Thursday, Aug. 29
Rollerama DJ Nights from 5 to 8 p.m. at Rollerama at Kendall Common, Broadway and Third Street, Kendall Square, Cambridge (continues on select Thursdays and Fridays through September). Free. Dance or skate for free to weekly DJ sets from DJ Collective Spin The Bottle; tonight features AL-B and Patchwork. 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: Makena Tate performs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Palmer and John F. Kennedy streets, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The indie pop/rock singer-songwriter is heavily influenced by Fleetwood Mac and Del Water Gap and released her sophomore EP this summer. Co-sponsored by Club Passim and the Berklee College of Music. Information is here.
Dancing Outdoors: Moving to Connect from 6 to 7 p.m. at Joan Lorentz Park at 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge (in front of the Cambridge Main Library). Free and ages 10 to 100. Participants improvise modern and contemporary dance techniques with instructor Meghan McLyman. Part of a series of summer park events sponsored by The Dance Complex and the City of Cambridge. Information is here.
The first-ever Very Harvard Book Store Presentation Night at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Local authors present on any topic, as serious or silly as they want, for 10 minutes each. Up first are Stephanie Burt, author of “We Are Mermaids,” and Sacha Lamb, author of “When the Angels Left the Old Country.” Information is here.
Comedian George Civeris at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25 and all ages. An hour of new material by the New York stand-up who co-hosts the acclaimed “StraightioLab” podcast and is “known for his monster wit and broad palate” (says Nylon). Information is here.
Friends of Porter Square Books Author Reading: Kids/YA Edition at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. This reading by local children’s book authors to celebrate the book shop’s 20 year anniversary features Kylie Lee Baker, Kristin Cashore, Malinda Lo, Rebecca Mahoney, Raul the Third, Susan Tan and Sara St. Antoine. Information is here.
Evening yoga outdoors at the CPL from 7 to 8 p.m. Joan Lorentz Park at 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge (in front of the Cambridge Main Library). Free. With Shayla Tate of M.U.D.D. Flower Yoga. Bring a mat and whatever items your practice requires. Information is here.
The Julian Gerstin Quintet from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at The Mad Monkfish, 524 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $20. Melodic and driving jazz-steeped original music sparkling with rhythms and instruments from the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and the Arabic world. Information is here.
Trivia Night with Climable from 7 to 9 p.m. at Patagonia, 39 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $8 and 21-plus. Compete, drink beer (New Belgium) and enjoy pizza with all ticket costs and funds from beer sales going to the Cambridge nonprofit Climable, which works with local environmental justice communities to increase energy democracy and climate resilience. Information is here.
Blues Union August Classes: Ballroomin’ theme from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dance Union, 16 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville. $10 to $25. This month’s focus is on the blues dances that came out of ballrooms, danced to jazzy blues music. An hourlong lesson is followed by an hour to socialize, rest or practice and two hours of social dancing. Wear shoes that allow you to pivot; no need to bring a partner. Masks required. Information is here.
Fifth Business and Cat T.V. perform at 7:30 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $5. A four-piece Boston band influenced by 80s and 90s college radio rock and a five-piece “spirit of punk rock” band from Lowell playing fist-pumping songs heavy on bass guitar. Information is here.
Mars Symphony at 7:30 p.m. in the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. $20 and 18-plus. Cutting-edge research and audio bring the real sounds of Mars’ winds, dust devils and seismic rumbles, joined by orchestral melodies created from data collected from the red planet and stunning original visuals from the planetarium. Information is here.
Strawberry Guy performs at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $25 to $30. Singer-songwriter Alex Stephens describes himself as a musical landscape painter, citing Monet’s “Meadow at Giverny” and vibrant scenes in Studio Ghibli films as inspiration for his lush arrangements. Also playing: Johanna Samuels. Information is here.
Sophie Mae Wellington at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $18 to $20. This old-time fiddler, jazz singer and percussive dancer originally from the Shenandoah Valley sings jazz melodies and harmonies as well as she flatfoots Southern Appalachian rhythms and drives tunes with her high-energy bowing. Information is here.
