5-5-14 Jive

Buenos dias! It’s Monday, May 5, Cinco de Mayo! This is the Jive at Five – our daily community calendar and rundown 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 weeknights and weekends. I'm Maria Johnson, producer and host of "Reasonably Catholic: Keeping the Faith," which airs every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesday afternoon, from 4 to right before the Jive at Five. Tomorrow, we visit with the pioneering feminist Catholic theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether, author of the groundbreaking classic, Sexism and God Talk: Toward a Feminist Theology. Can't hear the show live? The audio will be archived at both the reasonablycatholic.com blog and on wesufm.org.

Here’s a rundown of some of what’s happening in our area this week.

Tonight at 8, at the Buttonwood Tree in Middletown, the Anything Goes Open Mic is hosted by WESU’s own DJ J Cherry and her band, the Strawberries.  Tomorrow at 6 pm brings Laughter Yoga with Mimi Claire, with a vegetarian potluck. Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Buttonwood, Writers Out Loud, a literary prose open mic session, meets. Friday at 8, the duo Stefilia’s Stone plays piano and guitar. Saturday morning, it’s the usual offerings of quigong (Chi Kung), tai chi, and community yoga. Then Saturday night at 8, Sissy Castrogiovanni, performs Intra Lu Munnu, which means Inside the World. It’s a blend of  Jazz, Mediterranean and World Music, with a touch of classical and African influences, all blended into Sicilian lyrics, rhythms and old folk traditions.On Sundays, Food Not Bombs serves food outside the Buttonwood at 1 pm; all are welcome. You are also invited to help prepare the meal beforehand at 11 am at First Church Congregational on Court Street.  More at www.buttonwood.org

Up in Hartford, at Blackeyed Sally’s, tonight is Jazz Monday.  Tomorrow, Michael Palin’s Other Orchestra, an 18-piece big-band, works out new material.  On Wednesday, the Blues Jam, one of the longest running in New England, is hosted by Ed Bradley. And Thursday brings the CT Blues Challenge to the Sally’s stage, with bands competing to represent CT at the finals in Memphis. Friday at 9, it’s the award-winning Delta Generators. Then Saturday, it’s Joe Louis Walker, who was inducted last  year into The Blues Hall of Fame. Sunday brings a Mother’s Day Gospel Brunch to Blackeyed Sallys, featuring live music by the Mary Taylor Soul Band. There will be two seatings.  The number to call to book your reservation is 860-278-Ribs. Other details at www.blackeyedsallys.com .

Tonight, down at Toad’s Place in New Haven, you can catch A Night of Smooth Jazz with Rohn Lawrence and Friends. Tomorrow brings VNV Nation, with Whiteqube. Thursday’s Jammin Thursdays lineup includes All Good, The Before, Breakfast on Neptune, Indigroove, and ZWS. Friday, Conagra presents Hunter Hayes, the 24-Hour Road Race to End Child Hunger, an effort to break the Guinness World Records record for the Most Concerts Played in multiple cities in a 24-hour period. Also on tap are Dan & Shay. That’s followed at 9 by Keep Calm & EDM, with techncn (pronounced technician?), Nutron, Joey Fedz, Psylar, Carmy Fresh, Diatonic, Sonic. Mur Mur and Deafstar. Saturday at Toad’s, it’s Shakedown, playing The Dead and beyond; along with The Mushroom Cloud and The Remnants.

Also in New Haven, tonight, at Café Nine, it’s Chris Arnott’s Get to the Point writers’ showcase. Tomorrow, it’s a rescheduled show by The Standells, along with Bronson Rock.  Wednesday, Oddball Events brings Drivin' N' Cryin' to Café Nine, along with The Ivory Bills. Thursday, it’s Dead Wives and Fins, with Steve Hartlett and James Fonicello. Then Friday brings Ports of Spain, Surfing, and Spectral Fangs to Café Nine. Saturday afternoon’s jazz jam session is with Tony Dioguardi & Friends. The Original Sunday Night Jam is with the George Baker Band. www.cafenine.com

Manic Productions presents a number of shows this week, starting tonight at 8 at The Outer Space in Hamden with Mutual Benefit, Conveyor and Mercy Choir. At Bar in New Haven on Wednesday, Manic Productions presents Juan Wauters (of The Beets), Milksop:Unsung, Dan Soto & the High Doses, and DJ SWAY. On Sunday, at The Ballroom at The Outer Space in Hamden, Manic Productions presents Sharon Van Etten and She Keeps Bees. www.manicproductions.org.

At Wesleyan University, a veritable fireworks finale of performances wraps up the spring semester:

Tonight is the Center for the Arts’ Ebony Singers Spring Concert,  gospel music under the direction of Dr. Marichal Monts. That’s at Crowell Concert Hall.

 Tomorrow at noon, the Chamber Music Ensemble plays at Crowell. 

Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at CFA Hall, it’s A Celebration of Silent Sounds, celebrating the writing excellence of students in Middletown Public Schools grades 6 through 12, who will read their winning submissions of essays, short stories, and poetry from the annual literary magazine “Silent Sounds.” Co-sponsored by the Center for the Arts, Community and University Services for Education, and the Middletown Public Schools Cultural Council. 

