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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!
2/4 We Black Folk Fest: A Celebration of Black Folk on Feb 4 and Feb 11 ft. Cliff Notez, Anjimile, Kemp Harris, Aisha Burns, Pink Navel, Grace Givertz, Hassan Barclay, Naomi Westwater, Stephanie McKay, Chris Walton, Melo Green, Elmira Are, Gabriella Simpkins. @ Club Passim @cliffnotezz @thehipstory
2/9 Eleanor Elektra Band Live Recording Session and Public Performance Eleanor Elektra and her band are back in the studio to record Eleanor's 3rd full length album; you are invited to be a part of a small audience that will be with them in the room, listening via headphones that connect directly to the studio mix as we play through the entire record. You will be able to attend one of two sets! @ The Record Co. 5pm-6:30pm All Ages $20-$30 @eleanorelektramusic
2/11 FRKSE, Cryptwarblr, NXOR, Threshold @ Midway Cafe 3pm $10
2/19 ONCE Somerville Presents: Frank Hurricane, Battlemode, & Double Star @ The Rockwell 6pm-8:30pm All Ages $15-$20 @frankhurricane @oncesomerville
2/19 BOOGARINS with Zip-Tie Handcuffs @ Crystal Ballroom 7pm All Ages $18 adv/ $20 doors
2/22 New England Synth Fest Experience some of New England's best synth musicians and visualizers like never before in the immersive full dome environment of the Planetarium, featuring a brand-new lineup of performers and synth vendors! @ Museum of Science 7pm $15 @nesynthfest
VISUAL ART
Industry Lab Open Call for Art Submit to Industry Lab's first (at least, in quite some time) member-curated show "In Pursuit of Well-Being.” Please email industrylabartshow@gmail.com with the subject line: “Well-Being Show Submission” and your name to submit.
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. @ Boston Center for the Arts All Ages @lani.asuncion
2/1 Ritual and Devotion ft. Sneha Shrestha Enjoy the work of Sneha aka @imagine876 who is known for her bold, calligraphic, and colorful presentation of the Nepali alphabet in Devanagari script @ Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery
2/10 Opening Reception: Dreams I Imagined Elevated Thought kicks off Black History Month with a group exhibition featuring the works of some amazing artists @ Elevated Thought 6pm-9pm
3/1 Opening Reception: See and Be Seen II An intergenerational group of artists from Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and Vermont have been selected for the 2024 iteration about portraiture under a new lens. Show runs from March 1 - April 7 @ Praise Shadows Gallery 6pm-8pm
PERFORMANCE ART
Stand Up Comedy Series ft. Mark Gregory, Jonathon Gates and Dead Air Dennis Every fourth Tuesday of the month. Hosted by Comedian/Superhero Corey Manning
2/3 Social Justice Poetry Institute: Healing Through our Native Tongue with Lyrical Faith. This workshop will be a space of decolonizing the constructs of language as we know it to celebrate our cultural backgrounds. In this session, we will present, analyze and discuss various representations of BIPOC identity through spoken word poetry. On Zoom, BIPOC Only! To register email martharogersmusic@gmail.com @ 9am-11:30am FREE
2/9 Sticky Sweet A night of drag and burlesque performances inspired by love and anti-love, presented by Kitty Levesque and Hazel Hellcat @ Midway Cafe 9:30pm 21+ $15
2/16 HOLE SHOW is a weird as hell, and wild as f*ck dance/drag/art party, every other month @ Crystal Ballroom 8pm 21+ $25
2/17 + 2/18 The Oscar Micheaux Family Theater Program Company Presents "The Miss Marian Anderson and Friends Project" Come to be entertained and educated about Marian Anderson and her challenge to segregation (at that time the law of the land). To further highlight the struggle will be the character of Rube Foster, an iconic leader during the same time period @ Regent Theater 4pm All Ages $30-$50
COMMUNITY
Take-A-Zine, Leave-A-Zine has a new location! Check out this incredible community resource where you can trade your coolest zines for even cooler ones! They just set up a new street box at Gallery 263 in Cambridge that you can access 24/7. They even have a discord if you wanna get involved or learn more! More info on their IG @takeazine
Sol.Inspired Open Mic Open mic & safe space where one may come to Be &/or express, unapologetically. Find @solinspiring for more details
2/10 Hearts and Crafts Fair at CityLab This craft fair will be Valentine's Day themed. The vendor fees will go to CityLab Innovation High School's Parent Group to support programs that benefit students. Please email jceurbin@gmail.com to apply to be a vendor. @ CityLab Innovation High School 11am-2pm
2/14 Cyberpunk Sweetheart’s Ball Opening Night of the Boston SciFi Film Festival aka Valentine’s Day event—a Cyberpunk Ball with DJ Sir Richard Wentworth. Music, fun, prizes and more. @ 6:30pm All Ages $20-$25
2/18 The Theater Offensive Presents: Queer Prom A joyful celebration of queer belonging! Inspired by all queer youth and adults who may not have had the opportunity to be their true self at their own high school proms, Queer Prom will be a night filled with entertainment, dancing and intergenerational community to celebrate queer youth in our True Colors: Out Youth Theater programming and across Boston. @ Tenderoni's Fenway 6pm-11pm All Ages $15 (FREE for youth under 21)
2/23 Fridays at Frugal ft. Skin&Bone Every 4th Friday of the month, they will be hosting Author Talks, Album Listening Sessions, Panels, Meet & Greets, Networking events & more! @ Frugal Bookstore 5pm-7pm All Ages @arturo__shabazz
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 artists 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.
