Friday, Jan. 12
“Museo Inmigrante: Stories of Resilience from Somerville’s Padres Latinos” exhibit from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, in the Spring Hill neighborhood (and viewable every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through March 23). $5. Launching today, this collection of works by award-winning photographers Mario Quiroz and Iaritza Menjivar puts its lens on members of a mutual aid group launched during the pandemic to advocate for Latino students in Somerville Public Schools and explores stories about immigration, home, family, memory, community and finding purpose. Information is here.
CultureHouse opening party from 5 to 8 p.m. at CultureHouse Union Square, 64 Union Square, Somerville. Free. Check out this new, free-to-enter intergenerational pop-up that will be a public space pilot, a living room for the community, a resource center and an arts, culture and business incubator. Information is here.
Resilience Rising: Haiti from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Somernova, 21 Properzi Way, in Ward 2, Somerville, between Porter and Union squares. Free. Join the City of Somerville in commemorating the spirit of hope, unity, and resilience that has defined Haiti’s journey over the past decade. Features a presentation on the country’s history, musical selection, dance and more. Information is here.
Cuban Dance with Boston Rueda from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and continuing every Friday). $15. No partner or experience necessary to learn this group dance to Cuban and other salsa music involving the changing of partners. Information is here.
Dance/works at 7 p.m at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s Fitzgerald Auditorium, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. $10. Performances feature a range of styles and music, danced and choreographed by CRLS students, plus guest-choreographed works from alumni or dancers in the Boston area. Information is here.
Boston Celtic Music Festival at 7 p.m. (and continuing through Sunday). $25 to $35. This twice-annual homegrown celebration marks its 21st anniversary of showcasing Greater Boston’s deep tradition of music, song and dance from Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, Quebecois and other Celtic communities. This time it includes 60-plus musicians, workshops and participatory musical sessions and dances over the course of a weekend at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge; Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square; The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville; and The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. Information is here.
Gogofski and Revma perform at 7 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25 and all ages. Two international bands with vocalists: Gogofski captures the complex dance rhythms of Macedonia and the heart-wrenching Sevdah song tradition of Bosnia; Revma plays a blend of Greek village, island and urban roots music. Information is here.
Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer concert at 7 and 9 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $33 to $59 and 8-plus. The Rasa String Quartet, illuminated by glowing candles, plays selections of Zimmer’s music from 12 films, including four directed by Christopher Nolan. Information is here.
“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Jan. 21). $55 to $150. An award-winning team of Latine artists created this American Repertory Theater stage production of the 2002 film that resonates with its story of the immigrant experience, friendship and dreams. Information is here.
Boston Urban Ceilidh at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $25. As part of the 21st Annual Boston Celtic Music Festival, learn participatory and social dances from the Cape Breton and Scottish traditions to live music, no experience necessary. Includes a performance from Highland Dance Boston and wraps up with a free-form dance to the Celtic EDM project Ramblxr (bagpipes, banjo and more!). Information is here.
“Hear Her Sing for Freedom” at 7:30 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge (and continuing through Sunday). $35. Natasha Ellis reprises her acclaimed performance from last year in the role of Coretta Scott King, a vocalist and political activist before she met Martin Luther King Jr. An annual MLK holiday tradition including a freedom concert with Ellis narrating biographical details between the musical numbers. Information is here.
A Band of Killers performs with special guest Kevin Barry from 9 p.m. to midnight at The Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood between Harvard and Porter squares, Cambridge (and continuing Saturday). $20. A group featuring top players in the Boston music scene who have worked with and alongside some of the best in the business. Information is here.
Saturday, Jan. 13
Wildlife Tracking from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free and ages 6-plus. Mass Audubon field teachers help decipher animal tracks in the snow to learn who has been nearby and what they were up to. Information is here.
