Arts & Events: May 2009 Archives

Displaying little loyalty toward Brookline-born Conan O'Brien (as opposed to New York–born Jay Leno), Globe commenters wish failure on O'Brien as he prepares to take over The Tonight Show from Leno tomorrow evening. Comments quickly escalate from assigning O'Brien "little talent" to awarding him "no talent" to calling him a "total tiurnoff [sic]" and predicting "conan will tank." Some even accuse NBC of promoting an Obama agenda through O'Brien's assignment (which was made long before the election, right down to the date of the transition).

                

ast Saturday, we headed out to the Museum of Science to check out the fourth annual Robot Sumo competition from Machine Science. 40 teams from local middle and high schools built and programmed robots with one mission: to push their opponents out of the circle. Unlike the 57 varieties of robotic combat that hit TV a few years back, the students' creations were not remote controlled--they had to be programmed to battle automatically. (More difficult, and a bit frightening, for the Terminator implications.) We were extremely impressed with the creativity displayed by these young engineers, and congratulate all of the winners:

haydnseek is our Film Friday photographer this week. This photo was taken in South Boston, and as Bill succinctly puts it "Train tracks and film just seem to go together." Not only do the lines lead you into the photo, but there is so much to explore once you're drawn in, and even the trash seems to have some symmetry.

In the climactic moment of “Something Went Wrong,” the eighth of nine short plays collected for “An Evening of Almost,” an exasperated murderer/husband complains about his relationship while standing over the clown he stabbed: “What happened to the laughter?”

Escape from Mom's Basement If you overhear people in Harvard Square telling each other to "exterminate" tonight, they might not be talking about pest control. It's the Brattle's third installment of Hooked on Who, where the theater shows episodes of Doctor Who on the big screen. Tonight, the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) learns the wily ways of the inscrutable Orient (not to mention its sinister space gods) as he tries to escape "The Talons of Weng-Chiang." This episode is so offensive that they reportedly can't even show it in Canada. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, 9:30 p.m. Reservation and donation required.

me_ram adds a little joy and frivolity to the world with a shot of the Zipper, a 3 axis ferris wheel. Some light, a little motion, and a slow shutter speed can show you a scene as it never really existed.

Interview with comedian Freddy Lockhart - featured in "NESN Comedy All-Stars" from Thomas Attila Lewis on Vimeo.

The interiors of churches are always difficult locations for photographers, but Lil bra did an excellent job with this shot. By using a small aperture, Lil bra was able to get some exceptional lighting effects from the front doors of the church. In addition to getting a good exposure inside the church, Lil bra kept the lighting on the stained glass from getting blown out.

Steven Wright's May 29th show at the Wilbur Theatre has been sold out for a while, but we heard there is a chance to win free tickets if you follow the instructions at this Facebook page. Seems easy enough for a chance to see the Boston-bred Wright take the town by storm, also, be aware that Warner Brothers is about to re-release his 1985 classic "I Have a Pony".

Inoffensive Music Fans of inoffensive music can't help but be charmed by erstwhile Boston pop purveyors The Toothaches, or so we hear. Performing as a part of the "Polk Records' Rock 'n' Roll Revival" alongside The Double Stops, Gypsy Cab, Red Quiet, and Streight Angular. Church of Boston, 69 Kilmarnock St., 7 p.m. $5.

Our good friends at WGBH have told us that they are hosting a live webcast with Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of NOVA scienceNOW, tomorrow night at 6 pm. The event will be open for all middle and high school science teachers; to register, just head right over to NOVA's website. In addition to his work with WGBH, Tyson is well-known for his appearances on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. If you have some time after school tomorrow, get signed up and get your questions ready!

historygradguy found a little repetition. Resembling chess pawns these columns have great texture, and the lighting is spot on.

Movies The Brattle's Truffaut retrospective gets all pervy with two features devoted to relationships and infidelity. Jules and Jim (1962), is a matter-of-fact account of a ménage à trois. Take it from us: If you are ever dating a person who claims Jules and Jim as a favorite film, bail immediately. The Soft Skin (1964) is a matter-of-fact account of a ménage à deux that disintegrates from lies and infidelity. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge. Tickets and showtimes.

