May Day, museums, Harvey Milk, Fahd Mustafa, the Paul Mellon Lectures, the Mafia, A Million Years of Music, Richard Thompson’s A Thousand Years of Popular Music. This week in New Haven is brought to you by the letter “M.”
Monday, April 20
Everybody Likes Kung Fu
The awesome regional jam band Kung Fu makes for a loud, party-happy Monday at Toad’s Place (300 York St., 203 – 624-TOAD). Viral Sound and Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan are also on the bill. $25, $20 in advance.
Tuesday, April 21
Oh, That May Day
It’s been 45 years since the “May Day” events surrounding the Bobby Seale/Black Panthers murder trial in New Haven. Three men who were there, observing from the Yale side of the fence, have collaborated on a new book, May Day at Yale, 1970: The Trial of Bobby Seale and the Black Panthers. Writer and former Yale administrator Henry Chauncey and photographers Thomas Strong and John T. Hill share memories 5:30 p.m. at New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Ave. (203) 562‑4183. Free.
Versifiers
Ten Yale student poets, of both the undergrad and graduate varieties, read from their work 4 p.m. at Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library (121 Wall St., 203 – 432-2977).
Sculpt Talk
Penelope Curtis, who just announced that she’s stepping down as director of England’s Tate Britain Museum, delivers the biennial series of Paul Mellon Lectures sponsored by the Yale Center for British Art. This one’s on “The Horizontal: From Westminster Abbey to Keith Arnatt” and is about modern sculpture. 5:30 p.m. Since the YCBA building is closed for renovations, the talk is at the Loria Center, Room 250, 190 York St. (203) 432‑2800.
Wednesday, April 22
Powerlessness Projected
The concluding screening of its 12-week “India and Pakistan Since 1947” film series features 2014’s Katiyabaaz (Powerless) by Fahd Mustafa. 10 a.m. in Room 202 of Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Ave.
Glee Indeed
The New Haven High School Choral Festival overwhelms Woolsey Hall (500 College St.) at 7 p.m. Participants include the choruses from Coop, Career and Wilbur Cross High Schools, plus the All-City Honors Chorus and the Yale Glee Club. Free.
Thursday, April 23
Every Witch Way
Cindy Wolfe Boynton, correspondent for the New York Times, has written a new book about The Connecticut Witch Trials: The First Panic in the New World. She signs and discusses it 6:30 p.m. in the Community Program Room of New Haven Free Public Library (133 Elm St.. 203 – 946-8130).
Human Modernity Harmonies
Gary Tomlin covers A Million Years of Music — The Emergence of Human Modernity in his new book, which he’s signing at 6 p.m. in the Yale Barnes & Noble bookstore, 77 Broadway. (203) 7778 – 8440.
Capital, Parallel, Seatbelt, Naples and Kills
The 10th Annual Yale Festival of New Italian Cinema starts tonight and runs through Sunday at the Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St. The films are all fairly recent releases, from 2013 and ’14, and include Fasten Your Seatbelts (tonight at 7:30 p.m.), Human Capital (Friday at 7:30 p.m.), The Mafia Only Kills in the Summer (Saturday at 7:30 p.m.), 45th Parallel (Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and I am from Naples (Sunday at 4 p.m.). All the films are subtitled. (203) 432‑0595. Free, but tickets can be reserved in advance.
Friday, April 24
Give ‘Em the Power Stance Baby!
Cafe Nine has always been expert at finding the right opening acts for the hallowed New York garage/white-soul/superrock saviors The Fleshtones, This time the openers — The Split Squad — include an actual member of The Fleshtones, guitarist Keith Streng, doing double duty. The other Split Squad regulars are Eddie Munoz of The Plimsouls, Michael Giblin of Parallax Project and Cherry Twister, and Blondie drummer extraordinaire Clem Burke. 9 p.m. $15. 250 State St. (203) 789‑8281.
Under Buress
When Hannibal Buress was originally scheduled to play Southern Connecticut State University five months ago, his routine about Bill Cosby (“You leave here and Google ‘Bill Cosby rape.’ It’s not funny”) had only just gone viral. It’s the first that many of us had heard about Buress, but the outspoken comic has been around for a while, speaking truth. That November date got postponed until tonight, 8 p.m. at Lyman Center, on SCSU’s 501 Crescent St. (203) 392‑6154. $35, $25 SCSU faculty/staff, $10 SCSU students.
Trombonist’s Trio
Firehouse 12’s Spring Jazz Series continues with the Joe Fiedler Trio — trombonist Fiedler with drummer Michael Sarin and bassist/French hornist Rob Jost. Two sets, at 8:30 p.m. ($20) and 10 p.m. ($15).
Saturday, April 25
Phoenix Insurgens
Hartford’s Phoenix Performing Arts Troupe comes to the Children’s area of New Haven Free Public Library (133 Elm St., 203 – 946-8129) at 2 p.m. to present “a variety of Chinese classical and traditional dances” and discuss Chinese culture in general.
Deane of Art
Have you seen the exhibit at the New Haven Museum about Deane Keller, the real-life “Monument Man” who rescued art treasures from Europe during World War II, and went on to teach art at Yale? His son William Keller is at New Haven Free Public Library 2 p.m. today talking about “Deane Keller: Pursuing His Art in New Haven.” 133 Elm St. (203) 946 – 813.
Who Africa Is
The Stetson Branch Library hosts an “Africa is Me” celebration, with dances, songs, stories, a drum circle, arts, crafts, snacks and more. 2 p.m. 200 Dixwell Ave., (203) 946‑6786.
Inferno Play
Men in prison have adapted sections of Dante’s Inferno, which will be performed 3 p.m. by students in a Yale “Sacred Texts and Social Justice” class, at Marquand Chapel, 409 Prospect St. (203) 432‑5062.
Free Erismena
The Yale Baroque Opera Project presents a rare production of Cavalli’s Erismena, sung by undergrads with a few ringers because, man, baroque opera has some tough solos. Today and Sunday at 3 p.m. Yale University Theatre, 222 York St.
Who Harvey Milk Is
The Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus is singing the New England premiere of composer Andrew Lippa’s musical event I Am Harvey Milk, 8 p.m. tonight and 4 p.m. Sunday the 26th at Coop High School, 177 College St. (203) 777‑2923.
Sunday, April 26
Shoot Out the Lights
British folk/acoustic guitar genius Richard Thompson, who established himself with Fairport Convention and the duo Richard & Linda Thompson but has done two dozen sterling solo albums since 1972, can be found at Toad’s Place tonight for an 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $40 but a $100 VIP upgrade lets you meet and have your photo taken with Thompson, among other perks. 300 York St. (203) 624-TOAD.