SAT 12/18: Skating, Crawling, Swaping, Dancing, Rocking

I hope I'll get a more detailed post up tomorrow morning, but I don't want to kid either you or I...

Brookline Booksmith won't be a bad place to shop from 1pm to 3pm, because Taza Chocolate will be handing out samples and it's friggin' delicious!

There are a lot interesting (a bit fancy) gifts at Grand near Union Square. I think tomorrow's in-store event (2pm to 6pm) might include personal labels on Pretty Things beer, which would be a pretty nice thing to find under the tree...

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SAT 12/18

11am to 9pm
Free Skating & Holiday Show
at Kendall Square Community Ice Skating, 300 Athenaeum St, Cambridge
FREE

It may not be quiet this Saturday, but I've walked by this rink in the past and thought it looked less crowded than the Frog Pond.

The skating is free between holiday skating programs )when complimentary refreshments will also be available).

11am to 1:30pm: Free-admission skating
2pm: Holiday show
2:45pm to 5:30pm: Free-admission skating
6pm: "Holiday on Ice"
6:45pm to 9pm: Free-admission skating

Skate rentals are $8 or $5 for the 13 & under crowd -- or bring your own...

SAT 12/18

12:30pm
Boston Santacon 2010at The Asgard, 350 Mass Ave, Cambridge
Whatever you drink/eat

Here is some info, if you have a Santa suit and want to go on a pub crawl.

It is a free country so you and your buddies can ensconce yourself at one these spots to see the bar overrun by drunken Santas. There are so many, they have to split up into various bars at each hub. Or bah-humbuggers now know where avoid excessive cheer and tidings...

12:30pm -- The Asgard
2:30pm -- Central Square: Tavern in the Square, Cantab Lounge, People's Republik, Plough & Stars
4:30pm -- Harvard Square: Grafton St, Hong Kong, Whitney's Cafe
6:30pm -- Dinner: John Harvard's, Grendel's Den
9:30pm -- Davis Square: The Burren, Joshua Tree, Johnny D's

There is a crawl Google map and an one-page info sheet [PDF].

SAT 12/18

1:50pm
"Choose Your Own Holiday" Gift Swapat TBA Location (at midnight on FRI 12/17)
FREE

If you haven't made anything yet, get cracking. I told you about this a couple days ago.

Enjoy some pan-holiday fun and maybe start the new year with a new friend or two...

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SAT 12/18

2pm to 3pm
Triiibe, "InstaDance"
at 808 Gallery, 808 Comm Ave, Boston (BU campus)
FREE / 16+

This "on-the-spot dance choreographed and performed by all of us" will supposedly be based on everyday gestures, so everyone can learn it easily yet still have fun.

It's also a chance to visit Triibe's "In Search of Eden: A Work in Progress" before it closes.

"The only requirement is that you must be human with an open mind and an open heart."

Is that clear?

SAT 12/18

4:30pm to 9:15pm
Annual Illuminations Tour
at Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Ave, Somerville (Spring Hill)
Tickets: $10 / $5 -- for 12 and under & 60 and over

Bus/trolleys depart at:
4:30pm, 5pm, 5:45pm, 6:15pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:15pm, 8:45pm, 9:15pm

At this point, there may not be anymore tickets, but a call to Blue Cloud Gallery (Ball Sq) could confirm it. There were few tickets left yesterday when I finally posted about it.

You could always show up, have a hot cocoa, and try your luck as a "stand-by" -- which may work best for the early or late tours.

Some crazy people will meet at City Hall around 6:50pm and do the rather hilly route on bicycles (no charge).

Maps ($3) will be available on Saturday night at City Hall or -- starting on MON 12/20 -- at Blue Cloud and Magpie (Davis Sq).

SAT 12/18

7pm
The Vivs: Holiday Benefit & Bash
at The Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St, Arlington
$10 / All Ages

Guests: Bill Goffrier (Big Dipper), Carrie Bradley (The Breeders/Ed's Redeeming Qualities), Scatterfield

I originally saw this without noticing the additional "$5 suggested donation" (proceeds benefit The Children's Room).

Still The Vivs have some great, powerpop-ing songs. They'll be joined by a couple old friends from the Boston music scene who will likely do some tunes on their own and with the band.

I couldn't find a good web location for Scatterfield who probably haven't played together since '06 and who knows before then. They played at the 1990 Rumble and lost to Slaughter Shack, but so did the Gigolo Aunts...

Beer and wine will be available. It should be a good full show.

SAT 12/18

7:30pm
Joe Kowan, John Gerard, Leesa Coyne, Ad Frank
at Arts at The Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville (Spring Hill)
$7

On Sunday, the off-topic video was J-Krafty's rap ode to appliqués and bedazzling and the like. J-Krafty happens to be the alter-ego of Joe Kowan, and Leesa Coyne of Naked on Roller Skates was Scissah or Knitta, one of his sidekicks. Everyone is probably keeping things simple and acoustic, but one hopes Joe will do "Krafty" in some form. Then you also get the amazing cool Ad Frank and singer-songwriter John Gerard.

SAT 12/18

9:30pm
Faux Ox, Patrons of Sweet, I Pistol, The Crushing Low
at PA's Lounge, 345 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
$10 / 21+

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your full-on rock option of the night (cheap category). From the shoegazey sounds of the The Crushing Low and the hookalicious crunch of I Pistol through Buffalo's Patrons of Sweet and their big 'n loud indie-rock then finishing up with twisty heaviness of Faux Ox. Good stuff!