SAT 2/12: Crawl, Chinese NY, Car Smash, Music

I have a feeling that the audience will be full at this weekend's tapings of "High School Quiz Show". If you don't mind waiting to positly be turned away, you can RSVP to watch a local TV show.

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SAT 2/12

2pm to 8pm
Valentine’s Day Crawl
start at:
- West End Johnnie's, 138 Portland St, Boston
- The Harp, 85 Causeway St, Boston
- The Greatest Bar, 262 Friend St, Boston
$5 plus whatever-you-drink

This seems like a decent bar crawl from North Station to Faneuil Hall with a little dip into Financial District. Drinks specials at each place and complimentary apps at many.

Go with your honey, because you don't need the whole weekend to be paperback romance -- or you simply enjoy some sloppy drunkenness together.

Go with your buddies, because you might enjoy some flirting and hooking up -- then you can follow up AFTER Valentine's Day. Then you have until Xmas or their birthday to worry about a giving a nice present...

Your $5 is a donation to a local family-support organization, Julie's Family Learning Program, that also gets a free kookie for the first 750 people -- and they're ready for up to 2,000 people. That's why there are 3 bars for each stop.

SAT 2/12

3pm to 10pm
Chinese New Year Celebration
at Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, 85 W Newton St, Boston (South End)
FREE

This feels like one of those cheap fun experiences that one would add on to another reason to be in South End like you're having some drinks or a meal.

Then you can also enjoy some dance/music performances by the Chinese Folk Art Workshop.

SAT 2/12

4pm
“Meet Your Future Ex” V-Day Car Smash
at Stadium Sports Bar & Grill, 232 Old Colony Ave, South Boston
FREE to $10

Leave it to a bar in Southie to turn Valentine's weekend into an aggression-release car smash.

For $10, you get 2 swings of a sledgehammer and a rum drink. I think you could take one swing for $5, but what would be the point? Unless you swing it everyday, won't you like a second chance (and the drink)?

After 4 or so hours of car demolition, there's a covers band that should start around 8:30pm.

SAT 2/12

6:30pm to 10:15pm
Boston Underground Summit III
at YMCA Theater, 820 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$7 to $10 sliding scale / All Ages

Feat: Peace Loving, Young Adults, Shitaly, Hex Map, Big Digits, Ming Ming, Doomstar!, Sore Eros, Vile Bodies

Back in 2008, Dan Deacon brought a round-robin show to MassArt, and the cool people at Bodies of Water decided to repeat the clever idea of getting bands to bang out a song then pass the rock torch without pauses.

It's like a DJ that keeps mixing same 9 bands over and over again for a twisted sonic sampler of arty, punchy, psychedelic, avant-party, noisy indie-rock and electro/synth pop/hip-hop along with some ambient sprinklings in spaces.

I really like Young Adults, Big Digits, and Doomstar; dig it all and find some new favorites.

SAT 2/12

7:30pm
"Valentine Cabaret"
at Kaji Aso Studio, 40 St Stephen St, Boston (near Northeastern/The Fens)
$10 / $8 "seniors/lovers" Suggested Donation

This one off the beaten path and low-key, which might hit the spot for some people. Take that special someone and see if they mind being called your lover to save $2 for "an evening of romantic entertainment including love songs, art songs, opera arias, and doo-wop surprises".

Take a leap and be surpassed.

Those in the know might hate me, but Woody's is a great little (thin-crust) pizza place that's nearby with warm semi-yuppie/semi-hipster ambience. And it's not that far.

SAT 2/12

Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers (Midnight), Ten Foot Polecats (11pm), The Killerados (10pm), 66 Breakout (9pm)
at Cantab Underground / Club Bohemia, 738 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$8 / 21+

Although they didn't win the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers did made it to the semi-finals which is better than all but 40 bands in the whole world. Music is not a contest in my mind, but I guess these sort of things are fun for bragging rights.

It's okay to give the Delta Swingers a pat on the back and/or a shot on their return that will be a top-to-bottom raucous, raucous night of bluesy music.

SAT 2/12

9pm
Naked On Roller Skates, Mellow Bravo, The Lights Out, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$9 / 21+

Well, ain't this a great rock show?

For some reason, I thought Naked On Roller Skates already had released a CD because I already have enjoyed studio tracks on ye lode interwebs for a while. But let's party with NORS as they rip through some catchy, vibrant rock that kinda matches the sparkly band name.

Mellow Bravo rocks like they believe it will save your soul, The Lights Out rock like they believe it will save your weekend, and Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling rock like nothing matters except getting out of some crazy village but why not rage against it until then.

If you see Mike Epstein from DNFMOMD milling around, he might give you a free hug...

SAT 2/12

9:30pm
Sidewalk Driver, Brendan Boogie & The Best Intentions, Oranjuly, Jason Dunn & Henry Beguiristain
at Rosebud Bar & Grill (behind Diner), 381 Summer St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$10 / 21+

I am in constant awe of folks like Mr. Brendan Boogie who tackles these ambitious endeavors of writing songs with a variety of other local musicos. After doing a series of live shows, people that missed can enjoy the recordings and -- what the hell -- let's do another show on top with their bands. Let's make the most of creativity and creation.

I bet Monsieur Boogie will join all of his "Songs From The Armory, Vol. 2" compatriots for the songs, as we also receive more than a barrel's worth of awesome powerpop and glam-rock in the my favorite secret venue in Davis Square.

SAT 2/12

9:30pm
Varsity Drag, Super Ska, Young Temors, Four Point Restraints
at Precinct, 70 Union Sq, Somerville (Union Sq)
$8

Don't just love Varsity Drag because Ben Deily was punkier half during the first era of The Lemonheads. Love them because he's still rocking out while Dando is doing... whatever Dando is doing... Tonight their set will include a few acoustic numbers before getting loud, and they should play "Billy Ruane" which they wrote before the man's passing.

How can you go wrong with some ska and garage to round things out?