Tix Giveaway for 12/9: Matt & Kim at House of Blues

UPDATE: The contest is closed. Congrats to James F.!

There's nothing wrong with MuteMath, but I would be way more interested in seeing Matt and Kim in concert. I don't always want to dance to the same tunes as other people, but the Brooklyn duo are pretty friggin' awesome.

And a lucky reader will win 2 tickets to the House of Blues show on Friday 12/9. (Tix still appear to be available for $24 or $35.)

I like to give everyone an equal chance to win, so here's the giveaway contest:

Remember that video for "Lessons Learned" where Matt and Kim streak through Times Square (see below)?

If you could streak with either Matt or Kim, who would you choose and where would you do it?

There are no wrong answers, but I will choose my favorite by noon tomorrow (12/7) and announce it shortly afterwards.

Two ways to enter:

Sign in and leave a comment with one of the listed ID's (Google, OpenID, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM) so I can contact you --or-- email me (add the punctuation).

ALSO:

A good source tells me a Matt & Kim sneaker will be available at the Converse Store (Back Bay) on Friday.

I called the store, and they said the band will be there on Saturday 12/10 some time between 1pm and 3pm.

I doubt they're actually hanging out and signing stuff for 2 solid hours, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out.


Matt and Kim - "Lessons Learned" from FVMMO Films on Vimeo

TUES 12/6: Talk, Dance, Music

Check back a little later, because there will be a ticket giveaway for the Matt and Kim / MuteMath concert at House of Blues on Friday 12/9.

I'm thinking of a good question to ask instead of simply giving it to the first response.

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TUES 12/6

6pm to 7:30pm
WorldBoston Great Decisions Series: "The Caucasus"
at Boston Room, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St, Boston (Copley Sq)
FREE

Feat: Monica Toft, Ph.D.

This area is so far out of the general public's awareness that Borat's country is on the other side of the Caspian Sea...

Professor Toft has written books with titles such as "The Geography of Ethnic Conflict" and "The Fog of Peace: Strategic and Military Planning under Uncertainty". It sounds like she will have some interesting things to say about the region ringed around by Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

TUES 12/6

6pm to 7:30pm
Barnet Schecter, "George Washington's America: A Biography Through His Maps": Author Talk
at Abbey Room, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St, Boston (Copley Sq)
FREE

Yeah, two lectures at the same location -- but talking about George Washington and maps is so different than international relations. The book includes many map images, so maybe there will be a few slides involved in the presentation...

TUES 12/6

7pm & 9pm
"Aurora Borealis 10: A Festival of Light and Dance"
at BU Dance Theater, 915 Comm Ave, Boston (enter on Buick St)
FREE

The strange light in the sky rarely reaches our latitude. For 10 years, the theatre and dance groups at BU have coordinated choreography and lighting for a special program. I'm not a dance critic, but I watched a clip from a couple years ago, and it looks entertaining.

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TUES 12/6

Ryan Fitzsimmons & Friends (7:30pm), Hayley Jane & The Primates (10pm)
at Toad, 1912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)
FREE

Show up early for fantastic folkiness led by singer-songwriter Ryan Fitzsimmons. Or show up late for fantastic folk-rockiness by Hayley Jane & The Primates. Or stay all night; it's free almost every night of the year.

TUES 12/6

Air Traffic Controller (11pm), The Honors (10pm), Rob / Minky Starshine (9:15pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$6

If I had made a Top-10 song list for last year, Air Traffic Controller's "The One" would have definitely been on it. Maybe not on top, but this is a superb example of his acoustic-flavored powerpop. I'm also a fan of The Honors' ridiculously catchy indie-rock. I assume the dude from Minky Starshine will open with a solo set.

12/5: Monday Briefly

It was 78 years today when the American people made it official that the alcohol Prohibition experiment was a failure.

I didn't put 'em on the calendar, but Bukowski's Tavern (Inman Sq) is having a "Fuck Prohibition!" party will be giving prizes to the best prohibition-era attire starting around 7:30pm.

And the Milky Way/Bella Luna has Stump Trivia at 8pm, and Batch 19 will be "buying beers" for folks (25-cent wings from 7 to 9 pm).

For my fellow X-lovers, John Doe is doing an electric gig at Brighton Music Hall ($15) tonight.

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Bach, Mahler, and Brahms are on deck tonight at New England Conservatory's "First Monday" monthly series (8pm / Free).

There's a free art/dance party at Middlesex Lounge (art 8pm / dance 10pm) with a bunch of decorated skulls -- and there should be a "Narragansett tasting"...

BU theatre and dance groups at present their annual free "Aurora Borealis" show tonight (8:30pm - open dress rehearsal) and tomorrow (7pm & 9pm) at the campus Dance Theater. (Watch a clip.)

Kathryn Calder has been singing and playing keyboards with The New Pornographers since the "Twin Cinema" album. She's at Church with her slightly gentler solo stuff (8:30pm / $10 / 21+).

There are few Mondays at Charlies Kitchen that I wouldn't enjoy. For Repeal Day, there are going to be a bunch of rootsy/twangy acts -- and probably some free 'Gansett (9:30pm / $5 / 21+).

At Great Scott, Gauntlet Hair is a Chicago/Colorado duo with loads of reverb and crazy drumming to fill the room. The delightful Dirty Dishes and Birthdays open (9:30pm / $10 / 18+).

Things are rarely what they seem at Jacques Cabaret, it is true that "Perestroika", the Monday night drag show is celebrating its 5th anniversary (10:30pm / $7 / 21+)...

