FRI 6/5: Art, Film, Poetry, Plays, Rock

Lots of good stuff. Take a chance... Do something, maybe...

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FRI 6/5

6pm to 10pm
MassArt & SMFA, "Talk to Me": Opening Reception
at AXIOM gallery, Green Street T, ground floor level, about 150 Green St, Jamaica Plain
FREE

This exhibit sounds pretty cool. The theme is "communication" -- person to person, robot to person, animal to person, etc. There's all sorts of wild pieces like a wearable sculpture that you can actually walk around in for a little bit, a video synthesizer played by ants, and a breath-controlled animation. Tonight's reception includes a "home-made synthesizer" performance.

The artists are students from a MassArt class "Electronic Projects for Artists" and the "Intermediate Sculpture" at School of the Museum of Fine Arts.

FRI 6/5

7pm
Yann Arthus-Bertrand, "Home": Premiere Screening
at Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave, Boston (South Boston/Waterfront)
FREE

Everyday is some kind of day, but today is UN World Environmental Day. Consider "Home" as the next mind-blowing, we-better-do-something-to-save-the-world movie after "An Inconvenient Truth".

Instead of hitting over the head with a lot "facts and figures", photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand flies above the world (more than 50 countries) and inspires you by showing the beauty of the world and the way we're screwing it up. And it's narrated by Glenn Close.

Over 180 nations are going to see the premiere on the same day. Tickets are "available first-come, first-served at the admissions desk starting at 6pm."

FRI 6/5

7pm
Sam Cornish, "BEAT: A Poetry Reading"
at Cafe Nation, 380 Washington St, Brighton (Brighton Center)
FREE

Sam Cornish, Poet Laureate of Boston, and fellow rhyme-smith Doug Holder are going to read some of their stuff, and it's B.Y.O.P. ("Bring Your Own Poems") to read -- or just have a coffee and let the culture flow around you.

FRI 6/5 & SAT 6/6

8pm
"Seriously Funny"
at Zero Arrow Theatre, 0 Arrow St / corner of Mass Ave, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$10 / $5 seniors, students

David Mamet's "Romance" is being performed at the AmRep as part of "Sex, Satire, Romance, and Ducks: A David Mamet Celebration". Other shows may cost more, but you can see about 20 short plays by Mamet, Shel Silverstein, and Harold Pinter for $10 -- that's about 50 cents per play...

David Mamet: "L.A. Sketches 1-5", "Australia", "A Life with No Joy in it", "Sunday Afternoon", "Family"

Harold Pinter: "Trouble in the Works", "Request Stop", "Applicant", "New World Order", "Silence", "Mountain Language"

Shel Silverstein: "One Tennis Shoe", "The Best Daddy", "Have a Nice Day", "Do Not Feed the Animal", "Repairs", "No Skronking", "Buy One, Get One Free", "Smile", "Gone to take a..."

This program of short plays should last about 2 hours.

FRI 6/5

Pretty & Nice (Midnight), Reports (11pm), The Big Big Bucks (10pm), Emperor X (9pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10

I'm not going to say anything about Pretty & Nice except they friggin' rock! This is awesome punky power-pop that won't disappoint! Listen and agree -- end of story. The boisterous, angular rock racket of Reports keeps sounding better as you listen.

The Big Big Bucks actually sound better than I remember from the last time I listened; something bothered me, but they've got moments of pop sweetness in their messy rock. Emperor X replaces Middle Distance Runner on the bill, and that's too bad because I like MDR better than EmpX. It's cool; the band from Wilmington, NC has got cool edge.

I heard a rumor about a possible deal on PBR, if you get there early...

FRI 6/5

9:30pm
The Wandas, Jennifer Greer
at Tommy Doyle's (upstairs), 96 Winthrop St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$3

You can't do much better as far as cover charges for Friday night music. The Wandas play a brilliant power-pop, and Jennifer Greer lays down piano-based spunk that might remind you of a certain "Amos" (and not the one that makes cookies).