City Cast Madison

Madison is getting a new music venue, but unlike other spaces in the city — the priority isn’t the audience but instead the musicians. Muso is the brainchild of Hoot’n Annie String Band members Prentice Berge and Cindy Murphy, who wanted to create a space for musicians to rehearse and just enjoy playing in Madison. Host Bianca Martin got a sneak peek of the space, and got into the rhythm and reason behind this new acoustic only spot.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Do you have a special place where you like to take out-of-towners? How do you show them how utterly cool, unique and amazing our big little city is? A stroll at Picnic Point? A bloody mary at Mickey’s? We asked the readers of Madison Minutes for their favorite Madtown things to do, places to go, food to eat, and more. The response has been fantastic!This special episode finds the City Cast Madison team, including host Bianca Martin and executive producer Hayley Sperling, chatting with City Cast Madison producer (and new resident), Phil Surkis, about his past few weekends, which were curated by your suggestions. Not only that, but he has the nerve to rate his experiences!Mentioned in this episode: Picnic Point Monona Bakery & Eatery Vaquero Mexican Grill Mishqui Cocina Peruana Lake Monona Bike Loop Vote for us for ‘Best of’ Madison! [Madison Magazine]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Madison is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s best cities for biking, and this week we’re celebrating our cycling community. Madison Bike Week kicked off June 1 and is jam packed with family festivities, fun rides, and the best beverages and bites. Host Bianca Martin spoke with Eleanor Conrad and Harald Kliems, the president and former president of Madison Bikes, about the more than 70 events happening this week and how Madison became such a hot spot for cycling. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

If you’re new around here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Madison community. Could there be a more perfect month than June? Perhaps. But frankly, June in Madison is an amazing concoction of festivals, gorgeous weather, Pride, and in general, just letting your freak flag fly, as they say!For even more tips on how to make the most of June in Madison, check out our full list in Madison Minutes. City Cast Madison’s Bianca Martin and Hayley Sperling roundup some of their favorite June highlights.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

We’ve entered summer food festival season! From brats to strawberries to gluten-free fare — we’ve got it all. Host Bianca Martin sits down with Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians who’s been covering the upcoming Madison-area food festivals. Plus, we get a preview of new and soon-to-come local restaurants.  10 local food festivals celebrate spirits, pasta, mustard, and more [Cap Times]Open now or soon: 18 new restaurants (and more) around Madison [Cap Times]Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Understanding Madison’s city budget can feel like a real head scratcher. How can the city have a surplus this year, but be talking about a deficit for next year? If the city has had a budget deficit for the past 14 years, why is this the year the Common Council is considering a referendum to increase property taxes? And most of all, how can a city that is undergoing such an economic boom be struggling to balance the books? Host Bianca Martin took all those questions and more to the man behind the city’s money, Madison’s Finance Director Dave Schmiedicke. You can listen to City Cast Madison’s conversation from last week with Madison Common Council President Yannette Figueroa Cole about the budget.Make your voice heard at one of the City Budget Engagement Events. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:Madison Children's MuseumWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Though the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration last May, many Madisonians still don’t feel safe at public gatherings. Whether it’s due to concerns around long COVID or complications from existing health conditions, many of Madison's events and spaces aren’t accessible to them. Host Bianca Martin spoke with Tara Verma, the founder of an organization trying to change that.Clean Air 608 lends out HEPA air purifiers and CO2 monitors to Madison event organizers free of charge in hopes of creating safer events and keeping Madison COVID-conscious. You can find Clean Air 608’s Instagram here.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast Madison team is here to round up the news of the week.  Bianca Martin and Hayley Sperling recap the impacts of Tuesday’s intense storm and the city’s cleanup efforts. The Madison Common Council moved to save three buildings on the 400 block of State Street from demolition. Plus, a St. Paul to Chicago passenger rail, Wisconsin’s second, is in service! Mentioned on the show:Over 5,000 remain without power in Madison's largest outage in decades [Wisconsin State Journal]Madison schools closed Wednesday after powerful storms knock out power, close roads in region [Wisconsin State Journal]The City’s Description of the Damage Done By The Storm [Instagram]Madison City Council spares 3 State Street buildings from hail mary demolition try [Wisconsin State Journal]What’s Worth Saving in Madison? [City Cast Madison]New Amtrak Borealis train launches Tuesday- with 8 stops in Wisconsin [WMTV]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. 

Spring in Madison is a great time to find delicious food right in your backyard. And foraging for delectable local morsels means hunting much more than mushrooms. There’s ramps, watercress, dozens of edible weeds… all around you. But how do you know where to look? And what’s edible… and tasty?  Dylan Brogan sits down with Andy Gricevich, owner of What Got Gathered, for some local foraging pro tips.You can find Andy at the Westside Community Market, Monona Farmers Market and the Madison Eastside Farmers Market. Check out his website for details on the wild food walks.This episode originally aired May 4, 2023. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

2025 might be a rough year for Madison. The city says it is facing a projected $27 million budget shortfall and has to make hard decisions. Between a referendum to raise property taxes and cutting city services, the potential solutions elicit strong opinions, and the city’s been trying to hear them all. Host Bianca Martin spoke with the President of the Common Council, Yannette Figueroa Cole, about what Madisonians say are the most critical services for them and how the council is approaching this moment. You can find more information about future budget events on the council’s website.We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast Madison swag.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.