Cheap Thrills: 9/15 to 9/20

Yes, it's Monday but we're still alive. As investment banks crumble, cheap entertainment loks good, huh?

(I know the Abbey Lounge website is -- pardon my French -- kerfuffled, but there are shows there this week to keep it from closing. I list these, because I'd like that shithole to live on. The benefit shows seem terribly unorganized, but...)

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MON 9/15
* Boldcrits
* "SolarTaxi: Around the World in a Solar-Electric Vehicle"
* Nichole Clarke, Charlie Chesterman, Michael Brodeur
* MIT Salsa Mondays
* The Murder, The Designer Drugs, Faulty Conscience, Zombie Reagan
* The Lights Out, The Tampoffs, Auto Interiors, Sprained Ankles

TUES 9/16
* Zack Hickman, Mark Erelli, The Proclivities, Laura Cortese
* "The Making of a President 2008"

WED 9/17
* Chris Wilhelm Duo & Samuel Kirk
* Brock Clarke, "The Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England": Reading
* Lau Nau and others
* Three Day Threshold, Shadow Box Blues Band, Boston Babydolls

THUR 9/18
* "New Scientist" Tech Square Block Party
* Ron Sexsmith, Meaghan Smith, Vanessa Kafka
* Bill Janovitz & Friends
* Music of Elliott Sharp

FRI 9/19
* Masscann/Norml Awards
* Konks, Black Time, Static Static, Hospital Rats

SAT 9/20
* MP3EXP
* MassCann/NORML Boston Freedom Rally
* Basia Bulat, Eksi Ekso, Mr. Sister, Goli
* Boston Zine Fair -- and SUN 9/21

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MON 9/15

6:30pm
Boldcrits
at Smith Field (behind bike polo court), 250 Western Ave, Brighton
FREE

For at least 3 Mondays in a row, there will be grass/dirt oval-track bicycle races. It's free to watch or compete, but you should be a good rider. (The poster says "category A or B"?) The ultimate winner gets a 6-pack. Sounds like a fun spectator experience...

MON 9/15

5:30pm to 7pm
Louis Palmer, "SolarTaxi: Around the World in a Solar-Electric Vehicle"
at Bldg 4, Room 270, 182 Memorial Drive (Rear), Cambridge (MIT campus)
FREE

Louis Palmer is traversing the globe in an electric car, and I'm sure he'll talk about how he crosses oceans... MIT's Solar Electric Vehicle Team will begin by talking about their car, Louis will tell the crowd about the babe-alicious hippie chicks he picks up and other exciting tales from his journey. The Swiss Consulate will provide a reception following the event to fete their countryman. (Don't get too hung up on the building number, because I think Room 270 might be in the same hallway of "another number".)

MON 9/15

7pm to 9pm
Salsa Lessons
at Morss Hall, Walker Memorial Bldg, 142 Memorial Dr, Cambridge (MIT campus)
FREE

Someone told me that Monday salsa lessons/dancing have resumed at MIT. (Thanks, Lynn!) All are welcome. The first 30 minutes is to get the beginners up to speed, so others should shoot for 7:30pm.

If you need something a little more challenging, there's free salsa dancing for advanced beginners on Tuesdays.

MON 9/15

Nichole Clarke (10:10pm), Charlie Chesterman (9:20pm), Michael Brodeur (8:30pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$3

I don't know if each singer gets a dollar per person, but it's a decent price for 3 acoustic sets. Charlie Chesterman has been serenading Boston for about 25 years since the pop-rock of Scruffy the Cat to his current rockabilly stylings; I feel like Carl Perkins is 10 feet away from me. When I read Michael Brodeur previously in The Weekly Dig (now in The Phoenix), I expected him to sing in a snotty, ironic manner, but listen to the track on Certainly Sir's MySpace -- it's clear and inviting. Nichole Clarke describes herself, "If artist Edward Gorey and actress Doris Day had a daughter who had a band," and that's spot on. There's something creepy in that sweet voice.

MON 9/15

9:30pm
"3516 Fire Benefit Recovery Show"
w/ The Murder, The Designer Drugs, Faulty Conscience, Zombie Reagan
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

There was a fire at 3516 Washington St in JP, and it was cool haven for punks as a home, practice space, party place, and perfomance space. No one ever gave me the 411 before they had to call 911, but we could help homeless rockers. It''s a kickass punk show -- esp. The Murder -- with an excellent sampling of different punk stylings.

MON 9/15

9:30pm
The Lights Out, The Tampoffs, Auto Interiors, Sprained Ankles
at Abbey Lounge, 3 Beacon St, Somerville (Inman Sq)
$12

The Abbey needs help. I'd go see most of these bands. The Lights Out are a fave of mine. Can't make my mind up about Sprained Ankles. It's for a good cause... Help keep old punkers off the streets at night.

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TUES 9/16

9pm
"Zack Hickman's House of Ill Repute"
Feat: Mark Erelli, Laura Cortese, The Proclivities
at Lizard Lounge/Cambridge Common, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge (between
Harvard Sq & Porter Sq)
$5 / 21+

Shh... This is a really good deal. Tell them you're glad that the cover is low, because we need to perpetuate affordable quality music. Dude, Mark Erelli... Even if he wasSit back and get happily slapped by a folker with fingerpicked guitar. Laura Cortese is super-talented too, and -- damn -- The Proclivities must have another reason to be in Boston, because you don't come from Raleigh for one show. Unless it's Zack Hickman. The more I learn about this dude, the more I like him -- he's played with all the artists and Josh Ritter. There might even be MORE special guests...