.laz took today's picture while walking at the Haymarket. The detail is spectacular and the choice of subject is unusual. The colors are a contrasting mix of oranges and blues, and the perspective adds to the photo.

Colleges are all wrapped up for the year, the sun is still up past 7pm, and the Paradise plays host to the Emergenza Semifinals Thursday through Saturday. What does all this mean? It's officially Summer! Now that the warm weather is (hopefully) underway, the Summer concert season is really getting into gear. Just take a look at this week's shows, with plenty of classic bands, spastic hands, and up-and-comers from not-so-distant lands.

Babes With the Power Memorial Day has long been the occasion for staring at David Bowie's crotch in skintight pants, but when was the last time you did so in the company of hundreds? The Coolidge and Austin's Alamo Drafthouse host a Labyrinth (1986) sing-a-long, during which you can tell your closest friends that they remind you of the babe, and they will ask "What babe?" Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline, 7 p.m. $10.

Sunday, May 24

Parades Memorial Day isn't just for not going to work. It's also an opportunity to honor this nation's dead by watching Shriners drive their fuel-efficient vehicles down Highland Ave. Somerville's Memorial Day parade begins at City Hall at 1 p.m., but you can catch some Shriner action throughout the city beginning at 8 a.m.

Drone

Looking through the archives we came across this gem of a shot of a young lady, presumably Hannah, appearing lost in introspection. Good lighting and Polaroid film give the shot a fantastic retro look and feel. Great shot Cordless_Corey.

Anime Anime Boston 2009 opens tonight at the Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Boston Hotel. If you're not already signed up, register at the door for only $50, an animated bargain. Complete schedule, with video rooms, game shows, and more. We don't pretend to understand this phenomenon, but maybe you do. We'll just take pictures.

In a sensible move, the city council has finally voted to unregulate things that don't really need regulating, okaying sidewalk dining year-round (though why anyone would want to be outside in Boston for the cold half of the year remains uncertain). Next thing you know, maybe there will be beer in 7-Eleven! Or items sold without price stickers! It's almost unthinkable! Anyway, to accompany the announcement of the new outdoor dining anarchy, the Globe assembled a gallery of outdoor dining spots, which actually does a decent job of pointing out places not on Newbury. What it doesn't do, however, is show a knowledge of how to spell Wisconsin, thus earning the gallery a place in the typo of the week hall of fame/shame/spellcheck.

Thankfully Massachusetts is such a compact state that you can get to any spot in less than 3 hours (depending on traffic). One of the most farthest-flung spots—from Boston, at least—is Mass MoCA in North Adams.

r_colameta gets us back to the basics with a photo of a golden sunset over Boston. Unlike Buffalo's Scott Norwood, this shot splits two of Boston's most famous buildings perfectly. This is a terrific silhouette.

          

What would you expect a St. Vincent show to be like? If last time was any indication, we could've anticipated a "sweet-tart voice" interspersed with "accomplished freakouts" on guitar. As Pitchfork put it, St. Vincent (real name: Annie Clark) projects "an aura of eerie perfection"; she's "beautiful, poised, good-humored, and well-adjusted to a degree uncommon for rock performers." And Clark's impeccable persona isn't limited to the music. She's as beautiful as her voice would lead you to expect. The name of her website is impossibly precious: http://www.ilovestvincent.com/. She even tweets about Barthes. Come on!

With their self-titled debut, Hooray For Earth sought a middle ground between Nine Inch Nail’s industrial thrash and the grunge force of Nirvana’s guitars. The guitars dropped low, the sythns soared high and singer Noel Heroux’s voice claimed the milieu, double-tracked for that Elliot Smith sheen. With their follow up Cellphone EP, they captured the sounds of an exploding star with more focus on swirling, subterranean guitar textures and decidedly celestial synth tones.

Taking the time to look for unusual vantage points paid off for Greg MacKay in this photo of the Verizon Building on Franklin Street. The starship is actually an art deco lighting fixture but the smooth reflection in the buildings stone helps lend to the illusion that this is something else entirely.

