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By : BCN Team
11 min read
**We strongly encourage all to take careful precautions when going out to public events! Follow the venue’s requirements regarding vaccination/negative Covid tests and masking instructions! Always double check the event online just in case they need to cancel!**
MUSIC + AUDIO
12/03 Bourdoir: a night of dancing to cleanse the mind! ft. DJ Wawa + Ms. Mango @Union Tavern 9PM 21+ $10 before 11PM, $15 after 11PM @entertheboudoir
12/04 Bars Over Bars Showcase! First Sunday of every month @The Jungle 9PM 21+ $ome Cost
12/05 Children of the Flaming Wheel, Adult Learners, Groan Man @The Silhouette Lounge 7:30PM 21+ $10 @sampotrykus
12/05 Dreamwell w/ My Fictions @Charlie's Kitchen 8PM 21+ $5
12/05 Boss Roots Reggae Party Every Monday live music featuring a rotating cast of international artists in residence now with Boubacar + Sambalolo @The Jungle 10PM 21+ $uggested Donation
12/07 FEEP, New Aura, The Endorphins, Gut Health @O'Briens Pub 8PM 21+ $10
12/06 Bars Over Bars Presents: Bars Over Midway Hip hop Showcase Vol. 17 @Midway Cafe 8PM 21+ $10
12/08 Poor Eliza, Pretty Late, Orca Bones, Amy Mantis & The Space Between, MCtheProfessor.GOV @The Jungle 8PM 21+ $10 @thejunglecmc
12/08 Christmas Show ft Dan Blakeslee, Combo Combo, West of Willow @The Loft 6PM 21+ $10-$20
12/09 Editrix, Squitch, Theadoore @Lilypad 10PM All Ages $12
12/09 Grayskull Booking Presents Human Bodies, Haxen, Prayer Position Come celebrate 9 years of Grayskull! @O'Briens Pub 9PM 21+ $15 Advance
12/09 Liberation Open Mic Sign up at 7PM. Light refreshments served, literature + merch for sale. Masks encouraged. Hosted by Kaleigh O'Keefe + Rachel Domond. Presented by Boston Liberation Center + the Party for Socialism & Liberation. @Boston Liberation Center 7PM All Ages Suggested Donation $5-15 @bostonliberationcenter
12/09 Soul Sessions Presents The Christman Collective a diverse ensemble playing a blend of funk, rock, and soul tempo led by Michael Christman. Reservations required! www.dcbkboston.com @Darryl's Corner Bar 7PM All Ages $10
12/10 5th Annual Tunes for Tots ft. Lenny Lashley's Gang of One, Loser's Circle & More @Midway Cafe 3PM All Ages $10
12/10 Hinterlands Ball featuring Colleen Green, Sinnet, Me in Capris @Arts at the Armory 7PM All Ages $18
12/10 Oneida, Martin Bisi, Thalia Zedek @Lilypad 7PM All Ages $12
12/12 Key of Caustic, Little Fuss, Burp @Charlie's Kitchen 8PM 21+ $5
12/12 Bowery Presents Lightning Bolt + babybaby_explores Tickets at www.axs.com/events/453575/lightning-bolt-tickets @Royale 7PM 18+ $23 Advance, $25 Day of
12/14 Fully Celebrated Orchestra w/ Sage King and Alex Rohan @Midway Cafe 7:30PM 21+ $5
12/15 + 12/16 Dissolve Music 2022: Spatial Sound Festival Non-Event is pleased to collaborate with the MIT Spatial Sound Lab to present a 2-day festival of live performances on a special 8.2 channel surround D&B system. Experience unique multichannel sound performances by artists from around New England such as Andrea Pensado, Aaron Bellamy, David Dogan, DJ Whysham with Cakeswagg and Brandie Blaze, Weilu Ge, Ed Osborn, Luis Cuco Daglia, Leftroman, and special guests. @MIT Building W97 7PM All Ages $10
12/16 Boston Soul Revue Motown Dance Party! @Cantab Lounge 9:30PM
12/17 Brian Chase, Anthony Coleman Duet @New School of Music 7:45PM All Ages $ome Cost
12/17 Sleepyhead, Elk City, The Tear Downs, Hilken Mancini & Chris Colbourn @Midway Cafe 8PM 21+ $10
12/17 Sorrowseed, Solemn Vision, Goblet, Swarmcatcher @Sammy's Patio 7PM 18+ $10-15
12/18 Fat Randy, Thighs, Clamb @O'Briens Pub 8PM 21+ $10
12/18 Kids Like You And Me Presents Nice Guys, Adult Learners, The Swettes, Johnnie and the Foodmasters @State Park Bar 7PM All Ages FREE @theklyam
12/17 Hustle Killer Presents Rock The Bells Contest Best performance wins, your own headliner show, studio session, interview and merch! Plus special guests! @The Jungle 8PM 21+ $ome Cost @hustle_killer_hq
12/19 Rougorou, Dwelley, Dark Time @Charlie's Kitchen 8PM 21+ $5
12/22 Cakeswagg and Friends Special holiday performances @The Jungle 8PM 21+ $10
12/29 Alcide Music Group Presents Good Music Showcase Series Come dance to the amazing music of Soca, Afrobeat, Dancehall, Latin vibes, Kizomba, + Konpa artists! @The Jungle 8PM 21+ $ome Cost
