Get : Night

Friday, July 18 & 25

Kasia Pilat — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:11:00 GMT

Sure, you love your naan, mango chutney, and lamb curry as much as the next “adventurous” food fan, but how about stepping outside of your tandoori chicken comfort zone and sampling some Indian tunes instead? Every Friday at 10:30 p.m., the polished Vintage Lounge (72 Broad Street, 617.482.1900) hosts GenerationDesi.com’s Club India, whose two rooms will surely satisfy the tastes of all trendy partygoers. One room will give you a taste of India’s Bhangra and Bollywood with international tunes and a live Indian drummer and belly dancing; to hear hiphop, Top 40, and house, head to room number two. There’s a $15 cover at the door, but get on the guest list at www.generationdesi.com and pay only $10.

Thursday, July 17

Kasia Pilat — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:07:00 GMT

Finally, the girls of Boston won’t have to associate the hated acronym “PMS” with popping Motrin like candy and downing a pint or seven of Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby while watching Reba reruns in sweats. Financial District hotspot the Good Life (28 Kingston Street, Boston, 617.451.2622) has launched a new monthly series, Party Music Suppliers. The good people at the Good Life must realize the importance of girl power, because they initiated PMS when they noticed a void in Boston nightlife: charismatic girl DJs who can scratch, spin, and mashup as well as the guys can. To fix that, resident girl duo-DJs Ms Thang and Just Joan will take the stage on the second Thursday of every month to spin vinyl like only fresh young ladies know how. There’s no cover charge, and the girlie good time starts at 9 p.m.

Tuesday, July 15 & 22

Kasia Pilat — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:05:00 GMT

We’ve been dying to try our hands (or feet) at salsa for years, ever since Diego Luna seduced us with his dark features and darker dance moves in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. Now we’ve finally found the place to do it. Every Tuesday at Ryles Jazz Club & Dance Hall (212 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, 617.876.9330), not only can you get free introductory salsa lessons with the Noche Latina Dance Company from 8:15 to 8:30 p.m., but you can also use those new moves to shimmy the night away starting at 9:30 p.m. There are also beginner lessons from 7 to 8:15 p.m. and advanced intermediate lessons from 8:30 to 9:30; they cost $13 per lesson, or $11 with a college ID. After 9:30, it’s $10 for dancing. Bailamos!

Get out

Heather Bouzan — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:36:00 GMT

Partying indoors on a beautiful summer night makes as much sense as heading to the Cape during a snowstorm: why leave a sunny beach, outdoor barbeque, or block party to go into a hot and crowded bar? The organizers behind Dancing on the Charles (4 Gerry’s Landing, Cambridge) realized this and took the party outdoors. Produced by Boston music visionaries Soul Clap and Marz Entertainment, Dancing on the Charles features DJs, VJs, and giveaways on seven Saturdays this summer, beginning May 31, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Listening to music under the stars with a cold beer in your hand — could you ask for anything more? Well, yes: they’ve added portapotties to this year’s festivities.

Tasting Tuesdays at Lobby Bar & Kitchen

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:05:00 GMT

TUESDAY, APRIL 29
We don't usually have a problem ordering blindly off a cocktail list, but sometimes we find ourselves questioning exactly what we're sipping. So we've begun a little post-work education at Tasting Tuesdays, held approximately every two weeks at Lobby Bar & Kitchen (131 Broad Street, Boston, 617.261.5353). Running from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and a steal at just $25 per person, the events pair a thematic libation (tonight, rosé wines from around the world) with coordinating bites prepared by executive chef Donley Liburd. The evening is relaxed yet informative - only tipples with a story to tell make the cut - and we admit we get a cheap thrill out of drinking in "class." Call ahead for reservations (highly recommended due to space limitations) and visit www.lobbyboston.com for details on upcoming events; a tequila tasting, "Beer & Baseball," and a ladies' seminar on summery white wines are in the works.

Miss Coco Peru at Mantra

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:59:00 GMT

FRIDAY, APRIL 25
Mantra (52 Temple Place, Boston, 617.542.8111) has been many things: polished downtown eatery, well-heeled late-night lounge . . . and tonight, with an appearance by Miss Coco Peru, lively cabaret. The larger-than-life personality, who's appeared in the cult-classic film Girls Will Be Girls along with guest spots on Will & Grace and Arrested Development, puts on so much more than just a drag show. Her performance - part stand-up act, part song and dance, part everything else - is, in a word, absolutely fabulous. (Okay, two words.) Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7; admission is $20.

Soul Clap Thursdays at Whiskey Park

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:58:00 GMT

THURSDAY, APRIL 24 & MAY 1
Sometimes we find ourselves favoring the post-work-cocktails, home-by-nine routine. But for nights when we're looking to extend our evening into the wee hours, we've discovered a new weekly event that caters to city sophisticates: Soul Clap Thursdays at Whiskey Park (64 Arlington Street, Boston, 617.542.1482). DJs Eli Goldstein and Charles Levine, the two dynamic halves of Soul Clap, spin a mix of genres, the clientele skews toward urban professional, and the party runs from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. There's no cover charge, RSVPs, or guest lists, either.

The Kills at the Paradise Rock Club

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:56:00 GMT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30
She's from Florida, he's from England - at first glance, not much in common. But when Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince met in a South London hotel, the duo realized they were melodious kindred spirits. (Both went to art school and obsessed over the Velvet Underground.) Thus the Kills and their brand of gritty, edgy indie punk rock were born. Mosshart and Hince (a/k/a "VV" and "Hotel") play the Paradise Rock Club (967 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.562.8800) tonight at 8 p.m.; doors open at 7, and Telepathe supports. General-admission tickets ($12) are at www.ticketmaster.com or 617.931.2000.