At long last, this Bostonist will get a chance to see one of her favorite local acts, Hallelujah the Hills, live this week. And they'll be accompanied by some of our other favorite people. Friday's show alone would make it a worthwhile week, but there's even more being offered in the venues of Boston over the next few days. Check it out!

826 Boston, Dave Eggers' less-ironic-than-usual literary endeavor, teaches kids about writing. It's a noble cause, and you can join it tonight for only $150. 826's spring benefit happens this evening at the WilmerHale Conference Center (60 State Street, 26th floor—how convenient for 826!). There will be beautiful views, talented people (Steve Almond! Julia Glass!), and copies of 2% of 2% of All the World's Stories, a book of bedtime stories by 826 Boston workshop participants. If you can't (afford to) attend tonight, the book will be on sale at 826 after the event. We're just in it for the frog wars. For the reading/writing-minded, Thursday promises a Literary Death Match to boot.

sekbaavi has a well done photo of sunrise in the Boston Garden. The statue of George Washington is flanked symmetrically by two starbursts with a pleasant foreground of red flowers. A very noble photograph of one of America's most noble men.

We hope you'll forgive us the crazy analogy, but we sort of felt that Animal Collective's show at the House of Blues on Thursday night was a metaphor for evolution. From the primordial ooze of muddled bass to animalistic screeching vocals to, finally, electro-finessed melodies, AC created an evening that reflected our own development over time—good aspects and bad.

Nubian ∑agle found some photographic goodness at the Old State House Museum. A new take on a classic shot, the curves and lines do an excellent job of keeping your eyes moving throughout the photo.

Movies Few movies about movies are as well-loved as Cinema Paradiso (1988), an Italian sentimental comedy about a projectionist who comes of age. Is it sappy? Yes. Are we suckers for it? Yes. You owe it to this movie to see it on the big screen. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline, 7 p.m. $9.75/$6.75.

Monday, May 18 7:00 pm, at Harvard Book Store *Phillip Lopate, Notes on Sontag 7:00 pm, Porter Square Books Peter Abrahams, Reality Check 7:00 pm, Brookline Booksmith (Coolidge Corner Theatre) Lee Woodruff, Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress

If you’re looking for a fun, relaxing way to spend an afternoon, chances are you’re not going to head for a cemetery. In fact, a cemetery is probably one of the last places you’d think of because, well, the reasons we generally go to cemeteries are not often happy ones. Unles you’re one of the thousands of people who go to Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris to shower Oscar Wilde’s grave marker with kisses or to do, um, questionable things at Jim Morrison’s grave. But let’s face it: Boston cemeteries just don’t provide that same allure. Who needs to rub up on Sam Adams like that?

Honey Boston is a great place to eat honey because beekeepers abound, offering a wide range of local product. Join one of them, Carlisle's Ed Erny, as he discusses what makes different honeys unique. The event includes wine, cheese, and honey from throughout the world. Formaggio Kitchen, 244 Huron Ave., Cambridge, 5:30 p.m. $35.

           

What does one do after attending a once-in-a-lifetime show by a renowned artist? How can you go back to the all-things-as-usual show when you've heard and witnessed the delights of a skillfully-performed, groundbreaking gig? This was the conundrum Bostonist faced since Wednesday's excellent Dan Deacon show at the Middle East. After a stunning set, where do you go from there? Well, you can only go up. In this case, to the planet Peelander.

Roller Derby

Flavorpill brings us an exclusive interview with fellow Obama-inspired artist Ron English regarding Shepard Fairey's arrest in Boston earlier this year for his street art. Here's a little of what English had to say:

fernweh_still took today's Film Friday shot with a venerable Holga. This is one of those pictures that everyone just has to interpret for themselves. Enjoy!

Wednesday night was the same as any old New England spring evening—except in Johnny D's in Davis Square. There, Justin Townes Earle shared the warmth of the south and the twang of the past with an enthusiastic crowd, playing a long set of down-home straight-country tunes. Earle was technically by himself on stage with just his guitar for accompaniment, but his songs—including several covers—evoked plenty of heroes from country music history, such that he was never really alone. Saying "Any folk singer'll tell you that—we like to borrow," Earle proved it with tributes to Woody Guthrie and Manse Lipscomb, to which the crowd responded enthusiastically.

