Thursday, April 18
Fresh “Ponding” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the boardwalk of Black’s Nook at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, in West Cambridge at Fresh Pond, Cambridge. Free, all ages. Drop in and join ranger Tim Puopolo to look through scoops of “pond muck” to find all the beautiful things living in it, from tadpoles to turtles and nymphs. Buckets, bins, nets, microscopes, magnifying glasses and nature guides are provided. Information is here.
MIT Museum 2024 April School Vacation Week from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge (and continuing through April 21). Free with museum admission, but the family workshop on biomaterial testing is $10 to $20 extra. The week of activities continues on topics such as microscopy, Crispr DNA editing and automata with science experiments, fruit music and an entire day on outer space. Information is here.
Earth Day Celebration from noon to 2 p.m. at Harvard’s Science Center Plaza between Harvard Yard at Kirkland and Oxford streets, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Bring everyday items you no longer need and pick up stuff for free at a Freecycle, recycle electronics, get a check-up on your bike and more. Information is here.
Sicangu Lakota Hip Hop artist Frank Waln premieres a song from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge. Free, but register. As part of “We Gather in the Spring to Help in our Healing / Waná Wétu Owíčhota Owášt,” Frank Waln or Oyate Teca Obmani (“Walks with Young People”), an award-winning Hip Hop artist and music producer from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, concludes his residency at the Harvard ArtLab with a participatory gathering of music and storytelling inspired by elements of Lakota culture. Information is here.
Massachusetts Space Week at the brewery from 5:30 to 11 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. The Space Consortium’s Massachusetts Space Week features these Aeronaut events: Space Hackathon (5:30 p.m.), Space Trivia Night (8 p.m.) and Space Board Game Night (9 p.m.). Information is here.
Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., reads from “We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For” at 6 p.m. The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $34 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the Princeton professor and bestselling author of “Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own” argues that the hard work of becoming a better person – even heroes – should be a critical feature of Black politics. National Book Award winning author of “South to America” Imani Perry joins. Information is here.
MIT Spring 2024 Architecture Lecture Series: Teddy Cruz and Fonna Forman at 6 p.m. in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Long Lounge (Building 7-429), 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Free, but register. The University of California, San Diego, professors discuss their work on “citizenship culture” at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the network of civic spaces and social housing projects they’ve co-developed with migrant communities. Also livestreamed. Information is here.
Riverside Naturalists: History of Magazine Beach Park from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport (also April 25). Free, but register and adults only. Explore flora, fauna and fungi and observe the connections between them and us during two guided walks per month: one focuses on the seasonal changes and the other focuses on nature journaling (documenting observations – no art experience required). Information is here.
Margot Anne Kelley reads from “A Gardener at the End of the World” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. In her new book, the writer and photographer explores some of the complex relationships connecting people, seeds and viruses, and traces strands of our collective co-evolution. Information is here.
The Bread and Puppet Theater: The Hope Principle Show at 7 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $20. Subtitled “Citizens’ Shame and Hope in the Time of Genocide,” director Peter Schumann’s brand-new play for the political theater company’s 61st year includes “citizen despair gymnastics,” “a flock of disaster ravens,” a “hope principle caribou” and “exorcism rites for the genociders,” all served up with the troupe’s famous sourdough bread. Information is here.
Poet Raisa Tolchinsky on boxing at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The poet’s debut poetry collection “Glass Jaw” is based on her time training as a fighter in New York City and explores a quest that’s spiritual as well as physical. Annette Yoshiko Reed, a Muay Thai fighter and Stendahl chair of divinity at Harvard, joins. Information is here.
Poets Tongo Eisen-Martin and Jackie Wang from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10, but register. With an introduction by Keith Jones. Information is here.
Poetry Reading and open mic from 7 to 8 p.m. at Harvard Art Museums, Menschel Hall, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Scheduled readers for the first hour followed by an open floor for others to read (three minutes each). Scheduled poets include Imani Davis, Mia Word, Myles Taylor, Imani Fonfield and Porsha Olayiwola. Information is here.
Blues Union April Classes and Dances from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dance Union, 16 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville (also April 25). $10 to $25. Includes a lesson in the first hour followed by an hour to socialize, rest or practice with a partner before two hours of social dancing. This time, Dan Repsch teaches and DJs. Wear shoes that allow you to pivot; no need to bring a partner. Information is here.
