The days are getting shorter, the leaves are starting to change and everything is pumpkin spiced. Yep, it’s fall again. This also means a whole new slate of phenomenal live music in Madison. To mark the start of the season, we’ve compiled a list of 35 shows coming through town and offer up a superlative for each, kinda like in your high school yearbook but without all those dicks your friend Jeremy drew. From Spoon to Slowdive to Susto, we’ve got some ideas on how to spend those autumn nights — maybe you’ll find your own personal Show Most Likely to Make You Leave the House This Fall.
Best Sunday night show
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Breese Stevens Field, Sept. 3
While calling someone “the songwriter of our time” may sound hyperbolic, it’s truly the case with Jason Isbell. Since sobering up in 2012, he’s churned out three instant-classic albums, including this summer’s The Nashville Sound, which was recorded with his band, The 400 Unit. And though Isbell’s reputation is built on stark, gutting tunes, his work with The 400 Unit is closer to his hard-rocking Drive-By Truckers days than anything else. Isbell will be joined here by English folk punk Frank Turner and Twin Cities-based indie rock upstarts Communist Daughter. With this being both a holiday weekend and the last Sunday without football until February, why not live it up? —TW
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: “If We Were Vampires”
Coolest Disney soundtrack
Tank and the Bangas
Memorial Union Terrace, Sept. 6
When The Times-Picayune of New Orleans asked Tank and the Bangas what the heck to call the kind of music they play, vocalist Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph had an answer: Soulful Disney. Indeed, the NOLA-based band’s joyous combination of funk, soul, gospel, jazz and rock results in what could be the soundtrack to the funkiest film The Mouse has ever put out. (And for bonus cred, Tank and the Bangas were the winners of this year’s NPR Tiny Desk Contest.) —TW
Tank and the Bangas: “Quick”
Band you’d most want to deliver you bad news
Foster the People
Orpheum Theater, Sept. 9
“Pumped Up Kicks” was unavoidable in 2011. No matter where you went, it seemed Foster the People’s melodically sunny hit single would follow. But for as ubiquitous and massive a pop hit as the song was, it was also pretty fucking dark — it’s about a teenager dealing with homicidal thoughts. If Mark Foster is able to make that danceable, I hope he’s around to deliver to me all the bad news I’ll experience in my life, because nothing screams “song of the summer” like “sorry, you’ve got lupus.” —TW
Foster the People: “Doing It for the Money”
Best show to practice hamboning
AJJ
High Noon Saloon, Sept. 10
AJJ — formerly Andrew Jackson Jihad — has certainly evolved over the years. Beyond the obvious name change, the Phoenix folk punx have filled out their sound, adding a full band to what used to be just Sean Bonnette on guitar/vocals and Ben Gallaty on upright bass. But this year marks the 10th anniversary of their album People Who Can Eat People Are the Luckiest People in the World, and Bonnette and Gallaty are turning the clock back to celebrate. The pair will perform it here in full as a duo, harkening back to their hootenanny-like early performances. Given the intimate relationship AJJ has always had with their fans and it being one of their more popular records, this one will feel more like an Appalachian singalong jamboree than a punk rock show. —TW
AJJ: “Junkie Church”
Best second chance to catch a star of the cusp of greatness
Jay Som
Memorial Union Terrace, Sept. 12
If you missed Melinda Duterte and her project Jay Som at The Frequency in March, now is pretty much your last chance to see the group before they get huge. Breakout album Everybody Works swiftly gathered praise that same month, resulting in a Pitchfork “Best New Music” nod and NPR Tiny Desk session. Duterte’s dreamy indie pop is as fresh as it is infectious, and it’s likely her next effort will really blow things open. But if you attend this show, the smugness will be yours: “I saw Jay Som before she was big.” —JM
Jay Som: “Baybee”
Best underdogs
Spoon
Orpheum Theater, Sept. 14
While Spoon has enjoyed a long career perfecting their brand of funky, genre-defying indie rock, mainstream success has always seemed to elude the Austin, Tex.-quartet. But what they lack in pop radio hits they make up for in tight, expertly crafted songs, notable for both their energy and complexity. And seeing as Spoon is still going strong some 20-plus years after forming, that fringe of transcendent success seems to be the band’s sweet spot, making them indie rock’s best underdogs. (Speaking of, their 2007 single “The Underdog” was recently used in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, a film about the superhero community’s biggest underdog. Sensing a trend here…) —TW
Spoon: “Can I Sit Next to You”
