Free Movies After Dark are Back! So Am I!

It was nearly a year ago that I last posted. And I make my return with a post that is eerily similar to last year's. The City of Hartford is yet again doing Free Movies in the Park and I'll apologize in advance: As you can see from the schedule, they're already well underway.

After launching TBPDIH in 2010, I received a ton of feedback, gained a lot of readers both casually and through search engines. After two years, I felt like my job was done. I wasn't going out nearly as much as I used to and since Facebook is King of the World, I figured we were all in the know now. But I've heard the "there's nothing to do in Hartford" whispers. When I heard them in 2010-2012, I easily combated them by handing out my card and instructing the person to educate themselves on this site. But last year especially was lean. And it's hard to say that there's a ton of things going on and when asked what specifically, I respond, "Um...I dunno since I'm probably just going to be hanging out in my backyard tonight."

A few weeks ago, the list of Free Movies was put up on Facebook and was quickly passed around. I saw a couple people on my timeline who balked at the fact that there were no movies starring main characters of color. I'm not here to get into a debate about whether that's important or not so save your comments. I know how it seems weird to them that though most of these movies are playing in parks that serve communities of color, "Coming to America" or other classics aren't on any of the screens. But protesting didn't occur to me because I voted. 

Back in the wintertime, when we couldn't even fathom sitting outdoors to watch a movie, the Marketing, Events and Cultural Affairs office for the City posted a poll of what should be shown. Or maybe it was Hartford.com? I can't remember. Either way, I nominated a couple. Then when they put finalists up for a vote, I voted on them. I vaguely remember trying to suggest some "black" movies off the top of my head, but I also couldn't remember many. And I didn't ask for help because in my naivety, I didn't think anyone would care. If they would, they would be voting.

So when I watched my friends complain in mild ire about the final list, I first thought, "well, don't complain; you should've voted!" Then I realized...how many of my friends knew they could vote? How many know these pages exist? How many even know that Hartford.com is different than Hartford.gov and that they are involved in bucketloads of fun stuff and really do care about the residents in the city they serve, not just the visitors? MECA and I have 30 mutual friends, Hartford.gov and I have 31. Of those 30-ish people, only about 5 were a surprise to me, meaning they're not bloggers, they don't work with these groups in a professional capacity or aren't obsessed with all things Hartford like I am.

This blog and its page on Facebook are supposed to be telling you about things like MECA, Hartford.gov, remind you about The Wadsworth and The Bushnell, the parks, the parades, the nooks and crannies of the city that you may not know about or just forgot about. I'm supposed to remind you, as the saying goes, that Hartford Has It. So when someone's asking for suggestions on how to make you come out (and as always, this is "you" everyone. Not just POC) I should be relaying that message.

The reason that this blog was started, as I always say, is because I felt that there were people being missed when it came time to advertise. For example, I'm not West Indian. I have no idea when the West Indian Parade is this year. I usually don't know until steel drums are waking me up the morning of. Everyone is welcome to go, but for people like me with a busy schedule it's nice to know when things are happening so I can plan on going, not just hope I'm free. When this blog was really cookin', I had so many people say, "I had no idea that XXX happened at YYY for the last three years! How would I have found out about that before?" The answer is typically know the right people. Whether it's eating good Puerto Rican food or taking a yoga class. Somehow we're not all finding out the right information.

Obviously I can't do this blog forever, but please still check in because for as long as I can, I will. Also read Real Hartford: an extremely good blog that posts an in depth schedule of events happening in Hartford all over Hartford. (July's list just posted yesterday!) Like the Things Black People Do In Hartford FB page. Like Hartford.com's FB page and check their website often. Like MECA's FB page too! If you go to a local bar or club and you like it, find them on the internet. If in doubt, e-mail me and I'll see what I can do.

Hartford Parks Free Movies After Dark

The drive-in movie. For years, American summers were defined by them. If you grew up in the Central Connecticut area, I'm sure you have some summer memories sitting in the backseat of a car at the Hartford Drive-In on the Berlin Turnpike. We would absolutely trash my parents' mini-van with crushed popcorn and gummy worms while watching Home Alone on the screen. But now they're nearly extinct. Going to one is seen as a niche and novelty event. A "cute idea" for a 5th date or a treat for the birthday of a 10 year old who doesn't own a television. Believe it or not, there are those of us who miss the old Drive-In. This summer, Hartford is going old school and giving us a series of outdoor movies in the parks. The good news is that you don't need your car! The bad news is that you'll probably need some mosquito repellent and getting to second base in public frowned upon!

