By : BCN Contributors
11 min read
MUSIC & AUDIO
Wally's Jazz Club Every Night! At Wally’s, they have live music 365 days a year! They feature three different bands a night, one at 5pm, one at 7pm, and one at 9pm. The first set is typically a jam session and the second and third sets have different music themes depending on the day of the week: Monday: Blues. Tuesday: Funk, Wednesday: Funk, Thursday: Latin Jazz Salsa, Friday: Jazz, Saturday: Jazz, Sunday: Funk. Come vibe at one of the oldest family owned and operated jazz clubs in existence!
1/5 The Femmes are an all women and non-binary band in the Boston area that performs songs by women and non-binary artists @ Midway Cafe 9:30pm 21+ $15
1/6 The Michael Character, Jesus the Dinosaur, Chris Lee-Rodriguez, cancer szn @ O'Briens Pub 8pm 21+ $10
1/7 Any Given Sunday (BVD) ft. King Collins, Dutch, Tris A True Day Party Experience @ Hava Nightclub and Lounge 21+ FREE
1/10 Fully Celebrated Orchestra with Quantum Banditos, Fenno Street Jazz Every 2nd Wednesday see Fully Celebrated Orchestra with special guests! @ Midway Cafe 7:30pm 21+ $10
1/11 Punk Rock Karaoke We play....YOU sing! Pick a song, we give you the lyrics. We call your name and voila! you are the singer in a punk rock band backed by the finest hand picked side men. @ The Middle East 4pm-10pm 18+ 30
1/11 Get To The Gig Boston presents Rick Maguire solo (from Pile) @ The Rockwell 7pm 18+ $15
1/12 IBOOKTHINGS presents Gone, Husbands, Main Era @ The Silhouette Lounge 8pm 21+ $12 @justmainera
1/13 Dark Spring Boston presents: Dead Leaf Echo, The Veldt, Iceblynk, The Spearmint Sea @ O'Briens Pub 8pm 21+ $15
1/13 Bowie's Birthday Celebration The third annual celebration of David Bowie’s birthday. The Young Americans perform 2 sets of beloved songs from the Starman’s vast catalog. The band formed in 2016 after Bowie’s passing with a mission to keep the music and electrifying live performances of rock n’ roll’s chameleon alive. The event sells out every year, so get your tickets early. @ The Burren 7pm 21+ $20 adv/ $25 doors
1/13 The Junior Rodigan Show presents Big People Ting: The Ultimate Oldies Party Join Boston's Veteran Caribbean DJ's for a night of PROPER Caribbean Classics. The best in Dancehall, Soca, Lover's Rock, Roots, Soul, R&B and Top 40 classics that we all love and grew up with. @ Aspirers Club 10pm $15
1/14 Lupo Citta, Hidden Fountain, Killer Motorcycle, Pledge Pins @ O'Briens Pub 8pm-11:30pm 21+ $15
1/14 Illegally Blind Presents: Pleaser, Nurse Joy, Zowy, Kremlin Bats @ Lilypad 7pm-10pm All Ages @illegallyblindpresents
1/14 IBOOKTHINGS presents Mercy Ruin, Black Beach, Will Tell Aim @ The Silhouette Lounge 8pm 21+ $12
1/17 Graveyard Shift: Metla DJs and Karoake Metal DJs. Metal Bands. Metal Guys and Gals, sometimes even Metal Karaoke. Come get it. @ Zuzu 6:30pm-10pm 21+
1/18 Content Brakes presents Lovelorn ft. Dwelley, No Nations, Crescent Ridge The psych-gaze drug pop homies coming back through Boston with a new live lineup @ O'Briens Pub 8pm 21+ $15 @content_brakes
1/19 TM Presents: Stephen Haynes, Kit Demos, Pandelis Karayorgis, Eric Rosenthal This Music (TM) Series is a Boston musician’s initiative to recognize the creativity of many who haven’t been given the stage as leaders, often younger than the Jazz scene veterans; those with acknowledgment who can create a new project and musical ideas; and the unsung “gems” who aren’t in the public’ eye and deserve to be. The emphasis is on the freer forms, the adventurous (to help find a “home”). @ Lilypad 7:30pm-10pm All Ages $15