Most eclectic bill
Strand of Oaks + Dessa
Live on King Street, Sept. 15
If you’re the type of person who wrote “I like all typez of music” on your MySpace profile, have I got a show for you! The main event is Strand of Oaks, the rugged folk rock project of Philly-by-way-of-Goshen, Ind. musician Timothy Showalter. Setting the stage is poet, rapper and all-around dope queen Margret “Dessa” Wander, a Minneapolis-based member and literal CEO of hip-hop collective Doomtree. And with Milwaukee garage rockers Fever Marlene also on the bill, this is the best chance you’ve got to prove your diverse taste in music to all them internet h8erz. —TW
Strand of Oaks: “Radio Kids”Dessa: “Quinine”
Best basement show not in a basement
Sheer Mag
The Frequency, Sept. 16
Picture the Forman family’s basement on That ’70s Show. Now add in blood, sweat and beers, and maybe a couple Thin Lizzy or Fugazi records for good measure. What you’re likely to get in return is Sheer Mag, a Philly-based punk unit with a serious classic rock influence that appears to have been born and bred in finished basements across the country. So it’s only fitting that they’re booked for The Frequency, a club so full of quirky trinkets and ramshackle intimacy that it may very well be Madison’s finished basement (that’s a compliment, by the way). Combine this with an opening slot from Madison’s own basement dwellers Fire Heads and you’ve got the recipe for a killer house show with almost no risk of anyone spilling nana’s ashes. —TW
Sheer Mag: “Suffer Me”
Funkiest punk
Thundercat
Majestic Theatre, Sept. 19
If you’ve listened to hip-hop at any point in the last five years, you’ve heard Thundercat play bass. With appearances on albums by Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, Childish Gambino and Ty Dolla $ign, Thundercat (born Stephen Bruner) is more or less rap’s go-to bassist. But Bruner’s musical career didn’t start quite how you’d expect for someone who’s won a Grammy for his hip-hop production work, as Thundercat did for Kung Fu Kenny’s “These Walls.” At age 16, Bruner joined stalwart punk band Suicidal Tendencies as bassist, playing alongside his brother Ron. The more you know! —TW
Thundercat: “Tokyo”
Least amateur open mic night
Open Mike Eagle
High Noon Saloon, Sept. 20
It may be in his stage name, but Michael W. Eagle II — the rapper better known as Open Mike Eagle — doesn’t have too much in common now with amateur night emcees. Since 2010, Eagle’s released six full-length solo albums, six EPs and (primarily as his “Thirsty Fish” alter ego) three collaborative albums. His Dark Comedy LP even includes a guest verse by comedian Hannibal Buress; Eagle was his RA at Southern Illinois University. Aside from his ceaseless output, Eagle is also one of the smartest, funniest and most criminally underrated rappers out there. This is one Open Mike night you won’t regret attending. —TW
Open Mike Eagle: “95 Radios”
Show most likely to feel good as hell
Lizzo
Shannon Hall, Sept. 23
Another product of the Twin Cities’ fertile hip-hop scene, Lizzo is on the path for stardom. With equal amounts prodigious rapping and singing talent, she frequently combines the two skills to create a rap-soul-pop hybrid that is, to crib from one of her song titles, good as hell. And if I can get up on my soapbox for a minute, I’d like to highly recommend the four episodes of Adult Swim’s criminally underrated, batshit insane animated series Brad Neely’s Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio that Lizzo appeared in, playing a singing TV guidance counselor, which trust me is also good as hell. —TW
Lizzo: “Water Me”
Least eardrum-friendly show
METZ
Majestic Theatre, Sept. 23
People may argue whether punk was invented in America or England, but the best punk rock in the world right now is being made in the Great White North. With the breakout success of bands like Japandroids, Fucked Up and Pup, Canada’s noisy punk scene is enjoying its moment in the sun. None of those bands, however, plays anywhere near as hard as METZ. The Ottawa trio is loud and aggressive, playing grinding noise rock with the ferocity of hardcore punk, resulting in a sound that’s both deafening and liberating. You may find yourself feeling the urge to stage dive; just make sure you’re wearing some industrial-strength ear plugs first. —TW
METZ: “Drained Lake”
Most cassette-friendly show
(Sandy) Alex G
High Noon Saloon, Sept. 28
With his lo-fi aesthetics and noodly guitar work, (Sandy) Alex G garners frequent comparisons to Alternative Nation natives like Built to Spill and Pavement. Though Alexander Giannascoli was born in 1993, while cassettes were on the decline, his songs have an intimacy and ramshackle-ness that sounds ready-made for tape decks everywhere. But if you can’t find your Walkman, fear not — (Sandy) Alex G’s songs are just as good on CD, LP, MP3 or even in person. —TW
(Sandy) Alex G: “Bobby”
Most pro-wallet show
Against Me!
