FRI 2/6: Art, Derby Dame Fun, Rock, Human Dog Sleds

What you haven't seen a blue woman naked before?

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FRI 2/6

5pm to 9pm
"Be Mine": Annual Boston Handmade Valentine Show
at Gallery 31, SoWa Arts Bldg, 31 Thayer St, Boston (South End)
FREE

If you're into giving your loved one a gift on the artificial holiday of commercialized love this month, you can find some unique gifts. About 20 artists/craftspeople will be offering wares in various media. This is happening as part of the SoWa First Friday Open Studios in the same building. Every month, many of the artists in the building open their doors to curious art-lovers. When I went, I visited one specific artist then wandered around. Good times.

There will be an "NC-17 crafts fair" on WED 2/11...)

FRI 2/6

9pm
Boston Derby Dames: Circus-Circus Pep Rally
at Milky Way Lounge, 403 Centre St, Jamaica Plain
$10

Wherever you find the Boston Derby Dames, that's where the party will be. The season is starting at the end of the month, so it's time for one of their periodic fundraising parties. Believe it or not, big crowds at the Shriners in Wilmington don't really cover all the costs.

You'll have a good time tonight with a circus theme and includes such diversions as: the extreme hula-hooping of Boston Hoop Troop, brass band Down to This Earth adding the crazy sound of circus, and the general ferocity of the Dames. DJ John Barera will keep everything bumping. If you can juggle, you might win a prize...

"Creative dress encouraged."

FRI 2/6

Rock City Crimewave (11:15pm), Roadsaw (10pm), Vagiant (9pm)
at Church, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston (Fenway)
$10 / 21+

There might be a hint of gloominess in the room beyond the garage-horror riffage since this is the final Rock City Crimewave show and the wonderful maniac Lux Interior from The Cramps died this week. No doubt RCCW will do or say something in tribute to The Cramps leader tonight. Roadsaw definitely drops the rock hammer down hard. It's big, heavy rock without getting sluggish; they do a good job of changing gears as well. Vagiant is an all-female, devil-may-care/bad-ass attitude quartet that drips of good time punk rock.

FRI 2/6

9:30pm
Sidewalk Driver, Logan 5 & the Runners, 1977, Mercy James
at Midway Cafe, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain
$8-ish

Glam-rock is alive and kicking (in sparkly platform boots?) in Boston. Not as an anachronism, but contemporary guitar 'n synthy rock with style and theatrics. Sidewalk Driver and Logan 5 & the Runners take this vein in slightly different directions, but both have their sounds together. Fans of everything from T Rex to Bowie to Pulp to Interpol should dig this. No need to prepare for the classic punk sound of 1977, but it wouldn't hurt to check your pogo skills when no one's around. Mercy James opens with a set of top-notch songsmanship.

FRI 2/6 & SAT 2/7

6pm (SAT: Noon)
Annual Lowell Winterfest
Around Downtown Lowell
Mostly FREE

Okay. Tonight and tomorrow: "Human Dog Sled Races"!!!

Lots of other fun, food, music, etc. (Some of the music is $5 / 21+.)

This map [PDF] is from a few years ago, it still looks like a basic idea of the layout.

It's not a far walk from the Commuter Rail station to Downtown Lowell, but there seems to be shuttles (#9 & "Downtown"?)...