Loving Local Arts

Valentine’s Day doesn’t seem to fall on a weekend very often. And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday than by showing some love to local arts.

Here are a few ways to fill your Saturday, no matter what type of art you heart (but as always, check ahead to make sure tickets are available for performances).

MUSIC

David Bicknase 7 p.m.–11 p.m. The Cove Lounge, The Edgewater, 666 Wisconsin Ave. 256-9071, theedgewater.com

Cherry Pie 9:30 p.m. The Dry Bean, 5264 Verona Rd., Fitchburg. 274-2326. thedrybean.com

Desperate Ottos 10 p.m. Harmony Bar and Grill, 2201 Atwood Ave. 249-4333.

DJ Vinny T 10:30 p.m. Café Montmartre, 127 E. Mifflin St. 255-5900. themomo.com

Elf Lettuce 10 p.m. Mr. Roberts, 2116 Atwood Ave. 249-1660. myspace.com/mrrobertsmadison

Goran Ivanovic & Andreas Kapsalis 9:30p.m. Restaurant Magnus, 120 E. Wilson St. 258-8787. restaurantmagnus.com

Thriving Ivory and Missy Higgins with Company of Thieves 9 p.m. Majestic Theatre, 115 King St. 255-0901. majesticmadison.com

Little Mama Joe featuring Susan Hofer 9 p.m.–12 a.m. The Brink Lounge, 701 E. Washington Ave., Suite 105. 661-8599. thebrinklounge.com

Umphrey’s McGee 8 p.m. Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood Ave. barrymorelive.com

Umphrey’s Afterparty 10 p.m. High Noon Saloon, 701A E. Washington Ave. 268-1122. high-noon.com

UW School of Music Faculty Concert Series: Parry, Howard and Frances Karp 8 p.m. Mills Hall, Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St. 263-9485. music.wisc.edu

THEATER

A Wake 8 p.m. Broom Street Theater, 1119 Williamson St. 244-8338. broomstreet.org

Jesus Christ Superstar 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Overture Center, 201 State St. 258-4141. overturecenter.com

Kenosha! (Not Quite Chicago) 6:30 p.m. By WhoopDeDoo Productions at the West Side Club, 437 County Hwy M. 442-5806. whoopdedoo.org

Love is in the Air 8 p.m. By Strollers Theatre at the Bartell Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin St. 661-9696 x2. strollerstheatre.org

Proof 7:30 p.m. By Madison Theatre Guild at the Bartell Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin St. 238-9322. madisontheatreguild.org

Steel Magnolias 7:30 p.m. By the Sun Prairie Civic Theatre at the Sun Prairie High School Auditorium, 220 Kroncke Dr., Sun Prairie. 837-8217. sunprairiecivictheatre.com

Those Fabulous Fifties—Part 2 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Fireside Theatre, 1131 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson. 1-800-477-9505. firesidetheatre.com

Vagina Monologues 8 p.m. Wisconsin Union Theater, 800 Langdon St. 262-2201. uniontheater.wisc.edu

VISUAL ART

A Fairyland of Fabrics: The Victorian Crazy Quilt 12–5 p.m. Design Gallery, UW School of Human Ecology, 1300 Linden Dr. 262-8815. designgallery.wisc.edu

A Show of Affection: Valentine’s Day Gift Special 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Fanny Garver Gallery, 230 State St. 256-6755. fannygarvergallery.com

Everett Kitts 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Absolutely Art, 2322 Atwood Ave. 249-9100. absolutelyartllc.com

From China to Madison: Crossing Cultural Bridges, Mayra Rangel-Capelle & Ana Rangel: Our Mexico, Our Roots and Respite = Relief: 30 Years of Building in Children through Art 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Overture Galleries, 201 State St. 258-4177. overturecenter.com/galleries.htm

Dagny Quisling Myrah 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Grace Chosy Gallery, 1825 Monroe St. 255-1211. gracechosygallery.com

Rafael Francisco Salas: Recent Drawings and Paintings 8 a.m.–8 p.m. DeRicci Gallery at Edgewood College, 1000 Edgewood College Dr. art.edgewood.edu

Ann Singsass: Birches and Others 12:30–4 p.m. UW Arboretum Steinhauer Trust Gallery, 1207 Seminole Hwy. 263-7888. uwarboretum.org/about/gallery/

Something Wicked This Way Comes and Barbara Probst: Exposures 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 227 State St. 257-0158. mmoca.org

SuperBug: An Installation by Jennifer Angus and John Hitchcock 11 a.m.–9 p.m. James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
201 State St. (Overture Center). 265-2500. wisconsinacademy.org

