DIGBOSTON.COM 12.28.17 - 1.4.18
2017
BOSTON MUSIC FILM + ARTS MASS CANNABIS NEWS + FEATURES HIDDEN EATS NET NEUTRALITY AND MORE...
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HEADLINING THIS WEEK! VOL 19 + ISSUE52
DEC 28, 2017 - JAN 04, 2018 BUSINESS PUBLISHER Marc Sneider ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Chris Faraone John Loftus Jason Pramas SALES MANAGER Marc Sneider FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION sales@digboston.com BUSINESS MANAGER John Loftus
EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Chris Faraone EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jason Pramas MANAGING EDITOR Mitchell Dewar ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR Nina Corcoran ASSOCIATE FILM EDITOR Jake Mulligan ASSOCIATE ARTS EDITOR Christopher Ehlers STAFF WRITER Haley Hamilton CONTRIBUTORS G. Valentino Ball, Sarah Betancourt, Tim Bugbee, Patrick Cochran, Mike Crawford, Kori Feener, George Hassett, Zack Huffman, Marc Hurwitz, Marcus Johnson-Smith, Micaela Kimball, Derek Kouyoumjian, Dan McCarthy, Adam Sennott, Maya Shaffer, Citizen Strain, M.J. Tidwell, Tre Timbers, Baynard Woods INTERNS Kuresse Bolds, Olivia Falcigno
DESIGN DESIGNER Don Kuss COMICS Tim Chamberlain Pat Falco Patt Kelley DigBoston, PO Box 51960 Boston, MA 02205 Phone 617.426.8942 digboston.com
ON THE COVER EPIC YEAR IN LOCAL MUSIC CURATED IN NINA CORCORAN’S TOP 30 ALBUMS WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 16 AND IN FULL ON DIGBOSTON.COM
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TAXING
Dear Reader, I assume that you don’t read DigBoston for our coverage of financial issues. We are not a primary source of information on taxation, nor are we a font of economic wisdom. Other than the work of Jason Pramas, whose deep spelunking in the corporate welfare state and other crass capitalist crevices is critical, and of some others on occasion, such as Saul Tannenbaum who chimes in this week about the erosion of net neutrality, we’re not exactly Crain’s or Business Week. You get the picture. Still, I am using this last column of the year to rail against and whine about impending changes to our tax code that have been pursued by President Donald Trump and his GOP minions (among other nefarious forces). In case you haven’t noticed, even with the endless crush of crazy tweets and distractions related to MS-13 and other nonstories, every pundit and economist who’s worth their weight in bitcoins has spent the past month or longer eviscerating the tax bill preparations of rightwing extremist lawmakers: Still, I am expressing this outrage despite its trite and obvious nature. It’s not my style; I prefer to keep my commentary local, but this is a disaster that must be addressed from every angle, and that includes the municipal and community perspective. In the interest of not selfishly hating the tax news (it’s not a “cut” for everyone, so let’s not call it that) simply for how it will hurt me and my family, which I won’t fully realize for more than a year, I want to point out a small but nonetheless depressing aspect of the plan that has been left out of most reports on the matter, even though it won’t impact my own pocket directly. Sickeningly, businesses will no longer be able to claim reimbursements for employees who bike to work. That’s right, in a move that will save the federal government a mere estimated $5 million a year— and as part of an overall overhaul that will, by all trustworthy accounts, deliver more to the haves at the expense of have-nots—the Trump army is removing the tax incentive to cycle to work. They’re actually that depraved. Since I’m not a twisted conservative brat who pulls stick to the thought of eroding the middle class and polluting the planet, it’s hard to put myself in the shoes of Republicans on such matters. Nevertheless, it couldn’t be clearer that these measures are intentionally targeting blue states, since even Trump’s moron advisors are smart enough to know that anyone who is environmentally minded or urban enough to ride on two wheels sure as hell didn’t vote for the POTUS. This is the world that we live in, and 2018 will only be worse. You have my word on that one. In the meantime, it’s more important than ever that our local Democrats, who have made careers out of running against Trump lately (instead of their actual opponents), do everything they can to minimize harm to constituents. From protecting immigrants from ICE agents, to securing state or city monies to reward those who bike to work, we’ve never needed our elected pols this much. God help us.
Sam Morril
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NEWS+OPINION OUR YEAR IN NEWS + FEATURES MEDIA FARM
From housing and homelessness, to the police state, to transportation BY DIG STAFF @DIGBOSTON
INTERSECTIONAL POLITICS (By Kylie Obermeier) Despite well-known hazards for cyclists, problems persist while municipal officials, a lot of street safety advocates say, are not acting urgently or adequately enough to make vital changes. In their own defense, city officials maintain that improving infrastructure takes a lot of time and energy, perhaps most of all in trying to negotiate between the often conflicting demands of residents. #CONDEMBTA (By Derek Kouyoumjian) To illustrate the state of transit infrastructure, we asked ace Boston photographer Derek Kouyoumjian to spend a month over the winter snapping photographs of utterly dilapidated MBTA tracks, stations, and trains. THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT PUBLIC RECORDS ACCESS (By Maya Shaffer) By policy, the DOC generates a quarterly report related to inmates suffering gender dysphoria. I requested these reports as part of my ongoing coverage of the department’s housing of transgender inmates in facilities that do not match their gender identities.
As we strive to communicate every time our keyboards get clicking, the stories we bring you in DigBoston— alternative news, or alt news, as we used to say before those right-wing assholes bit our lingo—is either news you aren’t getting elsewhere, or the people’s version of the capitalist rubbish found in mainstream media. And man oh man, we unearthed a lot of those critical hidden nuggets in the past 12 months. This is not a list of our most viewed articles, nor is it a rundown of the pieces that our editors like most. There’s certainly a smidgen of those elements, but more than anything this is a showcase of the hard-hitting reporting our writers did in 2017. It’s only a fraction—for the full breadth, you’d have to also check out all our columns by the likes of Haley Hamilton and Jason Pramas, plus our cannabis front dispatches, a slew of op-eds, and spot pieces galore. Still, the compendium below serves as a darn good representation of why outlets like the Dig are not just still important, but perhaps more important than ever before. Finally, we want to thank everyone who has worked with and contributed to the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism (BINJ), which we formed nearly three years ago to help with this kind of substantial journalism. If you would like to see us make an even bigger impact in 2018, you can support independent media at givetobinj.org. THE OUTSIDERS (By Mike DeSocio) LGBTQ teens and young adults experiencing homelessness say prejudice excludes them from many services, while the dangers of being “out” keep others from even trying to access them in the first place. Beyond the difficulties they face due to their sexual or gender identity, Liniste and her peers exist in the rift between youth and adult services. 4
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SMOOTH LANDING (FOR NOW) (By Joshua Eaton) Trump signed the sweeping executive order late in the day on Jan 27. The following night, as thousands protested at airports nationwide, a federal judge in Brooklyn handed down a nationwide stay blocking US Customs and Border Protection from using the order to deport anyone. Meanwhile, at a dramatic all-night hearing in a sweltering courtroom in Boston, two federal judges signed a seven-day stay preventing both detentions and deportations. EIGHT ISN’T ENOUGH (By Laura Kiesel) In the absence of rent control in the Boston area, which is the fifth most expensive area to live in the nation, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers can be a crucial way to enable lower income families the opportunity to remain in the metro area. That is, if they can actually access one and find a landlord willing to rent to them. HOW TO BUILD A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE IN MASS (By Kori Feener) The Houston-based behemoth made pipe-dream promises to be positive community partners to its neighbors and abutters in the Berkshires… As noted by the many activists who have been protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline, however, as well as by politicians at all levels, the permitting process and operation behind the $93 million CT Expansion have left much to be desired. LOBOTOMASS (By Jonathan Riley) From mind control experiments to taxpayer-funded black magic to housing Nazi scientists in Boston Harbor, the Commonwealth has an unparalleled dark side to its noted innovation legacy—with many shadows leading to today’s technological titans.
WATCHING BOSTON (By Daniel DeFraia) The Winston gun discovery became one of the first stories the Boston Police Department cited to advertise its civilian vigilance program, Neighborhood Crime Watch. Since then, every Boston mayor and police commissioner has claimed that watch groups make the city safer. However, this investigation of the BPD’s 32-year Crime Watch program found that may not be the case. THE YAWKEY WAY (By Britni de la Cretaz) There is a long and documented history of discrimination against Black residents of Boston. If their lived experience tells us anything, it’s that there is good reason to doubt statements by officials about what is tolerated here and what isn’t… From ignoramus radio talkers to bigoted fans and a checkered past, Boston baseball has a race problem. WE CAME, WE SAW, WE COVERED (By Multiple Reporters) Between the protesters, the counterprotesters, the media, the cops, and a handful of trolls, countless stories unfolded in Boston last weekend. These are several we encountered… SMALL TOWN SWAT TEAM (By Seth Kershner) An analysis of hundreds of pages of police records and incident reports, obtained through public records requests, shows that small town police departments like Ludlow are amassing enormous arsenals, use SWAT in ways that go beyond their original mission, and are sometimes unable to properly select and train officers. CREDIBLE FEAR (By Sarah Betancourt) Byah was arrested on an outstanding final order of deportation issued by an immigration judge in 2012, according to ICE. Her one conviction resulted in a fine for a traffic violation. In an odd turn of events, local ICE officials have said that the order for Byah’s removal did not come from the Massachusetts office, but the DC headquarters for ICE.
