Weekend Calendar

A full Friday post is coming.

It was tough to pare down my highlights to 15, but I did it yesterday if you're interested.

There are a few international flavors on the calendar and a few more that might sound like a good time for you.

If you're in the mood for Italian, this weekend is the Madonna Della Cava Feast in the North End. For something more low-key yet authentic, one could take the Orange Line to Malden for the annual Feast of St Rocco.

Even though the Dominican Festival not listed on the Franklin Park site (or even listed on its own website), there's a good chance that you hang with a lot of Dominicans in the park with music and food.

Also in Jamaica Plain this weekend is a Lebanese festival which will have entertainment but may be more like a Lebanese grandmother who wants you to eat.

About Monday's "The Big Lebowski" screening/party at the Coolidge Corner is already sold out. (It's like someone pissing on your rug.)

THUR 8/9: Art, Music, Shakespeare

Whoops, here is tonight's suggestions.

Most of the cheapness through Tuesday is on the calendar, and some of my top pix are in the post below.

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THUR 8/9

5pm to 9pm
Neighborhood Nights: "Gardens Alive!"
at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 The Fenway, Boston (The Fens)
FREE

Like Isabella did when she was alive, the Gardner Museum is opening the doors on a few summer nights for the community to enjoy the collection. (Tell them I sent you, if they ask...)

Tonight is the last free night to roam around this wonderful and peculiar landmark that I've always enjoyed. (The theme is mainly for kids.)

And you can check out the new, Renzo Piano-designed wing where the carriage house used to be, which is worth a visit to the Fens by itself.

THUR 8/9

7pm
Mikael Ringquist, Marcus Santos & Bloco AfroBrazil
at O'Day Park, 85 W Newton St, Boston (South End)
FREE

There's one more night of the annual Tito Puente Latin Music Series to get down in some vaguely spasmodic version of the salsa.
http://www.iba-etc.org/events/2012/tplms.html

These guys do a drum-heavy style of Brazilian music, so you can move any way and fit in.

THUR 8/9 (thru SUN 8/12)

8pm
Shakespeare on the Common: "Coriolanus"
at Parkman Bandstand, about 165 Tremont St, Boston (Boston Common / Tremont St Side)
FREE

Thursday to Saturday -- 8pm
Sunday -- 7pm

In its 17th year, Shakespeare on the Common is perennially one of the best cheap thrills you'll find in Boston. Sure... New York has 'Shakespeare in the Park', but not every town has professional actors bringing the Bard to life outside where anyone can walk up and get cultured.

The story in "Coriolanus", a play set in Rome and written 400 years ago, might be familiar to the contemporary audience: People rioting in the street, because resources are being withheld from the masses. Those in power think they don't deserve it, and the main character has a special disdain for the common person although he's encouraged to run for office.

Although last year's film may have earned some accessibility for the play, it's long been said to be one the lesser works of Shakespeare. Like the movie, the sets probably won't look like Rome; there will also be some fight scenes.

Despite my indifference to the selection, I will still list the play every night, because 1) you might like it anyway and 2) this is an annual gift to the residents (and visitors).

"May not be appropriate for all ages. Parental discretion is advised."

Show up early for musical performances from NEC students from 6:20 to 7pm.

THUR 8/9

8:30pm & 10pm
"Oberon Across the Charles: The Donkey Show"
at W Hotel Lounge, 100 Stuart St, Boston (Theater District)
FREE / 21+

This is a tough one to figure out. "The Donkey Show" at the Oberon is more of a dance party that's loosely based on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

As part of the Boston Phoenix's "Electric Summer Music Series", there will be 2 mini-performances in the lounge(?) in conjunction with the restaurant's themed $150 dinner.

It'll be interesting to see how the one-percenters and moochers will interact in the midst of bread and circus...

THUR 8/9

8:30pm
"Together We Fall Apart: A Live Mix Tape"
at Precinct, 70 Union Sq, Somerville (Union Sq)
$10

Feat: Ad Frank, Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, Kristen Ford, Ruby Rose Fox, Kirsten Lamb, Mike Descoteaux, Jamei Bauer, Shelby Francis, Eric Ott, Kristina Blanchflower, Goli, The Sneaky Mister, The Coyote Choir, Matt Fox, The Crazy Exes from Hell

Ooh, the cool part of the gig is that everyone goes home mix CD of the songs being performed. When you wish to hear one of these covers again -- or make a special mixtape for someone else -- it can come true.

