harvard square the insider’s guide » no money mike meet a candidate who can’t be bought
october 19, 2012 >> Free WeeKLY >> thePhoenix.com
Welcome to oxychusetts The Bay State’s opioid problem is one of the nation’s worst. For Big Pharma, that’s fantastic news. Page 22
“i’m not here to have fun. i’m here to learn. Go ahead and beat me.” p 34 one woman’s battle against the anxious masculinity of the fighting-games scene.
on the cover photo by christopher harting :: this page photo by gina manning
This week AT ThePhOeNiX.COM :: FALL ReNewAL taking a look at brazilian conductor marcelo Lehninger, back for a third season as boston symphony orchestra assistant conductor :: ADVANCe wARNiNG boston mystery author clea simon on Lena Dunham’s seven-figure book deal :: LiVe FROM New YORk Updates from our cmJ showcase sunday at brooklyn’s 285 Kent
NEW mobilE sitE, iN bEtA: m.thephoenix. com facebook.com/ bostonphoenix
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THEPHOENIX.cOm :: 10.19.12 3
opinion :: feedback
From thePhoenix.com re: terry’s lAst run: the only stAte senAtor in dAnger this november is the one Who holds the plAce together by dAvid s. bernstein
[Tom] Keyes has no record of accomplishments except that he has successfully courted the crazy tea party folks on and off Cape. He is the quintessential empty suit. [Therese] Murray works for the entire district and has built up a long list of achievements and deserves to be re-elected. If the GOP was going to challenge Murray, they ought to have put up a qualified candidate. Keyes is not. _“i nformed voter”
re: melvins’ king buzzo on getting in the vAn, peter gAbriel being lAzy, And hoW it’s All ‘just music’ by dAniel brockmAn
For better or worse, ol’ Pete is not in shape for massive touring, and his motivations between tours are drawn to finding and promoting artists from hidden corners around the globe, finding creative ways to use technology for communication and defending human rights, and his family... not touring until he drops. In this tour, he spent the first part of the show with the lights on, giving the fans a taste of what it’s like for the band to work stuff out in the studio (singing a song that doesn’t even have words written yet, fiddling with other well-known songs, etc.). It’s not to everyone’s
1
taste, perhaps, but it’s not at all a generic mass-produced show. _“W i tnessd otorg ”
re: An open letter to sAlon on the occAsion of A reAlly dumb piece About Alt-Weeklies by cArly cArioli
Awesome piece. Well said. Publishing has been hit hard by the recession, but it was in freefall even before then — the transition from dead tree to new media hit so many publications hard. I lost my job at a magazine back in ‘09 and I’m still struggling to make ends meet as a freelancer three years later. So it’s heartening to read about a successful transition. Like any transition there are some bumps in the road and transformations, but I’m happy to see the Phoenix stay as vibrant and relevant now as it ever was. Also, fuck the haters. Right in the neck. _“peter cohen”
Ask not for whom the bell tolls, motherfucker - it tolls for free. bit. ly/Qa3KJ8 today’s smackdown via @BostonPhoenix _@bonneroo (vi A t W i t t er)
Tag your photos @bostonphoenix 2
3
1 » via @shaulaclark :: 2 » via @casslandry1 :: 3 » via @prettyandnice
4 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
murray illusTraTion by karl sTevens
instagram Us
Therese Murray
editorial
p8
now & next
p 11
» In which we reminisce about the glorious, Bieber-birthin’ year of 1994; contemplate alcohol-fueled fashion; and don all-American threads.
p 14
» The Year in History: 1994 p 12 » Tailgating Like a Pro p 12 » MA Goes to CMJ p 14 » Beer Mittens p 14 » Custom-Fashion Startups p 14 » Style: American Field p 16
voices
p 22
spotlight
p 18
» Talking Politics p 18 » Big Hurt p 20
» The Price of Pain p 22 » Meet “No Money” Mike p 26 » Rand, Ryan, & Rush p 28 » A Challenger Appears p32
p 20
Special advertising section.
arts & nightlife
p 55
p 76
» Mario Testino shoots the royal family, Joey the horse dodges bullets, Wuthering Heights wuthers anew, and Diplo’s Major Lazer incinerates your face.
p 50
food & drink
p 28
» We examine the dark underbellies of Big Pharma, Somerville politics, and videogame tourneying — not not to mention Rush’s Ayn Rand infatuation.
» Jay-Z tries to prove his humanity, fails miserably; the GOP goes out of its way to alienate women, utterly succeeds.
guide to harvard square p 37
p 24
» Boston Fun List p 56 » Welcome to Fort Point p 58 » Boston City Guide p 59 » Halloween Listings p 60 » Visual Arts p 62 » Books p 65 » Dance & Classical p 66 » Theater p 68 » Film p 70 » Music p 75 » Nightlife p 83
p 47
» How good could Chinese-Italian pasta be? Or a tobacco cocktail? Or vacuum-extracted coffee? So good. Read on. » Shrimp Capellini Egg Nest at Sh¯oj¯o p 48 » A Coffee Snob’s DIY Guide p 49 » Smoky Cocktails p 50 » Food Day Returns p 52 » Chew Out: The Week in Food Events p 53 6 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
p 56
p 68
p 49
p 62
Drink photo by Joel veak; mitten photo by mereDith cohen; coffee illustration by braDen chang;; pills photo by christopher harting; Jay-z illustration by koren shaDmi; ; art photo by mario testino; rush illustration by k bonami
in this issue
WrIte
vol. lXXvIII | no. 39
Stephen M. Mindich, Publisher & Chairman Everett Finkelstein, Chief Operating Officer Carly Carioli, Editor in Chief Peter Kadzis, Editor at Large
EDITORIAL
managing EDiTORs Shaula Clark,
Jacqueline Houton
aRTs EDiTOR Jon Garelick FiLm EDiTOR Peter Keough music EDiTOR Michael Marotta assisTanT music EDiTOR Liz Pelly sTaFF EDiTORs Thomas McBee, SI Rosenbaum sTaFF WRiTERs David S. Bernstein, Chris Faraone EvEnTs EDiTOR Alexandra Cavallo assOciaTE FOOD EDiTOR Cassandra Landry LisTings cOORDinaTOR Michael C. Walsh cOnTRiBuTing EDiTORs Carolyn Clay [theater], Lloyd
Schwartz [classical] , Louisa Kasdon [food] cOnTRiBuTing WRiTERs Matt Bors, Daniel Brockman, Lauryn Joseph, Scott Kearnan, Dan Kennedy, Mitch Krpata, MC Slim JB, Tom Meek, Brett Michel, Robert Nadeau, Luke O’Neil, James Parker, Gerald Peary, Ariel Shearer, Marcia B. Siegel, Harvey Silverglate, Karl Stevens, David Thorpe, Eugenia Williamson
NEW MEDIA
sEniOR WEB pRODucER Maddy Myers sOciaL mEDia pRODucER Ariel Shearer
MARkETINg/pROMOTIONs inTERacTivE maRkETing managER
Lindsey Mathison
pROmOTiOns cOORDinaTOR Nicholas Gemelli
CREATIvE gROup
DiREcTOR OF cREaTivE OpERaTiOns Travis Ritch cREaTivE DiREcTOR Kristen Goodfriend aRT DiREcTOR Kevin Banks phOTO EDiTOR Janice Checchio aDvERTising aRT managER Angelina Berardi sEniOR DEsignER Janet Smith Taylor EDiTORiaL DEsignER Christina Briggs WEB DEsignER Braden Chang FREELancE DEsignER Daniel Callahan
ADvERTIsINg sALEs
sEniOR vicE pREsiDEnT A. William Risteen vicE pREsiDEnT OF saLEs anD BusinEss DEvELOpmEnT
David Garland
DiREcTOR OF BEvERagE saLEs Sean Weymouth sEniOR accOunT ExEcuTivEs OF inTEgRaTED mEDia saLEs Margo Dowlearn Flint, Howard Temkin aDvERTising OpERaTiOns managER Kevin Lawrence inTEgRaTED mEDia saLEs cOORDinaTOR
Adam Oppenheimer
gEnERaL saLEs managER Brian Russell DiREcTOR OF Dining saLEs Luba Gorelik TRaFFic cOORDinaTORs Colleen McCarthy,
Jonathan Caruso
cLassiFiED saLEs managER Matt King RETaiL accOunT ExEcuTivEs Nathaniel Andrews,
Sara Berthiaume, Serpil Dinler, Christopher Gibbs, Daniel Tugender, Chelsea Whitton
CIRCuLATION
ciRcuLaTiOn DiREcTOR James Dorgan ciRcuLaTiOn managER Michael Johnson
OpERATIONs
iT DiREcTOR Bill Ovoian FaciLiTiEs managER John Nunziato
FINANCE
DiREcTOR OF FinancE Scotty Cole cREDiT anD cOLLEcTiOns managER Michael Tosi sTaFF accOunTanTs Brian Ambrozavitch ,
Peter Lehar
FinanciaL anaLysT Lisy Huerta-Bonilla TRaDE BusinEss DEvELOpmEnT managER
Rachael Mindich
HuMAN REsOuRCEs
REcEpTiOnisT/aDminisTRaTivE assisTanT
Lindy Raso
OFFicEs 126 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215, 617-536-5390, Advertising dept fax 617-536-1463 WEBsiTE thePhoenix.com manuscRipTs Address to Managing Editor, News & Features, Boston Phoenix, 126 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215. We assume no responsibility for returning manuscripts. LETTERs TO ThE EDiTOR e-mail to letters@phx.com. Please include a daytime telephone number for verification. suBscRipTiOns Bulk rate $49/6 months, $89/1 year, allow 7-14 days for delivery; first-class rate $175/6 months, $289/1 year, allow 1-3 days for delivery. Send name and address with check or money order to: Subscription Department, Boston Phoenix, 126 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215. cOpyRighT © 2012 by The Boston Phoenix, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission, by any method whatsoever, is prohibited. pRinTED By Cummings Printing Co.
8 10.19.12 :: THE PHOENIX.cOm
WARREN FOR SENATE When voters go to the polls on November 6 to choose between incumbent Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Elizabeth Warren, they will be doing more than casting a ballot for one of Massachusetts’s two US senators. Given the nation’s deep political divide and the razorthin margin that separates President Obama from Mitt Romney in voter polls, Bay State voters have a supersized chance to shape the national political environment for the next two years — and perhaps well beyond. As it is, Democratic control of the Senate is fragile. If Romney were to win the White House, it’s no exaggeration to say that Senate Democrats could be the only line standing between the radical, right-wing political agenda of the Republicans and the modest but welcome gains achieved since George W. Bush left office. This election is about more than consolidating four years of hard-fought progress. It is about capturing the future, ensuring that the poor, the working class, and middle-income families have Washington allies, helpmates, and friends. That is just one of the many reasons that the Phoenix supports Elizabeth Warren and urges her election. Warren knows what it is to struggle. The daughter of a hard-working Oklahoma family, Warren married, raised a family, and put herself through a commuter college before setting off on a career in the law. At every step of the way, Warren punched her own ticket, advanced because of her own industry, and after years of toil became a tenured professor at Harvard Law School. Warren’s opponents try to turn her success against her, suggesting that she is mysteriously less than admirable because she has fought her way to the top of her profession. The last time we checked, the essence of the American Dream was the chance to maximize your own potential in a free and open society. Thanks to Republican ideology, the sort of thinking Scott Brown subscribes to and represents, the rich have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer, and working people have gotten screwed. Brown’s attempt to portray himself as a middle-ofthe-road champion of the middle class, as a bipartisan hero is — to paraphrase Joe Biden — malarkey.
us
Email :: lEttEr s@p mail :: l hx.com Et 126 Bro tErs; o avE , Bo klinE ston m a 02215
When you strip away routine Senate votes that had little or no impact on national policy, Biden voted with his Republican masters 76 percent of the time. Brown’s vote to allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military was certainly welcome. But would he have swung that way if he had not faced a tough reelection campaign? Can Massachusetts afford a senator who votes against his constituents’ interests three-quarters of the time? It is almost certain that the next president will appoint, and the Senate must approve, two or more Supreme Court justices. Given that probability, can the nation afford a sitting senator from Massachusetts whose self-described high-court hero is Justice Antonin Scalia? Scalia is blatantly bigoted, unrepentantly right-wing, a supporter of pro-business decisions that helped crush middle America, and a zealot committed to overturning Roe vs. Wade and denying women’s rights to abortion. There is no doubt that Warren will champion choice if she is sent to Washington, or that she will champion issues of vital concern to women — such as equal pay for equal work, which Brown recently voted against. But it would be a mistake to view Warren as a narrowcast candidate. Warren understands that Washington has become so favorable to big business that workers of all stripes have been shortchanged. She recognizes the need to get America working again, with infrastructure programs that will help repair our economic foundations so that the nation can then retool for the future. And Warren has the common sense to realize that it is time to put an end to military adventures abroad. Warren’s three brothers all served in the military. Her family experience has taught her something that neoconservative Republican theorists cannot seem to grasp: that it’s time to worry about the folks at home. This is not to say that foreign enemies do not exist — but in Warren’s view, the despair and economic ruin of recent years is the primary challenge to which America must respond. There are two key reasons why you should vote for Warren: her values and her vision. Warren will best balance what is right for Massachusetts with what is needed for America. P
PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION BY BUDDY DUNCAN
opinion :: Editorial
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FLIGHT Advance Screening Tickets
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A guide to tAilgAting » indelible Art » the gop’s sAusAge fest
photo by Conor Doherty
& NEXT
Made in the USA — and bound for the South End. Page 16.
THEPHOENIX.cOm :: 10.19.12 11
Now & Next :: oN our radar The Year in hisTorY » 1994
Boyz II Men Make love, new kIds Make war
When We found ouT ThaT Boyz II Men are coming through town this week, we were all “Say what?” because we’d forgotten those dudes existed, much less that they might still be touring. Coincidentally, a biography about another of our fave ’90s bands, NKOTB, just hit shelves. This spawned a lot of rose-hued ’90s nostalgia, which got us to thinking. What else had we forgotten about ’94, the year the New Kids called it quits and Boyz II Men’s slow jam “I’ll Make Love to You” was hanging sexy at number three on the Billboard Year-End Top 100 Chart? A lot of shit, it turns out — and most of it’s going to make you feel damn old.
_al ex a n d r a C ava l l o
You’re Doing it Wrong: tailgating
Tailgating is to autumn as freaking the hell out when ramps appear on menus is to spring. It’s essential — which is why it shouldn’t surprise you that somewhere in this town, there’s a party raging. Next week, it’ll come courtesy of local nonprofit Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ second annual Ultimate Tailgate Party, whose proceeds will help more fresh food make it into the city’s soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and crisis centers. A team of 12 topnotch Boston chefs will be there, serving up gourmet twists on their favorite game-day dishes while you swig craft cocktails and beer (Peak Organic, not Natty Ice). To help us prepare, Lovin’ Spoonfuls founder, the Pats-loving (and Jets-hating) tailgating Jedi Ashley Stanley, let us in on a few of her ’gate guidelines. _Cassand ra land ry
On tailgate grub The best? [Chef Asia Mei’s] amazing grilled cheese with candied bacon . . . ridiculous. Worst? A friend once made homemade veggie burgers. I think they were made out of cardboard and tofu. Vom. » Ace of Base’s “The Sign” was number one on that same chart. » Bill Clinton was in office and had not yet “not had sexual relations with that woman.” (Oh, for the days when a BJ on the DL was our biggest national concern.) » Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson got hitched, and it was majorly creepy. » Kurt Cobain committed suicide, and Tupac was gunned down. » Meanwhile, Justin Bieber was just leaving the womb. » NASA confirmed the existence of black holes, blowing our minds. » Tonya Harding enlisted a goon to take out Nancy Kerrigan’s kneecap . . . » . . . Which was in no way as bad as what OJ did to Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman. » Friends and My So-Called Life had just premiered. So good! » The average cost of a gallon of gas was $1.09. » And it was $4.08 for a movie ticket . . . » . . . Which you could purchase to see The Lion King or Forrest Gump. » But you couldn’t yet Fandango that on Netscape Navigator, which was the top web browser . . . » . . . Which makes us feel really old, since we found most of this info using Google Chrome. boyz ii men are at the wilbur, 246 tremont st, boston :: Oct 21 @ 8 pm :: $47.50 :: ticketmaster.com :: new Kids on the block: five brothers and a million sisters by nikki van noy :: $25 :: touchstone hardcover; simon & schuster
WorD of the Week 12 10.19.12 :: thephOeniX.cOm
On ambiance Music is a must at all times. I think my playlist would have a little bit of everything, with some new stuff like Mayer Hawthorne or Work Drugs on there. What goes better with good friends and great food than a kickass playlist? Oh, and hardcore gangsta rap. On OppOsing-team tailgate face-Offs Feed your opponent. They can’t talk with their mouth full. On ’gate steez Style’s what you put out, not on — so if you’re comfortable, you’ll rock anything. This is my favorite weather right now — [it’s got] the best fabrics and patterns. If it’s a true fall day, cashmere and jeans and a great scarf always wins for me. On what shOuld yOu never, ever, under any circumstances bring tO a tailgate Your newborn. A Jets jersey. Bartles & Jaymes. Mayonnaise. the ultimate tailgate party takes place on October 28 on the lawn at sam’s, 60 northern ave, boston. the vip hour is from 6 to 7 pm; the main event is from 7 to 10 pm. for more information and tickets ($100–$250), visit lovinspoonfulstailgate.eventbrite.com.
mnemonic
n. 1. Something intended to assist the memory, as a verse or formula. See also: Mnemonic, Katrina Chamberlin’s upcoming performance piece, in which gallery-goers can get a small dot tattooed on a location of their choice. Sign up to get inked at mnemonic.genbook.com, and check out the performance and the accompany exhibit, “Something Along Those Lines,” at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts on October 25 and 26.
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Now & Next :: oN our radar
417
BY THe NuMBeRS
n up listeaD the mix
lo our Down eck out t h a c e D g a n a / over cmJ c oenix.com . h P oaD l n the w eDo onth
Ma goes to CMJ This Weekend, Thousands of bands
and music-industry pros are flocking to NYC for the last few days of the CMJ Music Marathon — a week of panels, parties, and shows that started on Tuesday and ends on Sunday. The official marathon only makes up a small percentage of the week’s events, as DIY and underground venues are packed with unofficial shows, too. Here’s a mix of local bands who are repping the Boston area well this year.
_ l Iz P el ly
debo band » “Asha Gedawo” earthquake party! » “Hello Weirdo” fat history Month » “Gorilla” Pile » “Prom Song” speedy ortiz » “Silver Spring” earthquake Potty Mouth » “Dog Song” party! Young adults » “Wasting Time” Mean Creek » “The Land of Hopes & Dreams”
number of days Mitt romney spent out of Massachusetts during his four-year term as governor, according to a new york times analysis
70
Percent of that time spent on trips unrelated to his job
38 number of states visited during those trips
VeRBATIM
aIt’shelPing hanD barely sweater weather, but that
hasn’t stopped us from coveting these brilliant beer mittens, hand-knit in Iceland by fiber artist, grandmother of three, and avowed wHere to sHoP hophead Eygló tango Guðnadóttir. Made 200 seaport blvd, boston from soft lopi wool, her 857.277.1191 :: tango175. mittens ($55) will cradle com your favorite brew, keeping your beer cold and your hands warm, even in Reykjavik-grade temps. They’re available in Boston exclusively at Seaport spot Tango, which is stocking two styles tailor-made for tailgating season: a blue-and-red version for Patriots fans and a blackand-yellow one for Bruins diehards. We may never drink indoors again. _J aCq u el In e H o u t o n
14 10.19.12 :: thephOeniX.cOm
“this is a game.”
— Yongda Huang Harris, speaking to investigators after being arrested at Los Angeles International Airport en route to Boston with a smoke grenade, billy clubs, a collapsible baton, knives, a hatchet, handcuffs, and a biohazard suit
Bespoke Boston Two style startups get personal
enTer The unassuMing broWnsTone at 91 Newbury, walk up two narrow flights, past faded carpeting and flickering fluorescents, and you might be surprised at what you find: Alton Lane, a 2,000-square-foot custom-menswear showroom that feels more like a luxe secret clubhouse — just as its creators intended. “It makes my palms sweaty thinking about going to stores,” says cofounder and CEO Colin Hunter. “Most guys feel comfortable sitting at a barstool.” That’s where clients can browse fabric swatches while sipping something from the bar and watching the flat-screen. The vibe is more “residential than retail,” adds cofounder Peyton Jenkins, director of customer experience — hence the cozy leather couches and quirky cardboard takes on taxidermy. alton lane Opened this month, the Boston outpost is the 91 newbury street, three-year-old brand’s third, after NYC and DC. boston It’s open daily for one-on-one appointments. The goal, says Hunter, is a Savile Row experience — 646.896.1212 without five fittings and months of waiting. altonlane.com They take a three-part approach to tailoring, stocking samples for guys to try, measuring by Bow & draPe hand, and breaking out their secret weapon: a 360-degree body scanner. Using tech like that of bowanddrape.com the Xbox Kinect, it scans in 15 seconds, offering a fuller picture of a client’s frame. “You could have 10 guys with 18-inch shoulders, and a shirt would fit them all differently,” Jenkins explains. This month also brings women a new custom-fashion option, this one homegrown. Launching on October 19, e-clothier Bow & Drape is the reincarnation of Boston fashion startup Zoora, which had previously served as a platform for multiple indie designers. Now it aims to create its own made-to-order tops, bottoms, and dresses. Bow & Drape is the brainchild of Harvard alum Aubrie Pagano, who got the idea after searching — unsuccessfully — for the perfect dress for a family wedding. For the debut collection, she tapped recent Fashion Star contestant Sarah Parrott, who created six silhouettes with customizable colors, hemlines, sleeves, and detailing. Pagano wants to manufacture in the US, so she started a Kickstarter campaign, ending on October 18, to secure the needed financing. At press time, it was halfway to its $30,000 goal. Head online to see whether Bow & Drape sewed things up. _JaCquelI ne Houton
BOWERYBOSTON.COM @boweryboston • facebook.com/boweryboston JUST ANNOUNCED ON SALE NOW
Sun. November 18 • The Sinclair
WITH TRANSIT, A LOSS FOR WORDS, AND MORE TBA ON SALE NOW
ON SALE FRIDAY AT NOON
Mon. November 28 • The Sinclair
PEOPLE PEOPLEUNDER UNDERTHE THESTAIRS STAIRS
Fri. December 14 • Royale
ON SALE NOW
ON SALE NOW
Wed. December 5 • The Sinclair
Mon. December 31 • The Sinclair
J E S S I E WA R E ON SALE FRIDAY AT NOON
Thurs. December 13 • The Sinclair
ON SALE FRIDAY AT NOON
Mon. January 14, 2013 • The Sinclair
UPCOMING SHOWS • ON SALE NOW THE AP TOUR FEAT.
This Thursday, October 18 • Royale
Sat. October 27 • Somerville Theatre
THE JEZABELS W/ HEY ROSETTA! AND YUKON BLONDE
BIG D & THE KIDS TABLE
This Thurs., Oct. 18 • The Middle East
Sun. October 28 • Royale
SQUAREPUSHER W/ MOUNT KIMBIE
This Friday, October 19 • Royale
Wed. October 31 • Royale Thurs. Nov. 1 Royale
W/ THE WHITE BUFFALO This Saturday, October 20 • Royale
Thurs. Nov. 8 Royale
OLD 97’S Mon. October 22 • Royale Thurs. Oct. 25 Royale
HEARTLESS WITH BASTARDS FUTUREBIRDS Fri. October 26 • Royale
NOUVELLE VAGUE Sat. October 27 • Royale 1222 Comm. Ave. Allston, MA @GreatScottROCK www.greatscottboston.com
Fri. November 9 • Royale
WITH RYE RYE
Fri. Nov. 16 Royale
WITH HOSTAGE CALM Sat. November 24 • Royale 10 Brookline St., Cambridge, MA @TTtheBears www.ttthebears.com
10.18 THE NEW HIGHWAY HYMNAL
10.18 THE FRONT BOTTOMS
10.21 JJAMZ
10.19 FLOBOTS / ASTRONAUTILUS
10.25 OPOSSOM
10.20 JOSEPH VINCENT
10.28 THOSE DARLINS
10.22 JEFFREY LEWIS & THE JUNKYARD
10.29 WINTERSLEEP
10.23 THE YOUNG EVILS / THE BLAKES
Visit boweryboston.com for more information. Tickets for Royale and The Sinclair are available Fridays 12-6PM at the No Fee Box Office located at Royale.
INTroducINg
Xfinity® wifi Stay connected with thouSandS of hotSpotS all over town at no extra charge • Access to XFINITY® WiFi hotspots included with XFINITY Internet. • Enjoy your favorite XFINITY content on-the-go. • XFINITY WiFi helps you conserve on your wireless data plan. • Sign in once and XFINITY WiFi will automatically remember your device.
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Now & Next :: style
AmericA, the beAutiful p step uyle st re your mo
out CheCk An Field AmeriC s At Find oenix thePh . .Com
This weekend, Boston’s the home base for the country’s best menswear By ThomAs PAge m c Bee » TmcBee@PhX.com :: @ThomAsPAgemcBee
It’s a good-lookIng tIme for American menswear: heritage brands have made a stylish resurgence, and a new generation of young bucks are drawing inspiration from their dapper forefathers, blending functionality and fashion to handsome ends. Newbury Street’s Ball & Buck showcases the comeback with an all-American collection of fitted flannel, duck-camo bow ties, and hunting boots yearround. But on October 20 and 21, they’ll host a special pop-up event, American Field, in the South End. The inaugural public tradeshow will feature 30-plus menswear and accessory vendors from across the country (with food trucks, live bands, and a beer garden to boot!). To get a preview, we asked the guys at Ball & Buck to show off a few of the red-white-and-blue brands that’ll be on hand.
1
2
4
3
1 The shades: Nothing says “I mean business” like a good pair of aviators. (Non-mirrored, of course — what are you, a cop?) The Massachusetts-based Randolph Engineering started manufacturing theirs for the US military in the late ’70s, thus providing us all with the only truly cool, pre-Scientology image of Tom Cruise. We salute you. 2 The shirt: Boston’s Ball & Buck is as allAmerican as it gets: when they launched in 2008, they decided to only stock products made in the U-S-of-A. They also make their own line featuring accessories, tees, and this — the Hunter’s Shirt, workwear at its
16 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm/lIfE
finest. If the name and the tiny embroidered man with the gun don’t remind you it’s fit for hunting, the reinforced shooting shoulder will. 3 The jeans: Ball & Buck’s collaboration with San Francisco brand Tellason results in dark-dyed denim that’ll last forever. Established in 2008, Tellason was born out of a friendship that goes back two decades, and its denim — manufactured in Greensboro, North Carolina, and cut and sewn in San Francisco — says true-blue American style. 4 The boots: Red Wing is among the highestprofile heritage comebacks around, with good reason.
AmericAn Field 540 Harrison Ave, Boston October 20 and 21, 10 am to 5 pm americanfield.us
Their boots are all-weather basics with style to spare — gritty enough to get dirty, versatile enough for a post-work cocktail. Of course, the Minnesota company knows a thing or two about getting it right: it’s been around for more than a century. 5 The bag: Maryland’s Blue Claw Co. handmakes good-looking bags that can take a beating. The company’s founders were inspired by an Argentinean vacation, but their sturdy canvas-andleather weekender is ready for wherever the wind takes you — and it’s much more dignified than those rolling suitcases.
photo by conor doherty
5
WEAR WHAT YOU WANT. IN THE CIT Y NEWBURY STREET FANEUIL HALL HARVARD SQUARE
FASHION SUPERSTORES NATICK MALL SOUTH SHORE PLAZA IN BRAINTREE
now & next :: voices talking politics
G(RAND) O(LD) P(RICKS) B y D av iD S. B ern St e i n
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Chew on this: beginning next January, fewer than two percent of Americans will have a Republican woman senator. Close to 15 percent will have two Democratic women senators; close to 40 percent will have at least one. The GOP congressional caucus is more than 90 percent male, and its committee leadership is even more skewed. The women of the George W. Bush administration are gone and largely forgotten. All three female Supreme Court justices are Democratic appointments — it’s been over 30 years since George H.W. Bush named the one and only Republican woman to the bench. Washington Republicans have moved beyond parody; they embody female exclusion.
Scott’S women
For years, i’ve chronicled in the Phoenix the dwindling ranks of Republican women in elected office, and suggested that their absence will ultimately hurt the GOP. The moment of reckoning may be here. We can see it unfolding in the hotly contested US Senate race between incumbent Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Elizabeth Warren. The GOP’s female deficit is likely to help Warren win this election — and prevent Republicans from taking control of the Senate. It’s not a secret that women are the swing voters expected to decide the BrownWarren race. Warren’s campaign has relentlessly attacked Brown on women’s issues, and Brown has used his mother, wife, and daughters — and tales of himself folding laundry — to counter the onslaught. Women, particularly in suburban families, are crucial to this race. Unlike strong partisans on both sides, a great many of them have a positive view of Brown. Women in households with at least $100,000 in annual income prefer
The virtually all-male Republican party could cost Scott Brown the election.
18 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.COM/TALKINGPOLITICS
Brown over Warren, says Ray La Raja, political science professor at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, which recently conducted a poll of the race. But every time women get wind of the GOP’s latest misogynistic outrage — such as Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin’s assertion that victims of “legitimate rape” don’t get pregnant — it pushes them a little further away from Brown. That might not be the case if female voters saw plenty of prominent women speaking up from within the GOP — but all they see is a party of men. That’s especially true in the US Senate. Currently just five of 47 Republicans are women, none of whom are in high leadership positions. And it’s only getting worse. Olympia Snowe of Maine and Kaye Bailey Hutchison of Texas are retiring, and only Nebraska candidate Deb Fischer is likely to join the remaining three: Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Brown hasn’t always helped his own cause. He voted against an equal-pay bill, voted against confirming Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, and recently cited notoriously anti-women’s-rights Justice Antonin Scalia as a “model.” “It starts with the issues,” says John Walsh, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. The dearth of Republican women in public office “compounds the problem that Scott Brown has: that when it comes to standing with women, he votes the other way.” As he has on so many issues, Brown has compiled a mixed record on women. But — as Warren effectively showed in an exchange during last week’s debate in Springfield — that’s enough to taint Brown by association. You’d be surprised at the number of Republican insiders who privately acknowledge how much the lack of prominent women hurts their party at the ballot box. The Romney campaign certainly gets it — they marched almost every woman they could find onto the stage of the Republican National Convention. The pickings are so slim, last week Brown brought in former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman, who has been out of office for a decade, to campaign with him. It would help Brown more if there were more like her in Washington. P
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now & next :: voices The Big hurT
Jay-Z takes the train b y d av id t ho r p e
Popeye’s is delicious to bucktoothed rustics like you and me, but to Pharrell it’s like eating cat food.
20 10.19.12 :: Thephoenix.com/bighurT
LasT week, our naTion’s attention was captured by an extraordinary news story: Jay-Z, for the final night of his concert residence at New York’s Barclays Center, travelled to the venue on the subway. He graciously took photos and conversed with fans, then departed at his stop as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Now, Jay grew up in New York, and his stage name is a reference to the J/Z line. But this was clearly a calculated stunt. Looking this average probably cost him a bunch of money. He was flanked by police officers and private security, but that’s just what people saw on the surface — you’d be naive to think Jay-Z or his significant corporate organization would gamble on the fate of a top moneymaker in an unhygienic subway car. They undoubtedly had a special one built, then had a casting call to convincingly populate it with the kind of leering grotesques we call “normals.” However he pulled it off, it was a nice bit of everymanning. Like any plutocrat, Jay-Z knows the unhinged logic of the American peasant: if Jay-Z is on a train, and I’m on a train, then I could also be in a Maybach. But the stunt works on another level, too. Jay wasn’t just trying to maintain “street cred” by doing regular New York stuff — he was doing something much more sophisticated: reverse flossing. Reverse flossing is when a rapper is so incredibly wealthy that doing normal stuff creates an absurd juxtaposition, shedding new light on just how superior they are. “Do you know why I look so like a god in this train car?” Jay is asking. “Because it is fucking ridiculous that I would be here.” Look at it this way: Jay-Z has a hilarious amount of money. He high-fives the president more often than you eat a hot lunch. If Jay-Z wanted, he could spend the rest of his life on a Dom Perignon
drip, getting pleasured in ways you’ve never heard of by someone more beautiful than you knew existed. Jay-Z doing a regularperson thing is the equivalent of you or I giving away all of our worldly possessions and living in the deepest Alaskan wilderness for 15 years. It’s high-level monastic daredevilry; it’s recklessly enlightened. Plenty of other superstars have reverse-flossed. During the December blizzards of 2010, 50 Cent took to Twitter to post photos of himself out in the suburbs, shoveling sidewalks for $100 a pop — even when he’s charging high prices, the concept is ridiculous: it’s inconceivable that he could never need or want to do physical labor in his entire life. 50 Cent has hundreds of millions of dollars. Every one sidewalk he shoveled equals, for a normal man, one traumatic tour of duty in Afghanistan. A personal favorite example of reverse flossing is the Clipse single “Popular Demand (Popeyes).” On the hook, the extravagantly rich Pharrell Williams raps, “That new CL slide/outside of Popeye’s, eating chicken and fries.” Popeye’s is delicious to bucktoothed rustics like you and me, but to Pharrell it’s like eating cat food. He just wants you to see how weird his car looks outside the restaurant. Just days before Jay-Z’s trip underground, Rick Ross reverseflossed with a new business venture. Ross paints himself as a mafia kingpin, but he just bought his second Wingstop franchise. This is a man who looks like he eats 150-year-old lobsters for Tuesday brunch, and yet he’s slumming it on hot wings, parodying the moderate ambitions of a small-town businessman. “This is a hot spot,” Ross cruelly joked after acquiring a Miami franchise, “and the crew is in place and ready to continue serving wings.” P
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spotlight :: health Care
The Price of
Pain
Prescription opioids have wreaked havoc on the Bay State. For Big Pharma, that’s fantastic news. B y Er in B a l d a s s a ri
F
irst there’s the pain. Then comes a prescription for an opioid: OxyContin, Tylox, Percocet, Roxicodone, among others. But what often follows is a vicious cycle of tolerance, increased dosages, abuse, and addiction. Users say it gets into your bones.
Nationwide, the opioid epidemic is out of control. Deaths from prescription-opioid overdoses tripled between 1999 and 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; there are now over 15,000 such deaths annually, more than from heroin and cocaine ODs combined. In a 2010 report, the White House acknowledged that addiction to opioids is the “fastest-growing” drug problem in America. In Massachusetts, the problem is particularly acute. New Englanders entered substance abuse treatment facilities in 2009 for opioids at a rate twice as high as the national average, according to the Drug Abuse Warning Network. While the treatment admission rate for heroin declined nationally, admissions for opioids increased by 430 percent. The effect on the Commonwealth has been devastating. Between 2002 and 2007, 78 Massachusetts soldiers died in Afghanistan and Iraq. During the same period, more than 3200 Massachusetts residents 22 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
died of opiate-related overdoses. This catastrophe is corporate in origin, professionally manufactured and marketed. And at its roots are complicated questions about how doctors treat chronic pain, how drug companies like Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma misled those doctors, and why federal regulators didn’t move more quickly to stem the tide of addiction. Even as the death toll mounted, Purdue raked in billions for its flagship pain medication OxyContin — despite federal indictments that resulted in hundreds of millions paid out in legal judgments, following a highly publicized 2007 court battle. Nor did the legal outcome slow the drug down — Purdue’s Oxy profits soared from $800 million in 2006, the year before the federal settlement, to over $3 billion in 2011. While Canada has pulled OxyContin from its shelves entirely, and many US physicians are begging the Food and Drug Administration to take more restrictive measures, local
attempts to stanch the flow of Oxy from pharmacies to the streets have been slow and protracted. It wasn’t until August 18 of this year that Governor Deval Patrick signed legislation requiring doctors to register with a program that will track patients and their prescriptions, sounding an alarm if individuals appear to be abusing the system to obtain drugs. Massachusetts’ drugmonitoring bill is just another weapon in a long war — a war that started when Purdue waged an aggressive marketing campaign to place a new version of an old drug in doctors’ hands. “[Oxy] changed lives overnight,” says AFL-CIO president Steve Tolman, a past chair of the state’s Commission on OxyContin and Heroin. “It turned good people into sick people, and the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want to bear any responsibility.”
PortEnoy’s comPlaint
In a way, the pill proliferation of today started in 1986. That was the year Dr. Russell Portenoy, chair of the Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care Department at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, published a groundbreaking study that supported the long-term use of opioids for treating noncancer pain. Until then, doctors had been leery of prescribing opioids for long-term pain management, or in cases other than palliative care
for the dying. They knew that the pain-relief that opioids provided came with a price: addiction. But Portenoy’s study, along with a host of others, said that patients in real pain wouldn’t get addicted, because their bodies wouldn’t produce the same feeling of euphoria that people who shoot heroin for recreational purposes feel. “We were all, in the pain field, excited by the possibility that we could treat patients with opioids,” said Dr. Jane Ballantyne, a professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Washington. She began studying pain treatment in Boston in the early 1990s, just as the field was growing. “A lot of people were beginning to say it was inhumane to not treat people with opioids,” Ballantyne said. “The feeling was that we ought to throw off the shackles of concern about addiction and use drugs to help patients manage chronic pain, because it’s awful to live with chronic pain.” At the same time, the pharmaceutical manufacturer Purdue was working on a new pain medication: OxyContin. Oxy was actually a reformulation of a much older drug, the opioid oxycodone; because oxycodone was already approved by the FDA, it was easier for Purdue to bring the new version to market without passing through the rigorous FDA oversight that applies to new drugs.
photo by christopher harting
e r i n . b a l da s s a r i @ g m a i l .c o m :: @ e _ b a l d i
Purdue secured approval for OxyContin from the FDA in 1995. With its release, Purdue launched a widespread marketing campaign, planting seeds in the ground Portenoy and others had tilled. The company published advertisements aimed at doctors in mainstream medical journals, as well as “ask your doctor” ads aimed at patients suffering from pain. Purdue’s marketing message was simple: pain is costly, it can be treated, and it can be treated with long-term use of opioids without addiction. A 2007 lawsuit filed by the US Attorney General’s office against Purdue would later cite “misleading scientific charts” and graphs shown to physicians by sales reps pushing the pills. The suit would also show that Purdue Pharma trained its sales reps on how to overcome concerns by doctors that OxyContin could be easily abused. The reps were told to tell health-care providers that it was more difficult to extract the oxycodone from an OxyContin tablet for intravenous use, despite the fact that “Purdue’s own study showed that a drug abuser could extract approximately 68 percent of the oxycodone from a single 10 mg OxyContin tablet by crushing the tablet, stirring it in water, and drawing the solution through a cotton into a syringe.” Sales reps were given charts that showed fewer “peak and trough” blood-level effects than immediaterelease opioids, which were simply inaccurate and blatantly misleading. They also reportedly told health-care providers that patients who stop abruptly wouldn’t experience withdrawal and that patients wouldn’t develop a tolerance to the drug. But Purdue didn’t stop at the sales reps. As is common with most pharmaceutical companies when they’re introducing a new drug to the market, they also paid leaders in the medical field to give lunchtime or dinnertime lectures to groups of doctors. One of those leaders was Portenoy. Over a decade later, in a 2011 video filmed and published by Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, Portenoy admits that he used studies that weren’t based in evidence to convince primarycare doctors that long-term use of opioids wouldn’t end in addiction. “I gave so many lectures to primary-care audiences . . . and would cite six, seven, maybe 10 different avenues of thought or avenues of evidence, none of
which represented real evidence. And yet, what I was trying to do was to create a narrative so that the primary-care audience would look at this information in toto in a way they hadn’t before and feel more comfortable prescribing opioids,” Portenoy said in the video. “In essence, this was education to de-stigmatize. And because the primary goal was to de-stigmatize, we often left evidence behind.” The deceptions worked. Ballantyne admits she was swayed. Asked if Purdue’s marketing of Oxy changed the way she thought about the drug when she first prescribed it, she said, “Absolutely.”
HookEd
Within just a few years after its release on the market, it was becoming increasingly clear that Oxy was not the pain panacea Purdue claimed it was. Rather than getting better, Ballantyne said her patients were largely getting worse.
lead to the rapid release and absorption of a potentially toxic dose of oxycodone.” The FDA would comment later that the warning label may have “alerted abusers to a method for misuse.” By this time, reports were beginning to come in from Maine, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio that people were doing just as the label suggested: crushing the drug, swallowing, snorting, and injecting it for a quick, powerful high. Lawenforcement agencies, publichealth departments, and physicians were also beginning to see addicts who had not been prescribed the drug — but had become addicted after first receiving a pill through a friend, parent, or relative. Pill addicts were flooding treatment centers, ERs, and morgues. By March 2001, the FDA formed a response team and compelled Purdue to make minor changes to
“The fact that Purdue concealed evidence and said that oxycontin was not addictive was not that different from what the tobacco industry did.” — Dr. Jane Ballantyne “I began seeing patients, and I had been taught that they would do better [with opioids], and they were doing really badly,” Ballantyne said. “They weren’t getting good pain relief, and there were a lot of behavioral problems.” OxyContin was initially approved only for relatively low doses of 10, 20, and 40 milligrams a pop, but a year after Purdue won its initial approval, the FDA approved an 80-milligram dose. Four years later in 2000, the FDA approved a whopping 160-milligram pill for “opioid-tolerant patients.” Part of Purdue’s pitch for Oxy was that the pill would release little doses of the medication over time, blunting the full effect of the drug. But the medication’s own label offered a handy guide to getting around that: “OxyContin tablets are to be swallowed whole, and are not to be broken, chewed, or crushed. Swallowing broken, chewed, or crushed OxyContin tablets could
their warning label. But less than a year after the FDA began studying the growing epidemic, the agency concluded that “opioid analgesics are an essential component of pain management,” and “any [risk-management program] that restricts opioid treatment may prevent their appropriate utilization.” Yet some doctors, like Ballantyne, began to worry about how Oxy was affecting their patients. She wrote a paper in 2003, arguing for limits on dosages and encouraging doctors to prescribe responsibly. In Ballantyne’s study, which appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Ballantyne and her colleagues exhaustively reviewed the results from Oxy’s clinical trials. They didn’t find any evidence to support Purdue’s claim that Oxy is not addictive. “There were no data. We wrote in (the article) that here we are observing these high doses, and
they’re not helping people, so we asked ourselves, ‘Why are we doing it?’ ” Ballantyne said. “We did the most extensive literature search and looked at all of the trials, and there was basically no evidence supporting what we were doing.” When asked why there wasn’t more scrutiny on the initial claims that an opioid-based painkiller wouldn’t be addictive, Ballantyne said, “Before, back then, I did what I was taught, and I believed it.”