Live on King Street, Sept. 29
Given their anarcho-punk roots, the ideal way to see Against Me! would be in a dark, smelly basement with a couple dozen sweaty people. But now that Against Me! is a Very Big Deal in modern rock — for this you can thank their 2014 triumph Transgender Dysphoria Blues — there are getting to be fewer and fewer opportunities to see them without paying $20 or $30 at the door. But thanks to Live on King Street (this show marks Majestic’s 10th anniversary under current ownership) the Florida quartet will be performing for the totally reasonable price of free along with The Dirty Nil and Bleached, two up-and-coming punk bands. —TW
Against Me!: “Haunting, Haunted, Haunts”
Best show to leave that Strokes T-shirt at home
Ryan Adams
Breese Stevens Field, Sept. 29
Few acts to come out of New York City in the late 1990s have enjoyed as much acclaim as both The Strokes and Ryan Adams. But the garage rockers and the alt-country scion aren’t on the best of terms, as Adams was recently accused (in the Lizzy Goodman book Meet Me in the Bathroom) of being one of the leading causes of Strokes’ guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.’s severe heroin addiction. Whether or not this is true, Adams — who himself has overcome substance abuse issues — was understandably angry about it, taking to Twitter to call Hammond “a more horrible songwriter than his dad, if that’s possible” and saying that Strokes singer Julian Casablancas is “strung out on lasagna” (which, in all honestly, is pretty fucking funny). But if you can make it past the battle of insults, Adams is truly an American treasure and this is a can’t miss show. Just leave your Strokes tee at home. (And your Father John Misty shirt, and Jason Isbell, and Har Mar Superstar…) —TW
Ryan Adams: “Do You Still Love Me?”
Show most likely to remind you of how cool you were in high school
Modest Mouse
Breese Stevens Field, Sept. 30
Modest Mouse broke through in a big way in 2004, releasing their landmark album Good News for People Who Love Bad News, which was carried to platinum status by its smash single, “Float On.” For many people reading this (I’m guessing), the pinging guitar riff of “Float On” likely brings back fond memories of first kisses, homecoming dances and regrettably buying the Jet CD. That said, Modest Mouse is hardly a nostalgia act. The band released Strangers to Ourselves in 2015, and it proves that the indie icons from Issaquah are still pretty cool 13 years later. —TW
Modest Mouse: “Lampshades on Fire”
Best show to throw shapes at
Future Islands
Orpheum Theater, Oct. 3
When Future Islands appeared on Late Show with David Letterman in 2014 to perform “Seasons (Waiting on You),” they spawned a thousand hyperbolic reactions on the internet. Some were (deservedly) because “Seasons” kicks ass — it’s the kind of poppy, sophisticated synth jam that makes you want to get up and get down — but most were due to frontman Sam Herring’s enigmatic stage presence, all death growls and Father John Misty-on-speed dance steps. Herring’s eccentric confidence brings out the urge to dance like nobody’s watching. Don’t forget to stretch first. —TW
Future Islands: “Ran”
Act most likely to chill with you after the show
Ryley Walker
The Shitty Barn (Spring Green), Oct. 4
It’s worth noting first that Ryley Walker seemed to take his music seriously when I saw him play. The skilled guitarist weaves intricate traditionalist melodies with jazz-influenced improvisation and ambient experimentalism. The set was filled with winding jam sessions upwards of 10 minutes each, and most of the time he and his bandmates played with their heads bowed and eyes closed. After the show, however, Walker lightened up. As we stood outside, my group of friends watched the Chicagoan head next door to a greasy restaurant. Ten minutes later, Ryley Walker returned to the gathering outside the venue with a sizable burger. He took huge sloppy bites in between exchanges with fans and clearly enjoyed mingling and munching. He’s a pretty chill guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he eats a fat sandwich in the crowd after this show as well. Maybe he’ll even share if you ask nicely. —JM