The Joy is in the Middle: Michael Wodyn, Eternal Return: Brian DeLevie, Abstract in the Representative: Zsuzsanna Nagy and Fictitious Plants: Jsun Laliberte 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Wisconsin Union Galleries, 800 Langdon St. 262-7592. union.wisc.edu/art

Writing with Thread: Traditional Textiles of Southwest Chinese Minorities and Mannerism in Italy and the Low Countries 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Chazen Museum of Art, 800 University Ave. 263-2068. chazen.wisc.edu

Images of Parry Karp, Jesus Christ Superstar and a work from Mannerism in Italy and the Low Country are courtesy of the UW School of Music, Overture Center and Chazen Museum of Art.

Global Grooves

A Hungarian ska group. A Bulgarian wedding band. An Indian electric guitarist.

To say the least, offerings at the Wisconsin Union Theater’s fifth World Music Festival are eclectic. But they’re also stylistically and culturally diverse, and representative of the festival’s goal.

“We have a mission, which is to bring music that is unfamiliar to Madison,” says Esty Dinur, chair for artistic selection. “We’re part of the university, so we see what we do as educational—but in the most fun way.”

Held September 12 to 20 at the Memorial Union Terrace and other venues across the city, the free music festival draws musicians that might not otherwise perform in Madison. Often, the artists are popular in their own countries but haven’t yet traveled to the United States, Dinur says. But once they perform here, as well as at other festivals in the region, many return—and find enthusiastic and full audiences waiting for them.

While organizers never choose a “theme” for the festival, some connections emerge organically as the event comes together, Dinur says.

This year’s festival boasts several bands from Eastern Europe, including the Plastic People of the Universe, a band from the Czech Republic inspired by the Velvet Underground that formed in 1968 and performed in opposition to the Soviet occupation. “It’s amazing to have them,” Dinur says. “It’s their first time touring in the United States.”

Also performing are Hungarian pop-ska band Little Cow; Reelroad, a Russian folk revival band that started out in 1999 playing Irish folk music; and Kabile, a six-piece traditional Bulgarian wedding band.

Dinur expects electric guitarist Prasanna to be a hit with audiences. “He’s known as the Indian Jimi Hendrix,” she says.

Also exciting are “four acts from the Muslim world,” Dinur says. She’s looking forward to presenting Mamak Khadem of Iran, Gaida Hinnawi of Syria, Baba Zula of Turkey and Etran Finatawa of Niger.

Through these and other acts, the festival does more than simply bring good music to Madison, Dinur believes.

“It’s kind of a political statement—make music, not war.”

Concert Schedule:

Friday, September 12
Memorial Union Terrace (rain: Wisconsin Union Theatre)
• Dragon Knights and World Percussion Ensemble, 5 p.m.
• Prasanna, India, 5:30 p.m.
• Dragon Knights, 7 p.m.
• Mamak Khadem, Iran, 7:30 p.m.
• Dragon Knights, 9 p.m.
• Nation Beat, Brazil/USA, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 13
Memorial Union Terrace (rain: Wisconsin Union Theater)
• Dragon Knights, 4 p.m.
• Little Cow, Hungary, 4:30 p.m.
• Dragon Knights, 6 p.m.
• Plastic People of the Universe, Czech Republic, 6:30 p.m.
• Dragon Knights, 7:15 p.m.
• Reelroad, Russia, 7:45 p.m.
• Dragon Knights, 9:15 p.m.
• Maraca, Cuba, 10 p.m.

Sunday, September 14
The Annex
• Weapons of Mass DeFunktion, 6:30 p.m.
• Little Cow, Hungary, 7:30 p.m.
• Plastic People of the Universe, Czech Republic, 9 p.m.

Thursday, September 18
Memorial Union Terrace (rain: Der Rathskeller)
• Student and Community Showcase, 5 p.m.
• Kabile, Bulgaria, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, September 19
Memorial Union Terrace (rain: Wisconsin Union Theater)
• Gaida Hinnawi, Syria, 5:30 p.m.
• Dya Singh, India, 7:30 p.m.
• Baba Zula, Turkey, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 20
Willy Street Fair
• Chiwoniso, Zimbabwe, 1:45 p.m.
• Zazhil, Mexico, 3:45 p.m.
• Etran Finatawa, Niger, 5:45 p.m.
• 17 Hippies, Germany, 7:45 p.m.

Visit the World Music Festival website for recent additions, musician bios, and a full schedule of events including classes and workshops.

Photos of Reelroad, Prasanna and Baba Zula are courtesy of the Wisconsin Union Theater.