Screening at Best Video: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
On Wednesday July 29th at 7:00pm we will be screening the Sam Peckinpah film, “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia”. Starring Warren Oates, this action/western film from 1974 has gone on to become a cult classic that is a great example of the grittiness of American filmmaking in the 70’s. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers.
There will be drinks and popcorn available for purchase.
Screening of Speedy @ Lyric Hall Theater Accompanied by pianist and film historian John Mucci
Join us at Lyric Hall Theater on July 30th for a screening of the Harold Lloyd film , “Speedy” accompanied by pianist and film historian John Mucci.
John Mucci studied music, film, and writing at Carnegie-Mellon University, where he accompanied silent film at various Pittsburgh locations. Moving back to his native Connecticut, he worked in some of the top marketing companies in the New York area, and continued to show silent films with scores that kept audiences coming back, watching nearly 100-year old stories that came alive once more.
Doors open at 6:30pm and the film will start at 7pm.
FauxMenco, Brian Larney
Shredding guitar duo FauxMenco and pop tunesmith Brian Larney share the bill at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Fri., July 31. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
Blending the fire of nuevo flamenco, the edge of metal, and the groove of acoustic rock, FauxMenco - the nylon-string guitar duo of Catherine Capozzi and Rafi Sofer - is set to release their debut EP, Speed X Volume = FauxMenco, on May 17. The five-track collection will be available exclusively via Bandcamp and at live shows.
Speed X Volume = FauxMenco explores the intersection of art and survival through five cinematic,emotionally charged instrumentals. Whether inspired by environmental loss or rediscovered life, the EP is a bold statement from a duo carving their own sonic path.
FauxMenco are Catherine Capozzi and Rafi Sofer, translating their loud and adventurous experimental electric guitar worlds to nylon string guitars. Drawing from rock, metal, classical, flamenco, surf, manouche, and the ambience of time & space, FauxMenco loves to explore—striving to create exciting guitar dreamscapes that are propulsive and timeless. ”The legacies of Paco De Lucia and Jimi Hendrix lead to FauxMenco’s take on relaxed mayhem.”
Selected by Brian May to win his famed “Red Special” electric guitar, Catherine is a genre bending and award winning film composer and producer. Israeli-born Rafi Sofer is a sound and visual artist—head engineer at Boston’s legendary Q Division Studios by day, street and macro photographer by night.
Haunted by hooks and good old-fashioned songcraft, Brian Larney is an eclectic, non-stop music-maker. The Connecticut native splits his time performing as a solo acoustic act and as the front-man of The Brian Larney Band. He's an alternative folk-rock singer-songwriter with an honest and thoughtful style that has been described as “quirky, earnest, and vulnerable.” His songs are organic spoonfuls of classic pop and folk, naturally sweet, non-GMO, without the sugar crash; his style hearkens back to the days of Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles, and maybe a bit of Partridge Family. His sound is as influenced by pop songs of the early to mid twentieth century as it is by the contemporary artists he’s often compared to.
Children's Music: Michele Urban
Michele Urban plays children's music at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Saturday morning, Aug. 1, at 10:30 AM.
Suggested donation is $5-10 per family but nobody will be turned away for lack of funds.
Michele Urban is a Connecticut-based family music performer. Her whimsical songs weave genres from folk, to kindie rock, to jazz, all while exploring the essential themes of kindness, friendship, inclusion, and neurodiversity. Her shows are high- energy, interactive, and unforgettable.
With every strum of her ukulele and every playful lyric, Michele transforms spaces into communities — where children and families sing, dance, and discover their voices together. Her latest album, Something You Don’t Know, is a testament to her mission: music that uplifts, includes, and celebrates children of all ages, with all kinds of minds. Available now on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more.
Pinewood Derby Workshop
The 2nd Annual Best Video Pinewood Derby will be held on September 6th, Labor Day Weekend. We are currently registering racers! Teams must be registered by July 28th! Each team will create their own pinewood derby car. Kits will be handed out at a workshop on August 2nd at 12pm . At our workshop we will give you ideas, go over the rules and help you get started on your build!
