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DAILY DIG CALENDAR
11.18 - 11.25
By DIG STAFF
del.ico.us
reddit!WED 11.18
Odds are, David Plouffe has been emailing you about a million times a week, ever since you told that guy with the Obama pin that you "might" help out sometime. Unless you're Republican, in which case you probably don't have that problem. Either way, you have to hand it to the guy; he put together a helluva presidential campaign. Not one to toot his own horn or anything, he's written a book about it called The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory. The Harvard Book Store is hosting him at the First Parish Church Meetinghouse tonight, so bring any questions you might have about Obama, the campaign or spamming. [3 Church St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.661.1515. 7pm/$5. harvard.com]
THU 11.19
If you take Silver Jews-inspired acoustic, add some Fiery Furnaces-style vocals and a granola-eating, Railroad Earth-type stage presence, what do you get? The Windy Smiles, and a damn good time. These two lovebirds are just the latest in a long, long lineage of couples playing sweet music. It only goes to show, the family that plays together, stays together. We caught them last in a crowded in-store at Weirdo Records and the place got downright gooey. We're expecting much the same syrup at P.A.'s Lounge. Ben Macri, if you're out there, we love you. [345 Somerville Ave., Somerville. 617.776.1557. 8:30pm/18+/$10; 21+/$7. paslounge.com]
It's 1927, and someone gets murdered. Before you start thinking it's gonna be all Sam Spade witticisms and over-the-top villains, though, you should know that Machinal is based on the true story of Ruth Snyder, "a young woman, ready, eager for life, for love ... but deadened, squeezed, crushed by the machinelike quality of the life surrounding," according to the playwright, Sophie Treadwell. Or, you know, the tale of a housewife who kills her husband in cahoots with her corset-selling lover. It's got sex and violence, critiques society and is being produced at Midway Studios this week. What more could you want—other than Sam Spade, of course. [Through Sun 11.22.09. 15 Channel Center St., Boston. 617.946.4630. 8pm/all ages/$7-$22. bostonconservatory.edu]
Anyone who titles one of his albums Let's Have a Pancake is alright with us. Chandler Travis is the kind of delightfully absurd songwriter you'd never expect out of Boston, and it just so happens that he's a wildly talented composer as well. His arrangements mix genres and influences from all over the world, including Dixieland, Caribbean music and punk. These days, he's touring with a nine-piece band, but he's kept intact the ridiculous between-song banter that we love so much. For example, on his new CD, making its celebrated release tonight, he has a song called "Llama Doesn't Quite Rhyme with Perpendicular." Mmmmm ... pancakes. [Johnny D's, 17 Holland St., Davis Sq., Somerville. 617.776.2004. 7:30pm/21+/free. johnnyds.com]
FRI 11.20
What is experimental music? What is electronic experimental music? What is electro-acoustic music? It's impossible to go into it here, but one thing is for sure: Felix Kubin is the man to show you. In his Boston debut at MassArt, you'll hear why Finnish band Aavikko says he's "a devil in God's clothes." Blevin Blectum, the bandmate of Kevin Blechdom, will be opening, so there will be weirdness the whole night through. Seriously, this will change any convention you may or may not have about the avant garde. [North Hall, Room 181, 621 Huntington Ave., Boston. 617.879.7000. 8pm/all ages/$10. nonevent.org]
Maybe we should start by saying that Thalia Zedek is an Allston resident. It's nice to keep that in mind when you're talking about someone who toured with everyone from the Indigo Girls to Dinosaur Jr. and gave one of The Wire magazine's 60 greatest shows ever. For this Milky Way show, she's stripping down her set to place the emphasis squarely on what made her career in the first place: her voice. It'll be emotional, melancholy and passionate, and a chance to see one of the early heroes of indie rock in a truly intimate setting. Up-and-comers Shepherdess and our favorite anti-folkster, Audrey Ryan, open. [284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain. 617.524.3740. 9pm/21+/$7. milkywayjp.com]
Genetics is a world of intrigue, duplicity and danger. No, seriously. As contentious an issue as it can be now, back in the day, guys like Hermann J. Muller got caught up in all kinds of things. That guy worked for Hitler's Germany AND Stalin's USSR before landing in the "fly room," where he helped with the founding work on the subject. James Schwartz's book, In Pursuit of the Gene: From Darwin to DNA, explores the human element of the story of genetics, covering not only Muller, but Hugo de Vries, Gregor Mendel and others, but doesn't skimp on the science either. If you want to know something about genetics without being bored, Schwartz is a good person to read. [Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave., Cambridge. 617.661.1515. 3pm/all ages/free. harvard.com]
SAT 11.21