OPPORTUNITY
Submit to the Exhibition Proposal Series Artists and curators of all experience levels have the opportunity to collaborate with Gallery 263 staff to organize and present polished, self-curated exhibitions in our 700 sq/ft storefront gallery. Deadline to apply is 2/11
I Like Your Work Podcast presents: Spring Exhibition Open Call Emerging and mid-career artists are invited to submit their work for consideration to I Like Your Work's 2024 Spring Catalog. Artists selected will have their work appear in our full color printed catalog and featured on our social media. All mediums are accepted. Curated by Sally Morgan Lehman of Morgan Lehman Gallery Deadline to apply is 2/15
MacDowell Residency MacDowell provides time, space, and an inspiring residential environment to artists of exceptional talent. A MacDowell Fellowship, or residency, consists of exclusive use of a studio in New Hampshire, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for up to six weeks. There are no residency fees, and MacDowell offers financial assistance to cover the costs of traveling to and from the residency, as well as expenses that artists expect to incur while in residence, including rent, lost income, and childcare. Visit MacDowell.org for more information. Deadline to apply is 2/10
National Endowment for the Arts—Grants for Arts Projects provides expansive funding opportunities to strengthen the nation’s arts and culture ecosystem. Through project-based funding from $10K to $100K, the program supports opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector. Visit arts.gov/grants for details and deadlines.
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
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
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 - 11am @ Gallery 263
2/8 Mizuhiki Awaji Earrings Making Workshop Learn how to make the Awaji knot, which is easy enough for beginners. Whether you have a passion for handcrafts or are looking to explore something new, this is a perfect opportunity to dive in! @ Ko-Kyoto 6pm-7pm $30
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
FILM LISTINGS
2/8 Catch the blaxploitation classic Coffey with Pam Grier seeking revenge @ Coolidge 7:15pm $15.50/$12.50 students
2/11 Experience love’s evolution from magic to realism in Richard Linklater’s iconic The Before Trilogy of movies @ Coolidge $15.50/$12.50 students
2/11 David Lynch’s cool prequel to the beloved TV series, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me @ Brattle 8pm $14.50/$12.50 students
2/16 Grab your plastic spoons and footballs for the greatest unintentional comedy of all time—The Room returns to @ Coolidge After Midnite $15.50/$12.50 students
2/14 - 2/19 Buckle up for 24 hours of otherworldly cinematic frights and delights at the 49th annual Sci Fi Marathon @ Somerville Theatre $100
2/24 Pam Greer’s defining role as the no-shit-taking, ass-kicking Foxy Brown @ Coolidge After Midnite $15.50/$12.50 students
2/26 Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s masterpiece Close-Up is a complicated blend of fiction and documentary that questions identity and artistic creation @ Coolidge 7pm $15.50/$12.50 students
2/28 Celebrate local and international women, trans + non-binary filmmakers at the cool, curated series: Grlhaus cinema @ Brattle 7pm $14.50/$12.50 students
THEATRE LISTINGS
Thru 2/17 Two men from seemingly different worlds unexpectedly open up to each other, exposing their humanity and maybe something more profound in A Case For the Existence of God by Speakeasy Stage Company @ Boston Center for the Arts. Tix at Speakeasystage.com
Thru 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
Thru 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
2/16- 3/10 A 50-year-old lesbian risks everything to transition into their true gender in P. Carl’s autobiographical Becoming A Man @ Loeb Drama Center Tix at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org $35+
WHAT’S HAPPENING BOSTON LISTINGS
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.
