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04 29 15 – 05 06 15

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

VOL 17 + ISSUE 17

APRIL 29, 2015 - MAY 6, 2015

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

EDITORIAL EDITOR Dan McCarthy NEWS, FEATURES + MEDIA FARM EDITOR Chris Faraone ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR Martín Caballero ASSOCIATE A+E EDITOR Spencer Shannon CONTRIBUTORS Boston Bastard, Nina Corcoran, Emily Hopkins, Micaela Kimball, Jake Mulligan, Cady Vishniac, Dave Wedge INTERNS Paige Chaplin

DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tak Toyoshima DESIGNER Brittany Grabowski INTERNS Elise Cameron, Alek Glasrud, Michael Zaia COMICS Tim Chamberlain Brian Connolly Pat Falco Patt Kelley

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Nate Andrews Jesse Weiss FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION sales@digpublishing.com

BUSINESS PUBLISHER Jeff Lawrence ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Marc Shepard OFFICE MANAGER John Loftus ADVISOR Joseph B. Darby III DigBoston, 242 East Berkeley St. 5th Floor Boston, MA 02118 Fax 617.849.5990 Phone 617.426.8942 digboston.com

ON THE COVER

You hold in your hands our annual celebration of the local businesses that make our city the awesome place that it is. Read on dear reader!

3 DEAR READER After weeks of assembling, it’s with a great beaming glow of pride that we present to you the 2015 DigThis Awards issue. Besides the fact that it’s swollen with all manner of Boston’s best of the best, as chosen by you, it also serves as a yearly encapsulation of what’s out there for the taking. Be it our list of the best spots in which to grab a pile of bratwurst or undertake various forms of grooming (up top and down below) or our recognition of the fan favorites for live music and comedy, this is that one issue of DigBoston that you’ll want to keep on your coffee table atop the pile of other rags and mags that you use as ad-hoc placemats while eating in front of the television. You’ll turn to this issue when you’re wondering where the barometer of reader-chosen excellence is pointing towards for a slew of selected fields, and it may remind you that there are some old classics out there you’ve been meaning to get back to, or inspire you to finally make your first sojourn to a given local business to see what all the hype has been about. So take this copy, and maybe grab a backup just in case you have an unfortunate accident and soil these pages beyond repair with Nana’s spaghetti sauce while catching up on Game of Thrones. Come to think of it, grab a couple extra. You do get messy when excited. BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF

DIGTIONARY

BALTIMORON

noun /baltˈmôrˌän/ 1. Anybody who makes sweeping generalizations about the state of unrest in Maryland without considering a bit of the sociopolitical history that led to this week’s riots.

OH, CRUEL WORLD

©2015 DIGBOSTON IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY DIG PUBLISHING LLC. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION CAN BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT. DIG PUBLISHING LLC CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. ONE COPY OF DIGBOSTON IS AVAILABLE FREE TO MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS EACH WEEK. ANYONE REMOVING PAPERS IN BULK WILL BE PROSECUTED ON THEFT CHARGES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW.

Were you watching me while I was driving a few weeks ago? Was I picking my nose? Putting on makeup? Using my cell phone when I wasn’t supposed to?!? What was that you say? No? Well, you’re lying. I know because you took a picture of me when I wasn’t looking, presumably because I ran through your red light. If I refuse to pay, are they going to unmount you so that you can challenge me in court? That’s what I thought. As soon as these sneakers get old, I’ll be flinging them around your pole. Take a picture of that, you ass.

ILLUSTRATION BY ELISE CAMERON

Dear Traffic Light,

NEWS US

SPRING FLING NEWS TO US

Boston’s bestest annual gratuitous seasonal protest piece BY DIG STAFF @DIGBOSTON

THE OLYMPIC FRONT This should be an interesting one. Much in the same the way that Boston 2024 sucked every breath of air out of the political oxygen chamber all winter, the current crush of other causes bubbling, some of which are noted herein, may very well lure eyes off of Goliath. Then again, there is also the chance that people will notice how the Olympics committee is tapping everyone from Larry Bird to hotshot ad execs to sell their lies, and may finally scare their alleged state and city representatives into aborting before it’s too late. THE ENVIRONMENTAL FRONT On Beacon Hill, it looks as if neophyte Governor Charlie Baker may roll back any number of environmental regulations that took decades to install. Meanwhile, everywhere else the fight for climate justice is so intense that even the neoliberal Boston Globe is in on the action, increasingly calling for specific fixes. In the larger picture though, neither politicians nor the media—in Boston or anyplace else—seem up to the task of saving the environment. And so it appears this fight will now be led by students, many groups of which are already pressing their university administrations to divest from fossil fuel interests. That mantle of protest, which was erected at Harvard University last year, has already been taken up by dozens of schools nationwide, including

several in the Boston area; two weeks ago, protesters from Tufts Climate Action occupied the office of their university president. Like we said, this region sets trends. THE LABOR FRONT The skilled trades appear to be doing fine. Judging by the lack of inflatable rats on the sidewalks, the incredible rate of construction, and our conversations with workers, you won’t likely see a large-scale picket from carpenters or plumbers anytime soon. On the other end of the labor continuum though, service employees are still fighting for a fairer share. In some cases, notably at the Harvard-owned Doubletree Suites in Allston, there have been organizing victories, there in the form of the housekeeping force being allowed to unionize after a long battle. With endless development sprouting in places like East Boston and Roxbury, the city’s janitors and other comparable lower-wage earners already have a busy 2015 on their hands. THE POLICE FRONT The push for sweeping changes in the Boston Police Department is coming from several angles. First there are the adjustments made by Mayor Marty Walsh; even some of his critics have applauded the unprecedented addition SPRING FLING continued on pg. 6

PHOTO BY CHRIS FARAONE

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

By a rough count, ever since the time our radical forefathers tossed tea into the Harbor, alternative newspapers have featured annual smorgasbords of upcoming spring protests. New England gets a lot of props specifically for its postcolonial rebellions, but as students of the people’s plight are well aware, the region has led or at least been an integral component of countless social justice struggles over the past several centuries. From abolitionists before and through the Civil War, to every stripe of striking worker imaginable, to the anti-nuclear-proliferation forces of the ’80s, the commonwealth in particular has bred healthy dissent. With such precedents in mind, it’s important to keep watch as younger actions blossom, and as veteran activists find new direction. Crowds in Massachusetts aren’t all that frightened by the cold; as you may recall, Black Lives Matter demonstrations stretched into the first snow pilings, while homeless rights advocates went hard on Boston Common long after the chill set in. At the same time, the ridiculous nor’easters we endured through February and March proved powerful enough to keep people inside, just not for too long. As we head into May, more than a half-dozen protest fronts are already up-and-running, and with enthusiasm. We can’t possibly note them all in one place, but here’s a guide to some activities we’re keeping tabs on.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

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SPRING FLING continued from pg. 4 of minorities to the ranks. Nevertheless, as some of those same voices have also said, there remains an inordinate amount of work to be done. To that end, pressure for reform is coming strong from activists and experts hoping for more outside departmental oversight. And while Black Lives Matter and other groups prone to rallying have been relatively quiet for the past few months, only a fool would count on it staying that way. THE HOMELESS FRONT Since it’s not too often that our city’s homeless population gets the soapbox, we thought it only right to lend them some footing on ours. From homeless Boston Homeless Solidarity Committee (BHSC) member Cleve Rea, who recently marched along with other BHSC supporters to the State House to request an intervention: “The state’s homelessness crisis has gone on for too long, and the closing of the Long Island facilities last year made it worse. Beacon Hill must recognize the crisis for what it is, an emergency! The state must create and fund an effective plan to end homelessness now!” Since politicians probably will not respond in any significant manner, it’s unlikely BHSC members will back down.

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off eats » Bella Luna Restaurant & Milky Way Lounge

» Jacob Wirth Co. » Patty Chens Dumpling Room » John Harvard’s Brewery » Cuisine En Locale Food Share

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off shops » Stingray Body Art » Kulturez » I Hate the Green Line T-Shirt

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DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

off tickets » Brooklyn Boulders Class Vouchers » Skydive New England » Huntington Theatre Company

For more deals go to: digboston.com/deals digboston arts + entertainment | news | lifestyle

THE HOUSING FRONT Think the mortgage crisis is over? If so, check out the case of Christina Soares, who earlier this month went head-to-head with Fannie Mae, which along with Freddie Mac comprises the taxpayer-subsidized axis of predatory lending. Only after phone calls from the offices of US Congressman Michael Capuano, Attorney General Maura Healey, US Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh—and a threehour protest eviction blockade—did Fannie Mae agree to sell the Soares’ home to a nonprofit willing to help her stay in place. Despite the stabilized economy, this sort of rigmarole continues. For those and countless other reasons, in early April more than 300 people attended a Boston City Council hearing to air grievances around these issues. The same federations have been known to hit the street often in the warm weather as well, and this year won’t be an exception. As members of City Life/Vida Urbana, the housing rights crusaders who backed Soares, wrote in a recent media release: “The blockade at 32 Oakwood could become the first of many. Other City Life members also face the possible need for an eviction blockade … One thing’s for sure … They face some determined opposition in the streets of Boston.”

BLUNT TRUTH

HEALEY, IS THIS A JOKE? BY MIKE CANN @MIKECANN During an appearance on the WGBH last week, recently elected Mass Attorney General Maura Healey noted that while she supports existing decriminalization and medical marijuana laws, she draws the line at legalization. Pressed by “Boston Public Radio” hosts to cut the bullshit, she resorted to some nonsense about how legal marijuana could increase black market violence. Ignoring facts, the AG went on to say that she’s concerned about “the kids.” In any case, Healey wasn’t budging. “I still don’t think that justifies it or makes it right,” the attorney general said. “I mean, there are a lot of things we could legalize. We could legalize cocaine or heroin. We could legalize dissemination of child pornography. It doesn’t make it right.” As if comparing marijuana to heroin wasn’t bad enough, she threw the kiddie porn gauntlet. Does Healey actually believe that pedophiles are comparable to adults who consume legal pot? Though she lies in manners similar to any number of ignorant prohibitionists, Healey’s reluctance to acknowledge reality is especially reminiscent of outgoing DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart, who once infamously refused to answer Congressman Jared Polis on whether marijuana is less harmful than heroin. Upon hearing that she was stepping down, Polis told the media he was “thrilled,” and said, “We need a more sensible approach to our federal drug policies, and it was clear that Ms. Leonhart was too beholden to antiquated and outdated laws and unwilling to fix things that were broken or look at basic science. I hope that our next D.E.A. chief will be better equipped to recognize simple truths such as, for example, that marijuana causes less harm to the body and mind than heroin.” Lastly, just a few weeks ago in Florida, a 15-year-old was indicted for the shooting deaths of his sibling and a suspected pot dealer. According to the Miami Herald, “Miami police allege the brother set up a deal to buy two pounds of marijuana from a trio of drug dealers, but secretly planned a gunpoint ripoff.” If weed had been legal, that wouldn’t have happened. Plain and simple. How many killings have we seen over teenagers selling alcohol? It’s harsh to say that Healey, or even goons like Leonhart, don’t really care about children. But with their baseless rhetoric around legalization, it sure as hell seems that way.

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS! ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

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MEDIA FARM

QUIET LITIGATION

Rob Potylo and the ‘Quiet D’ crew sue CBS BY MEDIA FARM @MEDIAFARM Allston musician, comic, and curmudgeon Rob Potylo shouted the good news across social media in the first week of March 2014: What a day!!!! This is me signing the contract with CBS to run a season of “Quiet Desperation” on myTV38 premiering Sunday afternoon April 13th at 12:30pm!!!!! … Thanks again to everyone who made this dream possible … It was phenomenal news as far as Boston arts and culture were concerned. Potylo, alternatively known as Robby Roadsteamer, has for years railed against Hub radio and broadcast outlets for neglecting to support local. His inking a deal to run episodes of “Quiet Desperation,” his collaborative documentary-type reality sitcom stocked with area talent, seemed like a major coup. Potylo, along with the show’s directors Erik Angra and Steve Onderick, gushed to the Dig: We’re trying to showcase Boston as the arts community it is. We’re really feeling we’re on the cusp of a renaissance here … We’re blessed to have so many creatives working hard on this project now to create something Boston can be proud of. The elation didn’t last. Weeks later, Potylo broke the bad news in a press release: Recently, we had partnered up with My38 CBS and signed a contract to air our show … Over the past few weeks the team has been working feverishly on a pilot episode that adhered to FCC law and was “PG” in its content. Unfortunately … the VP of sales breached the agreement to air the series before viewing the pilot … costing our grassroots production house thousands of dollars in production and advertising costs. At the time, Potylo struck back at the corporate monster with seemingly fitting insults, noting their preference for “caricature reality shows such as ‘Southie Rules’ and ‘Wicked Single.’” It was reminiscent of a mouthy fight he had years earlier with CBS, which owned the Boston rock station WBCN during Roadsteamer’s embattled tenure as a jock there in the aughts. Earlier this month, however, the Dig has learned that the “Quiet Desperation” crew brought their fight to the next level, namely Essex County Superior Court. According to the complaint filed against CBS Television Licensees WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV:

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On March 24, 2014, Plaintiff’s duly authorized representatives went to [the local CBS] offices … At the meeting, [the VP of sales] refused to view the episode of the TV Series she had requested to see, told the Plaintiff and its representatives that because of “drug content” in Plaintiff’s Internet Series, there was no reason to view the pilot, and that Defendants did not want to be associated “with that kind of content.” The complaint also states that CBS representatives refused to respond to subsequent phone calls about show matters, and so forth. The legal wording isn’t as saucy as what we’ve come to love and expect from Potylo, but the important stuff’s all in there, like that they’re suing for “breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and unfair and deceptive acts and practices.” Needless to say, subsequent proceedings proceedings should make for one heck of an upcoming episode of Quiet D.

FREE RADICAL

WATCHING THE WATCHMEN BY EMILY HOPKINS @GENDERPIZZA

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NOW

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

DAILYdig digboston.com/daily

Earlier this month, 25-year-old Freddie Gray was apprehended by police after he fled a Baltimore cop who made eye contact with him. Later, the city’s deputy police commissioner would say that his department found “no evidence” of any use of excessive force; but as video evidence shows, Gray was not able to walk without help, and was dragged to the police van. A week later, he was dead. Also this month, video evidence played a crucial role in bringing charges against South Carolina police officer Michael Slager. Prior to the clip emerging, Slager said he “feared for his life” in a confrontation with Walter Scott, a 50-year-old black man. After an eyewitness came forward with the footage, which shows Slager firing several rounds at Scott’s back as he fled, he was charged with murder. They say the victors write history, but that was before the rest of us had cameras. Though cops don’t generally like being filmed, citizens continue to turn on the red light, and to point their smart phones at police. Many have even been kicked, jailed, and arrested, still there remains a responsibility to record. Who watches the watchmen? We do.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS! ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE ONE AND ONLY

Since 1998

Of all the things this country might be lacking, be it political transparency, racial sensitivity, or even—in the case of California—water, “best of” compendiums are hardly in short supply. In Boston, more than a few come around for all manner of reasons. Such lists tend to ignite discussion, agreement, disagreement, and atonement. Anyone supporting even the general concept of a democratic system would consider the final proclamations regarding which cats are king based solely on our own opinions, with no input from the readership at all, as the move of an assembled braintrust of fatuous instincts. And that’s just not our style. So now that your votes for Boston’s best of the best in the fields of Arts and Entertainment, Eats and Drinks, and Goods and Services have been tallied and assembled, we present them here, with a few favorites of our own inserted into the list to cap off the 2015 DigThis Awards’ endless brigade of wowsers. Enjoy. Dan McCarthy, Editor, DigBoston

BIKE SHOP

BIKES NOT BOMBS

[18 Bartlett Sq., Jamaica Plain. 617-522-0226]

BIKE SHOP

MODERN BARBER SHOP

SPA

BIKINI WAX

How can you not love a place that repurposes and redistributes roughly 6,000 used bikes per year? This nonprofit Jamaica Plain shop stays close to its communitycentric roots, putting all funds back into youth programs while offering a full range of repair and retail services.

