MON 8/16: Shakespeare, Lebowski, Rock

Here are a few pics from my Lebowski Party evening last year.

So I went to the Dominican Festival and the India Day celebration yesterday. They wouldn't necessarily qualify as 'thrilling', but there was enough fun if you were interested in the music, food, and mingling with a concentration of one ethnic group.

I was a little disappointed with the variety of food offerings at the Dominican Festival, but what I had was delicious.

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MON 8/16

6:15pm
"Shakespeare on Love"
at Parkman Bandstand, about 165 Tremont St, Boston (Boston Common)
FREE

While "Othello" was being performed, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company also produced this collection of Shakespeare speeches, sonnets, and scenes -- as well as songs inspired by him and his works.

Most of the performances happened during the day in the middle of the week, but the last one is tonight where the main production concluded last night. People with short attention spans might enjoy this family-friendly program.

MON 8/16

7pm
"The Big Lebowski" Party
at Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline
$9.75

Update: Sold Out! Better luck next year.

The Coolidge Corner doesn't have to promote this as some kind of extravaganza, because a healthy crowd shows up even when the website makes it look like a normal screening. After it sold out on a previous attempt, I bought last year's ticket in advance. It wouldn't be a bad idea if you want to get in.

There will, of course, be a best costume contest; so you might as well dig out your Dude duds or Walter or Jesus et cetera. I can't recall if there was Lebowski trivia last year, because I was the unofficial photographer for the event (see above).

The main contest was a gauntlet of challenges that started with about 10 teams of two that included "most impassioned Walter rant", "most convincing nihilist quip", "ransom briefcase toss", and "toy bowling".

After the fun is over, the movie usually starts around 8pm. Yes, I did enjoy watching it with a theatre full of Lebowski fans (after having a couple White Russians across the street). Unlike a midnight movie, there was no shouting during the film which was fine by me.

Everyone's a winner even if you don't compete since the entire audience is supposed to get a free bowling pass from Kings Back Bay (probably one free game).

MON 8/16

9pm
New Politics, Funeral Party, RIBS
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$7 / 18+

Copenhagen is over 3000 miles away from Boston, and Los Angeles is a bit under 3000 miles in the other direction. Tonight's show is about midway between the hometowns of New Politics and Funeral Party. RIBS will provide the local fulcrum to keep it rocking back and forth, and whatever other directions in happens to go.

It's possible that the Danes (New Politics) may have cynically attempted to come up with a hybrid of post-punk and hip-hop, but it doesn't matter if you dig the sound and the showmanship. Their Angeleno labelmates make a beat-emphasized indie-rock that could be labeled dance-punk if you like; it sounds like they offer more variety than that. Along with the pounding, synth-heavy rock of RIBS, this is going to be a high energy show.

MON 8/16

10pm
MMOSS, Thick Shakes, Sister Spaceman, Triple Thick
at Charlie's Kitchen, 10 Eliot St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$5 / 21+

If garage-rock and psychedelia are more up your alley, it doesn't get much better than this gig upstairs at Charlies. Although it's an inhospitably small venue for bands, Mondays usually offer some good loud 'n noisy bands.

For down-n-dirty garage-rock, it doesn't get much better than Thick Shakes and Triple Thick. Thick Shakes keep it short, sweet and fuzzy as they bash out dirty nuggets. Not willing to settle with "thick"; the other band wanted to triple it for a sludgey, skuzzy, maracas/tambourine-enhanced serving.

Sister Spaceman is reminiscent of the reverb-heavy, trance-inducing, primal blues-garage that made me love Mr. Airplane Man, which makes sense because the same guitarist was in both duos. Since the last gig I noticed, they've added another guitar so who knows how what the new band chemistry holds. Although they do their own thing, MMOSS transports me to trippy-dippy San Francisco of decades ago.