Guitarist Kyran Daniel performs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25. The musician, composer, producer and musical director worked with a cohort of Australian artists and, after touring Europe, is finishing a solo album filled with global influences and cinematic soundscapes. Information is here.
Popcorn Comedy with Dan Boulger from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $20. The winner of 2006’s Boston Comedy Festival with appearances on Comedy Central, The Late Late Show on CBS, the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival and more headlines a night of freshly popped stand-up in the historic theater’s intimate microcinema. Information is here.
Third Thursdays jazz with Dave Bryant and Friends at 8 p.m. at Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Ave., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. Keyboardist and composer Bryant host a festival of keyboardists including Steve Lantner, Tatiana Castro Mejia, Eric Zinman and Pandelis Karayorgis. Information is here.
Friday, April 19
MIT Museum 2024 April School Vacation Week (continued) from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Most activities are free with museum admission. Information is here.
Japanese Paper Theater and Origami from 1 to 2 p.m. at CultureHouse, 64 Union Square, Somerville. Free. Yuki Izuyama tells Japanese folktales with “kamishibai” or “paper theater,” a type of century-old street performance theater enjoyed by children in Japan. Information is here.
Mayors Imagining the Just City, Vol. 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Mayors from several states discuss planning and design interventions to address racial, social and environmental justice. Moderated by Harvard’s Toni L. Griffin, who leads The Just City Lab and is founder of UrbanAC in New York. Information is here.
The Asian American Dance Troupe performs “Eastbound 2024” at 4 and 8 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $12 to $25. A celebration of Asian dance culture with 16 pieces ranging from traditional fan dance to K-pop to hip-hop. Information is here.
“Redefining Three Moments of ‘Necessary Trouble’ in the Philippines” lecture from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Harvard University’s Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, S020, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. Professor and peace advocate Ed Garcia, a framer of the 1987 Philippine constitution on the topic of “Reinventing Resistance.” Information is here.
Cambridge Center for Adult Education recent works exhibition opening reception from 6 to 7 p.m. at 42 Brattle St., Harvard Square. Free. A competitive selection of student artwork on show and a celebration of the CCAE’s visual arts and crafts department, plus an awards presentation. Information is here.
“Open Space: Life at Cambridge’s Danehy Park” film screening from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free and all ages, but register. One theme from Federico Muchnik’s documentary, which focuses on the varied mix of people and activities in the 50-acre park, is that being in nature helps us become better versions of ourselves. Information is here.
Harvard-Radcliffe Modern Dance’s “The Eleventh Hour” at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Dance Center, 66 Garden St., in the Avon Hill neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge (also Saturday). $10. The show aims to visualize the movement and struggle against time and limits. Information is here.
Paul Giamatti’s “Chinwag” at 7 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $49. The “Sideways” actor and his author-philosopher friend Stephen Asma wander “really, really deep into the wilderness of the mind” as they talk with prominent guests from diverse fields, yielding unexpected, hilarious and maybe even profound insights. Information is here.
All She Wrote Books Fifth Anniversary Celebration from 7 to 10 p.m. at Connexion, 149 Broadway, Somerville. $35. The bookseller known for rad events includes music, snacks, drinks, a book swap and party favors. Information is here.
American Classics presents “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” concert at 7:30 p.m. at Margaret Jewett Hall in First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $20 to $25. Seven vocalists and pianist Catherine Stornetta breathe life into tunes such as “Two Cigarettes in the Dark,” Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk,” Hernando’s Hideaway,” “Please Don’t Smoke,” “Sweet Marijuana,” “A Good Cigar Is a Smoke” … you get the idea. Information is here.
The Chops, Roundtrip and Dysfunktone perform at 7:30 p.m. at The Jungle, 6 Sanborn Court, Union Square, Somerville. $10. A psychedelic night of original music and covers from Boston and New York bands featuring a liquid light show. The Experiment also plays a late set of Grateful Dead music. Information is here.
Boston Early Music Festival: Stile Antico performs “A Divine Hope,” about Dante’s journey from inferno to paradise at 8 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $20 to $90. The vibrantly expressive vocal ensemble narrates Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy” through Renaissance music from Palestrina, Guerrero, Morales, Luzzaschi and Merulo. Information is here.
The Motet performs at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $27 to $30. After 20-plus years blending funk, soul, jazz and rock, this six-piece outfit is still exploring new sonic ideas. One of the latest was to add the voice of Sarah Clarke to the mix. Also playing: Consider the Source. Information is here.
