SAT 1/30: Brit Ads, Party, Crawl, Salsa, Punk, Rock

If you want to spend a few extra bucks, Three Day Threshold is hosting their annual "Rodfest" with a bunch of other good bands at The Paradise.

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SAT 1/30 (and SUN 1/31)

4pm
"Award-Winning British Commercials 2009"
at Institute for Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave, Boston (South Boston/Seaport)
$10 / $8 students, seniors

Sunday: 3:30pm

Generally speaking, British commercials are funnier. I’m not suggesting we ask the UK if we can become a colony again -- I’m just saying you’ll laugh more than watching When in Rome or The Tooth Fairy. In about 80 minutes, they show about 100 commercials.

I don’t know how the 2009 crop is overall, but this is a sample...


SAT 1/30

7pm to 10pm
2nd Grandiversary Party
at Grand, 374 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
FREE w/ RSVP

Congratulations to Grand for sticking around for 2 years. They’ve done a pretty good job of having fun events, so they’re having a party tonight. If you’ve bought something cool and hip in the past -- or thinking about it -- please RSVP on Facebook. Everything is 20% off all day today, it could be a good time to buy a gift for someone or yourself.

SAT 1/30

8pm to 11pm
Union Sq Snuggie Pub Crawl
start at The Independent, 75 Union Square, Somerville (Union Sq)
$5

Maybe you’ve been itching to go out in your snuggie, but have thought better of it. There’s strength in numbers, and you’ll look less like a fool in a crowd of fool.

There will be snuggie games as you go along. Scheduled stops: The Independent, Precinct, Sally O’Briens, PA's Lounge, Bull McCabe's.

"A percentage of the event's proceeds will be donated to a local youth enrichment program."

SAT 1/30

9pm to 2am
Salsa for Haiti Fundraiser
at Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, 85 W Newton St, Boston (South End)
$10 suggested donation / 21+

Performances by: Edwin Pabon & Orchestra, Cincoson, Yarina, I-Level Collective, Carlos de Leon y su Conjunto

There seems to be a lot of live performers at this dance party. Besides the usual salsa, crowds get some traditional Ecuadorian dance music from Yarina and Reggae-influenced rhythms by I-Level Collective. As usual, there will be salsa lessons at the beginning for beginners. Food and drinks should be available.

The suggested minimum donation is $10...

SAT 1/30

9:30pm
The Designer Drugs, The Murder, Worm
at Jacques Underground, 79 Broadway, Boston (South End)
$10 / 21+

For the price of admission, you get three kickass flavors of punk downstairs -- and the drag show upstairs. Don’t worry; you don’t have to question your orientation after watching guys dressed up as women...

SAT 1/30

10:30pm
Barrence Whitfield & The Monkey Hips
at Plough & Stars, 912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$5 / 21+

Barrence Whitfield should be more widely as the rock ' soul king of Boston. There are times when I get excited and exaggerate, but this man is amazing. With his mighty soulful singing, he should be in the pantheon of rock/r&b singers. He is something like a missing musical link that skipped from Little Richard directly to the Boston rock scene of the '80s. The Monkey Hips are a squad of rockin' dudes including a sax player.