SUN 12/26: Sunday Night Off-Topic Video

Did you not get what you want...?

SUN 12/26: Stories, Cards, Music

Hey, folks. I'm still on West-Coast vacation, this is what happens when I get up late and football starts earlier...

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SUN 12/26

7pm
Story Slam: "Holidaze"
at Milky Way Lounge/Bella Luna, 284 Amory St, Jamaica Plain (The Brewery Complex)
$5

6:30pm: Sign-up
7pm: Stories start

Ah, the holidays... Ain't it a fertile season for great stories? You don't have to tell one from this year, but they are looking for a real story, like when your drug-addict cousin wants to crash with you instead of staying with their parents then steal a bunch of your stuff...

Bring your five minute story on the theme and your could be one of ten lucky tellers drawn at random to tell and be judged.

Joining co-hosts Robin Maxfield and HR Britton will be Rabbi Moshe Waldoks from Brookline's Temple Beth Zion. The rabbi knows a few good stories as co-editor of The Big Book of Jewish Humor.

SUN 12/26

8pm
Texas Hold'em Poker Night
at Johnny D's, 17 Holland St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
FREE / 18+

Hey, it's free chance to play some poker. They play every week, and you might win a prize if you do well enough. You'll have to sign up as a member of the Beantown Poker Tour, but that's free too.

You need to register when you get there to play, but it's free.

SUN 12/26

8pm
The Caress Family Christmas Party
at Tommy Doyle's, 96 Winthrop St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
FREE

Feat: Josh/Jordan/Alex Caress, The True New Fire, The Troubadours

A family of singer-songwriter/rocker siblings play a gig with some friends and their various projects while all of them are in town for the holidays.

SUN 12/26

9:30pm
"Twas the Night After Xmas": Part 5
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$10 / 18+

Feat: Elemental Zazen, Ovr Cast, Kevin Walker, Nasty Nat, Nezze Ne, Jesse Kilroy, Emoh Betta

Hosted by Sly Young

Why not hear some quality hip-hop to start the last week of the year?

SAT 12/25: More Schmaltzy Xmas

Yeah, it's a bit of a cheat to list the same stuff again, but it's still valid...

The Boston Common Frog Pond ($4 / $8 skate rental) is open from 4pm to 9pm.

I think of this as a 'going to the movies' day in general. "Edward Scissorhands" is playing at the Brattle ($9.75) at 9:30pm -- and it does have a Xmas scene in Southern California. (Wow, it's been 20 years since it was released.)

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SAT 12/25 (thru SUN 1/2)

10am to 9pm
The Enchanted Village
at Jordan's Furniture, 100 Stockwell Dr, Avon
FREE

Hours of Operation:

Monday thru Saturday -- 10am to 9pm
Sunday -- 11am to 6pm

Maybe because this chunk of Boston history is part of my childhood memories, but I think the barely-animated displays of winter scenes look really friggin' creepy!

The semi-realistic mannequins that usually have one slowly-moving element reminds me of an old "Twilight Zone" episode. Maybe chug a bottle of cough syrup, have a blueberry muffin, and brave the long lines...

I drove by Jordan's in Avon last weekend, and it was only about a 20-minute drive after we were south of the O'Neill Tunnel.

SAT 12/25 (thru ???)

After Dark
Illuminations: Self Tour
around Somerville (Winter Hill, Union Sq, East Somerville)
$5 to $3 to FREE

The trolley tours occurred last Saturday, however the lights should be on for a couple more days. It wouldn't be too hard to drive around at your own pace and enjoy the glowing gaudiness. Any can walk it, of course, depending on how far or long one wants to go.

Update: Did you get your booklet/map yesterday? You probably have to wait until tomorrow or plan a route with the Google map.

There are a couple ways to go:

The "City of Lights" booklet has profiles of many decorators with street addresses in the back. It's sells for $5 at various Somerville & Cambridge stores. It's nice little book on the Illumination tradition. Ad the proceeds go to the Somerville Arts Council, which does a lot of cool stuff throughout the year.

