Boston Compass #159

DIGITAL SOUP | MULTIMEDIA COLLECTIVE FOR LIBERATION VIA NEW MEDIA, EXPERIMENTAL ART, AND LIVE PERFORMANCE

Join Digital Soup this summer for performance events in collaboration with local Boston organizations, groups, and CEI (Cultural Equity Incubator) Core Partner members.

July 8

Dirt Palace

collab performance series

Mirrored Fatality, Gyna Bootleg, Shey Rivera Rios, Pleasure Coffin

Providence, RI

Doors at 8pm

July 22

Black Portals II

collab with Boston Ujima Project Black Market, Nubian Square

7pm-12am

July 30

Kitaab Kollective

Digital Soup hosting Kitaab Kollective’s screening of BBC India documentary “The Modi Question”

CEI, Midway Artist Studios

12-3:30pm (lunch provided)

For more info, visit Digital Soup on Instagram @digital.soup or online at www.digitalsoup.events

Digital Soup is a Boston-based multimedia collective for queer BIPOC artists. Digital Soup creates inclusive spaces for artists to share experimental public performative works, multimedia art, video, sound, music, and art projects.

Since 2019, Digital Soup has played a vital role in the emergence of an underground video and performance scene in Boston. Digital Soup

programming and events have supported and served over 50+ artists in

Centering Digital Soup as an arts collective amplifies members and participating artists’ voices and creative narratives that have otherwise been underrepresented, oppressed, and omitted. The work we do uplifts all those working in performance, media arts, and the underground nightlife scene by sharing access to grant funding and community support to create a more equitable and thriving cultural arts sector in Boston. Digital Soup makes it a focus to offer fair pay to all creatives we work with, supporting a diverse group of artists to create and share works, and offering free space to queer BIPOC individuals and collectives.

The collective works towards alternative sustainable economic models like Social and Solidarity Economies (SSE) in support of activities that aim to prioritize social profitability instead of solely financial profits.

Digital Soup has created partnerships with the following grassroots organizations and cultural sector art creators including: Boston Ujima Project in their Black Portals Series, Boston Art Review (BAR), Enter the Boudoir queer DJ Collective, Danza Orgánica, and 3rdWaave. Other supporting partners include: Black Math, Boston Cyberarts, Studio 550, Cambridge Art Association, Arts Connect International. We are core partners of Cultural Equity Incubator (CEI)—a creative home for Boston’s small and mid-sized organizations and collectives led by and for Queer, Trans, 2-Spirit, Disabled, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (QT2SDBIPOC) arts communities.

Lani Asuncion, Digital Soup Artistic Producing Director + founding member

Edited and images by Marcel Marcel, Digital Soup core member + graphic designer

UP

IN

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Affected Accent

BAMS Festival Conference on Black Artistry + Industry

PAGE 3

Massachusetts Minute: $ean Wire Conitinues To Walk Towards Greatness

Sam Haber’s Broken Hearts Club

PAGE 4 & 5

Community Happenings

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Comics

PAGE 7

Free Poster

PAGE 8

Experimental Excursion

The Glutton Reports: Everything Bagel Ice Cream, JP Licks

DESIGNERS:

Phoebe Delmonte: p. 1, 4, 5

Hannah Blauner: p. 2, 3, 7

AFFECTED ACCENT

My wife Aimee and I take regular pilgrimages to Feeding Tube Records in Florence, MA. Feeding Tube is a record label and store that sells its own releases and an expertly curated selection of weird gems. This spring, Aimee brought back Big Blood’s album Do You Wanna Have a Skeleton Dream? after hearing it on the iconic freeform radio station WFMU. Holy crap. Front to back, that album is one killer song after another. I listened to it nonstop for weeks and could not wait to pick up Big Blood’s new album First Aid Kit when Feeding Tube Records (and Ba Da Bing Records) released it in June.

Big Blood is a family band from South Portland, Maine. Caleb Mulkerin and Colleen Kinsella are joined by their daughter Quinnisa, who was only thirteen when they made First Aid Kit. They record exclusively in their home using a 1” eight-track tape, and they record in a way that every prior take is faintly present in the background, giving their albums a distinctive ephemeral/ ghostly feel.

More so than past Big Blood albums, Quinnisa’s vocals steal the show. The

subtlety, power, and tone show a talent well beyond her age. What is even more impressive is that her lyrics (which are clever, poignant, and fit perfectly with the music) are improvised during the recordings. The whole album has a raw, live, and genuine quality, like you are witnessing the moment of creation in their home with all its power, energy, and flaws.

Big Blood albums run the spectrum, and the band resists being pigeonholed into one genre/style, but First Aid Kit has the feel of early 80s dark English rock, but with more of a sparse, modern, lo-fi edge. What is amazing about First Aid Kit is how it simultaneously balances raw improvised energy, deep complexity that rewards repeated listens, and incredibly catchy hooks. These songs burrow into your ear and do not leave—the song “1000 Times’’ could easily gain mass appeal.

Check out First Aid Kit on your preferred listening platform, and then take your own pilgrimage to Feeding Tube Records.

