The Week: December 5-7, 2008 on Friday 12/05/2008 6:00 am The holiday season is in full swing, with the annual Christmas spectacular by the MSO, The Nutcracker by Dance Wisconsin, and a concert by the Festival Choir of Madison. Shop for gifts, meanwhile, at the Fair Trade Holiday Festival, the Madison Hours Holiday Trade Fair, and the Christmas Craftacular. There's much more this weekend, including: the Ebony Fashion Fair; the Madison for World Health Concert and the Machara Miracle Network Benefit for Darfur; more live music by Everything, Now!, Adam Diller, The Sadies, Pert' Near Sandstone, Denison Witmer, Jim Post and Randy Sabien, The Afromotive, John Brown's Body, Ka-Boom!Box, and Athens; an art opening with Barbara Probst at MMoCA; and book readings by Sharon Kaye and Mary Bergin. >More
MadVideos -- Have the lungs to work for the Madison Fire Department? Kristian Knutsen on Thursday 12/04/2008 7:00 pm, (1) Recommendation The Madison Fire Department opened its newest round of recruitment in early October, accepting applications in the first step of a nearly year-long hiring process for aspiring firefighters. For those candidates who pass a written test and a psychological examination, the next challenge is a trial of their physical abilities. >More
Bruce Campbell enthralls Madison fans with My Name Is Bruce at Sundance Watch video clips of the Q&A sessions after the Wednesday screenings Zac Shipley on Thursday 12/04/2008 12:52 pm, (23) Recommendations A Winter Weather Advisory would keep most people in their homes, and would likewise keep most out-of-towners from venturing into Madison. That was not the case on Wednesday night for fans of B-movie icon Bruce Campbell, nor for the man himself, as he hosted four spirited screenings of his new film at Sundance Cinemas. >More
Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings inspire Madison souls at the Barrymore Charles Hughes on Thursday 12/04/2008 10:38 am, (18) Recommendations At its best, soul music has always affirmed the joy of existence. This affirmation doesn't naïvely deny life's complexity, but instead acknowledges the difficult process of putting one foot in front of another. All of soul's great figures, from Sam Cooke to Mary J. Blige, have tread this line, and -- Wednesday night at the Barrymore Theatre -- Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings claimed their place in this tradition. >More
Blaska's Blog: Break the bank David Blaska on Thursday 12/04/2008 10:09 am, (1) Comment, (1) Recommendation This is meant as a compliment, really. There is a reason I keep turning to John Nichols. It is my macabre fascination with the occult. John is the double-jointed man in the carnival sideshow, capable of assuming the most bizarre positions. Truly, a guilty pleasure. >More
Beer Here -- Gray's Oatmeal Stout by Gray Brewing Robin Shepard on Wednesday 12/03/2008 2:30 pm, (11) Recommendations The Gray Brewing Company of Janesville and its companion brewpub Gray's Tied House in Verona shouldn't be overlooked when you're searching for a heavier-bodied brew this time of year. One of my picks for relaxing at home with a good book in front of the fireplace is Gray's Oatmeal Stout. >More
Madison Etsy explorations: 622 press Shopping locally online Megan Larson on Wednesday 12/03/2008 12:00 pm, (7) Recommendations The holiday season has arrived, and with it packages and cards will soon begin to alight your doorstep from family and friends. Certainly it is hard to match the happiness that comes from opening your mailbox to find a holiday card from someone dear. >More
Kathleen Falk prepares for 2009 campaign battle Vikki Kratz on Wednesday 12/03/2008 10:42 am On Thursday, about 100 "environmental leaders" will sponsor a fundraiser for Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk at the Club Tavern in Middleton. Falk is running for re election next spring. She has at least one declared opponent, former Madison school board member Nancy Mistele. Verona Mayor Jon Hochkammer is also rumored to be considering a run. >More
Blaska's Blog: Arguably the worst, part two David Blaska on Wednesday 12/03/2008 9:59 am, (1) Recommendation Last year, almost 4 of 10 high school students in the Milwaukee schools -- 38% -- were suspended at least once, up from 35.8% the year before. That's on top of a graduation rate of less than one of every 2. Who owns that failure? >More
