This Week in New Haven (February 19 – 25)

R eason, facts and data mingle with imagination, fiction and subjective experience this week in New Haven. 

Monday, February 19
The Amity Teen Center’s 23rd annual Battle of the Bands fundraiser is the first to be held at College Street Music Hall (238 College St, New Haven; 203-867-2000), “a large stage with excellent sound and amazing lighting where our teens can dream big.” Starting at 4 p.m., the program features a dozen bands “competing for the coveted title,” with tickets costing $12.

Tuesday, February 20
At 6:30 p.m., Quinnipiac University’s Clarice L. Buckman Theater (275 Mt Carmel Ave, Hamden) hosts a timely panel discussion titled “Blackness, Heroism and the American Imagination: Can Black Panther Expand the Marvel Universe?” Featuring a trio of Quinnipiac professors and another from Southern Connecticut State, the moderated panel will probably incorporate data from this past weekend, when Black Panther (pictured above in a partial still), featuring a mostly black cast led by a black protagonist, earned one of the top domestic grosses in movie history.

sponsored by

Baskerville at Long Wharf Theatre

Wednesday, February 21
At the Institution for Social and Policy Studies (77 Prospect St, New Haven), Yale political science postdoc Adam Thal delivers a noontime presentation of research that used social media to assess what and how the wealthy think about wealth disparity in America. Cleverly titling his talk “Status Update: The Social Origins of Affluent Americans’ Views Toward Inequality,” Thal plans to discuss how his hypothesis—“that affluent Americans’ positive stance towards inequality and inequality-inducing policies is driven by their tendency to view money as a source of social approval and self-esteem”—stood up to testing, and how the results of his research might “contribute to ongoing debates about whether social media is an egalitarian influence on society, or merely serves to entrench existing forms of inequality.” Free.

Thursday, February 22
Wealth disparity merits further discussion. At 5 p.m. at the Whitney Humanities Center (53 Wall St, New Haven; 203-432-0670), four Yale professors from the relevant disciplines talk about “Income Inequality in the US: Economics, History and Social Impact.” The panel is inspired by “Trapped in the Middle,” a WHC exhibition of photographs by Julian Fisher that seeks to “[put] a face to the problem” of the increasingly impoverished American middle class. Free.

From 5 to 9 p.m., the next installment of The Commons—“a monthly collision of arts, culture and community” presented by the Arts Council and Breakfast Lunch & Dinner—happens at Bregamos Community Theater (491 Blatchley Ave, New Haven). Featuring a performance by singer-songwriter Kevin Bermudez, a set by DJ Dooley-O, “artistic demonstrations and the chance to share a fantastic evening of drink and food,” the underlying idea is to “bring Greater New Haven’s various creative communities together to create new friendships, bonds and spark future creative collaborations.” RSVP requested.

Friday, February 23
“Celestial ambient soundscapes” come to Lyric Hall (827 Whalley Ave, New Haven; 203-389-8885) at 7:30 p.m., when a three-act bill features “an exploration of space and time” via “layers of layers of layers of sound” from opener Interlaker; instrumental acoustic folk, at times sitar-like guitarwork from Rob Noyes; and a hard-to-define, Eastern spirituality-infused sing-and-talk-and-play from Laraaji. Also contributing are Arji OceAnanda, providing “healing sound accompaniment,” and DJ Justin, who’s “bringing the mood before, between and after the artists perform.” $15.

Saturday, February 24
John Day Tully, a history professor at Central Connecticut State University, gives a free 2 p.m. lecture on “World War I and Irish Independence” at the Knights of Columbus Museum (1 State St, New Haven; 203-865-0400). Gauging “the impact of World War I on Irish opinion and how it accelerated nationalists’ timetable in the struggle for independence from the United Kingdom,” Tully also plans to examine “Irish-American efforts to support Irish independence during the conflict.”

Sunday, February 25
“Tired of winter? Let your spirits be warmed and lifted,” says the New Haven Chorale, an auditioned community choir, about its 4:30 p.m. concert titled “The Water is Wide.” Happening at Bethesda Lutheran Church (450 Whitney Ave, New Haven), the program includes “modern classics, folk song settings and African American spirituals.” Tickets cost $20, or $15 for seniors, or $0 for students and children.

The next Heatery, a monthly Firehouse 12 DJ residency for Lord Lewis the Velvet Knight—“one of Connecticut’s premier deep-cut selectors and long standing radio host of legendary Rumpus Room radio show on WESU 88.1 FM”—starts at 9 p.m. and ends when the night does. Spinning vinyl only, organizers promise “contemporary deep funk, soul, jazz, Afrobeat, world, reggae, dub and dance underground,” plus “classic rare grooves, rarities and exclusives.” No cover, we think. 45 Crown Street, New Haven. (203) 785-0468.

Written by Dan Mims. Image is a partial still from the movie Black Panther (2018). Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.

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Dan has worked for a couple of major media companies, but he likes Daily Nutmeg best. As DN’s editor, he writes, photographs, edits and otherwise shepherds ideas into fully realized feature stories.

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