Movie Trivia Night hosted by Michael Domangue
Please join us for Movie Trivia Night, hosted by Best Video member Michael Domangue, on Wednesday, August 5th at 7 pm. Entry is $5/person. Teams of up to 4 members will enjoy 5 rounds of movie-themed trivia questions. The winning team will receive a $25 Best Video Gift Card!
A word to the wise…this event has become very popular (yay!). RSVP’s are strongly encouraged!
Queer Film Club at Best Video
Queer Film Club is back at Best Video on Thursday August 6th for a secret screening. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the film starts at 7pm. Tickets are $5!
Notorious I.F.C Presents: A French New Wave Screening
Join Writer and Film Director David Gutnik at Best Video on August 7th at 7:30pm for his film club : Notorious I.F.C. For the 2nd installment he will be showing a Summer themed French New Wave Classic. The Cafe will be open for drink and snack purchases. The event is free to the public but donations are always appreciated.
Call the store for any information on the film.
Screening @ Best Video
Join us for a very special screening at Best Video on Wednesday August 12th. Tickets are $5/members and $10/non-members.
Call the store for information on the screening.
Cult Night w/ Molly
Join us for an evening of Cult Film at Best Video, curated by BVFCC Staffer Molly! The film starts at 7pm. Tickets are $5 and there will be refreshments available for purchase at the Cafe.
Big Brooklyn
Big Brooklyn plays Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Fri., August. 14. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
Bridging jazz, klezmer, rock, and groove, Big Brooklyn carries a progressive and inviting presence, exploring beautiful melodies while defining new boundaries. Awarded Semi-Finalist positions in the UK Songwriting Contest for multiple compositions on their album, Everyone Everywhere, as well as being a jazz finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for a song on their first album, Purpose, this 5-piece group captivates audiences with a unique depth of passion in expressive melodies and harmonies from jazz and beyond, touching on the inseparable exultation and pathos of the klezmer sound, all interwoven over a fabric of jazz and groove that pulls all stops.
Big Brooklyn was formed by Willie and Melody Dornfeld. While having New England roots, they formed the band while in Colorado, but have since moved back to New England and are excited to be performing in the Northeast. Band members include: Melody Dornfeld – Clarinet & Bass Clarinet, Nigel Regan– Tenor & Soprano Saxophones, Gannon Ferrell – Guitar, Preston Murphy - Bass, and Willie Dornfeld - Drums.
GuitarTown CT- Bluegrass Jam
The Hamden Bluegrass Jam—hosted by GuitarTown CT Productions takes place Sunday, August 16th, from 3pm-5:30pm.
A suggested donation of $5 is appreciated. Come on down, have a coffee, beer, or glass of wine, and enjoy the music. It’s all acoustic and mostly traditional. Any and all bluegrass players are welcome.
Bring your instrument or just bring your ears. Come to pick or just to listen.
The Secret Music Documentary Society hosted by Gorman Bechard and Dean Falcone
Please join filmmaker Gorman Bechard and musician Dean Falcone for their monthly screening series: THE SECRET MUSIC DOCUMENTARY SOCIETY on Monday August 17th. Doors open for beer/pizza at 6pm, and the film starts at 7pm. Each month, they will share an underseen or unknown music documentary. Tickets are $10 for tickets only, and $20 for a ticket, pizza, and a drink.
Lys Guillorn & The Void Kittens, Baron Von Elsa
Lys Guillorn and The Void Kittens share the bill with Baron Von Elsa at Best Video Film & Cultural Center Fri., August. 21. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
Lys Guillorn is a genre-bending singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Connecticut, dipping one boot in twangy indie folk, and the other in psych rock. Live, Guillorn is joined by The Void Kittens--Peter Riccio (drums) from The Sawtelles and NHIC, and Eric Bloomquist (bass) of Chica Non Grata and Bronson Rock.
Guillorn’s self-titled first record, released in 2003, earned some indie press and radio airplay due to its originality as well as guest turns from members of the Feelies, Luna, and Voidoids. Since then, Guillorn has remained a steadfast member of the Connecticut music scene, printing photos by day and playing shows by night with both local and national artists. They have two full-length studio records of originals, and a couple of EPs and singles on their own label, Little Cowgirl Records. Guillorn's most recent release is a newly remastered version of Wayward Children, which features demos and tracks from compilations put out by other labels. They are currently working on their next full-length record.