BAMS FESTIVAL CONFERENCE ON BLACK ARTISTRY & INDUSTRY

Boston Art & Music Soul (BAMS) Festival is one of the fastest growing cultural movements that is amplifying black empowerment and creative freedom. It began as a dream for Catherine T. Morris who experienced an inclusive celebration of black history during her undergraduate in Philadelphia. “After graduating, Ms. Morris returned to her hometown of Boston to learn that there was not a large-scale festival that celebrated, included or elevated Black artists and their creative capital.” With the support of local artists, Ms. Morris took it upon herself to create what we now know as one of the best celebrations of black art & music. To kick off the soul packed weekend Berklee College of Music hosted a one-day “ultimate super connector conference that brings together creators, industry leaders, and movers and shakers who shape, influence and amplify Black artistry, Black business, and imagination across Greater Boston and beyond!” From the moment the conference began there were gems of knowledge being shared from prominent movers and shakers within the music business. The keynote speakers deeply focused on the intersection of arts and culture, diversity/equity/inclusion, workforce development, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and social impact. Those topics and skills alone can make or break you in this industry but, with the right guidance and support system you could end up exactly where you want to be.

During one of the sessions titled ‘Queendom’, Maimouna “Mumu Fresh” Youssef, Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and activist, spoke on building a healthy and safe environment by creating the right energy with sound healing and spirituality. Mumu Fresh has always been a go-getter and never lets barriers stop her from getting to the main goal. Beginning early in her career she reminisced on

knocking on doors for opportunities and vibing out in her community at open mics. Mumu also mentioned the hardships she faced and the common bumps in the road that many black women in the music industry face. The following session titled ‘Getting To The Mic’ was moderated by Jazzmyn RED, MC, singer, poet, and hip hop activist who led this conversation with 2 record label executives—Ryan Haslam and Sammye-Ruth Scott. Ryan is a senior talent relations director at United masters who firmly believes that Google is your best friend, and to make it far: simply work hard—there is no cutting corners. When asked about the best way to approach record labels in regards to sending music— or anything for that matter, A&R Sammye Ruth Scott from Atlantic record said that DM is not her go to but emailing is always the favorable method. “Don’t step on toes and don’t cut corners—do the work. Network and do your research, that is the best way to get opportunities, don’t just wait for handouts. Being a fly on the wall is cool but you need to grow from that. OG’s are full of knowledge but work your way up. Don’t only respect the CEO–respect their village and work your way up.” Nadine El Roubi, Sudanese singer, songwriter, and rapper, asked the executives for some of their best techniques on branding yourself as an artist. They said when it comes to branding yourself record labels want to make sure you bring leverage and show a different facet of who you are—because the music is only a fraction. How are your fans interacting and engaging when your music isn’t coming out? And how are you as a creator keeping that connection with your fan base? These notable speakers set the tone at the conference and exuded unity, professionalism & resilience—a bit of what we all shared together at BAMS fest.

SAM HABER’S BROKEN HEARTS CLUB

Recently, I got the chance to sit down with a young label executive and golden-fro’d man-about-town, Sam Haber, at Knight Moves Café. Over a London fog tea latte, we chatted about his many roles at Heartbreak Records (a record label he co-founded and co-runs). Unfortunately, the audio recording for that conversation was corrupted to all hell, so we had to reconvene over Zoom to get his story on the record. Our (lightly edited) conversation follows:

AH: Your birthday was recently, yeah?

SH: Yeah, 10 days ago.

AH: Happy belated birthday! Blessings, my guy. I wanted to start by asking you how you would describe yourself as a person.

SH: I’d describe myself as driven. Also particular, because I’m always trying to find the most efficient way to do things. I hate wasting my own time. I have so much to do on a daily basis, wasting time is not an option.

AH: Where would you say that your drive comes from?

SH: I want to leave a mark on the world. I don’t wanna die and have not done anything; I want to leave the world a better place than when I was born, you know?

AH: I hear that. That’s a heavy statement for a young person, but it’s an important way to move through the world. Why did you decide to start your own company?

SH: Me and [co-founder + co-CEO] Mocha were both making music in the sixth grade together. And we were looking at our inspirations and trying to figure out how we were gonna get bigger; what we discovered is that there’s nobody really from Boston that Boston artists can look up to who has really done that, who has really gotten super big and then continued to rep Boston. So if we’re gonna elevate ourselves and elevate people like us, we have to elevate the entire scene. We formed Heartbreak Records to bring Boston up as a community.

AH: What do you do at Heartbreak Records?

SH: I don’t have one particular job; I help with all the different branches. I’m in the studio a lot with artists. I do a lot of distribution. Anything that needs to be done, I’m helping with.

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTE

$ean Wire Continues To Walk Towards Greatness

Over the years, the music scene in Massachusetts has gone through phases. Led by different artists at different times, talents seemingly come and go, and new artists arise from the cracks to make an imprint on the sonic acclaim of the area. Though this may lead to discontinuity as it relates to an overarching artistic reputation, it gives way to a landscape of creativity that is constantly evolving. Despite this though, there are a few artists who have managed to maintain relevance and withstand the test of time, constantly pushing their catalogs to different heights and becoming staples within the local circuit of music. One such artist is Boston’s $ean Wire. With more than half a decade worth of music under his belt, $ean is continuing to surpass boundaries, and create groundbreaking art.

