Results tagged “events”

Soundtracks The NEC marks the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht with a performance of Quincy Jones's gripping soundtrack for The Pawnbroker (1963), Sidney Lumet's groundbreaking story of a Holocaust survivor's struggle in a world still in the grips of prejudice and the markers of genocidal violence remain chillingly present. Organized by Ran Blake, the concert features the Storyboard Noir Ensemble, the NEC Jazz Orchestra, and the NEC Jewish Music Ensemble. Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough St., 8 p.m. Free. More information.

Noise The Northeast and Power Electronics showcase concludes tonight with a slew of greater Boston's angry young men and their effects pedals. The bill includes Consumer Electronics, Suffering Bastard, Cathode Terror Secretion, and Japanese Torture Comedy Hour, which claims to sound like "Boyd Rice as a Sanrio character." O'Brien's Pub, 3 Harvard Ave., Allston, 3 p.m. $25.

Pythons The Brattle's Python-A-Thon is a brave endeavor—we're not sure we could endure an entire day of Monty Python fans in our own house. But it's necessary and vital that something like this happen. It includes all the Monty Python movies and a few episodes of the television show. If you go and you already know all the jokes, please keep them to yourself. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge. More information.

Movies Argentinian cinema is in great shape these days, and Lisandro Alonso is a big reason why. The HFA runs through the young director's four films this weekend to give Bostonians a glimpse at a promising talent who is not screened often enough in this country. The series kicks off today with Los Muertos (2004), which follows "the enigmatic journey of a newly released convict through the sweltering heart of the jungle," and Fantasma (2006), a companion piece that follows the star of Los Muertos as he wanders through Teatro San Martin looking for the premiere of his film. Alonso will be on hand to tell you why. Harvard Film Archive, Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge, 7 p.m. $12. More information.

Booze Blanchard's Grand Wine Tasting is basically the best semi-annual event on JP's Centre Street. The evening includes samples of more than 100 wines from throughout the world, and all of the wines featured in the tasting will be on sale at 20 percent off. There's also a fair bit of snacking to be done. Veteran's tip: The best snacks usually go out last. Blanchard's Wine and Spirits, 741 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Free.

Minimalism [nec]shivaree, the "attack wing of NEC's new music program," performs three benchmark pieces that span two and half decades of American minimalism. Steve Reich's Piano Phase (1967) might be the best known of the three; it was Reich's first attempt to integrate the phasing effects of his tape experiments into live, instrumental music. No less stunning is Morton Feldman's iconoclastic Why Patterns? (1978), in which three soloists play three separate patterns that eventually interlock with each other. ("The compositional concentration is solely on which pattern should be reiterated and for how long," Feldman said of the piece.) The third piece, Mario Davidovsky's Synchronism X (1992) pairs live guitar with a prerecorded electronic piece. Directed by Stephen Drury. Williams Hall, New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough St., 8 p.m. Free. More information.

Dancing Hipsters The funkiest Canadians since Ladies' Choice, Junior Boys rock a blue-eyed electro throwback vibe that smooths down the edges and gets asses on the dancefloor. A more potent cure for what ails you than l'assurance-maladie, provided that what ails you is an unwillingness to get funky and not, say, tuberculosis. Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 8 p.m. $13.

Bike Rides The best part of Halloween is Truth Serum's annual Halloween Bike Ride. Starting from the Green Street T station in JP, the ride winds through Boston, Brookline, Allston, and Cambridge before winding back up at JP Licks. Costumes—and the proper safety accessories—are encouraged. Ride clear of the Stereo Bike, which will be blasting the jams that keep the crowd moving. Green Street T station, Jamaica Plain, 8 p.m. Free.

The Sounds of Silence Lon Chaney's turn as The Phantom of the Opera (1925) remains one of the great performances of silent-ear Hollywood horror. Tonight, the Alloy Orchestra gives you another reason to check out the film: a live soundtrack. The evening also includes a screening of The Fall of the House of Usher (1928), accompanied by DJ Dziga. Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville, 6:30 p.m. $21/$26.