                

Expectations are a killer when it comes to concerts. You read about some band on a blog and next thing you know you've dropped half your life savings and are expecting to see something akin to the Beatles jamming with Miles Davis while Jam Master Jay mixes it up with Mozart. Obviously, hype is not the easiest of temptresses. Fortunately, Dan Deacon has never met an expectation he couldn't smash.

Movies Dawn of the Dead (1979) remains the best zombie movie ever made, a biting satire of consumer capitalism. Otto, Or, Up with Dead People (2008) is Bruce LaBruce's satire of zombie movies that satirize capitalism. And it comes with a Gay Zombie Alert. Screening respectively at Harvard Film Archive (24 Quincy St., Cambridge, 9 p.m.) and the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle St., Cambridge, 11 p.m.).

Interview with comedian Al Del Bene - NESN Comedy All-Stars from Tom Lewis on Vimeo.

Animal Collective, every hipster's favorite eclectic collective of animals (well, one animal; several other things) and freak-folk noise, will play at the House of Blues tonight, in a sign that they have completely sold out. However, our devotion to "The Purple Bottle" will motivate us to stand in line for hours with other Panda and Grouper (the opener, not a collective member) in hopes of someday hearing the band. Maybe we'll get in next week? Assuming we're able to access the "noise pop" (as opposed to silence pop, of course) show, we'll have a review tomorrow.

nightingalesong was able to capture an unusual view of the Stata Center. With the glowing red hues and wonderful reflections this photo certainly makes you take a deeper look at it. There are some great repetitions at play here as well.

We were all up in arms about Bike Week last year, interviewing everybody and their mother in local bikes. This year, we put the brakes on the interviews, since we found some super cool events for you to attend. This Saturday, try a literary tour of Cambridge.

Popular Music Bostonist has watched Animal Collective go from a fringe freak-out group with a naive knack for harmony to polished indie rock outfit that plays the House of Blues. We aren't sure if fashion caught up with them, or vice versa, but the fogey in us doesn't like it. House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., 7 p.m. $20.

Vernacular Spring Gala Friday, May 15 from 7 - 10 pm at Grub Street (160 Boylston St) $3 advance / $5 doors [ more info ]

jjsearcher2000 found this daffodil in the North End soaking up the warm sunlight. The low angle of the light and great use of shadow are very well done.

Aleksandar Hemon is appearing at the Harvard Book Store this Friday, May 15, at 7 P.M.

Electronic Pop Baltimore's Dan Deacon went to conservatory, a fact that you can hear when his music nods at Pierre Henry, Eric Satie, or John Adams. The Charm City musician performs only using custom-built wave oscillators, and his debt to composers past can quickly be forgotten as you find yourself trying to disentangle from the spiderweb of bubblegum that they weave. Poppy. Performing with Future Islands and Teeth Mountain. The kids really like this guy, so show up early. Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 8 p.m. $10.

We're a little late. Again. Ahem. Er. This is awkward. So without further ado, here are our weekly music pics. Tuesday May 12th Illinois celebrate their CD release at Great Scott tonight. They’ve released several tracks a month for the past six and finally have them collected on one disc. We reviewed their last show here.

The Herald has reported rumors of a ManRay "resurrection." The Cambridge club was home to all manner of mesh-shirted, Wolfsheim-loving goth, industrial, and fetish populations (as well as a gay "Campus" night) until it closed in 2005. Bostonist may have eaten a carrot stick or two off a saran-wrapped lady on a table there, and we will not deny having pumped our little fists to "Panzermensch." (Though the carrots just tasted like carrots, and fetish night seemed to mostly mean "boobs." Last we checked, liking boobs wasn't a particularly extreme fetish.)

Elliot B has a great picture of Spring with his photograph 'Tulips'. The colors and perspective are great, and the soft focus gives a nice glow to the flowers.

