FRI 12/10: Variety, Film, Crafts, Music

Is it bad that I may already be fatigued by the holiday season? And that I haven't started my shopping yet? I will try to soldier on...

The word is that the Cambridge Whole Foods (on River St) will start selling a $3 wine today. Maybe you'll like it, but many people don't. You're probably better off going the extra half-mile to Trader Joe's for Three-Buck Chuck (ain't $2 in Cambridge). Of the boxed wine I've tried, Bota is quite good and equivalent to $5-or-less per bottle...

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FRI 12/10

6pm to 11pm
The unStandard Show: Special Edition
at Out of the Blue Art Gallery, 106 Prospect St, Cambridge (near Central Sq)
$5

Music by: Adam Aslan & Aslannots, Streight Angular, My Politic, Michael Louis, Hannah Christianson, Pat Nelson, Brian William Seaver, Emily Fehler, Earl Jhainish Sinnatamby, Sarah Fard, Gaetana Brown

Comedy by: Laura Crawford, Matt Kona, Santiago Angel, John Paul Rivera, Phil Healy

Poetry by: Gili Hirsch

This tiny gallery stuffed with paintings and photography often hosts readings and such. It's a cavalcade of music, comedy, and poetry organized by unStandard who normally presents shows with a more modest number of performers.

FRI 12/10

7pm & 9:30pm
Double Feature: "Do It Again", Kinks Klip Kollection
at Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$9.75 / $7.75 students / $6.75 seniors

There is nothing wrong with having a quest, and few may be more noble than Globe writer Geoff Edgers' globe-trotting attempt to reunite The Kinks for one more show.

Perhaps we're reminded that the journey is as important, if not more so, as the destination. Along the way Geoff does talk to various musicians like Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Buck, Paul Weller, Sting, Zooey Deschanel, and more.

It's screening several times over the weekend as part of a "Celluloid Heroes" mini-series, but I recommend tonight's double feature hosted by Edgers and director Robert Patton-Spruill. After the rockumentray and Q&A session, it's billed as "Kinks Party", but I like Kinks Klip Kollection much better. It's a 2-hour set of clips that span about 20 years of The Kinks' kareer...

FRI 12/10

7pm
Matt Wilson Christmas Tree-O
at Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge (Inman Sq)
$10

In the jazz and drum world, Matt Wilson is considered one of the best around. Ha has recorded a very strong, musical holiday collection in a trio (or "tree-o") format. If you go, you should bring a few extra bucks to take a copy of it with you.

FRI 12/10

7pm to 11pm
Holiday Handjobs
at VFW George Dilboy Post, 371 Summer St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$2

Feat: Rogue Burlesque, Meff 'n' jojo's Tiny Instrument Revue

If you're looking for an artsy-crafty for someone naughty in your life -- naughty in the good way -- there are about 20 tables offering items from "...queer crafters & artists as well as other underrepresented creative types, cheeky-freaks, freaky-geeks" etc.

The VFW's bar is going to be open, so people are encouraged to linger and enjoy live performances around 9:30pm.

Partial proceeds from the door will benefit The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, so put that in your pipe and... do whatever you like with it.

FRI 12/10

8:30pm
Golden Bloom, Thieving Irons
at Arts at The Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville (Spring Hill)
$10 / All ages

Doors open: 8pm

Golden Bloom's songs are simply magnificent power-pop gems that will always maintain their melodic, witty luster. Definitely recommended for people who like music...

I saw a great band named Pela play a few years ago at a show that Golden Bloom opened. Although that band only exists in memories and mp3's, the guitarist has a new project called Thieving Irons, which is more solo acoustic than anthemic indie-rock but still quite good.

This is going to be a mostly acoustic show throughout. "Special guests" were teased, and I'd guess it might include one or two ex-members from The Motion Sick since they've joined Golden Bloom's Shawn Fogel in Neutral Uke Hotel.

FRI 12/10

9:30pm
28 Degrees Taurus, Sunset Hearts, The Highway, Whir
at O'Brien's, 3 Harvard St, Allston
$9 / 21+

My main draw to this gig is 28 Degrees Taurus. They draw on a bunch of influences to make sweet, spacey noise. The newer songs seem more focused yet maintain the dreamy, psychedelic fuzz that they do so well. Sunset Hearts is one of those large indie-rock bands with members from various other bands -- somewhat like what often happens on the Montreal scene, but these folks are from Portland. Me likey! Whir has a good shoegazey sound, and The Highway reminds me of classic '60s-style power-trio rock.

FRI 12/10

10:30pm
Three Day Threshold
at Plough & Stars, 912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$5-ish

With all of the scientists around Boston, I wonder if any have ever tried soak rock and country in whiskey and beer for extended periods to determine the results. None might sound like Three Day Threshold, because this ain't the kind of good-time, honky-tonking hybrid that can be produced in a lab. I know they've played at Belgian prisons and Central American USO shows, but they already kicked ass before then.

I suggest getting there early for a couple extra rounds of liquid lubrication. You may avoid the door charge, but I think TDT would respect that.