12-31-12 Jive NYE!

Good evening, it's Monday, Dec. 31st, New Year’s Eve! 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, your station for NPR, Pacifica, independent and local public affairs by day and the best in free-form community  programming week nights and weekends. I'm Maria Johnson, Host of Reasonably Catholics where… _______.

Thanks to all of the WESU supporters who have given the gift of community radio during our 8th annual Winter Holiday Pledge drive! If you haven’t yet had a chance to do your part, you can still make that year end donation online at www.wesufm.org for that last minute 2012 tax deduction.

Here’s a brief rundown of some of the cultural and entertaining events happening in our area this week:

Here in Middletown, organized and co sponsored by the City of Middletown and Community Health Center, Midnight on Main boasts over 100 events within 4 blocks of Main Street. The 2nd annual event kicked off at 3pm today and continues through Midnight.

With Roof Top Fireworks at 6pm and dozens of family events for one admission price in addition to no ticketed events, Middnight on Main offers something for everyone. Right now, until 5:45, you can catch the funk and soul sounds of Spark Plug, The Melvin Sparks  Tribute band, who are performing at Oddfellows playhouse on Washington St. Or you can head over to cath some Afro Cubano Music with Jose Conde at The First Church Sanctuary on Court St.Surf Rockers, Ninth Wave are also on stage as we speak, in the First Church Parish Hall. 

Don’t worry because all of those acts are playing more sets later in the evening plus much much more including, Taiko Drumming, salsa, and break Dancing lessons, Live Irish music, juggling and Frisbee demonstrations, plus live folk music with Dar Williams, Jazz with Noah Baerman, Afro Pop with Timbala, The Grand Slambovians and the Americana sounds of Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem. The grand event will culminate in anticipation of bringing in 2013 with a countdown starting at 11:30 in front of the Church of the Holy Trinity on Main Street.   More information and  Middnight on Main entry buttons are available online at www.middnight.org  

You can also Celebrate the incoming year at the Canoe Club at Harbor Park  in Middletown with the Waterfront Jazz project.  Call 860-347-9999 for reservations

Toads’s place in New Haven invites you to their NYE EXTRAVAGANZA tonight Featuring SHAKEDOWN,  The Mushroom Cloud, and the John Lennon Tribute, Nutopia. Weds brings the weekly Toads Electronic Dance Music dance party. Thursday brings a local band showcase to Toads. Friday brings REGGAE WINTERFEST featuring I Anbassa, The Green Line, All Good Feel Good Collective, 27 Prophets, Shots Fired, and Mitigue. More online at www.toadsplace.com

Tonight in Hartford Blackeyed Sally’s brings in the new Year with Avenue Groove. Wednesday, it's Black 

eyed Sally’s longstanding Blues Jam session hosted with BRANDT TAYLOR this week. Thursday brings New Haven indie-folkers Goodnight Blue Moon to Sally’s. Jen Lowe & the Sensative Dudes take the Sally;s Stage Friday night and you can catch the Mighty Soul Drivers Saturday ngiht. More at www.blackeyedsallys.com

Author Elisabeth Petry will continue to lead The Veterans' Writing Group here in Middletown at a new time, 2-3:30pm, on Thursdays, January 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 in Meeting Room 2 at Russell Library, on Broad Street.  This series invites veterans to share their stories in their own voices. All veterans, either active or retired, are encouraged to come and write their experiences for their own benefit or to share with family and friends.
The Russell Knitters will meet on Saturdays, January 5 and 19, from 11:00am-1pm in Meeting Room 3 at Russell Library. Participants are encouraged to bring knitting projects and join an enthusiastic group of knitters who are willing to share ideas and expertise. No registration is required.

In honor of Jack Paton, his family and Russell Library present an annual writing contest for people who have lived or worked in Middletown. You must be over 25 years of age to enter. This year, the suggested theme is “Food for Thought.” What is your favorite story involving food? All ideas are welcome. Entry forms for this year's John W. Paton Storytelling Contest are available in the lobby of Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown and on their website. The entry deadline is Thursday, February 28, and the awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 3 at 7pm. Entry forms are available in regular and large print. www.russelllibrary.org

At Café Nine in New Haven Wednesday night The Can Kickers, The Shoutbacks, and Dr. Caterwauls Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps make for a night of punk loud rock.  Thursday night you can catch a night of  Psychedelic improvisational jazz/rock/funk with Symphonic Bodega and The New Dirty .  Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons, Grave Robbers, and Paper Hill Casket Company play americana and rootin’ tootin’ country at Café nine Friday night.  Saturday's Afternoon Jazz Jam is hosted by Mike Coppola this week.  Saturday night ODDBALL ENTERTAINMENT Presents: The Suzan w the Mendition of the Quay at Café Nine. The Suzan on are a pop-rock band from Tokyo, More online found at www.cafenine.com