Though his music has roots in R&B and Hip-Hop, the music that $ean Wire creates exists in a world of its own. His ability to write and create music is unparalleled, as he somehow surpasses his prior releases with each new drop. Though he started to grow a buzz early on in his career after his initial singles were well-received by audiences, the moment things really began clicking was after his feature on Boston rapper Cousin Stizz’s album Trying To Find My Next Thrill. Impressing the masses with his delectable vocals, emotionally-charged verses, and unabashed creativity, $ean assumed position as one of the next greats from the Bay State. All of this was heightened even more following the release of his debut album Internal Dialect, which is regarded as one of the most polished projects to be released by an artist from Massachusetts within the last decade. Despite these past wins, $ean is hungry for more, and following his recent entry into fatherhood,

he’s taking on the world of music with more determination than ever before.

After an unrelenting stream of singles, an accomplished album titled HIM$, and multiple cinematic music videos, $ean is now prioritizing 2023. Hoping to followup on the success that he’s exhibited in years passed, he’s well on his way towards doing so, as the Boston artist has already unearthed two prominent singles this year.

“Get It & Go” debuted back towards the end of April and marked arguably the most Hip-Hop/Rap-centric offering that he’s released thus far in his career. Sitting just shy of the two-minute mark, this single offers a moment where $ean gets some weight off his chest. Checking some of his rivals, not being satisfied, and possessing an implacable desire to win are the major thematic elements of this release, with $ean proving to be more insistent on seeing his dreams through than ever before. “Ride Or Die” is his second single that he’s released this year, and takes on a vastly different temperament than “Get It & Go.” Tapping into his more emotive side, this single is rooted in feelings of love, loyalty, and inexorable desire. “Ride Or Die” shows the side of $ean that fans have always known and love, but takes things up a notch. Though he’s always been a true talent and his older songs are just as good now as they were then, $ean is continuing to develop into an impeccably-sound artist. With all that we’ve seen in years past, the stage is set for $ean to make more noise than he has ever made before. If his new sounds are indicative of anything, it’s that he’s still marching down the path towards greatness, and with every step of the way he’s getting closer and closer to his truest potential.

AH: What are the different branches?

SH: I like to think of the company as an octopus. The main head of Heartbreak Records is the recording label; we bring artists into the studio, we help them make their music, and we distribute it. We have the Heartbreak News, which is a monthly printed publication that we deliver all over Boston and we feature news about the Boston hip-hop scene. We have a podcast called “From the Heart,” where we review new local artists every week, and it airs on New England Mic Check Radio and Spotify. And we have Hindsight Productions, which

is the film branch, and they do in-house filming for Heartbreak Records—music videos, short films, all that.

AH: How do you manage the different legs that come out of the octopus’ head?

SH: Currently, I’m trying to get one official manager for each branch; right now we have a few people in each branch who have been around since their founding and are able to run them. So I just help out with the technical stuff and I manage all the finances.

AH: Have you had any mentors along the way as you’ve started to build Heartbreak with Mocha?

SH: Yeah. Wes Kaplan, he used to run the music studio at the Brookline Teen Center where we do a lot of our recording. He works at Brookline Interactive Group now where we get a lot of equipment for Hindsight Productions. He’s been around for a long time; he helped us book our shows and introduced us to the studio. He’s sort of been a guiding force to me, helping us stay true to ourselves and our mission.

AH: What music are you looking to support?

SH: We’re a hip hop record label. We welcome all different kinds… we tend to be a bit more biased towards more experimental stuff, people willing to take risks in their music. We like lyrical content; non-lyrical is welcome too, but that’s just my preference.

AH: Who are some artists on Heartbreak right now?

SH: We have Will Abad, Kay Wattz. We have a producer named Rhythm. And I’m an artist on the label myself.

AH: What are you looking to build or accomplish in the next year, and in the next five years?

SH: We want to start signing more artists. We want to do bigger, more frequent shows, get Heartbreak News in more places, get more people listening to the podcast, and do as much as we can to get people to know about and appreciate the Boston hip-hop scene. And then within the next five years, hopefully we’ll be a big enough and strong enough presence in Boston that we can start to expand out of the city. We should hopefully get our own studio, and then start working networking with other labels in other cities.

AH: I hope those plans come to fruition. Do you feel like Heartbreak will be a lifelong project for you?

SH: I always think I’ll be part of Heartbreak Records. But a goal I’ve had for a long time is like, ‘what if I just didn’t do this?’ Would Heartbreak Records be able to run without me? Currently I don’t think that’s true, but that’s the goal: if something happened to me, the label would be able to continue its mission.

--------------------------------------- ALULA HUNSEN

more at bostoncompassnewspaper.com

**We strongly encourage all to take careful precautions when going out to public events! Follow the venue’s requirements regarding vaccination/negative Covid tests and masking instructions! Always double check the event online just in case they need to cancel!**

music & audio

7/1, 7/28 + 7/30 Bridgeside

Cypher hosted by Cambridge Hip Hop!

