FRI 9/7: B-Day, Art, Talk, Music

It's not a bad day to be dontown for cheapness. Although I thought September 16 was Boston's birthday, I'd keep my ears open around 4:30pm for the bells around town -- including a 1801 Paul Revere model at the Old South Meeting House.

Don't forget to stop by the Greenway to contribute to the "Before I Die..." board that I mentioned the other day.

Since there's usually a bunch of Friday options, I'm toying with a 'table of contents'.

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4:30pm – “Boston Charter Day”
5pm -- First Friday Open Studios
6pm -- Martin Amis, "Lionel Asbo: State of England": Reading
6pm -- Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
7pm -- First Annual A Cappella Jamboree
7pm -- Derrick Adams, "Feed Them With A Long Spoon": Performance
8pm -- Breton, The Big Sleep
8pm -- "Seven on the Seventh"
9pm -- The Horny Bitches, Bad Lieutenants, Death Waltz '76, Give Up!
9pm -- Dave Crespo's After Party, Streight Angular, Dylan Sevey & the Gentlemen, Last of the Independents, The Magnus Effect
11:30pm -- The Nightcap

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FRI 9/7

4:30pm
Boston Charter Day
at Old South Meeting House (Downtown Crossing) and bell towers around town
FREE

Bells in Boston, Dorchester, and Watertown will ring out at 4:30pm to celebrate Boston's 382nd birthday.

Massachusetts residents can look around the Old South Meeting House for free, and there's a free 2-hour walking tour that leaves a few minutes afterwards (with RSVP).

FRI 9/7

5pm to 9pm
First Friday Open Studios
at SoWa Arts Bldg, 450 Harrison Ave, Boston (South End)
FREE

When I've gone, there were decent crowds passing through. Several dozen studios with interesting works are always open in the rather large building, and there's bound to be refreshments in a few...

It's not free to get into the ICA tonight, but they are having a "Back To School" edition of their First Fridays, so free trolleys will shuttle the willing between the Seaport and South End every 30 minutes between 6pm and 8:30pm. Your $15 includes museum admission and an appletini (really).

FRI 9/7

6pm
Martin Amis, "Lionel Asbo: State of England": Reading
at Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$5

Amis is probably known as well for being son of Kingsley and friend of Hitchens as he is for his writing, but his writing is damn good. Maybe there won't be any rambling stories, but maybe there will be...

Tickets are available at Harvard Book Store or by phone 617-661-1515.

FRI 9/7

6pm to 9pm
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
at Christopher Columbus Park, about 120 Atlantic Ave, Boston (Waterfront/North End)
FREE

Holy crap! The modern Queen of Soul is playing a free concert in the park. I don't know who will open the show, but she and the Dap-Kings are not starting at 6pm.

It's an auspicious beginning for the Boston Arts Festival where artists and artisans will be displaying and selling their wares this weekend (Noon to 6pm) in the same park -- along with performances on 2 stages.

FRI 9/7

7pm
Derrick Adams, ": "Feed Them With A Long Spoon": Performance Art
at Mills Gallery, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St, Boston (South End)
FREE

Has anyone seen the Derrick Adams exhibit or go to the reception? I'm guessing it was kinda cool, because Adams does have a good rep.

For instance, tonight's performance is where he and guest will feed each other a 4-course dinner (from The Beehive) on really, really long utensils while old TV shows are projected.

Yeah...

FRI 9/7

7pm
First Annual A Cappella Jamboree
at Arts at the Armory Performance Hall, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville (Central Hill)
$7 / All Ages

Feat: No Parachute, MassWhole Notes, Boston Accent, Rift, Redline

Oh, great. The students are back in town AND these other jamokes want to keep singing like they still in glee club...

Hey, maybe there are some people that like listening to a couple hours of a cappella singing, which can definitely enjoyable in smaller doses. There's talk of a 'mystery guest group'. I wonder if it'll be the Tufts group that was on TV a couple years ago.

FRI 9/7

8pm
Breton, The Big Sleep
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

With no preconceived notions about either band, both the Brits and Brooklynites whip up what I'd call quite enjoyable dance-rock. My tastes favor Breton, but English kids have always impressed me by incorporating art and style without making me nauseous. On the other hand, I was also strutting-while-sitting to The Big Sleep's "Valentine".

FRI 9/7

8pm
"Seven on the Seventh"
at Massasoit Elks Lodge, 55 Bishop Allen Dr, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$7

Feat: Vautour w/ Zimbu, Victory Garden, Lydia Fischer, Trap Arnold, Huk, Murals, Vince Cannady

A couple blocks away, the Elks Lodge is swaying away in what the organizers describe as a "mix of electro-folky-funky stuff." I'm not even sure that I found the right links for a couple of the bands. These folks seem like nice people, and who doesn't like hanging out at the VFW halls on a Friday night?

FRI 9/7

9pm
The Horny Bitches, Bad Lieutenants, Death Waltz '76, Give Up!
at The Midway Cafe, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain
$8 / 21+

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Who doesn't love sassy, outlandish Quebecois chicks who lay it out there by calling themselves Horny Bitches and punking out with attitude unbecoming of the friendly-Canadian stereotype? I'm digging the catchy punk of Death Waltz '76. Bad Lieutenants and Give Up also make Boston punks proud.

FRI 9/7

9pm
Dave Crespo's After Party, Streight Angular, Dylan Sevey & the Gentlemen, Last of the Independents, The Magnus Effect
at Rosebud Bar & Grill (behind Diner), 381 Summer St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$8 / 21+

Whenever I see Streight Angular playing a gig, I know it's going to be a fun, colorful indie-rock party. Then you have Dave Crespo bringing the after-party to this side of 2am with good-time tunes & energy. Through and through, the bands should serve up folky, soulful, and garagey rock at my favorite secret bar in Davis Square.

FRI 9/7 (and SAT 9/8)

11:30pm
"The Nightcap"
at ImprovBoston, 40 Prospect St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
FREE

One Friday or Saturday night in Central Square, you may impress those in your company by suggesting the free half-hour comedy show. It could be stand-ups or improv or a combination of the two.

Maybe this will be the weekend I remember to go...