Also tomorrow, at 7 p.m., there will be a concert of South Indian music, with Wesleyan students performing their annual recital of music from the Karnatak tradition of South India. That’s at World Music Hall.

Yet another performance tomorrow will be the WesWinds Spring Concert, featuring pieces for winds and percussion. That’s at Crowell Concert Hall.

 Thursday at Wesleyan’s Memorial Chapel, it’s the Annual Organ Romp, with Wesleyan student organists performing new music, pop, rock, jazz, and other unlikely pieces, with other musicians, instruments and percussion, costumes, video, and more.  

Friday afternoon at 3, the Center for the Arts presents a West African Drumming & Dance Concert, in which choreographer Iddi Saaka and Master Drummer Abraham Adzenyah will perform with their West African dance students. That’s in the CFA Courtyard, unless it rains and the show moves inside Crowell.

Friday night at 8 in World Music Hall, it’s Toneburst Electroextravaganza, with Wesleyan’s Toneburst Laptop and Electronic Arts Ensemble, directed by Assistant Professor of Music Paula Matthusen, performing works written by ensemble members.

More information about all shows can be found at www.wesleyan.edu/cfa or by calling 860-685-3355.

Tomorrow also brings a non-concert event to the Wesleyan campus, a lecture by U.S. Army Col. Gian Gentile titled, "Wrong Turn: America's Deadly Embrace of Counterinsurgency." That will be at 4:30 p.m. in PAC001.

 Tonight at 7 at the Russell Library’s Hubbard Room, Reader’s Theater Performs 'Time Stands Still'  by Donald Marguilies. Refreshments will be served.  On Thursday at 6:30 in the Hubbard Room, the Hampstead Stage Company Presents Hercules & the Heroes, geared toward children in grades 3 and up. Epictitus, the mask-maker, and Ovid, the poet, lead a journey of the imagination, exploring the ancient Greek heroes. Also on Thursday, at 7 p.m., Elisabeth Petry continues to lead The Veterans' Writing Group. That’s in the library’s meeting room 2. Friday and Saturday, the Friends of the Russell Library host their monthly book sale. Details about all events at www.russelllibrary.org.

On Thursday, at 7 p.m., the Art Guild of Middletown invites you to their May Demonstration: Graffiti Made Legal!, featuring graffiti artists whose large-scale works are displayed throughout New England and Canada. That’s at Middlefield Federated Church, 402 Main St., Middlefield.

On Fridays in Middletown, Argentine Tango  is taught at the First Church, 190 Court St. The beginners’ session is at 7:30; the intermediates’ at 8:30 and at 9:30 there’s a tango social which includes snacks. Teacher Jorge “Gem” Duras  has information at 203-543-8099.

Also on Friday, Dave Downs hosts an open mic at The Nest, 129 Church St. in Middletown. As president and CEO of The Highly Unsuccessful Songwriters Association, he invites songwriters to bring their worst songs to perform, starting at 9 p.m. Details at 860-788-2736.

 Now here's a rundown of cinema off the beaten track in Central Connecticut:

At Real Art Ways in Hartford, the films Mamele and Alan Partridge continue through Thursday. Opening Friday is the documentary Finding Vivian Maier. She's now considered one of the 20th century's greatest street photographers, but was a mysterious nanny who secretly took over 100,000 photographs that went unseen during her lifetime. Since buying her work by chance at auction, amateur historian John Maloof has crusaded to put this prolific photographer in the history books. Also opening Friday is Mistaken for Strangers, hailed by filmmaker Michael Moore as one of the best documentaries about a band he’d ever seen. It’s described as a truly hilarious, unusual, and moving film about two brothers, Matt (lead singer of The National) and Tom Berninger. Details at www.realartways.com.

At Cinestudio, Trinity College’s cinema in Hartford, tonight and tomorrow are the last chances to catch The Great Beauty, winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Opening Wednesday and running through Saturday is Le Week-end, a bittersweet love story that gets real about the ups and downs of longtime marriages. It’s described as “sad, sweet, dark, funny and possibly even redemptive.” Sunday brings Nymph()maniac, Vol. One, about a woman’s erotic adventures with the chilly intellectual who found her collapsed on a Parisian street. www.cinestudio.org.

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

5:05‑6pm Afternoon Jazz with Charles Henry

6‑6:30pm Real Talk with Jack Spira

6:30‑8pm Life is a Killer with Johnny Analog

8‑9:30pm The Rumpus Room with Lord Lewis

9:30‑11pm The Attention Deficit Disk Jockey with Lee

11pm‑12am Girl Power Hour  with DJ Jeffrey and DJ Moe

12‑12:30am Romancipation with Dr. Love and DJ Smooth

12:30‑1:30am The Laugh Infection with DJ Willie Zabar

1:30-2:30 Good Times with MKC, Omardaslayer, and djspecialk

2:30‑4am Free Association with DJ Robin Hood

4‑5am BBC World News

5‑10am Morning Edition from NPR

 And that’s all for today’s Jive at Five, if you didn’t get a chance to write down some of the information mentioned in our community calendar, the script is published online at www.wesufm.org/jive

2014 marks 75 years of alternative music, public affairs, and community service from WESU. Look for information on special programming and events online at www.wesufm.org.

Thanks! Now stay tuned for Charles Henry.