@Lynch Family Skatepark, Magazine Beach + Starlight Square

8PM-10PM All Ages Free

7/5 IBOOKTHINGS Presents

Fracture Type, Blame It On Whitman, SHID, Vivra Vera

@Silhouette Lounge

8PM 21+ $10

7/6 IBOOKTHINGS Presents The Calendars, Harmony's Cuddle Party, The Alaskas

@Notch Brewing Brighton

7PM 21+ FREE

7/6 The Summer School Tour ft. Najee Janey, Mindflex, DJ

Whysham and more! Visuals by Ramon Cruz @EXIT Galleries 6:30PM

All Ages $15-20

7/7 Thrill Presents Honey: An All Femme Experience a sensational event filled with captivating activities and an electrifying atmosphere. This night is all about celebrating the power and beauty of women ft. DJ sounds of DJ Rayvino, Brandi Chanel, and Utaselesshoes. Photobooth ft. photographers Gutta + Kris.

@Nubian Square Open Studio for the Arts (NOSA)

9PM 21+ $15-20

7/7 Wildcat Slim, The Shirts and Shoes, Andorra, The Imposers

@The Jungle 7PM 21+ $10

7/7 Erykah Badu and Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) at the Garden as part of the Unfollow Me Tour @TD Garden

7:30PM All Ages Starting at $40

7/7 Home is Where, Smidley, Dreamwell @Crystal Ballroom

7PM All Ages $15 adv/$17 day of

7/7 Rockport Chamber Music

Festival: Third Coast Percussion ft. pieces by Philip Glass, Missy Mazzoli, David Skidmore and more.

@Shalin Liu Performance Center

7:30PM All Ages $36-42

7/7 Eliza Edens, Dead Gowns, Tuxis Giant @FACES Brewery

8PM All Ages $15

7/8 Beats By Girlz Fest this women and gender minority forward festival includes an amazing lineup of DJs, producers, and performers, as well as beautifully crafted items sold by the Boston Women's Market, not to mention a curated selection of food trucks! Don't miss out on all the summer fun! www.bbgboston.org

7/9 The Ed Melikian Ensemble + Armadi Tsayn oud + vocal music of the near and middle east

@The White Room

6PM All Ages $20

7/9 The American Symphony of Soul, Sinnet, Juno Dunes

@The Jungle 5PM 21+ $uggested Donation

7/9 Dyr Faser, E, Bitter Wish

@O’Briens Pub

8PM 21+ $12

7/11 Divergent Series Presents Live Score II ft. Michael Reisinger, Anda Volley + Samuel Correa, Cryptwarblr, Chris Strunk

@Video Underground

7PM All Ages

$uggested Donation

7/11 Point01Percent ft. free music groups Electric Blankets & Chicken + Luke Ravinksy Trio

@Lilypad

7:30PM All Ages $10

7/12 Fully Celebrated Orchestra with Andy California

@Midway Cafe

8PM-11PM 21+ $5

7/12 IBOOKTHINGS Presents Why Try?, Jesus Camp, Superdragon, Regal Seagull

@Silhouette Lounge

8PM 21+ $10

7/13 Ezra Furman rare solo performance

@The Rockwell 7PM 18+ $20

7/13 Layzi, Flamingos in the Tree, Silver Cup

@Brighton Music Hall

7PM All Ages $36

7/14 Garden of Hearts! a music show/event hosted by rapper Michael the Star Seed

@Hibernian Hall

7PM All Ages $15 Early, $20 Regular, $25 at door

7/15 FEARDOTCOM, Tiefling, ILYKU

@The Jungle 4PM 21+ $10

7/16 GetToTheGigBoston Presents Mal Blum, VIAL, John Allison Weiss

@Deep Cuts Deli

7PM-11PM All Ages $18 adv/$22 day of

7/18 GetToTheGigBoston Presents Yes Yes A Thousand Times Yes, Tiffy, Cats on Film, Robo Pumpkin

@Deep Cuts Deli

7PM All Ages $13 adv/$15 day of

7/19 GetToTheGigBoston Presents Clout Chaser, Vitamin Sun, Mochitskui

@Deep Cuts Deli

7PM All Ages

$13 adv/$15 day of

7/20 Akiva Jacobs, Francisco

Mela, Miranda Agnew, Charlie

Kohlhase live jazz!

@Lilypad

10:30PM All Ages $ome Cost

7/20 - 7/23

Nice, a fest: local art + music gathering ft. Guerilla Toss, Ovlov, Horse Jumper of Love, Bent Knee, Bedroom Eyes, LavaGxrl, Cape Crush, Paper Lady, Chelita, Aumi Luxe and many more! 4 days of music + a vendor market! www.niceafest.com

@Crystal Ballroom + The Rockwell

7PM-12AM All Ages $27-90

7/21 The Frank White

Experience: Live Band Tribute to Biggie Smalls

@Brighton Music Hall

7PM All Ages $16

7/22 Boston Modular + Synth Meetup Bring your gear, share your sounds, twist some knobs. Arrive early if you want to perform. All electronic music gear and musical genres welcome.

@Synthcube

2PM-7PM All Ages FREE

7/22 Children of the Flaming Wheel, The Saint Vandals, Clamb, Lipsmear, Rougaru

@Midway Cafe 8PM $10 21+

7/22 An Evening of Improvised Music ft. Dylan Jack, Tor Snyde + Eric Zinman

@Lilypad

4:30PM All Ages $ome Cost

7/25 Shady Bug, Ski Club, Pet Fox, Holiday Music

@O’Briens Pub

8PM 18+ $12

7/26 IBOOKTHINGS Presents Bad Idea USA, Himelfarb, Shmegegge, Qu33r Bait

@Silhouette Lounge

8PM 21+ $10

7/27 Cake Factory Boston TECHNO & DANCE MUSIC is dedicated to providing harassment-free events for everyone. KEEP IT SAFER, CF FOREVER!