Friday, Aug. 30
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 Wadsworth Longfellow’s best works in the home that inspired him. Information is here.
Closing Party Dance Battle from 6 to 8 p.m. at Centanni Park, Third and Otis streets, East Cambridge. Free, but donations are appreciated. The final installment of the Multicultural Arts Center’s Summer Series features an all-styles dance battle emceed by Boston hip-hop dance icon Megatron with sounds by DJ Take Flyte. Information is here.
Movie Night: “Spirited Away” from 6 to 8 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 Hayao Miyazaki’s lyrical animated feature film from 2001. (This event was originally scheduled for April 12 and June 14.) 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 Oct. 11). Free. Husband and wife Jackie and Jeff DeModena perform Top 40 covers through the decades in various genres and joined by guitarist Cam Hebert. Information is here.
Campfire. Festival from 6 to 11 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square (and continuing through Sept. 2). $15 by day, or $30 for a weekend pass. Passim’s twice-a-year, weekendlong festival brings 60 acts of all genres, new and returning, to the stage, swapping between songwriter rounds and band sets. Originally just a way to fill a bad booking weekend in 1998, the festival now aims to develop talent and celebrate the local music scene, with organizers saying shows can blur the line between performer and audience member – just like might happen sitting around an actual campfire, strumming a guitar or two. Information is here.
“Speed Dating Tonight,” a nontraditional take on opera at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville (and continuing Aug. 31). $25. A comedic theatrical production that sends up the trials, tribulations and people in today’s dating scene. Composer/librettist Michael Ching explains that this “new numbers opera” features musical numbers such as those structuring opera, but with some twists. Information is here.
Fresh Air Funnies from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Gilman Pop-up Park, 350 Medford St., Gilman Square, Somerville. Free. Outdoor comedy show featuring stand-up comedians Emily Goldstein, Kristina Feliciano, Liz Dufresne and Ira Claybourne. Presented by Mooish Productions. Information is here.
The Hip Hop Transformation’s End of Summer Showcase from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free, but register. A 12th annual event of music, art and dance performances created this year by students ages 12 to 24 in the Cambridge nonprofit’s year-round program that teaches the instruments, techniques and cultural history of hip-hop. Information is here.
Widemouth and Kate Possi perform from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10. A Chicago college band whose members replied to a flyer saying “Looking for bandmates that like Big Thief” plus an indie folk-indie rock singer-songwriter (with band) from New Hampshire’s Seacoast. Information is here.
Codefendants perform at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $20 to $25. Formed in 2021, this band featuring rapper Ceschi Ramos, bassist and producer Fat Mike of NoFX and vocalist Sam King of Get Dead produces “crime wave” music – a mix of hip-hop, new wave and punk rock. Also playing: Teenage Halloween and The Punk Cellist. Information is here.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge (and continuing most days through Sept. 7). $10 to $20. A production of the 2005 Broadway musical by MIT’s Music Theatre Guild about an eclectic group of six mid-pubescents who vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Information is here.
DJ Jam at Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $8 to $13. To kick off Labor Day weekend, DJs spin tunes for this social partner dance that includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required. Information is here.
Superstition Friday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at ManRay, 40 Prospect St., Central Square, Cambridge (and the fifth Friday of every month). $15 and 19-plus. A hefty handful of Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, DJs, including DJ Jimmy Rossi Jr. of Avoxblue, bring the best in goth, industrial, postpunk, dark wave, dark electro, cold wave and more. No dress code. Information is here.
Saturday, Aug. 31
Yotsukura)
HIIT Pilates with Breathe Cambridge at 11 a.m. at the upper courtyard of The Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. All-levels high-intensity interval training Pilates as part of the hotel’s summer fitness series. 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. $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.
Adults with Hobbies: Bad at Art (drawing and water color painting) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $15 to $35. Try a different hobby each week in a series with educator and activist Nicole Hicks and friends. Information is here.
