FRI 9/18: Film, Comedy, Rock, Dance

Did anyone go to the SoCo/Polyphonic Spree show? Or get free rum drinks for Coctail Week?

I went to Wonderland last night to watch the dogs race, because tonight will be the last of live racing in Mass. It was a good time. The dogs seemed to be in good spirits... I ran into my buddy Siraj and his mom -- go figure!

I wish I could've taken some pix, but Paul (security) was clear and steadfast that no photography was allowed. He seemed like a good guy, so I kept my camera in the bag. (Although I did take an interior shot or two on an abortive attempt to see the doggies last year...)

FYI: I mentioned a free "Ong Bak 2" screening a couple days ago, and it has been postponed to TUES 9/22.

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FRI 9/18

10am to 9pm
"Free Film Fridays"
at Mugar Omni Theater, Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston
FREE

Dude, you can see really, really big science and nature films. Best of all, they're free all day long on Fridays in September.

Shows are every hour on the hour. The schedule varies, but these are today's times:

"Deep Sea" -- 10am, 11am
"Antarctica" -- Noon, 1pm, 8pm, 9pm
"Amazon" -- 2pm, 3pm
"The Greatest Places" -- 4pm, 5pm
"Mystic India" -- 6pm, 7pm

I think you get the idea from the titles.

It might be a good night for free observatory stargazing, which happens every Friday night from 8:30pm to 10pm (weather permitting).

FRI 9/18

7:30pm
Anderson Comedy: "The Gas"
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$10 / 18+

Feat: God's Pottery, Rick Canavan, Gary Petersen, Drew Mayer, Sarah Heegan

This early-Friday show is usually $5, but God's Pottery are a parody of Christian-folk duo. On one of the few times I've watched "Last Comic Standing", I saw their audition. They were pretty funnt, and the judges liked them too.

A coterie of local funny people will be there as well. As I like to say, it's a comedy show without a drink minimum (or maximum)...

You can even stay for The Pill's dance party. Hooray For Earth are doing a live set tonight.

FRI 9/18

8pm
"The Achievers: The Story of the Lebowski Fans"
at Room 100, Bldg 6, 182 Memorial Drive (Rear), Cambridge (MIT campus)
$8 / Free for MIT card holders

For the LebowskiFest weekend completist, this 70-minute documentary about the creation of the festival and how people bond over one of the funniest films ever.

You might be able to rent this on NetFlix, but director Eddie Chung won't be in your living room for a post-screening Q&A.

You might even win tickets to this weekend's LebowskiFest (both events).

FRI 9/18 (& SAT 9/19)

9pm
The Great Bandini, The Motion Sick, One Happy Island, The Future Everybody, Sarianna and the Swell
at Church, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston (Fenway)
$10

This is the first of 2 nights called "Boston Band Crush University presents: What's Your Major?", and you don't need a student ID to get in.

There are just way too many good bands playing. Tonight, I especially dig The Great Bandini and The Motion Sick, but I didn't hear anything I didn't like from these bands.

Comedians and spoken-word artists will do short bits between bands, and tonight's schedule will be something like this:

12:15pm -- The Great Bandini
12:05am -- Duncan Wilder Johnson
11:30pm -- The Motion Sick
11:20pm -- Sean Sullivan
10:40pm -- One Happy Island
10:30pm -- Maria Ciampa
9:50pm -- The Future Everybody
9:40pm -- Tim McIntire
9:00pm -- Sariana and the Swells

You can get into both nights for $15 with a pass you can buy via PayPal, because Saturday's bands are equally awesome:

Aloud, Brendan Boogie & The Best Intentions, The Blizzard of '78, VulGarrity, The Grownup Noise

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FRI 9/18

10pm to 2am
Thunderdome XIV: "Thunderdome 3D"
at Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, 85 W Newton St, Boston (South End)
$10 / 21+

Feat DJs: Mistaker, Baltimoroder, Dev/Null, #1 Dad and DJ Fred Mertz

Have you heard that inspirational quote that says "dance like no one is watching"? Well, no one will be watching you at this dance party. If they do, it'll be hard to recognize anyone since everyone will be wearing 3-D glasses!

There will really be 4 hours of 3D projections by ROBOTKID and Matt Boch, a 3D Photobooth (yes -- a 3D photo of you), free PBR for the first hour, and who knows what other goodies...

If you went to any Thunderdomes at the Greek-American club, this venue is about twice as large.

FRI 9/18

*** Almost Cheap Thrill ***

The Raging Teens (Midnight), Barrence Whitfield & The Monkeyhips (11pm), Nick Curran & The Lowlifes (10pm), The Swinedells (9pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$11 / 18+

Wow. So close to $10, it's as if they're daring me not to list the show... But I'll raise the bar one dollar more for incredible rockabilly and revved-up, old-school rock and R&B.

Not only is this the first Raging Teens gig in a few years. Monster rock 'n roll singer Barrence Whitfield will no doubt shout and holler and shake the roof. Hot shot blues/rockabilly guitarist Nick Curran has seriously played with so many impressive bands that is too long to list here.

The Swinedells will get the party started, and my virtual buddy DJ Easy Ed will make sure the between-set music won't ruin the party.