The top 12 Madison shows we're most excited about seeing this fall
The Walkmen play the Barrymore on Oct. 14.
12. Stars + Wild Nothing (Oct. 8, Barrymore Theatre)
Stars’ latest effort and Vagrant debut The Five Ghosts takes a far more immediate, but way less memorable turn from the collision of lushly detailed songwriting and quirky indie-pop charm found on 2005’s Set Yourself On Fire. But the Canadian collective does have two good albums under its belt and hopefully it won’t shy away from tunes like “Set Yourself On Fire” and “What I’m Trying To Say” when it hits the Barrymore Theatre. Another great reason to check out this show is for an opening set from Virginia shoegazers Wild Nothing, whose shimmering debut Gemini was the brainchild of mastermind Jack Tatum, but has assembled a full live band for the tour.
11. P.O.S. + Dessa, Sims, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan, Lazerbeak, Paper Tiger (Dec. 5, High Noon Saloon)
Both a record label and formidable family of MCs, producers, and musicians, Doomtree casts a mighty shadow over the Midwest hip-hop scene from its roots in Minneapolis. Any one member of the solid crew could hold court in Madison, but having nearly the entire roster form like Voltron and stomp all over the High Noon Saloon in December will be awe inspiring. With plenty of excellent releases already (Dessa’s A Badly Broken Code) and more to come (Lazerbeak’s Legend Recognize Legend) this year as well as a promised full-roster compilation, Doomtree will have lots to celebrate and much material to perform.
10. Valient Thorr + Junius, Howl (Oct. 1, The Frequency)
Earlier this year, The A.V. Club made the mistake of showing up a bit too late for Mastodon at the Orpheum Theatre to catch opening act Valient Thorr. But fortune smiled, and a second opportunity to catch the caveman clubbers in action in October presented itself, daring us to miss it again. With the promise of new songs off the upcoming Stranger and a diverse opening lineup—including gothic hard rock from Junius—it sounds well worth being pummeled within the cozy confines of the Frequency.
9. Matt And Kim (Sept. 21, Majestic Theatre)
Like a smash-and-grab heist targeted for the inhibitions of sheepish audiences, Matt And Kim’s live experience aims to rob the crowd of all excuses to not go completely insane. The unfettered joy—especially from Kim Schifino’s jubilant dismemberment of her drum kit—translates into maniacally sweaty performances. Anyone worried that the duo will grow up a bit on its third album—slated for release this fall—should rest easy, as Matt Johnson confirmed in a recent interview about upcoming single “Cameras,” “We don’t write songs anymore. We write anthems.”
8. Tech N9ne + E-40, Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Big Scoob, Jay Rock, Glasses Malone (Sept. 18, Overture Center)
Known for heaping heavy doses of bleak hardcore rap on listeners—this year’s The Gates Mixed Plate delivers a whopping 22 tracks—Kansas City’s Tech N9ne can also be delightfully irreverent, as on “Sorry ’ N Shit,” off last year’s Sickology 101. Popular Bay-Area gangsta rapper E-40 will be sharing the bill along with droves of other hip-hop acts in an extremely rare hip-hop show at the Overture Center.
7. The Gaslight Anthem + The Menzingers, Fake Problems (Sept. 19, Majestic Theatre)
While The Gaslight Anthem may have been a bit over-championed with hyperbolic “next-Springsteen” bullshit, the Jersey quartet’s second and latest album, American Slang, still makes it fun to imagine The Boss stumbling around drunkenly through the Vans Warped Tour. Sonically, the band lends itself just as much to the pop-punk anthems of Alkaline Trio as to the E Street Band, walking a tightrope between Brian Fallon’s storytelling and the band’s youthful energy that makes for a live show packed with facially pierced 18-year-olds and fortysomething rock nerds.
