A week of events in Cambridge and Somerville including Nice, A Fest, and Northbeast poetry

Thursday, July 18

Summer Concert Series: Sho Humphries from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Palmer and John F. Kennedy streets, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The singer-songwriter has powerful ukulele playing and an emotive voice. Co-sponsored by Club Passim and the Berklee College of Music. Information is here.

CX Summer Nights concert from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Common at Cambridge Crossing, 320 Morgan Ave., Cambridge. Free. For July, this monthly outdoor big-stage concert features Zola Simone and Bermuda Search Party. Food trucks, lawn games and drink pours benefiting the East Cambridge Business Association. Visit the table for June’s community spotlight, the Community Art Center. Information is here.

Riverside Naturalists: Insects from 6 to 8 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register and adults only. Explore flora, fauna and fungi and the connections between them and us during two guided walks per month: one on the seasonal changes and the other on nature journaling (documenting observations – no art experience required). Information is here.

Soul Sessions Open Mic Night from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and every third Thursday). $5 and all ages. DJ Nomadik presents and co-hosts (with Essex) an open mic inviting all forms of talent. Sign up at the event (space is limited). Music will be provided, or perform a cappella – or just enjoy the show. Information is here.

Groovement movement class from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and every Thursday through Aug. 15). $5 to $30, pay what you can and all ages. Find a sense of comfort and groove at this all-levels structured dance class that’s Afrocentric and QTBipoc-friendly. Information is here.

Paolo Bacigalupi reads from “Navola” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “The Water Knife” and “The Windup Girl” has written a novel about powerful rivaling families in a fantastical world inspired by 15th century Florence with echoes of “The Godfather” and “Game of Thrones.” “Get in Trouble” author Kelly Link joins. Information is here.

Matthew Porto reads from “Moon Grammar” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The Berklee professor of English discusses his debut book of poetry inspired by the ever-changing yet ever-present moon. Poet Heather Treseler, author of “Auguries and Divinations,” joins. Information is here.

Fiber Arts Circle from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free. Bring your own project and drop in to crochet, sew, embroider, knit, cross stitch, spin, mend and more with other crafters. Information is here.

Revolutionary Page Turners book club from 7 to 8 p.m. at All She Wrote Books, 75 Washington St., Prospect Hill, Somerville. $5, or $19.13 with book. A new in-person Bipoc book group led by Victor Nasir Terry. The club is so named because “Black men loving Black men is revolutionary.” The first book discussed: “The Prophets” by Robert Jones, Jr. Information is here.

Vegetable Fermentation Workshop from 7 to 8 p.m. at Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Flora Spivak demonstrates simple techniques for making sauerkraut and pickles at home, and provides sample recipes. Information is here.

Atomic Comedy from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free, but register and donations appreciated. A monthly show with three comedy acts featuring new and veteran local talent. Information is here.

Sofar Sounds concert from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. $26. You buy the tickets but won’t know who’s playing until they take the mic. Promised are two to three short sets from “incredible performers from all musical genres and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance.” Information is here.

Improbable Beasts perform with Trio Montage from 7:45 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $5 to $40. Two unique ensembles: one includes more than a dozen of the most sought-after bass clarinetists in Boston who play anything from Renaissance choral music to brand-new compositions; the other commissions and performs works for a distinctive combination of baritone voice, clarinet and piano (and premiere some this summer). Information is here.

The Ergs perform at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $20 to $24. For the 20th anniversary of their LP “DorkRockCorkRod,” the New Jersey cult pop punk trio celebrates with an expanded reissue and a series of shows. 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. This month, keyboardist and composer Bryant presents improvised music with Eric Barber (saxophones), Stephen Haynes (cornet, flugelhorn), Kit Demos (bass) and Curt Newton (drums). Information is here.

Cecilia Zabala performs at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $23 to $25. The guitarist, composer and singer-songwriter with 11 albums combines Argentine folklore, contemporary language, jazz, tango and Brazilian music. Information is here.

Friday, July 19

Deep Dive Tour: Poetry Experience from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge. Free. Park rangers explore some of Henry Longfellow’s best works in the home that inspired him. Information is here.

O’Connell Mystery Book Group from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library O’Connell Branch, 48 Sixth St., East Cambridge. Free. This month’s title: “The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton. Information is here.

