MON 1/25: Mayors, Puppets, Stories, Nerds, Raps, Punks

So there's a variety of Monday cheapness. Thanks to Ilyana and Katie for letting me know about two of the events below.

It's the last Monday of the month, so there's a kickass cupcake tasting near Davis Sq. They're not cheap, but the samples are delicious and increasing your goodies-to-cost ratio...

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MON 1/25

4pm
"Dialogue in Cultural Diplomacy and Urban Transformation": Discussion
at Nye Room, 5th Fl, Taubman Bldg, 79 JFK St, Cambridge (Kennedy School of Govt)
FREE

Feat: Edi Rama & Antanas Mockus, moderated by Prof. Elaine Kamarck

There are interesting items during the day, but I rarely list them. If I didn't have to work today, I'd probably listen to this pair of former mayors, Edi Rama (Tirana, Albania) and Antanas Mockus (Bogota), who implemented all sorts of amusing ideas to better their cities -- and much of it worked. Maybe Americans should elect more painters and mathematicians to elected office!

It might be geared towards "urban planning" and "municipal politics" wonks, but the beauty of the Boston-area is that there is so much free knowledge available.

MON 1/25

6pm to 8pm
"Relics of the Paper Maché Religion": Opening Recption
at Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St, Boston (South End)
FREE

The Bread and Puppet Theater Touring Company are performing at the BCA this week (for a reasonably low price), and an art exhibit is part of the presentation. Bread and Puppet Director Peter Schumann will speak tonight, and there should be some brief performances as well.

Cheap art will probably be for sale too...

MON 1/25

7pm to 9pm
Four Stories: "Family Feuds: Stories of Troubled Tribes & Bizarre Bonds"
at The Enormous Room, 567 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
FREE

Feat: Nicole Fix, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Natasha Lvovich, Tom Perrotta

Four writers tell stories based on the theme while people listen and drink in an enormously small room (with comfortable couches). Tom Perrotta is the guy I know, and there are three women from out of town.

The "Four Stories" tradition continues where a free drink goes to the person who asks the best question.

MON 1/25

8pm
Nerd Nite
at Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$5 / 21+

Yes, you're destroying brain cells when you drink. Think how much smarter the survivors will be if you're listening to nerdy presentations with similarly curious people around you!

It turns out that Aaron Foster knows a lot about cheese as well as chocolate. Even though he currently works at the Taza Chocolate (factory in Somerville), I expect the ex-cheesemonger to instill the same enthusiasm to "Nerds & Whey: Or, how the controlled spoilage of milk begets the world's tastiest cheeses."

Like many MIT folks, Iolanthe Chronis came up with a high-tech way to study something low-tech like... real-life personal interactions. She dishes on some of her conclusions in what's titled, "Everything You Can Do I Can Have Measured: Studying Face to Face Social Networks Using Cellphones."

DJ Claude Money will offer some funky, nerd-friendly tunes before, after, and in between.

FYI: The plan is to host Nerd Nite at Middlesex on the last Monday of every month with an eventual happening back the Midway Cafe where it all started.

MON 1/25

9:30pm
Big Shug
at Wonder Bar, 186 Harvard Ave, Allston
FREE

There's no doubt that Big Shug is the real deal since he was part of the early Gang Starr crew, but I wanted to check out his Monday residency before I wrote about it. Alas it's the end of the month, so you can check it out tonight or hope he'll do it again. My understanding is that a live band starts out, and Shug joins them in the second set.

Don't take my word about Big Shug. Chris Faraone (my main source for what's happening in hip-hop) did a piece on him a little over a year ago.

For the thirsty cheap, Rolling Rock will be your drink of the night ($3 drafts, $8 pitcher & a pizza).

MON 1/25

10pm
The Spoilers, The Tenafly Vipers, The Furiousity
at Charlie's Kitchen, 10 Eliot St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$5 / 21+

Another rockin' night at Charlie's balances punky estrogen and hard testosterone. The Spoilers don't mess around with loud, fast tuneage that have good hooks, attitude, and female-fronted vocals. The mostly-female Furiousity (I couldn't tell if they pronounce it "furiosity") bash it out with sassiness, humor, and joie-de-vivre in rough and ragged punk attack. The Tenafly Vipers go for more of a hard-rock angle; scroll down if you want to listen on their MySpace because someone added automatic sound in their comments check it out and swing your hair around with your eyes closed!