Entertainment

Fort Point Theatre Channel presents The Land, a new play written by Jessica Litwak, with Amir al-Azraki. Directed by Marc S. Miller, production design by Anne Loyer. Workshop performances: May 16-18, Thurs.-Fri. at 8 pm; Sat. 7 & 9 pm. Tickets: free, donations welcome. Held at 10 Channel Center Street, Fort Point, Boston, MA 02210. For general information, http://www.fortpointtc.org, 617.750.8900.

The Land is a new play by Jessica Litwak, a U.S. playwright, with Amir al-Azraki, an Iraqi playwright. The first script collaboratively developed by U.S. and Iraqi theater artists, The Land is being workshopped as part of the development of the work toward future full productions. The play is based on an idea by Litwak and al-Azraki.

It's Lilac Sunday over at the Arnold Arboretum.

Food trucks, Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese, Batch Ice Cream, Clover Food Truck, Cupcakory and Slush King are also there.

Take mom over for a treat on her day!

Photo: Steve Garfield CC BY-NC-SA

This early-90s nugget has just been posted to Youtube. Produced and directed by Dan Vitale of Bim Skala Bim, it features numerous live performances by late-80s/early-90s bands, including the Mighty Mighty Bosstones performing in a nearly-empty TT the Bears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueUu6QFG0x4

Includes music by:

Bim Skala Bim
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Dogzilla
Human Nature
Shy Five
Steady Earnest
Batwell Rada

Hope this is of interest to a few around here.

Former Phoenix staffers Liz Pelly and Faye Orlove last week launched the Media, which they hope can alt up the Hub again, initially online, maybe some day in print. Even though they're online, they'll be following a print-like publishing schedule:

[S]oon you'll find photo essays and video footage documenting creative communities around Boston; zine reviews from librarians at the Papercut Zine Library; a forward-thinking "Know Your Rights" column covering everything from dealing with bad landlords to throwing house shows. We'll have horoscopes, comics, and mixtapes.

Pelly adds:

Via Garrett Quinn.

Mike O'Dea yesterday filed a federal lawsuit against Warner Bros. over its plans for a movie called "The Ghostman," about a thief who evades the FBI, saying it infringes his trademark on a comic book and movie he is working on called "Ghostman" about a thief who evades the FBI.

In his suit, filed in US District Court in Boston, O'Dea says he has been working on his project since 2010, has a Web site to promote it and that Warner Bros. needs to knock it off, pronto.

What's the story with all the Fast & Furious low riders and dirt bikes in Downtown Crossing last night? There had to have been at least 50 cars and a couple dozen dirt bikes that brought complete gridlock to the area around 6pm.. Pretty entertaining though..

Aziz Ansari is doing a benefit for bombing victims at the Wilbur Theatre this Sunday. Tickets went on sale at noon today. And, of course, resellers are already trying to make a buck off tickets. At 12:54, the Wilbur warned:

PLEASE DO NOT BUY BROKERED TICKETS FOR THE AZIZ SHOW!
People trying to profiting off of this special benefit show are disgusting.

We are taking action as we speak.

The Herald reports.

At South Station. Boston Magazine interviewed them.

H/t Faye.

The Boston Licensing Board today refused to hear any testimony about an alleged underground music club in Allston, because it only hears cases involving alleged license infractions. Board Chairwoman Nicole Murati Ferrer told Boston Police detectives and Peter Gallagher - cited for allegedly running an unlicensed, beer-serving, admissions-charging music club - and Gallgher's lawyer that the whole thing is best sorted out in court.

The Allston Tavern in the Square has changed its music late at night in an attempt to ward off "a different neighborhood crowd" that has been causing trouble, its lawyer told the Boston Licensing Board today.

Attorney Robert Allen made his comments during a hearing on one of four separate incidents between December and Feburary during which punches were thrown, people were taken to the hospital and shirts were ripped off.

The Boston Licensing Board holds a hearing tomorrow to figure out what to do about Uncle Crummy's, shut by police in January as part of a crackdown on unlicensed music venues in Allston and Brighton.

Peter Gallagher, listed as the operator of the place at 30 Penniman Rd., has to answer to charges he violated state law by running a night club out of a residence, selling beer and shirts, charging a cover charge and having a live band play, all without any licenses. He was cited after a police raid on Jan. 10, when Ramming Speed and Sexcrement were scheduled to play.

Board hearings start at 10 a.m. in its eighth-floor hearing room in City Hall.

Performance at Uncle Crummy's the week before it was shut:

Oh, you just know they'll be burning the midnight oil at the Inside Track tonight, trying to figure out which married male Boston celebrity who was having money trouble last fall tried to pick up some sweet young things at Venu.

The reason we know is because a Lowell man is facing federal blackmail charges today for trying to extort $20,000 from the guy for an incriminating video he claims to have taken there.

In an affidavit, the FBI agent who investigated Felix Paulino referred to his victim only as "John Doe," but said he is "a well-known Boston personality" who is married and about whom "there were media reports in both newspapers and on television" regarding his financial situation.

Slate compiles the evidence that detectives posing as scenesters are trying to ensnare organizers of house parties through online messages that are just off enough to tip the organizers off:

You don't have to be a local-music Agent Smith, though, to tell that some of these emails smell pretty fishy. "Hey there, local P native here," wrote one probable imposter to a local band, (who probably meant to type JP, slang for Jamaica Plain). "What is the Address for the local music show tonight?"

The local music show tonight? Who talks like that about a DIY show? Someone not used to talking about music, that's who. Another message: "Is there any chance I can get the address for this party you are playing tonight? I believe I was once driven to the Drive-In by a friend, (all I know is that it was a JP party space that wasn't Whitehaus), but it's all very foggy."

BPD, Slate reports, declined to comment.

Earlier:
Note to organizers of Allston house shows: Police are watching your online posts.

Pax East is not your typical convention-center kind of exhibition.

Seems they took offense at a Murphy drop kicking a guy giving a Nazi salute in New York last weekend.

Pax East is in town this weekend, bringing a deluge of gamer geeks to town. And yes, there's already been one Mario and Luigi sighting.

Boston Restaurant Talk reports Emerson College decided not to renew the leases for Remington's and Dick Doherty's Beantown Comedy Vault. The bar is closing, while the comedy club will seek new digs.

Some notes on last night's Boston's Finest:

Finnegan's Wake with puppets at Hogan's Run in Brighton.

Wicked Local Brookline reports on all the easement-type changes the cinema is seeking from Town Meeting to build a new screening room.

Just out: "The Great Boston Molasses Flood" by the Dead Milkmen:

Sweet holy Jesus, there's a wall of molasses coming for me and my fam-i-lee.

Listen to the lyrics at the beginning, and you'll notice that whoever wrote them obviously read their Puleo.

H/t Liam Sullivan.

The Cleveland Circle bar goes before the Boston Licensing Board next week for permission to ditch its food-serving license and just serve hard drinks for men who want to get drunk fast - or BC students who just want to relax, at any rate.

Mary Ann's was one of a number of Boston watering holes dinged by a new city enforcement effort over the past four months against bars with food serving licenses that didn't actually serve food. Like the others, Maryanne's was given an warning.

Bars can go all liquid, but only after explaining to the board why they should be allowed to ditch the food and be granted a coveted "general on premises all alcohol beverages" license that has no food requirement.

Also seeking permission to end the food charade: The Beacon Hill Pub, 149A Charles St.

The board's weekly petitions hearing will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27, in its eighth-floor hearing room in City Hall.