Concerts

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Dance music shines with STS9 and Cherub performances at the Orpheum

Before I dive into a detailed breakdown of this weekend’s events at The Orpheum Theater, I’ll keep it short and offer this generalization: Man, oh man, the last few days were a great time to be a fan of dance music in Madison. The city’s jam junkies turned out Friday to see their revered heroes in Sound Tribe Sector 9 melt some faces and Saturday, it seemed, everyone in Madison came out for what has become something of a tradition in our city: Cherub’s yearly visit.

Too many cell phones detract from everyone’s concertgoing experience

It was a crisp October evening in Madison; the leaves were beautiful and the weather was perfect for a warm sweater. I was feeling content, walking down the street towards the glowing sign of the Majestic Theater, visions of the concert to come being entertained in my imagination, as my friends and I enjoyed the warmth of our alcohol blankets. With a few ‘pardon mes’ and only a couple ‘watch it bubs,’ we made our way into a decent position and began to cheer as the lights dimmed. That’s when the crowd began to glow.

Grace Potter came out rocking at Barrymore

The Barrymore was alive with energy and as I approached the flashing sign from the sidewalk there was a line of chattering people winding out the door and a good 5 feet down the sidewalk.

Igudesman & Joo blend comedy and Mozart

YouTube favorites Igudesman & Joo brought their theatrical and musical mashups with a healthy dose of lunacy to the Overture Friday. Performing their new show “And Now Mozart,” violinist Aleksey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-Ki Joo graced Madison with what can only be described as a comic event that brought together the most unexpected genres of music and elements of theater. Trained as classical musicians from the wee age of 12, the two conquered many grand orchestras and symphonies before they concocted their currently trending madness on stage.

Family and Friends remains true to name

A mere two months after their first appearance in Madison, Family and Friends is returning to town.

DIIV delivers eclectic show for lively Majestic audience

State Street may have been dead Tuesday night, but the Majestic Theatre could not have been more alive as the New York City-based band DIIV took the stage. I stepped into the theater without expectation, having only heard of the band because they were playing at the Majestic. Not only was this my first experience with DIIV, it was my first experience in the theater itself. The venue provided an enclosed setting and as a result, I found myself fully immersed auditorily and visually within the spectacle onstage.

Bronze Radio Return to bring love of music to The Frequency

To some, music is a mission, with each chord dripping in politics and each bar directed at some critic’s praise or curse.

Mac Miller to bring new hits to Orpheum stage

He’s already released two studio albums and 10 mixtapes.

Madison's weekend entertainment

It’s the weekend, so get your dancing shoes on; this week’s options includes ballroom, swing and even “Magic Mike.”

Shakespeare-inspired band comes to perform at The Frequency

“I have done a thousand dreadful things, as willingly as one would kill a fly, and nothing grieves me heartily indeed, but that I cannot do ten thousand more.” These are the words Patrick Stickles reads over the mourning tones of “Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ,” the folk-stomper-cum-punk-rocker that introduced Titus Andronicus to the world.

Crowd dances to the sounds of Zappa

Seconds after 8:00 p.m., Dweezil Zappa and his tribute to his father, Zappa Plays Zappa, strode out onto the Barrymore Theatre stage to the theme from “Star Wars.” The space-y theme was a fitting introduction to the wild world of Frank Zappa’s music. To keep things interesting, both for fans and for themselves, the band is touring behind the 40th anniversary of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s 1975 album, One Size Fits All in the first set and then a selection of tunes from throughout Zappa’s catalog in the second. The first frame opened with the intricate composition, “Inca Roads.” The six-member outfit paid fitting tribute to the complex tune, nailing each segment of the meandering song.

Zappa Plays Zappa pays tribute to the legendary Frank Zappa

Madison's weekend Entertainment

Welcome back weekend, we’ve missed you old friend. 

Live on King Street provided shelter from the storm with the sounds of Benjamin Booker

I can’t dance. I feigned my way through grade school talent shows, stumbled over my feet at high school homecoming dances, hoping that one day I would grow out of it.

Madison's weekend entertainment

It’s the weekend and that means dancing, singing and entertainment galore. 

Lizzo perfoms powerful set at Majestic

Tuesday night the Majestic promised a stacked lineup of female hip-hop artists. First up was Denver-born soul hip-hop songstress Povi. Though at past performances she has glistened on the stages of Denver and her current home Oakland, Calif., unfortunately her Madison performance fell slightly short. While the crowd was hyped up on excitement for the acts to follow, no one was really familiar with Povi’s music, so audience engagement and participation was low. Even with the music itself being relatively unknown, it was nice to bop around to, and I did marvel at the beauty of Povi’s vocal strength, that is until the peak of awkward concert events occurred.

Ratatat lights up the Orpheum Friday night

The Orpheum Theater welcomed a sold-out crowd for Ratatat Friday, kicking off what will be an impressive fall lineup at the venue for fans of electronic music. 

The sky's the limit when the price of admission is free

Feeling free at summer music festivals

Sasquatch!

Kiesza showed off her moves to small crowd at the Majestic

Why do people go to concerts? It seems like a superfluous question considering the answer should be quite obvious. Live music holds a certain appeal. What’s more, seeing an artist you know perform a song that you remember intimately right in front of you is an unrivaled experience. But this holds true for all genres of music. Some concerts, though, are more than just the sum of the music the artist will put on a show for. Some attract the crowd because the artist is also the performer. Some concerts are frequented because you want to feel the music. You might hope that you get such a concert from most dance music artists, but with Kiesza, you go in knowing that. And that alone is a gift by itself.