Thursday, Feb. 6
Lunchtime History: Black Cantabrigians from the 1700s on from noon to 1 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free. Bring your own lunch and learn from the Cambridge Black History Project about Black communities of many different roots that have maintained a continuous presence in Cambridge for centuries, and their wide-ranging contributions. Cookies provided for everyone. Information is here.
“What’s Next for Museums” from 2 to 2:45 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Museum strategist András Szántó surveys how visual-arts institutions are working to assert their relevance in the 21st century through new approaches to exhibitions, programming, audience engagement, organizational innovation and architecture and design. MIT Museum director Michael John Gorman joins. Information is here.
“Against Haste: On the Heuristic Affordances of ‘Fascism’” lecture from 4 to 6 p.m. in the lower level conference room at Adolphus Busch Hall, 27 Kirkland St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Princeton University professor of East Asian studies and history speaks at this event organized by the Questions of Fascism and Democracy Lecture Series and the Democracy and Its Critics Initiative. Information is here.
Ben Rhodes on “American Foreign Policy in the Trump Era” lecture at 4:30 p.m. in the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. The bestselling American author, political commentator and a former deputy national security advisor for strategic communications and speechwriting under President Barack Obama is cohost of “Pod Save the World.” A public reception follows the lecture from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Also livestreamed. Information is here.
Cambridge Cooks: The Life of a Plantain from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. Dietitian Nutritionist Christine discusses the tropical plantain fruit, its health benefits and how to incorporate it into a balanced meal. Includes a taste test of a few ways it’s cooked around the world. Information is here.
Clothing swap for charity from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Café Zing, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. $5 to $20 donation (benefits the On the Rise nonprofit). Bring three to 15 pieces of used clothes in very good condition to swap; sample goodies from Cambridge Naturals; drink some Café Zing hot chocolate and mosey around the Chartreuse Microbus Collective’s vintage and artisan vendors. Information is here.
“Materiality: Memory in Cloth” open juried show opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at the CAA@Canal Gallery, 650 E. Kendall St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. The exhibition of work by New England fiber artists runs through May 2. Juried by textile artist Jenine Shereos. Information is here.
Mayors Imagining the Just City, Vol. 5 from 6:30 to 8 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 Katie Swenson, a senior principal of MASS Design Group. Sponsored by the Mayor’s Institute on City Design and Harvard’s The Just City Lab. Information is here.
Bernadette Atuahene reads from “Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The property law scholar uses the stories of two grandfathers – one white, one Black – who arrived in Detroit at the turn of the 20th century to reveal how racist policies weaken Black families, widen the racial wealth gap and derive profit from pain. Columbia Law School professor Patricia J. Williams joins. Information is here.
Longy faculty recital: Hugh Hinton at 7 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Hinton presents narrative and programmatic pieces that tell the personal stories of their creators: Schubert, Clara Schuman and Lili Boulanger. For the program’s second half, elaborate concert works by composers of African descent based on African American spirituals, featuring works by Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Florence Price. Information is here.
Rosa Kwon Easton reads from “White Mulberry” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The debut novelist’s portrait of a young Korean woman in 1930s Japan who’s torn between two worlds and must reclaim her true identity to provide a future for her family. “Scent of a Garden” author Namrata Patel joins. Information is here.
Poet Fred Moten 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.
The Jar presents “One Nighter with Aparna Nancherla” from 7 to 10 p.m. at Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $60 for a jar of six tickets, and 21-plus. The stand-up comedian and actor brings her dry, existential and whimsical sense of humor to her writing, too – her 2023 essay collection is “Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself, and Imposter Syndrome.” Per the “convener model” of this Boston nonprofit, you buy six tickets, two of which you give to people outside of your circle but you’d like to know better. Information is here.
“S P A C E” at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Feb. 23). $27 to $95. Playwright L. M. Feldman and director Larissa Lury draw on the experiences of women pilots and astronauts over the past 100 years – with The Mercury 13 female pilots at the center – to ask “What future are we headed toward?” This performance is followed (at 9:30 p.m.) by a discussion with MIT’s Sarah Millholland about exoplanets, and what makes planets beyond ours worth looking at. Information here.
ArtsThursdays: Devon Gates and Friends from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Harvard’s John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, 3 Oxford St., just north of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Harvard Yard. Free, but RSVP. The vocalist-bassist-composer presents her octet of jazz rhythm section, string trio, classical guitar and woodwinds, playing new, lush arrangements for her wide-ranging compositions and arrangements that bridge contemporary jazz, chamber and soul. Information is here.