Janeane Garofalo's performance at AltCom09 last Friday was easily the highlight of the evening. While there had been concern that her performance would be interrupted by conservative "teabaggers", a fearless Garofalo jumped into the audience at her first opportunity which delighted the crowd and set the tone for her set (see the video after the jump for excerpts). As a fan of her character on "24", Janis Gold, her reading of dialogue from the show was particularly funny.

           

"Boooring," an audience member shouted during a break in Stupid Party's set. Ironic and "humorous" intentions behind said comment aside, it's pretty clear that the evening's entertainment isn't for everyone, perhaps least of all the skinny-pant wearing, unflaggingly frozen-still denizens who descended on the Middle East Upstairs on a breezy Sunday evening. Though normal circumstances would've seen a mosh pit form in the center of the room for local Minor Threat-enthusiasts Libyans and a whole lot of headbanging for the stoner-thrash of Brooklyn's Stupid Party, the crowd was barely moved to make even the dimmest of comments. What on earth brought the hapless hipsteratti to Cambridge this evening? Last year's blog-darlings with the Pitchfork seal-of-approval, Vivian Girls.

Freaky Techno Non-Event brings two enthralling electronic musicians to Chinatown tonight. Peter Rehberg, well-known for his collaborations with Christian Fennesz and Jim O'Rourke, runs the record label Mego, the clearinghouse for disjointed and noisy techno music. His music is piercingly weird and highly dynamic, shifting from moments of silence to mind-numbing noise. Marcus Schmickler makes electronic music in a new music style, inspired by his time in conservatory with Stockhausan's pupil Johannes Fritsch. DJ Ning Nong to spin between sets. 17 Edinboro St., #3, Chinatown, 9 p.m. $10.

Comedian Jamie Kilstein at AltCom09 in Somerville, MA from Tom Lewis on Vimeo.

Comedian Leo Allen performed on AltCom09's first show last Friday night. Comedian Leo Allen has written for Conan O'Brien, Saturday Night Live, Human Giant, and the Comedians of Comedy. A former resident of the Boston area, Allen put on a great act and we hope to see him again here.

Found Magazineevents are a perfect illustration of our culture's short attention span and collective varied interests. Equal parts art show, poetry reading, concert, and stand up comedy routine, The Denim and Diamonds Tour has something for everyone. On the road promoting the release of his new book, Davy Rothbart and his brother Peter gamely overcame a less than ideal performance space at Precinct to entertain a packed house of around 150 people.

Today's PotD comes from one of our favorite photogs gnarayan. This Fenway shot was taken during a helicopter trip a few hours before the Red Sox game. The #7 mowed into the field is in honor of Dom DiMaggio who passed away on 5/8/09. This aerial shot affords us a unique perspective on the city and allows for many of Boston's most recognizable landmarks to be viewed at the same time.

Movies

A few weeks ago, we talked to Amanda Palmer about "The Needle That Sings in Her Heart," a play inspired by Neutral Milk Hotel's classic album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Yesterday, we had the good fortune to see the show for ourselves. We hadn't been inside a high school auditorium for some time, but this experience was worth the trouble.

The Alternative Comedy Fest 2009 concludes tonight as The Onion visits Somerville with what’s sure to be a hilarious set of fake news, likely with eerie relevance to reality. On Friday night, we caught the early show with Leo Allen, Jamie Kilstein, and (squee!) Janeane Garofalo. Read our thoughts on these folks below and after the jump. You can also check out our interviews with Rob Riggle and Eugene Mirman, who performed the late show (too close to this totally lame Bostonist's bedtime) on Friday.

Monday, May 11 7:00 pm, Porter Square Books Selden Edwards, The Little Book 7:00 pm, at Harvard Book Store Colm Toibin, Brooklyn

Bridget Pelkie, who recently earned her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Emerson College, also recently earned third place in Bukowski Tavern's Pint and Pen Writing Contest (co-sponsored by Harpoon and the Dig). The awards ceremony took place on Wednesday; Pelkie won a large boot-shaped pint glass filled with a set of steak knives. In between bouts of enjoying her prize, Pelkie took the time to answer a few of our questions. (Disclosure: this Bostonist also attends Emerson College and knows Pelkie, who lives with another Bostonist. But it's not like we judged the contest.)