NEWS TO US
FAIR AND VALIANT
Vols delivered $200 million of affordable food over 30 years BY CHRIS FARAONE @FARA1
In sorting through our issues from the past year as we put our end-of-2017 features together, it’s pretty sad to see how much horrible news we cover. From evictions and homelessness, to corporate welfare, to harassment and abuse, it’s one hideous piece after another. While our untold stories of this city often reach a lot of eyeballs, you wouldn’t say we run a clickbait factory. Still, we’re human after all, and it only feels right to extol some of the groups and individuals who work to make Boston a better place, instead of always simply pointing out the warts and leeches. I recently discovered one such worthy outfit up close in Fair Foods, a legendary Hub-based nonprofit that distributes groceries at more than 50 Greater Boston locations a week. Thanks to my colleagues from the New England chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, who organized reporters to interview Fair Foods volunteers and employees and profile them for the nonprofit’s website, I didn’t merely get to watch people in action but was able to speak with several at length to learn why they do what they do. I used some excerpts from those interviews, conducted by myself and other SPJ members, in my attempt below to share with readers what I found that makes this such a special operation. A lot of folks I spoke with came across the group at random and have returned to help out regularly. Like Habibo, who was just walking by the First Church of Roxbury on a Saturday when she saw people sorting vegetables. She stopped to ask what they were doing, met Fair Foods distribution director Jason and a few others, and that day began lending a hand. “If I have the time, I always volunteer,” Habibo said. She spends a lot of her days doing charity work. In addition to the four or so hours that she’s given to Fair Foods every week for the past two months, she also volunteers at rehabilitation centers. “People are friendly,” she said. “Just like people all over the world, same thing … I came here to help out.” Ted, a volunteer who lives in Jamaica Plain, said he “just happened to bump into [Fair Foods] and needed something to take away the pain of my divorce.” He said he keeps coming back because in addition to helping feed families, he enjoys “meeting other people from every walk of life.” “It’s just sort of magical here,” Ted said. Thanks to assistance from the likes of Ted and Habibo, Jason, the Fair Foods distribution manager, says the org has put more than $200 million worth of food into Boston kitchens over the past 30 years. Its secret sauce: People who receive groceries are asked to pay $2 a bag (formerly $1), which makes Fair Foods 60 to 70 percent self-sustainable. “When someone comes to Fair Foods, they’re not stigmatized,” Jason said. “Just that [$2] allows people to have that empowerment. That’s the principle it was built on … It was built up over the years just through that grassroots energy.” Elmonda “Grandma” Prescott is 83 years old and still comes out to help every weekend in Roxbury, often bringing lunch for the vols to eat after a long morning of work. “It’s just my way,” she says. “My father was a rock blaster. He used to dig out the holes and get the rocks to build the houses. My mother used to work on the plantation. She worked with potatoes and yams and things like that.” “We have a lot of problems in our society where people try to make change from the top down, and it doesn’t work,” says Jason. “A lot of money gets wasted that way.”
A lot of folks I spoke with came across the group at random and have returned to help out regularly.
You can find a map of all 50-plus Fair Foods locations as well as other resources on the Boston Public Health Commission website.
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THE YEAR IN DIGBOSTON 2017
Let them call us rebels, and welcome… BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS
If you had asked me 14 months ago if I thought that I’d have a shot at taking over the management of DigBoston with my partners Chris Faraone, John Loftus, and Marc Sneider, I would have said “nah.” Yet six months ago we did just that, after effectively running the paper for the previous six months. We now have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to publish the only remaining alt newsweekly in a major American city. In a difficult period when the fate of our democracy is at stake. So my year in review piece has to be a look at what we’ve done with that chance—aside from completing the obvious task of producing 52 issues of hard-hitting locally focused journalism this year. For starters, we know that DigBoston can only succeed as a collective effort. And as a first order of business, we set about contacting dozens of folks who had already worked with the paper in the past to tell them that we were ready to set Dig to rights, stabilize our operation, and begin expanding. These things we have done. Second, we carried on the tradition we had from working on the nonprofit Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism of building alliances with other publications. Which is why you’ll note we’re running articles simultaneously with those allies on a regular basis. Journalism in the 21st century is not going to succeed with news outlets that view themselves as isolated islands. We believe the only way to move forward is to stop being territorial, build bridges of mutual aid and solidarity between like-minded media enterprises, and
Journalism in the 21st century is not going to succeed with news outlets that view themselves as isolated islands.
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figure out ways to work more closely together over the long haul. The better to expand all of our reach and scope. Third, we began recruiting new talent. We even put out a call for interested native working-class Bostonians to join our reporter pool—whether they are trained journalists or not—and will shortly begin training up untrained applicants who answered that first of what will be an ongoing series of calls. Because we do not think it’s possible to cover local news properly without fielding a solid number of journalists who were born and raised in and around Boston. And if there aren’t enough trained journalists that meet those criteria, then it’s our responsibility to teach them. Fourth, we are not interested in the recent fad of “engagement” in journalism circles. It’s artificial and doomed to fail like all the other initiatives coming out of what some correctly dub the “foundation-industrial complex” and the academic centers it lavishes money on apropos of nothing. We are part of the communities we cover and believe that we cannot be good journalists if we’re not in constant communication with those communities. So you’ll see us at more and more public events, and notice us cooking up different schemes to be helpful to our audience in more concrete ways with every passing month. Such practices also have the salutary effect of helping us meet more talented folks from all over the city. Ensuring that our organization becomes more and more diverse by every metric—a specific goal of ours— organically over time, rather than in some forced, scripted, and ultimately ineffective fashion cribbed from the pages of some disingenuous HR manual somewhere. As with certain governments and corporations we could (and often do) name. Fifth, we are pioneering a hybrid news model linking our nonprofit and for-profit wings that is helping us solve the difficult problem of how smaller community news outlets like DigBoston can afford to produce expensive but vitally important investigative news reporting. With more punch and élan than the remaining major news outlets are generally capable of in this era. Our
concept is straightforward. We simply continue to run the aforementioned Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism that we launched two years prior to taking over this newspaper—raising donations to pay directly to our growing army of highly experienced talent to produce long-form investigative features and series. And publish them in DigBoston, which couldn’t pay for as much journalism without that arrangement. BINJ syndicates those stories free of charge to other news outlets in our network. We’re also working to spread this hybrid model around the country. In the interest of doing our bit to stop and ultimately reverse the rolling collapse of the American news industry… due in part to lack of ready money for news production. Sixth, we remain fiercely independent. We are not beholden to the powerful interests that appear to be doing their best to run American democracy into the ground. And we don’t think it’s possible for honest journalists to approach our work in any other way. Seventh, we continue the alternative journalism tradition of seeking to be fair and accurate in all our reporting. But we join other American alt weeklies in criticizing “objectivity”—the idea that journalists can somehow remove our opinions, and therefore ourselves, from our articles. Because we don’t believe that it’s possible or desirable to do so. Finally, I think we’re doing our best to run DigBoston like a big, riotous, but deeply caring family. My partners and I certainly wouldn’t have it any other way, but neither would the incredibly talented staff we’re assembling from all walks of Boston area life. And it is they who make this whole mad, yet utterly necessary enterprise in the service of a democratic society possible. So here’s to them! And here’s to DigBoston! And here’s wishing all of our growing crew—and all of you—a very happy new year! Up the rebels! Jason Pramas is executive editor and associate publisher of DigBoston.
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DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS
10 INSANE TRUMP TWEETS FROM THE PAST YEAR I won’t say ‘Top 10’ because they all suck BY BAYNARD WOODS @BAYNARDWOODS I got drunk last weekend and read all 2,735 tweets that Donald Trump has written since the election in the hopes that Trump’s Twitter feed, collected and searchable on trumptwitterarchive.com, might be a good way to get a sense of the horrors we’ve endured. Looking at the tweets was like reliving all of the unbelievable moments of this last year in fast-forward. But it’s important not to forget that we used to not have to deal with the dread of waking up each morning to realize that Donald Trump is president and scramble madly for Twitter to make sure we’re not at war. A year ago, all of this was new to us. So here are 10 of Trump’s tweets, in chronological order, that capture something about the authoritarian nature of this presidency or the insanity of our social media moment. I left off some obvious favorites (covfefe!) and tended to favor some earlier ones that prefigured later themes. 1. Nov 10, 2016 09:19:44 pm: Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair Even though it was from the interregnum, this tweet is in many ways the ur-tweet of the Trump presidency. It is only Trump’s fourth post-election tweet, but it captures the spirit of his feed. Validate Trump+attack enemies+attack media=complain about affront to Trump. 2. Nov 19, 2016 08:56:30 am: The Theater must always be a safe and special place.The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize! This tweet is about the VP-elect’s attendance of the hit play Hamilton, whose cast ended the performance with a short speech, expressing the concern we all felt in those uncertain days while hoping “this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.” But Trump took the opportunity to remind us of the depths of his cynicism when he demanded a safe space for powerful white men. Brandon Victor Dixon, who gave the speech, is Black, and Trump has made a habit of demanding apologies from Black people. This tweet barely made the list, just edging out Trump’s claim, also in November, that “Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!” because both turn out to introduce autocratic themes we’ve seen develop over the year. 3. Feb 2, 2017 06:13:13 am: If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS? Here the President threatens the funds of a major university in order to support Milo Yiannopoulos, the right-wing troll who had white supremacists line-edit his ghostwritten Breitbart stories, when his speech at Berkeley was being protested. Yiannopoulos worked for Steve Bannon, who worked for Trump. 4. Feb 17, 2017 04:32:29 pm: The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @CNN, @ NBCNews and many more) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people. SICK! This is at the top of the list of authoritarian tweets. It’s got it all. 5. Apr 11, 2017 07:03:43 am: North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A. Foreign policy by tweet. This led to all of the little Rocketman stuff that almost started a nuclear war and ruined a perfectly good Elton John song.