Paragon Jam from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10. Boston’s jazz-rock Paragon Project invites players to bring an instrument, sign up at the door for a placement and perform one or two tunes with the band and in the group jam at the end of the night. Information is here.
Friday, Feb. 7
“Landscapes of War, Landscapes of Victory: Ukraine’s Changing Environment” conference from 9:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square (and continuing Saturday). Free, but register. As part of Harvard’s Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program, panels discuss the geopolitical landscape backdrop of the Russo-Ukrainian war; ecocide and environmental crimes; the (re)built environment; and digital technologies contributing to reconstruction. Information is here.
Black-owned businesses pop-up from noon to 7 p.m. at One Brattle Square, Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing Saturday). Free. More than 15 local Black-owned businesses sell unique, hand-crafted gifts, soaps, sauces, bags, jewelry and more. Information is here.
The Paul Traver Memorial Concert at 12:15 p.m. in the Thomas Tull Concert Hall at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building W18, also known as the Music Building, 201 Amherst St., Cambridge. Free. As part of an American Handel Society Conference, singers from the MIT Chamber Chorus and soloists from Emmanuel Music conducted by Ryan Turner will perform Handel’s first setting of “As Pants the Hart” and other works by Victoria and Palestrina. Information is here.
Judith Giesberg reads from “Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Family” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Villanova University history professor and author of “Civil War Sisterhood” founded and drew from an archive of nearly 5,000 letters and advertisements to put in narrative form the many ways formerly enslaved people quested for loved ones separated from them in slave auctions. Harvard professor and author of “Routes of War” Yael Sternhell joins. Information is here.
Writers-in-residence welcome reading at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. Readings from selections of works in progress by Amy Johnson, who’s working on a speculative suspense novel, and Adrien Ramirez, whose first novel, “A Hell of a Life,” is a love letter to ancient legends, tragic heroes and modern queer kids who want to reinvent the world. Information is here.
The Horszowski Trio presents “Setting the Scene: the Immortal Shakespeare” at 7 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Jesse Mills (violin), Reiko Aizawa (piano) and Ole Akahoshi (cello) perform incidental music to Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” by Korngold and to “Midsummer Night’s Dream” by David Ludwig, as well as the “Ghost” trio of Beethoven (evoking scenes from “Hamlet”) and some inventive and expressive tones of William Byrd, the Bard’s contemporary. Information is here.
Jess Tom: A Work in Progress at 7 and 9 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25 to $30. The stand-up comic, actor and writer (a story editor on HBO Max’s “Our Flag Means Death”) gleefully provides a trans, queer, Asian American, millennial twink perspective that everyone never knew they wanted. Information is here.
Detention stand-up comedy with Winston Hodges at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. at Goofs Comedy Club, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville (and Saturday). $20 to $25, and 21-plus. A weekend of performances from a comedian with Southern charm and edgy wit whose award-winning special “Grieving Productively” is available on YouTube. Information is here.
Mike Massé: Epic Acoustic Classic Rock from 7 to 10 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $35. The YouTube sensation plays and sings original arrangements of rock hits from the ’60s through the ’90s. Information is here.
Circus Twerkus from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $50 to $75 and 18-plus. A drag and circus show by the New England Black Circus with all ticket proceeds and donations going to the 20 artists performing. Features music by Black hip-hop icon Megan Thee Stallion. Information is here.
Travels with Brindle with Eliza Howells from 7:15 to 9:45 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10. Through her home-recording project and by way of ukulele, Chelsea Spear records “retro reimaginings” of the songs on the 1979 album “No. 1 in Heaven” by Sparks. Eliza Howells opens with a blend of pop melodies and classical technique. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. Information here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” at 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through March 9). $45. This year’s original musical is set in hell with pun-named characters navigating and scheming against the forces keeping them from getting what they want (often a reassignment to heaven), including its chief executive, Lucy Fur. Information is here.
Phyllis Fallon Sextet performs for Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Epic Ballroom, 26 New St., Suite 3, Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $13 to $20. This social partner dance with live music includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required; bring a clean pair of shoes to dance in when it’s wet outside. Information is here.
Wyrd presents… Classy Characters at 9 p.m. at the cafe at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $10. Comedians pretending to be characters who have never done improv before. Watch them take a class run by a real improv teacher. Information is here.
Aaron Parks Little Big at 9:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25 to $35. Pianist and composer Parks, guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist David Ginyard Jr. and new drummer Jongkuk Kim share their “powerfully modern, postgenre” take on improvised music on their third album, incorporating influences from nonjazz sources. Information is here.
