FRI 5/8: See Bill, Animation, Alt-Circus, Rock, Play

I don't know why, but I have a good feeling that more weekend cheapness (and things to do next week) will be coming up later today...

Let's not wait to enjoy the great weather. If you don't like these ideas, find a patio bar or someone's deck or a green space or an alley. Put some fresh air in your schedule!

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FRI 5/8

12:30pm
Bill Russell, "Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend": Booksigning
at Barnes & Noble, Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St, Boston (Back Bay)
FREE

You can see Bill Russell on your lunch break if you're close enough. "Booksigning of "Red and Me" only -- no other memorabilla, please."

FRI 5/8

7pm
"Squealing Pegs"
at Tower Auditorium, 621 Huntington Ave, Boston (MassArt)
$5 / $2 students with valid ID

If you haven't guessed a 'peg' was what holds the paper (or plastic) in place when you're drawing non-digital animation. I don't have much to add to the event blurb:

The 7th annual screening event featuring 70-minute animated shorts created by the college’s animation students over the last year. This compilation contains an eclectic selection of new work, including stop-motion, cartoon, abstract, experimental, hand-drawn, pixilation, documentary, and other forms of animation.

FRI 5/8

Buffalo Tom (9pm), The Great Bandini (8pm), Mieka Pauley (7pm)
at Volvo Ocean Race Village, about 28 Northern Ave, Boston (Waterfront/Fan Pier)
FREE

I was a little worried that the weather wouldn't cooperate, but it looks like it could a beautiful evening to be outside near the harbor enjoying good music and checking out the Volvo Ocean Race village.

There's more below; all the groups are really good, but Buffalo Tom!

FRI 5/8

7pm to 10:30pm
Multimedia Circus 2009
at Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville (Spring Hill)
$10 / All Ages

This is going to be really friggin' cool and arty! Loads of experimental music and performance art happening at the same time non-stop for more than 3 hours. Capoeira people doing their thing and aerialists hanging from the ceiling... Video art here and there...

The Armory is finally open and functioning. If you've gone down Highland Ave, you have probably wanted to go into this crazy-looking building.

Feat: Orgy Of Noise, Boston Typewriter Orchestra, Capoeira Gerais, Capoeira Luanda, Darryl Hell, David Pendu, Eliza Blaze, The Empire SNAFU Restoration Project, The Human Floor, Mike D & the 3:2 Percussion Ensemble, Nau-Zee-auN, November 14, The Vomit Arsonist, and more

(I'm pretty sure there will be no actual vomit from The Vomit Arsonist...)

FRI 5/8

9pm
"Undercover": Fluttr Effect & Friends play Spy Music
at Lizard Lounge/Cambridge Common, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge (between Harvard Sq & Porter Sq)
$10 / 21+

If you dig Fluttr Effect and the sound of spy-themed music (soundtrack to old spy movies, etc) in varying degrees, this should be a fun gig. It sounds like an evening of Fluttr Effect also doing their clever chamber-rock originals, 'spy stuff', and other covers. They'll be joined by Molly Zenobia, Mali Sastri, Gonzalo Plaza, Goli (basically half of Fluttr Effect?), and Brendan Higgins.

They'll probably get into character and encourage others to "come dressed as a covert operative, ambassador, femmme fatale, evil scientist, hitman or Austin Powers."

FRI 5/8 & SAT 5/9

7:30pm
"With the Needle That Sings In Her Heart"
at Lexington High School, 251 Waltham St, Lexington
$10

(SAT 5/9: 2pm & 7:30pm)

So advance tickets are no longer available, yet I remind (or notify) you about this play that was created by Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls with her high school drama teacher -- at her old school.

Palmer (who will be leading the musical's band) and Steven Bogart created the play in collaboration with the 20 student performers. They've provided themselves with a creatively fertile source material: Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over The Sea", the cult album that itself is based on the story of Anne Frank.

The premiere performance was last night, and someone already wrote about it. I assume the rest of the shows will sell out, but you can try to get in. Doors open 30 minutes before the time listed above, and there is no entry 30 minutes after the listed time.

I read that Saturday's 7:30 show will be webcast here.

Bostonist has a post with background & good links and an interview with Amanda.