Things that are good: Hartford Denim Company

The mark of the company.

Last winter, after losing two pairs of jeans to the treacherous ice, I decided to invest in some better denim. After searching around for a while, looking for something well-made and hopefully domestic (nothing against China, I just don't see why my jeans should be better traveled than I am), I came across the Hartford Denim Company. This is a company started by three guys in Hartford. It was originally housed in a crappy office building on Pratt Street in downtown but has since moved to 30 Arbor St, next to Real Art Ways.

Anyway, last winter I headed down to Pratt Street, went past the Pole Control Studio, and made my way up to their office. It was filled with workbenches, old sewing machines, and denim. I handed over my $240 and left with a very nice pair of jeans with beautiful red buttons and rivets made from salvaged copper.

My broken-in jeans

Unfortunately, a few weeks ago I was riding my bike, while I was wearing my favorite pair of jeans, and I had a confrontation with a bulb-out. After being thrown from my bicycle in a very elegant manner, I scraped my knee on the sidewalk. I'll spare you the pictures. In addition to drawing blood, bruising skin, and cracking my noodle, I tore a hole in my beloved pants. Fortunately, the good folk at Hartford Denim Company back their product with lifetime repair service.

Review: Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter / The Sadies

Jesse Sykes

I'm going to start this off with a wag of my finger at Hartford. Come on people, this was a great show and the house was pretty empty. I know they were up against the annual game dinner at the Half Door, but aren't there a few vegetarians in the area? I guess it was also a Sunday and honestly, I'm a little surprised that music and dancing aren't illegal on Sundays in Connecticut.

On to the show. The Sadies led off the night. I'll admit than I'm a bit of a philistine when it comes to the Sadies. I'm only familiar with their work with Neko Case and John Doe. They put on a great show. All the songs were well played, tight, and energetic. You could tell that they were a band that knew their music well played with a passion.

Photography at the Wadsworth

I kinda like photography. Fortunately for me, and for you if you know what's good for you, the Wadsworth Atheneum has two excellent photography exhibits on display. The most prominent is Patti Smith's (Patti Smith!) "Camera Solo" show. You may have seen the ads on I-84. The show is a mixture of intimate family photos, shots of places she loves, pictures of the ephemera of her dead muses, and the actual ephemera of her dead muses. You can see Robert Maplethorpe's slippers. His actual slippers. And the pope's (not the current one). Anyway, all the photos are taken on an old Polaroid camera and printed using traditional black and white printing methods. Nothing digital. Like the people and objects they document, they two will fade.

Claire Beckett answering questions at
"Art After Hours"

The other exhibit is Claire Beckett's "Simulating Iraq". Claire Becket documents, with a 4x5 camera (extra points for bulk and weight), a training facility for U.S. troops heading to Afghanistan. Civilians and soldiers are recruited to play roles such as insurgents, butchers, injured troops, ad imams. A false reality that will all too soon transition into reality for the troops involved. The photos ask us to examine our cultural attitudes and changing approach to fighting wars. Soldiers are immersed in this theme park (and some of the structures do look as those they were constructed for a third-rate theme park) version of Afghanistan so that they will be a more effective fighting force. So that they can more effectively engage the enemy and kill them. It's an interesting concept to think about. I'm not sure if I think it is necessarily a bad thing (theoretically, soldiers will be more prepared and thus less likely to make costly, in terms of lives, mistakes). Regardless of your perspective, the photos are beautifully shot and printed with great detail. Well worth checking out.

Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter / The Sadies

Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter and The Sadies will be playing at the Wadsworth this Sunday at 8pm (doors at 7pm). Should be a good show. If you aren't familiar with them, the Sadies are a Canadian Alt-Country band that have played with the likes of Neko Case and John Doe (of the punk band X). Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter are a Seattle-based freak-folk band. They have a very low-key sound, laid back and haunting.
The Wadsworth is a great venue. Concerts take place in the beautiful downstairs theater. Lest you think this will be some sober art event, you can buy beer in the lobby.
Arrive early check out Patti Smith's (Patti Smith!) "Camera Solo" and Claire Beckett's "Simulating Iraq". Both are great photography exhibits that will make you a more cultured and well-liked person.

The Album Leaf and Dinosaurs

Tonight at 7:00PM The Album Leaf is playing at the Wadswoth with Wess Meets West and Sister Crayon. Should be good. The Wadsworth makes a great venue. I saw Wye Oke there a few months back and it was excellent. $15 at the door. Doors are at 7. All ages.

The Album Leaf will also be playing All Tomorrow's Parties next Friday in New Jersey.

Tonight is also the premier of Terra Nova on Fox. My sister writes for this show. It will be fantastic.

Things that are good: Hartford Baking Company

The Hartford Baking Company (oddly enough, not located in Hartford) is home to the best cup of coffee in the county, as well as some darn good bread. Located along West Hartford's depressing (perhaps hellish better describes it), largely abandoned New Park Avenue, in a non-nondescript strip mall, HBC is a true diamond in the rough.

While they are primarily a baker, and a good one at that, they are most notable for their coffee. Not only do they use some excellent beans (from Stumptown Coffee in Brooklyn), but they also offer coffee made with the "pour over" method. This simple method uses carefully measured ingredients to make a superior, flavorful, cup of coffee (see this jazzy video for a demonstration). When brewed with this method, the subtle flavors and aromas of the coffee are on full display. Unlike Starbucks, where the primary notes are of charcoal, at HBC one coffee will have strong citrus aromas while another will taste of dark chocolate. They also pull a mean shot of espresso and, I'm told, have the best iced coffee in the state (brewed in cold water for an entire day).

Oh, and they have baked goods. HBC carries a wide variety of freshly baked bread. I recently purchased a loaf of pain de mise, which was chewy, slightly sweet, and made great sandwiches. While a bit expensive ($5 for a normal size loaf), the bread is worth it. They also make sandwiches at their retail location; I've only tried the grilled cheese, which was, in keeping with their other offerings, excellent.

The pastries at HBC are also good, though somewhat less consistent. The raisin scone (I know, currants are more traditional) was chewy, slightly tart, and moist. The orange scone, on the other hand, was a bit dry and crumbly. I'll try the rest of them (for the sake of science) and update later.