2/1 Boston Redline 86—Black History Month Event Series Starting 2/1, join Afrimerican Academy in honoring the past and inspiring an #InclusiveFuture. Be part of the change, be part of #OneBoston. This event series marks 86 years since the issuance of the Boston redline map; you are invited to trace the history over a series of 10 transformative events across 4 historic neighborhoods. Visit linktr.ee/afrimericanone to register All Ages FREE @afrimericanone
2/1 WNDR Boston Museum Opening Check out the WNDR Boston Museum, experience Yayoi Kusama’s masterpiece “Let’s Survive Forever” and explore 20+ interactive exhibits. An ever-evolving immersive art & technology experience. WNDR is a collective of thinkers, artists, poets, and designers working at the intersection of art and technology. @ 500 Washington St, Boston @ 11am All Ages $32 adult / $22 kids
2/2 Tender Love & Care—Creating Loving Communities of Support & Accountability for Educators of Color Join The Teacher's Lounge for an evening of dialogue, community, arts, and celebration as TTL hosts First Friday at the MFA Boston. Participate in a fireside chat with Black educators and teacher leaders to talk about how to address the elephant in the room of how educators working within school systems can lift each other up, hold each other accountable, while dismantling all systems of oppression for the sake of the future of our babies. @ MFA Boston 5pm-9pm 18+ FREE
2/2 Shrek RAVE a Shrek-themed dance party @ Big Night Live 9pm 18+ $35
2/3 Lifted Smoking Goods presents Slap House House, Disco, Funk, Groove dance party, come out for some fun, raffles and chill vibes! @ Rockwell Theatre 9pm 21+ FREE
2/3 Stars Amongst Us: Boston Music and Art Showcase Hosted in a beautiful 8500 sq. foot private members lounge at 33 Dunster Street in Cambridge, this event is 100% smoke-friendly. BYOC. We bring to you a local music and art show for the ages. Combining some of the artists that set the foundation for our vibrant scene in this beautiful city, with the new wave carrying the torch forward, we hope to bring our community together for a night to remember. Tell a friend to tell a friend and let's celebrate the stars amongst us! This one is for the culture. @ 7pm 21+
2/3 THE FEMMES SPECTACULAR LIVE The Femmes are an all women and non-binary band in the Boston area that performs songs by women and non-binary artists. We’re thrilled to be returning to @crystalballroomsomerville for the first time since our Pride Party in June! This one will be bigger than ever—new music, four lead singers, and the FULL band performing together @ Crystal Ballroom Somerville 7pm-11pm 18+ $25
2/4 MuseumTV x SoundLab presents 2nd All Stars Show Come celebrate TheMuseumTV’s 10 Year Anniversary! 10 Years of Exhibiting our Culture’s Stories in various ways! @ Bills Bar Fenway 7pm-11pm 21+ @themuseumtv
2/4 Tết In Boston Get ready for an unforgettable celebration! Join the Vietnamese American Community of Massachusetts at the Vietnamese Lunar New Year Celebration. Enjoy arts and crafts, delicious food, and much more! @ Flynn Cruiseport 10:30am-5pm All Ages $5
2/4 Jelly Jaw Comedy Night Bringing you some of Boston's best rising comedians. Laugh with us until your jaw turns to jelly! @ Tavern In The Square 7pm-9pm 21+ FREE
2/6 PhoneBoy—Moving Out Tour Indie band in an intimate music venue in Lowell @ Taffeta 7pm-10pm 18+ $20
2/7 SubSpace: Adult Experiences Art, science, and technology collide, creating a new wave of nightlife that’s intelligent, provocative, and one-of-a-kind. From musical tributes in the Planetarium to performance art installations, SubSpace is an ever-evolving lab for Boston’s most intriguing and immersive experiences. @ Museum Of Science 9am 21+
2/8 Meet & Greet powered by ExpozedTV eXpand + Collaborate + Network with other dope individuals @ ExpozedTV 7pm All Ages FREE
2/10 Streets + Avenues Celebrate Black History Month this year with some talented folk who will be part of this beautiful night from @amandasheaallday, to @sirclarkd and @djtroyfrost and our stylist @styleherlady. MIT's Music & Theater Arts presents a nice evening to celebrate the intersection of pillars that make up hip hop. Showcasing street art and fashion, dancers, emcees, djs, PULL UP @ 345 Vassar St. in Cambridge @ 6pm-10pm All Ages @amandasheaallday
2/14 Feathers & Frills A Risquè—Valentine's Night Romance Hosted by The Boss of Burlesque—Foxy Tann. With performances by... Lady Luck Burlesque, Mistress Manifest, The Fuck Smarts, Pepper Grinds, and Josh & Ben @ House Of Blues 7pm-10pm 18+ $45-80