The City of Hartford's Marketing, Events & Cultural Affairs Division and Mayor Pedro Segarra are trying out something new this summer and putting on Free Movies After Dark in various Hartford Parks. Every Friday this summer, a different Hartford Park will feature a full length film for free at sunset. The weekly event starts on July 27 in Bushnell Park with one of my favorite movies Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and will go until September 7th ending with a movie set and filmed in Hartford called Rising Star. 


My insiders have told me so far that there will be popcorn to munch on, because what's a movie without it? Break out your blanket, your bug spray and dig the stick out of your under carriage. The first installment of 2012 Monday Night Jazz in Bushnell Park had a great turnout on July 9th. Everyone had fun and mingled as the sun lowered in the sky, staying well after the sun set until the last note played. In my head, that's how I see this event going down. A bunch of us huddled on blankets with friends and family under the stars, laughing as Baxter speaks Spanish to Ron and Brick kills a guy with a Trident. It'll happen. We all know how it goes bringing new events in Hartford: 60% of the time it works every time. Don't act like you're not impressed with figures like that. Break out your jazz flute and bring your ass to the park on the 27th or you will spend Saturday the 28th in a glass case of emotion. Because as you know, "When in Rome."

If you don't know what any of that meant, you should really do yourself a favor and come to the park. 

Poetz Corner Presented by AccessTV.org at Cloud 9

Special thanks to Robert Cooper for the photos


How much do I love poetry? It seems like whatever city you visit on the East Coast, if you want to see some black people acting classy, you should ask, "where's the nearest poetry reading?" You find a cozy cafe or bar with an espresso machine and sit down to listen to people tell you about their gloomy lows, their mindblowing highs and more feelings than an episode of Dr. Phil.

There's this one place that we all go for poetry one night a week and it's great, and I bet that's what you THINK I'm talking about. And you're like, "wow, for real Tianna? I check out this blog and you're going to review the one spot that everyone in the world knows is the place in Hartford that you can see black people reading poetry?" That place is great, no question. But this is something new and different; a television show featuring area poets, taped right here in Hartford.


On Tuesday nights at Cloud 9, Shireal Renee hosts Poetz Corner, presented by accesstv.org. This is a live recording of poetry performances that are available on Access TV's website starting on Thursday evenings or Fridays of each week. I attended a taping last week and it's pretty cool the way this is run. It's less a poetry reading going on that a cameraman films, and more a show put on for an audience that will primarily be at home.

Shireal Renee is a great poet herself, and last week she kicked off the evening with one of her own original pieces. It was a bit somber and deep, but like a good host should, she was able to perk back up, smile and joke with the crowd like she hadn't just read a poem entitled "Cocaine". Afterwards, other poets in the house got to read their work on the mic, followed by a brief interview with the featured poet of the week.



So if you're coming to see the show, here's the deal. Shut the hell up. And frankly, this goes for any poetry night, open mic night, what have you. If you want to come in and chat with your friends at a bar with an open mic, just kindly usher yourselves out. Why pay money to act like you want to hear people bear their soul, when what you really want to do is talk all night? This is not a musical performance where the drums drown out your gab. You are talking over someone else talking! I'll never understand why I have to hear hosts beg all night for people to "respect the mic" and not talk while other people are performing. Not that anyone did that at this show. People were very respectful. But because of the live taping especially, this is not the type of show where you can zone out, tap out a couple text messages and chat.

All in all, this was an extremely positive experience and I look forward to going back. If you're free tonight, come out and see the show with featured guest poet Lynnette Johnson! There's DJ QT playing unsigned artists between each break, and Carla Canty does the casting. A lot of people doing great things, so show them some support!

When: Filmed on Tuesdays starting at 8, airs on accesstv.org on demand throughout the week.
Location: Cloud 9, 7 Congress Street, Hartford
Dress code: No sneakers or boots, no hats, hoodies or t-shirts. I'd suggest coming dressed on the nicer side in case you get photographed or videotaped.
Age: 21+
Cover: $5
**Happy Hour** There were some posted specials going on until 11 on wine and martinis. I'll make sure to edit when I know for sure.

A note: Because this is a taped event, you will have to sign a release saying that you're comfortable with being filmed before you enter the bar.

Charmagne & Porter Soul at Airport Road Cafe

Today is the start of the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz, which if you've lived in Hartford for even a day I'm sure you know. Your black friends, your white friends and your taupe friends are probably washing their blankets right now. And if they're not, I dunno what's wrong with them. You're not doing Hartford right if you don't at least stop by. It's a Hartford law: A man isn't allowed to kiss his wife on Sunday and you must stop by the Jazzfest. But I'm not going to get much deeper into that because if there's one thing Hartford doesn't lack, it's reviews of New England's Biggest Free Jazz Shindigapalooza. So assemble your crew, pack your picnic basket and listen to some local legends. But don't plan your evening around only that, because I have even bigger plans for you...