Saturday, Feb. 8
Tai Chi for Turbulent Times from 10 to 11 a.m. in the second-floor Barn Room at First Parish Cambridge Unitarian Universalist, 3 Church St./1446 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Stay afloat with meditative movement. No complicated choreography, no experience necessary. A seated option is available. Information is here.
Wildlife tracking from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free and 14-plus. Mass Audubon field teachers help decipher animal tracks in the mud and snow to learn who has been nearby and what they were up to. Information is here.
“Landscapes of War, Landscapes of Victory: Ukraine’s Changing Environment” conference (continued) from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. Information is here.
Adults with Hobbies: Radical feminist book club from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free, or $5 suggested donation. The final session in this series discusses “Touching the Art” by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore. Tea and cookies provided; feel free to bring additional snacks and book notes or questions for the group. Information is here.
Black-Owned Businesses Pop-up (continued) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at One Brattle Square, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.
Dx Arcade grand opening from noon to 5 p.m. at Dx Arcade, 580 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP to get a raffle ticket. An opening celebration filled with discounted game play, face painting, a raffle every hour, sounds from DJ Vyper and more. Enjoy catered food from Everybody Gotta Eat and La Fabrica Central, plus tasty cocktails and beer for adults available for purchase. Information is here.
15th Annual “Some Like It Hot” Chili Cook-off from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Brattle Plaza, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Seven businesses in the square offer samples of chili during this family-friendly party where tasters (and four official judges) vote on the best bowl. (Next door be sure to check out the Black-owned business marketplace pop-up.) Live music by Grooversity Brazilian drumming group. Information is here.
I Heart Science from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Meet scientists who study extinct animals, zombie flies and black holes. Talk with experts from MassWildlife about native animals and with Britt Crow-Miller, the author of “World of Rot.” Bring your rock, mineral or fossil to discuss with the Boston Mineral Club. Create colorful shadows while exploring light and design a button portraying your favorite part of the natural world. Information is here.
Lunar New Year Celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. at the MIT Welcome Center, 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Hands-on crafts, calligraphy lessons, face-painting, treats, hot drinks, tai chi lessons and a lion dance. Information is here.
Introduction to nature monitoring in the city from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at The Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free, but register. Earthwise Aware cofounder Claire O’Neill teaches how to document and help the plant and insect communities of the center. No expertise required, but prepare for the event by installing a few free apps on your phone. (If you don’t have a smart device, you’ll be paired with someone who does.) Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $95. Information here.
Marimba players Steph Davis and Maria Finkelmeier with clarinetist Shankar at 3 p.m. at Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Free. An exploration of the resonance and timbral spectrum of the marimba with clarinet, from moving spirituals to contemporary classical works. Sponsored by the Celebrity Series of Boston. Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 4 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45. Information is here.
The Basement Project presents “A Circus Dance Odyssey” from 6:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $51.50. Professional circus artists, including aerialists, cyr wheel performers, burlesque flow dancers, visual artists and live painters, plus live DJ sets from local musicians, creating an immersive minifestival experience. Food provided. Information is here.
Alton Brown reads from “Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $38 with book. The New York Times bestselling cookbook author, food science nerd and Food Network star shares anecdotes and observations on the culinary world, film, personal style, defining meals of his lifetime and more. Information is here.
“Let’s Talk About It” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $25 to $35. A show dedicated to addressing themes of mental health, neurodiversity, negative self-talk and suicide. Presented by Tess Saoirse Dance and Collective Movements Dance. Information is here.
Detention stand-up comedy with Winston Hodges (continued) at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. at Goofs Comedy Club, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville. $20 to $25, and 21-plus. Information is here.
Analog By Choice presents “Kodaly, Kidjo and Korngold” at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Music Spaces, 1060 Broadway, Suite C101B, Somerville. $20. A program inspired by folk music and cinematic traditions in a series that matches famed and lesser-known composers by the letters that start their names: Kodaly’s duet for violin and cello is inspired by the music of Eastern Europe; Angelique Kidjo’s string quartet arrangement of YanYanKliYan Senamido, draws from the musical traditions of Benin; and Korngold’s Piano Quintet is a tour de force of cinematic writing. Information is here.
The Rainbow Ball – A Gay Prom Night at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $20 to $25. Dress your best and dance to live music from The Femmes party band of women and nonbinary musicians. A prom queen will be crowned. Information is here.