The Dawg House adds to hot dog quotient on State Street Another shop serves the sporting foods of Chicago Linda Falkenstein on Tuesday 12/02/2008 5:00 pm, (1) Comment, (8) Recommendations State Street now has another hot dog joint. The Dawg House, located in the former Pel'Meni dumpling storefront, joins Mad Dog's Chicago Style Eatery on Henry Street and FIB's, a cart on the UW Library Mall, in offering the original middle-American fast food. >More
B-Side Records releases Best of the Year 2008 list Kristian Knutsen on Tuesday 12/02/2008 4:00 pm, (10) Recommendations As December gets underway, so does the season for year-end best-of list-making in the worlds of music, movies, books, games, and just about every other type of media out there. One particularly rich list is the voluminous collection of album and local live show picks from B-Side Records, which released its 2008 edition on Monday. >More
MPD: Brittany Zimmermann's screams heard on 911 call Search warrants raise questions about official claims Jason Shepard on Tuesday 12/02/2008 2:45 pm, (9) Recommendations Brittany Zimmermann's screams are apparently captured on an audiotape of a 911 call she placed as she was being attacked inside her downtown Madison apartment, according to newly released court documents. "The disconnect call started with the sound of a woman screaming and the line remains active and open picking up the background sounds of a struggle for a short period of time," according to a search warrant affidavit signed by Madison Police Det. Marion Morgan. >More
Win tickets to Blueheels and Fever Marlene, the Last Day of Class Mustache Bash, Seven Santas, A Christmas Carol, and more! on Tuesday 12/02/2008 11:30 am, (1) Recommendation The Isthmus Guest List is back with another round of free tickets to amazing concerts, shows and more fun events around Madison. This week's contests include tickets to: Seven Santas by StageQ at the Bartell; A Christmas Carol by CTM at the Capitol; the WORT 33rd birthday celebration, Blueheels and Fever Marlene, the Last Day of Class Mustache Bash, and the Skintones and Whore du Jour at the High Noon; and more. >More
Mayor Dave launches green scheme for Madison Resolution calls for city to design sustainable neighborhoods Bill Lueders on Tuesday 12/02/2008 10:57 am, (2) Recommendations Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's plan is to "start with the macro, the big picture," and not with the details. The details can always be worked out later, in committees and such. "The idea here is to set some overall goals," says Cieslewicz, the chief sponsor of a resolution directing the city to plat a sustainable neighborhood -- er, make that neighborhoods -- on the city’s northeast side. >More
Firs fly at UW Forestry Christmas tree sale David Medaris on Monday 12/01/2008 3:27 pm, (4) Recommendations The air inside the UW Stock Pavilion often has a nip to it by the time the UW Forestry Club throws open the doors for its annual Christmas-tree sale. Some years, there are flurries outside. Inside, all those trees fill the pavilion with the holiday scents of fir and pine. >More
Madison school board progress report: November 2008 MMSD board president presents monthly update Arlene Silveira on Monday 12/01/2008 2:28 pm The major focus of our meetings in November was on aligning the work of the Board to the district's mission and research regarding effective school boards. >More
On the Agenda: Demolishing the Royster-Clark plant and housing diversity Vikki Kratz on Monday 12/01/2008 12:51 pm Last month, the Madison Common Council created a new Housing Diversity Planning Committee, to come up with new affordable housing options. The committee's suggestions, whatever they may be, are supposed to replace the failed inclusionary zoning ordinance, which expires next month. But not everyone likes the idea of creating a new ad hoc committee. >More
Madison Snaps -- December 1, 2008 Kristian Knutsen on Monday 12/01/2008 10:00 am, (1) Recommendation Today's image is titled "Some of Lake Wingra's First Ice Fishing of the Season" and was photographed by Peter Patau. >More
Blaska's Blog: Arguably the worst David Blaska on Monday 12/01/2008 9:59 am, (1) Recommendation With all the flak directed at Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce this year it is surprising that Wisconsin Education Association Council gets barely a mention. >More
