SAT 1/28: Night Cheapness

There are a few more gigs on the calendar but am going get some more sun before it's too late...

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SAT 1/28

7pm
34th Annual Science Fiction Marathon
at Room 100, Bldg 26, 60 Vassar St, Cambridge (MIT campus)
$8 / $5 after midnight

7pm -- "Cowboys & Aliens"
9:30pm -- "Inception"
12:20am -- pizza break
1am -- "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
4am -- "The Thing"

It wasn't a great film, but "Cowboys & Aliens" had some moments. Consider that you're paying $2 to see it along with a really clever subconscious-caper, Schwarzenegger in his prime, and the original "The Thing" -- which would be cooler if you'd leave with a bunch of snow outside.

I'm sure you don't have to sneak in candy. Pizza can be ordered before "Inception" to be delivered after midnight.

SAT 1/28

7pm to 9pm
"Jazz Meets Burlesque"
at West End Museum, 150 Staniford St, Ste 7, Boston (near North Station)
$10

Burlesque dancers in a museum? I did have my hopes, alas the John Licata Band will perform some of the standards that would've been heard in the (what would've been nearby) Scollay Square joint more than 50 years ago.

SAT 1/28

7:30pm
Boston Underground Summit IV
at Cambridge YWCA, 7 Temple St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$5 to $10 sliding scale / All Ages

Feat: Guerilla Toss, Vulture Shit, Robot Death Kites, Needy Visions, Mmoss, White Pages, Night Fruit, Broken River Prophet, Skinny Vinny, Magic Magic

Each Underground Summit show proceeds in a round-robin fashion where the bands set up around the room, and they take turns over a few hours. It's like a 10-band jukebox that spans psych, pop, rock, punk, and weird, jazzy stuff.

While I wasn't familiar with all of the bands, there bands I already liked such as: The Needy Visions, Mmoss, White Pages, Night Fruit, Broken River Prophet, and especially Magic Magic.

Keep in mind this is at the YWCA as they say, "NOT NOT NOT the YMCA."

SAT 1/28

8pm to 11:30pm
Winter Rock Formal II
at Radio, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
$7 / 21+

Midnight -- Gene Dante & The Future Starlets
11pm -- Parlour Bells
10pm -- Eddie Japan
9:15pm -- Broken Wings (Sarah Rabdau & Peter Moore)
8:30pm -- "Bandlywed Game"

One doesn't have to get gussied up to attend the Winter Rock Formal, but there is a photobooth gallery from the first Winter Rock Formal to give you an idea.

Regardless of attire, it's nice to see something where you could just listen to the tunes or embrace the "high school dance" theme with your honey.

With these bands playing, I might have shown up to my prom without a date. This seriously promtastic lineup of glam-rock and romantic pop. It starts with musical couple Sarah Rabdau & Peter Moore, who might be disqualified from the opening "Bandlywed Game".

I wish my prom would've had 3 sweet bands or even any one of tonight's line-up whether it's the glam-rock of Gene Dante, Parlour Bells' moody pop, or the lovely sounds of the lovely singer-keyboardist Sophie Innerfield and her recently-beefed-up rhythm section.

(If you haven't guessed, "Creative formal-wear welcome!")

SAT 1/28

9:30pm
Coyote Kolb, Tallahassee, Larcenist
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$10 / 21+

Someone at the Phoenix said that "It’s time Coyote Kolb joined the upper ranks of Boston’s burgeoning Americana/roots scene." They've already been there for a while in my mind. It's pretty darn hard not to like their fuzzed-out, twangy, bluesy, alt-country sound. CK has a new CD too.

Tallahassee and Larcenist aren't in my mental upper-echelon (yet), however they've got some good rootsy-rock vibes and sound very different.

SAT 1/28: Day Cheapness

Hey, it's a sunny day... Not too cold... Have a good time!

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SAT 1/28

Noon to 3pm
Fix-it Clinic: XVIII
at Edgerton Center, Bldg 4, 182 Memorial Drive (Rear), Cambridge (MIT campus)
FREE

No one is going to guarantee that your toaster or computer or the original Rock'em Sock'em Robots can be fixed.

On the other hands, the Fix-it types love a challenge. They want to help you help yourself by figuring out what can be done. There will be space to work and tools and a helping hand.

Bring:
1) your broken or non-working thing (carry-in only: no oversize items)
2) any tools you already own that might be helpful (e.g. phillips head screwdriver)
3) a digital camera to document the disassembly and what we find inside
4) boxes, bags and/or small containers to organize (and carry away) parts.

Wouldn't it be nice to fix something instead of throwing it away?

SAT 1/28

1pm to 3pm
Heidi Reynolds, "Rolling Gallery": Roll-in Workshop
at The Distillery Gallery, 516 East Second St, South Boston
FREE

If you do want to get rid of some stuff, it can be in the service of art.