There are links to some fresh recordings on the FB page that include Weezer's Velvet Underground's "Satellite of Love", Blondie's "Heart of Glass", and "Nothing Compares 2 U" inspired by Sinead's version.

THUR 8/9

Township (11:30pm), Coyote Kolb (10:30pm), The Silks (9:45pm), New Highway Hymnal (9pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

Woo, boy! If the psych-rock doesn't get you or the double dose of rootsy blues/rock in the middle, the massive hard rock of Township will make you unfit to drive. Get ready to stumble to the T or a cab as you're head is pounding in a most enjoyable way.

15 Cheap Thrills for the Weekend

Until Thursday cheapness is posted, here are some of the 'best bets' for the Tax-Free Weekend (synopsis and the fine print).

If you've noticed a white-haired dude taking pictures at a show, that was probably Bob Colby who is having a birthday bash at TT the Bears on SUN 8/12 with 11 hours of bands for more than $10.

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FRI 8/10

5pm to 8pm
Second Fridays
at MIT Museum, 265 Mass Ave, Cambridge (near Central Sq)
FREE

There are many cool things in the museum, and why not see it for free? Tonight's bonus: "Fun with slide rules" (Really!)

FRI 8/10 (thru SUN 8/19)

7pm
Jean Renoir’s "Grand Illusion": 75th Anniversary Restoration
at Harvard Film Archive, 24 Quincy St, Cambridge (Harvard campus)
$9 / $7 Non-Harvard students, senior citizens

A beautiful film about nationalism and socio-economic class is going look more beautiful than ever.

It plays at various times through Monday, then next Friday through Sunday.

(Yes, it's a French black & white film with subtitles.)

FRI 8/10

7pm to 9pm
"Street Diamonds": Opening Reception
at Fourth Wall Project, 132 Brookline Ave, Boston (Fenway)
FREE / 21+

Feat: Chris Piascik, Nineta, Silas Finch, Alphabet Soup, Repeat Press, Jeremy Packer, Heather McGrath, Muro-Buro, Mitch Weiss, James Mustin, Paper Fortress, Ryan Lombardi, Josh Lafayette, Tony Luong, April Clay, Goldenstash, Dan McCarthy, Robert Maloney, The !nd!v!duals w/ Silver Oris

The theme of the multi-artist, multimedia exhibit is diamonds (natural and metaphorical).

"Opening is sponsored by PBR."

FRI 8/10

8:30pm
The Wandas, St. Helena, Oranjuly, The Laughing Heart Band
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 advance / $12 day of show / 18+

Since the advance tickets are $10, it's still qualifies as a 'cheap thrill'. It's worth a trip to the Middle East's upstairs ticket office for wall-to-wall catchy rock.

FRI 8/10

10:30pm
Holiday Mountain
at Plough & Stars, 912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$5-ish / 21+

I didn't pay enough attention to Holiday Mountain's fun weirdness, and now they're moving to Austin soon.

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SAT 8/11

9am to 6:30pm
Cambridge Discovery Days 2012: "Power & Politics"
at Various Locations in Cambridge
Most FREE

More history infotainment than you can stand that's described in short and long PDF files.

SAT 8/11

1pm
"Where’s Waldo?" Crawl
start at Paddy O's, 33 Union St, Boston (near Faneuil Hall)
$5 / 21+

Get out your red-striped shirt & cap, and you will still blend in with this crowd.

RSVP is suggested.

SAT 8/11

6pm to 10pm
Hungry Tiger Street Food Festival
at Union Sq Plaza, Somerville (nexus of Somerville Ave, Washington St, Bow St)
FREE

Rain Date -- SUN 8/12

There is a more than a boat load of international eats in Union Square who will set up around the plaza with live music and other entertainment.

SAT 8/11

9pm
HR (from Bad Brains), Ska-Prest, Super Ska, DJ Ford E. Buxworth
at Radio, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
$10 / 21+

His current stuff is more reggae than punk these days, and supporting the lead singer from Bad Brains is the karmically correct thing.

What? Were you going see the Sublime tribute band at Church?