The Week: December 1-4, 2008 on Monday 12/01/2008 6:00 am December starts out strong, with this week bringing a highly-anticipated visit by Bruce Campbell, and a heaping pile of live music, with shows by Taproot, Big John Bates with the VooDoo Dollz, Deastro, Jeffrey Siegel, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, Jonatha Brooke, Carrie Underwood, Hot Buttered Rum, The Daredevil Christopher Wright, and Split Lip Rayfield. >More
MadTracks -- 'Pompeii' by The German Art Students Jessica Steinhoff on Sunday 11/30/2008 10:00 am, (7) Recommendations "Civilization preserved for centuries in volcanic rock? Sounded like a natural indie-rock topic to us," says Randy Ballwahn, drummer for The German Art Students. The song brings together many of the elements that have won the band fans -- whom they affectionately refer to as GASbags -- over the years: A catchy surf-rock hook, echoed by a distorted, Pixies-style drum-and-guitar riff, plus a few barbs aimed at burned-out punks and wishy-washy hippies. >More
Vinyl Cave -- And Then... Along Comes The Association by The Association Bob Koch on Saturday 11/29/2008 8:00 am, (7) Recommendations Coalescing in the mid-'60s as the California folk scene transitioned towards folk-rock, The Association are one of the era's most underappreciated bands. It struggled to earn respect as rock became dominated by albums rather than singles, and tastemakers often dismissed the band as soft pop due to their smooth harmonies and a string of giant hits like "Windy" and "Never My Love." >More
Bruce Campbell previews My Name is Bruce at Sundance Cinemas in Madison An interview with the screen icon about childhood, Burn Notice, the life of Ash, and the real Bruce Campbell Zac Shipley on Friday 11/28/2008 1:00 pm, (32) Recommendations Bruce Campbell is the epitome of the cult actor. With a tremendous debt to his fans, he is now touring the nation in support of My Name Is Bruce. The Daily Page caught up with Campbell for a brief conversation during a break on his tour. >More
Wilmington on DVD: Fanfan la Tulipe, D.W. Griffith, and Hancock Mike Wilmington on Friday 11/28/2008 12:30 pm, (3) Recommendations Gerard Philipe, a genuine French movie star legend, plays the dashing 18th-century French provincial Casanova and hero Fanfan, wooing beautiful ladies and crossing and slashing swords against black-hearted, elegant villains in one of the all-time great comic swashbucklers Fanfan la Tulipe -- an almost sinfully entertaining movie. >More
The Week[end]: November 28-30, 2008 on Friday 11/28/2008 11:00 am Get out and get busy over this long Thanksgiving weekend, with performances of Guys on Ice and Tearoom Tango; stand-up by Nick Mortensen, a book reading by Donald Johnson; and, live music by the Oakwood Chamber Players, Natty Nation, the Tomek Miernowski Trio, The Cordeliers, the WCO, Hayward Williams and Miles Nielsen, L.O.S.T S.O.U.L.S with DJ Jinko and DJ Fusion, and Erin Aldridge. Don't forget to shop local, meanwhile, with the Downtown Holiday Open House. >More
Beer Here -- Mercy Grand Cru from Ale Asylum Robin Shepard on Wednesday 11/26/2008 2:23 pm, (2) Comments, (27) Recommendations This fall has been awesome with so many new beers, but Ale Asylum has come up with my favorite. Dean Coffey, the brewmaster and co-owner of the brewpub on the north side once again shows why he is the Madison dean of making Belgian-style brews with a new offering named Mercy Grand Cru. >More
The Schwendinger sound Listen to samples from the UW-Madison composer's work David Medaris on Wednesday 11/26/2008 11:30 am, (2) Recommendations Contemporary classical composer and UW-Madison School of Music faculty member Laura Elise Schwendinger agreed to share some audio samples of her work in conjunction with the story in Isthmus about her work. >More
Blaska's Blog: Not quite all in David Blaska on Wednesday 11/26/2008 10:30 am, (3) Comments, (2) Recommendations I expect that Verona Mayor Jon Hochkammer will announce his candidacy for Dane County Executive in the first or second week of December. >More