@O’Briens Pub

8PM 21+ $ome Cost

7/27 Melcocha Trío ft. Anita Quinto, Manolo Mairena + Wilson Vera

@The Square Root Cafe 8PM

7/29 Boynton Yards Block Party & Outdoor Concert ft. Barrence Whitfield, Jill McCracken, The Womps, Field Day and Casey Neill. Plenty of beer, games, vendor market, crafts, food trucks & fun for all!

@Boynton Yards

4PM-10PM All Ages FREE

7/29 Violet Nox with Noell Dorsey, Singer Mali, Bob Familiar, Jbagist, Square Root of Negative Two, Don Nothing, Totorobyn, Edith Snugglenut and Karen Zanes. Visuals by Vidumami + Tom Perry

@First Church JP

5:45PM All Ages $10

7/31 Sadurn, Muffin Research Society (Frank Zappa Tribute), David Wright, Miles Wilder @ Midway Cafe 7:30PM 21+ $15

HEROES 80s New Wave/ Electro/Post-Punk/Dance Night with DJ Chris Ewen. Every Saturday!

@ManRay 9PM 19+ $12

CAMPUS LGBTQ+ Dance Night, dress to impress! Every Thursday!

@ManRay 9PM 19+ $13

performance art

7/1-7/9 Head to Watertown for Larry Kramer’s groundbreaking early ‘80s play on AIDS, The Normal Heart. Tix at NewRep.org

@New Repertory Theater

All Ages $30 general/$15 students

7/1-7/16 Three actors take us through three generations of brothers navigating capitalism in flux from the 1840s to the 2000s in The Lehman Trilogy. Tix at HuntingtonTheatre.org

@The Huntington Theatre

8PM All Ages $20+

7/6 Standup in the Square live comedy!

@The Square Root Cafe

8PM All Ages

7/6 Duck Duck Goofs live comedy every Thursday! www.duckduckgoofs.com

@Cantab Lounge

7:30PM 21+ $10-30

7/7 Beginnings: The Inaugural Performance of the Asian American Ballet Project Prepare to be captivated as the very first Asian American ballet company breathes new life into the classic christening scene from Sleeping Beauty. Transport yourself to ancient Mongolia with "Suho and the White Horse," a compelling ballet that unveils the dramatic origin story of the horse-head fiddle. Two show times!

@Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center

4PM + 7PM

All Ages $15-60

7/14-8/12 Idris Goodwin’s new play, The Boy Who Kisses the Sky, is an inspiring coming-of-age story, premiering

@Strand Theatre

All Ages $ome Cost

7/19-8/6 Pack a picnic for Boston’s best summer tradition with Shakespeare on the Common, transforming the park at sunset into Macbeth this year.

@Boston Common Parkman Bandstand

8PM All Ages FREE

7/24 Magic Dyke Prom Night ft. a sexy, stacked cast of some of most handsome fellas from Boston, Providence, Salem and beyond! But who will be PROM KING??

@Crystal Ballroom

8PM 18+ $20-30

7/6-7/16 The Boston French Film Festival is worth a look and offers a huge range of films from 2022. Ticket includes museum admission.

@MFA

All Ages $15

7/7-7/8 Lynch’s sexy metal masterpiece Wild at Hear @Brattle Theater

All Ages $14 @brattletheatre

7/7-7/10 Explore director David Lynch’s obsession with the land of Oz in the documentary Lynch/Oz @Brattle Theater

All Ages $14

7/9 Bowie is back in Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars @Kendall Square Cinema

1PM All Ages $20

7/9 The Samurai Trilogy starring Toshiro Mifune @Coolidge Corner Theater

11AM All Ages $16.25

7/17 20 Days in Mariupol is a sobering documentary on the eve of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine @Coolidge Corner Theater

7:30PM All Ages $16.25

7/18 Fleabag, the one-woman live show that started the series hits the screen @Coolidge Corner Theater

7PM All Ages $16.25

7/18 The ‘80s comedy classic Ghostbusters @Kendall Square Cinema

7PM All Ages $7

7/20-7/27 Cillian Murphy takes the lead in Christopher Nolan’s much anticipated Oppenheimer in 70mm @Somerville Theatre

All Ages $ome Cost

7/28 Night Light Presents 'Escape From New York' @Cinema Salem 10PM All Ages $ome Cost

7/31 Christopher Guest’s ensemble of comedy makes Waiting For Guffman required viewing @Coolidge Corner Theater

7PM $16.25 All Ages

7/1-7/30 Project Room No. 5: Szu-Chieh Yun

In a new body of work called Rage & Ecstasy, painter and installation artist Szu-Chieh Yun, explores and complicates our perception of the complex character of Karen.

@BCA Mills Gallery

7/1-8/13 Japan’s beloved director Yasujiro Ozu’s entire career hits the Harvard Film Archive screens this summer at Ozu 120. This month’s must-sees include his charming comedy Good Morning, Equinox Flower, Late Autumn, Tokyo Twilight and Early Summer

@Harvard Film Archive

7PM-10PM All Ages FREE

7/5 Akira Kurosawa’s rarely seen Kagemusha screens as part of Coolidge’s Samurai Summer

@Coolidge Corner Theater

7PM $16.25 All Ages

1PM-6PM

7/1-7/30 May Stevens: My Mothers Paintings by May Stevens featuring the artist's birth mother and "spiritual" mother that explore the relationship between the personal and political.