Belmont World Film’s 21s Family Festival from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Apple Cinemas Cambridge, 168 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge Highlands near Alewife and Fresh Pond (and continuing through Jan. 21 at other area cinemas). $12,. or $40 for a family four-pack. This four-day celebration of international culture for children ages 3-12 and their families includes a mix of animated and live-action feature-length and short films from around the world in English and multiple languages – even sign language. Information is here.
Boston Celtic Music Festival (continued) from noon to 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square; The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville; and The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25 to $30. Information is here.
Bead Therapy jewelry workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $15 to $30. Zangar Freeman of ZMakesBeads’ workshop covers the basics of semiprecious stones and other natural materials in a tranquil space. Participants will keep the pieces they make. Information is here.
“Creative Minds, Diverse Thoughts: Exploring Neurodiversity through Artistic Expression” from 1 to 3 p.m. in the community room at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. Heyon Choi talks about her art exhibit “Visions of a Dream: Autistic Artists Interpret Martin Luther King Jr.,” which showcases work from Korean and American artists on the autism spectrum. She invites attendees to view it along the hallway and create crafts inspired by it during an informal workshop (materials provided). Information is here.
The Boston Typewriter Orchestra at CCTV Live Wire Sessions from 1 to 4 p.m. at Cambridge Community Television, 438 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Free. Though the literally named orchestra can sound more like a marching band, you can also hear performances from Toto Robyn (composer of ambient, downtempo, dance and chiptune music), Noiz Code and This Is Not Okay. Information is here.
“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $70 to $150. Information is here.
“Amazigh New Year” festival of the Amazigh culture from 5 to 10 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. An evening of live music, folk dancing, presentations and activities surrounding the heritage, language and art of these peoples native to North Africa. Sponsored by the Boston-based Amazigh American Network Organization. Information is here.
Tales of a Reluctant World Traveler from 6 to 8 p.m. at CultureHouse Union Square, 64 Union Square, Somerville. Free. Part travel slide show, part comedy and part off-kilter author talk by self-described “Somerville homebody” Randy Ross, who spent 16 weeks traveling on four continents and couldn’t come home soon enough. Information is here.
Olivie Blake reads from “The Atlas Complex” at 7 p.m. at First Parish in Cambridge Meeting House, 3 Church St./1446 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square. $10, or $36 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the author of the bestselling novel “The Atlas Six” talks with “Yellowface” author R.F. Kuang about the much-anticipated conclusion to her intricately woven fantasy trilogy about magicians within a dark academia. Information is here.
The Sarasa Ensemble presents “French New Wave Baroque” at 7 p.m. at Friends Meeting House, 5 Longfellow Park, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25. A program of chamber music performed with flute, violin, cellos and harpsichord that includes works by Mondonville, Couperin, Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Blavet and Georg Phillip Telemann. Information is here.
West Coast Swing with Alli Reese and Maxwell Thew from 7 p.m. to midnight at George Dilboy VFW Post 529, 351 Summer St., Davis Square, Somerville. $10 to $30. Two intermediate workshops, one beginner workshop and social dancing with DJ Max. Sponsored by Dirty Water West Coast Swing. Information is here.
Comedians Clare O’Kane and Eugene Mirman from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25 and 21-plus. No dancing, no music, just laughing so hard the beer comes out your nose. Information is here.
Le Vent du Nord performs at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $35. As part of the Boston Celtic Music Festival, the award-winning five-piece band from Québec plays their highly rhythmic and soulful music rooted in the Celtic diaspora and enhanced with a broad range of global influences. Information is here.
“Hear Her Sing for Freedom” (continued) at 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $35. Information is here.
Ashes to Ashes: The “Heroes” Tribute to David Bowie from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. at ManRay, 40 Prospect St., Central Square, Cambridge. $12 to $15 and 19-plus. The nightclub’s annual celebration of the life, artistry, legacy and music of David Bowie. With DJ Chris Ewen mixing all Bowie, all night long, and video projections by Mike Fulham. Information is here.
