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94-480: MGMT ( / ɛ m - dʒ i - ɛ m - t iː / ) is an American rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut . It was founded by singers and multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser . Originally signed to Cantora Records by the nascent label's co-founder, NYU undergrad Will Griggs, MGMT later signed with Columbia and RED Ink in 2006 and released their debut album Oracular Spectacular

188-591: A "brand of shape-shifting psychedelic pop" and Gavin Haynes of the Guardian describes MGMT as being "between pop and experimental ". MGMT regularly covered a Magazine song "Burst" when touring in 2011. In January 2009, MGMT demanded compensation from the French Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) Party. The UMP, headed by Nicolas Sarkozy , the former President of France , had used the song " Kids " without permission at

282-452: A coalition of community groups in 2000, is a pioneering attempt to attract residents and businesses to the neighborhood by promoting arts education and outreach. For decades, the famous O'Rourke's Diner has done much to bring some stability to the North End. A fire on August 31, 2006, gutted much of the historic structure. The Middletown community held many fundraising events to raise money for

376-519: A five-piece touring band including Matthew Asti (bass), James Richardson (drums), and Hank Sullivant (guitar). Promotion for the album started as early as June 2007, when the song "Weekend Wars" was given away in summer issues of free monthly magazine Nöjesguiden in Stockholm , Sweden . Matching CDs could be picked up for free in all stores in three different shopping malls around Stockholm from June 26 to July 31. In November 2007, they performed for

470-569: A five-piece touring band including Matthew Asti (bass), James Richardson (drums), and Hank Sullivant (guitar). In November 2007, they performed for the first time in Europe, supporting the band Samantha and The Courteeners at Koko in London, England. After March 2008, Hank Sullivant left the band to pursue his own band, Kuroma. Will Berman joined as the new drummer, James Richardson switched from drums to guitar, and Matthew Asti remained on bass. In June 2008

564-574: A large explosion occurred at a power plant under construction in Middletown. There are numerous houses, buildings and historic districts in Middletown listed on the National Register of Historic Places , and two are further designated as National Historic Landmarks . The Samuel Wadsworth Russell House on High Street, built in 1827, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001. The Alsop House , also located on High Street, and built in 1840,

658-687: A median income of $ 49,846 versus $ 37,412 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 39,845. 12.3% of the population below the poverty line . The headquarters of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection , previously the Connecticut Department of Public Safety, is located in Middletown. The United States Postal Service operates the Middletown Post Office. Benjamin Florsheim has been

752-664: A music video for "Congratulations", the third video of their second album. MGMT was one of the third tier bands for the 2010 Coachella Festival in Indio, California . The event draws nearly 120,000 attendees annually. On October 31, 2010, the band performed for the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans, Louisiana . The band decided to dress as the main characters from Scooby-Doo for Halloween; Andrew dressed up as Daphne and Ben dressed up as Velma . They headlined at Fun Fun Fun Fest which

846-664: A party conference and in two online videos in 2008. In an official statement, MGMT remarked that "the fact that the UMP used our song without permission while simultaneously pushing anti-piracy legislation seemed a little wack." The UMP initially offered a symbolic compensation of € 1 to MGMT, but the band refused that offer. In April 2009, the parties settled out of court, and the UMP agreed to pay MGMT around €2,500 for legal fees and €30,000 (US $ 39,050) for copyright infringement. MGMT donated this money to artists' rights organizations. They have collaborated with rapper Kid Cudi , and are featured on

940-566: A private military academy in Middletown. The popular Civil War marching song " Marching Through Georgia " was written by Henry Clay Work , a Middletown resident. Some residents were active in the abolitionism movement, and the city was a hub along the underground railway . In the latter half of the 19th century, manufacturing was the mainstay of the city's economy, especially finely made metal parts, such as marine hardware (Wilcox, Crittendon & Co.) and typewriters (Royal Typewriters). There were also several machine tool & die manufacturers in

1034-459: A quality liberal education into thoughtful, anxious, faux-lite pop." In a mixed review, PopMatters ' Matt Fiander criticized the second half of the album, writing, "The second half of the record settles into a more monotone kind of space rock that is as big as the better first half, but gives us no recognizably distinct songs or catchy melodies." The album was named as the best album of 2008 by NME . In 2009, Rolling Stone named it