Show Me Your Bits stand-up and sketch 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.
Abilities Dance Boston’s “Intersections V3” from 8 to 10 p.m. at Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge (also Saturday). Free to $35. The third installment of a series that highlights Bipoc and disabled artist-activists past and present. Choreography/artistic direction by Ellice Patterson and original score by Andrew Choe bring the interviewees’ stories to life with dance, music and more. Information is here.
Saturday, April 20
Record Store Day from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. Free. Vinyl Index stocks more than 250 titles available for the first time in addition to the shop’s used and new merchandise. Courtyard festivities to mark the day begin at noon and include live printing and pressing of patches, tees and totes by Anti Designs, music-inspired food and drinks throughout Bow Market and Souleluja DJs spinning tunes. Information is here.
Earth Day Plant Swap from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 29 Central St., Spring Hill, Somerville. Free. Explore the church’s renovations and swap plants with the Somerville Garden Club. Coffee and pastries served. Information is here.
A Crankie Musical Storytelling Performance: “Shterna and the Lost Voice” from 11 a.m. to noon at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free and all ages. A paper crankie (an old storytelling art form that unrolls an illustrated scroll wound between spools), klezmer music by the Magid Ensemble and a tale of how a young woman must journey from the realms of the dead to celestial gardens to restore her friend’s lost voice. Information is here.
Space Day at the museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. In conjunction with The Space Consortium’s Massachusetts Space Week, explore art and nanotechnology in space, solar gaze with MIT astrogazers, create a space-themed kinetic sculpture, find out how astrophysicists use echoes of light to map out the warped spacetime near black holes, hear about the unsung heroes of the MIT/Draper Apollo effort, discover how objects abandoned in space affect the future of human space development and learn the United Nation’s rules for space activities. Information is here.
Small Mart from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. Free. More than 40 vintage vendors, local artisans and makers sell, plus specialty cocktails and mocktails and music. Information is here.
“Eric Concert” and symposium on the future of jazz culture from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. An afternoon in remembrance of WGBH’s Eric Jackson, the “dean of Boston Jazz Radio,” with a panel discussion. A 4 p.m. performance by ensemble-in-residence Imagine Orchestra featuring Chelsea Green on violin follows. Information is here.
“Six Filipino Women for Justice” book launch from 2 to 5 p.m. at Harvard University’s Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, S020, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. This event, as well as a screening of “Delikado” on Friday, run in tandem with the lecture series “Redefining Three Moments of ‘Necessary Trouble’ in the Philippines.” Information is here.
Harvard-Radcliffe Modern Dance’s “The Eleventh Hour” (continued) at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Harvard Dance Center, 66 Garden St., in the Avon Hill neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. Information is here.
Pass the Rhythm: Authentic Drums, Shakers, Bells and You from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free, but register. Learn drums and percussion with teaching artist Cornell Coley and make music from Brazil, the Caribbean and West Africa. Information is here.
Music with Nature: Secret Sounds of Ponds at 7 p.m. meeting at Story Chapel, Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $35. Inspired by his book “Secret Sounds of Ponds,” musician David Rothenberg will play with underwater pond sounds at Halcyon Lake in an interspecies collaboration. (That same day at 5:30 a.m. he will play with a chorus of birds at the cemetery’s Consecration Dell using his clarinet and some live electronic sounds.) Information is here.
South Asian music, dance and poetry with Vivek Ramanan from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $20. The South Indian dancer and percussionist titles his work “In Between” and invites a reflection on the binaries that can affect us, using centuries-old South Asian poetry to explore modern thought and the traditions of Bharatanatyam set to new compositions of Carnatic music. Information is here.
Trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith premieres “Revolutionary Fire-Love: A Sonic Odyssey in Search of Democracy” from 7 to 9 p.m. at Harvard’s John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, 3 Oxford St., just north of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Harvard Yard. Free, but register. A conversation and Q&A with Smith followed by the Flux Quartet performing his String Quartet, No. 17, inspired by the U.S. Capitol Building, and an ensemble performance with Smith on trumpet of “Gardens of Peace: A Sonic Meditation for Peaceful and Nonviolence Acts Toward a Resolution-Accord.” Information is here.