BacklasH
The inevitable lawsuits began to trickle in, slowly at first, claiming the company dishonestly marketed the pain pill by failing to tell doctors, pharmacists, and patients about the drug’s addictive qualities. In 2001, West Virginia became the first state to file lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company, charging Oxy’s maker with violating the Credit Protection Act by using “highly coercive and inappropriate tactics to attempt to get physicians and pharmacists to prescribe OxyContin and to fill prescriptions for OxyContin, often when it was not called for.” The state eventually settled with Purdue for $10 million in 2004. But it wasn’t the end of Purdue’s legal woes. Dozens of lawsuits were filed, sometimes by individuals or groups of people. By 2005, Purdue spokesman Timothy Bannon actually boasted about it: “Over the last four years, Purdue Pharma has never lost an OxyContin personal-injury lawsuit. On the contrary, 365 personal-injury lawsuits involving well over 1000 plaintiffs, including many cases brought by these same personal-injury lawyers, have ended in Purdue’s favor. We expect these new cases will be no different.” The “new cases” he was referring to were 1000 separate suits, all filed on the same day in Purdue’s home state of Connecticut, after a judge declined to certify a class-action lawsuit. But the US Attorney’s Office was investigating Purdue as well. As early as 2002, there were criminal murder and manslaughter charges brought against physicians in Florida and California for overprescribing the pill. And the Connecticut Attorney General issued a press release in 2001 urging the company to only allow >> oxy on p 24
THEPHOENIX.cOm :: 10.19.12 23
<< oxy from p 23
pain specialists to prescribe the medication. In the wake of these civil and criminal charges, then–US Attorney John Brownlee launched a four-year investigation that led to the largest settlement with a pharmaceutical company up to that point. The 2007 suit, which was filed on behalf of 26 states, took aim at Purdue’s initial claim that Oxy’s time-released formula made the drug less likely to be addictive than faster-acting Percocet or Vicodin. The federal court records demonstrated Purdue’s own clinical trials and the studies performed by the FDA did not show that Oxy was any more effective or any less addictive than existing pain medications. The company pleaded guilty to one felony count of misbranding, and its three top executives — Michael Friedman, the president; Howard Udell, its top lawyer; and Dr. Paul Goldenheim, its former medical director —pleaded guilty to misdemeanor misbranding. The judge ordered the company to pay $600 million in fines and other payments. Together, the top executives paid $34.5 million. Judge James P. Jones sentenced them to three years of probation and 400 hours each of community service in drug treatment programs. During the sentencing, Jones said he was
24 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
troubled by his inability to send the executives to prison. (Prosecutor Brownlee testified two months later that the night before his office secured the guilty plea, he had received a call from then-chief of staff to the Deputy Attorney General Michael Elston, who reportedly told Brownlee to slow down. Brownlee settled the case anyway, and eight days later, his name appeared on a list compiled by Elston of prosecutors who should be fired.) Purdue paid $470 million to various federal and state agencies, and $130 million to resolve civil disputes brought by pain patients claiming they became addicted to Oxy after it was prescribed to them. The FDA also mandated that Oxy come with a “black-box warning,” or the strongest alert the FDA can require. “I think the fact that Purdue concealed evidence and said OxyContin was not addictive was not that different from what the tobacco industry did,” Ballantyne said.
dEPEndEncE
Today, many doctors are wary of prescribing opioid-based painkillers, but few would advocate for banning their use altogether. There just aren’t other drugs available that manage pain like opioids can. That puts doctors and other prescribers in a delicate position.
If a patient has already exhausted the traditional arsenal of painmanagement tactics — physical therapy, spinal injections, acupuncture, massage, etc. — and the doctor is mandated to treat pain, opioid-based pharmaceuticals become the last resort. “It’s really hard to see a patient and tell them you don’t want to prescribe opioids, and then they look at you like, ‘Okay, what else are you going to give me?’ ” said Dr. Michael Drews, associate medical director at Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury. “Most of the time, it looks completely legitimate and believable.” Drews said the time he spends on monitoring patients with chronic pain has increased exponentially. Not only is he trying to figure out if his patient is improving, he’s also in the position of making sure they aren’t getting addicted. “It’s a weird situation that we’re in when you’re a doctor and an advocate but you’re also trying to figure out if your patient is lying to you,” Drews said. “Sometimes it’s really obvious, but sometimes it’s not.” Drews said he regularly screens his patients with urine toxicity tests, which reveal whether or not they’ve been taking more medication than they’ve been prescribed. He also looks up the prescription history of any new patient to see whether or not they’re being prescribed the same
medication by other doctors, but that can only rout out certain types of abuse or diversion. “It seems like I’m spending a huge amount of my day monitoring people who are taking narcotics,” Drews said. It’s a problem, he adds, that “definitely didn’t exist 20 years ago.” There’s at least a partial solution to Drews’s dilemma: prescription drug monitoring programs, or PDMPs, which endeavor to track patients and prescriptions, prevent addicts from “doctor shopping” (or obtaining multiple prescriptions of the same drug from multiple doctors), and catch “pill mill” doctors. The PDMP bill just signed into law automatically registers prescribers in the system when they renew their professional license, and it requires them to use it when they first prescribe an opioid to a new patient. But there is no end in sight to the larger epidemic. Even though Purdue released a new version of OxyContin that it claims is harder to crush into powder, market analysts predict the company’s huge sales increases to continue. According to Fortune magazine, the total opioids market is expected to grow from an $11 billion per year to $16 billion per year by 2016. Meanwhile, the cost to health insurers of prescription painkiller abuse has risen to $72.5 billion annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control. To hedge its bets, Purdue is also looking at new markets for OxyContin. In July, the New York Times reported that the company was studying the effects of the drug on children. If it can reformulate the drug for young patients, it could extend its patent on Oxy, which otherwise will expire next year. “It looks to me like a raw, crass, last-gasp exploitation of a drug that has been synonymous with misuse, abuse, and harm to patients,” Dr. Arthur Caplan, the head of the division of medical ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, told the Times. As for the millions already addicted to opioids, who are hoping to kick their habits, the next step is often drugreplacement therapy with methadone or buprenorphine. Luckily, there’s a new way to take buprenorphine: in a handy transdermal patch called Butrans. Purdue makes Butrans, too. P
photo by christopher harting
spotlight :: health Care
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Spotlight :: politicS
He Works Hard for No MoNey
Against strenuous odds and a 20-year incumbent, “No Money” Mike Connolly aims to occupy the State House — without raising a dollar. By C H rIs fa r a oN e
I
t’s Sunday at noon, and Mike Connolly is prepping with his troops by the Gold Star Memorial Library in East Somerville. There are eight volunteers in today’s posse, including a climate scientist, a college professor, an attorney, and a dedicated member of Occupy Boston. After 15 minutes of chitchat, the first-time candidate gathers the gang in a circle and asks everyone to introduce themselves. Despite standing at 6-foot-8 and having played football for Duke, Connolly’s everybody counts coaching style is more Bubba than Belichick.
26 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
Once everyone’s acquainted, Connolly — who’s running as an Independent for state representative — outlines the pitch that he’s been making to the 26th Middlesex district, which covers parts of Cambridge and Somerville. “I basically knock on doors and ask if people are interested in donating no money to my campaign,” he says. “When they ask why, I tell them that we’re trying to set an example by getting money out of politics.” From his apartment near Lechmere to Union Square, this has been Connolly’s routine since announcing his run several months ago. Since then, the 32-year-old has dubbed himself “No Money” Mike; though facing an entrenched 20-year incumbent, Tim Toomey, Connolly has taken zero contributions, and promises to never raise a penny if elected. For
campaign muscle, Connolly is relying on a grassroots network of activists including some he met at Dewey Square during Occupy Boston. Together they’ve knocked on every Democratic, undeclared, and Independent door in the district, and on several more than once. Frank Gerratana, a fellow Occupier and property lawyer who is Connolly’s campaign manager, says, “The conditions are great. Cambridge and Somerville are full of people who have more time than they have money.” Unlike state reps elsewhere who exist in obscurity, Toomey’s a familiar face around his district, partly because he’s also a Cambridge city councilor. (David Slavitt, a Republican who ran against Toomey in 2004, got whooped so badly that he wrote a book called Blue State Blues about the experience.) But while the unknown
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Connolly faces an uphill battle, he’s attempting to use the incumbent’s “doubledipping” against him, contending that Toomey’s role as a Cambridge councilor compromises his Somerville interests at the state level. The pressure appears to have Toomey on edge; since June, the rep has raised nearly $25,000, delayed the debate planning process, and in a desperate move, even called for Connolly and the 25-year-old Republican nominee, Thomas Michael Vasconcelos, to release their tax returns. It’s been eight years since Toomey faced a challenge for his House seat, and like Cambridge voting rights advocate Avi Green — who came within 500 votes of winning the district’s 2004 Democratic primary — Connolly is no slouch. He even has a pedagogical pedigree that’s fit for Beacon Hill, right down to a Boston College law degree. “I’m very progressive,” says Connolly, “but I feel like I can hang with anybody. I believe in the things that Democrats talk about.”
BIg MIke
Before he was “No Money” Mike, people called Connolly “Big Mike” — starting in middle school. By the sixth grade he was so tall that he exceeded the size limit for Pop Warner football. Though Connolly spent his early years in Milton, his parents divorced when he was five, and he and his mother moved to Norwood. There, he was raised in the Jefferson Drive housing projects, a bleak duplex wasteland off Route 1 where he remembers cops regularly ramming down doors and people fighting in the streets over drug debts. By middle school, Connolly was excitable and mischievous. But after years of causing trouble, he says he finally smartened up in time for ninth grade. In 1992, Connolly’s father brought him to the Boston College football team’s home opener against Rutgers, and the experience left a lasting impact. “It changed me overnight,” he says, his smile stretching wider than usual. “My dad was back in my life, and I immediately made up my mind that I was going to get a college scholarship.” Following a star turn as a Norwood High School Mustang, Connolly accepted a full ride to play offensive line at Duke, where he led a triple life as a jock, a political junkie, and a computer-science major with sights set on the tech boom. After graduation, Connolly took a job with an electrical company in Norwood, only to find suburban office life less than fulfilling. “I was making a good living, but after a while, it wasn’t enough for me,” he says. Connolly currently works for a Hewlett Packard–owned software company in Boston, where he manages custom applications built for law firms. “At the time, I thought that I could go to law school, get a job making $180,000 a
year, change the world, and have it all.” Connolly’s bourgeois fantasy imploded with the housing bubble, and in 2008, after graduating from BC Law, he was laid off by a Boston real estate law firm — before his contract even started. In the following years, he stepped back from the lure of luxury, and began working for the US Census to pay school loans while embracing his progressive instincts on the side (he also started playing lead guitar and singing with the funny Cambridge folk band Pelvis McGillicuddy). That all led him to Rootstrikers, a group that Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig founded to “fight the corrupting influence of money in politics,” and after that to Occupy, where he showed up for the initial planning meetings and went on to join the legal working group. A year later, Connolly’s Facebook page still features a picture of him beaming on the first Occupy Boston march, his meaty fist raised higher than any sign in the crowd. “Occupy was like that Boston College game,” he says. “It changed my life forever.”
No MoNey MIke
At those first Occupy powwows, Connolly remembers being “too shy to speak.” His fiancée, Kacy Karlen, confirms his bashful-
“Occupy was like that Boston College game,” Connolly says. “It changed my life forever.”
ness, but says her soon-to-be husband has since emerged from his gigantic shell. “When he started campaigning, he was having a hard time,” says Karlen, a web editor for a Cambridge education nonprofit. “He hadn’t gotten his message fully crystallized. Now he knows how to interact with voters, and how to talk about what they’re interested in. It’s not the same guy who I was out collecting signatures with.” Working the streets off Broadway in East Somerville, Connolly wins over several voters, from a pair of artsy young women with nose rings, to a lifelong local named Joe who looks like he just lost a bar fight. But after a fruitful talk with a young father, a senior standing on his front porch claims to be an “old friend” of Toomey’s, and mocks Connolly’s idea of not raising money. The candidate remains positive; he knows that certain Somervillians will instinctively reject his ideas — namely, any plans to further connect the city to Boston and Cambridge. Over the course of the afternoon, Connolly is asked to distinguish himself from Toomey on a number of issues, and he has plenty of ways to do so. While the incumbent was the only Cambridge rep to support expanded gaming, for example, Connolly is “unequivocally” opposed to casinos. Locally, Connolly favors proactive expansion of northbound transit routes, as well as an immediate overhaul of the hazardous scar that is the McGrath Highway overpass. “Somerville was bulldozed and torn up for I-93,” says Connolly. The challenger charges that Toomey should be more aggressive in securing state funds to expedite an inevitable bridge replacement. “These people have been asked to bear the burden for everybody else’s transportation.” Though he’s a proud progressive who recently discussed his no-frills campaign with Noam Chomsky — in person — it’s not hard to picture Connolly in the House chamber among lawmakers. In addition to his all-American look, he’s an upwardly mobile professional who drives a Volvo and supports Liz Warren — the kind of domesticated Occupier that the media typically ignores. At the same time, as a uniquely independent legislator, Connolly would certainly stick out on Beacon Hill — for his size, for his farleft positions, and for being the first state pol in recorded history to win without a war chest. “It took some leaps of faith to actually do this, but I’m having the time of my life,” he says. “I want to change the culture of acceptance when it comes to political bribery, and so far, it seems to be working. I walk up to people, ask them for no money, and most of the time, they don’t give me any.” P THEPHOENIX.cOm :: 10.19.12 27
Spotlight :: philoSophy
Ryan Rush & Rand
How Atlas Shrugged links Canadian prog-rock and our terrifying veep hopeful B y D a n iel B r o ck m a n
i
f, god forbid, Paul Ryan were to get elected vice president, we might have our first executivebranch hard-rock fan, which is somewhat in line with rock culture’s slow shift from radical to conservative. When Ryan, in his late-August RNC speech, detailed the contents of his iPod by stating “my playlist starts with AC/DC and ends with Zeppelin,” no one was really surprised. However, in leaving us to fill in the blanks from Lynyrd Skynyrd to ZZ Top, there is one question on every political-minded hard-rock fan’s mind: How many Rush albums does he have?
>> rush on p 30
28 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
photo-illustration by k bonami
d b r o c k m a n @ p h x .c o m :: @t h e b i z h a s l a n d e d
Solutions for Life’s Little Problems
i will dress up.
i will have fun.
i will goodwill
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Spotlight :: philoSophy
tom sawyeR shRugged
RandinspiRed Rush Quotes “I think everything I do has Howard Roark in it,” Neil Peart said in a 1981 interview with Creem magazine. The famously individualistic protagonist from Ayn Rand’s 1943 novel The Fountainhead is perhaps a perfect ideal for the prodigiously talented drummer and relentless overachiever who has guided Rush’s philosophical journey since the mid-’70s. Peart’s overt Rand-worship subsided following the release of 2112, but his subtle lyrical nods to her work pepper the band’s oeuvre. Here are but a few examples of Peart’s pen paying tribute to some of Rand’s most central tenets.
“Political freedom cannot exist without economic freedom; a free mind and a free market are corollaries.” ayn ra n D , For The new inTellecTual , 19 6 1
“You don’t get something for nothing/You can’t have freedom for free.” n. Pe a r T, “ so m e T h i ng F o r no T h i n g,” Fr om 2112 , 19 76
“If [man] chooses to live, a rational ethics will tell him what principles of action are required to implement his choice. If he does not choose to live, nature will take its course. Reality confronts a man with a great many ‘must’s’, but all of them are conditional: the formula of realistic necessity is: ‘you must, if — ’ and the if stands for man’s choice: ‘if you want to achieve a certain goal.’ ” ayn ra n D , PhilosoPhy: who neeDs iT , 19 8 2
“You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice./If you choose not to decide, you still haven’t made a choice./ You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill;/I will choose a path that’s clear/I will choose free will.” n. Pe a r T, “ F r ee wi l l , ” PermanenT waves , 19 8 0
“Some men assert that rights are a gift of God — others, that rights are a gift of society. But, in fact, the source of rights is man’s nature.” ayn ra n D , “ man ’ s ri gh T s , ” The virTue oF selFishness , 19 6 3
“His mind is not for rent to any god or government; always hopeful yet discontent.” n. Pe a r T, “ T o m sawy e r, ” moving PicTures , 19 8 1
“Productive work is the central purpose of a rational man’s life, the central value that integrates and determines the hierarchy of all his other values. Reason is the source, the precondition of his productive work — pride is the result.” ayn ra n D , “ man ’ s ri gh T s , ” The virTue oF selFishness , 19 6 3
“Dreams don’t need to have motion to keep their spark alive./Obsession has to have action, pride turns on the drive.” n. Pe a r T, “ miss i o n, ” holD your Fire , 19 8 7
30 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
with the crushing authority that the song’s A fair question; not only because no classicprotagonist clashed with. But more to the rock playlist is complete without at least point, they could read between the lines: a few epics by the prog-rocking Canadian with the popular ascent of Rush, rock had power trio, but because ever since their a band whose politics lay squarely at odds second album, when John Rutsey was rewith the folk, beatnik, and hippie traditions placed in the summer of 1974 by Neil Peart, of communalism and collective experience. Rush’s music has consistently espoused Did we all come together against Vietnam a certain high-minded philosophy that and Nixon so that a trio of Canadians could could be easily categorized as Ayn Randian. fill stadiums with riffing paens to the perils Ryan’s connection to Ayn Rand is pretty of taking care of those less able? In April 2010, while at a stop on the camclear: he has been an outspoken advocate paign trail that eventually led to a Kentucky for her philosophy of Objectivism, spelling Senate seat, Tea Party then-hopeful Rand out his devotion to her work in 2005 when, Paul quoted Rush outside of an eatery. “Glitin a speech to the Randians of the Atlas tering prizes and endless compromises Society, he stated “If I had to credit . . . shatter the illusion of integrity,” Dr. one person [who inspired me], it Paul shouted, borrowing a line from would be Ayn Rand.” Will R 1980’s “Spirit of Radio.” It was the It’s not a drastic leap from u s h spo Rand ut exact confluence of Ayn Rand a sentiment like that to at th ian dogma eiR and right-wing politics that the the words of Neil Peart; gaRd 10/24 td ONlY O en gig? band had been steering clear of “Anthem” from 1975’s Fly N e w fIND O uT. AN AY TO for decades. In an interview this By Night, for instance, D mAke A DOu IT June with Rolling Stone promotespouses Rand’s theme of wITH P Ble-feATuRe ART 2 O f ATlA shrug ing Clockwork Angels, Rush’s the virtues of selfishness. But s ge IN THe d (NOw latest, Peart responded to the Rand it’s worth noting that, amid ATeRS ). question by stating that he considers the wanton hedonism of ’70s himself “a bleeding-heart libertarian,” rock, pop, and soul, Rush’s stance and expressed his disappointment in the didn’t particularly stand out as way his initial concept of libertarianism got politically incorrect. Rush may not “twisted by the flaws of humanity.” have sung about smoking doobs, but It was a washing of the hands, although it otherwise their notions of railing against a is interesting to consider his remarks in the collectivist regime seemed no more “selfish” context of his lyrics on Clockwork Angels, a than “Slow Ride,” “Walk This Way,” or any solid platter from the band that nonetheother in-rotation 1975 hard-rock classic. less sees them continuing with themes of In 1976, Rush released 2112; the title an all-controlling collective that squashes track was a side-long sci-fi Peart ode to the opportunities of the gifted few. If Peart the struggle of the individual against a colhas slowly forsaken the overt worship at lective authority. As the tune’s premise is the temple of Rand, he still believes with a cribbed heavily from Ayn Rand’s novella fiery passion in his rock-and-roll mission Anthem, Peart dutifully credited her in the to ignite a righteous flame of individual inliner notes, thanking “the genius of Ayn dignation in the heart of his listeners — and Rand.” The band received flack from critics, that’s probably enough to land his tunes on some of whom labeled the album “fascist,” someone like Ryan’s playlists for life. P mistakenly thinking that the band sided << rush from p 28
HALLOWEEN 2012
S E S I R O RADI E H T FROM
D A DE
10.31 MIDNIGHT
THE ALL NEW
Spotlight :: gaming
a Challenger appears
One womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s battle against the anxious masculinity of the fighting-games scene. by Mad d y Myers
m m y e r s @ p h x .c o m :: @ s a m u s c lo n e
32 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
Game Underground
y
Photo by Gina ManninG
ou can’t get real Street Fighter skills if you play by yourself. Same goes for Marvel vs. Capcom, or Mortal Kombat, or any fighting game. You have to leave your house. You have to lose, hundreds of times, to better players. You have to learn why they win before you can do the same. You have to go to Fight Night.
Arcades are dead, but the fighting-games community has straggled on without them, via gaming meet-ups in stores, bars, and basements. I first went to a fight night at a store in Framingham called Game Underground a couple of years ago. Actually, I guess my first fight nights went down at arcades in my elementary school years . . . and never stopped. I’ve been gaming across all the genres, from Counter-Strike to StarCraft to Diablo, for what feels like forever, and I’ve been writing about games professionally for five years. But I’ve never felt good enough at any one game to compete in a tournament. I can usually beat my friends at fighting games in particular, though. So I feel ready to get schooled by a more experienced set. GU still hosts fight nights every Tuesday and Friday night, so I go back on a recent Friday. I walk down into the windowless basement, armed only with a five-dollar bill and a chip on my shoulder. I hand the cashier my money. He looks confused. “It’s five dollars, right?” I say. He pauses. “For Fight Night . . . ?” No, for tampons. What else? I am a woman. The only woman in a basement
of 25 guys. No ladies descending the stairs with a joystick in hand. Not even a bored girlfriend retrieving a McDonald’s cheeseburger for her sweetheart. I’m on my own in here. And I’m about to invite a room full of strange men to kick my virtual ass. I see a few backs stiffen with discomfort and a few hard looks in my direction as I turn from the cash register and walk toward the circle of TV screens. Women don’t come and play fighting games here. It. Just. Doesn’t. Happen. The guys are confused. They’re uncomfortable. But I promise you, no one is more uncomfortable than I am. Nearly everyone has arcade sticks with them, except for me. Take that metaphor and run with it. And right now, I miss my old arcade stick more than ever; I gave it away after my ex-boyfriend moved out and took the PS3 with him. Instead, I’ve been practicing with an Xbox controller all week, and I’ll just have to make do with one of those tonight. I see a bearded guy with a controller in hand — the only other person without a stick. “Where’d you get the controller?” I ask him. He either doesn’t hear me or ignores me. >> fight night on p 34
THEPHOENIX.cOm :: 10.19.12 33
Spotlight :: gaming “Oh, you didn’t bring a controller?” someone else pipes up. “Last time I was here, I used the game-store ones,” I mumble. “When was that?” “I don’t know. A couple years ago.” I’m not just a newbie — I’m also a misinformed, out-of-date newbie. Great. Someone hands me a controller. I clutch it and watch Controller Guy playing Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. He’s losing. He’s not happy. He grunts about unfairness. His opponent doesn’t rise to the trash-talking and just keeps his mind and fast-tapping fingers on the game. He’s been on a lucky streak all night (or so the surrounding players say), and he’s not backing down now. After the two guys play what feels like 200 matches, someone asks me if I have next game. I say yes, and realize I should’ve said that earlier. If you don’t shout “Next!” every few matches, the guys gaming in front of you will try to sneak in more and more clicks of the old Rematch button. You might even have to grab a stranger’s shoulder and demand to cut in. You’ve got to be a jerk about it, because everybody else is going to be. The longer I wait, the more convinced I become of my impending embarrassment. There’s no way I can win. But I’m here. And I have to try. This is the beginning. All heroes start out at rock bottom. Cue Rocky theme. At last, Controller Guy has given up the fight, and it’s my turn to get in the game. I pick my team. My speedster: X-23, the female clone of Wolverine. My trap-setting, wary trickster: Trish, from Devil May Cry. And last but not least, my heavy-hitter: She-Hulk. I turn to my opponent and say, with a grin, “So, I’m pretty bad at this. I’m still learning.” He smiles back and says, “Well, this is how you get better.” I can see a small crowd growing behind us in the corner of my eye; I don’t want to turn around to find out if they’re here to See If the Girl Can Play. I hope it’s just a coincidence. Maybe they’re all standing behind me for some other interesting reason. One can only hope. I already know that being able to beat my friends isn’t going to help me down here, in a place where everyone else has been playing fighting games every second of every day for their whole lives. All I can do is lose with my head high and hope to learn something. Perhaps my nervousness acts as a handicap, perhaps it’s the selffulfilling prophecy of my negativity, or perhaps it’s just my lack of raw experience — but I do get slaughtered 34 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
MADDY MYERS VS. THE WORLD I lose, with dignity, to this guy at Game Underground.
in the ring. Somehow, I feel like I’m wasting everyone’s time, so after only three short and unbalanced matches, I shake my opponent’s hand. When I turn around, almost all of the guys behind me disperse without making eye contact. I stand behind two new players, clinging to the now-sweaty store controller and waiting for my heart rate to go back down. I watch the fight on the screen, not feeling yet like I have the brain capacity to absorb the players’ techniques. I imagine my feet sinking into the floor. A couple guys come up and try to make conversation with me. They both ask the same questions: “What are you doing here?” “Why did you come?” They seem genuinely curious. My response — “I just wanted to play” — doesn’t satisfy either of them. They keep asking that same question with different wording. So I say “I don’t know” until they go away. Another guy walks up and asks if I have the next game. Sure, why not. He tells me it’s his first time here; he’s got a stick with him, and he looks excited. He asks if I’ve been here before, and I admit I have. “You’re a regular!” he exclaims. I laugh. No, not exactly. While we’re talking, another guy across the room suddenly jumps up
from his game of Tekken Tag 2 and walks over to a pile of old TVs on the floor. He kicks one, hard, eight times in succession. The room falls silent. Everyone stares. “Oh, hey, are we allowed to do that?” says another guy with a laugh. No one else laughs. The silence stretches. TV Kicker shoves his hands in his pockets and pushes out of the room, his mouth a hard, angry line. He storms up the stairs. He does not come back. Someone breaks the silence by asking TV Kicker’s opponent: “Did you do that?” “I guess so,” he admits. “Should I be proud, or . . . ?” “Yes!” Everyone laughs, except for me. It’s my turn to play another round of UMvC3. I’m up against the one guy using a controller instead of an arcade stick. I start out by asking him about his settings, which I’ve heard are unusual. He interrupts me. “So, are we all supposed to go easy on you?” He gives me a crooked smile. I pause. Because I’m a girl? Because I’m a girl. I stare at him with serious eyes, giving him more than enough time to backpedal. But he keeps grinning. So I give him a “no” in my best Daria deadpan. He laughs. He sounds nervous and
a little too high-pitched. “Come on, I thought we were having fun here.” I pause for a while, watching him. “I’m sorry, I’m just confused,” I say. “What did you mean by that?” He laughs. He won’t answer. “What did you mean?” I ask again. “See, if I don’t go easy on you, you won’t have any fun,” he says. “I’m not here to have fun,” I say. “I’m here to learn. Go ahead and beat me.” I try to bring the topic back around to his controller settings. He tells me in a baby voice which buttons are the attack buttons, so I ignore him. I hate him now. And I hate the fact that he’s about to beat me even more. He does beat me, worse than before, to the point where I wonder if my previous opponent had been “going easy on me.” But it turns out that my loss is partly because I forgot to set up my controller settings, having been too distracted by his pre-game trash talk. Eventually, I suck up my pride and tell him I have to fix my settings. My reward? He laughs in my face for what feels like eternity. Once my settings get updated, I manage to get a few hits in, but I’m so demoralized by now that I can’t focus. He starts mocking me: “See? You don’t look like you’re having fun! Even when I lose, I still have a great time,” he brags. Don’t you dare tell me what expression to have on my face, I think. I already saw you complaining about losing to someone else earlier tonight, so I already know you’re a sore jerk when you go down. I may not be having fun, but god damn it, I’m fighting. Eventually I tell him we should stop playing, because someone behind us is waiting to play. To my surprise, he begs and begs me for a rematch, but I turn away. He may be having fun, but I can tell I’m not learning anything from this experience. I watch more matches for another hour, keeping my eye on timing and techniques as much as my tired eyes can stand. Then I go home and buy an arcade stick on the Internet. It’s time for training mode.
round two
I wanted to check out a different fight night at a place called Brain Box in Jamaica Plain. I checked their Facebook page the day I planned to go and saw that they had changed their photo to be an image of three busty women dressed as the three female characters from Marvel vs. Capcom who wear the tiniest outfits. I’m guessing that these women were corporate-hired models rather than fans, due to the deadened disinterest in their eyes. The image served >> fight night on p 36
photo by gina manning
<< fight night from p 33
Gansett.com
75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 617.357.4810 â&#x20AC;˘ www.davios.com
Spotlight :: gaming
enter the wolverine
The Microsoft Store has only been in the Prudential Center for a month; the store hosts both planned and unplanned gaming sessions on each of their big-screen TVs every night. I found the store’s event listings at meetup.com and registered to attend their Street Fighter X Tekken night. I’ve played some SFXT before, but since I had been playing UMvC3 on my stick for a while by the time I went to the store, I bring my copy of that game along just in case I can convince anyone else to play it with me. I lean against the doorway and watch people play for 10 minutes. While I loiter, no one asks if I need help or seems to notice me, but I don’t mind this so much; I’d rather be ignored than stared down, and I enjoy watching the game. Finally, an employee asks me what I am doing there. I ask him in return if the store would consider organizing an Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 night. Turns out, the game nights get dictated by corporate, he explains, so they don’t even have copies of UMvC3 on hand. “If we did have a copy, you could play it,” he says. “What if I told you I had a copy right here?” By now, the guys in the room have turned around. Several stare at me in bewilderment. “Oh, shit,” says one of the male players, “I bet she’s a pro.” “I’m definitely not,” I say, laughing. “I’m just not very good at Street Fighter X Tekken. I thought I might convince you guys to play this instead if I brought it.” “How did you even know this was happening?” someone asked. “We just saw the store and came in.” 36 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm
“Oh, I Googled around for fight nights, and this was one that I found,” I said. The guys look at each other. I can’t tell if they’re impressed or freaked out. A little of both? My game’s title screen flashes over the TV. More guys walk into the back room with exclaims of interest. “Marvel vs. Capcom? I love this game,” says one of the newcomers. “You all play this game? You guys all have Xbox?” One of the other guys points at me. “I only have a PS3, but she has an Xbox. This is her game.” The newcomer stares hard at me. “It’s your game?” Time to go through the motions. “Yes.” “You play this game?” “Yes.” “You play video games?” “Yes.” “You have an Xbox?!” “Yes.” “Whoa! You gotta give me your gamertag!” “No, thanks.” “What? Why not? You have Xbox Live, right?” “I do, just . . . no, thanks.” The guy turns and walks right out of the store. He doesn’t come back. The guy who pointed at me says, “That was weird.” “It wasn’t that unusual,” I say. “Not for me.” “Oh, right,” he says. “You’re a girl who plays video games. And that’s pretty weird.” It’s not a compliment. He says it with a hint of concern in his eyes, as though he’s letting me know that I have a symptom of some larger, mysterious disorder. Meanwhile, all the guys are playing my game. “You have got to get this game here,” says the guy who’s won every match so far, to a Microsoft Store employee. “Oh, and Dead or Alive! I love that game.” Everyone has a good laugh about Dead or Alive, because it’s more a softcore porn than a video game. I laugh, but out of discomfort. The employee is watching me and standing closer to me than I’d prefer. “Right, Dead or Alive,” I quip. “Because it’s got such great game mechanics, right?” “No, that’s not why people like it,” says the employee. He doesn’t seem
to understand my joke. “They like it because the girls in it have huge boobs.” I stare at him. “I mean, reaaaaaaally huge boobs.” He gestures at his own chest and moves his hands around. I look at the floor again. He keeps trying to talk to me after that, asking me my name and what other games I like. I back away from him and stop answering. After what feels like forever, he says goodbye and walks away. I tell the guys that I want the next game, but they keep ignoring me. It seems that no one will look at me anymore. They all want to play my game, but they don’t want to play it with me. Eventually, a different employee starts repeating to everyone that I have next game and they’d better let me play. Between every match, he repeats this. They ignore him. Finally, the guy who’s won every match has to go. I swoop in and grab his controller as soon as he stands up. The other guys look uncomfortable, but I don’t care. I’ve waited long enough. None of these guys have sticks, so I feel like a jerk taking mine out and plugging it in. All of a sudden I feel over-prepared, like a show-off. I decide to see how well I can do back on a controller, even though I’ve been practicing with my stick. I pick my team. In the past couple weeks of practicing, I’ve switched to Wolverine instead of X-23. I tend to need firepower over fancy footwork. I still have Trish and her traps on standby if I want to keep my distance. And if I need even more power, I’ll switch in She-Hulk. My opponent picks the Phoenix, Magneto, and — ironically enough — X-23. Not so different from my team in terms of character strengths and weaknesses. His Phoenix goes down first and fast. I’m chaining combos like a champ, not letting her get a hit in edgewise. She could really do damage, if she’d had the chance, but I wasn’t about to let that happen. She’s strong, but he
Game Underground
made the mistake of starting with her instead of saving her and hitting X-Factor to boost her speed and power for a big finish. Next, my Wolverine must fight X-23, but my health’s depleted, and I’m soon left with only Trish and She-Hulk. I’m switching between characters, doing aerial tags, and trying to remember the combos I drilled in training mode, but the early loss of the Phoenix seems to have given my opponent a desperate second wind. Before long, we’re both at halfhealth on our final characters: SheHulk for me, Magneto for him. I’m dodging his long-range blasts and flinging aerial hits as best I can. I can see my health slipping. We both hit X-Factor for the home stretch, but I’ve still got a sliver more health than he does, enough to buy me the confidence to line up a big final blow: an aerial kick right to the face. KO! Player 1 wins! I realize I’ve been holding my breath, and I heave a sigh of satisfaction. My first-ever win at a fight night! I feel a warm glow spread over my whole body. This feeling — this must be the reason to keep coming back. To get better, to watch your own progress, to feel this good about yourself. And to think I felt too nervous to even walk in here. I turn to my opponent to give him a smile, a handshake, a “good game” . . . but he’s standing up, keeping his back to me, tossing his controller down on the table, and walking out of the store without looking back once. Oh. Okay. A guy who just walked in sits down to play with me. My mind’s not on the game anymore. I feel unfocused. The next match ends up being another close one, maybe even a game I could have won, but I lose and give up my controller. The other Microsoft Store employee smiles at me as I walk away from the TV. “See?” he says. “Now you’ve had that taste of competition!” You have no idea. P
Brain Box
photos by gina manning
<< fight night from p 34
its intended double-whammy of a purpose: it garnered Facebook likes and comments from Brain Box’s straight male customers, and it convinced me that Brain Box didn’t care about making their space seem welcoming to women. I had already packed my new arcade stick, so in spite of their testosteroneaddled Facebook page, I willed myself to take the 39 bus there anyway. I even managed to walk all the way from the bus stop to their front door. I paced back and forth on their block for 10 minutes, looking inside the store each time I went by. I saw all the familiar trappings of a fight night: guys with arcade sticks, a cash register, laughter and shouting. But I couldn’t make myself go in. I don’t always have the energy to be The Example.
Guide to
photos by michael spencer
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Guide to Harvard Square
Dining
Coffee shops 21 | Algiers | Nowadays, most cafés have become Internet hotspots that just so happen to serve coffee, which makes a truly civilized chat-whilst-clinkingmint-teacups establishment like Algiers all the more vital. Sitting in the cozy confines of the second-floor octagonal attic, you may feel like you have merged Escher-like into an Arabesque frieze. So sit with a friend and tuck into a plate of baba ganoush (pretentious scarf optional but encouraged).
22 | L.A. Burdick | The hot chocolate here is legendary, and the varieties offer a globetrotting taste test through single-source cocoas: Venezuelan, Bolivian, Madagascan, and more. (Screw the diet. Try them all. It’s, uh, research.) Squeeze into the bustling café to make friends with a raspberry tart or two. And if you trade glances with a sweet, sweater-clad stranger over a hot cup of tea, remember the following icebreaker: “Chocolate Supreme, for two.”
michael spencer
23 | Café Pamplona | Bastion of the
Otto
late-night bourbon drink and patty melt.
grilled-pizza joint has an understated elegance. The wood-paneled walls, the cool slate bar, and the pizza itself, thin of crust and fresh of topping, all come together to form a sleek reinterpretation of the pizzeria, brought to you by the owners of minimalist mainstays Middlesex Lounge, Audubon Circle, and Miracle of Science. Ooey-gooey and sloppy with sauce, this is not. Think hot cherry peppers, Black Forest ham, and manchego instead. It’s pizza for grown-ups.
7 | Rialto | Light, breezy, and filled with harvest-toned, curvilinear nooks, the entire interior evokes the sunlit hills of Italy, smack in the middle of Harvard Square. Of course, it also speaks to Jody Adams’s exuberant Mediterranean-influenced cookery, whose fresh, healthy emphasis on produce and seafood makes Rialto a go-to.
8 | Russell House Tavern | This upscale
Chef Mary Dumont keeps the concept simple but the plates sophisticated at her upscale American restaurant, where fireside seating, a 350-deep wine list, and flavorful oysters, scallop, and duck dishes conspire to create one badass — sorry, breathtaking — bounty. A fierce Iron Chef competitor and Best New Chef honoree by Food & Wine, Dumont clearly works hard at her culinary craft — and at Harvest, we reap the benefits.
ships. And we would gladly open our city gates for a wooden horse if it came bearing their onion rings.
3 | Lê’s | For a great pho menu, head to
5 | Otto | Portland, Maine–born mini-chain
Russell House Tavern
Lê’s. At this Vietnamese joint, you can slurp your way through a wide-ranging selection of pho dishes (in addition to the classic beef variety, Lê’s offers options with chicken, pork, shrimp, fish cakes, and tofu), all for under $9.
Otto packs some mighty big flavors into this teeny Cambridge outpost. Open till 2 am on weekends, it’s always heaving with folks vying for slices topped with pulled pork and mango or butternut squash and cranberry — or even just plain old pepperoni.
4 | Mr. Bartley’s | Boston’s experienced a
6 | Park | Funny how in this part of
burger renaissance in the last few years, with B.Good, UBurger, Tasty Burger, and Boston Burger Company bringing their beef to our fair burg. But all these young burger turks should pay homage to the rule of the small-but-venerable Mr. Bartley’s over the wide expanse of burgerdom. These burgers are delicious enough to launch a thousand
town, most of our favorite haunts are subterranean. And we’re only too happy to make like molemen and dive underground for Park, the latest from the crew behind Grafton Street and Russell House Tavern. In these cozy confines (strewn with leather armchairs, bookshelves, and Oriental carpets), you’ll undoubtedly hoist many a
michael spencer
2 | Harvest | Fresh, local, in-season.
gastropub in the heart of the Square is bustling any time of day or night, but we especially love Russell House for their brunch. House-made buttermilk biscuits, French toast oozing with Nutella, that breakfast pizza . . . what time is it right now? Scrumptious late-morning offerings aside, Russell House scores major points for an extensive craft-beer menu, a lively singles scene at the bar on weekend nights, and inventive takes on classic American fare.
24 | Crema Cafe | Many a Harvard student will recommend Crema as one of Cambridge’s top coffee shops, highlighting its import blends and chalkboard specials like the tomato bisque soup. They’d be right — and if you’re lucky enough to nab a table on its busy second-floor loft, it’s the perfect place to soak in the caffeinated Ivy League air and crank out that midterm paper.
25 | Dado | Repeat after us: “You must chill.” When it’s time to refocus, stop in at Dado. With a dizzying selection of teas (hot, iced, and boba), a healthy menu of veggie-friendly vittles, and WiFi for some leisurely surfing, it’s a prime place to soothe those frazzled nerves.
9 | UpStairs on the Square | The upstairs of UpStairs is the fancy dining room, an enchanting fantasy of Alice in Wonderland as illustrated by Klimt. Wear your shiny clothes! The food is French, Italian, and American nouvelle by turns, and some of the simple things, like the rib-eye steak, are as great as the trickier ones, like the Mission fig ravioli.