Aeronaut Idol at 8 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free and 21-plus. Ten finalists sing in front of a panel of seven judges representing Berklee College of Music, the Boston Music Awards, Spotify and other places, with the first prize winner getting a trophy and Aeronaut merch. Hosted by Majic. Information is here.
Le Prestige and The Weisstronauts perform from 8 to 11:30 p.m. at Remnant Brewing Satellite, 877 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. No cover. The horn-driven Le Prestige is primarily influenced by the spirit of ’60s soul jazz and the big beats and loops of ’90s hip-hop and electronica; from The Weisstronauts, get a lesson in “instrumental twang surf psych spy rock for the 22nd century.” Information is here.
“Daughters of Darkness” (1971) film screening at 9 p.m. at the Harvard Film Archive at The Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10. Delphine Seyrig purposely channeled Marlene Dietrich’s languid sensuality and brazen confidence to play the bisexual vampiress in Harry Kümel’s erotic horror movie, one of the most sophisticated European “lesbian vampire” movies of the seventies. Information is here.
Sunday, Feb. 9
Small Mart from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. Free. Find perfect gifts for your Valentine – or yourself – browsing this curated selection of artists, makers and vintage offerings, plus a full bar and more. Information is here.
Besties & Brews Galentine Party from 1 to 6 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free and 21-plus. Bring a gal pal and shop local women-founded small businesses for handmade goods, make and mail valentines, paint pottery, get a psychic reading, create your own flower arrangement (preregistration required) and enjoy food from Carolicious and Mimi’s Chūka Diner and sweets from Somerville Chocolate. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. Information here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 3 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45. Information is here.
Boston Festival of New Jewish Music’s “Kantika” album release concert at 3 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $25 to $35. Newly composed music and lyrics in English from Israeli siblings Tutti and Shaqed Druyan and Puerto Rican saxophonist Edmar Colón (kantika means “song” in the old language of Ladino – Judeo-Spanish). Information is here.
“In our Midst: The Grace of the Black Church” panel discussion from 3 to 4 p.m. at St. Augustine’s African Orthodox Christian Church, 137 Allston St., Cambridgeport. Free. Black History in Action for Cambridgeport hosts a discussion moderated by Mayor E. Denise Simmons in conjunction with the Cambridge Museum of History and Culture’s exhibit “Grace: The History of Black Churches in Cambridge” on display throughout February in the Kendall Public Lobby. Information is here.
“The Art of Care” exhibition closing reception from 3 to 4 p.m. at Gallery 263, 263 Pearl St., Cambridgeport. Free. The exhibition of writer, organizer and artist Cameron Russell and photographer Mei Tao explores the intersection of caregiving and creativity, and how to sustain and cherish life while moving through difficult times. Exhibition zines are available for purchase ($20) while supplies last. Tea and cookies provided. Information is here.
“Paint, Cut, Fold, Stitch” art exhibition opening reception from 3 to 5 p.m. at Brickbottom Gallery, 1 Fitchburg St., Somerville. Free. Works from three Boston-area artists: poet Denise Bergman (painted mobiles that rest on pedestals or dangle from the wall), who reads her poetry on Feb. 13; Yildiz Grodowski (semi-abstract paintings that play with figuration on canvas and panel); and On-Kyeong Seong (two- and three-dimensional objects made of cut fabric, machine stitching and paint). Curated by Diane Novetsky. Information is here.
Sunday Concert Series: Anticipation from 3 to 5 p.m. at Distler Performance Hall, Tufts University, 20 Talbot Ave., Medford. Free. Works by Jacob Kremberg, Johann Schenk and J.P. Rameau performed by Pamela Dellal (voice) Catherine Liddell (baroque lute and theorbo), Frances Conover Fitch (harpsichord) and Jane Hershey (viola da gamba). Information is here.
Somerville Jatra: Nepalese folk rock with The Muss from 4 to 6 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free, but RSVP. The group’s four musicians blend the energy of rock with the essence of traditional Nepali folk music. Presented by the Somerville Museum. Information is here.
Sub Rosa Songwriting Retreat performance at 7 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (also tomorrow). $20 to $25. A group of 15 who spent a retreat together last June creating songs reunite to perform them with a 10-piece symphony of singers, acoustic guitars, mandolins, pump organ, bass, Wurlitzer and “fuzzy” drums. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through March 16). $60 and 14-plus. A contemporary take on Homer’s “Odyssey” that reimagines the stories of Odysseus and his wife, Penelope, and asks how we can learn to embrace healing and forgiveness so cycles of violence and revenge can end. We wrote about it here. Information is here.
