This week pours out cool sounds and effervescent brain-ticklers before coming to a frothy, foamy head this weekend.
Monday, July 27
The night of the week with the sleepiest reputation is set to rollick this time around courtesy of The Decemberists and Lady Lamb, who share a manageably early 7:30 bill at College Street Music Hall (238 College St, New Haven; 877-987-6487) tonight. There’ll probably be some tucked-in moments thanks to Lady Lamb, a.k.a. Aly Spaltro, whose two-album repertoire includes several soft, pillowy stretches—and the Decemberists as well, no strangers themselves to reflective balladeering. The rest of the time, it’ll be a refreshing mix of indie and folk rock, with drums pounding and, surely, some feet stomping. $46.
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Tuesday, July 28
“Smart is the new sexy,” proclaims the flyer for Trivia Tuesdays at Anna Liffey’s (17 Whitney Ave, New Haven; 203-773-1776), with the iconic visage of Lewis Skolnick—ring leader of the geeky but fed-up Lamba Lambda Lambda fraternity in the classic college comedy Revenge of the Nerds (1984)—smiling in the background. While this is clearly a safe space for the learned and/or pocket-protected, it may not, however, be a safe space for the faint of heart. Like certain scenes from Nerds would have been had the internet and its current phraseology existed back then, Trivia Tuesdays is labeled “NSFW.” Assuming the logistics haven’t changed since the last time we checked in, the entry fee is $10 per team, with that money being pooled into cash prizes.
Wednesday, July 29
Today at the Yale University Art Gallery (1111 Chapel St, New Haven; 203-432-0600), Jørgen Wadum serves up a brainy lunchtime lecture titled “Painting Techniques: From Rembrandt to Vermeer.” Keeper of conservation at the National Gallery of Denmark, Wadum takes New Haveners through the maturation of the Dutch master Rembrandt, “from his early years in Leiden, the Netherlands, to his mature Amsterdam period.” Then Wadum turns his gaze to Rembrandt’s students and, finally, to “the illusionistic painting techniques of Johannes Vermeer.” 12:30 p.m. Free.
Thursday, July 30
Guitarist Matt Marshak and his band, comprising Gerald Veasley on bass, Benjie Porecki on keys and Carl Anderson on drums, are pumping out funky, upbeat, smooth jazz tonight across Branford’s quaint town green and its tightly sewn patchwork of loungers on blankets. Located right outside Town Hall (1019 Main St), it’s the sixth installment of this summer’s weekly Branford Jazz on the Green series, with the music scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. Free.
Friday, July 31
Tonight at 7, Lyric Hall (827 Whalley Ave, New Haven; 203-389-8885) hosts “Inspired Songs of New Haven.” Organized by Musical Intervention, which helps “various populations express themselves through songwriting and audiovisual recording,” the lineup features rootsy pop rocker Orrin Bolton, who bears some physical and vocal resemblance to his famous brother Michael, plus Ryan Tracey & the Low-Hanging Fruit, along with “food and drink” to nibble and sip.
Saturday, August 1
The New Haven version of the nationally dispersed Craft Brew Races, whose recipe involves “a 5k road race followed by a local craft beer festival,” happens today in and around Edgewood Park. Racers start at noon near Coogan Pavilion and finish in the same spot, not far from the festival grounds in the northwest corner of the park. Running from 12:30 to 4, the fest portion offers “unlimited sampling” from some 50 local, regional and nationwide beer vendors, ranging from Stony Creek Brewery and New England Brewing Company to Sixpoint and Brooklyn Breweries to Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams. Live music and food round out the festival experience, with a costume contest enlivening the race. Registration for both the race and festival costs $55 in advance or $65 onsite, with registration for just the fest costing $10 less in either case. There’s also a “designated driver” option for $15 if you’re not running the race, or $25 if you are.
Sunday, August 2
Had your fill of suds yet? No?
Good, because Will Siss, or the “Beer Snob” as he’s come to be known via his regular column in the Republican-American in Waterbury, is making an appearance at the Pardee-Morris House (325 Lighthouse Rd, New Haven) today at 4 p.m., “followed by a tasting of selected brews by Erector Brewing Collective, of New Haven, and a signing of Siss’s recently released book, Connecticut Beer: A History of Nutmeg State Brewing.” Among the EBC concoctions available for sampling, there’s an IPA, a pilsner and a trio of porters, each of the latter of which has a name inspired by Mr. T. $5 suggested donation.
Written and photographed by Dan Mims. Image depicts some of the taps at College Street Music Hall. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
