ON THE TOWN
A weekly guide to the arts in Boston
August 4 - 24 Compiled by Fred ChoiSend submissions to ott@the-tech.mit.edu or by interdepartmental mail to “On The Town,” The Tech, W20-483.
Popular Music
Avalon
Next: 423-NEXT.
Aug. 4: Luscious Jackson + Cibo Matto, $15.
Aug. 5: Mr. Bungle + Dillinger Escape Plan, $15.
Aug. 10: Powerman 5000 + Reveille + Double Drive, $13 adv., $15 day of.
Berklee Performance Center
Berklee College of Music
1140 Boylston St.
Free student recitals and faculty concerts, 4pm and 7pm some weekdays. For info. on these concerts, call the Performance Information Line at 747-8820.
Fleet Center
Ticketmaster: 931-2000
Aug. 21-30: Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band. Sold Out.
Sept. 10: Barry White + Earth, Wind, & Fire, $38.50, $25.
Orpheum Theatre
Ticketmaster: 931-2000
Jul. 18: Iron Maiden + Machine Head. Sold Out.
Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts (Great Woods)
Ticketmaster: 931-2000.
Aug. 4: Roger Waters. $45 pavilion, $35 lawn.
Aug. 8: Lauryn Hill + Busta Rhymes. $55, $47.50 pav., $29.50 lawn.
Aug. 20: Allman Brothers Band. $40.50, $30.50 pavilion, $25.50 lawn.
Aug. 21: The Cranberries + Collective Soul. $35 pav., $25 lawn.
Aug. 23: Jeff Beck and Johnny Lang. $39.50, $29.50 pav., $19.50 lawn.
Aug. 26: Bonnie Raitt + Jackson Browne + Shawn Colvin. $45, $39.50 pav., $25 lawn.
Aug. 27: Goo Goo Dolls + Sugar Ray + Fastball, $25 pav., $20 lawn.
Aug. 28: WKLB’s Country Music Festival featuring Alabama, + Ty Herndon + The Kinleys. $29.50 pavilion, $19.50 lawn.
Aug. 31: Tori Amos + Alanis Morissette. $39.50 pav., $25 lawn.
Sep. 2, 3: Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band. Both shows Sold out.
Sep. 11: R.E.M. $39.50 pavilion, $29.50 lawn.
The Middle East
Ticketmaster: 931-2000.
Ticket prices vary. Call 354-8238 for more info.
Aug. 4: The Dickies.
Aug. 5: Polterchrist Records CD release party.
Aug. 5: The Skatalites.
Aug. 6: Michigan Blacksnake.
Aug. 6: The Pietasters.
Aug. 7: Scissorfight.
Aug. 7: Gravel Pit.
Aug. 8: Mark Robinson.
Aug. 9: Death Cab For Cutie.
Aug. 10: Zao.
Aug. 10: Drexel.
Aug. 11: Raging Slab.
Aug. 11: Chelsea.
Aug. 12: Rye Coalition.
Aug. 12: Los Lobos.
Aug. 13: Unsane
Aug. 13: Every Second.
Aug. 14: Stocklan.
Aug. 14: Superzero.
Aug. 22: Superchunk.
Paradise Rock Club
Next: 423-NEXT.
Aug. 6: Patty Griffin + Josh Rouse. $12.
Aug. 12: Rollins Band. $12.
Sept. 10: Dido. $9.
Sept. 14: L7 + School Of Assassins (cd release). $10 adv., $12. day of.
Sept. 15: Manic Street Preachers + Remy Zero. $10 adv., $12. day of.
Jazz Music
Regattabar
Concertix: 876-7777
Ticket prices vary. Call 661-5000 for more info.
Aug. 4: Carol O'Shaughnessy.
Aug. 5: Peter Parcek Quartet.
Aug. 6: Avishai Cohen Sextet (two shows).
Aug. 10: Charlie Kohlhase Quintet.
Aug. 11: David Maxwell's Maximum Blues.
Aug. 12: Grisha Goryachev.
Aug. 13: Calypso Hurricane (two shows).