10 | Zinneken’s | This petite café slings Liège-style Belgian waffles, all crispy with caramelized pearl sugar. Choose from an array of decadent combos, such as the Gourmand (bananas, whipped cream, caramel) or the Oreo Freakin’ Party (Oreos, raspberries, whipped cream).
Algiers
Special advertiSing Section :: 10.19.12 39
meredith cohen
1 | Cambridge 1 | This dimly lit charcoal-
old Harvard Square, the storied, subterranean Café Pamplona was the first café in the ‘hood when it opened in 1959. Today, as then, it draws readers, writers, thinkers, Cambridge bizarros, brainiacs, and bohemians (Amanda Palmer sings a line about it) into its austere underground warmth. Josefina Yanguas, who came to Cambridge from Pamplona, Spain, in 1948, owned the place for almost 50 years, and introduced the culture of the café.
Guide to Harvard Square
Drinking
Bars & Pubs
11 | Charlies Kitchen | Along with burgers and lobster rolls, this Cambridge institution of a bar serves up an atmosphere right out of the 1950s. Stay downstairs for the booths and lively waitstaff, or head upstairs for the punkand-indie-stocked jukeboxes. Reservations are available and recommended on nice weekend nights. Check out the beer garden next door and keep an eye out for interesting characters.
end of the night.
16 | John Harvard’s Brew House | Don’t let the name fool you. Even with its relative proximity to the university, this isn’t some uppity “members only”–type establishment. Nope, it’s a beer bar through and through, as egalitarian as they come: their extensive, budget-friendly menu satisfies carnivores and veggies alike; and the house-brewed brews range from Pilgrim’s Porter to Demon Double Pale Ale. With an exceptionally awesome waitstaff and a comfy basement setting, JH’s requires you check the snobbery at the door.
12 | Daedalus | The bar area of this hip take on an Irish pub is small if not downright tiny, and it’s always packed to the gills. We assume that’s due to the knowledgeable bartenders, creative and well-crafted cocktails, and tasty bar bites (be sure to dine one evening at the restaurant downstairs as well). On summer evenings, wellheeled twentysomethings flock to the spacious roof-deck patio: prime al fresco drinking and mingling grounds. Come early if you want to score a seat.
17 | Noir | Small, classy, and 1940s-chic, this lounge at the Charles Hotel has a sultry black-and-red interior. Choose from seasonal beverages (such as the Maltese Falcon, Sake Sangria, or Zombie Doble), a small gourmet bar-food menu, and a raw bar. It’s perfect for a pre-dinner martini or an after-dinner port, and the kitchen is open until 11 pm.
13 | First Printer | The spot this gastropub inhabits has had many lives — most notably, as the former home of Stephen Daye (reportedly America’s first printer) and later as a bank . . . which means you can eat those crab hushpuppies in an actual massive bank vault. And the brains behind First Printer’s cocktail menu? None other than DJ/musician/master mixologist Brother Cleve.
18 | Shays | This pub boasts a singular dive vibe that’s unrivaled in Harvard Square. Their patio might be the last frontier for those looking to consume alcohol and smoke cigarettes simultaneously in a restaurant setting. This affordable wine bar offers a casual atmosphere perfect for low-maintenance dates or just shooting the shit with friends, and thoughtful appetizers like baked Brie and hummus plates are Shays’ answer to greasyfried bar bites.
14 | Grendel’s Den | This seems like it’d be an easy place for a Beowulf pun, but we’ll spare you. Nestled in a blink-and-you-miss-it corner spot, this location bears a hearty variety of both drafts and bottles, with a rotating guest tap special. A little tip for those not in the know: mind the margaritas. They’re pretty stiff, and testing your luck with more than two could have you hitting the floor harder than the Scyldings in Heorot (sorry, couldn’t resist).
19 | The Cellar | We’re always a little reluctant to celebrate the Cellar — a secret we want to keep — because we don’t want to lose a seat at the bar. Secret’s out: the Cellar, underground, with stone walls, wood beams, and the friendliest set of bartenders around, is one of our favorite spots, relaxed and welcoming, to have a pint and a conversation. Chef Brandon Arms’s ever-evolving menu from the Garden upstairs continues to impress, and the burger remains one of the best in the city.
michael spencer
15 | Hong Kong | Two words: scorpion bowls.
Charlie’s Kitchen
imagined that a bookstore that only carries poetry would be a pretty small bookstore, then surprise, you’ve just imagined Grolier, one of the only all-poetry shops in the country. Besides having a staff that can help solve even the knottiest “I’m looking for a book by a poet who sounds like this” queries, Grolier somehow manages to cram them in for its legendary poetry readings, as quatrains bounce off the walls, threatening to topple the ceiling-high book piles.
37 | Harvard Book Store | The best part of the Harvard Book Store is its colorful underbelly. While the main store stocks new releases and maintains meticulous displays, a healthy selection of used titles awaits humble bookworms in the basement: a reader’s refuge
20 | Tory Row | The service is fast, the seating’s communal, the beer and wine list’s inviting, and the gastropub grub includes plenty of tasty, shareable apps. Translation: this is a damn fine place for apres-show drinks.
Million Year Picnic
38 | Harvard Coop | In the most dense college region in America, Harvard Square is the epicenter of academia. And at the beating, bleeding heart of that scrum is the COOP, which serves not only students with text books and erasers, but also locals and tourists shopping for everything from classic prints and posters to cufflinks and school hoodies. Only MIT and Harvard affiliates can join for $1 and enjoy the COOP’s storied annual rebate, but if you live in Greater Boston, chances are you know a wicked smart card-carrying member.
39 | Million Year Picnic | Crammed into the tiny subterranean confines of Million Year Picnic are the city’s finest specimens of sequential art. Whether you crave the latest issue of
40 10.19.12 :: Special advertiSing Section
meredith cohen
Books
36 | Grolier Poetry Book Shop | If you’ve ever
that feels more like a library than a bookstore. The HBS’s “human-powered” delivery service (read: via bike), meanwhile, is an affordable way for book-lovers of all budgets to indulge their literary fantasies.
(Two more words: pace yourself. Those babies pack a wallop.) The original, three-level location of this Chinese restaurant-cum-club is like a pupu platter for this ’hood’s bar scene. Want karaoke? They got it. Dancing? Sure thing. Girls walking by with trays of neon-colored shots and chicken on skewers? Check, check. Pro tip: a large order of their fried rice is just the thing to help soak up some of that rum punch at the
Swamp Thing, a collection of classic Vampirella trades, something terrifying by Charles Burns, or a Walking Dead T-shirt, these guys are your hook-up.
40 | Raven Used Books | Proximity to the world’s best university pays dividends, especially when it comes to used books. All
those eggheads selling the Oxford University Press titles they’ve torn through in fits of intellectual ecstasy have enriched Raven Used Books beyond measure, to say nothing of their foreign-language selection. Before Jean-Claude returns to the Sorbonne, he first needs to dump his Bernard-Henry Lévy collection at the store nearest his garret. So it’s little wonder the store has become a destination for Cantabrigian and Bostonian bookhunters alike. It also doesn’t hurt that they frequently undersell Amazon.
41 | Schoenhof’s | You could probably live your entire life without knowing the pleasures of leafing through a foreign-language bookstore — but why would you want to? Schoenhof’s, an institution since the mid-19th century, allows you to enter a world where you can learn Spanish with guides that are more involved than a dictionary; where you can peruse the entire Harry Potter series . . . in Arabic; where you can pick up baby books in German for those helicopter parents you know.
Excellent
~Alex Ross, The New Yorker
A style that feeds the body as well as the soul…dark, sensuous, and lusty
Treat yourself good
Treat yourself right
~Jeffrey Gantz, The Boston Globe
Tasty offer for October & November
The leading vocal ensemble in the U.S. for Renaissance music Scott Metcalfe, Music Director
Concerts at First Church in Cambridge 11 Garden Street, Harvard Square This season on December 21 & 22, March 2 and May 4
Visit www.blueheronchoir.org or call 617-960-7956 for tickets
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Not applicable towards Takeout Deals, Two for You™ Specials, Snack Hours®, Gift Card or alcohol purchases. One coupon per party. Valid at participating restaurants. Not valid with other offers, coupons or discounts. Void where prohibited by law. No cash value. Coupon is not transferable and not for resale.
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22 JFK Street | Harvard Square | 617-497-1530 Pizzeria Uno Corporation. © 2012 B2791
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The Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters endorses candidates for State Senate and the House of Representatives who work to advance environmental legislation that honors the Commonwealth’s conservation legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles Eliot, James J. and Helen Osborne Storrow.
Six Priority Bills for Beacon Hill in 2013 The Expanded Bottle Bill The Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals Bill A new Massachusetts Endangered Species Bill The Old Growth Forest Permanent Protection Bill The Dam Safety Removal and Repair Bill The Sustainable Water Resources Bill Find out where your Beacon Hill candidates stand and what you can do for the Commonwealth as a member of the League at www.mlev.org
The Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters 12 Eliot St, Cambridge, MA 02138 617 661-6646
The most celebratory holiday restaurant in town. Open Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day & Holiday Parties Located in the heart of Harvard Square 617 864.1933 • upstairsonthesquare.com
Guide to Harvard Square
Oona’s
chai truffles, spotted dick, a jar of cassoulet, caviar from Mississippi. If you need some chocolate-covered marzipan and some vintage champagne to celebrate that special something, chances are you’ll find it browsing the aisles of this cluttered Gourmet Shoppe.
31 | Concepts | From hip-hop to skate culture, mint kicks to sleek jackets and snapbacks, this shop sells street style for lofty spenders and fly high-schoolers alike. Founded in ’95 and setting trends ever since, Concepts is here to help all of us stay fresh to death.
32 | Leavitt & Peirce | Don’t pop into Leavitt &
meredith cohen
Peirce looking for a bong, bowl, or blunts. Have some class and check out the area’s sweetest selection of tobacco treats and everything you need to smoke in style. Besides cigars and pipe accessories, Leavitt & Peirce also stocks the kind of wooden table games and silver tchotchkes that can transform any lame office into a certifiable study.
Mint Julep
26 | Forty Winks | You want to know Victoria’s secret? It’s that no one has found rhinestonestudded thongs sexy since 1995. Classier dames, and the gents that buy them pretty little designer-made things, know that Forty Winks is where to find sensual lingerie, sleepwear, and undergarments that let you feel like a lady — not a lady of the night. Whether you want silky robes, lacy boyshorts, or even a glam garter belt, they’ve got you (un)covered.
27 | Armageddon Records | Since 2000, Armageddon has owned an independent record shop in Providence, and in 2010, they opened a second shop up in Harvard Square, in the very space where Twisted Village used to reside. Their carefully curated stock of records and tapes ranges from indie, punk, garage, and metal to noise, blues, jazz, and other genres, with a specific focus on local and underground artists.
28 | Black Ink | Not even the most robust selection of emoticons can communicate the charm of a longhand letter. Especially when you’ve penned that puppy on stationery
from Black Ink, stocked with greeting cards, notebooks, and wrapping papers that scream “Cute!” and whisper, oh-so-lovingly, “Kitsch!” While there, treat yourself to a trinket from the adorable selection of gifts: whimsical doodads and whatzits so odd and unnecessary, we must own them all. Now.
29 | Bob Slate | Early last year, people with a certain threshold for whimsy found themselves shocked and awed at the savage closing of all three Cambridge/Somerville Bob Slates. But commerce has a way of filling a void, and so a mere six months later, tears of sadness turned into hoorahs as new owners opened the doors to a wonderland of quill pens and quality paper products. Need a fountain pen to scribe that special parchment? Been scouring the Hub for just the right Clairefontaine notebook? Your prayers have been answered.
30 | Cardullo’s | Sometimes you have an itch that can only be scratched by picking up some epicurean obscurities and imports that are the total opposite of what you find in a grocery store. We’re talking clotted cream,
42 10.19.12 :: Special advertiSing Section
33 | Mint Julep | This adorable boutique is a homegrown local business with a “Zooey Deschanel enters the workforce” kind of vibe. Vibrant floral blouses and elegant lace dresses are yours for the choosing. Mint Julep’s fashions are new, but the staff meticulously selects its stock to maintain a vintage-chic look. And they’re always happy to help customers find what they’re looking for. Expect lots of airy pastels for spring and bright, colorful prints in the summer.
34 | Oona’s | No Salvation Army, this thrift and consignment shop’s wares are carefully curated. Which is not to say you won’t find an eclectic range of gently used styles to choose from, from wacky costume-wear to beautiful vintage pieces. Oona’s is a fashion oasis for the budgetconscious, style-savvy shopper with an eye for a good find.
35 | TistiK | Our Mayan is a little rusty, but we do know TistiK lives up to its name — which apparently translates to “a warm welcome to you!” The super-friendly staff are happy to answer questions about its stock of unique jewelry and accessories, all hand-crafted by emerging Mexican designers. Made of everything from sterling silver to blown glass to fish scales (!), their creations range from sleek to funky and come with non-ridic price points. What’s the word for “gift go-to”?
Insider | Ellie Mueller, owner of Oona’s What’s the difference between vintage and retro? retro is a remade item designed to look old. What’s the difference between vintage and used? Vintage indicates that something’s gotten better with age; that it remains timeless, and it’s as relevant now as it was before. Usually, in the context of a vintage store, that means it’s been hand-selected for you by someone who’s recycling something and trying to make it relevant for the present. Vintage is usually the best of the past curated for you. Used just means anyone could have used it. Used doesn’t have any context. Can you give us any dos and don’ts? in my mind, it’s not about any specific trend. it’s about how you’re pulling off that trend, or just a look in general. part of being a shop owner is you’re not really shopping for yourself anymore. you’re shopping for all sorts of people. it’s not about your taste so much as, “okay, well, here’s this type of person’s taste. What about it can you really get behind, and what parts of it are like, ‘ehhh.’ ” Will people in the future dress like us? Well, the thing about fashion is, it’s always recycling things. it would be easy for us if vintage was just copying something. i don’t think people will dress like us so much, but they’ll look back at what we were wearing, see aspects of it that inspire them and seem relevant, then channel those ideas. like the way people are talking about the ‘90s now. they’re not really re-creating or dressing like the ‘90s. they’re taking aspects of what they saw being made then and saying, “Well, that was really interesting. that seems sort of fresh now. let’s play with that and see what we can come up with.”
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Shopping
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3 Stars! Boston Phoenix Aug. 10 2012
Korean BBQ and Cuisine featuring the ultimate in taste –The BonChonchicken. Come enjoy our 18 tables complete with their own BBQ grills.
“Addicted Yet?” 57 JFK Street, Cambridge | 617.868.0981 Bonchoncambridge57@gmail.com Facebook/ BonChon Harvard www.bonchon.com
Harvard Square | 1238 Mass Ave, Cambridge www.hongkongharvard.com | 617.864.5311
restaurant . lounge . night club
Looking for
something
fun to do?
Visit Curious George and all his friends at the
WORLD’S ONLY
Curious George Store
• • • 617-547-4500
•
M-S: 10am - 8pm Sun: 10am - 6pm
Harvard Square
We carry most extensive collection of Curious George books, games & toys Discover a vast array of gifts and clothing for all ages Featuring exclusive designs only available here and on our website Independently owned and operated You can easily find us in the heart of historic Harvard Square, directly across from the Harvard T stop.
•
1 JFK Street
•
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www.TheCuriousGeorgeStore.com
Guide to Harvard Square
Culture 42 | American Repertory Theater/Oberon | It takes a mighty theater company to create a performance that raises eyebrows of legends like Stephen Sondheim, but that’s exactly what the American Repertory Theater did with The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, a refreshed, enhanced take on the opera that later moved to Broadway. The company enlists global talent to push the envelope further every season, at the main theater as well as Oberon, its cabaretesque second stage.
Theatre is sacred cinema ground. It’s been around forever, and among its many accomplishments is initiating the Humphrey Bogart revival back in the ’50s. These days, it’s still going strong, with outstanding programming that appeals to every film taste, from Nosferatu to Cabin in the Woods, from Our Man in Havana to OSS 117, from the trashy Trailer Treats collection to, well, Casablanca. They also host local premieres of edgy features, and sometimes old friends like Crispin Glover, Elliott Gould, and David Lynch might even drop by. Plus, they serve beer and wine at the concession stand, so you don’t need to brownbag it.
Club Passim
44 | Harvard Film Archive | Forget film
musicians, and other singer/songwriters. The atmosphere is eclectic and pleasant, with art on display. After years of being dry, it now offers beer and wine; and thanks to the Veggie Planet restaurant, there’s no shortage of imaginative drinks and food. Call or visit the website to purchase tickets. Members receive a $2 discount on live concerts. Live performances begin at 8 pm, unless otherwise noted.
school; you can get all the cinema education you need at the Harvard Film Archive. As befits its Ivy League credentials, the Archive offers cerebrally challenging , aesthetically rich, erudite programming that will entertain you while adding to your understanding and knowledge of movies. Recent attractions included a comprehensive Michelangelo Antonioni retrospective, an Eric von Stroheim series, and a screening of Renoir’s Grand Illusion. And if you don’t know who any of those people are, all the more reason to get your ass down there.
50 | Regattabar | This warm, dark, and intimate
45 | Democracy Center | A self-described “21st-
46 | Harvard Art Museums | Us members of the hoi polloi don’t have to sneak through the ivied gates and pose as janitors to get a peek at Harvard’s jaw-dropping private collections. Anyone with a free afternoon can head to 485 Broadway to peruse the delights of the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, world-renowned for its Asian art. (And while the Fogg and BuschReisinger musuems are currently closed for renovation, all three museums will soon be moving to a new state-of-the-art building on Quincy Street by architect Renzo Piano.)
47 | Hasty Pudding Theatricals | Not to be confused with the elite Harvard club, Hasty Pudding Theatricals is the oldest collegiate theatrical organization in the country. Each spring they stage an original production, always featuring Harvard gents in drag. It’s a delight. Plus, we always look forward to their crowning of the “Man and Woman of the Year” (past honorees include the likes of Anne Hathaway, Steve Martin, Carol Burnett, and Jay
Sinclair
Leno) and the subsequent parade. Please, sirs, can we have some more?
48 | José Mateo Ballet Theatre | There’s no need to squint to see the dancers of the 26-yearold José Mateo Ballet Theatre. Audiences at its intimate Sanctuary Theatre — a/k/a the Old Cambridge Baptist Church by day — get an up-close-and-personal view of every rippling
muscle. But you might see double: cocktails are served during the show. We think the unique cabaret vibe only enhances the original works by the Cuban-born Mateo, founder of the sole New England company to produce an entire repertory by its resident choreographer.
49 | Passim | This nonprofit folk club draws both big-name and local folk bands, bluegrass
jazz club for music lovers regularly books well-known national and local jazz and blues acts. The bar is open for ticketed events and offers a light food menu. Plus, patrons receive a 10 percent discount downstairs at Henrietta’s Table before a show.
51 | The Sinclair | The ‘hood that begat the original House of Blues just got a new voice in the rock scene, as New York–based The Bowery Presents launches the Sinclair. In addition to the live music (the fall lineup features Converge, Martha Wainwright, Death Grips, and Duncan Sheik), the Sinclair also boasts an eatery helmed by Michael Schlow (Radius, Via Matta, Tico).
Insider | José Mateo of the José Mateo Ballet Theatre Do you think your location has played a part in your theater’s longevity, or would you have been as successful anywhere? if we were doing what we’re doing in this space, which is provide an intimate setting for close-up ballet, i think we would probably draw people wherever we would be. i would like to think we’re contributing to the more progressive artistic landscape of harvard square. Most people aren’t really into ballet, but a minority of people are really into it. What’s the deal? Well, it’s like so many things, from stamp collecting to classical music. you’ll always have adamant aficionados. our mission is to bring ballet to a population that includes those aficionados, while focusing more on programming that appeals to people who have never seen ballet, without sacrificing the standard of traditional ballet. I have to ask: did you see Black Swan? i did. i was invited by some friends. i’m hardly what you’d call a regular moviegoer. some of the stereotypes [in the film] are well deserved, and some are, unfortunately, exaggerations that feed into myths about how that culture actually behaves nowadays.
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gary sloan
century meeting house,” the Democracy Center in an independent non-commercial space serving as headquarters for seven nonprofit organizations and gathering place for over 100 national and local groups. By night, it’s also a radical spot to catch an all-ages punk show — check their sched at democracycentershows. wordpress.com for listings.
michael spencer
43 | Brattle Theatre | For many, the Brattle
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50 JFK St. Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02138 www.9taste.com • (617) 547 - 6666
What’s in Your Ocean and Rivers? At the Ocean River Institute we are:
•Learning that ecosystems are connected in unexpected ways • Discovering how we can keep our rivers cold and flowing • Changing our practices on the land to stop pollution of beaches and waterways • Advancing blue-green legislation on Beacon Hill and in Washington, DC Connecting local actions with global support, the Ocean River Institute is dedicated to people taking actions in their own neighborhoods and communities. We offer opportunities to make a difference through environmental stewardship and science, and to go the distance for a greener and bluer planet Earth. Ocean River Institute ~ 12 Eliot St, Cambridge, MA 02138 ~ www.oceanriver.org
Check us out on Yelp!, Facebook and Twitter!
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SOUTH END: 544 Tremont Street 617.542.9600
HARVARD SQUARE: 12 Eliot Street 617.354.3303
JAMAICA PLAIN: 615 Centre Street 617.983.3937
Guide to Harvard Square
Directory
| TBA
39 | Million Year Picnic | 99 Mt. Auburn Ave |
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617.491.0298 | harvardsquareparking.com 11 | Charlies Kitchen | 10 Eliot St | 617.492.9646 | charlieskitchen.com 60 | Chez Henri | 1 Shepard St | 617.354.8980 | chezhenri.com 31 | Concepts | 37 Brattle St | 617.868.2001 | cncpts.com 24 | Crema | 27 Brattle St | 617.876.2700 | cremacambridge.com 25 | Dado | 50 Church Street | 617.547.0950 | dadotea.com 12 | Daedalus | 45 Mt. Auburn St | 617.349.0071 | daedalusharvardsquare.com 45 | Democracy Center | 45 Mt. Auburn St | 617.492.8855 | democracycenter.org 61 | EyeQ Optical | 12 Eliot St | 617.354.3303 | eye-q-optical.com 13 | First Printer | 15 Dunster St | 617.497.0900 | thefirstprinter.com 26 | Forty Winks | 56 JFK Street | 617.492.9100 | shopfortywinks.com 14 | Grendel’s Den | 89 Winthrop St | 617.491.1160 | grendelsden.com
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59 | Charles Hotel Garage | 1 Bennett St |
617.547.6666 | 9taste.com 21 | Algiers | 40 Brattle St | 617.492.1557 | 42 | American Repertory Theater/ Oberon | 64 Brattle St | 617.547.8300 | americanrepertorytheater.org 27 | Armageddon Records | 12 Eliot St | 617.492.1235 | armageddonshop.com 28 | Black Ink | 5 Brattle St | 617.497.1221 | blankinkboston.com 57 | Blue Heron | 11 Garden St | 617.960.7956 | blueheronchoir.org 29 | Bob Slate | 30 Brattle St | 617.547.1230 | 58 | Bon Chon | 57 JFK St | 617.868.0982 | bonchoncambridge.com 43 | Brattle Theatre | 40 Brattle St | 617.876.6837 | brattlefilm.org 23 | Cafe Pamplona | 12 Bow St | 617.492.0352 | facebook.com/pages/cafepamplona/359831337793 1 | Cambridge 1 | 27 Church St | 617.576.1111 | cambridge1.us 30 | Cardullo’s | 6 Brattle St | 617.491.8888 | cardullos.com
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56 | 9 Tastes Fine Thai Cuisine | 50 JFK St |
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617.492.6763 | themillionyearpicnic.com 33 | Mint Julep | 6 Church St | 617.576.6468 | shopmintjulep.com 4 | Mr. Bartley’s | 1246 Mass Ave | 617.354.6559 | mrbartley.com 17 | Noir | 1 Bennett St | 617.661.8010 | noir-bar.com 63 | O Positive Coaching & HR Services, LLC | address not listed online | 617.304.2366 | opositivecoach.com 64 | Ocean River Institute | 12 Eliot St | 617.661.6647 | oceanriver.org 34 | Oona’s | 1210 Mass Ave | 617.491.2654 | oonasboston.com 53 | OSushi | 1 Eliot St (2013) | TBA | osushiboston.com 5 | Otto | 1432 Mass Ave | 617.499.3352 | ottocambridge.com 6 | Park | 59 JFK St | 617.491.9851 | parkcambridge.com 49 | Passim | 47 Palmer St | 617.492.7679 | clubpassim.org 40 | Raven Used Books | 52 JFK St | 617.441.6999 | ravencambridge.com 50 | Regattabar | 1 Bennett St | 617.661.5000 | regattabarjazz.com 7 | Rialto | 1 Bennett St | 617.661.5050 | rialtorestaurant.com 8 | Russell House Tavern | 14 JFK St | 617.500.3055 | russellhousecambridge.com 41 | Schoenhof’s | 76 Mt. Auburn St | 617.547.8825 | schoenhofs.com 18 | Shays | 58 JFK St | 617.864.9161 | shayspubandwinebar.com 54 | Tasty Burger | 40 JFK St (fall 2012) | TBA | tastyburger.com/ 19 | The Cellar | 991 Mass Ave | 617.475.0045 | gardenatthecellar.com 65 | The Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters | 12 Eliot St | 617.661.6646 | mlev.org 51 | The Sinclair | 52 Church St | 617.451.7700 | sinclaircambridge.com 66 | The World’s Only Curious George Store | 1 JFK St | 617.547.4500 | thecuriousgeorgestore.com 35 | TistiK | 54 Church St | 617.661.0900 | shoptisktik.com 20 | Tory Row | 3 Brattle St | 617.876.8769 | toryrow.us 55 | Toscano | 52 Brattle St (Fall 2012) | TBA | toscanoboston.com 67 | University Place Garage | 45 University Road | 617.491.0801 | boston.centralparking.com/ Cambridge-124-Mount-Auburn-Street-Parking.html 68 | Uno Chicago Grill | 22 JFK St | 617.497.1530 | 202.unotogo.com 9 | UpStairs on the Square | 91 Winthrop St | 617.864.1933 | upstairsonthesquare.com 10 | Zinneken’s | 1154 Mass Ave | 617.876.0836 | facebook.com/zinnekenswaffles
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32 | Leavitt & Pierce | 1315 Mass Ave | 617.547.0576
36 | Grolier Poetry Book Shop | 6 Plympton St | 617.547.4648 | rolierpoetrybookshop.org 46 | Harvard Art Museums | 485 Broadway | 617.495.9400 | harvardartmuseums.org 37 | Harvard Book Store | 1256 Mass Ave | 617.661.1515 | harvard.com 38 | Harvard Coop | 1400 Mass Ave | 617.499.2000 | thecoop.com 44 | Harvard Film Archive | 24 Quincy St | 617.495.3251 | hcl.harvard.edu/hfa 2 | Harvest | 44 Brattle St | 617.868.2255 | harvestcambridge.com 47 | Hasty Pudding | 12 Holyoke Street | 617.495.5205 | hastypudding.org 62 | Holyoke Center Garage | 9 Holyoke St | 617.495.8335 | proparkboston.com 15 | Hong Kong | 1238 Mass Ave | 617.864.5311 | hongkongharvard.com 16 | John Harvard’s Brew House | 33 Dunster St | 617.868.3585 | johnharvards.com 48 | José Mateo Ballet Theatre | 400 Harvard St | 617.354.7476 | ballettheatre.org 22 | L.A. Burdick | 52 Brattle St | 617.491.4340 | burdickchocolate.com
Coming soon have always gone hand in hand. Jack Bardy, who owns the jazzy brasserie the Beehive, confidently abides by this mantra with his upcoming Cambridge venture Liberal Servings, which promises not-soconservative portions of food, drink, and live entertainment. Consider this new music den, targeted for 13 Brattle Street, his muchanticipated encore.
53 | OSushi | If you think sake bombs, meatand-noodle dishes, and a dim-lit feng-shui
ambiance complete the sushi experience, look for OSushi when it hits Harvard Square this month — we certainly will. With this new location, the high-end Japanese restaurant from Copley targets both college-aged and higher-income clientele with fiery entrees, expertly carved sashimi, and enough Japanese booze to wash it all down.
55 | Toscano | The traditional Tuscan eatery
54 | Tasty Burger | First Fenway. Then Southie. Next, Harvard Square, the burgeoning local empire’s beefiest outpost yet. Think two floors of brew, pool, and juicy
46 10.19.12 :: Special advertiSing Section
Tasty Burger
joel Veak
52 | Liberal Servings | Jazz and grub
slabs o’ burger — including creative riffs like the Blue Collar, a batter-fried patty with sweet mustard pickle. (Hot-dog hounds, there’s plenty for you, too.) Wash things down with the copious canned-beer selection, or maybe a thick, cold shake. And soak in the chill mod vibes of the diner-style setting. Yum.
is expanding from its Beacon Hill location and opening a second restaurant on Brattle Street (taking up residence where Café of India previously stood). A local spot with reasonably priced, authentic fare from hearty pasta dishes (homemade gnocchi!) to crisp salads and a fine veal chop is always a welcome new neighbor.
eat
Shōjō ShakeS up Chinatown » Smoky CoCktailS » Food day returnS
& DRINK
photo by janice checchio
Thinking Cup turns us into coffee snobs. Page 49.
THEPHOENIX.cOm :: 10.19.12 47
Food & drink :: dining
Shrimp Capellini egg neSt at Shōjō B y MC Sl iM J B @McSliMJB
many Bostonians have specific ideas about Chinatown dining. The bolder ones know to expect terrific, very traditional Asian food at nice prices in less-thanshiny rooms, with workmanlike, often English-challenged service. But the worn trappings and the dearth of familiar American-Chinese dishes can be daunting to less intrepid diners. The 50-seat Shōjō restaurant aims to upend these notions, serving a menu of modernized Northeast and Southeast Asian dishes, lightly inflected with familiar Western bistro elements, in a handsome, understated room with friendly service. Shōjō also features an excellent 10-seat bar, with inventive, original cocktails like the Reiku Greene ($10), a Last Word–like
ShōJō 9A Tyler St, Boston 617.423.7888 :: shojoboston.com
cocktail garnished with a giant cube of cucumber-infused ice, and the Chairman’s Painkiller ($10), a Tiki-like concoction of spiced rum, pineapple and orange juices, and coconut cream. There’s also an affordable, compact list of draft and bottled beers ($5–$7), wines by the glass ($7–$13), and sakes ($22–$80 per 330ml bottle). This represents a first: a Chinatown place worth hitting just to have a few drinks, and maybe graze on a few fusion-y small plates. These include a brace of suckling-pig bao ($8) that would do David Chang proud, fried oysters ($9) with smoky/sweet/hot/crunchy garnishes, and hot and sour soup ($7) that recalls Thai tom kha gai pepped up with a poached egg and shiitake croutons. The
similarly beautifully plated entrees have a more Western configuration: a big slab of protein with a side or two, like grilled skirt steak ($19) with kimchi butter and mango slaw, and a heap of braised pork short ribs ($18) with a halo of delicate Chinese spinach, perched atop taro mash and sauced with star-anise gravy. The most welcome surprise here might be the pastas, which reflect a chef skilled with handmade noodles and both Italian and Asian flavors. Big, round ravioli ($16) are filled with slowcooked pork in a honey-BBQ sauce, topped with chunks of good bacon, Chinese celery, and thin shavings of quality Parmesan. Tagliatelle ($16) tops obviously fresh ribbons of pasta with rich pork meatballs, an even richer ragù, and more of that good cheese. Shrimp capellini egg nest ($15) breathes life into the tiredness of pad Thai, offering thin rice noodles in a sauce of crushed peanuts with hints of lime and dried chili, dotted with strips of red pepper and a fistful of big shrimp, plus a crazy-looking variant of a shredded omelet, a matrix-like wrapper of scrambled egg. The result is wild-looking, piquant, and satisfying, a dish you might wolf down at dinner or the end of a long night out — that is, if you don’t cap the evening with the one nightly dessert, like a custardy almond panna cotta ($6) crowned with beautiful cherries. For the late-night crowd, Shōjō stays open till 1 am on Friday and Saturday and features entertainment, like a DJ spinning eclectic mixes of Motown, soul, and classic disco, as well as live performances by local b-boy and popping crews. This suits the almost nightclub-like décor, which recalls the kind of hip Asian lounges found in Western European capitals: clean lines, exposed brick, lovely but undecorated wood surfaces, rear-illuminated translucent panels, old-school kung-fu movies playing on the bar’s big flat-screen, and a gorgeous bathroom. The only eye-catching art is a mural depicting the restaurant’s namesake, a thirsty monkey of Japanese legend who ultimately succeeds in his quixotic mission to find a river of sake. That quest might stand for Shōjō, the kind of long-sought Chinatown place where veterans of its traditional restaurants can bring their less-adventurous friends, and both will find a very cool, welcoming place to eat and drink. P
The booze-loving shōjō creature is the subject of a Noh play and various legends. Cousins Brendan and Brian Moy, Shōjō’s owners, grew up with a version that inspired the restaurant’s mural, created by local artist Alec Strickland.
48 10.19.12 :: ThephoeNix.CoM/food
photo By MEliSSA oStRoW
Food Coma
Food & drink :: diY
Rage against the Coffee MaChine
Thin king Cu
165 Tr p e ST, Bo monT S 617.48 Ton :: 2 Think .5555 :: ingc .com up
How to jump on the plug-free brewing bandwagon at home By Steve Holt
@t h e b o sto n w r i t e r
AficionAdos cAll it coffee’s “third wAve.” Bostonians might call it the backlash against Dunkies. A growing number of connois-
seurs are demanding real coffee, ground and brewed the right way. They approach it “less like a cup o’ Joe and more like a pinot grigio,” says Cabell Tice, head barista at Thinking Cup, one of a crop of gourmet coffee shops that have opened in recent years. At Thinking Cup, java is brewed in a number of peculiar ways, all more exciting than the drip machine. Here, Tice shares his secrets for making non-drip coffee at home. Snobs claim these methods produce a superior cup. You decide whether they’re just blowing steam.
french Press
Pour-over
AeroPress
vacuum Pot
chemex
effort index 4
effort index 6
effort index 5
effort index 8
effort index 8
The gear: A french press ($30), a grinder ($30–$150), and a timer ($5), available at prima-coffee.com or most department stores.
iLLUstrAtions bY brAden ChAnG
The Method: Use 7 g (1 tbs.) coarsely ground coffee for every 4 oz. water. (A 34 oz. french press uses 8 tbs. coffee.) Pour hot water over the grounds until full. Let sit for one minute. stir grounds in pot. Let sit for four minutes. Push press slowly into the pot to force all grounds to bottom. Pour and enjoy.
Barista notes: “A slightly better way of brewing coffee. You can extract sweetness and acidity, but there will be sediment because the french press doesn’t use paper filters.”
The gear: A bee house dripper ($22), filters ($5), a scale ($30), and a hario pouring kettle ($60), all available at thinking Cup.
The Method: Place and rinse filter. Grind 22 g beans to the consistency of sand. Pour 60 g hot water lightly over the coffee. wait 20 seconds to allow the coffee to “bloom” (release carbon dioxide). for second pour, fill to 240 g and wait for 10 seconds. for final pour, fill to 380 g. this yields a 10 oz. cup.
Barista notes: “A cleaner cup that will amplify sweetness.”
The gear: An AeroPress ($30), a scale, and filters, all available at prima-coffee.com, as well as a kettle.
The Method: Assemble the AeroPress. Grind 20 g beans to medium-fine. Pour beans into chamber using the AeroPress funnel. Pour hot water (just off boil) into chamber. (Use one hand to pour the water, just enough to cover beans, while turning the AeroPress with your other hand to get all the grounds wet.) Let grounds bloom for 30 seconds. Add hot water to bottom of the “1,” twisting press again while pouring. Let brew for one minute. Place filter in cap and wet. twist onto top of chamber. turn mug upside down over top of the AeroPress; then, with one hand holding the cup and one hand covering the place where plunger and chamber meet, flip the AeroPress over. Coffee will start to drip; press down with consistent pressure until all water is pushed through grounds out of chamber. this yields an 8 oz. cup.
Barista notes: “AeroPress will also be a clean cup.”
The gear: A bodum Pebo or any stovetop vacuum pot ($40–$160), available at primacoffee.com.
The Method: fill bottom globe with desired amount of water. boil water in bottom globe. when boiling, attach top to close the seal, pushing water to the top globe. when water reaches the top globe, add ground coffee (medium grind) and quickly submerge grounds. bloom for 30 to 40 seconds. re-submerge grounds and let steep for 90 seconds. turn off heat and stir in a spinning motion. remove from stovetop. Let the vacuum draw the coffee down to the bottom globe. when all coffee is in the bottom globe, remove top globe and serve.
Barista notes: “second to Chemex as the cleanest cup available. Low/no sediment.”
The gear: A Chemex ($30–$50), a pouring kettle ($60), and filters ($7), available at prima-coffee.com.
The Method: Grind coffee medium coarse; 42 g makes 20 oz. of coffee. rinse paper filter. do this method in a series of three pours. first pour (bloom pour): Pour just enough hot water to saturate grounds with very little dripping into brewer. second pour: Pour in a circle while staying away from the edge of the Chemex. fill to 1/4 in. below rim of the brewer. third pour: slowly pour in a circle, wetting all the grounds. fill to rim. After it’s filled to 20 oz., pull filter and enjoy.
Barista notes: “brewing with a Chemex is my favorite because it is widely known to be the cleanest cup of coffee. it has the least sediment of all the methods available because the filters are the least porous.”
Want to really hone your breWing knoW-hoW? Check out Counter Culture Coffee’s new Somerville training center, which offers in-depth courses like brewing Science i and beginning espresso lab as well as free weekly tastings. learn more at counterculturecoffee.com. thephoenix.Com/food :: 10.19.12 49
Food & drink :: liquid
Th m o r e r e’ s e on Than To s e way m coc oke a we’v kTail e
Smoke me out
smo
ked spotted like ice at sp ot Ba a n d c k Ba r s clio .
