I am honestly losing my concentration to write anymore. The usual things got me again this week, and not just the complimentary beverages at an event. I will say that there are three excellent rock shows (and one very good one) on Saturday night: 2 at the Middle East, one in Allston, and one in Harvard Sq. I usually try to whittle it down to the one or two most worthwhile options, but I think I'd go to any of them and be happy depending on what I was looking for.
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FRI 3/28
* "All About Darfur"
* The Shods, The Teenage Prayers, Watts, The Tampoffs
* Annual Alt. Country Extravaganza -- and SAT 3/29
SAT 3/29
* Wine Gallery - Brookline, Spring Grand Tasting
* "Town Hall Meeting on Space" w/ Bill Nye
* Sounds & Delicacies Of Armenia And The Middle East
* Peelander-Z, Powerglove, Wild Zero, The Asthmatics
* Tulsa, Major Stars, Viva Viva, Faces on Film
* The Hard Lessons, The Sterns, Age Rings
* The Ergs, For Science, The Serious Geniuses, Bread & Roses, Robert Sarazin Blake, The Closet Fairies
* Sin-O-Matic Burlesque Night
SUN 3/30
* Human Rights Torch Relay
* GG Allin Memorial Show
* "Get a Green Job": Panel Discussion
MON 3/31
* "The Night James Brown Saved Boston"
* Drinking and Drawing: "Draw Me A Bath"
* Extreme Bingo
* "COLE! A Celebration of Cole Porter" -- and TUES 4/1
TUES 4/1
* Guitar Center Sessions: Joe Satriani
* "Beehive-Art-Scope 1"
* Tuesday Night Laugh Track
* Preacher Jack
WED 4/2
* "Rashomon": Free Screening
* Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales
THUR 4/3
* Jose Canseco, "Vindicated": Book Signing
* Morgan Spurlock, "Fred Rogers Integrity Award"
* "Nanotechnology and Alternative Energy"
FRI 4/4
* All Mod Cons, New Frustrations, The Illegals, Lehane, Long and O'Halloran
* Dave Tree Art Show
* "They Must be Hysterical!" An Evening of Feminist Comedy
SAT 4/5
* Community Boating April Open House
* Chris Merenda, Adam Sweeney
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FRI 3/28
6:30pm
"All About Darfur"
at The Democracy Center, 45 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$5 suggested donation
It's difficult to keep the Darfur crisis in the forefront of the public's attention. The economy, the war, the presidential election, Britney... Yes -- the situation is still really bad in Darfur, and this film shows the perspective of average Sudanese people directed by a Sudanese filmmaker. A discussion will follow the screening.
Your donation will help The Sudan-Reach Women's Foundation who support and make a difference in the lives of at least some people in Sudan. It feels a little strange to say at an event with this subject matter, but "snacks and refreshments provided".
FRI 3/28
The Shods (Midnight), The Teenage Prayers (11pm), Watts (10pm), The Tampoffs (9pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 21+
FRI 3/28 and SAT 3/29
7pm (SAT: 6pm)
2nd Annual Alt Country Extravaganza
at Church, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston (Fenway)
$10 / 21+
Last year's superlong show has been split in two, but you still have more Alt-Country/Americana bands than you can shake a stick at. There's no point in shaking a stick at them, because they won't be deterred that easily...
FRI 3/28
Rev. Bob And The Darkness (12:15am), The Bean Pickers Union (11:30pm), Wheelers And Dealers (10:45pm), Dearborn Valley (10pm), Bryan Pero & The Tired Horses (9:15pm), The Molenes (8:30pm), Patrick Dunn (7:45pm), The Patrons (7pm)
SAT 3/29
Cassavettes (Midnight), Lucky 57 (11:15pm), Mike MacDonald & The Widow Makers (10:30pm), Golden West Motor Lodge (9:45pm), The Bees Knees (9pm), The Beau Roland Band (8:15pm), The Dave Sammarco Band (7:30pm), Autumn Hollow (6:45pm), Thunderpants Johnson's Hillbilly Orchestra (6pm)
Some of these bands sound straight-up honky-tonk country, others are rock with a twang, and many fit right into the Americana scene.
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SAT 3/29
3pm to 6pm
Spring Grand Tasting
at Wine Gallery, 371 Boylston St, Brookline (near Brookline Village)
FREE / 21+
It's going to be crowded, but there will probably be more than 100 boozilicious treats to sample. Oh, and a few non-liquid snacks to keep you steady.