Thursday night here in Middletown, The Buttonwood Tree in presents the longstanding Monthly acoustic Open Mic with Bob Gotta. Sign up starts at 6:30.  Friday night, The Buttonwood Tree welcomes the Two Virgins’ band back to the stage for an evening of live  rock and roll, with Americana and beat-era roots.  Saturday brings The Russ Nolan Jazz Organ Trio’s “Tell Me” CD Release Party to the Buttonwood for an evening of High-Energy Modern Jazz. Each Sunday, Food Not Bombs shares food in front of the Buttonwood Tree at 1pm.  All are welcome to enjoy a meal and help prepare the vegetarian feast at the First Church on Court Street at 11:30 am.  More about buttonwood tree events at www.buttonwood.org 

This Saturday brings the opening Reception the ART FOR HAITI EXHIBITION to the ARTSPACE GALLERY on in HARTFORD from, 6pm - 10pm. All proceeds to benefit “Movin' With The Spirit” a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the people of the poorest part of Haiti. EXHIBITING ARTISTS include : Andria Alex , Andres Chaparro,  David Bauer,  Joyce Senesac, Paul Baldassini, Phil Ouelette,  Pierre Sylvain, Robert Charles Hudson. DJ Big Bent will be spinning international grooves throughout the opening reception. For information call Pierre at 860-808-9128

This Sunday brings the Monthly Shaped Note Singing gathering to The Bruce home, here in Middletown CT from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. you are invited to attend and Bring a dish to share for the Potluck that follows the singing. All are welcome! nbruce@wesleyan.edu for further information and or directions.

Now Here’s a rundown of cinema off the beaten path here in Central Connecticut:

At Real Art Ways in Hartford through Thursday night you can catch Price Check -  a smart and honest comedy that examines who we think we are and what we’re willing to do for the life we think we deserve.

Also through Wednesday, Real Art Ways shows Best of NY Int’l Children’s Film Festival Kid Flix Mix 2012

Friday Real Art Ways begins a run of Chasing Ice from Acclaimed National Geographic photographer James Balog, who once a skeptic about climate change, through his Extreme Ice Survey, discovers undeniable evidence of our changing planet.  More information at www.realartways.org
Cinestudio, Trinity College's cinema is closed through Thursday but re-opens with the launch of First Thursdays Cinema. OutFilmCT’s new series, featuring a great LGBT movie on the first Thursday of every month. Opening the series is a Belgian film starring Jelle Florizoone as a 14-year-old boy feeling trapped by his small coastal town, his neglectful mother, and an unrequited crush on the slightly older boy next door.  Friday Cinestudiop begins a run of A Royale Affair in which Johann Friedrich Struensee,  a national hero in Denmark, is an 18th century man of reason up against the superstitions and despotism of the royal court. More at www.cinestudio.org

Now here’s a rundown of tonight’s programming on WESU.

Right after the Jive At Five, it’s Afternoon Jazz with Charles Henry, a well-rounded jazz show.

At 6pm each week night, Free Speech Radio News from the Pacifica Network provided an evening dose of alternative international news and reporting.

At 630 tonight Stacey Zackin and friends kick off our New Year’s Eve spectacular at 6:30. At 8pm,

at 8pm on the Rumpus Room, Lord Lewis presents his Annual year end showcase of his favorite new release in 2012 for a retrospective of vintage and contemporary heavy funk, soul, club jazz, reggae, ska, afro and latin dance floor grooves from this year.

At 9:30 Classik Az (sound like Oz) helps us bring in the new year (living room style) with a live broadcast until 2:30am.

at 2:30 am Maximum Rock and Roll Radio features the best DIY punk, garage rock and hardcore from the astounding, ever-growing Maximum Rock n roll record collection.

at 3:30am DJ Vegetable Reads Missed Connections. You've lost someone. Let's find them.

The BBC World News   begins at 4am and we begin tomorrow’s programming at 5am with Morning Edition from National Public Radio.

That’s all for today’s Jive At Five, tune in each and every weekday at 4:55 pm to hear about what’s going on in the community and on the air right here at 88.1 FM WESU, a community service of Wesleyan University since 1939.

If you value WESU as a source for information and entertainment in your life, how about supporting the station with a donation? You can make that donation online at wesufm.org anytime - Thanks for listening!