A Band of Killers performs with special guests Kevin Barry and Christian McNeill (continued) from 9 p.m. to midnight at The Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood between Harvard and Porter squares, Cambridge. $20. Information is here.
Fuego y Candela 12th Year Anniversary Salsa Extravaganza from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at the Dante Alighieri Society Center, 41 Hampshire St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $20. Social dancing (salsa, mambo, guaguancó, cha-cha) with music from DJ Condori that starts with a one-hour lesson with guest artist Nery Garcia. Information is here.
Neo-Tokyo: Cyberpunk Theme Party from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Massasoit Elks Lodge, 55 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge. $20 to $30 and 21-plus. Dance to all modern styles of futuristic music spun by special guest DJ Cyberpunk and play retro video games. Dress for the dystopian undertone theme. Information is here.
Sunday, Jan. 14
Boston Celtic Music Fest Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Eat at this final BCMFest event while listening to the Mrs. Wilberforce duo of Kyra Davies (fiddle, viola, vocals) and Sean Smith (guitar, bouzouki, tenor banjo, vocals) play music from Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton. Information is here.
Studio 54 Drag Brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Summer Shack, 149 Alewife Brook Parkway, Alewife, Cambridge. $20. Have a meal and disco dance to Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Chic, Gloria Gaynor, Grace Jones, Sylvester, ABBA, Earth, Wind & Fire and more! Hosted by Neon Calypso. Information is here.
Talk of the Town Vendor Pop-up from 1 to 6 p.m. at Somernova, 21 Properzi Way, in Ward 2, Somerville, between Porter and Union squares. Free. Shop with some local growing artists and businesses at this open community vendor pop-up, plus enjoy the Dojo space with entertainment and games. Information is here.
“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 2 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $75 to $155. Information is here.
“Hear Her Sing for Freedom” (continued) at 3 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $35. Information is here.
Crossroads of Sound: Makam Journeys from Armenia to Anatolia from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at New School of Music, 25 Lowell St., West Cambridge. $25. Boston-area composer and multi-instrumentalist Samuel Sjostedt is accompanied by Crossroads of Sound’s ensemble of musicians combining piano, violin and double bass with oud, duduk, kanun, ney, baglama and kemence. Information is here.
54 Love Train from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at ManRay, 40 Prospect St., Central Square, Cambridge. $12 to $15. All disco, all night, with DJ Brian Halligan and DJ Chris Ewen. Creative ’70s Studio 54 attire is extremely encouraged. Information is here.
Monday, Jan. 15
Belmont World Film’s 21st Family Festival (continued) from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $12, or $40 for a family four -pack. Information is here.
Martin Luther King Day Commemoration and Remembrance from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Ave., Riverside near Central Square, Cambridge. Free. The City of Cambridge honors King and his legacy with members of the Cambridge community sharing readings calling for peace, justice and transformation, as well as musical performances by gospel soloist Christina DeVaughn and others. This year’s program includes a greeting from Mayor E. Denise Simmons and remarks by the Rev. Lorraine Thornhill of the Kingdom Empowerment Center in Cambridge. The program will be followed by lunch by the Cambridge Peace Commission, organizer of the event. Information is here.
Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras performs a tribute to King at 1 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Free. The 17th annual Martin Luther King Jr. tribute concert from the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras and Museum of African American History. Classical music, spirituals and freedom songs alongside remarks, readings and spoken word from distinguished leaders on the power and promise of the civil rights hero. Information is here.
14th Annual Cambridge MLK Day of Service and Learning from 2 to 5 p.m. at various public spaces in Central Square with the welcome gathering at Central Square Church, 5 Magazine St., Cambridge. Free and all ages, but register. The event includes a 2 p.m. presentation at the church where King spoke Jan. 10, 1960, followed by the Good Trouble Brass Band leading attendees to the Senior Center, YWCA and City Hall to work in groups making blankets and scarves for those in need, creating valentines for vets and lonely elders or the homeless, and sorting clothing and books for local shelters. All are encouraged to bring nonperishable food, gently used winter clothing, children’s books or new warm socks to donate. Information is here.