B y L u k e O ’N eiL
The Fig n’ Pig at Post 390
There comes a Time in every drinking career when the nuances of a well-made cocktail — the subtle botanical notes, for instance — just don’t cut it anymore. You need a more intense experience. For me lately, that’s come from the smokier spirits: peaty scotches and super-smoky mezcals, which, as luck would have it, are seasonally appropriate for fall. Love the smell of burning leaves or a campfire? Try putting it in a glass. I’ve been asking bartenders to cook up the smokiest recipes imaginable. The results ranged from the burnt-grapefruitoff-the-grill flavors of a creation by Eastern Standard’s Bob McCoy, made with Lagavulin, Vida mezcal, grapefruit, agave nectar, cinnamon syrup, and Angostura and grapefruit bitters, to the intensely bitter smoke of a mezcal, rye, Zucca, and Gran Classico eye-opener from Craigie on Main’s Jared Sadoian, to the slightly more approachable mix of Laphroaig, maraschino, celery bitters, lime zest, and 50 10.19.12 :: Thephoenix.com/food
Love the smell of burning leaves or a campfire? try putting it in a glass.
absinthe from Shōjō’s Markus Yiao. Depending on your taste, each may sound like the best thing you’ll ever sip or an awful glass of pain. “I have usually found that people’s apprehension to smoky cocktails stems from a negative experience they may have had in which the smokiness of the drink dominates the flavor profile and drowns out everything else,” says Chris Himmel, owner and cocktail guru at Post 390. “Smoky flavors should serve as a complementary characteristic that helps to add another layer of flavor to a drink and bring out a smoother, more buttery finish.” That’s one philosophy, especially if you want to, you know, actually sell some of the damn things. While there’s plenty of smoke in his Fig n’ Pig cocktail — made with bacon-infused, house-smoked Bulleit bourbon, Punt e Mes, fig puree, and orange bitters and served with a baconpraline rim — it’s approachable enough for a drinker looking for something
subtler than the cocktail equivalent of hotboxing. The fat-washed bourbon is smoked for 20 minutes, picking up residual flavors from the kitchen’s brisket and ribs — and plenty of butterscotch from the sugar of the bourbon caramelizing. Post 390’s Tobacco Road offers a slightly more literal interpretation of a smoky cocktail, combining Rittenhouse rye, sugar, lemon, house-made tobacco bitters, and a tobacco-leaf garnish. It amounts to a pleasantly astringent mix of eucalyptus and menthol, with a light nose of tobacco. While I certainly liked both of these, it was serious smoke I was after. Will Tomlinson at Park devised a recipe with Fidencio mezcal, Combier Mûre, lime, Benedictine, muddled basil, and Bittermens Hellfire bitters that was buoyant with smoke, with the super-hot finish from the bitters offset by the cooling fruit and herb notes. Dave Cagle at Lone Star Taco Bar turned to Fidencio as well, rounding it out with Peychaud’s bitters, house-made mole bitters, agave nectar, and lime oil in a glass rinsed with Green Chartreuse. The Fidencio Classico is right in the middle of the smoke spectrum, he explained; anything stronger would overpower the nuances of the bitters and the Chartreuse’s herbal notes. Overpower me, please, I said to Kevin Mabry at jm Curley, who complied with two smoke bombs. The first was a blend of Laphroaig, Fidencio, Punt e Mes, torched lime, egg white, simple syrup, and ginger beer. “The Punt e Mes softened both the Scotch and mezcal while still complementing them with its vanilla-esque tones,” he explains. “The egg white is what really brought it all together. Your palate picks up the texture first, and then the smoke hits you in waves rather than a punch in the face.” The second was much smokier, made with Fidencio, Thai-chili-infused Aperol, grapefruit, and actual wood smoke. For the last component, he smoked cherry wood with a torch, held the glass over it, and let it sit while he built the cocktail. Why go to all the trouble? Couldn’t you just step outside for a cigarette? “Without sounding too cliché, smoky cocktails are just flat-out fun,” says Mabry. “They bring something different to the table. It’s a flavor that, when harnessed, can yield a really memorable cocktail that will open someone’s eyes to the craft of making a drink.” P
Photo by Joel Veak
lu k e o n e i l 47@ g m a i l .c o m :: @ lu k e o n e i l 47
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CYCLES 128 • 107 BRIMBAL AVENUE • BEVERLY, MA 01915 800-464-2925 • www.cycles128.com
Food & drink :: happenings
Food day, Part deux It seems lIke we can’t open and it’s unfortunate that we need our inboxes without seeing a press a day for it at all, but we have to do release about another food-related anything we can to raise awareness “holiday” — National Pumpkin Day, about sustainable consumption.” let’s say, or Waffle Week. Not exactly Last year, 2300 events went down meaty stuff. Food Day is different. all over the country, tackling topics Founded last year by the nonlike health and nutrition, hunger, profit Center for Science in agricultural policy, animal welthe Public Interest, it’s a fare, and farm-worker jusFor t Fu l l h nationwide celebration of tice. Organizers hope to top list e ev e sustainable, healthy, and that with Food Day’s second nts oF v foo isit affordable grub — and a installment on October 24. dda all_ y.org/ reminder of how far we But just like you don’t even ts have to go to make it a realneed to rescue a polar bear ity for all. to honor Earth Day (although “The frustrating thing is it’d be nice if you did), you can start that every day should be Food celebrating Food Day by mindDay, just like every day should be fully doing what you do every day — Earth Day,” says chef Michael Levichowing down — whether it’s at your ton of Lumière and Area Four, who kitchen table or at one of the 50-plus also happens to be the board chair of events happening around town. Chefs Collaborative, a national netHere are a few options for noshing work of chefs committed to using loamid the day’s seminars and film cal foods and fostering a sustainable screenings. _Cas s an dr a Lan dry » CLandry@phx.Com food supply. “It’s kind of a no-brainer,
allandale Farm » From noon to 3 pm, folks from Boston’s only working farm will hit Brookline Town Hall Plaza to give cider samples, sell apples and cider, and drop some Food Day knowledge. :: 333 Washington St, Brookline lumière » Dig into Every Day Is Food Day, a three-course locavore dinner, at 7 pm for $45 (plus $15 with Pretty Things beer pairings). :: 1293 Washington St, West Newton :: 617.244.9199 mei mei street kitchen and momogoose » The two food-truck faves are offering all-local, sustainable menus, including vegan fare; check meimeiboston.com and momogoose.com for hours and locations.
restaurant spotlight Put your business in the Spotlight! Contact brussell@phx.com | 617.425.2660
36
Burritos • Tacos • Quesadillas • Enchiladas
$1.00 OFF
Rotating DRafts
BRUnCH
Your purchase of any Mexican plate tamales, quesadilla, enchiladas or our famous
and over
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served saturday & sunday 11am-3pm
Bottles 400 Highland Ave Davis Square | 617-764-1655 fivehorsestavern.com
B.u. Loc ati on
1294 Beacon St Brookline (Coolidge Corner) 617-739-3900
Burrito Grande
642 Beacon St, (Kenmore Square) 617-437-9700
1728 Mass Ave Cambridge (near Porter) 617-354-7400
149 First Street Cambridge, MA 617-354-5550
366 Washington St Brighton Center 617-782-9600
NO DOUBLE DISCOUNTS. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS. Coupon Expires: 12/31/2012 | One coupon per customer
Dumpling Café “A Neighborhood Spot in Newton Center”
Brunch. Lunch. Dinner. Late Night. Live Music Monday. Tuesday. Friday. Sunday Brunch. 796 Beacon St. Newton Center • 617-332-8743 • www.bstreetnewton.com
52 10.19.12 :: Thephoenix.com/food
Boston Phoenix gives us 4 stars! We a re t h e n e w D U M P L I N G C a f é i n B o s to n ’ s C h i n a tow n . Co m e t r y o u r s i g n a t u re m i n i j u i cy b u n s ( X L B) , pork leek dumplings, and mango shrimp.
10% Off
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OnLy $19.95
Minimum of $25 dollars for 10% off. *One coupon per table Good with this ad. DINE IN ONLY . excluding twin lobster special* DINE IN ONLY . Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 12/31/2012 Expires 12/31/2012 695 Washington St. Boston, Chinatown • Open- 11am to 2 am 7days • 617-338-8858 Visit us at WWW. DUMPLINGCAFE.COM
Food & drink :: calendar
Chew Out FRIDAY 19 Winemaker for a night
As far as we knew, wine blending was what happened last weekend when we double-fisted glasses of syrah and pinot gris at the bar all night. (Pro tip: don’t do that.) But as it turns out, the real thing is mighty legit. Wine blending allows vintners to pull elusive flavors and character out of their grapes. So do it right: let the Fleming’s wine manager be your coach, and create your own blended wine using varietals from Raymond Vineyards, an award-winning winery in Napa Valley.
6:30 pm @ Fleming’s, 217 Stuart St, Boston $65 Call 617.292.0808 to RSVP.
SuNDAY 21 bikes & bites
Leaf-peeping by car is overrated, don’t you think? For the hands-down best way to catch some prime foliage porn before it’s too late, slap on some spandex and head to Arlington. A Quad Cycles ambassador (fancy!) will lead you on an all-inclusive 35-mile bike ride, stopping for a hayride, cider, and apple pie at Verrill Farm and a tour at Walden Pond. The day ends with dinner at Paul Turano’s Tryst Restaurant, where you can all break bread in a sweat-misted bunch. New England, you guys!
SuNDAY 21 “smoke this” rib fest 2012
There are plenty of dishes built for this season — hot cider, apple crumble, cedarsmoked anything, maple anything . . . and ribs. We bet if you really think good and hard about stuffing your face with a plate of steaming ribs from the best BBQ joints in town while the chill in the air stings your cheeks, you’ll have a tough time denying it. Go on, try it.
11 am @ Quad Cycles, 1043 Mass Ave, Arlington $40; $17 bike rental culinarybiketour.eventbrite.com
Noon to 4 pm @ Cambridge St between Fulkerson St and Fifth St, Cambridge $20 per Taste Ticket (10 rib samples per ticket) eastcambridgeba.com
THURSDAY 25
THe smell of fear: scary cHeeses
Not sure Roquefort was on our list of monsters under the bed when we were kids, but we admit it’s taken a little (okay, a lot) of prodding over the years to get us to the level of stinky-cheese love we’re at today. They say your desire for success has to be bigger than your fear of failure, right? Whip your palate into shape as you square off against pungent cheeses provided by Formaggio Kitchen cheesemonger Adam Centamore — and we’ll be here, backing you up. 6:30 pm @ the Boston Center for Adult Education, 122 Arlington St,
Boston :: $55; $45 members; $25 materials :: 617.267.4430 or bcae.org GG_BOS_p005_3.8125x5_OSN_v1
ON SALE NOW!
FRIDAY, NOV 16 • 8PM SYMPHONY HALL FOR TICKETS
2012
Call: 800-745-3000, Online: Ticketmaster.com, Visit: any Ticketmaster outlet
Issue date: 11/09 | ClosIng date: 10/31
SKI/SNOW
For information on advertising opportunities please contact: Brian Russell P. 617.425.2660 | E. brussell@phx.com
www.AnthonyBourdainOnTour.com ThEPhoENix.CoM/Food :: 10.19.12 53
DO
Smut PeDDler » War HOrSe » majOr lazer » elSa DOrfman
NIGHTLIFE + ARTS
photo by mario testino
Tom Brady by Mario Testino. Page 62.
THEPHOENIX.cOm :: 00.00.12 55
Arts & Nightlife :: get out
Boston Fun List
Cat pOwER: Has Chan Marshall outgrown her angst? Find out tonight at the House of Blues, 15 Landsdowne St., Boston: : 8 pm :: $34.50-$45:: livenation.com
Mo
For m re fun ore Follo events, w us on t @Bos witter tonFu nshit or lik FaceB e us at ook.c o Bosto nFuns m/ hit
C o MP iL ED B Y A LE x A n DRA C AVA L L o
Hot tix
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND :: December 9 at the TD Garden, Boston :: $72.50-$82.50 :: On sale Friday at 10 am @ livenation.com PIPPIN :: December 5 [previews] at the ART Loeb Drama Center :: Ticket prices start at $25 :: On sale Tuesday at noon @ 617.547.8300 or amrep.org/tickets WFNX DISORIENTATION 2012 SHOW #2 WITH GENTLEMEN HALL + CASEY DESMOND + DJ MICHAEL V :: October 23 at the Lansdowne Pub, Boston :: FREE w/ RSVP :: wfnx.com/disorientation “AN INTIMATE MuSICAL EVENING WITH JAMES TAYLOR IN SuppORT OF ELIzABETH WARREN” :: October 24 at the Citi Emerson Colonial Theatre, Boston :: $100-$200 :: citicenter.org CIRQuE Du SOLEIL: SALTIMBANCO :: October 31–November 4 at the Agganis Arena, Boston :: $75-$95 :: ticketmaster.com JERRY SEINFELD :: November 17 at the Wang Theatre, Boston :: $65-$81 :: citicenter.org DuNCAN SHEIK :: November 21 at the Sinclair, Cambridge :: $22 :: boweryboston.com BOSTON BALLET’S THE NUTCRACKER :: November 23–December 28 at the Opera House, Boston :: $35-$172 :: bostonballet.org NEIL YOuNG & CRAzY HORSE + pATTI SMITH :: November 27 at the TD Garden, Boston :: $58-$258 :: livenation.com WHITE RABBITS :: November 29 at the Sinclair, Cambridge :: $15 :: boweryboston.com
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The countdown is on for the November release of Trilogy, the 23 WEEKND’s re-mastered major-label re-boot of the three stellar mixtapes Toronto’s Abel Tesfaye released in 2011. The blossoming R&B producer/songwriter should turn the House of Blues into one moody “Happy House.” Night one of the two-night stand is already sold out; snatch up your tickets for the encore while you still can. House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston :: 7 pm :: October 22 [sold out] + October 23 :: $37-$49.50 :: livenation.com
pENGuIN pRISON + YOuNG pANDAS :: December 1 at the Middle East downstairs. Cambridge :: $15 :: ticketweb.com BOSTON pOpS HOLIDAY CONCERT :: December 15 at the Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH :: $41-$76 :: ticketmaster.com SuFJAN STEVENS:: December 20 at Royale, Boston :: $20 :: boweryboston.com “MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES HOMETOWN THROWDOWN”:: December 29-31 at the House of Blues, Boston :: $25-$50 :: livenation.com DEER TICK + TWO GALLANTS :: December 31 at the Sinclair, Cambridge :: $40 :: boweryboston.com puRITY RING + YOuNG MAGIC :: January 30 at the Paradise Rock Club, Boston :: $15 :: ticketmaster.com
56 10.19.12 :: tHEpHOENix.COM/EvENtS
If there’s one thing zombies crave more than brains, it’s cool threads. No wait, that’s us. Or at least, the 24 undead versions of us that will be swigging PBR like it’s fresh gray matter tonight at the DANCE PARTY MASSACRE ZOMBIE FASHION SHOW, a Halloween-themed show for local lifestyle brand Dance Party Massacre. After the show, for which zombified models will stagger the runway, you can stick around for a party with a pop-up DPM store, music, a screening of Night of the Living Dead, and more. (Heads up: we hear the first 25 people to order a PBR snag a DPM “Blood, Sweat, & Beers Koozie” to put it in.) Thrills and chills abound! WED
Emerald Lounge at the Revere Hotel, 200 Stuart St, Boston :: 7 pm :: No Cover! :: 617.457.2626
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Free events “iNStaNt: tHE StORY OF pOLaROiD” :: Launch party and discussion of Christopher Bonanos’s new book about the history of Polaroid along with viewings of rare footage from Polaroid founder Edwin Land and artifacts from the MIT Museum’s own collection :: Mit Museum, 256 Mass ave, Cambridge :: October 18 @ 5:30 pm :: web.mit.edu/museum “SpiKE’S JUNKYaRD DOG tURNS 10” :: Spike’s is giving out complimentary hot dogs and veggie dogs in honor of their Allston location’s 10-year anniversary :: Spike’s Junkyard Dogs, 108 Brighton ave, allston :: October 20 from noon to 5 pm :: spikesjunkyarddogs.com 48tH aNNUaL HEaD OF tHE CHaRLES :: Rowers from 19 different countries compete in 55 different races. There will be a rowing and fitness expo, food vendors, and more for spectators :: Charles River, Boston and Cambridge sides :: October 20-21 from 8 am to 5 pm :: hocr.org
1St aNNUaL FaNEUiL HaLL StREEt tHEatER FEStivaL :: Gathering of some of the country’s most talented street performers, including acrobats, contortionists, and more :: Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston :: October 20-21 from 11 am to 7 pm :: faneuilhallmarketplace.com
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AUTHOR PRESENTATIONS BOOK SIGNINGS WORKSHOPS FLASH FICTION WRITER IDOL BOOKSELLERS & EXHIBITORS KIDS’ EVENTS & ACTIVITIES STREET FAIR LIVE MUSIC
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Orpheum theatre, 1 Hamilton place, Boston :: 7:30 pm :: $29.50-$35 :: ticketmaster.com
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If there’s one thing Swedish electro-pop trio MIIKE SNOW do well, it’s put on a show. They had us fairly freaking enthralled when they packed the hell out of the House of Blues this past April. The eccentric performers are back for round two tonight at the Orpheum. Make sure you get there early enough to catch recent What’s F’N Next artist NIKI AND THE DOVE, y’all.
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wilbur theatre, 246 tremont St, Boston :: 8 pm:: $67 :: ticketmaster.com
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With more than its fair share of Emmys (three of them for Outstand22 ing Comedy Series) to its name, Modern Family continued its reign as one of the best sitcoms on TV when it debuted its fourth season last month. Catch two dudes who contribute considerably to that hilarity tonight when America’s favorite gay dads, JESSE TYLER FERGUSON (Mitchell) and ERIC STONESTREET (Cameron), stop by the Wilbur to talk shop. The evening includes behind-the-scenes dirt on the show, a Q&A, and probably more than a few jokes. MON
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Calderwood pavilion at the BCa, 527 tremont St, Boston :: October 19–November 17; ` @ 8 pm :: $25-$57 :: speakeasystage.com
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When you think sexy, America’s seventh president might not immediately spring to mind, but all that will change after you catch a perfor19 mance of BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, the much-lauded emo-rock musical retelling of the history of the Democratic party’s founding father. With an anachronistic rock score and enough fiction thrown in with the facts to keep things more than interesting, SpeakEasy Stage’s Boston premiere of Bloody reveals a side of “Old Hickory” you’ve never seen before. fri
F AD R M E IS SI E O
wang theatre, 270 tremont St, Boston :: 8 pm :: $34.75-$107.25 :: citicenter.org
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It’s probably safe to say that gamers and classical-music buffs rarely see eye to eye on much of anything. But we’re fairly sure that both will geek out 18 over THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SYMPHONY OF THE GODDESSES this evening. The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra brings the game to life in a unique multimedia performance with a full-on orchestral tribute and visual projections from the classic video game’s 26-year tenure. tHu
FEATURING ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH RICHARD FORD TOM PERROTTA ANITA HILL DENNIS LEHANE BUZZ BISSINGER ALEXANDRA STYRON JUNOT DIAZ LEMONY SNICKET CORY DOCTOROW EDITH PEARLMAN TAYARI JONES CHRIS WARE
PRESENTING PARTNER:
StEROCURE tRavELiNG SHOwCaSE :: LA record label stops in town for a show with experimental indie bands Stag and Family Photo; local outfit See Through Band opens :: ZuZu, 474 Mass ave, Cambridge :: October 22 @ 10 pm :: zuzubar.com “ROCK tHE aUDitiON” wORKSHOp :: Workshop for musicians, actors, and other performers about acing an audition with expert Sheri Sanders :: Berklee College of Music, Room 1a, 1140 Boylston St, Boston :: October 24 from 1 to 3 pm :: RSvp to sheri@rock-theaudition.com
tHEpHOENix.COM/EvENtS :: 10.19.12 57
Nex t Coo Week : Corlidge N Wha t ar er fa
ve ey @bo spots? our t s or e tonph Weet oen mail ix l i st @p h x.co ings m
Meet the Mayor
TWELvE ChAIRS
>> 319 A St, Boston :: 617.701.3496 ::
twelvechairsboston.com
Maggie Battista
foursquare.com/mizmaggieb
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
fort point 5 PLACES WE LOvE
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It takes an awful lot of caffeine to sustain the brain wattage behind Boston startups. Which pretty much makes BARRINGTON COFFEE ROASTING COMPANY the high-octane lifeblood of the Innovation District. The java obsessives at the BCRC search the globe over for their quality beans, ensuring a cup o’ mud that’s nonpareil. (Goes pretty good with a scone from Flour, too.)
346 Congress St :: 857.277.1914 :: barringtoncoffee.com
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MENTON’s Colin Lynch just has a way with seafood — even seeing behind-the-scenes Facebook pics of
him hoisting a colossal Alaskan king crab gets our pulse racing (reading the words “$95 prix-fixe menu” also does the trick). Not feeling flush enough for culinary empress Barbara Lynch’s French/New American joint? Well, we think a bespoke cocktail’s calling your name at Drink next door. 354 Congress St :: 617.737.0099 :: mentonboston.com
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Take note, impulse shoppers: FRONT (retailers of Brit brand Bob’s Your Uncle gifts and stationery) will will be your kryptonite. But as neighborhood hazards go, you could do a lot worse than being besieged by the
gettiNg tHere subWay: red line to south station; silver line to south station. bus: routes #4, #6, #7.
58 00.00.12 :: THEPHOENIX.COm/EvENTS THEPHOENIX.COm
threat of spending a few bucks on an irresistibly twee tote bag. Or an adorable melamine plate. Or a whimsical day planner. Or . . . 25 Channel Center St :: 857.362.7289 :: front-online.com
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The agave plant might need 10 years to reach maturity, but Boston tequila bars sure have been sprouting up fast and furious these days. PAPAGAYO gets special props for their selection: a few months back, they reportedly became the first bar in Boston with their own private-label tequila (a handpicked doublebarrel Herradura reposado).
283 Summer St :: 617.423.1000 :: papagayoboston.com
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If there’s one philosophy we subscribe to, it’s this: you can never have too many microbreweries. And the corollary: good beer is worth waiting for. TRILLIUM BREWERY is taking its sweet time to open their Fort Point operation (where they’ll be making “farmhouse”style beers with locally sourced ingredients — and maybe even locally sourced microbes for fermentation), but if their Instagrammed progress reports are any indication, they’ll be up and running soon. 369 Congress St :: trilliumbrewing.com
#FF @fortpointarts @fortpointchan @fortpointer @jbchang @sportelloboston
Would you agree that you have nice things? I have some nice things, but Twelve Chairs has lots of nice, pretty things. I can usually afford the books, not necessarily the pretty furniture, but I go in there, and it’s kind of like, “Oh, wow, I could live here.” Why don’t you? I’d like to. I’m trying to think through the logistics. They do have a sink. They don’t have a fridge, so I couldn’t keep my food anywhere. I cook a lot, and there’s no way to cook there. They don’t have everything I need, but I would certainly like to hang out there and escape for a while. What’s your least favorite thing to sit on? Um, so, right before I got married, my mother-in-law, may she rest in peace, gave us this leather sofa. It was wonderful at the time. When you have nothing and someone gives you something, you’re so grateful. But our dog hates it, essentially, and has ripped it all to pieces. Now I don’t want it anywhere in my house anymore, because it’s a mess. But she gave me tons of other furniture that I love to sit on. _Barry thompson
DON’T MISS...
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Forget leaf peeping; to us, it isn’t really fall unless we’ve seen trails of tiny clay golems and chalk doodles wending their way up A street, signaling the approach of the Fort Point Open Studios — an experience akin to spending a day in a blast furnace of creativity, with works ranging from tasteful watercolor landscapes to mad science with robots. October 19-21 :: free :: fortpointarts.org/ open-studios
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If you thought the weekly resurrection of Ol’ Blue eyes for Lucky’s Lounge sinatra sundays was scary, halloween on the harbor will do you one better. slap on a spooky costume, and take a boozy trolley ride/bar crawl through the waterfront (proceeds benefit Friends of the Fort Point Channel). October 26 @ 7-10 pm :: $5 :: facebook. com/HalloweenOnTheHarbor
3 Want to be interviewed about your Foursquare mayorship? Give us a shout: tweet @bostonphoenix or email listings@phx.com. And for tips, friend us: foursquare.com/bostonphoenix.
Word oN tHe tWeet “We have scott marshall. one night only! he’s making tiki drinks and being inappropriate” via @drinkboston.
If the prognostications of Greg Lindsay, author of Aerotropolis: The Way We’ll Live Next, are correct, we’re all going to be living in airport cities someday. Lindsay explains all at the BsA next month. November 1 @ 6 pm :: BSA Space, 290 Congress St :: $10 (registration required) :: architects. org/lectures
PHOTOs BY DeRek kOUYOUmjIAN (meeT THe mAYOR) AND mICHAeL DIskIN (FORT POINT)
arts & nightlife :: get out
Arts & Nightlife :: get out
To-do LisT
TRiviA
FRidAY 19
ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA-MUSEUM OF SCIENCE ARCHAEOLOGY FAIR › Explore the world of archaeology through a variety of interactive activities and games › Fri 9 am; Sat 10 am › Museum of Science, 1 Science Pk, Boston › Free with admission: $22; $20 seniors › 617.353.9361 or archaeological.org SUMMER STREET MARKETS ARTS AND CRAFTS › Original, handmade works, including jewelry, glassware, woodworks, photography, sculpture, clothing, accessories, and more › Fri + Wed 11 am › Summer Street in Downtown Crossing, Summer and Washington Sts, Boston › Free › 617.482.2139 or bostonbid.org TANGO BAR › Crash course followed by a milonga with special Argentine inspired food › 8 pm › Dance Union, 16 Bow Street, Somerville › $12 › 617.721.4872 or bostontango.org
sATURdAY 20
BOSTON YOGA AND CHANT FEST › Yoga classes, mantra music concerts, workshops, and other activities, with keynote speaker is Arun Gandhi › Sat 10 am; Sun 9 am › Regis College, 235 Wellesley St, Weston › $65-$108 › 781.768.7000 or bostonyogaandchantfest.com HOME MOVIE DAY 2012 › Worldwide event that invites you to see and share your own home movies with an audience of your community › noon › Somerville Community Access Television, 90 Union Sq, Somerville › Free › 617.628.8826 or homemovieday.com ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA-MUSEUM OF SCIENCE ARCHAEOLOGY FAIR › See listing for Fri ARLINGTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL › See listing for Thurs
sUNdAY 21
EXPLORING DAVID MAMET’S COMEDY ‘RACE’: “WHAT IS THE TRUTH? WHAT ARE THE LIES?” A CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE IN AMERICA › With Kim McLarin, Ruha Benjamin, PhD, Lydia R. Diamond, & Walter Earl Fluker, PhD › 6 pm › Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St, Watertown › Free › 617.923.0100 PUMPKINFEST › Open house and instrument petting zoo, where you can sample various instruments and enjoy live music from the faculty and students › 12:30 pm › Brookline Music School, 25 Kennard Rd, Brookline › Free › 617.277.4593 or bmsmusic.org BOSTON YOGA AND CHANT FEST › See listing for Sat
MoNdAY 22
“NERDNITE” › Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $5 › 617.868.MSEX or middlesexlounge.com “PANEL ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION” › Screening of the final debate with Harvard’s Theda Skocpol, The Boston Globe’s Juliette Kayyem, and more › 7 pm › Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.876.6837
TUEsdAY 23
“A RETROSPECTIVE WITH PHOTOGRAPHER, RICKY POWELL” › Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.868.MSEX › middlesexlounge.com CAT VIDEO FESTIVAL › Outdoor screening with attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets and foldable chairs › 7 pm ›
THURsdAY 18
COMMON GROUND › 8 pm › “Think Tank Trivia” › 85 Harvard Ave, Allston SPIRIT BAR › 8 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 2046 Mass Ave, Cambridge
sUNdAY 21
21ST AMENDMENT › 8 pm › “Stump!” Trivia › 150 Bowdoin St, Boston CHARLIE’S KITCHEN › 8 pm › “Stump!” Trivia › 10 Eliot St, Cambridge COSTELLO’S TAVERN › 7:30 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 723 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain GEOFFREY’S CAFE › 8 pm › “Trivia Sundays” hosted by local drag performers Rainbow Frite and Raquel Blake › 142 Berkeley St, Boston THIRSTY SCHOLAR PUB › 8 pm › “Sunday Night Trivia” › 70 Beacon St, Somerville
You can has kitteh film festival: cat videos take their place on the silver screen on Tuesday. UMass-Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston › Free › eventbrite.com/event/4452000052/?ref= ebritebos0sm# “I DON’T REMEMBER: ADRIENNE KENNEDY AND “A RAT’S MASS,” IN THE AGE OF AIDS › With Hilton Als › 4 pm › Barker Center at Harvard, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge › Free › 617.495.0340
WEdNEsdAY 24
ARTISTALK: KERRY JAMES MARSHALL › Kerry James Marshall in conversation with Susan Dackerman, Carl A. Weyerhaeuser Curator of Prints, Harvard Art Museums › 6 pm › Harvard Art Museums, 485 Broadway, Cambridge › Free › 617.495.9400 or harvardartmuseums.org “BOLD SPRINTS” › The bike night is back, with music by DJ Mayhem and Dance Pajaritos › 9 pm › Good Life, 28 Kingston St, Boston › 617.451.2622 or goodlifebar.com JEANNETTE WALLS › The NYT bestselling author of The Glass Castle discusses her tumultuous childhood as part of the Boston Speakers Series › 8 pm › Symphony Hall, 301 Mass Ave, Boston › Free › 888.266.1200 or bostonspeakersseries.org SUMMER STREET MARKETS ARTS AND CRAFTS › See listing for Fri
THURsdAY 25
“EVERY VOTES COUNTS: A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS EXPLORING THE 2012 ELECTION” › With John Carroll, Avi Green and Alan Schroeder › 7 pm › Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.547.6789 or ccae.org “INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC W/ MULTIMEDIA BURLESQUE EXPERIENCE” › With music by Mission Creep and The Invisible Rays › 9 pm › Milky Way, at the Brewery, 284 Armory St, Jamaica Plain › $8 › 617.524.3740 or milkywayjp.com “THE POLITICS OF HANDSOME” › With Paula Lyons, Joyce Kulhawik, Lauren Beckham Falcone, and Jan Saragoni. › 6:30 pm › Modern Theatre, 525 Washington St, Boston › Free › fordhallforum.org
AcTivisM FRidAY 19
BU ANTIWAR COALITION INVITES HAVAAR: WAR, SANCTIONS, AND TRANSNATIONAL SOLIDARITIES › Hear from Havaar, a grassroots group of Iranians, Iranian-Americans and allies who oppose military action and US-led sanctions against Iran. Learn about their solidarity efforts with
Iranian people struggling against war and state repression. That’s in room 522 › 6 pm › Boston University College of Arts and Sciences, 725 Comm Ave, Boston › Free › 617.975.0600 or facebook.com/events/429432883760251 FOOD SERVICE VOLUNTEERING WITH FOOD NOT BOMBS › Recurring every Friday and Sunday, help Food Not Bombs to pass out free meals to all in Boston Common and in Central Square. To get involved, email fnbboston@gmail.com › Fri + Sun 3 pm › Central Square, Mass Ave and Prospect St, Cambridge › Free › facebook.com/FNBBoston “NO ROOM FOR WISHING” › Catch a performance of Danny Bryck’s one-man documentary play about Occupy Boston, showing here for one night only, following its run at Central Square Theater › 8 pm › Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston Street, Boston › $5-$25 sliding scale; nobody turned away for inability to pay › 617 266.6710 or dannybryck. com/noroomforwishing
sATURdAY 20
MoNdAY 22
JOHNNY D’S › 8 pm › “Stump!” › 17 Holland St, Somerville MILKY WAY › 8 pm › ““Stump!” › 284 Armory St, Jamaica Plain PIZZERIA REGINA ALLSTON › 8 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 353 Cambridge St, Allston TOMMY DOYLE’S AT HARVARD › 8 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 96 Winthrop St, Cambridge
TUEsdAY 23
2012 LGBTQ YOUTH EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE › A free conference spearheaded by trans writer, speaker, and advocate Janet Mock with more than 20 workshops educating and inspiring LGBTQ youth of color under age 25. That’s in building B-51 › 10 am-5 pm › MIT Tang Center, 2 Amherst St, Cambridge › Free › 617.258.7971 or hbgcboston.org
sUNdAY 21
FOOD SERVICE VOLUNTEERING WITH FOOD NOT BOMBS › See listing for Fri
MoNdAY 22
OCCUPY BOSTON RADIO WORKING GROUP MEETING › OB Radio needs help, ideas, producers, suggestions for show ideas and the music department › 7 pm › Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave, Boston › Free › 617.482.6300 or occupyboston.org
WEdNEsdAY 24
BIKES NOT BOMBS’ SECOND ANNUAL BUILDING MOMENTUM BREAKFAST › Help raise financial support for Bikes Not Bombs and/or just learn about their community organizing. Enjoy breakfast provided by Ula Café, hear stories from those impacted by BNB, watch a short video. Attendees will be asked to donate but not obligated › 8-9 am › Space With A Soul, 281 Summer St, Boston › Free; donations welcomed › 617.744.9336 or bikesnotbombs.org RADICAL FILM NIGHT › 7 pm › Lucy Parsons Center, 358A Centre St, Jamaica Plain › Free › 617.267.6272 or lucyparsons.org
AN TUA NUA › 7:30 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 835 Beacon St, Boston COMMON GROUND › 8 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 85 Harvard Ave, Allston GREATEST BAR › 8 pm › “Friendly Feud” › 262 Friend St, Boston JOE SENT ME › 7:30 pm › “Stump!” › 2388 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge LIVING ROOM › 8 pm › Trivia Night › 101 Atlantic Ave, Boston SWEET CAROLINE’S RESTAURANT & BAR › 8 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 1260 Boylston St, Boston SWEETWATER CAFÉ › 8 pm › “Medulla Oblongata” › 3 Boylston Place, Boston
WEdNEsdAY 24
BLARNEY STONE › 8 pm › “Think Tank Trivia” › 1505 Dorchester Avenue , Boston BRIGHTON BEER GARDEN › 8 pm › “Stump!” › 386 Market St, Brighton DRUID › 8 pm › Druid Trivia Night › 1357 Cambridge St, Cambridge JEANIE JOHNSTON PUB › 8:30 pm › “Stump!” › 144 South St, Jamaica Plain PHOENIX LANDING › 7:30 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 512 Mass Ave, Cambridge SPIRIT BAR › 8 pm › “Stump!” › 2046 Mass Ave, Cambridge TAVERN IN THE SQUARE › 8 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 161 Brighton Ave, Allston TOMMY DOYLE’S AT HARVARD › 8 pm › “Stump!” › 96 Winthrop St, Cambridge TOMMY DOYLE’S KENDALL › 6:30 pm › “Geeks Who Drink” › 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge
THEPHOENIX.cOm/EVENTS :: 10.19.12 59
Arts & Nightlife :: get out
HALLoWEEN FUN
SBS HALLOWEEN PARTY › Two bars with multiple bartenders, DJ A-Con playing top 40s, group and individual costume contests, vodka drink specials, and more › 9 pm › Sweet Caroline’s Restaurant & Bar, 1260 Boylston St, Boston › $20 › 617.424.1260 “BLOOD ROSE RISING” › See listing for Fri EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL › See listing for Thurs “GOREFEST X: 28 DAYS LATTE” › See listing for Wed “TOMES OF TERROR: NEW ARRIVALS” LIVE RADIO SHOW › See listing for Fri
oNGoiNG
THE HIDDEN HOTEL › Haunted house experience in which guests explore a once glamorous, now abandoned and decrepit old hotel. Partial proceeds benefit Cops for Kids with Cancer. › Fri-Sun + Thurs 6 pm › The Hidden Hotel, 95 Washington St, Canton › $18 › www. thehiddenhotel.com TOUR THE WARREN ANATOMICAL MUSEUM › Harvard Med School’s anatomical museum’s current collection features approximately 15,000 artifacts and cases including anatomical models, medical instruments and machines, the skull of Phineas Gage, and other rare and strange items guaranteed to creep you out this time of year › Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston › free › 617.432.1000 WITCH’S WOODS › Haunted hayride, Jack O’ Lantern Jamboree, and three haunted houses: Nightmare Mansion, 3D Keeper’s Crypt, and Castle Morbid › Thurs-Sun 6:30 pm › Witch’s Woods, 79 Powers Rd, Westford › $30 › 978.692.3033 THE WRATHSKELLER › Boston Baby Dolls’ annual Halloween burlesque extravaganza › Thurs-Sun 8 pm › Davis Square Theatre, 255 Elm Street, Somerville › $25-$45 › wrathskellar.com
THURsdAY 18
EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL › LynnArts’s Arts After Hours program hosts George Reinblatt’s comedy musical (with additional music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, and Melissa Morris), which was based on the horror film series of the same name. Dave Carney stars as bad-ass zombie-hunter Ash, under Corey Jackson’s direction. › Thurs-Sat 8 pm; Sun 4 pm; Thurs 8:30 pm; 10 pm › LynnArts, 25 Exchange St, Lynn › $20-$30 › 781.598.5244 THE REVENANTS › Mikey DiLoreto directs Scott T. Barsotti’s tragicomedy about two married couples holed up in a basement together, seemingly safe from the zombie apocalypse outside their walls. But two out of four of our heroes have become infected. › Thurs-Sat 8 pm › Factory Theatre at the Piano Factory, 791 Tremont St, Boston › $18; $15 students, seniors › 617.817.6600
FRidAY 19
“BLOOD ROSE RISING” › Supernatural immersive “serial thriller” theater experience staged in a nightclub. Tells the story of a young history professor who inherits a Victorian mansion and becomes obsessed with — and driven to murder by -- the ghost of a beautiful woman. › Naga, 450 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $20 › 617.661.4900 “LADY LUCK BURLESQUE’S HALLOWEEN BIZARRE” › ZipGun Bomber › Middle East Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $20 › 617.864.EAST “TOMES OF TERROR: NEW ARRIVALS” LIVE RADIO SHOW › Three horror stories performed live onstage in the style of Golden Age Radio. Retro candies and sodas sold at the concession stand. › Fri-Sat + Thurs 8 pm › Unity Church of God, 6 William St, Somerville › $15; $12 students, seniors › 617.623.1212 EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL › See listing for Thurs THE REVENANTS › See listing for Thurs
sATURdAY 20
“BLOOD ROSE RISING” › See listing for Fri EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL › See listing for Thurs
THE REVENANTS › See listing for Thurs “TOMES OF TERROR: NEW ARRIVALS” LIVE RADIO SHOW › See listing for Fri
sUNdAY 21
“BLOOD ROSE RISING” › See listing for Fri EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL › See listing for Thurs
MoNdAY 22
“HALLOWEEN PARTY VI” › With Cuffs covering Television Personalities and bands TBA covering the Magnetic Fields, Talulah Gosh, and the Wedding Present › 8 pm › Charlie’s Kitchen, 10 Eliot St, Cambridge › $5 › 617.492.9646
WEdNEsdAY 24
“GOREFEST X: 28 DAYS LATTE” › Musical comedy from writer/lyricist Don Schuerman and composer Steve Gilbane › Wed 8 pm; Thurs 8 + 10 pm › ImprovBoston Mainstage, 40 Prospect St, Cambridge › 617.576.1253
THURsdAY 25
RIFFTRAX LIVE: BIRDEMIC › Screening of the horror comedy parody › 8 pm › Regal Fenway 13, 201 Brookline Ave, Boston › 617.424.6266 THE RUDE BOYZ PRESENT: LAUGH TIL YOU DIE!” HALLOWEEN COMEDY SHOW › Halloween sketches and more with Lamont Price, Dan Crohn, Bigg Nez, Julie Kityama. Plus a costume contest and more. › 8:30 pm › Sweetwater Café, 3 Boylston Place, Boston › $15 › 617.351.2515 EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL › See listing for Thurs “GOREFEST X: 28 DAYS LATTE” › See listing for Wed “TOMES OF TERROR: NEW ARRIVALS” LIVE RADIO SHOW › See listing for Fri
FRidAY 26
DYKE NIGHT HALLOWEEN PARTY › 9 pm › Milky Way, at the Brewery, 284 Armory St, Jamaica Plain › $10 › 617.524.3740 “HALLOWEEN DANCE PARTY AT PRIME” › Halloween dance party with the Crystal Method › 10 pm › Umbria Prime, 295 Franklin St, Boston › $20 › 617.338.1000 “HALLOWEEN HANGOVER 12: NIGHT 1” › With music by Cougar Bait, Mojo Kick, Sour D Cosmodrome, and Western Education › 7:30 pm › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $12; $10 advance › 617.864.EAST HALLOWEEN PUBCRAWL BOSTON › Dress up and comb the streets of Boston for the best bars › 5 pm › Goodbar, 183 State St, Boston › $5 › 617.723.7050 MONSTER BOAT JAM 2012 › Halloween party cruise with DJs, cash bar, costume contest, and more › 7:30 pm › Mass Bay Lines, 60 Rowes Wharf, Boston › $20-$25 › 617.542.8000
60 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm/EVENTS
sATURdAY 27
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S THE BIRDs HALLOWEEN PARTY › Specialty cocktails, live aerial performers, music from DJ Michael Savant, DJ7L, and DJ Hectic, and more › 8 pm › Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St, Boston › $30 › 617.224.4000 BEWICKED PUB CRAWL › With costume contests with prizes, Magners giveaways, goodie bags, palm readings, and more › 12:45 pm › Kings, 50 Dalton St, Ste 1, Boston › $25; $75 5-person group › 617.266.2695 BLOODFEAST HALLOWEEN PARTY 2012 › The New England chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists 9th annual Halloween bash features a costume contest with a $1000 cash prize, music by DJs David Day, Die Young, Nemesis, Volvox, and Arcrunner, “tricks n’ treats” from Karmaloop and Lemon mag, live art, visual projections, and more › 10 pm › Machine, 1256 Boylston St, Boston › $15 › 617.536.1950 BOSTON HARBOR SINGLES HALLOWEEN CRUISE › Bon Voyage Party followed by a cruise where you can dance, mingle, and socialize on three decks with 300 other single professionals (costumes optional) › 5:30 pm › Howl at the Moon, 184 High St, Boston › $40; $35 advance › 617.292.4695 GOTO BOSTON’S ANNUAL HALLOWEEN PARTY › Open bar, dancing, late night pizza, and socializing with more than 400 friends of GOTO Boston › 9 pm › Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, 85 West Newton St, Boston › $85 › 617.927.1707 HALLOWEEN BAR CRAWL BOSTON › Haunt the most scandalous Boston bars, pubs, and saloons featuring drink specials, music, and entertainment › noon › Clarke’s at Faneuil Hall, 21 Merchants Row, Boston › $10 › 617.227.7800 “HALLOWEEN HANGOVER 12: NIGHT 2” › With music by Shoney Lamar & The Equal Rights, OTP, Ellis Ashbrook, Kristen Ford Band, and The Symptoms › 7:30 pm › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $12; $10 advance › 617.864.EAST “HALLOWEEN HANGOVER NIGHT 2” › effzero + Waves + Semi-Good Looking + Shotgun Waltz + Ways to Fall › 9 pm › Precinct, 70 Union Sq, Somerville › 617.623.9211 “BLOOD ROSE RISING” › See listing for Fri EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL › See listing for Thurs “GOREFEST X: 28 DAYS LATTE” › See listing for Wed SOWA AT SALEM OPEN MARKET › See listing for Sat “TOMES OF TERROR: NEW ARRIVALS” LIVE RADIO SHOW › See listing for Fri
sUNdAY 28
“BLOOD ROSE RISING” › See listing for Fri EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL › See listing for Thurs “GOREFEST X: 28 DAYS LATTE” › See listing for Wed SOWA AT SALEM OPEN MARKET › See listing for Sat
MoNdAY 29
“HALLOWEEN PARTY!” › With The New Dumb & Friends as the Hives, Great Lakes USA as the Lawrence Arms, Roger as Dashboard Confessional, Courters as the Sonics, and ExMagicians as the Clash › 8 pm › Charlie’s Kitchen, 10 Eliot St, Cambridge › $5 › 617.492.9646
TUEsdAY 30
“HALLOWEENIE MASK-O-RADE” › With DJ D’Hana, Blk.Adonis, and DJ Leah V › 10 pm › ZuZu, 474 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $3 › 617.864.3278 “HAUNTED HOUSE OF PANCAKES” › Halloween-themed International Pancake Festival admission includes complimentary stack of pancakes. › 7 pm › Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge › $5 › 617.876.6837 “THROWED HAUNTED MANSION” › EMarce + Texas Mike + Mobsky + Bad Magician + Kevin Wang › 9 pm › Middle East Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $25 two-day pass › 617.864.EAST “GOREFEST X: 28 DAYS LATTE” › See listing for Wed
WEdNEsdAY 31
BUCKET O’PUMKINS AT BUKOWSKI’S › Bukowski’s Cambridge celebrates Halloween with an adult trick o’ treat bag: they’re offering buckets of 5 different pumpkin ales plus a little candy for good measure › 8 pm › Bukowski Tavern (Cambridge), 1281 Cambridge St, Cambridge › no cover › 617.497.7077 DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION › Day of the Dead celebration starting Halloween night and running through November 2, featuring a themed menu, decorations, fake tattoos, sugar skulls, Mexican BINGO games at the bar, and more › The Painted Burro, 219 Elm St, Somerville › no cover › 617.776.0005 “GHOULS NIGHT OUT” › Halloween Spectacular Costume Party with music by DJ Dandy Dan and Krezner. Free! › 10 pm › ZuZu, 474 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Free › 617.864.3278 THE HARDER THEY COME 40TH ANNIVERSARY HALLOWEEN TRIBUTE SHOW › Destroy Babylon plays classic 1972 movie soundtrack The Harder They Come, along with the Sterns as Fleetwood Mac and The Fat Mikes as NOFX › 8 pm › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $10 › 617.864.EAST SON OF FRANKENSTEEZ HALLOWEEN EP RELEASE PARTY › Halloween record release show hosted by Mister Jason and Tall Boy Industries for Mister Jason’s new EP Son of Frankensteez. With DJs Frank White, Drew, and J-Zone spinning 45s only all night, giveaways, and more. Costumes encouraged. › 8 pm › Church of Boston, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston › $10 › 617.236.7600 “THE PILL 10TH ANNUAL HALLOWEEN SHOW” › With The Luxury as Oasis, The New Highway Hymnal as The Stooges, Color Channel as LCD Soundsystem, Ruby Ridge as The Knife, and pill residents DJ Ken & Michael V › 9 pm › Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston › $10 › 617.566.9014 “WALTER SICKERT PRESENTS THE SQUIDHOUSE OF HORROR” HALLOWEEN SHOW › Hosted by Johnny Blazes with music by Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys, XNY, Darling Pet Munkee, and Moe Pope. Halloween burlesque by the Bunny Collective and more › 8 pm › Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston › $15 › 617.779.0140 EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL › See listing for Thurs “GOREFEST X: 28 DAYS LATTE” › See listing for Wed HALLOWEEN PUBCRAWL BOSTON › See listing for Fri “THROWED HAUNTED MANSION” › See listing for Tue
Pres ents tHe
18 tH Ann UAL
TO BEN EFIT
presented by
NOV 8»11 Thur: 3pm-10pm Fri: 3pm -10pm Sat: 10am-8pm Sun: 10a m-6pm
Present Boston’s Biggest Ski & Snowboard
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BMW OF CAMBRIDGE 1098 MASSACHUSETTS AVE ARLINGTON, MA 02476-4328 (781)648-1300 WWW.BMWOFCAMBRIDGE.COM
aLSo featur iNg greg Fitzs immons, tom Papa, Don
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PresenteD By
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Arts & Nightlife :: visuAl Art
PhotogrAPhy
Graveyard of modernism
for mor e images
by Mario TesTino, go To Th ePho coM/gall enix. ery
CITy OF MIrAGES (TOP) By ArCHITECT WALTEr GrOPIuS, (BOTTOM) By ArCHITECT rOBErT VEnTurI
Ladies’ man mario TesTino is besT known for photographing Princess Diana for Vanity Fair in 1997, just months before her death. Museum of Fine Arts curator Anne Havinga says Testino was nervous and Diana was stiff, so he asked her to take off her shoes and jewelry and put on some music. He danced. She danced. “That is a talent,” Havinga says. The seeming naturalness and intimacy in the photos made them iconic — and launched Testino’s career into the stratosphere. Now Testino is a pre-eminent commercial photographer — shooting covers for Vogue and Vanity Fair, fashion advertisements, and official portraits of the British royal family from Diana to the cuddly engagement shot of her son Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2010. “Being a fashion photographer is a difficult job,” says Havinga, who is bringing “In Your Face,” a survey of his career, plus a companion exhibit of “British Royal Portraits” to the MFA. “They have to respond to the desires of the editor or the fashion house, and they have to encapsulate the dreams of the public. . . . He’s a master of it.” Born in 1954, Testino grew up in Lima, Peru, before transplanting to London, where he concocted
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his frothy mix of fame, sex, and surface glamour. “There’s just tons of energy in his pictures,” Havinga says. “The people in his pictures almost seem to lean out at you.” The MFA showcases fashion and celebrity photos as well as informal behind-the-scenes party pics: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady trading snarls with a Doberman for the September issue of VMan magazine, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Josh Hartnett in lipstick, Lady Gaga, Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez regal in a blue gown walking a pack of Dobermans, Gisele Bündchen slinking out of the back of a Rolls Royce; Mariah Carey, Donatella Versace, and Beyoncé Knowles dining in Milan; and Testino’s “muse,” Kate Moss. “He’s older than she [Moss], but their careers started at the same time,” Havinga says. “She’s not just a beautiful woman. She has a sense of drama and role playing.” When he photographs the gorgeous and famous, as Testino himself often tells interviewers, he labors to “make them look their best.” “People often talk about his incredible charm,” Havinga says, “and it’s true.”
