What to do in Madison this weekend: Brat Fest, The Jimmys and more Isthmus Picks

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Amir H. Fallah, Thursday, May 22, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 5 p.m.: Iranian-born, Los Angeles-based multi-disciplinary artist Amir H. Fallah creates ornate environments that play with the viewer’s expectations of art, replacing or obscuring what is “usual” in a given scene. He is particularly adept at using patterns and ornamentation. A 5 p.m. reception is followed by a talk at 6 p.m. (MMoCA's annual Stephen Fleischman Lectureship); advance registration at mmoca.org is strongly encouraged.

When Rubber Hit the Road, Thursday, May 22, Barrymore, 7 p.m.: The new documentary When Rubber Hit the Road chronicles another instance of a manufacturer abandoning its longtime community — in this case, the departure of Uniroyal from Eau Claire in 1992. The film is a collaboration of multimedia producer Steve Dayton and writer B.J. Hollars, both Eau Claire residents, and follows the story of how the city reinvented itself after the loss of a major employer. The filmmakers will be on hand for this screening hosted by The Progressive and Wisconsin Humanities, which occurs just a couple days after the documentary’s premiere on PBS Wisconsin.

A House Not Meant to Stand, through May 24, Bartell Theatre: This lesser-known Tennessee Williams play is still very, very Tennessee Williamsy. This was the last play he wrote before his death in 1983. It’s been referred to as a Gothic comedy; Williams himself called it a "Southern Gothic spook sonata,” and it is full of mental illness, family disintegration, and sexual shenanigans. Madison Public Theatre takes it all on with aplomb in this production of A House Not Meant To Stand, directed by Julia Houck. Read Janet Clear’s review here. The final performances are at 7:30 p.m. on May 22-23 and 2 p.m. on May 24; tickets at bartelltheatre.org.  

Our Home States, through June 7, Broom Street Theater: For the third year of its ongoing project compiling short plays from each of the states in the U.S., Broom Street Theater turns to the Pacific region. Plays will focus on Alaska (the colorfully titled MEDIA or Men Eating Donuts In Alaska, by John Mabey), California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Returning to direct this edition is season 2 director Melissa Minkoff. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, May 16-June 7; advance tickets (including for a May 23 livestream) can be found at eventbrite.com.

World's Largest Brat Fest, May 23-25, Willow Island at the Alliant Center: Last year’s fest was heavily rained on; everyone’s hoping for better weather this time around. This local charity fundraiser is the unofficial kickoff to summer, with the brats and hot dogs $5 each and parking and music absolutely free. The traditions kick in early on Friday with “Take Your Brat to Work Day” from 6-9 a.m., when you can buy enough brats to feed your office. “Only in Wisconsin can you drive up to a grill at 6 a.m. and grab a bag of brats,” as the promo material says, and that’s probably true. Band highlights include headliners Winger (8 p.m. May 23, pinch hitting for an ill Ace Frehley), country star Tyler Farr (8 p.m. May 24) and Steven Adler of Guns N' Roses (8 p.m. May 25…and preceded by Digital Underground!) along with plenty of local acts. Plus kids’ activities, cornhole, volleyball, giant Jenga and more. Full schedule at bratfest.com.

Chromatix, Friday, May 23, Village on Park, 5:30 p.m.: Madison ensemble Chromatix started as a way for two friends to sing together and give back by caroling at retirement homes and American Family Children’s Hospital. Since then it’s grown to a group of 10 regular members creating a cappella arrangements of pop and alternative songs and singing them around the Madison area, and they will celebrate their 10th anniversary with this free concert.

Out Beyond, Friday, May 23, Hamel Music Center-Mead Witter Hall, 7 p.m.: Hosted by the Center for Healthy Minds, “Out Beyond: A Musical Journey into Transformation and Healing” was created by visiting scientist and artist Dalal Abu Amneh and CHM founder Richard J. Davidson. Singing by Abu Amneh and meditation guided by Davidson will be accompanied by a 10-piece ensemble of musicians expert in a variety of styles from around the world. Check ticket availability at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Sex Scenes, Friday, May 23, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 p.m.: Milwaukee combo Sex Scenes has followed a winding road through various band members during the last decade-ish of activity. Two constant facts are they are always a must-see concert as one of the most intense bands in Wisconsin, and one of the hardest to pin a specific genre tag on. (Are they hardcore? post-rock? punk? metal?) This show marks the Madison bow for Everything Makes Me Sick, a new record out May 9 via Big Neck. With Lung, Sister Agnes.

