Tag: Music

Friday Fun: A Not So Scary Weekend

It’s Friday the 13th and many people are already crossing their fingers in the hope that nothing catastrophic will go wrong today. In fact, the more superstitious amongst us may be giving deep consideration to the dilemma of whether they should stay home and hide from the world in front of their TVs or carry a number of lucky charms to defend themselves from the chaos that may ensue on this “jinxed” day. However, if you’re one of the people that’s just looking for something to do after the day is over or you think the whole Friday the 13th thing is something to scare children and people that suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia (the fear of Friday the 13th), there are a couple of events you should definitely check out this weekend.

First, if you love big musical events, Mix 104.1 is hosting MixFest this weekend at the DCR Memorial Hatch Shell in Boston. This music festival will feature four bands, including Gavin Deshaw, the Backstreet Boys, Of Monsters and Men, and the winner of Mix 104.1’s “15 Seconds of Fame” contest. The festival will also feature a special area just for kids so that you can listen to the music without your kids driving you crazy. Best of all, the whole event is absolutely free unless you really just have to have VIP seats in which case you’ll probably have to win them. For more information on this year’s MixFest, which begins Saturday at 4pm (gates open at 1pm), please visit the Mix 104.1 website.

Secondly, if you’re more interested in gaming than big musical events or your kids are demanding something they can play, you may want to check out the Boston Festival of Indie Games. This festival, which is hosted by MIT, features over 25 independent board games and over 65 independent video games that you can play, vote on, and, if you so choose, purchase. In fact, the festival will not only give you the opportunity to play a whole bunch of games for free but will also give you the opportunity to attend a concert for a $25 fee that features music from well-known video game groups, including Bastion’s Darren Korb, Control Group, DJ Cutman, deadbeatblast, and last but certainly not least, the Video Game Orchestra. For more information on the festival, which begins at 10pm on Saturday, please visit the Boston Festival of Indie Games website.

Friday Fun: Salem Heritage Days

There’s no question that Salem, Massachusetts is typically associated with witches as even the city’s police cars have the image of a witch emblazoned on them. In fact, the city’s police cars not only have the image of a witch, but also have the words “The Witch City” clearly printed below the word “Salem” in almost every logo. As you might guess, this fascination with the witch hysteria (or this hysteria about the hysteria if you will) has caused the month of October to become the city’s big draw because everyone wants to be in Salem for Halloween. However, even though the city is already preparing for the festivities that will occur in a couple of months, there is an event that started this past week and will continue into the weekend that is more aimed at the local crowd than the tourists that come for the witches. This event is Salem’s Heritage Days.

Salem’s Heritage Days is a week-long celebration of everything that Salem has to offer. The celebration, which began last weekend and runs until this Sunday, features an antique car show, a comedy show, a Jazz and Soul Festival, a Kid’s Night with rides and games, music, a street fair, a women’s 5k run that includes wine and chocolate for each of the runners afterwards, and a bunch of other events. Best of all, these events are just the events happening this weekend as part of the festival and most of the events are free. If you’re interested in finding out more about Salem’s Heritage Day celebration, you can find all of the information you need and more on the City of Salem website.

Friday Fun: Music and Art Weekend

I don’t know how the weather’s been where you are, but for most people, it’s been one strange summer. In fact, it was over 100 degrees in some places last week with the sun shining so brightly that most people were desperately trying to get out of the sun before they burst into flames. However, this week, at least in the Northeast, it’s 60 degrees and so wet that everyone and everything from the flowers to the small scurrying creatures that are trying to hide under the petals would really like to see that big, bright ball of flame in the sky dry things out a bit. To be honest, it’s just one of those summers where no one can really decide what they want because no matter what they wish for, they end up trying to hide inside where it is cool and dry. Fortunately, if you’re really getting sick of hiding inside your stuffy house with your A/C cranked up or your windows closed so the rain doesn’t get in, you’re in luck because there are a couple of interesting events happening in the Boston area this weekend.

If you’re a big fan of the arts, you may want to check out Copley Square. The Boston Globe, Citizen’s Bank, and WGBH are hosting the 2nd annual Summer Arts Weekend, which runs from tonight, Friday, July 26th at 7:00 p.m. to Sunday, July 28th. This festival, which celebrates art in all its forms, will feature a number of live performances by local bands and Grammy-winning musicians, panels with reality TV chefs, dancers, and a whole lot more. However, one of the best things about the Summer Arts Weekend is that almost all of the events are absolutely free. For more information on the festival, please visit the Summer Arts Weekend website.