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Check digboston.com for a longer list. Baynard Woods is a reporter at the Real News. Email baynard@therealnews.com. Twitter @baynardwoods.
Tell Governor Baker: Don’t Give Away The MBTA
First Transit has a terrible track record across the country.1 Now, they’re trying to take over MBTA bus safety and maintenance. If that happens, it will be bad for taxpayers and riders. First Transit already hurt Massachusetts seniors and people with disabilities when they wrongfully walked away from providing MBTA paratransit service2, causing a $66 million budget deficit for the MBTA.3
Let’s protect Massachusetts from First Transit.
www.DontGiveAwayTheMBTA.org 1 “Audit finds DC Circulator Safety Defects,” The Hoya: Georgetown University, 4/19/2016, “Union wary as Wave extends contract,” Star-News, 4/29/2016, “City of Phoenix puts contractor on notice to fix bus service,” KJZZ, 7/12/2017 2 “MBTA taken for a ride,” Boston Herald, 5/23/2009, “Ohio company settles with MBTA,” Eagle-Tribune, 11/4/2012 3 “MBTA taken for a ride,” Boston Herald, 5/23/2009
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OP-ED
THE YEAR WE LOST NET NEUTRALITY If we want a free and open internet, we should build one BY SAUL TANNENBAUM @STANNENB
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This month, the FCC, as expected, voted to end net neutrality. This comes on the heels of a Republican Congress repealing Obama-era regulations forbidding your internet provider from monetizing your internet usage history and the FCC gutting Lifeline, a program to help the economically disadvantaged purchase internet services. These moves are all part of a procorporate conservative playbook developed in Washington think tanks. No amount of public protest was going to derail this once-in-alifetime opportunity Republicans had to tilt the telecommunications landscape overwhelmingly toward big corporations. In truth, the most extreme outcomes predicted for the loss of net neutrality are the least likely. What’s more likely is what you see, today, from your mobile phone provider. Rather than charging more for a service, there are “free” services bundled with your phone plan. This is immensely popular because, really, who doesn’t like free? Of course, if one service is free, that effectively means that other competing services cost more. New services don’t spring up, because who in their right mind would try to compete with free? This all will accelerate the already rapid consolidation of communications and content companies, driving those outside the mainstream into increasing marginality. There is, however, a small set of people for whom these terrible decisions will have absolutely no direct impact: people who are lucky enough to live in a community that has decided to build a broadband network for itself. Broadband access is a distinctly local problem. You don’t need a giant corporation to provide it. Instead, you need cables that run through the streets of your community, reaching its homes and businesses. The technology to do this isn’t anything mysterious or innovative. Corporations, universities, and governments have been installing these sort of networks for a couple of decades. All you really need is the money to pay for the cable and its installation and operation. This is the sort of investment municipalities make all the time, as they build and maintain roads and schools. There’s no reason cities shouldn’t make similar investments in the infrastructures of the future. If you want your municipal broadband provider to be neutral, it can be. If you want it to respect your privacy and not monetize your data, you can keep it from doing that. If you care about digital equity, you can structure rates to provide low or no cost access to those who need it. And by creating a new broadband utility, you chip away at the power the telecommunications companies have by taking away some of their customers. Due to corporate lobbying, it is illegal in 20 states for municipalities to enter the broadband business. Massachusetts, however, has one of the strongest statutes permitting cities to enter the telecommunications business. As the backlash to the FCC’s net neutrality decision intensifies, we should expect that statute to come under attack. And we should expect a broad attack on municipal broadband. The reality is that, for cities who make realistic financial projections, broadband is a decent business to be in. With reasonable rates, it may not generate the sort of eye-popping financial returns Wall Street demands, but it does pay for itself. If you don’t believe that, consider that this spring the Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded grant money to Ashfield, Leyden, Mount Washington, Plainfield, Shutesbury, and Windsor to construct municipal broadband systems. If we want to maintain a free and open internet and constrain the power of the corporate behemoths that increasingly control the flow of information, all we need do is to start building networks that aren’t under corporate control. The time to demand this of our municipal governments is now.
There is, however, a small set of people for whom these terrible decisions will have absolutely no direct impact: people who are lucky enough to live in a community that has decided to build a broadband network for itself.
The author is a member of, but does not speak for, the Cambridge Broadband Task Force.
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THE YEAR IN MASS CANNABIS THE TOKIN’ TRUTH
As expected, the struggle continues in the recreational era BY MIKE CRAWFORD @MIKECANNBOSTON
You might think that after ignoring voters and advocates for decades, a November 2016 ballot initiative that legalized marijuana—against the wishes of most elected officials in Massachusetts—would ring in a 2017 that was glorious for local reformers. But that’s just not how things work around here. Instead, the longstanding cannabis community was made to battle reefer-mad power brokers at every turn. As predicted by many, 2017 simply marked the beginning of a longer campaign after the prior year’s victory, an endless political war over recreational cannabis policy in the Commonwealth. Let’s take a look back at how this all unfolded… In January, DigBoston was one of just a few outlets to report that an unchecked Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM) was refusing to reinstate the medical license of Dr. John Nadolny. Along with Mass Gov. Charlie Baker, BORIM became tangled in a sad political play against cannabis, a game that was exposed after an appeals judge ruled that Nadolny’s license should have never even been suspended in the first place. In their role, the Boston media was worse than complicit, with outlets including FOX 25 (which has since changed its name to BOSTON 25) gleefully reporting on the unlawful suspension. On Beacon Hill, in February we reported about Bob DeLeo and his sham committee for cannabis, which was stacked with losing prohibitionists wishing to invalidate the new law that a majority of voters pulled for. In April, we turned to the human side, anchoring our 4-20 issue with a feature about local veterans advocate Stephen Mandile, who discussed his lobbying push against those same prohibitionists. Mandile also enlightened us about topics like the use of cannabis to combat opiate abuse, as well as the initiative by veterans and others to grow marijuana cooperatively. Also in April, we reported the rift in the medical cannabis community over the lack of delivery services and the fact that a leading patients group was pushing for the shutdown of gray market providers who were filling in the void. 12
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In May, we reported that the founder/CEO of Canna Care Docs (a sponsor of my WEMF Radio show, The Young Jurks), Kevin Kafka, challenged existing dispensaries to offer more support for veterans and other at-risk patient populations. Kafka stated, “One of our core principles … is to ensure that no patient should stay in the black market for just financial reasons, and that principle has served us and [the patient] population very well.” A short time later, some local dispensaries did begin offering rebates to new patients to cover the cost of their medical marijuana cards, as well as new discounts for veterans. At least one dispensary trotted out a new statewide delivery service (with a hefty fee, of course, but progress nonetheless). In a June interview, State Sen. Patricia Jehlen backed the cannabis community, telling us she was ready to fight against the rewrite of the new cannabis legalization law: “My principles were: 1—To respect the will of the voters and; 2—To drive people [away] from the illegal market [and] into the legal market and; 3—To see what we can do to remedy the damage done to communities by the war on drugs.” Toward the end of June, as lawmakers worked to dismantle the cannabis bill passed by voters, my team from The Young Jurks protested outside of House Speaker Bob DeLeo’s home in Winthrop. We expected some possible pushback, but we weren’t expecting it to come from MassCann/NORML. Yet that’s exactly what happened. The result? DeLeo got a higher tax, made it easier for some local cities and towns to opt out of retail sales, and gutted the expungement for past cannabis crimes. But still the community was at least partially heard, as reformers like Jehlen fought hard to ensure that co-ops and inclusion for communities harmed by the war on drugs were included in the final compromise. And it was no wonder that, as local reform leaders of color—including but not limited to Shaleen Title (a co-author of the legalization initiative that’s since been named to the state’s Cannabis Control Commission (CCC)), Shanel Lindsay, Sonia Espinosa, Joseph Gilmour, and Kamani Jefferson—were plugged directly into
the conversation, the communities they represent were heard at public hearings and beyond. Furthermore, veterans like Mandile and the others, representing other marginalized communities through the newly founded Massachusetts Cannabis Consumers Council, became a critical source of information for media and lawmakers alike. In September, the town of Milford voted to ban rec cannabis shops, becoming the first to do so under the new law. Other municipalities followed to different degrees, while voters in some places—Salem, Amesbury, and Newbury—said no to bans and yes to moving forward on shops. In Amesbury, a local native of the city, Scott Winters, led a coalition to a landslide victory over the ban. In October, Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson made cannabis policy an issue in his losing bid for mayor against incumbent Martin Walsh. Later that month, New England Treatment Access, a registered medical dispensary in Massachusetts, stepped in it by submitting a memo, through law firm Foley Hoag, to the state’s newly formed CCC advocating to give registered medical dispensaries a head start on recreational licensing, and to put co-ops and craft cannabis programs on the back burner. The community wanted none of that and came out in droves to testify that co-ops and inclusion programs should become a priority. In December, the CCC held public hearings to decide priorities and to create draft regulations for the industry. Title, who seemed to be leading the way with positive news, reported on social media: Just presented proposed regulations licensing cannabis cafes and businesses (yoga studios, movie theaters, etc) that allow cannabis use. Passed unanimously.Presenting statewide equity program tomorrow.... The following day, measures were voted down, 4-to-1, that would have advanced programs that can create equity for populations that have been harmed by prohibition. Specifically, there will be no bring your own cannabis licensing, single-day consumption licenses, or delivery-only licenses. One step forward, two steps back. MRCC, meanwhile, has created a petition to ask the CCC to reconsider its decision. On the personal side, a major loss was the death of activist/entrepreneur Mickey Martin on June 20. Martin helped open the now-shuttered Northeastern Institute of Cannabis, while the nonprofit that he also helped found, Parents 4 Pot, is currently gathering funds and presents for children of parents jailed for cannabis offenses. And in more bad news to end December on, last week it was reported that the two co-founders of Mass Genetics, local legends and High Times Cannabis Cup winners, were raided by the DEA and are being charged in federal court. What a year for legal weed it’s been.
