Friday, July 04, 2008

Sneak Peek: FRI 7/4 to SUN 7/6

Spirit of '76: Magic Lantern slide, MFA performances this weekend
Let's be realistic. The chances are slim that I'll have a full list of goodies tomorrow, but you never know.

There is stuff I have to do this weekend, but here are some entertainment options to think about until I get myself in place...

Happy Independence Day!

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FRI 7/4

Noon
"Music of Mali" w/ Moussa Traore
outside Boston Children's Museum, 300 Congress St, Boston (Fort Point/Seaport)
FREE

If you're walking around downtown, here's about an hour of djembe music from Mali-born master, Moussa Traore. Obviously geared towards kids, but it's open to the public. Hood is even giving out free ice cream...

FRI 7/4

8:30pm to 11pm
Boston Pops Independence Day Concert & Fireworks
at Hatch Shell, Charles River Esplanade, Storrow Dr, Boston
FREE

I wrote about this below.

Craig Ferguson hosts, and Rascal Flatts is the musical guest. Do they think people come for the musical guest? (They could get a local alt-country/Americana band, and it would still be crammed -- and about the same amount of TV viewers would tune in.)

With the Longfellow bridge closed to spectators this year (maybe next year too), your best bet might be the area along Memorial Dr, from Wadsworth St to Mass Ave.

Here's a list of cities with fireworks shows.

FRI 7/4

9pm
Roy Davis & The Dregs, Daisy's Little Secret
at Lizard Lounge/Cambridge Common, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge (between Harvard Sq & Porter Sq)
$5 / 21+

I love Lizard Lounge, but an underground bar with Americana from Maine and local "swamp rock" is about as far as you can get from trad July 4th festivities.

FRI 7/4

10pm
"Living in America Burlesque Show"
at Midway Cafe, 3496 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain
$7

I love that the subtitle is "A Tribute to James Brown"... (And I believe it will be!) Goode Anatomy Burlesque seems to be the organizer of this shindig featuring men (lots, I think...) and women of many stripes/lifestyles including Mr. Lady, Boston Boylesque, Nicholle Pride, Busty Bullets, Aquanet Jones, indie-popsters The Toothaches, Mad Melodies, and maybe more.

FRI 7/4 thru SUN 7/6

2pm (SAT: 8pm)
"Look Back In Anger"
at the Factory Theatre, 791 Tremont St, Boston (South End)
FREE

Hey, it's free. If you don't like it, walk out. Someone from The Phoenix went...

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SAT 7/5

4pm to 6:30pm-ish
Field Trip #3
Mr. Sister, Many Mansions, a magician, boy without god(?), and more
in the brick structure on the end of Long Wharf, Boston (Waterfront/North End)
FREE

A mobile concert that is a cool concept, good music, and a good use of a couple hours.

SAT 7/5

8pm
"Xmas In July": Bob Gautreau's Christmas Carol(s)
at Spiegel Auditorium/Blacksmith House, 56 Brattle St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$10

Could be funny or awful:

Comic impressionist Bob Gautreau spoofs Rudolph, Frosty, Scrooge and Holiday Blues and features the Martha Stewart parody "How the Bitch Sold Christmas". The show is definitely for adults who are prepared to hear risque material.
Every Saturday In July.

2-for-1 admission if you say, "I love Martha Stewart," when you order your tickets -- if you can live with yourself...

Reservations: 781-224-3363

SAT 7/5

Tokyo Tramps (11:30pm), Geezer (10:15pm), Ten Foot Polecats (9pm)
at Church, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston (Fenway)
$8 / All Ages

A spectrum of good ol' American (and some Japanese) blues/rock.

SAT 7/5

9:30pm
The Chinese Stars, Big Digits, Foreign Islands
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
18+ $10

To the average listener, these acts might be a bit challenging. To the lover noisy dance-punk, it'll be an abundance of jumping, shaking delights. I first thought Big Digits was a joke band; they still might be, but I was converted when I saw them live -- and I wasn't the only one! It was a compellingly awesome display of hip-hop-inspired experimental fun.

SAT 7/5 and SUN 7/6

Various Times
Magic Lantern Shows
at Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston (The Fens)
Various Prices

These are the Victorian-era version of movies. Vintage colored glass panels are projected every 30 seconds that is accompanied by live acting, narration, and music. This is so old-fashioned that it should be pretty wild!

SAT 7/5

3pm
"Spirit of '76"
$10 / $8 students & seniors

US history told as it was over 100 years ago. Audience participation is involved with tambourines, horns, and singing.

Deac Rossell (Goldsmiths College, London / ex-MFA, Boston) will discuss the "magic lantern" afterwards.

SUN 7/6

7pm
The Minwa-za Company of Tokyo
$10 / $8 students & seniors / $6 under 12

Four lanternists and three musicians will recreate utsushi-e, the Japanese version of Magic Lantern, that is actually about 200 years old. The Minwa-za Company is on their first tour of the US and will "perform" a collection of popular Kabuki, Bunraku, etc stories.

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SUN 7/6

9pm
The Impossible Shapes, Reports, Nurse & Soldier
at Milky Way Lounge, 403 Centre St, Jamaica Plain
FREE

Free quirky, noisy indie-pop-rock. Perhaps I shouldn't say this... I know I'm supposed to be a role model like Charles Barkley, but... I wasn't that impressed by Reports the first time I saw them. Again the right combination of heat, humidity, inebriation, and air-conditioning could turn this into a transcendent experience.

SUN 7/6

9:30pm
Lover, The Radio Knives, Doom Buggies
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$8 / 18+

Do you love garage-punk-rock?

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