Discover Here Concert Series: Aldous Collins at from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the park at Canal District Kendall, 300 Athenaeum St., Cambridge. Free. Energetic, upbeat and soulful music, plus the Vitamin Sea Brewing Beer Garden. Information is here.

Live Music Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m. at Assembly Row, 355 Artisan Way, Assembly Square, Somerville (and continuing every other Friday through Sept. 13). Free. Army veteran Houston Bernard tours with his country music. Information is here.

Writers of Porter Square Books at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The bookstore celebrates its 20th anniversary with a group reading by 10 published and publishing PSB booksellers and Café Zing baristas, as well as current and past writers-in-residence. Information is here.

Movie Night: “Back to the Future” from 7 to 9 p.m. at Kendall/MIT Open Space at 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Free popcorn under the stars at this family-friendly outdoor screening of one of Spielberg’s classics. The event starts with some short clips showing exciting work happening at the MIT Media Lab (fingers crossed there’s a time machine that goes back to 2015!). Information is here.

Wyrd presents “The New Faces in Hell” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $12. Local comedians play characters who’ve died and face judgment by two bored bureaucrats at the gates of Hell. Information is here.

Prinze George performs from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. The Maryland duo of Kenny Grimm (producer, songwriter) and Naomi Almquist (vocalist) fuse indie-poptimism and electropop. Information is here.

Gravel Project performs from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Sally O’Brien’s, 335 Somerville Ave., Union Square, Somerville. $15. Fresh from warming up for Dave Matthews Band at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, and tomorrow returning to that state for the Brews & Blues Festival. Information is here.

Widowdusk and Your Arms Are My Cocoon perform at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, $20 to $25. The five-piece screamo band from Southern California teams up with Chicago-based comrades. Also playing: Catalyst and godfuck. Information is here.

Sam Reider & The Human Hands at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $23 to $25. A four-piece modern folk band led by its Latin Grammy-nominated accordion player. Information is here.

Art Unearths premieres “Butterfly Effect” at 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge (repeats July 20). $35, or pay what you can. Performance and video provoke thoughts about the fast-paced life in a work by a Boston dance company led by Jeryl Palana Pilapil-Brown. Information is here.

The Blue Ribbons with Amber Angelina at 9 p.m. at The Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood between Harvard and Porter squares, Cambridge. $15 to $18 and 21-plus. “Bandleader James Rohr with guitarist Mike Castellana, bassist Jef Charland and drummer Taurus take catchy tunes and ugly them up with losing the hook.” The Boston band is joined by “eclectic torch singer” Angelina. Information is here.

Saturday, July 20

ComixCon 2024 all day at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. A fan-themed day with programming from your favorite fandoms, stalls with local artists and vendors, cosplay and more. Sponsored by the Friends of the Somerville Public Library. Information is here.

The Hidden Colors of Nature: Solar dyeing with plants from 10 a.m. to noon at the Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville (rain date: July 21). Free and all ages. Learn how to create dye colors with flowers, onion skins and avocado pits and skins – using the power of the sun! Bring a glass jar to see yarn change color over time. (At the Aug. 3 session you’ll weave with the materials.) Information is here.

Adults with Hobbies: Intro to fiber arts with crochet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $15 to $35. Try out a different hobby each week in a series with educator and activist Nicole Hicks and friends. Information is here.

Cambridge LGBTQ+ visionaries walking tour from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. meeting near the rainbow benches outside Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square (repeats July 21). $44 to $49 (under age 18 free). Learn about many of the “firsts” in LGBTQ+ organizing and the rights movement from guide Kimm Topping by visiting historic sites and exploring the stories of early activists. Information is here.

Bachatamania, Volume II from 11 a.m. to midnight at the Dante Alighieri Society Center, 41 Hampshire St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $55 to $120 and 18-plus (21-plus for the evening). A full day of bachata workshops and dancing with a Dominican buffet; in the evening, the fourth annual white-summer-themed party followed by a live concert with bachata superstar Johnny Sky. Information is here.

“Gatsby” Community Workshop from noon to 2 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register and age 16-plus. Inspired by A.R.T.’s production of “Gatsby,” a theater workshop to explore themes of belonging, aspirations for the future and what the American Dream means today, asking “How can we build a new world that is in conversation with those that came before?” Information is here.