Hurrah for pumpkin pie with heavy cream May it wave as our standard forever Linda Falkenstein on Tuesday 11/25/2008 3:00 pm, (7) Recommendations A couple years ago I got real tired of being disappointed in the pumpkin pie I was baking at Thanksgiving. I'd been using a recipe off the Libby’s canned pumpkin label and it wasn't doing it for me anymore. I tried using the same recipe but with fresh pumpkin, with no better results; then, I hit the Internets to see what the prevailing thought was about the best pumpkin pies. >More
A Supreme Pizza celebration for Madison Try a new pie for National Pizza Month! Linda Falkenstein on Tuesday 10/21/2008 2:00 pm, (3) Comments, (10) Recommendations October is National Pizza Month. Yes, it's true. The pizza, which frankly seems like a food substance that in America is in no danger of becoming an endangered species, has its own celebratory promotional month. And why not? While I presume that most of us eat a good deal of pizza in any/every month, it's not a bad idea to pause and give thanks, to truly appreciate the pizza pie. >MoreBeer Here -- Kilbourn Hop Ale from Moosejaw Pizza & Brewing Robin Shepard on Thursday 10/16/2008 2:06 pm, (12) Recommendations While Chief Amber Ale is Moosejaw Pizza and Brewing's flagship offering, the Kilbourn Hop Ale is a favorite of the local beer enthusiasts for its bold bitterness and locally grown hops. >More
Vinyl Cave: Cajun in the Blues Country by Rusty Kershaw Bob Koch on Sunday 10/19/2008 4:00 pm, (3) Recommendations When Doug "The Ragin' Cajun" Kershaw vaulted to crossover success in 1969 after an appearance on Johnny Cash's variety show, many listeners at the time may not have known he had been performing successfully for a long time. Kershaw formed his first band with older brother Rusty all the way back in 1948. >MoreCellist Alban Gerhardt finds the sadness with the Madison Symphony Orchestra Chosei Komatsu conducts Elgar, Holst and Copland Kenneth Burns on Saturday 10/18/2008 11:00 am, (4) Recommendations The German cellist Alban Gerhardt has a dramatic vibrato, and it seemed to shake the very platform he sat on Friday night in Overture Center's Overture Hall. That is where he and the Madison Symphony Orchestra performed Edward Elgar's "Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E Minor." >More
Obama campaign cancels Madison rally on Thursday, October 23 Candidate to visit ailing grandmother in Hawai'i Kristian Knutsen on Monday 10/20/2008 7:58 pm, (1) Comment, (2) Recommendations Barack Obama will not be holding a rally in Madison on Thursday, October 23 as was announced last Friday. "We got a message earlier this afternoon from the organizer saying that they were going to cancel the event," says Laura Whitmore, the community relations coordinator for the Madison Parks Division. >MoreACORN organizer Austin King talks voter registration and the McCain campaign An interview with the former Madison alder on the presidential election Vikki Kratz on Monday 10/20/2008 2:47 pm, (14) Recommendations During his years here, former Madison Ald. Austin King had a reputation around town as a bit of a troublemaker. He left Madison for New Orleans last year, where he's been working for ACORN, a community organization supporting low-income families. And his job -- as national director of ACORN's financial justice center -- has landed him in the thick of things again. >More
firebretbielema.com blogger speaks Jason Joyce on Thursday 10/16/2008 9:59 am, (6) Recommendations In his column earlier this week, Wisconsin State Journal writer Andy Baggot called attention to the blog firebretbielema.com. Included in his pokes at the site, Baggot wrote "its instigators are anonymous." But in 2008, finding out who has purchased a domain is easier than tracking down Badger Allan Evridge's quarterback efficiency rating. >MoreOnce upon a time at Derby in Dairyland... Melissa Faliveno on Wednesday 10/15/2008 1:30 pm, (15) Recommendations After three days of hard-hitting, fast-paced, eight-wheeled excitement over the weekend, Derby in Dairyland came to an end, but not without leaving a lasting impression on every skater, volunteer, and fan that took part in the fun. The 2008 Women's Flat Track Derby Association Eastern Regional roller derby tournament was, to say the very least, a success, and while host team and hometown sweethearts the Dairyland Dolls may not have made the cut to go to the nationals, they certainly put together one heck of a celebration that won't soon be forgotten. >More
