THUR 3/18: Film, Talk, Roots, Pop, Reggae

Friends, I have to be honest. I want to spend more than $10 tonight.

The Ego & The Oracle ($15 / 21+) is happening at Lizard Lounge, and I love the band and the show overall.

Apollo Sunshine / Drug Rug / Edan ($13 / 18+) are playing at the Paradise too. These are two bands of full-on awesomeness, and I'm sure my appreciation of Edan would increase.

There are several good cheap options. I was too busy doing my NCAA brackets to write a better post... (It's hard to get excited about the tourney without the Tarheels...)

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THUR 3/18

6pm
"Ikiru"
at Room 537C, Geddes Language Center, 685 Comm Ave, Boston (BU campus)
FREE

Part of a "Japanese Film Series"

Akira Kurosawa films are always worth the time.

THUR 3/18

6:30pm
"Kyrgyzstan To Kathmandu: A 6-Month Bicycle Adventure"
at 2nd Floor, George Sherman Union, 775 Comm Ave, Boston (BU campus)
$5 minimum donation

Presentation & Slideshow by Sage Cohen (BU Public Health)

Whatever bicyclists you've encountered, I doubt any were as crazy as Sage Cohen and her companion who went on a cycling trip through Central Asia through 5 countries in 6 months.

The distance as the crow flies was a bit more than 1200 miles, but I doubt there were many straightaways -- not to mention the mountains. I'm getting fatigued by thinking about it. On the other hand the images will be beautiful accompanied by a soundtrack from the region.

The presentation begins at 7pm, and there's some mingling and "light refreshments" for a half hour prior.

It's "sliding scale" admission (pay what you can), but they ask for a $5 minimum although $10 is suggested. Proceeds benefit the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition.

THUR 3/18

Zack Hickman & Barnstar (7pm), Greg Klyma & Friends (10pm)
at Toad, 1912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)
FREE

Go early. Go late. Go early, and stay late. Both guys are witty songwriters that know how to entertain.

There are two easy reasons to like Zack Hickman: He sports a handlebar moustache and plays bass with Josh Ritter. When Hickman plays with Barnstar, the music leans towards bluegrass.

Greg Klyma seems like one of those lovable drifters. He's charming and you might even start thinking that he's a Boston guy or a [your town] guy, but he mainly roams. I doubt that he's dangerous except for his clever songs. I could be totally wrong about the charming-drifter thing, but the music is good.

THUR 3/18

8pm to 10:30pm
Corin Ashley, Jim Boggia, Varsity Drag
at Arts at The Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville (Spring Hill)
$8

Although Varsity Drag cancelled, it's still going to be a damn good show. Out of the 3 artists, Varsity Drag wasn't quite the perfect fit with the other two.

(Apparently Ben Deily of got an invitation to play with Evan Dando at SXSW for a mini-Lemonheads reunion. Whatever, dude...)

Before I saw this show listing, I was listening to Jim Boggia for about an hour and couldn't help but think about Corin Ashley. It's not unusual for two musicians to love The Beatles, but when listening to their songs, I feel that they both absorbed similar lessons then probably kept going down similar paths to pop nirvana.

Boggia (from Philly) sounds a bit folkier -- he wrote "The Harry Nilsson Song" while Ashley's CD is called Ashley called his CD "Songs From The Brill Bedroom".

More beautiful songs than you could shake a stick at, but you shouldn't wave a stick around.

THUR 3/18

10pm
Dread Rock, Mo Ambesa, WZBC DJ's Robin & Dwight
at Johnny D's, 17 Holland St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$10

In the mood for reggae? This is the solid sound of roots reggae. I saw Dread Rock at a Cambridge street festival last year, and I think they were my highlight (besides seeing live chickens)... Mo Ambesa are a group of Vermonters who have some jazz influence but seem really serious about making a groove (and Rastafarianism). A couple reggae DJ's from BC's radio station will likely lay it down before, after, and in between sets.