Second Annual NorthBeast Regional Poetry Slam from noon to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and continues July 21). Free to $25. Twice the size as last year, 16 teams of poets from across New England and beyond compete in spoken word competitions. Includes workshops, readings and literary-themed community tables. Information is here.

Cyanotype Workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. in Joan Lorentz Park at 457 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge (in front of the Cambridge Main Library). Free, but register. Photographer and artist Edie Bresler shows how to use the sun to develop photographic prints. Create your own small print with natural objects. Information is here.

Intro to Jewelry workshop: beaded necklace making from 2 to 4 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $35. The second of four workshops by Zangar Freeman. Required materials and tools are provided. Information is here.

Summer Saturday Movie Night: “Elemental” at 4 p.m. at Urban Park Roof Garden atop the Kendall Center Green Garage at 90 Broadway, Kendall Square. Free. A DJ set kicks off this family-friendly screening of last year’s Pixar film, which starts at 6 p.m. Complimentary snacks while supplies last. Bring a blanket! Information is here.

Celebrating Amy Lowell’s Poetry from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville (rain date: July 21). Free. A read-aloud of poems by Lowell (1874-1925) who embraced the Imagist movement, “poetry that is hard and clear, never blurred nor indefinite.” Information is here.

Boston Comic Arts Foundation co-presents “Robot Dreams” film screening with author Sara Varon in person at 6:30 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15, or $31 with choice of book (“Robot Dreams” or Varon’s latest “Detective Sweet Pea”). This hand-drawn animated film from 2023 based on Varon’s 2007 graphic novel is “joyous, beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful in equal measure.” Part of the Brattle’s “Celebrate 50 Years of Million Year Picnic” Festival running Friday through Sunday with a documentary about the Harvard Square comics shop. Information is here.

Mercury Orchestra performs Brahms and Bruckner at 8 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $24 to $30. Channing Yu conducts a performance of Anton Bruckner’s remarkable Symphony No. 7 to celebrate the composer’s 200th birthday as well as Johannes Brahms’s “Song of Destiny,” a “rival” approach to beauty in music. The New World Chorale, conducted by Holly MacEwen Krafka, joins. Information is here.

Art Unearths premieres “Butterfly Effect” (continued) at 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $35, or pay what you can. Information is here.

Union Comedy Presents “The Kerfuffle” at 9:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 and 21-plus. A vaudeville variety show hosted by Jackie Arko and Tess Varney with a mix of sketch, interactive and completely undefinable comedy. Information is here.

Fruitstand presents “Gay I” from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. at a Cambridge or Somerville location revealed with your RSVP. $10. Slip on your silver cyberpunk bodysuit and let DJ Frazzo transport you to 2034 as you dance to your favorite queer pop, including Janelle Monáe, Charli XCX and once-and-future queen Lady Gaga. Information is here.

Sunday, July 21

Lindy Hopcats Practice from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cambridge Community Center for the Arts, 41 Second St. (enter from the side-street patio), East Cambridge. $5 (cash or Venmo). Semi-structured practice sessions for motivated dancers at all levels. No partner required. Information is here.

Whitney and Tina drag brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Summer Shack, 149 Alewife Brook Parkway, Alewife, Cambridge. $20. Enjoy a meal and sing along in tribute to these two fabulous icons. Hosted by Neon Calypso. Information is here.

Black Businesses Pop-up Market from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Palmer Street between Brattle and Church Streets, Harvard Square, Cambridge (and every Sunday through Oct. 27). Free. Support local Black-owned businesses by shopping for fashion, vegan treats, fine art, bags, jewelry, artisan soaps, sauces, dog treats and accessories. Information is here.

Wicked Good Aht Mahket from noon to 6 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. More than 25 local artists showcase and sell their creations. Information is here.

Second Annual Northbeast Regional Poetry Slam (continued) from noon to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free to $25. Information is here.

Game day from noon to 10 p.m. at the New England Science Fiction Association, 504 Medford St., Magoun Square, Somerville. Free. A variety of board, card and role-playing games for all tastes and abilities are available for nonmembers twice a month. Or bring your own game and teach others. Masks optional this time. Information is here.