Heidi Reynolds encourages you to bring "works of art, objects, and personal mementos" or whatever to join her giant ball o' art. She said:

The ball is a manifestation of letting go and re-imagining. How can letting go of objects from the past encourage us to re-envision the present?

The Rolling Gallery is at the Distillery for about another week, then it'll be seen again in May at Union Square.

SAT 1/28

1pm to 2pm
Harvard Square Chocolate Sampling
at Deguglielmo Plaza, about 25 Brattle St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
FREE

Most people won't -- and shouldn't -- go out of their way for some free tastes of chocolate from various nearby shops & restaurants. If you're nearby, you should swing by. What the heck?

And you can pick up a 'Chocolate Treasure Hunt' (11am to 2pm) map for $1. It could be a vaguely fun way to walk around for an hour or so. Who knows what happens while you're doing it. Maybe more chocolate?

Your dollar go to support the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, which is different than the pit...

SAT 1/28

1pm until 4pm
2nd Annual Winterfest Quidditch Tournament
at Nickerson Field, 285 Babcock St, Boston (BU campus)
FREE

Here is more evidence that nerds can be athletic.

Sure, they're pretending to fly around on brooms like Harry Potter... At least there's a ball and running -- like a real sport. Okay, the competition between the teams from different schools is real.

Muggles are quidditchers too...?

SAT 1/28

1pm
Australia Day Party
at The Asgard, 350 Mass Ave, Cambridge (between Central Sq & MIT)
$10

Like last year, most Aussie ex-pats in the area congregate at a faux-Irish pub to drink beer (like Coopers), eat meat pies, and have a Peter Garrett dance contest (watch some tips). There will also be raffles, auctions, and giveaways.

Over the course of many hours, you'll probably forget that you paid a cover to get in.

In celebration of the first ship full of English convicts arriving in Sydney, you might as well give people the "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" chant.

SAT 1/28

7pm
34th Annual Science Fiction Marathon
at Room 100, Bldg 26, 60 Vassar St, Cambridge (MIT campus)
$8 / $5 after midnight

7pm -- "Cowboys & Aliens"
9:30pm -- "Inception"
12:20am -- pizza break
1am -- "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
4am -- "The Thing"

It wasn't a great film, but "Cowboys & Aliens" had some moments. Consider that you're paying $2 to see it along with a really clever subconscious-caper, Schwarzenegger in his prime, and the original "The Thing" -- which would be cooler if you'd leave with a bunch of snow outside.

I'm sure you don't have to sneak in candy. Pizza can be ordered before "Inception" to be delivered after midnight.

Friday Calendar

One of my goals is to suck less than last weekend.

So here is tonight's cheap stuff -- a rather good array of options...

THUR 1/26: Talk, Music, Dance

You can tell which descriptions I wrote first, because they are usually more descriptive...

I was trying to be brief so I could save time for the weekend, and the music gigs got the short shrift. Depending on what you're in the mood for, I'd personally be happy at any of the 3 rock gigs.

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THUR 1/26

6pm to 8pm
Darra Goldstein, "Artful Dining: The Orchestration of the Meal"
at Fuller Bldg, Room 117, 808 Comm Ave, Boston (BU campus)
FREE w/ RSVP

I get the feeling this presentation is full. If you want to hear about the fancy eating habits from the Renaissance to the Gilded Age as well as the differences between the French and Russian styles of fine dining.

"Reservations are required by calling 617-353-9852"

Part of the Pepin Lecture Series in Food Studies, Gastronomy, and the Culinary Arts.

THUR 1/26

6:30pm to 8:30pm
Hanneke Cassel Band
at 2101 Comm Ave Bldg, Brighton (BC campus)
FREE

Champion fiddler gives a free performance as part of the "Gaelic Roots Music, Song, Dance, Workshop, and Lecture Series". (For kicks, I tried to figure out what that would look like in Gaelic: "Gaeilge Fréamhacha Ceol, Amhrán, Rince, Ceardlann, agus Sraith Léachtaí")

She'll be joined for by cellist Ariel Friedman and guitarist Christopher Lewis in what could be predominantly instrumental tunes.

I didn't know what BC did with the old Boston Cardinal's residence, but you could see by going tonight.

THUR 1/26

7pm
Frances Moore Lappé, "EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think, to Create the World We Want"
at Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St, Brookline (Coolidge Corner)
FREE

Have you ever tried to have an in-depth conversation in the wee hours of the night about the environment? These discussions often stumble upon a similar set of what seem like insurmountable obstacles.

The co-founder of the Small Planet Institute intends to overcome some of the common mental blocks that may prevent us from taking action.

THUR 1/26

7pm
Dance Spotlight: An Evening with Boston Ballet
at Tsai Performance Center, Boston University, 685 Comm Ave, Boston
FREE

In March, the Boston Ballet is presenting a program of 3 contemporary works they've titled "Play With Fire". You have a chance to preview excerpts from "Sharp Side of Dark", "Bella Figura", and "Rooster".