Boston's sons and daughters proudly proclaim their city to be the best, but let's be honest: we have an awful lot of competition. We're not the biggest city (New York), the most logically designed (Washington D.C.), the cleanest (Portland), or even the weirdest city (Austin). Sometimes it's difficult to think about what sets Boston apart from the rest of the urban field.

Rob Riggle at AltCom09 in Somerville from Tom Lewis on Vimeo.

Ah, Mother's Day. A time to force your mom to dress up and hang out with you when she'd probably rather be blissfully forgetting the twelve terrible hours it took to birth you and each of your ungrateful siblings. But a mimosa can make up for years of pain and ingratitude, right? If you can't manage to make your own mother's day canape for your moms, you can continue the tradition of Mother's Day Brunch/Lunch/Dinner at one of the following:

Billions of years ago, globs of molecules sat lifeless on an inhospitable version of our future home. How did such molecules come to life? As part of the Crossroads conference last weekend, physicist and futurist Freeman Dyson shared his thoughts on the origin of life on Earth, and the forms it may take elsewhere in the universe.

Eugene Mirman Defines Alternative Comedy at AltCom 2009 from Tom Lewis on Vimeo.

      

So, you bought that Mother's Day gift yet? The big day's tomorrow, you know. And of course you haven't bought anything yet, you ungrateful child. Fortunately, Brookline is defying its shut-storefronts trend with a new solution to your mom-present worries: Melt, a new store selling good-smelling handmade bath products of the type that (some) moms (and some dads!) love. Located right next door to the Kabloom flower shop—how convenient for those seeking a gift—in Coolidge Corner, the soothingly arranged Melt also provides a more pleasant shopping alternative to the stark and oddly lit Body Shop down the street.

      

On Sunday night, the self-proclaimed “biggest midget in the game” took the stage at the Paradise (prior to its recent sale). At 5’1” Louise Harman (a.k.a. British rapper Lady Sovereign), dominated with crass, innovative lyrics in her typical vulgar yet awesome demeanor that included burping and grabbing her chest. All shapes and sizes showed out for the lyricist’s third stop on her North American tour—from Allston/Brighton hipsters to preppy young professionals to 50-something couples (one youthful-looking grandma even mouthed the lyrics to a few songs).

Albert Schweitzer was a noted musician, theologian, and peace activist; now, he's the subject of a symphony piece. The Longwood Symphony Orchestra will play "Albert Schweitzer Portrait," a newly commissioned work, tonight at Jordan Hall. The piece sets Dr. Schweitzer's inspiring words to music by Gene Scheer, with adaptation and arrangement by Jonathan McPhee, orchestration by Gary Fry, and the original concept by Thurston Moore.

An Intro to Season 2 of NESN's Comedy All-Stars from Tom Lewis on Vimeo.Starting tonight and running for the next two months, Friday nights on NESN will be capped by what Boston does best: sports and comedy! Filmed before a live audience last December at Boston's historic Wilbur Theatre, comics from both Boston and around the country converged to bring NESN's audience, which is pretty much everybody, their hilarious take on life and sports in particular in the second season of "NESN's Comedy All-Stars".

Welcome Bostonist readers to another Film Friday. This photo is another from frequent contributor light under a bushel. A unique look at what can be done with a Polaroid and some possibly expired film.

        

If Our Band Could Be Your Life is the bible for American indie and punk rock, then Wednesday night at TT the Bear's was a genuine second coming. After all, the Michael Azerrad-penned book was based on a lyric written by Mike Watt when he was in the seminal oddball-punk trio the Minutemen. As Watt stopped in town for the "Prac'n the 3rd Opera" tour, it was something akin to Jesus being in the building; lifelong punks with greying hair and Black Flag t-shirts anxiously waited in TTs for the man himself to appear, counting down the seconds to the Watt's first local solo gig in years by trying to act normal and not draw attention Mission of Burma's Roger Miller standing in the corner, or by simply watching the opening bands.