_G r e G Cook » GreGCookland .CoM /journal
MArio TeSTino :: Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston :: october 21–February 3 (“in Your Face”) and october 21–June 16 (“British royal Portraits”) :: mfa.org
62 10.19.12 :: THePHoeniX.CoM/ArTS
Iraq’s King Faisal II launched plans to modernize Baghdad in 1950 by commissioning a dream team of American and European architects — Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Cambridge’s Walter Gropius, Harvard’s José Luis Sert, Gio Ponti, Constantinos Doxiadis, Willem Marinus Dudok — to design a university, a sports complex, government offices, and whole neighborhoods. “City of Mirages: Baghdad, 19521982,” organized by Barcelona’s Collegi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya, uses wall text, illustrations, and models created for the exhibit (no primary sources) to tell the fascinating and melancholy story of dashed Iraqi aspirations and Western Modernist utopian dreams left incomplete, damaged, or unbuilt. The Western architects rhymed Modernism’s clean, minimalist geometry with traditional Arab lattices, geometric decoration, and the warrens of neighborhoods and markets. At times, the Modernists seem to slip into an awkward Orientalist accent — like when Wright took inspiration from minarets “City of and One MiraGes” Thousand and BSA Space :: One Nights. This sort 290 Congress St, Boston :: Through of whimsy January 10 ultimately buckled under the intense pressure on Iraq’s faults — squeezed by heavily armed world powers, by international addiction to oil, by bloodthirsty, power-mad local strongmen. In 1958, Faisal was executed in a military coup d’état. In 1968, Saddam Hussein became vice president. He rose to president in ’79. The following year, Iraq was at war with Iran. _GC
galleries
Admission to the following galleries is free, unless otherwise noted. In addition to the hours listed here, many galleries are open by appointment.
open studios
FORT POINT OPEN STUDIOS › 617.423.4299 › 300 Summer St, Boston › fortpointarts.org › Fri 4-7 pm; SatSun noon-6 pm › With more than 150 painters, sculptors, ceramicists, jewelers, performance artists, fashion designers, printmakers, and more, all opening their doors to thousands of visitors
openings
BROOKLINE ARTS CENTER › 617.566.5615 › 86 Monmouth St, Brookline › brooklineartscenter.com › Mon-Fri 9 am–4:30 pm › Oct 19-Nov 19: Gerald Shertzer: “Town and City” › Reception Oct 19: 5:30-7:30 pm CARPENTER CENTER FOR THE VISUAL ARTS AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY › 617.495.3251 › 24 Quincy St, Cambridge › ves. fas.harvard.edu › Mon-Fri 10 am-5 pm; SatSun 1 pm-5 pm › Oct 25-Dec 20: “Parsis: The Zoroastrians of India” DAVIS ART GALLERY › 508.752.5334 › 44 Portland St, Worcester › davisart.com › MonFri 8:30 am-5 pm › Oct 25-Jan 4: “The Quest for Inner Peace: An Exploration of Asian Arts Through Western Eyes” › Reception Oct 25: 5-7 pm EXTENSION GALLERY AT ORCHARD/ ORCHARD SKATESHOP › 617.782.7777 › 156 Harvard Ave, Allston › orchardshop.com › MonSat noon-9 pm; Sun noon-7 pm › Oct 20-Nov 19: “The Death of Childhood” › Reception Oct 20: 8-11 pm GATEWAY GALLERY › 617.734.1577 › 62 Harvard St, Brookline › gatewayarts.org › MonFri 9 am-4:30 pm; Sat noon-5 pm › Oct 25-Nov 10: “Text and Texture II” › Reception Oct 25: 5-7 pm LINCOLN ARTS PROJECT › › 289 Moody St, Waltham › lincolnartsproject.com › Wed-Fri 4-9 pm; Sat 2-8 pm › Through Oct 20: Charlie Smith: “Playing With Dolls” & “New Spins” Dual Exhibit › Oct 24-31: “Space 242 Presents Freeky Fright Nights” MIT LIST VISUAL ARTS CENTER › 617.253.4860 › 20 Ames St, Cambridge › web. mit.edu/lvac › Daily noon-6 pm › Through Oct 26: “I don’t care what anybody else thinks: Gifts of Vera List” › Oct 19-Jan 6: “In the Holocene” › Reception Oct 18: 6- 8 pm QUIDLEY AND COMPANY GALLERY › 617.450.4300 › 38 Newbury St, Boston › quidleyandco.com › Tues-Fri 10 am-6 pm; Sat 10 am-5 pm › Through Oct 20: “Narrative Fragments” › Oct 25-Nov 25: “Urban Intersection” › Reception Oct 25: 5:30-8 pm
ongoing
ACME FINE ART › 617.585.9551 › 38 Newbury St, Boston › acmefineart.com › Tues-Sat 11 am5:30 pm, and by appointment › Through Nov 3: “Director’s Choice 2012” AMERICAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS CENTER › 617.266.0080 › 38 Newbury St, Boston › aicongress.org › Mon-Fri 9 am-5 pm; Sat noon-4 pm › Through Jan 15: “Bosnian Born” ARNHEIM GALLERY AT MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN › 617.879.7166 › 621 Huntington Ave, Boston › massart.edu › Mon-Tues + ThursSat noon-6 pm; Wed noon-8 pm › Through Oct 27: Uganda Art Consortium ARSENAL CENTER FOR THE ARTS › 617.923.0100 › 321 Arsenal St, Watertown › arsenalarts.org › Tues-Sun noon-6 pm › Through
Dan McDermott’s Tan is on view at Quidley and Company through November 25. Nov 10: “30 Under 30” › Through Nov 10: Mimi Bernardin with Jesse Tripathi: “Baba’s Village: Glimpses of an Ancestral Home” ART INSTITUTE OF BOSTON › 617.585.6600 › 700 Beacon St, Boston › aiboston. edu › Tues-Wed + Fri noon-5 pm; Thurs 3-8 pm; Sat noon-5 pm › Through Oct 21: “In Depth: Contemporary Letterpress” ART MARKET PROVINCETOWN › 508.413.9090 › 148 Commercial St, Provincetown › artmarketprovincetown.com › Mon + Wed-Sun 10 am-9 pm › Through Nov 4: Susan Bernstein, Barbara Hadden, Chaya Kupperman, Marsha Lieberman, and Lisa Sette: “Outside Time” AXELLE FINE ARTS › 617.450.0700 › 91 Newbury St, Boston › axelle.com › Daily 10 am-6 pm › Through Oct 22: Laurent Hours BOSTON ATHENÆUM › 617.227.0270 › 10-1/2 Beacon St, Boston › bostonathenaeum. org › Mon 9 am-8 pm; Tues-Fri 9 am-5:30 pm; Sat 9 am-4 pm › Through Jan 12: “ChromoMania! The Art of Chromolithograhy in Boston, 1840-1910” BOSTON UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY › 617.353.4672 › 855 Comm Avenue, Boston › bu.edu/art › Tues-Fri 10 am-5 pm; Sat-Sun 1-5 pm › Through Oct 21: “SIMPATICO” BRICKBOTTOM GALLERY › 617.776.3410 › 1 Fitchburg St, Somerville › brickbottomartists. com › Thurs-Sat noon–5 pm › Through Oct 20: “From Paper to Production; Artists of Wheelock Family Theatre” BSA SPACE › 617.391.4039 › Boston Society of Architects, 290 Congress St, Boston › bsaspace. org › Daily 10 am-6 pm › Through Dec 31: “City of Mirages: Baghdad, 1952–1982” CAC GALLERY › 617.349.4380 › 344 Broadway, Cambridge › cambridgema.gov/cac › Mon + Wed 8:30 am-8 pm; Tues + Thurs 8:30 am-5 pm; Fri 8:30 am-noon › Through Nov 23: Halsey Burgund: “ROUND: Cambridge” CAMBRIDGE MULTICULTURAL ARTS CENTER › 617.577.1400 › 41 Second St, Cambridge › cmacusa.org › Mon-Fri 10:30 am-6 pm › Through Dec 14: Martin Karplus: “South and Central American Kodachromes of the 1960s” › Through Dec 26: Sylvia Stagg-Giuliano: “Transit of Venus” CHASE YOUNG GALLERY › 617.859.7222 › 450 Harrison Ave, Boston › chaseyounggallery. com › Wed-Sat 11 am-6 pm; Sun 11 am-4 pm › Through Oct 28: Katina Huston: “Goldberg Variations” COPLEY SOCIETY OF ART › 617.536.5049 › 158 Newbury St, Boston › copleysociety.org › Tues-Sat 11 am-6 pm; Sun noon-5 pm › Through Nov 8: Oana Lauric: “Reflective Radiance” CREATIVE ARTS CENTER › 508.945.3583 ›
154 Crowell Rd, Chatham › capecodcreativearts. org › Mon-Fri 9 am-4 pm; Sun noon-4 pm › Through Oct 31: “Chatham in Art Over Time” DISTILLERY GALLERY › 978.270.1904 › 516 East Second St, Boston › distilleryboston. com › Mon-Sat 9 am-5 pm › Through Oct 26: “Elsewhere” DTR MODERN GALLERY › 617.424.7001 › 167 Newbury St, Boston › dtrmodern.com › MonFri 10 am-6:30 pm; Sat 10 am-7 pm; Sun noon-6 pm › Through Oct 26: Hunt Slonem FRUITLANDS MUSEUMS › 978.456.3924 › 102 Prospect Hill Rd, Harvard › fruitlands. org › Mon-Fri 11 am-4 pm; Sat-Sun 11 am5 pm › Admission $10, $8 for seniors and students, $2 for children four through 17, free for members. Group rates available with advanced reservations. › Through Oct 28: Andy Moerlein: “Of a Personal Nature – Topographical Impressions” › Through Oct 28: Marie Spaeth: “Amongst the Birches” › Through Oct 28: Scott Erb, Brian Burris, and Cynthia Woehrle: “Visceral Murmurs” GALATEA FINE ART › 617.542.1500 › 460B Harrison Ave, Boston › galateaart.org › Wed-Fri noon-6 pm; Sat-Sun noon-5 pm › Through Oct 28: A.E. Ryan: “Cheap Flights to a Far Shore” › Through Oct 28: Christine O’Brien: “Of an Abstract Nature” › Through Oct 28: Elizabeth Hathaway: “Lost in Time” GALLERY AT ATLANTIC WHARF › › 290 Congress St, Boston › bostoncyberarts.org › Daily 7 am-10 pm › Through Oct 26: “Play Ball!” GALLERY AT THE PIANO FACTORY › 617.817.6600 › 791 Tremont St, Boston › galleryatthepianofactory.org › Fri 6-8 pm; SatSun noon-5 pm › Through Oct 28: Sol Hartman GRAND CIRCLE GALLERY › 617.346.6459 › 347 Congress St, Boston › gct.com/ grandcirclegallery › Wed + Fri-Sat noon-6 pm; Thurs noon-7 pm › Through Nov 17: “Every Four Years” GRIFFIN MUSEUM BY DIGITAL SILVER IMAGING › 617.489.0035 › 4 Clarendon St, Boston › griffinmuseum.org › Tues-Wed + Fri 11 am- 6 pm; Thurs 11 am-7 pm; Sat noon- 5 pm › Through Nov 11: Venetia Dearden: “Undressed” HARBOR GALLERY AT UMASS BOSTON › 617.287.7988 › 100 William T. Morrissey Blvd, Boston › umb.edu › Mon-Thurs 10 am-7 pm › Through Oct 24: Jessica Borusky, Maia DolphinKrute, Ryan Hawk, Joe Joe Orangias, and Nabeela Vega: “Video-Made” HARBORARTS OUTDOOR GALLERY › › 256 Marginal St, East Boston › harborarts.net › Open 24 hours › Through Dec 31: “Hazards of Modern Living” Public Art Installation IMAGE IS “GRANDE BALLROOM” BY RHONA BITNER HOWARD YEZERSKI GALLERY ›
617.262.0550 › 460 Harrison Ave, Boston › howardyezerskigallery.com › Tues-Sat 10AM-5:30PM › Through Oct 23: Rhona Bitner: “Listen” KATHRYN SCHULTZ GALLERY › 617.876.0246 › 25 Lowell St., Cambridge › cambridgeart.org › Through Nov 2: Chuck Beisch, Lorraine Sullivan, Cheryl Jaffe, Patricia Berube, and Diane Nelson: “68th Members’ Prize Show” LA GALERÍA AT VILLA VICTORIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS › 617.927.1717 › 85 West Newton St, Boston › villavictoriaarts. org/gallery.html › Thurs-Fri 3-6 pm; Sat 1-4 pm › Through Nov 10: “Concrete Illusions: Public and Private Spaces in Puerto Rico” MCGLADREY ART GALLERY AT BENTLEY UNIVERSITY › 781.891.2168 › 175 Forest St, Waltham › campus-life.bentley.edu › Call for hours › Through Nov 2: Leah Craig, Joe Joe Orangias, and Joanna Tam: “Inter(play)” MIT WOLK GALLERY › 617.253.7334 › 77 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Mon-Fri 9 am–5 pm › Through Dec 28: William Wurster: “Frames for Living” MOBIUS › 617.638.0022 › 55 Norfolk St, Cambridge › mobius.org › Thurs-Sat 5-7 pm › Through Oct 20: Tony Schwensen: “Monkey Business III” MOOSE HILL SANCTUARY › 781.784.5691 › 293 Moose Hill St, Sharon › massaudubon. org › Daily 10 am-4 pm › Through Nov 19: Diane Chester-Demicco, Laurie Simko, and Jesse Thomas: “Interplay: Merging Light and Texture in Unexpected Ways” MUSEUM OF SCIENCE › 617.723.2500 › 1 Science Pk, Boston › mos.org › Sat-Thurs 9 am-5 pm; Fri 9 am-9 pm › Through March 3: “Shipwreck! Pirates & Treasure” NAVE GALLERY › 617.625.6600 › 155 Powderhouse Blvd, Somerville › navegallery. org › Sat-Sun 1-5 pm › Through Oct 28: “The BIG BAD” NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL OF PHOTOGRAPHY › 617.437.1868 › 537 Comm Ave, Boston › nesop.com › Mon-Fri 9 am-5 pm › Through Oct 31: Fran Osborn-Blaschke: “bravepaintings” › Through Nov 9: “Faculty Exhibition” NEWBURY FINE ARTS › 617.536.0210 › 29 Newbury St, Boston › newburyfinearts.com › Through Nov 1: Jeffrey Terreson: “Dynamic Gerstual Paintings of the 21st Century” PANOPTICON GALLERY › 617.267.8929 › 502c Comm Ave, Boston › panopticongallery. com › Tues-Sat 10 am–5:30 pm and by appointment › Through Oct 30: Harold Feinstein: “A Retrospective” PHOTOGRAPHIC RESOURCE CENTER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY › 617.975.0600 › 832 Comm Ave, Boston › bu.edu/prc › Tues-Fri 10 am-5 pm; Sat-Sun noon-4 pm › Through Nov 3: Nancy Grace Horton: “Being 13” › Through Nov 3: Rania Matar: “Girls in Between: Portraits of Identity”” SANDRA AND DAVID BAKALAR GALLERY AT MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN › 617.879.7333 › 621 Huntington Ave, Boston › Mon-Sat noon-6 pm; Wed noon-8 pm › Through Dec 1: Zandra Rhodes: “A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles” SCHILTKAMP GALLERY AT CLARK UNIVERSITY › 508.793.7711 › 92 Downing St, Worcester › clarku.edu/schiltkampgallery › Mon–Thurs 9 am-8 pm; Fri 9 am-4 pm; Sat-Sun noon-5 pm › Through Nov 26: “Love Letters The Intersection of Art and Design” SCHOOL OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS › 617.267.6100 › 230 The Fenway, Boston › smfa.edu/gallery › Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm; Thurs 10 am-8 pm › Through Oct 26: “Grad Student Curatorial Team Show” › Through Nov 3: “Something Along Those Lines” SHERMAN GALLERY AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY › 617.358.0295 › 775 Comm Ave,
>> galleries on p 64
THEPHOENIX.cOm/arTs :: 10.19.12 63
Arts & Nightlife :: bisuAl Art
Failu re b y k a rl s t e ve ns k a r l st e v e n s a rt@ p h x .c o m
©2012 karl stevens. The Lodger, the graphic novel by karl stevens is available now at finer comic shops. check out karlstevensart.com
<< galleries from p 63
Boston › bu.edu/cfa › Tues-Fri 11 am-5 pm; SatSun 1-5 pm › Through Oct 28: Colbert Mashile: “Not Yet” SPOKE GALLERY › 617.268.6700 › 110 K St, Boston › mwponline.org › Wed-Fri noon-5 pm › Through Nov 14: “Terrain” STEPHEN D. PAINE GALLERY AT MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN › 617.879.7333 › 621 Huntington Ave, Boston › Mon-Sat noon-6 pm; Wed noon-8 pm › Through Dec 24: “Earth & Alchemy” STUDIOS AT PORTER MILL › › 95 Rantoul St, Beverly › studiosatportermill.blogspot.com › Wed-Fri 5-7 pm; Sat-Sun noon-4 pm › Through Oct 27: “Steez and So-Gnar Present 25: The Issue Release” TOWNE ART GALLERY AT WHEELOCK COLLEGE › 617.879.2219 › 180 the Riverway, Boston › wheelock.edu/art › Tues-Thurs 1-5 pm; Sat 2-5 pm › Through Oct 18: John Burkett and Joe Wallace TRUSTMAN ART GALLERY AT SIMMONS COLLEGE › 617.521.2268 › 300 the Fenway, Boston › simmons.edu/trustman › Mon-Fri 10 am-4:30 pm › Through Nov 8: Mary Dondero, Constanze Kirmse, Mary O’Malley, and Brenda Star: “Nature Vive and Nature Morte” TUFTS UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY AT THE AIDEKMAN ARTS CENTER › 617.627.3094 › 40 Talbot Ave, Medford › artgallery.tufts.edu › Wed-Sun noon-5 pm › Through Nov 18: “Global Flows” › Through Dec 16: Lucy+Jorge Orta: “Food-Water-Life” WASHINGTON STREET ART CENTER › 617.623.5315 › 321 Washington St, Somerville › washingtonst.org › Sat noon-4 pm › Through Oct 27: Lee Kilpatrick: “Splendid Isolation: Late Summer in Northern Maine”
museums openings
FULLER CRAFT MUSEUM › 508.588.6000 › 455 Oak St, Brockton › fullermuseum.org › TuesSun 10 am-5 pm; Wed 10 am-9 pm › Admission $8; $5 students, seniors; free for members and children under 12, and for all Wed 5-9 pm › Oct 20-Feb 24: Chris Gustin: “Masterworks in Clay” › Reception Oct 21: 2-5 pm MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS › 617.267.9300 › 465 Huntington Ave, Boston › mfa.org › MonTues + Sat-Sun 10 am-4:45 pm; Wed-Fri 10 am-9:45 pm › Admission $22; $20 students, seniors; free for ages 7-17 and under during non-school hours [otherwise $10]; free for ages 6 and under › Oct 21-Feb 3: Mario Testino: “In Your Face” › Oct 21-June 16: Mario Testino: “British Royal Portraits
64 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm/arTs
ongoing
ADDISON GALLERY OF AMERICAN ART AT PHILLIPS ACADEMY › 978.749.4015 › 180 Main St, Andover › andover. edu/addison › Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm; Sun 1-5 pm › Through Dec 30: “American Vanguards: Graham, Davis, Gorky, de Kooning, and Their Circle, 1927 – 1942” › Through Jan 13: “Pekupatikut Innuat Akunikana / Pictures Woke the People Up: An Innu Project with Wendy Ewald and Eric Gottesman” › Through Jan 13: “People, Places, Things: Symbols of American Culture” CHARLES RIVER MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION › 781.893.5410 › 154 Moody St, Waltham › crmi. org › Thurs-Sun 10 am-5 pm › Admission $7; $5 students, seniors › Through Jan 15: Wayne Strattman: “Self Illumination” DANFORTH MUSEUM OF ART › 508.620.0050 › 123 Union Ave, Framingham › danforthmuseum.org › Wed-Thurs + Sun noon-5 pm; Fri-Sat 10 am-5 pm › Admission $11; $9 seniors; $8 students; free to youth under 17 › Through Nov 4: Catherine Kernan: “Caught in the Current” › Through Nov 4: “Cruel Sea: Law of the Fishes” › Through Nov 4: Elizabeth Awalt: “Cascade and Other Work” › Through Nov 4: Jand Lund: “Home Body” › Through Nov 4: Jane Goldman: “Tidal Pools” › Through Nov 4: “Picture This!” › Through Nov 4: “Selections from the Permanent Collection” › Through Nov 4: Susan Heideman: “Proteanna” › Through Nov 4: Thaddeus Beal, Ilana Manolson, Adrienne Der Marderosian, and Rhonda Smith: “Fragile Navigation” DAVIS MUSEUM AT WELLESLEY COLLEGE › 781.283.3382 › 106 Central St, Wellesley › davismuseum.wellesley.edu › TuesSat 11 am-5 pm; Wed 11 am-8 pm; Sun noon-4 pm › Free admission › Through Dec 16: “A Generous Medium: Photography at Wellesley, 1972-2012” DECORDOVA SCULPTURE PARK AND MUSEUM › 781.259.8355 › 51 Sandy Pond Rd, Lincoln › decordova.org › Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm › Admission $14; $12 seniors; $10 students and youth ages 13 and up; free to children under 12 › Through Dec 30: Jean Shin and Brian Ripel: “Retreat” › Through Dec 30: Julianne Swartz: “How Deep is Your” › Through April 21: “Second Nature: Abstract Photography Then and Now” FITCHBURG ART MUSEUM › 978.345.4207 › 185 Elm St, Fitchburg › fitchburgartmuseum.org › Wed-Fri noon-4 pm; Sat-Sun 11 am-5 pm › Admission $9; $5 students and seniors › Through Dec 20: “American Scenery: Different Views in Hudson River School Painting” › Through Dec 20: “Different Views: Landscape Photographs from the Museum’s Collections” › Through Dec 20: “Face to Face: Works From The
Collection In Dialogue” › Through Dec 20: “The Director’s Favorites” FULLER CRAFT MUSEUM › 508.588.6000 › 455 Oak St, Brockton › fullermuseum.org › Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm; Wed 10 am-9 pm › Admission $8; $5 students, seniors; free for members and children under 12, and for all Wed 5-9 pm › Through Nov 4: “A Taste for Spoons from the Collection of Nora and Norman Stevens” › Through Jan 20: Cyndy Barbone, Deborah Frazee Carlson, Fuyuko Matsubara, and Bhakti Ziek: “Grand Tales of the Loom: Four Master Weavers” › Through Feb 10: “2012 Biennial Members Exhibition” › Oct 20-Feb 24: Chris Gustin: “Masterworks in Clay” GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY › 781.729.1158 › 67 Shore Rd, Winchester › griffinmuseum.org › Tues-Thurs 11 am-5 pm; Fri 11 am-4 pm; Sat-Sun noon-4 pm › Admission $5; $2 seniors; free for children and students; free for all on Thurs › Through Dec 2: Jess T. Dugan: “Transcendence” › Through Dec 2: Lynn Goldsmith: “The Looking Glass” › Through Dec 2: Rita Bernstein: “Undertow” INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART › 617.478.3100 › 100 Northern Ave, Boston › icaboston.org › Tues-Wed + Sat-Sun 10 am–5 pm; Thurs-Fri 10 am–9 pm › Admission $15; $10 students, seniors; free for ages under 17; free after 5 pm on Thurs › Through Nov 25: Dianna Molzan › Through Nov 25: Os Gêmeos ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM › 617.566.1401 › 280 the Fenway, Boston › gardnermuseum.org › Wed-Mon 11 am-5 pm › Admission $15; $12 seniors; $5 students with ID; free for ages under 18 › Through Jan 7: “The Great Bare Mat & Constellation” MASSACHUSETTS MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART › 413.662.2111 › 87 Marshall St, North Adams › massmoca. org › Wed-Mon 11 am–5 pm › Admission $15; $11 students; $5 ages 6-16; free for ages 5 and under › Through Oct 30: Sanford Biggers: “The Cartographer’s Conundrum” › Through Nov 4: Michael Oatman: “All Utopias Fell” › Through Nov 5: Anna Betbeze › Through Jan 2: “Making Room: The Space Between Two and Three Dimensions” › Through Feb 4: “Invisible Cities” › Through April 1: “Oh, Canada” MCMULLEN MUSEUM OF ART AT BOSTON COLLEGE › 617.552.8100 › 140 Comm Ave, Chestnut Hill › bc.edu/artmuseum › Mon-Fri 11 am-4 pm; Sat-Sun noon-5 pm › Free admission › Through Dec 9: Paul Klee: “Philosophical Vision; From Nature to Art” MIT MUSEUM › 617.253.4444 › 265 Mass Ave, Cambridge › web.mit.edu/museum › TuesFri 10 am-5 pm; Sat-Sun noon-5 pm › Through Dec 31: Berenice Abbott: “Photography and Science: An Essential Unity” MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY › 617.720.2991 › 46 Joy St, Boston › maah.org › Mon-Sat 10 am-4 pm › Admission
$5; $3 seniors and 13-17 years; free for 12 and under › Through Oct 31: “The Color of Baseball in Boston: The History of Black Teams, the Players, and a Sporting Community” NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM › 413.298.4100 › 9 Rte 183, Stockbridge › nrm.org › Daily 10 am–5 pm, through Oct. After Nov, 10 am-4 pm; weekends 10 am- 5 pm › Admission $15; $13.50 seniors; $10 students with ID; free for ages 18 and under when accompanied by an adult › Through Oct 28: Howard Pyle: “American Master Rediscovered” › Through Oct 28: Norman Rockwell: “Sports!” PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM › 978.745.9500 › 161 Essex St, Salem › pem.org › Tues-Sun and Mon holidays 10 am-5 pm › Admission $15; $13 seniors; $11 students; free for ages 16 and under › Through Jan 31: “Auspicious Wishes and Natural Beauty in Korean Art” › Through Jan 31: “Fish, Silk, Tea, Bamboo: Cultivating an Image of China” › Through Jan 31: “Of Gods and Mortals, Traditional Art from India” › Through Jan 31: “Perfect Imbalance, Exploring Chinese Aesthetics” › Through Feb 3: “FreePort [No. 004]: Peter Hutton” › Through Feb 3: “Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones” › Through May 27: “FreePort [No. 005]: Michael Lin” › Through May 27: “Natural Histories: Photographs by Barbara Bosworth” RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN MUSEUM OF ART › 401.454.6500 › 224 Benefit St, Providence, RI › risdmuseum. org › Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm; third Thurs per month until 9 pm › Admission $10; $7 seniors; $3 college students and youth ages 5-18; free every Sun 10 am–1 pm, the third Thurs of each month 5-9 pm, and the last Sat of the month › Through Oct 21: Dan Walsh: “UnCommon Ground” › Through Nov 4: Wendy Richmond: “Navigating the Personal Bubble” › Through Nov 11: “Designing Traditions Biennial: Student Explorations in the Asian Textile Collection” › Through Dec 2: “The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Rhode Island” › Through Jan 13: “America In View: Landscape Photography 1865 to Now” › Through Feb 24: “Everyday Things: Contemporary Works from the Collection” ROSE ART MUSEUM AT BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY › 781.736.3434 › 415 South St, Waltham › brandeis.edu/rose › Tues-Sun noon-5 pm › Admission $3 › Through Dec 9: Dor Guez: “100 Steps to the Mediterranean” WORCESTER ART MUSEUM › 508.799.4406 › 55 Salisbury St, Worcester › worcesterart.org › Wed-Fri + Sun 11 am-5 pm; Sat 10 am-5 pm; Third Thursday 11 am-8 pm › Admission $14, $12 for seniors and students. Free for youth 17 and under and for all on first Sat of the month, 10 am-noon › Through Nov 30: “Pilgrimage to Hokusai’s Waterfalls” › Through Dec 2: “20th Century American Drawings” › Through Feb 3: “Kennedy to Kent State: Images of a Generation”
Arts & Nightlife :: Books
book events tHURsDAY 18
Gina Gershon photo by Deborah anDerson photoGraphy
The joy of smuT Back aT The dawn of time (2002), a bunch of male and female cartoonists on the women-incomics web forum Sequential Tart started talking about porn. The consensus, as contributor Carla Speed McNeil put it later: “Most porn, especially in comics, is lame. So what do you do if you don’t like what’s out there? Get busy.” And they did. The result was Smut Peddler: a black-andwhite, stapled minicomic full of beautifully-drawn porn — mostly, but not entirely, by women. There were three editions produced before the minicomic went dormant. Now, cartoonist C. Spike Trotman, of the webcomic Templar, Arizona, has resurrected Smut Peddler by way of Kickstarter as a 350-page anthology, again mostly by women. It’s available as a digital download ($15), but trust me, you’re going to want to hold this glorious printed book ($30) in your hot, sweaty hands. The porn here is explicit, character-driven, and polymorphically perverse —
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stories include male/male, male/ female, female/robot, and female/ demon pairings, as well as any manner of threesomes, orgies, and genderqueer combos. The thing that makes this book so radioactively hot, however, is the sheer quality of the comics, which are all lovingly drawn by some of the best in the business today. Standouts include a story by E.K. Weaver in which a character from her excellent webcomic gets the shit exuberantly fucked out of him by a hot punk and her strapon; Jess Fink’s Depression-era tale of a pair of street swindlers and their unsuspecting, but receptive, mark; and the crown jewel, by Spike herself, an absolutely mindblowing retelling of the most famous and perverse sex act in history — the conception of Jesus Christ. _S.I. RoSenbaum
SMUT PEDDLER :: 350 pages :: $30 hardcopy, $15 digital :: ironcircus.com
CHRISTOPHER BONANOS› Instant: The Story of Polaroid launch and discussion › 5:30 pm › MIT Museum, 265 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Free › 617.253.4444 or web.mit.edu/museum JESSICA BOZEK & SMALL ANIMAL PROJECT READING SERIES PRESENT: ONI BUCHANAN, TANYA LARKIN & JON WOODWARD› Various readings › 8 pm › Outpost 186, 186 1/2 Hampshire St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.876.0860 or zeitgeist-outpost.org TONY DANZA › I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High reading and discussion › 12:30 pm › Free › Fisher College, 118 Beacon St, Boston › 617.236.8800 CHRIS ELLIOTT› The Guy Under The Sheets: The Unauthorized Autobiography reading › 6 pm › Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline › $5 › 617.566.6660 or coolidge.org IAN FRAZIER› The Cursing Mommy’s Book of Days: A Novel reading › 7 pm › Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Free › 617.661.1515 or harvard.com JOSHUA GLENN › Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun signing and lanternmaking workshop › 4 pm › City Feed and Supply, 672 Centre St, Jamaica Plain › $5 › 617.524.1700 or cityfeedandsupply.com CAITRIN LYNCH › Retirement on the Line reading › 7 pm › Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St, Newton › Free › 617.796.1360 or newtonfreelibrary.net MASSMOUTH SLAM: “GRIMM & TWISTED” › 7 pm › Puppet Showplace Theatre, 32 Station St, Brookline › $8-$10 › 617.731.6400 BERNARD RADFAR› Insincerely Yours: Letters from a Prankster discussion & signing › 7 pm › Harvard Coop, 1400 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Free › 617.489.0519 or harvard.bkstore.com JOAN WICKERSHAM› The News from Spain reading › 7 pm › Porter Square Books, Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White St, Cambridge › Free › 617.491.2220 or portersquarebooks.com
FRIDAY 19
PAUL ELIE› Reinventing Bach reading › 7 pm › Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Free › 617.661.1515 or harvard.com GINA GERSHON› In Search of Cleo: How I Found My Pussy and Lost My Mind reading › 7 pm › Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St, Brookline › Free › 617.566.6660 or brooklinebooksmith.com SANFORD LEVINSON› Framed: America’s 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance reading › 3 pm › Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Free › 617.661.1515 or harvard.com
MonDAY 22
40TH YEAR OF BLACKSMITH HOUSE POETRY SERIES › With Robert Pinsky, Gail Mazur, David Ferry and a wealth of other poets › 8 pm › Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St, Cambridge › $3 › 617.547.6789 or ccae.org “AWARD-WINNING POET JANE HIRSCHFIELD AND FLUTIST LINDA CHASE TEAM UP”› New England Conservatory, 290 Huntington Ave, Boston › Free › 617.437.1868 or necmusic.edu JENNIFER BARB & JESSICA GREENBAUM› Given Away and The Two Yvonnes readings › Blacksmith House at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St, Cambridge › Free › 617.547.6789 or ccae.org D. T. MAX› Every Love Story is a Ghost Story reading › 7 pm › Porter Square Books, Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White
St, Cambridge › Free › 617.491.2220 or portersquarebooks.com B.A. SHAPIRO› The Art Forger reading › 7 pm › Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St, Brookline › Free › 617.566.6660 or brooklinebooksmith.com
tUesDAY 23
LOIS LOWRY› Son reading › 7 pm › Porter Square Books, Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White St, Cambridge › Free › 617.491.2220 or portersquarebooks.com JOANNA LULOFF› The Beach at Galle Road: Stories from Sri Lanka reading › 7 pm › Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Free › 617.661.1515 or harvard.com SUE KUSHNER RESNICK› You Saved Me, Too: What a Holocaust Survivor Taught Me about Living, Dying, Fighting, and Swearing in Yiddish reading › 7 pm › Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St, Brookline › Free › 617.566.6660 or brooklinebooksmith.com MARK SIEGEL› Sailor Twain reading › 7 pm › Newtonville Books, 296 Walnut St, Newton › Free › 617.244.6619 or newtonvillebooks.com
WeDnesDAY 24
JUNOT DÍAZ› This is How You Lose Her reading › 7 pm › Porter Square Books, Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White St, Cambridge › Free › 617.491.2220 or portersquarebooks.com DR. JOHN J. ROSS› Shakespeare’s Tremor and Orwell’s Cough: The Medical Lives of Famous Writers reading › 7 pm › Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St, Brookline › Free › 617.566.6660 or brooklinebooksmith.com B.A. SHAPIRO› The Art Forger reading › 7 pm › Newtonville Books, 296 Walnut St, Newton › Free › 617.244.6619 or newtonvillebooks.com EVAN THOMAS› Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret Battle to Save the World reading › 7 pm › Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Free › 617.661.1515 or harvard.com
tHURsDAY 25
CAMBRIDGE READS: AUDREY SCHULMAN› Three Weeks in December reading › 7 pm › Porter Square Books, Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White St, Cambridge › Free › 617.491.2220 or portersquarebooks.com MARK DANIELEWSKI› The Fifty Year Sword reading › 7 pm › Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St, Brookline › Free › 617.566.6660 or brooklinebooksmith.com ELSA DORFMAN› Elsa’s Housebook: A Woman’s Photojournal reading › 7 pm › Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge › Free › 617.661.1515 or harvard.com PETER JOSEPH› Boozy Brunch reading and cooking demo › 7 pm › Trident Booksellers & Café, 338 Newbury St, Boston › Free, must be 21+ › 617.267.8688 or tridentbookscafe.com SIMON WINCHESTER› Skulls reading › 7 pm › Porter Square Books, Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White St, Cambridge › Free › 617.491.2220 or portersquarebooks.com Gina Gershon
THEPHOENIX.cOM/aRTS :: 10.19.12 65
Arts & Nightlife :: clAssicAl & dANce dANce
clAssicAl
vLadimir Jurowski sets the bso on fire the concert that may have had Boston Symphony Orchestra watchers on highest alert marked the debut of Vladimir Jurowski, the acclaimed 40-year-old Russian conductor who directs England’s prestigious Glyndebourne Festival Opera and is principal guest conductor of the esteemed London Philharmonic (which he’ll conduct for the Celebrity Series March 8). He has bigger and better credentials than most of the contenders for the next BSO directorship. Might he be interested? Did he strike sparks? His program was an odd mix: the ever-familiar Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and Shostakovich’s rarely performed and demanding, almost unfollowable hourlong Symphony No. 4, which the composer was forced to withdraw before its premiere in 1936 after his music was denounced by Pravda, clearly at the orders of Stalin. It was finally played in Moscow in 1961. The less said about violinist Arabella Steinbacher’s charmless, monochromatic Mendelssohn the better. But Jurowski’s Shostakovich was one of the most thrilling BSO performances I’ve ever heard. Shostakovich regarded this symphony as his artistic credo — he seems to have thrown into it everything he knew or felt. The largest extension had to be added to the Symphony Hall stage to accommodate all the play-
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ers. And Jurowski kept us totally riveted, even when we couldn’t possibly predict where the next musical turn would abruptly take us. Violent explosions, then a sudden hushed aftermath (of war?) in the voices of a lonely bassoon (Richard Svoboda having a field day) and harp. Night patrols (or night crawlers?). The last movement’s funeral march could break into a song or dance or a joke, a sudden shriek of agony or a wailing lament. Jurowski not only played the score, he played the orchestra; he even played the hall itself. Everything reverberated (in every sense). I loved that he returned to James Levine’s seating plan, dividing the first and second violins antiphonally, so that in the astonishing first-movement fugal chase we could follow the circle of entrances from first violins to violas, to second violins, then cellos and basses. Yet nothing seemed rushed. Intimate passages had breathing space. Even in the most frenzied sections, you could hear every detail. The playing was magnificent, and precise. All of this was accomplished by Jurowski with unshowy, minimal, efficient gestures, yet you were never in doubt about his emotional intensity and commitment. Sparks? This was a conflagration! Jurowski’s at the top of my list.