Piano Men NEC faculty member Anthony Coleman digs self-proclaimed jazz founder Jelly Roll Morton enough that the noted avant-garde performer dedicated his most recent records to Morton's dusty compositions. He brings this work to the stage tonight, in a concert that is dedicated equally to the Morton's memory and that of Coleman's late partner, Suzanne Fiol. The concert will also feature a tentet of NEC students, "coached" by Coleman, and the premiere of two new works. Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough St., 8 p.m. Free.

Pranks Given the nature of the performers, we're hesitant even to list the Yes Men's appearance tonight in our Happenings post. The pranksters, who are notorious for posing as members of the WTO and the heads of corporations, will appear in connection with their new movie, The Yes Men Fix the World. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline, 7 p.m. More information.

Burlesque With Boston's wealth of burlesque, you need a pretty good reason to catch a troupe from out of town. NYC's Pinchbottom Burlesque might offer one: A Halloween spectacle that combines love, monsters, and nudity. Boston boosters, don't feel bad: Co-founder Nasty Canasta is a native. The Beehive, 541 Tremont St., South End, 9:00pm. Free.

Garage Rock Charlie's Kitchen is Bostonist's unofficial offices, but it's also home to live music in Harvard Square. Tonight, the burger joint mounts a program of garage rock, featuring local three-chord masters The Coffin Lids, The Acrobats, and The Egos. Charlie's Kitchen, 10 Eliot St., Cambridge, 9 p.m.

Escape From Mom's Basement We're big fans of the Boston Comic Con, which is reliably awesome and for the nerds. The guests this weekend include Louise Simonson, which alone is reason enough to go. She created Power Pack, dudes and dudines. Back Bay Events Center, Old John Hancock Building, 180 Berkeley St., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $10.

Jazz NEC's celebration of the 40th anniversary of its landmark jazz studies program culminates tonight in a massive performance featuring saxophonist Wayne Shorter and his new work for quartet and orchestra. A bandleader in his own right, Shorter made his name in the 60s playing for Art Blakey and Miles Davis. Today, his motto is "To hell with the rules. I'm going for the unknown." Follow him, if you can afford it. Featuring Brian Blade, John Patitucci, and Danilo Pérez with the NEC Philharmonia, Hugh Wolff, conductor. Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough St., 8 p.m. $45 to $65. More information.

Jazz The NEC's Jazz40 series reaches its crescendo tonight with the Jazz40 Summit, which unites past and present faculty from the conservatory's landmark jazz studies program. The program turns 40 this year, and it was the first of its kind in the United States, which is how jazz luminaries like Bob Brookmeyer, Don Byron, Gunther Schuller, Ran Blake, Billy Hart, Fred Hersch, and Cecil McBee will share a stage together. 40 years is a long time in the history of any musical genre, and NEC's jazz giants all come from different backgrounds with different ideas about what constitutes jazz. That means that tonight's program is going to be either a hideous cacophony or a glorious revelation. Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough St., 8 p.m. $25. More information.

Gentle Sounds Atlas Sound is the side-project of Bradford Cox, the front man of the Atlanta band Deerhunter. Cox cushions pop melodies with a layer of reverb and guitar feedback. It's a psychedelia that's soft but challenging, and his recordings bring to mind the work of 4AD labelmates His Name is Alive and the Cocteau Twins. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm. Ave., 9 p.m. $15.

Human Rights

Showdowns We're still shilling for the String Quartet Showdown, an event that we really dug this summer. Two string quartets vie for supremacy as they work their way through the Western canon and you drink beer, judging their every mistake. (Or paying attention only a quarter of the time, as the case may be.) Last time we dropped in, it was heavy on the Schubert and the Mozart; maybe this week will be all Elliott Carter. Alchemist Lounge, 435 S. Huntington Ave., Jamaica Plain, 9 p.m. Free.

