FRI 12/11: Arts & Crafts & Tunes

Shea Rose has a flyer for tonight's gig; but when you see the picture above, do you even need to know what she sounds like?

I give a big thumbs up to the double-bill of the Christmas stories by Truman Capote and Grace Paley that are light on schmaltz and heavy on "good will towards men". Especially since you can purchase tix for $10 with the discount code. The dedicated post didn't go up yet, but it will. It's at Central Square Theater tonight with more performances thru 12/27.

Strangely, there were two metal-ish shows tonight. I like heavy metal in general, but not enough to get behind either one. One is more of the big, bad metal at Church; and the other is progressive, more-heavy-than-metal at the Middle East - Upstairs.

Update: Art lovers could hit the receptions at the Fourth Wall Project (Fenway) or Space 242 (South End).

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FRI 12/11

7pm
GangstaCraft Throwdown
at VFW George Dilboy Post, 371 Summer St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$5 / All Ages

Umm, this could be a really fun way to spend your Friday night... It all depends on how you're feeling, but they've got music, a video screening, activities, and a bar. Depending on who you're thinking about, you might leave with a hand-made Xmas gift for someone special (and cool) in your life. (I haven't seen a VFW bar that wasn't "Cheap Thrills" approved.)

In the first hour, it looks like there's an array of crafting to be done like "make your own gangsta holiday ornament" and "Bring-Your-Own-Shirt silk screening", sharpie tattoo parlor, and who knows what else.

Then the original crafta J-Krafty performs along with some folkish/rocky sets from Bridget Matros, Joe Kowan, and an acoustic set from Naked on Roller Skates. Around 9:30, you'll witness the world premiere of J-Krafty's video for "Crafty" plus extra footage. It's the kind of song that must be a worldwide hit in the minds of scrapbookers, etc.


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FRI 12/11

8pm
Wakey! Wakey!, Sarah Rabdau & the Self-Employed Assassins
at Cafe 939, 939 Boylston St, Boston (Back Bay)
$10

For the lovers of piano-based pop, it doesn't get much better than these acts. The pianist-songwriter dude of Wakey!Wakey! will remind you that the good stuff doesn't always make it on the radio. We don't need to make this a NYC-Boston battle, but we still prefer the way how local musician Sarah Rabdau digs into her keyboard and sings so passionately and potently with deft accompaniment from the drummer (i.e. all of the Self-Employed Assassins).

Unlike Dilboy Hall (above), your drinking dollar goes even further since there isn't even a bar at Cafe 939.

FRI 12/11

66 Breakout (Midnight), The Lights Out (11pm), Topheavy (10pm), Airport (9pm)
at The Beachcomber, 797 Quincy Shore Dr, Quincy (Wollaston Beach)
$7 / 21+

With a rockin' lineup, this might be the one of the best reasons to hang out in Quincy along with fried clams and the plethora of drinking establishments.

With two guitars and no bass, 66 Breakout turns the Chicago blues sound on its head much like the first round of rock bands that dug it up, but they crank it up like early punks yet tiiping the hat to the original grime. The Lights Out and Topheavy are two of the strongest purveyors of tight, punchy hook-laden guitar-rock. On my last listen, Topheavy seemed to show their soft side a bit more, but we all need to chill out now and then. Despite the prosaic name, Airport offers a batch of decent rootsy pop-rock.

FRI 12/11

10pm
Shea Rose
at Alchemist Lounge, 435 S Huntington Ave, Jamaica Plain
Donation requested / 21+

Not only is Shea Rose a lovely woman with loads of talent, she's also trying to collect some funds for Camp Caribe, a program for young women to experience constructive adventures. Let her sing and play some tasty, soulful, funky, folky stuff. You'll probably hear good bits from various points of the musical spectrum.

Hey, you're getting in for free...