NEWS TO US
FEATURE
DEPT. OF COMMERCE
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
13
EATS
THE YEAR IN HIDDEN EATS
A look back at some dining and drinking faves for 2017 BY MARC HURWITZ @HIDDENBOSTON
POOPSIES PIZZA
FOUR WINDS
Ramen Ganko Ittetsu Ramen, Brookline Not anything like your cheap late-night college dorm ramen, from a tiny spot hidden in an old arcade in Coolidge Corner.
SNAPPY PATTYS
WORTHY BURGER GANKO RAMEN
2017 was quite a year for eating and drinking, with some really impressive spots being looked at here over the past 12 months. So what were some favorites of the year? A “cheat sheet” showing some specific dishes, restaurants, and bars can be found below, wrapping up with a top overall pick for the Boston area and another for those who are into taking road trips just for food and drink. Macaroni and Cheese Winthrop Arms, Winthrop A tremendous old-school version of a classic dish from a restaurant within a historic hotel that’s across the street from the ocean. Hot Dogs Simco’s, Mattapan Foot-long dogs smothered with cheese and chili from a decades-old takeout window located just north of Mattapan Square.
Tacos La Victoria Taqueria, Arlington A cheap-eats streetfood version of a fave from a closet-sized eatery in the center of town.
Burritos Villa Mexico, Boston Another cheap-eats street-food version of a popular dish, with these getting an extra boost from having the tortillas browned on the grill. Lobster Rolls CK Pearl, Essex Pricey but oh-so-worth-it rolls from a road trip-worthy riverside eatery on the North Shore. Poutine Saus, Boston An excellent version in a city with a lot of so-so versions, from a quirky little downtown spot that’s also known for its Belgian fries. Roast Beef Sandwiches Skampa, Cambridge North Shore-quality super beefs from a humble storefront just a mile from downtown Boston.
Sushi Cafe Sushi, Cambridge An under-the-radar industry fave between Harvard Square and Central Square that features fresh, beautifully presented dishes.
Nachos Lone Star Taco Bar, Cambridge and Allston A cabbage and cotija cheese-based version with influences coming from a restaurant in Mexico where nachos were reportedly invented.
Pizza (Bar) Poopsie’s, Pembroke Bar pizza that’ll make your knees weak from a plain-looking dining and drinking spot in a shopping center by the Marshfield line.
Chicken Parmigiana Tavolo, Dorchester A slightly more upscale version of an often-downscale dish, this is a sublime version with crunchy battered chicken and delicious house-made pasta.
Pizza (Old-School) Santarpio’s, East Boston Tomato-heavy pies from an old wood-paneled spot that has some serious attitude.
Fried Chicken Snappy Pattys, Medford A dish that almost overshadows the reason that most people come to this recently expanded West Medford restaurant (and yes, the sliders are marvelous as well).
Pizza (Gourmet) Brewer’s Fork, Charlestown Perfectly charred wood-fired pizzas from a bustling spot that features a beer garden during the warmer months. Burgers Cagney’s, Quincy Huge, meaty burgers from an underrated neighborhood joint, including a version with white-hot ghost chilies. Wings Joe Sent Me, Cambridge Reasonably priced chicken wings with excellent marinades from a “speakeasy” near the Arlington line. Fries Joe Sent Me, Cambridge No, this wasn’t a cut-and-paste 14
accident, as JSM also happens to have some of the best handcut fries you’ll find anywhere in the local area.
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Italian Subs Bob’s Italian Foods, Medford A near-perfect sandwich from an old-world market in South Medford, and the version to get here is the remarkable Deluxe Imported Italian. Steak Tips NewBridge Cafe, Chelsea A very competitive field (including Floramo’s and Telegraph Hill), but this neighborhood joint continues to impress with all of its tips, including lamb, pork, and turkey. Pasta Massimo’s, Wakefield Exquisite scratch-made dishes such as lasagna, pesto, and pasta drum with meatballs
from a homey little spot behind Wakefield Center. Asian Dumplings Soup Dumplings from Shanghai Gate, Allston Pork dumplings that “squirt” when you eat them, from a storefront near the Brookline border that’s popular with college students. Ice Cream Kimball Farm, Carlisle Alas, it is closed for the season, but this bucolic spot has the type of rich and creamy ice cream that isn’t good for the waistline but is very, very good for the taste buds. Breakfast Dish Burnt Toast from Toast, Hull A sweet and crunchy delight (basically creme brulee French toast) from a greasy spoon across from Nantasket Beach. Cheap Eats Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe, Boston and Woburn A couple of places with little atmosphere but food so good it’ll make you weep, including hand-pulled noodles and hot and sour dumpling soup. Vegetarian Restaurant Bayberry Cafe, Woburn A warm and cozy storefront in the downtown area of the city that offers tremendous vegetarian (and vegan) takes on pan-Asian dishes. Offbeat Spot KO Pies at the Shipyard, East Boston A friendly Aussie meat pie place located beyond a guard booth—and a place with great harbor (and sunset) views from its communal patio. Late-Night Noshing Bova’s, Boston Italian pastries, pizza, calzones, arancini, bread, and more from a 24/7 spot in the North End. Dive Bar Newtowne Grille, Cambridge Not a true dive because it serves food (and the New York-style pizza is very fine), but a place to go for cheap beer, gruff service, and some very good people-watching. Beer Bar Armsby Abbey, Worcester So worth the ride for some of the best beers in the Northeast (including Vermont’s Hill Farmstead) and elsewhere in the country and beyond. Cocktails Steel & Rye, Milton Often mentioned as a place to go to for its seasonal new American fare, this spacious spot competes nicely with some of the best bars in Boston when it comes to both modern and classic drinks. Outdoor Patio Four Winds, Lynn A biker hangout with lots of character (and characters) that has a deck on Sluice Pond complete with a bar and great sunset views. Favorite Boston-Area Restaurant for 2017 Ashmont Grill, Dorchester Inventive takes on comfort food, excellent cocktails, a hidden back patio with a fire pit, and a very friendly staff makes this the pick of the year. Favorite Restaurant Outside of the Boston Area for 2017 Worthy Burger, South Royalton, Vermont A rustic restaurant and bar in an old freight house tucked away in a deep valley, this special place is all about wood-fired burgers and Vermont beers.
NEWS TO US
FEATURE
DEPT. OF COMMERCE
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
15
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THE 30 BEST LOCAL ALBUMS
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THE 30 BEST LOCAL ALBUMS OF 2017 MUSIC
Hayley Thompson-King, Cousin Stizz, Exit Order, and more top the list BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN
You’ve heard it a thousand times, but we’re here to tell you again: Boston’s music scene is stuffed to the brim with talent. Each year, we see more artists push themselves to create bold music and personable records. Most do so without seeking any type of verbal praise or written press. The only downside is how hard that makes it to find new music, but we’re here to give you a round-up of the artists who blew us away in 2017. If our music scene wasn’t so ripe with talent, then this list would be far easier to make. Just look at what’s missing due to space. Passion Pit released the bursting electropop record Tremendous Sea of Love for free. Firewalker dropped a self-titled record that put aggressive, rapidfire hardcore punk on the frontlines. Dump Him carried the torch of Kathleen Hanna’s no-fucks-given punk on Venus in Gemini. Then came Scale Models of Atrocities, the scaling, melodic hardcore record from Pandemix. Ginger Sunburn made a name for itself with indie rock fuzz full-length Sleepwalk. Creaturos carved out their place in the local garage rock scene with a self-titled LP. Black El dropped summer-ready singles like “Another Dose” but not technically an album. Did we forget someone else? Of course we did. The list goes on forever. To make sure you learn about the city’s best and
brightest, this year’s end of the year content is broken up into two lists: the Best Local Albums of 2017 (Hello!) and the Best Local EPs of 2017 (Haasan Barclay? Dame? Lilith? Oh my!). So read onward for the records from Boston- or Massachusetts-based artists that we couldn’t stop blasting because, dare we say, they rival the albums from people like Lorde and Kendrick Lamar this year.
