

U N I T E D WAY

BLUEGRASS

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

BENEFIT

Cork ‘N Bottle String Band • Sparetime Bluegrass David Landau • Madfiddle & Highway 151 The Soggy Prairie Boys • Old Tin Can String Band $10 Adults • $5 Children 5-12 • Children Under 5 Free Maximum Family Cost $20 • Tickets on sale by phone, online or at door only

SAT. FEB. 25 - 8:00PM

A PARODY OF LOVE, FRIENDSHIP AND SHOES Written by KERRY IPEMA & TJ DAWE $30 adv, $35 dos

presents

TODD SNIDER

NEW ALBUM ON SALE 05.05.17!

JUNE 3

OVERTURE HALL

‘EASTSIDE BULLDOG’

JUST ANNOUNCED!

with special guest

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, FEB 10TH AT 11AM!

TRUEENDEAVORS.COM

FRI. MAR. 3 - 8:00PM

The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience

$25 adv, $30 dos

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

FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017 ISTHMUS.COM

MARCH 1

T I C K E T S AT O V E R T U R E C E N T E R . O R G .

FRANKPRODUCTIONS.COM

ALLEN THOMPSON

Tickets $30 advance. All tickets for the Nov. 13 show will be honored.

Empire presents

CAPITOL THEATER

THUR. MAR. 2 - 7:30PM

■ ISTHMUS PICKS : FEB 10 - 12 Stoughton Opera House: Davina & Vagabonds, 7:30 pm. Tip Top: Tani Diakite & the Afrofunkstars, free, 10 pm. Up North Pub: Teddy Davenport, free, 8 pm. UW Union South-Sett: Noname, Ravyn Lenae, 9 pm. VFW-Cottage Grove Road: Midlife Crisis, 7:30 pm.

Access Denied: Panel discussion on access to entertainment for all, plus dance party, 6-11 pm, 2/10, Central Library. 266-6300.

sat feb 11

THEATER & DANCE

Charlie Parker’s Yardbird

The Organ in Oratorio & Opera Organist Samuel Hutchison with tenor Andrew Bidlack and bass Kyle Ketelsen

MUS I C

Friday, Feb. 10, Overture-Capitol Theater, 8 pm

Madison Opera presents the Midwest premiere of Daniel Schnyder’s jazz opera. As the body of the famous saxophonist lies unclaimed in the morgue, Parker’s spirit returns to the renowned Birdland, hoping to compose a final masterpiece. ALSO: Sunday, Feb. 12, 2:30 pm. See story, page 29.

Gabriela Montero

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 MSO Principal Organist Samuel Hutchison and the colossal Klais join forces with two brilliant singers in Overture Hall for a program of favorite arias and overtures from Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and other opera favorites.

Overture Hall

7:30 pm

TICKETS: $20 madisonsymphony.org/organopera, Overture Center Box Office, 201 State St., or (608) 258-4141

Sponsored by Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation

M A D I S O N S Y M P H O N Y . O R G

isthmus live sessions

Local & National Artists Perform in the Isthmus Office FRI, FEB 10 H 8PM H $7

ISTHMUS.COM FEBRUARY 9–15, 2017

Big Wes Turner’s Trio

Billy Flynn

performances by: DIRECT HIT!

Blues Disciples FRI. FEB. 17 The Claudettes

SAT. FEB. 18 Aaron Williams & The HooDoo

2513 Seiferth Rd. 222-7800 KnuckleDownSaloon.com

ISTHMUS LIVE SESSIONS

Friday, Feb 10, Overture CenterPromenade Hall, 7:30 pm Kanopy Dance combines modern dance, puppetry, masks and fanciful costumes to tell the tale of Baba Yaga, a witch who often appears in Russian folktales. In this story, a twist on the classic Cinderella, a pretty peasant girl, Vasilisa, and her magic doll contend with sneaky Baba Yaga and wicked stepsisters. ALSO: Saturday (5 & 8 pm) and Sunday (2:30 pm), Feb. 11-12. Through Feb. 19.

