Jan 24-Feb 1, 2011: Free Theatre, Movie, Comedy, & Puppet Show Tix, Robot Contests, Snow Sculpting, Julianne Moore parade, and more!
01/23/11 by
Johnny Monsarrat
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-Johnny
| The Week in Weird | ||||
| Wed 1/26Boston MetroFree movie preview tix – The Mechanic |
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| I’m giving away tickets to The Mechanic, Tuesday Jan 25 at 7pm in Boston. Email me at johnny@EVENTSinsider.com and let me know WHAT you want to win! AMC Boston Common Theatre, Boston, MA. more |
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| Fri 1/21 – Thu 2/10Boston MetroTicket giveaway for NINE |
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| I also have two pairs of tickets to give away for the Thursday, Jan 27, 7:30pm show of NINE! This musical is about a film director going through romantic and mid-life crises. It’s AMAZING. This is the show that my reviewer has been bugging me to set up an official review for since November. Click for our review. Email me at johnny@EVENTSinsider.com and let me know WHAT you want to win! SpeakEasy Stage, 539 Tremont St, Boston, MA.617-482-3279. more our review |
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| Mon 1/24 – Sun 1/30Boston MetroBread and Puppet Theatre – Free Tix |
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| Bread and Puppet isn’t just for kids! They actually have shows for each group, with 27 puppeteers and a brass band. I have tickets to give away for the Thu Jan 27, 7pm show. Email me at johnny@EVENTSinsider.com and let me know WHAT you want to win! 539 Tremont Street, Boston, MA.617-426-1522. more |
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| Thu 1/27Boston MetroMagners Comedy Contest – Ticket Giveaway |
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| I’ve been to the Magners Comedy Contest — and it’s fantastic. They bring in comedians of national talent, who then compete! And you can drink! I’m giving away 2 tickets for the Semifinals at Nicks on Thu 1/27 at 8pm and 2 tickets for the Semifinals at Motleys on Thu 1/27 at 8pm. See the website for details and email me at johnny@EVENTSinsider.com and let me know WHAT you want to win! Boston, MA. more |
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| Thu 1/27Boston MetroHasty Pudding Woman of the Year Parade & Awards |
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| Speaking of national celebrities, the “roast dinner” is probably sold out, (but it wouldn’t hurt to try, and maybe you can get tickets for the Man of the Year Roast on Feb 4), but you can still catch the parade! Julianne Moore is this year’s winner of the theatre troupe at the school that has no drama department. Parade at 2:30pm on Mass in Harvard Square. Then the roast at 12 Holyoke St, Cambridge MA. Cambridge, MA.617-495-5205. more |
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| Fri 1/28Boston MetroChinatown Main Street Annual Chinese New Year Gala |
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| Boston’s Chinatown is hold an authentic dinner to celebrate New Years’, with martial arts and dance performances. Chinatown, Boston, MA. more |
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| Fri 1/28 – Sat 1/29New HampshireMarket Day at Birka: Renaissance Faire |
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| Perhaps you prefer past years to the new year. This is the largest local event by the SCA, the Society for Creative Anachronism, as seen in the 2008 movie “Role Models”. They’ll have a medeival market place, food, costuming, fight tournaments, and you’ll learn something about history. Radisson Hotel, 700 Elm Street, Manchester, NH.603-715-5523. more |
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| Wed 1/26Boston MetroMIT 6.270 Robot Competition (physical robots) |
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| Have you ever seen a robot competition on TV? Come see it live where the event was created! This week at MIT, different winter classes come to an end with a final competition. This one’s the biggest and best, where students build physical robots and have them compete. 7-10pm. MIT Room 26-100, Cambridge, MA. more more |
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| Fri 1/28Boston MetroMaslab Robotics Contest |
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| Also involving real robots! Open house at 4pm and final exhibition 5pm. MIT Room 26-100, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 1/29Boston MetroMIT 6.370 Robot Competition (software “bots”) |
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| This one involves software-only robots that compete in a virtual world. With lasers! OooOo. I took 3rd in this one once with a ‘bot called Smurf Killer! 7-9pm. MIT Kresge Auditorium, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Thu 1/27Boston MetroHeads Up! How and Why the Amazing Human Head Evolved to Be the Way It Is |
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| Delicately placed to not conflict with the awesome robot events, this lecture at the Harvard Museum of Natural History describes how human heads evolved from ape heads. HAH-vid Muzeem a’ Nat’rel Hist’ry, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sun 1/30LowellWestford Winterfest |
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| It’s winter! Let’s have a festival! Music, campfires, snow sculpture contest, hay rides, ice fishing, & more. 1-4pm. East Boston Camps, Westford, MA. more |
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| Fri 1/28New HampshireAnnual Snow Sculpting Competition |
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| This snow sculpture, in New Hampshire, will have real professionals. Pretty neat! Black Mountain, Jackson, NH.603-383-9356. more |
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| Sat 1/29 – Sun 1/30New HampshireSled Dog Derby |
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| While you’re in the area — perhaps going skiing? — why not check out this sled dog race? Laconia, NH. more |
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| Fri 1/28New HampshireNew London – 2011 Winter Carnival & Dinner with Jack Frost |