@ MAAM

12PM-5PM

7/1-7/29 Then and Now: UVAs 10 Year Retrospective includes art by Unbound Visual Arts members from the inception of the organization through the present. This exhibition is an historical catalog showing not only the history of UVA but also the growth of its members and the engagement and impact of the community it has fostered. The exhibit traces

the artists' works from earlier members to newer members as visitors move through the exhibit. Curated by Emelia Misail and Jennifer Turpin.

@Arthaus

7/1-10/31 Open Air Gallery

Central + Charles A public art walk and Open Air museum experience. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, this public art walk is transformed by the nestled murals of Central Square and booming artwork residing in East Cambridge neighborhoods, along the Charles River, and all the way to MIT. More info and map at www.boston.aiga.org FREE

7/4-7/30 Archipels Again and Again | Iwalani Kaluhiokalani "a panoramic installation through which I seek to create a multidisciplinary immersive experience of complexities inhabiting Paradise. I have referenced my Polynesian and Native Hawaiian Kanaka Maoli background to create sculptural dioramas set in the midst of a large-scale layered painting..."

Opening Reception

7/6 5PM-8PM

@Kingston Gallery

7/5-7/30 Looking in +

Looking Out | Jennifer Liston Munson "Found photographs of unnamed relatives from my unknown past are buried in resin, holding them in time and space, allowing them to look at out as we look in."

Opening Reception

7/6 5PM-8PM

@ Kingston Gallery

7/8 Basics of Gelli Plate

Printing with Tammi Jean Fedestin. This workshop will introduce you to the fundamentals of this exciting printmaking technique. Gelli printing is a versatile and accessible form of monoprinting that allows artists of all levels to create stunning and unique works of art using a gelatin-based printing plate. Supplies included! Space is limited! RSVP on Eventbrite by searching 'Gelli Plate Printing'

@The Green Room

1:30PM-3PM $45-70

7/15-8/26 20 Years on the Edge celebrating the 20th Year Anniversary of Atlantic Works Gallery. Not only will current and past artists members be showing their work but they will also be officially opening their brand new ground floor gallery.

Opening Reception

7/20 6PM-9PM

@Atlantic Works Gallery

7/30 The Slim Experience

A gallery viewing of the heart’s photo book. Preview Images & Poems from the book SLIM accompanied by paintings by Arrielle D and other local artists. Drinks, food, music, and most of all great vibes. Limited copies of the book will be available for purchase.

@Nubian Square Open Studio for the Arts (NOSA)

1PM-5PM All Ages $15-20

community

7/1 + 7/15 Caribbean Street

Market music, food, art, desserts, apparel and more!

Every 1st + 3rd Saturday!

@715 River Street, Boston

11AM-5PM All Ages FREE

7/1-7/3 102nd Annual Mashpee

Wampanoag Powwow returns and features special events, contests, food, vendors, drumming and dancing will be held on the Pawâw Grounds. Vendor applications are now available. Contact Amber Tubbs at (508) 477-0208 ext 134 for additional information.

@Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Community and Government Center

10AM All Ages FREE

7/5 Arts and Culture

Microlearning Pod

The Boston Ujima Project is holding its monthly series with Saskia VannJames holding sessions on how to make and distribute Black radical zines; meetings are held on Zoom

6PM-8:30PM All Ages Free

7/6 Warm Up Boston Reading Session first in a series of readings to strengthen our understanding of one of capitalism's most blatant shortcomings. It is important for any group serving the needs of the unhoused to understand the context of where their aid falls among the forces that produce this situation. In "Neutralizing Homelessness", Peter Marcuse provides an excellent overview on the subject. RSVP now on IG @lucyparsonscenter with a DM. Space limited but online viewing available.

@Lucy Parsons Center

6PM All Ages FREE

7/7 Materia's Level Up Party!

Come celebrate the opening of a bigger video game store + arcade! Bring your own games to play! Food + drink provided.

@Materia Arcade

5PM-8PM All Ages FREE

7/7-9/1 Strange Page:

Experimental Writing Workshop

8 week writing workshop open to all writing styles, (poetry, fiction, CNF, experimental, etc!) but it must be kept under one page! Working with a new prompt each week, class time will be divided evenly to critique and discuss everyone’s writing. This generative writing workshop is open to adults and mature teens with any level of writing experience. Limited to 12 students. Happens once a week, every Tuesday in Western MA.

@Looky Here

6PM-8PM All Ages $200

7/9 Skate Jam + live music! ft. Nic Adam Quartetm Fae Feral, Superhead, Androhead. Best tricks for prizes + 1 minute in the bowl. Come at the beginning for a gear swap!

@Lynch Family Skatepark

2PM-9PM All Ages FREE

7/9 Walk for Music is ZUMIX’s biggest fundraiser – not to mention a great day of community, joy, celebration and, of course, music!

