Friday, November 14, 2008

FRI 11/14: Wine, Talk, Reggae, Salsa, Blues, Jazz, Irish Film

Leo Genovese
Instead of making people wait, I doing more of an usual daily post and will hopefully get the whole she-bang out later (or more weekend stuff at the least). I noticed there's no cheap rock listed tonight, but there are MANY good options tonmorrow!

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FRI 11/14

5pm to 7pm
"Friday Flight School: Thanksgiving Pairings"
at 606 Congress, Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, 606 Congress St, Boston (South Boston/Seaport)
$5 donation

There's a weekly wine tasting at this hotel restaurant near the waterfront tonight. I mentioned the first one about 6 weeks ago, and there are only two more sessions this year. Tonight are wines to go with Thanksgiving; next week is "606 Congress Uncorked", some highlights from their wine list.

Sure, some places offer free wine tastings, but your $5 will benefit Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. Each might have a 'theme' and will be "accompanied by seasonal
light bites prepared by chef Toby Hill."

It's supposed to be a casual event, so you can show up any time between 5pm and 7pm. Be gluttonous! You gave to charity... (I might even see how much booze you can get for $5 probably more than a full glass altogether.)

FRI 11/14

7pm
Mia Kirshner, "I Live Here": Discussion
at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
FREE

Okay, she's one of the actresses on "The L Word", but she collaborated with a group of authors and artists to create a "print documentary" (others call it a "book", Mia) about 4 hot spots: war in Chechnya, ethnic cleansing in Burma, globalization in Mexico, and AIDS in Malawi.

Presented in association with Amnesty International, their Northeast Regional Director Joshua Rubenstein will introduce the evening.

(She's Canadian, so this isn't a total ditz. You could still stare if the words bore you...)


FRI 11/14

8pm
Fear Nuttin Band
at The Apple Store, 815 Boylston St, Boston (Back Bay)
FREE

If you're jonesing for some sleekly designed technology products and reggae-rock, the Fear Nuttin Band from Springfield is giving an acoustic performance the largest Apple store in the world. Sounds pretty good...

FRI 11/14

9pm
"A Night of Salsa"
at Milky Way Lounge, 403 Centre St, Jamaica Plain
$10 before 10pm, $13 after 10pm

A Night of Salsa with Jose Masso (Host of WBUR's Con Salsa) and MetaMovements, a dance lessons group. Masso is going to give a presentation on salsa from 9pm to 9:45pm. MetaMovements gives salsa lessons from 9:45pm to 10:30pm, so experienced dancers could go through the motions or sit at the bar with a $3+ drink... Looks like Jose Masso is going to DJ most of the night, and MetaMovements perform around midnight.

FRI 11/14

10pm
Monster Mike Welch
at Johnny D's, 17 Holland St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$10

Mike Welch is from Somerville, but he's got the Chicago blues down pat. From the first 10 seconds I listened to him, I knew this guy was a sick player. He's still pretty young, but he started getting attention as a kid in the early-90's ("Elwood" from the Blues Brothers gave him his nickname). Welch has a masterful touch and a soulful voice. I thought he was good when I saw him.

FRI 11/14

9:30pm
Leo Genovese & the Chromatic Gauchos
at Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire St, Cambridge (Inman Sq)
$10

Leo Genovese is an Argentinian-born pianist who went to Berklee, and it looks like he still makes his home around here when he's not touring with various groups including Esperanza Spalding. He's an amazing musician who's just going to keep getting more attention and accolades on a national and international level. There's a good chance that $10 gigs will happen less often. He's playing in a quartet (with sax) setting tonight.

FRI 11/14 and SAT 11/15

Various Times
Annual Magners Irish Film Festival
at Harvard Film Archive, Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St, Cambridge (Harvard campus)
$10 (Friday) / $8 Saturday

The film festival started last night, but it was sold out in advance. Tonight's screening is considered a "special event" because it's two of the festival's award-winners: "Director's Choice" and "Best Short Fiction":

FRI 11/14:
7pm
"Vox Humana", "The Basket Case"
Neither are comedies tonight, if you know what I mean. (They're quite sad yet lovely films.) There's an after-party at Grafton Street Bar & Grill starting around 9:30pm that's open to anyone. Maybe some Irish filmmakers will be there.

There are more movies tomorrow, but I think these are your best bets:
SAT 10/15:
5pm: "At Home With the Clearys" (Best Documentary -- about a priest who has a kid with the maid)
7pm: "Anton", "Lowland Fell"
9pm: "Kings"
All look quite good, and there's not much chance of wider distribution. I think "Kings" made the festival rounds last year to good reviews, but I don't recall a Boston run.

(Yes, the dates of the whole festival are 11/13 to 11/24 but it's more like 11/13 to 11/16 and 11/20 to 11/24. Later next week is a retrospective of director John Boorman.)

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