There’s nothing wrong with a classic barbershop. Nothing. But there’s something to be said for one that flanks you with funkiness and rock ’n’ roll ephemera while you’re getting down to some righteous beard and bean grooming at the hands of skilled technicians. You can also check the schedules online, which is handy. Especially when you get to that “Last Man On Earth” look after a long hiatus from the snippers.

Ah, Inman. The Cantabridgian staple of on-demand hot tubbing. And owner Renee Farster (who has passed the Oasis torch to a new owner now that she’s stepping down with nine years of “best of” wins under her belt) has probably saved the city from a few angry mobs by getting locals through the kind of snowstorms and MBTA issues we had this year. Hats off to another win.

Whatever one wants to do or for or with one’s netherparts on the crotch-fro front, well, that’s a personal choice. And to implement that choice you’ll need the aid of a trusted technician. Once again readers have chosen this W-Hotel spot, revered for its attention to detail when detailing the undercarriage, if you will. I guess what we’re saying is this place is great if you’re looking to get your vag waxed.

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

[18 Bartlett Sq., Jamaica Plain. 617-522-0226]

FLOYD’S 99 BARBERSHOP

[Mass Ave locations in Cambridge and Boston. floydsbarbershop.com]

INMAN OASIS

[243 Hampshire St., Cambridge. 617-491-0176. inmanoasis.com]

BLISS

[100 Stuart St., Boston. 617-261-8747. blissworld.com]

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ZAIA

BIKES NOT BOMBS

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

HATS

BOXING + MMA

It’s not hard to fall in love with a hat shop when entering the building feels like you’ve just stepped into a period film set. But it’s real, as is the insane selection of incredible fedoras, panama beauties, and lids of every stripe from classic brands to exclusive line jobs and even their own “Boston Classics.” If your dome requires something awesome to place atop it, look no further.

The brainchild of the child of the George Foreman of your indoor-grilling dreams, this is less the sweat and stain-filled gym of Rocky and more of a shrine to what boxing fitness can do for the body overall. Sparring rings, core workouts, an organic juice bar, steam rooms and saunas, and classes like “fighter’s booty” mark this Foreman as the only one you care about when getting in fighting shape.

GEORGE FOREMAN III

[765 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 617-522-5047. salmagundiboston.com]

[15 Channel Center St., Boston. 857-250-4150. everybodyfights.com]

GYM

YOGA

When it comes to cathedrals in which to genuflect before the fitness gods and get your fat ass doing something other than waxing your couch cushions, BSC is a crowd favorite. They’re pretty well spread out throughout the Hub, which means besides making you less of a fat slob, membership ensures you’ll never again use this transparent excuse: “I didn’t work out today because I wasn’t near my gym.”

Getting into yoga is sometimes derailed due to the feeling that within one move your flexibility levels will expose you for the brittle piece of antique china that you are. It’s intimidating. Which is why so many love this approachable spot suitable for all levels, from the breathsynchronized movements of Vinyasa style to a class called “Chair Yoga” that’s designed for seniors as much as it is for beginners. It’s all here.

BOSTON SPORTS CLUB

[Various locations. 617-248-9797. mysportsclubs.com]

ROCK GYM

BROOKLYN BOULDERS

The bouldering and top-rope type stuff that’s for the grabbing at this gorgeous state-of-the-art indoor rock gym, with funky art and color splashes across the different levels inside, is tops once again. They even have classes on learning how to fall the right way. As opposed to the wrong way. One of those wrong ways involves drinking before rock-climbing. After, yes. Before, no. Remember that. [12a Tyler St., Somerville. 617-764-4188. brooklynboulders.com/somerville]

BLISSFUL MONKEY

[663 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 617-522-4411. blissfulmonkey.com]

HOUSEWARES

FARM AND FABLE

If you’ve ever looked around your central cooking command post (ie: your kitchen) and said, “Well doesn’t this just look beautiful and filled-with-unique vintage cookbooks and fancy cutlery and cutting boards made from reclaimed wood,” then you’ve probably shopped here. If you can’t say that but want to, check out why readers picked this as the homestead for housewares. [251 Shawmut Ave., Boston. 617-451-1110. farmandfable.com]

YOGA

BLISSFUL MONKEY

[663 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 617-522-4411. blissfulmonkey.com]

JEANS (MEN)

COMIC SHOP

The brand name Levi’s connotes a certain style. Which is why some time back the company launched its “Red Label” division, which veers away from buttonfly and Marlboro Man staples, carrying the trendier cuts and fashion-forward renditions of those classics. And once again this Newbury Street shop gets the top nod from readers looking to sheathe their legs in pants their butt can be proud of.

This is the stuff 12-year-old boys’ dreams are made of, a veritable paradise of everything from Superman to Star Wars, Magic cards to manga. Other people may not understand, but when you walk out with a shopping bag full of action figures, graphic novels, and vintage Star Trek mugs, it’s not because you want them—it’s because you need them.

LEVI’S RED LABEL

[131 Newbury St., Boston. 617-262-0135. us.levi.com]

DIGBOSTON.C0M

COMIC SHOP

COMICAZI

[407 Highland Ave., Somerville. 617-666-2664. comicazi.com]

JEANS (WOMEN)

BEST CHAIN-Y COMIC SHOP WE DON’T MIND GIVING OUR MONEY TO

Owner Alison Barnard’s denim temple is a mainstay of the North End boutique shopping scene, and has built up a devoted following of ladies looking for long-lasting and flattering jeans that aren’t being worn by everyone else in town (her selection tends to be well curated). Stopping in to work hand in hand with the staff over many, many fittings of different pairs is a right, not a privilege.

As at a good small chain record store, each of New England Comics’ eight locations is staffed by people who know their stuff, whether that’s the origin story of Silver Surfer, the difference between the power cosmic and gamma rays, or maybe just where the bathroom is. They also host writers and artist events, so there’s another reason to get out of the house.

[441 Hanover St., Boston. 617-523-5326. injeanius.com]

[Multiple locations. newenglandcomics.com]

IN-JEAN-IUS

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

COMICAZI

NEW ENGLAND COMICS

PICK E DI TO R ' S

COMICAZI PHOTO COURTESY MICHAEL BURKE | BLISSFUL MONKEY PHOTO BY MICHAEL ZAIA

SALMAGUNDI

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

OUTDOOR SUPPLY COMPANY

EYEWEAR

Whether you are planning on surviving in the woods for a week Rambo-style or just need some killer sleeping bags, REI offers an absurd amount of stuff for the outdoor enthusiast. The excellent selection of camping, climbing, and fitness gear is complemented with a full-service bike shop and ski & snowboard section, making it the badass Swiss Army knife of outdoor stores (they sell those too, by the way).

Looking at the face of our publisher Jeff Lawrence, you’ll notice he wears glasses. And he, like many other bespectacled denizens of Boston, makes this his go-to haven for eyewear, especially given the South End location (new frames = excuse to hit some of the nearby restaurants after). And since the owner Paul is a foodie, patrons often leave not just with great sight, but with insight into the local eats scene as well. Nice.

REI

[401 Park Dr., Boston. 617-236-0746. reistores.com/stores/boston]

SALON (COLOR)

SHAG

Shag is salon heaven. Trendy shampoos line the wall right next to a neverending line of hair color options in this sleek, modern space. Stylists that are equal parts intimidatingly cool and refreshingly kind know the perfect cut for your face. Want a glass of wine at 10am? They’ve got your back, no judgments. Did we mention MTV has invaded the space for TVworthy makeovers? Yeah. Shag knows its stuff. [840 Summer St., Boston. 617-268-2500. shagboston.com]

SPECTACLE

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[544 Tremont St., Boston. 617-542-9600. spectacle-eyewear.com]

JEWELRY

SOWA MARKET

The real gems are hidden away at SoWa Market. This artisan heaven hides Boston’s best artists and jewelry designers until the sun’s warmth returns to us (eventually). You can find everything from floral imprints to remarkably bold metal to tiny lollipop earrings. And when it closes during the winter, come find us. We can all sob together until spring lets them open their doors back up. Or, you know, shop at their vintage market indoors.

EYEWEAR

(460 Harrison Ave., Boston. sowasundays.com)

Want to be hip and also able to see? Warby Parker is your spot. The brick and mortar showroom on Newbury Street brings class to style at an affordable price. Chunky frames get a sleek finish so you can go from businessman to bartending hipster in the same day. Don’t be surprised if your friends start asking you where they can get their own pairs.

MUSIC GEAR

WARBY PARKER

[83 Newbury St., Boston. 508-658-7444. warbyparker.com]

MR. MUSIC

Mr. Music is Allston’s best hideout. A treasure trove of new, used, and vintage equipment all sit inside this cozy music shop. Looking for a mini banjo, a 50-year-old fuzz pedal, and a new electric Rickenbacker? This is your one-stop joint. Come for the gear, stay for the staff. They will chat with you all day if you want, or jam with you in the back room. You choose. [128 Harvard Ave., Allston. 617-783-1609. mrmusicguitars.com]

EYEWEAR

SPECTACLE

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

PHOTO COURTESY PAUL FOX

[544 Tremont St., Boston. 617-542-9600. spectacle-eyewear.com]

WINNER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

RECORD STORE

RUNNING STORE

CRAFT BEER + WINE

SUPERMARKET

In Your Ear Records is about as reliable for a day of music geeking as it gets. Endless stacks of vinyl, CDs, and cassettes rest underneath the busy hustle of Comm Ave. Keep your eyes peeled for more than audio gems, though. Sometimes the greats do some poking around in there, too, people like say, Jimmy Page. Pro tip: No air-Stairway in front of him, should you cross paths.

Mass athletes and average Joes alike have been trusting Marathon Sports with their sore feet since 1975. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a couch potato in remission, you’ll get a free consultation and shoe fitting. They’ll even let you run around outside to get a feel for the sneaks before taking them home. First things first, we advise you burn those old Sketchers you’ve been lugging to the gym.

Leaving this Fort Point Channel treasure cave of foodie wonders having spent a lot more than you intended is a common occurrence. Between their fresh-slice deli and charcuterie counter, the subway tiling and overall aesthetic harking back to a classic (but polished) rustic provisions store, brilliant cheesemongers, and damn fine craft beer and wine selection (not to mention the chocolate counter), it’s no surprise they got the gold.

Pretty soon there will be as many Whole Foods as there are Dunkin’ Donuts, but even then we’ll still be coming back to Harvest. The store’s selection of organic and natural products and bulk spices, not to mention the ability to grind your own peanut butter, easily rivals its larger competitors.

IN YOUR EAR

MARATHON SPORTS

[957 Comm Ave., Boston. 617-787-9755. iye.com]

[1654 Mass Ave., Cambridge. 617-354-4161. marathonsports.com]

WOMEN’S FRIENDLY SALON

TATTOO SHOP

Behold: the “lovably kitschy” hair salon you and your aspiring blue locks have been lusting after. When you walk in, you feel as if you’ve been transported into some purple-y space-age 1960s hair haven, full of equally edgy and talented hairstylists. Trust that Judy Jetson will transform your head into the neon green mohawk of your dreams. But if you just want some highlights and a blow-dry, all good here.

If you’re looking to get inked, it’s very likely that somebody will tell you to go to Stingray. In which case, that person gives stellar advice. It’s easily accessible and immaculately clean, and the artists actually know what they’re doing. They also do tattoo removal, so you can erase the evidence of your 16-year-old self who just had to have a tattoo of the word “dream” in comic sans, next to an infinity symbol.

JUDY JETSON

[1765 Mass Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-2628, judyjetson.com]

SKATE SHOP

STINGRAY BODY ART

[386 Cambridge St., Allston. 617-254-0666. stingraybodyart.com]

BEE’S KNEES

[12 Farnsworth St., Boston. 617-292-2337. beeskneessupply.com]

HARVEST CO-OP

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[Multiple locations. 617-661-1580. harvest.coop]

MEN’S FRIENDLY SALON

SHAG

SUPERMARKET

TRADER JOE’S

It says something about Trader Joe’s that former employees sometimes wear old work shirts just to hang around the house. While most people wouldn’t be caught murdered in their company uniform while off-duty, the Trader’s pattern summons happy thoughts of scrumptious frozen apps and affordable gourmet goods. Oh, and enormous racks of wines that don’t burden the bank, which we suspect had something to do with this victory. [Multiple locations. traderjoes.com]

Hands down the best modern salon in Boston, Shag maintains its stellar reputation with regular art shows, charity events, and original photography projects to show off a talented roster of stylists and colorists. For upscale treatment in a friendly and professional environment, look no further than Shag’s highly communicative, fashion-forward stylists. They’re masters of quick, modern mens’ cuts in a variety of styles that will have you walking out runway-ready. [840 Summer St., Boston. 617-268-2500. shagboston.com]

ORCHARD SKATESHOP

“Skate shop” feels like a woefully inadequate way to describe Orchard. Most skate shops can’t boast a half-pipe ramp behind the shoe racks, or an art gallery space on the second floor. But even as a straight-up retail outlet, the Allston flagship store (with a North End spot set to debut) stands above the rest, featuring a diverse selection of boards, shoes, clothes, and gear curated by knowledgeable staff.

SKATE SHOP

ORCHARD SKATESHOP

[156 Harvard Ave, Allston. 617-782-7777. orchardshop.com]

ALTERNATIVE WORKOUT

THE HANDLE BAR

Spin classes. You hop on a stationary bike, pedal hard, and sweat your ass off (note: Your ass will most likely hurt the first few times). That’s what you want out of a sleek modern spin gym, along with a variety of classes all week, and studios in both Southie and the Fenway. [Multiple locations. handlebarcycling.com]

THRIFT

BOOMERANGS

[Locations in JP, West Roxbury, Central Square, and the South End. shopboomerangs.org] .

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ZAIA

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

You may be king or queen of thrifting around the city, but you may not know that Boomerangs is run by the AIDS Action Committee of MA and all proceeds go towards AIDS prevention. Perhaps now you’ll be more keen on the idea of purchasing that strange set of decorative roosters or that vintage oversized argyle sweater. In fact, you should have been already.

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS! ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

A decade of relaxation.... a decade of Dig This wins. Wow. We’re soaking up the love from Dig readers.

Thank you for choosing us as “Best Spa” for the tenth time!

2012 digthisawards

2009 digthisawards

243 Hampshire St, Inman Sq 617-491-0176

www.inmanoasis.com

ARTISAN GIFTS

MAGPIE

SUNGLASSES & KICKS

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Davis Square is an indie gift shop boasting a selection reminiscent of the best punk rock flea market you’ve ever attended combined with offerings from the local fine art studio. The little store carries a vast collection of quirky cards and stationery, and the eclectic finds gathered for sale will help you delight even your most enigmatic friends.

