THUR 7/9: Cheese, Karaoke, Comedies, Latin/Jazz, Rock

Lots of stuff going on tonight. There's even a good selection of outdoor events to take advantage of the a pleasant evening.

If anyone actually goes to the Amstel Light party at Ned Devine's, I'd love to hear what you thought.

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THUR 7/9

6pm to 9pm
Boston Localvores Cheese Tasting
at Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave, Somerville (near Union Sq)
$3 suggested donation

Man does not live by bread alone. You need some cheese too! Taste some of the good stuff from Mass and New England with a friendly bunch of locavores in a lovely, green setting. If you aren't behind the concept of eating locally yet, there will be plenty of people who'd love to talk about it.

They encourage people to bring their favorite local cheese, or something else to share, e.g bread or fruit or jam. (Wine is conspicuously absent, but who's offended by a few fermented grapes?) The donation sounds like it's only a suggestion, unlike some places where 'suggested' is treated like a euphemism.

THUR 7/9

6:30pm to 7:30pm
Outdoor Karaoke Party
at Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston (The Fens)
FREE

The new exhibit at the MFA, "Seeing Songs", contains about 60 paintings, photos, and video installations intended to celebrate and capture the spirit of music. There are many images of rockers, Kandinsky paintings, and more...

One of the main attractions at the new exhibit is video artist Candice Breitz's "Queen (A Portrait of Madonna)" where 30 separate people singing Madonna songs.

I watched a clip, and it's hilarious -- 30 screens, 30 people doing Madonna with no music. A full loop of the piece includes all the songs on "Immaculate Collection", her 80's greatest hits compilation.

The video is going to be projected on the front of the museum for an outdoor party on the Huntington Ave lawn. I wonder if there will be backing music on the MFA lawn as the crowd sings along to Madonna songs.

Afterwards, party people can go inside the museum for free and see the whole exhibit. The MFA is open until 9:45pm on Wednesdays to Fridays...

THUR 7/9 (thru THUR 8/6)

6:45pm
"The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged)"
at Christian Herter Park, 1175A Soldiers Field Road, Brighton (near Charles River, across from WBZ)
FREE

It doesn't hurt to support the art buy paying ($15) at a Friday-thru-Sunday performance, but I'm hear to tell you about the free shows for 5 consecutive Thursdays. I tried to attend a production of this show a few years ago (it was r-a-i-n-e-d out), but it sounds hilarious. About 20 years ago, a 3-man troupe premiered their mash-up of 37 Shakespeare plays in slightly more than 90 minutes at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

It's happening where the Publick Theatre has performed Shakespeare on a yearly basis, but they're "on hiatus." Besides the Bard being twisted for free, there are grills at the park for anyone to make burgers medium-rare or As You Like It...

If you have valid student ID, you can get in for free on Fridays too.

THUR 7/9

7pm
Orquesta Bacharengue
at Mozart Park, 10 Mozart St, Jamaica Plain (Hyde Sq, off Centre St)
FREE

When I saw the name of the band I was hoping it would be Johann S. Bach played in a merengue style! In fact, it's just a project by percussionist and Berklee instructor Ricardo Monzón where he and hot players blend two genres from the Dominican Republic, merengue and bachata. In general, there seems to be a major rhythmic difference: Merengue makes you crisply shake back and forth, left and right like a machine. Bachata has an easier sway like an island breeze it's undulating...

They'll be joined by keyboardist/producer Henry Jiménez who's worked with loads of artists.

Whatever it sounds like, you will want to dance. Or move quite a bit as you sit in the park. Mozart Park? This would be a perfect place for Bach, Latin-style...

This is the first week of four "Tito Puente Latin Music Series" weeks. It moves from JP to O'Day Park in the South End next week.

THUR 7/9 (thru SAT 7/25)

7:30pm
"The Wedding on the Eiffel Tower" (and other absurdities of Love)
at Mary O’Malley Park, Commandant’s Way, Chelsea (Waterfront)
FREE

Apollinaire's annual bilingual theatre production returns to Chelsea. I know it's not easy to get there by public transportation, but I rarely list anything over there.

Three short plays are performed Wednesday through Sunday -- in English on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; in Spanish on Fridays and Sundays.

The program includes:

- "The Wedding on the Eiffel Tower" by Jean Cocteau
- "Jack or the Submission" by Eugene Ionesco
- "Humulus the Mute" by Jean Anouilh

All quality choices to spark an adventure on the other side of the Tobin...

THUR 7/9

9pm
Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears, Mighty Tiny, Suit Of Hair, The Takeover UK
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$9 / 18+

I was immediately impressed by Bryan Scary's brilliant power-pop mastery. It's as if this guy was supernaturally touched by The Beatles at a deserted crossroads somewhere in Brooklyn. BS & The ST call their stuff "cinematic pop", and it does have soaring, majestic elements that will remind you of Queen. Some moments also reminded me of bands like Jellyfish and Sloan.

It's an impressive lineup with another touring band and two locals. With one foot in the past and one in the present, Mighty Tiny plays gypsy-jazz/carnival-rock; they all wear masks like a cabaret-punk version of Slipknot. The slightly askew vibe to Suit Of Hair's spiky indie-rock makes me think of GBV and TMBG, but you can listen and let them create a new alphabet soup for you.

Even though The Takeover UK are from Pittsburgh, the Brit-suffix is understandable. Listening to their songs is like finding a forgotten CD mixed in with your Buzzcocks and The Jam. It does have a contemporary vibe like The Strokes without the douchebaggery.

THUR 7/9

The Irreverends (Midnight), The Modifiers (11pm), Preacher Roe (10pm), The Gilded Splinters (9pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$8 / 18+

I guess The Irreverends are on a 6-month reunion cycle since their last return was in December. You won't hear a complaint from me, if they keep on delivering their Stonesy riff-gasms.

It's a full night that presents various shades of punchy alt-country and rootsy rock that meets somewhere The Replacements, "mad dogs", and "Englishmen".