Media Disinformation: Why it matters and what to do about it, Tuesday, Jan. 27, Zoom, 6:30 p.m.: Disinformation is an ever-growing problem in our increasingly scattershot media landscape; one need look no further than the current presidential administration’s descriptions of what is taking place in Minneapolis right now compared to what we are seeing in the video evidence from residents and the news media. The League of Women Voters of Dane County is hosting a forum on Zoom to help explain the impact of disinformation on our civic fabric, consider what has caused its proliferation, and offer some tips on how to identify it. Register at lwvdanecounty.org.

The Knights, Tuesday, Jan. 27, Arts + Literature Lab, 7 p.m.: Long ago, back when the Greeks first invented comedy 2,400 years ago, one of the first comedic writers was Aristophanes; few previous comedies survive intact. His fourth play, The Knights, skewers the ruling class and the lust for power. The gist is that a corrupt ruler is ousted by…an even more corrupt ruler. Well, still relatable. Falconbridge Players will present a staged reading. Register at eventbrite.com.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Tuesday, Jan. 27, Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Duke Ellington wrote music that still refuses to sit still. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra — led by trumpet phenom Wynton Marsalis — returns to Madison with a program built around Ellington’s boundary-breaking sound: African rhythms at the root, then jazz, blues, spirituals and gospel branching out from there. The music may be vintage, but it's no museum piece, particularly when played by a band that can swing hard. Tickets at overture.org.

The Toasters, Tuesday, Jan. 27, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: When Robert “Buck” Hingley moved from his native England to New York City in 1981 to manage a comic book store, he missed the sounds of ska being played by UK “second-wave” bands on the 2Tone label and others. So, following the example of the then-growing DIY punk movement, he put together his own band: The Toasters. 45 years later, Buck and The Toasters are an institution that has helped keep the music lively and vibrant in clubland for generations of fans. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Wayne Hancock, Wednesday, Jan. 28, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Dallas-born Wayne “The Train” Hancock earned his nickname due to the lengths of his shows; some, back in the day, stretched out over four hours. His sets are shorter now but his touring is still steaming along. Hancock, who started writing songs at the age of 12, came up through the Continental Club scene in Austin with Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. But while Gilmore and Ely’s Texas tunes lean more western country, Hancock has always been the juke joint king. With Nicky Diamonds. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Coffee and Chocolate Tasting — for the birds! Thursday, Jan. 29, Yahara Chocolate, Stoughton, 10 a.m.; Old Firehouse Lounge, Stoughton, 5 p.m.: Many of the birds that make Wisconsin home in the summer migrate to spend the winter in tropical rainforests — habitats that are disappearing due to the timber industry, agriculture and other threats. One small thing we can all do to help preserve the rainforest is to seek out bird-friendly products certified by the Smithsonian. Learn more about (and try) some of certified safe products at two events hosted by the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and SOS Save Our Songbirds; the evening session also includes a talk about migration and farms in the tropics. Registration is requested for the evening event at swibirds.org.

Before the Mountains of Madness, through Feb. 1, Slowpoke Lounge, Spring Green: Two Crows' winter season launches with this two-actor horror-thriller about a fateful Antarctic adventure at the turn of the century. Before the Mountains of Madness was penned by APT veteran David Daniel, is directed by Two Crows founder Marcus Truschinski, and stars Nate Burger and Neil Brookshire. Truschinski likens the play to horror tales not unlike those by the master storyteller H.P. Lovecraft. An intentionally bare stage amps the imaginative stakes. Read Rebecca Jamieson’s preview of the Two Crows' season here. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday; tickets at twocrowstheatrecompany.org.

Digable Planets, Thursday, Jan. 29, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Digable Planets may have only released two albums during their original run from the late ‘80s to the mid-'90s. But both were highly influential, first by proving a group could score a big pop hit (“Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”) with jazzy, conscious hip-hop, and then by paving the way for hitmakers to follow their muse into less predictable/commercial directions. The original trio is playing a handful of shows this winter, including this concert as part of the UW-Madison’s events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. With independent NYC hip-hop artist MIKE. It’s free, but tickets are required: artsticketing.wisc.edu.

12 Angry Jurors, through Feb. 1, Bartell Theatre: Yes, 12 Angry Jurors is basically the classic 12 Angry Men, but the jury is no longer 100% male — these 12 citizens are gender- and race-diverse. That can only ramp up the claustrophobic tension in the jury room, as one holdout in a murder trial keeps the verdict from being unanimous. Madison’s Oracular Studios brings the updated drama to the stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Ironbound, Jan. 29-Feb. 15, Overture Center-Playhouse: Forward Theater Company presents the Wisconsin premiere of a play centered on a timely topic: the experience of an immigrant in America. Ironbound, by Martyna Majok, tells the story of a couple decades in the life of a woman from Eastern Europe who lands on the East Coast in the late 20th and early 21st century looking for a better life, and love, in a new country. How will her life plans change over the years while fighting for a secure existence? Performances at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, plus 2 p.m. on Feb. 7 and 14. Tickets at overture.org.

Big Richard, Thursday, Jan. 29, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Bluegrass music travels in two mostly parallel lanes: the jamgrass style of bands like Leftover Salmon and the new traditionalist bluegrass of players like Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings. Big Richard, a four-woman outfit out of Colorado, travels in the latter. Their new album, Pet, is a ferocious display of bluegrass technique with jagged lyrics that would put Bill Monroe in therapy. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.