6. The Thermals + Cymbals Eat Guitars (Oct. 2, The Annex)
The Thermals were once a fist through the wall of pop-rock clichés. Hutch Harris’ urgent howl put a distinct face on the band’s debut, More Parts Per Million. But, much like the Ramones before them, the band’s habit of rehashing its own material over and over again makes everything that’s followed the mighty political charge of 2006’s The Body, The Blood, The Machine seem kind of inessential. The upcoming Personal Life packs a few gems, particularly the first single, “I Don’t Believe You,” but these days the real magic is in The Thermals’ supercharged live show, hopefully revisiting infectiously snotty blasts like “Everything Thermals,” “No Culture Icons,” and “I Might Need You To Kill.”
5. Gogol Bordello (Oct. 31, Overture Center)
Perhaps more so than costumes for some, Halloween is a time to get into some serious mischief. It’s a great honor, than, that such a rapscallion rebel alliance as Gogol Bordello should arrive in Madison for one of the city’s favorite holidays. The gypsy punk cabaret’s Eastern European roots have remained intact throughout the band’s ramped-up catalog, including the beloved 2007 album Super Taranta! and this year’s Rick Rubin-helmed Trans-Continental Hustle, and should be a terrific capper for an already eccentric party weekend.
4. King Khan And The Shrines + Gentleman Jesse And His Men (Oct. 5, The Annex)
We're so stoked that King Khan will be pulling his ass away from Lindsey Lohan's face to grab the Shrines out of Berlin, take off all or most of his clothes, and destroy The Annex. With badass Atlanta power-pop openers Gentlemen Jesse And His Men in tow, Khan will hopefully be drunk, rude, and relentless as he and the Shrines rip through plenty of filthy soul jams packed with the wailing brass section, jangling guitar chops, and the funky rhythmic surge that we fell for on 2008’s The Supreme Genius Of King Khan And The Shrines.
3. The Walkmen + Japandroids, Miniature Tigers (Oct. 14, Barrymore Theatre)
Sticking to a strict album-every-two-years regimen hasn’t hurt The Walkmen’s woozy charm and incredible consistency. If early treats like the horn-blare dirge “Stranded” and beach banger “Angela Surf City” are any indication, the glorious streak shall continue with the upcoming Lisbon. The Brooklyn band should be able to count on a fired-up crowd after Japandroids knocks heads together with reckless abandon. The incorrigible party dudes decimated the High Noon last year—so much so that drummer David Prowse (not Darth Vader but an awesome coincidence) had to put a cinder block in front of his kit to keep it from flying into the crowd’s faces while smashing through gigantic anthems like “Young Hearts Spark Fire.”
2. Louis C.K. (Sept. 19, Overture Center)
Even before seeing his brilliant new F/X show, Louie—that thankfully was renewed for a second season—The A.V. Club was a huge fan of C.K.’s work, be it the fucked-up cult classic Pootie Tang or his acidic sitcom Lucky Louie on HBO. Extremely capable in all fields of his career, C.K.’s gut-churning, honest approach is what made his set at the Barrymore last year so memorable. Unflinching through tales of his watery ass and disgusting balls—even graciously powering through his famous “Everything’s Amazing, Nobody’s Happy” bit despite preemptive cheering four words into it—C.K.’s willingness to unveil every revolting thought in his head had the crowd rolling and is guaranteed to be great again this year at the Overture Center.
1. The National + Owen Pallett (Sept. 28, Orpheum Theatre)
It seems like a lot has happened for Brooklyn’s The National since it last toured through the Isthmus. However, with all the critical and commercial success the Ohio-bred band has experienced on the heels of 2007’s Boxer, this year’s High Violet is proof that vocalist Matt Berninger has made it to the end of the tunnel, but still refuses to change the lightbulb. From an anthem of savored longing (“Sorrow”) to the desperation of “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” if the Orpheum provides enough wine, Berninger’s baritone storytelling will surely creep its way through all the twists and turns of The National’s mighty discography. Multi-instrumentalists Padma Newsome and Bryce Dessner are likely to be a bit more sober as they jump back and forth between instruments and dodge their staggering frontman.
