WED 9/7: Film, Talk, Comedy, Music

Hey, there were still tickets available for Ice Cream Showdown III (SUN 9/11) at Community Boating when I checked. Even with the advance ticket fee, it's still worth a total of $9.75 to stuff your face with delicious ice cream. It's like the Scooper Bowl but smaller in scale and better/smaller companies participating.

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WED 9/7

6pm to 8:30pm
"New York Says Thank You"
at Rabb Lecture Hall, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St, Boston (Copley Sq)
FREE

In this documentary, we see several people who were inspired the events of 9/11 to help others who have been affected by various disasters.

There will be a discussion after the screening, which is part of Boston Cares' Social Cinema series so you feel like volunteering for something...

WED 9/7

6:30pm to 8pm
"Liberty Road: Boston's Georgian Landmarks of the Revolution": Lecture
at Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St, Boston (Downtown Crossing)
FREE

There will be a free lecture every Wednesday in September on historic architecture in a series called "Hidden Gems: Historic Georgian Houses in the Boston Area".

Tonight's program will touch on buildings like the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Old North Church, and the Pierce-Hichborn House (that's next to the Paul Revere House in North End) as well as buildings that are no longer standing.

WED 9/7

7pm
"Metropolis"
at Harvard Film Archive, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
FREE

Fritz Lang's silent masterpiece is most enjoyable for its stylish, art-deco version of a totalitarian future that doesn't seem likely as it did 85 years ago. (Will "the future" ever look like there was a singular design approach?)

I did attempt to appreciate the story of romance and class-warfare, but it didn't really work for me. The visuals are the attraction, so you might as well see on a big-screen for free...

WED 9/7

7pm
Paul Farmer, "Haiti After the Earthquake": Reading
at First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$5

The founder of "Partners in Health has written a book on his (and PIH's) response to last year's devastating earthquake and the pre-existing factors that contributed to the catastrophe.

WED 9/7 (thru SUN 9/11)

7pm
3rd Annual Boston Improv Festival
at ImprovBoston, 40 Prospect St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 for most shows

Today's schedule:

7pm -- Groaners and Boners, Daft Agenda, Aeropuerto
at Main Theater

7:30pm -- My Two Moms, OBV, Active Ingredients
at Studio

8:30pm -- Bear Eats Cow, Blue Suede, The Mo Show
at Main Theater

9pm -- Bring Your Own Improv, Manthorne and The Baron, Briami Sound Machine
at Studio

10pm -- The Family Show: After Dark!, Fists of Joy
at Main Theater

Performers from Boston and beyond gather together to make you laugh without knowing what they're going to say.

Sure, they practice... What would be the fun of an improv festival if they had pre-written material?

There's no one can guarantee that an improv show is going to be hilarious, but many of these performers work hard at being prepared.

Most performances will be at ImprovBoston with some Friday & Saturday shows at the YMCA Theater down Mass Ave.

WED 9/7

Treat Her Right (7pm), Tim Gearan (10pm)
at Toad, 1912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)
FREE

Jim Fitting and David Champagne, along with the great Mark Sandman, had a rocking outfit about 20 years ago called Treat Her Right.

After playing together at a Sandman tribute concert a couple years ago, they played a bunch of Sundays at Toad with a couple new members. Now it's an off-and-on bluesy rock thing.

Undoubtedly, there will be bluesy goodness with Tim Gearan later.

WED 9/7

10pm
Street Dogs - Acoustic
at McGreevy's, 911 Boylston St, Boston (Back Bay)
$10

Before hitting the road with the Dropkick Muphys' Shamrock-N-Roll Festival, Street Dogs will do an acoustic gig at Ken Casey's bar.

Not only are these guys an excellent example of Boston punk, singer Mike McColgan was the original singer for the Dropkicks. I really like this band, especially since I did a review/interview with them a few years ago.