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1128-617: A railroad suspension bridge in the White Rock, Middletown to Bodkin Rock, Portland vicinity, which was seen as an unpractical solution. Middletonians played an active role in the American Civil War. General Joseph K. Mansfield was a Union general at the Battle of Antietam , where he died in action in 1862. Another casualty at Antietam was Brigadier General George Taylor , who had been educated at

1222-450: A record eight years (four terms) as mayor. The city attracted a 12-screen movie theater and numerous restaurants and other businesses to the downtown area, the city provided free Wi-Fi service along Main Street and the historic Inn at Middletown a luxury four and half star boutique hotel transformed the former vacant National Guard Armory. On November 8, 2005, Republican Sebastian Giuliano won

1316-462: A single alongside a music video created by the band. The release marks their first after departing from Columbia Records and the first on their independent label, MGMT Records. On March 20, 2020, the band released another new song, titled "As You Move Through the World". In June 2021, the band released a statement on Twitter and Instagram hinting that they were working on new music. On November 11, 2022,

1410-612: A small group of Cambodian refugees to Middletown, who were exiled following the US involvement in Southeast Asia in the Vietnam War . They developed a thriving Cambodian community, as have later migrants from Tibet . Middletown also attracted Hindu immigrants from India and other parts of Southeast Asia, who established the first Hindu temple in Connecticut in Middletown. Over the decades

1504-485: A thousand people. Middletown is also host to the Kidcity Children's Museum located in a renovated and recently expanded former home of Judge Elmer, which was moved 400 feet (120 m) down Washington Street to its current location. Kidcity is a hands-on playspace where children ages 1 through 8 come with parents and other significant adults to learn through play. The Downtown Business District continues to revitalize

1598-597: A top ten "Artist to Watch" in 2008 and went on to name Oracular Spectacular number 494 in their top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. The band placed ninth in the BBC's Sound of 2008 Top Ten Poll . They were also named as Last.fm 's most played new artist of 2008 in their Best of 2008 list. At the 51st Grammy Awards , the Justice remix of "Electric Feel" won the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical . The group

1692-568: A tribe of Algongquian -speaking Native Americans . The village was named Mattabesset (also spelled Mattabesett, Mattabesec, Mattabeseck, and Mattabesek ); the area they inhabited—now Middletown and the surrounding area—was named after it. When the primarily-English European settlers arrived in the region the Mattabesset were a part of the Wangunk, a large tribe in the Connecticut Valley, at

1786-482: A tribe. Records show that, over time, Sowheag was forced to sell off most of Mattabesett to the local colonists; by 1676 the Puritans owned all but 300 acres (1.2 km ) of the former territory. Native Americans suffered similar fates of illness and dispossession at other colonial sites in 17th-century New England . During the 18th century, Middletown became the largest and most prosperous settlement in Connecticut. By

1880-649: A week, at least 2,000 copies per week were sold during the period from January 2008 through April 2010. The album received positive reviews from critics, who lauded its production style, musical direction and composition. It was nominated for the International Album award at the 2009 Brit Awards . In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 494 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . The duo recorded with music producer Dave Fridmann in 2007 for their major label debut, Oracular Spectacular . MGMT opened for Of Montreal on tour in autumn 2007 as

1974-540: Is the largest city in the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region . In 1650, it was incorporated by English settlers as a town under its original Native American name, Mattabeseck , after the local Wangunk village of the same name. They were among many tribes along the Atlantic coast who spoke Algonquian languages . The colonists renamed the settlement in 1653. When Hartford County

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2068-599: The Late Show with David Letterman on May 12 to promote their new album, and on June 11, MGMT played their largest headlining show anywhere in the world with a sold-out, 9,500 capacity gig at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado . On June 25, MGMT performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , and on July 23, they were the musical guests on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson . On August 25, MGMT released

2162-919: The Middletown Mansfields of the National Association . In the late 19th and early 20th century, the city underwent a demographic transformation, after having been settled primarily by Protestant people from the British Isles. First the Irish, in response to the Great Famine , and then large numbers of Italian immigrants arrived to work in Middletown's factories and farms. Many of the Italians were immigrants from Melilli , Sicily . Both groups were primarily Roman Catholic. Polish and German arrivals followed, and many of these immigrants were also Catholic. By 1910

2256-714: The Middletown Nature Gardens , Wadsworth Falls State Park and Smith Park , and 100 acres (0.40 km ) of open property at the Guida Farm Conservation Area for families to enjoy. Harbor Park is a 2.6-acre (11,000 m ) recreation area on the Connecticut River, featuring a boardwalk, restaurant/nightclub, fishing, seasonal boat excursions, and the Middletown High School and Wesleyan University crew boathouses. July 4 festivities, as well as