We think we've figured out why there's a weight problem in America. It all stems from one simple fact: Food is delicious. One of the people helping to keep it delicious is Sheryl Julian, who's the Boston Globe's food editor, a graduate of the Cordon Bleu schools in London and Paris, former deputy director of L'Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris, cofounder of the Women's Culinary Guild of New England and founding member of the Culinary Historians of Boston. That's a lot of food knowledge. She's editor of a new cookbook, titled The New Boston Globe Cookbook, so if you're looking for some more incentives to keep eating, you might want to check her out. [Tags Hardware, 25 White St., Porter Sq., Cambridge. 617.868.7711. 1pm/all ages/free. portersquarebooks.com]
Good Life has long been one of Boston's finest fist-pumping destinations, day-in, day-out. But we don't need to tell you, you voted them "best dance club" in last week's Dig This awards. When they turn up the hip-hop heat, things get simmering. Enter: Fresh Produce. Resident DJs Tommee and Knife are already pretty nasty, but this time they're bringing in some friends: a full roster of sick DJs from across the country. You've got California's DJ Revolution, Chicago's DJ Rude 1 and New York's Pseudo Slang. It's the last one of 2009, so you can expect them to bring their A game. Don't forget yours. [28 Kingston St., Boston. 617.451.2622. 9pm/21+/free. goodlifebar.com]
This Brooklynite beatsmith is getting billed as the "smartest rapper alive," a claim that we'd take with a grain of salt if it weren't for the fact that he likes the same things that we do. Whether he's telling off a former flame with Twilight Zone references, or giving shout-outs to Alan Moore with "The League of Extraordinary Nobodies," EL-P is heavily wired alternative hip-hop for the discerning palate. Like you, the savvy Dig reader, who catches Blade Runner references like it ain't no thang. The strangest part? This is all going down at Johnny D's. Sleep not or ye shall be slept on. [17 Holland St., Davis Sq., Somerville. 617.776.2004. 10pm/21+/free. johnnyds.com]
SUN 11.22
You are a once-local band that grew up to become titans of post-metal doom and boom. You helped start a label that also went on to become one of the most famous art rock names in the world. You've played all over the globe, too, including Lollapalooza. You've reunited to play a few shows, like tonight at the Middle East Downstairs, to celebrate the release of your Planets of Old EP. Your lead singer recently produced local album of the year contender I Know, I Know from Audrey Ryan. You are Cave In. [480 Mass Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge. 617.864.3278. 8pm/18+/$15 adv, $13 dos. mideastclub.com]
This is the face that launched a thousand livejournal icons. Don't hold it against him. Hayao Miyazaki's been synonymous with award-winning animated features since the early '80s. The hand responsible for Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke has almost single-handedly opened up the West to the world of Japanese animation. Miyazaki's latest, Ponyo, is the story of a tadpole who wants to be a real girl ... or something. Think of it as The Little Mermaid, but with fewer transvestite witches. Don't hold that against it. [Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq.,Cambridge. 617.876.6837. 2:30pm & 4:30pm/all ages/$7.75. brattlefilm.org]
MON 11.23
Describing a Bonezone show as "frenetic" is like describing necessary amputation as "unpleasant." We're talking about a group that can play their set in eight minutes and brought us such lyrical treasures as "I'm living in a death cult / but there's no such thing as living in a death cult" and "I knew today was gonna be good / when I saw a fat man limping out of the woods," so grab a High Life, head to Great Scott and don't blink. With a name like Bonezone, it has to be good. [1222 Comm. Ave., Allston. 617.566.9014. 9pm/18+/$7. greatscottboston.com]
TUE 11.24
Fact: The addition of Japan to anything can cause an almost 300-percent increase in insanity quotient—our Spider-Man's a whiny kid from Queens, their Spider-Man's a space-archeologist with a giant robot. Now, when you take something that's already pretty out there—Deerhoof, for example—and add Japan to it ... then you'd better get to shelter. Infamous Japanese noise-rockers Melt-Banana come to the Middle East Downstairs with a sound they describe as "like a roller-coaster in an amusement park." We might be more prone to calling it a "horror show in a clown camp." [480 Mass Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge. 617.864.3278. 9pm/18+/$12 adv, $14 dos. mideastclub.com]
WED 11.25
Zut alors! Mon dieu! Moët ... champagne? Pardon, it's been many beers since high school French. With two #1 dance chart tracks off David Guetta's new album, One Love, this Parisian producer and DJ has spat cooler things than you into the sink by noontime. But hey, anybody who has an album named "F*** Me, I'm Famous," and another album named Guetta Blaster is so infectious, you just can hold it against him. This will be packed. Awww, mon chou. [The Roxy, 279 Tremont St., Boston. 617.678.4002. 9pm/21+/$65. roxyplex.com]
So, you've dragged yourself back to whatever small-town shithole you were lucky to escape from in the first place for the holidays. A few racist jokes from Uncle Larry and a brief mention of the word "politics" later, and you'd drink Drano provided it had enough kick. Fortunately for you, that appears to be what they've got on tap at the Bumblefuck Bar and Grill. Hit on the bloated former beauty queens! Lose your change in the busted Big Buck Hunter machine! Get in a fight! Hey, at least you're not with family! [Townie bars across America. Noon-4am/21+/free. livejournal.com]