BODEGA

[6 Clearway St., Boston. bdgastore.com]

[416 Highland Ave., Somerville. 617-623-3330. magpie-store.com]

SEX/LINGERIE STORE

GOOD VIBRATIONS

Good Vibes does a great job of making everyone who enters feel like family. Er, not in the awkward way, but in the notcreepy way. Yeah, maybe that wasn’t the best way to put it. But if there’s such a thing as a completely relaxed and casual sex toy shopping experience, this place is the most likely place for that to happen. There. That’s a better way to say it.

BOOKSTORE

BROOKLINE BOOKSMITH

A local gem reminding locals lucky enough to have this bookseller in their backyards of the importance of supporting independent stores run by cool, smart people. The staff is effortlessly friendly, and they know their stuff— brightly colored Post-its decorate the shelves alerting browsers to the staff’s picks, and they regularly host writers of both local and national fame, like Joyce Carol Oates. See? Famous.

BOOTS

TANNERY

This is not the place to enter with the intent of wandering aimlessly while an employee tails you, dying to wait on you hand and foot. No, the Tannery means business, and when a customer enters with purpose (they can tell), this shoe mega-resource delivers. But seriously, don’t ever go here if you aren’t thickskinned and iron-willed. This is fullcontact boot procurement. [402 + 711 Boylston St., Boston. 617-267-5500. thetannery.com]

[279 Harvard St., Brookline. 617-566-6660. brooklinebooksmith.com]

DOUBLE TROUBLE SUNGLASSES + KICKS

BEST VINTAGE WITH HIGH STANDARDS OF EXCHANGE

Having matured without selling out, and becoming a nationally known destination for much more than just excellent sneaker game, the famously hidden “sneakeasy” has, impressively, again been honored. On the accessory front, from custom and exclusive lines to extremely raw shades from brands like Stussy, Cazal, and Shwood, theirs is an especially remarkable sunglasses and sneaker success story, with a bright trajectory for a boutique with zero windows.

Buffalo Exchange may be a chain, but it’s stuck around for a reason. The used, vintage, and consignment store depot has a neverending flow of new clothing (and even sick shoes). The staff is picky about the quality of items carried, so you know you’re getting the most bang for your buck. No pit stains or loose threads allowed. At least to sell you. Your own duds are your deal.

[6 Clearway St., Boston. bdgastore.com]

[180 Harvard Ave., Boston. 617-779-7901. buffaloexchange.com]

BODEGA

HEAD SHOP

SUGAR DADDY’S

Long gone are the days when Sugar Daddy’s was the only show in town, a place where heads could and would trek to from both near and far. What hasn’t changed is the dedicated Sugar Daddy’s staff, always down to put us on to new tricks and toys, from pocket grinders to new vapes and other paraphernalia. It’s more important than ever to have the kind of competent coaches for which this place is famous. [472 Comm Ave., Boston. 617-536-6922. bostonsugardaddys-boston.com]

E-CIG SUPPLY

MASS VAPORS

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

HEAD SHOP

SUGAR DADDY'S

[472 Comm Ave., Boston. 617-536-6922. bostonsugardaddys-boston.com]

The team at Mass Vapors has known since day one that e-cigs and the cornucopia of their nifty plugin cousins are here to stay, and as such the store has emerged as a leader on a landscape of rookies. Go ahead, bring them all your questions. Take our word for it—you’re not the first person to ever want to quit stinking like the ashtray outside Dunkies. [1236 Comm Ave., Allston. 781-592-0068. massvapors.com]

BUFFALO EXCHANGE

PICK E DI TO R ' S

VINTAGE

THE GARMENT DISTRICT

We’ll be honest, it’s hard to write about vintage shops. After all, they have new and different stock every day. But to us, and you apparently, it seems like the Garment District has the most new stock, along with kickass organization and employees who are happy to help. They’re tops in town for everything from vests, to denim, to those ornate cowboy boots after which you have been lusting. Oh, how you lust. [200 Broadway, Cambridge. 617-876-5230. garmentdistrict.com]

PET STUFF

POLKA DOG BAKERY

If you don’t have a pet in your own life, then there is probably somebody whom you love or are at least trying to bed who considers their pooch to be their own offspring. Believe us when we tell you that the Polka Dog whisperers will help you pick the perfect treat for any pup you’re visiting. And feel free to ask them which vittles are safe for human consumption. They have answers. [Locations in Jamaica Plain and the South End. polkadog.com]

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL ZAIA

[308 Harvard St., Suite A, Brookline. 617-264-4400. goodvibes.com]

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

BAKERY

FLOUR BAKERY

[Multiple locations. flourbakery.com]

LONE STAR

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

Maybe it’s because they use a legit slush machine to keep their housemade frozen margaritas in check. Or the way they occasionally like to switch up the blanco tequila or add new flavors in just the right way. Or that they have an entire wall dedicated to their collection of the finest mezcal and tequila around. No matter what, hearing “I regret ordering all those margarita’s” won’t be something you hear here. [479 Cambridge St., Boston. 617-782-8226. lonestar-boston.com]

GREATEST MARGARITA STRONGHOLD IN DAVIS SQUARE

THE PAINTED BURRO

Tequila freaks and indecisive tequila freaks alike gather E DI TO R ' S before the 100 craft tequilas and endless margarita possibilities the minute they step in. Maybe a little overwhelmed, too. Luckily their killer Margarita menu features tequilas infused with hibiscus and cucumber, along with all the Agave nectar and lime juice your little donkey heart could possibly fathom. Which soothes nerves, we think. Or numbs them.

PICK

[219 Elm St., Somerville. 617-776-0005. thepaintedburro.com]

ICE CREAM

DINER

If you’re ever meandering about the outskirts of Central Square, you’re bound to stumble upon this tucked away scoop shop. Trust us when we say that Tosci’s will be your savior come the blazing summer months. The store’s traditional flavors as well as non-traditional flavors (ie: grapenut, bourbon, and Earl Grey) are all made inhouse, which gets them all the glory this year. Well deserved.

There are three ways you know your unbearable bus ride from New York to Boston is finally almost over: You see that big white building with the half-moon windows, the pig next to you wakes up after seven hours of snoring, and your mouth begins to water as you dream about the football-sized omelette and perfectly browned potatoes you’re about to grub at this legend of the outer Leather District.

TOSCANINI’S

[899 Main St., Cambridge. 617-491-5877. tosci.com]

SOUTH STREET DINER

[178 Kneeland St., Boston. 617-350-0028. southstreetdiner.com]

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ZAIA

MARGARITA

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

BURRITO (TO GO)

ANNA’S TAQUERIA

Dear fellow hipsters and food nerds in other cities: Pick your most flavorful homegrown taco spot, or burrito truck, or enchilada stand, whatever. We’re going to go head to head, Boston vs. your unworthy metropolis, and when the carnitas have been rolled, the soft shells steamed, and the stewed tomato chicken forked off the bone, we’ve no doubt that Anna’s will emerge numero uno. [Multiple location., annastaqueria.com]

VEGAN-FRIENDLY

VEGGIE GALAXY

While in the past we’ve been impressed by Veggie Galaxy’s amazing penchant for attracting non-veggies and even antivegans, what’s more impressive has been their becoming the hands-down favorite of so many actual vegetarians, as we’re a picky bunch. Congrats to Veggie Galaxy, the center of our universe. Don’t forget to try the Rachel or the Reuben. Or both. [450 Mass Ave, Cambridge. 617-497-1513. veggiegalaxy.com]

BLOODY MARY

EAST COAST GRILL

Clearly, there’s no better place to sip (or chug) some bloodys than at a restaurant that sometimes asks its customers to sign a legal release before eating certain hot foods. Worship Mary any way that you want here—it’s a make your own type of situation—and when you’re done licking the ice cubes, enjoy spending the rest of your Sunday fueled and ready for anything. Or a nap. [1271 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-491-6568. eastcoastgrill.net]

BRATWURST

BRONWYN

Bratwurst cravings hurt. Union Square’s Bronwyn, in all its cozy German glory, knows this and will banish your wurst cravings—order a platter of handcrafted bratwurst, kielbasa, or liverwurst, to name just a few of the mouthwatering meats on offer. Bronwyn is an establishment sent straight from the sausage Gods. Which are our favorite gods.

GREEK

ZO GREEK CUISINE

[Multiple locations. 617-227-0101. zoboston.com]

[255 Washington St., Somerville. 617-776-9900. bronwynrestaurant.com]

BEST OF CHINATOWN

DUMPLINGS

GREEK

Truly, one of the best things about spilling out of Brighton Music Hall after a show on a hot summer night, drunk and hungry and happy, is skipping over to Spike’s for one of their creative, homemade, packed-with-toppings, 100 percent beef hot dogs. The hardest decision is determining whether or not there’s room for more than one—don’t worry, we won’t judge.

If more bubbling broth than you know how to deal with is something you appreciate while slurping pho, then you’ve found the right place. This Washington Street staple serves up quick and fresh bowls of noodle soup at an extremely reasonable price for the area, and its prime Theater District location makes it an ideal spot for lunchtime people-watching. Or just staring at your food.

There are gyros, and then there are Zo gyros. Eat one, and you’ll never be able to go back to the non-Zo imposters. The traditional rotisserie-cooked, handcarved crispy pork, atop chopped tomato, onion, herb dressing, and crisp cucumber tzatziki sauce, wrapped in a warm, soft flatbread, is one of Boston’s most underrated lunch offerings. Just, yes.

[108 Brighton Ave., Boston. spikesjunkyarddogs.com]

[682 Washington St., Boston. 617-482-7467. phopasteurboston.net]

Mei Mei was voted tops for their prowess at things like pierogi dumplings, available both at their brick-andmortar restaurant and at their adorable food truck. Haven’t had one? Imagine everything you love about the traditional Polish comfort food (creamy potato, buttery onions, sharp cheddar cheese) wrapped up in thin handmade dough and fried to crisp brown perfection. Then raise that mouthwatering fantasy to the next level with a side of sriracha rice and house-made pickles. Outstanding.

SPIKE’S JUNKYARD DOGS

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

PHO PASTEUR

MEI MEI

[506 Park Dr., Boston. 857-250-4959. meimeiboston.com]

ZO GREEK CUISINE

[Multiple locations. 617-227-0101. zoboston.com]

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ZAIA

HOT DOG

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

BEST ITALIAN YOU’RE WILLING TO WAIT IN LONG, CRAZY LINES FOR

•••••••• Tasty loves the Dig! Thank you. ••••••••

GIACOMO’S

It’s the Italian restaurant so good that there’s an independent blog dedicated to sharing thoughts, research, and answers to customer questions by local hero Cosmin. It’s also the Italian restaurant notorious for its biblically long wait times. Handmade pastas and buttery, rich, lobster-based Giacomo sauce. Mm. Giacomo sauce.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

BEST BURGER

•••••••••••••• NEW LOCATION! OPENING EARLY MAY AT BACK BAY STATION 1301 BOYLSTON ST BOSTON, MA • 69 L ST BOSTON, MA • 40 JOHN F. KENNEDY ST CAMBRIDGE, MA

[355 Hanover St., Boston. 617-523-9026]

FALAFEL

FALAFEL KING

Oh, Falafel King. How far you’ve come from that dingy original location tucked among other fast food joints in a dark, dirty strip mall. Four locations later, hungry downtown lunch breakers can continue to count on generous helpings of your addicting shawarma plates, piled high with rice, meat, hummus, and of course, your crispy-on-the-outside, perfectly-spiced-on-the-inside falafel. And thanks for those samples while in line. You are the king. [62 Summer St., Boston. 617-482-2223]

GASTRO PUB

THE SALTY PIG

ITALIAN

COPPA

Five years after opening, this little enoteca in the South End regularly ranks as one of the best for overall Italian, and it’s no different at the Dig. From the mouthwatering salumi boards to the wood-fired artisanal pizzas (for which they won a separate DigThis award) there isn’t really a wrong direction you could go on this menu. Pro tip: For lunch, go for their take on an Italian sub sandwich. It’s ethereal.

As the wise Homer Simpson once said, the pig is a “wonderful, magical animal.” The good folks at The Salty Pig have taken those words to heart, with a pork-centric bar menu that combines the three most important food groups: meat, cheese, and booze. Creative “Salty Pig Parts” and a diversity of Italian and French imports take their charcuterie boards to the next level. [130 Dartmouth St., Boston. 617-536-6200. thesaltypig.com]

[253 Shawmut Ave., Boston. 617-391-0902. coppaboston.com]

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

PHOTO BY

WINNER

BEST DINER

GASTRO PUB

THE SALTY PIG

[130 Dartmouth St., Boston. 617-536-6200. thesaltypig.com]

VEGAN-FRIENDLY

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

BEST 27

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

SANDWICH DELI

ZAFTIGS

If not for Zaftigs and a small handful of other authentic sandwich spots, we’d have to drive to New York every time we wished to tackle our pastrami jones. In a land with barely any delis, the place with the knish is king, and around here that’s the Z. Now in Natick too, which may come in handy for students at the Northeastern Institute for Cannabis who have the munchies. [335 Harvard St., Brookline. 617-975-0075. zaftigs.com]

PIZZA (CLASSIC SLICE)

SAME OLD PLACE

Though we’re well aware of their allegiance to the Red Sox from countless conversations over the counter, in a way, Same Old Place is kind of like a Yankees bar in a sea of Bostonians. Of course, there’s one major difference between their classic sweet tomato pies and the Bronx Bombers, and it’s that you keep on rooting for their winning New York lineup year after year. [662 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 617-5249461. sameoldplacejamaicaplain.com]

BEST CLASSIC SLICE $1.55 CAN BUY

GALLERIA UMBERTO

Galleria Umberto only sells cheese pizza. Sicilian-style, dripping with cheese over a perfect layer of slightlysweet tomato sauce, and unassumingly fresh-crusted cheese pizza. With a perpetual line out the door, frequent early closings due to sold-out stock, and a profit margin that allows the family-owned eatery to take off the entire month of July each year, Umberto’s proves the age-old saying: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

COFFEE SHOP

BRUNCH

HYPERLOCAL BREWERY

Whenever you think about wanting nachos, you think of a great heaping pile of tortilla chips drenched in jack and cheddar cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, and guacamole. Not only does Sunset have such a thing, its called “South-ofthe-Border Giant Fiesta Nachos.” That name in itself is enough to make you head there right now.

When you find yourself wandering into any of the five locations and give the coffee a taste, you’ll know why Pavement has won for best coffee shop. Direct trade and single origin are the keys to what makes their coffee taste so goddamn good. They also have a new menu, released last September, with rotating sandwich and salad options made from fresh local produce. Excellent latte art is a nice touch too.

Once you do brunch at The Friendly Toast, there’s no turning back. The massive portions will give your alcohol-lined stomach the sustenance it needs to heal from last night’s rager. The Bloody Marys help, too. Grab a booth, study the menu, and keep it at your table. You’ll want to keep ordering dish after dish. Your hangover will thank you.

[130 Brighton Ave., Allston. 617-254-1331. allstonsfinest.com]

DIVE BAR

BEST GRILLED CHEESE + FOOD TRUCK

Cheap beer. Check. Free popcorn. Check. Darts. Check. Authentic atmosphere. Check. What more do you really want from a dive bar? Other subtle features of the corner bar include a giant jukebox to play whatever song you feel like punishing the bar with, a back patio to smoke in, and graffitied walls in the tiny one-stall bathroom. This cash-only Allston favorite is the perfect location in which to drink your sorrows away during the daytime, or get rowdy with the locals at night. Whichever you prefer.