Deep Dive Tour: Queer History at 2:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge (and every Sunday through Oct. 28). Free. A weekly tour about the queer past through three generations of Longfellows and changing cultural understandings of queer relationships and identities. Information is here.

Victoria Marie performs at 3 p.m. on the east lawn of Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge. Free. The singer-songwriter from New York plays her indie-folk music as part of Berklee’s Summer Concerts series. Information is here.

Flaws Forward: A poetic conversation with Eben E. B. Bein and guests from 3 to 6 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. Free (donations accepted). The event’s title references Bein’s 2023 chapbook “Character Flaws” and is the launching pad for this educator-turned-climate-activist’s “depressingly fun, ridiculously serious” afternoon of poetry and conversation. Poets Lulu Liu, Lora Keller and Chen Chen will also read. Information is here.

Sound Bowl Vibe Session from 4 to 5 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register. A melodic sound bath vibe session with instructor Malaika Bonafide, who has a background in Vinyasa Flow and restorative yoga. Bring a comfy blanket or yoga mat. Information is here.

All about calendula from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at The Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free, but donations accepted. Clinical herbalist Mo Katz-Christy gets visitors acquainted with one herb each month through drawing, taste, science and stories. Bring a journal for sketching and note taking, leave with an in-depth account of botany, history, clinical use, safety, preparation and dosage. 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.

Crave at 6 p.m. at ManRay, 40 Prospect St., Central Square, Cambridge. $5 to $7 and 21-plus. An all-new Sunday event combining a traditional tea dance with a deeper, more soulful and Afro House sound. Hosted by SoundGroove Records with Boston DJs/producers Curtis Atchison, Susan Esthera, Leo Alarcon and Reginald Johnson. Information is here.

Allan Chase Trio from 6:20 to 8 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10. The jazz saxophonist, composer and chair of the Ear Training department at Berklee brings his Standards Project, a set of rarely heard songs, to this intimate setting, along with Nate Radley on guitar and Andres Schiller on bass. Information is here.

Monday, July 22

Deep Dive Tour: Washington Reexamined at 12:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge (and every Monday through Oct. 28). Free. This weekly tour explores George Washington’s legacy and the lives of enslaved and free people at his headquarters. Information is here.

Madeleine Hartley’s “She Holds on to Her” and Bookend Challenge exhibition openings from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mudflat Pottery School, 81 Broadway, East Somerville. Free. Artist-in-residence Hartley’s works from the year alongside clay art that members created for the 21st Mudflat Challenge with the theme “book ends.” Both shows run through Aug. 10. Information is here.

Boston Repair’s Summer Fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. $18 to $54 (with those under 21 needing to be accompanied by their own parent or guardian with ID). Learn about and support Repair the World Boston’s teen and young adult service corps that mobilizes Jews and their communities to take action to meet local needs. Information is here.

Evening Yoga in the Park from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. at Magazine Beach Park Nature Center, 668 Memorial Drive at the river end of Magazine Street, Cambridgeport (repeats Wednesday). Free, but register. Enjoy nature while emphasizing breath and body. Information is here.

Juliet Grames reads from “The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Bestselling author of “The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna” discusses her new novel about a 27-year-old American woman in 1960 Catalonia who discovers human remains that police won’t investigate. “The Stationary Shop” author Marjan Kamali joins. Information is here.

MIT Tango Club practice at 7 p.m. the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 36-112, also known as the Fairchild Building, at 50 Vassar St., Cambridge. Free. Tango club officers provide Argentine tango instruction every Monday during summer at alternating locations. No partner required, but wear comfortable clothes and shoes with leather or suede soles that allow you to pivot and walk backward. 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: “Lincoln in the Bardo” by George Saunders. Information is here.

Suzie Brown and Scot Sax perform at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25. Brown, a cardiologist in Nashville, Tennessee, and mom of two, performs her 1970s-style folk and pop on her 50th birthday with Grammy-winning songwriter (and “Platinum Rush” documentary filmmaker) husband Scot Sax also makes films. Jenna Nicholls opens. Information is here.

Tuesday, July 23

Guided Commuter Bike Ride from Alewife to Kendall Square (continued) at 9 a.m. meeting at East Pedal & Park on the first floor of Alewife Station, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.

