Dessa with Spectaculous

Name: Dessa with Spectaculous
Start: 2025-12-13T20:00:00-06:00
Location: Atwood Music Hall

Schedule

Sat, 13 Dec, 2025 at 08:00 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

Atwood Music Hall | Madison, WI

Doors 7PM Show 8PM
General Admission Standing Room Only: $25ADV / $30DOS
Balcony Seating: $40ADV / $45DOS
Dessa fell in love with language as a toddler—and she just never got over it. Now, Dessa works in most fields that traffic in words: she's recorded rap bangers as part of the fiercely independent Doomtree collective, released a live album with the Grammy-winning Minnesota Orchestra; contributed to The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler; delivered a TED Talk [ted.com] on the intersection of romance and neuroscience that's notched more than 4 million views; hosted two seasons of the Deeply Human [bbc.co.uk] radio program (BBC/American Public Media/iHeartMedia); and published a memoir recounting most of the above called My Own Devices, published by Dutton (Penguin Random House).
She lives in Minneapolis and Manhattan, still tours in a rented van, and is probably eavesdropping on the neighboring table, listening for a word to add to the collection. You can listen to her music, read her writing, and check out the tour schedule at dessawander.com or find her on Instagram as Dessa, and on Facebook and Bluesky as dessadarling.
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Spectaculous
Through the lens of an interdimensional being in their journey to rediscover themself, this dynamic work illustrates the depth and breadth of emotion evoked from the human experience. The music encapsulates various genres and pop culture influences to build a dynamic world of cosmic whimsy. This reflects the lived experience of Black, Queer people who continue to defy the bounds of tradition and reality as we know it. It is a truly revolutionary act to be authentically yourself without fear in a world where you are oppressed for who you are. The magic harnessed in this liberatory realization causes something SPECTACULOUS.