With their new brick and mortar location centered in Allston, Roxy’s Grilled cheese has expanded their food truck gig to include a haven of not only delicious grilled cheese, but also burgers (with more cheese). If there’s one thing you shouldn’t miss out on though, it’s the gravy-soaked cheese curd chunky goodness that is the poutine. Go ahead, eat like it’s winter. [485 Cambridge St., Allston. roxysgrilledcheese.com]

THE SILHOUETTE LOUNGE

[200 Brighton Ave., Allston. 617-206-4565]

PAVEMENT

[Multiple locations. 617-277-8737. pavementcoffeehouse.com]

DONUTS

UNION SQUARE DONUTS

With their new location a few storefronts down from the original in Union Square, Somerville, these guys are just nailing the donut-making business. All of the donuts are made from scratch, and they come in all unique and classic flavors. Try the sea salt bourbon caramel, or the green tea donut. But we’d be screwing up this review by omitting that biting into their baconcovered maple-glazed donut will cause you to make strange sounds of approval. [20 Bow St., Somerville. 617-209-2257,. unionsquaredonuts.com]

FRIENDLY TOAST

[1 Kendall Sq. #b3101, Cambridge. 617-621-1200. thefriendlytoast.com]

BEST BRUNCH TO STILL BE DRUNK AT

LONE STAR

Not many people would think to go to a Mexican restaurant for Sunday brunch, which is what makes it so E DI TO R ' S unique of an experience to sit down and enjoy a mimosa or a Bloody Mary alongside Lone Star’s great brunch menu. You can’t go wrong with the huevos rancheros: beans, eggs, and pico de gallo with some fresh avocado served on top of soft tortillas. A+ location for curing your hangover woes.

PICK

[479 Cambridge St., Boston. 617-782-8226. lonestar-boston.com]

PHOTO COURTESY UNION SQUARE DONUTS

SUNSET GRILL AND TAP

[306 Northern Ave., Boston. 617-456-2322. harpoonbrewery.com]

ROXY’S

DIGBOSTON.C0M

[20 Bow St., Somerville. 617-209-2257,.unionsquaredonuts.com]

NACHOS

If there’s one thing about the Harpoon Brewery to rave about, it’s the beer hall. Pair their seasonal flight beers with their fresh soft pretzels (and their phenomenal dipping sauces). The UFO line is particularly unique, each beer bursting with flavor. Oh, and the brewery tour is cool too. Make sure you take home a growler, they fill it right in front of you. Which is nice.

UNION SQUARE DONUTS

[289 Hanover St., Boston. 617-227-5709]

HARPOON BREWERY

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

DONUTS

Wednesday’s May 6th – 27th 5-11pm PLATES BISON BITES 12 Char-grilled bison sliders / LTO / potato rolls / bubbly hot cheddar cheese dip BIG KAHUNA 15 Ahi tuna poke / kimchi / avocado / pickled ginger mayo / taro chips SHRIMP BAHN MI 15 Ground shrimp patty / long beans / papaya slaw / Thai curry mayo spicy cucumber salad / French baguette VINDALOO 15 Lamb rubbed with Indian spices / Vindaloo sauce / paneer cheese grilled naan bread / Manchurian cauliflower SWEET SWINE O’ MINE 14 Mix of slab bacon / smoked pork / ground pork / fried green tomato bacon mayo / smoked Gouda / Texas toast / salt & vinegar fries JAMAICAN DEATH 14 Ground turkey / jerk seasoning / pepper jack cheese / habanero sauce / papaya slaw / sweet roll / plantain chips CHIMICHANGA 14 Flash fried tortilla stuffed with Angus beef / jack cheese / ranchero sauce / roasted poblano peppers / tomatillo jicama slaw BEER BELLY BURGER 14 Angus beef steamed in Jacks Abby smoke & dagger / onions fontina cheese / pretzel roll / beer battered onion rings BOURBON VANILLA BEAN MILK SHAKE & COOKIES 9

MAGOUNSSALOON OLDEMAGOUNSSALOON

130 Brighton Avenue Allston, MA

518 Medford St. Somerville magounssaloon.com 617-776-2600

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

WILD

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

BURGERS GONE

THE PAINTED BURRO

This is what you call one of those good problems: by the time you’re ready to pick something from the mouthwatering menu at this popular Davis Square cantina—think duck carnitas enchiladas, crispy pork belly tacos, and decadent chorizo nachos—you’ll have already gone through a couple rounds of the outstanding margaritas. No matter— whatever you order, it should pair well with another. [219 Elm St., Somerville. 617-776-0005. thepaintedburro.com]

SUSHI

THELONIOUS MONKFISH

Even though you can pick it up at Walgreen’s these days, we still think sushi should be something to get excited about. So do the chefs at this cozy Central Square pan-Asian spot, who conjure decadent rolls inspired by their favorite music and fairy tales, like the octopus-topped Gaga’s Monster Roll or the spring onion confetti-dusted Rumpelstiltskin Roll.

BEST STEAKHOUSE FOR POWER DEALS

GRILL 23

MARTINI/MANHATTAN

ROSEBUD AMERICAN KITCHEN & BAR

STEAKHOUSE

[381 Summer St., Somerville. 617-629-9500. rosebudkitchen.com]

[793 Boylston St., Boston. 617-536-6300. abeandlouies.com]

[479 Cambridge St., Boston. 617-782-8226. lonestar-boston.com]

[161 Berkeley St., Boston. 617-542-2255. grill23.com]

[524 Mass Ave., Cambridge. 617-441-2116. theloniousmonkfish.com]

Think of Abe & Louie’s as a place where it’s well worth spending an entire paycheck on a single meal (so long as your rent’s not due too soon and the cable bill is paid). They’re legend for innumerable good reasons, but above all because the menu is so refined, the cuts cooked to such perfection that the lunch, dinner, and brunch spreads may be even sweeter than the eye candy perched by the bar.

LONE STAR

PICK

Let it be known: Rosebud is back in action and, in addition to a revamped menu, has a life-altering signature Manhattan featuring housemade sweet vermouth. From the outside, this Davis Square staple looks like a simpleton grandma-approved Worcester lunch car diner. On the inside, it’s got a full bar and restaurant, and even features a late night menu and a pie menu.

ABE & LOUIE’S

BEST BRUNCH TO STILL BE DRUNK AT

If you think happiness should be served with the E DI TO R ' S bone in, welcome to your special place. This bustling Back Bay favorite continues to set the standard with exquisite steaks and chops, fresh seafood, an expansive wine cellar, and meticulous service, but don’t sleep on those fries either (sea salt, gremolata, garlic and herbs). We mean eat those. And, don’t fall asleep on fries. Again.

BEST SPOT FOR SOUP-BOWL SIZED MARTINIS FLANKED BY THE SOUNDS OF SINATRA

LUCKY’S LOUNGE

Whether you take yours dry or dirty, this hidden haunt in Fort Point offers something for both traditionalist and progressive (pumpkin and mango get the treatment here) martini aficionados, served with a side of Sinatra tunes on the weekends.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[355 Congress St., Fort Point. 617-357-5825. luckyslounge.com]

BREAKFAST

COLLEGE BAR

Find a seat between the artsy hipsters, technology square nerds, and hardcore dudes with gauges. Take in the vintage diner decor and the retro book wallpaper. Admire your table’s unique salt and pepper shakers. Then order. The pancakes are unbelievably fluffy, even when filled with fresh blueberries or smothered in peanut butter and nutella. The huevos rancheros are perfectly spicy. The vegan options are delicious. It’s all a bit surreal. Welcome to the cult.

Anxious twentysomethings wiggle into Grendel’s Den for relief from collegiate stress. Wait 10 minutes, and they’ve downed their first beer. This is a bar for relaxing, laughter, and getting drunk. The characters on either side of you are worth befriending, as is the selection of beer on offer. Half-price food during happy hour saves you plenty of bucks, too. See, not all college bars are obnoxious.

FRIENDLY TOAST

[1 Kendall Sq. #b3101, Cambridge. 617-621-1200. thefriendlytoast.com]

BEST DUMPLINGS IN CHINATOWN

GOURMET DUMPLING HOUSE

Chinatown can get overwhelming. Ditch E DI TO R ' S the flashy signs and massive ballrooms for this tiny hideout. Gourmet Dumpling House cuts straight to the chase with a long menu of dumpling options. Pick at least two and don’t skip over the pork buns. So what if there’s a line. It’s worth the wait. As soon as you’ve swallowed your first dumpling, you know it’s love at first bite.

PICK

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

SUSHI

THELONIOUS MONKFISH

[524 Mass Ave., Cambridge. 617-441-2116. theloniousmonkfish.com]

[52 Beach St., Boston. 617-338-6223]

GRENDEL’S DEN (HARVARD)

[89 Winthrop St., Cambridge. 617-491-1160. grendelsden.com]

BEST COLLEGE BAR IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE OF BC BARS

CITYSIDE (BC)

In Cleveland Circle, Roggie’s, Mary Ann’s, and CitySide form the golden triangle of BC bars, but the latter finishes on top thanks to the outdoor roof patio, plenty of high-def TVs, and the 13 beers on tap, all of which can be served in 65 oz. pitchers. Unlike in college dorms, chugging contests are discouraged here. So we’ve been told. Sternly.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[1960 Beacon St., Brighton. 617-566-1002. citysidebar.com]

LONE STAR PHOTO BY MIKE SCHWARZ | THELONIOUS MONKFISH PHOTO COURTESY THELONIOUS MONKFISH

MEXICAN

NEWS TO US

REAL FOOD every night TILL ' CLOSE ALLSTON: 180 Harvard Av. (Green Line @ Harvard) • 617-779-7901 SOMERVILLE: 238 Elm St. (Red Line @ Davis Square) • 617-629-5383

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

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DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

SOUL/SOUTHERN

HUNGRY MOTHER

[233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., Cambridge. 617-499-0090. hungrymothercambridge.com]

Grazy good

THE STARVING ARTIST <3

Monday through Friday, 2:00-4:30 only Any burger/sandwich, fries, plus a Yuengling or soda --- $11 MOVIE MONDAYS Late night film, 9pm-11pm COMING IN MAY!

SHAKEDOWN TUESDAYS Any burger/sandwich, fries, and an adult milkshake! --- $16

TRIVIA THURSDAYS 9pm-11pm, COMING IN MAY! FRY-DAY $2 Narragasett with anything fried PBR SUNDAYS $1 PBR Tallboy with any burger/sandwich

EAT IN, TAKEOUT, AND BIKE DELIVERY IN JP

ONLINE ORDERING @

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

www.grassfedjp.com @GRASSFEDJP

605 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain (617) 553-2278

BEST BBQ TO SUCK YOUR FINGERS DRY AT EDITOR PICK

BLUE RIBBON BBQ

At this longtime Arlington favorite, they live by the holy trinity of Southern cooking: a meat and three sides. Religious or not, whatever combination of slow-grilled deliciousness (Kansas City burnt ends, North Carolina pulled pork, or Texas sliced brisket, to name three) and sides (collard greens, baked beans, and the like) you decide to have, you will leave feeling blessed. [908 Mass Ave., Arlington. 781-648-7427. blueribbonbbq.com]

BBQ

SOULFIRE

Notable for its juicy, meaty ribs, perfect balance of crispy on the outside, tender on the inside fried chicken, and the mac and cheese (which should be slathered in generous helpings of your favorite house hot sauce), SoulFire has been raising its stock (not to mention the stock of Tums) year after year. Between the silly-good cornbread and the really affordable prices, boom: BBQ go-to for all to enjoy. [182 Harvard Ave., Allston. 617-787-3003. soulfirebbq.com]

SOUL/SOUTHERN

HUNGRY MOTHER

Chicken fried quail. Fried Chesapeake oysters. Smelts. Yeah, that’s right. Smelts. All part of the foodie makeup of this Kendall Square standard for down-home grits and skillet cornbread with inventive locally sourced spins on Southern traditions. Roll up here for dinner and land discounted tickets to the Kendall Square Cinema next door. May want to go easy on the collard greens if you’re seeing a long one, though. [233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., Cambridge. 617-499-0090. hungrymothercambridge.com]

TAPAS

TORO

Sure, foodie gods Jamie Bissonette and partner Ken Oringer brought the panache of their South End tapas game changer and all the wildly delicious wares therein to a brand new NYC locale to great fanfare. But lucky for you, while all those clowns in Manhattan are just now starting to rave about the razor neck oysters and salt cod alioli fritters, you know you can always visit the smash hit where it all began. [1704 Washington St., Boston. 617-536-4300. toro-restaurant.com]

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ZAIA

BEERGER WEDNESDAYS Any burger/sandwich, fries, and a craft beer of the day --- $12

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS! ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

300

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BURGER

TASTY BURGER

This winter caused the roadways around town to become near-impassable nightmares of a living hellscape nobody could avoid. Yet you wouldn’t have known it at any of the Tasty Burger locations, especially at the Southie take-out garrison post, where Tasty’s fantastic fries and inventive daily specials (not to mention incredible “nitro” chicken nuggets) were enough to make the most snow-weary traveller stop by for owner Dave Dubois’ meat-sandwich magic. (Multiple locations. tastyburger.com)

FRENCH FRIES

HIGHLAND KITCHEN

A well-known venue for weary hipsters and sustenance-starved foodies looking to refuel their already-being-overeverything-ness. The rest of the food is dynamite, but there’s something about the French fries that make some people weak in the knees and other people go “Goddamn those are good!” Either way: killer fries.

BEST NORTH END SPOT TO WATCH THE GAME WITH STEAK TIPS IN A BAKERY BASEMENT

MODERN UNDERGROUND

Take one landmark 70-yearold North End bakery known for mind-blowing cannolis and celebrity spotting. Now, take the sliver of space that it was and expand into the adjoining storefront until the size of the place has doubled. Finally, go downstairs and find a renovated basement with flatscreens where you can catch the Bruins game while noshing on solid tacos and house-recipe steak tips as the owner’s father serenades people in Italian. Modern Underground.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

INDIAN

SUSHI

Normally, any ethnic restaurant’s making a point of including the word “quality” in the name would seem like some sort of a red flag. Luckily, the only flag you have to prepare for is the white flag of surrender after you’ve grabbed a few pals and claimed a table with no time limit at which to enjoy their reliable, solid North Indian cuisine. Try the curried cabbage.

It’s not hard to see why Uni is regularly voted best sushi enclave in town. Between the secluded atmosphere, tight libations, and fresh and inventive sushi and sashimi offerings (see: striped jack fish from Japan), this is about as solid a place can get mixing raw fish with a sexy vibe.