THUR 1/26

7pm
Clea Simon & Brett Milano, "Tales From the House Band"
at Porter Square Books, 25 White St, Cambridge (near Shaw's Market)
FREE

A collection of 16 musical short stories include contributions from local authors Clea Simon and Brett Milano (who is one of my favorite music writers, period).

THUR 1/26

Zip-Tie Handcuffs (Midnight), Ready, Steady… Torpedo! (11pm), The Tenafly Vipers (10pm), Taiwan Typhoon (9pm)
at PA's Lounge, 345 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
$8 / 21+

If you're in the mood for a punk/metal mix.

THUR 1/26

The Blackboard Nails (11:30pm), BrownBoot (10:30pm), The Future Everybody (9:45pm), Animal Talk (9pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$7

If you're in the mood for an indie-pop/rock mix.

THUR 1/26

9:30pm
Camden, The Daily Pravda, Cooling Towers, Paper Snakes
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$8 / 18+

If you're in the mood for indie-rock with some glam 'n electro here and there.

WED 1/25: Theatre, Jazz, Country, Rock

Happy Robbie Burns Night!

Not much in cheapness around Boston for the Scottish poet, and the area's Scottish restaurant has no room tonight.

Perhap a dram of whisky and a toast may suffice. Maybe in front of the Burns statue in the Financial District...?

Who knew there could be 2 Pay-What-You-Can nights on the same night? There are, and both are listed below.

BTW: None of the shows during the Magners Comedy Festival (WED 1/25 to SUN 1/29) are priced below $20, but I will mention the Orfeo Group's 2 performances of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" at Nick's Comedy Stop (Theatre District) tonight.

These guys have done it for free many times around Boston, so I thought I'd give a little shout-out. If tickets are still available, the 11pm show is going to be a new "R-rated" version.

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WED 1/25

7:30pm
"Fen": Pay-What-You-Can Night
at The Factory Theatre, 791 Tremont St, Boston (South End)
$5 minimum

Whenever I go to a play, there's a warm feeling of pride that I've tried to support the theatre as a viable part of our culture. Then a smug superiority rises because most people I know don't go to the live productions.

This is the 2nd of 3 plays by Obie-winning Caryl Churchill that are being performed by the Whistler in the Dark group over the next week or so.

I'll quote a London review of "Fen" from last year, because I can't give a better blurb:

This is a mysterious, tantalising play that, with its elliptical scenes and multiple characters, refuses to spoon-feed its audience. It offers a clear-eyed, feminist-socialist perspective on women and labour, but there is something darker and wilder lurking in its witchy psychic landscape.

As I've said before, there's nothing wrong with paying $20 ($10 students) on other nights. On the other hand, PWYC nights encourage you to attend.

"Tickets are available at the box office starting at 6:45pm."

WED 1/25

7:30pm to 9:30pm
Winter Panto 2012: "Humpty Dumpty"
at Black Box Theatre, Boston Center for Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston (South End)
$5 minimum

For many years, 'pantomime' conjured images of playing charades. Somewhere along the line, I read about the English tradition of presenting a musical/comedy show around Christmastime. They're usually silly (sometimes bawdy) versions of commonly-recognized tale.

Just like the play above you could pay full price on other nights, but I talk about cheap fun like pay-what-you-can nights (payable at the door day of show only).

This production says it is suitable for all ages, and there's no doubt that you've never seen Humpty Dumpty like this before.

WED 1/25

8pm to 2am
"A Tribute to Nina Simone" with Toni Lynn Washington & Sharon Sugar Jones
at The Beehive, 541 Tremont St, Boston (South End)
FREE

Whenever I see a tribute to Nina Simone, it's usually going to be a worthwhile gig. No one will ever sound exactly like Nina's deep fountain of soulfulness, but two of the bluesiest mamas in the Commonwealth will surely do justice to the songs associated with Ms. Simone.

Other singers that will be celebrated incude Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Dinah Washington. They were expecting Etta James succumbing last week, but I suspect you might hear one or two of her classics.

WED 1/25

8:30pm
Roy Sludge
at Radio, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville (Union Sq)
FREE

Last year, Sludge released a kick-ass country CD with a good dose of wit called "Too Drunk To Truck", and the songs go from there.

I also like how his site labeled this gig "Free Sludge". Buy yourself another beer since you didn't pay to get in and enjoy the tunes tonight.

WED 1/25

9:30pm
The Honors, Savoir Adore
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
$9 / 18+

Sure, there are chances to see The Honors play on weekends at places like Hennessey's and the Green Dragon, but I've noticed those places are often packed with people not paying attention to the music (to put it politely). It might be a better overall experience to hear their uber-catchy indie-rock at a club where they've done Halloween gigs as The Smiths and Morrissey.

When a band titles their album "The Adventures of Mr. Pumpernickel and the Girl With the Animals in Her Throat", they're pushing the envelope of acceptable length and silliness. Savoir Adore manages to keep in check, and they've have a fun indie-dancey pop thing going on.

Should be a good time!