Queer Shorts 2.1: Queer Love Friday, Feb. 10, Bartell Theatre, 8 pm

StageQ’s annual celebration of the diversity in Madison’s LGBTQ community brings a brand-new slate of locally written and produced plays to the stage. Several shorts deal with themes of aging and sexuality. ALSO: Saturday (8 pm) and Sunday (2 pm), Feb. 11-12. Through Feb. 18. Prelude to a Kiss: Strollers Theatre 7:30 pm on 2/1011, 14 & 16-17 and 2 pm, 2/18, Bartell Theatre-Evjue Stage. $20. 661-9696. See review, page 30 To Love or Not To Love 2017: Encore Studio for the Performing Arts, 8 pm on 2/10-11 & 17-18 and 2 pm, 2/12, Mary Dupont Wahlers Theatre. $15. 255-0310.

COM EDY Christopher Titus, Rachel Bradley: 8 pm, 2/10, Barrymore Theatre. $48-$28. 241-8633.

ART EXHIBITS & EV ENTS Do Ho Suh: Installation/sculptures, 2/11-5/14 Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (reception 6-9 pm, 2/10, with artist talk, Nick Moran Trio, $10). 257-0158.

SAT, FEB 11 H 9PM H $7

The

Baba Yaga: A Portrait of the Wickedest Witch

ISTHMUS LIVE SESSIONS

live videos at isthmus.com/ils

SP ECIAL EV ENTS Winter Pondemonium: Pond hockey & broomball tournaments (charity fundraiser), 2/10-12, Wisconsin Brewing Company, Verona, plus open skating, snowman building, food. 848-1079.

Saturday, Feb. 11, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 8 pm In addition to being a world-renowned classical pianist, the Venezuelan Grammy winner is notable for her genre-bending live improvisations. She creates dazzling elaborations based on suggestions from the audience, from the Goldberg Variations to “Happy Birthday.” Check out video of her concert in Koln; the audience sings her a local German tune, and she transforms it into a propulsive jazz riff reminiscent of Keith Jarrett.

Emma’s Revolution Saturday, Feb. 11, James Reeb Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 7:30 pm

Pat Humphries and Sandy O. are a dynamic duo, internationally touring songwriters in the protest music tradition of Pete Seeger and Phil Ochs. They have toured with Holly Near and sung at protests around the world, including Wisconsin’s Act 10 uprising. This is bound to be a spirit-lifter at a time when artful resistance is needed more than ever.

Leon & Mad Dogs Saturday, Feb. 11, High Noon Saloon, 5 pm

The late Leon Russell was a studio whiz in the 1960s, and eventually became a star himself as one of the most distinctive singer-pianist-songwriters to emerge in the 1970s. This tribute show organized by the Gomers’ Dave Adler and Andy Wallmann features an all-star lineup of local performers, focusing on tunes from Russell’s first solo album and his stint as musical director for the tour immortalized as Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen album.

SEARCH THE FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT ISTHMUS.COM

1855 Saloon, Cottage Grove: Robert J, free, 7 pm. Art In Gallery: The Scrubbers, Irish folk rock, 8 pm. Bos Meadery: Grant Charles, folk rock, free, 7 pm. Brink Lounge: Your Mom, classic rock, 9 pm. Chief’s: Nick Matthews & the Knuckle Sandwich, 8 pm. Club Tavern, Middleton: Sunspot, rock, free, 9 pm. Come Back In: Teddy Davenport, free, 9 pm. Crystal Corner Bar: Damsel Trash, Fire Heads, Cribshitter, rock, 9:30 pm. The Frequency: Dead Rider, Talker, Mori Mente, Battlerat, 9 pm. Harmony Bar: Cash Box Kings, blues, 9:45 pm. High Noon: Mr. Blotto, The Grasshoppers, 9:30 pm. Hody Bar, Middleton: Undercover, rock, free, 9 pm. Knuckle Down Saloon: The Blues Disciples, 9 pm. Lakeside Street Coffee: The McDougals, 6:30 pm. Lazy Oaf Lounge: Saturday Morning Cartel, 10 pm. Liliana’s: Stan Godfriaux & Laurie Lang, free, 6:30 pm. Majestic: Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine tribute), Rated R (QOTSA), Decadent Nation, 8:30 pm. Malt House: Karl von Huene & John Dowling, 3 pm.

