06-29-15 Jive

Good evening, it's Monday, June 29th, and this is the Jive at Five, our daily community calendar and rundown of night time programming here on WESU 88.1 FM 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, producer and host of Reasonably Catholic: Keeping the Faith, which airs every first, third and fifth Tuesday from 4 to right before the Jive at Five.


Tomorrow: the first half of a recent 90-minute conversation at Yale University titled “Following Jesus as a Secular Progressive.”

The event, held in a packed auditorium at Yale in late April, was hosted by the Yale Center for Faith & Culture, Yale Humanist Community, and Elm City Vineyard Church, among other organizations.

It was a compelling dialogue between two friends, secular author and USA Today religion-in-public-life columnist, Tom Krattenmaker, and Christian author and speaker, Tony Kriz.  The organizers' aim was to break down divisions that make Jesus the exclusive property of religious people. Can't listen live? Find the audio of both archived after the fact at www.reasonablycatholic.com, where I’ll also post photos and related links of interest.

Now here’s some of what’s happening in our area this week:

In New Haven tonight, Cafe Nine hosts a  benefit for the Ansonia N ature Center with a host of entertainers.  On Tuesday, they bring you King Bongo, Bandit, and Author.  Wednesday, it’s Dan & Dans Comedy Open Mic. Thursday’s headliner is Undercliff.  Friday’s Wind-down Happy Hour artist is Chris Merk, followed later by The Hound, and Tyrone Shoelaces.  On Saturday it’s the Big Fat Café 9 BBQ with a Rhythm & Blues Marathon, starting at 4. Sunday’s usual Soul Service is at 8. http://www.cafenine.com

Tonight, at the Buttonwood Tree in Middletown, it’s the usual Moments of Gratitude at 7:45, followed by the Anything Goes Open Mic.  On Thursday enjoy another Open Mic with Bob Gotta.  Friday they’ve got the Nu Band, with special guest German guitarist Erhard Hirt, bringing you improvisational jazz. Food Not Bombs serves food outside the Buttonwood Tree every Sunday at about 1 p.m. Help prepare the meal at First Church on Court Street at 11:30. Sunday night it’s comedy with the Great Make Believe Improv Show. The Hearing Voices Network meets weekly on Monday morning at 10:30. The July art exhibit features the photography of Jennifer Misseri.  http://www.buttonwood.org

At Toad’s Place in New Haven, tonight it’s the usual Night of Smooth Jazz with Rohn Lawrence at 9.  On Thursday it’s the Local Rock Showcase, starting at 6:15.  Friday you can enjoy the Bright Night 20: Electro Glo Party, with DJ’s spinning in two rooms. www.toadsplace.com

Up in Hartford, Black-eyed Sally’s continues its usual Jazz Mondays tonight with the Mike Casy Trio. On Tuesday, Michael Palin’s Other Orchestra, an 18-piece band, works out new material. The Wednesday Blues Jam features Ray Morant this week. On Friday it’s singer/songwriter Eran Troy Danner, with Jake Kulak & The Lowdown, bringing you blues, swing, dance, and more. www.blackeyedsallys.com 

Manic Productions brings Ceremony, Pity Sex, and more to The Space in Hamden tonight at 7:30.  On Wednesday, it’s Joe Michelini, and Jack + Eliza at Bar in New Haven.  Thursday, they headline Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at the College Street Music Hall in New Haven. http://www.manicproductions.org  

The Wesleyan Center for the Arts hosts a live poetry reading this Tuesday at noon at CFA Hall, featuring Elizabeth Willis with offerings from her new book, “Alive:  New and Selected Poems.”  On Wednesday at 7, you can dance to the Afro-Mexican music of the East Los Angeles group Las Cafeteras at the CFA courtyard.  http://www.arts2go.org  

At the Russell Library in Middletown, the 18th Annual Naturalization Ceremony happens at 1 on Wednesday.  Visit the website for details on community activities, workshops, children’s programs and more. http://www.russelllibrary.org

Support Connecticut’s Farmer’s Markets and enjoy healthy food while you’re at it! You can visit East Haddam every Wednesday from 4 to 7, Durham every Thursday from 3 to 6, Clinton every Thursday from 4 to 7, Middletown North End Friday from 10 to 2, Higganum Village Friday from 3:30 to 6:30, Cromwell on Friday from 4 to 7, Old Saybrook on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and Chester on Sunday from 10 to 1.  Stay tuned to the Jive for updates on more openings, and visit http://www.ctnofa.org/FarmersMarkets for full details.