SAT 3/29
4:30pm to 6:30pm
"Town Hall Meeting on Space" w/ Bill Nye
at Clay Center Observatory, Dexter/Southfield School, 20 Newton St, Brookline
FREE
It's Bill Nye, The Science Guy!
You are invited to participate in the inaugural Town Hall Meeting on Space, the first of a series that The Planetary Society plans to host around the United States over the next few months. Immediately following the Town Hall meeting... A light buffet and refreshments will be served. The Stars Court will be lit and the Observatory will be open for tours. Note: best for middle school age and up and any planetary science enthusiasts.Seating is limited. Reservations strongly recommended.
SAT 3/29
7pm
Sounds & Delicacies Of Armenia And The Middle East
at Chenery Middle School, 95 Washington Street, Belmont
FREE
I rarely list things in Belmont, and who knew the city had its own human rights commission?
The Belmont Human Rights Commission is holding an "Open House Concert" with Christiane Karam & ZilZALA and The Arev Armenian Folk Ensemble.
SAT 3/29
9:30pm
Peelander-Z, Powerglove, Wild Zero, The Asthmatics
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$9 / 18+
The cool part of this show is the spectacle of Peelander-Z. They are not just a rock band, they're "Japanese Action Comic Punk". There's dancing, crowd singalongs, human bowling... On top of that, there's Powerglove that does instrumental metal songs based on videogame themes. I called Wild Zero a zombie-motorcycle punk/metal band in the past, and I'll stick by that. The Asthmatics kick it off with a garage-punk aperitif.
SAT 3/29
9:30pm
Tulsa, Major Stars, Viva Viva, Faces on Film
at Middle East - Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+
This is sorta like a SXSW showcase since Tulsa and Viva Viva were down in Austin for the music fest a couple weeks ago. They both play some tasty modern/classic rock. At different times Tulsa has reminded me of Wilco, Sparklehorse, and My Morning Jacket; but they really sound like themselves. Viva Viva rawk it with Stones-y vigor -- from the peak years before they needed Viagra. The Major Stars would probably blow the SXSW crowds away with their torrent of technicolor noise. Faces on Film might seem relatively mellow compared with the other bands, but they'll deserve your attention.
SAT 3/29
9:30pm
The Hard Lessons, The Sterns, Age Rings
at O'Brien's, 3 Harvard St, Allston
$9 / 21+
I should've ignored this gig, but I curiously checked out The Hard Lessons. The recordings were really good, which made me click on the concert video clip (see Sneak Peek below). At that moment I was hooked -- it was in front of a big crowd, but they delivered a full-on rock experience in that special Detroit way. Since Iggy and the Stooges, there seems to be bands from the Motor City that can give 110%. This is another one of those bands. This looks like their second time through the area, so let's hope The Hard Lessons feel welcome. The Sterns and Age Rings are damn fine bands too!
SAT 3/29
7pm
The Ergs, For Science, The Serious Geniuses, Bread & Roses, Robert Sarazin Blake, The Closet Fairies
at The Democracy Center, 45 Mt. Auburn, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$7 Suggested Donation / All Ages
Razorcake is a music zine that still actually produces a "hard copy", which might be part of the reason they're short on money. On the other hand these are the things people do out of a passion that has no connection to one's brain, ergo the reason why it's meaningful to help these folks. Besides our local punk outfits, The Ergs and For Science are a couple pop-punk bands from New Jersey. An all-around tight, snappy show, I especially like Bread & Roses for rocking it out hard acoustic-style.
I've heard there's going to be giveaways and free pizza (that will probably last about 15 minutes).
SAT 3/29
10pm to 2am
Sin-O-Matic: Burlesque Night
at Machine, 1254 Boylston St, Boston
$10 / 21+
"50's Pin-up Party" w/ Dominique Immora, Jezebel Pussycat, Sayomi, & Ruby Roulette.
No dress code for this event. (But I'm sure latex is appreciated...)
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SUN 3/30
8am to 4pm
Human Rights Torch Relay
from Hopkinton to Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common
FREE
Let's shine a light on the abuse of Tibet while we're at it. Things are getting worse everyday, and we let a country with egregious human rights abuses to host the Olympic games. Sorry, end of rant... It's a mobile protest basically along the marathon route and ends with some sort of rally around 3ish.
SUN 3/30
4pm
GG Allin Memorial Show
at The Midway Cafe, 3496 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain
$10 / All Ages
New Hampshire's GG Allin was among the hardcore of the hardcore. Known for defecating on stage and annually threatening to commit suicide at a Halloween gig, he OD'ed in '93. You probably shouldn't go if you're not already a fan. Or go if you hate your ears... Free BBQ at 3pm (with admission).
