This week in New Haven is brought to you by the letter “S”: Shontelle, South American cinema, a Summit inspired by scripture, Serra’s Stack sculpture… and plenty of summer sun.
Monday, July 23
Children’s book author Cathrene Valente Youngquist has retold the tale of Three Billygoats Gruff with a new character, Calypso Joe, and a tropical flavor. Youngquist reads and signs the book 6:30 p.m. tonight at Mitchell Branch Library, 37 Harrison St., New Haven.
Tuesday, July 24
The second Twilight Tuesdays concert, 7:45 p.m. tonight in the Park for the Arts behind Neighborhood Music School (100 Audubon St., New Haven), has youthful jazz pianist Craig Hartley playing tunes from his new album Books on Tape Vol. 1, backed by bassist Carlo DeRosa. Dinner is available through Abel Caterers. $20, $5 children. (203) 624-5189 x15.
The free International Film Series screening tonight at the main New Haven Free Public Library (133 Elm St., New Haven) is the 2010 drama Amador, about a South American woman caring for a bedridden elderly man. 5:30 p.m. (203) 946-8835.
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Wednesday, July 25
Richard Serra’s public installation Stacks—two massive square metal masses, artfully placed—once graced an indoor room of the Yale University Art Gallery (1111 Chapel St., New Haven). When the gallery underwent renovations a few years ago, the piece was relocated outdoors, and its context shifted. Molleen Theodore gives a gallery lecture today on “Richard Serra’s Stacks and Selected Sculpture in the Wurtele Sculpture Garden,” 12:30 p.m. (203) 432-0600.
Thursday, July 26
England in 1819 is a different sort of family band—a father and his two sons playing mournful, wistful guitar and whispering haunting, soulful melodies above it. There aren’t many folk/blues bands which you can recommend without reservation to fans of experimental rockers like Radiohead, but this is the one. England in 1819 play The Space tonight. Also on the bill: Ocean Versus Daughter (from Prague), Stephie Coplan, The Modern Tribe (from Ridgefield), Decades (from Michigan), la tomber (from Danbury) and Beach Chode (from New Jersey). The music starts at 6 p.m. 295 Treadwell St., Hamden. (203) 288-6400.
Friday, July 27
Christian youth are summoned to the weekend-long “Identity 1.0 Prayer Action Summit” starting tonight at the Omni Hotel (155 Temple St., New Haven). Tonight’s opening concert features the conference’s host Darry Brackeen Jr. from New Haven’s Church on the Rock ministry plus dance, hip-hop and spoken word performances. On Saturday there’s a “prayer summit” with prayer sessions, speeches and more music, followed by another concert 7 p.m. Saturday night. The event is sponsored by the youth-oriented Vision 4:12 Ministries. Chapter 4, Verse 12 of the biblical Book of Timothy, by the way, reads “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (203) 387-2752.
A different sort of spiritual worship is happening over at Café Nine, where Hamden filmmaker Gorman Bechard is screening his documentary Color Me Obsessed—A Film About the Replacements. Bechard chose to make the film, about the notorious Minnesota-rooted cult alternative-rock band of the 1980s, without any live concert footage or interviews with band members. Instead, he concentrated on diehard Replacements fans and acolytes who continue to carry the torch and lament the band’s demise. Following the 9 p.m. screening, one of the doc’s co-producers will lead a host of local rockers through a couple of sets of Replacements songs. 250 State St., New Haven. (203) 789-8281.
Saturday, July 28
One of Shontelle’s hits is entitled “T-Shirt,” so let that be the dress code for the West Indian pop singer’s concert tonight on New Haven Green. Local band Tucker opens the 6 p.m. show.
Sunday, July 29
Sierra Hull, a mandolin prodigy and a protege of Allison Kraus, has been recording and touring since age 11. She’s now 20, and pulling into Cafe Nine with her band Highway 111 while promoting their album Daybreak, which came out last spring and has hit #5 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart. 9 p.m. 250 State St., New Haven. (203) 789-8281.
