FRI 7/16: ArtBeat, Music

(F*#$! Argh! This post is brought you by the "Haste makes waste" Department...)

If you're in the mood for roast beef or fried clams on Revere Beach tonight, you should stroll down to see how the New England Sand Sculpting Festival is shaping up.

The Betances Festival starts tonight, but the real attraction is the greased pole competition this weekend.

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FRI 7/16 (and SAT 7/17)

Various Times
ArtBeat Festival 2010: W A T E R
at Seven Hills Park, behind the Somerville Theatre (Davis Sq)
$3 donation suggested

The preface to tomorrow's arts and music festival that takes over all of Davis Square is an eclectic night of killer music.

5:45pm -- Books of Hope Authors
6pm -- Jef Czekaj (reads and raps)
6:30pm -- Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys
7:30pm -- Debo Band
8:30pm -- Death Vessel
9:30pm -- Bearstronaut

This year's theme is "Water", and I'm not sure how tonight's show figures into it. I think Walter Sickert did the ArtBeat artwork, and the group's new CD is called "SteamShipKillers - Songs of the Sea" -- so perhaps a nautical theme to their usually artful performance.

Jef Czekaj is a cool artist in his own right who is (was?) a member of Big Digits. I think his reading/rapping will probably have something to do with his recent children's book (enjoyable by all). Then you have some afro-funk, indie-folk, and dance-rock.

You don't have to donate $3 for an ArtBeat dog-tag, but it would be a good karmic thing to do.

FRI 7/16

Sidewalk Driver (Midnight), The Motion Sick (11pm), Brendan Boogie & the Best Intentions (10pm), Leo Blais (9pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10

Who doesn't love a rock show with theme? A lineup this strong doesn't really need a hook to grab you, but they're just too friggin' creative not to add some extra fun. There's about a dozen minute-long 'campaign videos' on YouTube for the "Rock Primary" that cover each performer like Brendan Boogie walking around Davis Square in politician mode and Leo Blais channeling Scott Brown and his truck... Or get the truth behind Michael's (Motion Sick) moustache and Tad's (Sidewalk Driver) sexual orientation...

Or you can listen to bitchin' night of glam, indie, and powerpop. Definitely some of my faves to see tonight. Unfortunately, you don't have many more chances to see The Motion Sick before they go on hiatus.

FRI 7/16

9:30pm
The Organ Beats, The Lights Out, The Rhodes, Hey Now Morris Fader
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

Having choices is one of the parts of elections. Around the corner from "The Rock Primary" above is another fine rocking show. The Organ Beats get loud and fuzzy while keeping it lean and mean. Take, for example, their cover of one of my favorite AC/DC tunes "Shake A Leg" that is faithful in many ways, but the personality of the band is there along with Noelle's powerhouse vocals.

The Lights Out is one of those bands that put together punchy, hooky guitar rock that I'd call radio-ready. It's tight, good-time guitar-based rock without being annoyingly poppy. I wish I knew who "Morris Fader" is, but Hey Now, Morris Fader bring the pop-rock from Worcester. I liked hearing British Invasion influence in The Rhodes.

FRI 7/16

10pm
Annual Bastille Day A-Go-Go
at Precinct, 70 Union Sq, Somerville (Union Sq)
$7 / 21+

Feat: Jen D'Angora, T Max, Joey Pesce, Jordan Valentine, more

Who cares if the Bastille Day celebration comes via New Orleans? Old-time NOLA-style R&B is a thousand times better than Gainsbourg-esque French pop! The band started off as a Mardi Gras event, but I guess they wanted to do it more than once a year and still keep it special.

I went a couple years ago, and it was a ball to hear the horn-heavy band rip through a bunch of party songs from yesteryear with a variety of guest singers and players.