Monday, Feb. 10
Kenneth McElwain on “What Do Japanese People Want From Their Constitution?” from noon to 1 p.m. in Room K262 of the Center for Government and International Studies Knafel Building, 1737 Cambridge St., Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The professor at the Institute of Social Science at the University of Tokyo talks with Helen Hardacre from Harvard’s Reischauer Institute. Also via Zoom. Information is here.
Daniel Immerwahr on “This Too Shall Burn: America in the Age of Wood” at 4 p.m. in The Nexus community space on the first floor of the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free. The Northwestern University professor discusses his forthcoming book that asks how the harrowing fires due to the American abundance of wood shaped – or scarred – the country. Information is here.
Pianist Scott Cuellar at 4:30 p.m. in the Thomas Tull Concert Hall at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building W18, also known as the Music Building, 201 Amherst St., Cambridge. Free. A masterclass with the assistant professor of applied music and performance (piano) at Syracuse University. Information is here.
“Roots and Resilience: A Tu Bishvat Journey” lecture from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. at Lehrhaus, 425 Washington St., Somerville. $10. For the Jewish New Year of trees – Tu Bishvat – unearth the power of trees in Jewish tradition with Elisha Gechter. No prior learning required. Information is here.
Loretta J. Ross reads from “Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but registration is required. The cofounder of the National Center for Human Rights Education and cofounder of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective shares stories from her five decades in activism and her method of using constructive confrontation focused on shared values. Sponsored with Harvard Book Store. Information is here.
Monday’s Pages at 6 p.m. at The Comedy Studio in the basement at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and every second and last Monday of each month). Free. At this cold reading series, actors and writers get together to work on their crafts via 10-page submissions, with casting at 6:15 p.m. and reading at 7 p.m. The Variety Free Open Mic and The Theo Griffin Experience house band follow at 8:15 p.m. Information is here.
Seed-packing party from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free. Launching in March, Somerville is starting a seed library at all three library locations. To help prepare for it, join the party repackaging seeds into take-home size packets. Information is here.
O’Neill Branch book group from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library O’Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., North Cambridge. Free. February’s title: “Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times” by Katherine May. Information is here.
Introduction to marker techniques from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Boston Figurative Art Center, 285 Washington St., Suite 102, near Union Square, Somerville. $45. Illustrator Stephanie Vecellio shows how to use water-based brush markers for layering, blending and creating rich, fun colors, with the focus more on play and technique than bringing home a finished piece. No drawing experience necessary; materials provided. Information is here.
Joseph Leo Koerner reads from “Art in a State of Siege” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Harvard professor talks about three compelling images created in dangerous moments, when tyrants were ascendant the rule of law broke down: Hieronymus Bosch’s “Garden of Delights”; a self-portrait by Max Beckmann in 1927 that was deemed a threat by the Nazis; and South African artist William Kentridge’s work during apartheid. Harvard Law School’s Noah Feldman joins. Information is here.
Allegra Goodman reads from “Isola” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The bestselling author of “Sam” and five other novels discusses her newest, inspired by the real survival story of a young 16th century heiress orphaned and left abandoned on a small island by a thieving guardian, left to the mercy of nature with only the guardian’s servant as a companion. Information is here.
Sub Rosa Songwriting Retreat performance (continued) at 7 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25. Information is here.
“Incipit: A History of Early Manuscripts at Harvard” exhibition opening reception from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Edison Newman Room of the Houghton Library, at Quincy and Harvard streets in Harvard Yard, Cambridge. Free, but register. The exhibition traces the growth of Harvard’s medieval manuscript collections from the late 18th to early 20th century. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres provided. A lecture at 5:30 p.m. by Houghton library head William P. Stoneman introduces the exhibition. Information is here.
Pitch-a-Friend (Millennial and GenX night) from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Prepare a three-to-five minute slide presentation to pitch your amazing single pal to a room full of other singles and onlookers. Or just be an onlooker. “Like Shark Tank, but for love and friendship.” Information is here.
Bachata Mondays from 8:15 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Havana Club, 288 Green St., Central Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15 and 18-plus. The club has a strictly no-alcohol policy on Mondays (also on Tuesdays and Sundays) with lively dancing to mostly bachata (90 percent) and some salsa (10 percent) and bachata lessons in the first hour. Information is here.
Tuesday, Feb. 11
Ingrid Robeyns reads from “Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth” from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Malkin Penthouse of the Littauer Building, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. The professor at the Ethics Institute of Utrecht University in the Netherlands explains that extreme wealth keeps the poor poor and inequalities growing; is often dirty money; undermines democracy; and is one of the leading causes of climate change. Plus, there are better things to do with excess money and the rich will benefit from limitarianism, too. Information is here.
