Ice Cream Socials -- WFNX hosts an ice cream eating contest. It's not necessarily Independence Day themed, but we suggest combining strawberry, vanilla, and (if they have it) blueberry. 2-5pm, Cherry Farm Creamery, 210 Conant Street, Danvers. (KS) Drone Night -- You can pretend that it's 1998 all over again with a showcase of bands playing what folks used to call "postrock." Cantabrigian Howard Steltzer makes cascading, bouncy electronic droney music, whereas Somervillian Brendan Murray......

Jock Jams -- The Euro Cup is over, so Jamaica Plain residents might be puzzled to hear Zombie Nation's "Kernkraft 400" wafting over Centre Street. More euro than trash, Zombie Nation makes throbbing dance music that isn't entirely moronic but is unafraid to be popular. Royalties must work differently in the EU; we thought Zombie Nation would be landing at the Acropolis in a golden helicopter, not rocking a Boston basement. With DJs Baltimoroder and......

Movies -- A Jihad for Love documents the inner struggle of gay and lesbian Muslims in 12 countries. The film broadens our notion of "jihad" and presents a queer Islam that we rarely encounter on screen. Filmmakers Parvez Sharma and Sandi DuBowski introduce the film. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline, 7:15pm (also screening tomorrow). Parking Lot Circuses -- The Universoul Circus might be the only touring black circus in the country. Started as......

Play Girls -- Ladytron, a Liverpool, England electro-pop quartet, is notoriously hit-or-miss. The consolation is that all the hits are direct ones. Playing with Datarock. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm. Ave., 7:00pm. $25. Weird Sounds -- Somerville's Weird Records presents a showcase of bizarro music sure to leave you scratching your head, wondering why your ears are bleeding. The highlights include Warmer Milk, a Lexington, KY band that recalls the atonal shambles of the......

Hippie Dancing -- Bostonist has never seen more atrocious dancing than we did when we stood outside of Cambridge City Hall last year and watched the slowly flailing arms of a thousand hippies moving in whatever the opposite of unison might be. Tons of fun for people watching. Cambridge City Dance Party, Central Square, 7:00pm-11:00pm. Free. Bicycle Art -- Bicycle art is having some sort of renaissance across the country, and you would be remiss......

Wiily Nilly Art -- The Wiimote makes its fine arts debut, in Jamaica Plain, at least. WiiWhorld, a project developed by Chris Korda, Jeff Mission, and Jen Rosselli uses the device, and a few megs of open source software, to create digital art out of human movement. Preceded by Explorations within Electronic Sound, a collaboration between Frank W. Carroccino and Brian Dudak. Axiom Gallery, 141 Green St., Jamaica Plain, 8:00pm. $7. Talking about Sex, Baby......

Latin Funk -- Austin, TX ten-piece Grupo Fantasma has chops strong enough to make you think that its Latin funk comes with a 1973 vintage without sounding corny or derivative. Nonetheless, the Grupo mixes things up with unexpected shots of dubby rhythm that makes its sound unmistakably 21st century. Museum of Fine Arts, 7:30pm. $25/$20. Latin Jazz -- The music of Sérgio Mendes actually does come with a vintage: 1961, the year he released his......

Something in Worcester -- Nothing says "tasty" like Shrewsbury--or Worcester! Worcester's Shrewsbury Street comes alive tonight with live music, artwork, and of course delicious food from local restaurants. Tickets are $30 and proceeds benefit the nonprofit Champions for Children designee YouthGROW and the non-profit SSAMA. (KS) Wine Colleges -- Bostonist's friends at The Second Glass present a series of wine tasting workshops that they are calling Wine College. The first installment introduces the wines of......

Oscillations -- Silver Apples, who released two albums between 1967 and 1969, were what happened when hippies got their hands on synthesizers: droney, loopy swirls of electronic pop. Since then, the duo reunited and suffered from tragedy (original drummer Danny Taylor died in 2005 and Simeon, the synthesizer player, broke his neck in 2004). Simeon now plays a limited schedule of shows as a single Apple. TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St., Cambridge, 9:00pm.......

Parades -- We love a parade! Practice for Independence Day parades and show your appreciation for Portuguese culture by attending the Day of Portugal Parade. Part of the multi-month Boston Portuguese Festival, the parade starts in Portuguese Square (Concord Ave.) in Somerville at 2pm and progresses to the King Open School. (KS) Lions, Menino, and Tai Chi -- The annual Chinatown Main Street Festival features lion dancing, Chinese folk dancing, martial arts, tons of food,......

