SAT 3/14: Bugs, Beer, Film, Guitars, Rock, Design

Wow. Not only do I play sloppy cards, but I sleep in on the weekends...

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SAT 3/14

11am to 5pm
BugFest
at Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St, Cambridge (Harvard campus)
$9 / $7 students, seniors / $6 ages 3 to 18

Do you have kids? Do you want to make it with a single mom? Hell, do you have some 'shrooms left over from a party...? The HMNH is generally one of my favorite destinations to take a visitor to Boston with the glass flowers and wacky fossils. There's all sorts of insect presentations and activities. It's free with museum admission.

For drivers: "Complimentary parking available in the adjacent garage at 52 Oxford Street."

SAT 3/14

2pm to 5pm
Micro-Brew Grand Tasting
at Ball Square Fine Wines & Liquors, 716 Broadway, Somerville (Ball Sq)
FREE

Help keep my local "good selection" liquor store open: Buy some beer after you taste over 40 micro-brews. (Or casually slip out after trying every sample.) I don't know how they're going to fit 40 samples and customers too...

SAT 3/14

6pm to 8pm
Boston Underground Film Festival Pre-Party
at Good Vibrations, 308A Harvard St, Brookline (Coolidge Corner)
FREE

Where was everybody on Thursday night? I went to the Space 242 party, and there was more pizza than I could eat and barely too much beer for me to drink. We saw some cool shorts and trailers of films from next week's Boston Underground Film Festival at The Brattle and Kendall Sq Cinema.

Since this party is in an "adult merchandise" store, expect to see some of "Bad Biology" about a woman with very special 'private parts', the trailer of the documentary "9to5 Days in Porn", and a handful of saucy shorts.

There's going to be free food & drink again, and you'll have another shot at winning BUFF stuff (missed the festival pass raffle by ONE friggin' digit)...

SAT 3/14

7pm, 10pm (two shows)
Antoine Dufour, Pino Forastiere, Craig D'Andrea, Peter Ciluzzi
at The Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge (Inman Sq)
$10

After not reading "Guitar Player" for years, I hadn't realized there was a thriving current of talented acoustic/fingerstyle guitar hotshots traveling down similar paths like Leo Kottke and Micheal Hedges. Tonight's performers include a Canadian, an Italian, and two New Englanders; and they're all affiliated with the peculiarly named CandyRat Records. There should be mellow pieces and wild stuff like tapping & slapping besides the usual picking & strumming. Maybe for guitar geeks only...

SAT 3/14

9:30pm
Midatlantic, Baker, The Fatal Flaw, The Minutes
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$9 / 21+

Holy crap. Magic 8-Ball says, "Your chances of getting rocked are all but certain!" With St. Paddy's Day around the corner, why not roll out a couple -- but only a couple -- Irish bands? Sure, but there's good craic to be had all night long.

I already liked Midatlantic when they were The Bleedin Bleedins, but lamented the bassist (etc) was actually a laptop. Now that they've got a proper line-up, it feels better to dance in place to their big rock tunes. (Just because they're Irish, don't compare them to U2.)

Baker is awesome for many reasons, but I love the thought words sung without affectation. The vocals are deadpan yet melodic, fresh, and friendly. (Listen to "Identity Theft", and tell me if this is about existential angst or someone stealing your personal data.) Put some of these these sweet hook-alicious rock morsels in your ear for a while.

The best band tonight might be The Fatal Flaw. Listen to the uber-catchy yet manly rock! They have a barrel full of melodic rock songs with thoughtful lyrics; I especially like the commentary on Guns 'n Roses of "Where's Izzy?" Seriously, this is the good stuff, folks.

The Minutes are three fun-loving guys (why call them lads?) from Dublin who sound like guys that splash youthful exuberance and noisy, crunchy popness. Feel the fun


*** Almost Cheap Thrill ***

SAT 3/14

Cut & Paste Digital Design Tournament
at Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St, Boston (South End)
$15 online / $20 door / 18+

I gave instructions about entering the competition, and Cut & Paste was kind enough to give some CTB readers free tickets a couple days ago. So why not remind folks about this event that should be pretty cool with various designers onstage creating images to be shown on big screens and to be judged one of the best in Boston.

DDJ Volvox and DJ Die Young spin throughout to keep the head bobbing and booty shaking...

Audience members are encouraged to compete on a "cosmic & psychedelic Wild West" T-shirt design.

Doors open at 7pm.