Baron Von Elsa AKA Aly of Magik Press is a multi-media, multi-genre artist, poet, and musician who layers haunting imagery and ambient noise with blues and folk traditions. They sing for the Wild Void and sometimes it answers back.
Family Screening + Ice Cream Bar
Join us at Best Video on Saturday August 22nd at 1pm for a Family Friendly Screening and ice cream bar where you make your own sundaes! Movie will start at 1:30pm.
Admission (one sundae included) is a suggested donation of $7/per person.
Call the store for any information on the film being screened.
Lucy's Neighbor, Zoo Front
Power pop group Lucy's Neighbor and indie rockers Zoo Front share the bill at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Sat., Aug. 22. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
Lucy’s Neighbor—named after the Mrs. Matilda Trumbull character in the “I Love Lucy” Sitcom—is an original indie rock/power pop band from New Haven. The members are Derek Di Fronzo (vocals); Dave Esposito (guitar); Tom Quagliano (drums) and Ed Flynn (bass). They will be playing songs from their four self-released CDs, the self-titled “Lucy’s Neighbor” (2011), “Over Easy” (2018), “Till It’s Gone” (2020), and "Long Road Home" (2023).
Zoo Front is a sonically eclectic original band always striving to evolve their sound. Each member brings their own somewhat divergent influences to the group, where ideas and genres are meshed and massaged to form a cohesive body of work. 2023’s “Re-Entry” album was a collection of songs taking listeners on a ride through a variety of musical styles and moods. Anyone who has witnessed a Zoo Front gig has been along for that ride, taking in a mix of new and old, soft and sultry, moody and energetic songs. A new batch of music is under development and promises to take the band and audience into uncharted territory.
Zoo Front is Ed Ekendu, Ju Dee Luna, Nancy Tatsapaugh, and Lisa Tonner.
You can find Zoo Front on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, You Tube Music, Apple Music and other streaming services.
Strawberry Hands (Philadelphia), The Regal Drug (CT)
Philadelphia act Strawberry Hands shares the bill with local ambient act The Regal Drug at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Wed., August. 26. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
Born 2006 in Philadelphia, Strawberry Hands is the songwriting project of poet, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Brunner (Weyes Blood, Karl Blau, Mike Bruno). The Strawberry Hands universe is one where basketball philosophy, Zen Buddhism, found poetry, and bedroom psychedelia somehow coexist without contradiction. Rounding out the ensemble are Jonathan Davenport (Dirty Projectors, Red Tailed Rounders), John Comune (Henbane, Bitter Wish), and Mark Ettingoff (Ghostwood Orchestra, Golden West Service).
The Regal Drug is the sonic brainchild of Scott N. Amore, born from an abandoned, busted piano discovered in a New Haven parking lot in the dead of night, 1995. What began as a spontaneous experiment in sound and electronics has evolved over three decades into an immersive recording and performance project. The current incarnation features a dynamic trio: Amore on keys and textures, joined by Ben Heller on trumpet and Richard Brown on saxophone. Blending improvisation with deep electronic atmospheres, The Regal Drug channels three decades of exploration into moments of musical gratitude and raw expression.
Nathan El, All the Pretty Horses, Offering Field
Best Video Film & Cultural Center features the triple bill of Nathan El (Pittsburgh, PA), Offering Field, and All the Pretty Horses. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
Nathan El is the experimental folk project of Pittsburgh-based agriculturalist and musician Nathan Blake. The project seeks to stretch traditional folk forms into unfamiliar shapes and marry sleepy folk with ambient, distorted textures. Live, Nathan El is often supported by Claire Sweeney (fiddle, harmonium, backing vocals), Austin Orth (guitar, keys, backing vocals), Brian Spragg (drums), and Carson Mara (bass).
Nathan El has independently toured the East Coast, received airplay on NPR, and opened for internationally touring acts. The project’s most exemplary release to date, reworkings of the traditional songs Jubilee and Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still, arrives Friday, May 29.