Ryley Walker: “The Roundabout”
Most hometown hero show
Zola Jesus
Majestic Theatre, Oct. 9
She may have been born in Phoenix, Ariz., but Zola Jesus (aka Nika Roza Danilova) was raised in Merrill, Wis., and cut her teeth right here in Madison while attending UW, graduating in 2010. She’s released four albums of sultry, David Lynchian goth pop, winning worldwide acclaim in the process. (A fifth full-length, Okovi, is due out Sept. 9.) Expect this homecoming to be a pretty joyous event — well, as joyous as it can be for someone with a song called “Lick the Palm of the Burning Handshake.” —TW
Zola Jesus: “Siphon”
Most likely show for the band to outnumber the crowd (in a good way)
The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die
High Noon Saloon, Oct. 17
To the crew of the High Noon: good luck fitting this band on your stage. The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die has seven permanent members, but their live set can expand to many more musicians, including horns, strings and spoken word artists. The group’s musical dog-pile seems to be working, however, as their forthcoming album, Always Foreign, is one of the most hotly anticipated albums of the fall thanks in no small part to TWIABP’s immaculate blend of emo and post rock. Just don’t be surprised if you get pulled up onstage to shake a tambourine or something; chances are you’re in the band, too. —TW
TWIABP: “Dillon and Her Son”
Most likely show to have beer spilled on you… by the band
Deer Tick
Majestic Theatre, Oct. 19
Deer Tick has a reputation as a hard-drinking band — they’re known for going through beers on stage like it’s the end of the world, and I’ve personally witnessed frontman John McCauley crack a bottle open with his gold tooth, chug it without ever putting it in his hand, throw it into the crowd and then tear into a Beastie Boys cover. So yeah, these dudes know how to party. And even though McCauley is drinking less these days (his marriage to Vanessa Carlton saw to that), there’s still a pretty good chance that he or one of his boys will knock a cold one over and into the audience. Whether it’s non-alcoholic or not, we shall see. —TW
Deer Tick: “Jumpstarting”
Best show to get stuff in your eye
Julien Baker
Majestic Theatre, Oct. 20
Make no bones about it, Julien Baker’s 2015 debut Sprained Ankle is really good. It’s also really, really sad. The tiny Tennessean has a knack for writing the kind of whispering, tender acoustic reflections that will have you texting your ex “BABY I CAN CHANGE” before the first chord change. Listening to the songs can be a bit downbeat, but Baker performs with a conviction that pulls power out of the darkness and she shares that catharsis with her audience. And with a hotly anticipated new album on the way, Baker’s going to have a lot more feels to share than the last time she rolled through town. Bring your own tissues. —TW
Julien Baker: “Sprained Ankle”
Best show for an F5 circle pit
Every Time I Die
High Noon Saloon, Oct. 20
Back in 2008, 17-year-old me saw Every Time I Die play in Milwaukee on the Warped Tour. The fact that I’m alive to tell the tale today is astonishing, because those Buffalo metalcore mavens whipped the crowd into such a frenzy that I half-expected to be sucked into the center of it, never to return again (or at least be found dazed and confused in an Iowa cornfield). I have seen many, many shows in my lifetime — most of them in the realm of punk, hardcore and metal — and I have not yet seen a band create as wild of an atmosphere as ETID. Don’t just wear comfortable shoes; you’ll probably want to bring a helmet for this one, too. —TW
Every Time I Die: “Map Changes”
Best genre-straddling act
Old 97’s
Majestic Theatre, Oct. 22