2350-620: The Pink Floyd song " Lucifer Sam " during Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ' s "Pink Floyd Week". In January 2012, MGMT confirmed in an interview with Intercourse Magazine that they had started work on their third album, with VanWyngarden stating that he had written five songs. On February 27, 2012, MGMT began recording the album with Dave Fridmann at his Tarbox Road Studios. In March 2012, VanWyngarden said that MGMT will perform new songs on their upcoming shows in Latin America. On March 30, 2012,

2444-477: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 42.3 square miles (109.6 km ), of which 40.9 square miles (105.9 km ) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.7 km ) is water. The total area is 3.36% water. Middletown shares borders with the neighboring towns of Cromwell , Portland , East Hampton , Haddam , Durham , Middlefield , Berlin , and Meriden . Of all

2538-431: The census of 2020, there were 47,717 people, and 20,089 households residing in the city, with an average household size of 2.14. The population density was 1,163.26 inhabitants per square mile (449.14/km ). There were 21,549 housing units at an average density of 508.59 per square mile (196.37/km ) and a vacancy rate of 7%. Owner occupied housing made up 54% of the units and the average value of owner occupied housing units

2632-406: The 1950s, as the prevalence of the automobile increased, government officials approved the construction of a highway that effectively separated Middletown from the Connecticut River, which had long supported its development. Highway construction demolished historic neighborhoods, including many buildings from the 18th century. New suburban developments were built outside older neighborhoods, attracting

2726-480: The 1960s, Pratt & Whitney opened a large aircraft engine plant in the Maromas section of Middletown. Concurrently, developers bought much of the city's remaining farms, including most of Oak Grove Dairy, to redevelop as residential suburbs for local workers and commuters to surrounding cities. During the 1970s, Oddfellows Playhouse was established. The theater attracts hundreds of young people every year from around

2820-672: The 2009 Splendour in the Grass Festival . They headlined this music festival along with other well known bands such as Bloc Party , The Flaming Lips , Happy Mondays , and Jane's Addiction . MGMT opened for Paul McCartney , an admitted fan, at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts , on August 5 and 6, 2009. On August 15, 2009, MGMT played in Hamburg , Germany, at the Dockville Festival and performed several songs from their upcoming album. MGMT

2914-407: The Connecticut River, it is now largely residential. Its downtown, based on Main Street, serves as a popular retail, dining, and bar district near Wesleyan University . Middletown was the county seat of Middlesex County from its creation in 1785 until the elimination of county government in 1960. As of the 2020 census , the city had a total population of 47,717. Middletown, Connecticut is considered

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3008-496: The Dark (OMD) as artists who are "definitely in [their] blood". They experimented with noise rock and electronica before settling on what Paco Alvarez of Spin calls "their current brand of shape-shifting psychedelic pop." In 2002, the duo attended the inaugural Bonnaroo together as fans. The band formed under the name The Management and released two demo albums, We (Don't) Care and Climbing to New Lows , under that name; but since

3102-547: The English colonists and enemies of the Wangunk, arrived in the Middletown area in the latter half of the 17th century; conflict between them and local Native American tribes ensued. The inhabitants of Mattabesett and others referred to the Mohegan as "destroyers of men." Sowheag hoped that the colonists would intervene. They did not. Smallpox epidemics caused high mortality, reducing their ability to resist and disrupting their cohesion as

3196-886: The FireFly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware . They performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2014 before embarking on a European tour later in June 2014 and performing at the Glastonbury Festival in England . In July 2014, they were nominated for a VMA in the category "Best Editing" for their music video " Your Life is a Lie ". After wrapping up touring behind their self-titled album, Goldwasser relocated to LA. In an interview at Falls Festival Marion Bay in 2014,

3290-473: The United States —with an occasional reference to their personal lives. Of the election, VanWyngarden stated, "We were like, 'Wow, is it actually possible for the most impossible thing to happen?' [...] Apparently, we were more inspired to write pop music after evil took over the world." Touring guitarist James Richardson also provided inspiration, which resulted in the song 'James' being dedicated to celebrating

