Mon 6-4-18 Jive

Good evening, it's Monday, June 4^th. 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 Maria Johnson, producer and host of Reasonably Catholic: Keeping the Faith, which this summer airs EVERY Tuesday, from 4 to right before the Jive at Five. Tomorrow: a Pope Francis-minded episode: our faithful film critic Richard Alleva, who writes for the Catholic journal Commonweal, unpacks the new Wim Wenders documentary, "Pope Francis: A Man of His Word." And then Francis DeBernardo, director of New Ways Ministry, which works for equality in the Church for LGBTQ Catholics, takes up the discrepancy between Church teaching on homosexuality and the more progressive-minded, affirming message Francis has in private meetings with gay individuals. Can't listen live? Find the audio archived later tomorrow night at www.reasonablycatholic.com.

Now here's a look at some of what's going on in our area this week:

Tonight at 7 p.m. at the Durham Library, Readers Theater presents its last play of the season, "Ben Butler," a dramatic reading of a play that's full of wit, wordplay and wiliness. Set during the American Civil War, and with Richard Kamins playing the title role, "Ben Butler" has a message about racism that is still needed today. It will be performed again the following Monday, June 11, at 7 p.m. Middletown's Russell Library. 

Down in New Haven, Café Nine’s Manic Mondays presents Bent Knee, Owel, and Gatherers. They’re screening “What It Takes” on Tuesday with musical guess Stefanie Austin & The Palomino Club. On Wednesday they host a Comedy Open Mic with Dan Rice. Thursday’s headliner is Dave Hause, appearing with Northcote and Christian Marrone. Friday’s Happy Hour features Alison Farrell, and the late show’s got Boss Hog and Honch. Saturday’s Jazz Jam Session is with Gary Grippo & Friends, followed by the late show with The Split Squad and Dust Hat. The Sunday Matinée brings you Stacy Phillips and his Bluegrass Characters, and the evening lineup incldes Bangaldeafy, Juan Bond, and The Old Deluder. http://www.cafenine.com/

The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown brings you the Anything Goes Open Mic & Moments of Gratitude tonight with Terri and Rob. Chi Balance class continues on Tuesday and Wednesday, and they’ve got Laughter Yoga Tuesday evening. The Acoustic Open Mic with Bob Gotta happens Thursday, and on Friday it’s the Louis Apollon Jazz Trio. It’s CT Open House Day on Saturday and Ultimate Emcee Elvee  & Friends bring you Hip Hop and more outside the Buttonwood starting at 1 pm. Washboard Slim & The Bluelights bring you blues, swing, jug band and more Saturday night. The NEAR and Far Storytellers take the stage Sunday afternoon, and there’s a reception in the evening for the collage and watercolor exhibit by Candice Weigle-Spier that runs through the month. www.buttonwood.org

Up in Hartford at Black-Eyed Sally’s, it’s the usual Jazz Mondays tonight. Michael Palin’s Orchestra plays jazz, R&B, and soul classics on Tuesday. The Community Blues Jam happens every Wednesday, and on Thursday it’s Liviu’s Invitational. James Armstrong plays blues for you Friday night, and on Saturday it’s Kosher Kid & The Incredible Amplifires. http://www.blackeyedsallys.com/   

At Toad’s Place in New Haven, they have the Night of Smooth Jazz with Rohn Lawrence & Friends tonight. On Friday, they headline The Voidz, appearing with Porches. It’s Shakedown, The Dead and Beyond, Unfinished Business, and more on Saturday. www.toadsplace.com

The Russell Library in Middletown sponsors a Job and Career Workshop Tuesday night, Networking to Market Yourself with Jim Jackson of the Essex Group. The Racial Justice Book Group meets Tuesday evening to talk about “Citizen” by Claudia Rankine and “The Origin of Others” by Toni Morrison. The library hosts a Blood Pressure Monitoring session Wednesday at 1:30 in conjunction with the YMCA, and it’s also Scrabble Wednesday. It’s the first ever offsite book discussion on Thursday and you’re invited to Stubborn Beauty Brewery at 6 pm to talk about “Wonder” as part of the One Book on the Riverbend series. There’s Crafts for Adults Friday morning at 11 am, and the Friends Book Sale happens on Friday and Saturday. Check the website for more activities and offerings for patrons of all ages. www.russelllibrary.org