Aug. 14: Edu Tancredi y el Bandon 33 (two shows).
Aug. 17: Sugar Ray Norcia.
Aug. 18: Ran Blake Trio.
Aug. 19-21: Benny Green/Christian McBride/Russell Malone Trio
(two shows per day).
Aug. 24: Riverboat Stompers.
Aug. 25: Larry Goldings Trio.
Aug. 26-28: Milt Jackson/Hank Jones Duo (five shows).
Aug. 31: Krisanthi Pappas Quintet.
Sculler's
Ticketmaster: 931-2000
Ticket prices vary. Call 562-4111 for more info.
(All performers two shows per day unless otherwise noted)
Aug. 4: Nester Torres.
Aug. 5-6: Larry Coryell and The Eleventh House Reunion.
Aug. 11: Peter Calo.
Aug. 12: Fantcha.
Aug. 18-21: Eartha Kitt.
Aug. 24: Chris Botti.
Aug. 25: Michelle Willson and the Evil Gal Festival Orchestra.
Aug. 26-28: Gato Barbieri.
Classical
Music
Boston Pops
Tickets: 266-1492.
Aug. 22: Boston Pops Esplanade Orch., John Williams, conductor. At the Tweeter Center. $30, $25 pav., $10 lawn.
Theater
Blue Man Group
Charles Playhouse, 74 Warrenton Street, Boston, indefinitely. Curtain is at 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, at 7 and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 3 and 6 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets $35 to $45. Call 426-6912 for tickets and information on how to see the show for free by ushering.
Shear Madness
Charles Playhouse Stage II, 74 Warrenton Street, Boston (426-5225), indefinitely. Curtain is at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, and at 3 and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets $30-34.
Exhibits
Computer Museum
300 Congress St., Boston. (423-6758 or 426-2800), Daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission $7, $5 for students and seniors, free for children under 5. Half-price admission on Sun. from 3-5 p.m. Tours daily of “Walk Through Computer 2000,” a working two-story model of a PC. The world’s only computer museum; features a collection of vintage computers and robots with over 150 hands-on exhibits illustrating the evolution, use, and impact of computers. Featured exhibits include: “The Hacker’s Garage,” a recreation of a ‘70s hacker’s garage with such items as an Apple I and Pong; “The Networked Planet: Traveling the Information Highway,” an electronic tour of the Internet; “Robots and Other Smart Machines,” an interactive exhibition of artificial intelligence and robots; “Tools & Toys: The Amazing Personal Computer”; “People and Computers: Milestones of a Revolution,” explores a number of ways computers impact everyday life. In the Smart Machines Theater a multi-media show features NASA’s Mars Rover, R2-D2, Shakey, Sea Rover, and other robots. Through Nov. 30: “Wizards and Their Wonders: Portraits in Computing.” Ongoing: “Virtual FishTank.”
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway, Boston. (566-1401), Tues.-Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $10, $7 for seniors, $5 for students with ID ($3 on Wed.), free for children under 18.
The museum, built in the style of a 15th-century Venetian palace, houses more than 2500 art objects, with emphasis on Italian Renaissance and 17th-century Dutch works. Among the highlights are works by Rembrandt, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, and Whistler. Guided tours given Fridays at 2:30 p.m.
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave., Boston. (267-9300), Mon.-Tues., 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m.; Wed., 10 a.m.-9:45 p.m.; Thurs.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. West Wing open Thurs.-Fri. until 9:45 p.m. Admission free with MIT ID, otherwise $10, $8 for students and seniors, children under 17 free; $2 after 5 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., free Wed. after 4 p.m.
Mon.-Fri.: introductory walks through all collections begin at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; “Asian, Egyptian, and Classical Walks” begin at 11:30 a.m.; “American Painting and Decorative Arts Walks” begin at 12:30 p.m.; “European Painting and Decorative Arts Walks” begin at 2:30 p.m.; Introductory tours are also offered Sat. at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Permanent Gallery Installations: “Late Gothic Gallery,” featuring a restored 15th-century stained glass window from Hampton Court, 14th- and 15th-century stone, alabaster, and polychrome wood sculptures from France and the Netherlands; “Mummy Mask Gallery,” a newly renovated Egyptian gallery, features primitive masks dating from as far back as 2500 B.C.; “European Decorative Arts from 1950 to the Present”; “John Singer Sargent: Studies for MFA and Boston Public Library Murals.”