3384-537: The University of Georgia), as engineer. MGMT originally suggested that they might not release any singles from the album. By July 2010, however, four single releases from the album had been confirmed. The album cover art for Congratulations was created for MGMT by Anthony Ausgang and the overall design of the packaging is by Josh Cheuse of Sony Entertainment. On March 9, 2010, MGMT released the song " Flash Delirium " for free download on their official website. On March 20,

3478-472: The autumn of 2006, Maureen Kenny signed the band to Columbia Records. When the band received a call from the A&;R department of Columbia Records saying they were interested in their music, they thought it was a joke. The duo recorded with Flaming Lips / Sleater-Kinney music producer Dave Fridmann in 2007 for their major label debut, Oracular Spectacular . MGMT opened for Of Montreal on tour in autumn 2007 as

3572-593: The band allowed users to stream their new album from their website. MGMT started their Congratulations Tour on April 12, 2010, in San Francisco, California, at The Fillmore . They performed on April 23 at Brown University 's Spring Weekend ; on April 27 at Yale University 's Spring Fling; on April 30 at the University of New Hampshire 's Spring Climax; and on May 1 at Fordham University 's Spring Weekend. They performed on Saturday Night Live on April 24, 2010, and on

3666-585: The band announced that they would take a short break and come back stronger with a new sound. Will Berman stated in an interview with HitFix in April 2015 that "We've been taking a little break I guess. We've been at it for years at this point. There's more to come." He didn't want to speak for either Ben or Andrew on when there would be a new album from the group. On December 26, 2015, the band tweeted announcing that they would return in 2016. The band began working on an untitled new album in October 2016. On May 8, 2017,

3760-570: The band premiered a new song, entitled "Alien Days", at a show in Bogotá , Colombia. The band performed on August 3, 2012, in Montreal , Quebec , Canada at Osheaga , and on August 5, 2012, in Bethlehem , Pennsylvania at Musikfest . In January 2013, NME and Rolling Stone published an interview in which the band announced that the album was tentatively scheduled for a June 2013 release. As of March 2013,

3854-458: The band released a teaser video on Instagram alongside the title of the forthcoming album as Little Dark Age , following a series of cryptic tweets the week prior. On June 21, the band revealed that their next album had been mastered. On October 17, the band released "Little Dark Age" , the title track from their new album and their first single in four years. "When You Die" was released as the second single on December 12, 2017. The third single from

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3948-552: The band released their 2011 performance at the Guggenheim Museum as a live album titled 11•11•11 exactly 11 years after being performed. On January 17, 2023, MGMT announced they will release another album in 2023 and return to touring after nearly four years. A photo shared by VanWyngarden on September 21 included the words "elf of soils", which was interpreted as an anagram for Loss of Life . On October 24, 2023, attendees at Pitchblack Playback 's album listening session in

4042-665: The band supported Radiohead on the Manchester date of their world tour and went on a headline tour of the UK during November 2008, playing at venues such as Manchester Academy and Shepherd's Bush Empire . MGMT opened for M.I.A. on the Vassar College date of her 2008 tour , and also played several shows with Beck during his 2008 tour. They appeared at the 2008 and 2009 editions of the Bonnaroo Music Festival . Bruce Springsteen

4136-578: The band's friendship. The album was released on February 9, 2018, and followed with a North American tour, part of the Little Dark Age Tour . On November 22, 2019, the band performed a new song titled "In the Afternoon" in Las Vegas , Nevada . On December 10, a teaser for the studio version of the song was posted on the band's Instagram page. On December 11, "In the Afternoon" was officially released as

4230-479: The catchiest pop songs to come from NYC since the turn of the millennium" and stated that "the songs never feel insincere and the record is inherently strong throughout, making it a solid start to their career." Prefix Magazine described the album as "a college-dorm experiment gone horribly right." Giving the album a three-star honorable mention rating, Robert Christgau stated that "like Vampire Weekend , only as synth - dance rather than indie-rock , they convert

4324-586: The city's North End, an area that has been plagued by poverty and crime in recent decades. In November 2012, voters approved a $ 37 (~$ 48.6 million in 2023) Million initiative to move Middletown's wastewater to the Mattabassett Sewer District treatment plant in nearby Cromwell . Previously, the city had operated its own sewage treatment plant on the banks of the Connecticut River . The city has made plans to tear down this older plant and develop

4418-480: The city. In 1841, Middletown established the state's first public high school, which at first enrolled all students from age nine through age sixteen who had previously attended district schools. During the mid-19th century, manufacturing replaced trade as Middletown's economic mainstay. But industrial growth was limited after railroad operators bypassed Middletown in their construction of a railway between Hartford and New Haven. There had been an ambitious plan to build

