Good evening, it’s Thursday August 23rd and this is the Jive at Five, WESU’s Daily community calendar and run-down of night time programming here on 88.1 FM WESU Middletown. Thanks for making WESU your listener-supported source for NPR, Pacifica, independent and local public affairs and free-form community radio. I’m J-Cherry producer and host of VOICE of the CITY airing on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8PM Showcasing live and local music, arts, and culture. Thanks for tuning in.
Tonight here in Middletown, Klekolo World Coffee presents ‘In pursuit of some things trivial’ – where everyone will be split into teams of 2 to 4 people to have their knowledge tested. Prizes will be given to the top two teams.
Tonight, down in New Haven, at Toad’s Place come support Middletown’s own GPOP as well as many other local groups in the Local Hip Hop Showcase. Friday night brings ‘Summer Slam Fest II’ to the stage at Toad’s, including performances by Chaos Theory, The Ultra Violets, and more. More can be found at toadsplace.com
Also down in New Haven tonight at the Cafe Nine stage, it’s popified, folky country by Loves It; w/ Brian Dolzani, and Friday Night Blues @ 9 presents talented blues guitarist Debbie Davies •
Café nine’s Saturday afternoon Jazz Jam will be hosted by the George Baker Experience. Saturday Night folk-pop and alt/rock group Al Raebuck and Friends will be performing live and Sunday night MANIC PRODUCTIONS Presents: Brian Olive w/ Jacques Le Coque; Dan Soto & The Duded Kings. More online at cafenine.com
The Middletown Commission on the Arts presents its annual Summer Sounds concert series on the City’s South Green (Union Park) on Tuesday evenings throughout the summer. Information about upcoming concers can be found at arts2go.org.
Friday night, 4core brings modern, forward-thinking jazz music with a blend of original compositions and jazz standards to the Buttonwood Tree.
Saturday night at the Buttonwood Tree, The Nutmeg Ramblers will bring their program of acoustic music that is sure to please. Food Not Bombs shares food about 1 pm in front of the Buttonwood Tree every Sunday. All are welcome and invited to help prepare vegetarian food at the First Church on 190 Court Street at 11:30 am. More information about all Buttonwood events can be found at buttonwood.org or by calling 860.347.4957
In Hartford, at Black-eyed Sally’s. On Friday night the Michael Packer Blues Band will take the stage at Sally’s, followed by the Mighty Soul Drivers on Saturday night. blackeyedsallys.com
Tonight you can catch The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra as the final show in the Bring our Music Back summer series at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Conn. The Count Basie Orchestra is an 18-piece big band founded by Count Basie in the 1940s and continues to perform and record keeping the late legendary Basies’ legacy alive. Opening performance of “The Songs of Frank Sinatra” by Rob Zappulla & his Orchestra plus The Glenn Hansen Youth Orchestra. DOORS OPEN AT 4PM and the CONCERT BEGINS AT 5:30PM (with the Rain Location at the Garde Arts Center, located at 325 State Street, New London, CT, 06320) More can be found online at bringourmusicnback.org
Friday Night in Hartford brings the Annual Ray Gonzales Latin Jazz and Salsa music festival to Buckley High School. The event starts at 6pm. For info call 860-836-2029
The Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown is hosting their tenth annual Open Air Market and Festival on Sunday August 26, 2012. The Festival will be open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. rain or shine. The event is free. The historic Mansion will transform its 700 foot vista into a marketplace and festival where a variety of vendors will gather to sell their Connecticut
grown or made products. more online at www.wadsworthmansion.com
‘Tis the season for farmers’ markets and here’s a few in our area:
The Durham Farmers’ Market is open every Thursday on the Town Green on Main St, from 3 to 6:30 pm, through September. The longstanding Middletown Farmers’ market at the South Green is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 am to 1 pm through October. The Middletown North End Farmers Market is open 10 am to 2 pm every Friday and is located at the corner of Liberty and Main Streets in Middletown.
Now here’s a quick rundown of cinema off the beaten path here in central CT this week:
Tonight, Cinestudio, the Trinity College cinema in Hartford, presents a new work by American director Wes Anderson entitled, ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ which took the opening slot at the Cannes Film Festival. Show schedules and descriptions can be found online at cinestudio.org
Through Thursday, Real Art Ways in Hartford will be continuing it’s run of the ‘Queen of Versailles’ – an epic documentary following billionaires Jackie and David’s rags to riches story. Beginning this Friday through next Thursday, Real Art Ways will be presenting ‘Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry’ – a gripping documentary following the trials and tribulations of China’s most famous international artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic.Tickets, times, and more online at realartways.org
That’s it for our community calendar. For the latest in local arts and entertainment beyond the Jive At Five, you can visit arts2GO.org – the City of Middletown’s new website for anyone interested in what’s going on in Middletown.
Now stay tuned. Here’s what’s playing on our summer schedule at WESU tonight
Right after the Jive at Five Right stay tuned for
Dj blaze is on vacation so a documentary about the folks singer “Sixto Rodriguez” called “Searching for Sugar Man”, will air, telling the inspiring story of this Folk artist from the 70’s who unbeknownst to himself, became a super star in South Africa while he toiled away doing manual labor in Detroit for decades and his return to the stage.