INDIA QUALITY

[484 Comm Ave., Boston. 617-267-4499. indiaquality.com]

UNI

[370 Comm Ave., Boston. 617-536-7200. unisashimibar.com]

[257 Hanover St., Boston. 617-523-3783. modernpastry.com]

[150 Highland Ave., Somerville. 617-625-1131. highlandkitchen.com]

NOODLES

MYERS AND CHANG

Myers and Chang’s “outdoor Asian street market indoors” vibe is a supreme setting in which to belly up to the bar or grab a seat on a tucked-away patio in the South End and embrace wok-ing noodle goodness. Sate your appetite for spicy pork dan-dan noodles here. Your stomach will be extremely glad you did. [1145 Washington St., Boston. 617-542-5200. myersandchang.com]

BEST OF NORTH END

PIZZERIA REGINA

You might say that Pizzeria Regina has expanded as a business in a manner similar to its dough: to perfection. But while it’s great to have such easy access all across New England to their spicy and unique marinara sauce, the North End original remains the best, not only among Regina’s own kingly locations, but also as compares to the stiff competition on Boston’s greater Italian eatscape. [Multiple locations. pizzeriaregina.com]

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

DIVE BAR

THE SILHOUETTE LOUNGE [200 Brighton Ave., Allston. 617-206-4565]

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

FRENCH

L’ESPALIER

& Wed 4/29

OPEN MIC 8:30 pm | 18 + Thu 4/30

ALL GOOD

DJs: Thaddeus Jeffries, Eastman, Yvng Pavl Genres: Breaks, Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae, Soca, Caribbean, Classic House, Indie Dance 8:30 pm Fri 5/1

RABBIT REVOLUTION vs

DRAW

DJs: Tone Ra, Inspektah, DJ Madd Miks, + Jay K The DJ upstairs Genres: Bass, Twerk & Club + Hip Hop, Trap & Party Jams upstairs 10:00pm | $5 before 11 pm, $10 after | 21+ Sat 5/2

TRIPLE PLATINUM

DJs: Durkin, Frank White & Evaredy Genres: Hip Hop, Reggae, Party Jams, Dirty South, Love Trap, Club 12:00am | $5 before 11 pm, $10 after | 21+ Mon 5/4

MMMMAVEN

GRADUATION PARTY

It’s pretty simple really. Marquee chef and restaurateur Frank McClelland’s longstanding testament to French cuisine and cooking techniques using artisanal New England-sourced ingredients, not to mention posh and spacious surroundings (it’s adjacent to the Mandarin Oriental in the Back Bay), makes this the home-run winning house that France built year after year. [774 Boylston St., Boston. 617-262-3023. lespalier.com]

BEST OF ASSEMBLY ROW

EARL’S KITCHEN AND BAR

Most guesses were that Assembly Row was going to be some kind of standalone oasis of shopping, eating, and drinking once completed. And it became just that, thanks to spots like Earl’s, which due to its serving steaming hot BBQ pork buns in small baskets, as well as lobster offerings and novel cocktail flights of fancy (ask for their custom ice cubes), was voted best of this new Somerville destination. [698 Assembly Row, Somerville. 617-666-1790. earls.ca/locations/assembly-row]

BEER BAR (BOTTLES)

BUKOWSKI TAVERN

Long reigning as the reader’s choice with its steady supply of over 100 bottles of life-affirming beers of impressive range, quality, and rarity (be sure to check out something from the “extra special” selections), Bukowski recently overhauled its Inman Square spot to become an allnew beer-soaked animal. Just like the poet it was named after. [Multiple locations. bukowskitavern.net]

BEST BEER BAR WITH 300+ BOTTLES OF SUDS WHERE YOU’D BE FINE WITH STAYING OVERNIGHT TO TRY EVERY ONE

SUNSET BAR AND GRILL

With its craft beer list so extensive it’s practically anxiety-inducing, Sunset winning the Allston’s Finest title isn’t surprising. I mean, just look at that website URL. It’s an obvious nod to Sunset’s fame amongst the beer lovers of Rat City. But it’s not just the 100+ taps and 300+ microbrews that have our mouths drooling--there are nachos too. A wise Allstonian once said, “Go for the beer, stay for the nachos.” But also definitely have a beer. Seriously.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[130 Brighton Ave., Allston. 617-254-1331. allstonsfinest.com]

BEER BAR (DRAFT)

THE PUBLICK HOUSE

No reservations, no gimmicks, and no bullshit. This place is just a draft beer heaven for anyone who specializes in all things Belgian beer, loves huge burgers and almost as huge portions of sloth-inducing mac and cheese, and moreover loves the proper pours of monk-brewed glory. And isn’t afraid to take down respectable numbers of pints of high ABV monsters. A fine choice made by a readership with fine beer sensibilities. [1648 Beacon St., Brookline. 617-2772880. thepublickhousebeerbar.com]

BEER BAR (CASK)

RUSSELL HOUSE TAVERN

The casual beer drinker may like the idea of throwing back a few pints of cask goodness (unfiltered and unpasteurized conditioned beer sans added CO2), so it makes sense Russell House Tavern gets voted best of, as they tap a new cask every Friday at 5pm. Each offering affirms why purists call the stuff “real ale.”

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[14 JFK St., Cambridge. 617-500-3055. russellhousecambridge.com]

DJs: MMMMAVEN class of 2015 7:00pm | none | 18+

28 KINGSTON STREET

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

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BEST BEER BAR WITH 300+ BOTTLES OF SUDS

SUNSET GRILL & TAP

[130 Brighton Ave., Allston. 617-254-1331. allstonsfinest.com]

1/ 2

off eats » Bella Luna Restaurant & Milky Way Lounge

» Jacob Wirth Co. » Patty Chens Dumpling Room » John Harvard’s Brewery » Cuisine En Locale Food Share

1/ 2

off shops » Stingray Body Art » Kulturez » I Hate the Green Line T-Shirt

1/ 2

off tickets » Brooklyn Boulders Class Vouchers » Skydive New England » Huntington Theatre Company

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NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS! ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

digdeals

BEST CASK BEER BAR WITH HEART-ATTACK-INDUCING GORGONZOLA TRUFFLE FRIES

DEEP ELLUM

Come for the sprawling microbrew selection, stay for the vibe. Deep Ellum nods to Houston with old Westerns on the TVs, DIY ceiling fans, and a giant bull skull above the bar. Order a plate of Gorgonzola truffle fries, sip one of the sour beers, and lean in close to your friend. They play garage rock loudly here, but you don’t have to be a 22-year-old to enjoy it.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[477 Cambridge St., Allston. 617-787-2337. deepellum-boston.com]

OLD-FASHIONED

EASTERN STANDARD

Be it for the Boston Marathon Monday, or pre-post Red Sox game tippling, the Hotel Commonwealth’s best buddy Eastern Standard carries a long tradition of employing perfectionist barkeeps who know how to do the classics right. Look no further than their gloriously crafted Old-Fashioned, which, as the voting demonstrated, puts the place in a class all its own. [528 Comm Ave., Boston. 617-532-9100. easternstandardboston.com]

WINE BAR

THE BUTCHER SHOP

Barbara Lynch’s South End bastion of all that is good and holy in the world of charcuterie is decorated with a hip and minimalist look and a lean toward dark tones (which makes the huge meat refrigerators in the back stand out). But more than the appearance of the store, it’s the kind of service and knowledge diners crave that results in being voted best of the best. [522 Tremont St., Boston. 617-423-4800. thebutchershop.com]

BARTENDER’S BAR

ARTISANAL MARKET

PIZZA (ARTISAN/CREATIVE)

Anyone who has ever set foot here after a long day of work, sunk down in the plush seating or just bellied up to a corner of the bar, and overheard the chatter coming from what is clearly a revolving door of fellow restaurant industry folk cohabiting the space with common drinkers can attest to why this was voted a true bartender’s bar. That bar overlord Jackson Cannon is the maestro here only seals the deal.

Sure, the Cambridge store has everything you need, but there’s something about the South End location’s quaint feel and shelves overstocked with so much delicious artisanal cheeses, olive oils, and hot sauces—not to mention the killer sandwiches and charcuterie masters— that always makes shopping here feel like you’ve left Boston and wound up in Tuscany. Provided Tuscany has a lot of Patriots fans. Still, awesome.

Get used to seeing Jamie Bissonnette on these kinds of lists. It seems like everything he touches turns to foodie gold, including Coppa, which came to the South End scene, emerged a rockstar, and hasn’t fallen off its game yet. To express shock at their pizzas being voted best in class would be like expressing shock that Boston drivers are assholes. It’s just how it is.

THE HAWTHORNE

[500a Comm Ave., Boston. 617-532-9150. thehawthornebar.com]

SERIOUS COCKTAILS

BRASS UNION

As soon as Brass Union burst onto the drinking scene in Union Square, with its funky subterranean location loaded with everything from board games to shuffle board, the question of whether or not the cool stuff was all a masking gimmick arose—and was soon answered by those sampling serious cocktails created by a seriously talented staff. Serious cocktails, yes. Overly serious scene, no. Win. [70 Union Sq., Somerville. 617-623-9211. brassunion.com]

BAKERY

FLOUR BAKERY

Joanne Chang of the dynamic duo of Myers and Chang has been making Hub denizens gloriously chunkier and damn happy about it ever since she opened her first location of gluten excellence in the South End in 2000. Since then, her Flour bakeries have popped up all over town (as have their insane scones), and a few cookbooks, many high accolades, and innumerable croissants later a “best of” legend rules the Greater Boston bakery roost. [Multiple locations. flourbakery.com]

FORMAGGIO’S KITCHEN

[268 Shawmut Ave., Boston. 617-350-6996. formaggiokitchen.com/boston]

RAW BAR

ISLAND CREEK OYSTER BAR

It should come as no shock that readers voted Island Creek Oyster Bar the best raw game in town. It’s become ground zero for all things shellfish, especially, well, Island Creek Oysters (right down to the thousands of calcium-rich shells adorning the walls in the sleek and welldesigned space). There’s no sign of this place getting off its game anytime soon. [500 Comm Ave., Boston. 617-532-5300. islandcreekoysterbar.com]

BEST RAW BAR WHEN STOMPING AROUND HARVARD SQUARE AND IN DIRE NEED OF CLAMS

RUSSELL HOUSE TAVERN

What’s cooler than sitting at the bar or in the window of the Russell House Tavern after a hard day of work and sipping on some microsuds with friends? Easy, doing all of the above with a smorgasbord of fresh assorted primo oysters on a bed of ice. Even better than that? Pile on the shrimp salad, tuna tartare, and Cape Cod clams.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[14 JFK St., Cambridge. 617-500-3055. russellhousecambridge.com]

COPPA

[253 Shawmut Ave., Boston. 617-391-0902. coppaboston.com]

BEST OUTPOST FOR CRAZY CREATIVE PIZZA ON THE CAMBRIDGE SIDE OF THE RIVER

ALL STAR PIZZA BAR

When it comes to funky pizzas, this Inman Square pizza hub is the only option. We recommend the El Hefe—ancho chile sauce, smoked mozzarella, pulled pork, pickled red onions, mango, and fresh cilantro. It’s hard to believe you aren’t burning a sliceshaped hole in your wallet with toppings like duck confit and roasted butternut squash. Also, our vegan and vegetarian friends will be stoked to know that there are always dairy and meat-free options on the menu!

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[1238 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-547-0836. allstarpizzabar.com]

LOBSTER ROLL

ISLAND CREEK OYSTER BAR

Once more, these guys were voted the best lobster roll in town by readers who look askance at anything claiming to be a shining example of the classic New England dish, usually with vitriol and spite if it doesn’t deliver (read: too much mayo and the like). It’s stiff competition in these parts, and while it’s hard to get a bad roll in Boston, it’s impossible to get one that’s anything less than fantastic here. [500 Comm Ave., Boston. 617-532-5300. islandcreekoysterbar.com]

BEST GATEWAY LOBSTER ROLL

JAMES HOOK & CO.

We know what you’re thinking: gateway, as in “gateway drug.” But while the bulging freshout-of-water mountains of lobster meat they serve here will get you hooked (pun intended),we’re just referring to the fact that this stalwart sits on the “gateway,” or edge, of the so-called Innovation District, and reminds us that the area’s history goes back further than a decade.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[15-17 Northern Ave., Boston. 617-423-5501. jameshooklobster.com]

BREAKFAST & BRUNCH

FRIENDLY TOAST

[1 Kendall Sq. #b3101, Cambridge. 617-621-1200. thefriendlytoast.com]

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ZAIA

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS! ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Our mission is to help you get fit, stay healthy and have fun! Through dance, you can open your eyes to movement within your body that you didn't know existed! And most importantly, it is FUN and is for EVERYONE! Whether you have never stepped foot in a gym, or a dance class, if you can move, you can do this! We specialize in Zumba Fitness® classes, as well as Zumba® Gold, Zumba® Kids, Zumba® Toning and Zumba Sentao®. located in boston’s back bay 181 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor Boston, MA 02115 617-338-SPOT (7768) questions? contact us!

info@thezspotboston.com

thezspotboston.com

LARGE MUSIC VENUE

HOUSE OF BLUES

[15 Lansdowne St., Boston. 888-693-2583. houseofblues.com/boston]

COMEDY CREW

Improvisation is a beautiful thing. So is sketch comedy. Mash those two things together and you get Improv Asylum. Basically SNL meets Whose Line Is It Anyway? live in the flesh. Next time you find yourself nonchalantly strolling the cobbled sidewalks of the North End, you might want to consider dropping in on this slightly hidden comedic den and infusing your evening with some clinically insane hilarity.

Improv needs two things to succeed: witty minds and a good crew. Improv Boston has both figured out. Well-known comedians are interwoven in with local celebrities, promising an evening of both highbrow and lowbrow humor (but we’re partial to the latter). The onstage bond shared by members lets them pull off even the weirdest jokes, including sketches about Shrek and period blood. Don’t ask. Just watch.

IMPROV ASYLUM

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

[216 Hanover St., Boston. 617-263-6887. iprovasylum.com]

CAST OF IMPROV BOSTON

[40 Prospect St., Cambridge. 617-942-6556. improvboston.com]

FAVORITE PLACE TO GRIND OLD POLITICAL AXES

LAUGH BOSTON

Just when you thought that Mitt Romney losing his last race for the White House was the most hilarious thing to ever happen on the South Boston waterfront, Laugh Boston opened right next door to the convention center with the best damn comedy club setup we have ever seen Multiple tiers of seating keep the crowds gasping for air while howling at local hopefuls, up-and-comers, and godlike comic legends alike.

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[425 Summer St., Boston. 617-725-2844. laughboston.com]

MEDIUM MUSIC VENUE

THE SINCLAIR

It may be two years old, but The Sinclair already feels like a standard of the Boston music scene. The swanky music venue hosts an inventive gastropub as well as three on-site bars, mesmerizing lights, and Nine-Inch-Nails-meets-MoMA decor. The location’s real claim to fame is its top notch audio. No matter where you stand, the band sounds amazing. Then again, they book critically acclaimed acts, so the talent certainly helps, too. [52 Church St., Cambridge. 617-547-5200. sinclaircambridge.com]

PHOTO BY SCOTT MURRY

COMEDY VENUE

NEWS TO US ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

RHODE ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER, MAY 16TH & 17TH

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEW ENGLAND’S LARGEST CANNABIS INDUSTRY CONVENTION

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THIS EVENT will bring together dozens of vendors from every aspect of the Cannabis industry, 2 full days of educational workshops & panels, and thousands of patients, advocates, supporters, educators, and entrepreneurs. There will also be a wide assortment of the best smoking, vaping, storage, and growing accessories available for purchase at the show! 2 FULL DAYS OF PROGRAMMING Featuring:

· Bob Lobel, New England Sports Broadcast legend & MMJ patient · Education: Cultivation for Patients and Caregivers · Politics/Activism Panel · Medical Marijuana as Medicine Education: Cooking with Cannabis · MA Medical Marijuana Law

SATURDAY: $25 SUNDAY: $25 2 DAY PASS: $40

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Saturday: noon - 6pm Sunday: 11am-5pm At the Rhode Island Convention Center, in Downtown Providence

SMALL MUSIC VENUE

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

Great Scott is the Cheers of Boston music clubs. Step inside the miniature venue and a handful of friendly faces will welcome you as one of their own. Friendly bartenders, top-grade audio engineers, and a lowlevel stage make for a memorable performance just as much as the ecstatic crowd. These are what keeps acts far too large to fit within Great Scott’s walls (Ty Segall, Speedy Ortiz) coming back for more.