Violin Soloist Keila Wakao with The Apollo Ensemble of Boston from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. Free to $20. The Boston native and first prize winner of the Menuhin International Violin Competition and Stulberg International String Competition performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in a program featuring “Finlandia” by Sibelius and “Enigma Variations” by Elgar. Elias Miller directs. Information is here.
MIT Wind Ensemble’s 25th anniversary concert at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $10. A celebration featuring five composers, alumni and local young student musicians performing two commissioned works, three specially selected works, performances by the clarinet and flute sections and a performance of “Armenian Dances” featuring students from a Boxborough elementary school ensemble and area high school students. Information is here.
Abilities Dance Boston’s “Intersections V3” (continued) from 8 to 10 p.m. at Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Free to $35. Information is here.
Crossfaded Improv comedy at 9 p.m. at the Rooted Café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $10. The After School Snacks troupe fronts two teams – one drunken and the other high, with one “designated driver” each – to see which substance produces better improv. At the end, the teams perform as a Crossfaded super team. Featuring Spit Take. Information is here.
Fruitstand’s “High Fashion” from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at The Turing Tavern, 1281 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15 and 21-plus. Cozy sweats paired with extravagant heels? A bedazzled Baja blanket dress? Nothing is too lazy or too haute couture to wear to this queer dance party with DJ Frazzo playing queer pop favorites from Charli, Chappell, Troye, Beyoncé, Tove Lo and more. Information is here.
Sunday, April 21
Mindfulness in Nature from 10 to 11 a.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register and adults only. Psychotherapist Stefanie Haug takes you through simple warm-up movements and guided breathing to center awareness before walking with sensory activities. Information is here.
(Almost) Earth Day Cleanup from 10 a.m. to noon, meeting at the ranger station (under the clock tower) at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, in West Cambridge at Fresh Pond, Cambridge. Free, all ages. Join with others and ranger Tim Puopolo to give back to the environment with a little spring cleaning at Fresh Pond. Gloves and bags provided. Information is here.
MIT Museum 2024 April School Vacation Week (continued) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Most activities are free with museum admission. Information is here.
All She Wrote Books Drag Brunch at noon at La Brasa, 124 Broadway, Winter Hill, Somerville. $15. Host Dykelangelo and co-host Pristine Christine are joined by guest performer Arabella. Information is here.
Sunken City performs from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $8 to $15. The band fuses soul, tango, trip-hop and jazz and infuses it with ethics of feminist, economic and social justice. Information is here.
LGBTQ Improv Comedy from 2 to 4 p.m. at CultureHouse, 64 Union Square, Somerville. Free, but register. Hang out, talk and do some improv. Information is here.
Tufts Chamber Orchestra performs at 3 p.m. at Distler Performance Hall, Tufts University, 20 Talbot Ave., Medford. Free. Performances under the direction of John Page of Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture,” “Restless Oceans” by Anna Clyne, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate’s “Chokfi” and Mozart’s Symphony 38 Movement 1. Information is here.
The Weisstronauts perform at 3 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. This instrumental rock band plays original music drawn from surf, spy, psychedelic, lounge, country, military band, jazz and Americana influences (one of those is not true) and has released six full-length albums, four mini albums and a greatest hits. Information is here.
Poets Amanda Cook and Ken Taylor at 4 p.m. at The Press Room at 90 Oxford St., in the Spring Hill neighborhood, Somerville. $5 suggested donation. This time for his Xit the Bear Readings, Michael Franco brings Ken Taylor, whose “Variations in the Dream of X” merges poetry and (comedy) theater, and “Ironstone Whirlygig” author Amanda Cook. Selected pieces from “Letters to the World” by local artist Lucy Watkins are mounted on The Press Room walls. Information is here.
“Black Cambridgeport to the Future” exhibition opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. at St. Augustine’s African Orthodox Church, 137 Allston St., Cambridgeport. Free, but register. Enjoy live music and food from Coast Cafe as you dive into texts, photos, keepsakes and oral histories while sharing your own memories to enrich the archive at this participatory exhibition (running Sundays through June 9). Sponsored by Black History in Action. Information is here.
Activist Afternoons from 4 to 6 p.m. at St. James’s Episcopal Church, 1991 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge (and the first and third Sunday of every month). Free. Drop-in and write postcards, do phone banking and more focused on promoting civic engagement and social justice across the country. Information is here.
Gotta Bal! balboa dance event from 4 to 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. This monthly DJ’d event celebrates a dance that originated in Southern California in the 1930s and is danced to faster tempos than Lindy Hop. Soft, flexible, thin-leather or suede soles only. Information is here.
