TUES 8/18: Shakespeare, Film, Jazz, Rock, Roots

There's no judgement if you missed "Shakespeare in the Common" this year. Let's hope they'll be back next year! You can still get a little bit of "Comedy of Errors" in the Compete/(abridged) performance.

Before it gets any later in the week, there's going to be one of those RSVP parties at the Bleacher Bar on THUR 8/20. I doubt I'd ever buy a MGD 64, but I'll drink it for free...

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TUES 8/18

6pm to 8pm
"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)"
at Christopher Columbus Park, about 225 Atlantic Ave, Boston (North End/Waterfront)
FREE

Could this be the last free Shakespeare event of the summer? Not really because the Orfeo Group has one more free performance on Thursday at Herter Park, even though the free Thursdays were initially slated to end a couple weeks ago. The production ends on SAT 8/22.

After a month of shows, they must be firing on all pistons as three guys take a romp through all 37 of Shakespeare plays in slightly more than 90 minutes. It debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival about 20 years ago, it's been done by thousands of different trios, and the results still range from amusing to hilarious.

TUES 8/18

7:30pm
"Fifty Dead Men Walking": Sneak Preview
at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville
FREE w/ Flyer

This is probably going to be a film that lovers on the thoughtful, gripping thriller will want to see when it comes out in a few weeks; so you could see it for free before all of your friends and rave about it ahead of time.

Don't get too caught up with the details as this is a fictionalized version of the memoirs by the actual informant who infiltrated the IRA in the 80's and who saved an estimated 50 lives by snitching to the Brits. (Btw, I'm not an "anti-snitching" advocate.)

The protagonist is played by Jim Sturgess who has a likable charm in most films and interviews, and he's scheduled to appear for a post-screening Q&A. Ben Kingsley is his English handler, and I can't remember the last crappy film he's appeared. ("Ghandi", maybe... Kidding!)

Print flyer [PDF] to admit two.

"Please arrive early. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and is NOT guaranteed."

[Quicktime trailer]

TUES 8/18

9pm
Bitches Brew Band
at Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire St, Cambridge (Inman Sq)
$8

Some local jazz vets celebrate the "electric period" of the Miles Davis catalog that began in 1969 with "In a Silent Way" and pioneered jazz-fusion. In my opinion, jazz-fusion was often too noodly for me after Miles did it. This is funky yet swinging, and the electricity is in more than the amps.

In three albums, Miles and company set the foundation for Weather Report, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, countless others, and... Bitches Brew Band.

TUES 8/18

9:30pm
The Konks, Daily Void, The Tampoffs, The Hospital Rats
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$9 / 18+

Would it be Boston without a garage-punk show? Maybe, but there usually is at least one gig every night.

When I first saw The Konks a few years ago, they knocked my socks off with reverb-soaked, tribal rhythm that was partly a throwback to primeval rock goo and partly jagged punk energy like flossing with barbed wire.

I suspect most people either think of Daily Void as dark, grinding punk sound of evil or as liberating, noisy nihilism. It's both but not all; they definitely don't make easy, by-the-numbers punk. It gets under the skin -- and you may need a tetanus shot...

Both The Tampoffs and The Hospital Rats excel at fast, loud, trashy garage-punk. I like how the Hospital Rats prominently feature that old (not-quite-farfisa) organ sound that adds a dimension.

TUES 8/18

10pm
"Barry, Child, Levine, Sands, and Staples"
at Atwoods Tavern, 877 Cambridge St, Cambridge (near Inman & Kendall Sq)
FREE

It's one of those local ad-hoc, roots-music "supergroups" that can just spring up around here since these guys have all played together in a dozen (or so) different bands. Take a local guitar hero (the amazing Duke Levine), a couple of the guys from Session Americana (Dinty Child & Sean Staples), Aimee Mann's drummer (John Sands), another fine local guitarist (Kevin Barry), and you've got a dream band for any self-respecting, folky singer-soongwriter. (I think Jim Gilmour will be on bass.)

They probably haven't even rehearsed for this gig. They may have come up with a list of songs, or they might just decide as they go along. Nary a bad note will be heard in any case.