Summer Concert Series: So Blue performs at noon at Harvard’s Science Center Plaza between Harvard Yard at Kirkland and Oxford streets, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. A progressive folk duo with guitar and string bass. Co-sponsored with Club Passim. Information is here.

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: “1979” by Val McDermid. Information is here.

Summer nights paddling from 4:45 to 8 p.m. at the Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free and 12-plus, but register. This guided ecotour by kayak welcomes paddlers of all abilities. Gear is provided, and the program begins with beginner paddler instruction. Information is here.

Summer in the City Concert Series: Mar Giménez from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Urban Park Roof Garden at Kendall Center, 325 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. This songwriter pursued a dual degree at Berklee with a scholarship from the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, and in August relocates to Los Angeles to launch her career producing Latin pop. Co-sponsored with Berklee School of Music. Information is here.

Taffy Brodesser-Akner reads from “Long Island Compromise” at 6 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10, or $38 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the author of “Fleishman Is in Trouble” who executive produced its television adaptation discusses her latest, a novel “whose brew of hilarity, heartbreak and smarts recalls the best of Philip Roth” (says Kirkus Reviews). She’s joined by Tom Perrotta, whose books “Election,” “Little Children,” “Mrs. Fletcher” and “The Leftovers” also found a second life on the screen. Information is here.

Summer Concert Series: Hound & Handler performs from 6 to 8 p.m. at Danehy Park, just behind the entrance at 99 Sherman St., in Neighborhood 9 just east of Fresh Pond, Cambridge. Free. A high-energy Bluegrass-Americana band with lively originals and classic country and Bluegrass covers. Co-sponsored with Club Passim. Information is here.

“Book Moot” discusses “When Among Crows” by Veronica Roth at 6:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. $20 with the book, and registration required. Buy and talk about this “novella that harbors inside it a wonderfully fleshed-out world of Slavic myth living just under the surface of modern Chicago” (“Black Sun” author Rebecca Roanhorse says). Information is here.

Knitting group from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library’s Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave. Observatory Hill in Neighborhood 9. Free. Bring yarn and needles and find out what fellow knitters are up to. Information is here.

Hana Vu performs at 7 p.m. at Sonia, 10 Brookline St., Central Square, Cambridge. $16 to $20 and all ages. “With her forceful contralto and sky-scraping pop-rock, the Los Angeles songwriter’s second album [Romanticism] is a dramatic chronicle of exiting young adulthood into an uncertain future” (Pitchfork says). Information is here.

“Heck Yeah,” the Heckle Mic at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. Free and all ages. A comedy show where you should heckle. It’s free. That’s all we know. Information is here.

M.T. Anderson reads from “Nicked” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Cambridge author of “Feed” and other acclaimed books for a range of audiences sets his latest, for adults, in 1087 Italy. Apparently an historical account inspired this raucous and fantastical tale about a treasure hunter and a tender-hearted monk who try to steal the relic bones of Saint Nicholas to help stem a village’s plague. “Honor Girl” author Maggie Thrash joins. Information is here.

Boston Indies presents “When AI Gets Unreal” from 7 to 9 p.m. at Kendall/MIT Open Space at 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Lovelace Studio’s Kayla Comalli and Alex Engel answer the question “What does artificial intelligence in game development actually mean for developers?” 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, “Achilles heel,” about “weaknesses and soft spots, your personal kryptonite,” whether it’s “that look your dog gives you, your fear of clowns … recklessly falling in love … your need to have the last word.” Information is here.

Moth survey night from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free, but register. Join participatory scientists from Earthwise Aware to learn how to identify and document arthropods encountered in the dark (such as moths). No expertise required, but prepare by downloading the Anecdata app and joining the EwA Buggy project. Information is here.

Wednesday, July 24

Lunchtime Concert Series: People Person Puzzle Tree at noon at the Urban Park Roof Garden at Kendall Center, 325 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Pacific Northwest songwriter Preston Ossman performs “embodied emo and positive affirmation rock.” Co-sponsored with Club Passim. Information is here.

