Midbrow

Kea & the Ark The Sedgwick Theater Philadelphia 7137 Germantown Ave. July 1 A friend talked me into seeing a play recently. They grew up around the Philly/New Jersey area and are a fan of odd local histories. I had gleaned from her that it was a play involving "puppets" and that it was about some wild character from years back who actually built an ark. Yes, an actual ark like Noah from the Bible; a gigantic wooden boat. This was intriguing enough to me that I agreed to go.

First Friday The Barnes Foundation 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. Philadelphia July 3, 2026 When the Barnes Foundation proposed a move to its own building on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the idea was controversial. After a protracted legal battle that lasted years, the renowned collection found a new home in the heart of Philadelphia’s museum district.

Dawn Indermuehle and Rick Spencer Summer Concert Series at the CT Old State House Hartford July 3, 2026 It is hot with a capital T outside, so I was grateful to find that the weekly Summer Concert series at the Old State House in downtown Hartford had been moved into the air conditioned building. There, listeners were treated to the duo/couple of Dawn Indermuehle and Rick Spencer performing music from the Colonial period through the early part of American history, up to the 1830s.

"Crazy For You" Goodspeed Musicals, Goodspeed Opera House East Haddam, Conn. Through Aug. 16, 2026 “Crazy For You” may have rhythm, but no amount of impressive percussion and talented performers are enough to save its insufferable plot.

Mutant And Proud’s "X-Men ’97 "Premiere Watch Party Queen And Rook Cafe 123 South St. Philadelphia July 1, 2026 On Wednesday, I went to Queen & Rook Game Cafe on South Street to check out an "X-Men ’97" watch party held by local con organizer, cosplayer, and comic enthusiast Lady J. under her Mutant and Proud initiative, which hosts events like this one for the Philadelphia comic book and cosplayer community.

(Jisu Sheen recently moved from New Haven to Gwangju, South Korea, where she’s covering local arts and culture for the New Haven Independent and Midbrow.) I saw her in stationery aisles and river paths before ever learning she had a name. She would change from moment to moment, more a feeling than a stable image. I used to go to the duck pond in New Haven's Edgewood Park just to visit her.

We Make A Library Institute Library New Haven Through Sept. 19 On the left, photographer Jonathan Peterson captures a nook in the Institute Library, with its carpets, its close stacks, the observing sentinels of its lighting. The busts of two men inhabit it, looking like old friends, long past casual conversation, just enjoying each other's company. On the right, Peterson shows another two men.

Porches, Mackeeper Johnny Brenda’s 1201 Frankford Ave. Philadelphia July 1, 2026 Hello kind readers and welcome to JULY. It’s summer all over, it’s hot as hell out, it’s bring-an-extra-shirt-and-maybe-a-towel-everywhere weather, it feels like Phoenix in Fishtown (hainted), and at JB’s last night, people kept saying it “felt like 2013 was back in a big way.” I’m feeling it.

Whiskey Wednesdays The Velvet Whip Arts & Social Club Philadelphia July 1, 2026 Tucked away on a small side block in the city’s Callowhill neighborhood, The Velvet Whip Arts & Social Club is one of Philly’s best kept secrets for live music and entertainment. From burlesque shows to jazz jam sessions, the venue has a calendar packed with local talent and a cozy speakeasy vibe.

Keyland: "Knuckle Sandwich" Album Release Show Welltown Brewing June 20, 2026 Tulsa has upped its game in rooftop hangouts with impressive views, from Riverside’s Soma to the Mayo Hotel and In the Raw Downtown. The scene atop Welltown Brewing is a bit more of an everyday people hang, where you can nosh on chicken nugs surrounded by teardrop trailers. So naturally it was the perfect spot for the Americana band Keyland’s release show for their latest album, Knuckle Sandwich.