The Hartford Public Library hosts a rock painting workshop Tuesday at 11:45 am at the Dwight Branch. Rocks and supplies provided. www.hplct.org

The Greater Hartford Arts Council sponsors Art on the Streets Tuesdays on Pratt Street in Hartford at 11:30 am. Events this week include Postcard Design, Paintings on Paper, and Collaborative Tapestry Making. They’re back on Thursday at State House Square with Everyday Impressions Printmaking, house band music with Mike Carabello, and more. www.hartford.com/events/

The Hartford Mindfulness Center hosts Tai Chi Qigong Tuesdays at 5 pm. They also offer Mindfulness Meditation After Work every Wednesday at 6:15 pm. Their Refuge Recovery program happens Sunday evenings, all at their Farmington Avenue location.  www.facebook.com/pg/hartfordmindfulnesscenter

Learn African Kizomba Dance, a fun, low impact activity, at The 224 in Hartford on Tuesday at 6 pm. Details at www.hartford.com/events/ 

Yoga In Our City returns to Elizabeth Park in Hartford every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 PM. Come to Bushnell Park on Wednesday at 5:30, or enjoy Yoga Flow on the River at 6 pm at Mortensen Riverfront Plaza. They offer bilingual yoga Saturday at 10:30 am in Pope Park, and more yoga on Sunday at 10 am in Colt Park. www.hartford.com/events/

Riverfront Recapture sponsors a free class in contemporary dance Tuesday at 6 pm at Great River Park in East Hartford. www.riverfront.org

Emmy Award-winner Larry Wilmore comes to Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford Wednesday at 7:30 pm. Details at www.hartford.com/events/

Upward Hartford hosts a LinkedIn Local kickoff Wednesday at 6 at their Church St. location. Connect face-to-face and strengthen your contacts. www.upwardhartford.com

The Audio Feed music series in Hartford resumes its third season Wednesday at noon on Constitution Plaza. This week, enjoy The Girls From Ruby Falls. www.hartford.com/events/

At the Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore in Middletown, it’s Educators’ and Parents’ Night with children’s author Rosemary Wells on Wednesday at 7 pm. There’s a kids’ event on Saturday featuring Leslie Bulion with “Leaf Litter Critters.” www.wesleyanrjjulia.com

In Hartford, at the Arch Street Tavern, Boo-Yah Free Funk Wednesdays happens each week and is hosted is by members of West End Blend, Big Mean Sound Machine, and a rotating gang of special guests.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/booyahfreefunkfamily/ 

The Pratt Street Patio Lunchtime Music Series opens Thursday at noon with this week’s featured artist, Glenn Roth. www.hartford.com/events/

Manic Presents is at the College Street Music Hall on Thursday with Ilana Glazer, Petey Deabreau, and Shalewa Sharpe. On Saturday they bring you Good Old War, Juke Ross, and The Penniless Wild at the Space Ballroom in Hamden. www.manicpresents.com

Cherry Street Station in Wallingford brings you Soldiers of Solace, Black River Union, Slim Francis and more on Friday. It’s Sacred Ash, The Humanoids, Entierro, and Bellower on Saturday. On Sunday, you can catch Destination Dimension, With Sails Ahead, and Visitations. Details at www.facebook.com/CherryStreetStation/

Bonsai Trees, Strawberry Blonde, Carlos Danger and more are at the MAC650 Artist Gallery Co-Op in Middletown Friday at 7 pm. On Saturday, it’s Rich People, Tranqility, Foxy Dads, and Glambat. Details at www.facebook.com/CityArtsOffice/

At Infinity Hall in Hartford you can hear classic swing with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on Friday. It’s an Evening with David Crosby and friends on Sunday presenting their Sky Trails Tour 2018. www.infinityhall.com

Dance the Argentine Tango Friday at 8 at the Hartford Ballroom. An intro to tango starts the session. www.hartfordballroom.com/

Community Health Center and Soul Friends sponsor a conference Saturday at 9 am at CHC’s Middletown location, Animal Assisted Therapy Interventions for Youth & Teens. Information at www.facebook.com/CityArtsOffice/

The Middletown Garden Club House & Garden Tour happens this Saturday starting at 10 am, co-sponsored with the Middlesex County Historical Society. Highlights include the Mansfield House gardens and the rooftop garden of the Community Health Center. Details at www.facebook.com/CityArtsOffice/

Veterans and military service members are invited to try out rowing and kayaking Saturday at 9:30 am at Riverside Park in Hartford courtesy of the Connecticut Adaptive Rowing Program.  Registration required. www.riverfront.org

Middletown’s Recreation Division hosts a Nature Hike at the McCutcheon Park area. A discussion of Native uses is included. They also host a Yarn Bombing in Veteran’s Park from 10 am to 3 pm. Meet other knitters and help decorate the pool. E-mail rec@middletownct.gov for details and registration.