Blaska's Blog: Send in the farm team David Blaska on Friday 10/17/2008 9:09 am, (3) Comments, (3) Recommendations Keith Ripp looks a little like Gary Cooper in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, only larger. He is one big, strapping fellow with an open, sun-splashed face and hands as big as grain shovels and a certain shyness about him. You expect him to say, “ah, shucks, Ma’am.” As a public speaker, he makes Cooper seem verbose. >More
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MADISON HALLOWEEN
The Zombeatles tease All You Need Is Brains with new trailer Kristian Knutsen on Tuesday 10/21/2008 12:00 pm, (52) Recommendations Hey food, don't be afraid,
I have found you, now you are my dinner,
The minute, I've eaten all of your skin,
Then I'll begin, to eat you better. >MoreThe Zombeatles and undead fans infest Frequency to shoot mockumentary Zac Shipley on Tuesday 10/07/2008 3:00 pm, (44) Recommendations One crisp October afternoon, a small music venue in downtown Madison was transformed into a nightclub of the living dead, when Doug Gordon and a small team of assistants shot scenes for All You Need Is Brains, a terrifying glimpse into the zombie apocalypse. The reanimated masses clawing for the stage at The Frequency didn't just have a hunger for decaying flesh, though, they also wanted a piece of the band performing atop it: The Zombeatles! >More
Rich textures in The Love of the Nightingale by University Theatre Classics illustrated Bruce G. Bradley on Tuesday 10/21/2008 4:00 pm, (8) Recommendations Centuries after its creation, Greek legend still has a remarkable power to affect us. The dreams and desires, fears and follies of those long-ago people in faraway places have stood the test of time astonishingly well, not least because, while circumstances may change, human nature does not. >MoreBack to the future with David Maraniss at the Wisconsin Book Festival From the Rome Olympics to Barack Obama Kristian Knutsen on Sunday 10/19/2008 1:22 pm, (4) Recommendations Madison gave a warm welcome to journalist and historian David Maraniss at the Wisconsin Book Festival on Saturday night in Promenade Hall at the Overture Center. The hometown luminary introduced his new book Rome 1960 with a discussion that wedded the triumphs, intrigues, novelties, and most of all, change afoot in those Summer Olympic Games and the broader world at the onset of that tumultuous decade to the realities of 21st Century athletics and politics. >More
Wisconsin Book Festival 2008: M.K. Asante, Jr. speaks David Medaris on Tuesday 10/14/2008 10:00 pm, (3) Recommendations In his new book, It's Bigger Than Hip Hop, the poet, author and filmmaker M.K. Asante, Jr., chronicles the rise of the post-hip-hop generation, its ownership of the spoken-word movement as a vehicle for social justice and its savvy rejection of corporate exploitation. He describes the inspirations for and the fluid process of researching and writing the book, recounts a formative childhood encounter with Public Enemy, outlines the consequences of the corporate hijacking of hip hop, and more in an email interview. >MoreWisconsin Book Festival 2008: Patricia Smith speaks David Medaris on Monday 10/13/2008 5:00 pm, (3) Recommendations Published last month by Coffee House Press, Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith is a searing portrait of the horrors wrought by Hurricane Katrina -- told from perspectives including the hurricane itself, its victims and survivors, politicians and more abstract points of view. In an interview conducted via email, Smith describes the genesis of Blood Dazzler assesses the legacy of Katrina, compares the rewards of teaching public-school students vs. prison inmates, and explains the responsibility that comes with fearlessness. >More