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[Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave., Allston. 8pm/18+/$15. crossroadspresents.com]
[O’Brien’s Pub, 3 Harvard Ave., Allston. 9pm/18+/$15. greatscottboston.com]
[House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston. 7pm/all ages/$27. houseofblues.com]
MUSIC EVENTS
INDIE ROCK ON THE VERGE OF POPPING CYMBALS EAT GUITARS + CHARLES BISSELL + BAD HISTORY MONTH
[Great Scott, 1222 Comm. Ave., Allston. 9pm/18+/$15. greatscottboston.com]
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JAM BANDS ARE GOOD FOR YOU LETTUCE
[Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm. Ave., Boston. 8pm/18+/$32. crossroadspresents.com]
DIGBOSTON.COM
Palehound A Place I’ll Always Go Polyvinyl Records Grieving is hard. It’s even harder when death visits twice in a row. At 22 years old, Ellen Kempner, the frontwoman of indie rock trio Palehound, lost a close friend and then lost her grandmother. Though much of the band’s sophomore record rides on catchy melodies and gruff guitar, it’s Kempner’s struggle to deal with the uncomfortable guilt of moving on with life post-loss that sticks with you long after the record finishes its runtime. Be it the dissonant hums of “Carnations” or the painful details in “If You Met Her,” Kempner penned a follow-up LP to one of our 2015 favorites, Dry Food, that feels like both a step forward and a deeper nuzzling into the sounds that make
FOOT-STOMPING TO FINE NEOFOLK THE GHOST OF PAUL REVERE + THESE WILD PLAINS + MORE
WANT MORE GRINDCORE AND THRASH IN YOUR METAL, SIR? GLACIER + SUFFER ON ACID + BLACK MASS
her one of Boston’s standout musicians. Elder Reflections of a Floating World Armageddon Label It’s been two years since Elder last won us over with its transcendent brand of stoner doom. On Reflections of a Floating World, it manages to leave us flat on our backs once again, but this time it feels strangely peaceful, like a country-tinged midlife catharsis led by flourishes of prog and post-rock. Toss riff-loving ’80s prog in a blender with …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, a couple steel pedals, and your favorite mid-aughts quintessential “alternative” band, all shaken and stirred by a couple of metalheads. It’s a curious mix, but Elder has both the intensity and stamina to pull it off, turning 11-minute tracks into blissful escapes you’ll wish were even longer. Lina Tullgren Won Captured Tracks Lina Tullgren has come a long way. The Maine native
THE SKA IMPRESSION THAT I GET THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES + THE PIETASTERS + MORE
SUN 12.31
HAVE A HAPPY SHREDDING NEW YEARS SPEEDY ORTIZ + OVLOV + WENDY EISENBERG [The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge. 9pm/21+/$30. sinclaircambridge.com]
and Boston resident dropped on the scene with last year’s lo-fi Wishlist EP, but set to work finding a darker, heavier indie rock sound for Won. The production change doesn’t leave fans in the dust, though. With the breathtaking, unshaken honesty of Big Thief or the drained exasperation of Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock, Tullgren still pulls cobwebs back to examine what’s behind them, only this time she utilizes a full band to capitalize on her songwriting strengths. There’s a lot of vague yous thrown around, but the album dodges break-up album tropes. Instead, Tullgren poses questions that help listeners, especially emotional transplants, just as much as they help her: “How do you find a home / when your home won’t leave you alone?” BABY! Sunny, F.L. Yellow K Records Carefree summer tunes are hard to come by, if only because Boston devotes itself to pummeling rock and bassheavy rap. Kaley Honeycutt moved to Boston from Orlando not too long ago and brought her musical moniker Baby! with her—and we get to benefit. Once here, she released her debut EP, Pick Me, which got a nod from DigBoston almost immediately, followed by Sunny., F.L. The breezy indie pop tunes bring to mind more pleasant times. Lead single “Weather Girl” brings back that summer mood in barely three minutes. “Bite My Tongue” carries you to the edge of a rooftop to swing your legs off the edge, all carefree mess and youthful charm. As we enter a new year, Baby!’s debut is the type of optimistic vibe you will lean on for a handful of reasons. Avenue Mass Ave & Lenox East Coast Rap Of all the rap releases in 2017, none sit with you quite like Avenue’s Mass Ave & Lenox. The South End rapper pays tribute to the fixtures of his city—not necessarily traditional Boston figures—through slick strings of words that prioritize respect above all else. It’s a 15-track release where a shout-out to defunct sneaker mecca Harry the Greek’s or a Roxbury sidestreet sounds just as familiar as a much-needed reminder that Boston’s hip-hop scene is bursting at its seams. Put on “Aint Shit Funny” on the way to a packie. Call the radio request line and tell them to blast “Nobody.” It’s the soundtrack Boston’s been craving. Avenue tells his story with deft lyricism above timeless beats, propelling verbatim about this history of Boston, a tale only he could tell. Bad History Month Dead And Loving It: An Introductory Exploration of Pessimysticism Exploding In Sound Records Back in 2007, glum anti-folk act Bad History Month was stuck in basement routes delivering ribald jokes and oddly phrased self-deprecation, the type of downer ballads that any Allston kid could get behind. Fast-forward a decade and Sean Bean, the main songwriter, is still keeping a low profile, even if his music has blown up. Bad History Month always presented itself as an open wound, letting listeners press their palms to the visible pain, but this year’s Dead and Loving It is a surprisingly optimistic guide to self-help. It’s hard not to buy in giving it’s coming from an artist who never seemed to carry any hope to begin with. With gentle yet tangled guitar work, Bad History Month offers up a powerful selection of songs ruminating on death-trip empathy—the very freedom that comes when you realize maybe death isn’t so bad after all. Best of all, physical copies come with a proper manual to the songs, artwork breaking down the tracks, and a list of books Sean Bean found helpful during his own struggles. Maybe the world isn’t so shitty after all.
Guerilla Toss GT ULTRA DFA Records It’s been awhile since Guerilla Toss was in the sweaty depths of Elks Lodge, stripping naked and playing ridiculous, seemingly unreal sets. Now, it’s signed to DFA Records, the infamous label of LCD Soundsystem, and released its second full-length on the label earlier this June. The art rock group reels things into a tangible format on GT ULTRA, where songs sound like a mix of Talking Heads, Factory Floor, and some bizarre ’80s electro funk sale bin finds. Most importantly, its inimitable sound gets the production it’s long needed, making each elastic bass line or wiry synth become a welcoming glitzy spasm, the type you can latch onto with glee instead of feeling intimidated by the intensity of it all. Milk Horsetown Threshold Midnight Werewolf Records There’s not a lot of room for Americana in Boston. Those who pursue it do so with an invisible cowboy hat on their head, like they would yearn for the Southern sunset no matter what heat they’d get from New England sports fans. Milk saddles up on Horsetown Threshold, a record that’s not full-frontal country but places just the right number of desert pangs and dusty guitar solos at its center to relocate listeners to Tennessee for an hour. Don’t let that mislead you. Horsetown Threshold climbs every valley and mountain in sight. There are slow-burning blues in the second half of “Horsetown,” stoner metal-style weight on “Fishin’,” and a classic rock chase scene in “Vietnam.” It’s the way locals would want Americana to sound: raspy, twisted, and with a devilish grin. Che Ecru Buries Self-released For the love of Papi, stop listening to the Weeknd already. There’s better R&B out there—and you don’t have to look very far for it. Put on Che Ecru, the backyard crooner who’s been making late-night rounds with Buries, his debut tape. Over the course of 14 tracks, Che Ecru makes a name for himself, laying the foundation with silky groove “Lonely” before swapping over to “2AM,” a bass-thudding jam primed for remixes, and minimalist dance beats on “Luckily.” With over 2 million plays and counting on Soundcloud, his tape is spreading through word of mouth, a discussion we’re proud to be a part of—and honestly, you should be talking too. Bent Knee Land Animal InsideOutMusic/Sony Music Over the course of 10 tracks, Bent Knee once again dives fearlessly into the world of experimentalism and weds it to art rock, churning out a strange mixture that welcomes you as a surprise. Land Animal is the band’s first record on a major label. Make it a song in and that’s clear. The production feels slick. Each Pink Floyd-like psych touch sounds headier than usual. Even when it enters folk territory on “These Hands,” the band flips it into an expansive narrative. It’s an album about survival, struggle, and moving forward. Though the band addresses it with complicated tales and metaphors, the theme is one every listener knows well and one that Bent Knee sets into motion in a manner only it could pull off.
