Friday 7.25
Waunafest
Centennial Park in Waunakee, July 24-27
The Only Waunakee in the World puts on a festival that's pretty much like every other one in the world, with a carnival, local bands and fireworks. Saturday night's headliner is SuperTuesday.
An Art of Inner Necessity
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
MMoCA features expressionist paintings and works from its permanent collection. It's the second in a series of exhibitions focusing on the three major styles of 20thcentury modernism: abstraction, expressionism and realism.
Amy Arntson and Bruce Severson
Watrous Gallery in the Overture Center, through July 27
This side-by-side exhibition features Wisconsin artists inspired by the Great Lakes. Arntson's paintings explore water's light, texture and shape; Severson uses pastel crayons to render the landscape around Lake Superior.
Madison Area Music Awards Showcase
UW Memorial Union Terrace, 5 pm
Hip-hop hybrids Know Boundaries, local rhymers Dumate and soulful singer Felicia Alima are just three of the first- rate MAMA winners who'll be vibing up the UW's number one party spot tonight.
Jeremy Jay
Project Lodge, 7 pm
An unlikely hipster, artfully self- conscious singer/songerwriter Jeremy Jay floats through delicious snatches of '60sflavored folk and synth pop that owe something the early days of New Wave. His Airwalker EP qualifies as an indie masterwork. Black Umbrella and TD Reisert open.
The New Mastersounds
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
U.K. groovologists New Mastersounds(who've worked with Corrine Bailey Rae, Karl Denson and Sweet Lou Donaldson, among others) are a must for soul-jazz fans who can't get enough of primordial funk and boogaloo. The Diplomats of Solid Sound open.
Dub Trio
High Noon Saloon, 10 pm
Throbbing metal, experimental sounds and bottom-heavy grooves all figurein this furious Brooklyn-based trio's mile-wide live sound. On their own, all three members have worked with a who's who of hip-hop. Czarbles and Dick the Bruiser open.
F. Stokes
Annex, 10 pm
Now a periodic visitor to these parts, Chicago-bred rapper F. Stokes spent time in Wisconsin assembling a fan base before moving to Brooklyn and polishing up his pro game while working with the likes of Jay Z. He can be aggressive or reflective, but he's rarely laid back. Vinnie Toma, Last Hope, Legendary Jackson, Rambunxious and Smokes are also on the bill.
Saturday 7.26
Fiesta Hispana
Warner Park, 11 am-10 pm
As Madison's Hispanic community grows more vibrant, so does the annual festival. Expect entertainment, food, vendors and kids' activities.
Atwood Summerfest
2000 and 2100 block of Atwood Avenue, noon-7 pm
The fest is a veritable primer in regional bands, ranging from Kristy Larson to Baghdad Scuba Review to Good Time Camper to Tex Tubb & the Jokermen to Paul Cebar & Tomorrow Sound. There will also be food and craft and a goodtime east-side vibe.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
American Players Theatre in Spring Green, 8 pm. Also Thursday, July 31, 7:30 pm
Shakespeare's lost-in-the forest masterpiece is a perfect choice for APT's sylvan setting. The deftly directed production is as beautiful as it is funny.
Hot Mess!
Majestic Theatre, 8 pm
"Hot" is right, given the lineup of drag and burlesque performers: the MadKings, Cherry Pop Burlesque, a Sordid Collective, Irma & DeeDee, the Miltown Kings and Foxy Veronica's Peach Pies. If your glasses aren't steamed by the end of the night, check with your doctor.
Opera in the Park
Garner Park, 8 pm
Who says you need a tuxedo to see an opera? In this free event, Madison Opera invites everyone to spread out lawn chairs, blankets and picnic dinners for an evening of operatic and Broadway favorites. The performance features four guest soloists, the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Madison Opera Chorus, all under the direction of John DeMain. It also includes a preview of Madison Opera's upcoming season in the Overture Center (where, sadly, you can't bring a picnic dinner).
Paul Cebar & the Milwaukeeans
Harmony Bar, 9:45 pm
Whether he's leading his thoroughly rehearsed troops through gritty '50s R&B, dance-floor funk or pleading soul, Milwaukee legend Paul Cebar is always in his element.
Sunday 7.27
Blooming Butterflies
Olbrich Botanical Gardens, through Aug. 10
The annual event offers an up-close look at the miracle of metamorphosis. More than a dozen species of butterflies emerge from their chrysalises and flutter picturesquely around the Bolz Conservatory.
WJJO Band Camp
Alliant Energy Center, 10 am
Are metal heads -- or for that matter any rock fans -- actually awake before noon? Band Camp organizers sure hope so, and just to make sure, they'll be cranking the decibels well before the sun is high in the sky. No, archery and swimming aren't on this year's schedule, but Shinedown, RA, Red, Hurt, Theory of a Deadman, Bobaflex, Deaf Pedestrians, Dope, A New Revolution and just-added Seether are.
The XYZ Affair
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
These brainy Brooklyn residents excel at both skewed indie-pop and big, lighter- flicking rock anthems that stir the soul (at least for a minute or two). Roommate and Meteorade open.