TUES 9/16

5:30pm to 7pm
"The Making of a President 2008"
at JFK Presidential Library and Museum, Columbia Point, Boston
FREE

Jonathan Alter of Newsweek and Mark Halperin of Time chat about the current Presidential race. These guys are respectable reporters, so one hopes they'll talk about issues beyond a hockey mom from Alaska...

Registration is recommended.

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WED 9/17

6pm
Chris Wilhelm & Samuel Kirk
at All Asia Cafe, 334 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$5-ish (maybe less)

It's an early gig, so you do't have to be out all night. If you can't make it at at 6pm, I bet they won't start on time anyway... While I''ve been effusive about other folk/roots pperformers this week, I do really like Chris too. He knows how to speak from his gut and stll make it catchy. He and formidable UK songster Sameul Kirk have been playing some shows together, so this is could be a special Wednesday that might not happen again in the ner future.

WED 9/17

7pm
Brock Clarke, "The Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England": Reading
at Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St, Brookline (Coolidge Corner)
free

I want to read this book. I loook at this book and admire Clarke for such a brillliant title. It has to clever and hilarious. Adam Davies also reads from his new novel, "Mine All Mine".

WED 9/17

7pm
Lau Nau and others
at The Mills Gallery, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St, Boston (South End)
$8

Maybe I've been swept up in this current wave of "Scandinavian Invasion" music, but I have to tell you about Lau Nau, a freaky folkster from Finland. Be prepared to expand your idea of tonality. You might resist at first, but it''s starts to feel like Asian meditiation music. I found it very relaxing -- I doubt that I could dance to it. I love the art gallery venue. Others are supposed to play, but I don't know who...

WED 9/17

9:30pm
Three Day Threshold, Shadow Box Blues Band, Boston Babydolls
at Bill's Bar, 5.5 Lansdowne Street, Boston (Kenmore Sq)
FREE / 21+

"Presented by The Weekly Dig & Dewars"

Kickass alt-coutry, blues, and babes for free! At the last event I attended that was sponsored by Dewars, the scotch flowed like wine...

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THUR 9/18

4pm to 7pm
"New Scientist" Tech Square Block Party
at Technology Square Courtyard, 500 Technology Sq, Cambridge (Kendall Sq)
FREE / 21+

You don't need to be a scientist -- or a geek -- to enjoy some free drinks and fun 'n games (but it might help). If you're nearby, I'm guessing you'll hear the nerds congregating somewhere near Main St... This link will lead you to a PDF flyer for the event.

THUR 9/18

Ron Sexsmith (11:30pm), Meaghan Smith (10:30pm), Vanessa Kafka (9:30pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10

Wow. There's a lot of value-added gigs this week! Ron Sexsmith for a sawbuck? This guy is the "Canadian Elvis Costello", but he can actually sing -- and sing with reedy perfection. His albums often make the top-ten lists of every credible music critic. Ron (w/ rhythm section) won't disappoint. Ever. Although he ain't much to look at, there are two lovely & talented singer-songwriters from Boston & Nova Scotia opening... (Yes, I listened to their music, but I'm getting to the end of my list.)

THUR 9/18

10pm
Bill Janovitz & Friends
at Toad, 1912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)
FREE

I'm not saying anything more than Bill is awesome and he has great friends. You might not even be able to get in.

THUR 9/18

8pm
Music of Elliott Sharp
at Brown Hall, 30 Gainsborough St, Boston (New England Conservatory/Fenway)
FREE

"Elliott Sharp is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer." The CV goes on from there... I know him as an incredible guitarist who has a modern-classical/experimental, rock, and jazz pedigree. After a couple "master classes" with the Conservatory student, he'll perform 2 sets with some of the students for mainly improvisational music. And this won't be Grateful Dead jams...

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FRI 9/19

Masscann/Norml Awards
Feat: Before The Rise, Gutter Heads, The Force, SuperPower, Sullee, Will Dailey, Robby Roadsteamer
at Middle East - Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 advance / $12 day of show / 18+

Peter Tosh sang, "Legalize it!" Maybe we can start with "decriminalize it."

FRI 9/19

9:30pm
The Konks, Black Time, Static Static, Hospital Rats
at Abbey Lounge, 3 Beacon St, Somerville (Inman Sq)
$12

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SAT 9/20

Noon to 1:30pm
MP3EXP
Somewhere in Boston
FREE

SAT 9/20

High Noon to 6PM
2008 MassCann/NORML Boston Freedom Rally
at Boston Common, Boston
FREE

Feat: Graveyard BBQ, Prospect Hill, The Andwutz, DJ Slim, Herbal Nation, Fred Shafer, Sullee, Gutter Heads, Northern Pike and more

SAT 9/20

9:30pm
Basia Bulat, Eksi Ekso, Mr. Sister, Goli
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

SAT 9/20 & SUN 9/21

10am to 6pm
Boston Zine Fair
at Art Institute of Boston, 601 Newbury St, Boston (Kenmore Sq)
FREE

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Links of the Week:

Looking for free wi-fi?

Ladies, don't say I never do anything for you... There was an article in the Globe about a class-action settlement regarding cosmetics. You could get some free stuff (up to $25) in January, but I might forget to tell you.

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Quote of the Week:

"Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace."

-- Dwight D. Eisenhower

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th-th-that's all, folks.

~r

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RIP, David Foster Wallace. "Infinite Jest" was an awesome month with your writing. I think the fictionalized Boston enriched my love for the real version.