SAT 8/11

11:15pm to 6am
Annual Boston by Bike at Night
Start at Trinity Church, about 600 Bolyston St, Boston (Copley Sq)
FREE

Riding around town all night in a giant posse is probably more awesome than running the marathon. The adventure likely begins at 11:45pm, but get there early to fill out a liability waiver and general organization.

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SUN 8/12

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

Dim sum places will be more crowded than usual, but there's entertainment in the streets. Maybe you can snack on a mooncakes -- it's a Moon Festival thing.

SUN 8/12

2:30pm to 5:30pm
Dr. Sketchy's: Burlesque Drawing Class
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$8 / 18+

Model: Ludella Hahn

Drawing in a bar is less creepy when the subject knows it's happening in a casual art-fun happening. Grab something to draw with, and the bar will gladly sell you beverages.

SUN 8/12

3:30pm to 8pm
India Day Celebration
at Hatch Shell, Storrow Dr, Boston (Charles River Esplanade)
FREE

It's the 65th anniversary of India's independence, so you could join the local celebration of food, music, dance, vendors, etc.

SUN 8/12

6pm
Berklee Summer in the City: Kina Zore
at Allerton Overlook, about 142 Pond Ave, Brookline (near Brookline Village)
FREE

Hey, how often do you hear an Afro-pop band in the Emerald Necklace.

SUN 8/12

7pm
"Passion Play"
at Club Oberon, 2 Arrow St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$10 standing room

The 3 acts aren't really different productions of the Jesus story, but the play happens while people at different times and places are going to perform it.

Playwright Sarah Ruhl and her plays receive frequent accolades.

Goldstar Pick o' the Week -- Romeo & Juliet

(Original photo from Wikipedia)

The Goldstar people approached me to spread the word about their website, so I decided to share one of their deals now and then. I had already used their service, so I know it works.

They offer various 50% (or more) discounts to a variety of events like theater, comedy, music, etc.

Yes, you have to register. And they send emails on a regular basis -- but you can read/delete them as you like. I suggest reading them more often than not, because some early-bird discounts provide almost free admission.

Yes, they're "free" tickets have service charges so it's not really free -- but I have and will try to represent the true costs.

I screwed up and meant to post this earlier in the day. My bad.

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FRI 8/10 (thru SAT 8/25)

Various Times
"Romeo and Juliet"
at Plaza Theatre, Boston Center for Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston (South End)
$4 or $7 to $16 Goldstar price (vs $24)

A few years ago I saw a performance of "Romeo and Juliet" where the characters spoke the Bard's original words yet they were modern clothes as if they were people like you or I. The play made more sense than any other time I've seen it live or on screen.

Based on the promotional photo, it could be the same kind of situation with a better cast and director.

Unfortunately, the cheapest tickets are only available today. (You could've seen it early if you were already on their mailing list.

Goldstar tickets to the preview on FRI 8/10 (8pm) are $4 or $9 versus the full price of $12.

When the full price is $24, they are offering $7 tickets today only -- then $16 to the following dates:

SAT 8/11 -- 8pm
THUR 8/16 -- 7:30pm
FRI 8/17 -- 8pm
SAT 8/18 -- 8pm
THUR 8/23 -- 7:30pm
FRI 8/24 -- 8pm
SAT 8/25 -- 8pm

It's not free Shakespeare in the Common and we all know the ending, yet we're still open to seeing new versions...

WED 8/8: Jazz, Opera, Talk, Shakespeare, Rock, Tonk

There are a couple choices to sit outside and be entertained for free. It couldn't be worse than sitting in your apartment?

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WED 8/8

6:30pm
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble
at Titus Sparrow Park, 200 W. Newton St, Boston (South End)
FREE

I rave about the HonkFest every year, and the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble were a big part in getting that started. They've been the wild sound and vision of New Orleans and free jazz for years including multiple gigs at Mardi Gras.

From their first gig at a "pagan women's ritual celebration" to the Kennedy Center, we can still see big-horn-party jazz in crazy costumes on a summer evening in the park (thru WED 9/5).