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| I love this idea! Walk through the snow around the town common and get restaurant samples at outdoor bonfires! New London. more |
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| Fri 1/28South ShoreWinter Stargazing |
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| I love outdoors events at night! See how many stars you can identify before you freeze. :). North River, 2000 Main St, Marshfield, MA. more |
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| Sat 1/29Northern MassSuperbowl of Birding at Joppa Flats |
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| This week you can also go birdwatching and “compete” in teams to find the most birds. Everyone welcome. 5am to 5pm. Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, MA.978-462-9998. more |
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| Sat 1/29Southeast MassAnimal Tracking |
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| It’s great that so many parks and preserves hold outdoor winter events. Here’s another one where you can track animals! And eat them! Yum! Um, okay, just the tracking. Bullock Rd., East Freetown, MA. more |
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| Sat 1/29 – Sun 1/30Western MassAmherst Railway Society – Big Railroad Hobby Show |
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| Okay, okay, here’s some indoor stuff for you wimps. Way out west is a model train show. They hook together dozens of privately built tracks to create one huge railroad track system. Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Ave, West Springfield, MA.617-822-4046. more more |
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| Wed 1/26 – Fri 1/28Boston MetroCharm School at MIT |
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| Also for geeks, Charm School teaches the unwritten rules of social conduct, like what to do with all those forks at a fancy restaurant. No signup required. Student Center, MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Wed 1/26Boston MetroAnnual Hummus Taste Off |
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| Also at MIT: free food! Yum! 12pm. Preceded by hummus making events. MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sun 1/30Boston MetroExperience the Way of Tea – Japanese Tea Ceremony |
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| Also at MIT, as part of their annual arts month, learn new social skills at this formal tea ceremony. 2-3pm. Free but RSVP in advance. Mezzanine Lounge W20 (Student Center), 84 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Fri 1/28Boston MetroTour of the MIT Nuclear Reactor |
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| And… how’d you like to tour a nuclear reactor? RSVP immediately — may already be full. MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Tue 1/11 – Tue 1/25Boston MetroIntro to Contra Dancing, with Live Folk Music |
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| Contra dancing is a social folk dance that’s easy to pick up! And there are a bunch of other dances on the calendar. 8pm. Student Center, Room 491, MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Mon 1/3 – Fri 1/28Boston MetroMIT IAP (Independent Activities Period) |
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| While most colleges shut down for winter break, MIT holds an entire month of creative classes, lectures, and special events, many of which are wonderfully weird and open to the public. I’ll highlight some of my favorites throughout the month, but you should really check their calendar!! MIT, Cambridge, MA.617-253-1000. more |
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| Sun 1/30Boston MetroBoston Society of Film Critics Awards |
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| Our local awards group will be giving out film awards. They’ve tried really hard to get celebrities to attend and have mostly failed. Brattle Theatre, Cambridge, MA. more more |
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| Also Fun | ||||
| Sun 1/16 – Mon 2/28WorcesterWinterfest Weekends at Fruitlands Museum | ||||
| I’m always skeptical of ‘festivals’ that last over a month and seem to be “business as usual”. However, the Fruitlands Museum has sled trails, ice skating (but not rentals?), and a bonfire! 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard, MA.978-456-3924. more |
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| Mon 1/24Boston MetroScience on Screen: FULL METAL JACKET |
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| A science expert will lecture on trauma before a showing of Full Metal Jacket, a war film. Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA. more |
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| Tue 1/18 – Thu 1/27Boston MetroChinese Yo-Yo Workshop |
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| Learn the yo-yo! Well, the Chinese yo-yo. I think it predates the yo-yos we’re used to. That would make it the Yo-Yo Ma! Ha ha, I crack myself up. MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 1/29ConnecticutAnnual Robert Burns Celebration |
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| What the hell is this? They’ll speak the strangest dialect of English and serve “neeps, tatties, and haggis”. J. Timothy’s Tavern, 143 New Britain Ave, Plainville, CT. more |
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| Tue 1/25North ShoreSalem Adult Spelling Bee |
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| This seems to be a straightforward spelling bee, not a spelling bee with naughty adult words. 8pm. Monthly. I guess you can tell it’s a really slow events month since I’m listing this. In A Pigs’ Eye, Derby St., Salem, MA.978-741-4436. more |
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| Fri 1/28Boston MetroWinter Carnival Go Green Walk/Ride Friday |
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| The good news? A free breakfast to celebrate people who commute instead of drive. The bad news? It’s 7am-9am. Holyoke Center, 1350 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Fri 1/28 – Sun 1/30Boston MetroChocolate Festival in Harvard Square |