1/19 Mayhem at the Middle East ft. Wargraves, Marianne Toilet and the Runs, Scarecrow Hill, Auzzy Blood @ The Middle East 8pm 18+ $15
1/20 BattleMode, No Detour, Pretty Late @ The Jungle 7pm-11pm 21+ 10
1/20 Live From The Tape Deck Get ready to immerse yourself in the nostalgic vibes of 90's Hip-Hop at the inaugural Live From The Tape Deck event. Brought to you by the creators of the already established Beats & Barbecue Festival in Worcester, MA, this event promises to be an all-evening indoor extravaganza, offering an unforgettable experience for hip-hop enthusiasts and music lovers alike. @ Roxbury Community College 6pm-10pm 18+ $40-$90
1/21 Boy Jr, Medusa, Mint Green @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm-11pm 18+ $15
1/25 Hush Club, Winkler, Little Fuss @ Brighton Music Hall 7pm $32
1/27 Diva Karr, A Constant Knowledge of Death, Prayer Position, The Cost ov Living @ O’Briens Pub 8pm 21+ $15 @prayer__position
1/28 Freestyle Clinc Test your cypher skills with this rap community, every last Sunday of the month @ The Middle East 7pm 21+
FILM
1/4 An ‘80s Scorcese double feature with After Hours and Goodfellas @ Brattle Theater $18
1/4 Fall in love with the sultry, lovelorn world of Wong Kar Wai on the big screen with the ‘90s masterpiece Chunking Express @ Coolidge 7pm $15.50
1/7 Julie Dash’s stunning and influential Daughters of the Dust depicts the generational assimilation of the formerly enslaved Gullah people in South Carolina @ MFA Boston 2:30pm $15 includes museum admission
1 /8 Kubrick’s cult classic, Cold War comedy Dr Strange love or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb hits the @ Coolidge 7pm $15.50
1/11 Head to the Coolidge for Cheryl Dunye’s debut film Watermelon Woman brought black queer culture to cinema in the ‘90s. @ Coolidge 7pm $15.50
1/19-2/25 A rare chance to see the works of Senegalese novelist and “father of African film” Ousmane Sembène whose powerful commentary on colonialism, patriarchy and capitalism made his films constantly censored. OUSMANE SEMBÈNE, CINEMATIC REVOLUTIONARY screens for a month at @ Harvard Film Archive
1/20 The often imitated, ‘90s Japanese blockbuster horror film, Ringu screens at @Coolidge After Midnite 11:59pm $15.50
1/23 Pump up the volume to 11 for the hilarious rockumentary, This is Spinal Tap playing at @Coolidge 7pm $15.50
1/31 DON’T MISS Fritz Lang’s 1927 groundbreaking sci-fi flick of working-class rebellion, Metropolis, with live accompaniment by The Anvil Orchestra @Coolidge 7pm $27
THEATER
Thru 1/21 Apollinaire Theatre Company new play gathers a group of public defenders to create the Lunch Bunch in this comedy at @Chelsea Theater Works $30 Adult/$15 student
1/23-1/28 Norwegian Theater company, Plexus Polaire brings their epic retelling of Moby Dick to Boston with puppets, projections, an orchestra and a life-size whale @ ArtsEmerson $25+
1/25-2/25 Francisco Mendoza’s play Machine Learning is as much about family as it is about potential consequences of artificial intelligence @ Central Square Theater $90/student $26
1/26-2/24 Company One joins forces with Boston Public Library and The Theater Offensive for the premiere of The Interrobangers, both a classic whodunit and queer coming of age story by M Sloth Levine @BPL Copley, Rabb Hall FREE/Pay-what-you-want
VISUAL & PERFORMANCE ART