With Murder Junkies, Mob Hit, Bad Lieutenants, Death In Custody, Shit Fuck, Thunderhog, Refuse Resist, Hope Lane Is A Dead End
SUN 3/30
Noon
Green Jobs Forum
at Room 108, Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St, Boston
FREE
Moderated by Lawler Kang, the panel discussion includes:
Cindy Garo, The Food Project Board of Trustees
Galen Nelson, Green Tech Business Manager, City of Boston
Uri Weg, IT entrepreneur, evolvist.com
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MON 3/31
6:30pm
"The Night James Brown Saved Boston"
at WGBH, One Guest St, (Brighton)
FREE w/ RSVP
On the day after Martin Luther King's assassination, James Brown was already scheduled to play at Boston Garden. Riots were already breaking out in town around the country. There was talk about cancelling the show, but Mayor Kevin White ultimately asked that the show go on and that it be telecast to encourage everyone to stay inside. It's my understanding that every station was allowed to broadcast it, and only WGBH stepped up. So Boston has a debt to the Godfather of Soul (although he may or may not have been handsomely compensated that night).
So I've just told you the whole 66-minute show that's heavy on interviews and light on music. (It's going to be on VH1.) There will be a panel discussion and Q&A afterwards with the director, James Brown’s personal manager, and a professor of African-American Studies at Northeastern.
RSVP here.
MON 3/31
7:30pm
Drinking and Drawing: "Draw Me A Bath"
at Paddy O's, 33 Union St, Boston (near Faneuil Hall)
FREE / 21+
If you're an artist or just someone who has a knack for drawing, join in a collaborative art party to make an animated film. You sit down for 10 minutes to draw 8 frames on index cards, then you hang out. The frames are compiled later, music is added, and the product is posted on the internet to show your friends and family. The theme is "Draw Me A Bath".
MON 3/31
10pm, 11pm, Midnight
Extreme Bingo
at Milky Way Lounge, 405 Centre St, Jamaica Plain
FREE / 21+
As usual, you can bowl and play pool for free on Monday nights starting at 9pm. Tonight, there are 3 games of "extreme bingo" where you can win prizes -- but extreme bingo means full-contact in a cage.
MON 3/31 and TUES 4/1
8pm
"COLE! A Celebration of the Life, Words, and Music of Cole Porter"
at Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough St, Boston (New England Conservatory/Fenway)
FREE
From the late 20's on, so many of the best songs were written by Cole Porter. "Night And Day", "Anything Goes", "I Get a Kick Out of You", "What Is This Thing Called Love?", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Begin the Beguine", "It's De-Lovely", etc, etc. The music was melodically rich, and the lyrics were equally full of wordplay and passion. It's almost impossible for songwriters not to be influenced by Porter whether they are aware of it or not.
Students from NEC's Opera Studies program will sing many of the classics as well the "deep cuts" with help from a couple faculty members and a small 6-piece ensemble.
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TUES 4/1
6pm
Guitar Center Sessions: Joe Satriani
at Guitar Center, 321-C Speen St, Natick (Cloverleaf Marketplace)
FREE
I always liked Joe Satriani. When a million guitarists were playing super-fast metal back in the 80s, he was one of a handful that never forgot it was supposed to be music. Joe will talk about techniques, gear, and his life in rock. At some point, he'll play guitar better than anyone else in the room.
TUES 4/1
7pm to 10pm
"Beehive-Art-Scope 1"
at Beehive Restaurant, 541 Tremont St, Boston (South End)
FREE
A new art event series is busting out on April Fools Day -- but I think something is really going to happen tonight. The Beehive blends into the Boston Center for the Arts; the decor is especially Bohemian downstairs where much of the action will be taking place. About 20 artists will display their work including Rachel Perry Welty, Jeff Perrott, Owen Rundquist, Cyrille Conan, Kelly Sherman and Samantha Fields. I'm guessing one will see some visually/conceptually aggressive art in various media. Free-jazz trio The Sewer Rats (w/ pianist Leo Genovese) will perform, and performance artist Bryce Kaufmann is bound to do something weird like cover himself with shaving cream.
I read somewhere that "refreshments will be provided", but I don't think it will include drinks...
TUES 4/1
9pm
Tuesday Night Laugh Track
at The Point - Upstairs, 147 Hanover St, Boston (Haymarket)
$5
It really is a funny lineup with: Shane Mauss, Myq Kaplan, Micah Sherman, Lamont Price, Tony Moschetto, Rob Crean, Dan Crohn. Your laugh-to-dollar ratio will be extremely high.
