Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 05/03/07
Hey everyone,
Late breaking news, Kinodance is some kind of live dance with movie background and part of the Boston Cyberarts Festival, which is why it’s so hard to describe. May 2-3, Tsai Performance Center, 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA, 617-482-6661.
Let’s start the weirdness with the Cambridge Dulcimer Festival, May 4-6, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA. (617) 547-6789. More a ‘course’ than a festival, but performances and storytelling. http://www.jonweinberg.com/dulcifes
However, the weird of the week has got to be Nerd Nite at Midway Café. May 5, Midway Café, 3496 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, MA. I’ve been lurking on this website for months and finally they announce an event! Basically it’s a bar but instead of listening to music or banging your head against a wall, you discuss erudite topics of academic interest to the sophisticated, science, politics, I’m not sure what, they don’t list anything. However, I read a review once and I think it’s worth checking out. Also they have music after. http://midwaycafe.com and http://www.nerdnite.com/
Not weird enough? How about learning that May 5 is Free Comic Book Day! OK, it’s a marketing event, but if it entices you to learn a little about comics, they’ll hand out some freebies. http://www.freecomicbookday.com
Still not weird enough? Check out the Ancient Fishweir Project. I actually went to this last year. Here it is. Native American Indians used to catch fish by setting up a barrier of twigs and sticks at high tide and waiting for the tide to flow out, leaving all the fish trapped behind. They excavated an ancient one in the Boston Common area and every year they do a re-enactment. As curious as that sounds intellectually, in person, well, in person it is a squat wall of twigs. So check it out but only if you’re already in the area. May 9-31, Boston Common by Charles Street, Boston, MA. http://www.fishweir.org
The Harvard Arts First Festival is happening May 3-6, in Harvard Square, Cambridge. Do not confuse this with MayFair, which is a separate event! It’s like a mini-First Night Boston with music and performances at many venues throughout the city. 617.495.8676. Looks well worth it; check out their performance calendar. http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~arts/
Meanwhile, the Harvard Square MayFair is happening, May 6. 18 Brattle Street, Cambridge, and all around. 12-6pm. All throughout Harvard Square. Live music, dance, street performers. Kids rides, art activities. Sidewalk vendors. This is much more of a marketing / street vendor faire. http://www.harvardsquare.com
Not to be outdone, Jamaica Plain is also holding a street festival celebrating a “victory” in the 1970s when they managed to avoid having Rt 93 go through Jamaica Plain. True, it would have made it harder to cross back and forth across the highway, but it would dramatically have driven up property values, created jobs, and brought a lot of money to the area. Contrast this with Harvard Square which has pretty much modernized and commercialized. Guess which festival will be more popular this weekend. Harvard’s. So go ahead, JP, celebrate, but do it small-non-convenient-highway-style. Hope you still like it that way. Wake Up the Earth Festival & Parade, May 5, Jamaica Plain, MA. http://www.spontaneouscelebrations.org
Speaking of walking around, check out the Fort Point Spring Art Walk. Fort Point is this area of South Boston that’s got the best art “scene”. At least, I think so. May 4-6. It’s basically yet another Open Studios, but the Fort Point people hold three a year and they try to disguise that by giving them different names. http://www.fortpointarts.org
The Somerville Open Studios is May 5-6. It’s yet another arts expo where you can walk around and meet and greet the artists. Buy some stuff. I went once and ended up so excited that I spend 6 hours in Somerville and saw everything! 617-764-2287. Sat-Sun 12-6pm. Local arts exhibition. http://www.somervilleopenstudios.or
Another marketing event, the Spring Brimfield Antiques Festival is May 8-18. Everything I’ve read says that if you like antiques, and live in New England, this is the place to go to. Rt 20 at Rt 19, Brimfield, MA. (413) 245 3209. Largest in NE. http://www.brimfield.com
The Ringling Bros. Circus is in Providence, RI and Worcester, MA, May 3-13, http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/8042
Tracy Morgan of TV fame (Saturday Night Live) comes to the Comedy Connection, May 4-6, Comedy Connection, 245 Quincy Market Place, Boston, MA. http://www.comedyconnectionboston.c
I don’t list a lot of theatre, but this one caught my attention. The Dragonfly Festival is a very-short theatre marathon, May 10-20. Apparently its several extremely short works all packed together. The Piano Factory, 791 Tremont St., Boston, MA. 617-247-9777. http://www.devtheatre.com
The Boston Asthma Walk is May 5. Artesani Park, Soldiers Field Road, Brighton, MA. 781-890-4262. 3.1 mile walk along the Charles River. Registration starts at 8:30am. 10am. I’d like to know whose cute idea it was to round up all the asthmatics and make them jog around wheezing and puffing. Entertaining I’m sure. http://www.asthmawalk.org
I’ll avoid cheeky comments about the Walk for Hunger, May 6, http://www.projectbread.org
Ongoing stuff, Boston Cyberarts Festival to May 6, http://www.bostoncyberarts.org; Boston Turkish Film Festival to May 11, http://www.mfa.org; “Animation” at the Museum of Science Boston to May 16. The Wild Party, a theatre show, to May 6, http://www.newrep.org. Confessions of a Mormon Boy, to May 19, http://www.bostontheatreworks.com.
Heads up, I’ve just learned that David Copperfield is coming to Foxwoods May 18-20, Mashantucket, CT, http://www.davidcopperfield.com. I’ve seen his show, it’s magic in case you didn’t know, and awesome.
The KISS Concert is May 19. Would somebody tell me how they manage to convince a dozen bands to all show up and play one or two songs? I’ve heard it’s a great concert if you like pop music (KISS 107.9FM is Boston’s big pop station). http://www.kiss108.com/main.html
And the Capitol Steps is coming to the Cutler Majestic Theatre, Jun 23. If you like NPR or the news, this is for you, they are a singing parody troupe poking fun at politics. http://www.maj.org/calmenu.htm
MassArt Fashion Design Senior Collections is May 4. Basically the students show what clothing they’ve been designing lately. No idea if it’s worth seeing, but it’s big enough that they hold it off-site. Cyclorama, 539 Tremont St, Boston, MA. http://www.massart.edu
Apparently there’s a porn film festival I’ve never heard of before at the Coolidge Corner theatre at midnight, May 4-5. It’s called “smorgasPORN”, and no doubt it’s bad, but hopefully good-bad, if you know what I mean. Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA, 617-734-2500. http://www.coolidge.org
I don’t normally list gallery events, but the Boston Print Fair is May 4-5, at the Boston Public Library. I guess I just can’t resist the word “Fair” which implies there’ll be more to do than just standing around admiring the artwork and shelling out $10,000 a piece. That’s 700 Boylston Street, Boston. In the McKim Building Conference Rooms. 617-266-6540. http://bostonprintfair.com
Finally, this Friday is the First Friday again at some arty destinations where you can socialize with the arts crowd. BCA, http://www.bcaonline.org; MFA, http://www.mfa.org/calendar/sub.asp?k
Have a great week!
-Johnny