4512-485: The city. Middletown was the site of a major unit of Goodyear . In addition, there was the pioneer automobile manufacturer Eisenhuth Horseless Vehicle Company . Other manufacturers included in national expositions and now museum collections include the Middletown Plate Company (silver), Middletown Silver Co. and I. E. Palmer (hammocks). Middletown also briefly was the home of a major-league baseball team,

4606-432: The dark at Riverside Studios in London for Oracular Spectacular and Little Dark Age were given a free flexidisc known as Bubblegum Dog , featuring a cryptic spoken word monologue which fans on Reddit speculated hints at new music and referenced an unreleased track whose title was seen on a whiteboard in the background of an image the band released during the making of Little Dark Age. On October 31, 2023, MGMT released

4700-558: The diner's rebuilding. Reconstruction began in September 2007, and O'Rourke's Diner re-opened in February 2008. Mayor Daniel Drew (2011–2019) supported citizen-oriented efforts to revitalize the North End, such as the local nonprofit NEAT (North End Action Team). In 2012, the City of Middletown and NEAT partnered to form the "I Heart the North End" initiative, which plans to raise public awareness of

4794-548: The downtown area. Pratt and Whitney , Aetna, Middlesex Hospital, Connecticut Valley Hospital, Liberty Bank , and Wesleyan University are major employers. Located on the western border of the city, in an area known as Westlake, is an 84 house community known as The Farms . This architectural award-winning community was developed in 1969 by George Achenbach, and was one of the first communities in Connecticut designed for cluster living , with open areas designated as common land . There are also many parks and nature trails including

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4888-457: The economic and cultural opportunities available in the area. Middletown is the only location of a well-known youth theater group, Oddfellows Playhouse , which is located on Washington Street and pulls in children of all ages from all over the state to learn theater skills. Oddfellows also runs the Children's Circus of Middletown where children learn circus skills and put on a free show for close to

4982-422: The first single from their sixth album Loss of Life titled "Mother Nature". This release coincided with the band confirming the title of the album, revealing the track list, and confirming the final release date of the album. On November 29, the band released the album's second single "Bubblegum Dog", which does not include the monologue featured on the flexidisk given by the band in October. "Nothing to Declare",

5076-560: The first time in Europe, supporting the band Samantha and The Courteeners at Koko in London, England. After March 2008, Hank Sullivant left the band to pursue his own band, Kuroma. Will Berman joined as the new drummer, James Richardson switched from drums to guitar, and Matthew Asti remained on bass. The album was also promoted with three singles: " Time to Pretend ", " Electric Feel " and " Kids ". Oracular Spectacular has received mostly positive reviews. Jason Lymangrover of AllMusic called Oracular Spectacular ' s tracks "some of

5170-500: The former county court. Other county functions were either centralized to the state or transferred to the towns. The former county building has been removed, but there are other state agency buildings elsewhere in the city, such as the Dept. of Social Services on Main Street Ext. Middletown's Probate Court district includes the towns of Cromwell, Portland, Middlefield and Haddam. The city is also

5264-469: The group covered "Future Games" by Fleetwood Mac on the tribute album Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac , produced by Randall Poster . Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city in Middlesex County, Connecticut , United States. Located along the Connecticut River , in the central part of the state, it is 16 miles (26 kilometers) south of Hartford . Middletown

5358-645: The head of its long river port on the Thames in Middlesex County, England. The same persons also established the Middlesex Turnpike (now Route 154 ) to link all the settlements on the western side of the Connecticut, again with the intent of creating one long port. After the American Revolution, Connecticut and most northern states abolished slavery. The port's decline began in the early 19th century during

5452-430: The head of the Connecticut Regatta event in October are conducted from Harbor Park. Middlesex Hospital a major employer in Middletown and throughout Middlesex County, is spending $ 31 million to build a new emergency department. The new emergency department opened on March 24, 2008. Along with the new department, a helipad will be added along with 70 new parking spaces for patients. At 11:17 a.m. on February 7, 2010,

5546-510: The mayor of Middletown since 2019. Top employers in Middletown according to the town's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Middletown operates public schools, including Middletown High School . The city has one Roman Catholic elementary school, Saint John Paul II Regional Catholic School, and two Roman Catholic high schools, Xavier High School for boys and Mercy High School for girls. Oracular Spectacular Although Oracular Spectacular never sold more than 17,000 units in