Old 97’s had a real hand in establishing alt-country music as an institution back in the 1990s. They had the rugged, rootsy sound of ground breakers like Uncle Tupelo, but their up-tempo melodies and generally lighter themes put them into a different subset. Add high production values and you’ve got a rock-country act with real pop sensibility. In short, when you turn on a country music station, this is the kind of music that they should be playing. (Well, at least once in a while. You know, to dilute out some of the garbage.) Old 97’s also put on one hell of an energetic show that promises to be a knee-slappin’-rock-and-rollin’-toe-tappin’ good time. —JM
Old 97’s: “Good with God”
Madison’s Pitchfork’s Best New Music
Tera Melos + Speedy Ortiz
High Noon Saloon, Oct. 24
Tera Melos is an experimental rock band that combines elements of ambient, noise and math rock, and post-hardcore. Speedy Ortiz is an upstart indie rock quartet that specializes in grungy alt-pop jams. Together, they form something of a Pitchfork-approved Voltron: two underground acts, unafraid of taking risks, at the top of their respective games, joining forces to create one night of seriously awesome indie rock. —TW
Tera Melos: “Trash Generator”Speedy Ortiz: “Raising the Skate”
Best show to see some aging punks you thought were already dead
Dead Boys
The Frequency, Oct. 25
The hard-living ways of the original punk acts from the 1970s and ’80s means that a ton of those guys simply aren’t around anymore. When I saw that Dead Boys were coming to town, I had to look up the members and I reserve my excitement until after I had confirmed that this show wouldn’t just be one sad leathery drummer alone on stage. As it turns out, only the lead singer is dead. (He even managed to make it to the ripe old age of 40.) The rest are still alive and kicking. They’ll play some jagged, snarling classics straight from the balls-out time that they know so well and are sure to bring out a bit of that gleeful, self-destructive nihilism in us all. Ain’t it fun? —JM
Dead Boys: “Sonic Reducer”
Most woke person over 50
Tori Amos
Orpheum Theater, Oct. 26
Tori Amos is no shrinking violet. Since taking off in the early 1990s, the 54-year-old has been famously politically outspoken. Politics, religion, feminism, pornography, misogyny, racism — Amos has tackled it all in her songs, which themselves are the near-sonic opposite of the heaviness of her lyrics, oftentimes in the form of twinkling chamber pop. Your move, Bad Religion. —TW
Tori Amos: “Cloud Riders”
Best show for people with Demon Dayz FOMO
DRAM
Freakfest, Oct. 28
If you, like me, were super bummed you weren’t able to cross the Atlantic back in June to attend Demon Dayz, a Gorillaz-hosted festival in England that included a ton of the virtual band’s collaborators over the years, this iteration of Freakfest may alleviate some of that FOMO. DRAM, who appeared on two tracks on the recent new Gorillaz album, Humanz, and who in 2016 released a phenomenal album of his own, Big Baby DRAM, is set to headline the annual State Street Halloween party. Bonus points if you dress up as one of the Gorillaz (dibs on Murdoc). —TW
DRAM: “Cash Machine”
Best show to help you embrace the cold, dark winter
Slowdive
Barrymore Theatre, Nov. 4
If Julien Baker doesn’t manage to burrow into your soul, Slowdive is a shoo-in to make you shiver. In May the seminal shoegazers put out Slowdive, their first album in 22 years. It was pretty universally acclaimed despite the group’s decades-long drought, shooting brooding and dreary pop fans straight back to their sad, sad childhoods in the best way. Slowdive’s shimmering synths and breathy vocals coupled with lyrical themes of vulnerability and loneliness sound like a slow, steady freeze, and it’ll be just the push you need to head hurtling into the abyss of winter. In fact, when I first heard Slowdive last spring, I damn near checked a calendar because I could swear that I saw my breath freeze in front of my face. —JM
Slowdive: “Sugar for the Pill”
Best proof that the future of rock is female
Bully
High Noon Saloon, Nov. 6
“I’ve been praying for my period all week,” sings Alicia Bognanno on “Trying,” a standout track on her band Bully’s standout 2015 debut, Feels Like. And in the famously testosterone-fueled world of rock music, Bognanno makes the line feel liberating, like a bouquet of middle fingers to the patriarchy. Her feral howl, coupled with Bully’s muscular, grungy sound, has garnered the band frequent comparisons to Nirvana; if the forthcoming Losing is anything like its predecessor, Bully will be on their way to a similarly influential legacy. —TW
