FRI 4/8: Part 2 - Judd, Cheetah, Animals, Rock

So Mellow Bravo kicked ass last night and won. Congrats to them and Night #3 winners, John Powhida International Airport!

PS: It's not too late to enjoy robot games and free hot dogs.

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FRI 4/8

6:30pm to 8pm
Ashley Judd w/ Candelaria Silva, "Bittersweet Humanitarianism": Discussion
at C. Walsh Theater, Suffolk University, 55 Temple St, Boston (Beacon Hill)
FREE

I doubt Ashley Judd will address her country singing sister's displeasure about how their childhood is represented in Ashley's new memoir. Although she still acts in movies, much of her time has been spent on social justices issues, including doing grad work at Harvard Kennedy School.

Roxbury Film Festival founder, Candelaria Silva, joins her for a conversation that still seemed to have space available when I last checked.

FRI 4/8

7pm
The Cleveland Confidential Book Tour: Reading
at Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St, Brookline (Coolidge Corner)
FREE

Feat: Cheetah Chrome, Mike Hudson, Bob Pfeifer

As a standalone experience or in conjunction with one of the gigs below, this could be a damn good rock day. It's far from seeing The Dead Boys play, but it must be pretty cool to hear guitarist Cheetah Chrome read from his book and just talk about the old days.

Mike Hudson of another Cleveland punk outfit The Pagans also has also written an autobiography as well as a book of essays. Although I don't recognize Bob Pfeifer's bands (Human Switchboard, Tabby Chinos), he went on to be a record company exec, and he's written a novel loosely based on the Amanda Knox trial.

Each will read from their manuscripts then they'll have a discussion together.

FRI 4/8

7pm to 9:30pm
"Bizarre Animals 2.0: An Evening of Contemporary Art Interventions"
at Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St, Cambridge (Harvard campus)
$6

Harvard's Museum of Natural History is already one of those weird places that I encourage people to visit. For a couple hours, about a dozen artists of different media will ensconce themselves for all sorts of extra weirdness -- for less than the usual admission.

Of course, you may not get a completely clear view of some exhibits when there are videos projected, experimental music, poets, and performance artists around.

A similar "evening of performance, sound, and video throughout the galleries" took place about a year ago, and there are more artists involved to make the exhibits come alive, including Duck That who actually incorporate duck calls into their music.

FRI 4/8

This Blue Heaven (11:30pm), Naked On Roller Skates (10:40pm), Apollo Run (9:50pm) , Kuuluuko (9pm)
at Rosebud Bar & Grill (behind Diner), 381 Summer St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$5 / 21+

Wow, there is a whole lotta excellent indie-pop and rock concentrated at one gig. This Blue Heaven will continue to play Fridays at the Rosebud periodically for another month or so. Their melodic awesomeness could be enough to have a good time, but then you get the fantastic Naked On Roller Skates and Apollo Run from NYC who really do make some beautiful music. Blues-rock duo Kuuluuko kicks off the good times.

FRI 4/8

9:30pm
Rock n' Roll Rumble Preliminaries: Night #5
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$9

Feat: Keep Me Conscious (11:45pm), Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling (11pm), Stereo Telescope (10:15pm), Tired Old Bones (9:30pm)

This will probably be a night where everyone will see at least one band for the first time, and that's one of the great things about the Rumble.

If I were to guess who will prevail to the next round, I'd have to go with Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling: 1) I've seen them play a couple times, and I dig the arty-punky bass-drums thing. 2) I've hung out with them, and Mike & Sophia are really cool people. 3) They have the longest name based on spy story.

Keep Me Conscious have a solid rock sound, but it's more emo than my usual cup of tea yet still could be a winner. Stereo Telescope are another duo in a synthy pop vein that sounds really nice; if they don't advance, they'll still make new fans. Tired Old Bones is the third band on the bill with a female singer, and I like how their songs have some twists and turns, and it's hard for me to dislike any rock includes a languid organ parts so they're probably my other fave on the bill.

As before, you can see Boston Band Crush's coverage of this year's participants including a 24-song sampler from Rumblers.