Beginner Belly Dance from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and every Monday through Feb. 12). $20 or $70 for a four-class pass. All skill levels are welcome to learn technique and choreography from professional belly dancer and instructor Sabrina Mijares. Information is here.
Boston Queer Fiber Arts Night at 6 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Work on your own project, sip some beer and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow queer crafters. Information is here.
Tuesday, Jan. 16
Contemporary Book Group from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Rossi Room of the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. January’s title: “All the Sinners Bleed” by S.A. Crosby. Information is here.
Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day lecture from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. This 49th annual lecture is by Randall Kennedy of Harvard Law School, whose research focuses on the intersection of racial conflict and legal institutions in American life. Information is here.
Songwriting Workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. R&B singer/songwriter Tamera King teachers, as well as talks with Latin singer-songwriter Katiria about the music industry. Come prepared to engage; bring instruments, notebooks or devices you need to create. Presented by Grind Con and ExpozedTV. Information is here.
Outdoor Pub Sing from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. A pub-style singalong where anyone is welcome to lead – drinking songs, sea chanteys and any song with a singable chorus will be appreciated. There will be a propane fire pit and marshmallows to toast; other snacks are welcome. Information is here.
John Carpenter’s Birthday screening: “Assault on Precinct 13” at 6:30 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $12.50 to $14.50. Watch a restoration of the director’s first proper feature on his birthday. The 1976 neo-noir action thriller is the final offering of The Brattle’s annual series of newly restored or remastered films. Information is here.
“Book Moot” discusses “Yours for the Taking” by Gabrielle Korn at 6:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. $26.99. This month’s group discusses a “mesmerizing story of queer love, betrayal and chosen family, and an unflinching indictment of cis, corporate feminism” set in a climate-changed Brooklyn in 2050. Information is here.
O’Connell Branch Adult Book Group from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library O’Connell Branch, 48 Sixth St., East Cambridge. Free. January’s title: “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles. Information is here.
Ashley Dawson reads from “Environmentalism from Below: How Global People’s Movements Are Leading the Fight for Our Planet” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The challenges of food, urban sustainability, energy transition and conservation are spotlighted. Sanjay Krishnan, author of “V. S. Naipaul’s Journeys,” joins the conversation. Information is here.
Gabe Cole Novoa reads from “Most Ardently: A Pride and Prejudice Remix” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic work. Bestselling young adult novelist Sara Farizan joins the conversation. (Masks are required.) Information is here.
“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $50 to $150. Information is here.
Wednesday, Jan. 17
Valente Branch Book Group from noon to 1 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. Free. This new book group for fiction and nonfiction discusses “A Tale for the Time Being” by Ruth Ozeki. Information is here.
“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35 to $150. Information is here.
Streetwise speaker series from 6 to 7 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville (and every third Wednesday). Free. Co-sponsored by the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee and Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets. This month’s speakers are Aaron Myers and Edward “Ed Word” Galan, co-founders of A Trike Called Funk, who will give “a three-wheeled case study in creativity, connectivity and community.” Information is here.
Beginner Social Media Strategy Workshop Series for Small Businesses from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cambridge Community Television, 438 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square (also Jan. 24 and 31). Free. A three-part hands-on workshop where you’ll build your own social media strategy by making your own graphics with Canva, research effective hashtags for your business and learn how to post on different social media platforms. Come prepared with your own device. Information is here.
A Conversation with Ashwini and Ranee Ramaswamy from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. In conjunction with her innovative “Let the Crows Come” dance performance Jan. 19-20 at Boston’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre, choreographers Ashwini and her mother Ranee discuss the dance company they run with Ashwini’s sister Aparna, and cultivating creativity through artistic cultural leadership. A reception with light foods precedes the 7 p.m. conversation. Sponsored by Celebrity Series of Boston. Information is here and here.