_LL oyD sChwartz
READ MORE CONCERT REVIEWS by Lloyd Schwartz, including the BSO’s recent shows with assistant conductor Marcelo Lehninger and violinist Joshua Bell, at thePhoenix.com/classical.
66 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.COM/ARTS
_D ebra Cash
The Legend of Ten
JurOwSki PhOTO BY STu rOSNEr, LEGEND OF TEN PhOTO BY STEvEN SChrEiBEr
Lar Lubovitch Originally a visual artist, choreographer Lar Lubovitch “paints the music in space” so that the stage acts as a vibrant canvas and his ensemble often coheres in a single robust or mesmerizing gesture. North Star, the 1978 masterpiece recently brought back into active repertory thanks in part to special funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, was the first concert dance piece choreographed to the subtly shifting minimalism of Philip Glass, and it set a standard for organic, kinetic motion that has rarely been surpassed. For the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company’s upcoming Celebrity Series engagement, the luscious undulations of North Star are matched with more recent work, the playful male trio Lar Little Rhapsodies (2007), LubovitCh The Legend DanCe of Ten (2010) Company to Brahms, Citi Shubert and the Theatre, 270 emotionally Tremont St, violent 2011 Boston Crisis VariaOctober 19 [7:30 tions (with pm] + 20 [8 pm], a commis$60-$75 sioned instru866.348.9738 or mental score celebrityseries. by Yevgeniy org Sharlat based on Franz Liszt’s “Transcendental Etudes”), which Lubovitch has described as “an action painting of the sensations.” As former Lubovitch principal dancer Peggy Baker once explained, “Lar is not afraid of beauty, and he’s not afraid of ecstasy.”
ClassiCal ConCerts tHUrsDaY 18
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DUTOIT › Fanfares and Symphonic Fragments from Debussy’s The Martydom of Saint Sebastian; Martin’s Concerto for seven wind instruments, timpani, percussion, and string orchestra; Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, with Nikolai Lugansky › Thurs + Sat + Tues 8 pm; Fri 1:30 pm › Symphony Hall, 301 Mass Ave, Boston › 888.266.1200 or bso.org DAEDALUS QUARTET › Fred Lerdahl’s String Quartet Nos. 1-3 › 7 pm › Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 the Fenway, Boston › $27; $24 seniors; $12 students › 617.566.1401 or gardnermuseum.org
FriDaY 19
BOSTON BAROQUE › Handel’s Partenope, with Amanda Forsythe [Partenope], Owen Willetts [Arsace], Kirsten Sollek [Rosmira], David Trudgen [Armindo], Aaron Sheehan [Emilio], and Andrew Garland [Ormonte] › Fri-Sat 7:30 pm › Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough St, Boston › $25-$80 › 617.585.1260 or bostonbaroque.org BOSTON STRING PLAYERS › Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3; Britten’s Simple Symphony; Bartók’s Divertimento for Strings; Björk’s Unravel, arr. Chad Gray › 7:30 pm › Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston › $20; $16 students, seniors › 617.369.3300 or mfa.org CONCORD ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY RICHARD PITTMAN › Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 in D › Fri-Sat 8 pm › 51 Walden, 51 Walden St, Concord › $30; $10 students › concordorchestra.com BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DUTOIT › See listing for Thurs BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SCHOOL OF MUSIC OPERA INSTITUTE › See listing for Thurs
satUrDaY 20
BOSTON CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA › Overture to Beethoven’s Egmont; Brahms’s Double Concerto for violin and cello, with Lucia Lin and Owen Young; Bizet’s Symphony No. 1 in C › Sat 8 pm; Sun 3 pm › Faneuil Hall, 1 Faneuil Hall Sq, Boston › $37-$74; $34-$71 › 617.635.3105 or bostonclassicalorchestra.org BOSTON CONSERVATORY COMBINED CHORUSES CONDUCTED BY BETH WILLER › Ives’s Serenity; Mendelssohn’s Surrexit Pastor Bonis; Selections from Brahms’s 13 canons, op. 113; Haydn’s Dixit Dominus › 8 pm › Seully Hall, 8 the Fenway, Boston › Free › 617.912.9222 or bostonconservatory.edu BOSTON CONSERVATORY STRING ENSEMBLE CONDUCTED BY ANDREW MARK › C.P.E. Bach’s Symphony No. 1; Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro; Janácek’s Idyll; Hayden’s Violin Concerto in C, with Hyun Jeong Lee › 4 pm › Studio 401, 31 Hemenway St, Boston › Free › bostonconservatory.edu PAUL JACOBS, SUSAN JENSEN, AND DARRY DOLEZAL › Works for piano, violin, and cello by Schubert › 7:30 pm › Brookline Music School, 25 Kennard Rd, Brookline › Free › 617.277.4593 or bmsmusic.org BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DUTOIT › See listing for Thurs BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SCHOOL OF MUSIC OPERA
INSTITUTE › See listing for Thurs CONCORD ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY RICHARD PITTMAN › See listing for Fri BOSTON BAROQUE › See listing for Fri
sUnDaY 21
DISCOVERY ENSEMBLE › Mozart’s Symphony No. 28; Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, with violinist Joshua Weilerstein; Villa-Lobos’s Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9; Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 4 › 3 pm › Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough St, Boston › 617.585.1260 or discoveryensemble.com NAREH ARGHAMANYAN › Bach’s Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826; Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op. 12; Selections from Rachmaninoff’s Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3, and Etudes-tableaux, Op. 33 › 1:30 pm › Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 the Fenway, Boston › $27; $24 seniors; $12 students › 617.566.1401 BOSTON CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA › See listing for Sat
tUesDaY 23
NEC SYMPHONIC WINDS CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM DRURY › Plog’s Octet for Brass; Röntgen’s Serenade for Wind Ensemble, Op. 14; Dvorák’s Slavonic Dances Nos. 8, 9, and 15; Suite from Bernstein’s West Side Story › 7 pm › Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough St, Boston › Free › 617.585.1260 or necmusic.edu BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DUTOIT › See listing for Thurs
MFA IN
music composition Film / TV / Gaming / VCFA.EDU/MUSIC-COMP
WeDnesDaY 24
PACIFICA STRING QUARTET › Mozart’s Quintet in A for clarinet and strings, K. 581 [Stadler], with Anthony McGill; Keeril Makan’s Quartet; Beethoven’s Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 › 8 pm › Pickman Hall at Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St, Cambridge › SOLD OUT › 617.876.0956 or celebrityseries.org
tHUrsDaY 25
BOSTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY BENJAMIN ZANDER › Sibelius’s Maidens of the Island; Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, with Stephan Jackiw; Strauss’s Don Quixote › 7:30 pm › Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St, Cambridge › $15-$70 › 617.496.2222 or bostonphil.org BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DUTOIT › Stravinsky’s The Nightingale; Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortilèges › 8 pm › Symphony Hall, 301 Mass Ave, Boston › $30-$114 › 888.266.1200 or bso.org
DanCe FriDaY 19
LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY › Lubovitch’s North Star [Glass], Little Rhapsodies [Schumann], Crisis Variations [Sharlat], and The Legend of Ten [Brahms] › Fri 7:30 pm; Sat 8 pm › Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont St, Boston › $60-$75 › 866.348.9738 or celebrityseries.org NATHAN TRICE › Excerpts from Trice’s solo works › 8 pm › Boston University Dance Theater, 915 Comm Ave, Boston › Free › 617.353.1597 or bu.edu/fitrec/programs/dance/ dancetheater.html
satUrDaY 20
LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY › See listing for Fri
Celebrity Series of Boston Presents
Chick Corea & Gary Burton
Hot House Tour with the Harlem String Quartet Sunday, October 21, 5pm at Symphony Hall
AND
www.celebrityseries.org or CelebrityCharge | 617.482.6661
THEPHOENIX.COM/ARTS :: 10.19.12 67
Arts & Nightlife :: theAter
Play by Play
Compiled by maddy myers
OPENING
No Neigh-sayiNg War Horse at the opera house wheN a broadway show comes to Boston, it generally leaves its top-shelf stars behind in New York. That’s not the case with War Horse, which has brought its big draw to the Opera House (through October 21). Puppet Joey, all chestnut mesh and cane and repurposed bicycle parts, could become America’s biggest equine sensation since Secretariat. Every whinny, every whicker, every prescient flick of the ear is faithfully conveyed by his three adept handlers (two inside, one at his head). He has more personality than a lot of human thespians. Which is a good thing, because the humans in this by-the-numbers adaptation of British author Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 children’s novel (also the source of the Steven Spielberg film) need all the help they can get. The best part of War Horse is the first hour or so of barnyard drama. Struggling (and frequently inebriated) Devon farmer Ted Narracott (Todd Cerveris) outbids his brother Arthur (Brian Keane) for the foal Joey, who’s half thoroughbred, half draft horse. Ted’s son Albert (Andrew Veenstra) bonds with the spirited colt and even induces him to draw a plow. Ted has bet Arthur that Joey will do it and has told Albert he can have the horse if Joey
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comes through. Joey’s transformation from foal to stallion, in a Paul-on-the-road-to-Damascus burst of light, is a mighty spectacle. Equally rewarding, though, is the puppet goose on a wheel that careers about the yard, nuzzles with Joey, and tries to sneak into the house, only to have Albert’s mom, Rose (Angela Reed), keep shutting the door in its face. Then World War I breaks out and Ted breaks his promise, selling Joey as an officer’s mount for £100. Joey makes friends with a huge black thoroughbred named Topthorn; Albert follows Joey to Calais and makes a friend of his own, Private David Taylor (Alex Morf ). War quickly turns to hell, as the British cavalry discover they’re no match for machine guns and concertina wire. War Horse conveys vividly the noise, the confusion, the shock, and the mindlessness of combat. Toward the end, Joey is the means by which we see that everyone, British and French and Germans alike, loves horses. Still, the play isn’t about what Joey and Albert do; it’s about what happens to them. The human actors, with authentic-sounding accents, manage well enough with their stereotypical parts. But it’s the puppets in War Horse that elicit human emotion.
_Je ffrey Gantz » JeffreymG antz@Gmai l.com
WAR HORSE :: Opera House, 539 Washington St, Boston :: Through October 21 :: $25-$170 :: 617.259.3400 or boston.broadway.com
68 10.19.12 :: THEPHOENIX.cOm/ARTS
beNGal TiGer aT THe baGHdad Zoo › Rajiv Joseph’s new play receives its New England premiere with Company One, under Shawn LaCount’s direction. The story follows the ghost of a Bengal tiger who haunts the streets of war-torn Baghdad, seeking redemption and peace of mind. › October 19– November 17 › Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Theatre, 539 Tremont Street, Boston › $20-$38 › 617.933.8600 or companyone.org bloody bloody aNdreW JaCKsoN › Paul Melone directs Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman’s emo-rock musical about our seventh president for SpeakEasy Stage. The show makes liberal use of anachronisms and humor as it follows Jackson’s humble Tennessee beginnings to his later triumphs in politics. › October 19–November 17 › Roberts Studio Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St, Boston › $25 › 617.426.5000 or speakeasystage.com THe CHoseN › Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok, authors of the play My Name Is Asher Lev, have adapted another of Potok’s novels for the stage. Daniel Gidron directs the Lyric Stage production of this coming-of-age story about two boys living in 1940s Brooklyn who become friends despite their different cultural backgrounds. › October 19–November 17 › Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston › $27-$58 › 617.437.7172 or lyricstage.com THe diary oF aNNe FraNK › Roxbury Repertory Theater stages Wendy Kesselman’s adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary, which chronicles her experience growing up in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Marshall Hughes directs. › October 25–November 3 › Roxbury Community College, 1234 Columbus Ave, Boston › $10; $5 students, seniors › 617.427.0060 or rccmainstage.com 44 plays For 44 presideNTs › Bad Habit Productions stages Andy Bayiates, Sean Benjamin, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Chloe Johnston, and Karen Weinberg’s chronological, biographical survey of our country’s 44 presidents. Jeffrey Mosser directs. › October 27–November 11 › Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St, Boston › $18 › 617.933.8600 or badhabitproductions.org GUys aNd dolls › Mark Martino directs this North Shore Music Theatre production of Jo Swerling, Abe Burrows, and Frank Loesser’s 1950s Tony Award–winning musical based on two short stories by Damon Runyon, about Nathan Detroit, the organizer of “the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York,” his high-roller pal Sky Masterson, and the pious missionary Sarah Brown. Michael Lichtefeld choreographs, › October 30–November 11 › North Shore Music Theatre, 62 Dunham Rd, Beverly › $45-$60 › 978.232.7200 or nsmt.org memory HoUse › Merrimack Rep takes on Kathleen Tolan’s drama about a mother and her teenage daughter struggling to complete a college admissions essay. Their last-minute stress over the project brings out long-held tensions and family secrets. Melia Bensussen directs. › October 25–November 18 › Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell › $15-$55 › 978.454.3926 or mrt.org THe NaKed i: Wide opeN — abridGed › First Church hosts 20% Theatre Company’s national tour of monologues about gender identity, written by Massachusetts transgender playwright Tobias K. Davis. This abridged version of the show features about half of the original monologues. › October 25 › First Church, Congregational, 11 Garden St, Cambridge › $10-$20 › 617.547.2724 or tctwentypercent.org
THe sUssmaN VariaTioNs › Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presents Richard Schotter’s drama about a family of musicians; Charlie Sussman, aging musical theater composer, hopes to celebrate his birthday with his two daughters, a pianist and a cellist. But his family has trouble getting along as harmoniously as Sussman hoped. › November 1-18 › Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Comm Ave, Boston › $30; $25 seniors; $10 students › 617.353.5443 or bu.edu/bpt 28 days laTTe › ImprovBoston’s annual “Gorefest” musical celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. This new musical about a group of hipsters and seniors fighting the zombie apocalypse from a coffee shop features a book and lyrics by Don Schuerman and musical composition by Steve Gilbane. Schuerman also directs the show, and Gilbane does the musical direction. › October 24-31 › ImprovBoston Mainstage, 40 Prospect St, Cambridge › $20-$25;$18-$20 students › 617.576.1253 or improvboston.com
NOW PlayING
a beHaNdiNG iN spoKaNe › Darren Evans directs Theatre on Fire in Martin McDonagh’s first American-set play, a slapstick farce about a man on a quest to find his lost left hand. He finds himself in luck when he meets a pair of bickering lovebirds with a hand they’re looking to lose. › Through October 27 › Charlestown Working Theater, 442 Bunker Hill St, Charlestown › $20-$25; $15 students, seniors › 866.811.4111 or theatreonfire.org a briGHT NeW boise › Samuel D. Hunter’s play, receiving its Boston premiere by Zeitgeist Stage, is a series of ideas and confrontations strung together by several themes — hope of salvation and loss of faith, adolescent anomie, disconnection between parent and child. The main character, Will (Victor Shopov), moves to Boise to find the teenage son, Alex (Zach Winston), he gave up for adoption after his girlfriend abandoned them both. The other two characters are their abrasive boss (Janelle Mills) and an insecure young woman (Dakota Shepard). The director, David J. Miller, doesn’t do much to sculpt the scenes, and the actors mostly stand around and emote. The only genuine performer is Shepard, even though the scene where her character suddenly turns on Will doesn’t make sense. Everything about A Bright New Boise, including the title, is baffling. › Through October 20 › Black Box Theatre at Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston › $20-$30 › 617.759.8836 or zeitgeiststage.com bye bye liVer: THe bosToN driNKiNG play › Hennessy’s hosts the Boston chapter of Bye Bye Liver, a show about drinking culture, from wine snobs to wildly fun (and occasionally terrifying) booze parties. The performance also incorporates audience interaction with social games like “Would You Rather” and “Never Have I Ever.” › Indefinitely › Hennessy’s, 25 Union St, Boston › $20 › 866.811.4111 or ByeByeLiver.com Camille › Pam Gems’s modern translation of Dumas’ popular novella about a doomed love affair, The Lady of the Camellias, appears as part of BU’s 16th Annual Fall Fringe Festival, directed by Judy Braha. › Through October 20 › Lane Comley Studio 210, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston › $7 › 617.933.8600 or bostontheatrescene.com THe CompaNy We Keep › The Boston Playwrights’ Theatre stages the world premiere of Jaclyn Villano’s drama about four longtime friends who reunite after spending some time apart. Their innocent lunch date spirals out of control as secrets, transgressions, and betrayals come to light. Elena Araoz directs. › Through October 21 › Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave, Boston › $30; $25 seniors; $10 students › 866.811.4111 or bu.edu/bpt HamleT › Arts Emerson hosts a small cast of actors from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London; each performer will essay multiple roles, under the direction of Dominic Dromgoole and Bill Buckhurst. › Through October 21 ›
Paramount Theatre, 559 Washington St, Boston › $25-$89 › 617.824.8000 or artsemerson.org THe HoW aNd THe WHy › Daniel Gidron helms the Nora Theatre Company’s New England premiere of Sarah Treem’s drama about a generational clash between two female evolutionary biologists, one well-established in her field and one about to begin her career. › Through October 21 › Central Square Theater, 450 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $15-$45 › 866.811.4111 or centralsquaretheater.org KiNG lear › Trinity Rep joins forces with the acclaimed Dallas Theater Center to stage the Bard’s tragedy of regret. Brian McEleney stars as Lear, under the direction of Kevin Moriarty. › Through October 21 › Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington St, Providence › $28-$34 › 401.351.4242 or trinityrep.com THe lily’s reVeNGe › The American Repertory Theatre stages Taylor Mac’s fivehour allegory about flowers, funerals, and cultural expectations; the production blends dance, film, theater, and music. Shira Milikowsky directs, with Dan Rodriguez on the music direction of a score composed by Rachelle Garniez. › Through October 28 › Oberon, 2 Arrow St, Cambridge › $25-$35 › 617.547.8300 or americanrepertorytheater.org maCbeTH › Paula Plum helms Shakespeare’s Scottish play, starring Actors’ Shakespeare Project members Allyn Burrows, Mara Sidmore, Sarah Newhouse, and Richard Snee. › Through November 4 › Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest Street, Medford › $28-$50 › 866.811.4111 or actorsshakespeareproject.org NoW or laTer › Christopher Shinn’s new comedy is set on election night; the son of a presidential hopeful sends the campaign team into crisis mode when a handful of controversial college party photos hit the internet. Michael Wilson directs. › Through November 10 › Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St, Boston › $15-$60 › 617.933.8600 or huntingtontheatre.org parade › Joey DeMita directs Alfred Uhry & Jason Robert Brown’s Tony award-winning musical about a Jewish factory owner in 1913 Atlanta who has been wrongly accused of murder. Steven Bergman does musical direction. The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre staging stars Adam Schuler. › Through October 20 › Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St, Watertown › $26; $21 students, seniors › 617.945.0773 or fudgetheatre.com raCe › New Rep stages the Boston premiere David Mamet’s gritty comedy about two attorneys who must defend a white man charged with raping an African-American woman. Robert Walsh directs. › Through November 4 › Charles Mosesian Theater, 321 Arsenal St, Watertown › $28-$58 › 617.923.8487 or newrep.org THe reVeNaNTs › Mikey DiLoreto directs Scott T. Barsotti’s tragicomedy about two married couples holed up in a basement together, seemingly safe from the zombie apocalypse outside their walls. But two out of four of our heroes have become infected. › Through October 20 › Factory Theatre at the Piano Factory, 791 Tremont St, Boston › $18; $15 students, seniors › 617.817.6600 or happymediumtheatre.com UNCle VaNya › Diego Arciniegas stars in the Apollinaire Theatre Company staging of Anton Chekhov’s 1899 play about Russian country life at the turn of the 20th century. Kevin Fennessy co-stars as Telegin, with Kate Paulsen as Elena, Erin Eva Butcher as Sonya, and Ronald Lacey as Astrov. Danielle Fauteux Jacques directs. › Through November 4 › Apollinaire Theatre Company, 189 Winnisimmet St, Chelsea › $35 › 617.887.2336 or apollinairetheatre.com War Horse › Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris co-direct the Broadway tour of Nick Stafford’s musical adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s novel. › Through October 21 › Opera House, 539 Washington St, Boston › $25-$170 › 617.259.3400 or boston.broadway.com › Jeffrey Gantz’s review page 68
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Arts & Nightlife :: filM
Tough love MerchanT-Ivory ThIs Is noT. Nor is it any Emadoptive brother, Hindley, and from snobby Edgar ily Brontë we’ve seen before, except maybe in Luis Linton of the posh neighboring estate. Underscoring Buñuel’s wild Mexican rendition, Abismos de passion the outsider’s pariah status, Arnold casts two black (1954). Instead, Andrea Arnold distills actors, Solomon Glave and James Howson, the great novel into a flinty essence, to play the younger and older versions, +++ creating a work that is the 19th-century with race added to class as a stigma. This Wuthering Yorkshire version of her modern-day strategy works especially well with the urban wastelands in films like Red Road younger edition of the character, as Glave’s heights and Fish Tank. She is equally ruthless scenes with Earnshaw’s pre-adolescent Directed by Andrea with Brontë’s prose, eliminating most of daughter Catherine (Shannon Beer) — who Arnold the original dialogue. Nonetheless, the treats him at first as an exotic animal — deWritten by Andrea film achieves its own harsh beauty and velop an innocent eroticism. It’s the closArnold and Olivia begrudging pathos. est that the film gets to being pastoral. Hetreed, Based on the More storm-battered than otherworldBut Heathcliff flees when Catherine gets novel by Emily Brontë ly, the moors here sprawl out like a mossy gussied up for the wealthy Lintons, returnWith Kaya Scodelario, lunar landscape, and the mucky, raming years later with a mysterious fortune. James Howson, shackle homestead of the title, where the His desire for her has not ebbed, nor hers Solomon Glave, patriarch Earnshaw (Paul Hilton) takes for him, even though she has since married Shannon Beer, James Northcote, Paul Hilton:: in the foundling Heathcliff, looks like the the toffee-nosed Edgar (James Northcote). OSCILLOSCOPE :: 129 setting for the mud-gathering scene from Regrettably, whatever elemental passion MINUTES Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Natural the two younger actors tapped in these beauty abounds, but so does natural crucharacters eludes their successors (James AT KENDALL SQUARE elty, like the casual slaughter of animals, Howson and Kaya Scodelario). But Arnold including puppies hung from a fence. It’s has not lost any of her inspiration; a scene in a godforsaken place that suits Arnold’s style, as she tells which Heathcliff collapses in grief by a gnarly tree is an the story with images and sound edited into a dreamepiphany of despair. Unfortunately, the tree steals the like flow that evokes the subjective passage of time. scene. No matter; Arnold’s film remains a compelling She also emphasizes Heathcliff’s feral nature and evocation of class injustice and destructive love. _P e t e r Keough » PKeough@P hx.com the contempt and abuse he receives from his jealous
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andrea arnold’s roManTIc realIsM People in love do crazy things, especially in Andrea Arnold’s films. So adapting Emily Brontë’s masterpiece of pathological love, Wuthering Heights, came naturally. And unfazed by other film versions of the book, she made the story her own. For example, her Heathcliff — whose race is never stated in the book but who is described as “a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect” — is black. I asked her if she thought that’s how Brontë saw him. “From her descriptions, I don’t think there is any way he can be white,” Arnold said. “He’s exotic. They are very white people living in Yorkshire, and he’s from another world. So it was important for him to be dark-skinned.” Also non-traditional was her turning the manse of the title into a hovel without any privacy. “In a lot of the films it’s portrayed as a Gothic mansion,” she conceded. “But I went to the house — which is now a ruin — where Emily was inspired to write the book. And I looked at a lot of houses in Yorkshire that were from that time. They are little intimate houses in the middle of the moors. The families in them were thrown together and everyone could hear and see everything everyone did.” These choices, plus her decision to go light on Brontë’s rich language, make the book cinematic. “Somebody called this ‘Romantic realism,’ ” she said. “I always go after the real, but I’m fascinated with transcending reality and finding a place beyond.” _PK
PHoToS CouRTESY oF oSCIlloSCoPE lABoRAToRIES
review
Arts & Nightlife :: film premiere
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RiveRs Run London-based filmmaker
Ben Rivers has proven a restless creator since first making a splash with several gorgeous hand-processed 16mm portraits in 2006 and 2007. I Know Where I’m Going and Slow Action filter landscape studies through musings on geologic time and imaginary utopias, whereas Two Years at Sea, here in its local premiere, expands upon an earlier portrait (This is My Land) of a mild highlands sage living off the grid. Languid documentary images of Jake’s routines are intertwined with a highly active (though nearly wordless) soundtrack. Editing is motivated more by sensory association than exposition, drawing the viewer into a lyrical comprehension of Jake’s environment. The space between sound and image invites reverie in all Rivers’s films, but recent work like Two Years at Sea edges towards the cosmological domain of myth. Also showing in the same program at the HFA (with the director in attendance) is Rivers’s mesmerizing new short, Phantoms of a Libertine. Initially conceived
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within a larger installation of mementos from a recently deceased photographer friend, the 16mm film finds a hermetic universe in the artist’s drawer. Witty captions for unseen travel snapshots evoke the peculiar moment after death when a person’s private effects are suddenly public and undecipherable. As Rivers arranges the scraps of art, pornography, and advertising into florid collages, we’re treated to the quiet spectacle of one imagination contemplating another. Phantoms is even more poignant when considered alongside two of Rivers’s earlier films, not included in this program: Slow Action’s ruminations on extinction are here resized to fit the personal anonymity that awaits us all, and the tender and unfamiliar regard for a closing factory in Sack Barrow now grasps for a crumbling palace of the mind. If collections border on a “chaos of memories,” as Walter Benjamin wrote, Phantoms represents a tempestuous return to disorder. _Max GoldberG
TWO YEARS AT SEA BY BEN RIVERS :: Harvard Film Archive :: October 20 :: 7 pm :: hcl.harvard.edu/hfa
prize pack, email us at moviepromotions1@ gmail.com with your full name, age, mailing address, and tell us your scariest flying experience! This film is rated R. No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or legal guardian. No purchase necessary. Supply limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating is not guaranteed. Theater is overbooked to ensure capacity. One (admit-two) pass per person. One winner will be chosen at random.
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IN SELECT THEATrES OCTOBEr 26 THEPHOENIX.cOm/ARTS :: 10.19.12 71
Arts & Nightlife :: film
opening this week
++1/2 BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING › Wayne White was a designer and puppeteer on Pee-wee’s Playhouse who went on to create music videos for Peter Gabriel and Smashing Pumpkins; he’s found a second career painting phrases like “Picasso’s ass falling off” in 3D-style letters on thrift-store landscapes. An ornery, unreconstructed Southerner given to dancing while wearing an Easter Island–size LBJ mask, he is, says Matt Groening, “a little Zach Galifianakis, a little Snuffy Smith, a little Unabomber.” Footage of a Nashville kiddie show for which he designed the sets gives the lie to the assumption that the sole architect of Pee-wee’s world was Gary Panter. This is a rare documentary in which the camerawork and editing (and lively animation)
OFFICIAL SELECTION BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OSCAR
®
A MOVIE FOR THE AGES.”
“
-DAVID ANSEN
“THOUGHT-Emma Bernstein, INDIEWIRE
“SUSPENSEFUL...
BRILLIANTLY ACTED.” -Karen Durbin, ELLE MAGAZINE
TERRIFIC!” -Peter Rainer, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
SILVER BEAR BERLIN INT’L FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER
LÉA SEYDOUX KACEY MOTTET KLEIN
SISTER
(L’ENFANT D’EN HAUT)
+++ SINISTER › From the producer of the fading Paranormal Activity franchise comes a horror movie that is plainly frightening in a way that so few today are. Much of its stomachtwisting anxiety comes from its soundtrack, which elicits creeping, gnawing dread. Ethan Hawke is Ellison, a whiskey-swigging crime writer who’s pinned his dimming star on a new book about the mysterious murder of a family whose youngest child has vanished. He moves
A FILM BY URSULA MEIER ADOPTFILMS.COM
+ CONNED (2010) › “What is this, some kinda’ fuckin’ joke?” These are the first words uttered in writer/director Arthur Luhn’s homegrown comedy that flits between too many Townies and Southies and what’s left of the Boston mafia. It’s also one of the few lines you’ll hear, since the protagonists are a hearing-impaired band of misfits who use sign language (with subtitles; remarkably, many in the cast are deaf — including Luhn) to plot their big score, centered around rival mob bosses Napolitano Ferrari (Lou Fuoco), Mr. Million (Robert Dicicco), and a horse race that everyone seems to know is fixed. The ne’er-do-wells include Newster (John McGinty), Toolbox (John Cleary), Pocket Grease (Wally Carlson), Sabrina (Rosa Vasquez), and Irish (Luhn, performing under the moniker Joe Cheapskate), and their comic hijinks are as flat as this overedited movie is confusing. It’s hard to ferret out who’s screwing whom, but surely, it’s the viewers who are being conned. › 105m › Boston Common _Brett Michel +1/2 HERE COMES THE BOOM › Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions is the perennial pop-culture zombie that refuses to die and wants to eat your brain. In this, their latest creation. Frank Coraci directs former Zookeeper Kevin James as Scott, an unlikable schlub who accidentally volunteers to save the music program at the high school where he teaches. So of course he figures that the only way he can come through with the money is by competing for cash in Mixed Martial Arts bouts. Need I tell you that he’s an out-of-shape lazy biology teacher? Apparently, this is when the hilarity is supposed to kick in, but all we get is the same physical comedy from James’s repertoire and overused Sandler-esque jokes. Henry Winkler co-stars as a doting but dumb music instructor, and Salma Hayek is the love interest whom Scott woos with sexual harassment. Maybe you’ll enjoy the bits of Boston that make cameos; otherwise you’ll probably find Here Comes the Boom to be more like a fizzle. › 105m › Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Arlington Capitol + suburbs _Monica Castillo
PROVOKING AND HEARTRENDING.”
“
are as dynamic as its subject. It’s also indulgent, not admitting that White’s new gimmick wears out its welcome, and never making the case that White deserves his own documentary. › 92m › Coolidge Corner _Ann Lewinson
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1/8PgV(1.75x5) Written and Directed by
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phX piCks >> Can’t Miss THE AMERICAN SCREAM + TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 Here are two approaches to the art of terror screening at the Coolidge’s @fter Midnight pro19 gram: Michael Paul Stephenson’s doc The American Scream (2012) examines the phenomenon of folks in Fairhaven, MA, turning their homes into haunted houses for the kids on Halloween, and Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), starring Dennis Hopper, just scares the shit out of you. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline :: midnight :: $9-$9.25 :: 617.734.2501 or coolidge.org FRI
• THE LOVE SONG OF R. BUCKMINSTER FULLERCan one man save the world with big metal balls? To find out catch The Love Song of R. Buckminster 20 Fuller (2012; 7 + 9 pm), Sam Green’s documentary about the visionary designer. With live music by Yo La Tengo. Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave, Boston :: $25; $20 students ::617.478.3100 or icaboston.org • PUNCH-DRUNK CINEMA: THE FILMS OF PT ANDERSON If you were delighted and bewildered by Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, join the club: it’s been happening to fans since he started making movies. See them all this week, beginning today with Hard Eight (1996; 4:45 + 10 pm) and Boogie Nights (1997; 1:45 + 7 pm), in the Brattle’s series “Punch-Drunk Cinema: The Films of PT Anderson.” Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge :: $12 double feature; $9.75; $7.75 students; $6.75 seniors :: 617.876.6837 or brattlefilm.org SAT
• THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Long before the Broadway show, The Phantom of the Opera (1925) actually scared and moved people. Starring the 21 incredible Lon Chaney as the tragic bell ringer, this silent classic screens with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville :: 2 pm :: $15 :: 617.625.4088 or somervilletheatreonline.com
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• GHOSTBUSTERS It’s hard to believe that nearly 30 years have passed since we first saw the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and watched Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, 22 and the rest of the goofy crew get slimed with ectoplasm in Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters (1984). It’s still a hoot, though. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline :: 7 pm :: $9; $6 seniors :: 617.734.2501 or coolidge.org
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• THE CONNECTION Moving, provocative, and with a terrific jazz score, Shirley Clarke’s 1961 adaptation of Jack Gelber’s play probes the fine line between 24 fact and fiction. In it, a filmmaker tries to make a documentary about Harlem addicts and jazz musicians as they jam while waiting for the Man. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston :: 8 pm :: $11; $9 students, seniors :: 617.369.3907 or mfa.org/programs/film wed
• 2012 BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL The 2012 Boston Asian American Film Festival, which runs through October 28 at the Brattle and Somerville Theatres and at ArtsEmerson, starts tonight at the Brattle with White Frog (2012), Quentin Lee’s drama about a boy with Asperger’s syndrome. The program also includes a dance performance by Wah Lum Martial Arts Academy and a Q&A with producer and screenwriter Ellie Wen. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge :: 7:30 pm :: call for ticket info :: 617.876.6837 or brattlefilm.org ThU
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his own family into the scene of the crime to begin his research, where he soon discovers in the attic a box of old, innocuously labeled homemovie film reels, the content of which reveals a series of families each meeting nasty ends due to apparently supernatural causes. Where the movie could easily rely on rote horror devices, director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) instead inserts well-placed twists and genuine terror and humor. Sinister isn’t perfect, but it easily tops most of its scare-starved competition. › 110m › Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Arlington Capitol + suburbs _Alexandra Cavallo ++1/2 SISTER › Increasingly popular among American independent filmmakers, the school of miserabilism — starkly dramatizing the poor, wretched, and unjustly deprived — has thrived in Europe probably since the heyday of Neorealism. Practitioners like the Dardenne brothers have achieved wrenching portraits of humanity in extremis. But some, like Swiss director Ursula Meier in this tale of siblings surviving on the fringes of a chi-chi ski resort, can be formulaic. The performances — by Kacey Mottet Klein as the 12-year-old who holds the tiny ménage together with petty theft and careful planning, and by Léa Seydoux as the sister whose behavior threatens chaos — do justice to their characters’ plight. And shot by Agnès Godard, the landscapes, close-ups, and tiny figures lost in landscapes look forlorn and beautiful. But it all seems designed to indulge a pitying fascination with contrived wretched-
ness. Despite the twist at the end, this seems as rote as the circling ski lifts that are Meier’s recurring metaphor. › French + English › 97m › Kendall Square _Peter Keough +++ SOMEWHERE BETWEEN › Upon her adoption of a Chinese baby girl, filmmaker Linda Goldstein Knowlton wondered how, in years to come, her daughter would view her racial identity, her roots in China, and the family who abandoned her because of her gender. So the filmmaker befriended a community of teenage Chinese-American adoptees, and made this engrossing documentary portrait of four of these girls. All live in comfortable homes with Caucasian families. One, a violinist whose goal is to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, says she’s a banana, yellow on the outside, white on the inside. But her story takes an intense turn as she joins other adoptees who travel to Chinese villages looking for faces that mirror their own. One girl makes it her mission to find an American family to adopt a disabled orphan. Another has an epiphany that her manic drive to excel could be an attempt to prove her worth to the family who gave her up. These are young women well worth listening to, and Somewhere Between does so with grace and respect. › 88m › Kendall Square _Betsy Sherman
now playing
ALEX CROSS › 2012 › Tyler Perry stars as the eponymous Washington DC detective. After learning that a member of his
family has been murdered, Cross takes it upon himself to extract revenge, which leads him to discover that she wasn’t the first victim. Rob Cohen directs. › 101m › Boston Common + Fenway + suburbs ALL TOGETHER [ET SI ON VIVAIT TOUS ENSEMBLE?] › 2011 › Five lifelong friends opt to eschew the tedium of retirement homes by purchasing a spacious house together. Stéphane Robelin’s feel-good comedy stars Jane Fonda (in her first French-speaking role in four decades), Geraldine Chaplin, and Claude Rich. › French + German › 96m › MFA: Fri-Sun + Wed +++ ALPS › 2011 › Visit thePhoenix.com/ movies for a full review. › Greek + English › 91m › MFA: Fri-Sun THE AMERICAN SCREAM › 2012 › Michael Paul Stephenson’s follow-up to Best Worst Movie (2009) documents the efforts of a family as they launch their annual homemade haunted house. Filmed locally, Stephenson’s documentary is set in the sleepy fishing enclave of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. › 90m › Coolidge Corner: Fri-Sat midnight “ANTONIONI DOCUMENTARIES” › 1943-93 › Selection of nine short documentaries from Italian auteur Michelangelo Antonioni. › Italian › 94m › HFA: Sun ++ ARBITRAGE › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 100m › Coolidge Corner + West Newton +++ ARGO › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/ movies for a full review. › 120m › Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Somerville Theatre + Coolidge Corner + Chestnut Hill + Embassy + suburbs +++1/2 BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/ movies for a full review. › 91m › West Newton BIG EASY EXPRESS › 2012 › Tour documentary following the alt-folk trio of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Mumford & Sons as they travel from California to New Orleans via vintage train. Emmett Malloy directs. › 67m › MFA: Wed ++++ BOOGIE NIGHTS › 1997 › Emerson College dropout Paul Thomas Anderson’s sophomore sizzler (his first film the tough little noir Hard Eight), a grand, comic epic about the porn-film industry of the late ’70s and early ’80s, one-ups Scorsese, Altman, Tarantino, and any other film-geek icon you want to name. And it’s a breakout vehicle for Dorchester’s Mark Wahlberg, as a 17-year-old busboy who’s discovered by porn auteur Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds, reviving his career), rechristened Dirk Diggler, and taken into Horner’s ad hoc family — which includes the maternal Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), big-brotherly Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly), and sister-like Rollergirl (Heather Graham), who never takes off her skates, even during sex. All serve Horner’s dream to make porn films that are artistic. The second half of the film chronicles the decline of Horner’s dream and his stable, as home video puts porn theaters out of business and the heretofore sweet and naive Dirk lets success and drugs go to his head. Anderson tells both sides of his tale with equal virtuosity and without flinching or moralizing — proving that there’s still pleasure to be had in giving yourself over to a dazzling storyteller. › 155m › Brattle: Sat ++1/2 CHICKEN WITH PLUMS › 2011 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 93m › West Newton COMBAT GIRL › 2011 › Marisa is a 20-year-old German Neo-Nazi with a seething distaste towards foreigners, Jews, cops, and everyone else she deems respon-
sible for the decline of her country. When 14-year-old Svenja (Jella Haase) joins her group, Marisa takes her under her wing, seeing a little bit of herself in the easily influenced teen. That is, until she accidently meets a young Afghan refugee who challenges her worldviews. David Wnendt directs. › German + English + Arabic › 100m › Coolidge Corner: Sun ++++ THE CONNECTION › 1961 › Shirley Clarke’s great film is an adaptation of Jack Gelber’s play, the Living Theatre production of which (first mounted in 1959) was a defining cultural moment of its period. The play is about a group of junkies waiting for their connection, Cowboy. He arrives at last and everyone fixes. The two main formal innovations in the play and the film are the incorporation of performances by a hard-bop quartet (led by pianist Freddie Redd, who composed the tunes, and featuring the intense alto-saxophonist Jackie McLean) and the presence of media professionals, who are making a documentary about heroin addiction. Clarke takes the latter element to a logical extreme (impracticable in a theatrical performance) by claiming that the film we are seeing consists of footage from the documentary. The movie thus works as both a stylized portrait of Lower East Side junk culture and an attack on the presumed objectivity of cinéma-vérité. › b&w › 110m › MFA: Wed +++1/2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 165m › Boston Common + suburbs +++ DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL › 2011 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 86m › Kendall Square + West Newton +++ DREDD 3D › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix. com/movies for a full review. › 98m › Boston Common + suburbs + END OF WATCH › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 109m › Boston Common + suburbs +++ ESCAPE FIRE: THE FIGHT TO RESCUE AMERICAN HEALTHCARE › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 99m › Coolidge Corner + suburbs +++1/2 FRANKENWEENIE › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › b&w › 87m › Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Somerville Theatre + suburbs ++1/2 GHOSTBUSTERS › 1984 › Bill Murray’s megahit comedy casts the star as an ousted academic who teams up with fellow paranormal-psychology workers Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Calling themselves Ghostbusters Inc., the trio develop an array of nuclear-powered spooksnaring devices. Murray is a con man of Barnum-like proportions, but his army of sidekicks haven’t been given enough to do (Aykroyd stands around spewing his usual array of techno-jargon), and the movie, with its mixture of lowdown farce and high-cost fantasy, seems second-hand. With Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis; directed by Ivan Reitman. › 107m › Coolidge Corner: Mon ++ GHOST WORLD › 2001 › Based on Daniel Clowes’s early-’90s underground comic book, Ghost World is a dry, witty examination of adolescent oddballs and suburban alienation as seen through the eyes of Enid (Thora Birch, who played a similarly cranky teenager in American Beauty), a premature misanthrope and accomplished smart-ass who enjoys lingering in greasy diners and strolling around in vintage clothing. At first the film focuses on the friendship between Enid and the similarly disaffected Becky (Scar-
lett Johansson), but it soon drifts to the strange relationship Enid strikes up with Seymour (an understated Steve Buscemi), a self-proclaimed “amusingly eccentric, cranky curiosity” who collects vintage LPs and longs for a girlfriend. Directed and co-written by Terry Zwigoff (who also directed Crumb, the 1994 documentary of cult cartoonist Robert Crumb), Ghost World proceeds much like the untethered slacker Enid — it drifts along, smartly skewering high-school art teachers, stripmall culture, and 9-to-5 McJobs, before arriving at a pat, somewhat maudlin ending that clashes with the sarcastic and acidic tone of its first 90 minutes. › 121m › ArtsEmerson: Sat +++ GIRL MODEL › 2011 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › English + Russian + Japanese › 78m › Coolidge Corner 1/2 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 91m › Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Chestnut Hill + Arlington Capitol + suburbs + HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/ movies for a full review. › 101m › Boston Common + suburbs +++ HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE › 2005 › Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) seems constrained here by the busy imagination of Diana Wynne Jones, on whose novel this film is fitfully based. The Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall), a Cruella De Vil sporting an extra 300 pounds, enters the hat store of young Sophie (Emily Mortimer) and, disgusted with the wares, turns her into a 90-year-old woman. Yet the spell doesn’t disguise Sophie so much as reveal her true nature; she’s impelled to set out and seek her fortune. That comes in the form of the Wizard Howl (Christian Bale), a baby-faced mage with a peripatetic castle. The Witch of the Waste pursues him, and the kingdom wants to enlist him into its nightmarish wars, but you suspect his greatest danger will come from the ornery old Sophie (Jean Simmons) and her domesticating powers. Although not as breathtakingly convoluted as Spirited Away, Howl does meander down many mythic blind alleys; it’s Miyazaki’s precise, otherworldly images that save the film from contrivance. › English › 119m › ArtsEmerson: Sat ++ ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 94m › West Newton: Sat-Sun IDENTIFICATION OF A WOMAN › 1982 › Niccolò (Tomas Milian) is a successful Italian filmmaker who finds himself on the ropes thanks to a recent divorce. Trying to draw inspiration from his sorrows, Niccolò decides to make a movie about women’s relationships, searching for a lady to fill his leading role and also the hole left by his recent split. Michelangelo Antonioni directs. › Italian + English + French › 128m › HFA: Fri +++1/2 THE INTOUCHABLES › 2011 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › French › 112m › West Newton ++1/2 IT IS NO DREAM: THE LIFE OF THEODOR HERZL › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 97m › West Newton: Sat-Sun ++++ KEEP THE LIGHTS ON › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 101m › Kendall Square +++ LOOPER › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix. com/movies for a full review. › 118m › Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Somerville Theatre + Embassy + suburbs ++1/2 MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 85m ›
West Newton: Sat-Sun +++ MAGNOLIA › 1999 › Bolstered by the surprise critical and box-office success of Boogie Nights, maverick filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson returns with a movie even more brilliant and, at over three hours, far too long. Most films would be satisfied with just one abusive father dying of cancer seeking reconciliation with an estranged child; this one’s got two. There’s Earl Partridge (Jason Robards), a TV executive on his death bed attended by his neurotic trophy wife, Linda (Julianne Moore), and by his compassionate male nurse, Phil (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Earl’s last wish is to get back in touch with his estranged son, Frank (Tom Cruise). Sick bad dad #2 is Larry Gator (Philip Baker Hall), a kiddiequiz-show host who’s trying to get back together with his estranged junkie daughter, Claudia (Melora Walters). Then there’s the two abused child prodigies, Donnie (William H. Macy), who’s traded in his ‘60s quiz-show fame for a job at an electronics outlet, and Stanley (Jeremy Blackman), who can’t get love from his not-dying-ofcancer father. If an hour of weeping and other excesses had been deleted, Magnolia could well have been the best film of the year. It’s still worth watching for its imaginative exuberance, unabashed passion, brash confidence, and apocalyptic finale, which blooms not a moment too soon. › 188m › Brattle: Sun ++1/2 MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 142m › Lower Mills Branch Library: Mon ++++ THE MASTER › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. ›
>> now playing on p 73
“Poignant and intimate.” –Los Angeles Times
“Delicately wrought and deeply felt.” –Variety
“A gift for everyone who sees it.” –The WIP
OFFICIAL SELECTION Los Angeles Film Festival
WINNER PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD Hot Docs
WINNER JURY PRIZE Best Documentary Milwaukee Film Festival
OFFICIAL SELECTION Vancouver International Film Festival
www.SomewhereBetweenMovie.com EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT
STARTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORIES OR CALL FOR SHOWTIMES
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137m › Boston Common + Kendall Square + Coolidge Corner + Embassy ++++ MOONRISE KINGDOM › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 94m › West Newton + Arlington Capitol +1/2 THE ORANGES › 2011 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 90m › Kendall Square + Embassy ++1/2 THE OTHER DREAM TEAM › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 89m › Kendall Square ++1/2 THE PAPERBOY › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 107m › Kendall Square PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 › 2012 › This fourth installment of the nowannual franchise takes place five years after the events of Paranormal Activity 2. Alice and her boyfriend (Kathryn Newton and Matt Shively) begin experiencing, um, paranormal activity after Katie and Hunter (Katie Featherston and Brady Allen) move into the neighborhood. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (Catfish) direct. › 95m › Boston Common + Fenway + suburbs ++++ THE PASSENGER › 1975 › Michelangelo Antonioni’s MGM film asks what’s on the other side of life as British investigative reporter David Locke (Jack Nicholson) exchanges identities with a dead acquaintance and discovers he’s now a gun runner for rebels in a small African nation. He winds up on the run from his wife (Jenny Runacre) and his old life, joined by a Girl (Maria Schneider) who encourages him to play out his new hand. Locke is, like all of us, the passenger of the title; what he doesn’t know is his destination
“DO NOT MISS THIS for the world.”
