Tues 12-31-19 Jive

Good evening, it's Tuesday, December 31^st, New Year’s Eve!  This is the Jive at Five, our daily community calendar and rundown of nighttime programming here on 88.1 FM WESU Middletown. By day, WESU offers talk radio from NPR and Pacifica, as well as independent and local public affairs sources. Weeknights and weekends our student and community volunteers bring you the best in free-form programming. I'm Ben Michael, Happy New Year from all of us here at WESU.

It’s hard to believe WESU’s 80th anniversary year is almost behind us. With under $9,000 in donations left to raise to meet our pledge drive goal, time is running out to close out this pledge drive before the stations’ 80^th anniversary year.  

Your donation during our holiday pledge drive helps preserve WESUs incredible 8 decade legacy of service and keeps community radio alive, here in central CT. Please consider giving the gift of WESU this holiday season! Make your year-end contribution and check out our great thank you gifts online at wesufm.org/pledge Every dollar counts and we really need to hear from you!

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

Tonight The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown hosts “Fire of Hope” a Peace Gathering, featuring Annaita Gandhy. The Story City Troupe takes the Buttonwood Tree stage on Friday, and The Aligned With Source workshop happens on Saturday morning, On Saturday afternoon there’s an Art Reception for the new exhibition, “Wildlife in the Tree,” by Elizabeth Ann McNalley. The Subliminals are on the roster Saturday night with instrumental jazz and groove. www.buttonwood.org

In New Haven, at Café Nine, New Year’s Eve features Robin Banks and more with burlesque, live music, comedy, and drag. The Nine also presents a free event on New Year’s Day with A Tribute to Hank Williams. Split Silver takes the stage on Thursday, and Friday’s Happy Hour features Lynn Malavolti. Friday’s late show brings you Left on Scarlet Street, Green Light, and Rock Bottom. The Saturday Jazz Jam Session features Mike Coppola & Friends, followed by the late show with ReadyRockDee, Rowdy City, Dutch Shultz, and much more. The Sunday Buzz matinée headlines The Manchurians and The Sparkomatics, and they finish out the weekend with Blood Red/Blue, Jonas the Cloud, and All That We Are. www.cafenine.com

At Black-Eyed Sally’s in Hartford celebrates New Year’s Eve tonight, with Sally’s All-Star Band. Liviu’s Invitational comes your way on Thursday, and on Friday you can catch the new “supergroup,” K-Jammz 2020. The Mighty Soul Drivers bring you the sounds of Memphis and more on Saturday night. http://www.blackeyedsallys.com/

Up in Hartford, the 31^st annual First Night Hartford celebration is on the books with two fireworks shows in Bushnell Park, multi-cultural activities, live performances, and a Grand Procession that started at 2 pm. www.firstnighthartford.org The Arch Street Tavern hosts a Shakedown New Year’s Eve Celebration on tonight/Tuesday. Winterfest Hartford at Bushnell Park continues, where you can skate for free seven days a week, or check out the Holiday Light Fantasia at Goodwin Park. Center Church Hartford holds its 14^th annual “Messiah” Community Sing on Sunday at 4 pm. Full details at www.hartford.com/events/

The State House in New Haven brings the year to a close tonight with a New Year’s Party. On Friday, the “We The Heroes Ball” returns for the second year, and on Saturday you can Party Out of Bounds 2020 with an 80’s/90’s Dance Party. www.statehousepresents.com

The Middletown Arts & Culture Office reminds us of the 20^th annual New Year’s Eve Gala at the Wadsworth Mansion on Tuesday evening. The Mansion also holds a family-friendly Open House on Sunday with tours, carriage rides, music, and more. www.facebook.com/CityArtsOffice/

Infinity Hall Norfolk brings the New Year in tonight Tuesday with pop and rock by NRBQ, including the option for a dinner with the show. At Infinity Hartford, the cast of Beatlemania takes the stage on Saturday night. www.infinityhall.com

Cherry Street Station in Wallingford hosts a New Year’s Eve party on tonight (Tues) starting at 7 pm. There’s a Birthday Bash for Michelle on Friday with Uncomfortables, Price to Pay, Little Hands, and more, and on Saturday it’s the third installment of their The Earth is Doomed Show with FirstBourne, Matt Danger, and more. www.facebook.com/CherryStreetStation/

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

Hartford’s Real Art Ways continues runs of “Parasite,” a modern Korean fairy tale, “Jojo Rabbit,” a WWII satire about a lonely German boy whose mother is hiding a Jewish girl, and “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring Tom Hanks as you-know-who. Upcoming openings include “Honey Boy” and “Burning Cane.” Check the website for details and screening times. www.realartways.org

Trinity College’s Cinestudio reopens this Thursday with “The Two Popes,” a film about secularity and scandal in the modern Vatican. They open a run of “Parasite” on Sunday. Full details at http://www.cinestudio.org

Here's the rundown of tonight’s lineup here on WESU 88.1 FM Middletown:

Right after the Jive at Five, stay tuned for Wonderland with DJ Cheshire Cat from 5:05-6pm.

From krautrock to post-rock, grunge to garage, blues to BeBop, novelty to New Romantic, Wonderland has a place for it. 

From 6-8pm Bill Revill brings us Acoustic Blender, offering an eclectic selection of new and older folk, Americana, bluegrass, blues and other music that has a roots influence with a concert listing at 7pm and frequent concert and festival ticket giveaways.

From 8-9 stay tuned for J-Cherry’s Voice of the City!

Beginning at 9pm, Franco will be in the house for his annual New Year’s Eve disco party featuring American and Italian dance hits from over the years, with a live count down just before midnight to bring in the new year.

at 2am we go Back Down the Bayou for 2hrs of swamp rock funk and soul and then Louisiana Barn Dance brings us an hour of Cajun and roots country sounds from Louisiana.

at 3am third shift listeners can catch an encore presentation of our noontime broadcast of Democracy Now!

At 4am we kick of four daytime public affairs block with BBC World Report followed by morning edition from NPR.

With over $8,000 in donations still needed before we can close out our Fall/winter pledge drive, we won’t be able to meet our goal before midnight unless we hear from quite a few more donors. If WESU has contributed to the quality of your life, please honor our 8 decade legacy of service with a contribution to keep WESU alive and well. No gift is too small or large. Every dollar counts.   Please make a generous year end donation online at wesufm.org/pledge.

Thanks and Happy New Year! I'll catch you in 2020! Stay tuned for Wonderland, up next.