@Zumix

3PM-6PM All Ages $6

7/12 + 7/19 + 7/26 Intro to Video Art Register at www.cctvcambridge.org/classes

@Cambridge Community Television 6PM-8PM Free for members, $50 for nonmembers

7/12 Writing In Plain Language Workshop Come learn and practice: Writing clear, effective communication that is easy to understand which can be a powerful tool for inclusion and building trust. Offered in English, interpretation (including ASL) available upon request. Automatic live transcription is available, human captioners available upon request. This is a virtual class. Register at www.tinyurl.com/clearwritingDC

6:30PM FREE

7/15 Boston Little Saigon NIGHT MARKET - Chợ Đêm 2023 Night markets are outdoor street festivals that include food vendors, artisan/merchandise vendors, games, entertainment, and photo opportunities. Special attractions include a diverse line-up of entertainment, games and activities for all ages, a beer garden, Instagram worthy photo opportunities, and street food including chicken wings, skewers, crawfish, and more!

@Dorchester Avenue between Park Street and Adams Street including Town Field Park in Dorchester.

4PM-9PM All Ages FREE

7/16 MIT Swapfest electronics and ham radio flea will take place on the third Sunday of each month this summer, April through October.

@Albany + Main St, Cambridge

9AM-2PM All Ages $6

7/22 Boston While Black Family Reunion '23 a day-long celebration of Black experiences, community and culture. Come down for line-dancing to epic Double Dutch showdowns and intense Spades tournaments to

face painting fun for all ages. Live music and local vendors and artists!

@The Lawn On D

12PM-8PM All Ages FREE

7/22 Black Portals II

The Boston Ujima Project is hosting its annual summer party!

@Black Market Nubian

7PM All Ages $20

7/27 Brighton Bazaar Night Market ft. art, vinyl, and vintage vendors!

@Charles River Speedway

5PM-9:30PM All Ages Free

7/27 + 8/3 Online Class: Personal Documentary

Storytelling Register at www.cambridge.org/classes

@Cambridge Community

Television

6PM-8PM Free for members, $50 for nonmembers

8/11-8/13 Queer Scouts Camp

2023: Register now!

Queer Scouts Boston will have its second annual camp this August in southern Vermont on a queer farm owned by two lovely gay bears. There are cabins and places to pitch a tent, a hot tub, a cooling pool, a barn, a fire pit, a kitchen, outdoor showers, hikes and places to swim nearby. Camp is a sober space for LGBTQ+ adults, age 18+.

@Queer Scouts Boston $15-80

Recess: Circle Squared, a creative community organization based in Cambridge and Somerville, will be hosting its weekly health and wellness circles every Thursday

@Cambridge Community Center

6PM-10PM All Ages Free

Boston Alternative Tango

Every Friday experience the new and expanded concept of Queer Tango Boston. Their goal is to incorporate the growing Feminist Tango movement with the preexisting Queer Tango movement in a safe Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) inspired open-role practice space to address the growing toxicity, elitism and ableism in the tango community.

@Democracy Center

3PM-9PM All Ages FREE

Egleston Farmers Market is back every Saturday until late October!

@Community Servings

10AM-2PM

Harvard Square Open Market

Every Sunday from June through October, come explore the

eclectic and carefully curated selection of over 50 artists, makers, and vintage dealers.

www.newenglandopenmarkets.com

@Harvard Square

11AM-5PM All Ages FREE

opportunity

Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance offers opportunities and coaching for organizations, groups and individuals to assess anti-oppression within their community. Sign up now for programming ending in August and get in early for their Fall programming. Check out all the programs at www.linktr.ee/aortacoop

SUBMIT NOW! Beats on the Beach Contest Create a beat using samples from Revere Beach and submit it for a chance to win cash and prizes! Head to their site for more info and sample files. Apply by 7/31 www.savetheharbor.org/beats

APPLY NOW! New England States Touring (NEST) Grant funds performances, readings, and screenings of work by regional, national, and international artists presented by New England-based nonprofit organizations with awards ranging from $500-$10,000. Applicants are highly encouraged to contact NEFA staff to confirm that their project fits the program guidelines.

Application deadline 8/1 www.nefa.org/NEST

APPLY NOW! Cultural Equity Learning Community: Summer 2023 Cohort a two-unit, 12 session, asynchronous anti-racism course with wrap-around supports open to arts and culture leaders committed to building intersectional racial equity. The 1st unit includes two tracks: one for BIPOC arts leaders: Compassionate Transformation, and one for white arts leaders: Whiteness + Me. Participation in both tracks is possible. Register by 7/19. Learn more at www.culturalequitylc.org

of Jamal B. Franklin by Nile Hennick

The Adventures of Aaron & Beatrice by Gabriel Joy Reid

The Market by Cagen Luse

EXPERIMENTAL EXCURSIONS

Neonach · Fugue State · Ambient 5

Long time, no see! There is no time restriction anymore for experimental excursion since the last issue I guess , so with no further ado let’s explore.

1. Tashi Norbu / Neonach, NEONACH

There is always something unique about whatever Craig Douglas is involved in. Recorded live in Williams College and released in April 2023 on Bandcamp, this sonic collaboration has an atmospheric and innovatively-bleak sound that is hard to replicate in many places. Listening to the dark and low howl-like vocals would seem perfectly haunting yet memorable during a long walk in the woods at night.

