TUES 7/20: Frisbee, Blues, Comedy, Rock

Is it bad that I'm already yearning for the weekend?

Hey, if you didn't go to the Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach over the weekend, the sculptures may last for another week or so.

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TUES 7/20

5:30 pm
"Frisbee for Justice"
at Boston Common, Corner of Charles St. & Beacon St, Boston
$2

People mixing social justice issues with casual frisbee fun. I guess this is how activists decompress? They say, "Newcomers always welcomed," so you know where some folks are hang out in the Common.

Maybe a game of ultimate will eventually break out as long as everyone keeps it friendly. Or maybe it'll be a spontaneous letter-writing campaign for political prisoners...

TUES 7/20

7pm to 9pm
Bob Log III, Molly Gene One Whoahman Band
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

If you don't like electric, slide-guitar Delta-blues (e.g. R.L. Burnside and most of the guys on Fat Possum Records), you may want to pass on this show. You may not be able to handle 2 hours of bluesy one-man band grooves.

The attraction is Bob Log III's strange live spectacle where the energy level would often hit a tachometer's red zone. Dressed a bit like a daredevil/stuntman with a full helmet that has a telephone receiver attached as a microphone. That would be weird enough, but there's more like the song "Boob Scotch" which is often accompanied by someone -- female or male -- in the crowd buying him a shot then dipping their nipple in it. (This ain't a genteel concert experience.)

People will sit on his knees while he's working the percussion with his feet. Who knows what other antics may occur. I have a feeling that they won't get him to stop by 9pm.

Tom Waits said, "It's just the loudest strangest stuff you’ve ever heard. You don’t understand one word he’s saying. I like people who glue macaroni on to a piece of cardboard and paint it gold."

Opening is Molly Gene One Whoaman Band, a woman (or whoaman) who's obviously been influenced by Bob; and she adds a harmonica to her one-man-band approach.

TUES 7/20

8pm
"The Other Network"
at Oberon, 2 Arrow St, Cambridge
$10 standing room

I've seen clips from these un-aired TV pilots, and they're really hilarious. Some of the funniest names in show business wrote, directed, and/or starred in these shows that were usually too bizarre to ever find a network to take a risk. Of course, they're better than most of the shows that get the green light -- at least in small doses.

I don't know how the experience is enhanced by comedian Beth Lapides, who is very funny, and perhaps others introducing the longer videos than (legally) seen online as well as giving the back stories.

However you may really want to get as much of the secret works of Judd Apatow, Ben Stiller, Conan O'Brien, Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Amy Poehler, etc.

TUES 7/20

9:30pm
Filligar, The Van Burens, Darlingside, Mother Brother
at Harpers Ferry, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston
$7 / 18+

Overall, this is a bit more mainstream than other gigs, but this is a decent cheap music option. I think the young, Chicago-based brothers of Filligar attend Dartmouth, so they must be on the summer break tour in support of their 5th CD in 6 years. Imagine if teen-idols could rock out and it wouldn't annoy you (or maybe it does, give 'em a listen). The other bands are generally straightforward pop/rock with some funkiness here and some folkiness there.