New Haven’s Offering Field—Adam Parker's stage name—steps out of the studio and into the midwinter dusk with a gift: a new album of mystic songwriting crisp as frost on the fallen leaves. Hand Reaching Through Flames, his first album in seven years, is the most intimate work Parker has released, having both the immediacy of small club performance and the uncanny quality of a voice picked up on a shortwave radio.
Parker paints fluid shapes with his palate of acoustic guitar, bass, shimmering percussion, and Mellotron around delicate lyrics steeped in magic and longing. We’re led down winding paths to windows, mirrors, eyes: thresholds that beckon us somewhere within and beyond — into the night sky and back into the basement. Producer Sam Carlson renders these songs in a detailed chiaroscuro. Each strum rings out like a beam of light through dusty air in a home emptied and moved away from. Adam’s voice cuts through the veil and echoes down the hall.
All the Pretty Horses is a vehicle for the lo-fi, psychedelic folks songs of Austin Traver.
Queer Film Club @ Best Video!
Queer Film Club is back at Best Video for a special surprise screening! Doors open at 6:30pm and the film will start at 7pm. There will be popcorn and drinks available for purchase at our Cafe. Tickets are $5!
Call the store for details on the film.
First Friday Lounge Night
Please join us for First Friday Lounge Night from 5:30 - 7:30 pm on Friday, September 4th featuring Wes O’Brien’s jazz piano. There is no cover charge, and the Best Video Coffee Bar will be open throughout for all your beverage needs, with Happy Hour pricing on beer and wine.
5:30 - 7:30 pm - Come on by Best Video for a nice glass of wine with a friend or a cup of tea and your book. Sit back, relax, and enjoy as Wes O’Brien delights with his great anecdotes and wonderful selection of jazz standards, show tunes, and ballads.
Tonight's all about good vibes, great music, and having a blast together. Let's make it a night to remember, everyone! 🎹
Sotto Voce (NYC), Calendula (CT), Cousin Oven (NYC)
Best Video Film & Cultural Center presents a triple bill matinee show on Sun., Sept. 6 with two acts from Brooklyn, NY—Sotto Voce and Cousin Oven—and Connecticut's Calendula. The cover is $10 and the show starts at 4 PM.
Sotto Voce has been the moniker for Pittsburgh native Ryan Gabos's homespun musical project since 2011. Recording nearly every note in whatever small space he calls his bedroom at any given time, he catalogues his personal brand of songcraft built on the result of his influences, including Jim O'Rourke, The Sea and Cake, Deerhoof, and Joan of Arc. Sotto Voce operates live as a band with bassist Justin Gonzales and drummer Ryan Hopper. Of latest album—2026's The Sound of Trying—Pop Matters says it "suggests a sort of Todd Rundgren in Brooklyn vibe, marrying the lo-fi, DIY aesthetics of bedroom pop with a musical mind that never seems to run out of good ideas."
Cousin Oven is the Brooklyn-based rock band led by frontman, Owen Bologna. A master of personification, Owen skillfully weaves emotional honesty, clever prose, and rhythmic drive into a consistently beautiful musical product. Cousin Oven songs are sweet and subtle, rewarding you for the attention you pay to them with genuine warmth.
Calendula is the musical project of Abigail Golec, a singer-songwriter based in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Their nostalgia for past homes, daydreamed futures, and yearning for loved-ones fuels their folk-inspired melodies. Their self-titled album releases on June 21st, 2026.
Secret Cinema hosted by Rob Harmon
Join us on Monday July 27th for a Secret Cinema screening hosted by Rob Harmon.
Screening starts at 8pm and tickets are $10. There will be popcorn and drinks available to purchase at the cafe.
GuitarTownCT Bluegrass Jam
The Hamden Bluegrass Jam—hosted by GuitarTown CT Productions takes place Sunday July 26th, from 3pm-5:30pm.
A suggested donation of $5 is appreciated. Come on down, have a coffee, beer, or glass of wine, and enjoy the music. It’s all acoustic and mostly traditional. Any and all bluegrass players are welcome.
Bring your instrument or just bring your ears. Come to pick or just to listen.