she’s a freshly minted 20-year-old who’s got the talent of a young Regina Spektor with the peppiness of Vampire Weekend and DIY heart of Frankie Cosmos. Secondly, she recorded all of it through an iPhone earbud and a USB microphone, neither of which you could guess based on her immaculate tone and production. Third, she released Ed Buys Houses mere hours before the end of 2016, but it’s fair game to include it in the world of 2017 music because you won’t get sick of it over the course of an entire year. Really, it’s that good. Sidney Gish is all that—sliced bread, a bag of chips, various grocery items used to measure impressiveness—and then some. No, we don’t know how she does it either. Pile A Hairshirt of Purpose Exploding In Sound Records Boston’s long-beloved rock band Pile turns 10 this year, and its unofficial celebration included the release of a highly awaited new LP. A Hairshirt of Purpose is the band’s most complete work to date, one that manages to both outdo its early work while simultaneously paying homage to it. The stripped-down country blues of Jerk Routine and anthemic guitar rock of Dripping take on new shape with its most thematically solid, well-transitioned, intentionally ordered album. The band tries its hand with orchestral strings. There’s clunky piano interludes. It’s an album of new steps (“Dogs”) sandwiched by comforting shredders (“Fingers”). Pile not only earned the title of your favorite band’s favorite band but pushes itself forward, both in regards to iconic musical feats and in regards to the unrelenting acrobatics of frontman Rick Maguire’s modesty. What Cheer? Brigade You Can’t See Inside of Me Don Giovanni Records Though the members technically hail from the land of Narragansett, What Cheer? Brigade is a Boston staple. The brass ensemble frequently takes to our city’s streets to perform its brand of marching music, a unique hybrid of political action and performance art. With roots in Providence’s DIY punk and experimental community scene, it changes the narrative of what it means to be a loud party band, all horn and tuba instead of drunken frat bros dabbing to dub. On its third LP, the group displays arguably its best work yet, drawing on early material as well as Balkan and Eastern European traditions, while utilizing the instrumental voice of each of its 20 members. Hayley Thompson-King Psychotic Melancholia Hard to Kill Records Hayley Thompson-King isn’t from Boston, but the alt-country singer-songwriter certainly sounds at home here. After bouncing between our city and New York, she finally found her home in Cambridge over a decade ago. With a degree in classical music and further prep as a grad student at New England Conservatory, Thompson-King’s music should sound rigid and uptight. But with Psychotic Melancholia, she shakes that free. On single “Teratoma,” she sways through a blues rock fire. Elsewhere, like on “Large Hall, Slow Decay,” she embraces honky-tonk Southern stomping, and she warps her voice to enter a range comparable to Nikki Lane or late-night country stars. It’s an album of emotional energy bursting forward and finding its own path, and Thompson-King was smart enough to let it run wild so it can capture you in its vividness
Read the rest of Nina’s list at digboston.com
Sidney Gish Ed Buys Houses Self-released How can we summarize the understated genius of Sidney Gish in a way that we haven’t already? For starters, NEWS TO US
FEATURE
DEPT. OF COMMERCE
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
17
DAVID LYNCH AND KYLE MACLACHLAN AT THE TWIN PEAKS PREMIERE AT ACE HOTEL IN LOS ANGELES ON 21 MAY 2017. PHOTO CC BY GOT PAP
THE YEAR IN FILM (AND MORE) FILM
The great cinema of 2017 was not limited to movie theaters BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN For me, the subject of “motion picture art in the year 2017” will always raise one association before any other: that of David Lynch’s 18-part revival of Twin Peaks [2017], which aired as “a limited event series” on Showtime this summer. I use the phrase “motion picture art” rather than “movies” for a specific reason—to avoid taking sides in an argument that, on some levels, doesn’t really have much to do with Twin Peaks at all—that argument being whether or not this new Twin Peaks should be classified as a television program, as a film, as a miniseries, or perhaps even as something else as yet undefined. This is a discourse that’s largely been confined to art critics, journalists, and curators, but as it regards Twin Peaks, it was started back in May by David Lynch himself, who told Rolling Stone that “I see it as a film—so it’s an 18-hour film.” This statement would serve as the opening shot in a series of back-andforth disagreements that were staged in the usual echo chambers while the series aired—disagreements that were inevitably restaged earlier this month after two prominent cinema journals (Sight & Sound and Cahiers du Cinema) included Twin Peaks on their own lists of the best films of 2017. Then, days ago, another prominent institution added its voice to the forum: the Museum of Modern Art, who announced that it will host the first official theatrical screening of the 18-hour Twin Peaks from Jan. 5-7, 2018.
MoMA curator Rajendra Roy even gave Vulture a comment on the classification kerfuffle: “David Lynch’s latest Twin Peaks season is simply unclassifiable: something totally and spectacularly unique. However as the Chief Curator of Film, and not Television, at MoMA, I will simply say that my opinion on the matter can be interpreted through the fact that I have invited it to be screened at the Museum.” And while MoMA will be the first to theatrically screen the work in full, it will not be the first prestigious film-culture institution to grant Twin Peaks a theatrical setting: The first two episodes of the new series were screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival as an individual work—the end credits were shorn off the end of the first episode, and the opening credits were shorn off the start of the second—where it was met with “one of the lengthier [standing ovations] at this year’s festival,” per Deadline. Speaking of Cannes ’17, it was the stage of yet another classification kerfuffle, one which did not involve Twin Peaks. Many beefs were made after festival chief Thierry Frèmaux allowed two films set to be distributed by Netflix—Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) [2017] and Bong Joon Ho’s Okja [2017]—to play within the highly coveted main competition slate, which is ostensibly reserved for movies set to receive theatrical exhibition in France. The main source of significant pushback at Cannes
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[Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 5:30pm/R/$11. 35mm. mfa. org]
[Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 7pm/R/$17.75. 70mm. coolidge.org]
FILM EVENTS
‘THE QUEEN OF SEAM: EDITH HEAD IN HOLLYWOOD’ CONTINUES AT BRATTLE THE HEIRESS [1949] [Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 6m/NR/$9-11. 35mm. brattlefilm.org]
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JOHN CARPENTER’S CHRISTINE [1983]
[Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 8pm/R/$11. Also screens on 12.30. 35mm. mfa.org]
DIGBOSTON.COM
‘HARRY DEAN STANTON: SAY SOMETHING TRUE’ CONTINUES ONE FROM THE HEART [1981]
PREVIEW SCREENING OF PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON’S PHANTOM THREAD [2017]
were figures in the French film industry (on both the production and exhibition sides), whose stated concern was that these films—after being given massive platforms on their own national stage—would not be monetized by their own industry in any way, because Netflix releases their films directly to subscribers. This was a relatively isolated conflict with little effect beyond the grounds of the Cannes Film Festival, however, it is nonetheless closely related to the explicitly discernable anxieties currently facing the American film exhibition industry, which is also regarding Netflix and its ilk as something like an existential threat. And it doesn’t feel like a stretch to suggest that part of the reason for that anxiety may be the ongoing exodus of American filmmakers away from the scene of feature-length filmmaking, which continued this year unabated, up to and including each of the works cited in this article thus far. I provide all this context as loosely related evidence for the following observation: I don’t believe that curators, viewers, and critics are treating Twin Peaks (nor any other television program, for that matter) as a “film” because they misunderstand the actual method by which it was produced or distributed (which, in the case of Twin Peaks, was indeed via the television market), but rather because unrelated developments in the film and television industries have deeply blurred the lines
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DAVID LYNCH’S TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME [1992]
[Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 12pm/R/$11. mfa.org]
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‘MARX BROTHERS MARATHON 2018’ AT THE BRATTLE BEGINS WITH A DAY AT THE RACES [1937]
[Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 1 and 9pm/NR/$9-20/ 35mm. brattlefilm.org]
that once separated those formats. One development causing such blurring, in my estimation, would be the consistently increasing number of notable features being released to video on demand in lieu of theaters, which has irreparably altered the way that independent films are released in this country and in the process has devalued the cultural currency that was once inherent to a theatrical release (though whether that change is for better or worse is another matter that’s up for debate). Another contributor is the increased prevalence of multichapter and/or extendedlength cinematic works directed by recognizable filmmakers in recent years: It was not just Twin Peaks that was exhibited as both theatrical cinema and as a television miniseries in 2017, for instance, but also Amir Bar-Lev’s four-hour nonfiction epic Long Strange Trip [2017], which was made available to Amazon Prime subscribers as a fourchapter series while it was simultaneously released to theaters as an individual feature. There was Errol Morris’ fiction/nonfiction hybrid Wormwood [2017] as well, which was just released to Netflix in six chapters while it simultaneously opened in theaters as a unified work broken up by a single intermission (I should note that, in a general sense, the concept of multichapter long-form cinema is neither radical nor innovative—for example, we might point to filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, who have created such programs for television across decades, up to and including this year’s The Vietnam War [2017]). Perhaps the most obvious contributor to the disappearing line between TV and cinema is the sheer existence of platforms like Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Netflix, which by design have divorced the concept of the “television program” from television stations themselves, while simultaneously erasing the lines between television programs and feature-length films—primarily by way of their own layouts, which situate works across all disciplines within purely online spaces that seem designed specifically to disregard the distinctions that typically exist among the two formats. Wormwood, sensing the fragility of these definitions, is designated within its opening credits as neither a “film” nor a “series”, but simply as “A Netflix Original Story.” In the spirit of these varying developments—which will not necessarily improve the film industry, but will almost surely contribute to its mutation throughout the coming decades, until the form itself has transformed into something that a filmgoer of the 1990s wouldn’t even recognize—I present to you this list of my own year’s highlights, which offers absolutely no fidelity to any commonly held traditions regarding what kinds of works typically “qualify” for this kind of consideration. Owing to that decision, on this list, you will encounter the following: one “limited event series,” one cycle of 16mm short films that premiered at a local theater, four independently produced narrative films that received theatrical releases, three nonfiction films that received theatrical releases, two studio-produced narrative films that received theatrical releases, three films distributed by Netflix (that received deliberately limited theatrical bookings), and one 82-minute season finale of a television program. Whether or not these are indeed “films” in an according-to-the-rulebook sense appears entirely irrelevant to me—as that rulebook is one that I suspect the cinema of future years will disobey quite regularly.
Happy New Year from
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upcoming shows
12/29
LemmyFest 3 with Ironfisted, The Scrooges, & The Damnedsels Annual Motorhead tribute with proceeds going to the Dio Cancer Fund
12.31 LOS LOBOS | 2 SPECIAL NYE SHOWS!
1/4
ON3
Feat. Rothstein, Jymmy Kafka, Peter James, Tea Marr & Olivia Doh 1/5
Happy Little Clouds Pool Party - A Video Release Show for Trans Rights With Carissa Johnson. BLOWW & Magen Tracy
12.28
12.29
GIRLS, GUNS & GLORY
FREDDY JONES BAND
W/ THE MALLETT BROTHERS
W/ THE RATIONALES
1/10
The Moth
The art and craft of storytelling 1/12
Upheaval Record Release Show
1.1
DAMN THE TORPEDOES
With Black Mass, Ritual Blade & Untombed
Tom Petty Tribute
1.4
THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE
156 Highland Ave • Somerville, MA 617-285-0167 oncesomerville.com @oncesomerville /ONCEsomerville
1.6
1.6
MAGIC DICK (J. GEILS BAND) WASABASSCO BURLESQUE & SHUN NG
1.6
1.10
FOREVER YOUNG
Twin Peaks, co-written and directed by David Lynch Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Showtime’s online streaming platform.
Baby Driver, written and directed by Edgar Wright Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD platforms.
