What to do in Madison this weekend: Rainer Maria, Mad Lit and more Isthmus Picks

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"Wisconsin Hometown Stories" Photo Gathering, Thursday, June 26, Central Library, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: PBS Wisconsin is making a documentary about Madison’s history and it wants your historic photos, films and documents that show the city in prior times, especially depictions of Madison industries (such as Oscar Mayer and Gisholt Machine); the Greenbush neighborhood; lake recreation; early resident family portraits; Madison greenspaces, including the UW-Madison Arboretum and Picnic Point; activism and protest involvement; and Mendota Mental Health Institute. The film will be part of PBS Wisconsin’s series Wisconsin Hometown Stories. Two events are upcoming for film staff to look at your photos and scan them onsite if they are of use. (They might have to borrow film and video.) Don’t have any pics of Oscar Mayer? Bring your photos anyway; who knows what they might find useful? For questions or to request accessibility accommodations, call 608-265-5037.

Overture Galleries summer reception, Thursday, June 26, Overture Center, 5:30-8:30 p.m.: A perhaps underappreciated joy of the Overture Center is the art that lines the long hallways that lead from the main entrance to the Capitol Theater. Galleries I, II and III (corresponding to their floor) and the additional Playhouse and Rotunda galleries on the lower level, all feature local art curated by center staff, and are themed to provoke thought. This summer the exhibits are grouped around the ideas of voice and visibility. Galleries I, II and III shows run June 17-Aug. 24, the Playhouse Gallery exhibition runs June 10-Aug. 17, and the Rotunda Gallery exhibit runs June 24-Aug. 10. The reception on June 26 features artist talks at 6 p.m. on the Rotunda Stage.

Made ’Em Believe: 2015 Wisconsin Basketball Reunion, Thursday, June 26, Orpheum, 7 p.m.: Can it really be 10 years since the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team went 36-4 — winning the 2014-15 Big Ten regular season and tournament titles but falling six points short of a national championship? “Make ’Em Believe” became a rallying cry for the players who were part of that astonishing run — including future NBAers Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker. Those guys, along with teammate Josh Gasser and coach Bo Ryan, will reunite to reminisce about that memorable season and share “never-before-heard stories, insights and personal reflections.” Ben Brust, ESPN Wisconsin radio host who played for the Badgers from 2010 to 2014, will moderate the festivities. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Christopher McBride Quartet with Julia Danielle, Thursday, June 26, Cafe Coda, 7 p.m.: In the years before the pandemic, saxophonist Christopher McBride hosted weekly “Singer Meets Saxophonist” gigs in New York City, and since then has taken the concept on the road around the country. For this session at Cafe Coda, McBride is joined by Philadelphia-based pianist Luke Carlos O’Reilly, recent UW-Madison doctor of music graduate Emma Dayhuff, and veteran Chicago area drummer Marcus Evans, along with rising vocalist Julia Danielle, who released an acclaimed debut album in 2024 featuring a set drawn from the Great American Songbook. Tickets at cafecoda.club.

The Death of Chuck Brown, through Sept. 25, American Players Theatre-Touchstone, Spring Green: While APT was founded with a mission to stage the classics, more recently the company has set its sights on developing its own talent. This new play is written and directed by core company member Gavin Dillon Lawrence, who has been with APT for a decade. This isn’t his first play — he’s written several, and his Cut Flowers won major awards including the Lorraine Hansberry Award for Best Writing of a Play. This is the world premiere of The Death of Chuck Brown, about a changing African-American community in the wake of the death of a music icon. In repertory June 24-Sept. 25; opening week performances include 7:30 p.m. on June 26 and July 2, along with 2 p.m. on June 28. For schedule and tickets, visit americanplayers.org.

