New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
OUTDOOR CONCERTS
It was a long, soul-crushing winter, with exactly zero live concerts to break the dreary weeks into tolerable units of time.
But now the days are longer, the weather is friendlier, more CT residents are getting vaccinated by the day and performers around the state are bursting with creativity.
Here are 10 outdoor spots where you can (safely) soak up some sounds. (Schedules are subject to change.)
10 SELDEN ST., WOODBRIDGE
The community space formerly known as the Amity Teen Center — now known simply as 10selden — hosts two nights of socially distanced local music every weekend at its new outdoor space, beginning with Cardboard Dream House with the Kat, Matt & Tor Trio (April 16); Impound with Tears Fall Down (April 17); Shame Penguin with Fiction (April 23); Mystic Seahorse and The Grand Factor (April 24);
Hard March with Magnets for Maniacs (April 30); and Shawn Taylor with Sofia Nunzia (May 1). Tickets are $10 to $12; food and drinks ordered by phone will be delivered to your table. facebook.com/10selden
BEST VIDEO FILM & CULTURAL CENTER, HAMDEN
Best Video Film & Cultural Center, a nonprofit performance space in Hamden with an outdoor deck, may already have the richest lineup of outside shows in the state. Upcoming acts include
Shawn Taylor (April 15); the Sawtelles (April 16); Dr. Caterwaul’s and Leg Up (April 22); Chet, David and Pete (April 23); S.G. Carlson, Patrick Dalton and Alex Burnet (April 24); Robert Daniel Irwin (April 29); and Thabisa (April 30). And that’s just April. facebook.com/bestvideo. hamden
BRYAC, BLACK ROCK
BRYAC Restaurant and Raw Bar in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport hosts Benny Mikula of the Alpaca Gnomes — he’s billing himself as “The Lone Gnome” — on consecutive Thursdays in April, beginning at 6 p.m. Check the website for updates. bryac.biz
CONNECTICUT POST MALL, MILFORD
Milford Performance Center’s Drive-In Concerts, which take place in front of the old Sears at the CT Post Mall, serve up high-octane tributes to Mötley Crüe (April 16), the Woodstock Experience (April 17), the Best of the ’70s (April 24), Aerosmith (May 15), Led Zeppelin (May 21), the Doors (May 22), the Grateful Dead ( June 5) and Pink Floyd ( June 12). Original acts Christine Ohlman & Liberty DeVitto (longtime Billy Joel drummer, May 1) and Creamery Station (May 14) perform, too. Tickets start at $55. milfordperformancecenter.org
KINSMEN BREWING CO., SOUTHINGTON
Clark Hall at Kinsmen Brewing Co. in Southington only has two shows posted — Righteous Continental (May 7) and Blondie & Beyond (May 28) — at this point, but we’ll take them. kinsmenbrewing.com
MAPLE VIEW FARM, GRANBY
There’s live music and at least one food truck most weekends at the Farm Brewery at Maple View Farm in Granby, where there are typically beer, food and nonalcoholic beverages for sale. Upcoming acts include Rich Badowski (April 17), the Collinsville String Band (April 18), Paradis, Mercier and Rider (the latter two musicians from CT legends Max Creek, May 1), Whiskey Traveler (May 2), the Savage Brothers Band (May 8), New Fallen Day (May 9) and Jeff Pitchell (May 22). The music is free, but parking for Savage Brothers and Pitchell costs $20. The Brewery’s Farm Picnic is available on days when the food trucks can’t make it. Kids and leashed dogs are welcome. No outside alcohol is allowed (but hey, it is a brewery). mapleviewhorsefarm.com
MUSIC AT THE MARKET, PARKVILLE MARKET, HARTFORD
Parkville Market’s success bodes well for the Parkville section of Hartford, which is quickly becoming the city’s answer to Brooklyn, N.Y. Music at the Market, co-sponsored by local music studio Parkville Sounds, features some of the area’s best musicians performing outside on Thursday evenings, including Adam & Ian of One Time Weekend with Alex Giosa (April 15), Tim Palmieri of Kung Fu (April 22) and the Jonathan Barber Trio (April 29). facebook.com/Parkville Market
RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE, RIDGEFIELD
Ridgefield Playhouse serves up outdoor sounds all spring and summer, including Christian McBride & Tip City (May 7), Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root with Dirk Miller (May 8), Dar Williams ( June 25), the Doo Wop Project (at Ballard Park, June 27), Fitz & the Tantrums (July 5) and more. ridgefieldplayhouse.org
WALL STREET THEATER, NORWALK
Norwalk’s Wall Street Theater has a limited number of outdoor shows taking place at Art Park (23 Isaacs St.), including Pink Talking Fish (April 24), Turkuaz (April 25), Start Making Sense (May 7), Fleetwood Mac tribute Tusk (May 14), Tom Petty tribute Breakers (May 29), Ripe (June 4-5), Martin Sexton ( June 19), Max Creek (July 23-24) and more.
WESTVILLE MUSIC BOWL, NEW HAVEN
The pandemic forced Westville Music Bowl in New Haven to delay its opening last year, but there’s already an impressive slate of bands lined up to play in 2021: Gov't Mule (April 30-May 2), Twiddle (May 15), Greensky Bluegrass (May 21-22), Dinosaur
Jr. (May 23), Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (May 28-30), the Disco Biscuits ( June 4-5), Goose ( June 12-13) and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong ( June 26). westvillemusicbowl.com