WUTHERING HEIGHTS a film by Academy Award ® winner Andrea Arnold
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or the identity of his driver/pilot, assuming there is one. Meanwhile, Antonioni’s camera keeps wandering away from him, trying to show him where and how to look, how to be the protagonist of the film. It all ends in southern Spain, in the Hotel de la Gloria, where that camera seems to squeeze through the barred window of Locke’s room like a human soul. › 125m › HFA: Fri + Mon +++ THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/ movies for a full review. › 103m › Boston Common + Kendall Square + Embassy +++ PERSEPOLIS › 2007 › Marjane Satrapi’s adaptation (with Vincent Paronnaud) of her series of graphic novels about growing up in Tehran under the shah and the ayatollah reminds us that Iranians too are people and not just potential collateral damage in yet another pre-emptive strike. But it’s also an irresistible and extraordinary feat of animation, a coming-of-age classic masterfully told and emblazoned with an allusive, antic, eloquent visual style. Seduced by another culture, the West, Satrapi (voiced by Chiara Mastroianni, whose real-life mother, Catherine Deneuve, voices Satrapi’s mother) loses touch with her true identity — here embodied by her irrepressible grandmother (Danielle Darrieux). Eventually, disillusioned with the superficial paradise she was drawn toward, she returns to her roots and becomes a wiser and more complete person. Like Edward Gorey and Tim Burton, Satrapi evokes a world of inky voids and menacing specters that are nonetheless at the mercy of an impish and innocent imagination. Thus, even when the film taps into matters that are truly nightmarish and awful, a kind of Grand Guignol mirth abides. › French + English + Farsi + German › b&w + color › 95m › ArtsEmerson: Fri ++++ THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA › 1925 › This is the classic Lon Chaney silent (no Lloyd Webber songs) version of the Gaston Leroux story of the disfigured phantom who haunts the Paris Opera, forcing famous lyric soprano Carlotta to yield her role as Marguerite in Faust to the unknown Christine Daae (Mary Philbin). That was easy; more difficult will be winning Christine away from boyfriend Raoul (Norman Kerry). Rupert Julian directed with Chaney, whose make-up is little short of astounding. › b&w + two-strip Technicolor › silent › 93m › Somerville Theatre: Sun +++ PITCH PERFECT › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 105m › Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Somerville Theatre + Chestnut Hill + suburbs +++1/2 PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE › 2002 › Actor Adam Sandler (The Waterboy, Mr. Deeds) and director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) meet up in a barbed but sweet-natured bagatelle of whimsy and wounded innocence, and the result is the best film yet from either. The proprietor of a novelty bathroom-supply company, Sandler’s Barry Egan has seven hectoring sisters, and the noodgiest of them, Elizabeth (Mary Lynn Rajskub, just one of this film’s scene stealers), tries to fix him up with Lena Leonard (Emily Watson), who in time will become a kind of Alice in Barry’s tawdry wonderland. Initially, however, Barry resists Elizabeth’s crass efforts to match him up with Lena at a Kafka-esque family gathering where the seven sisters and various inlaws drive him into a tantrum of rage and grief that is at once horrific, pathetic, and hilarious. To assuage his loneliness, he turns to a phone-sex line, and that opens
a Pandora’s box of further outlandish woes. Suffice to say that complementing the seven wicked sisters, in true fairy-tale fashion, are four trollish brothers, and they’re all from Provo, Utah, supervised by Philip Seymour Hoffman in a blond Elvis pompadour. No frogs raining down this time out, but you do get an SUV flipping over outside Barry’s office and a cab depositing a tiny keyboard instrument, a harmonium as it turns out, on the sidewalk. And if there’s any justice, the film will be the beginning of a punch-drunk love affair of perfectly matched talents. › 89m › Brattle: Tues 1/2 RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 95m › Boston Common + suburbs ’ROUND MIDNIGHT › 1986 › Real life musician Dexter Gordon stars as Dale Turner, a down-on-his-luck saxophonist living in 1950s Paris. Amidst fighting a losing battle with alcohol, Dale befriends Francis (François Cluzet), a graphic designer who idolizes the musician and attempts to assist in freeing him from his vices. Bertrand Tavernier directs. › English + French › 133m › MFA: Tues +++ SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 86m › Coolidge Corner + West Newton +++ SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 109m › Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + suburbs +++ SLEEPWALK WITH ME › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 90m › Kendall Square TAI CHI ZERO › 2012 › Traveling to the remote Chen Village to learn the forbidden secrets of martial arts, Yang Lu Chan (Yuan Xiaochao) is met with an opponent in the village’s menacing steampunk gang. Realizing he may be their only hope for survival, the villagers offer Yang an expedited Tai Chi training session. Stephen Fung directs. › Mandarin › 100m › Boston Common +1/2 TAKEN 2 › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix. com/movies for a full review. › 93m › Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Chestnut Hill + Embassy + Arlington Capitol + suburbs THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 › 1986 › Thirteen years after the authorities conclude there was no original Texas chainsaw massacre, Leatherface proves them wrong. With Dennis Hopper as a cop and Caroline Williams as a terrorized radio DJ; Tobe Hooper is back to direct. › 89m › Coolidge Corner: Fri-Sat midnight +++ THERE WILL BE BLOOD › 2007 › Paul Thomas Anderson has distilled Oil!, Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel about class conflict during California’s petroleum boom, into a depoliticized, stereotypical, ravishingly beautiful epic of occasional nutso genius. Totally without dialogue, the film’s first 10 minutes or so tell everything and nothing about Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), who starts out as a troglodyte scratching in a pit for silver ore and moves on to become a grease-soaked prospector toiling at primitive, sometimes lethal, oil sites while lulling a mystery baby to sleep with a finger dipped in whiskey. But once people start talking and the basic dramatic conflict emerges, Thomas doesn’t have much to explain, as Daniel finagles a fortune-making gusher from the Sundays, a clan of born-again goat farmers. Blood doesn’t have is much in the way of politics; instead, Anderson offers up sophomoric satire, but with a redeeming, anarchic mirth. › 158m › Brattle: Wed ++1/2 TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE
› 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 111m › Boston Common + suburbs TWO YEARS AT SEA › 2011 › Documentary from director Ben Rivers profiling Jake Williams, an eccentric hermit who lives a slow, ritualized life in the Scottish wilderness. Williams was also the subject of Rivers’s first documentary, This is My Land (2006). › b&w › 88m › HFA: Sat +++ V FOR VENDETTA › 2006 › Based on the 1981 graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, the Wachowski’s film is updated to 2020, when England is a fascist neo-1984 state headed by the ubiquitously telecast if untelegenic Chancellor Sutler (John Hurt). Enter V (Hugo Weaving), a superhero armed with daggers and quote-laden diatribes against tyranny and clad in the mask and cape of Guy Fawkes, and Evey (Natalie Portman), a gopher at the government-run TV station who’s rescued from police “fingermen” by V and transformed into a crusader for freedom. First-time director James McTeigue has a knack for claustrophobic atmosphere, exhilarating Matrix-like action, and eloquent visual metaphors ranging from exploding landmarks to falling dominoes. The pyrotechnics underline the film’s call for awareness and resistance, its intent to shape its audience into freedom fighters like Evey. But fighting what? And to what end? These vagaries turn what could have been the most subversive movie in a long time into something confused, diverting, and strange. › 132m › ArtsEmerson: Sat ++1/2 WATCHMEN › 2009 › When Zack Snyder’s adaptation of the 1986-’87 graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons concentrates on violence, it comes alive. When it meanders into metaphysics, which it does frequently and at length, it loses its way. The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a rapist and mass murderer, is the film’s heart and soul. Then there’s Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), an embittered sociopath fighting the good fight against the scum of the earth and the “liberal smooth-talkers” afraid to punish them. Haley’s performance is an insidious combination of Johnny Rotten and the Green Goblin that the actor voices with Clint Eastwood’s sneer; too bad his narration sounds like something Paul Schrader wrote one morning while holding an icepack to his head. As Ozymandias, Matthew Goode channels Dana Carvey. Billy Crudup’s Dr. Manhattan, a blue-skinned CGI cut-out pasted onto scenes like a Colorform, wanders through the movie like a giant Hare Krishna lost in the airport. And the sugary conclusion — boy (Patrick Wilson’s Night Owl II) gets girl (Malin Akerman’s Silk Spectre II) — comes at the cost of millions of lives. At the end, the film is like Dr. Manhattan from the waist down: limp, blue, computer-generated. › 163m › ArtsEmerson: Fri + Sun +++ THE WELL DIGGER’S DAUGHTER › 2011 › Visit thePhoenix.com/ movies for a full review. › 107m › West Newton: Sat-Sun WHITE FROG › 2012 › This opening night selection for the 2012 Boston Asian American Film Festival stars BooBoo Stewart as Nick, a teenager suffering from Asperger’s and the recent death of his brother. Under distress from coping with the loss in their own right, Nick’s parents entrust his brother’s best friend Randy (Gregg Sulkin) to take Nick under his wing and help him move on. Quentin Lee directs. › 93m › Brattle: Thurs 1/2 WON’T BACK DOWN › 2012 › Visit thePhoenix.com/movies for a full review. › 119m › Fenway
Arts & Nightlife :: Music
WFNX » What’s F’N NeXt Listen live at wfnx.com
Swearin’, PhiladelPhia, PennSylvania llison Crutchfield grew up in the punk-rock world of booking your own aBirmingham, tours, sleeping on floors, and releasing your own records. As a teenager in Alabama, she played in bands like P.S. Eliot and the Ackleys,
inspired by the DIY ethos of local, all-ages show space Cave 9. And with her newest band, Swearin’, she’s released one of the best records of the year. Traveling from basement show to basement show in her formative years eventually landed Crutchfield in Brooklyn, where she moved last year and started Swearin’ with her boyfriend, Kyle Gilbride of Big Soda. In June, the band released their debut self-titled LP — 12 tracks of hooky, ’90s-inspired indie rock, with huge guitars and perfect punk poetry. Now, Swearin’ are a punk-rock band at a crossroads, straddling the line between the particular underground circuit they were raised on, and the broader world of indie rock. After a year of playing around Brooklyn and then
relocating to Philadelphia, the band quickly attracted praise from the likes of Pitchfork and the New York Times, and were picked up as opening act on a string of upcoming dates with Japandroids. “It’s something that can get really tricky,” says Crutchfield. “We’re at that point where we’re being offered cool shows and people are asking us to do articles in magazines and newspapers, labels are coming to us asking about doing records. . . . You want to say yes to everything, but for us, we quickly had to say no. We need to really think about what we want, and really think about where our values are.” And that means staying true to their roots. “We’ve been involved in punk since we were teenagers,” Crutchfield adds. “We can put out records for ourselves. We can book tours for ourselves. We don’t need anyone else to do that for us.” _li Z Pelly » @li ZPelly
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Arts & Nightlife :: music
DANce
electrONic
The PreseTs’ morning-afTer ParTy
READ T DIPLO HE FULL THEPH Q+A AT COM/MOENIX. USIC
DiPlo Dishes a major lazer The convenTional wisDom used to be, “It’s the singer, not the song,” an axiom that is definitely being reversed with our current single-heavy superstarproducer music culture. Still, it’s a challenge for a producers to truly come out from behind the decks and become artists in their own right — in part because when a producer does his or her job perfectly, you don’t even know, when you listen to the results, that they’ve done anything. Thomas Wesley Pentz, a/k/a Diplo, has been manning the wheels of steel for nearly a decade, developing a musical aesthetic far more open-minded and eternally curious than your average EDMer. But after years of putting his sonic touches on other people’s tunes, he is hoping, with his project Major Lazer, to finally step out into the light on his own. Well, not exactly “on his own.” The forthcoming sophomore Lazer platter, the follow-up to 2009’s massively successful Guns Don’t Kill People . . . Lazers Do, features a phone book’s worth of big-name collaborators. “It’s bigger than I ever thought it’d be,” Diplo said by phone last week, taking a break from a production job to explain the album’s delay. “It’s done, but there are so many artists on it, so many licensing issues that we’re dealing with. Everyone from Bruno Mars to Wyclef is on it, and it’s taking a long time to clear out the busi-
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ness.” Diplo has lots of reasons to go big, but the primary motivation might be to establish himself as more of an artist, less beat-provider-to-the-stars. “I’ve never had a number-one record, because people come to me when they want to challenge themselves. But then a lot of times, I get treated like I’m a vending machine.” He’s been a reliable vendor of beats for huge hits by the likes of Beyoncé, Usher, and M.I.A., but he’s hoping that the reggae-centered Major Lazer will bring his musical authority front and center. “I’ve really been trying to work on my original music, because I need songs that are gonna bring energy to my shows, so if people come see me play, it’s gonna be hype, and people will go fucking crazy.” Not that his sole focus is the euphoric whump of EDM that has lately enveloped popular music. If anything, Diplo’s diverse bag of tricks, acquired through a lifetime of globetrotting and crate-digging, keeps his musical needle on both diversity and an element of surprise. “There’s so much generic dance music right now — it’s like I’m Luke Skywalker and there’s the Death Star of fucking EDM. The attitude in EDM is super-white, supersafe; it’s all about what’s good for the fucking promoters. When I make records, compared to that sort of thing, I come at it with a punk-rock attitude.”
_DAN IEL BROCKMAN > > @THEBI zHASLAND ED
MAJOR LAZER :: House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston :: October 26 @ 7 pm :: 18+ :: $25 to $35 :: 617.693.2583 or hob.com/boston
76 10.19.12 :: THepHOenix.cOm/muSic
In nightlife circles, the threat of apocalypse comes every evening with the flicker of the lights that alert last call. Each party has a conclusion, an abrupt ending. The Presets’ 2008 breakthrough, Apocalypso, took that concept several steps further; the seismic Australian duo coated their dance floors in aggressive themes of post-industrial dystopian desperation. But what happens when your soundtrack for the End Times sparks not just ubiquity in your homeland, but recognition on a global stage? For the Sydneybased pair’s third album, Pacifica (Modular), the attitude shifts from night to day, because after every party comes a new morning. Pacifica is that daytime album, more cohesive and coyly assertive than its predecessor. “We’re more assured, more THE PRESETS + confident, less jump-up-andYACHT down-tryingHouse of Blues, to-get-your-at15 Lansdowne St, tention,” says Boston producer/ October 20 @ 6 drummer pm :: All-Ages :: Kim Moyes $20 :: 617.693.2583 by phone. or hob.com/boston “That comes with maturity. There are concepts of movements, different emotions . . . each sound has a relevance.” There’s no more relevant sound in the Presets’ dance arsenal than the commanding baritone of Julian Hamilton. Whereas the bubbly “Promises” is a lighter extension of past hit “This Boy’s in Love,” Hamilton’s voice takes center stage on “Ghosts,” bellowing something of a sea shanty over a throbbing beat and dramatic synth rises. Album closer “Fail Epic” finds Hamilton entranced, percussion-free. “The vocals are the center of the music,” says Moyes. “We made a conscious effort to not hide Julian’s vocals under effects or distortion. We didn’t feel they needed to hide behind trends.” _MI CHAEL MARO T TA
Arts & Nightlife :: BostoN AcceNts
cellArs By stArlight
Playlist
MiLLiGRAM PhOTO By JASOn ZAMPinO; BOOM SAiD ThUnDeR PhOTO By GLenn SCOTT
MilligraM Back for anoTher STrike The hiSTory of rock and roll is endlessly cyclical, with each generation hitting “reset” and trimming the fat of a previous generation’s indulgences, getting back to what is essential and absolutely needed. Which triggers a certain existential quandary, especially after said reset button has been hit, Lost-like, so many times by so many different cohorts: is any of this rock-and-roll stuff really “essential and absolutely needed”? Answer: of course not! Except that it’s the futile quest that’s the thing, especially when the end result is a record as bracing and electrifying as the 2003 sophomore outing by Boston noise-rock unit Milligram, who packed so much sheer blinding emotional fury into This Is Class War that they had no choice but to break up before it even came out. Milligram vocalist Jonah J. Jenkins had fronted larger bands before: he had held the mic for New England metal legends Only Living Witness, and he’d famously walked from a major label deal with emo-tinged punk titans Miltown. But Milligram might be his most crucial crew, if only for the way they stabbed a hole in Boston’s then-complacent stoner-rock puspocket. “I was personally tired of being associated with bands channeling Sabbath,” is how Jenkins put it to me on the eve of Milligram’s two-night re-emergence (night one last Saturday featured the initial line-up:
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Bob Maloney on bass, Darryl Shepard on guitar, Zeph Courtney on drums; night two this weekend is the Class War lineup with Jeff Turlik on bass). “We were way more about Japanese psych garage like Mainliner and High Rise.” Milligram’s initial dissolution was, according to Jenkins, “the result of certain personal intra-band dynamics, just stressors that didn’t need to be there. And during the songwriting sessions when we had frustrations, where we each might have wanted to contribute something, it resulted in odd time signatures and weird counts of how many times you’d repeat a riff.” This off-balance feeling is there right from the start of album opener “Let’s Kill,” a yawning chasm of lurching scuzz-guitar, as bass, drums, and vocals all fumble to find a hold until, dizzyingly, the whole thing finds a way to crescendo into sheer rock oblivion. In a sense, Milligram’s quick exit from existence fit into their overall aesthetic: both of their records were quick punches, and their live shows were notoriously brief. “Zeph said, ‘Let’s call ourselves Milligram as a metaphor for a potent but very small dose of music.’ And that made me happy, because if you can do it in a minute or two and it’s good, why ruin it for everybody? If you can play a set in 12 minutes that will blow everyone away, why play for an hour?”
deeP heaVen noW, our city’s bi-annual, two-day, two-stage ambient/whatever-gaze festival, returns this weekend to Union Square in Somerville, taking over the Friday and Saturday slates at Precinct and P.A.’s Lounge in another sonic spin of noisy goodness. We could go on about psych misfits Ringo Deathstarr (Texas), or the swirling Gospel Gossip (Minnesota), or tripped-out Love Culture (Ohio), but Boston is again fully repped. This week’s mix features new-rock risers BooM Said ThUnder and MoonToWerS, as well as new music from always-gazing 28 degreeS TaUrUS (Jinsen Liu is the fest’s chief organizer) and ghoST BoX orcheSTra.
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graB The MiX aT ThePhoeniX.coM/ onThedoWnload.
• Boom Said Thunder “Shadow” • Moontowers “Sunbeam” • 28 Degrees Taurus “Star Crossed” • Ghost Box Orchestra “dude We’re all one dude” _MI ChAEL MAROt tA Boom Said Thunder
_DAN I EL BROCKMAN » @thEBI zhAs LAND ED
MILLIGRAM + 4WAT + JACK BURTON VS DAVID LOPAN + 13 BILLION YEARS + MARITIME PIOLT :: Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston :: October 13 + 20 @ 9 pm :: 21+ :: $12 :: 617.566.9014 or greatscottboston.com ThEPhOENIx.COM/MUSIC :: 10.19.12 77
Arts & Nightlife :: Music
Mo want re re alb Che v i ew u M C reC k out s?
albuM RevieWs
en m at t t rele ore he as Co m P h o e n e s ix /m u siC .
++1/2 DIAMOND RINGS, FREE DIMENSIONAL
Astralwerks » “Love is a drug, and it’s the only one I’m dealing,” raps gender-bending synth-pop siren John O’Regan deep into his sophomore album. He ain’t kidding: over the course of these 10 glitzy, ’80s-tailored jams, the rising Toronto native blends blooming love, fading love, and forgotten love into a guilty-pleasure stew that’s far too genuine to taste stale. Everything about Free Dimensional is cheesy — from the mousey bedroom beats to the predictable synth lines to O’Regan’s (hard) Soft Cell vocal delivery to the awkward, bumbling raps. Regardless, several songs are stunning. “Hold my hand and take me to/ the secret place where dreams come true before they exist,” O’Regan croons on “All the Time,” bobbing over synths so fruity you could use them as an airfreshener. On closer “Day & Night,” he launches into a 1-2-buckle-my-shoe rhyme scheme that blurs the line between obnoxious and adorable. Campiness is rarely — if ever — this sweet. _Ryan Reed
+++1/2 TITUS ANDRONICUS, LOCAL BUSINESS +++ BAT FOR LASHES, THE HAUNTED MAN Capitol/Parlophone » It’s no myth that artists tend to struggle with the dreaded secondalbum slump, but less clichéd and much more real is the third-album choke — especially when previous releases are so critically acclaimed. Bat for Lashes’ Natasha Khan hasn’t shied away from talking about the pressure she felt when, after successive Mercury Prize nominations, she embarked on making The Haunted Man. The result is a bit more restrained than debut Fur and Gold and its equally satisfying follow-up Two Suns. But her delicate intensity still burns — even amid lines like “You’re the train that crashed my heart,” from the stirring first single “Laura,” which could be autobiographical or simply a generalized ode to fading youth. Yes, this album is haunted, as well as exposed. That much is obvious from the much talked-about album cover, which depicts a naked Khan carrying a naked man over her shoulders. History has shown that this kind of heavy-handed imagery isn’t worth squat without the music to back it up (thanks, John and Yoko’s Two Virgins). But B4L delivers more than artsy nudity; she gets busy channeling Kate Bush on songs like “Rest Your Head” — managing to sing about “running up hills” without sounding desperate for something familiar to cling to. The quirky ambience is there as well, whether it’s in the kettle drums echoing on “Winter Fields,” the Active Child-like electro beats of “A Wall,” or the chants that ruminate throughout “Oh Yeah.” Khan might be getting bolder, bigger, and more experimental, but pushing past what everyone expects or wants from you as an artist sometimes works — even the third time around. _Mic ha el ch R i s t o p h e R
Staff SpinS
What we’re listening to
TEGAN AND SARA “Closer” [Warner Bros.] Oh no! The beloved Canadian folk-rock duo has gone disco! The Sisters Quin have retained their penchant for lyrical engagement and saccharine hooks but have shifted from the drab coffee house to the electro-pop arena with dazzling results. _Michael MaRotta
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XL Records » Springsteen, of all people or things, ended up emulsifying those two warring factions of ’70s rock: punk and prog. That intersection isn’t new, but the prog/punk back-to-basics album is. Local Business, the first Titus Andronicus record suited to casual listening, poses a wonderful excuse for these eightminute sagas: “Too many generalizations and not enough time to make ’em specific” (“Ecce Homo”). That zinger is only topped by “I know the world’s a scary place/that’s why I hide behind a hairy face” and “Try to swallow while you’re still young/that your dick’s too short to fuck the world.” (One of those lines is from an eight-minute saga concerning eating disorders. We won’t tell you which one.) But Patrick Stickles finally overworks his music to match his trying-too-hard fables, and lucky for us they’re New York Dolls homages, right down to the harmonica solo, with nothing exceeding the 10-minute mark. In this prog/punk era, that’s all we can ask. _d an W ei ss TITUS ANDRONICUS + CEREMONY :: The Sinclair, 52 Church St, Cambridge :: November 30 @ 7 pm :: 18+ :: $16-$18 :: 617.541.7700 or sinclaircambridge.com
ZODIAC Feat. Jesse Boykins III “Come” [Vase] Witch-house season is upon us. In the many moons since Salem’s inception, the autumnal equinox has seemed to bring about a spike in occult nuances in music. Case in point: this purple-and-blacktinged slow-burner from former Weeknd producer Zodiac. _Michael c. Walsh
Arts & Nightlife :: music
LIVE MUSIC
WILL DAILEY & THE RIVALS › Thurs › Precinct, 70 Union Sq, Somerville › 617.623.9211 or precinctbar.com
ASIA › 8 pm › Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St, Boston › $42.50-$65 › 617.248.9700 or ticketmaster.com BEN SOLLEE + LUKE REYNOLDS › 9 pm › Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston › $13-$15 › 617.779.0140 or ticketmaster.com CASPA + MOLDY › 9 pm › Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston › $20-$22.50 › 617.562.8800 or ticketmaster.com CHARLIE HUNTER DUO › 7 pm › Club Passim, 47 Palmer St, Cambridge › $23-$25 › 617.492.7679 or clubpassim.com CHRIS WILSON AND PLANET EARTH + DJ V-NICE + YELLBIRD + RANDOM VARIABLES › 8:30 pm › All Asia, 334 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $6 › 617.497.1544 or allasiabar.com CRINKLEFACE + GERONIMO! + ROZAMOV + STEADY MADNESS + TRACES OF EMPIRE › P.A.’s Lounge, 345 Somerville Ave, Somerville › 617.776.1557 DAN HICKS & THE HOT LICKS › 8 pm › Scullers, 400 Soldiers Field Rd, Cambridge › $30 › 617.783.0090 or scullersjazz.com DAVID MAXWELL › 10 pm › Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.497.0823 DAVID THORNE SCOTT AND THE HOPEFUL ROMANTICS › 8:30 pm › Ryles, 212 Hampshire St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.876.9330 or rylesjazz.com DWIGHT SMITH › 8 pm › Midway Café, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain › 617.524.9038 or midwaycafe.com THE EITHER/ORCHESTRA › 7:30 pm › Regattabar, 1 Bennett St, Charles Hotel, Cambridge › $20 › 617.661.5000 or regattabarjazz. com ENABLER + LIVVER + LOS BUNGALITOS + THRONEHUNTER › 8 pm › O’Brien’s, 3 Harvard Ave, Allston › $8 › 617.782.6245 or obrienspubboston.com THE NEW HIGHWAY HYMNAL + RIBS + EARTHQUAKE PARTY! + INFINITY GIRL › 9 pm › Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston › $10 › 617.566.9014 or ticketweb.com THE FRONT BOTTOMS + CHEAP GIRLS + A GREAT BIG PILE OF LEAVES + ALEX CORREIA › 8:30 pm › T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge › $10-$12 › 617.492.2327 or ticketweb.com JAKE HILL AND DEEP CREEK, + ADAM MCGRATH › 10:30 pm › Plough & Stars, 912 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.576.0032 or ploughandstars.com THE JEZABELS YUKON BLONDE + HEY ROSETTA + ! › Middle East Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $16-$19 › 617.864. EAST or ticketweb.com JOE MULHOLLAND QUARTET › 7 pm › Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.497.0823 JOUNCE + DAN TAMBERELLI › Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St, Somerville › $10 › 617.776.2004 or johnnyds.com MELVERN TAYLOR & HIS FABULOUS MELTONES › 7:30 pm › Toad, 1920 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.497.4950 or toadcambridge.com THE MOUNTAIN GOATS + MATTHEW E WHITE › 8 pm › House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston › $22.50-$25 › 888.693.2583 RAFAEL RUSSI BRAZILIAN FUSION › 9:30 pm › Beehive, 541 Tremont St, Boston › 617.423.0069 or beehiveboston.com ”THE AP TOUR” WITH MISS MAY I + THE GHOST INSIDE + LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES + THE AMITY AFFLICTION + GLASS CLOUD › 7 pm › Royale, 279 Tremont St, Boston › 617.338.7699 or boweryboston.com TRICKY BRITCHES + THE WHISKEY BOYS › 10 pm › Lizard Lounge, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.547.0759 or lizardloungeclub.com
3LAU + PARIS & SIMO + AYLEN › 8 pm › House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston › $15$25 › 888.693.2583 AKROBATIK + NBS + ALIAS + FAKTS ONE + ONE LIFE + IYADONNA › 8 pm › Church of Boston, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston › $10-$15 › 617.236.7600 or churchofboston.com ALAN JACKSON › 7:30 pm › Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell › 866.722.8780 or tsongascenter.com ASTRONAUTALIS + FLOBOTS + H.W. & DJ EMOH › 9 pm › T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge › $13-$15 › 617.492.2327 or ttthebears.com/public/ hot_tickets.php BRIAN CARPENTER & THE CONFESSIONS + ANIMAL HOSPITAL + ALEC K. REDFEARN & THE EYESORES + THE WRONG SHAPES › 9:30 pm › Lizard Lounge, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.547.0759 or lizardloungeclub.com BUIKA › 8 pm › Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St, Cambridge › $28-$40 › 617.496.2222 or ofa. fas.harvard.edu/boxoffice CAPITAL RADIO + RED LINE REBELS + PITY WHORES + EMPTY VESSELS + FAST TIMES › Radio downstairs, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville › $8 › 617.764.0005 or radiobarunion.com/ CHADLEY KOLB › 10:30 pm › Plough & Stars, 912 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.576.0032 or ploughandstars.com “DEEP HEAVEN NOW 6” › Fri-Sat › Precinct, 70 Union Sq, Somerville › 617.623.9211 or precinctbar.com ”DEEP HEAVEN NOW 6” “ › Fri-Sat › P.A.’s Lounge, 345 Somerville Ave, Somerville › 617.776.1557 EMPIRE STREET + THE LIGHTS OUT + SOLO SALOON › 9:30 pm › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $10 › 617.864. EAST or ticketweb.com GORGASM + BLOODSOAKED + DYSENTERY ABNORMALITY › 8 pm › Midway Café, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain › 617.524.9038 or midwaycafe.com GZA + SWEET VALLEY + KILLER MIKE + BEAR HANDS › 9 pm › Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston › $20-$25 › 617.562.8800 or ticketmaster.com HEE HAWK › 10 pm › Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge › 617.497.0823 ISEUL SONG › 4 pm › Café 939, 939 Boylston St, Boston › Free › 617.747.6038 or ticketmaster. com/ KARRIN ALLYSON › 8 pm › Scullers, 400 Soldiers Field Rd, Cambridge › $30 › 617.783.0090 or scullersjazz.com “LADY LUCK BURLESQUE’S HALLOWEEN BIZARRE” › ZipGun Bomber › Middle East Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $20 › 617.864.EAST or ticketweb.com LARRY FLINT & THE ROAD SCHOLARS › 6 pm › Sally O’Brien’s, 335 Somerville Ave, Somerville › 617.666.3589 or sallyobriensbar. com/frameset.htm MEG HUTCHINSON › 7 pm › Club Passim, 47 Palmer St, Cambridge › $18-$20 › 617.492.7679 or clubpassim.com MILO Z › 10 pm › Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St, Somerville › $16 › 617.776.2004 or johnnyds.com MMOSS + AMEN DUNES + OLDEN YOLK + HOT TUB PANORAMA › 8 pm › O’Brien’s, 3 Harvard Ave, Allston › $8-$10 › 617.782.6245 or obrienspubboston.com NORTHBOUND TRAIN › 9 pm › Sally O’Brien’s, 335 Somerville Ave, Somerville › $5 › 617.666.3589 or sallyobriensbar.com/ frameset.htm REBECCA LOEBE + JENN GRINELS › 8
THURSDAY 18
FRIDAY 19
pm › Café 939, 939 Boylston St, Boston › $10 › 617.747.6038 or ticketmaster.com/ SARAH BORRELLO + MELANIE LYNX + DJ SKITZ › 10 pm › Tommy Doyle’s at Harvard, 96 Winthrop St, Cambridge › $5 › 617.864.0655 or tommydoyles.com ”SHIKATA GA NAI: NEW MUSIC ABOUT THE JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMPS” › 6 pm › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $5-$6 › 617.864.EAST or ticketweb.com TARBONE › 9 pm › Ryles, 212 Hampshire St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.876.9330 or rylesjazz.com THREE DAYS GRACE › 9 pm › Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston › $35 › 617.779.0140 or ticketmaster.com
>> live music on p 80
472-480 mASSAChuSeTTS Ave CeNTRAl SQ., CAmbRIDGe (617) 864-eAST
mideastclub.com | zuzubar.com ticketweb.com DOWNSTAIRS
Thu 10/18: Bowery BosTon PresenTs: The JezAbelS yukon Blonde • hey roseTTa Fri 10/19 lady luck Burlesque’s halloween Bizarre FeaTuring sPecial guesT• zIpGuN bOmbeR
by William Shakespeare directed by Paula Plum
Tickets: 866-811-4111 actorsshakespeareproject.org
saT 10/20 The SOul RebelS sun 10/21 - all ages 6:30PM Bowery Boston and cq Presents: OFF! The sPiTs • douBle negaTive Tue 10/23/12 melvIN SeAlS AND JGb • sunlea
www.greatscottboston.com
10.18.12 Thu
Thu 10/18: leedz eduTainMenT PresenTs: ODDISee
WZBC’s Flyweight & Vanya Records present: The New Highway Hymnal (album release) RIBS • earthquake party! • Infinity Girl 9pm • 18+ • $10
Fri 10/19/12 - early evening 6PM ShIkATA GA NAI: new Music aBouT The JaPanese inTernMenT caMPs
The Pill • DJs Ken & Michael V. Young Adults • 10pm • 21+ • $5
upSTAIRS
Fri 10/19/12 - laTe show empIRe STReeT The lighTs ouT • solo saloon saT 10/20 - 1PM all ages CAll me ANyThING • cry BaBy saT 10/20: INTO IT. OveR IT. Make do and Mend • hosTage calM The saddesT landscaPe sun 10/21 - 1PM: zOObOmbS • dirTy Fences sun 10/21 7PM FAReWell DReAmeR • sworn in Mon 10/22 7PM SINGeR SONGWRITeR ShOWCASe Tue 10/23 - 7PM he’S my bROTheR She’S my SISTeR lucy Michelle and The velvet lapelles wed 10/24 The lIGhThOuSe AND The WhAleR ewert and the Two dragons
/mideastclub /zuzubar @mideastclub @zuzubar
10.19.12 Fri 10.19.12 Fri
Anderson Comedy Group • The Gas The best in local comedy and beyond 7pm • 18+ • $5
10.20.12 SaT
Born of Fire Milligram Reunion Show: Night #2 4WAT with Milligram Jack Burton vs. David Lo Pan 13 Billion Years • Maritime Pilot 9pm • 21+ • $12
10.21.12 Sun
Bowery Boston Presents • JJAMZ Friendly People 9pm • 18+ • $10 ADV / $12 DOS
10.22.12 Mon
Eye Design • Treat Yo Self featuring: Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion! Horsehands • Civil Warblers • Man Alive! Art Galleries From: Zombie Bomb! Comic Anthology Visuals: Mondo Fiasco 9pm • 18+ • $7 1222 CoMMonwealTh ave allSTon, Ma 02134 617-566-9014
Thephoenix.com/music :: 10.19.12 79
Lupo’s
79 Washington st, providence complete schedule at
lupos.com
this friday, october 19
sLightLy stoopid
featuring KarL
denson
friday, november 2
state radio thursday, november 8
moe
Arts & Nightlife :: music << live music from p 79
THE WALKMEN › 6 pm › Royale, 279 Tremont St, Boston › 617.338.7699 or boweryboston.com
SATURDAY 20
ANAT COHEN QUARTET › 7:30 pm › Regattabar, 1 Bennett St, Charles Hotel, Cambridge › $25 › 617.661.5000 or regattabarjazz.com THE BAYSIDE TIGERS › 9 pm › Church of Boston, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston › $10-$12 › 617.236.7600 or churchofboston.com CALL ME ANYTHING + CRY BABY + THIS IS ALL NOW + OLD MONEY BOYS + THE CONTROL › 1 pm › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $10-$12 ›
friday, november 9
megadeth sunday, november 11
yeasayer tuesday, november 20
taKing bacK sunday Wednesday, november 28
passion pit the Joy formidabLe tickets at LUPOs.cOM, F.Y.e. stORes & LUPO’s
R E S TA U R A N T & M U S I C C L U B
43 Years Of Great Music Thursday, OcT 18: americana
Tad OVerBauGh & The LaTe arriVaLs BEAN PICKER’S UNION • SUSAN CATTANEO Friday, OcT 19: (7:30pm) cOmedy
BiLL BLumenreich presenTs
WyaTT cenac miLO Z
(10pm) Funk FrOm nyc:
saTurday, OcT 20: hear nOW LiVe! presenTs
DCLA • JG & LAST ShOT PRODUCTIONS DAvE MACKLIN • ShAyNE hOLLAND sunday, OcT 21 JAZZ BRUNCh 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM OPEN BLUES JAM 4:00PM - 7:00 PM mOnday, OcT 22 TEAM TRIvIA -8:30 PM $1.50 hOT DOGS 6 - 10 PM Tuesday, OcT 23: rOck FrOm uk
LeOGun
a Wish FOr Fire WEDNESDAy, OCT 24: JAZZ / ROCK GUITAR
JULIEN KASPER BAND JIM KELLy
ThURSDAy, OCT 25: POP / ROCK
LOs FLeTcherOs
Saturday, 10/27, 7:30PM: ALFIE BOE Monday, 10/29, 8:15PM:
BERKLEE WORLD STRINGS Wednesday, 10/31, 8:15PM:
The heyGOOds
duppy cOnQuerOrs
METAL GUITAR NIGHT
perFOrminG ‘BaByLOn By Bus’ (7PM) WORLDMUSIC/CRAShARTS PRES rOdriGueZ SOLD OUT!