12/31 Old School New Year's Eve Celebration Music by Bob Diesel + DJ Bruno bringing you the best house, hip hop, latin, reggae, funk and disco from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. @Cantab Lounge 10PM 21+ $ome Cost
12/30 Richie Rich & 24 Karat Funk @Cantab Lounge 9:30PM 18+ $ome Cost
12/31 Bad Art Ensemble New Year's Eve Show!! @The Plough and Stars 10PM 21+ $ome Cost
Bad For The Community Podcast Full of hot takes, local hip hop, and deep culture! Come for the reckless entertainment, stay for the laughs! New episodes every week! Listen on Spotify + Youtube. Follow on IG @bftcpodcast
Master of the Chamber A Competitive Hip-Hop Event by THRILL Studios featuring the best local MCs around! If you miss them in person then check out each round on Youtube. Search "enjoythethrill" and look for THE CHAMBER. On IG @masterofthechamber
TheMUSEUM TV + The Soundlab present The Testing Lab a bi-weekly event where local musicians can perform their original music and get feedback from a panel of experts! Spots fill up fast so make sure to stay in tune @thesoundlabma or email thetestinglabma@gmail.com
PERFORMANCE ART
12/02-12/31 The Slutcracker returns to Davis Square with its annual burlesque version of the Nutcracker filled with lots of humor and bodies of every kind. It’s a Boston holiday tradition! Tix at SomervilleTheatre.com
12/04-1/29 Head to Harvard Sq for the Boston premiere of Life of Pi, a harrowing and inspiring epic new play based on the beloved book. Tix at americanrepertorytheater.org
12/07 Poetry Night Open Mic Hosted by slam champ Dawn Gabriel. Stay tuned for special guest features! @Cantab Lounge 7PM 18+ $3
12/08-12/11 Lindsay Blemish’s new work, Are You Someone to Somebody? , uses text, movement, abstract design and multimedia to create a language expressing the range of the human experience. Tix at EmersonTheatres.org
Thru 12/10 The Chinese Lady is the subversive and poetic story of Afong Moy and her life as a side show act in a changing America from 1834-1879. Tix at CentralSquareTheater.org
12/11 Women Artists in Action Presents Go Go Dancing! A dance workshop put on by Onyxx Performance Group. @Salsa Y Control Dance Studio 1PM $5-15
12/19 If You Can Feel It, You Can Speak It Open Mic the longest running monthly open mic that prioritizes the voices of LGBTQIA+ communities of color. All talents welcome: poets, musicians, dancers, comedians, activists, more! Sign Ups at 6PM @The Jungle 6:30PM 21+ FREE
Comedy At The Jungle Peter Liu hosts a comedy open mic with a lineup of great Boston comedians every Tuesday @The Jungle 9:30PM 21+ $ome Cost
Duck Duck Goofs Presents Night School $4 Drinks. The funniest comedians. A true late night show. Enter through the hidden door on the side of the building, and walk into an abandoned classroom that we've transformed into a speakeasy. Every Saturday night! @Cambridge Community Center 8PM + 10PM 21+ $15
Duck Duck Goofs Presents Goofs Underground: Comedy Under the Cantab Every Thursday enjoy local comedians, live music openers, and drink specials @Cantab Lounge Basement 8PM 21+ $10
VIDEO + FILM
12/09-12/13 The Brattle is screening all 5 films of French New Wave pioneer François Truffaut’s Adventures of Antoine Dionel, the auteur’s alter ego played over the course of 20 years by actor Jean-Pierre Léaud. If you see one, make it both actor/directors first film ever, The 400 Blows. Tix at BrattleFilm.org
12/11 GRRL HAUS CINEMA’s annual Best of 2022 Short Films , featuring a feast of 28 works by women, non-binary, trans and genderqueer artists. Don’t miss! Tix at BrattleFilm.org. Two showtimes! @Brattle Theater 6PM All Ages $12/14
12/13 Batman Returns Head to Kendall to watch the Penguin play Gotham City like a harp from Hell in Tim Burton’s 1992 classic featuring the only cat woman that matters. Screening at Kendall Square Cinema. Tix at LandmarkTheatres.com @Kendall Square Cinema 7PM All Ages $7
12/21 + 12/22 Wim Wender’s 1987 poetic masterpiece Wings of Desire will make you feel all the feels when an angel falls in love with a mortal. Required viewing! Tix at BrattleFilm.org
VISUAL ART
12/03 + 12/04 20th Anniversary Artists Group of Charlestown Open Studios! 11AM-5PM each day.