TUES 4/1
10pm
Preacher Jack
at Plough & Stars, 912 Mass. Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
FREE (but you can drop something in the basket)
With his long hair and white beard, Preacher Jack may look like a wild-eyed holy man descended from a lonely mountaintop. He's actually a living piece of boogie-woogie/rockabilly history who grew up and resides on the North Shore. Pounding the keys for fifty years, he may not keep a weekly residence at Frank's Steak House anymore, but Preacher Jack comes down to Cambridge & Boston every couple weeks to spread the good news.
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WED 4/2
7pm
"Rashomon"
at Harvard Film Archive, Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St, Cambridge (Harvard campus)
FREE
This is one of the all-time film masterpieces from Akira Kurosawa. Crimes have been committed, and every observer's perspective tells a different story. It makes you ponder the nature of truth. Really, it does. As I see it...
WED 4/2
9pm
Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales
at Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire St, Cambridge (Inman Sq)
$10
You might not guess it, but Bulgarian a capella music may be the magical sound on the planet. It actual sounds like it might be from another world. Singer Vlada Tomova (who appeared on the first Balkan Beat Box CD) brings that vocal style to her Balkan Tales project, a band that includes your typical folk instrumentation as well as accordion and oud. Do yourself a favor and listen to Vlada or Balkan Beat Box or even the Bulgarian Radio Women's Choir.
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THUR 4/3
12:30pm
Jose Canseco, "Vindicated": Book Signing
at Borders Bookstore, 10 School St, Boston (Downtown Crossing)
FREE to heckle him
Don't buy a book, but this is a great chance to yell whatever you like at this guy for at least 30 minutes.
THUR 4/3
7:30pm
Morgan Spurlock, "Fred Rogers Integrity Award"
at Judge Baker Children's Center, Manville School, 53 Parker Hill Ave, Boston (Mission Hill)
FREE
Part of the "Annual Summit" of the Campaign For A Commercial-Free Childhood, you could probably talk to Spurlock at some point. There's a coffee & dessert reception as well as Morgan Spurlock discussing his work and showing some clips. Maybe he'll give Osama Bin Laden's location -- his next film is about his personal search that bearded Bedouin baddie.
THUR 4/3
6:30pm to 9pm
"Nanotechnology and Alternative Energy"
at Dodge Hall, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston (Northeastern campus)
FREE
Maybe I'm crazy, but I truly believe that nanotechnology is going to transform our lives in the next 20 to 50 years -- as long as we make them waterproof to survive the rising sea level.
Climate change concerns, rising energy costs, and dwindling natural resources are causing people everywhere take a closer look at the relationship between human activity and our environment. The emerging field of nanotechnology presents great promise to address these issues, but it carries a great deal of uncertainty -- and perhaps its own environmental risks.Register here.
For a background on the potential applications and risks of nanotechnology, read this article (PDF) written by Rice University's Kristen Kulinowsky.
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FRI 4/4
All Mod Cons (11:45pm), New Frustrations (10:45pm), The Illegals (9:45pm), Lehane, Long and O'Halloran (9pm)
at Abbey Lounge, 3 Beacon St, Somerville (Inman Sq)
$8
FRI 4/4
7pm
Dave Tree Art Show
w/ JT Habersaat, Duncan Wilder Johnson, Clay N. Ferno, Richie Stratton, Ruby Collins
at Herrell's Allston Cafe, 155 Brighton Ave, Allston
FREE
FRI 4/4
7pm to 9:30pm
"They Must be Hysterical!" An Evening of Feminist Comedy
at Kirsch Auditorium, Stata Center, 32 Vassar St, Cambridge
FREE w/ Registration
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SAT 4/5
10am to 2pm
Community Boating Open House
at Community Boating Boathouse, 21 David G. Mugar Way, Boston (Esplanade)
FREE
SAT 4/5
8pm
Chris Merenda, Adam Sweeney
at Loring Greenough House, 12 South St, Jamaica Plain
$10 if you make a reservation by 3/30 ($12.50 after)
Top-notch folk in a small, historic venue with great sound.
Send an email to notlobmusic@gmail.com with this URL as the subject line:
http://going.com/notlob080405
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Link of the Week:
If you like Dr. Pepper and you know of some way to Axl Rose finish the "Chinese Democracy" CD, you should do it! Everyone in America will get a free can of soda if it's released in 2008.
Another good Boston resource to see things after they've happened:
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Quote of the Week:
"If you're willing to fail interestingly, you tend to succeed interestingly."
-- Edward Albee
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th-th-that's all, folks.
~r
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