Comedy Boston's AltCom comedy festival begins in earnest today with two shows at the Somerville Theatre. The early show features alternative comics of the more traditional, self-congratulatingly political variety, headlined by Janeane Garofalo. The second show features the droll stylings of improv troupe the Upright Citizens Brigade, Eugene Mirman, and Rob Riggle from The Daily Show. Somerville Theater, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. Tickets and more information.

Metalheads, punks, and Boston music fans rejoiced last week at the announcement that local metalcore quartet Cave In are ending their hiatus with a new EP and a little gig at Great Scott on July 19th. Word quickly spread throughout the Internets about the "reunion" [as an aside, Bostonist would like to note that the band never broke up, and reunions are usually the result of a break up], and the band issued a little statement on their Myspace.

Jon LaJoie performing at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston - 04/30/2009 from Tom Lewis on Vimeo.Sure, we had watched all of his online videos, and yes, we went to Hollywood to walk around and interview him, but we really didn't know what to expect from Jon LaJoie's live show at the Wilbur Theatre last Thursday.

Dan Squires has a terrific shot of the underside of the Zakim at night. This photo is a case study on interesting angles and lighting. It also serves up a unique perspective of the Zakim that most people will never see.

In our post on this week's AltCom in Somerville, which starts tonight at the Somerville Theatre, we did note that there would be "many more" performers than we listed.

Metal Mastodon is the best-known metal band from Atlanta and has had 10 years to perfect its maximalist fusion of Dave Mustaine, Peter Gabriel, and English Ph.D. programs. The band's popularity has expanded with its new album, Crack the Skye, which we won't listen to until they lose the "e." With Kylesa and Intronaut. House of Blues, 15 Landsdowne St., 6:30 p.m. $20/$30.

Hey there Upper East Siders (and the rest of you): need an excuse to dress in prep school gear and get liquored up to the sweet strains of Blair Waldorf screeching at Deroda? What a coincidence--we have just the event for you!

This shot by Intheviewfinder of Henry David Thoreau's grave in Concord. The subtle green cast of the gravestone is a nice complement to the orange-yellow tones of the pine straw. The soft vignetting helps cut down distractions in the lower corners and roughness of the pine cones plays well against the smoother, weathered stone.

Movies Sharing a film festival is not a sufficient condition for liking the same movies, which is why LGBT film festivals typically segregate by sex. Tonight, Boston's 20th annual LGBT Film Festival begins with the Women's Opening Night selection I Can't Think Straight (2008), a lesbian romantic comedy. Men have to wait until tomorrow. Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, 7 p.m. $15/$12.

historygradguy gives us a great shot with good reflections and a calming quality about it. A simple composition lets you take in the photo as a whole.

        

Enter Shikari are either a concert promoter's worst nightmare or a dream come true. The U.K. quartet made mincemeat of the stage at Harpers Ferry last night as they used monitors like footstools, dragged mic cables through swarths of crowds like a leashed dog in heat, swung atop Harpers' supporting bars, drinking bars, and stacks of speakers like a monkeys gone mad, and managed to break a keyboard stand simply by placing frontman Rou's gigantic synth on top of it. And yet, despite the veritable structural breakdowns, a band like Enter Shikari is hard to come by; with the wave of a guitar, the scrappy youngsters managed to conduct a couple hundred eager, scrappier tweens in an hour-plus of fully-engaged mosh pit mayhem. All on a Monday night.

Harvard professor Michele Lamont has spent some time studying the studiers. She interviewed faculty members of peer review committees to gain an understanding of how academics make decisions about how to distribute money. Then she wrote a book about it. How Professors Think: Inside the Curious World of Academic Judgment (read an excerpt at HuffPo) discusses the not-so-secret subjectivity of criteria among peer review committees. What Lamont found was not necessarily surprising, but sheds some light on the best way to get what you’re going after in academia. We talked with her briefly last week.

Freak Folk Akron/Family is a freak folk act with an emphasis on the "freak." The Williamsport, PA band's sound is capacious enough to include such disparate freaks as Syd Barrett, Sly Stone, and Frank Zappa, and that's before you even consider all the weird musique concrete experiments that it pulls off. Performing with Brad Barr, Faces on Film, and We Are the Arm. Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 8 p.m. $12.