There’s a Beginner Storytelling Workshop with Speak Up co-founder Matthew Dicks Saturday at 9:30 at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford. Pre-registration is required. There’s a Speak-Up performance in the evening with the theme, “Conflict,” in conjunction with their exhibit Facing War: Connecticut in WWI.  www.chs.org

It's Second Saturdays for Families at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford. Enjoy free admission, story-telling, music, and more. www.thewadsworth.org

The 2018 Portland Music and Arts Festival happens Saturday from noon to 8 pm at Portland Riverfront Park. Enjoy folk, blues, and rock along with craft booths and food vendors. BEN THERE IS NO CONTACT/SITE FOR THIS  

Celebrate Harriet Beecher Stowe’s birthday Saturday at the Stowe Center in Hartford. Enjoy free tours, birthday cake, garden tours, and more. www.harriettbeecherstowecenter.org 

It’s Farmers Markets season again in Connecticut. Buy local in Durham on Thursdays from 3-6 pm, Cromwell on Fridays from 4-7 pm, and Sundays in Chester from 10 am-1 pm. www.ctnofa.org

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

Hartford’s Real Art Ways continues “The Guardians,” a French film about loss and resilience in WWI, and “Becoming Who I Was,” about a young boy’s trek to become a Tibetan monk, through Thursday. They also continue “Tully,” a comedy about a bond between a new mother and her nanny. Their Science on Screen film on Tuesday is “Chocolat,” with a pre-film talk by Dr. Mike Robinson of Wesleyan University, a neuroscientist who researches addiction and craving. On Friday they open “The Gospel According to André,” a fashion documentary about André Leon Tally, and “This is Our Land, “a French film about a working-class mother running for mayor. Check the website for details and screening times at www.realartways.org

Trinity College’s Cinestudio in Hartford continues the CT LGBT Film Festival with gay shorts, lesbian shorts, and single screenings all week. They close out the series on Friday with “Mario” and “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood.” Check the website for offerings and times. http://www.cinestudio.org/

Free Movies in the Park returns to Hartford this week with a screening of “Casablanca” at the Charter Oak Landing at 8 pm. www.riverfront.org/

Here's the rundown of tonight’s lineup as we kick off week #3 our new Summer program here on WESU 88.1 FM Middletown:”

Right after the jive at Five stick around for Afternoon Jazz with Charles Henry for an hour of classic bop.

at 6pm, Michael Benson  75% Folk features a mix of contemporary folk, blues, jazz and acoustic music until 8pm.

At 8:00 its time for The Rumpus Room with Lord Lewis for 90 minutes of vintage and contemporary funk, soul, jazz, reggae, dub, afro and Latin dance floor grooves.

From 9:30pm-11pm Cruiser’s Radio Program with Jack Sullivan features Music from the 1950s & 1960's as well as LIVE requests, TV Trivia, and lot of fun.

And from 11-12:30am stay tuned for more Hits of the 60s and 70s with Jimmy Z

Franco is in the house from 12:30-2:30am for a mix of Disco and dance floor hits from the 70’s and 80s.

After that things get weird with The Hour of Slack from The Church of the SubGenius Radio Ministry. The compendium of ranters, media barrage collage artists, for an hour of weird indie audio underground.

from 3:30-4am its Spoiler Alert Radio featuring Conversations on the craft of filmmaking

at 4am we turn to the BBC World Report for world news headlines.

With just about a month left until the end of our fiscal year, WESU is still needs to hear from listeners like you who’ve either never made a donation in support of the service we provide or who have yet to get around to making their annual donation. With over $10,000 left to raise, every donation matters and every dollar helps us get closer to our goal. Please donate today online at www.wesufm.org/plege Thanks for

That's all for today's Jive at Five. Join us weekdays at 4:55 for a daily rundown of area happenings a rundown of evening programming on WESU Middletown!

Now stay tuned for Afternoon Jazz with Charles Henry, up next!