Notorious I.F.C Presents: A French New Wave Screening
Join Writer and Film Director David Gutnik at Best Video on July 25th at 7:30pm for the launch of his film club : Notorious I.F.C. For the first installment he will be showing a Summer themed French New Wave Classic. The Cafe will be open for drink and snack purchases. The event is free to the public but donations are always appreciated.
Call the store for any information on the film.
Fuselaje with DJ Don Poncho
Fuselage will rev up their sound at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Fri., July 24. The show starts at 7 PM with a set by DJ Don Poncho and the cover is $10.
Fuselaje is a high-energy worldbeat ensemble based in New Haven, CT, blending the twang and reverb of surf rock, the kinetic energy of ska, and the Afro-Latin rhythms of cumbia with psychedelic grooves and punk rock swagger.
The Secret Music Documentary Society hosted by Gorman Bechard and Dean Falcone
Please join filmmaker Gorman Bechard and musician Dean Falcone for their monthly screening series: THE SECRET MUSIC DOCUMENTARY SOCIETY on Thursday July 23rd. Doors open for beer/pizza at 6pm, and the film starts at 7pm. Each month, they will share an underseen or unknown music documentary. Tickets are $10 for tickets only, and $20 for a ticket, pizza, and a drink.
Jazz Night: Allen Lowe & The All-Stars
Step right into Hamden’s very own monthly jazz club…
Please join BVFCC and host Allen Lowe for our Monthly Jazz Night with Allen Lowe & The All-Stars on Wednesday July 22nd at 7pm. There will be a coterie of musical guests assembled by our host each month in a relaxed setting with tables and chairs to truly sit back, relax, and enjoy the great vibe. Of course, the BVCoffee Bar will be open for beer, wine, and café drinks. Cover charge is $10.
Screening @ Lyric Hall: Boogie Nights
On Tuesday, July 21st at 7pm we will be back at Lyric Hall Theater in New Haven to show the 1997 classic film, “Boogie Nights” directed by P.T. Anderson. Doors open at 6:30pm and the film will start at 7:00pm.
Tickets are $10 for tickets only and $20 for tickets including drinks and popcorn.
Family Yoga @ Best Video w/ Lani
Join us on Sunday, July 19th for a Family Yoga class taught by Lani Rosen- Gallagher.
Recognizing that children need balance and focus in their lives, Lani Rosen-Gallagher (M.Ed., RYT 200, RCYT) first incorporated yoga into her daily schedule while teaching first grade in Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY over 25 years ago! In 2004, Lani founded/created Full of Joy Yoga in San Francisco. Over the next four years, she taught yoga to children in preschools, yoga studios, homes, homeless shelters, and after-school programs all over the Bay Area. In 2007, she relocated to Connecticut, bringing her expertise to the East Coast. She has taught thousands of children all over CT and especially here in the New Haven/Hamden area where she is located. Family yoga has always been her favorite to teach. Lani is always striving to improve the lives and futures of children, helping them laugh, love, and grow.
Pricing is $16 for a parent/child and $25 for a family of 3 or more.
The Sawtelles, Knox Chandler Birthday Month Show
The Sawtelles and Knox Chandler share the bill at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Sat., July 18. And it's a celebratory night—July is the birthday month for both Pete and Julie of The Sawtelles and for Knox Chandler! AND it's actually Julie's birthday! Plus, it's the release night for a new CD from The Sawtelles! The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
The Sawtelles are a balance of four elements, guitar in alternate tuning, various drum kit configurations, and two voices. Sparse but intricately arranged pop that is as lush as it is threadbare makes what is played just as important as what isn’t. They have been performing their original music for over two decades. Their DIY approach has produced over 20 predominantly hand made releases.
Knox Chandler’s career has spanned for over four decades, including performing, recording, arranging and producing, with such acts as REM, Depeche Mode, Grace Jones, Marianne Faithful, Natalie Merchant, Tricky, The Creatures, Dave Gahan Paper Monsters and The Golden Palominos etc. His long stints as a member of The Psychedelic Furs, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Cyndi Lauper’s band has given Knox the experience of a worldwide recording and touring musician.
