WED 6/25 & THUR 6/26: Books, Music, Games

I don't know why I initially only listed the reading for today; there's cheap stuff out there. There's always something cheap to do -- whether you're interested is another matter...

Please send out your good vibrations! I'm moving tomorrow, and it's going to be hairy if I get everything done. If I'm lucky, I'll have electricity and internet on Friday...

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WED 6/25

7pm
Sasa Stanisic, "How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone": Reading
at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave
FREE

There's not much cheap stuff this Wednesday, but this guy has written a novel that's semi-autobiographical in that his family escaped war-torn Bosnia when he was a kid.

WED 6/25

9:30pm
Dennis Brennan Band
at Lizard Lounge/Cambridge Common, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge (between
Harvard Sq & Porter Sq)
$5

Wow, this has been a long stretch for Dennis Brennan, but he's taking a break from Lizard Lounge. It looks like the last night of his Wednesday night residency (for now). Dennis and band will play two sets of rootsy-rock with gusto and verve. Great songwriting combined with top-notch playing. This guy keeps getting better and is not slowing down.

There's a FREE set at 8pm by Kier Byrnes of Three Day Threshold tonight.

WED 6/25

9pm
Poetic Escape
at Blue Wave, 343 Congress Street, Boston (Fort Point/Seaport)
$5 / 21+

I really don't have much faith in this listing, because I haven't been to this poetry & music night. It could be awesome, but I couldn't really sample much of the performers. The Jason Hunter Quartet are a totally capable jazz band. I'm not even sure if I've been to Blue Wave...

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THUR 6/26

7pm to 9pm
"Dirty Words: A Literary Encyclopedia of Sex": Book Party
at Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston St, 4th floor, Boston (near Boston Common)
FREE

Need I say more?

From sexual relationships to sexual positions, from the classics to contemporary twists, Dirty Words collects the most titillating and provocative definitions of the most outlandish and often unspeakable sexual terms, as defined and explained by some of today's most exciting writers.

Coming on like a literary Joy of Sex minus the awkward illustrations, one hundred horny authors expound on their own private entries in this hilarious and essential encyclopedia.

Refreshments provided.

You can also buy the book there (list $19.99).

THUR 6/26

9pm
The Hold Steady, Aberdeen City
at the Paradise, 967 Comm. Ave., Boston (near BU)
FREE w/ RSVP / 21+

My friends at Going have outdone themselves with this free show. Everyone can RSVP, but I think this is the one that will definitely have more interested people than capacity allows. This must be the best band I'm not already into; do I hear Bruce? The Replacements? I don't normally post mp3's to download, but you could check out Ryan's Smashing Life.

Get there early if you really want to get in, and don't be afraid of spam by joining Going.

THUR 6/26

Hilken Mancini (10pm), Bitters (11pm)
at Alchemist Lounge, 435 S Huntington Ave, Jamaica Plain
FREE

Who knows what to expect from Hilken Mancini except compelling delivery of her songs. She's been with a bunch of bands from Fuzzy to most recently Shepherdess and she co-created Punk Rock Aerobics. She collaborated with Buffalo Tom's Chris Colbourn on a really good CD a couple years ago. Bitters is a new group with a jazzy experimental-pop sound. Gotta love the vibraphones...