Gallery lectures are free with museum admission.
Museum of Our National Heritage
33 Marrett Rd., Lexington, 02421. (781-861-6559). Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Admission free.
The Museum presents an exhibition of 93 rare and beautiful photographs drawn from the celebrated collection discovered in the attic of the Medford Historical Society in 1990. One of the most extensive and well-preserved collections of Civil War photographs to survive, the Medford pictures are nationally known for their breadth and depth of subject matter. Through Nov. 14.
Museum of Science
Science Park, Boston. (723-2500), Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission free with MIT ID, otherwise $9, $7 for children 3-14 and seniors.
The Museum features the theater of electricity (with indoor thunder-and-lightning shows daily) and more than 600 hands-on exhibits. Ongoing: “Discovery Center"; "Investigate! A See-For-Yourself Exhibit"; "Science in the Park: Playing with Forces and Motion"; "Seeing Is Deceiving."
Ongoing: "Everest: Roof of the World"; "Living on the Edge." Admission to Omni, laser, and planetarium shows is $7.50, $5.50 for children and seniors. Now showing: "Laser Depeche Mode," Sun., 8 p.m.; "Laser Offspring," Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; "Laser Rush," Sun., 9:15; "Laser Beastie Boys," Thurs.-Sat., 9:15 p.m.; "Laser Floyd's Wall," Fri.-Sat., 10:30 p.m.; "Friday Night Stargazing," Fri., 8:30 p.m.; "Welcome to the Universe," daily; "Quest for Contact: Are We Alone?" daily.
Commonwealth Museum
220 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, 02125. Located across from the JFK Library. Hours: M-F 9-5, S 9-3. Admission is Free. For more info. or to arrange a tour, call 617-727-9268.
The Archaeology of the Central Artery Project: Highway to the Past
The exhibit focuses on life in Colonial Boston as interpreted through artifacts recovered from the "Big Dig" before the construction began. Artifacts and information on display examine leisure activities, tavern life, the life of three colonial women, and Native Americans.
Other Events
Presented by the Museum of Fine Arts
All events will occur at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 02115. For tickets and more information, call 369-3770.
MFA Summer Music Series
Each begins at 7:30. Bring a blanket or relax on the lawn, or reserve a table for four. (Limited chair seating also available.) In wet weather, concerts will take place inside in the Remis Auditorium. Tickets $15, MFA members, seniors, students; $18 general, $5 <12 y.o. Call for packages of 4 or to charge tickets: 369-3306.
Aug. 4: Wildest Dreams.
Aug. 11: The Boogaloo Swamis.
Aug. 18: Moloney, O'Connell & Keane.
Aug. 25: Bombay Jim & the Swinging Sapphires.
Music on Film Festival
Tickets are $7, $6 MFA members, seniors, students, unless otherwise noted. Call 369-3770 for more info.
The Righteous Babes. Aug.19, 21, 28. A powerful and timely documentary that examines the intersection of feminism with popular music by focusing on the role of female recording artists in the 1990s and their influence on modern women. Includes female musicians Courtney Love, Shirley Manson, Sinead O'Connor, Tori Amos, and Ani Difranco.
The Underground Orchestra. Aug. 12, 12, 14, 20, 21. Captures an array of striking performances from international bohemians, all united by their experiences of political repression and by a luminous spirit and boundless courage that led them to flee a variety of horrendous situations throughout the world, but finding refuge in Paris.
Zakir and His Friends. Aug. 1, 5, 7, 15, 22. A poetic montage of percussionists from around the globe.
