SUN 8/25: Sunday Night Off-Topic Video

I love Hallelujah The Hills, and I love WBUR.

Friday & Saturday Calendar

Hold on to your hats; there may be more to come soon...

If I were going to do one thing Friday night, I'd go to the free rock show at Radio. If I wanted to dance, there's the "Videodrome Discotheque Madonna Birthday Party" or Lovewhip's gig at the Midway Cafe.

MON 8/19: Big Quiz Thing, Still Awesome

Tonight's annual "Big Lebowski" screening at Coolidge Corner Theatre may be close to 'sold out' already. Not everyone gets onstage for the pre-movie fun, yet it's a fun night.

That leaves BQT as the best cheap thrill of the night. Below is basically a re-post.

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8pm to 10pm
The Big Quiz Thing: "August Edition"
at Club Oberon, 2 Arrow St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
FREE

Do you know a free trivia night where there's a $200 1st-place prize? It's very competitive, but it can be done. The Cheap Thrills Boston team tied for 2nd place a couple years ago. We surely contributed to making it "the ideal live-trivia audience".

Your average pub trivia is alright, but this is probably the most entertaining trivia game I've played.

These folks will info-tain with witty audio-visual brainteasers revolving around the Commander-in-Chief.

Even a wrong answer has a chance for points if it's funny enough, so don't be afraid to make the best out of a question where you have no idea...

If you don't win the grand prize in the 3-way finale, your team could go home with some books, DVD's, gift card and/or tickets to "The Donkey Show".

There is a bar as well even if it isn't a pub.

SAT 8/17: 6 Cheap Thrills for Saturday

I still don't feel like I have found everything I would like to share. Still any of these should be a good time.

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SAT 8/17

11am to 2pm
"Sandmandito!"
at Revere Beach, Revere (close to the Revere Beach T)
FREE

What is stopping you from going to Revere Beach?

Dirty? Not really. I'm afraid of swimming in the water, because I don't know what's in there. I have seen that the beach itself is as clean as any beach.

Don't want to go by yourself? What better way to ave with strangers than playing with sand among the Banditos Misteriosos? Grab a towel and swing by CVS for a cheap set of sand sculpture tools.

(I'd finish up with a walk to Kelly's, but that's me.)

SAT 8/17

Noon to 4pm
Roxbury Community Block Party Collaborative
at Bartlett Yard, 2565 Washington St, Roxbury (near Dudley Sq)
FREE

When Bartlett Yard became an intentional graffiti park earlier this year, I wanted to go -- especially since it likely won't last more than a couple years.

I decided to go today and saw there is a party. Bonus: music and fun surrounds the art 'al fresco'.

SAT 8/17

7pm
Blue Oyster Cult, Ghosts of Jupiter
at Hatch Shell, Storrow Dr, Boston (Charles River Esplanade)
FREE

There are people out there who want to picnic with Blue Oyster Cult and hear "Don't Fear the Reaper" by the Charles and scream "More cowbell!"

You don't need to show up at 4pm like WZLX suggests. The music won't start before 6:30pm with local jam-rock band Ghosts of Jupiter.

SAT 8/17

9pm
Eldridge Rodriguez, Guillermo Sexo, MG Lederman, Controller
at Radio, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
$8

I love these dark/melodramatic/noisy bands, so I'm pretty sure you will too. There will supposedly be karaoke downstairs...

SAT 8/17

9pm
Roy Sludge, The Barley Hoppers, Leah & Her J-Walkers, DJ Easy Ed
at The Midway Cafe, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain
$10

Hey, who doesn't love a rockabilly/country dance party with our pal DJ Easy Ed who will keep the hopping and bopping non-stop between bands?

SAT 8/17

9:30pm
Sinnet, The Luxury, Ex-Magicians
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$8 / 21+

Or maybe you'd prefer heaping sets of melodic rock? Sinnet is especially good to my ears.

SUN 8/11: Sunday Night Off-Topic Video

A guy named Gerard sent me the link for this video along with a kind note about how he became aware of David Craft, the urban forager. Eric Buck of Corvid College also appears, and I'm still trying to get my head around his interesting organization of free education.

SAT 8/10 & SUN 8/11: 7 Cheap Thrills for the Weekend

It's been a while since, I've been in my usual spot to share the cheap fun of Boston. I'm taking it slow, but here we go...

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SAT 8/10

2pm to 5pm
Boston Fuzzstival 2013: Part 1
at Middle East - Corner, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
FREE

Feat: Ghost Modern (4:25pm), Boogie Boy Metal Mouth (3:45pm), Winter (3:10pm), Underwater Bear Ballet (2:35pm), The TeleVibes (2pm)

6:30pm to 1am
Boston Fuzzstival 2013: Part 2
at Middle East - Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

Feat: Ghost Box Orchestra (Midnight), The New Highway Hymnal (11pm), Creaturos (10:15pm), Guillermo Sexo (9:30pm), Moniker (8:45pm), The Fagettes (8pm), Nice Guys (7:15pm), Doze (6:30pm)

Much like the Deep Heaven Now shows of recent years, Fuzzstival is another super-long day of good bands in our community that love to make fuzzy/scuzzy/gazey/trippy rock in all sorts of flavors.

Of course the bands I like are playing in the second half (most of the act after 8pm), but who doesn't love some free rock with the sunny day on the other side of the Corner window?

SAT 8/10

5pm to 8pm
Boston Urban Music Festival: Roller Party
at Marine Industrial Park, about 650 Summer St, Boston (Seaport/Southie)
FREE

Feat: Gilbere Forte, Bridget Kelly, Shea Rose, Dutch Rebelle, DJ Knife, The ICA Teen DJ Collective

Really? Free roller skating in a park with live hip-hop and R&B? Music, art, and food meet falling on your ass in the best possible way. Thanks, City of Boston.

SAT 8/10

6pm to 10pm
"Ignite! A Fire and Street Food Festival After Dark"
at Union Sq Plaza, Somerville (nexus of Somerville Ave, Washington St, Bow St)
FREE

Union Square is a fine spot on any Saturday. If performers are going to play with fire while some of the restaurants put fire on food in the fresh air, it should be a good time.

SAT 8/10

11:15pm to 6am
Annual Boston by Bike at Night
Start at Trinity Church, Copley Sq, Bolyston St, Boston (Back Bay)
FREE

Night owls with wheels can have a zero-emission sightseeing adventure around town. Ride through Boston 'til dawn with more than 100 bicyclists. The rules of the road are generally followed, but do you think any cars are going to screw around with a massive bicycle gang?

The ride starts to leave around 11:45pm, but it’s a good idea to get there early.

The route changes every year, and it usually encompasses about 30 miles around Cambridge, Charlestown, as far down as JP, or even towards Brookline while occasionally stopping for a bit of local info.

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SUN 8/11

10am to 5pm
Annual Chinatown August Moon Festival
around Beach St, Harrison Ave, Tyler St, Boston (Chinatown)
FREE

If you want to get a taste of Chinatown, why not go on one of those weekends when there's more action than usual? Sunday is one of those days when music and dance and martial arts demonstrations and vendors are a plenty.

I bet someone will be selling mooncakes. Try one -- it's a Moon Festival thing.

SUN 8/11

9pm
Goodnight Moonshine
at Toad, 1912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)
FREE

I liked the name of the band, so I gave them a shot. This is the kind of lovely. folky music that help you float into the working week.