Gilman Park music and Notch Biergarten from noon to 8 p.m. at Gilman Pop-up Park, 350 Medford St., Gilman Square, Somerville. Free. Buy Notch Brewing’s Czech and German-inspired lagers while listening to local funk band ÜberGrüv (1 to 2:30 p.m.), Camberville singer-songwriter Jason Oberstein (3:30 to 4:30 p.m.) and a mix of jazz from The S&D Duo (5 to 7 p.m.). Information is here.
Deep Dive Tour: Enslavement and Freedom at 12:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge (and every Saturday through Oct. 28). Free, but register. Learn about the enslaved residents here in 1775, their journeys to freedom and legacies of activism. Information is here.
Singing therapist Ann Koplow from 1 to 3 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. Accompanied by ukuleles, drums and piano, the certified group psychotherapist performs her songs “Triggers,” “I Left the House Before I Felt Ready,” “Shameless Appeals for the Applause” and “Everybody’s Somebody’s A-hole.” Proceeds go to ActBlue. Information is here.
Sensing Mount Auburn at 1 and 4 p.m. meeting at the Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. Free, but register. Artists-in-residence Adam Molinski and Yufan Gao lead a mediative walk that uses various devices and exercises to intentionally defocus participants’ familiar ways of seeing the cemetery’s landscape. Information is here.
Nature Play Day from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Magazine Beach Park Nature Center, at the river end of Magazine Street, Cambridgeport. Free. Search the park for interesting plants and animals, learn what makes each unique, and play games along the way. Information is here.
Grown Up Book Fair with “Et Cetera” Author Maia Lee Chin from 2 to 6 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free and 21-plus. Everything you love about school book fairs, including those fun gift-y items, plus beer and an author signing her brand-new illustrated guide to Latin phrases. Co-sponsored with Porter Square Books. Information is here.
Campfire. Festival (continued) from 2 to 11 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square. $15 by day, or $30 for a weekend pass. Information is here.
Dream Role Players present Shakespeare’s “Richard III” at 5 p.m. at Raymond Park, 106 Raymond St., Neighborhood 9, Cambridge (and continuing Sept. 1). Free. The outdoors Shakespeare troupe performs the Bard’s tragic history play during this glorious summer. Information is here.
Textile artist Phyllis Wadlington’s “Creating Art Through the Ages” exhibition opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free. The fiber artist and educator (who this summer taught workshops for Mbadika Lab in Cambridge) exhibits her silk paint pieces and mixed media works through Sept. 30. Information is here.
Drift & Drag Skate from 5 to 8 p.m. at Rollerama at Kendall Common, Broadway and Third Street, Kendall Square, Cambridge (repeats Sept. 13 and 28). Free skate rentals, but register to reserve a pair. Watch the show or join kings and queens Sham Payne, Rusty Hammer and Arabella the Goddess for a skate through wild party beats with live DJs at this pop-up outdoor roller-skating rink. Be fabulous and bring your own helmets and knee pads. Information is here.
“Speed Dating Tonight,” a nontraditional take on opera (continued) at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25. Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Oct. 6). $55 (with some $5 tickets through A.R.T’s “Take Five” initiative). American Repertory Theatre’s reimagined staging of Shakespeare’s classic tale of star-crossed love reunites “Jagged Little Pill” collaborators artistic director Diane Paulus and choreographer Sidi Larbi. Information is here.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (continued) at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $10 to $20. Information is here.
Sunday, Sept. 1
Spark of the Revolution: The 250th Anniversary of the Powder Alarm from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Nathan Tufts/Powderhouse Park, College Avenue and Broadway, Somerville. Free. A re-enactment of the historic event followed by a living history fair including docent tours of the Powder House, activity tables, music and a scavenger hunt of the park. We wrote about it here. Information is here.
Somerville Flea from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 56 Holland St., Davis Square, Somerville (and every Sunday through October). Free. This vintage and artisan flea market includes a farm stand. Information is here.
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.