Ill Nature Dance Party
Worcester's Centrum Centre on
Aug. 7. A 13-hour dance party featuring techno, funky mixes and house music. Featuring Neuclear Hyde, Norstrum, Commander Tom and the Atomic Babies. 12:00pm to 1:00am. $25 (first 1,000 tickets), $30 (after first 1,000 tickets are sold), $35 (day of event).
W.W.F.
Ticketmaster: 931-2000.
Raw Is War! Aug. 30, at the Fleet Center. $35, $28, $22, $17.
SmackDown! Aug. 31, at Worcester's Centrum Centre. $35, $28, $22, $17.
"Sargent Summer" in Boston
Four local cultural institutions present exhibitions and programmes about the masterful American artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925).
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Through Sep. 26: Sargent: The Late Landscapes: The exhibit represents the first in-depth exploration of an overlooked aspect of the artist's career. Late in his life, Sargent began refusing portrait commissions to paint landscapes professionally. The fourteen paintings and watercolors are taken from collections throughout the United States and Europe.
Museum of Fine Arts
Through Sep. 26: An exhibit of 160 Sargent works, including his finest oils, watercolors, and studies for murals - some never before exhibited. In collaboration with the Tate Gallery, London, and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, the exhibit will feature portraits of influential figures of the time, including Monet, Rockefeller, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Isabella Stewart Gardner. To coincide with the exhibition, the MFA is restoring its famous Sargent murals, begun in 1916. For more info., call 267-9300.
The Boston Public Library
Continuing each Sat. through Sep.: Tours of Sargent's murals in the library and talks on his life.
Harvard University Art Museums
Through Sep. 5: Sargent in the Studio: Drawings, Sketchbooks, and Oil Sketches. At the Fogg Art Museum, an exhibit drawn from one of the most significant Sargent collections in the world will reveal the working process of one of America's best known artists. Thirty-three of his rarely shown sketchbooks will also be on view. For hours and info., call 495-9400.
Africa Fete '99
Aug. 15, 3 p.m., at the Hatch Shell. An extravaganza of African music and dance. Features an astounding four hours of continuous music, this will be a family event of global proportions. Performers include Senegalese Afro-pop superstar Baaba Maal; Kulanjan, a collaboration between American blues master Taj Mahal and kora virtuoso Toumani Diabate from Mali; and the US debut of Zimbabwe's legendary Oliver Mtukudzi. Appears as part of an 18-city tour of the US. Free. For more info., call World Music at 617-876-4275.
Harbor Islands Civil War Encampment
Aug. 14-15, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. both days. Fort Warren, Georges Island. The Union Confederate Volunteers turn Georges Island into the battleground it never was. Hundreds of Union and Confederate soldiers bearing reproduction rifles will face off, firing blank rounds on the parade grounds inside gargantuan Fort Warren. Women and children will also take part. A few thousand Bostonians are
expected to attend and watch from atop the walls of the 19th-century fort. Free. For more info. call (617) 727-5290.
Shakespeare on the Common
Through Aug. 15: Julius Caesar at Boston Common Parkman Bandstand. The
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's production of the classic play. Directed by Steven Maler. Free. For more info., call (617) 624-6780.
1964 ... The Tribute Concert
Ticketmaster: 931-2000
Aug. 20, Cristoforo Columbo Park (East Park) on Shrewsbury St. Free with the donation of non-perishable food item. An annual summer concert tradition returning to Worcester at a new location. The concert takes the audience on a music journey to an amazing era of rock history. 1964 spent years researching the Fab Four. From the Beatles' boots, the vintage outfits, and the Vox amplifiers to the mannerisms, the spoken voice, and the unmistakable harmonies, they have captured and recreated a live Beatles concert to perfection both musically and visually.
The Samaritans 5K Run/Walk
Oct. 16: At 10 a.m., first annual Run/Walk along the Charles River, designed to boost awareness about suicide prevention, and to raise funds for the only suicide prevention center in Greater Boston. All proceeds from the event will be used to benefit The Samaritans’ supportive and life-saving services. Prizes given to the top finishers of various age categories, and first 250 registrants will receive complimentary t-shirts. Pre-reg. fee: $12. For more info., call 617-536-2460.
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