Leta Hong Fincher reads from “Leftover Women” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. The author, a research associate at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, discusses developments in China in the past 10 years, including a “three child policy,” growth in online feminist and LGBTQ activism and the state’s increasing repression of dissent. Cambridge-based author Moira Weigel, a professor at Northeastern University and a Harvard Law School faculty associate, joins the conversation. Information is here.
Workers Party, Cambridge organizing meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Malala Yousafzai Library at The Democracy Center, 45 Mount Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Join members of the Workers Party of Massachusetts to discuss forming a Cambridge Workers Party Local. Those interested in membership are encouraged to read the Party Program and Party Constitution before attending. Information is here.
Poets Julia Lisella, J.D. Scrimgeour and Lynne Viti read from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10, but register. With an introduction by Richard Hoffman. Information is here.
Thursday, Jan. 18
Thursday Morning Talks: Susan Crawford from 10:15 a.m. to noon at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., West Cambridge. $125 (suggested donation for a series subscription), and registration is required. The topic is “Moving Day: Planned Relocation and Climate Change” from a Harvard Law School professor and former special assistant for science, technology and innovation policy in the Obama administration. The January and February lecture series is a fundraiser for Mount Auburn Hospital in its 87th year. Information is here.
“Everybody Knows … Elizabeth Murray” screening from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bartos Theater, 20 Ames St., Building E-15, atrium level, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Painter and printmaker Murray, the fifth woman to be celebrated with a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, is best known for her fragmented and shaped canvases with colorful compositions using varied materials for an almost sculptural effect. The 2016 film shows the artist, who presented at MIT’s List Visual Arts Center in 1987 and 2002, also as a mother of three. Sponsored by the. Information is here.
The Radical King Symposium from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. A My Brother’s Keeper Cambridge Task Force panel discussion guided by King’s work examines race, education, housing, income inequality and other issues, moderated by Tony Clark with the Rev. Jeremy Battle of Western Avenue Baptist Church; Melissa Colon, of the University of Massachusetts at Boston; Brian Corr, executive director of Cambridge’s Peace Commission; Victoria Greer, superintendent of Cambridge Public Schools; Yi-An Huang, city manager of Cambridge; Roeshana Moore-Evans, executive director of The Harvard Legacy of Slavery; and Tania Fernandes Anderson, Boston city councilor. Information is here.
Nell Greenfieldboyce reads from “Transient and Strange: Notes on the Science of Life” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. A debut book of personal essays by a science correspondent for NPR that probes where science touches our lives most intimately. (The title comes from Walt Whitman.) Logan McCarty, assistant dean of science education at Harvard, joins the conversation. Information is here.
Laura Beretsky reads from “Seizing Control: Managing Epilepsy and Others’ Reactions to it” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. In her new memoir, the Somerville-based Beretsky chronicles her personal and professional challenges managing epilepsy in order to increase awareness of the condition. She launched her “All Things Epilepsy” blog/newsletter in 2022 and is a community preservation activist and part-time grant writer employed by MIT. Harvard Medical School neurology professor Steven Schachter joins her in conversation about the challenges of managing a perceptible medical condition. Information is here.
Author Talk: The search for extraterrestrials and the modern-day relevance of Albert Einstein from 7 to 9 p.m. at Phillips Auditorium, 60 Garden St., about 1 mile west of Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, author of “Interstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars,” talks with Benyamin Cohen, who helps run Einstein’s Facebook, X and Instagram accounts and wrote “The Einstein Effect: How the World’s Favorite Genius Got into Our Cars, Our Bathrooms and Our Minds.” Be there or be squared (2). Information is here.
’90s Trivia Night with Climable from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Lamplighter Brewing, 284 Broadway, The Port, Cambridge. $5 to $20 and 21-plus. Compete and win prizes, with all ticket costs going to the Cambridge nonprofit Climable, which works with local environmental justice communities to increase energy democracy and climate resilience. Information is here.