Ysanne and Lotus Blues perform from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $10 to $30. Jazz-infused, neo-soul smooth sound with an R&B accent. Information is here.
Lunar Dilemmas: Exploring Space Ethics Through Cinema from 6 to 9 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $5 to $15. A screening of the 2009 film “Moon” with Sam Rockwell portraying a man alone on a lunar base whose mental state deteriorates precedes discussion between lawyer and Space Consortium director Alissa J. Haddaji and astrophysicist Erika Nesvold, who wrote 2023’s “Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space.” Information is here.
Video Game Music Night at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20 and all ages. Three bands journey through decades of melodies from beloved games and anime, applying their own takes: Magnificent Danger makes mashups of iconic game and anime tunes in a big band riot jazz style; VGME applies a rock/funk finish; and Mikan Project energetically blurs the lines between orchestral, rock and jazz. Information is here.
Monday, April 22
Early Riser Horticultural Walk from 8 to 9 a.m. meeting at Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge (and every Monday through May 6). Free, but register. On this Earth Day, join staff to discover what’s in bloom, from early bulbs to magnificent flowering trees. Information is here.
Gary Nabhan on “Sacred and Ceremonial Plant Protection in a Changing Climate” at noon in Room 133 of Harvard University’s Barker Center, 12 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Ecumenical Franciscan Brother, ecologist, biologist and botanist has worked with and for Indigenous and other place-based traditional communities on four continents and has received a MacArthur fellowship, among other awards. Information is here.
Lydia Millet reads from “We Loved It All: A Memory of Life” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $29.74 with book. During this event co-sponsored with the Harvard Book Store, the Pulitzer Prize finalist (for “Love in Infant Monkeys”) discusses her anti-memoir, a devotional to nonhuman life on Earth. The Harvard Divinity School’s Terry Tempest Williams joins. Information is here.
A/V Comedy Club from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free, but not kid-friendly (material runs PG-13 to R). Drop in to watch interactive stand-up bits with PowerPoint slides and (occasionally) music. Information is here.
Recycled Magazine Bowls for Earth Day from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the community room at the Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free, but register. Create a beautiful bowl for holding trinkets from discarded magazines. Information is here.
PSB Book Club at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge (and held monthly). Free, but RSVP. This month’s selection: “A Thousand Ships” by Natalie Haynes. Information is here.
Adam Kuper reads from “The Museum of Other People: From Colonial Acquisitions to Cosmopolitan Exhibitions” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. An exploration of the history of the great anthropological museums tackling questions of repatriation and justice. Boston University’s Robert P. Weller joins. Information is here.
Poet Marie Howe from 8 to 9 p.m. at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St., Harvard Square. $5. “New and Selected Poems” is the new collection by the poet-in-residence at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Sponsored by the Blacksmith House Poetry Series, which brings established and emerging writers of poetry and fiction to Harvard Square. Information is here.
Tuesday, April 23
Boudreau Mystery Book Group from noon to 1 p.m. at Cambridge Library’s Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave., Observatory Hill in Neighborhood 9. Free. This month’s title: “A Great Deliverance” by Elizabeth George. Information is here.
Vial: Burnout Tour at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20 and all ages. Although the Minneapolis indie punk band has grown more pop-sounding over the past couple of years, it’s depressing that its rant anthem “Embryo” has only grown in relevance since its release in August 2022. Information is here.
Marie-Helene Bertino reads from “Beautyland” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “Parakeet” talks about her new novel about a child born in Philadelphia with innate knowledge of a faraway planet and eventually can communicate about life on earth with her extraterrestrial relatives. “The Third Hotel” author Laura Van den Berg joins the conversation. (This event was rescheduled from Feb. 13.) Information is here.
Julien Raffaelli, Meghan Downing and Farren perform at 7 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $14 to $19 and all ages. Three up-and-coming musicians: two drawn to Berklee from California. One, visually impaired, plays by ear. Information is here.
A Reading of William Shakespeare for the Bard’s 460th Birthday from 7 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium of the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. A recitation by three readers of an abridged version of Shakespeare’s long narrative poem “The Rape of Lucrece” preceded by an introductory history of the work, one of two poems that established his literary reputation in the mid-1590s, and its influence. Information is here.
