Saturday, June 16, 2012

SAT 6/16: Day Cheapness

The Sweet and Low Down, at Toad tonight
The Summer Solstice is around the corner, and the weather seems to be paying attention. Enjoy your day!

If you feel like taking a trip to Boston Harbor, the first of three Berklee Music Fest sessions is happening today on Georges Island.

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SAT 6/16 (and SUN 6/17, plus)

Various Times
Common Boston Festival: "Off the Grid"
at Various Locations
Most FREE

Saturday 6/16:

10:00am -- The Structure of Skyscrapers: A Family Workshop
10:30am -- Inside/outside/upside down in the heart of Boston’s Downtown (Full)
11:40am -- The collaborative nature of public space Downtown
1:00pm -- Lights/Camera/Revitalization at the Paramount Center (Full)
1:00pm -- Boston Athenaeum (Full)
2:30pm -- Contemporary Architecture of the Financial District/Boston By Foot (Full)
Sunday 6/17:
10:00am -- South End Tour by Boston By Foot (Full)
10:00am -- Public Space/Public Art
10:00am -- Sound Walk, by Dirk Adams (self-guided audio tour)
11:30am -- Brunch in Peter’s Park (Full)
12:30pm -- SoWa Farmers Market
1:00pm -- Foraging with David Craft (Full)
1:45pm -- A Social History of the South End (Full)
3:00pm -- The Pine Street Inn
7:00pm -- Design exhibition: What to do with Sullivan?
Who could imagine that relatively specific walking tours through different neighborhoods would be popular enough to fill up so quickly? The annual architecture/design fest is going "off the grid" but really trying to show you something off your grid.

A different section of town is featured each day: Downtown on Saturday and South End on Sunday. If that doesn't shake up your usual patterns, try Mattapan or the Emerald Necklace next weekend.

SAT 6/16

10:30am until 6:00pm
6th Annual Anna's Walqueria
from Anna's Taqueria, 1412 Beacon St, Brookline -- to the 5 other locations
FREE

As I mentioned below, the folks at Anna's will feed you and donate money to The Home For Little Wanderers, if you're willing to walk to each of their locations (about 13 miles).

SAT 6/16 (and SUN 6/17)

Various Times
4th Annual Waltham Riverfest
at Various Locations near Waltham Common
FREE
Saturday -- 10am to 9pm
Sunday -- 11am to 4pm
The same body of water that runs past the Cambridge River Fest also passes through Waltham. Over 3 days, the Waltham Common/Moody Street area will be teeming with music, dance, arts, culture, vendors, etc.

As a former resident, it's not so bad to grab a meal, stroll along the Moody storefronts, then grab an ice cream at Lizzy's. All the other diversions of the weekend make it more interesting if you're in the area.

Some of the bands playing on Saturday include Rick Berlin (2:15pm), Andy Pratt (3:30pm), and Peter Parcek (5pm), which is just one of 3 stages. [PDF program/schedule]

Keep an eye out for people selling wristbands ($5). They grant you discounts to a bunch of restaurants/stores (such as Margaritas, Tempo, Watch City Brewery, Tom Can Cook, Gourmet Pottery, Stadium Bar) where you can save more than $5.

SAT 6/16 (and SUN 6/17)

Noon to 6pm
4th 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.

Why not venture? This is 'off the beaten path' just like the Common Boston folks above.

Several buses take you over as well as a parking location on their map, and it is an easy walk that doesn't stray too much from Broadway to 9 locations including the historic Bellingham-Cary House. You might see some dedicated shuttle buses too.

SAT 6/16

2pm to 10pm
Make Music Festival, Volume 5
around Harvard Sq, Cambridge
FREE

Based on "Fete de la Musique" that started in Paris, it's just a loose, outdoor celebration of music in all sorts of genres. After 30 years, it's spread to hundreds of cities and enhances the mood from my experience.

With 8 hours, it wouldn't hurt to walk around before, during or after whatever else you wanted to do in Harvard Square. A Quebecois duo Isabelle Cyr & Yves Marchand are at Winthrop Park from 3pm to 5pm while other acts are rotating on an hourly basis.

More than 75 acts are disbursed over 11 locations, I will let you know that these are the bands I recognize and would be happy to listen to:
2pm -- One Happy Island (Dado Tea)
3pm -- Man Alive! (Forbes Plaza), McAlister Drive (Deguglielmo Plaza), Cold Chocolate (Dado Tea)
4pm -- OldJack (Deguglielmo Plaza), The Big Lonesome (The Pit)
5pm -- The Rationales (Deguglielmo Plaza)
7pm -- Peter Buzzelle (Forbes Plaza), Ruby Rose Fox (Harvard COOP), Plumerai (Winthrop Park)
8pm -- Sultans of Sax (The Pit)
9pm -- The Field Effect (Deguglielmo Plaza)
All of these spots are on the Google map. Viva la Cambridge!

SAT 6/16

7pm
Starship Feat: Mickey Thomas
at Hatch Shell, Storrow Dr, Boston (Charles River Esplanade)
FREE

It's almost summer time, so a few oldies acts are visiting the Hatch Shell. If you close your eyes (and have ingested something intoxicating), you might think that Jefferson Starship is rocking out by the Charles -- and one of them is!

SAT 6/16

6:30pm
These United States
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

It's the CTB maximum for one band when we usually get three or four, but These United States probably could be playing in larger club for more than $10. Fans of their boisterous Americana don't have to wait, and the early show means you can go to that party (or whatever else you want to do).

SAT 6/16

7:30pm
The Sweet & Low Down
at Toad, 1912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)
FREE

The Sweet and Low Down features Miss Tess who doesn't live in town anymore and Rachael Price (of Lake Street Dive who have their new EP of mostly covers), who are quite swinging gals in their main projects. In the S&LD, it seems they've delved back into the old songbooks for the jazz/blues/jump tunes that inform their music.

They're also playing Upstairs on the Square (?) tomorrow, however the drinks are cheaper and the ambience more relaxed at Toad.

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