It doesn’t matter if you go upstairs or downstairs; multivenue The Middle East nabs rising artists just before they blow up and ticket prices rise. Shell out $10 upstairs to see grade-A local acts in a cozy room or drop $10 more to see rappers and psych bands storm the bunker. Consider the money saved your allowance for snacks between sets on the main floor.

GREAT SCOTT

[1222 Comm Ave., Allston. 617-5669014. greatscottboston.com]

FAVORITE SMALL MUSIC VENUE TO GO HARD BURGER-ING AT

JOHNNY D’S

Don’t let the tables fool you. Johnny D’s may be E DI TO R ' S small, but that doesn’t mean you’re robbed of a stellar performance. Chow down on killer fresh burgers while bands plug in their guitars mere feet away from your table. Sure, stuffing your face while bands play may be a bit out of the norm, but give it five minutes and you’ll start wondering how you ever watched music without this.

PICK

THE MIDDLE EAST

PICK E DI TO R ' S

[472-480 Mass Ave., Cambridge. 617864-3278. mideastoffers.com]

MUSIC FESTIVAL

PORCHFEST SOMERVILLE

Want to know what bands are living in your own backyard? Visit their porches. Somerville’s eclectic festival PorchFest sees over 100 bands take over porches to perform along the streets of the city. Wander around aimlessly letting the banjos and violins sooth you. Just don’t try to catch every act. Trust us; it’s impossible. [Somerville. somervilleartscouncil. org/porchfest]

[17 Holland St., Somerville. 617-7762004. johnnyds.com]

COMEDY CREW

IMPROV BOSTON

[40 Prospect St., Cambridge. 617-942-6556. improvboston.com]

FRIDAY MAY 8 AT 9:30PM

EDM dance party meets theater with

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

cluboberon.com 18+ TO ENTER 21+ TO DRINK

$25

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ZAIA

KON

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS! ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

1865 Revere Beach Pkwy, Everett, MA www.parkwaycycle.com (617) 389-7000

BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL BUILT JUST FOR US

BOSTON CALLING

Boston deserves its own music festival, and boy did E DI TO R ' S we get one. The three-day, two-stage event lets local acts play on the same bill as musical giants. Krill shares the same stage as Beck, St. Nothing plays hours before Lorde, and Neutral Milk Hotel’s tour de force brings the audience to a yelling frenzy. Alas, college kids and financial district suits finally see eye to eye.

PICK

[City Hall Plaza, Boston. bostoncalling. com]

DANCE CLUB (DRESS CODE)

ROYALE

For a venue that draws so many electronic acts, Royale is pretty dang fancy. Don your sexiest black dress or clubbiest club shirt and prepare to dance under crystal chandeliers and mahogany ceilings. Grab a cocktail at the giant circular bar or play it cool in one of the giant velvet sofas. Why you would sit when there’s infectious music playing nonstop is beyond us. [279 Tremont St., Boston. 617-338-7699. royaleboston.com]

DANCE CLUB (NO DRESS CODE)

ZUZU

[474 Mass Ave., Cambridge. 617-864-3278. zuzubar.com]

STORYTELLING NITE

THE MOTH @ OBERON

The Moth understands the whole “everyone has a story to tell” ideology, and has been encouraging people to exercise their storytelling muscles in front of live audiences since 1997. Conceived in NYC, the nonprofit Moth’s StorySLAM has come a long way, and its Boston branch just launched in October. Since then it’s already developed a devoted following, making the Tuesday night event in Harvard Square the reigning pick of story night supremacy. [2 Arrow St., Cambridge. 617-547-8300. themoth.org]

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

THE MIDDLE EAST

[472-480 Mass Ave., Cambridge. 617-864-3278. mideastoffers.com]

KARAOKE

INDIE/ART-HOUSE THEATRE

ART GALLERY

Don’t like karaoke? You’re fucking lying. Everyone loves karaoke. Everyone also loves scorpion bowls, and luckily Hong Kong has both of these things in abundance. The party hub of Faneuil Hall hosts its famous karaoke night every night of the week, which is a rarity in itself. If you’re feeling competitive, enter the karaoke contest and win $100 in cash. Meaning more dollar bills to buy shots with.

A main auditorium that doubles as a movie palace, programming that includes indie hits and celebrated foreign films, and the best blockbusters Hollywood has to offer. Add to all that a dense scheduled of repertory screenings—including the city’s only year-round midnight movie program—a bar, and great popcorn, and you may as well remove the “Indie/ArtHouse” qualifier from this award. The Coolidge just plain old rules.

In just a few short years, Arts at the Armory has established itself as a leader in the independent Boston arts scene, showcasing a packed calendar of events that proudly give much-needed recognition to a diverse array of artists. From graffiti shows to community fundraisers to bookbinding workshops, there’s something awesome going on every week—and you’re missing out if you’re not finding time to show up once in a while.

HONG KONG

COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE

[65 Chatham St., Boston. 617-227-2226. hongkongboston.com]

[290 Harvard St., Brookline. 617-734-2500. coolidge.org]

TRIVIA NIGHT

FILM FESTIVAL

THE DRUID

Are you one of those people with a vast knowledge of random and seemingly useless facts? We advise that you check out The Druid’s trivia night and use your silly skills to win some extra dough. Even if you lose, you’ll get complimentary drinks from the bar and gain fiery drive to come back the following Wednesday and kick everyone’s asses. [1357 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-4970965. druidpub.com]

BOSTON UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL

The 17th Boston Underground Film Festival went down last month, with a schedule that exemplified everything we love about it. Namely, the mixes of local and international filmmaking, programming bridging grindhouse and art-house, and the way we leave each screening in need of four showers and five drinks. What began as an informal movie-thon has become the city’s most gloriously debauched cinema event. Long live the BUFF. [Multiple locations. bostonunderground. org]

ARTS AT THE ARMORY

[191 Highland Ave., #1A, Somerville. 617718-2191. artsatthearmory.org]

ART MUSEUM

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

The biggest and most prestigious art museum in the greater Boston area, the MFA could easily sit back on its heels, safe in its national reputation and impressive collections. However, this museum does not—it consistently curates diverse, increasingly contemporary exhibits, and cultivates a healthy calendar of community outreach programs that prove even an institution as old and hallowed as this one can still keep things fresh. [465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 617-267-

PHOTO BY SCOTT MURRY

Dancing requires some to get all dolled up and ready for a night on the town. Others just need a spot, killer music, and no pretentiousness while they bust out their best moves ( some people’s best moves largely revolve around doing the robot). Either way, as far as Central Square houses of dance go, Zuzu is tops once more.

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS! ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

The Southern New England Music Expo will feature:

feature:

- Hit songwriter and music industry executive moderated workshops and lectures.

- a keynote panel Featuring music executives from Coca-Cola, Music. Music Dealers and the C live Davis Institute of Recorded Music.

- Guest speakers, celebrity meet and greet/book signings signings

including: a special presentation by Ken Caillat, Grammy winning producer of Fleetwood mac’s ‘rumours’ and signing of his book ‘Making Rumours’.

- Resources for musicians including artist development, publicity, graphic design, instruction, equipment, booking and more

- Used vinyl and other music memorabilia for sale

- ’It’s all about the song!’ songwriter and performance contest

to win free studio time and a photo shoot!

facebook.com/snemusicexpo

twitter.com/snemusicexpo

! ! ! !

RHODE ISLAND

VISITWARWICK RI.COM

TICKETS: $12 IN ADVANCE $17 AT DOOR KIDS UNDER 12 FREE!

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AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER

[info]

THEATER COMPANY

LARGE MUSIC VENUE

Led by the groundbreaking director Diane Paulus, the A.R.T. has a little bit of everything for the discerning and open-minded theatergoer. The genrebending Donkey Show is a Boston staple, and this spring promises a strong end to a triumphant season with two back-to-back world premieres. Once again, it gets top marks in this category. And that’s well deserved.

Years after it replaced Axis and Avalon, it’s now almost hard to imagine Lansdowne Street without the House of Blues. And just like Fenway Park, what the space consistently offers—in this case, superb acoustics, a diverse selection of artists, and a host of guest-pleasing amenities—tends to justify the extra cost required. From intimate acoustic shows to full-blown raves, the House party keeps going year round.

[64 Brattle St., Cambridge. 617-5478300. americanrepertorytheater.org]

[15 Lansdowne St., Boston. 888-6932583. houseofblues.com/boston]

LGBTQ NIGHT

MICRO MUSIC VENUE

Sometimes you wanna hit the town with your favorite queers, but you don’t necessarily want to have your space invaded by the straight dudes who hang around the dancefloor at Machine. Enter local goddess-send Bella Luna, which boasts a laid-back and pub-y atmosphere, combined with one of the most inclusive and diverse entertainment lineups in town, seven nights a week.

Even in a highly competitive category, this beloved Harvard Square cafe remains a perennial favorite after close to 60 years. You know the legend—a rich history littered with names like Dylan, Baez, and Mitchell—but even in its present form, Passim is the best place to sip a beer or two and enjoy live music nightly with both established and onthe-rise folk artists. That combination will never go out of style.

[284 Amory St., #10, Jamaica Plain. 617-524-3740. milkywayjp.com]

[47 Palmer St., Cambridge. 617-4925300. passim.org/club-passim]

AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER

BELLA LUNA RESTAURANT & MILKY WAY LOUNGE

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

HOUSE OF BLUES

CLUB PASSIM

PHOTO COURTESY AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER

9300. mfa.org]

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

ARTS ENTERTAINMENT

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

THURS 4.30

FRI 5.1

SAT 5.2

SUN 5.3

MON 5.4

The Smfa Graduate Thesis Screening 2015

James Montford: Persuasions 1990-2015

RED

Massart Made Spring Sale 2015

Movies And Munchies

Art Of The Cocktail: Fortify Your Sherry Knowledge

A showcase of the work of eight graduating Master of Fine Arts students, this screening of a series of short films examines a complex and deep variety of subjects, from transnational dysphoria, to the struggle of one man’s transition outside of the gender binary, to the art of communication in our modern world. The range of works are as dark as they are intriguing, displaying an experimental perspective on how we tell visual stories.

A collage artist based in Providence, James Montford has been influenced greatly by a threefold ancestry of white, black, and American Indian over the course of his 40+-year career. Through poignant juxtaposition and provocative imagery, Montford’s work sparks complicated discussions on race, persecution, and representation. His confrontational body of work directly addresses America’s contemporary race problem in a way that is wholly fresh and unique.

In a new production of a play written by John Logan, the abstract expressionist Mark Rothko is brought vividly to life in a gritty, run-down gymnasium— right on the cusp of the commission that would soon catapult his career and cement his status as one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Staged in conjunction with Harvard Art Museum’s special exhibit Mark Rothko’s Harvard Murals, the production seeks to unearth the man who was one of the world’s most famous and widely recognized artists.

MassArt’s Spring Sale is an annual event in which the original work of the school’s talented students and alumni is put up for sale, allowing the public to directly support the artists. The event, found in the Tower Building lobby, is a wonderful opportunity to take home one-of-a-kind pieces from young and upand-coming artists who live and work right here in Boston. The handmade creations include glasswork, ceramics, paintings, jewelry, and more.

I think we can all agree that Sunday is the worst day of the week. So why not spend it with a cold beer in hand, homemade BBQ popcorn by the bucketful, and watching a movie on the TV with friends and neighbors? Just show up to Kirkland Tap and Trotter on Sunday nights, and they’ll take care of the rest. Popcorn and the movie are on them—this week’s screening is the Jean Claude Van Damme classic Kumite extravaganza, Bloodsport.

Sherry: It’s not just for cooking anymore! Once shrouded in contempt, the fortified wine has begun to rise in popularity once again. In an evening combining education and visual art, food and cocktail blogger Dr. Markeya Williams and Devon “Devo” Burroughs of Audubon Boston will take participants on a tasting and cocktail creation journey centered on one of Spain’s oldest exports.

Museum of Fine Arts. Auditorium 161, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 5:30pm/all ages/FREE (ticketed). mfa.org

The Mills Gallery at the BCA. 539 Tremont St., Boston. Opening reception 6pm/all ages/FREE. bcaonline.org

Harvard Art Museums. 32 Quincy St., Cambridge. 1pm/all ages/FREE. harvardartmuseums.org

Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 621 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10am-7pm/all ages/ FREE. inside.massart.edu/ springsale

Kirkland Tap and Trotter. 425 Washington St., Somerville. 9pm/21+/FREE. kirklandtapandtrotter.com

The Mills Gallery at the BCA. 539 Tremont St., Boston. 6pm + 8pm/21+/$35. bcaonline.org

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN THOMAZ

WINNING SPRING THEMED ILLUSTRATION BY MASSART EXPERIMENTAL ILLUSTRATION CLASS STUDENT LAUREN THOMAZ

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

MUSIC

LOUD AND CLEAR

OPEN MIKE

Killer Mike kicks knowledge at MIT

Toro y Moi reinvents himself, again

BY MARTÍN CABALLERO @_EL_CABALLERO

Before delivering an expansive two-hour-plus lecture on race relations at MIT on Friday evening, Killer Mike broke down the reason for his presence with a simple appeal. “I believe in smart people,” said the veteran 40-year-old Atlanta rapper, best known as onehalf of Run the Jewels, sitting in front of about a dozen invitees to his pre-lecture media session in an MIT classroom. “The only reason why I’m running around speaking at colleges now and not after a book to hawk is that I believe that you all are intelligent. I believe that intelligent people are too quiet. I believe we aren’t brave enough, I believe we aren’t screaming at the top of our lungs, I believe we don’t have the courage to say ‘That’s stupid.’” Luckily for everyone in attendance, Mike doesn’t suffer from such hangups. He opened his talk by dismissing an unnamed blogger who protested his invitation (“No one gives a fuck about your blog,” he surmised, adding “I’m here because I’m qualified to be here”), setting the tone for a discussion in which he laid out, with both amusement and anger, the contemporary challenges he hopes the aforementioned “smart people” can overcome. “The only thing that’s going to solve the problems in this country and in this world is if we admit the problems don’t exist outside of us. They exist within us,” he said in an opening statement, and then he proceeded to explore those problems in balanced detail. He decried the use of foreign-occupation tactics by domestic police departments, but, the son of a cop himself, refused to target cops as inherently antagonistic or racist. While praising their desire to be involved, he distanced his own work from Kanye West’s and Azalea Banks’ respective dabblings in politics: “As an activist and an organizer, they get shit wrong sometimes.” Even a question about the impact of the Olympics in Atlanta brought a measured response, with Mike praising youth-oriented initiatives based around the games while warning, “You’re going to see poor people pushed out” of the city. For Mike however, this was more than just an intellectual ego massage; it was a call to action. “However you need to do it,” he said in closing, “find a way to connect with people who culturally you didn’t come up with, because all that’s going to do is help you grow as a human being, and ultimately that’s good for all of humanity.”

MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT TORO Y MOI IS ACTUALLY AN ENOLVED LEGENDARY PIKACHU What For?, the fourth album from Toro y Moi (also known as Chaz Bundick), was not made for playing on your laptop speakers. In Bundick’s words, it’s an album designed for the live experience; he tested it out for around 90,000 people at Coachella last weekend, so we’ll take him at his word ahead of his show at Paradise Rock Club this Friday. “It’s about as crazy as you can imagine,” says Bundick about the annual festival, on the phone from his home in Berkeley. “Playing for that many people is kind of surreal. I get more nervous in front of smaller crowds. When it’s a big crowd like that, it kind of feels like you are playing to something like 500 people. That’s the amount of people I can see standing in the crowd. After a certain amount, it’s just a big group of people.” Since Bundick’s emergence as a solo artist in 2010, he’s built his reputation on giving audiences something different each time they hear him. His lauded debut Causers of This ushered him to the forefront of the electronic chill wave scene, but subsequent efforts Underneath the Pine and Anything in Return found Bundick further exploring his range as a musician, building a more robust sound with inflections of disco, R&B, and synth-pop using live instrumentation What For? continues Bundick’s personal evolution as an artist and live performer, but he didn’t make it on his own. “The first thing I thought when making this record was ‘I’m going to get someone to play some sick drums,’ and then ‘I’m going to get someone to play a rad guitar solo,’” says Bundick. “I wanted to work with other artists just because I wanted the music to be better. When it comes to electronic music, it’s fun to do that stuff by yourself because you are on a computer and in a zone. But with this, I was kind of showing it to friends a lot and trying to get as many ideas and influences as possible.” Indeed, the album doesn’t suffer from a lack of inspiration: Bundick and his collaborators draw from a broad range of psychedelic pop, funk, and indie rock sources, and, though the recipe may sound familiar, the individual ingredients are tweaked for maximum appeal. “Run Baby Run” glows like a sunny early Oasis cut, with Bundick’s upbeat vocals gliding above the guitars, while “Empty Nesters” and the roller rink bounce of “Spell It Out” subvert their ostensibly pop arrangements with quirky references to vintage yacht rock. Though he continues to make electronic music, most recently with last year’s excellent release under the name Les Sins, it’s easy to see why Bundick is excited to bring his new songs to a live audience. “This is totally where I want to be, but I don’t know where it is going to go,” Bundick explains. “I definitely want to play more guitar on stage, just because that’s a real fun instrument to play live, and I think people are starting to see Toro more as a band now and not just a producer guy. It’s nice to be known as a live band. I had no expectations really on where I think I would want to go or where I think it should go, I kind of just want to see what happens.”

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

MUSIC EVENTS FRI 5.1

SOULFUL MAD SATTA + MISS FAIRCHILD + TAYLOR KELLY

[Church of Boston, 69 Kilmarnock St., Boston. 8pm/21+/$10. churchofboston.com]

SAT 5.2

MELODIC FOLK GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS

[The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge. 8pm/18+/$15. sinclaircambridge.com]

EARTHY INDIE LORD HURON + HAMILTON LEITHAUSER

[Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave., Boston. 8pm/18+/$20. crossroadspresents.com]

SUN 5.3

MON 5.4

[Lynn Memorial Auditorium, 3 City Hall Sq., Lynn. 6:30pm/all ages/$37-67. lynnauditorium.com]

[The Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston. 8pm/all ages/$45. citicenter.org]

THE DREAM PAT BENATAR + NEIL GIRALDO

IF YOU MISS THIS SHOW YOU’RE DUMB!!! SUFJAN STEVENS + MOSES SUMNEY

THINK RYAN ADAMS W/ NASHVILLE TWANG BUTCH WALKER + THE DOVE AND THE WOLF

[The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston. 8pm/all ages/$3040. thewilbur.com]

KILLER MIKE PHOTO BY MARTIN CABALLERO

>> TORO Y MOI W/VINYL WILLIAMS. SUN 5.3. PARADISE ROCK CLUB, 967 COMM AVE., BOSTON. 617.562.8800. 7PM/18+/$25. TOROYMOI.COM

NEWS TO US

Boston’s Best Irish Pub

CENTRAL SQ. CAMBRIDGE, MA SUNDAY, JULY 5

mideastclub.com | zuzubar.com (617) 864-EAST | ticketweb.com

- DOWNSTAIRS THURS 4/30 - BOWERY PRESENTS:

DANCE GAVIN DANCE ALL AGES - 6PM DOORS FRI 5/1 CRUSH / LEEDZ PRESENT:

BLOCKHEAD SAT 5/2 THIS THURSDAY! APRIL 30

THIS FRIDAY! MAY 1

& THE PEACEMAKERS THE PROUD FLESH THU 5/7 BLACK GOLD TOUR - UPSTAIRS WED 4/29

ANTHONY FANTANO (THE NEEDLE DROP) WEDNESDAY, MAY 13

512 Mass. Ave. Central Sq. Cambridge, MA 617-576-6260 phoenixlandingbar.com

ABADABAD, BBMM THURS 4/30 7 pm leedz presents

THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT IN CAMBRIDGE 7 DAYS A WEEK!

TUESDAYS

SUNDAYS

THIRSTY TUESDAYS

DOUBLE TAP

Weekly Gaming Night: The same

Live Resident Band The Night Foxes, Playing everything Old, New & Everything Inbetween

guys who bring you Game Night every week at Good Life bar are now also running a special Sunday night. 21+, NO

21+, NO COVER, 10PM - 1AM

COVER, 6PM 11:30PM

MONDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

MAKKA MONDAY

GEEKS WHO DRINK ELEMENTS

14+yrs every Monday night, Bringing Roots, Reggae & Dancehall Tunes 21+, 10PM - 1AM

THURSDAYS

Free Trivia Pub Quiz from 7:30PM - 9:30PM

RE:SET WEDNESDAYS

Weekly Dance Party, House, Disco, Techno, Local & International DJ’s

15+ Years of Resident Drum & Bass Bringing some of the worlds biggest DnB DJ’s to Cambridge

19+, 10PM - 2AM

19+, 10PM - 1AM

FRIDAY, MAY 15

FRI 5/1

TUESDAY, MAY 19

6:30PM 10:30 pm SAT 5/2 INFEST - 1PM ANIMAL HOSPITAL - 7PM SUN 5/3 1 pm YOU BRED RAPTORS?, THE WORLD IS SQUARE

SUNDAY, MAY 24

URSULA, PHANTOM RIDES TUES 5/5

MONDAY, MAY 18

5/1 5/1 5/2 5/2 5/12 5/12 5/17 5/17 6/7 6/7 6/25 6/25 6/25 6/25

ICE ICE NINE NINE KILLS KILLS MISERY MISERY INDEX INDEX OF OF MICE MICE & & MEN MEN CHUNK! CHUNK! DIGIFEST DIGIFEST DARKEST DARKEST HOUR HOUR THE THE GAME GAME

All shows, All ages. Tickets available in person at the Palladium Box Office, FYE Music and Video Stores, online at Ticketfly.com or by phone at 877-987-6487.

www.thepalladium.net

MON 5/4

THE MALLETT BROTHERS BAND TIGERMAN WOAH WED 5/6

THETHEMEATMEN HUMANOIDS /mideastclub /zuzubar @mideastclub @zuzubar

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

JUST ANNOUNCED!

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

261 MAIN ST., WORCESTER, MA

FRIDAYS

SATURDAYS

PRETTY YOUNG THING

BOOM BOOM ROOM

21+, 10PM - 2AM

80’s Old School & Top 40 Dance hits

80’s, 90’s, 00’s One Hit Wonders

CHECK OUT ALL PHOENIX LANDING NIGHTLY EVENTS AT:

WWW.PHOENIXLANDINGBAR.COM

1/2 PRICED APPS DAILY 5 - 7PM SHOWING THE 6 NATIONS RUGBY TOURNAMENT LIVE STARTING FEB 6

WATCH EVERY SOCCER GAME! LIVE OPENING 7:30am

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Saturdays & Sundays Every Game shown live in HD on 12 Massive TV’s. We Show All European Soccer including Champions League, Europa League, German, French, Italian & Spanish Leagues. NFL SUNDAY SPECIAL $4 Drafts, Wing Specials, Happy Hour Priced menu!

FILM

ANIMANIACS

Two standout hand-drawn animated films to check out BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN

Friday May 1st 10PM We Dig Free Fridays presents

WHISKEY KILL + THE RED PENNYS Saturday May 9 10PM

ROSS LIVERMORE BAND Folk / Rock

Saturday May 22nd 10PM

THE JAUNTEE + SPROCKET Jam Band

17 Holland St., Davis Sq. Somerville (617) 776-2004 Directly on T Red Line at Davis

Wednesday April 29th

WERS Listeners Appreciation Party feat

KINGSLEY FLOOD Free Event

Thursday April 30th

NRBQ + SARAH BORGES + MUCK & THE MIRES Rock

Friday May 1st 7:30PM

NOURA MINT SEYMALI World Music

Friday May 1st 10PM

We Dig Free Fridays presents

WHISKEY KILL + THE RED PENNYS Saturday May 2nd

THE ENGLISH BEAT + THE ALLSTONIANS New Wave / Ska

Tuesday May 5th

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

THE BASEBALL PROJECT (feat members of REM, Young Fresh Fellows & The Dream Syndicate) Rock

17 HOLLAND ST., DAVIS SQ. SOMERVILLE (617) 776-2004 DIRECTLY ON T RED LINE AT DAVIS

A grand irony has befallen the tradition of hand-drawn animation: The cost of making such films has grown so high that the only way left to produce them is on a low budget. The Mouse House’s movies have been computer-generated and 3-D for roughly a decade now. And the rumored closure of Studio Ghibli will sound yet another death knell for this form. With that, the domain of Walt Disney will be unceremoniously donated to the independent scene. The inheritors will include Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton, who’ll be presenting his new film Cheatin’ at the Brattle this Friday. (It’ll play there through May 4.) He uses rough strokes in animating his narrative, wherein a smitten lady steals the bulky beau of another, then sees her new man seduced away from her just as easily. The shading on the character’s features shifts from second-to-second, like a finely-textured flip-book. The deliberately imperfect drawing-style isn’t the only thing linking Plympton’s film to the fine art of classroom doodling. He also employs virtually no dialogue during Cheatin’s 75 minutes, instead relying on broadly imagined visual signifiers to help him tell his story. His couple meets while riding bumper cars, and their first kiss gets electrified by the ride’s apparatus. When their shared bed grows cold, he illustrates a crack in its center. And when our man realizes the error of his eponymous ways, he speeds down the freeway, with his massive tears riding in the wind behind the vehicle, looking like lima beans. Plympton realizes romance as a series of over-exaggerated sense memories. In these images, he occasionally finds the same fantastical poeticism that fueled silent cinema. But we also must note that he did not scribble this whole film onto a page, like a caveman onto a stone wall. There’s a three-dimensional smoothness to some of the more fluid images—like the blood violently bursting from a broken heart—in part because Plympton has merged his approach with a digital workflow. It clearly mitigated the difficulty of creating the most complicated images, the ones that pen and paper struggle to render. If this form has a future, it’ll be in hybrids like this. That reminds us of Don Hertzfeldt, the cult animator whose short films about stick figures (like the legendary Rejected) have always been started and finished on pads of unscanned paper. He just completed his first digital short, World of Tomorrow, which—in his trademark deadpan-absurdist-existentialism mode— considers the Mobius-strip-style relationship between a young girl and her thricecloned future self. The latter briefs the former from “the outernet,” a perpetually shifting swirl of lines, shapes, and video screens. Hertzfeldt’s drawings of stick-people also inhabit a surrealist space defined by its digitalness—by the smoothness and linearity it provides for his figures’ movement. And so another irony emerges from the work of artists like him and Plympton: An analog art form survives and thrives, by way of being computerized. >> CHEATIN’. 5.1-5.4. BRATTLE THEATRE. 40 BRATTLE ST., CAMBRIDGE. FOR SHOWTIMES SEE BRATTLEFILM.ORG. WORLD OF TOMORROW IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR RENTAL AT VIMEO.COM/ONDEMAND/WORLDOFTOMORROW

FILM EVENTS WED 4.29

CLOSING NIGHT OF IFFBOSTON ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL [Coolidge Corner Theatre. 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 7:30pm/PG-13/Rush-line tickets only. coolidge.org]

FASSBINDER’S MELODRAMATIC MASTERPIECE ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL

[Harvard Film Archive. 24 Quincy St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 7pm/NR/$7-9.]

FRI 5.1

SUN 5.3

[Coolidge Corner. 290 Harvard St., Brookline. Fri 5.1 and Sat 5.2. midnight/R/$11.25. coolidge.org]

[Somerville Theatre. 55 Davis Sq., Somerville. 7pm/NR/$1215. somervilletheatreonline. com/somerville-theatre]

COOLIDGE AFTER MIDNIGHT PRESENTS RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

KING BOWIE REIGNS SUPREME LABYRINTH

[MIT Screening Series. 77 Mass Avenue, Boston. Fri 5.1 and Sat 5.2. 8pm/PG/$4. lsc.mit.edu]

WITH LIVE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT BUSTER KEATON’S THE CAMERAMAN

MON 5.4

ELEMENTS OF CINEMA PRESENTS FRITZ LANG’S CLASH BY NIGHT

[Brattle Theatre. 40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 6pm/ NR/FREE. brattlefilm.org]

NEWS TO US 2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

AT 425 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210

4.29.15 Vip session 5:30-7:30PM OPEN TO Public at 7:30PM

featuring Will Noonan, Dan Boulger, Nick LavAllEe, Chris Timoney

& More Starting at 7:30

BRING YOUR

A GAME /WEEKLYDIG

@DIGBOSTON

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

SHOW

FILM

KROLL-ING

Adult Beginners star Nick Kroll on moving beyond the douche BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN

FILM SHORTS BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN

ADULT BEGINNERS. JUST LIKE KIDS, BUT HAIRIER. Nick Kroll found a niche: He’s the obnoxious one. (You may know him from Parks and Recreation; he played “Douche.”) But now the comic actor is trying his hand at less repellent roles—first in Adult Beginners, and then in a series of high-profile projects. Prior to a screening at the Coolidge last week, Kroll told us about his last few gigs: On the complications of producing a film he acts in: “I’m shooting a big scene, and inbetween takes, I hear that New Rochelle—where we shot the movie—won’t be giving out permits tomorrow. So we have to move a swimming scene, but we can only get the pools on Saturday, and Jane Krakowski can’t shoot on Saturdays. Do we want to recast? Blah blah blah … and then [clapboard noise] action.” On Seth Rogen’s upcoming animated film, Sausage Party: “This is an animated movie … it’s their version of a Pixar movie. So it’s a hard-R [rating]. Just filthy. I play a douche— literally. A talking douche.” On working with the legendary Terrence Malick: “My goal was to say OK to everything. We shot in this crazy mansion in Mulholland. He called me a torpedo, and said my job was to disrupt. So I’d stand next to him, and he’d call me in, and whisper something like ‘and you know Christian,’ and then my job would be to disrupt Christian Bale.” VISIT DIGBOSTON.COM FOR THE EXTENDED INTERVIEW.