AltCom is back and better than ever - this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at the Somerville Theatre and The Burren will be taken over by the best that alternative comedy has to offer. On Sunday, The Onion, America's Finest News Source, will appear live at The Armory. If you are into comedy, you have to be in Somerville for the second half of this week.

        

Saturday afternoon, we checked out the North Cambridge Family Opera production of "Naturally Selected: A Darwin Bicentennial Revue." The children in the chorus looked excited about showing off their vocal abilities, and the songs (which seemed oddly reminiscent of the Pocahontas soundtrack) were incredibly catchy and fun.

zarah masales brings us a fantatic shot of a worker preparing a boat for the next stage of the Volvo Ocean Race. This is a magnificently done black and white. The extreme vignetting doesn't detract from the image and adds an almost spotlight effect.

Last week, Bostonist racked up an impressive list of great music picks. This week, the Boston area continues to, er, rock you, with a great lineup of freak-folk, punk pioneers, hubris-fueled hip-hop, and maniacal metal.

Movies The Brattle concludes its Jim Jarmusch retrospective with a surprise: a sneak-preview of his newest film The Limits of Control. Set in contemporary Spain, it's the story of a man outside the law who must complete a mysterious mission. With cinematography from Christopher Doyle, the mastermind behind In the Mood for Love. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, 7 p.m. Free (first come, first-served, line starts at 6:30 p.m.).

    

On Wednesday April 29, this Bostonist had the honor of being a guest judge at this year’s Chocolate Madness event, hosted by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. Judges were asked to arrive early so that they could get their duties out of the way before the main event. After being handed our categories and escorted to the appropriate tables the judges set about to chose winners in each category: Into the Aether: Heavenly Stars of Showcase and Fancy Cakes; Out of the Fire: Fresh from the Oven; Down to Earth Mother’s Contemporary Candies; Flowing Water: Spoonfuls of Puddings, Ice Creams and Sorbets; and Light as Air: Sweet Treats to Go. Judges were asked to assess items on taste and originality. But the biggest perk of being a judge was the early access to all of the goodies. Once our judging duties were completed, we were allowed free reign of the chocolate floor. At first, this Bostonist was reticent to disrupt the aesthetics of the displays but volunteers and chefs assured us that it was alright and from then on it was a chocolate free for all.

Saturday, May 2 2:00 pm, Brookline Booksmith Doree Shafrir and Jessica Grose (of Postcards from Yo Momma), Love, Mom

"Remembering Jeanne Connolly - A Celebration" TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge Sunday, May 3, 2pm FREE / 21+ Whether you feel like indoor or outdoor fun on Sunday, Cambridge has plenty of free music to offer. A variety of performers play down the street for the crowds at Harvard Square Mayfair with little fear of fiery manholes. Harvard alumni-turned-popsters Chester French are the headliners, and every other band is better in this Bostonist's opinion. At the same time, there's this special free show where so many incredible people are doing short acoustic sets. TT the Bear's Place deserves kudos for occasionally hosting free shows throughout the year, but tomorrow everyone is playing in tribute to Jeanne, a longtime TT's employee who died from cancer in February who meant so much more to so many.

Later today, 20 incredibly expensive horses will run incredibly fast for about two minutes before one of the horses becomes a household name and the rest are banished to oblivion, unless they win the Preakness or Belmont. Some Americans will use this event as an excuse to drink mint juleps; some will use it as an excuse to pretend to be experts at betting, spouting nonsense about uberfectas and the like. Anyway, if you want to celebrate this event in some way for some reason, here's how you might do that today. And after the jump, a special cocktail recipe for our personal favorite contender, Dunkirk. (I Want Revenge scratched this morning.)

With the warmer weather approaching (almost here, really), we’re mentally preparing ourselves for the inevitable: tourists. Lots and lots of tourists. People from across the country and the world are drawn to Boston to experience the environment in which we Bostonians find ourselves every day: a unique urban landscape, both historic and modern.

Volcanojw brings us a flash from the past for Film Friday with this great shot from sometime in the early 70s. Some lobster and a few beers sounds good to us.