1/20 Lani Asunción: Duty-Free Paradise Curated by J.R.Uretsky This show explores the colonial history between Boston and Hawai’i through Asunción’s queer, multiracial, Filipinx identity and lived experience. On view at the Mills Gallery 1-6pm, Wed – Sat. Opening reception 1/26 from 6-9pm @ Boston Center for the Arts All Ages @lani.asuncion
1/19 Celebrity Series presents: Ashwini Ramaswamy performs "Let the Crows Come" This project brings together three dancers from different traditions (Bharatanatyam, Afro-Caribbean modern, and Gaga) to explore the transmission of memory and idea from person to person, generation to generation, and culture to culture. At the Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre. @ New England Conservatory (NEC)8pm All Ages $67
Sol.Inspired Open Mic Open mic & safe space where one may come to Be. &/or express, unapologetically. Find @solinspiring for more details
1/13 Live Jazz with Spoken Word & Yoga Asana Get ready to unwind and recharge at this exclusive in-person retreat, where you can relax with live jazz music in a cozy studio setting. Join Banswomb, MK Anderson & Monia Fernandez for an unforgettable in-person event at 11 Bow St . Immerse yourself in a rejuvenating retreat that will ground your mind, body, and soul. Experience the soothing sounds of live jazz music, creating the perfect ambiance for relaxation and introspection. @ MOTA Fitness, Wellness & Spaces 6pm-11pm 21+
ADVOCACY
Labor on the Line is a new podcast rooted in the need to build a fighting labor movement, hosted by Boston Liberation Center’s Rachel Domond and Husayn Karimi. Many of us, young people included, don’t view ourselves as part of the “labor movement”. But the reality is we are all working class people working to pay our bills and survive. Our labor holds immense power in society. No more can we allow the labor movement to be characterized as anything other than bright, YOUNG and dynamic, rooted in class-struggle politics. Listen at laborontheline.org.
National "Rent for Moms" Campaign An effort poised to raise $100,000 to support single Black mothers across the United States in maintaining stable housing during the holiday season. The campaign's focus goes beyond traditional holiday giving, aiming to provide more than just temporary relief. By directly putting funds into the hands of those who need them most, Rent for Moms is changing the narrative around holiday giving and tackling systemic issues head-on. Visit www.rentformoms.org to donate
Sign the Letter: Artists Against Apartheid All artist and cultural workers are welcomed to sign this letter to stand in solidarity with those resisting occupation and fighting for their right to self-determination.
Voices of Liberation Call for Community Support The mission of Voices of Liberation is to up rise and uplift the community. In order to be able to continue providing our community with care, healing, and opportunity at this scale, they need your help. They are asking for financial contributions to this fundraiser in any capacity you can and to also share with friends, family, and coworkers. To donate visit www.secure.actblue.com/donate/hoc
OPPORTUNITY
The Downtime Review The mission of the Downtime Review is to publish works of impressive creative expression from folks who don’t have the time to make creative work their day-to-day. Their first issue is now live on their site! downtimereview.carrd.co
Writing Group Do you always intend to write that novel (or your thesis, etc.) but never get to it? Sit with others in a sunlit room and quietly work at the gallery. It’s so much easier. Hot coffee and desks are available every Friday from 8 to 11 am.