FILM SHORTS, SILENT NIGHTS

A classic silent film gets a Berklee orchestral boost BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

Here’s a subculture you might be sleeping on: There’s a healthy scene of silent-movie watchers in the Boston area. A number of local theaters regularly host musical performers to play accompaniments for the classics and obscurities of the era—and the movies often screen via 35mm prints (which is to say: the right way). Look to the Coolidge Corner Theatre, which will have the Berklee Silent Film Orchestra on hand to present an original score for F. W. Murnau’s astoundingly kinetic tragicomedy The Last Laugh this Monday evening. The camera whips its way through artificial city streets, following a hotel doorman who finds himself demoted, much to the shame of his family. As his worst night carries on, the streetlights growing dim and the rain growing heavy, he begins to sleep—and Murnau cultivates an oneiric tone, wavering between the euphoric and the nightmarish, to provide the tragic figure with an ending he could only achieve in a dream. The beauty is in the way that the compositions dream with him: Murnau’s images pass in and out of focus, giving way to layers upon layers of pleasurably anesthetized hallucinations. The movie is almost 100 years old, so you may ask, “Why not stream it?” Because Murnau’s eye is too grand for your laptop, that’s why. We need these live scores and these massive screens to give films like this the scope they deserve—that they demand. >> THE LAST LAUGH. MAY 4. 7PM, $20. COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE. 290 HARVARD ST., BROOKLINE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT COOLIDGE.ORG

ADULT BEGINNERS

FURIOUS SEVEN

The title places us in a specific genre— the “man-child takes responsibility and stops doing drugs” comedy. Nick Kroll starts as our Seth Rogen, so to speak: a bombed-out exec who burned through his investors’ money and now resides on his sister’s couch. Melodrama (his brother-in-law is a cheater) mingles with cheap gags (Kroll has to defecate while babysitting, so he straps the kiddie toilet to his ass like a backpack) while character actors like Jane Krakowski make haste to steal every scene. It’s a sitcom-er’s showcase.

Paul Walker’s final performance is shamelessly sentimentalized amidst crashing cars and crassly cool violence— sad to say that the long-running series’ ingrained earnestness has been upshifted, by new-to-the-series filmmaker James Wan, into something far more tricked-out. (Check out the opening sequence, in which he turns the deaths of dozens into the type of amoral joke these films never used to indulge in.) It’s machismo porn with a dash of melancholy—a party at a funeral.

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA Juliette Binoche plays an actress modeled after Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart plays the punkish assistant who helps her rehearse, and Chloe Grace Moretz plays an actress modeled after Kristen Stewart. Young and old clash verbally by day and by night, debating everything from the politics of Millennial privacy standards to the potential artistry of young-adult fiction. The metatextual reflections quickly overwhelm us, providing an experience both pleasurable and impenetrable. We’re not in a lecture hall, but a houseof-mirrors—the movie even ends in one. EX MACHINA Frankenstein refashioned as a technothriller. Oscar Isaac plays the doctor’s equivalent; an unscrupulous tech developer illegally mining search engines and cell phones to create AVA, an anthropomorphic AI. And Domhall Gleeson plays the trusting naif in thrall to the unnatural beast’s affections—a lowly coder called in to decide if AVA’s “brain” passes human muster. We know how this story ends: We’re headed inexorably toward a showdown between man and the monsters he creates. Modern concerns dominate the text, but this one runs from an antique framework. WILD TALES Six stories survey the separation between rich and poor; with the conceit being that everyone is depicted as being equally amoral. (It’s a comedy.) None of the stories intersect, but motifs recur: Explosions; people trying to bust through shatterproof glass; victims growing so traumatized by vile behavior that they keel over and vomit. One story stages a street fight between two egotists on the side of the road. Blood and spit and viscera—all the ugliness of the human condition—splatters onto the lens, and the movie rubs our faces in it.

IT FOLLOWS After an inaugural backseat tryst with her new boyfriend, Jay receives startling news: He’s just given her a sexually transmitted demon. And the only way she can stave it off is by sleeping around. Were she a man, this would be a sex comedy, but she’s not, so the thrusting and the threesomes all play out with the verve of a funeral. For director David Robert Mitchell—who lamely sets up a nice virginal boy as the stealth protagonist—the true terror isn’t what’s behind Jay. It’s the urges inside her. THE LONGEST RIDE We open on Scott Eastwood’s body, broken down to its parts by the camera’s close-up: First arms, then abs, then eyes—he’s the subject of the ever-elusive female gaze. He quickly falls for the gazer, Sophia (Britt Robertson)—and this being a Nicholas Sparks adaptation, the pair realize they are star-crossed soulmates soon enough. The story is tired, but the point-of-view is new: Eastwood is always framed through Sophia’s unashamedly carnal eyes. Most Sparks adaptations cultivate idealized romanticism, but here it’s pure sex. WHILE WE’RE YOUNG Nobody makes comedies as cruel as Noah Baumbach. But his latest starts as a gentle generational farce—Millennials teach Gen-Xers about fedoras and artisanal ice cream. Also lamentably lost is the kinetic playfulness of his Frances Ha, replaced by photography as functional as your dad’s wardrobe. But an Allenesque morality play emerges from the laid-back longueurs, about friends manipulating each other for the sake of success—another Baumbach “comedy” about people who’d rather use each other than relate. He’s getting older and wiser, but no kinder.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2015 DIGTHIS AWARDS!

NEWS TO US

THEATER

BETTY BAM!

Kharms-inspired work confuses and delights BY SPENCER SHANNON @SUSPENCEY

DIGBOSTON.C0M

04 29 15 – 05 06 15

In 1926, a college-age Daniil Kharms wrote Elizabeth Bam, a wildly original work of theatrical absurdity starring a cast of characters who strive to break down the dynamics of theater, art, and language into its most basic components. The work inspired an entire movement titled Theater of the Absurd, which gripped Europe in the 1950s. Even as the grip of Soviet social control tightened its noose around creativity and demanded stark realism from artists, theatermakers like Kharms produced plays of absurdist, surrealist fiction that explored a universe where all meaning in language and action is lost, all communication and logical transition is abandoned, and in a meta, hilarious sense, the audience is made a part of the spectacle, tuned in to the complete chaos taking place onstage. Make sense? Don’t expect it to. In imaginary beasts’ English revival, Betty Bam (played by Sarah Gazdowicz, Molly Kimmerling, Amy Meyer, Beth Pearson, and Kiki Samko) has committed an unspeakable crime, and is pursued by two bumbling detectives, Ivan Ivanovich (Cameron Cronin) and Pyotr Nikolaevich (William Schuller). That’s the first and only plot point that adheres to any sort of logic. As a robotic announcer interrupts the action to instruct the players to adhere to a different sort of theatrical trope, the scene completely changes, and the audience watches various short skits—some comedic, so melodramatic, some horrific—all entirely absurd and impossible to follow. The action takes place on a dynamic set that looks directly inspired by fellow Russian artist and designer Aleksander Rodchenko—black and white lines intersect with red, jagged edges of the room giving way to moving parts through which characters may disappear and emerge. The word “RADIX” is painted across the floor, a callback to Kharms’ radical ensemble of the same name. Impressive lighting design manages to transform each scene to mirror the emotion being evoked. In one instance, we’re at a beach enjoying a picnic; in another, mice scurry in the darkness to avoid the eye of a flashlight that signals their impending demise. Once I gave up trying to understand what was going on in front of me, I was able to more fully enjoy it. It can be a challenge to give yourself up so completely to an experience. Betty Bam! demands complete abandonment from its audience—of reason, of comprehension, of logic, of the definition of what theater is and what it’s supposed to be. Right when you think you’ve got a handle on what’s happening, the performance throws another curve ball. Suddenly, an old woman is vomiting eggs. A homeless person wanders in, asking the audience for spare change. A monstrous being takes shape. The key to making it through Betty Bam! is reveling in the surreality of the show. There are no right or wrong answers to the question of what is happening, of what it means—in truth, there may not be an answer at all. In its refusal to be comprehensible, Betty Bam! creates something new and unique. It reminds us all of the meaninglessness of human life, and forces us to open our minds a bit to embrace the infinite parameters of what defines theater. It presents nothing and expects nothing in return. There is no need for analysis here, for the deep probing and internal philosophy that many associate with attending theater. Instead, the show asks you to leave your preconceived notions at the door, and remember not to take everything quite so seriously. As we left the theater, I turned to the friend I’d brought with me, and apologized for not knowing more about the show in advance, before inviting her. I was still struggling to come to grips with what I had just seen, and wondered aloud how I’d be able to coherently write about it. “Honestly?” she answered. “After the week I’ve just had, this was just what I needed. I think it mirrors the reality of life completely. Things change in an instant. Everything gets topsy-turvy. There’s no such thing as control. Nothing makes sense.” And sometimes, all you can do is laugh and shake your head. >> IMAGINARY BEASTS PRESENTS: BETTY BAM!. BCA PLAZA BLACK BOX THEATER, 539 TREMONT ST., BOSTON. THROUGH MAY 2. 13+/$20,$15 STUDENTS. IMAGINARYBEASTS.ORG

PHOTO BY ROGER METCALF

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Whatever progress the Hub has made in recent years in improving the plights of struggling up-and-coming artists, it goes without saying that there’s always more work to be done. So when Tavern Road chef-owner Louis DiBiccari devised CREATE Boston, the initial idea was simple: Develop a new and novel approach for fostering and hyping the local artistic community. Period. “People don’t pay enough attention to [the artists],” he says. “The media doesn’t, the city doesn’t. And they’re a vital part of the community. Cities like Montreal and San Francisco, Chicago and New York, understand that artists are an incredibly vital part of a balanced community.” That, he says, is why the talent drain afflicting Boston is perpetuated itself—artists simply must leave in order to survive. And that’s not just a pithy observation from an outsider. DiBiccari’s Congress Street restaurant, Tavern Road, is something of an homage not only to the arts community in Boston (and his master sculptor uncle), but to the very neighborhood it sits in, with a 30-foot collaborative wall mural installation by three notable local artists, Dana Woulfe, Josh Falk, and Kenji Nakayama. Eventually, DiBiccari’s dedication to the local arts scene provided a possible a possible solution to the lack of city-backed planning for artists, especially those who once were part of the Fort Point Channel network and relocated to the likes of Providence, Lowell, Brockton, and Lawrence after a decade of urban development sent them packing became evident. “This city gets down on its knees and fucking blows anyone in the restaurant industry, and they love it,” he says. “So we use [CREATE] to get beyond the four walls of our restaurant. There’s so much else going on in the city; we can help to sort of pick it up a little bit.” In this case by orchestrating an event in which local artists pair their talents with chosen rising stars of the Greater Boston restaurant scene, fusing the two creative industries together. “I thought [if] I can’t get Tom Brady to come stand up next to an artist [at an event], I can certainly get chefs from places like Clio, Puritan and Company, Toro, Bondir, and Menton, and I can put them next to artists,” he says. “If you look at Fort Point, which is New England’s oldest and largest artist community, all the renovations for the last 10 years or so have displaced the [actual] artists living there. So the idea was to create that sense of community for them [again].” Fast forward four years and as many versions of the unique-to-Boston day of food, music, drinking, and interactive art, and you have an event that joins both worlds in a single collective whole. The biggest change for the event this year is the way the artists and chefs plan to collaborate after initial growing pains resulted in some muddled execution. “Now we’re looking for a wow factor or ‘Holy shit!’ factor,” DiBiccari says. “The kind of setup where you walk in the room and there’s something special about it and not easy to comprehend at first, something that forces you to think about it, maybe ask the artist questions about what’s going on, or feel compelled to ask the chef about the food they created … thus making it all the more interactive, with new risks being taken to engage [everyone] attending.” The 2015 artistic lineup (so far) features, among others, one of the three artists who created the restaurant’s mural, Nakayama, and Lawrence-based photographic artist Markus Sebastiano, who has been working over the past year to hone and develop his work: Plexiglas photographic prints laid in with wood, metal, recyclables, and other repurposed materials. Culinary talent from the likes of Mei Mei, Asta, Blue Dragon, Deep Ellum, and Café ArtScience will join them at Fairmont Battery Wharf, with live music performances by local swamp-rock darlings TigermanWOAH!, and beloved hip-hop artist Moe Pope, who is also presenting separate artwork in addition to keeping the party going onstage. Ultimately, collaboration and building synergy between all the creative fields here in Boston is the driving force, with each year building upon the last. DiBiccari says: “This year is already light-years ahead of where it was in year one.” >> CREATE-BOSTON 2015. JUNE 7. FAIRMONT BATTERY WHARF. TICKETS ON SALE THIS WEEK. VISIT CREATE-BOSTON.COM OR FACEBOOK.COM/CREATEBOSTON FOR UPDATES.

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PANDEMIC PICKS

A good number of you may recall the “hashtag tree” that we designed for last year’s social media issue, in which we outlined the entire Twitter ecosystem of the Greater Boston area, from sports, to media, to restaurants and politics. No doubt some loyal Dig readers still have the insert tacked to the wall over their desk as a handy crib sheet. We didn’t go at it alone though; for the hashtag project, we tapped our good friends at Pandemic Labs, one of the Hub’s first and most sophisticated social media marketing agencies. On the success and strength of that endeavor, we asked Pandemic to team up with us again—this time to bring an enhanced Twitter analysis to our annual DigThis Awards. Part of the Pandemic motto is that “marketing is a dialogue not a monologue,” and on that tip we have challenged them to gauge which of our Arts & Entertainment winners—concert venues, movie theaters, museums, you get the picture—did the best job of engaging fans over the past year. Of course it’s not that simple, analytics never are, so be sure to check out our Pandemic partnership at digboston.com.

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SAVAGE LOVE

AGE PLAY BY DAN SAVAGE @FAKEDANSAVAGE I’m 62 and happily married for 20 years to a sweet guy who doesn’t seem particularly interested in sex any longer. We are open to allowing each other freedom, with full disclosure, and have occasionally done this. When I watch music videos of John Sebastian in his 20s, I cream my jeans. And I have noticed similar reactions to sweet, intelligent young men in their 20s and 30s. But what I’d really like is a young man who finds me attractive and would be interested in seducing, or being seduced by, yours truly, even though I’m old enough to be his grandma. Wicked Older Woman A study you’re not going to want to read and that I’m not going to cite—because it lumps people who are sexually attracted to the elderly together with people who are sexually attracted to prepubescent children—puts the percentage of people attracted to senior citizens at .15 percent of the population. That means there are more than 11 million gerontophiles of all ages out there. We’ve already established that math is hard, WOW, so I’m not going to try to figure out how many gerontophiles are in their 20s and 30s. But there should be lots. And there are probably a few non-gerontophile guys (and gals) out there who are willing to take a walk on the postmenopausal side. How to make it happen? The same way everyone else does: Get online and advertise for

what you want (clearly and explicitly), and get out of the house (you never know who you’ll meet). Then seize—safely—the opportunities that come your way. My partner and I—both fortysomething males—had a threesome with a very cute twentysomething college student who approached us online. He considers himself straight and has a girlfriend, but he “has been wondering” about his sexuality. The evening went incredibly well, but he had the typical “curious guy” freak-out the day after. Texts and e-mails flooded in—he wanted (more) guarantees about our health status even though we played safe during sex. He said he told his girlfriend and said that we could never get together again. Then he started drunk-texting us at night, offering to send us more sexy photos and talking about how much he wanted to see us again. We’ve tried to be there, not just for the sex but also his process afterward. Did we do this guy a disservice by engaging with him? Curious Over Curious Kid It might look like you’re not honoring the campsite rule (“Leave ’em in better shape than you found ’em”) because this guy is a mess right now. But some queers can’t seem to accept themselves—or even recognize themselves—until after a clarifying queer sexual encounter or three. In all likelihood, this twentysomething will one day look back at his “typical ‘curious guy’ freak-out” as an important part of his coming-out process as a gay or bi man. So you probably did him a favor. As for the real-or-imaginary girlfriend: If she exists, she should dump him. Not because of your actions, COCK, but because of his.

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472 COMMONWEALTH AVE,MORE CAMBRIDGE MAINFORMATION AND A COMPLETE FOR Tickets for Royale, The Sinclair, and Great Scott can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000. ALL AGES DOORS 7PM No fee tickets available at The Sinclair box office Tuesdays - Saturdays 12:00 - 7:00PM LIST OF SHOWS, VISIT BOWERYBOSTON.COM