9/30 to 10/2: Weekend Preview

I was going to post this last night and make a fuller Friday review, so I might as well start with this one. Wish me luck...

If you haven't heard, there is plenty of protest going on this afternoon and this weekend. It doesn't cost money to join in and support the cause...

FYI: A couple Saturday items require advance tickets to be $10.

For art film geeks, the Brattle is showing the complete "Cremaster" Cycle over the next 5 days.

Thursday was National Coffee Day, and Saturday is International Sake Day although no local place is giving free samples as far as I know. I saw that Bauer Wines & Spirits (Back Bay) has some rioja tasting (6pm to 8pm), and you might get some Spanish bites as well...

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FRI 9/30

5pm to 8pm
Great Glass Pumpkin Patch: Preview Opening
at Kresge Oval, 48 Mass Ave, Cambridge (MIT campus)
FREE

The glass pumpkins will be on sale on Saturday for more than $10. They have more than 1,000 handblown gourds made by students to look at. That's amusing to me.

This may be your chance to tell a MIT undergrad that they suck at something.

FRI 9/30

7pm
John Lithgow, Drama, "An Actor's Education": Reading
at First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$5

Lithgow is a great actor (and a peculiar fellow).

Tix available at Harvard Book Store or 617-661-1515.

FRI 9/30

7pm to 8:30pm
Trevor Paglen, "The Other Night Sky: Destiny, Warfare, and Ruins among the Stars": Artist Talk
at Bartos Theater, Wiesner Bldg, 20 Ames St, Cambridge (MIT campus)
FREE

His art involves spy satellites and paranoia, so that's good enough to list 2 MIT events on one night.

FRI 9/30

9pm
Damn the Man, Save the Empire: "Empire Records" Party
at Milky Way Lounge / Bella Luna, 284 Amory St, Jamaica Plain (The Brewery Complex)
$8 / 21+

Feat: The Lights Out, DJ's David Day & Hilary Hughes

This wasn't a great movie, but "Empire Records" is fondly appreciated. And it gives an excuse to those who love it -- and those who want to -- to drop inhibitions and have a dance party. The Lights Out will appropriately rock out, and I suspect they'll play a couple tunes from the soundtrack. Weekly Dig people will DJ.

FRI 9/30

The Appreciation Post (Midnight), The Fatal Flaw (11pm), American Water (10pm), The Susan Constant (9pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10

There's nothing wrong with the first two band, I could take or leave them. On the other hand, The Fatal Flaw are friggin' incredible. And The Appreciation Post are criminally under-appreciated (who have loads of free downloads on their site).

Just for kicks, the Pray for Polanski dude is behind the side-bar.

FRI 9/30

9pm
Twang Em High, The Darlings, The Satanic Lounge Syndicate
at Rosebud Bar & Grill (behind Diner), 381 Summer St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$10-ish

While Tony Savarino of the Satanic Lounge Syndicate can play just about any style, I suspect there's going to be a lot of country/rock licks based on the other bands on the bill.

FRI 9/30

9:30pm
"UNregular Radio's Fall Down"
at McGann's Pub, 197 Portland St, Boston (near North Station)
$5 advance / $10 door / 21+

Feat: The Battleships Cometh, Zip-Tie Handcuffs, Dead Cats Dead Rats, Sweet Irony

I haven't seen punk bands at McGann's before, but these F-Nice/UNregular Radio folks do it regularly, and it's a good line-up.

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SAT 10/1

11am to 5pm
2nd Boston Local Food Festival
outside Boston Children's Museum, about 308 Congress St, Boston (Seaport/Fort Point)
FREE

There will be demonstrations on how to eat/cook locally including how to butcher a whole pig. Not exactly a home operation, but interesting to watch. Food samples will be available $5 or less. Hear some music, and walk around the booths.

SAT 10/1 (and SUN 10/2)

11am to 5pm
Lowell Open Studios

11am to 6pm
Roxbury Open Studios

11am to 5pm
Watertown Open Studios

So we're in the middle of Open Studio season. Again, I like these things to talk to the artists and see their studios. Maybe you can do your holiday shopping early over the next couple months.