SUN 12/4: Rock, Bubbe, Opera, Rock

Hey, I thought I put up the events on the calendar earlier. Oops.

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SUN 12/4

1pm
The Stereo State, Banquets, Great Lakes, Yale MA
at O'Brien's, 3 Harvard St, Allston
$7 / 18+

Is it bad that I might want to go to brunch on a Sunday instead of a punk-rock matinee? If you're young, young at heart and/or more hardcore than me, then you'll hear good selection of loud 'n fast. Am digging the pop-punk of The Stereo State and Yale MA. Maybe it's because they're from NJ, I hear a little emo

SUN 12/4

2pm
Bubbe & Avrom Honig, "Feed Me Bubbe: Recipes and Wisdom from America's Favorite Online Grandmother"
at Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St, Brookline (Coolidge Corner)
FREE

These two could be a Saturday Night Live sketch, but the grandma is pretty adorable -- and the over-enunciating grandson doesn't interject nearly enough to make it a full-on comedy. It seems like Avrom really enjoys spending time with his Bubbe, and it's not where the guy is pushing her to do it.

I think there could be a big crowd for this one...

SUN 12/4

7:30pm
Winter Opera Scenes
at CFA Concert Hall, 855 Comm Ave, Boston (BU campus)
FREE

The thing about watching "opera scenes" is that you don't have to sit through a whole opera. I assume you'll get the highlights from a mix of well-known works and the less-familiar. They say "staged scenes", so it should a bit more than students singing on a bare stage.

SUN 12/4

9pm
Bunny's A Swine, Shepherdess, LadyBust
at Radio, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
$5 / 21+

If you're into fuzzy, catchy rock that make bob your head or do a silly dance, then Bunny's A Swine has potential to be your new favorite band.
messy indie-pop of Bunny's A Swine


I think it's been a while since I've mentioned that Shepherdess frontwoman Hilken Mancini has been making cool music for years in various bands since Fuzzy and other cool projects like Punk Rock Aerobics and Girls Rock Camp. Shepherdess is more sweet, alt-rock with a twist.

It's also a CD release party for indie-pop Bunny's A Swine, and why not have a puppet show at a party? That may be LadyBust...

SAT 12/3: Night Cheapness

I couldn't help myself -- I like both flyers. Even though they're so different in content, I like the complementary colors...

Sunday cheapness on the calendar.

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SAT 12/3

7pm
Calling All Angels 2: A Benefit for Friends of Emilia
at Radio, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
$10 / 21+

Feat: Jessica Sun Lee, John Powhida, Full Body Anchor, Black Thai, Age Rings, Mary Bichner, Aloud

Doors open 6pm

It's a good thing that there's so many good bands playing to focus on, because the cause is really friggin' emotional. This is the second annual concert in memory of a little girl who never left the hospital and to support the BIDMC Newborn Intensive Care.

Think of it as a celebration. Since Emilia lived her life, the couple are the parents of a little boy.

There are some really good bands. Aloud is great stuff. John Powhida has been charming me for years since The Rudds ruled my Boston. I'm quickly becoming a fan of Mary Bichner's Box Five. Age Rings rocks. Full Body Anchor rocks harder. Black Thai rocks even harder.

Of course, there will be raffles too.

SAT 12/3

8pm
"Love's Fire"
at 808 Gallery, 808 Comm Ave, Boston (BU campus)
$5

Back in 1997, seven playwrights created one-acts based on Shakespeare sonnets. They included Eric Bogosian, Tony Kushner, Wendy Wasserstein, Marsha Norman, John Guare, Ntozake Shange, and William Finn.

The inspiration is classic material, although the yielded tales have had mixed reviews over the years. It could be worth a shot for something different...

SAT 12/3

8pm
Winter Soul Revue
at Church, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston (Fenway)
$10 / 21+

Midnight -- Miss Fairchild
11pm -- Jordan Valentine & The Sunday Saints
10pm -- Jenny Dee & The Delinquents
9pm -- Nicky Egan
8pm -- The Bold Type

Yes, there is a lot of soul music to shake a tail-feather. I love the big band with horns and powerhouse vocals by Jenny Dee and Jordan Valentine. Miss Fairchild definitely has a funky party vibe. Nicky Egan and The Bold Type are smaller combos, and I like the extra helping of rock 'n roll with The Bold Type.

SAT 12/3

Yoni Gordon (Midnight), The Diamond Mines (11pm), Hands & Knees (10pm), The Fagettes (9pm)
at Precinct, 70 Union Sq, Somerville (Union Sq)
$7

When you don't need a theme or a benefit or a concept, this is the show. Just bunches of punky-poppy goodness, one after the other.

SAT 12/3

9pm
"Negroes on Ice"
at FutureBar, 58 Ross Way, Quincy (near Quincy Center)
$8 / 21+

Feat: Prince Paul, DJ P Forreal, Talent Harris, Breeze Brewin', Soce the Elemental Wizard

I watched some of the Ustream offerings, and it wasn't that promising, but Prince Paul has done some really cool projects over his career like producing Big Daddy Kane, 3rd Bass, and De La Soul. I know he did some stuff with "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", and Handsome Boy Modeling School was hip-hop with a sense of humor.

I tried to find a real review of this theatrical-musical-comedy performance that had a run last year, and I couldn't. Still I think the beats will fantastic, and the show will probably be pretty funny led by Prince Paul and his son P Forreal.

Isn't "Negroes on Ice" twisted enough to pique your interest? It looks very walkable from the T...