Movies We're big fans of Home Movie Day, the national celebration of home movies, because we dig antiquated things like Super 8 and 16 millimeter film. Home Movie Day is the opportunity for you to bring your old, moldering films to the HFA, see them on the big screen, and get some advice from professional film archivists about how to preserve your personal collection. Fun for voyeurs, too. And, yes, video is allowed, but you're limited to five minutes of it. Harvard Film Archive, Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge 11 a.m. (screenings begin at 1 p.m.). Free. More Information.

Movies Robert Mitchum's grizzled and vulnerable performance as a down-on-his luck Quincy gunrunner makes The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) one movie that every Bostonian ought to see. Peter Boyle plays Eddie's friend, a hitman who takes the T because he doesn't have a car. Watch for Bobby Orr on the ice at the old Boston Garden and local independent filmmaker Jan Egleson as a young soldier. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge. Tickets and more information.

Soul The Reverend Al Green is singing tonight at the House of Blues. Are you sure we need to write anything else about that? The finest tenor from Forest City, Arkansas can still cut a killer record, and the only reason you should miss his show is that you can't afford the exorbitant ticket price. House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., 7 p.m. $49 and up.

Art and Soul The Beehive's regular "Sting!" events mark the opening of a new art exhibit, and "Sting! 6: Home Grown" celebrates the art of the Beehive's own staff. The evening will feature the work of more than 20 artists as well as the soul stylings of the inimitable Sharon Jones, who, it should be noted, does not work for the Beehive. 541 Tremont St., 6:30 p.m. Free. More information.

Italian Horror We're not talking about Silvio Berlusconi. Italian horror film is among the best ever made, and Lucio Fulci was one of its masters. Best known for the superfluous accuracy of his gore, Fulci could also establish a goofy, suspenseful mood, which he did in his loose adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat (1981). Starring horror vet Patrick Magee. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, 9:30 p.m. $9.75.

Free Stuff It's Columbus Day, which means it's time for the Fenway Alliance's annual Opening Our Doors event. That means free admission to everything from the Museum of Fine Arts to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and to just about everything in between. (Including the Izzy G!) Special events at most venues make the day an easy way to enjoy the sun and get some culture. Various locations, Fenway and Back Bay, Boston, More information.

Marching Bands The Honk! Festival might be the largest annual gathering of leftist adult marching bands in the world. Based in Davis Square, it's definitely our favorite. The schedule lists 25 bands, and you're likely to hear everything from Afro-Brazilian marching music to klezmer, free jazz to New Orleans second line brass marches. The only thing uniting the bands? A punk rock ethos and a dedication to being "radical and subversive without being militant or sanctimonious." Davis Square, Somerville, noon to 9 p.m. Free. More information.

Trapped in the Wang We wish that we could tell you that tonight's R Kelly show was going to be a Trapped in the Closet stage play, but, alas, we think he's just going to sing. At least that will save at least one little person the indignity of crawling out of a kitchen cabinet. CitiWang, 270 Tremont St., 8 p.m. $45 to $88.

Jazz Jack DeJohnette is one of the greatest jazz drummers of his generation. His contributions to Miles Davis's electric era alone would be enough to qualify him for superlative praise, but he's also worked with everyone from Bill Evans to David Murray, with a long and notable collaboration with Keith Jarrett to boot. His newer, ambient music might not be everyone's cup of tea, but the wealth of his back catalog is undeniable. DeJohnette will sit behind the drums tonight as his band mate, Berklee prof Dave Fiuczynsk,i leads a group of students through DeJohnette's "musical history and future." Berklee Performance Center, 136 Mass. Ave., 8:15 p.m. $20-$25.

Movies If you didn't catch Phil Solomon disease at the HFA on Monday, you'll have a second chance tonight at MassArt. The experimental filmmaker is an alumnus of the college, and he's bringing a clutch of his films to screen tonight, including Seasons... (2002), which he made with his mentor Stan Brakhage, and third and last installment of the series In Memoriam (Mark Lapore), the film Still Raining, Still Dreaming (2009). Organized by the MassArt Film Society. Film Department Screening Room, Massachusetts College of Art and DEsign, 621 Huntington Ave., 8 p.m. $4/Free.