Exploring Witching Hour’s can’t-miss events: Music

In this series, local arts critic (and Witching Hour participant) Daniel Boscaljon provides a guide to his choices for the most thought provoking parts of the 2019 Witching Hour Festival. Monday: Talks and resentations; Tuesday: Theater, film and performance; Wednesday: Workshops; Thursday: Readings. Today: Music

Counterfeit Madison has been on my must-see list since I inadvertently missed her performance in 2018 and heard everyone rave about the beauty, the joy and the energy of the show. Her Witching Hour performance of I Got Life, And I Got Freedom: Exploring Personal & Social Change Through the Music of Nina Simone offers the perfect second chance.

As a fan of jazz — and especially of Nina Simone’s hauntingly beautiful songs — I am interested in seeing reputable artists do justice to her music. Putting that together with Counterfeit Madison becomes a dream come true — it promises to be a thoughtful, jubilant and personal take on what music means.

I want to experience how musicians live their influences.

I Got Life … is $5 students, $10 general or free with festival pass.

Official bio: Sharon Udoh, a Nigerian-American pianist, vocalist, composer, arranger, and bandleader creates under the moniker Counterfeit Madison. A typical live musical experience, whether through her original work or the recontextualisation of the music of visionary Nina Simone, embodies a demonstration of the richness of humanity, absurdity, empathy, chaos, and the struggle and freedom of black and brown individuals in America and worldwide.

Other Music:

Obnox w/ Starry Nights Gabe’s | Friday, Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. | $5 students, $10 general or free with festival pass
Shredders w/ Carrier Waves Gabe’s | Saturday, Nov. 2 at 10:30 p.m. | $10 students, $15 general or free with festival pass

Witching Hour is a co-production of the Englert Theatre and Little Village Magazine.
Festival passes are $20 student, $35 single day general, $55 weekend general.