Aging Gracefully -- The Young at Heart Chorus, made up of frisky senior citizens and the subject of a popular documentary, will perform for the first time in Boston. Only they don't sing Lawrence Welk. Sonic Youth and the Ramones are more their speed. Somerville Theatre, 8:00 pm. (CR) Tree Hugging -- How are you planning to spend solstice? If you do, in fact, have a ready answer to that, you might enjoy In The......

Food -- Taste of Cambridge allows you to sample delectable treats from all those restaurants you've been meaning to try but never got around to visiting. Participating restaurants include East Coast Grill, Chez Henri, Hungry Mother, Ole, Redline, Savenors, Taza Chocolates, Upper Crust, and more. 5:30-8:30pm in Technology Square, Cambridge. Advance tickets $50; $60 at the door; $75 for VIP tickets that include free drinks. Proceeds to Community Servings and Harvard Square Homeless Shelter. (KS)......

Drinking and Drawing -- It's not as dangerous as you'd think. Animators get together at Paddy O's to drink, draw, and canoodle. Crazy cartoons may result. 33 Union Street, 7:30pm. RSVP. (KS) Drinking and Drinking -- Did you know it's International Picnic Day? The ladies at Brix want you to try out reusable, outing-friendly GoVino plastic wine glasses. Wine will be provided. Brix on Broad, 105 Broad St., 5-7 pm. Free. (CF) Movies -- CineMental,......

Books -- Sportswriter and talk radio co-host Michael Holley's latest book is Red Sox Rule, a chronicle of Terry Francona's Sox and their rise to dominance. Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St., Brookline, 7:00pm. Free. Movies -- The Brattle continues its tribute to recently deceased actor Richard Widmark with the 1953 Sam Fuller tour de force Pickup on South Street. Widmark plays a three-time loser, a rube who stumbles into a Cold War espionage plot......

Bloomsday -- Ulysses was set on June 16th, a date known to James Joyce fans as Bloomsday. The Bapst library presents "Bloomsday Boston 2008: Love Across Boundaries," highlighting the theme of love in the novel. Joyce scholars will speak, dramatic readings will be offered, and food will be consumed. Bapst Library, Boston College, 12:30pm-10:00pm. Free. Movies -- Richard Widmark, a mainstay of mid-century American crime films, and Jules Dassin, one of the most gifted......

Pride -- Boston's Gay Pride Parade is a massive celebration of rights in culture in the first state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage. Whether you roll with the Femmes and Friends Contingent, the East Coast Biker Chicks, the Boston Gay Men's Chorus, or the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, there is sure to be a float to catch your fancy. Noon-5:00pm. [Parade route and more information.] Dirty Water and Love Thereof -- On......

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is based in Cooperstown, NY, of course, but they've been taking their show on the road. Their traveling exhibition, called "Baseball As America", makes its final stop at the Museum of Science beginning next week, and it's amazing. Bostonist got a special sneak preview of the exhibit, attended by five Red Sox Hall of Famers (Carlton Fisk, Yaz, Eck, Wade Boggs and Bobby Doerr) and one visiting Oriole legend......

Historical Reenactments, Take Two -- Mission of Burma brought it back to 1981 last night when they performed their groundbreaking EP Signals, Calls, and Marches. Tonight, they're back for a second round, performing their 1982 album Vs. in its entirety. It's your civic obligation to catch Boston's best band. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm. Ave., 8:00pm. $20. Historical Pr0n -- Carol Queen, sexologist, introduces a screening of Beyond Boogie Nights, a hagiographic glance at......

Historical Reenactments -- Boston's Best Band performs the entirety of its first record. If watching Mission of Burma perform Signals, Calls, and Marches does not transform you into a drooling sack of hero worship, we can't help you. Seriously, don't call us. Performing with Cul de Sac. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm. Ave., 8:00pm. $20. Music, Other -- Damon and Naomi, the pride of Cambridge, make rock music gentle, and make a rare hometown......

