Things worth knowing

from July 2023 - Splashy Summer Sipping

THE BARTENDER 5000!

Macbeth Comes To Life In Rockford Park

Shakespeare’s magical thriller Macbeth comes to life in an innovative production by Delaware Shakespeare at Rockford Park July 21-Aug. 6. The production, outdoors and under the stars, is directed by AZ Espinoza and is part of DelShakes’ 21st Summer Festival. General admission tickets are $25 with a Wednesdays Pay What You Can program on Wednesday.

Saved seats (45) and festival passes (55) are also available. Visit DelShakes.org.

Wdel Coverage Speaks Volumes At Broadcasters Conference

Wilmington’s WDEL-FM/AM earned 10 awards at last month’s Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association conference in Ocean City, Md., including Outstanding News Operation of the Year in the Radio II (nonmetro) division.

“We were impressed with the broad scope of coverage the station offered to its community,” the AP judges wrote. “It is clear that they have an internal goal to provide focused news coverage of their community and their entry demonstrated that they executed on that vision.”

Delaware's Morning News with Peter MacArthur won the award for Outstanding Newscast. MacArthur was also named Best Anchor. Other winners included Sean Greene (Outstanding Spot News Reporting), Mike Phillips (Outstanding Coverage of a Continuing Story for his coverage of the Fort DuPont redevelopment) and Rick Jensen (Outstanding Talk Show).

Untappd App Users Love First State Brewing

First State Brewing Company, a Middletown-based brewery and taproom, was among the top 25 fastest growing breweries in the U.S from 2020-22 based on user check-ins on the app Untappd. The study was conducted by the app’s parent company, Next Glass. According to the study, First State saw more than a 3,000% increase in app check-ins, making them among the top brewers in the U.S. based on check-in growth. First State beers are currently available throughout Delaware as well as Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and D.C. Visit Firststatebrewing.com.

Arden’s Shady Grove Stage promises a lot of excitement this summer — along with some serendipity.

It turns out that the Congolese Afropop band Jupiter & Okwess, which brings its international tour to Shady Grove on Saturday, July 1, inspired the song “Jupiter's Dance” on the latest album by Hurray for the Riff Raff — who just so happens to be playing the same stage on Thursday, July 19 (with Squirrel Flower opening).

“Jupiter’s Dance” can be heard on Life on Earth , which Hurray for the Riff Raff released last year. The song was evoked by a 2006 French documentary of the same name, which focused on Jupiter & Okwess.

Hurray for the Riff Raff has released eight albums and one EP since 2007, when band-leader Alynda Segarra moved from the Bronx to New Orleans. In that time, the band has earned praise from sources as varied as Pitchfork and the Wall Street Journal .

Last year, Life on Earth was one of Stereogum’s albums of the week, an honor to which they added saying “these tracks come across earthy and alive… even at their smallest and quietest, they feel huge.”

Note: Saturday, July 15 will see Toby Leaman of Dr. Dog bring his new band, Purling Hiss, as a headliner to Shady Grove Music Fest. For details on all Arden shows, visit ArdenConcerts.com.