Sneak Peek: FRI 5/23 to MON 4/6

Have fun this long weekend! I know I will... :-)

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FRI 5/23

7pm
Liam Finn: Performance & Signing
at Newbury Comics, 36 JFK St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
FREE

Check Neil Finn's (Crowded House) son out for free, and you might want to pay $12 as he opens (along with local chanteuse Sarah Blacker) for the wonderful Laura Veirs at the Middle East - Downstairs.

FRI 5/23

10pm
Rock Bottom, Downbeat 5
at Johnny D's, 17 Holland St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$10

The Downbeat 5 are the perfect blend of 60's soul and old-school punk into great Boston garage-rock. Rock Bottom consist of guys from great Boston punk bands who do 70's rock classics. Great fun!

FRI 5/23

6pm to 10pm
Climate Confluence Benefit Show
w/ HUMANWINE, The Paperdolls, Amatul & Natebox, Evan Greer, Bambuu Waza, Adelaide
at Acorn Housing, 1486 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester (near Fields Corner T)
$7 to $15 -- sliding scale / pay what you can

Where does the young revolutionary find entertainment on a Friday night? Fields Corner. I did a Google Street View, and it looks sketchy -- but that's half the fun, right? Proceeds benefit the Northeast Climate Confluence and "a bail fund for activists who will be protesting the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul."

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SAT 5/24

Noon
EarthFest
at Hatch Shell, Charles River Esplanade, Storrow Dr, Boston
FREE

The big ones:
Cake (4:45pm), Cracker (3:15pm), The English Beat (2pm), The BoDeans (12:45pm)

Cake AND Cracker! Why not get 70's soft-rockers Bread while they're at it...

SAT 5/24

7:30pm to 11pm
Tango by Moonlight
over the Charles River on the Weeks pedestrian bridge, Memorial Drive side, near Dewolf St, Cambridge
FREE

The first night of season. Go. Dance. Feel the "Amor"...

SAT 5/24

2pm
Boston Zombie March IV
at South Station to Newbury St to Boston Common
FREE

Finish at Boston Common for some zombie games. Bring frisbees, wiffle ball, hacky sacks, whatever but you must stay in zombie mode!

In case you don't Facebook, here are some guidelines:

* No running in the STREET
* No touching outsiders unless they wish to be transformed
* If a kid starts to cry, walk away!
* Do not chase/run after people, especially children. This means you can walk after people (in zombie fashion) but do not make them run for their life!
* No breaking and entering.
* No vandalism.
* If you go into a building, leave it as it was.

For more info, you can try this email, but zombies don't type very quickly.

SAT 5/24

1pm to 5pm
Sailing Open House
at Boston Sailing Center, Lewis Wharf, Boston (North End)
FREE

Enjoy a free sail in the harbor -- not the Charles River.

No sailing experience necessary. All ages welcome. Free refreshments, too.

SAT 5/24

9:30pm
Elemental Zazen, Elephant House, ViceVersah, Dysfunctional Genepool, Left Over Wine
at Middle East - Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 advance / $13 day of show / 18+

Local Hip-Hop is good for you.

SAT 5/24 & SUN 5/25

10pm
A.K.A.C.O.D.

Saturday:
at Atwoods Tavern, 877 Cambridge St, Cambridge (near Inman & Kendall Sq)
FREE

Sunday:
at Alchemist Lounge, 435 S Huntington Ave, Jamaica Plain
FREE

Two chances (around 10pm) to see one of my fave bands around.

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SUN 5/25

2pm
Al Maze's Annual Memorial Day Walking Tour
at Forest Hills Cemetery, 95 Forest Hills Ave, Jamaica Plain
$9

It's not as strange as it sounds: I love walking through Forest Hills Cemetery anytime with or without a guide.

Celebrate Al Maze's Heroes on his Annual Memorial Day Walking Tour
One of his most popular tours: a walk exploring the stories of soldiers and survivors of the Civil War and other battles.
Al will read excerpts from letters, diaries and newspaper accounts that illuminate the experiences and emotions of the men and women who have served during wartime.

Meet at Main Gate. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water; this is a 2-mile walk (with frequent stops) over varied terrain.

SUN 5/25

The Bellrays (11:30pm), The Architects (10:30pm), Balls (9:30pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10

The Bellrays rock so good, your head might explode. Balls includes 2 Snowleopards and a Bang Camaro.

SUN 5/25

9:30pm
Sad Marvin, Everyday Disaster, Never Whispered
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$8 / 18+

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MON 5/26

10am to 4:45pm
Memorial Day -- Open House
at Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston (The Fens)
FREE

One of the MFA's open house days that includes guided tours, family activites, and special events with a Spanish flavor like: Aztec & Mayan multi-media culture performance (11am), Basque short films (12:30pm), traditional flamenco (3:15pm).

The regularly $23 "El Greco to Velazquez: Art during the Reign of Philip III" exhibit is also free (first-come, first-served). If you really want to enjoy it without a big crowd, I'd get there before 10am...

MON 5/26

2pm
A Memorial Day For Peace
at Christopher Columbus Park, Boston (North End/Waterfront)
FREE

Various veterans groups for peace will have representatives to speak at a ceremony to remember and mourn those who died for our country, and convey that we should protect our soldiers from dying in "endeavors not for the common good." (If you know what I mean...)

MON 5/26

7pm
Boston Skeptics in the Pub w/ Patty Pieniadz
at Tommy Doyle's, 96 Winthrop St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
FREE

This guest speaker Patty Pieniadz is an ex-Scientologist big-wig. I think it would be funny if Scientologists put on Tom Cruise masks and protested outside of this -- like the "V for Vendetta" anonymous protestors...

MON 5/26

10pm, 11pm, Midnight
Extreme Bingo (Final Send Off)
at Milky Way Lounge, 403 Centre St, Jamaica Plain
FREE / 21+

Yes, it really looks like the last Extreme Bingo as the hostesses are moving away. Three games of bingo with cool prizes. It looks like free pool starts at 6pm, and free bowling at 9pm. This will be a party, and I'm going to try to be there.