Rihanna 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 during this tribute to Rihanna. Neon Calypso hosts. Information is here.
Black-owned 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 entrepreneurs by shopping for fashion, vegan treats, fine art, bags, jewelry, artisan soaps, sauces, dog treats and accessories. 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.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (continued) at 2 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $10 to $20. Information is here.
Campfire. Festival (continued) from 2 to 11 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square. $15 by day, or $30 for a weekend pass. 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.
André Bois 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. This Boston folk-rock songwriter inspired by roots music and the natural world sings covers and originals as part of Berklee’s Summer Concerts series. (This event was originally scheduled for Aug. 4.) Information is here.
Nature Poetry Readings with Jane Attanucci, Lawrence Kessenich and Charlot Lucien from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free. Three poets explore our relationship with the natural world, including the current climate threat. Information is here.
Dream Role Players present Shakespeare’s “Richard III” (continued) at 5 p.m. at Raymond Park, 106 Raymond St., Neighborhood 9, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.
Melissa Kassel and Tom Zicarelli Group from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. The singer and pianist perform originals and jazz standards with Phil Grenadier (trumpet), Bruce Gertz (bass) and Gary Fieldman (drums). Information is here.
Comedy Night at Remnant Satellite at 7 p.m. at Remnant Brewing Satellite, 877 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. $10 and 21-plus. A monthly showcase of comedians from the Boston area and occasionally farther. Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $55 (with some $5 tickets through A.R.T’s “Take Five” initiative). Information is here.
Monday, Sept. 2
Central Square Farmers Market from noon to 6 p.m. at 76 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge. This market during summer Monday holidays is where you can encounter chefs on a rare day off, old friends like you who’ve stayed in town and the ecosystem that is peak New England harvest crossed with Cambridge’s vibrant population diversity. Information is here.
Slow flow yoga outdoors from 12:15 to 1 p.m. at Perry Park, 355 Washington St.,. Free. A community yoga class with Whitney Meza for all levels featuring twists, chest openers and balance work. Bring your own mat. Information is here.
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.
Campfire. Festival (continued) from 2 to 11 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square. $15 by day, or $30 for a weekend pass. Information is here.
“The Terminator” and “The Conversation” anniversaries double feature screenings from 2:15 to 10:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $14 to $18. Watch new 4K restorations one after the other of two classic films – each frightening in its own way – to mark their 40th and 50th anniversaries. Information is here.
Tuesday, Sept. 3
Summer Concert Series: The Croaks perform at noon at Harvard’s Science Center Plaza between Harvard Yard at Kirkland and Oxford streets, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Former MassArt students find inspiration in medieval music and the ’70s prog-rock band Focus. Co-sponsored with Club Passim. Information is here.
CPL Nature Club: Elder Walk from 1 to 2:30 p.m. meeting at the front entrance to the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Psychotherapist Stefanie Haug guides a celebration of nature and “elderhood” with a focus on the many examples of non-human elders who also continue to grow, connect and contribute to the world around us. Information is here.
Title Boxing Club outdoor workshop at 6 p.m. at Assembly Row, 355 Artisan Way, Assembly Square, Somerville (and continuing every other Tuesday through Oct. 1). Free, but register and ages 13-plus. An authentic shadow boxing class for all levels followed by a post-workout cold plunge from SweatHouz. Bring a mat, water and wear workout clothes. Information is here.
Celeste Ng reads from her works from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. The Cambridge author of “Everything I Never Told You,” “Little Fires Everywhere,” and most recently “Our Missing Hearts” reads and discusses her work with Nina MacLaughlin, author of “Wake, Siren: Ovid Resung.” Masks encouraged but not required. Also via Zoom. Information is here.
“Book Moot” discusses “The Wicked + The Divine” by Kieron Gillen and Jamie Mckelvie at 6:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. $25 with the book and registration required. Buy and talk about this two-volume graphic novel whose premise is that “every 90 years, 12 gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead.” 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.