WED 8/8

7pm
Landmarks Orchestra & Boston Lyric Opera: "Around the World in 80 Minutes"
at Hatch Shell, Storrow Dr, Boston (Charles River Esplanade)
FREE

Program:

Wagner, "The Flying Dutchman - Overture"
Wagner, "Tannhäuser - Song to the Evening Star"
Wagner, "Tannhäuser - Dich Teure Halle"
Puccini, "La Bohème - Marcello/Rodolfo Duet"
Puccini, "Madama Butterfly - Flower Duet, Un bel di"
Puccini, "La Rondine - Quartet"
Mozart, "Così Fan Tutte - Fiordiligi/Dorabella Act I Duet"

Intermission

Wagner, "Lohengrin - Prelude to Act III"
Mozart, "Così Fan Tutte - Fiordiligi/Dorabella Act II Duet"
Bizet, "The Pearl Fishers - Nadir/Zurga Duet"
Delibes, "Lakmé - Flower Duet"
Sullivan, "The Mikado - A Wand’ring Minstrel I, Here’s a How-de-do"
Puccini, "Turandot - Nessun dorma"
Bernstein, "Trouble in Tahiti - What a Movie"
Weber, "Oberon - Over the Dark Blue Waters"

For the more sophisticated crowd who wants to hang out in a park, opera will float over the Charles River. One doesn't need to be too much more sophisticated, because the program is a sampler box of sweet treats from the favorite works of the genre.

Hence the catchy title, "Around the World in 80 Minutes", for the locations where the operas take place like France, Italy, Japan, America, and Sri Lanka.

WED 8/8

7pm
Cheryl Strayed, "Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar": Reading
at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
FREE

Maybe you haven't read the "Dear Sugar" advice column on The Rumpus, but the advice seems rather honest and helpful.

The columnist Cheryl Strayed has compiled a "best-of" with previously unreleased goodies in her newest book. It may not be chosen for Oprah's Online Book Club like her novel "Wild", but that's not such a bad thing.

WED 8/8 (thru SUN 8/12)

8pm
Shakespeare on the Common: "Coriolanus"
at Parkman Bandstand, about 165 Tremont St, Boston (Boston Common / Tremont St Side)
FREE

Wednesday to Saturday -- 8pm
Sunday -- 7pm

In its 17th year, Shakespeare on the Common is perennially one of the best cheap thrills you'll find in Boston. Sure... New York has 'Shakespeare in the Park', but not every town has professional actors bringing the Bard to life outside where anyone can walk up and get cultured.

The story in "Coriolanus", a play set in Rome and written 400 years ago, might be familiar to the contemporary audience: People rioting in the street, because resources are being withheld from the masses. Those in power think they don't deserve it, and the main character has a special disdain for the common person although he's encouraged to run for office.

Although last year's film may have earned some accessibility for the play, it's long been said to be one the lesser works of Shakespeare. Like the movie, the sets probably won't look like Rome; there will also be some fight scenes.

Despite my indifference to the selection, I will still list the play every night, because 1) you might like it anyway and 2) this is an annual gift to the residents (and visitors).

"May not be appropriate for all ages. Parental discretion is advised."

Show up early for musical performances from NEC students like jazz by The Malcolm Campbell Trio from 6:20 to 7pm.

WED 8/8

8:30pm
The Connection, The Sleepwalkers, Mike Gent
at Radio, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
$8 / 21+

Hail, hail, rock n' roll.

The Connection whip up their own hippy-hippy-shake like a really fun band from the early-60s as if you're hearing newly remastered gem.

Wisconsin rockers The Sleepwalkers are loud 'n jangly with a bit of twang that exudes a vitality in music and lyrics.

Mike Gent of The Figgs will probably open up with a solo set of killer songs, because any more night overshadow the other bands.

WED 8/8

9pm
Lucky Tubb & The Modern Day Troubadours, Roy Sludge Trio, Pete Wiltham & The Cozmik Zombies
at The Midway Cafe, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain
$10

It's not every night that an heir of true honky-tonk passes through these parts. Lucky Tubb seems like the genuine article of hillbilly-country and based out of Austin to be just a little weird for the 21st century.

It doesn't matter whether good ol' Roy Sludge is genuine, this is damn fine & witty country music for New Englanders to drink, dance, and holler. (Those things happen when listening to country & western.) Along for the ride is rockabilly Pete Wiltham and his The Cozmik Zombies.