Airport Road Cafe: You know the "biker bar" on the corner of Airport Road? It's actually a very cool bar that has local bands stop through all the time. And every third Friday of the month (hey, that's tonight!), my girlfriend Charmagne stops in with her band Porter Soul and graces them with her soulful presence. That's right: I'm plugging. And why the hell not? I'm dating a Grammy Award winning artist who has black people in Hartford coming to her shows on a regular basis. So sit here and listen to how awesome she is for a second.

Her style fits in with the tone of the weekend, as she's a neo-soul/R&B artist with some jazz undertones. But that's if you're asking her. As someone who's been to almost every show she's done in the last 2 years, I can tell you that her performance is much more interesting than someone standing on stage belting out ballads. In addition to her beautiful voice, her banter is hilarious and usually risqué. The band is extremely talented and can follow her on any musical tangent she'll go on (and sometimes lead her back to the task at hand if the Patron is flowing too freely). A show can start with you nodding along to her cover of "A Long Walk" (Jill Scott) and by the second set she's added a rap to "Cruising" (Smokey Robinson) as she pretends to swim on the floor or has a breakdance battle with a member of the audience. When she needs a quick breather, sometimes she'll provide some eye candy for the ladies by putting the saxophonist, David Davis, out front for some "good sax"; that's kind of like a fully clothed lap dance with a woodwind. It's probably more like watching a musical circus than a smooth R&B show.

The venue itself is a treat. The bartenders are of the no nonsense variety, so if you're an "ummer" who doesn't know what you want, or you want some special drink with a lot of ingredients, they're not afraid to bust your chops about it. Some of my favorite food in the world is bar fare, and this stuff doesn't disappoint. Of course you should eat the chicken wings because they serve them. Who goes out somewhere that serves chicken wings and doesn't order them? Unless you're a vegetarian, then that's understandable. They probably make a ripping grilled cheese. They might even have a good salad but I wouldn't know because I don't want to be the woman eating a salad at a biker bar. I have a rep to maintain. And I know I keep saying "biker bar", but that's only because that's the reputation Airport Road Cafe has had for as long as I can remember. This isn't the type of place that's acrid with cigarette smoke, everyone clad in leather and the record scratches when you walk through the door in stilettos. The tables are set up lounge style around the dance floor, the bar is fully stocked, large and gorgeous, and while the regulars are sometimes clad in leather themselves, they're fine with seeing you. And no one's scratching any records because this is 2010; the jukebox is digital.

So after your children tire themselves out from dancing around and playing with other peoples' dogs at Jazzaroo, you can head out for some grown up fun and get a great show at the same time. Bad ass. Here are the deets:

Showtime: 9p-12a
Music: Neo-Soul/R&B
Food & Drinks: I believe the kitchen closes around 10 or 10:30, but just like any other bar, last call is at 1:45a. They don't usually have drink specials, but ask the bartender, maybe she knows something I don't.
Dress code: Whatever you like!
Ages: 21+
Cover Charge: $5
Address: 330 Ledyard Street, Hartford, CT (there's parking in the back, but you can also park on Ledyard Street if it fills up.)


p.s. I wasn't lying about the not kissing your wife on Sunday thing.

Old School Fridays at Vibz Uptown

If you haven't been to Vibz Uptown on a Friday night, you're doing yourself a huge disservice. Do you like quality drinks at reasonable prices? Do you like delicious food? Do you like live music or dancing to old school hip-hop and r&b? Then seriously...get down here!

Vibz takes the task of planning a night out to the next level. Let's say you get off work at 5 this Friday and you're looking for somewhere to kick back and relax. According to their Facebook page, happy hour starts at 6pm. STARTS at 6pm! I don't know about you, but I usually want to go home and nap on Fridays if I plan to be out all night. By the time I'm rested up all the drink specials are over because happy hour is usually ending by 6. Who the hell is making these early ass happy hours? If I get off work at 5, trek to your bar in after work traffic, I'm maybe making it there at 5:30. What's that? One drink? The great thing about Vibz is that they're running on some lovely CPT, just like me. Reduced priced drinks go until 8pm.

So you've gotten a nice little buzz going for a couple hours, but you're starting to get a little hungry. You COULD leave the club and eat at one of the many delicious establishments nearby, but like I said, Vibz has your night taken care of! Around 8pm, a cook will pop out from the abyss and put 3 hot trays of delicious food on a table by the bar. Tip: eat the macaroni & cheese. It's so good it'll make you wanna slap your mama (which you may be able to do, since old school Fridays are a classy affair for a classy woman like your mom.) And it's all for the low low price of $free.99!

