WED 12/8: Poetry & Music

Yeah, there are a couple gigs that have a philanthropic angle tonight -- but that shouldn't get in the way of your fun...

On this anniversary of John Lennon's death, I have a message to those who think The Beatles are overrated: "You're wrong."

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WED 12/8

7pm
"Poets for Haiti" Benefit: Reading
at Porter Square Books, 25 White St, Cambridge (near Star Market)
FREE

Readings by: Robert Pinsky, Daniel Tobin, Fred Marchant, Marilene Phipps-Kettlewell, Tom Daley, Ophelia Dahl

Shortly after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, there was a reading with 18 authors at Harvard to benefit the relief effort.

An anthology ($20) has been published including those writers with illustrations by Haitian artists, and the proceeds will go to Partners in Health who have been providing assistance well before the earthquake.

Those appearing tonight include former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and Partners in Health president Ophelia Dahl.

You don't have to buy the book, but you could always gift it to someone. (Can you imagine someone getting a book of poetry in a yankee swap?)

WED 12/8

8:30pm
Fundraiser for The Boston Counter Cultural Compass
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$5 to $10 sliding scale / 18+

Feat: Rene, The Craters, No Way Jose, Camp Island

I keep forgetting to check the Boston Counter Cultural Compass for cheap stuff that I missed, but I'm really impressed by the handmade single-sheet that Sam Potrykus (bassist, Needy Visions) actually prints and distributes each month. In case you haven't seen it at your usual coffee shop or elsewhere, people can read the jpeg's on the site.

Some of the folks at BU's radio station have organized this show to help with BCCC's production expenses. Put on your indie-rock cap, dig the groovy tunes to keep a cool newsletter out on the streets. It's a sliding scale, so pay what you can.

I couldn't find any music for Rene, but she has a blog where she posts some of her drawings. The BU article describes her as "nasty acid-hip-hop dance beats with live drums". The Craters have got a cool, ambient synthy-pop thing going on. Again the only web presence for No Way Jose is a live video, but it rocks pretty hard as a guitar-drum duo with one guy from Doomstar! and one guy from Amoroso. Supposedly, Camp Island consists of 2 guys from The Novel Ideas who are way less aggressive than Camp Island.

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WED 12/8

9pm to 11pm
Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers
at Milky Way Lounge/Bella Luna, 284 Amory St, Jamaica Plain (The Brewery Complex)
FREE

Unfortunately, I think this might be the last residency show for Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers -- it was nice to know there was this band playing monthly for free. I went to their Saturday fundraiser show on Saturday, and it was a damn hoot to hear the blues with genuine feeling -- and no protracted guitar solos. The sound reminds me of how they Delta guys were playing it right before many moved north in the '40s and '50s.

Why the fundraising? They've got travel expenses to represent Boston at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. They've got a Kickstarter page with lots of info.

WED 12/8

10:30pm
A.K.A.C.O.D.
at Plough & Stars, 912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$5-ish

I was at AKACOD's last gig at the Plough before Monique Ortiz moved to Austin at the end of April. (I even made an animated gif from my photos.)

Maybe the holidays have brought her back to Boston, and I don't see any other local gigs while she's in town. Of course, it's a good occasion to get back with Dana Colley (Morphine/Twinemen) and Larry Dersch (way too many bands).

Whenever you have Dana Colley in your "low rock" brigade (like most Wednesdays at Atwoods), it's worth the price of admission which could be free or $6 at most. Monique's deep, sensual vocals seemed like a good fit to me.