The Red Zone: Bereft, November’s Doom, Order of the Jackal, Twichard, Seisma, 8 pm. Sconnie Bar: Laundry, free, 9 pm. Spring Prairie Lutheran Church-Prairie Coffeehouse, DeForest: Common Chord, free, 7 pm. Tricia’s Country Corner: MadCity Radiators, 9 pm. Tuvalu Coffeehouse, Verona: Deep Pool, free, 7 pm. UW Union South-Sett: Ben Ferris Octet, free, 9 pm.

T HE AT ER & DA N C E

The Vagina Monologues

S PECI AL E V ENTS Vegan Bake & Craft Sale: Alliance for Animals benefit, 9 am-1 pm, 2/11, Goodman Comm. Ctr. 257-2392. Pour’n Yer Heart Out: FeLion Studios annual iron pour event, 10 am-6 pm, 2/11, Sector 67. $40 for sand mold; profits benefit Sector67. felionstudios.com. Bockfest: Annual celebration of local breweries, noon5 pm, 2/11, Great Dane-Hilldale. $35. 661-9400. Whad’ya Know?: Podcast recording with the music by John Thulin & Jeff Hamann, author Helen Czerski, noon, 2/11, High Noon Saloon. $10. 268-1122. Winter Fest: All-ages activities, 1-3 pm, 2/11, Hilldale Shopping Center. 238-6640. Heart & Soul Scholarship Ball: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority-Madison Alumnae Chapter fundraiser, 7 pm-midnight, 2/11, UW Union South, with the Cigarette Break Band, DJ Ace. $35. RSVP: madisonalumnaedst.org.

DAN CI N G Valeween: Costume dance, 8 pm-1 am, 2/11, Old Sugar Distillery, with music by DJ Radish. $10 benefits Planned Parenthood & Center for Media & Democracy. laurenlauter@gmail.com.

KI D S & FAM ILY Valentine’s 5K: UW Running Club benefit (for River Food Pantry), 11 am, 2/11, UW Natatorium. $6. runningclubuw.com.

sun feb 12

The Vagina Monologues gets a new spin at Madison Circus Space. Local circus artists and dancers have choreographed material to augment the frank, funny and poignant monologues in Eve Ensler’s famous play. V-Day events will be taking place all over the world to raise awareness and money for this global movement to end violence against women and girls. This production will benefit Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) of Dane County.

MUS I C

COME DY

The Launch Party

Paula Poundstone

Sunday, Feb. 12, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm

Known for her wacky take on events large and small, Paula Poundstone is a comedic icon. The standup is heading into her fifth professional decade in a career marked by frequent NPR appearances — notably on Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! and A Prairie Home Companion — and a memorable spot as Jay Leno’s election correspondent in 1992. Don’t miss a chance to see this legend at work. See Q&A, page 29.

Lesley Kagen: Discussing “Mutual Admiration Society,” her new book, with journalist Doug Moe, 1 pm, 2/11, Mystery to Me. 283-9332.

A RT EX H I B I TS & E VE N TS Young at Art: Works by K-12 students, 2/11-4/23, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. 257-0158. Dominique Haller: “A Tide Kept at Bay;” and Josh Johnson: “Mislocation,” 2/11-3/4, Arts & Literature Laboratory (reception 7-9 pm, 2/11). 556-7415.

TUE, FEB 28, 7:30 PM

MEET THE ARTIST POST SHOW Q & A

Boyz II Men

FEB 18

Duck Soup Cinema: Safety Last

FEB 24

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

FEB 25

Serving as the launch for new clothing company 608 Union, this show is a great cross-section of the city’s up-andcoming rap artists. Trebino’s (pictured) stories from the street will balance out Ra’Shaun’s soulful quest for the right woman. And Lucien Parker’s introspection will contrast Bloodline’s bravado. Presented by the Urban Community Arts Network. With Wisco, Bang and DJ Pain 1.

MUSIC SERIES SPONSOR

FEB 12