Some Roxbury restaurants are offering deals through 10/6.

SAT 10/1 (and SUN 10/2)

Various Times
Honk! Festival & Parade
Around Davis Sq, Somerville & Harvard Sq, Cambridge
FREE

Saturday -- 1pm to 9pm
Sunday -- Noon to 6pm

One of the best times of the year is when 30 street bands get horny in different corners of Davis Square that injects a New Orleans vibe for 9 hours. I hope the weather cooperates.

The bands will parade to Harvard Square Oktoberfest on Sunday for people to march and dance along with the bands or meet them there.

SAT 10/1 (and SUN 10/2)

Noon
Annual CollegeFest
at Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St, Boston (Back Bay)
$10

Saturday --Noon to 7pm
Sunday -- Noon to 6pm

College students: Grab shwag, get on mailing lists, and hear live music. I wouldn't have liked it when I was college-age, but people have told they had a good time.

SAT 10/1

1pm to 5:30pm
Franklin Park Fall Forest Festival
near Valley Gates Parking Lot, Circuit Dr, Boston (between Playstead and Golf Course)
FREE

Recently, someone said to me that the public space we were in was "underutilized". I had to point out that we were utilizing it at the moment.

Franklin Park is there everyday, and they have activities on a regular basis to encourage stuff like walking, biking, foraging, and climbing trees.

SAT 10/1

1pm to 3pm
2011 Ig Nobel Awrards: Informal Lectures
at Room 100, Bldg 26, 60 Vassar St, Cambridge (MIT campus)
FREE

This is a chance to hear science at its most ludicrous when researchers are recognized for strange studies they publish. The most infamous in my mind was the discovery of homosexual necrophiliac ducks, for example.

Seating is limited.

SAT 10/1

2pm
Swaggerin, Growlers, Jeff Rowe, The Pity Whores, The Snipes, The Old Edison
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 advance / $12 day of show / All Ages

It's going to be a folky 'n punky day party to get a head start on your friends who'll be drinking later.

SAT 10/1

9pm
Township, Sidewalk Driver, Andrea Gillis Band, Trabants
at Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston
$10 / 18+

Are you ready to rawk? Township has a new CD, and they're celebrating with an awesome bunch of bands that unofficially kick off Rocktober.

SAT 10/1

11:30pm
J. Cannibal's Feast of Flesh XI
at Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline
$10 advance / $12 door

Feat: "Demons", Black Cat Burlesque, Acaro

I've been to the Feast of Flesh in the past, and the crowd really gets into it yet no one gave me a hard time for looking normal. We're there together to watch a horror film, live burlesque & heavy metal, and other stuff like a best-zombie contest.

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SUN 10/2

10am
Bow Tie Bike Ride
meet at Cambridge Common, Cambridge (near Harvard Sq)
FREE

10am: Free safety checks
10:15am: Rider orientation
10:30am: Ride departs

The ride is about 10 1/2 miles around the bow-tie perimeter of Cambridge, and there's no rain date. If it's raining too hard (probably won't), it'll be cancelled.

SUN 10/2

Noon to 6pm
Annual Harvard Square Oktoberfest
at Harvard Sq, Cambridge
FREE

If you don't mind crowds, there 6 stages of live music, 3 beer gardens, hundreds of crafts & food vendors.

If you don't get your fill of Honk! on Saturday, the parade is coming from Davis Square and many of the bands will perform on various stages.

Rain date: SUN 10/9

SUN 10/2

Noon to 6pm
Davis Square Oktoberfest
outside Redbones, 55 Chester St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
FREE Admission

For something on a smaller scale: there's going to be a beer garden and food from nearby restaurants including Redbones. I bet there's going to be some bratwurst and other German-style treats.

I like the idea of stein holding & keg rolling contests along with live music and dancing.

Rain Date: SUN 10/9