5640-492: The mayor's office, replacing Thornton, whom he criticized for raising taxes and for the awarding of a contract for the construction of a new high school to Tomasso Brothers, Inc. , a firm that had been the target of a federal corruption probe. During Giuliano's three terms in office, Middletown's Main Street became a hub for small businesses, and the city began investing heavily in the arts. Democrat Daniel T. Drew defeated Giuliano in 2011. Drew has pushed for increased development in

5734-414: The name was already being used by another band , they later changed it to MGMT, a disemvowelment of the original band name. While at Wesleyan, they were schoolmates of Francis and the Lights , with whom they have since toured. VanWyngarden and Goldwasser graduated in 2005 and toured extensively in support of the Time to Pretend EP released in the same year, opening for indie pop band of Montreal . In

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5828-428: The neighboring towns, Portland and East Hampton are the only ones that do not have any land boundaries, as they are located on the eastern side of the Connecticut River. The west side of Middletown is flanked by the Metacomet Ridge —a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable mountains of the Metacomet Ridge in Middletown include Higby Mountain and

5922-412: The new immigrants stimulated the rise of a range of cuisines offered by restaurants. This has become one of the most well-known aspects of the city. Middletown was hit by floods in 1927 and 1936, and by The Great New England Hurricane in 1938. The Arrigoni Bridge was completed over the Connecticut River in 1938. It replaced an earlier bridge to connect Middletown to Portland and points east. During

6016-438: The next year. After the release of Oracular Spectacular , Richardson, Berman and Matthew Asti joined the core band in the studio for Congratulations , which was released on April 13, 2010. In January 2011, they began work on their eponymous third studio album . It was released on September 17, 2013, and was released as an early exclusive on Rdio on September 9, 2013. The group's fourth studio album, titled Little Dark Age ,

6110-514: The north side of Lamentation Mountain . The 50-mile (80 km) Mattabesett Trail traverses the ridge. The Nature Conservancy manages the summit and ledges of Higby Mountain. Major bodies of water include the Connecticut River along the towns eastern boundary, the Mattabesset River along its northern boundary, Crystal Lake in the southern end of town, and Pameacha Pond along South Main Street. The Mount Higby and Adder reservoirs also fall along its western boundary with Middlefield. As of

6204-595: The people with money to buy new. In the mid-20th century, Middletown and similar towns lost heavy industry and manufacturing jobs that moved offshore, resulting in a general decline in population. An alternate economy began to develop by the 1990s. During this period, the city tore down many older buildings in the name of ' urban renewal ', but sometimes new development was delayed for years. Downtown area had large flat parking lots, or buildings were abandoned and left empty. With high unemployment and limited opportunities, and increasing problems with drugs, crime increased. During

6298-403: The period of strained American-British relations and resulting trade restrictions, which led to the War of 1812 . The port never recovered from the restrictions of the war. The city's men distinguished themselves in the war effort, as Middletown's Commodore Thomas Macdonough led American forces to the victory on Lake Champlain in 1814 which ended British hopes for an invasion of New York. After

6392-430: The population had swelled to nearly 21,000. Meanwhile, the number of African Americans dwindled to 53 persons. Employers chose to hire white immigrants. Later in the century, more African Americans from the South migrated to the area for its industrial jobs and better social conditions. They were part of the Great Migration during the 20th century, up to 1970. In the early 1980s, two Wesleyan professors arranged to bring

6486-411: The process of recording the album at Tarbox Road Studios with Fridmann was near completion. On April 20, 2013, the band released the studio version of " Alien Days ". The band then embarked on a spring tour, followed by fall/autumn and winter tour dates for North America . Following VanWyngarden's shoulder surgery in mid-2013, former touring member Hank Sullivant rejoined the band to play live guitar for

6580-739: The production of Congratulations in 2009, VanWyngarden and Goldwasser met with Lou Reed , the former lead singer and guitarist of The Velvet Underground , about contributing vocals to "Lady Dada's Nightmare". VanWyngarden recalls, "he pretty much said it didn't need it. And then he also talked about how we didn't need managers." In 2010, they provided guest vocals on "Call from the Bank" on rapper Nipsey Hussle 's mixtape The Marathon , which would be their last collaborative effort for ten years until 2020, when they contributed vocals to "The Divine Chord" and "Solitary Ceremonies" alongside guitar work by Johnny Marr on electronic group The Avalanches ' third studio album We Will Always Love You . In 2012,