Never Say Never Band performs from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $12. Music was how saxophonist Bobby Tynes, the Fletcher Maynard Academy principal, met sultry jazz vocalist Tracy Rose Tynes, who manages the Cambridge Public Schools nurses. The couple formed their band in 2008. Information is here.
“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $50 to $150. Information is here.
Gotta Bal: Beginner Balboa Dancing at 7:30 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $10 to $13. Get a lesson in the first hour on how to dance pure Balboa, and learn how it differs from Lindy hop. DJ’d social dancing starts at 8:30 p.m. Soft, flexible, thin-leather or suede soles only. Information is here.
Bill Jones Trio performs at 7:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Tenor and soprano saxophonist Bill Jones has been a regular on the jazz scene since he moved to Boston in 1999 to study at the New England Conservatory. Information is here.
Boston Text and Tone Festival at 7:30 p.m. at Distler Performance Hall, Tufts University, 20 Talbot Ave., Medford (and continuing through Sunday at other locations). $20. This weekend, venues in the Somerville area, Boston and Brookline host concerts celebrating language as a doorway to experiencing the richness and diversity of human and musical expression. Concert I of this new four-concert festival is “Text and Tone: deconstructed” and features poetry recitation; vocalists Alexis Peart, James Demler and Daon Drisdom; and pianists Elias Dagher and Pierre-Nicolas Colombat. Information is here.
Friday, Jan. 19
“Flora x Fauna” exhibit’s final day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St., Harvard Square. Free. Last chance to see works inspired by the natural world created by visual arts students and instructors in the center community. Information is here.
Cuban Dance with Boston Rueda (continued) from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $15. Information is here.
“Do It for the Boys” opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at Gallery 263, 263 Pearl St., Cambridgeport. Free. In his first solo exhibition, photographer Nathan Bolton presents images of the Los Angeles Rebellion, one of the United States’ four original Queer/Inclusive rugby teams, as it returns for a 20th season amid increasingly anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric nationwide. Information is here.
Underground Magic with Jonathan Vale at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $18 and 21-plus. The New England mentalist magician blends storytelling, philosophy and psychology to astound audiences with magic and mind reading that feels real, that’s engaging and also makes them laugh. Information is here.
The Far Out perform at 7 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25. Come ready to dance to this high-energy pop-funk group made up of lifelong friends from Massachusetts’s North Shore. They’re multi-instrumentalists who have powerful voices and groovy horn lines. Also playing: Somerville’s Birds Already. Information is here.
Kyle Chayka reads from “Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The New Yorker magazine staff writer and author of “The Longing for Less” traces the creeping, data-driven equations that try to anticipate human desires and asks, “Is personal freedom possible on the Internet?” Oliver Munday, creative director of Doubleday and author of “Don’t Sleep,” joins the conversation. Information is here.
Age of Aquarius dance performance from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and continuing through Sunday). Free to $50 sliding scale. The local Click collaborative tells stories through dance of growing up, old and into oneself with depictions of universal experiences that balance joy and anxiety. Information is here.
“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $60 to $150. Information is here.
This Music presents horn player Stephen Haynes with a new quartet from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. Haynes (cornet, flugelhorn), Pandelys Kayorgis (vintage keyboards and piano), Kit Demos (bass) and Eric Rosenthal (drums and percussion) improvise with a strong and engaging collective voice with spontaneous offerings of groove and melody. Information is here.
Show Me Your Bits improv show from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the Café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $10. Jonathan Anderson and friends from Union Comedy and Boston’s Improv Asylum do stand-up, characters, music and sketch comedy so “silly and thought-provoking” it prompts follow-up questions from the audience. Information is here.
Billy Novick and the Shades of Swing perform for Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $13 to $20. This social partner dance with live music includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required; no street shoes allowed. Information is here.
A stronger
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