Rainer Maria, Thursday, June 26, Atwood Music Hall, 8 p.m.: From their beginnings in the Madison DIY scene, Rainer Maria soon became one of the essential bands of the mid-'90s indie-emo world. The trio broke up in 2006 but happily for fans have periodically reconvened for shows since 2014 — and even a new album in 2017. To mark the band’s 30th anniversary, the trio of Kaia Fischer, William Kuehn and Caithlin De Marrais will return to their original home base for their only concert of the year, at the brand-new Atwood Music Hall. With Seasaw. Tickets at theatwoodmusichall.com.

Alex Edelman, Friday, June 27, Barrymore, 7 p.m.: Stand-up comedian Alex Edelman made a big splash with his one-man Broadway show, Just for Us, built around a true story of attending a white nationalist meeting in Brooklyn. (Sample one-liner: “Nothing says white privilege more than a Jew walking into a meeting of racists and thinking ‘this will probably be fine.’”) In 2024 the show won a special Tony Award, and the filmed version picked up an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. Edelman is back on the road with a new material for the “What Are You Going to Do” tour. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Dixie’s Tupperware Party, Friday, June 27, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7:30 p.m.: She’s back — and everything must go. Dixie Longate, the storytelling Tupperware Lady, returns to Madison for one last round of raunchy comedy mixed with actual product pitches. This farewell tour marks the end of a wildly successful off-Broadway run, blending deep Southern sass with surprisingly heartfelt moments. Not your grandma’s Tupperware party (though she might’ve loved it), this one’s for grown-ups who like their comedy a little unfiltered — and their leftovers properly sealed. Tickets at overture.org.

Wave Chapelle + IshDARR + Ted Park, Friday, June 27, Majestic, 8 p.m.: This Wisconsin hip-hop showcase brings a trio of distinctly different styles from Madison and Milwaukee’s better-known artists to the same stage on the same night. Expect contagious confidence and upbeat rhyme schemes from Milwaukee rapper Wave Chapelle. His fellow Brew City emcee IshDARR will keep the energy high with his club-ready bangers and EDM-infused tracks. And rounding out this homegrown sampler, Madison’s Ted Park comes home to light it up with his pop and R&B-inspired flavor. If you already know even one of these emcees, there’s a damn good chance you’ll leave this show a fan of all three. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Graham Hunt album release, Friday, June 27, Atwood Music Hall, 8 p.m.: The new Atwood Music Hall inaugurates its “Locals Only” series with a doozy of a lineup. It’s an album release party for Timeless World Forever, the latest collection by Madison rocker Graham Hunt. It’s another top flight set of eclectic and catchy pop, with contributions by members of Disq, Combat Naps, and even local poet Thax Douglas. But that’s not all: the evening also includes the only summer local show by the aforementioned Madison world-beaters Disq, along with new-ish supergroup Celebrity Sighting and DJs m4plefields and Sahan Jayasuriya. Tickets at theatwoodmusichall.com.

Mad Lit, Friday, June 27, 100 block of State Street, 8 p.m.: This annual series celebrating artists of color returns on select Fridays this summer, and the first show of the summer features Madison’s vibrant Latin music scene, including sets by La Combi and Rey Cruz, plus DJ Chamo. Megan Diaz-Ricks hosts, with visual art provided by Angelica Contreras, Kimberly Giselle and Rodrigo Carapia. Future dates this summer include July 18 (DJs), Aug. 8 (R&B/spoken word), Aug. 15 (hip-hop), and Sept. 19 (DJs). The series is coordinated by Urban Community Arts Network and Greater Madison Music City; watch for updates on vendors at ucanmadison.org.

Story Slam + Moth BioBlitz, Friday, June 27, Olbrich Gardens, 9 p.m.-midnight: Moth meets moths in this innovative story slam/nature appreciation event after hours at Olbrich. Storytellers with The Moth will tell tales under the stars. This is an open mic-style evening in which previously selected storytellers will reflect on a theme, this time: “Moths undergo transformation, and so do we. This theme invites stories about personal growth, reinvention, or moments that led to unexpected metamorphosis." Judges confer; the audience enjoys drinks (there’s an outdoor bar and the Cinn City Churro dessert cart will be serving from 9-10:30 p.m.); and prizes are awarded. Visitors can stay in the garden until the witching hour — midnight — to wander and wonder, and check out the moth life at special lit “moth viewing stations.” You should be attracted to this evening like a moth to flame.