Now your belly's full, the Patron's got you in the zone as they say, and you're wondering what more this night could possibly have in store. What's that happening on the stage? Is that a band setting up? Word, Vibz? You've got live music tonight too? Every Friday night starting around 9pm. And the bands are really good. I have yet to be let down.

For two hours you chill out and listen to the band. Depending the kind of music they play, you're dancing and sucking down drinks. But eventually the band starts packing up their shit and saying their goodbyes. More and more people have come through the door by this time. You've probably already run into your uncle in his lilac and white pinstriped suit with his matching hat and shoes, along with Sister Evelyn from church snapping her fingers on the dancefloor, so how can you leave? The DJ gets on the mic and the music starts. Everyone is on the floor, from ages 24-84. A gentleman taps you on the shoulder and asks if he can buy you another one of what you're drinking. You politely accept, but wonder if you'll have to keep him from humping your leg on the dancefloor all night. In the end, he hands you your drink and walks away simply saying, "have a good evening, pretty lady!" with a polite smile. It's a classy joint, after all. By the end of the night, you'll be dancing and singing along to "Candy" by Cameo with the rest of the room. And trust me, they WILL play that song!

Three tips for the night:
1. If you want to try this mac & cheese, get there early. It goes QUICKLY.
2. Get a mixed drink of anything. They're made beautifully.
3. Get some facebook fame and let the bartenders take your picture while you're there. They'll even let you do a retake if you made a dumb face in the first one.

Here's the stuff you should remember:
Happy Hour: 6pm-8pm **specials** reduced price drinks
Food & Band: 8ish-11ish
Old School party: 11ish-2am
Music: R&B and Hip-Hop. There may be a few newer tracks snuck in there, but come ready to hear music that's at least 15 years old and love it!
Dress code: No sneakers, baseball caps or athletic wear. (honestly, just dress nice. you'll feel a little embarrassed if you come in dirty jeans and everyone else is in their night-on-the-town digs.)
Ages: 21+
Cover Charge: $5 before 10pm
Address: 3155 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06120

Karaoke Tini Tuesdays @ Asylum Cafe

Last night, I assembled my crew and set out on my first official venture for the site: Karaoke Tini Tuesdays at Asylum Cafe. I got there around 9:30pm, and a DJ was just starting to warm the crowd up by playing some Jay Z and T.I. that we could all bob our heads to. I hunkered down on a bar stool and asked the bartender if there were any drink specials. "$5 martinis," she proudly stated. Um... why am I just now hearing about this?! I promptly ordered something called a Lemontini and waited for the festivities to start.

At 10pm, a man got on the mic and kicked off the evening with a questionable rendition of his chosen song: always a great start to a karaoke night. One of the hosts of the event approached my friends and I to ask when we planned to get up there. I didn't have nearly enough Lemontini in me to think that was a good idea, but promised him I'd think about it later. In the meantime, a friend of mine ordered some delicious looking chicken wings that I was told were also only $5. Once again, things I wish had been brought to my attention YESTERDAY! I'd already had a dinner that was way more than $5 and I didn't get any chicken wings.

By 11pm, as with everything in Hartford, people had finally started to show up to the event. I'll never understand it: If the start time is 8, and bars close at 1, people will always show up well after 11. The drink specials are over, all the chairs are taken, usually you even have to pay more money to get in (luckily, this event has no cover). I like to get there a little earlier and secure my spot. Not to mention, it's so much easier to get drinks when there's only a few people. By this time, my drink was starting to give me just enough liquid confidence and I hit the mic. There weren't a ton of people offering to sing, but the people that did all had a great time. No one seemed to feel judged and no one was there to judge anyone else. So if you like to sing but sound like a bird on fire, this may be your type of karaoke night. When there was a lull in singers, the DJ kept the energy up with some bumping music, another plus when trying to give yourself some backbone. When you're trying to convince yourself that you'll sound ok singing "Walking on Sunshine", you probably shouldn't hear "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" before you get up there. All in all, a great night was had by me, and I definitely plan to stop back in and recommend you to go too!

Stuff you should remember:
"Happy Hour": 8-11pm **specials** $5 martinis, $5 wines, $3 beers
Food: $5 appetizers, they were also selling pizza by the slice. kitchen closes at 11.
Karaoke: According to Facebook it starts at 8, but it didn't kick off until 10 when I got there. The DJ was there earlier though.
Dress code: Come as you like. Most people were dressed classy casual, so if you don't want to feel out of place, I'd wear some jeans and a nice top.
Age: Since it turns into a bar at night, I'm going to assume 21+. I'll check that out for sure.
Cover: Free!
Address: 253 Asylum Avenue, Downtown Hartford