9-1-14 Jive

Good evening! Happy Labor Day! It’s Monday, September 1^st, and this is the Jive at Five, our community calendar and rundown of nighttime 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. Tomorrow: we mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with an episode about the Daughters of Charity, an order of sisters who tended to the wounded on the battlefields of both the North and South, being allowed to cross the lines to bring the kind of compassion and medical care for which, in their Flying-Nun-like cornettes, they'd come to be recognized. We'll interview author James Rada whose book shines a light on a ministry that otherwise would have been lost to history. An added bonus tomorrow; Commonweal movie critic Richard Alleva returns to review the Irish film "Calvary" in the cineplexes now.

Now here’s a rundown of some of what’s going on in our area this week:

Down in New Haven, at Toad’s Place, tonight at 9 there’s A Night of Smooth jazz in Lilly’s Pad, with Rohn Lawrence & Friends.  On Thursday at 9, they’ve got the return of Day 26, along with Theory, Ru Williams, and Kendall and Kaeli.  Friday’s show headlines The Lox, with other performers, and is hosted by Jenny Boom Boom and Bam. www.toadsplace.com

Tomorrow, at Blackeyed Sally’s in Hartford, Michael Palin’s Other Orchestra, an 18-piece band, works out new material. Wednesday’s weekly Blues Jam at 8 is hosted by Gene Donaldson. On Friday at 8:30, bring your dancing shows for classic rock and soul with The Rib Rockers and special guests.   On Saturday at 9, they’ve got the Mighty Soul Drivers, with classic Soul sounds.  www.blackeyedsallys.com  

Also tonight in New Haven, at Café Nine, they’ve got If Jesus Had Machine Guns at 8.  OnTuesday, there’s Sole, DJ Pain 1, Sketch the Cataclysm, and others at 8.   Wednesday’s headliner for the 7 p.m. show is Lonesome Billy Calash.  On Thursday they bring you Emil Asher’s Garden Party, and Jovan Alexandre.  On Friday at 5, Shaun Bowen takes the stage, followed at 9 by Laundry Day, Loom, 10,000 blades, and Kindred Queer.  Saturday afternoon’s weekly jazz jam session is with Mike Coppola and Friends at 4:30, followed at 9 by Goodnight Blue Moon, The Soldier Story, Matt Wheeler, and Max Garcia Conover.   On Sunday at 8 they bring you Blues Boot Camp with Greg Sherrod.   www.cafenine.com.

Middletown’s Summer Sounds Tuesday Evening Concert Series at Harbor Park closes out this week with a performance by the Middletown Symphonic Band, starting at 7pm, overlooking the Connecticut River. Rain location is South Church.  www.arts2go.org

This month through September 21, you can catch, “Woody Sez,” a stage show about the life, times and music of the legendary American folk musician, Woody Guthrie, at Theater Works in Hartford. www.theaterworkshartford.org

The Green Street Arts Center is offering a month-long web design and blogging class starting this Tuesday at 6 p.m. at its location on Main St., Middletown.  Their family Preschool Music Classes resume this Saturday.  www.wesleyan.edu/greenstreet/

Guided tours occur every Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Wadsworth Mansion.  www.wadsworthmansion.com

The Middletown Scottish Country Dancers classes resume this Wednesday at First Church, Court Street, at 7 p.m..  Partners not necessary, and wear soft-soled shoes.  Details at 860-347-0278

Infinity Hall’s new Hartford venue is now open. Thursday night you can catch Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 at 8, on Friday they have Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals, and on Saturday there’s Satisfaction, the world’s #1 Rolling Stones Tribute Band.  http://www.infinityhall.com for information  

Wesleyan Potters exhibit “Earth, Wind and Fire:  A Members Show,” continues at the gallery and shop on S. Main St. in Middletown.   www.wesleyanpotters.com

On Tuesday at the Buttonwood Tree, there’s laughter yoga with Mylene Poitras and a vegetarian potluck at 6 p.m. Friday night at 5 p.m. there’s an artist reception for Erik Person.  Saturday afternoon, the free poets collective presents The Connecticut Beat Poetry Festival, followed at 8 by Slam Up! With Cali & Emily, giving you a musical ride through life and love.  On Sunday at 1, the Connecticut Beat Poetry Festival continues, with more poetry readings, as well as music by David Sergio and Janice McCune.   www.buttonwood.org.