Life Drawing Boston All levels of experience and skill are invited. This is an uninstructed event for anyone who enjoys or is curious about drawing from a live model. Get creative and have fun. Life Drawing Boston provides a laid-back and professional environment. Great tunes will be played, great models will be hired, and fantastic artwork will be made. Tuesdays from 6:30-9pm
Castle of Our Skins Black Composer Miniature Challenge Composers who identify as Black or part of the African Diaspora are challenged to compose pieces for COOS friend Seychelle Dunn-Corbin , saxophonist par excellence! Each piece must be 30 seconds or less. We strongly recommend pieces to be inspired by Black/African indigenous themes. Deadline to apply is 2/18
Harvard FSC-LEF Fellowship Boston-area directors who are not affiliated with Harvard are also encouraged to apply to the Harvard FSC-LEF Fellowship with a short or long-form nonfiction project that will be in production or post-production for the 2024–25 academic year. This opportunity, which is separate from the Moving Image Fund, includes a $10,000 grant, access to a pool of production and post-production equipment, and the ability to participate in the Harvard FSC community through work-in-progress screenings, workshops, and other activities. Deadline to apply is 2/8
Cultural Equity Learning Community (CELC) Registration CELC is a two-unit, 12 session, asynchronous anti-racism course with wrap-around supports, open to arts and culture leaders committed to building intersectional racial equity. The CELC is a program of Arts Connect International, funded by Mass Cultural Council, and filmed by HipStory. Deadline to apply is 1/24
Studios at Mass MoCA Residency Applications Apply for a residency at the Studios at MASS MoCA and get space and time for your work, plus a whole lot more. As always, this is a FREE application, and there are lots of financial aid and fellowship opportunities. Applications run multiple times a year. Learn more at assetsforartists.org/studios-at-mass-moca
Dunamis Boston Resource Roundup a thorough list of grants, jobs, events, opportunities and workshops for artists and creatives in the Boston area. Check it out at dunamisboston.org/resource-roundup
Call for Art: Pickleball-Themed Art Contest This is a call for art on the theme of Pickleball. Pickleballs take a beating and this is a moment where we give them their due. Be creative: portraits, landscape, still life, action shots, in 2D or 3D. Submit at tinyurl.com/ysbsx7pj Deadline to apply is 2/14
Club Passim Office Hours Office Hours is a new program that offers artists the chance to come into the club during the day to test out equipment with one of our sound engineers. More than just rehearsal space, we want to be your resource for testing new gear, playing around with new stage setups, or simply getting more comfortable on stage. The idea is to give you low-stress, playground time with good equipment and a friendly engineer. Any questions? Email club manager Abby Altman at abby@passim.org.
Make and Mend Secondhand art & craft supplies based in Somerville. Shop online or in person at their shop in Union Square! www.makeandmendshop.com
1/9 Belly Dance for Beginners! Learn to belly dance! This 4-class belly dance course is open to people with or without dance experience. All body types and ages welcome. @ José Matteo Ballet Theater 8pm All Ages $80
2/10 Get on Board Workshop Led by Jim Grace, Get on Board! will prepare you for the rewarding experience of volunteerism, nonprofit leadership, and board participation. You’ll learn about the different types and structures of boards as well as the roles, responsibilities, and legal obligations of nonprofit board members. @ 10am-1pm $275
2/21 Cultural Organizing for Artists Join Assets 4 Artists for this FREE virtual workshop hosted by Shey Rivera Rios. This workshop will present participants with various ways in which artists collaborate with city government and policy-making, what it means to have a civic role in our community and how to build more robust cultural ecosystems together. @ 6pm-8pm
WHAT’S HAPPENING BOSTON LISTINGS
WHBoston’s BIG THREE:
Travis Scott on 1/12
Madonna on 1/8
50 Cent on 1/13
What’s Happening Boston is a black owned cultural marketing group that uplifts the local minority business owners, community organizations, creatives, and inventors by driving tourism to urban communities and curating unique experiences and excursions that enhance the cultural education of residents, tourists, and transplants as they explore our city.