12/03 90's Paint Nite a fun-filled in-person gathering with like minded individuals and a safe space to express yourself! Keep the art you make! Supplies + goodie bags provided. Alcohol present + 420 friendly. Tickets on Eventbrite @Boston Funk 5PM 21+ $25
12/03 Vernon Street Open Studios Returning after a 4 year hiatus! Support the Arts and shop local! @6 & 20 Vernon Street, Somerville, MA 02145 12PM All Ages
12/11 Fine Art & Music MAP Family Learning Center and Creative Malden invite you to experience the amazing music of classical guitarist Devin Ulibarri while enjoying
beautiful fine art and crafts. @The Gallery@57 1PM All Ages FREE
12/11 NUDE a live figure drawing experience Instructed by Squaredotcom. Music by Real P, DJ Slick Vick, Tricia Reed + $ean Wire. Presented by Side Presents, DOITFOREAL, + Lifted Smoking Good @ Nubian Gallery 6PM 21+ $25-75 @djrealp @sidepresents
12/16 HIDE AND SEE is the latest in the BCA 1:1 Exhibition Series, a series of collaborative projects between one curator and one artist. Curated by Amanda Contrada, this is a solo exhibition of work by artist Mimi Bai. Born in Xi'an, China, Bai contemplates camouflage as a metaphor for assimilation, as a labor-intensive process, and as a methodology for survival and communication that selectively conceals and reveals. Opening Reception: 12/16. On view until 2/18. @Boston Center for the Arts 6PM
Connect You Inner G Through Art Every Monday, Thursday + Friday come and explore different art mediums to further connect yourself through the art of expression with KPDesignz. This will be an open space for connections and expressions to expand upon both in ourselves and each other. Tickets on Eventbrite. 6PM-8PM
Dream of a Common Language is a new exhibition that highlights four women artists who explore issues of race, culture and ecology through prints, paintings, multimedia sculptures, collars, vests, bags and moccasins. On view until 12/31
ZINES
12/07 Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism HOLIDAY HANGOUT Toast to 7 years of BINJ with this laid back community hang! Come for a drink and commune in the place where it all started. @The Plough and Stars 6PM 21+
12/26 FPAC Pop-Up Fringe Festival: Getting Older but Not Necessarily Wiser New work from the New England Indie Authors Collective and friends. Among the readers and performers: memoirist Judah Leblang, novelists Randy Ross and Jason M. Rubin, and nonfiction author Stephanie Schorow. @Assemblage Art Space 7PM $10 Suggested Donation
Breaking The Chains Mag Vol. 7. No. 1 The Woman Worker out now! The expanded organizing of women workers has the potential to bring class struggle front and center to the women’s movement in ways that have been repressed and elided over the last several decades. What do these developments mean for women workers in the struggle for socialist liberation? How do we utilize our history, a vast history of women’s leadership and initiative in the labor movement, to inform our work in the current context? Snag your copy at www.breakingthechainsmag.com
COMIXSCAPE LJ-Baptiste, art educator and cartoonist, runs this vibrant comic book series featuring the adventures of a bright-eyed, perpetually preteen boy and his raccoon sidekick. Learn more and buy a copy www.comixscape.net @xscapistlj Flight Or Visibility Cookbook Unlike most cookbooks, this one has very few actual recipes. It is designed to empower readers to get creative in the kitchen! With illustration by Lavender Menace Press! Snag one at a show or hit them up for one on IG @flightorvisibility How to Fight Hundutva from the Diaspora & more! Payal Kumar creates powerful, unique digital zines that are available for free online! Explore these beautiful pieces and learn tools of knowledge to expand your notion of a “zine”. www.riotlrrrkhi.contactin.bio