6674-401: The record, "Hand It Over", was released on January 5, 2018. Rolling Stone magazine published on January 25, 2018, an interview with MGMT regarding their fourth album Little Dark Age . MGMT admitted that their two previous albums were so poorly received that they thought they could never have reached peak popularity as they had with the release of their first album. Since their separation,

6768-461: The remainder of 2013. Sullivant played with VanWyngarden when they were in high school and is in the band Kuroma, whose next album is produced by Goldwasser. The self-titled album was released September 17, 2013. An exclusive early release of the album, along with a full-length music video called "Optimizer", was available from the Rdio music service on September 9, 2013. In June 2013, the band performed at

6862-515: The revival of downtown Middletown. Crime decreased, and new restaurants and shops opened. In recent decades, Middletown has focused on balancing the needs and comforts of its residents with the commercial development required to help fund services. These efforts date at least from 1931, when the city was one of the first in America to establish a planning board. Progress continued under the leadership of Democratic mayor, Domenique S. Thornton, who served

6956-462: The riverfront property on which it sits. Middletown continues to support manufacturing and small business. Middletown has remained an important government administrative center. From the creation of Middlesex County in 1798 until the elimination of county government in 1965 Middletown was the county seat. Middletown today retains Middlesex Superior Court, and the Judicial District remains that of

7050-563: The single " Pursuit of Happiness " from his album Man on the Moon: The End of Day . For the 2010 MTV VMA's Kid Cudi was nominated for Best Hip-Hop video for "Pursuit of Happiness". They also collaborated on the track "Worm Mountain" on The Flaming Lips ' Embryonic . On September 4, 2009, Beck announced his second Record Club covers album, Songs of Leonard Cohen . MGMT contributed, alongside Devendra Banhart , Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother and Binki Shapiro of Little Joy . During

7144-472: The site of the controversial State Juvenile Training Center. Culturally and politically, Middletown is in the midst of an effort to revitalize its historically disadvantaged North End. Economic development projects recently completed in the North End include Wharfside Commons, a 96-unit mixed income apartment block, and the new Community Health Center (completed in 2012 at the corner of Main and Grand Streets ). The Green Street Arts Center, founded by Wesleyan and

7238-553: The southernmost city in the Hartford-Springfield Knowledge Corridor Metropolitan Region, which features a combined metro population of 1.9 million. Middletown is largely a politically progressive city, and is home to one of the largest pride events in all of Connecticut. The land on the western bank of the Connecticut River where Middletown now lies was home to a village of the Wangunk ,

7332-518: The state to perform in plays and other performances. The playhouse is one of the few youth theaters in the state of Connecticut . It is located on 128 Washington Street, around the corner from Middletown's Main Street. During the 1990s, a partnership between the city, the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, and Wesleyan University invested substantially in Middletown's Main Street, improving urban design and supporting new businesses. Their actions helped

7426-547: The third single from the album, was released on January 10, 2024. On February 20, MGMT released the album's fourth single, "Dancing in Babylon" featuring Christine and the Queens . MGMT's musical style has been characterized as a range of pop and rock genres, including indie pop , synth-pop , psychedelic pop , indie rock , psychedelic rock , neo-psychedelia , and electronic rock . Paco Alvarez of Spin described their sound as

7520-458: The third-largest African slave population in the state of Connecticut—218 slaves to 5,446 whites. Middletown merchant traders pushed for the clearance of the Saybrook Bar at the mouth of the Connecticut River, and later sought the creation of Middlesex County in 1785. The name 'Middlesex' was chosen because the intention was to make Middletown the head of a long river port, much as London was at

7614-523: The time of the American Revolution , Middletown was a thriving port, where one-third of its residents were involved in merchant and maritime activities. Some settlers held enslaved Africans as workers in the early economy of Middletown; they worked as domestic servants, laborers, and in shipping. African slaves were imported by the English in 1661 from Barbados in the Caribbean. By 1756 Middletown had

7708-512: The time under a sachem named Sowheag . Plans for the colonial settlement were drawn up by the General Court in 1646; the first migrants came from nearby Connecticut colonies in 1650. On September 11, 1651, the General Court of Connecticut established the town of "Mattabesett". A couple of years later in November 1653, the settlement was renamed as Middletown. This name was chosen because the site