Vegan Sausage Fest, Saturday, May 24, Warner Park, noon-4 p.m.: It is Wisconsin. It is the start of the summer festival season. And one is likely to encounter an onslaught of bratwurst. Vegan Sausage Fest, now in its third year, highlights the alternatives among plant-based wurst. Organizers emphasize that these promote sustainability, are cruelty-free, and go along with fun, summer games and live music just as well as meat-based sausages. It’s not just some old vegan sausage in a bun, either. Chefs from the Vibrant Veg, Chef at Large, Green Owl Cafe, The Chunky Scones, Aztec Vegan Kitchen, Pig Minds Brewing Company, Just Veggiez and more (with a sizeable contingent of vegan chefs from Illinois) will serve an array of vegan treats, including Louisiana meat pies, laab, tacos and yes, meatless kielbasa, brats, Italian sausage, corndogs and more. For full menus, see vegansausagefest.com.

Farm to School Aid, Saturday, May 24, Troy Farm 2-8 p.m.: This cleverly named event is a fundraiser for Rooted’s youth gardening education programs (the funding of which was recently upended by the current presidential administration), featuring activities for kids, food vendors, and an unimpeachable, eclectic lineup of local music: Tani Diakite & the Afrofunkstars, Free Dirt, Cris Plata, and the Dan Walkner Band with guest Teresa Marie (of People Brothers Band). Find more info and an RSVP form at rootedwi.org.

Kangwon Kim + Jason Moy, Saturday, May 24, First Unitarian Society, 3 p.m.: If you think Bach is all stiff and academic, think again. Join violinist Kangwon Kim and harpsichordist Jason Moy for a lively journey through Bach’s six violin sonatas (BWV 1014–1019), known as “clavier trios.” These works twist and turn with interwoven lines that inspired later masters like Mozart and Beethoven. With Bach’s ever-evolving touch, this performance for the annual Mark Rosa Harpsichord Recital will be anything but predictable.

The Jimmys, Saturday, May 24, The Gathering Place, Paoli, 5 p.m.: The latest addition to the bustling Seven Acre Dairy complex in Paoli is The Gathering Place, an outdoor amphitheater in the hillside formerly excavated as a holding area for excess whey in an earlier life as a cheese factory. It would be hard to find a better ensemble to christen a stage than The Jimmys, swingin' rhythm rockin’ party starters and the reigning Madison Area Music Awards Artist of the Year. Tickets at eventbrite.com, and find the full summer schedule at sevenacredairyco.com.

Southern Culture on the Skids + New Duncan Imperials, Saturday, May 24, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Four decades into gleefully dishing out a variety of Americana sounds (a format they helped define), SCOTS still runs into the house fire most every live show. Their latest album, At Home with Southern Culture on the Skids, gets nutty with everything from a surf instrumental to a banjo-infected version of Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy.” Not to mention “Run Baby Run,” a song they call one of the best garage rock numbers they’ve ever written. With infamous rock n’ roll miscreants The New Duncan Imperials. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Fugu Dugu, Saturday, May 24, Red Rooster, 8 p.m.: The Chicago-based Gypsy Music Series premiered at City Winery in 2024 with a mission to highlight Romani musical traditions. The series is hitting the road in 2025, including a Madison stop by a pair of noteworthy artists. Fugu Dugu is led by violinist Madame Broshkina and guitarist Bucky Wanko, and plays a punked-up incarnation of music from Eastern Europe. Alfonso Ponticelli is a guitar master steeped in the freewheeling style of Django Reinhart but an expert in styles from many cultures. Ticket info at redroostermadison.com.

The New Original Vagabonds, Saturday, May 24, Harmony Bar, 9 p.m.: There’s nothing like a one-off show cooked up by project-hungry collaborators. Here, an eclectic array of Madison musicians gather for one night only to perform two sets of Bob Dylan material sampling from his 60-plus years of compositions. The band includes Ian Alderman (Annie & the Oakies), Jeff Kunkle (The Moonboot), Colin Bazsali (Cajun Strangers), Matt Nafranowicz (North Country Drifters), and Liz Stattelman-Scanlan (Evan Murdock & the Imperfect Strangers)…with surprise guests from still other bands!

No Other Land, Sunday, May 25, Bartell Theatre, 5 and 7 p.m.: The 2024 film No Other Land has been internationally acclaimed — and even won the 2025 Best Documentary Feature Academy Award — but it has been difficult to see it in the U.S., as distributors have shied away from the film's controversial subject matter. The documentary is a collaboration by Palestinians Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal and Israelis Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham, who document the lives (and deaths) of Palestinians in the West Bank community of Masafer Yatta, an area subject to Israeli occupation for many years. These screenings hosted by the Madison Anti-War Film Series and partners are free, but tickets are required at bartelltheatre.org; donations will be collected for Masafer Yatta. Another screening is set for June 8 at Christ Presbyterian Church; reserve a seat here.

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

Editor's note: This post has been updated due to a headliner change at Brat Fest.