Middle of Nowhere (Part One) This is the journey of two main characters; Andre and Tracey. The story is true to its title, as you are dropped in a random point of their lives. You literally navigate the timeline with them as their journeys intertwine. What seems like nothing, or nowhere, wherever you are... means something. Book created by Mechillwave. Grab a copy here and check out other cool wares! www.mechillwave-collection.myshopify.com @chillwvy
COMMUNITY
12/03 Grand Opening of the new Artisans Asylum! Events happening all day to celebrate including marker's market, food trucks, gallery showcase, silent auction and more! @Artisans Asylum 1PM All Ages FREE 12/03 Creatives of Color Boston Presents Giving To Yourself Week: 2 Virtual Workshops. The Gift of Stillness: Learning to Grant Yourself Peace Through Restorative Movement, Meditation + Rest with Marlene Boyette at 11AM Sliding Scale $5-$60. Ser Artista: Centering Wellness Through Artistic Practice with Doctora Xingona Diana Alvarez at 2PM Sliding Scale $5-$60
12/03 Piyesta Pinoy Celebrate Filipino food culture + love for the holidays with this special market! @Bow Market 11AM FREE 12/03 JP Open Market: Holiday Pop Up Shop local makers of art, crafts, clothing, gifts, goods and more! @Indoors at 684 Centre St, JP 11AM 12/04 Annual Holiday Fair! Featuring: Local art, crafts, chair massage, live music. Snacks and wine too! All ages welcome @The Loft 2PM All Ages
12/04 + 12/18 Somerville Flea Presents Holiday Markets Two packed floors with 30+ vintage and artisan vendors! Find that perfect gift you never knew existed! @Arts at the Armory 10AM All Ages FREE 12/08 Everyday Boston, Unity Cup, and Boston Public Library Present: A Community Story Share Event! Join us to celebrate our city's diversity at this interactive event. We'll bring the story prompts, you bring your curiosity and willingness to connect. @6PM FREE @everydayboston 12/08 The "Stories Connect Us" Series: A Monthly Meet-Up for *All* Bostonians Join us in Grove Hall for the December edition of our "Stories Connect Us" series, in which you get to pull up a chair, sit with some neighbors you may not otherwise know, and connect through the sharing of life stories. @Grove Hall Branch of the Boston Public Library 6PM All Ages FREE 12/08 Kathryn Kolbert Lecture: The End of Roe v. Wade and the Future of Reproductive Rights @MAAM 6:30PM FREE 12/10 North American Indian Center of Boston's Annual Art & Crafts Fair Authentic Native American crafts and food! Come shop for unique holiday gifts! All proceeds from food will be used for youth programming. Interested in vending? Contact gcolon@naicob.org @North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB) 12PM All Ages FREE 12/10 + 12/11 Winter Holiday Market at Humphrey Street Studios Find one-of-a-kind gifts made by local artists and creative small businesses directly! @Humphreys Street Studios (HSS) 11AM All Ages FREE @humphreysstreetstudio 12/11 The Brighton Bazaar A pop-up retail space for small local businesses who either aren't ready for a store of their own, or can't afford to pay the crazy commercial rent prices in the Boston area. Vintage clothes, records, crafts, art and more! @Brighton Elks Lodge 11AM FREE 12/15 The Brighton Bazaar: Night Market Over 50 small local businesses selling art, vinyl, vintage, & more! Food + drink in the courtyard! @Charles River Speedway 5PM FREE Shop The Block Holiday Market every Saturday! Support local BIPOC small business owners with Black Market Nubian this holiday season 1PM-5PM. Vendors application open! www.linktr.ee/blackmarketnubian
Dorchester Bike Kitchen Learn how to fix your bike at this free drop-in in Fields Corner! 6-9PM on Mondays and Saturdays.
