Wisconsin 101

Read more about the article The History of Smart Studios

Exterior of Smart Studios at 1254 East Washington Avenue, Madison, WI. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, image ID 243309.

The History of Smart Studios

Smart Studios, founded by Butch Vig and Steve Marker, was a recording studio located on Madison’s east side. Over its twenty-seven years of operation, Smart Studios was responsible for producing music for both local acts and world-famous artists in the late twentieth…

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July 13, 2022

Read more about the article Garbage’s Origins in Madison

Garbage band members (pictured left to right) Steve Marker, Butch Vig, Shirley Manson, and Duke Erikson. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, image ID 93605.

Music, Theatre & Cinema / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Madison / Dane County / Related Stories / 1987-2011 / Region 7 - South Center / Smart Banner

Garbage’s Origins in Madison

Out of all the bands and musicians who have roots in Wisconsin’s capitol city, Garbage is perhaps one of the most successful products of the Madison music scene, having sold more than seventeen million albums worldwide over the course of their career.Garbage…

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July 13, 2022

Music, Theatre & Cinema / Viroqua / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Curators' Favorites / Vernon County / 1965-1987 / 1987-2011 / Region 6 - South West / Smart Banner

Object History: Butch Vig’s Drum Set

When the Beatles performed on the February 9, 1964, "Ed Sullivan Show," teenage girls in the studio swooned and those at home went crazy with excitement. Adolescent boys, however, couldn't keep their eyes off band member Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum kit with…

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July 13, 2022

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: “SMART” Banner by Dennis Nechvatal

“SMART” Banner by Dennis Nechvatal, Madison, WI, 1983. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society ID #2011.63.2

Art & Design / Music, Theatre & Cinema / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Madison / Dane County / 1965-1987 / Region 7 - South Center / Smart Banner

OBJECT HISTORY: “SMART” Banner by Dennis Nechvatal

Not many people would expect that some of the most legendary music of the late twentieth and early twenty first century was made right here in Wisconsin. During its twenty-seven years of operation, Madison’s Smart Studios was a cornerstone of the music…

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June 24, 2022