From 2012 to 2022 Knox was residing in Berlin Germany, deepening his exploration of sonic soundscapes (soundribbons), and applying it to different genres and mediums. In Berlin, he composed, recorded, toured, produced, and wrote string arrangements for such acts as Herbert Grönemeyer, Jesper Munk, Pure Reason Revolution, The Still, TAU, Miss Kenichi and the Sun, Mars William’s Albert Ayler Xmas, Rita Redshoes, Them There, The Night etc., as well as developing his solo Sound Ribbon project. During this period he also was the head of the guitar department at BIMM College. As well as having a BA from Bard College he also received a Post Graduate certification in education while living in Germany.
Knox now resides in the New Haven Connecticut area and records on his own label, Blue Elastic.
James Limerick Kerr
James Limerick Kerr plays a solo fingerstyle guitar and Dobro guitar show at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Fri., July 17. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
James Limerick Kerr is a fingerstyle and classical guitarist, Dobro guitarist, and educator who brings a fountain of influences to his performance career. With playing “head and shoulders above most players” (The New Haven Register), his solo work incorporates Renaissance fantasias, classical guitar, bluegrass, ragtime, Delta blues, along with original compositions for fingerstyle and resonator steel guitar (Dobro). Kerr’s latest recording, Lute Fantasias of Molinaro (Acis) is available in spring 2026 on streaming platforms and CD.
Kerr completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in classical guitar performance in 2016 at Stony Brook University (SUNY). He studied jazz as an undergrad at the University of Michigan, and received a master's in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Kerr is currently Lecturer of Music, Guitar at Smith College, and is based in Northampton, MA and New Haven, CT. Prior to joining the faculty at Smith, Kerr was Associate in Music Performance faculty at Columbia University, where he taught applied classical and bluegrass guitar for a decade and directed the Bluegrass Ensemble. Other college level guitar teaching positions have included CT-State Naugatuck Valley, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY).
Kerr is the author of A Twenty-First Century Guidebook for Guitarists: Practice, Performance, and Teaching (Kendall Hunt), a textbook for college guitar students. An updated second edition was completed in 2025.
Pulsr, sinecera, starr 67 (slc)
Join us on July 14th for a night of incredible music. We will have Pulsr, Sinecera and starr 67 (from Salt Lake City).
Doors open at 7pm and tickets are $10-$15.
Screening @ Best Video: Johnny Guitar
On Monday July 13th, join us at Best Video for a screening of the Nicholas Ray western, starring the one and only Joan Crawford and Hayden Sterling, “ Johnny Guitar”. The film will start at 7:00pm. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non members.
My Tokyo Summer Graphic Novel Release Party!
My Tokyo Summer graphic novel release party!
Featuring:
Karaoke!
Strawberry Matcha Drink Special!
Project X Baking Pop-Up!
Sunday July 12 ,3-6pm
Perennial, Cussing
Perennial and CUSSING share the bill at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Sat., July 11. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
Perennial is an art punk three-piece from New England. The band’s sound – built from the sharp minimalism of guitar, electric organ, and drums – is a kinetic collage of mod pop, 90s post-hardcore, post-bop jazz and 60s soul. The band’s ferocious live show – quick and electrifying – has already become the stuff of DIY legend, short bursts of manic energy with barely a moment to catch your breath: not to be missed. Perennial’s new album, Art History is available everywhere that chic modernist punk is sold.
CUSSING is an indie pop/rock duo from Asbury Park, NJ. With just a guitar, vocals, and a drum machine, CUSSING puts on high energy rock shows with catchy hooks. Their debut album, GIRL EXPLODED is out now via Mint 400 Records with an EP to follow this August.
Perennial on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7oLhWWqX188fvNQ6aqxLz3
Perennial on Bandcamp: https://perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/
Perennial on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialtheband/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Perennialtheband/
CUSSING on Bandcamp: https://cussingmusic.bandcamp.com/
CUSSING on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/47U0p9SyO2KP7gZ9oTOPO5?si=jJML4zGmQXCA-hH25YiWVA&nd=1&dlsi=0c6e3f83c0fe423a
CUSSING on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cussing.nj/
CUSSING on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CUSSINGMUSIC
Music: City of Meriden + Bappy Man
Come out on Friday July 10th at 7pm for City or Meriden and Bappy Man. Doors open at 6:30pm.