“Magic, Witchcraft and Occultism” workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. in the conference room at the Center for the Study of World Religions, 42 Francis Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge (and biweekly through Apr. 22). Free, but register. Historian Aaron Michael Ullrey leads discussions on ancient Greek love magic, sorcery in Hindu tantras, witchcraft among the early 20th century Azande people in Africa, antiwitchcraft lore in 1970s rural France and contemporary esotericism and chaos magic. Information is here.
Cut Loose Collage Workshop: Bon Voyage! Vintage Postcards from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Cambridge Art Association’s Kathryn Schultz Gallery, 25 Lowell St., West Cambridge. $48 to $65. Instructor Michael Sjostedt helps you craft a unique collage with a curated selection of eclectic vintage postcards and retro ephemera. Information is here.
A Benefit Bake for Green Cambridge from 4 to 10 p.m. at American Flatbread and Sacco’s Bowl Haven, 45 Day St., Davis Square, Somerville. À la carte ordering. A portion of each pizza bought for dining in or carryout goes toward supporting the nonprofit Green Cambridge. Information is here.
“Book Moot” discusses “A Tempest of Tea (Blood and Tea 1) by Hafsah Faizal” at 6:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. $5 (ticket price redeemable for store credit during event). The first book in a fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Information is here.
“Space: The New Frontier” Boston premiere film screening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Mugar Omni Theater at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free with preregistration. Watch the new film and hear about new hope for humanity as a spacefaring species from Ariel Ekblaw, founder and chief executive of Cambridge space-innovation lab the Aurelia Institute. An audience Q&A and reception follows. Cosponsored by the museum’s Center for Space Sciences. Information is here.
Rachel Lyon reads from “Fruit of the Dead” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “Self-Portrait with Boy” discusses her “twisty and unsettling” (says People) modern-day reimagining of the myth of Persephone and Demeter that explores love, control, obliteration and America’s own late-capitalist mythos. (It’s newly released in paperback.) Novelist Margot Livesey, author of “The Road from Belhaven,” to be published this month, joins. Information is here.
Jayne Anne Phillips reads from “Night Watch,” newly released in paperback at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “Black Tickets” and several other novels discusses her Pulitzer winner about a mother and daughter who find refuge among the staff and residents of a lunatic asylum in the aftermath of the Civil War. Andre Dubus III, the author of “House of Sand and Fog” and other books, joins. Information is here.
“Designing Biodiversity from Gardens to Regions” lecture from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. Evan Abramson of Landscape Interactions describes how functionally diverse native pollinator habitat can serve as a building block for linking intact natural areas across a fragmented landscape of sidewalks, parks, campuses, working lands, conservation properties, front lawns and backyard gardens. Hosted by Grow Native Massachusetts. Information is here.
Great Books Book Group from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. This time: selections from “Democracy in America” by Alexis de Tocqueville. Information is here.
Romance book group from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. in the teen room at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. A book discussion group for teens and adults. This month: “The Au Pair Affair” by Tessa Bailey. Information is here.
Courtney Swain at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $34. The multi-instrumentalist conjures soundscapes that surround audiences with murmuring and echoing electronics, providing a canvas for her vocals, live instruments and witty, insightful songwriting. Sponsored by Boston Celebrity Series. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $65 and 14-plus. Information is here.
Point01 Percent contemporary series from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. A cross-pollination of area musical improvisers. At 7:30 p.m., Forbes Graham (trumpet), Kelley Bray (trumpet) and Lemuel Marc (trumpet). At 8:30 p.m., Josh Stinton (sax), Pandelis Karayorgis (piano), Nathan McBride (bass) and Noah Mark (drums). Information is here.
Hot 8 Brass Band at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $23.50. The parade and funeral band combines a funk style influence from the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth with elements of contemporary R&B and rap (and its local variation, “bounce”). Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35. Information is here.
Henhouse Prowlers at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $18 to $20. The band works with the U.S. State Department and under their own nonprofit, Bluegrass Ambassadors, and incorporates music from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and more into an already robust repertoire of unique traditional American music. Information is here.
Wednesday, Feb. 12
MIT MLK Speaker Series from noon to 2 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free. Four panelists discuss topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Moderated by Donald Wright, deputy chief of economic opportunity and inclusion for the City of Boston. Information is here.
