Cheap Thrills: TUES 6/17 to THUR 6/19

Hey, howdy. Some will watch the NBA Finals tonight, but there's other stuff going on -- including some stuff for tomorrow and Thursday.

Want to hear something weird? While I was crossing from Govt Center to Haymarket (near the Holocaust Memorial) yesterday, I saw a single rubber boob. It looked like it had been rolling around in the street for a while. Weird... I would've taken a photo, but I was in a hurry.

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TUES 6/17

3pm to 5pm
Boston All-City Baseball Classic
at Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Way, Boston (Kenmore Sq)
FREE

If you have the afternoon off, there's a free baseball game at Fenway Park. It just happens to be a Boston high school all-star game. I'm not sure if the beer concessions will be open for something like this, so allow some time to pre-game...

TUES 6/17

9:30pm
Jeremy Lyons
at Atwoods Tavern, 877 Cambridge St, Cambridge (near Inman & Kendall Sq)
FREE

Dang, this guy can play guitar. Jeremy Lyons moved from New Orleans to avoid this chick named Katrina, and we should be glad to have such a fine slide-player around. I'm not sure if he'll be playing solo or with a band, but it’s a good option if you feel like some swampy blues tonight.

TUES 6/17

9:30pm
The Black & White Years, Parlour Steps, Action Verbs, Anthems MA
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$8 / 18+

A couple touring bands are joined by a couple cool local bands, presented by Ryan’s Smashing Life. I like what I hear from The Black & White Years. Maybe it's because they're from Austin, but their sound reminds me of Interpol if they were in a good mood. And the songs have some hook to them. Parlour Steps visit all from Vancouver, and they play some interesting, multi-layered rock. Both Action Verbs and Anthems MA add to an excellent lineup. Kudos, Ryan.

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WED 6/18

7pm & 8:30pm
Boston Derby "Dames": Documentary
at Enormous Room, 567 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
FREE / 21+

A short film about the Boston Derby Dames.

WED 6/18

7:30pm
Drinking and Drawing II
at Paddy O's, 33 Union St, Boston (near Faneuil Hall)
FREE / 21+

The first Boston session worked, so they're doing it again. 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.

WED 6/18

7:30pm
Philosophy Cafe
at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge
FREE

Discussion Topic: "The Uncanny Effectiveness of Mathematics: Is Nature Ultimately Quantifiable?"

$3 suggested donation (to cover cost of coffee, tea, cookies)

WED 6/18

8pm
"Essential Self-Defense": Pay What You Can Night
at Black Box Theatre, Boston Center for Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston (South End)
$5 minimum

Some cheap, interesting theatre about a guy who gets beat up for a living and enjoys improvised karaoke.

"Pay What You Can" means just that (regularly $20), but you have to give at least $5.

WED 6/18

8pm
Boston Babydolls: "Play Ball!" @ Ladies Night
at Boston Billiard Club, 126 Brookline Ave, Boston
FREE, RSVP by midnight 6/17 / $10 door

You RSVP before midnight on TUES 6/17 to get in for free.

Two shows, second show about the same as the first.

Note: Ladies Night is a monthly deal where women play pool for free from 8pm to close.

Free burlesque and plenty on pool-playing women -- should be a good destination for single/unattached guys, which should it a good destination for single/unattached women... Right?
WED 6/18

The Colonials (11:40pm), Mike Gent (10:45pm), John Charles (10pm), Matt Caldeira (9:15pm), David Sperring (8:30pm)
at Church, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston (Fenway)
$8 / 21+

Acoustic Showcase (with Mike Gent of The Figgs & The Gentlemen)

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THUR 6/19

6pm
Maeve Gilchrist
at Institute for Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave, Boston (South Boston/Seaport)
FREE

Every Thursday night is free at ICA, and outdoor music is happening throughout the summer.

THUR 6/19

7pm to 8:30pm
"Abandoned in the Arctic": Screening & Discussion
at Science Center Hall B, One Oxford St, Cambridge (Harvard campus)
FREE

This documentary tells the harrowing story of Adolphus Greely and his team of 24 men who set out in 1881 to build an arctic research station. What began as an ambitious expedition descended into a three-year journey of starvation, mutiny, and cannibalism, which only six men survived.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with director Gino Del Guercia, executive producer Geoffrey Clark, and James Shedd, great-great-grandson of Adolphus Greeley.

THUR 6/19

9:30pm
Bill Janovitz & His Band
at Toad, 1912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)
FREE

Bill claims it will be "shambolic hootenanny" with all sorts of players and songs at his Thursday residency. This is where Eddie Vedder jams with Theo Epstein when Eddie's in town...