Tickets are $10
Cult Night w/ Molly
Join us for an evening of Cult Film at Best Video, curated by BVFCC Staffer Molly! The film starts at 7pm. Tickets are $5 and there will be refreshments available for purchase at the Cafe.
Connecticut Book Launch for Scott Laudati’s Rainbow Road featuring Scott Laudati, Emily Costa, Terri Linn Davis, Zora Satchell, & Aug Stone
Stratford author Aug Stone is pleased to welcome poet/author/musician Scott Laudati to Connecticut on July 3rd to celebrate the launch of Laudati's latest poetry collection. Rainbow Road follows Laudati as he crisscrosses the country chasing the myths of a lost America. The poems in this collection blend themes of restlessness, history, rebellion, and longing, capturing the spirit of a generation at the decline of an Empire, but still searching for meaning in an inauthentic world. Rainbow Road is Laudati’s third full-length collection of poems.
Scott Laudati lives in NYC with his dog, Josie. He is the author of Camp Winapooka and Play The Devil. His work has been published by The Columbia Journal, The Stockholm Review, XRAY, Hobart, Princeton University and others. Visit him anywhere @ScottLaudati.
Aug Stone is a writer and musician. His novel The Ballad Of Buttery Cake Ass was one of Vulture’s Best Comedy Books Of 2023. His other books are Off-License To Kill, Nick Cave's Bar, Sporting Moustaches, and Family Vacations. Aug released the Rachel On The Rooftops single last year and is currently working on a full-length record at Sans Serif Studios in New Haven. Aug's a Sagittarius Rising at 12 degrees, with Neptune sitting at 13 degrees Sag. That explains a lot.
Emily Costa, a Waterbury native and graduate of Southern Connecticut State University’s MFA program, is the author of two books—Girl on Girl (Rejection Letters) and Until It Feels Right (Autofocus Books), and writes semi-regularly as half of LISTLESS on Substack.
Terri Linn Davis is the co-editor of Icebreakers Lit, a chaotic, loving home featuring collaborative writing. Terri was the recipient of the Jack and Annie Smith Poets and Painters Award (2018), an alumna of the 2022 and 2024 Kenyon Review Writers Workshop for poetry, and a 2023 Artist Fellowship recipient from Connecticut Office of the Arts. Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Sundress Publications’ Best of The Net. You can find some of her work in Taco Bell Quarterly, Pithead Chapel, The Penn Review, Cultural Daily, Five South, and elsewhere. Her microchap LOVE/LIMERENCE/TURKEYS is currently out on submission with presses.
Zora Satchell is a Black and Chinese American queer poet, editor, and cinephile who writes about food, sex, film, family, and friendship. Her work has been published in Honey Literary, Drunk Monkeys Magazine, Stone of Madness Press, and elsewhere. She was In Surreal Life and Emotional Historians Fellow for the summer of 2024 and the 2021 Winter/Spring Brooklyn Poets Fellow. She has performed with Brooklyn Poets, Blasian March, KGB Bar, Priyo, Glow in the City: Unplugged. She lives on the border of Brooklyn and Queens.
Queer Film Club @ Best Video!
Queer Film Club is back at Best Video for a special surprise screening! Doors open at 6:30pm and the film will start at 7pm. There will be popcorn and drinks available for purchase at our Cafe. Tickets are $5!
Call the store for details on the film.
Movie Trivia Night hosted by Michael Domangue
Please join us for Movie Trivia Night, hosted by Best Video member Michael Domangue, on Wednesday, July 1st at 7 pm. Entry is $5/person. Teams of up to 4 members will enjoy 5 rounds of movie-themed trivia questions. The winning team will receive a $25 Best Video Gift Card!
A word to the wise…this event has become very popular (yay!). RSVP’s are strongly encouraged!
Book Signing w/ Jenn L. Beckwith, "All Good Cretins go to Heaven". A Ramones Fan Perspective
Best Video is please to host author Jenn L. Beckwith for a reading and book signing of ALL GOOD CRETINS GO TO HEAVEN: THE ENDURING SPIRIT OF THE RAMONES on Tuesday, June 30th at 7pm. Books will be available for purchase.