The Moth story slam at 7:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $15. This monthly open-mic storytelling competition is open to anyone who can share a five-minute tale on the night’s theme – this time, “Grudge,” about “plotting revenge or quietly carrying the chip on your shoulder … Tales about the fire that feeds you, the forgiveness that frees you, the bitterness that destroys you.” Information is here.
Longy faculty recital at 8 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Two Armenians from different parts of the diaspora – Music theory professor Garo Saraydarian from California and vocalist Tatevik Kocharyan from Moscow – with a program exploring themes of celebration, beauty and transcendence titled “Voices of Home.” Information is here.
Almira Ara performs at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter and producer, with influences ranging from Queen and Tracy Chapman to Kehlani, focuses on melding rock and R&B in ways that reflect the community of queer Black and POC people. Information is here.
Wednesday, April 24
Kendall After Party from 4 to 7 p.m. at Kendall/MIT Open Space at 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Kick back with friends and neighbors and enjoy live music by the Cambridge Hip-Hop Collective, buy empanadas from Bocadillos and drinks by Rebel Rebel and Remnant Brewing and make crafts with Alex Makes Art. Cider and non-alcoholic beer available. Information is here.
Open Design Studio @ MIT from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building N52, third floor, 265 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Free, but register. A participatory event shows how cross-disciplinary collaboration and design address areas from fashion to health, astronautics to ecology. Information is here.
East Cambridge Tree Walk for Arbor Week at 5:30 p.m., meeting at Gold Star Mothers Park, 123 Gore St., East Cambridge. Free. City arborist Dave Lefcourt and assistant city arborist Abby Bentley lead a 1-mile walk to Triangle Park. Information is here.
Plant Walk from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Explore and observe with host Mo Katz-Christy about what’s growing now in the center and discover some of the names and stories of the plants in this urban green space. Information is here.
Imagining Climate Forward 2050 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Greentown Labs, 444 Somerville Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Celebrate the release of Somerville’s updated community climate action plan with interactive art, light refreshments and live music. Information is here.
Natalie Dykstra reads from “Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. During this event co-sponsored with the Cambridge Public Library Foundation, the Waltham biographer discusses the life of the patron of the arts with all its beauty, loss, grit and self-invention. Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee joins. Information is here.
Cinema Strange from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., in the Winter Hill neighborhood. Free. This time, “The Gleaners and I,” a French documentary from 2000 directed by Agnès Varda about rural and urban French folk who for various artistic or ethical reasons gather crops left in fields after the harvest or retrieve food and objects that have been thrown out. Information is here.
“The House on Jonathan Street” film screening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Augustine’s African Orthodox Church, 137 Allston St., Cambridgeport. Free, but register. A documentary exploring the dynamics of race, economy and community uncovered from the rich history of a single modest dwelling in Hagerstown, Maryland. Sponsored by Black History in Action. Information is here.
Strummerville Ukulele from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville, and every fourth Wednesday. Free. Amateur musicians invite you to join in as they sing and strum the hits. Information is here.
Millicent E. Brown reads from “Another Sojourner Looking for Truth: My Journey from Civil Rights to Black Power and Beyond” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. A memoir from the plaintiff in the federal court case that, in 1963, forced the initial desegregation of public schools in South Carolina. Northeastern University’s Melissa Berry-Woods joins. Information is here.
Dana R. Fisher reads from “Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The director of American University’s Center for Environment, Community and Equity on activism and resilience. Environmental Voter Project founder Nathaniel Stinnett joins. Information is here.
Hub Comics “Book Clhub” at 7 p.m. at Hub Comics, 19 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville. Free. For this inaugural meeting: “It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth” by Zoe Thorogood. Information is here.
DIY Screen Print Night from 7 to 8 p.m. at Dark Mode, second floor, Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville (and every Wednesday). $25. Select one of the dozens of prints created by owner Ramsey Noel and learn how to transfer it to a provided T-shirt or a shirt or hoodie you bring with you. All materials provided, and wine served. Information is here.
Jef Contemporary Jazz from 7 to 8 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10. Three Jeffs perform improvised music that “dances in the space between jazz, rock, funk, classical and soul”: Jeff Robinson (tenor sax), Jeff Song (cello, base) and Jeff Allison (drums). Information is here.
Jade Bird performs at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $22. The most recent EP of the English-born Americana indie folk rock artist covers a painful breakup, with sorrow nimbly expressed. Information is here.
