SAT 6/11: Boats, Art, Pride, Dance, Fun, Theatre, Music, Dr Who

Jeez, it looks like it might rain today... There are quite a few good outdoor activities, but cheap fun can be found under cover as well.

Sunday stuff is on the calendar below.

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SAT 6/11 (and SUN 6/12)

8am to 1pm
Annual Dragon Boat Festival
along Charles River, Memorial Dr, Cambridge
FREE

Sunday: 9am to 5pm

People make traditions out of the strangest things, like boat races for the drowning of an ancient poet. Boat races are enjoyable to a point, but isn't more interesting with more colorful boats? Unfortunately the name of the event evokes more elaborate decor than you'll actually see.

It's only races today, and there will be a festival on Sunday with performances and food on the Cambridge side of the river.

SAT 6/11 (and SUN 6/12)

Noon to 6pm
3rd Annual Chelsea Art Walk
around Chelsea [PDF map]
FREE

Some of my few Chelsea experiences are watching "Cyrano" in a park and talking to an artist who claiming how vibrant the art scene is in Chelsea yet no one ventures over there.

There are several buses and a commuter rail station. When you get over there, the viewing has been concentrated in 11 locations instead of getting lost at individual studios. It's a walkable distance, but shuttle buses are also available throughout the weekend.

The historic Bellingham-Cary House may not be worth a trip by itself however it's open for tours as part of the art walk.

SAT 6/11

Noon to 6pm
Boston Pride Parade & Festival
from South End to City Hall Plaza
FREE

Hopefully it won't rain the parade. It should still be a spectacle of fabulousness either way for everyone to enjoy and support. It starts in the South End at noon and zigzags its way to Government Center from 1pm to 3pm.

There's going to be food and pride-themed mercy at the festival in City Hall Plaza. The only band that I'd be interested in seeing is Gene Dante & the Future Starlets who are playing around 4pm

I like how they're roping off a balcony of City Hall for a cocktail lounge.

SAT 6/11

Noon to 10pm
Dance for World Community Festival
around Old Cambridge Baptist Church, 1151 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
FREE

I walked by the dance festival last year, and it held my interest for a little while. I had forgotten that there were also free classes if I delved into the experience. The daytime schedule is listed if you want to see a particular style.

If your special someone occasionally bugs you about going dancing, there will be an outdoor dance session from 7pm to 10pm with the seriously tasty Afro-Latin salsa of Ten Tumbao -- it'll be impossible to stand still.

SAT 6/11

3pm to 7pm
SomerFun: A Romp for Independents
at Union Sq Plaza, Somerville (nexus of Somerville Ave, Washington St, Bow St)
FREE

Feat: Abbie Barrett & the Last Date, Reverend Busker & Friends, Tall Enough, Riki Rocksteady

The summer fun in Union Square has begun! This one feels like an amalgam of many events that happen in this hip corner of Somerville.

You've got carnival games like the dunk tank, a scavenger hunt, a dog show, arts/crafts, food, and live music. A perfect counterpart is the abundance of bar options in vicinity to the good clean fun.

Rain Date: SUN 6/12

SAT 6/11

8pm
"Burn This": Staged Reading
at Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St, Boston (South End)
FREE

I can't comment on the quality of this tragic love story, although it's present by the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company who present Shakespeare on Boston Common every summer.

You might recognize the lead Jeffrey Donovan who's been on TV and in movies (and CSC's "Hamlet" in 2005).

SAT 6/11

9pm
Brendan Boogie (Midnight), Muy Cansado (11pm), The Rationales (10pm), The Highway (9pm)
at Rosebud Bar & Grill (behind Diner), 381 Summer St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$10

In the midst of Brendan Boogie's song diarrhea, he's offering his 5th EP of the year (I think?) and hitting the Rosebud as part of Muy Cansado's June residency. Along with Mr. Boogie's top-notch powerpop and the quirky stomp of Muy Cansado, The Rationales make a rootsy, poppy racket after The Highway kicks off with some classic power-trio rock.

SAT 6/11 (and SUN 6/12)

9:30pm
"Hooked On Who"
at Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$7 minimum donation

Saturday: "The Hand of Fear" & "School Reunion"
Sunday: "The Eleventh Hour" & "The Doctor’s Wife"

If you ever watched the older "Doctor Who" episodes, the theater experience helps you realize that it's a corny sci-fi serial for kids -- except there's enough wit and panache for adult-sized kids to enjoy.

When actress Elisabeth Sladen died a couple months ago, the BBC replayed "The Hand of Fear" in tribute to one of the Doctor's most beloved companions Sarah Jane Smith. As a bookend, "School Reunion" is an episode when Sarah Jane reconnects with a regenerated Doctor as played by David Tennant. Kind of touching and both good fun.

SAT 6/11

10pm
JJ & Thee Cuban Heels
at Toad, 1912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)
FREE / 21+

If you want to hear some fierce rock 'n roll and have a few beers at the end of the night, squeeze into Toad for the Thee Cuban Heels. If the shoe style and extra 'e' don't tip you off, this is the sound of this is the sound that loosely originated in the early '60s.

The incredible JJ Rassler (DMZ, The Queers, Downbeat 5, etc) is digging way back in his record collection for the raw, somewhat bluesy/twangy sound of pre-garage rock.