Secret Cinema hosted by Rob Harmon
Join Rob Harmon at Best Video on Monday, June 29th @ 8pm for the June installment of Secret Cinema. Tickets are $10 and there will be drinks, popcorn, and snacks available for purchase.
GuitarTownCT Bluegrass Jam
The Hamden Bluegrass Jam—hosted by GuitarTown CT Productions takes place Sunday, June 28th, from 3pm-5:30pm.
A suggested donation of $5 is appreciated. Come on down, have a coffee, beer, or glass of wine, and enjoy the music. It’s all acoustic and mostly traditional. Any and all bluegrass players are welcome.
Bring your instrument or just bring your
Outdoor “Bike Themed” Screening
Join us outdoors on Saturday June 27th at Spring Glen Church for a bike themed film screening. We will have popcorn & softdrinks available for purchase. Tickets are $5 and the film will start at 8:15pm.
In the event of rain, we will move the screening indoors at Best Video.
Call the store for details on the film.
Dr. Caterwaul’s Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps play music of Tom Waits
On Fri., June 26, New Haven’s genre-bending folk-world-jazz stalwarts Dr. Caterwaul’s Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps take on the music they were perhaps always destined to play, as they will waltz, slide, and stomp their way through a full set of songs by the incomparable American songwriting treasure Tom Waits. With the full 5-piece lineup of Adam Matlock on accordion, Brian Slattery on violin and banjo, Chris Cretella on guitar, Mike Tepper on bass, and Michael Paolucci on drums, plus a possible guest or two.
The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
Jazz Night: Allen Lowe & The All-Stars
Step right into Hamden’s very own monthly jazz club…
Please join BVFCC and host Allen Lowe for our Monthly Jazz Night with Allen Lowe & The All-Stars on Wednesday June 24th at 7pm. There will be a coterie of musical guests assembled by our host each month in a relaxed setting with tables and chairs to truly sit back, relax, and enjoy the great vibe. Of course, the BVCoffee Bar will be open for beer, wine, and café drinks. Cover charge is $10
The Secret Music Documentary Society hosted by Gorman Bechard and Dean Falcone
Please join filmmaker Gorman Bechard and musician Dean Falcone for their monthly screening series: THE SECRET MUSIC DOCUMENTARY SOCIETY on Tuesday, June 23rd. Doors open for beer/pizza at 6pm, and the film starts at 7pm. Each month, they will share an underseen or unknown music documentary. Tickets are $10 for tickets only, and $20 for a ticket, pizza, and a drink.
A Night of Jazz: Music Benefit
Join us on Sunday, June 21st at 7pm for a benefit for interfaith volunteer caregivers in Greater New Haven. Admission by donation. Doors open at 6:30pm.
CONFLUENCE ENSEMBLE: MIDSOMMAR SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
Celebrate the Summer Solstice with us! Confluence Ensemble plays Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Sat., June 20. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.
Confluence Ensemble—Jim and Willow Sirch and Gary Wikfors—offer a concert of mostly Swedish music. Musical Midsommar celebrations take place at this time throughout Sweden and across Europe. Join us for a concert of traditional polskas, schottishes,walking tunes, waltzes and more on nyckelharpa, 5-string fiddle, and flute.
ROBERT MESSORE: CHILDREN'S MUSIC
Robert Messore brings his Toddler Tunes kids’ music show to Best Video Film & Cultural Center Sat., June 20. The event starts at 10:30 AM. Suggested donation is $5-10 per family but nobody will be turned away for lack of funds.
Robert Messore puts on a high-energy sing-and-dance-along program for young children and their parents.
Voted “Best Entertainer for Toddlers” in the 2011 Kidhaven.com readers poll, Messore’s public “Toddler Tunes” program at St. John’s Episcopal Church in New Haven is the place to be every week! The songs are a mix of the classics and some newer songs that folks love. He recognizes that these programs are a place for parents to get together as much as anything, so he encourages folks with newborns through 6-yr-old children to attend.
GREYLYNG/THE REZISTORS: INDIE ROCK
Indie rockers The Rezistors will play Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Friday, June 19th at 7pm with fellow rockers Greylyng opening. Tickets are $10.