Phantom Thread, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. 70mm preview screening at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on Dec 30.
The Work, directed by Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous Currently available on VOD platforms.
Ex Libris, directed and edited by Frederick Wiseman Good Time, directed by Josh and Benny Safdie Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD platforms. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), written and directed by Noah Baumbach. Available to stream on Netflix. “Nathan for You: Finding Frances” (Season 4, Episode 7), directed by Nathan Fielder. Available on VOD platforms and on Comedy Central’s website (cc.com). Rat Film, directed by Theo Anthony. Available on VOD platforms. Screening at the Harvard Film Archive on Feb 19.
WHO’S BAD
A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF NEIL YOUNG
1.11
& THE UPTOWN CONTROLLERS
1.12
ISAAC MIZRAHI
DOES THIS SONG MAKE ME LOOK FAT?
&
Elohim, Abaton, Coda, and Ode, by Nathaniel Dorsky All premiered at the Harvard Film Archive on Oct 15.
CRAIG FINN
10,000 MANIACS
1.16
Ridge wine dinner 1.17
Logan Lucky, directed by Steven Soderbergh Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD platforms.
City Winery and Diageo Present
Botanical Gin Lab 1.6 - | 101 | INTRO TO WINE 2.3 - | 102 | SPARKLING TO STILL TO SWEET 3.3 - | 103 | WINE AND FOOD PAIRINGS
Brawl in Cell Block 99, written and directed by S. Craig Zahler. Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD platforms. Okja, co-written and directed by Bong Joon Ho Available to stream on Netflix.
Get Married in Urban Wine Country
Strong Island, directed by Yance Ford Available to stream on Netflix.
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Song to Song, written and directed by Terrence Malick Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD.
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NEWS TO US
FEATURE
DEPT. OF COMMERCE
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
19
MARIANNA BASSHAM, ELIOTT PURCELL, AND JOSEPHINE ELWOOD IN SPEAKEASY STAGE’S PRODUCTION OF HAND TO GOD. PHOTO BY GLENN PERRY PHOTOGRAPHY
MATTHEW J. HARRIS IN TOPDOG UNDERDOG | PHOTO BY T. CHARLES ERICKSON
BEST THEATER OF 2017 ARTS
The best performances and productions of the year. BY CHRISTOPHER EHLERS @_CHRISEHLERS
Best Performances:
Best Productions:
McKinley Belcher III, A Guide for the Homesick, Huntington Theatre Company Ken Urban’s world premiere play was moving all around, yet it was Belcher’s dual performances that made the most impact. At once relentlessly sexy and heart-wrenchingly vulnerable, it left no emotional stone unturned.
The Beauty Queen of Leenane, ArtsEmerson Absolutely riveting from top to bottom, Martin McDonagh’s tragically dark comedy about a viciously dysfunctional mother and daughter and their dying dreams was perfect in every way. Director Garry Hynes recreated her Tony-winning production with its original Tony-winning leading lady, Marie Mullen, who this time around played the mother. It was an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
Jennifer Ellis, The Bridges of Madison County, SpeakEasy Stage The feelings that Ellis stirred inside of me could easily fill up their own page. Ellis played Francesca, a wife and mother of two that suddenly finds herself unfulfilled among the cornfields of Iowa. When a handsome photographer passes through town, an unexpected love affair brings her back to life. There are few Boston actresses as luminous as Ellis. And I’ve never seen anyone sob-sing as effectively as her. Matthew J. Harris, Topdog/Underdog, Huntington Theatre Company Talk about a tour de force. Harris played Booth, an aspiring three-card monte hustler and professional shoplifter in Suzan-Lori Parks’ searing Pulitzer Prize winner about dreams, desperation, and good old sibling rivalry. As he also demonstrated in the Huntington’s productions of Milk Like Sugar and Tartuffe, Harris’ alluring charisma is a thing of beauty. Aisling O’Sullivan, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, ArtsEmerson As the title role of Martin McDonagh’s 1996 masterpiece, O’Sullivan played Maureen, a 40-year-old shell of her former self, resentful for having been stuck by her siblings with taking care of her miserable old mother. It’s one of the most challenging female roles of the late 20th century, and O’Sullivan’s performance was as good and unforgettable as anything I’ve ever seen. Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Edward II, Actors’ Shakespeare Project Parent’s performance as the title ruler in Christopher Marlowe’s 16th-century play about love, lust, and duty was one of the theatrical high points of the last several years. Fearless, wrenching, and totally seductive, Parent reached new heights in this brilliant production. Amanda Plummer, The Night of the Iguana, American Repertory Theater I swear, time stopped when Plummer was on stage in this all-star revival of Tennessee Williams’ classic. Plummer played Hannah Jelkes, a traveling sketch artist from New England who drifts into a cliffside Mexican resort and forges an unlikely spiritual connection with a tortured and disgraced former priest. It was a performance of unforgettable grace. Andrea Syglowski, A Doll’s House, Huntington Theatre Company There was plenty wrong with this ambitious but only moderately affecting revival of Ibsen’s classic. Yet Syglowski was spellbinding as Nora, a wife and mother with a secret that threatened to destroy her reputation. Flirtatious, sexy, and empowered, Syglowski was electric. 20
12.28.17 - 1.04.18 |
DIGBOSTON.COM
Edward II, Actors’ Shakespeare Project Who ever would have thought that Marlowe’s 16th-century history play would be the most provocative and edgy work of the year? David R. Gammons’ bold and brave production was the perfect marriage of design, concept, and performance. The Boston theater scene would be all the better for more risks like this one. Hand to God, SpeakEasy Stage The second entry on this list for director David R. Gammons, Hand to God was one of 2017’s supreme delights. Robert Askins’ outrageous dark comedy about a sock puppet possessed by the devil—and the havoc he wreaks on members of a Christian ministry in middle-of-nowhere Texas—was SpeakEasy’s second consecutive slam dunk following The Scottsboro Boys, DigBoston’s No. 1 show of 2016. That Gammons is not being courted by every theater company in the city is one of life’s greatest perplexities. Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Boch Center I’ve been a Hed-head ever since this John Cameron Mitchell/Stephen Trask musical took New York by storm almost 20 year ago. Although I caught Michael Mayer’s 2014 Tonywinning Broadway production on which this tour was based, this Euan Morton-led tour was somehow even better, more devastating, and more flat-out entertaining. Merrily We Roll Along, Huntington Theatre Company Director Maria Friedman’s solid gold production of Sondheim’s notorious flop was one of the most fulfilling experiences of the year. Original London stars Damian Humbley and Mark Umbers reprised their performances as two best friends ripped apart by fame, money, and time. It took over 30 years to get it right, but boy, was it worth the wait. Rent, Boch Center Maybe nostalgia played a major role in landing Rent, Joathan Larson’s groundbreaking 1996 rock opera, on this list. Nevertheless, this electric and deeply felt 20th anniversary tour was a reminder of how life-affirming and gloriously moving the show can be when it’s done right. Rent fizzled and lost its spark in the final years of its Broadway run. If it had maintained even half of the intensity and spirit of this remounting, Rent may never have said goodbye to Broadway. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Lyric Stage Expectations were sky-high for director Scott Edmiston and stars Paula Plum and Steven Barkhimer. Edward Albee’s devastating 1962 tragicomedy is extraordinarily difficult to get even kind of right, let alone totally right. Three hours felt like 30 minutes in this gorgeously acted production.
NEWS TO US
FEATURE
DEPT. OF COMMERCE
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
21
SAVAGE LOVE
HOLIDAY QUICKIES
BY DAN SAVAGE @FAKEDANSAVAGE | MAIL@SAVAGELOVE.NET
I’ve been seeing this guy who keeps making D/s-ish jokes and moves—he smacks my butt a lot, for example. When I let him know I like it, he’s suddenly not into it. He says it’s “disturbing” that I like what he’s been doing. Two questions: (1) Smacking my butt is okay so long as I don’t want it? (2) Enjoying what he’s doing makes me a freak? Joking About Consensual Kinks Two options: (1) He goes in for domineering head games and “playful” violence because he’s abusive and controlling. (2) He’s got kinks, but he hasn’t managed to incorporate his kinks into his sex life in a healthy, consensual manner—and now that he knows you enjoy the same things he does (but you’re healthier about them than he is), he’s projecting his self-loathing onto you. Either way, JACK, you’re going to need to DTMFA. You recently said it’s okay to fantasize about other people so long as we keep it to ourselves. Social media and dating apps have given us access to tons of spank material, from that new crush on OkCupid to the (monogamously) married neighbor you always wanted to bang. In this era, we can see actual pictures of the people we’re fantasizing about more often than not. Facebook stalking for spank bank purposes is fine—we all do it—but does it cross a line to actually download the pictures for later? I feel like it’s at least a little creepy to be taking screenshots of people’s photos. But as long as you’re the only one using your phone, what’s the practical difference between looking at Facebook and looking at saved screenshots? Screenshot Porn As New Kontent Keep whatever you want on your phone, SPANK, so long as you keep it to yourself and your phone is password protected. I am a 29-year-old straight woman on the West Coast in a new relationship. My boyfriend and I have just begun exploring anal sex. Question: HOW DO I AVOID POOP LEAKAGE?!? The first time we had anal sex, my boyfriend came in my ass and then pulled out. Then we decided to go for a run. (We didn’t think it through, CLEARLY.) A few minutes in, I was leaking all over my pants. In short, GROSS. Obviously it wasn’t a good idea to go for a run afterward (NOTED!), but what can I do in the future immediately after anal to avoid poopy come from leaking out of my butt? Anal Newbie Avoiding Leakage Yeah, don’t go for a run immediately after anal. Spend a few minutes on the toilet instead—bring your phone, post something to Instagram, let gravity do its thing. And that wasn’t poop leaking out of you on that run, ANAL, it was santorum—“the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex.”
