Olbrich After Hours

Turn up your Tuesdays at Olbrich After Hours, where the gardens stay up late and the good times roll in! Each week offers a fresh blend of live music, surprise pop-ups, crave-worthy food carts, and the perfect pour (think cocktails, mocktails, and brewskis). Stroll the gardens during the golden hour, soak in the sounds, and connect with inspiring eco-friendly groups making a difference for the planet. It’s summer - turned all the way up!

GET TICKETS HERE: https://www.olbrich.org/calendar/after-hours

 

Tuesday, June 24 - Waco Brothers

The Waco Brothers, formed by Jon Langford of the Mekons, blend country and punk with rowdy, high-energy performances. Originally a local Chicago act, their success on Bloodshot Records led to national tours and collaborations, including Great Chicago Fire with Paul Burch, praised by the Chicago Tribune as "If the Rolling Stones were still making great records, this would be it." Their live album Waco Express was hailed as “country as it should be” by NPR’s Ken Tucker. Known for their raucous SXSW shows and annual Schubas Tavern gigs, the Waco Brothers deliver raw, honky-tonk-fueled rock with wit and grit.

FOOD CARTS: Monsoon Thai Street Food & Cinn City Smash

DESSERT CART: Sassy Scoop

 

Tuesday, July 1 - Opera at Olbrich

Fresco Opera is back! Stroll through the Gardens and take in roaming performances of several operatic scenes performed in a variety of garden areas. A magical experience for all your senses.

FOOD CARTS: Halo Halo & Mexsal Mobile

DESSERT CART: Cinn City Churros

 

Sinkane

Tuesday, July 8

‘We Belong’ is the eighth studio album from Sinkane, the genre-defying project of multi-instrumentalist Ahmed Gallab. Blending pop, funk, and electronic sounds with the rhythms of his native Sudan, the album is a journey through eras, emotions, and healing. Calling it his “love letter to Black music,” Gallab infuses each track with the energy of gospel, Afro-beat, and 70s funk, featuring collaborations with artists like Bilal, Kenyatta Beasley, and Casey Benjamin. What began as a solo endeavor evolved into a deeply communal experience, reflecting the album’s central theme—freedom. Freedom to create, to move, to belong. In reaching beyond himself, Gallab ultimately finds his way back to who he is.

FOOD CARTS: REAP/TradeRoots & Rasta Barista Cafe

DESSERT CART: Sassy Scoop

 

Tuesday, July 15 -VO5

VO5 is on a mission to make you dance! This 9-piece disco-funk powerhouse from Madison brings the party with groovy originals and irresistible ‘70s hits from ABBA, the Bee Gees, Ohio Players, and the Jackson 5. Their award-winning album Dance Originality even caught the attention of MTV, and they’ve racked up multiple Madison Area Music Awards, including "Best Cover Band." VO5 believes in peace, justice, and shaking what your mama gave you—because every revolution needs a disco ball and platform heels!

FOOD CARTS: The Roost & Sandwich Hub

DESSERT CART: Frios Pops

 

Tuesday, July 22 - Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Alter Boys featuring Westside Andy

Reverend Raven, The Chain Smoking Altar Boys, and Westside Andy deliver straight-up, traditional blues with smoking grooves, hot harmonica, and smooth, stinging guitar. They perform originals alongside nods to legends like Slim Harpo, Little Walter, and the three Kings. Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Reverend Raven has been playing the blues since 1971. After a 15-year Navy stint, he landed in Milwaukee, forging a lasting partnership with harmonica great Madison Slim. A staple at Buddy Guy’s Legends for over 18 years, he’s shared stages with B.B. King, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells, and more, keeping the blues burning bright.

FOOD CARTS: Nani & Naan Stop Fusion

DESSERT CART: Cinn City Churros

 

Tuesday, July 29 - Eras Encore

Formed in the spring of 2024, The Eras Encore: A Taylor Swift Cover Band unites six powerhouse Madison-area musicians, all former instructors at Girls Rock Camp Madison. This all-star lineup features Olivia Dregne (keyboard, vocals), Jenna Joanis (bass), Lesley Goff (vocals), Marlo Darken (drums), Beth Kille (guitar), and Kelly Maxwell (keyboard, vocals). Though a fresh collaboration, these women bring decades of experience from some of your favorite local bands. With a handpicked setlist of their favorite Taylor Swift hits spanning multiple albums, they’re ready to deliver an electrifying performance—so sing along and enjoy the magic!

FOOD CARTS: The Roost, Sandwich Hub, Taquitos Marimar

DESSERT CART: Frios Pops

 

Tuesday, August 5 - TAE & The Neighborly

TAE & The Neighborly, a Wisconsin based Soul-pop R&B group, found themselves playing music together in a very unconventional way. They were all neighbors, each one living alone on one floor of a five-story flat. Cake baking is a shared passion of the five member group, but in the sugar shortages early in the 2020 pandemic, they found themselves so continually knocking on each other's doors asking for a single cup of sugar that a group decision was made to all move in together and share cake-baking resources. And since everyone knows all good rhythms begin in the kitchen, it wasn’t before long that the group began to write and perform together across the nation. Critics hail the group as “having more kick than a bagged-up mule” (Rotary Times) and their live show “...going down smoother than a can of [beans] warmed on the campfire” (Cowboy Gazette). All in all, if you are looking for a dense show that will give you more inspiration fuel for self lovin’, world changin’, and consideration havin’ meet them where the music is made to be shared.

FOOD CARTS: Nani & Monsoon Thai Street Food

DESSERT CART: Frios Pops

 

Tuesday, August 12 - Zar Electrik

Zar Electrik defies borders, blending the sounds of Morocco, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the West into a hypnotic fusion of tradition and modernity. Formed in Marseille, the trio unites Anass Zine’s mesmerizing vocals and traditional instruments (gumbri, oud) with Arthur Péneau’s deep voice and electrified kora, enriched by Miosine’s masterful touch on synths and electronic beats. The result is a high-energy groove that pulses with raw intensity, inviting bodies to move and spirits to soar. More than just music, Zar Electrik creates a shared experience—where rhythm, culture, and celebration collide in an electrifying dance.

FOOD CARTS: Cinn City Smash & Naan Stop Fusion

DESSERT CART: Sassy Scoop