Atmosphere at the Roxy

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:55:00 GMT

SATURDAY, APRIL 26
You've been shopping at Bodega for years and still feel smug about your underground urban wear. Why don't you talk the talk with some underground hip-hop to match? Masters of poetic lyrics and pioneers of introspective rap Ant and Slug of Atmosphere perform tonight at the Roxy (279 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.338.7699). And coming out to hear the thought-provoking prose of these Minnesota indie rappers will give you a chance to wear your new Karmaloop hoodie. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or 617.931.2000.

Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra at Scullers Jazz Club

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:54:00 GMT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
As suckers for anything indie, we're thrilled that Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra is coming to town to perform tonight at Scullers Jazz Club (400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, 617.562.4111). The 18-piece genre-bending jazz orchestra takes the music of the notoriously innovative (and, in the fashion world, iconic) Björk and presents it in downtown New York jazz style. Members of the groundbreaking band have performed and/or recorded with everyone from Dr. Dre to the Arcade Fire, making Bjorkestra a spectacle not to be missed. The show starts at 8 p.m.; tickets, which are $20 for the show and $65 with dinner, are available at www.ticketweb.com or 617.562.4111.

Independent Film Festival of Boston at the Somerville Theatre, the Brattle Theatre, and the Coolidge Corner Theatre

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:42:00 GMT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 - TUESDAY, APRIL 29
Since we couldn't swing the trip out to Sundance in February, we'll be sure to get our indie-film fix at the Independent Film Festival of Boston, with screenings at the Somerville Theatre (55 Davis Square, Somerville, 617.625.5700), the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617. 876.6837), and the Coolidge Corner Theatre (290 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617.734.2500). Highlights include We Are Wizards, a documentary about Harry Potter-inspired rock bands; Mary Stuart Masterson's directorial debut The Cake Eaters; and Eleven Minutes, which chronicles Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll's first fashion show post-Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. Pass holders are invited to nightly parties with attending celebrities and filmmakers. With all this glamour, who needs Park City? To purchase passes and for a list of show times and locations, visit www.iffboston.org.

Spin at the Plaza Black Box Theatre

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:39:00 GMT

THROUGH FRIDAY, MAY 9
These days, political campaigns fraught with scandal have become pretty much the status quo. Of course, no matter how many times the shit hits the fan, the campaign manager's job never gets any easier. The Zeitgeist Stage Company's production of Spin (incidentally, the show's New England premiere and only the second production in the US) follows win-at-all-costs campaign manager Jerry, who's running the campaign of leading presidential candidate Henry Champlain. When a rival team threatens to go public with details of a sex scandal involving the candidate's wife, Jerry goes into hyper-drive and Champlain is forced to make a major decision. Part comedy, part political thriller, Spin closes out the company's season in the Plaza Black Box Theatre (Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.426.5000). Tickets ($35) are available at www.bostontheatrescene.com or 617.933.8600.

Andrew Haddad@Night: Man on the move

Erin Byers Murray — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:38:00 GMT

WHETHER ANDREW Haddad is cruising Newbury Street to check out how business is going at I-Boutique and Cafeteria (both of which he co-owns), hosting events with his promo company, or traveling to New York or Los Angeles for retail buying trips, he's almost always on the move. We caught up with him on his way to Miami for some R&R to find out where the Newton resident likes to spend his nights off.

@ 6:15 p.m.: I'm usually closing up the store and will take a walk down to the restaurant to see what's going on there. I might stop by Bar 10 for a drink afterwards.

@ 7:30 p.m.: I like to stop by home before heading to the South End for dinner. I love going to Stella. I think the whole atmosphere there is unbelievable. Everything - the service, the food - is on point, so I'm actually there two or three nights a week.

@ 9:45 p.m.: I'll probably go to Ivy or Mantra or Teatro after dinner, just to stop in for a drink.

@ midnight: I'll pass by Jer-ne inside the Ritz, or maybe Abe & Louie's, to grab one more drink.

@ 2 a.m.: It's late so I'm making my way home. My day starts at 10 a.m. so it's time for me to get some rest.

[Photo by Ian Barnard]

Boston Bar Golf Invitational at Jose McIntyre’s

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:21:00 GMT

SATURDAY, APRIL 19
Here's another event to bring out the collegiate imbiber in us: the annual Boston Bar Golf Invitational kicks off today at 1 p.m. at Jose McIntyre's (160 Milk Street, Boston, 617.451.7498). After leaving "the clubhouse" (Jose's), you'll need to complete at least nine "holes" of the "course" - which means stopping off at nine storied Faneuil Hall drinking establishments, including McFadden's, Sissy K's, and the Bell in Hand. The goal is to finish an assigned number of drinks, accumulate bonuses, and avoid penalties, like spilling a drink or falling over. Visit www.bostonbargolf.com to sign up, purchase your scorekeeping T-shirt, and see a complete list of rules.

[Written by Heather Bouzan and Sarah Shanfield]

Beirut Night at the Kells

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:14:00 GMT

MONDAY, APRIL 14 & 21
Maybe it's been a while since you asked for a re-rack while sipping PBR in a dingy frat-house basement, but that doesn't mean you've lost any of your Beirut skills. For those nostalgic for their college pastime, head over to the weekly Beirut Night at the Kells (161 Brighton Avenue, Allston, 617.782.9082) and join Boston's only beer-pong league. If the game itself doesn't transport you back to those golden years, munch on some of your old late-night favorites; they've got chicken wings, pizza, and fried dumplings. Those who prove to have the best hand-eye coordination (especially after throwing back a few) will win a $50 gift certificate. Sign-up starts at 8 p.m. and games begin at 8:30. Go ahead, reclaim your title.

[Written by Heather Bouzan and Sarah Shanfield]

[Photo by Joel Veak]