Adam Forrest Kay reads from “Escape from Shadow Physics: The Quest to End the Dark Ages of Quantum Theory” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Kay is a postdoctoral associate in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who “finds a new way to look at quantum mechanics – one that replaces randomness and mystery with new knowledge … and may just set a new path for its future” (says Stephon Alexander, author of “Fear of a Black Universe”). Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $55 (with some $5 tickets through A.R.T’s “Take Five” initiative). Information is here.
Smut Slam from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville (and the first Tuesday of every month). $10 suggested donation. An open mic invites participants to tell five-minute, real-life dirty stories. The top three slammers win sexy swag from Good Vibrations. Kat Sistare hosts. Information is here.
Kalos performs at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $18 to $20. Ryan McKasson (violin, voice), Eric McDonald (guitar, voice) and Jeremiah McLane (accordion, voice) “purposefully explore the dark corners floating along the edges” of tradition. Information is here.
Laugh Giraffe Comedy Show at 8 p.m. at Union Tavern, 345 Somerville Ave., Union Square, Somerville (and every Tuesday). Free, but reserve your space. Stand-up comedy showcase. Information is here.
Zouk social for seniors and others from 8 to 11 p.m. at Mango Studio, 112 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge. $15. All-levels Brazilian music and dance that gets home in time for a decent night’s sleep, with the tagline: “No matter your age, we invited you to embrace your inner senior.” Information is here.
Wednesday, Sept. 4
Uncommon Concerts: The Femmes perform at 5 p.m. at Rollerama at Kendall Common, Broadway and Third Street, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. This all-woman and nonbinary band featuring veteran musicians and Berklee alumni brings riotous levels of energy to covers such as “Royals,” “Wannabe,” “Kiss Me,” “I Put a Spell On You” and, of course, “It’s Raining Femmes.”
Community Conversation with Cambridge Public Schools Interim Superintendent David Murphy from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the theater at the King Open/Cambridge Street Upper School & Community Complex, 840 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. Free. My Brother’s Keeper Cambridge founder Tony Clark moderates this conversation about Murphy’s vision for the school district. Information is here.
Garth Greenwell reads from “Small Rain” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The award-winning author of “What Belongs to You” discusses his new novel about a poet whose life is turned inside out by a sudden, wrenching pain that confines him to bed, throwing into sharp relief art, memory, poetry, music, care, how time expands and contracts and how love of the most unexpected kind can bloom. Information is here.
Rachel Marie, Taylor Abrahamse and Sage Christie at 7 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25 and all ages. This triple bill of powerful singer songwriters embody their talents in distinct ways (and according to their respective social media accounts, they’re stoked about sharing this stage tonight). Information is here.
Cirque Us Stories from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville (and continuing Sept. 5). $26.50. The Boston troupe of aerialists, jugglers, acrobats, contortionists and clowns celebrate the joy of reading (and everyone’s unique life stories) by retelling folktales, classic literature, children’s stories, modern fiction and more so that they jump, twist and flip off the page and fly off the shelf straight to the audience. Information is here.
Brewery Book Club from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Lamplighter Brewing, 284 Broadway, The Port, Cambridge. Free, but register and 21-plus. A collaboration with the Cambridge Public Library that this month discusses “The Bullet Swallower” by Elizabeth Gonzalez. Information is here.
Bachata Room dance party from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at La Fábrica Central, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and every Wednesday). $15 and 18-plus (21-plus to drink). An hourlong bachata dance lesson for beginners followed by social dancing to DJ music (salsa, bachata and kizomba). No partner required, walk-ins welcome. Information is here.
Thursday, Sept. 5
Gallery Talk: Picturing Kashmiri Textiles across Cultures 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. In conjunction with the installation “Woven for the World,” curatorial fellow Marina Kliger discusses how cashmere (or pashmina) from the Kashmir region of the Indian subcontinent was worn, depicted, imitated and reused in Europe and the Middle East during the 18th and 19th centuries. Information is here.