7802-432: The two core members began working long distances on the album via e-mail. Little Dark Age was in part shaped by this unique, distanced relationship between the two musicians, who later decided to meet and jointly work together again. The band has explained that Little Dark Age is both an expression of surprise and dismay to the current political and social climate—particularly the election of Donald Trump as President of

7896-729: The war, migration of New England families continued west to New York and, later, to the Midwest around the Great Lakes, where more land was available. In the 19th century, Middletown became a major center for firearms manufacturing. Numerous gun manufacturers in the area supplied the majority of pistols to the United States government during the War of 1812. After that war, however, the center of this business shifted to Springfield , Massachusetts; and Hartford , and New Haven , Connecticut. (See also History of Connecticut industry .) In 1831 Wesleyan College

7990-420: Was $ 240,700. The racial makeup of the city was 66.2% White only, not Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Black or African American , 10.9% Hispanic or Latino , and 5.7% Asian . The foreign born population made up 11.9% of residents. 15.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.5 years. The median income for a household in the city was $ 62,022. Males had

8084-568: Was approximately halfway between Windsor and Saybrook on the Great River. Life was not easy for these early colonial Puritans ; clearing the land and building houses, and tending farms in the rocky soil of New England was a labor-intensive ordeal. They had a strict society; offenses legally punishable by death in the Connecticut colonies included "witchcraft, blasphemy, cursing or smiting of parents, and incorrigible stubbornness of children." The Pequot Mohegan , at that time traditional allies of

8178-471: Was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2009. Both buildings are part of the Wesleyan campus. The saltbox Samuel Harris House , built in 1686 and not listed on the National Register, may be the oldest surviving house in Middletown. Middletown sits on the west bank of the Connecticut River, in the south-central portion of the state. Running alongside the river, Route 9 bisects the city. According to

8272-442: Was established. It became one of the United States' leading liberal arts universities . The college replaced an earlier educational institution on the same site, Partridge's American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It had moved to Norwich, Vermont and later developed as Norwich University . The two main buildings of the original campus were built by the people of Middletown in order to attract an academic institution to

8366-535: Was held at Waterloo Park in Austin, Texas , on November 6, 2010. MGMT had some hits with their performance on the Dr Oz Show The performance was the last show in the US for MGMT in 2010. Their first 2011 gig was at Mar del Plata , Argentina, in front of a crowd of more than 40,000 on the beach in a free event which they headlined. MGMT began their first Asian tour on February 22, 2011. On September 22, 2011, MGMT performed

8460-923: Was in attendance during their 2009 Bonnaroo late-night set, which followed his headlining appearance on What Stage. They also toured Australia with a headlining spot on the Meredith Music Festival line-up. The group played a show at the Virgin Music Festival on the Toronto Islands on September 6, 2008, playing nine songs off their Oracular Spectacular album. They also played the 2008 Street Scene festival in San Diego, California . On February 27, 2009, MGMT performed alongside Spectrum at The Dome in Finsbury Park . MGMT also played another show in Australia at

8554-486: Was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and " Kids " was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 52nd Grammy Awards . Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden formed the band while attending Wesleyan University during their freshman year. "We weren't trying to start a band," remarked Goldwasser. "We were just hanging out and showing each other music that we liked." VanWyngarden named Talking Heads and Orchestral Manoeuvres in

8648-660: Was one of the headlining bands for the Treasure Island Music Festival on Treasure Island in San Francisco, California, on October 17, 2009. MGMT's Congratulations was released on April 13, 2010. The band, including Matthew Asti, James Richardson, and Will Berman from the live band, spent the summer of 2009 in Malibu, California , recording the album with Pete Kember (a.k.a. Sonic Boom), formerly of Spacemen 3 and Spectrum, serving as producer/guru, and long-time friend Billy Bennett (also an NCAA record-holding kicker for

8742-494: Was organized on May 10, 1666, Middletown was included within its boundaries. In 1784, the central settlement was incorporated as a city distinct from the town. Both were included within newly formed Middlesex County in May 1785. In 1923, the City of Middletown was consolidated with the Town, making the city limits extensive. Originally developed as a sailing port and then an industrial center on

8836-449: Was released in February 2018 and marked the end of their contract with Columbia. Beginning in 2019, the duo began producing music independent of a label for the first time since 2006. In late 2019, the two released a new song called "In the Afternoon" as their first fully self-produced single. On October 5, 2007, Spin named MGMT "Artist of the Day". In November Rolling Stone pegged MGMT as

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