Midbrow

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Puppet Show The Mark Twain House and Museum Hartford July 10, 2026 Fun fact for the day: Despite being born in Missouri, Mark Twain wrote his most famous novels in Hartford, including what many consider one of the Great American Novels, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

It started with a chance late-night encounter with a fellow Naugatuck Valley musician inside a gas station convenience store in upstate New York. It turned into a song, still in progress, about finding home in the Valley while exploring the world. Charlie Widmer, Connecticut’s official state troubadour, performed that song (click on the below video), and told the back story, during a visit Thursday on WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven” program.

Problematic Carmine’s Bar, Grill and Stage East Hartford June 8, 2026 I’m Vanessa Crowley’s biggest fan, even though I didn’t know her name until yesterday. Three weeks ago, a friend was at Carmine’s Bar, Grill and Stage, enjoying some food, when the lady with the silvery bob and glasses took the stage.

When Pembroke Players announced last January that their whole 2025-2026 season would be variations of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, my first question was: why? It’s not unusual for a theatre company to choose a theme for their seasons, but this was a programming move I’d never seen before, promising three different versions of the same story. Pembroke Players’ promotional material pitched it as an opportunity to explore what it’s like to fall in love at all stages of life.

State House Presents Small Stuff The Regal Drug and Mick Barr The Cannon July 8. 2026 There’s a new music series in town where you can see a lot of old friends and some of your favorite local musicians. The Cannon over on 135 Dwight St. launched the series, State House Presents Small Stuff, three weeks ago. Wednesday night it saw two performers – The Regal Drug and Mick Barr – sharing intimate sets that were small in size but big on sound and connection.

100 Watt Horse, Cooper Kenward, Golden West Service The Last Drop 1300 Pine St. Philadelphia July 7, 2026 Last night at The Last Drop, we trickled into the basement for a show that flowed through three similar yet distinctive sets of acoustic guitar-centered song craft, with just one dynamic mic – turned up hot with a touch of reverb, treated almost like a ribbon mic, sensitive enough to pick up our cheers and claps and send them back at us.

Tilted presents: Tracy Nelson, Sam Silbert & The Circle of Fire, The Materialistics, Cowboy Death Strung Up 3150 Richmond St. Philadelphia July 2, 2026 The 104° heat advisory gave this gig an emergency last minute venue change from DIY house venue Minimart to the cavernous cool basement of Strung Up. Considering the heat there was a decent turnout. Two NYC touring acts played —Tracey Nelson and The Materialistics — along with local groups Cowboy Death and The Circle of Fire.

Jackass: Best and Last Cinemark Theater 4012 Walnut St. Philadelphia July 8, 2026 Supposedly, this is the last Jackass movie, and this time, I believe them. It’s hard enough to stay alive for almost 30 years, and doing so while quite literally living on the edge of life and death for the sake of comedy is no small task. The series has a unique effect, creating seemingly endless topics for discourse by producing the lowest of lowbrow content.

American Sampler: Activating the Archive University of Michigan Museum of Art 525 S. State St., Ann Arbor July 7, 2026 While the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) renovates its main hall, it’s pulling from its own collection for “American Sampler: Activating the Archive.” It’s a collaboration between University of Michigan’s Labadie Collection of political dissent and all-star curator Julie Ault.

Christina Meadows Audio Feed Old State House Food Court Hartford July 7, 2026 It’s July in Hartford, which means a season of live music featuring some of the very best talent in the state has kicked off. In addition to the jazz fests and the town green concerts, your humble food court is hosting some great musical acts as well. The Audio Feed concert series brings live music to the Old State House in downtown Hartford on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the end of September.