Hartford Public Library opens the exhibit “Pedal and Path:  Hartford & the Bicycle,” this Wednesday at the downtown branch.  Maps, images, and a 1924 velodrome ‘track bike” will be displayed. www.hplct.org

The Nook Farm Book Talk meet the author series brings you Daniel Sterner this Wednesday at 5 at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford.  He’ll discuss his book “Vanished Downtown Hartford.”  www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org

Manic Productions presents a number of shows at area venues this week. On Wednesday, at Bar in New Haven, the featured artist is Call It Arson, with performances by New Year’s Revolution, and Death Black Birds.  On Friday, at The Ballroom at the Outer Space in Hamden, you can see S. Carey of Bon Iver, and Califone, at 8 p.m.   www.manicproductions.com.

Every Friday, at 9 p.m., Dave Downs hosts a new weekly open mic and invites songwriters to perform at The Nest, located at 129 Church Street, Middletown.  Info at 860.788.2736.

Also on Friday, at Scatz Restaurant and Jazz Lounge in Middletown, the jazz group Easy Baby performs at 8. On Saturday, the R&B group Nu Direxion will play at 8:30.  www.scatzrestaurantandlounge.com. That’s scatz with a z.

Wesleyan’s Center for the Arts begins its fall season with an opening concert by University Organist Ronald Ebrecht, “Bach to School,” Friday at 8 p.m. at Memorial Chapel.  www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/

Oddfellows Playhouse holds an Open House this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meet the staff and artists, take a tour, and sign up for fall programs.  www.oddfellows.org

There’s a Mystery Scavenger Hunt this Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford.  Prizes will be awarded.  www.cedarhillcemetery.org

The Ray Gonzalez Latin Jazz & Salsa Festival starts at 6 p.m. this Saturday at the Mortensen Riverfront Plaza in Hartford.  www.riverfront.org

Connecticut’s summer farmer’s markets are in full bloom, and are located: in Middletown on Tuesdays; in East Haddam and Old Saybrook on Wednesdays; in Clinton, Durham, and Middletown on Thursdays; in Higganum and Middletown on Fridays; in Ivoryton on Saturdays, and in Chester on Sundays.  www.ctnofa.org fills in the details.

The 72^nd annual North Haven Fair opens this Thursday and continues through Sunday.  Enjoy the rides, Beer Garden, exhibits, food, and horse drawing competition.  Musical entertainment this year includes Double J Sound on Thursday, and Bad Mannerz on Friday, along with Cinderella’s Tom Keifer who debuts his solo act.  On Saturday they’ve got Groovetime at noon, followed by The Navels, and country artist Krystal Keith at 8.  Sunday’s entertainment includes the oldies band Flashback at 1, with Northeast Wrestling events happening at 5 p.m.  www.northhaven-fair.com

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

At Real Art Ways in Hartford, the run of  “Frank,” a comedy about a young wannabe musician who joins an eccentric pop band, continues through Thursday.  Also continuing through these dates is  “Jealousy,” a French drama about how a man’s life changes when he decides to leave his wife and daughter.  Their monthly feature, “Real Board Games,” happens on Tuesday at 6 p.m.  On Friday, there’s GAZE, the monthly Gay Happy Hour, at 4:30.  Also on Friday, they open a run of “Abuse of Weakness,” a French film about a woman who suffers a stroke who gets involved with  a con man who swindles celebrities.  Friday marks the opening of “The Trip to Italy,” a comedic culinary road trip that reunites Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as they retrace the steps of the Romantic poets’ grand tour of Italy.  Both films continue through Sunday. www.realartways.org

At Cinestudio, Trinity College’s cinema in Hartford, the run of “Begin Again,” starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in a drama about New York musicians trying to reconcile integrity and success, continues through Wednesday.  Thursday’s offering is the British National Theatre Live’s performance of Medea at 2, which will be rebroadcast on Sunday. Their Outfilm First Thursdays kicks off with “Yves Saint Laurent,” a Friench film about the life of this world-famous designer.  On Friday and Saturday they’re showing “Get On Up,” starring Chadwick Boseman as the Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown.  Sunday’s film is “The Dog,” a documentary of 1970’s New York about the man who inspired the 1975 classic “Dog Day Afternoon.”    www.cinestudio.org.

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

5:05‑6pm Afternoon Jazz with Charles Henry

6‑8pm 75% Folk with Michael Benson.

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

9:30‑11:30pm   Aargh with Tom Gatzen

 11:30pm‑2am Space Music for Summer with Cadet Q

 2‑2:30 Bassment Beats with DJ LOKASH

 2:30‑3am New World Show with DJ LOKASH

 3‑4am  The Graveyard Shift w DJ Otto Nation with playlist

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! Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day and stay tuned for Charles Henry.