Music -- Marissa Nadler, local and allegedly stylish ethereal folk waif, opens for Red House Painter and eminent AC/DC interpreter Mark Kozelek's sold-out acoustic set. Museum of Fine Arts, 7:30 pm. Sold out. (CF) -- Deerhoof alumnus Chris Cohen teams up with the lovely Nedelle to perform gentle but oblique songs under the name Cryptacize. Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave., Cambridge, 9:00pm. $9. (CF) Birthday Parties for Prince -- DJ Nomadik presents SoulStage II,......

Freezing Brains -- The Jimmy Fund's annual Scooper Bowl begins today. Ice cream from 11 vendors will be available for a donation to the children's cancer charity. Bostonist will refrain from mentioning the correlations between obesity and cancer until after you have gorged yourself. Government Center, 11:30am-7:00pm (through Thursday). $7. Free Booze -- The Young Democrats and MassEquality celebrate Boston Pride Week by getting you all liquored up. Complimentary Svedka vodka keeps the proceedings gay......

Music -- UK outfit These New Puritans twist dance music into an alienating and exhilarating din that owes as much to Gang of Four, Public Image Limited and Chrome as it does to big beat and two step. Performing with Passion Pit and All These Kings. Great Scott, 1222 Comm. Ave., Allston, 9:00pm. $12. -- Be careful if you are driving around Central Square tonight; there will be a lot of pedestrians dressed all......

Bikes Not Bombs -- The Bikes Not Bombs Bike-A-Thon and Green Roots Festival will feature bike rides, live music, healthy food, and speakers such as Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Deep Economy. It's sure to be a "wheely" good time! It's located across from the Stony Brook T station in Jamaica Plain, and runs from 12-5:30pm. (KS) Poetry -- Poetry? Who cares about that stuff these days? Well, this group of......

Books Lewis Black has a lot to say about religion, and most of it will make you laugh. He'll read from his new book, Me of Little Faith, and sputter a lot. First Parish Church Meetinghouse, 3 Church Street, Cambridge, 7pm, $5. (KS) The Rugged Lands of Shaolin -- One of the most venerated kung-fu movies, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) retells the martial art's origin myth. Lau Kar-leung's masterpiece tells the story......

Showdown of the Wits -- Lewis Black reads rants about religion using tales from his new book, Me of Little Faith. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll buy the book. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard Street, Brookline, 6pm, $5. (KS) -- David Sedaris makes tonight a head-to-head battle of funnyman authors when he reads from his multi-titled new book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. Sold out, but you can listen to an audio feed outside......

Books -- Ted Kerasote reads from Merle's Door, a book about a dog that looks kind of like Marley. Pups have so much to teach us. Porter Square Books, 25 White Street, Cambridge, 7pm. Free! (KS) -- While Kerasote warms our heart with puppy love stories, Richard Preston freaks us out with his book Panic In Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science. Attend if you're interested in permanent......

Electro -- MOTOR has a closer kinship to Kraftwerk or Grauzone than to homegrown electro acts like the Jonzun Crew, but the London duo touches all the basses bases in the history of electronic dance music, recalling acts as diverse as ADULT., Squarepusher, and the early masters of Chicago house. Unrelenting. Performing with Black Magic. Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 8:00pm. $10. Dudes Stripping -- Boston's burlesque scene is by now well-established, but......

Music -- Jack White returns to Boston with the Raconteurs, an indie-rock super group. Stay tuned for Bostonist's coverage of the event. Bank of America Pavilion, 290 Northern Avenue, 8:00pm. $25-$35. Shoes, OMG -- In case you were unsure if you were invited, foot fetishist, to tonight's shoe and lingerie show, Red Sky explicitly encourages you to attend The Shoe Affair, which will likely be the skeeziest event of this Boston evening. Red Sky,......

Movies -- Love Comes Lately is a film adaptations of three Isaac Bashevis Singer short stories. The film opens in wider release this summer, but director Jan Schütte is in town for a sneak preview. Harvard Film Archive, Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge, 7:00pm. $10. -- There is only one place in greater Boston to see Greta Garbo on the big screen tonight, so if you've been saving up a trip to Brookline, here's......

Hippie Christmas -- It's moving weekend (note the lack of stuff to do tonight), which means that it is time for all of the free furniture to appear. Cruise around the college campuses and the student-y areas and furnish your apartment for free. If you hit the right places around Harvard, Design might finally come Within Reach. Craigslist might give you a leg up on the competition. Movies -- The Shaw Bros. Studio might be......