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!

Concerts are FREE to the public; a $5 suggested donation is appreciated.

No tickets required. Please carry out all trash.

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.

July 8

Sinkane—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.

July 15

VO5—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!

July 22

Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Alter Boys featuring Westside Andy—Delivers 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.

July 29

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!

August 5

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.

August 12

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.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

3330 Atwood Ave., Madison

608/246-4550 or www.olbrich.org for details.