The 50th Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and Marathon at 4 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square (and through Feb. 17). $16 to $20 (per film) to $100 (for a marathon pass) to $200 (for an all-access pass). This multiday sci-fi feast, which organizers say is the longest-running genre film festival in the country, includes features, some premieres, programs of shorts, panels, director appearances, parties and more. The 24-hour marathon from Feb. 16-17 has films ranging from great, good, no-so-great to downright laughable. Information is here.
Rasa String Quartet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Bigelow Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $50. An hourlong reception with food followed by an hour of performance by violinists Emma Powell and Maura Shawn Scanlin, violist Kiyoshi Hayashi and cellist Mina Kim. Information is here.
Cass R. Sunstein reads from “Climate Justice: What Rich Nations Owe the World” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $31.82 with book, and registration required. The author of “The Cost-Benefit Revolution” and other books who’s also co-founder and co-director of Harvard’s Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and the Law emphasizes that everyone must be counted equally when it comes to climate change and how “choice engines,” informed by artificial intelligence, can enable people to save money and to reduce the harms they produce. Sponsored with Harvard Book Store. Information is here.
Field Cameras 101 from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at Cambridge Community Television, 438 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square (also Feb. 19). $60 total for two sessions. Learn the basic safety and handling procedures of CCTV’s professional camcorders through hands-on practice. This class certifies members to check out XA45 camcorders. Instructor: Rock Louis. Information is here.
Stitch ’n’ Bitch from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Boston Figurative Art Center, 285 Washington St., Suite 102, near Union Square, Somerville. $10 and all ages. Bring an unfinished textile or sewing project and commiserate with others in a low-key setting about how many unfinished projects you have. Professional artist and fashion designer Mary Kahle troubleshoots and provides feedback. All experience levels are welcome; snacks provided. Information is here.
Tunefoolery at 7 p.m. at the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. Monthly coffeehouse with open mic for the mental health recovery community and general public. Information is here.
Poets Tatiana Johnson-Boria, Saeed Jones and Porsha Olayiwola at 7 p.m. in the Forum Room at Lamont Library, Room 335, 11 Quincy St., Harvard Square. Free to $10. Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah introduces this reading sponsored by Grolier Poetry Book Shop. Information is here.
Tova Mirvis reads from “We Would Never” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of a memoir and novels, including the bestseller “The Ladies Auxiliary,” discusses her latest: a combination of murder mystery (inspired by a true story), intimate family drama and exploration of loyalty and betrayal and the blurred line between them. Jessica Shattuck, author of the bestselling “The Women in the Castle” and other novels, joins. Information is here.
Hub Comics “Book Clhub” at 7 p.m. at Hub Comics, 19 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville. Free, but bring a copy of the book with you. February’s title: “All-Star Superman” by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. Information is here.
Megan Marshall reads from “After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Emerson College professor and author of several biographies, including her Pulitzer winner about Margaret Fuller discusses her essays interplaying memoir and biography and learning how to live from others’ lives. Maggie Doherty, author of “The Equivalents: A Story of Art, Female Friendship and Liberation in the 1960s,” joins. Information is here.
Resonance Lab singles-matching from 7 to 9 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free, but RSVP. Two Camberville psychotherapist millennials have created a way for people 28 to 48 to meet. Joining the database via a short Google form questionnaire allows for personalized matching. Information is here.
Owls performs at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $34. Owls’ two-cello sound and diverse programming – with arrangements of music from the 1600s to the present – combine into an exhilarating concert experience. Sponsored by Boston Celebrity Series. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $75 and 14-plus. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $95. Information here.
Tobin Sprout and The Moles perform at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $21.50. The former Guided By Voices guitarist and co-songwriter kicks off his tour in Boston promoting a new EP and co-headlines with The Moles. Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35. Information is here.
Comedian Demetrius Fields at 8 p.m. at The Comedy Studio in the basement at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25. Fields was raised in Detroit but is now a New York City comedian performing regularly at New York Comedy Club, The Grisly Pear Comedy Club, Flophouse Comedy Club and The Stand, plus at colleges across the United States. Information is here.
Thursday, Feb. 13
Thursday Morning Talks: I. Glenn Cohen on “Medical Artificial Intelligence: Legal & Ethical Issues” from 10:15 a.m. to noon at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., West Cambridge. $20 or $125 (suggested donations for individual talk or series subscription), and registration is required. The Harvard law professor asks “What does ethical use of medical AI look like?” and discusses topics such as privacy, informed consent, bias, liability and governance. The January and February lecture series is a fundraiser for Mount Auburn Hospital in its 88th year. Information is here.
