Ironplow
Kickstart My Heart, Friday, Jan. 26, Gamma Ray, 7 p.m.: It’s thankfully not a common occurrence for a heart attack to happen onstage — but it has happened twice at Gamma Ray in the last year. Kickstart My Heart is a concert to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and CPR training (and raise funds for an on-site defibrillator at the club). A hard rockin’ lineup includes Ironplow, making a triumphant return exactly a year after drummer Rökker suffered cardiac arrest during a show; the quick reaction of audience members administering CPR kept him alive until first responders arrived. Also on the bill are Madison legends Last Crack and Mars Hall.
Holiday Express, through Dec. 31, Olbrich Gardens, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: A forest of poinsettias is the backdrop to this winter-themed display at Olbrich that’s become a family favorite as large-scale model trains travel the fanciful landscape. Other holiday decorations make this an “oh lookit” classic year after year. Members of the Wisconsin Garden Railway Society will be on hand to show off their own trains. New this year: Advance tickets for timed entry; admission at the door will only be available if space allows. Tickets include admission to the tropical Bolz Conservatory, where you can remember what July feels like. (The outdoor gardens, worth a visit in any season, are still free.) Note that the gardens close at 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve and are closed on Christmas Day. More info at olbrich.org.
Theo Meyer, Zachary Bigelow, Nick Martin, Alaina Mutz (obscured), Danielle Magnusson and Keys Edmonds, from left, in ‘Mamma Magi,’ Mercury Players Theatre, 2025.…