TUES 5/18: Booze, Film, Rock

Don't blame me for the solid choices for cheapness tonight... Pick something -- or is there a new episode of "Lost" on?

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6pm to 9pm
Secret Sherry Society
at Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, 85 W Newton St, Boston (South End)
FREE w/ RSVP

Why not enjoy some tapas and a cocktail or two?

I tried to give you a little advance notice, and you may still be able to RSVP...

As I said yesterday: If the website doesn't work to RSVP and you really want to go, you can try emailing Pamela with your name, age, and a friendly request.

TUES 5/18

6pm to 8pm
"A Village Called Versailles": Screening & Discussion
at Rabb Lecture Hall, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St, Boston (Copley Sq)
FREE

You could watch this film whenever it's on PBS, or you could watch the story about the Vietnamese community in New Orleans in a group setting where you'll have a chance to discuss it with others. From the generational tension before Hurricane Katrina to the plucky renewal and activist defense of the neighborhood, its subsequent flourishing is inspiring.

TUES 5/18

7pm
"They Came To Play"
at Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline
$9.75 / $6.75 child, senior

Besides the main Van Cliburn event, there apparently is a competition for amateur pianists.

In this documentary, one meets many of the participants of the "Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs". The trailer seems to present the message that being a musician has more to do with your heart (and fingers) than whatever may be on your business card.

Three pianists who appear in the film live nearby and will perform following the screening along with a Q&A session.

TUES 5/18

8:30pm
Spectrum, Broken River Prophet, Vacant Lots
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10

Oh, boy. There's going to be a lot of neo-psychedelic, droning, shoegazey rock in one room. I like to see line-ups that connect complementary bands, but this could be pretty darn intense. The three bands really don't sound alike, but there is a general approach that links them. It may go back to Spacemen 3, since Spectrum is led by one of the main Spacemen and has continued where that band left off over the past ten-plus years.

The Vacant Lots (from Vermont) take it in a rough, punkier direction; while Broken River Prophet veer towards a dark Americana vibe.

TUES 5/18

9pm
John Shade & The Neave Quartet, Laura Cortese, Jocie Adams
at Lizard Lounge/Cambridge Common, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge (between Harvard Sq & Porter Sq)
$8 / $6 advance / 21+

John Shade continues his May residency with a couple more guests that kick up the awesome quotient. Beside Shade's set with the string quartet backing. Fiddler-singer Laura Cortese will likely blow you away with her beautiful voice and songs. (She also has a kick-ass cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" on her MySpace that is so good, it might make Robert Smith smile.) If that isn't enough, Jocie Adams from sleeper success story The Low Anthem is also performing.

If you haven't listened to John Shade yet, you should. Period.

TUES 5/18

9:30pm
Tim Fite, The Wailing Wall, Vikesh Kapoor
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$10 / 18+

Tim Fite anchors a night of thoughtful songwriting. Fite's style doesn't maintain loyalty to any genre, but you wouldn't be taken off-guard if I told you to prepare for quirky, hip-hop-influenced folk. He's not afraid to tackle big subjects, and the new album is titled "Fair Ain't Fair". When you have time, you should check out the massive amount of stories and drawings on his website besides the music available including his best-known set of songs "Over the Counter Culture", which is appropriately free to download.

The Wailing Wall's new album was produced by Tim Fite, and the songs add Central Asian influences to the generally folk-rock sound. Vikesh Kapoor is a lone guitar man who sing their songs clearly and directly for maximum impact that wouldn't have been out of place at Club Passim back in the Sixties.