Thursday, April 25
Gender and politics conversation with Laphonza Butler and Maura T. Healey at 4 p.m. at the Knafel Center of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, 10 Garden St., west of Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The California senator and Massachusetts governor discuss gender and politics: attaining and holding office; systemic issues and personal experiences; the media’s role; supporting community, families and young people; and being, at times, the only woman in the room. Information is here.
Green Cambridge Tree Planting Party at 4 p.m. at Grand Junction Park at the corner of Main St. and Galileo Galilei Way. Free. Join a crew to plant with music and food. Information is here.
Fork & Shoe Theatre Co-op Rehearsal: Beach Boys staged reading from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. in the auditorium of the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free and all ages. The group of volunteers dedicated to staging free theatrical performances presents an original piece written about the Beach Boys that features a live band playing Beach Boys tunes. Information is here.
S.D. Biju on India: Amphibian Hot Spot from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, 11 Divinity Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square. Free, but register. The University of Delhi environmental studies professor and Radcliffe fellow discusses 30 years of research on the frogs of India and Asia, highlighting scientists’ key role in conservation of vulnerable species. Information is here.
“Picturing Language” with artist Sarah Hulsey and linguist Athulya Aravind from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Bartos Theater, 20 Ames St., Building E-15, atrium level, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. A look at the beautiful and complex architecture underlying language. Information is here.
Cake decorating demonstration from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. A chef from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts explains and demonstrates useful techniques to create simple yet elegant borders and roses in buttercream. Those registered can enjoy samples of the decorated cakes. Information is here.
Riverside Naturalists: History of Magazine Beach Park (continued) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register and adults only. Information is here.
Cambridge Black Business Town Hall Meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Community Art Center, 119 Windsor St., The Port, Cambridge. Free, but register. A Cambridge Disparity Report released Dec. 21 revealed only $60,000 of $261 million of city contracts over five years went to Black-owned businesses; this discussion gathers entrepreneurs, experts and community leaders to strategize how Black businesses can sustain, grow and thrive. Information is here.
How Do We Heal Our Earth? A Conversation with Kevin Powell at 7 p.m. at the blue wing of the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free, but register. The Grammy-nominated poet, activist, filmmaker, author of 16 books and hip-hop historian chronicles his journey with the environmental justice movement. A signing of “The Kevin Powell Reader: Essential Writings and Conversation” follows. Information is here.
Percussive dancer Nic Gareiss and dulcimer player Simon Chrisman perform at 7 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $23 to $25. A “dexterous melding of Irish and Appalachian dance” set to music combining “chamber music’s finely calibrated arrangements with bluegrass’s playful virtuosity and pop music’s melodic resourcefulness.” Information is here.
Lissa Soep reads from “Other People’s Words: Friendship, Loss and the Conversations That Never End” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Vox Media senior editor for audio explains discoveries after the loss of two friends. Novelist and story writer Daphne Kalotay joins. Information is here.
Immersive Electronic Drones concert at 7:30 p.m. at Harvard’s John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, 3 Oxford St., just north of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Harvard Yard. Free. Harvard’s Studios for Electroacoustic Composition capitalizes on interest in legendary synthesizers and presents a concert composed on vintage Serge and Buchla synthesizers and music software to create non-beat-based drone music. Information is here.
Drag Show Passover Spectacular and final curtain for Ain’t Mitzvahavin’ troupe at 7:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25 and 18-plus. After three years of celebrating the rich diversity of Jewish queer art with shows featuring drag, burlesque, comedians, vaudeville, musicians, dancers and even circus performers, Boston’s only active Jewish drag and burlesque troupe says goodbye (for now) with a Passover-themed event. Information is here.
Into the Wild: An Arts First Drag Show from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Harvard’s Science Center Plaza between Harvard Yard at Kirkland and Oxford streets, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The first drag show in an Arts First lineup, this glam showcase of Harvard community performers has green themes. Emceed by celebrated drag queen and environmental activist Pattie Gonia. Also livestreamed. Information is here.
“Plum Box – Strange – Ideal & More Than…” performance at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s W97 Theater, 345 Vassar St., Area II, Cambridge (and continuing April 26 and 27). Free. Four actors, eight musicians and one soprano perform poems by South Korean avant-garde artist Yi Sang. A physical, visceral, theatrical extravaganza with live music, a rabbit, a giant snail, milk, bananas and more. Daniel Irizarry directs this four-college collaboration; original music by Woody Pak. Information is here.
A stronger
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