The Middletown Scottish Country Dancers meet Wednesday at First Church on Court St.  Partners not necessary.  Call 860-347-0278 for details.

The Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford now offers free admission every Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 5 p.m.  It’s free as well this Saturday as part of their Second Saturdays for Families series.  http://www.thewadsworth.org

There’s an opening reception for the painting and glass collage exhibit “On the Diagonal” by Nancy Eisenfeld this Thursday at 5 at the Green Street Teaching and Learning Center in Middletown.  http://www.arts2go.org 

You can take a free tour of the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arc every Thursday at noon in Bushnell Park in Hartford.  More information is available at http://www.bushnellpark.org

The annual Middletown Fireworks Festival takes place on Friday starting at 4, at two locations:  Harbor Park and the City Hall lawn.  Enjoy music by Shaded Soul and Prelude, along with food and family fun. The festival has expanded fireworks this year, accompanied by music by the Middletown Symphonic Band.  Details at www.arts2go.org

At Infinity Hall in Hartford, they’ve got Lotus Land – The American RUSH Tribute, this Friday at 8.  On Sunday at 7:30, you can hear Destiny Africa’s Children’s Choir from Uganda, bringing you Gospel and world music. at http://www.infinityhall.com

At Scatz Restaurant and Lounge in Middletown, you can enjoy R&B music by Showtime this Friday. http://www.scatzrestaurantandlounge.com has details.  That’s Scatz with a Z.

A book signing takes place this Friday at the Book Bower on Main Street in Middletown, featuring “Locus Amoenus” by Victoria N. Alexander, a dark comedy about a post 9/11 widow living in upstate New York.  http://www.arts2go.org

WESU DJ Karen Stein, host of WESU’s Imagine radio show airing on Thursdays, performs acoustic guitar every Saturday from 12:15 to 3 p.m. at the original Brewbaker’s on Main Street in Middletown.

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

At Real Art Ways in Hartford, they continue their run of “The Yes Men Are Revolting,” a documentary about an activist group taking on climate change.  Also running is “The Wolfpack,” a Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary about brothers locked in a Lower East Side apartment who discover the world through movies. You can see both through Thursday.  On Friday they open “Charlie’s Country,” about an aboriginal lost between the old and new cultures of northern Australia. Also opening is “Tangerines,” a film about conflict caused by the 1992 Soviet Union breakup that takes place on an Estonian farm during harvest time. Both run through the weekend.  www.realartways.org

Trinity College’s Cinestudio continues its run of “The Last Waltz,” a restored version of Martin Scorsese’s 1976 concert film of The Band’s farewell performance in San Francisco.  On Friday they open “Woman in Gold,” starring Helen Mirrin as an Austrian Jew tracking down works of art stolen from her family by the Nazis during World War II.   It continues through the weekend.  Details at http://www.cinestudio.org

The Hartford Parks free Movies After Dark series is showing “The Sandlot” this Friday at Cal Ripkin Field in Hartford. www.hartford.com/event/

Now here's what's on the air tonight on WESU: 

Right after the Jive stay tuned for Afternoon Jazz with Charles Henry until 6 p.m..


From 6 – 8:00 tonight, stay tuned for a special editions of Unfocused Folk with Chip Austin, presenting Americana music from Nashville and around the world from both emerging and veteran artists.


Up next at its 90 minutes of new and vintage funk and soul with Lord Lewis on the Rumpus Room.

At 9:30 we switch (audio) gears for Aargh!!! with Tom Gatzen who’ll provide 2 hours of  loud music including stoner and cosmic rock to doom and avant garde and more!.


From 11:30 to 1 DIY Haircut with DJ Tim Daltrey, celebrates punk, hardcore, garage, indie, and metal.


From 1-2am Maximum Rock and Roll Radio keeps the loud rock music pumping. There’s more (loud rock) where that came from, on Combat music radio at 2am.

At 2am its “in other words from Pacifica.

At 3am, we’ll rebroadcast today’s noontime edition of Democracy Now with Amy Goodman before switching over to the BBC world news at 4am. Morning Edition comes your way at 5am each weekday, here at WESU.


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



If you value WESU as a source for information and entertainment in your life, please help us close out our Spring pledge drive with a meaningful donation. You can make that donation online at www.wesufm.org, anytime. We are running out of time to balance our budget before the June 30th fiscal year end and we really need your help!  Thanks - Now stay tuned for afternoon Jazz with Charles Henry.

And 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 http://www.wesufm.org anytime but we could really use your help before our June 30th fiscal year end.

Thanks - Now stay tuned for Afternoon Jazz with Charles Henry.