1/4 ICA Free Thursday Night The ICA is free for all visitors every Thursday from 5 to 9 PM. @ Institute of Contemporary Art 5pm-9pm All Ages FREE
1/5 SoWa First Friday Come meet the artists of SoWa in person. You’ll be the first to see their new works. You can start the year with a purchase that will change your whole outlook. And don’t forget to visit any Sunday, 11am-4pm. @ 5pm-9pm All Ages FREE
1/5 Pro Wrestling Supershow New Years Bash Family-friendly all ages pro-wrestling @ VFW Post 1046 Brockton 7:30pm-10:30pm All Ages $25
1/6 BIPOC Nature Walk Are you a person of color that's eager to get outside and connect with nature this autumn? Then look no further! This program is open to all adults who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color, and are looking to enjoy nature in community with other BIPOC folks! During this program, we will come together to walk the trails at BNC, find a sitting spot, and use art as a vehicle to explore nature and ourselves @ Mass Audubon's Boston Nature Center 8am-12pm All Ages FREE
1/6 Madonna Drag Brunch Madonna Celebration Tour is in town! Let's celebrate with a drag brunch devoted to all things MADONNA. Our queens will bring you shows from ALL of Madonna's eras. Hosted by Neon Calypso. Two shows one at 11am one at 2pm. @ Summer Shack 21+
1/8 Madonna - The Celebration Tour @ TD Garden 8:30pm 18+ Starting at $133
1/8 Real Women Have Curves: The Musical - Relaxed Performance Summer 1987, Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. After eighteen years under the roof of her immigrant parents, Ana is ready to spread her wings. Her dreams of college and a career in New York City are bursting at the seams, but her family’s expectations would keep her home, working at their garment factory. Is it worth sacrificing the dreams of her family, who have sacrificed everything for her? Based on the play by Josefina López that inspired the iconic hit film, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is an empowering new show that explores life’s unexpected curves. @ Loeb Drama Center 2pm-4pm 18+ $30
1/11 MIT After Dark: Beyond the Fold Come explore the art of the fold! Collaborate on large scale origami models, create Japanese kusudama out of wooden tiles, and check out a machine that creases all on its own. Plus, learn how to fold dumplings from the experts at Mei Mei. Tasty dumplings from Mei Mei and local brews from Remnant available for purchase. @ MIT Museum 6pm-9pm All Ages $20
1/11 Sofar Sounds Concert Each Sofar features different musical styles and you won’t know who’s performing until they take the stage. Once they do, you just might fall in love. From museums and boutiques, to rooftops and private homes, they keep the location secret until the day before the show. @ Inman Square 8pm-11pm 21+ $26
1/12 Che Durena: The Rawdog Tour @ Wilbur Theater 7:30pm-9:30pm 21+
1/12 Travis Scott @ TD Garden 8pm-11pm 18+
1/13 High Performance Comedy Night Comedy Party Presents: High Performance, our classic 420 comedy event at secret locations in Boston! @ Chinatown 7pm-11pm 21+ $22
1/13 50 Cent comes to Boston @ The Grand Boston 9:30pm 21+ $95
1/14 Dinosaur World Live Dare to experience the dangers and delights of Dinosaur World Live in this roarsome interactive show for the whole family. @ Emerson Colonial Theatre 2pm-3pm All Ages
1/14 Transform E-Waste into Art Workshop Are you looking for a fun, creative way to spend a Sunday afternoon? Why not try making sculpture using disassembled computers and recycled imagery? Fall in love with the process of taking apart technology and seeing the variety of incredible and inspiring shapes and materials. You will gain skill in construction and assemblage. @ Artisans Asylum 12pm-2pm All Ages $55
1/15 Get in FREE to the Museum of Fine Arts Admission to the MFA is free on Monday, January 15th (MLK Day). @ The Museum of Fine Arts 7am-2pm All Ages FREE
1/15 Boston Children's Chorus presents: In The Name Of Love: 21st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert Boston Children’s Chorus takes the stage at Boston’s Symphony Hall to celebrate “love’s victory is a victory for us all” and raises the voices of civil rights activists, including Coretta Scott King and Bayard Rustin, who developed the blueprint for modern-day activists. @ Symphony Hall 4pm-9pm All Ages $15-$75
1/18 Modern Party Art Paint Night Join for a kid-friendly paint night celebrating the love of Boston! No worries about supplies; Modern Party Art has got you covered with all the materials you'll need. Plus, you'll receive expert guidance from an experienced artist to help you create your masterpiece. @ Sam Adams Brewery 5:30pm-8:30pm 21+ $60
1/19 The Taylor Party - Taylor Swift Tribute Night @ Big Night Live 7pm-11pm $30
Originally published in-print in Boston Compass Newspaper #165 January 2024
Check out all the art and columns of January's Boston Compass at www.issuu.com/bostoncccompass
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