FRI 11/13: Songs, Books, Film, Rock

Happy Friday the 13th!

There was an offer for a $15 upstairs/downstairs pass for tonight at the Middle East. Since only 25 were available you might have missed out, so it looks like we missed out. You could always check between 1pm and 7pm at the club...

Both shows are pretty damn good. With such a concentration of good bands, I feel like I have to mainly list them. If I don't go there for music, I think I'd go to the Castlebar (a good drinkin' dive that's usually out of my way).

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FRI 11/13

12:30pm
Mike Doughty: Performance & Signing
at Newbury Comics, North Market Bldg, 4 Faneuil Hall Market Pl, Boston (Faneuil Hall)
FREE

If I still worked downtown, I'd definitely take my lunch at Newbury Comics. The first couple solo albums after Soul Coughing were almost constantly playing in my iPod. On subsequent CD's, there are the occasional awesome song, but others feel like retreads. Still, that raspy rubberband voice and the bizarre lyrics are definitely worth WAY more than free.

Newbury Comics site says "noon", but I'm guessing it's going to be 12:30pm.

FRI 11/13

6pm to 8pm
"Mentors, Muses and Monsters: 30 Writers on the People Who Changed Their Lives": Panel Discussion
at Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$5 (tix available at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave -- or by phone: 617-661-1515)

Panelists: Elizabeth Benedict, Christopher Castellani, Margot Livesey, Jay Cantor, Julia Glass, Jim Shepard

Five of the thirty contributors will share their personal experiences that encourage their literary vocations.

FRI 11/13

7pm to 10pm
America Recycles Day Mini-Movie Festival
at College of Communication Auditorium, 640 Comm Ave, Boston (BU campus)
FREE

7pm: "Trashed", "A Recycled Life"
8pm: "Addicted to Plastic"

Lately I've heard some questioning about the value of recycling versus the energy the entire recycling process takes.

It's a valid question to be addressed, but these documentaries will give some idea of what happens when we do nothing at all.

Complimentary popcorn will be available...

FRI 11/13

9pm
The Motion Sick, Static of the Gods, The Living Sea, Where the Land Meets the Sea, Ghost Ocean
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$9 / 18+

Is it me, did someone try to put a nautical theme together? Two "sea" bands and an "ocean"? Landlubbers feel something like "motion sickness" on choppy waters? Can't we change one name to "Static of the Deep" for one gig?

This would be my preferred Middle East show, and not because it's a dollar cheaper.

The Motion Sick is one of my faves; just listen to the literate indie-rock and love it. Static of the Gods appropriately make quite a turbulent, melodic, riff-tastic noise. After a month on the road, Where The Land Meets The Sea will no doubt rock like a finely-tuned performance car. The Living Sea has tasty, potent guitar parts and a female singer with delightfully unpretentious vocals. Ghost Ocean might be a little heavy on the growly modern rock, but it could be great live...

FRI 11/13

9pm
The New Collisions, The Luxury, Thick as Thieves, Gene Dante & the Future Starlets, The Future Everybody
at Middle East - Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

Several of these bands have that big sound to take it to the next level. The New Collisions have opened on tour with the B-52's and Blondie. Greg Hawkes from The Cars played keyboards on their CD, and he's going perform with them tonight. Yes, folks, this is 80's-influenced pop. The Luxury have had some big gigs too, and they have a strong grasp on the poppy-rock song recipe. Even new Thick as Thieves sounds more accessible than when they previously seemed too prog-rock for my tastes. Gene Dante knows great glam-rock and has got the pipes to deliver. The Future Everybody are based around a couple ex-Scamper dudes who churn out a jangly good-time.

FRI 11/13

9:30pm
Gentleman Jesse & His Men, The Tampoffs, The Dumbwaiters
at Castlebar, 575 Washington St, Brighton (Oak Sq)
$8 / 21+

The story I read is that Atlanta powerpoppers Gentleman Jesse & His Men were playing some shows in NYC, and they wanted to find a gig in Boston. It's understandable; Boston is friggin' awesome, and Jesse is a big fan of one our local heroes Jonathan Richman. You can hear it in the classic/timeless vibe of simple, straightforward, catchy tunes. The Tampoffs are top-notch garage-punks, and The Dumbwaiters are a new band by a Tampoff, a Turpentine Brother, and a couple other guys doing raw, rough, organ-laced rock.