As the population and infrastructure of Madison grow, the music scene also continues to blossom. Whether it’s an intimate karaoke night at a local pub, live DJ set or classical cello performance, there’s a wide range of genres to choose from on any given night. On a Monday in early February, I challenged myself to see how much music I could hear in just one night. Here’s a look at the performances I took in.
David Landau - Harmony Bar & Grill
My first stop took me to the Harmony Bar & Grill, a cozy tavern nestled in the East Side’s Schenk-Atwood neighborhood. David Landau is playing a set of children’s music, a performance he’s put on every Monday for years now. The former first grade teacher made the switch to full time performing long ago and has never looked back. In 2022, he was voted Performer of the Year by the Madison Area Music Association.
I’m able to catch the first half of Landau’s performance, an up-tempo acoustic set where his silly vocabulary captivates the group of children sitting right up at the front of the stage. He sings of monkeys jumping on the bed, bubble gum, hot dogs and more, pausing his set to interact with the kids and drawing heaps of laughter for the songs’ ridiculous lyrics. “I love seeing the kids get excited for the music I’m playing. It’s kept me performing all these years,” he says before taking the stage. He’ll be back next Monday with more silliness and lightheartedness.
DJ BP LAR - Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge
My next stop takes me to Lola’s, one of Dane County’s newest and most unique bars. The spot opened in late 2023 and was inspired by the Tom Cat Lounge, a nostalgic, retro-themed “listening” lounge in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin. Lola’s is part tavern, part vinyl bar and part cocktail lounge, combining fancy cocktails with pub food like pizza. In the middle of the lounge sits the illuminated DJ bar, against a background of decorative vinyl record album covers and low lighting to complete the mood.
Tonight, DJ BP Lar is playing a Motown, ’50s and ’60s-inspired music set. The Thailand-born DJ came to Madison just a few years ago and has anchored herself in the middle of Madison’s growing music scene. Besides spinning Motown music at Lola’s, she loves to play house and techno music whenever she has the opportunity. “There’s a global trend of house and techno music shows becoming bigger, and in Madison, we don’t get left behind.” Her set tonight washes across the lounge, with dreamy, romantic songs mixing with light conversations and chatter.
The Malt House
Back on the East Side, the Malt House is a small dive bar with live music every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night. I’m not able to catch Grandpa’s Elixir as part of the Acoustic Monday set, but I do have a quick conversation with the bartender, Becky, about its longstanding live music traditions. “We get pretty small shows here. But what I love about it is how up close and personal it is. You can see the band and talk to the band, and it makes it this really intimate setting.” The venue functions as a hub for folk and bluegrass music, bringing in smaller local bands from the neighborhood and hosting acoustic sets. Bands simply reach out to the venue, play their set and enjoy a few drinks afterward.
Madison Community Chorus Welcome Night - Immanuel Lutheran Church
After the Malt House, I head back downtown, stopping at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Spaight Street to check out the Madison Community Chorus practice. This practice is its first of the spring season, with returning and new members preparing for a series of practices leading up to the final performance. The four-part community choir collaborates with the Ringing Badgers Handbell Ensemble and Maestro Community Orchestra, along other guest performers, to put on performances at nursing and retirement homes every fall and spring. The choir additionally performs at events such as Bach Around the Clock, a 3 day performance of singers, ensembles, and instrumentalists celebrating the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
I’m able to speak with Susan, a member of the choir and part of the church’s governing board, as well as Amy, another singer who also plays bells. “In the fall of 2024, we had around 40 to 50 members, and right now we are at over 70. We are definitely growing in membership,” Susan says. The choir converges in the church’s high-ceilinged sanctuary, a setting with great acoustics, as the new members introduce themselves to each other.
Matthew Zalkind and Alice Yoo - Hamel Music Center
As 7:30 approaches, it’s time for a classical music performance at the Hamel Music Center, part of UW–Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music. Tonight, Matthew Zalkind and Alice Yoo, both renowned cello performers and musicians, are performing four sonatas by Italian composer and cellist Luigi Boccherini. Zalkind and Yoo have been fixtures in the classical music scene for years, with Zalkind assistant teaching at the university and Yoo co-founding the Denver Chamber Music Festival.
The venue is quieter tonight, but the crowd of students and locals is enthusiastic about the performance, as Zalkind and Yoo begin to play the Boccherini pieces. The performance switches between high-tempo playing and slower, more emotional sections as Zalkind or Yoo perform their solos. The music is captivating, especially because all the songs have been arranged solely for cellos. As the clock hits 8:30, I’ve already been to five different venues. However, there is still one more to go before the night ends.
Rigby-oke - The Rigby
My night ends with a stop at the Rigby, one of Madison’s classic bar-and-grill venues. The three- story space near the Capitol, is host to a slew of events — music, comedy, private parties and more. Music posters and vinyl covers line the walls of the first floor. I get to the dimly lit second floor performance space just as Rigby-Oke, Rigby’s weekly karaoke night, is about to start. A collection of recent graduates and locals are chatting and socializing over drinks and food. Then an employee walks up and introduces the first singer. As the night goes on, more people arrive, taking their turns either solo or in groups to belt out current hits, classics and more. The first singer at the mic belts out an exhilarating cover of One Direction’s “Fireproof,” followed by a more somber cover of Brandy and Daniel Caesar’s “LOVE AGAIN.”
At 10:30, I decide it’s time to head back home. I’ve visited bars, music venues, churches and more over the past five hours. The city’s music scene will continue to grow as big-name venues such as the Sylvee and Camp Randall continue to attract larger headlining artists, making Madison one of the great places to experience music. As a student living in the heart of Madison, one of my favorite things about this town is the accessibility of live music venues, and tonight proved to me just how much great music I can hear in a single night.