It's possible/probable that some of those listed in that booklet don't still go full-bore, so you can pick up this year's route map for $3 at Blue Cloud (Ball Sq) and Magpie (Davis Sq). Proceeds also go to the Somerville Arts Council, and they should also have the "City of Lights".

Some people rode their bicycles along the route last week, and they made a Google map. It ain't as pretty, but it gives you an idea where to go...

FRI 12/24: Schmaltzy Xmas Spectacle

This is a difficult day to find cheap fun (besides hitting a tavern and enjoy some liquid cheer)...

Neither of these items are specific to Friday, but I didn't list anything last year.

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FRI 12/24 (thru SUN 1/2)

10am to 9pm
The Enchanted Village
at Jordan's Furniture, 100 Stockwell Dr, Avon
FREE

Hours of Operation:

Monday thru Saturday -- 10am to 9pm
Sunday -- 11am to 6pm

Maybe because this chunk of Boston history is part of my childhood memories, but I think the barely-animated displays of winter scenes look really friggin' creepy!

The semi-realistic mannequins that usually have one slowly-moving element reminds me of an old "Twilight Zone" episode. Maybe chug a bottle of cough syrup, have a blueberry muffin, and brave the long lines...

I drove by Jordan's in Avon last weekend, and it was only about a 20-minute drive after we were south of the O'Neill Tunnel.

FRI 12/24 (thru ???)

After Dark
Illuminations: Self Tour
around Somerville (Winter Hill, Union Sq, East Somerville)
$5 to $3 to FREE

The trolley tours occurred last Saturday, however the lights should be on for a couple more days. It wouldn't be too hard to drive around at your own pace and enjoy the glowing gaudiness. Any can walk it, of course, depending on how far or long one wants to go.

There are a couple ways to go:

The "City of Lights" booklet has profiles of many decorators with street addresses in the back. It's sells for $5 at various Somerville & Cambridge stores. It's nice little book on the Illumination tradition. Ad the proceeds go to the Somerville Arts Council, which does a lot of cool stuff throughout the year.

It's possible/probable that some of those listed in that booklet don't still go full-bore, so you can pick up this year's route map for $3 at Blue Cloud (Ball Sq) and Magpie (Davis Sq). Proceeds also go to the Somerville Arts Council, and they should also have the "City of Lights".

Some people rode their bicycles along the route last week, and they made a Google map. It ain't as pretty, but it gives you an idea where to go...

THUR 12/23: Free Music

Happy Festivus everyone! Gather 'round the Festivus pole for feats of strength and the airing of grievances.

In case you haven't been to Logan recently, they don't serve booze before 8am. :-(

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THUR 12/23

7:30pm
Annual Holiday Party
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
FREE


Feat: Three Day Threshold w/ Summer Villains (11:30pm), John Powhida (11:10pm), Dave Aaronoff (10:50pm), Andrea Gillis (10:30pm), Corin Ashley (10:10pm), Eric Salt (9:50pm), Brendan Little (9:30pm), Mikey FrenchFries (9:10pm), Marc Pinansky (8:50pm), Dan Baker (8:30pm), Hilken Mancini (8:10pm), Tom Janovitz (7:50pm), Naked On Rollerskates (7:30pm)

Not only is it Festivus and smack dab in the middle of the pan-holiday season, TT's annual holiday party serves as a birthday party for their wonderful booker, Randi Millman.
http://www.exploitboston.com/15-questions/music-industry/15-questions-with-randi-millman-talent-buyer-at-tt-the-bears/

Everyone is going to do a few songs, and they're all pretty much awesome, so get there early and be prepared to stay 'til the very end. The schedule is probably tentative but close.

THUR 12/23

9pm
Jeremy Lyons w/ Washtub Robbie Phillips
at Sally O'Brien's, 335 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
FREE

Lyons unexpectedly decided to move from New Orleans to Boston after the weather became really aggressive (aka Hurricane Katrina). Seems like the cold doesn't bother him so much, and we're lucky to his bluesy, swampy, slide-guitaring 'n singing.

And nothing says 'holiday spirit' like bluesy NOLA guitar with a primitive one-string bass.