2. Subtlety’s Dead, Fugue State

noise rock and garage, Shane Bruno (member of bridge of flowers) has released what I believe to be his first solo release, at least under Fugue State. Guitars that could very well be an air raid siren and rough, distorted vocals give me an adrenaline rush I haven’t had in a long time. The percussion at times sounds like Bruno’s keeping the stick on the drum on every beat and there’s a sense of chaos in production, which I appreciate well. This is a very Worcester-esque album so with that being said if someone plays this outside of Worcester City Hall for five seconds I’ll send you a tape. (Seriously, Instagram is at the bottom)

3. Tiefling, Ambient 5: Music for Cats

Honestly, the Eno nod is humorous enough to pique my interest. Not only does it follow through on a pleasant homage to Brian Eno’s ambient series, it has exceeded my expectations on the first track alone. Tiefling has been a known versatile artist, dabbling in experimental, dnb / jungle, breakcore and other forms of electronic sound. These three tracks are dreamlike and solemn at points as well and, despite the somewhat meme of a title, they feel very serious and uncompromising as well. Tiefling has proven yet again that just because you stick with one style, it shouldn’t make you afraid to branch out your musical palette more.

THE GLUTTON REPORTS

Everything Bagel Ice Cream, JP Licks

Everything bagel has been having a moment. The bagel has arguably never not been in the spotlight following its inception in New York around the late 1970s, however the seasoning has now transcended its original platform. Repopularized by Trader Joe’s everything bagel seasoning, the flavor has appeared on bagel chips, BlackBird donuts, and even as a central, existential image in the 2023 Oscar-winning best picture Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. The new frontier—everything bagel ice cream at JP Licks: a sweet cream-based featured flavor with schmears of cream cheese and loads of texture from garlic and onion, poppy and sesame seeds, and chunks of bagel.

JP Licks—the ice cream confectionery based in Jamaica Plain—specializes in scooping over twenty flavors of the creamy, kosher, and locally-made dessert across 17 stores in the Greater Boston Area. Their assortment includes several flavors swirled with cookies and cream and popular New England summer drinks like raspberry lime rickeys, root beer floats, and ice cream sodas. You’re likely to see a line out the door on a sticky-hot day—and hear a worker yelling out “canwepleasekeepthatfrontdoorshutsothattheicecreamdoesntmeltTHANKYOU!”

Everyone enters JP Licks expecting a sweet treat, so why not craft up something disgusting? To keep regular customers rotting away their sweet tooths and asking for an inappropriate amount of samples, the shop peddles out 3-4 monthly flavors that range from old classics like “cherry ortiz” to collaboration-born flavors like The Blue Man Group's “exploding marshmallow mouth.” That’s when controversial flavors like Grillo Pickles’ “fresh pickle,” tabasco-addled “disco inferno,” and “everything bagel” shine for a limited time.

The Glutton reports: at first whiff, the ice cream smells exactly like an everything bagel—garlic, onion, and a touch of heady yeast dominate my nasal cavity. I approach the smell neutrally; this is exactly what I’m expecting. The first bite—confusing. The sweet base spreads out like a green and blue countryside over the tongue, while the garlic advances like the thick atmospheric smog enveloping it. I’ve witnessed this first taste by friends and strangers alike, and there is always a pause, a hesitation, some calculation to parse in the consumer’s head. That first, sly smile (“I’m being

soooo adventurous today!) melts away into a disappointing blankness—then a chuckle or a quick shake of the head (“Haha. I’m never being adventurous again.”).

My hot take: I LIKED IT. There is so much more to a flavor that is unlocked after the first bite. After a couple sample-spoonfuls, the palette adjusts as it would to a complicated goat cheese and a twinge of salted caramel climbs through the mouth, into the throat, and into the brain. Other bites introduce a de-spiced wasabi. Something about the puzzle of the experience beckons me to keep biting. Poppy and sesame seeds sprinkled throughout the cream cheese confection embed themselves into the cavity crannies of my teeth; some break open and invite bitterness to the awkward mouth party. My only textural horror: flash frozen chunks of actual bagel—harder in some places, soggy in others. These were not pebble-sized;. They were 1/8 to 1/4 the size of actual bagels, enough for a hamster to store in his cheek and sleep peacefully knowing that it would serve him many meals in the future. I suffered through a couple chunks before removing them from the bowl, as if the flavor was an abandoned gravel quarry and I shucked larger stones. The ogre-like afterbreath of this dessert— good god, it could vaporize a vampire—is fermented garlic. Half in earnest, half in jest, I asked my partner if I should brush my teeth after licking the remaining glob on my spoon. He paused to deliberate before very, very politely requesting that I consider it upon returning home. Crazily, the only thing that could round out this experience for me is the addition of a calamitously clashing, cheap red wine that would further acidify my palette and balance out the savory-sweetness of this ice cream. Don’t show my dentist this article.

A kiddie size or small is enough for this ice cream to have a punching match with your tongue and triumph. Consider whether you like being in a tense confrontation with something as simple as an ice cream flavor. Consider how many hours you work in a week and how often you go to get ice cream. Consider whether you’d like to pay upwards of six dollars to collect a mundane yet peculiar experience to share with your friends. Consider getting an everything bagel frappe, and I’ll call someone to check on you.

MICHAEL MAMBRINO aka flowery speech