CitySprouts Summer Gathering to appreciate donors and garden volunteers from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Lamplighter CX, 110 North First St., North Point, Cambridge. Free, but register and donations welcome. Support a school garden program that brings science, wellness, beauty and fun to kids and families in Cambridge and Boston. Food from Life Alive, beer, kombucha and soda. Information is here.

Summer Art Tour: Central Square from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. meeting at the plaza on the Franklin Street side of the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free, but register. Get a guided tour of the public artwork in Central Square and learn how it’s maintained. Information is here.

Cookbook book group: curry from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave., Observatory Hill in Neighborhood 9. Free, but register. All cooking levels are welcome at this potluck; bring a dish (or your thoughts) to share with other cooks. This month choose any recipe from “On the Curry Trail” by Raghavan Iyer. Information is here.

Freeform knitting class from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and every Wednesday through Aug. 14). $20. This experimental knitwear-design workshop focuses on garment making, color play and zero waste (using leftover yarn). Basic knowledge of knitting stitches is required. Information is here.

Drop-in garment mending with Jessamy Shay from 6 to 8 p.m. at 358 Medford St., Gilman Square, Somerville. Free and ages 16-plus. Those interested in slow stitching and sustainability can work casually on a mending project with tips and advice (and the use of a few materials) from textile artist Shay. Information is here.

Evening Family Kayaking from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free and families with children ages zero and up, but register. This guided ecotour by kayak welcomes paddlers of all abilities. Gear is provided, and the program begins with beginner paddler instruction. Information is here.

Evening Yoga in the Park (continued) from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. at Magazine Beach Park Nature Center, 668 Memorial Drive at the river end of Magazine Street, Cambridgeport. Free, but register. Information is here.

Death Cafe from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free, but register. Not a bereavement or counseling session, but an opportunity to engage in interesting and thought-provoking conversations “to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives.” Information is here.

Salsa in the Park from 6 to 9 p.m. at Henri A. Termeer Square, 300 Athenaeum St., Cambridge. Free and all ages and abilities. “Animaciones” (choreographed group dances/follow-alongs) from MetaMovements artist collective members from Cuba, Dominican Republic and the United States, plus social dancing, a music corner, dance lessons by Masacote and Silent Rhythms (in American Sign Language), a beer garden with snacks and more. 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.

Joyce Maynard reads from “How the Light Gets In” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of 12 novels and five books of nonfiction discusses the eagerly anticipated follow-up to her novel “Count the Ways,” a story of three generations of a New Hampshire family, its matriarch and how they navigate the years 2010 to 2024 (and climate change, the Jan. 6 insurrection, school violence and more.) Information is here.

Noliwe Rooks reads from “A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The chair of Africana Studies at Brown University discusses how she interwove her own family’s history in her new book about the inspiring Black American educator in Florida who enlisted Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt and many other powerful leaders in her cause toward a freer and more just nation through education. Information is here.

The Cambridge Moth Ball for National Moth Week from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Kingsley Park near the Water Department facility at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, in West Cambridge at Fresh Pond Reservation. Free and all ages, but register. Learn how to attract, photograph and ID moths, exploring them up close and sharing the data and photos with researchers. No previous mothing experience required. Bring a picnic (and take your trash with you) and dress like a moth if you’d like (though long sleeves and long pants are recommended). Information is here.

Screen on the Green: “Elemental” from 7:15 to 9:30 p.m. at Rindge Field, 70 Rindge Ave., North Cambridge (rain site: Gately Youth Center, 70 Rindge Ave.). Free. Bring a picnic blanket and your favorite snacks for a second chance to see this 2023 animated film Information is here.

Korean band The Volunteers perform at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $40 to $50. Powerhouse vocalist and guitarist Yerin Baek leads this alt rock band from Seoul. Information is here.

Thursday, July 25

“Imagine Me and You: Dutch and Flemish Encounters with the Islamic World, 1450-1750” exhibition tour from noon to 1 p.m. at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but check in at Visitor Services to join the talk. Curator Talitha Maria G. Schepers’s in-depth tour of the exhibition running through Aug. 18 explores why Netherlandish artists included everyday objects from the Islamic world such as textiles and carpets in their paintings. Information is here.