If, on the other hand, you like your art to be a little more on the traditional side, Lowell may have exactly what you’re looking for this weekend. The City of Lowell, the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Lowell National Historic Park, the Lowell Festival Foundation, and the National Council for the Traditional Arts are hosting the Lowell Folk Festival from tonight, Friday, July 26th at 6:40 p.m. to Sunday, July 28th at 6:15 p.m. This traditional music and art festival features folk music, woodcarving, stone carving, and a whole lot more from both local and visiting artists and musicians. And, if all of this isn’t a good enough reason for you to attend, all of the events at the Lowell Folk Festival are completely free (you will have to pay for drinks, food, or merchandise if you want any of that though.) For more information on the Lowell Folk Festival, please visit the 2013 Lowell Folk Festival website.

Friday Fun: First Weekend of Summer

Today marks the first official day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and it already looks like this weekend is going to be a great time to enjoy the nice weather if you live in the Northeast. In fact, the sun is shining, the temperatures are in the mid 70’s, and the cats of the world are already trying to figure out the best way to get to the birds singing outside. As a result, this weekend is offering up the perfect weather to start off the summer right, and if you’re looking for a good way to get out of the office and enjoy the weather this weekend, you may want to look into a few of these events.

First, if your kids are really into kites or they’re driving you so crazy that you’re ready to tell them to “go fly a kite!”, you may want to head on over to Spectacle Island this weekend. Spectacle Island is holding a kite-flying day tomorrow, June 22, 2013, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm. This event will not only allow your kids to fly a kite in one of the best places to fly a kite in Boston, but will also allow your family to build their own kite for free. So, as Mary Poppins would say, “Let’s go fly a kite up to the highest height.” For more information, please visit the Boston Harbor Islands website.

Secondly, if you and/or your family are more into carnivals than kites, you can always head on over to Revere Beach. This weekend marks the last weekend of the Revere Beach Carnival, which means it’s your last chance to enjoy the food, rides, games, and petting zoo this year. The carnival is open from 1 pm to approximately 10:00 or 11:00 pm all weekend, and if you would like more information or discount coupons, check out the Fiesta Shows website.

Finally, if you’re really looking for some way to include your dog in your outdoor activities this weekend, the Avenue Marketing Group may have exactly what you’re looking for. The Avenue Marketing Group is hosting Pooch-A-Palooza on Saturday and Sunday this weekend from 10 am to 7 pm at Prowse Farm in Canton, MA. Pooch-A-Palooza is an outdoor dog festival featuring dog contests, music, kid’s games, food for both humans and dogs, and a whole lot more. For more information, please visit the Pooch-A-Palooza website.

Friday Fun: The Power of Music

“Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” “Music is the voice that tells us that the human race is greater than it knows.” These quotes from William Congreve, Victor Hugo, and Napoleon Bonaparte, respectively, are from three very different people. However, all of these individuals had one thing in common — they all understood the power of music.

The power of music is something that we see on a day to day basis because music, as these three individuals suggested, has the power to soothe us, to express things that we don’t know how to say, and to demonstrate the strength of the human spirit. As a result, it’s important to remember that music is so much more than some simple words put to a pleasant tune, and if you’re looking for a way to soothe your mind and escape the trials and tribulations of the world around you, you may just want to know about some of the musical events that are taking place in the Boston area this weekend.

First, if you’re a fan of the opera or you want to be able to tell all of your friends that you have some serious “class”, you may want to check out the Boston Lyric Opera’s production of The Flying Dutchman. The Boston Lyric Opera, which is the largest and one of the most well-respected opera companies in the Northeast, is performing the original version of Richard Wagner’s tale of a cursed sea captain and the woman who loves him tonight at 7:30 P.M., Sunday afternoon at 3:00 P.M., Wednesday (5/1/2013) at 7:30 P.M., next Friday (5/3/2013) at 7:30 P.M., and next Sunday afternoon (5/5/2013) at 3:00 P.M. To find out more about the show and to purchase tickets, please visit the Boston Lyric Opera’s website.

Second, if you like musical theater, but the opera is not really your thing, you may want to look into attending the Berklee College of Music’s production of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Students from the Berklee College of Music are performing James Rado and Gerome Ragni’s well-known stage show about peace, social injustice, rock and roll, and the hippie movement tonight at 7:30. For more information on the show and to purchase tickets, please visit the Berklee College of Music’s event page

Finally, if you’re looking for something a little more current than music from 1841 or 1967 and you don’t mind waiting until Wednesday, Radio may have what you’re looking for. Radio, which is a relatively new club in Somerville, is hosting a fundraiser for the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing called Radio Loves Boston at 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday (5/1/2013.) This show will feature 20 independent bands playing every type of rock known to man, and all of the proceeds from the show will go to the One Fund Boston. If you’re interested in finding out more about the show, visit Radio’s Facebook page.