WED 11/17: Talk, Film, Billy B-Day, Rock

Hey -- if you see me at the Billy Ruane party (see below) tonight, I have an unopened PBR-theme chapstick in my bag and will give it to the first person who asks for it.

For the skaters out there, the Frog Pond rink is opening tomorrow 11/18 Sunday 11/21. After the skating entertainment, you can get on the ice for free (you still pay for skate rentals: $8 or $5).

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WED 11/17

6pm to 7:30pm
Soap Box Discussion Series: Chris Reddy, "Probing the Plume"
at MIT Museum, 265 Mass Ave, Cambridge (near Central Sq)
FREE

Let's talk more about the Gulf oil spill. Oil isn't spewing out of the faulty well, but there is still oil in the water from the accident (as I read the info from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution). One of their people is going to discuss what happened and the current status.

WED 11/17

7pm
Ronan Tynan: Lecture & Performance
at Tsai Performance Center, Boston University, 685 Comm Ave, Boston
FREE

My original impression of this guy was that he was the Irish opera singer who regularly appeared at Yankee Stadium. He has since moved to Massachusetts, and I think he has sang at Fenway. I didn't realize that he was also a physician and a paraplegic athelete.

Doors open at 6:30pm with seating on a first come, first serve basis. I'm not sure how this will work, but free tickets can be reserved at 617-353-8725 or by email.

WED 11/17

7pm
"Arif Mardin: The Greatest Ears in Town": Screening
at Berklee Performance Center, 136 Mass Ave, Boston (Back Bay)
FREE

Both legendary music producer Arif Mardin and his son Joe (documentary's co-director) are Berklee grads, so this seems an apropos place for what is probably the Boston premiere.

With Atlantic Records for about 40 years, he worked on loads of jazz, soul, R&B, pop, and more. This guy is the string that connects "Good Lovin’" (Young Rascals), "She's Gone" (Hall & Oates), "Jive Talkin’" (Bee Gees), Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You" and "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones.

WED 11/17

7pm to 9pm
Science in the News: "Star Power: New Ways to Harvest Energy from our Sun"
at Armenise Ampitheatre, 200 Longwood Ave, Boston (Harvard Medical School / Longwood)
FREE

This is the last lecture in this year's series, and they're talking solar energy.

WED 11/17

7pm
Billy Ruane Memorial Birthday Bash
at Middle East - Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

I wrote about this yesterday. I have a feeling this won't be the last celebration in his honor, but it's going to be a major two-club, one-price blow-out for a Boston great.

There were about 160 tickets still available as of last night...

WED 11/17

9:30pm
Summer of Aden, Huddled Masses, Mount Peru, Broken River Prophet (solo)
at O'Brien's, 3 Harvard St, Allston
$8 / 21+

For those interested in some non-Billy Ruane rock, this show looks pretty darn good. I suspect it will have a good contrast of light and dark.

Adam from Broken River Prophet will begin with a solo set of noirish Americana, followed by Mount Peru who have a pleasantly loose powerpop thing going on. Huddled Masses is something like a side project from two of the guys from Guillermo Sexo who are stripping down some of the thick psych fuzz. Summer of Aden is the sunny indie-pop cherry on the sundae.

Maybe Billy would've dug this show...