“Rewrite, Organize, Remix: Visions of Feminist Organizing” exhibition tour from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Poorvu Gallery in the Schlesinger Library in Radcliffe Yard, 3 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (repeats Aug. 22 and Oct. 3). Free, but register. A tour led by librarian Mimosa Shah. Information is here.

Harvard Celebrates Disability Pride from 4 to 6 p.m. at Harvard’s Science Center Plaza between Harvard Yard at Kirkland and Oxford streets, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Accessible games, disability trivia, “try your hands” at ASL with a Harvard ASL interpreter, pet therapy, snacks, music, resources information and more. Information is here.

Harvard Art Museums at Night from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Calderwood Courtyard at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. During this recurring event wander exhibits, catch spotlight tours, browse the shop, enjoy sounds from DJ C-Zone and buy snacks from local vendors. Information is here.

Summer Concert Series: Jessica Woodlee from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Palmer and John F. Kennedy streets, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Pop storytelling from a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Co-sponsored by Club Passim and the Berklee College of Music. Information is here.

Nice, A Fest at 6 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square (and continuing through July 28 also at the Rockwell and on a new outdoor main stage). $16.25 or $106.61 for a four-day pass. A local music and art festival held in Davis Square for the fourth year. Thursdays lineup includes Dutch Tulips, Sweet Petunia, Haasan Barclay, Pink Navel and Rusty Mullet. We wrote about it here. Information is here.

Samba Night with Receita de Samba from 6 to 8 p.m. at Centanni Park, Third and Otis streets, East Cambridge. Free, but donations are appreciated. The second installment of the Multicultural Arts Center’s Summer Series features Latin music and samba dance. Information is here.

Urban Park Paint & Sip series: figure painting from 6 to 8 p.m. at Urban Park Roof Garden atop the Kendall Center Green Garage at 90 Broadway, Kendall Square. Free, but register and valid ID required for alcoholic beverages. Community Art Center instructors guide you while your paintbrush captures the proportions, musculature, subtle fabric folds and more from a strategically draped live model presenting a Greco-Roman physique. Wine samples too. Information is here.

Mapping Feminist Cambridge: Harvard Square Walking Tour from 6 to 8 p.m. in Harvard Square, Cambridge (repeats Aug. 11). Free; registration provides meeting location. The activist past of Harvard Square from the 1970s to 1990s revealed. Sponsored by the Cambridge Commission on the Status of Women. Information is here.

Groovement movement class (continued) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $5 to $30, pay what you can and all ages. Information is here.

Queer Craft Night: mini mosaics from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free, but register. If you self-identify as queer or LGBTQ in any way, come make new connections in the community while using brightly colored shapes and pieces to create mini mosaics to take home. Materials provided. Information is here.

Olivia Gatwood reads from “Whoever You Are, Honey” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “New American Best Friend” and “Life of the Party” discusses her Santa Cruz-set debut novel that’s “kind of ‘Stepford Wives’ meets ‘Grey Gardens’ for the age of artificial intelligence.” Maggie Doherty, author of “The Equivalents: A Story of Art, Female Friendship and Liberation in the 1960s,” joins. Information is here.

Lawrence Millman reads from “Outsider, My Boyhood with Thoreau” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The Cambridge author of 20 books, countless magazine articles, researcher on more than 40 trips and expeditions to the Arctic and Subarctic and esteemed mycologist recounts with awe and humor how nature and animals shaped his “quirky, abundant life.” Information is here.

Citixen Joy Showcase at 7:30 p.m. at Upstairs at Bow, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. $20 to $25 and 21-plus. Music and comedy from Black performers Gabriella Simpkins, Sensei Sol and Reece Cotton. Information is here.

August Thompson reads from “Anyone’s Ghost” from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at All She Wrote Books, 75 Washington St., Prospect Hill, Somerville. Free or $29.75 with book. A debut novel about the transforming love and friendship between two young men during a summer in rural New England and how it haunts them into adulthood. Information is here.

Rigometrics perform at 8 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20. The Portland, Maine, rock band with a ’70s energy is halfway through their summer tour. Information is here.

Mass Spiritz collaborative hip-hop project album release at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25. Paul Willis and Terry Borderline headline this celebration of Mass Spiritz Vol. 2, executive produced by Borderline and Sassy D’estany in collaboration with Voice of Liberation. Information is here.

A stronger

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