Melanin Owned Business Vendors Flea Market is back at a new location 1351 Hyde Park Ave every Saturday 12PM-5PM. Spoken Word open mics too! Contact 585-237-8487 for vending opportunities. Vendors of color please reach out! @m.o.b_vendors21
Lucy Parsons Center, your favorite radical bookstore and community space, is moving back to the South End (Into MakeShift’s former spot). They need your help fundraising to make the transition smooth and help keep this Boston staple going! To donate visit www.tinyurl.com/lpcfunds or check their social media @lucyparsonscenter
ADVOCACY
Cocoon Collective A weekly drop-in space for young women and girls affected by incarceration to receive academic support and mentorship as well as work on seasonal goals. Every Monday 4PM-5PM via Zoom. Email to join - info@sistersunchained.com
The Eastern Mass Abortion Fund provides assistance to people who live in or are coming to Eastern Massachusetts for an abortion and provides people with funding and practical support to access abortion care. They help them get onto MassHealth quickly or find doctors that will take their insurance. They negotiate with abortion providers and pay for callers’ bus or train tickets, car rides, hotels, childcare, and translation services. www.emafund.org
Feed The Hood: People's Resource Table take what you need, leave what you can! FREE food, clothes, & essentials. Bring donations during store hours or leave at the resource table any time every Sunday. Organized by Voices of Liberation @Scope Apparel Store, JP
North American Indian Center of Boston Their mission is to empower the Native American community with the goal of improving the quality of life of Indigenous peoples. They honor Indigenous people who may or may not be part of a federally recognized or state recognized tribe, as well as the peoples whose tribes have been split by the U.S.-Canada border and the U.S.-Mexico border. Lookout for all kinds of awesome community events and gatherings! www.naicob.org @naicob91
Pan-Afrikan Liberation Program Working to amplify, unify, and provide for Black and Brown masses around the world. Youth led + Boston based. Stay in tune on Insta @plpboston Warm Up Boston: A Mass Line material aid on occupied Massachusett and Wampanoag territory. They distribute food, amenities and supplies to encampments. You can help by volunteering or donating! Follow updates and support at www.ko-fi.com/warmupboston
OPPORTUNITY
ATTENTION YOUNG FILMMAKERS! Learning how to make your own films? Submit your short films to be screened in an in-person event live on television! Work can be at any level, medium, or style. Contact audrey@scatvsomerville.org with any questions or concerns.
The Black & Indigenous Resistance Fund’s Sabbatical Program for Black and Indigenous Executive Leaders in Massachusetts This program has been created for executive leaders who identify as Black and/or Indigenous and who lead social justice organizations rooted in BIPOC communities in Massachusetts. The Sabbatical Program offers these leaders the opportunity to take space and time for reflection, review, and renewal, absent the stress of financial concerns and operational demands. Questions? Email Jason Boyd at jboyd@blackmc.org
CALL FOR EXHIBITION PROPOSALS! Gallery 263 is taking pitches for their Spring 2023 art exhibition. Organize and present a well-curated exhibition of contemporary art from start to finish, with guidance and support from the staff. A successful proposal considers our unique, multi-functional space and engages our audience visually and conceptually. Open to New England artists of all media types and career levels. Deadline 1/8/2023 Apply online at www.gallery263.com
CALL FOR WRITING SUBMISSIONS! What do you wish you knew about sex as a teenager? The Sex Letters Project is a collection of writings from people of all backgrounds who want to share their experiences with sexuality, romance and identity. Together we can use our voices to fight sexual shame and stigma and promote a culture of positivity and acceptance! Submit your letters to www.sexlettersproject.tumblr.com. Presented by Pleasure Pie www.pleasurepie.org
Festivals + Projects Grant by the Mass Cultural Council $2,500 grants to support publicly-available cultural activities, projects, or programs taking place before July 2023. Submission deadline: 12/15. Apply at www.massculturalcouncil.org
New Music Creator Fund offers grants to individual music creators who need support to get to the next stage of their creative practice. The program will support costs which go to collaboration with other artists and practitioners. Deadline 12/15/22 More info at www.bit.ly/NMcreatorfund
Originally published in-print in Boston Compass Newspaper #153 December 2022
Check out all the art and columns of December's Boston Compass at www.issuu.com/bostoncccompass