SAT 1/16: Shakespeare, Art, Folk, Rockabilly, Reggae

Hey, it's your favorite slacker-blogger. I'm getting back in the saddle over the long weekend. Wait and see.

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SAT 1/16

3pm
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
at Midway Studios, 15 Channel Center St, Boston (Fort Point/Seaport)
$10 (with discount code: COMMUNITY)

For some reason, this play has been popular around town recently. The A.R.T. turned Zero Arrow Theatre into Club Oberon for their disco rendition, "The Donkey Show". The Actors’ Shakespeare Project gets funky and modern in their production as a play. The Globe liked it...

SAT 1/16

6pm to 10pm
Vela Phelan, "X me LAB": Opening Reception
at New England Gallery of Latin American Art, 184 Cottage St, Suite 1F, East Boston
FREE

I met Vela last week, and he's a good guy who makes some crazy good assemblages. There's not much info about this exhibit, but it's a good excuse to go to Eastie. Maybe you can pick a place for dinner and maximize the experience. A DJ will be there to up the hip quotient and eliminate uncomfortable silence...

An RSVP is suggested. I'm guessing they'll notice if you didn't...

SAT 1/16

8pm to 10:30pm
Kingsley Flood, Highly Personal Trash
at Arts at the Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville (Spring Hill)
$5

It's labeled as "Folk in the Cafe", but it's more like two groups doing acoustic performances. The Armory Cafe has been booking a lot of quality acts to take it down a notch in volume. Kingsley Flood usually have rootsy-rock thing going on, and Highly Personal Trash does a keyboard-centric indie-pop vibe; so this will be a sweet show.

Don't worry about it being a "cafe" -- they serve beer and wine...

SAT 1/16

8pm
Easy Ed's Winter Rockin' Riot
Johnny Carlevale & the Rollin’ Pins, The Pinball Millionaires
at The Midway Cafe, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain
$10-ish

It's a classic rockabilly night with two excellent bands with Easy Ed playing all the right tunes to keep the folks bopping and hopping. Yes, there will be dancing. Yes, people will get dressed up in the '50s/'60s rockabilly spirit.

There's no dress code, but it wouldn't hurt to learn a few steps by getting there at 8pm for the "free 50s dance lesson with instructors Miss Ariane and Miss Franny." You don't need a partner or much dancing skill at all. Really -- the goal is to have fun.

SAT 1/16

9pm
"MADNESS! A Tribute to Prince Buster"
at The Western Front, 343 Western Ave, Cambridge (Cambridgeport)
$10 women / $15 men

Feat: Dion Knibb, Flex Murder, Riki Rocksteady, Foundation Rockers, more

Most shows at the Western Front are still currently off my radar, but they've got a pretty sweet show. A load of local reggae musicians have put together a super-band called Foundation Rockers to pay tribute to the ska pioneer Prince Buster. Whatever era of ska you've heard, it pretty much started with him -- even the songs, not just the style.

Yes, the different prices are sexist; but so is Prince Buster's music. I think his "Ten Commandments (from Man to Woman)" is hilarious, but he meant it. Guys are more likely to dig into the free Jamaican buffet before 10pm too.

Be prepared, because I think the club can seem intimidating to the newcomer...