Give the gift of the magnum Savage Lovecast at savagelovecast.com!
COMEDY EVENTS THU 12.28
THE COMEDY STUDIO
Featuring: Zach Armentrout, Alex Giampapa, Tawanda Gona, Mike Harrington, Daniel Jordan, Chance Langton, Owen Linders, David McLaughlin, Janet McNamara, Kwasi Mensah, & Ellen Sugarman Hosted by Rick Jenkins
1238 MASS AVE., CAMBRIDGE | 8PM | $10 THU 12.28
HEADLINERS IN THE SQUARE @ JOHN HARVARD’S
Featuring: Kristine Blinn with Deadair Dennis Maler, Josh Filipowski, Tim King, Tom Kelly, Shyam Subramanian, & Andrew Della Volpe
33 DUNSTER ST., CAMBRIDGE | 9PM | FREE FRI 12.29 - SUN 12.31
JIM JEFFERIES @ THE WILBUR
Jim Jefferies is one of the most popular and respected comedians of his generation, entertaining audiences across the globe with his controversial, belief-challenging, and thought-provoking comedy. His international standup tour, The Unusual Punishment Tour, kicked off last summer to rave reviews. Last summer also marked the release of his fifth major stand up special in seven years, Freedumb. The special is Jim’s second to air on Netflix and follows the huge success of Jim Jefferies: BARE, in which he delivered a now iconic routine on guns and gun control in the United States.
246 TREMONT ST., BOSTON | 5 SHOWS | $51.95 - $71.95 FRI 12.29 - SUN 12.31
SAM MORRIL @ LAUGH BOSTON
Sam Morril, one of the fasting rising comics in NYC, is a nationally touring comedian widely known as one of the best joke writers on the scene today. The New York Daily News called him “one of the four funniest in New York.”
425 SUMMER ST., BOSTON | 8PM & 10PM | $29 FRI 12.29 - SAT 12.30
ZOLLOPALOOZA @ NICK’S COMEDY STOP
Don has is a veteran of the Boston and LA comedy scenes and has performed all over the place in between. You may recognize him as pitchman for Dunkin Donuts or as costar of Superbowl champ Julian Edelman’s viral video series DDTYME. Don’s comedy is centered around storytelling adventures based on his experiences as a “Boston guy” adapting to the world outside of New England as well as everyday experiences, girlfriends and some out of the ordinary like playing football with Tom Brady or hanging with gang members in South Central LA. “Don Zollo is what happens when a wicked comedic juggernaut blends with an unstoppable source of hyperbole” -Winston Churchill
246 TREMONT ST., BOSTON | 8PM | $20 FRI 12.29 - SAT 12.30
THE COMEDY SCENE @ CBS SCENE
Featuring: Jeff Medoff, Zach Brazao, Kyle Mangan, Kindra Lansburg and Jack Burke Hosted by Chris Tabb
200 PATRIOT PLACE FOXBOROUGH | 8:30PM | $20 SAT 12.30
THE COMEDY STUDIO
Featuring: Chance Langton, Jiayong Li, Xazmin Garza, Kathe Farris, DJ Hazard, Kwasi Mensah, Tony V, & Christa Weiss Hosted by Rick Jenkins
1238 MASS AVE., CAMBRIDGE | 8PM | $15 SAT 12.30
LAST LAUGH 2017 @ GEM KITCHEN & NIGHTCLUB
Featuring: Josh Filipowski, Deadair Dennis Maler, Tom Kelly, Jeremiah Bohan Broderick & more
42 PROVINCE ST., BOSTON | 9PM | $10 savagelovecast.com
22
12.28.17 - 1.04.18 |
DIGBOSTON.COM
SEE PG 23 FOR N.Y.E LISTINGS AND EVEN MORE LISTINGS AT BOSTONCOMEDYSHOWS.COM
COMEDY
BOSTON LAUGHS FOR NYE
WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST BY PATT KELLEY PATTKELLEY.COM
From the Hong Kong to the new Chevalier BY DENNIS MALER @DEADAIRDENNIS
It’s that time of year again when people spend a lot of money on festivities so they can be surrounded by inebriated amateurs screaming into the night for any hope of changing the self-wrought shambles of their lives. Or, you can stay at home to watch a ball drop (snicker) on a celebrity-filled television extravaganza, all while you complain about never having heard of any of these people. But if neither of those sound appealing, congrats, you’re probably one of the amateurs, or a vapid celeb of some sort yourself. Either way, I say nuts to both of those decisions. Instead, go see a comedy show! There are lots of great shows all weekend that need audience members. For starters, you will want to hit any of the final three shows at the Comedy Studio. Rick Jenkins will host in the original location, the third floor of the Hong Kong in Harvard Square. Don’t worry, it will reopen in early 2018 at Bow Market in Union Square; Jenkins told me at their annual Christmas party that the new location is going to bigger and better, with food from restaurants inside the market available tableside. And don’t forget, one of the best things about the studio at this time of year is that comics who are home visiting their families for the holidays often drop in. While I can’t promise anything big, there’s often a good chance of it. You can also spend Sunday night at the Cellar down the street with Jenkins and comedian DJ Hazard. Get the full lineup and purchase tickets in advance at the Comedy Studio’s website (as of this writing, the Saturday show is sold out). I’m not going from best to least recommended, but this next suggestion is the most plentiful. ImprovBoston in Central Square Cambridge will be hosting NYE improv comedy shows almost hourly starting in the late afternoon. The 4, 6, and 7 o’clock shows are perfect for kids, if you happen to be stuck without a babysitter because your parents are out having fun. The 8 pm and 9 pm shows, while possibly a little dirtier, are intended for anyone 16-plus and are perfect if you have a couple of high schoolers along with you. Then, the 10 pm show featuring IB’s National Touring Company is strictly for 21-and-over adults, not because of language or nudity, but for the complimentary champagne toast. More info and tickets can be purchased at improvboston.com/nye. The longest-running comedy club in Boston, Nick’s Comedy Stop, will be featuring Boston-born comedian (now residing in Los Angeles) Kyle Ploof. Not only is he hilarious, he’s been rocketing up the comedy ladder since moving to Hollywood, with festival acceptances including the New York Comedy Expo and multiple appearances on HBO as the Dancing Zebra, among other characters, on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Ploof and friends do two shows, at 6 pm and 8 pm, on New Year’s Eve. If you live closer to the southern slice of Eastern Mass or want to be close to the home of the Patriots, the Comedy Scene at Patriot Place in Foxboro is featuring the “unique high-energy style” of road comic Mike Hanley. If you’re more of a north-of-the-city type, the newly remodeled Chevalier Theatre will be featuring Gary Gulman. He’s been in and out of town, popping up on shows around the area over the past few months in preparation for this spectacle. Even if you were lucky enough to see Gulman on one of those shows, go see him again on New Year’s Eve if you can, because the jokes he’s been preparing are some of his best. You can also brush up on Gulman via Netflix or whatever your favorite comedy watching tool may be. Or maybe you’re in the city, in which case you might want to check out Sam Morril at Laugh Boston. You’ve seen Morril on Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing, and Red Eye on Fox News. The team behind the annual Boston Comedy Festival is also having its own New Year’s Eve Spectacular at the Rockwell Theatre in Davis Square, featuring the man behind the fest (and last week’s Stand Up To Cancer: A Night for Helen Crimmins) Jim McCue headlining, joined by longtime Boston comedy staple Tom Dustin, and the hilarious and charming Emily Ruskowski. Dustin is a multiple comedy contest winner, including the Sam Adams Comedy Festival, and Ruskowski has been killing since she moved back to Boston from DC a few years ago. Shows at 8 pm and 10 pm, the earlier one perfect if you want to ring in the new year at Saloon next door. If you’re looking for New Year’s laughs on a budget, the NYE Comedy Extravaganza at Sixth Gear Cask & Kitchen in Southie is for you. The show features a diverse lineup including the puntastic Josh Day, the cerebrally absurd Zach Brazao, and the raunchy Tricia Auld bringing the ruckus. Plus musical comedy from comedian and filmmaker Vinnie Pagano. The show is hosted and organized by Chris Kinback. No need for tickets. Just show up, laugh, have fun, and get back home safely. Show starts at 8 pm. Finally, for the second year in a row, Australian comedian and star of the FX series Legit and The Jim Jefferies Show Jim Jefferies will take center stage at the Wilbur Theatre. Jefferies, who rose to popularity through his jokes of incredibly dirty and overly farcical stories, will be performing two shows a night, at 7 pm and 10 pm, every night from Friday, Dec 29, though the end of the year. For all your end-of-the-year Boston comedy needs and inquiries, visit bostoncomedyshows.com and follow Boston Comedy Shows on social media.
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NEWS TO US
FEATURE
DEPT. OF COMMERCE
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
23
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 30
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18
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MARCH 9 BERKLEE PERFORMANCE CENTER
MARCH 15 TSONGAS CENTER
COMING TO THE PALLADIUM: 2/25 Bury Your Dead 3/11 Septic Flesh 3/18 Knuckle Puck 3/30 Knocked Loose 4/7 Dirkschneider 5/25 Hammerfall Tickets available at the Palladium Box Office (12-4:30 Tuesday-Friday), FYE Music and Video Stores, online at Ticketfly.com or by calling 877-987-6487. massconcerts.com • thepalladium.net