Paramore at the Oakdale

Wallingford, CT - It was late Tuesday afternoon and it had been maybe ten minutes since I landed at Bradley International Airport, back from a trip to see a Paul McCartney concert in Nashville, when I realized I needed to race down to the Oakdale Theatre to catch the Honda Civic Tour. My flight had been delayed so I needed to make the 45 minute drive in less then ten if I was going to catch the show on time. I was going to see Kadawatha, an independent pop-rock band based out of Sri Lanka with a sound comparable to The Hush Sound and Switchfoot. It was the first major U.S. tour for Kadawatha, so needless to say I felt a bit bad when I arrived at the theater about 5 minutes after they left the stage.

I stuck around to see the of the acts which included New Found Glory, Tegan & Sara, and headliners Paramore.   I’ve never been a pop-punk kind of guy, so admittedly I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to enjoy the show. Sitting there I realized I was probably about as out of place musically as I had felt.  The place was PACKED with screaming girls with cameras in hands covered airbrushed Paramore tattoos & t-shirts as if they were the greatest band to ever walk the earth.

The whole show was surprisingly good though – a solid night of well performed rock music. New Found Glory, as cheesy as they were, put on a great performance.  Singer Jordan Pundik wore a hoodie the entire time they were on stage which absolutely blew my mind considering it was well into the 90′s outside. At one point they had people holding up signs with lyrics to get the crowd singing along to the chorus, switching them out at the end to “Buy” “Our” “T-Shirts”.  Tegan and Sara came on a bit soft, messing up one of their first songs, but they quickly earned my respect with catchy, well performed songs and some jokes in between.  I was with a big fan of Tegan & Sara so she gave me a bunch of fun facts while she was watching, and I know she enjoyed their set as well. They were without a doubt the highlight of the show for me.

The show ended with high energy performance by Paramore, opening with the song “Ignorance.”  Singer Hayley Williams bounced around the stage like a firecracker but somehow still hit all the notes and sang near perfectly. The band had a cool set with light bulbs on cords bouncing around adding to the energy. Music-wise.. catchy, and very well received by the screaming girls and the pop-punk kind of guys in the crowd.

The Honda Civic Tour with Paramore, Tegan & Sara, New Found Glory and Kadawatha continues throughout the United States.  For tickets and more information, visit  http://civictour.honda.com/tickets/.

Live Mural Art on 7/29

Middletown, CT - If you’re looking for a bit of entertainment during your happy hour next Thursday (7/29), swing by Eli Cannon’s Tap Room where two artists known as the Drone Robot Killers will be working on a mural somewhere in the bar live before your very eyes.  They’ll be doing this between 5pm and 11pm, so if you can’t make happy hour you can still check out the action.  Also that night Eli’s will be holding their Bartender’s Challenge, with 3 Olives Vodka starting at 7pm.  No details on this challenge, but the combo of vodka and art sounds pretty interesting.

If you’ve never been to Eli’s it’s worth a visit.  It’s a dive-bar lover’s dream come true.  They describe themselves as an Irish / English Pub / American Trailer Park Fusion, with barber chairs, theater seats, leather couches and chairs to lounge on. One of the first things you’ll notice when you walk in is the massive beer bottle chandeliers hanging in the main area. They have thirty-three “real ales” on tap, include many local beers, and the food is fantastic (they have cheddar ale!!). Check it out.

Ringo Starr

Uncasville, CT - Last night my fiancé Brooke and I were given the opportunity to go to a free concert, courtesy of my friend Nate. Luckily for us the concert was , “Ringo and his All Starr Band”, being the HUGE Beatles fans that we are, we jumped at the chance, and the seats were great! This years band included the ever-entertaining (and creepy) Edgar Winter, Wally Palmer of “The Romantics”, Rick Derringer of “The McCoys”, Gary Wright, Richard Page of “Mr. Mister” and Greg Bissonette on drums. The show opened with Ringo’s 1971 hit “It Don’t come easy”. The band then cycled through all of their own hits, including “Hang on Sloopy” , ” What I like about you”, “Dreamweaver” , “Free Ride” and “Broken Wings”. Edgar Winter and the band , sans Ringo,played an amazing version of Winters “Frankenstein”. Easily on of the highlights of the night.

Ringo was energetic and funny, with lines like ” I used to play this song with my old band…… Rory Storm and the Hurricanes”. What I did think was odd was that he didn’t mention or say “The Beatles” once during the whole show. He did however, play most of his songs with “The Beatles”, including , “Boys”, “I wanna be your man”, “Yellow Submarine”, “Honey Don’t”, “Act Naturally” ( one of my least fave songs from the fab four” and closed the show with “With a little help from my friends” and transitioned into “Give peace a chance” by Mr. Lennon. There were no encores, and Ringo quite briskly ran off the stage to end the show. Overall, a very fun show, and well worth the drive up. After all he was a “Beatle” for God’s sake.

Justin a guest-author from the blog The Critic Collective – A home for all things tv, movie, videogame, etc.

Also, please note that it is NOT my singing you hear in the video.

To head over set your map quest or GPS to 262 Brockett Street, Suite A , Newington, Connecticut 06111. Or just call 860-372-4550. They are closed on Mondays, but open from to 7am – 7pm Tuesday through Thursday. 7am – 9pm Friday and Saturday and 7am- 6pm on Sunday.

Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Peter Vanderwarker / Connecticut Magazine

New Britain, CT – Café on the Park at the New Britain Museum of American Art was recently chosen by Connecticut Magazine readers for Best Lunch in Hartford County. The magazine’s 32nd Annual Readers’ Choice Restaurant Poll recognizes restaurateurs and their talented staff for great food, attentive service and inviting atmosphere and its official results were announced in Connecticut

Café on the Park features bistro-style seating adjacent to floor-to-ceiling windows that allow diners to enjoy magnificent view of Frederick Law Olmstead-designed Walnut Hill Park. It offers visitors the opportunity to extend their museum experience with a light lunch or snacks indoors or al fresco on the patio.

Jordan Caterers Design Event Planners of Cheshire & Darien sources and prepares all of the food and beverages in the Café. The menu is seasonal and eclectic, featuring Connecticut-grown products whenever available – gourmet sandwiches and wraps, savory soups and entrées, salads and homemade desserts are available. Current menu selections include Shaker Pot Pie, Grown Up Grilled Cheese
and more.

“With each event we create or venue Jordan partners with, we seek to exceed expectations,” noted Debra Rapoport, co-owner with husband Jeffrey Rapoport. “We feel that this award exemplifies our mantra that excellence is in the details, and we are pleased and proud to be recognized by Connecticut Magazine and its readers for the Café’s Best Lunch – Hartford County win this year.”

Café on the Park is located on the first floor of the New Britain Museum of American Art at 56 Lexington Street, New Britain, CT. 06052 and is open Tuesday – Saturday 11 am – 3 pm and Sunday noon – 3 pm.

Noble is located at  235 Queen St in Southington. Head over during there working hours which are as follows..Open Mon -  Thurs 10am to 11pm,  Fri – Sat 11am to 11pm and  Sun 11:30am to 10pm. Noble  is closed from 3pm – 430pm Monday to Friday.

If you need any more information call 860-628-7888 or go to the website at http://www.noblejapanesecuisine.com/

Happy Sushi Eating.

Somewhere in Bangkok

On Queen street in Southington is where you can find your taste of the east. With an atmosphere for weekend dining and a BYOB liquor policy, Somewhere in Bangkok is sure to be a great experience for a night out with friends or even a cultural twist on date night.

Either way, if you have a taste for Thai food you will love selecting from Somewhere in Bangkok’s delicious menu. Warning – choose carefully on your level of heat aka spiciness! The restaurant offers levels 1 ,2,3,4,5 and only the brave dare to exceed level 3. Try my personal favorite the Pad Kee Mao, or the Drunken Noodle. You can choose Tofu, Chicken, Pork, Beef, Shrimp or Squid as an addition to this dish. For an excellent Chicken dish with just the right amount of spice order the Chicken Got Mad off the ” Something Special” portion of the menu.

Don’t stress on finding your way, go to the website link below and click on the contact section. You can type in your address and get directions from your home straight to Somewhere in Bangkok.

Ready to Eat? Somewhere in Bangkok is open Tuesday – Thursday 11am to 9am, Friday and Saturday 11am to 10 pm, and Sundays 12pm to 8:30pm.

They offer Take Out and Catering as well. Give them a call at 860-479-9111 or go to the website  http://www.somewhereinbkk.com Or just stop by 1103 Queen St, Southington, CT 06489.

Greek Food… not so easy to find in the Hartford Area. Look no further, Cavos on the Berlin Turnpike is right at your finger tips. With the popular Tyrokafteri and a mouth watering Pizza selection, you will not be disappointed by your experience at Cavos. Your most challenging obstacle will be trying to decide between the array of Mezedes (Appetizers) on the menu and with Cavos’ reasonable pricing, you won’t have to! Order a few! Besides the Tyrokafteri, my personal favorite would be the Humus or the Tzatziki. When the weather is warm sit outside with your meal, and enjoy a glass of wine on Cavos’ patio.

Still not Convinced? Cavos was voted 1# Best Restaurant, #1 Best Pizza, #2 Best New Restaurant, and #2 Best Greek Restaurant by “The Hartford Advocates Readers Poll” this year.

You can enjoy Cavos’ dining at 2414 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06111.  On  Tuesday – Thurs 11am – 10pm, Fri – Sat 11am – 11pm, and Sun 12pm – 9pm. To contact them, call 860-667-9200. Or go to www.cavostavern.com/index.php

Hunting Season is the feature debut from director Nathan Wrann and Dalton Gang Productions. Husband and wife producing team, Nathan Wrann and Kimberly Dalton set out to create the horror movie they’d like to see — literate and coherent in plot, and brutal and unrelenting in tension. With Hunting Season, they’ve hit the mark with a vengeance. Production began in the wet, hot summer of 2006 as they gathered their resources: a cast of 10 friends; access to13 acres of wooded property just outside New Haven, CT; 2 part time, crew members, a plastic-tip-of-the-shoestring budget and a large bucket of blood, sweat and tears. Despite these limitations Wrann and Dalton were able to realize their vision and secure nationwide distribution allowing Mr. Wrann to call Hunting Season “A complete success.”

Hunting Season’s plot follows 6 friends on a camping trip deep in the woods for, what should be, “the best weekend ever.”  The good times take a turn for the worse when, after a tragic “accident,” a pair of sadistic hunters wreaks violent, bloody, unrelenting havoc on the stranded campers.

Hunting Season is a brutal exploitation flick (consider yourself warned) inspired by, and paying homage to, those that came many years before it. The final product and subsequent national VOD and DVD release is a testament to the fact that a dedicated cast and crew and a writer/director with a clear artistic vision and integrity, can overcome the limitations of budget (less than $5,000) to create a movie scarier, more brutal and more engaging than many of those with far greater resources.

Hunting Season will be available on DVD at www.indieflix.com and www.amazon.com on Tuesday, September 29th 2009.