2/17 FOUND’s 1 Year Anniversary Vintage Clothing Market To celebrate, FOUND is curating the best vintage + upcycled clothing collection in the area with over 100 small business vendors. The marketplace will be set up with three distinct shopping slots of 2 hours each. DJ sets by: Bobby Bangers, Snax, Where’s Nasty. @ Artists For Humanity Epicenter 11am-5pm All Ages $5-20 @bobbybangers
2/17 GoodVibez Valentines Day Sip & Paint Art supplies provided, 420 friendly, food and drinks available @ Hustle Killer HQ7pm-10pm 21+ $30 @hustle_killer_hq, @hustle_killer
2/18 Amapiano Invasion by Skyla Tylaa @skylatylaa invades BOSTON!!! AMAPIANO x AFROBEATS vibes @ The Grand Boston 9pm 21+ 50
2/22 F*ck Cancer Party Fuck Cancer is nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity through early detection and prevention programs, and by providing resources to navigate, manage, and cope with cancer. We throw F*ck Cancer parties all over the world that give our community a unique bonding experience. By attending, you're not just making a statement, you're helping us make a real impact in the cancer space. @ Big Night Live 9pm 21+ $50
2/23 Concert Crave presents "41 WORLD TOUR" @realkylerichh comes to Worcester with @therealjenncarter & @iamlilta! @ The Palladium Upstairs 7pm-11pm All Ages $40
2/23 Gimme Gimme Disco Salisbury Dancing Queens & Kings, are you ready to have the time of your LIFE singing and dancing along to all your favorite ABBA + disco hits? Your grooviest getup is encouraged, but leave your worries behind! @ Blue Ocean Music Hall 8pm 18+ $15
2/23 Black to the Future: An Afrofuturist Soiree Castle of our Skins is a #Black arts institution dedicated to fostering cultural curiosity & celebrating Black artistry through music. Channel your inner cosmic explorer and don your most avant-garde Afrofuturist attire. Your presence at the soiree supports a brilliant future for Castle of our Skins. Help us raise funds to continue promoting Black artistry, history, and culture through innovative programs and initiatives. @ Black Market Nubian 7pm-10pm All Ages @blackmarketnubian
2/24 HeartBreak Records presents HeartBeats: a networking event for Boston hip hop—the largest Boston hiphop networking event ever done. 25 exclusive invitations, 25 tickets for general sale. Featuring performances by Will Abad, Exoshakeem, and Abstract Minor @ Hustle Killer HQ, Malden 7pm-11pm 18+ @exoshakeem
2/24 ALL THE FEELS Festival Boston's biggest R&B Party is back! Playing some of your favorite R&B songs from the 80’s/90’s to today and featuring some of the best DJ talent in the country; we hope your singing voices are ready! @ House Of Blues 9pm 21+ $20-45
2/25 2024 Monster Energy Outbreak Presents Lil Tecca: HVN ON EARTH TOUR TEC THE ALBUM. Get you some @ MGM Music Hall 8pm 18+
2/29 KPop Club Night North America's premier #KpopParty since 2012 @ Big Night Live 9pm 18+ $31
DIASPORA MASS LISTINGS
~ Highlighting the Black Diaspora within Massachusetts, while promoting brotherhood and sisterhood. ~ Follow at @diasporama on Instagram
2/3 Franklin Park Coalition presents: Winter Festival 2024 Indoor and outdoor activities with music, hot chocolate, board games, arts & crafts, and so much more! Come dressed to play, just in case there may be snow @ Franklin Park Clubhouse 1pm-4pm All Ages FREE
2/3 The Aspiring Scholars & Hustlers Foundation's Scholarship Fundraising Dinner Join the A.S.H. Foundation for their introductory dinner in support of the Ashley Andrade Cardoso Memorial Scholarship @ Knights of Columbus Easton 7pm-11pm $30-$40
2/4 The Boston Food Forest Coalition presents Maple + Walnut Sugaring Workshop Learn from the basics of the sugaring process, from identifying suitable trees to tap, tapping and storage collection techniques, as well as tips on boiling down dilute sap into sweet syrup and other sugar products! @ Edgewater Food Forest 1pm-3pm $5-35
2/7 Company One's Better Future Series presents Threads of Migration A community sip n' stitch supporting Boston refugees. All are welcome, and no knitting or crafting experience is required! Refreshments, instructions and supplies will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own supplies @ Boston City Hall 6pm-8pm All Ages FREE @companyoneboston
2/19 February Break! by Chez Vouz Come enjoy February break at Chez Vouz! Fresh food, fun skating, games and more! @ Chez Vous Skating Rink 2pm All Ages $10 @chezvousskating
2/24 Mayor's Youth Summit Join the City of Boston at the Mayor's Youth Summit! Included will be, free food, entertainment, giveaways, awards, and more! @ Artists For Humanity Epicenter 1pm-6pm FREE
Originally published in-print in Boston Compass Newspaper #166 February 2024
Check out all the art and columns of February's Boston Compass at www.issuu.com/bostoncccompass