Sun Prairie Pride Fest, Saturday, June 28, Sun Prairie West High School, noon-4 p.m.: Celebrate love and community at Sun Prairie’s family-friendly Pride Fest. Enjoy inclusive kids’ activities that focus on joy and belonging for all ages, a resource fair, and entertainment including James the Magician and drag story time by Cass Marie Domino. This year brings something new: a ticketed evening concert featuring Grammy-nominated singer-songwriters Jennifer Knapp and Mary Lambert. Find a complete schedule at sunprairiepridefest.com.

Sconnie Street, June 28-29, garages around Madison, 2 p.m.: The scrappy Fresco Opera company aims to make opera fun and accessible by staging its original summer shows in garages and driveways across Madison. This year it’s Sconnie Street, inspired by the ageless PBS children’s show, Sesame Street. The neighborhood has been transplanted to Wisconsin, with local characters known as Count Von Brew, Big Curd and the Gouda Monster. The opera arias are also tributes to famous works, reimagined. The Saturday and Sunday shows are all at 2 p.m., June 28 at 2110 Vilas Ave.; and June 29 at 5013 Hammersley Road. Bring a lawn chair and prepare to enjoy an inventive afternoon that’s as much about community as opera.

Christopher A. Micklos, Saturday, June 28, Palace Cinema, Sun Prairie, 4:30 p.m.: Tick Town, the debut novel by Madison filmmaker (The Headmistress) and writer Christopher A. Micklos is out June 24. The book is a fun, bloody romp in the rampaging nature subgenre of pulp horror, telling the story of a very bad weekend at the Harvest Moon Jubilee in the fictional northern Wisconsin town of Tomahawk Hollow. You will not want to read it while sitting in the woods. Micklos is hosting a launch party featuring a screening of classic 1954 giant ant movie Them! at 4:30 p.m. (admission is free with book purchase) followed by a signing at 6:15 p.m. Books will be available before the screening at the theater and starting June 24 at A Room of One’s Own, Lake City Books and Westfield Comics in Madison and Inkcap Books in Stoughton.

The Evil Twins, Saturday, June 28, Atwood Music Hall, 8 p.m.: Madison lost a true rock original in 2013 with the passing of Marques Bovre. He handled his two-year journey living with a cancerous brain tumor with the same courage, intelligence, wonder, humor and irreverence that his many compositions explored and revealed in life. This is a rare opportunity for long-time fans as well as newbies to hear his vivid rock anthems live — as played by members of Bovre’s original band the Evil Twins, led by his 27-year-old guitarist son Quintin. This same ensemble sold out almost immediately last December so hop to it: theatwoodmusichall.com.

Carrellee album release + Insula Iscariot album release, Saturday, June 28, Gamma Ray, 8 p.m.: Madison artist Carrellee is back with her second album, a self-titled affair that returns to the dark, moody synthpop sound of her acclaimed debut, Scale of Dreams…and this time around the beats are a bit more dance-friendly. Carrellee will be just back from touring with IAMX by the time of this show celebrating the album’s May 2 bow, and it’s a dual release party with Madison industrial doomsters Insula Iscariot; their latest, Acceptance, emerged at the end of May. Also on the bill are Klack and Choke Chain. Tickets at gammaray.bar.

Ensemble Parlamento, Sunday, June 29, Madison Christian Community, 5 p.m.: Ensemble Parlamento is a Switzerland-based quartet playing music from the Middle Ages and Renaissance with an emphasis on historical accuracy. For this program, “LUMINOUS! Courtly and Sacred Love in Medieval Song,” they will feature music by or influenced by 14th century French composer and poet Guillaume de Machaut. Also performing are Madison vocal ensemble ad meliora and pop-up choir Grata, led by Jen Terhune Streit. Admission is free, and donations benefit Domestic Abuse Intervention Services and Ensemble Parlamento.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.