Scorpions, Sting, Wu-Tang Clan and a ukulele festival among the best things to do the week of Sept. 4-10
The Courant’s art picks for the 10 best things to the week of Sept. 4 through 10:
It’s a week of bonding, community and brotherhood in Connecticut. There are two brother acts in the area: the musical duo The Guthrie Brothers and the impressionist Edwards Twins. There’s the Wu-Tang Clan. There are dozens of folk musicians at the Connecticut Folk Festival and at Chickenstock, plus a horde of ukulele players in Simsbury.
Scorpions, Germany’s premiere metal band, has been together in various line-ups for more than half a century. The War on Drugs is a younger ensemble building its own lasting legacy.
Then there’s Long Wharf Theatre, a New Haven community institution since the mid-1960s, showing the theater community works collaborative, with three performances of a work-in-progress about, ironically, isolation.
The Guthrie Brothers
Little Theatre of Manchester, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
The Guthrie Brothers do their tribute to the Everly Brothers Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Little Theatre of Manchester. Like the Everly Brothers they emulate, the Guthries grew up singing, playing and harmonizing together. Unlike the Everly Brothers, they seem to get along. $24-$35, cheneyhall.org.
Wu-Tang Clan and Nas
Xfinity Theater, 61 Savitt Way, Hartford
Hop-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan and Nas have never toured together, but they have recorded together, and they both came up in the 1990s New York scene and have retained their respective greatness through the decades. Wu-Tang Clan (namely RZA, GZA, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon, Masta Killa and Cappadonna) and Nas bring their NY State of Mind tour to the Xfinity Theater Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. $22-$424. livenation.com.
Sting
Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, 500 Broad Street, Bridgeport
If you still think of Sting in terms of his old band The Police, consider this: That band broke up in 1985 and even its big reunion tour was 15 years ago. Sting’s solo career, however, has been steady for 37 years and has yielded 15 albums, one of them the soundtrack for a Broadway musical he wrote. His latest, “The Bridge,” came out just last year. Sting’s My Song tour is at Bridgeport’s Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. $82-$152.50. livenation.com.
Scorpions
Premier Theater, 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Mashantucket
“Rock you like a hurricane” turned out to be an understatement. Germany’s Scorpions have been rocking the world for an incredible 57 years. There’s even a new album: “Rock Believer.” Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. at Foxwoods. $95-$250. foxwoods.com.
The War on Drugs
College Street Music Hall, 238 College Street, New Haven
The seven-piece alt-rock ensemble The War on Drugs has been around for 17 years now, with five albums to their name. There’ve been changes. Co-founder Kurt Vile left early on but remained supportive, and several permanent members expanded the band in recent years. The War on Drugs will play Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. at College Street Music Hall, an early sign that the college rock season has begun. $49.50-$79.50. collegestreetmusichall.com.
Chickenstock
Farm Truck at Hein Farm, 303 Meadow Road, Farmington
Farm Truck at Hein Farm already holds plenty of festivals, and they’re starting another one: the first annual Chickenstock Music Festival, from noon to 7 p.m. on Sept. 10 with music from Tracy Walton Band, Jeff Przech, Steve Dunn Band, The Bargain, The Auburn Mode, Riley Cotton, Morgan Skelly and the Old Crows.
There are also half a dozen food trucks, cornhole and horseshoes games, a farm stand and (to live up the festival’s name) “wandering chickens.” $25, $20 in advance. It’s a benefit for Connecticut Farmland Trust. farmingtonfarmtruck.farm.
Nutmeg Ukulele Festival
Eno Memorial Hall, 754 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury
Ukuleles hang on the walls of every music shop. Every guitarist seems to have a uke handy in the closet or in the trunk of the car. Then there are the folks who play ukulele primarily — they’re all over the state, playing in uke orchestras and community clubs, or just plucking happily on their own. This portable, easy-to-play, four-string instrument brings unmeasurable joy to many.
Need 13 hours of proof? The Nutmeg Ukulele Festival strums merrily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sept. 10 at Eno Memorial Hall. The fest is presented by Simsbury Meadows, but in keeping with the miniature scale of the uke, it’s being held in a smaller venue. The day includes three rounds of workshops, a couple of group play-along sessions and a big concluding concert featuring Gerald Ross, Cynthia Kinnunen, Ben Hassenger, Eve Goldberg and the uke duo of Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer. $125. simsburymeadowsmusic.com.
The Edwards Twins
Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury
It’s easy to explain what the Edwards Twins do, but hard to truly wrap your head around unless you see them in action. Anthony and Eddie Edwards are identical twin brothers who, between them, impersonate dozens of celebrities, from Bette Midler to Neil Diamond to Luciano Pavarotti to Elton John to Cher. Sept. 10 at 8 p.m., Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. $50. 7atheatre.org.
‘Dignity, Always Dignity’
Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
The Long Wharf is still in its old digs on Sargent Drive in New Haven for a little while longer. On Sept. 10 and 11, the company is offering a workshop of a new one-man play-with-music, “Dignity, Always Dignity.” It’s written by Bryce Pinkham, Zachary Fine, Rona Siddiqui and Kiya Traber. The music and lyrics are by Siddiqui; Fine directs; Traber is the dramaturg; and Pinkham stars as a former Broadway star who stages show while stranded on a desert island. There are three performances, Sept. 10 at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. Cost are $35, $65 “Pay It Forward” and $10 students. longwharf.org.
Connecticut Folk Fest and Green Expo
Edgerton Park, 75 Cliff Street, New Haven
The Connecticut Folk Fest is back to full strength, running two days in Edgerton Park with 20 acts on two stages: Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sept. 11 from noon to 6 p.m.
On Saturday there’s Alpaca Gnomes, Goodnight Moonshine, Stephen Peter Rodgers and the Unfinished Hearts, Buffalo Rose, Haunt the House, Jonah Tolchin, Max García Conover, Sarah King and Moonrise Cartel.
On Sunday, it’s Kaia Kater, Kuf Knotz, & Christine Elise, Raye Zaragoza, Manny James, Emery Major and Rick Reyes’ Latin Americana.
The Green Expo is its own reason for coming to the park, with information, demonstrations and services promoting a healthy environment. $20 suggested donation per day. ctfolk.org.
Christopher Arnott can be reached at carnott@courant.com.