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| Here’s the idea. You get sent on a “scavenger hunt” which is a thinly veiled mechanism to get you to visit a bunch of stores in Harvard Square. But hey, you might get some free samples. Yum! Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 1/29 – Sat 3/19Boston MetroUSS Constitution Museum Model Shipwright Guild Model Show |
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| Sat 1/29Boston MetroAustralia Day 2011 |
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| I’m skeptical of how creative a bar event can be, especially when linked to football. Um, I mean soccer. But I’ve never listed an Australian themed event before, so it’s notable! The Asgard, 350 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA.617-577-9100. more |
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| Sat 1/29 – Sun 1/30WorcesterFire & Ice Days |
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| They’re harvesting ice! And there are horse-drawn sleigh rides, hot cider, and all the usual awesome live re-enactments that make OSV my favorite historic destination. Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 1/29Western MassREI: Introduction to Snowshoeing |
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| I really want to go snowshoeing! I’ve never tried it. Notchview Park, Windsor, MA. more |
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| Sat 1/29 – Sat 3/19Boston MetroUSS Constitution Museum Model Shipwright Guild Model Show |
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| This model show is free, but they haven’t listed what times to go to actually meet some of the model builders and do a workshop. So, call. USS Constitution Museum, Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22, Charlestown, MA.617-242-5670. more |
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| Sun 1/30Boston MetroWhittemore-Robbins House Scavenger Hunt |
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| Here’s an excuse to explore this historical mansion. Hint: show up the day before and prep! Arlington, MA. more |
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| Sun 1/30Boston MetroInstrument Petting Zoo |
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| To encourage kids to join their school, this school will let you experiment with a variety of musical instruments. Brookline Music School, 25 Kennard Rd, Brookline, MA.617-277-4593. more |
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| Sun 1/30 – Mon 1/31New HampshireGreat Rotary Ice Fishing Derby |
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| I’ve got no interest in fish but would be curious just to see ice fishing. Meredith, NH. more |
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| Fri 1/21 – Fri 1/28Boston MetroFree Omni IMAX Films at the Boston Museum of Science |
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| On Jan 28, the films playing at the Omni IMAX Theater at the Boston Museum of Science will be free. 10am-9pm. Museum of Science, Boston, Boston, MA. more |
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| Thu 1/27Boston MetroEclipse Video – for Converting Any Kind of Movie or Sound |
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| I’d like to give a shout out to Eclipse Video. I’ve been there a number of times getting old 8mm film, audio cassettes, VCR tapes, and even an LP record converted to digital. They are good people who care about the quality of the result, unlike these generic Internet factories where they plug ’em through as quickly as they can. I wonder Eclipse can go backwards — can they take my digital Justin Bieber CD — um, I mean my friend’s Justin Bieber CD — and burn me a vinyl LP record? :). 2400 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Performance | ||||
| Sat 1/15 – Sat 2/5Boston MetroR. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe |
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| Buckminster Fuller, the famous inventor who invented what became Disney World’s Epcot Center and a whole lot more, is re-enacted on stage and talks about science, invention, and his life story. Click for our review! Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA. more our review |
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| Thu 1/27Boston MetroIAP Math Music Recital | ||||
| MIT’s math department is holding a concert. That’s… good… right? :). MIT, Killian Hall, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Thu 1/27Boston MetroAnimated Films with Improvised Performance | ||||
| This concert’s even less well described. How bad could it be? Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Tue 1/25Boston MetroLiterary Death Match |
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| And this is an attempt to make reading literature sexy. I don’t know if it works, but I know that the venue, The Enormous Room, is actually quite small. Enormous Room, 567 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sun 1/30 – Mon 1/31Boston MetroAnnual A Cappella Fest in Brookline |
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| I can’t resist a capella performances, and even those these take place in unusual places (temples), they draw talent from the major a capella colleges, so it’s likely to be good. Brookline, MA or Newton, MA. more |
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| Sun 1/30Boston MetroGolden Dragon Acrobats |
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| They’re acrobats. They’re Chinese. What more do you need? Symphony Hall, Boston, MA. more |
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| Tue 1/25 – Sun 1/30New HampshireKennedy Center American College Theater Festival |
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| This is the regional portion of the nation’s foremost college-level theater festival. I went one year and it’s surprisingly fun. University of New Hampshire, Durham, Durham, NH. more |
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