Once upon a time at Derby in Dairyland... Melissa Faliveno on Wednesday 10/15/2008 1:30 pm, (15) Recommendations After three days of hard-hitting, fast-paced, eight-wheeled excitement over the weekend, Derby in Dairyland came to an end, but not without leaving a lasting impression on every skater, volunteer, and fan that took part in the fun. The 2008 Women's Flat Track Derby Association Eastern Regional roller derby tournament was, to say the very least, a success, and while host team and hometown sweethearts the Dairyland Dolls may not have made the cut to go to the nationals, they certainly put together one heck of a celebration that won't soon be forgotten. >MoreNew York defeats Madison 138-70 in round two of Derby in Dairyland on Friday 10/10/2008 4:01 pm, (3) Recommendations Madison's own Dairyland Dolls, having defeated the Minnesota Roller Girls Friday morning, advance to the next round of the Womens Flat Track Derby Association's Eastern Regionals where they'll face the Gotham Girls of New York. Follow the action with a live video stream and live blog here. >MoreMadison defeats Minnesota 143-67 in round one of Derby in Dairyland on Friday 10/10/2008 9:31 am, (2) Recommendations Derby in Dairyland opened on Friday morning at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum with a big win for the hometown favorites as the Dairyland Dolls defeated the Minnesota Roller Girls by a score of 143-67. >MoreKeeping track of the Derby in Dairyland tournament with DNN Follow live coverage of the Dairyland Dolls all weekend Kristian Knutsen on Thursday 10/09/2008 11:16 pm, (14) Recommendations When the Derby in Dairyland women's flat track roller derby Eastern Regional tournament is held in Madison this weekend, every bout on the floor of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum will certainly be well-documented by dedicated supporters of sport. Beginning with the opening showdown between the Mad Rollin' Dolls and the Minnesota Roller Girls first thing Friday morning, the team behind the online clearinghouse Derby News Network will closely covering the competition. Like the action on the track, this is a DIY affair, one that's growing along with derby. >MoreDerby in Dairyland puts Madison skaters and supporters to work Melissa Faliveno on Wednesday 10/08/2008 2:00 pm, (115) Recommendations If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an entire city to plan a major sports tournament. No one knows this more than the Mad Rollin' Dolls. The Women's Flat Track Derby Association annual Eastern Regional Tournament -- this year aptly named Derby in Dairyland -- will bring 240 skaters from the best leagues east of the Mississippi along with hundreds of staff and volunteers, and throngs of loyal fans to Madison. And making it happen is no roll in the park. >MoreDerby in Dairyland rolls art and music into flat track festival Kristian Knutsen on Monday 10/06/2008 1:48 pm, (65) Recommendations Roller derby skaters and fans across the eastern half of the country are polishing their best moves and cheers for Derby in Dairyland this weekend in Madison. The Women's Flat Track Derby Association 2008 Eastern Regionals Tournament will bring together 12 teams, including the local faves Dairyland Dolls, in a three day frenzy of competition at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Alliant Energy Center for a shot at the nationals in November. The fun will extend well beyond the rink, though. >MoreMad Rollin' Dolls lace up for Derby in Dairyland WFTDA tournament Kenneth Burns on Friday 09/26/2008 3:00 pm, (12) Recommendations Next month Madison roller derby will reach a milestone when the Mad Rollin' Dolls, the four-year-old roller derby league, host the eastern regional tournament of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. Complicated preparations are under way for the Oct. 10-12 event dubbed Derby in Dairyland, which will see competition at the Alliant Energy Center's coliseum between 12 teams representing Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia and other eastern cities. >MoreFrozen Codebase discusses new WFTDA roller derby video game Zac Shipley on Thursday 07/17/2008 12:22 pm, (49) Recommendations The Fast Forward Skate Center at Verona Road and the Beltline has been the home to the Mad Rollin' Dolls roller derby league for five years now. There the Dairyland Dolls take on a visiting squad from Baltimore in hardcore derby action this weekend, the latest in a summer of bouts culminating in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association Eastern Regionals in Madison this October. But who said you shouldn’t be able to play along at home? >MoreUp close and personal with the Mad Rollin' Dolls: The Dairyland Dolls Margaret Broeren on Thursday 05/29/2008 12:30 pm, (20) Recommendations When Madison's favorite milkmaids in the Dairyland Dolls skated into Seattle back in April, they showed all of Rat City how things are done in the Midwest. Their