Full schedule/tickets: www.berklee.edu/BPC
Boston’s premiere all ages concert venue Friday, 10/19, 8PM: REBECCA LOEBE
JESS KLEIN JENN GRINELS
Saturday, 10/20, 8PM: NNEKA
EMILY ELBERT 939 Boy lsto n S t . Bo sto n Full schedule/tickets: www.cafe939.com 80 10.19.12 :: Thephoenix.com/music
THu
18
The WeissTrOnauTs
(10pm) BOB marLey TriBuTe
saTurday, OcT 27
(10PM) DISCO / fUNK
BOOTy VOrTeX
cOsTume haLLOWeen parTy
cOminG sOOn: 10/28 LIZZ WINSTEAD 10/31 POWER Of LOvE/BIKINI WhALE haLLOWeen cOsTume parTy 11/1 CATBIRDS CD RELEASE 11/2 (7:30PM) BARRENCE WhITfIELD (10PM) ThE JAUNTEE 11/3 (7PM) LOvE DOGS • (10PM) TOASTERS 11/9 ANDREA GILLIS BAND 12/1 (7PM) MARK EITZEL • (10PM) MACROTONES 12/4 KELLy hOGAN 12/6 EL vEZ MERRy MEX-MAS ShOW
www.johnnyds.com Info: 617-776-2004 concert LIne: 617-776-9667 johnny d’s 17 hoLLand st davIs square somervILLe. ma 02144
harvard.edu/boxoffice LES SAMPOU BAND › 6 pm › Sally O’Brien’s, 335 Somerville Ave, Somerville › 617.666.3589 or sallyobriensbar.com/frameset. htm MARK ERELLI + ADRIANNE LENKER › 8 pm › Club Passim, 47 Palmer St, Cambridge › $18-$20 › 617.492.7679 or clubpassim.com MARNY PROUDFIT + ENGLISH TOM IN THE BOOKSTORE + MORRIS AND THE EAST COAST + MOJO KICK + MISTER VERTIGO + THE SPACE BUMS › 7 pm › Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge › 617.497.0823 ”MILLIGRAM REUNION SHOW: NIGHT #2” › 4WAT + Milligram + Jack Burton vs. David Lo Pan + 13 Billion Years + Maritime Pilot › 9 pm › Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston › $12 › 617.566.9014 or ticketweb.com NNEKA › 8 pm › Café 939, 939 Boylston St, Boston › $10-$12 › 617.747.6038 or ticketmaster. com/ THE PRESETS + YACHT › 7 pm › House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston › $20 › 888.693.2583 PRIMUS 3D › 8:30 pm › Orpheum Theatre, 1 Hamilton Pl, Boston › $35-$47.50 › 617.482.0650 RADIO DOWN: SUGARCOMA + THRUST CLUB + THE PANDEMICS › 8 pm › Radio, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville › $8 › 617.764.0005 or radiobarunion.com/ RICKY “KING” RUSSELL › 9 pm › Smoken’ Joe’s BBQ, 351 Washington St, Brighton › $5 › 617. 254.5227 or smokenjoesbbq.com ROB ZOMBIE + MARILYN MANSON › 7 pm › Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd, Uncasville, CT › $39.50 › 888.226.7711 RYAN BINGHAM › 6 pm › Royale, 279 Tremont St, Boston › 617.338.7699 or boweryboston.com SAINT ANYWAY › 10 pm › Toad, 1920 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.497.4950 or toadcambridge.com
PHX PICKS >> CAN’T MISS
Friday, OcT 26 (7:30PM) BEST Of LP / EP CD RELEASE PARTy
Saturday, 11/3, 8PM: AIMEE MANN Friday, 11/30, 8PM: DEAD ON LIVE
A note-for-note recreation of classic Grateful Dead ’71-’72 recordings 136 Ma ssa c h u s ett s Ave. , Bo sto n
617.864.EAST or ticketweb.com CIGARETTE CROSSFIRE + YO TICONDEROGA + VAN WALTON › 8 pm › O’Brien’s, 3 Harvard Ave, Allston › $8 › 617.782.6245 or obrienspubboston.com CONSPIRATOR + ABAKUS + CINNAMON CHASERS + BOOMBOX › 9 pm › Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston › 617.562.8800 or ticketmaster.com “DEEP HEAVEN NOW 6” › See listing for Fri ”DEEP HEAVEN NOW” › See listing for Fri DIANE BLUE + THE THRILLERS + SPEC › 9:30 pm › Ryles, 212 Hampshire St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.876.9330 or rylesjazz.com “DR T PRESENTS VISUAL MUSIC LIVE” › Dr T › 8 pm › Outpost 186, 186 1/2 Hampshire St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.876.0860 or zeitgeist-outpost.org FATHOMS + TSUNAMI OF SOUND › 8 pm › Midway Café, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain › 617.524.9038 or midwaycafe.com ILL FUNK ENSEMBLE + DJ SPECIAL K › 10 pm › Tommy Doyle’s at Harvard, 96 Winthrop St, Cambridge › 617.864.0655 or tommydoyles.com INTO IT. OVER IT. + MAKE DO AND MEND + HOSTAGE CALM + THE SADDEST LANDSCAPE › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $12-$14 › 617.864. EAST or ticketweb.com JG & THE SHAKERS + DAVE MACKLIN BAND + SHAYNE HOLLAND BAND › 9 pm › Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St, Somerville › $12 › 617.776.2004 or johnnyds.com JODY BLACKWELL › 7:30 pm › Toad, 1920 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.497.4950 or toadcambridge.com JOSEPH VINCENT › 8 pm › T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge › $12 › 617.492.2327 or ticketweb.com LEO KOTTKE › 8 pm › Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St, Cambridge › 617.496.2222 or ofa.fas.
• HOTH RAVE Finally, a party we all should be AT-AT (sorry). Good Life transforms into Empire Strikes Back’s ice planet of Hoth for a rave that’s chill as fuck, complete with the New England Garrison chapter of Vader’s 501st Legion holding court, an indoor snow-making machine, and Star Wars edits, free PBR, and other “audible treats” by the DJs. No tauntauns will be harmed in the making of this party. Good Life, 28 Kingston St, Boston :: 9:30 pm :: no cover :: goodlifebar.com
• DUM DUM GIRLS The Dum Dum Girls’ 1960s girl-group melancholy might wash up year-round on the sunny shores of Los Angeles, but here in Boston, their cave of static noise works best in the gloomy haze of October. Two Boston upstarts warm things up: the swirling thunderrock of Velah, and the garage rock whipsmarts of Bent Shapes. Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston :: 9 pm :: $15 :: brightonmusichall.com • JJAMZ Let’s hope JJAMZ – a Los Angeles supergroup featuring Alex Greenwald of Phantom Planet, Z Berg of the Like, Jason Boesel of Rilo Kiley and others – doesn’t become known as the “MySpace band” after floaty electro-pop ditty “Heartbreak” was featured last month in the social networking site’s re-launch campaign. That would be a sh-shame. Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston :: 9 pm :: $12; $10 advance :: greatscottboston.com sun
21
• GENTLEMEN HALL Night 2 of WFNX’s online re-launch series is 23 a free, locally-flavored dance party with two of our city’s finest pop-leaning flag-bearers: the fast-forward indie rock of Gentlemen Hall, and the neon-forest electro-pop of Casey Desmond. Boston Accents host DJ Michael V spins the sounds before, between, and after the bands. Are you on the guest list? RSVP at wfnx.com. Lansdowne Pub, 9 Lansdowne St, Boston :: 7 pm :: free with RSVP :: wfnx.com/ disorientation TuE
suNdAy 21
SAT
20
FRESH PRODUCE
w/ DJ Craze, DJ Knife, DJ Tommee (hip hop, reggae, party jams and trap) $5
BOLD SPRINTS (Indoor Bicycle Racing) Presented by Pico Picante, Arc-En-Ciel Bicycle Studio & Superb Bicycle, free
WED
24
@goodlifebar and Facebook.com/goodlifeboston
THE
WESTERN FRONT 343 Western Ave, Cambridge Reggae, Latin & Jazz
Thursday 10/18
Two of the grand masters of jazz, GARY BURTON and CHICK COREA, play Symphony Hall on Sunday. SARAH BORGES BAND › 9 pm › Lizard Lounge, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.547.0759 or lizardloungeclub.com THE SEA AND CAKE + MATTHEW FRIEDBERGER › 9 pm › Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston › $15-$17 › 617.779.0140 or ticketmaster.com SEA WOLF + HEY MARSEILLES › 6 pm › Church of Boston, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston › $12-$15 › 617.236.7600 or churchofboston.com THE SOUL REBELS › Middle East Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $16-$18 › 617.864.EAST or ticketweb.com TEN TUMBAO › 10 pm › Beehive, 541 Tremont St, Boston › Free › 617.423.0069 or beehiveboston.com “THE LOVE SONG OF R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER” › Yo La Tengo › 7 pm › Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave, Boston › $5-$20 › 617.478.3100 or icaboston.org “WHITE TRASH NIGHT & CHILI COOKOFF” › With Spectre Hawk + The Grinds + Cask Mouse + Flatt Rabbit › Radio upstairs, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville › $8 › 617.764.0005 or radiobarunion.com
SUNDAY 21
ANDUIN + RADARE + RISE SET TWILIGHT + PATAPHOR + ANGEL EYES › 8 pm › O’Brien’s, 3 Harvard Ave, Allston › $10 › 617.782.6245 or obrienspubboston.com AYN INSERTO JAZZ ORCHESTRA › 2 pm › Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge › 617.497.0823 BOYZ II MEN › 8 pm › Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St, Boston › $40-$47.50 › 617.248.9700 or ticketmaster.com “BRIDGING THE MUSIC LOCAL BAND SHOWCASE” › 4 pm › Midway Café, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain › 617.524.9038 or midwaycafe.com CHICK COREA + GARY BURTON › 5 pm › Symphony Hall, 301 Mass Ave, Boston › $30$75 › 888.266.1200 or bso.org DUM DUM GIRLS + VELAH + BENT SHAPES › 9 pm › Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston › $15-$17 › 617.779.0140 or ticketmaster.com ELAN ASCH TRIO › 8 pm › Outpost 186, 186 1/2 Hampshire St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.876.0860 or zeitgeist-outpost.org ELECTRIC GUEST + NO › 8 pm › Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston › $15 › 617.562.8800 or ticketmaster.com HAYLEY REARDON › 4:30 pm › Club Passim, 47 Palmer St, Cambridge › $10-$12 ›
617.492.7679 or clubpassim.com JIM COYLE & THE BARROOM GENTLEMEN › 8 pm › Sally O’Brien’s, 335 Somerville Ave, Somerville › 617.666.3589 or sallyobriensbar.com/frameset.htm JJAMZ › 9 pm › Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston › $10-$12 › 617.566.9014 or ticketweb.com JOY DANIELS & SPECIAL GUESTS › 8 pm › Midway Café, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain › 617.524.9038 or midwaycafe.com KEVIN HARRIS PROJECT + KRILL + TOPS › 7:30 pm › Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge › 617.497.0823 MELISSA ETHERIDGE › 7:30 pm › Orpheum Theatre, 1 Hamilton Pl, Boston › $36.25$101.25 › 617.482.0650 NICOLE D’AMICO AND FRIENDS + THE DIRTY DIRGES + TOMMY JOHNNAGIN › 8:30 pm › T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge › $8 › 617.492.2327 or ticketweb.com OFF! + THE SPITS + DOUBLE NEGATIVE › 9 pm › Middle East Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.864.EAST or mideastclub.com/tickets.html ROB ZOMBIE + MARILYN MANSON + DJ STARSCREAM › 7:30 pm › Verizon Wireless Arena, 555 Elm St, Manchester, NH › $39.50-$49.50 › 800.745.3000 or verizonwirelessarena.com THAT ONE EYED KID + YOUNG ALIVE + QUEEN OF HEARTS [HEART TRIBUTE] › 8 pm › Church of Boston, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston › $8 › 617.236.7600 or churchofboston.com TIM ERIKSEN › 8 pm › Club Passim, 47 Palmer St, Cambridge › $18-$20 › 617.492.7679 or clubpassim.com
hoT springs reggae Call for info friday 10/19
RHETT MILLER › 8 pm › Royale, 279 Tremont St, Boston › 617.338.7699 or boweryboston.com ”THE CHRISTA GNIADEK SINGER SONGWRITER SHOWCASE” › Holden Kovach + Justin Cohen + Nicky Rood + Matt Augustine + Victoria Rios + Ryan Jordan + Sydney Manning + Gabrielle May › 7 pm › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $10-
funk friday
live Bands Call for info saTurday 10/20
reggae revival live reggae MusiC FOR INFO 617-492-7772
www.westernfront.com
>> live music on p 82
th
Friday, Oct. 19 – Nick Laudani Trio 5:30-7:30 Ron Poster Trio 8:30-11:30 rd
Tuesday, Oct. 23 – Ron Poster 5:30-9:00 th
Wednesday, Oct. 24 – Nice & Easy 5:30-:9:00 th
Thursday, Oct. 25 – Nick Laudani Trio 5:30-11:30
129 South Street Boston 617 542 5108 winebar.com
MONDAY 22
COYOTE GRACE + TYLAN [GIRLYMAN] › 7 pm › Club Passim, 47 Palmer St, Cambridge › $13-$15 › 617.492.7679 or clubpassim.com THE NEW TRUST + DES ARK + SNEEZE + LUAU › 8 pm › O’Brien’s, 3 Harvard Ave, Allston › $8 › 617.782.6245 or obrienspubboston. com JEFFREY LEWIS & THE JUNKYARD + BALLROOM THIEVES + ACLU BENEFIT › 7:30 pm › T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.492.2327 or ttthebears.com/public/hot_tickets.php MIIKE SNOW + NIKI & THE DOVE › 7:30 pm › Orpheum Theatre, 1 Hamilton Pl, Boston › $29.50-$35 › 617.482.0650 OLD 97’S + SALIM NOURALLAH +
fri. | oct. 12
Cherry ST Reunion Show
with Heartbeat City
8:30 pm | cover:$12 | ages 21+
thu. | oct. 18
Elixir On Mute
with Mind Walk Boulevard & Helicopria
9:00 pm | cover:$10 | ages 21+
fri. | oct. 19
pinktober benefit event:
The Liz Borden Band, Sara Leketa & The Laura Cheadle Band 8:30 pm | cover:$15 | ages 21+
boston ©2012 Hard Rock International (USA), Inc. All rights reserved.
Thephoenix.com/music :: 10.19.12 81
Scullers PHX Oct. 18_Scullers PHX Oct 18
BOSTON’S #1 JAZZ CLUB!
sCullers jazz Club
Thurs., Oct. 18
8pm
& the HOT LICKS
DAN HICKS 8pm & 10pm KARRIN ALLYSON Tues., Oct. 23 8pm ATHENE WILSON Weds., Oct. 24 8pm MARIA TECCE Thurs. & Fri., Oct. 25 & 26 8pm & 10pm KURT ELLING Fri., Oct. 19
New CD “1619 Broadway The Brill Building Project”
Sat., Sun., Oct. 27, 28 8 & 10 Sat./4 & 7 Sun.
SPYRO GYRA
DOUBLETREE SUITES
BY HILTON BOSTON Call for Tickets & Info at: 617-562-4111
Dinner/Show Packages Available. Also In-Club menu
Order on-line at www.scullersjazz.com
Arts & Nightlife :: music << live music from p 81
$15 › 617.864.EAST or ticketweb.com TIM MILLER + JANEK GWIZDALA › 9 pm › Beehive, 541 Tremont St, Boston › Free › 617.423.0069 or beehiveboston.com TREAT YO SELF + BEWARE THE DANGERS OF A GHOST SCORPION! + HORSEHANDS + CIVIL WARBLERS + MAN ALIVE! › 9 pm › Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston › $7 › 617.566.9014 or ticketweb.com THE WEEKND › 8 pm › House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston › $37-$49.50 › 888.693.2583
TUESDAY 23
A.C. NEWMAN + MYNABIRDS › 9 pm › Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston › $15-$17 › 617.779.0140 or ticketmaster.com ATHENE WILSON › 8 pm › Scullers, 400 Soldiers Field Rd, Cambridge › $20 › 617.783.0090 or scullersjazz.com THE BLAKES + THE YOUNG EVILS › 9 pm › T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.492.2327 or ticketweb.com CARINA ROUND + ROSI GOLAN › 8 pm › Café 939, 939 Boylston St, Boston › $12-$15 › 617.747.6038 or ticketmaster.com/ CULT LEPER › 8 pm › O’Brien’s, 3 Harvard Ave, Allston › $6 › 617.782.6245 or obrienspubboston.com ERIK TRUFFAZ › 7:30 pm › Regattabar, 1 Bennett St, Charles Hotel, Cambridge › $25 › 617.661.5000 or regattabarjazz.com HE’S MY BROTHER SHE’S MY SISTER + LUCY MICHELLE AND THE VELVET LAPELLES + CHRISTOPHER NORTH + PERSONAL FINANCE › 7 pm › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $10 › 617.864.EAST or ticketweb.com MELVIN SEALS AND JGB + SUNLEA › Middle East Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $20-$25 › 617.864.EAST or ticketweb.com
NAUGHTY WATER › 8 pm › Church of Boston, 69 Kilmarnock St, Boston › $3 › 617.236.7600 or churchofboston.com TAMMY SCHEFFER SEXTET › 9 pm › Beehive, 541 Tremont St, Boston › Free › 617.423.0069 or beehiveboston.com TOM’S FOLLY + THE INSTINCT + THE SCATTER GANG › Precinct, 70 Union Sq, Somerville › 617.623.9211 or precinctbar.com TO THE WEDDING + SHE KEEPS BEES + SLOTHRUST + ANCIENT SKY › 8 pm › Radio, 379 Somerville Ave, Somerville › $8 › 617.764.0005 or radiobarunion.com/ THE WEEKND › 8 pm › House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston › 888.693.2583 WFNX DISORIENTATION 2012 NIGHT #2: GENTLEMEN HALL + CASEY DESMOND + DJ MICHAEL V. › 7 pm › Lansdowne Pub, 9 Lansdowne St, Boston › free › 617.266.1222 or wfnx.com/disorientation
WEDNESDAY 24
AL STEWART + RACHAEL SAGE › 8 pm › Club Passim, 47 Palmer St, Cambridge › $28$30 › 617.492.7679 or clubpassim.com CAT POWER › 8 pm › House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston › $34.50-$45 › 888.693.2583 CHARLIE KOHLHASE + THE OUTNUMBERED + GILL AHARAN TRIO › 8 pm › Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge › 617.497.0823 ELECTRIC SIX + LITTLE HURRICANE + TRUCKS › 8:30 pm › Iron Horse Music Hall, 20 Center St, Northampton › $15-$18 › 413.586.8686 or iheg.com/iron_horse_main.asp EL TEN ELEVEN + MICHNA + BEACON › 9 pm › T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge › $12 › 617.492.2327 or ttthebears. com/public/hot_tickets.php JULIEN KASPER › Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St, Somerville › $10 › 617.776.2004 or johnnyds.com KIMBRA + THE STEPKIDS › Royale, 279
PHX PICKS >> CAN’T MISS • ANAT COHEN The Israeli-born, Berklee-educated rising star blows the Newport Jazz Fest crowd away with her swing-clarinet, but her own music 20 explores the outer edges of Latin and Brazilian jazz as well as the music of her homeland. She fronts a quartet with pianist Jason Lindner, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Daniel Freedman. Regattabar, Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett Street, Cambridge :: 7:30 pm [$25] + 10 pm [$22] :: 617.395.7757 or regattabarjazz.com sAT
• RICK BERLIN The godfather of Boston glam has established himself as one of the town’s most compelling songwriters and performers since his early days 25 fronting Orchestra Luna. He celebrates his latest joint, Always on Insane — one of his grittier, rocking efforts — with the supporting cast from the CD, the Nickel & Dime Band. Magic Room Gallery, 155 North Beacon St, Brighton :: 8 pm :: $10 :: 617.823.4403 or magicroomgallery.com THu
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Tremont St, Boston › Sold Out › 617.338.7699 or boweryboston.com KING PEDESTRIAN + 14 FOOT 1 + EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE › 8 pm › O’Brien’s, 3 Harvard Ave, Allston › $7 › 617.782.6245 or obrienspubboston.com LANGHORNE SLIM & THE LAW + THE LAST BISON › 9 pm › Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston › $14-$16 › 617.779.0140 or ticketmaster.com LASZLO GARDONY QUARTET › 7:30 pm › Regattabar, 1 Bennett St, Charles Hotel, Cambridge › $16 › 617.661.5000 or regattabarjazz.com THE LIGHTHOUSE AND THE WHALER + EWERT AND THE TWO DRAGONS + PRIVATE SHAPES + MAESTRO THRUST › Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge › $10 › 617.864.EAST or ticketweb.com MARIA TECCE › 8 pm › Scullers, 400 Soldiers Field Rd, Cambridge › $22 › 617.783.0090 or scullersjazz.com NEMES › 10 pm › Toad, 1920 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.497.4950 or toadcambridge. com RUFUS WAINWRIGHT › 7:30 pm › Music Hall, 131 Congress St, Portsmouth, NH › $52-$58 › 603.436.2400 or themusichall.org/ tickets/index.asp RUSH › 7:30 pm › TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston › $51-$128.50 › 617.931.2000 or ticketmaster.com/venue/8337 YALE,MA + PAJARITOS + DJ EL POSER + DJ IRON FIST › Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.868.MSEX or middlesexlounge.com.
THURSDAY 25
ADVENTURE CLUB › 8 pm › Royale, 279 Tremont St, Boston › 617.338.7699 or boweryboston.com AVISHAI COHEN TRIVENI › 7:30 pm › Regattabar, 1 Bennett St, Charles Hotel, Cambridge › $20 › 617.661.5000 or regattabarjazz. com BERKLEE GLOBAL JAZZ INSTITUTE + DAVID MAXWELL › 7:30 pm › Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St, Cambridge › 617.497.0823 BETTYE LAVETTE › 8 pm › Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St, Boston › $30-$35 › 617.248.9700 or ticketmaster.com BLACK THAI + VAPORIZER + DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON › 8 pm › O’Brien’s, 3 Harvard Ave, Allston › $7 › 617.782.6245 or obrienspubboston.com CRUSH [FEATURING THE JUAN MACLEAN DJ SET] + MIDNIGHT JUSTIN MILLER + NOOKA JONES + SPLIFFOLIAN › 9 pm › T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge › $13 › 617.492.2327 or ticketweb.com ELECTRIC SIX + LITTLE HURRICANE + TAB THE BAND › 9 pm › Middle East Downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge › 617.864. EAST or mideastclub.com/tickets.html FATHER JOHN MISTY + LA SERA + JEFFERTITTI’S NILE › 9 pm › Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston › $15 › 617.562.8800 or ticketmaster.com FELIPE SALLES GROUP › 8 pm › Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second Street, Cambridge › $13-$15 › 617.577.1400 or multiculturalartscenter.org JAMES MERENDA AND TICKLE JUICE › 8 pm › Outpost 186, 186 1/2 Hampshire St, Cambridge › $10 › 617.876.0860 or zeitgeistoutpost.org KURT ELLING › 8 pm › Scullers, 400 Soldiers Field Rd, Cambridge › $30 › 617.783.0090 or scullersjazz.com LOS FLETCHEROS › 9 pm › Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St, Somerville › $10 › 617.776.2004 or johnnyds.com MEDDY GERVILLE › 9:30 pm › Beehive, 541 Tremont St, Boston › Free › 617.423.0069 or beehiveboston.com
Arts & Nightlife :: Clubs
club nights thuRsDAY 18
BOND › Boston › 9 pm › “Taste Thursdays” CURE LOUNGE › Boston › 10 pm › “Cure Thursdays” DISTRICT › Boston › “In Thursdays” EMERALD LOUNGE AT REVERE HOTEL › Boston › 9 pm › “Top 40s & House” ESTATE › Boston › 10 pm › “Glamlife Thursdays” with Chris Harris + Rafael Sanchez GOOD LIFE › Boston › 9:30 pm › “Hoth Rave Star Wars/Snow Party” with DJs tRick + RePsycle + Tony Moreno + DJ Downer JACQUE’S CABARET › Boston › 10:30 pm › “Jacques’ Angels” with Kris Knievil LIVING ROOM › Boston › 8 pm › DJ Snow White MIDWAY CAFÉ › Jamaica Plain › “Women’s Dance Night” with DJ Summer’s Eve MILKY WAY › Jamaica Plain › 9 pm › “Futuristic Soul Presents: Instrumental Series” NAGA › Cambridge › “Verve Thursdays” with DJ Pensive OM RESTAURANT & LOUNGE › Cambridge › 10:30 pm › “Late Night Lounge” PHOENIX LANDING › Cambridge › “Elements” with Crook & Lenore RAMROD › Boston › 10 pm › “Bear Cave” RUMOR › Boston › 10 pm › “Hi Frequency” with Ju Lee + Burak Bacio + Kia Mazzi WONDER BAR › Allston › 10 pm › “Top 40/ House Thursdays” with DJ NRG ZUZU › Cambridge › 10:30 pm › “Rude Sounds”
cure lounge photo by natasha moustache
FRiDAY 19
BOND › Boston › 10 pm › “Play Fridays” COMMON GROUND › Allston › “90s Night” CURE LOUNGE › Boston › 10 pm › “VIP Fridays” with DJ Eric Velez DISTRICT › Boston › “Latin Fridays” EMERALD LOUNGE AT REVERE HOTEL › Boston › 9 pm › “Top 40s & House” ESTATE › Boston › 10 pm › “Estate Fridays” GOOD LIFE › Boston › 9:30 pm › “Pico Piquante” GREAT SCOTT › Allston › 10 pm › “The Pill” with DJ Ken + DJ Michael V GYPSY BAR › Boston › 10 pm › DJ Dera JULEP BAR › Boston › DJ Digital Dave LIVING ROOM › Boston › “House, Top 40, House & Dance Music” MACHINE › Boston › 10 pm › “Machine Friday” with DJs Darrin Friedman and Gay Jim MIDDLE EAST DOWNSTAIRS › Cambridge › “Lady Luck Burlesque’s Halloween Bizarre” MIDDLESEX LOUNGE › Cambridge › Brek. One MILKY WAY › Jamaica Plain › 9 pm › “Boyfriends” NORTHERN NIGHTS › Lynn › 8 pm › “Madonna Fridays” with DJ Jay Ine PHOENIX LANDING › Cambridge › “PYT” with DJ Vinny RISE › Boston › 9 pm › “Wonderland” › 1 am › DJ Dan + Techyes + Dan the Illuminator RUMOR › Boston › 10 pm › “Hush Fridays” with DJ Hectik + DJ Dres + DJ Lus SPLASH ULTRA LOUNGE & BURGER BAR › Boston › 10 pm › “Privilege Fridays” TOMMY DOYLE’S AT HARVARD › Cambridge › midnight › DJ Skitz UMBRIA PRIME › Boston › 10 pm › “VIP Fridays” UNDERBAR › Boston › 10 pm › “Flavor Fridays” with DJ Franklin WONDER BAR › Allston › 9 pm › “Friday Night Live” with DJ Braun Dapper ZUZU › Cambridge › 10 pm › “Solid!” › 11 pm › “Solid!” with Flavorheard
“Cure Thursdays” at the Cure Lounge in the Theater District. sAtuRDAY 20
BOND › Boston › 10 pm › “Flaunt Saturdays” COMMON GROUND › Allston › “Millenium Night” CURE LOUNGE › Boston › 10 pm › “Saturdays at Cure” DISTRICT › Boston › 10 pm › “Clique Saturdays” EMERALD LOUNGE AT REVERE HOTEL › Boston › 9 pm › “Top 40s & House” ESTATE › Boston › 10 pm › “VIP Access Saturdays” GOOD LIFE › Boston › 9:30 pm › “Fresh Produce” GYPSY BAR › Boston › 10 pm › DJ Mario JULEP BAR › Boston › DJ Danny Diggz + DJ Yurz Truly LIVING ROOM › Boston › “House, Top 40, House & Dance Music” MIDDLESEX LOUNGE › Cambridge › DJ Kon MILKY WAY › Jamaica Plain › 10 pm › “Mango’s Latin Saturdays” NAGA › Cambridge › 10 pm › “Chemistry Saturdays” with DJ Mozes + DJ D Say + Miss Jade OM RESTAURANT & LOUNGE › Cambridge › 10:30 pm › “Saturdays @ Om” PHOENIX LANDING › Cambridge › “Boom Boom Room” with DJ Vinny RADIO › Somerville › 10 pm › “Videodrome Discothéque” with DJ Craig MacNeil RISE › Boston › 9 pm › “RISE Saturdays” › 1 am › Chriss Vargas + Norbey D + John Bruno & Juan D + Michael Lopiano ROYALE › Boston › 6 pm › Ryan Bingham RUMOR › Boston › 11 pm › DJ Arno Cost SPLASH ULTRA LOUNGE & BURGER BAR › Boston › 10 pm › “Sold Out Saturdays” with DJ Bamboora TOMMY DOYLE’S AT HARVARD › Cambridge › 10 pm › Ill Funk Ensemble + DJ Special K T.T. THE BEAR’S PLACE › Cambridge › 10 pm › “Heroes” with DJ Chris Ewen UMBRIA PRIME › Boston › 10 pm › “Scene Saturdays” WONDER BAR › Allston › 10 pm › “Wonderbar Saturdays” ZUZU › Cambridge › 11 pm › “Soul-le-luh-jah”
sunDAY 21
CLUB CAFÉ › Boston › 4 pm › “Back 2 Basics Tea Dance” with DJ Harrison CURE LOUNGE › Boston › 10 pm › “Industry Sundays” with DJ Hectik EMERALD LOUNGE AT REVERE HOTEL › Boston › 9 pm › “Svedka Sundays: Industry Night”
PHOENIX LANDING › Cambridge › “The Drop” RAMROD › Boston › 10 pm › “Level 12” with DJ Sterling Golden UNDERBAR › Boston › 10 pm › “Hot Mess Sundays” with DJ Richie Ladue ZUZU › Cambridge › 10 pm › “All You Can Eat Buffet!”
MOnDAY 22
AN TUA NUA › Boston › 9 pm › “CeremonyGoth Night” MILKY WAY › Jamaica Plain › “Milky Way Mondays with Live Funk” NAGA › Cambridge › “Industry Mondays” with DJ D Say + DJ Mozes PHOENIX LANDING › Cambridge › “Makka Monday” with Voyager 01 + DJ Uppercut RAMROD › Boston › 10 pm › “The Attic” with DJ Kuro RIVER GODS › Cambridge › 8 pm › “Weekly Wax” WONDER BAR › Allston › 9 pm › “Mondenial” with Jason Stokes ZUZU › Cambridge › 10 pm › “Night of the Living Deadhead”
tuEsDAY 23
EMERALD LOUNGE AT REVERE HOTEL › Boston › 6 pm › “Wicked New Music” MACHINE › Boston › 9 pm › “Psyclone Tuesdays: All EDM” with Stevie Psyclone MIDDLESEX LOUNGE › Cambridge › 10 pm › “Petrol” NAGA › Cambridge › “Fiesta Tuesdays” PHOENIX LANDING › Cambridge › “Elecsonic”
WEDnEsDAY 24
DISTRICT › Boston › “Classic Wednesdays” with DJ Tanno EMERALD LOUNGE AT REVERE
HOTEL › Boston › 8 pm › “Mondo Wednesdays” ESTATE › Boston › 10 pm › The Dirty South GOOD LIFE › Boston › 9 pm › “Bold Sprints” LIBERTY HOTEL › Boston › 6:30 pm › “Whole Note Wednesdays” MACHINE › Boston › 10 pm › Show Me Your Stuff: Drag Night” PHOENIX LANDING › Cambridge › “Re:Set” RAMROD › Boston › 10 pm › “Rock Wednesdays” with DJ Victor RIVER GODS › Cambridge › 9 pm › “Primitive Sounds” RUMOR › Boston › 10 pm › “Latin Night” with DJ Adilson + DJ Maryalice + DJ Boatslip SPLASH ULTRA LOUNGE & BURGER BAR › Boston › 10 pm › “EDM Wednesdays” with DJ Bamboora STORYVILLE › Boston › 9 pm › “MySecretBoston presents Dub Apocalypse” WONDER BAR › Allston › 9 pm › “Wobble Wednesdays” with Wobblesauce ZUZU › Cambridge › 10 pm › “Swallow”
thuRsDAY 25
BOND › Boston › 9 pm › “Taste Thursdays” CURE LOUNGE › Boston › 10 pm › “Cure Thursdays” DISTRICT › Boston › “In Thursdays” EMERALD LOUNGE AT REVERE HOTEL › Boston › 9 pm › “Top 40s & House” ESTATE › Boston › 10 pm › “Glamlife Thursdays” GOOD LIFE › Boston › 8:30 pm › The Almighty Pretty Face Posse + Jus Cuz Period LIVING ROOM › Boston › 8 pm › DJ Snow White MIDDLESEX LOUNGE › Cambridge › Mark Fell [performing as Sensate Focus] + Jack Dice + John Barera MIDWAY CAFÉ › Jamaica Plain › “Women’s Dance Night” with DJ Summer’s Eve NAGA › Cambridge › “Verve Thursdays” OM RESTAURANT & LOUNGE › Cambridge › 10:30 pm › “Late Night Lounge” PALLADIUM UPSTAIRS › Worcester › 10 pm › “Haunted Mansion: NE Biggest 18+ Party” with DJ E-Marce + Texas Mike PHOENIX LANDING › Cambridge › “Elements” with Crook & Lenore RAMROD › Boston › 10 pm › “Bear Cave” RUMOR › Boston › 10 pm › “Hi Frequency” WONDER BAR › Allston › 10 pm › “Top 40/ House Thursdays” ZUZU › Cambridge › 10 pm › “Decade” with DJ Paul Foley
cOMEDY sAtuRDAY 20
WILBUR THEATRE › 7 + 9:45 pm › Lisa Lampanelli
thuRsDAY 25
LOWELL MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM › 8 pm › Dennis Miller
more at thephoenix.com/events Lisa Lampanelli
Get more comedy and club event info online!
For tons more to do, point your phone to m.thePhoenix.com THEPHOENIX.cOm/arTs :: 10.19.12 83
arts & nightlife :: parties
GET SEEN »
» At Art on the Roof at MassChallenge At the first-ever Boston instAllment of Art on the Roof, an event that brings artists, patrons, and nonprofits together in cities across the country, the dazzling 360-degree waterfront views were outshined by the diverse work of eight local artists (including MassArt grad Stacy Scibelli’s two-person leather tickle machine!). Held high above Fan Pier at the MassChallenge headquarters, the juried pop-up exhibit benefitted Dorchester art-education nonprofit Dot Art, whose students got to display their creations alongside those of the eight pros. Learn more at artontheroof.com and dotart.org.
More s! parthioeenix. At theP ties. r com/PA ut o see you t h e r e!
Clockwise from above left: Camilo Cárdenas, belén santos; rachel Flood page, tara keny; Liz Carney; melita noël Cantú; stacy scibelli, Corie scibelii; adam o’day
GeorGe WonG
director of South BoSton’S LaMontaGne GaLLery
His three must-haves: a good tailor, a good cobbler, and a good butcher. He’s got two of those covered. His shirt and vintagefabric jacket were custom-made by his tailor in NYC, and his shoes, originally from DSW, have already been resoled three times! (He’s still looking for a local butcher, though.) A gallery director has to invest in some good frames, right? His tortoiseshell glasses are by Tom Ford. But his plaid tie was a bargain: he picked it up at Goodwill in Santa Monica. _RENaTa CERTo-WaRE
84 10.19.12 :: Thephoenix.com/parTies
photos by derek kouyoumjian
George, the juror for the evening, created his own work of art — his outfit’s madcap mix of textures, colors, and prints.
Enjoy a Rocky Mountain cold cooRs light tonight at:
Try one of Bob’s ½ Priced Appetizers and Pair it with a Frosty Coors Light Draft!! A perfect combination!
Barefoot BoB’s • 276 NaNtasket ave, Hull Ma 781.925.2007
CYCLES 128 107 BRIMBAL AVENUE BEVERLY, MA 01915 • 800-464-2925 www.cycles128.com
PARKWAY CYCLE 1865 REVERE BEACH PARKWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 • 617-389-7000 www.parkwaycycle.com
GREATER BOSTON MOTORSPORTS 1098 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE ARLINGTON, MA 02176 • 781-648-1300 www.greaterbostonmotorsports.com
Arts & Nightlife :: bAck tAlk
’s bo from Elsa Enix. at thEpho Es. ur com/inpict
E
Elsa at 75
The Cambridge photographer looks back B y Jo n Ga rE l i ck >> JG ar E lick @p h x . com
lsa Dorfman, now 75, is the most unassuming of Cambridge literary/art-world legends. She was DIY before there was DIY, hawking her “snapshots” out of a shopping cart at Holyoke Center in the early 1970s, jumping on the artistiic possibilities of Polaroid’s 20x24 Book siGninG camera in 1980. Now, with the Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, help of Harvard Book Store’s Cambridge Paige M. Gutenborg on-demand October 25 :: 7 pm :: free printing machine, she is reissuing 617.661.1515 or harvard. Elsa’s Housebook: A Woman’s com Photojournal, originally published in 1974 by Cambridge press David R. Godine. The Housebook, from the days of her first house on Flagg Street, includes photos of Elsa’s extraordinary circle of friends — Allen Ginsberg, Robert Creeley, Robert Duncan, Gail Mazur, Charles Olson, Anne Waldman, et al. — as well as her husband, the defense attorney (and Phoenix contributor) Harvey Silverglate. The photos are nested in Dorfman’s prose recollections — as artlessly charming and profound as her photos.
Can you describe how the original idea for the Housebook came about? My friend Mark Mirsky kept telling me that because I had all of these pictures of people in my house — my pictures were all over — he said, “You should make a housebook.” The housebook was very big in Victorian times. People made them, and they put in pictures. And I thought, “Well, why not?” And then David Godine saw my pictures hanging at the Boston Globe Book Fair or something, and he said he wanted to do a book. I never came across the word “housebook,” ever. And then, about a year ago, I was watching Antiques Roadshow [laughs], and sure enough, there was someone with their great-grandmother’s housebook! And I went bonkers, I was so excited! That’s the only one I’ve ever really seen it. One of the things that’s interesting about it is this mix of people who are famous, like Allen Ginsberg and Robert Creeley, and then these other names that I don’t know at all, like the businessman Ed Lang, or your housecleaner Willy Williams. That’s what I was trying for, which at the time was scandalous. People said, “What are you doing? Oh, this isn’t going to add up to anything. This is just snapshots. What are you doing?” But Godine was good. He stuck to his guns and printed it. . . . At first he said, “Oh no, this is not the way. It shouldn’t have a text!” I said, “It’s gonna have a text!” [Laughs.] Because there was nothing like it. All the pictures [in the Cambridge photography scene] were sort of boxed-in, so dominated by Minor White and these beautiful, perfect, 10-tone pictures of Ansel Adams. It’s a very anti-girl kind of place, or it was certainly back then. Maybe now, with all the women in music, there are a lot of hip women. Not back in 1974. The book really does conjure that time. Yeah, and I think it means more now to people than it did when it first came out. When it first came out, it was like, “Well, yeah? . . . Yeah? . . . So what?” Who knew that everything in 1972 that was around was precious and wasn’t going to go on forever? That’s I think why I wanted to do this book. That watching everything you cared about sort of dribble away — not in a holocaust, but in a sort of . . . I don’t know what. What are we living through? I don’t know. It’s all bankified — Harvard Square is one big bank. P
86 10.19.12 :: THepHOenix.COM
photos by elsa dorfman
see more photos ok
How did you get the idea to reprint the Housebook? Just from seeing the machine [Harvard Book Store’s ondemand printer]. I just couldn’t get over that machine! You know how you see something and you think, “What have I got that I can use that for?”