TUES 5/25: Art, Pop, Americana

I think it's going to be a short one today. I do actually have some stuff for tomorrow already on the calendar.

Hey, have you been to any free shows at the House of Blues Front Room yet? When I see the June schedule, I'll try to let you know.

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TUES 5/25 (thru THUR 5/27)

Noon to 9:30pm
Aliza Shapiro, "DATUM"
at MEME Gallery, 55 Norfolk Street Central Square Cambridge
FREE

Over three days, Aliza Shapiro is setting up shop at the gallery for "an installation and performance of archiving, displaying and distributing" her photographs.

This could be a pretty unusual process since she has been taking pictures since she was six years old, and she still has all of them. I think the idea is to set them up over time, and maybe replace them as people purchase them.

Whatever's happening, it'll be worthwhile to support the project. Shapiro has organized hundreds of cool, wild events as the mastermind of Truth Serum. From the brief conversations we've had -- and what I've read -- she's really cool, awesome person and artist.

Open daily from Noon to 9:30pm as Aliza sets up her photos, a process over 3 days. There's an "opening party" tonight at 6:30pm and "closing party" at 6:30pm.

TUES 5/25

8pm
One Happy Island, Allo Darlin', Hearts!Attack, Horowitz, The Smittens, A Smile and a Ribbon
at Lizard Lounge/Cambridge Common, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge (between Harvard Sq & Porter Sq)
$9 advance or door / 21+

You may think, "Wow! This is a lot of indie-pop." It's not as much as the NYC PopFest that happened over the weekend where most of these bands played. Tonight local band One Happy Island is celebrating their CD Release which is being released in the UK. Many of the acts are from England besides A Smile and a Ribbon (Sweden) and The Smittens (Vermont).

I saw a schedule, and it might be close...

8pm -- Hearts!Attack
8:40pm -- Allo Darlin'
9:20pm -- Horowitz
10pm -- One Happy Island
10:50pm -- The Smittens
11:30pm -- A Smile and a Ribbon

Should be a fun night, heavy on the twee-pop. Personally, I really liked Allo Darlin'.

TUES 5/25

9:30pm
Larcenist, Have Gun Will Travel, Girl Haggard, Banditas
at O'Brien's, 3 Harvard St, Allston
$7 / 18+

Now this is a strong night of Americana. These TWO PLUS TWO take place on Tuesdays at O'Brien's, and two local bands are joined by a couple of out-of-town bands, which is the brainchild of Josh from HeadsUpBoston to offer a consistent spot to catch bands that don't normally play in the area.

Larcenist is a fine local purveyor of heavy, rockin' Americana. On the other hand, Have Gun Will Travel is Florida group that has a more traditional sound. You don't have to believe me that it's fresh and modern in its own way -- they were featured on NPR a couple years ago.

Some names fit really well: Girl Haggard is a punky alt-country outfit from Rhode Island with a female vocalist and songs such as "Providence & Bourbon" and "Thinkin' About Drinkin". The charm of Banditas is the laid-back rootsiness and female harmonies.