Bully: “Trying”
Best show by a for-real, no-shit rock star
Foo Fighters
Kohl Center, Nov. 7
Dave Grohl is a living legend. As the drummer of Nirvana, singer and guitarist of Foo Fighters, and collaborator with everyone from Queens of the Stone Age to Paul McCartney to The Muppets, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is one of the last real rock stars in the Music Biz™. He’s likely to get inducted a second time, too, as the Foos’ eclectic hard rock blend has turned them into one of the 1990s’ most enduring acts. Their ninth album, Concrete and Gold, is set to drop on Sept. 15, and Grohl has described it as “Motörhead’s version of Sgt. Pepper,” which is comparison only a for-real, no-shit rock star like Grohl could get away with making. —TW
Foo Fighters: “The Sky is a Neighborhood”
Best show for Lisa Simpson
Kamasi Washington
Majestic Theatre, Nov. 8
Few saxophonists (excuse me, “sax-o-ma-phonists”) are more famous than Homer Simpson’s middle child, but Kamasi Washington might come close. The session veteran is rapidly becoming a hip-hop icon, offering his sax skills to Kendrick Lamar, Run the Jewels and Flying Lotus, to name a few. But Washington’s solo forte is a style of boundary-pushing jazz that’s won him damn near universal acclaim and fans ranging from old school jazz fans to hip-hop heads. And we happen to think a certain 8-year-old Springfield girl would be somewhere among them. —TW
Kamasi Washington: “Truth”
Best show to get a little folked up for
Susto
High Noon Saloon, Nov. 10
On “Waves,” the third track on Susto’s recent album & I’m Fine Today, Justin Osborne asks if there “is there anybody in there, smoking weed with God?” And Osborne, who refers to himself as a “cosmic cowboy” on another song, has never been shy about discussing his experiments with psychedelia. (Dude’s got “ACID BOYS” tattooed on his knuckles, for crying out loud.) It’s safe to say the South Carolinian quintet has a pretty lax attitude towards altered states. So while we’re certainly not advocating doing anything illegal, we are saying that if you absolutely have to make a salad out of the devil’s lettuce before going to a show, Susto’s amalgam of rugged yet contemplative folk rock and tripped-out psychedelia is so good that even the good lord himself might have to take a puff. —TW
Susto: “Waves”
Show most likely to help you not be sad about Brand New breaking up
The Hotelier
High Noon Saloon, Nov. 15
Bad news: Science Fiction, Brand New’s recently released masterpiece, is likely to be that band’s last — the always-cryptic, fiercely beloved group has been hinting since last year about breaking up in 2018. But good news: their endlessly-inventive, label-shirking spirit will live on in young bands like The Hotelier. Their latest album, last year’s Goodness, is a sophisticated, inventive record that combines influence from emo, post-hardcore, and lyrically dense indie rock. It has propelled the Worcester, Mass. trio beyond the restrictions of “emo” and into new territory altogether, much like a certain quartet from Long Island. But while Brand New is taking their victory lap, The Hotelier are just getting their engines warmed up. —TW
The Hotelier: “Piano Player”
Best wayback machine’d show
Whitney
Majestic Theatre, Nov. 29
Whitney is a band unstuck in time. While they might be something of an indie rock supergroup — their collective previous gigs include Smith Westerns, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Foxygen — the Chicago septet’s sound is straight of the 1970s. Reviews for their 2016 debut Light Upon the Lake name-checked The Byrds, The Band and George Harrison, and their songs can bring to mind a Sunday afternoon drive through the Midwest with maybe a road soda or two to sip on. Wayback machine not included. —TW
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