“Why Environmental Literacy Matters” lecture from noon to 1 p.m. at Alumnae Lounge at Tufts University, 40 Talbot Ave., near Powder House Square, Somerville. Free. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Environmental Studies Program at Tufts, University of Delaware’s Saleem Ali, author of “Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life,” discusses how we can lead in connecting natural order to social, economic and political order. Also via Zoom. Information is here.
Student Lending Art Program exhibition tour from 12:30 to 1 p.m. at List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Check out the more than 700 original works of art in the collection (on view through Sept. 16) and envy the enrolled MIT students who since 1977 have had the opportunity to borrow (via a lottery), appreciate and live with them for the academic year, for free. Information is here.
Rollerama DJ Nights (continued) from 5 to 8 p.m. at Rollerama at Kendall Common, Broadway and Third Street, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.
Froca Fitness workout from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. at University Park Common, 65 Sidney St., in Cambridgeport near Central Square, Cambridge. Free. Groove with Froca Fitness founder Sylver Rochelin Randrianantenaina, dancer from Madagascar. Information is here.
Dancing Outdoors: Haitian folkloric dance from 6 to 7 p.m. at Greene-Rose Heritage Park, 155 Harvard St., The Port, Cambridge. Free. Dance to the beat with instructor Velouse Joseph of Jean Appolon Expressions as part of a series of summer park events sponsored by The Dance Complex and the City of Cambridge. Information is here.
Animal and ice cream social from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register. Meet a live “animal ambassador,” learn about the adaptations that help them survive and grab some ice cream before an evening stroll in the park to discover local wildlife. Information is here.
Nature photography workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. meeting at the Bigelow Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $10 to $15. Former artist-in-residence Billy Hickey talks about his creative process, shares his work and provides tips while he takes participants around the cemetery to take photos. Information is here.
Anthony Abraham Jack reads from “Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality and Students Pay the Price” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “The Privileged Poor” draws on firsthand experiences of students from all walks of life at elite colleges who had to deal with the disruptions caused by the pandemic, navigate social unrest and grapple with problems of race on campus and off. Harvard’s Jarvis Givens joins. Information is here.
Glue Factory Comedy presents “Office Hours” at 7 p.m. at The Comedy Studio in the basement at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and every other Thursday). $20 to $28. Jeremy Pearson – professor by day, comedian by night – hosts a show where up-and-coming comedians cross highbrow concepts with lowbrow silliness. Tonight: Zach Valencia, Uzair Malek, Jay Bee and Holly Johnston. Information is here.
Melissa Ludtke reads from “Locker Room Talk: A Woman’s Struggle to Get Inside” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The former Sports Illustrated and Time magazine journalist chronicles how at age 26 she became the plaintiff in the groundbreaking federal court case Ludtke v. Kuhn, resulting in her gaining equal access for women journalists in Major League Baseball. Sports columnist Tara Sullivan 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.
Cirque Us Stories (continued) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $26.50. Information is here.
Arrowfest: “Don’t Open This” at 7:30 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Sept. 7). $50. Liars and Believers’ immersive theatrical spectacle of aerials, masks, music, puppets, dance and more, with proceeds benefiting the Cultural Capital Fund at Cambridge Community Foundation. The LaB performances are part of an 11-day festival celebrating the grand opening of Arrow Street Arts’ Harvard Square venue. We wrote about it here. Information is here.
Ravi, Sister and The Croaks from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $12 to $15. Catch these two New York City bands while they’re in town and the one from Boston you may already know. All three are only getting busier. Information is here.
Play for the Vote variety show fundraiser at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $30. In a one-of-a-kind performance of beloved Boston artists, Malian balafon player Balla Kouyate, fiddler Hanneke Cassel and upright bassist Zachariah Hickman collaborate to raise funds for the nonpartisan nonprofit that organizes musical performances at polling locations across the country on Election Day to create a more positive voting experience. Pioneering cello player, composer and educator Mike Block, the founder of Play for the Vote, directs. Information is here.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (continued) at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $10 to $20. Information is here.
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.