The 50th Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and Marathon (continued) at 3 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $16 to $20 (per film) to $100 (for a Feb. 16-17 marathon pass) to $200 (for an all-access festival pass). Information is here.
Steffen Mau on “Trigger Points: How Divided is Germany Really” from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Adolphus Busch Hall, 29 Kirkland St., Baldwin, Cambridge. Free. Despite the media painting the picture of a polarized Germany as the Feb. 23 election approaches, the Berlin-based co-author of 2024’s “Trigger Points: Consensus and Conflict in Contemporary Society” argues that there is much consensus on poverty (and wealth), migration, diversity (and gender) and climate protection, but certain “triggers” ignite intense debates that blur the common ground. Information is here.
Speed-dating with a book from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. For those in a reading rut, create connections while exploring new authors, titles and genres. Light snacks and refreshments provided. Information is here.
The Environment Forum: A Conversation with Elizabeth Kolbert at 6 p.m. in a location TBD in Cambridge. Free. The author of the 2015 Pulitzer-winning “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” discusses her 2024 book “H Is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z,” which grew out of essays she wrote for The New Yorker. Moderated by Robin Kelsey of Harvard’s Committee on the Arts. Information is here.
Dungeons & Dragons from 6 to 9 p.m. at Mothership, 125 Cambridgepark Drive, in North Cambridge near Alewife. $25 and 18-plus. Fight The Exposition presents a monthly D&D night open to all levels of experience (includes a beginners’ table). Information is here.
After Dark Series: Disguise, Deceive, Debunk from 6 to 9 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20 and 21-plus. A night of humor, media literacy and creative deception co-hosted with MIT’s Knight Science Journalism Program: three comedians challenge your gullible gauge to spot the one true news story; MIT’s Rand Lab showcases interactive tools to help you spot fake news in real-time; and training in how to craft your own illusions the way Victorian photographers faked ghostly images. Snacks from Lola’s Pinoy Pastry and drinks from Marzae Wine are available to buy. Information is here.
Pianist Artina McCain presents “Hidden Gems” at 7 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Lesser known repertoire including the works of composers Joseph Joubert, Maria Corley, Poulenc, Tania Leon and more. Information is here.
Drink + Doodle (+ Dates!) at 7 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free, but RSVP and 21-plus. Hosted every other month by local artists to help connect the Boston art community (with a Valentine’s theme this time). Information is here.
Cynthia Blakeley reads from “The Innermost House” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The Emory University writing professor’s memoir is about growing up poor in a 19th century saltbox house in Wellfleet surrounded by extended family with secrets and traumas. Journalist Kate Ellis joins. Information is here.
Julian E. Zelizer reads from “In Defense of Partisanship” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The CNN political analyst and Princeton history professor charts the evolution of U.S. political parties and argues that party-oriented reforms could create a more functional path on which two responsible political parties compete to shape policy and still govern. Boston University history professor and author Bruce Schulman joins. Information is here.
“Pepe” film screening with the director from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Harvard Film Archive at The Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The 2024 film by Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias “playfully reimagines the life of the titular hippopotamus, brought from southern Africa to Colombia in the late 1970s by infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar,” as a “shrewd allegory for the history of colonialism in the Global South.” This event is part of ArtsThursdays and of a film series on the director running through Feb. 14. Information is here.
High Horse from 7:15 to 9:45 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. The progressive-acoustic Boston band blends bluegrass, old-time and Celtic music with the energy of alternative rock. Tonight, clarinetist Itay Dayan joins. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $65 and 14-plus. Information is here.
Cellist Seth Parker Woods at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $34. With an anchor of three Sarabande movements from Bach’s unaccompanied cello suites, Woods presents a varied program of traditional and 20th and 21st century works, which also includes Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s “Lamentations, ‘Black Folk/song Suite’” and Fredrick Gifford’s “Difficult Grace” for speaking cellist and electronics. Sponsored by Boston Celebrity Series. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $87. This performance is followed by a conversation with the cast and creative team about bringing the play to Central Square Theater. Information here.
Camping in Alaska performs at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $26.50. The post-emo band is based Huntsville, AL. Also playing: Catalyst. Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35. Information is here.
Galentine’s Comedy Night at 8:30 p.m. at Remnant Brewing Satellite, 877 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. $10 to $15. Comedians Steph Dalwin, Kristina Feliciano, El Kennedy and Gina Christo with special guest Elizabeth Stone. Hosted by Shelby Lecuyer. 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.