Listings, Oct. 10-16

fri, oct 10

MUSIC | Radio 4, The Natural History

The 5-person group Radio 4, hailing from Brooklyn, performs dance tracks from their highly-acclaimed 2001 CD Gotham. The Natural History is a pop trio from New York known for music that represents the harsher side of the city that never sleeps. 8 p.m. $10; 18+. The Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave. (JW)

MUSIC | The String Cheese Incident

This Colorado band has produced five successful CDs and gives a truly unique fan-oriented performance. Posters designed by artist Michael Everett are free for those who bring 30 items of canned goods to the show. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $30. Orpheum Theatre, 1 Hamilton Pl., Boston (JW)

MUSIC | Handsome Family

Hailing from Albuquerque, the husband and wife duo likes to sing about the supernatural world while using both standard and unconventional instruments, from the trumpet and violin to beer cans on strings. 8:30 p.m. $10. T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St. (JW)

MUSIC | Quick Fix, Elkland

Quick Fix, a Boston-based glam-rock trio, performs songs from their sophomore effort Animal Love. Elkland, a foursome from the foothills of New York, gained recent popularity with the release of their EP Her this past summer. Look for songs from their upcoming CD to be released this month. 9 p.m. $9. The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass. Ave. (JW)

MUSIC | Remember Shakti: John McLaughlin with Zakir Hussain

English-born McLaughlin, known as the “Guitar Hero,” performs with Hussain, a Grammy-winning tabla player. Remember Shakti is a unique blend of Eastern and Western musical tradition. 8 p.m. $35-$45. Sanders Theatre. (JW)

MUSIC | DJ Dan

This Olympia, Wash. native DJs worldwide and recently released a new compilation of house music called Funk the System. 10 p.m. $20. Avalon Night Club, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston. (JW)

MUSIC | The Sheila Divine, “The Final Performances” with Helicopter Helicopter

The winner of multiple NEMO Boston Music Awards, rock band The Sheila Divine gives their final performances this weekend. Helicopter Helicopter, a highly successful local band, performs tracks from their new CD Wild Dogs with X-Ray Eyes, which was released in May. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $15. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. (JW)

MUSIC | The Playground

This new music series is an improvisational performance by young piano talents. The Playground will take place every Friday. 7 p.m., $7 donation. Zeitgeist Gallery, 1353 Cambridge St. (JW)

READING | Charles Baxter

The University of Minnesota professor reads excerpts from his new novel Saul and Patsy, a book about a young Michigan couple. 7 p.m. WordsWorth Books, 30 Brattle St. (JW)

READING | Peter Hart

Hart, from the organization Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, discusses his book Oh Really? Factor: Unspinning the Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly, a critique of the frequent errors and inconsistencies on O’Reilly’s cable show. 7 p.m. The Harvard Coop, 1400 Mass. Ave. (JW)

READING | Robert Lasner

Lasner reads excerpts from his novel For Fuck’s Sake, the story of a man’s journey from New Orleans to New York and the unusual characters he encounters along the way. 12:30 p.m. Borders, 10-24 School St., Boston. (JW)

READING | Jonathan Rosenberg and

Zachary Karabell

Rosenberg and Karabell read excerpts from their book Kennedy, Johnson, and the Quest for Justice: The Civil Rights Tapes, a compilation of transcripts of the presidents’ conversations during their dealings with racial injustice in 1960s America. 3 p.m. Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass. Ave. (JW)

sat, oct 11

DANCE | No Half Steppin’

Hosted by the Harvard Society of Black Scientists and Engineers (HSBSE), this annual dance showbenefits the Science Club for Girls. It features step dance teams from Harvard, NYU, Boston College and Tufts. An afterparty takes place in the Pforzheimer dining hall. 7:30 p.m. $7 general, $5 students. Lowell Lecture Hall. (JW)

MUSIC | Joan Baez

A legendary 60s activist, Joan Baez performed at MLK’s 1963 March on Washington, participated in the Free Speech movement at UC Berkeley and co-founded the Institute for the Study of Nonviolence. She’s also a talented soprano, a versatile folk rock star, a six-time Grammy Award-nominee and a Woodstock performer. 8 p.m. $30.50-$38. Berklee Performance Center, 136 Mass. Ave., Boston. (TR)

MUSIC | Mofro, Hi8us

The R&B band Mofro, a Florida-based favorite, plays tracks from both Blackwater, their newly re-released CD, and a new CD to be released next year. Originally from Amherst, MA, Hi8us features a unique mix of funk, rock, pop, Latin, reggae, and electronica. 8 p.m. $12 ($5 off with String Cheese Incident stub). The Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave. (JW)

MUSIC | Red Elvises

This Siberian band has produced its own studio albums—nine in all—and claims Elvis, the Spice Girls and Fidel Castro as influences. Their music is a fusion of rock’n’roll and ethnic music from Russia. 8:30 p.m. $10. T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St. (JW)

MUSIC | Quintron & Miss Pussycat, the Frogs, Baby Rosebud

Quintron & Miss Pussycat’s act features a puppet show, followed by a musical extravaganza highlighted by an organ, drum machine and Quintron’s personal invention, the “Drum Buddy.” The Frogs are a duo from Wisconsin who like to shake things up with their controversial CDs, which claim to support a “gay supremacy movement” and both pro- and anti-racist stances. Female duo Baby Rosebud play tracks from their new album Thorn, highlighted by the accorgan, a combination accordion and organ. 9 p.m. $10. The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass. Ave. (JW)

MUSIC | Go Figure

The acoustic trio plays original work as well as interpretations of Ellington, the Beach Boys and Sousa, to name a few. 7:30 p.m. $6 donation. Zeitgeist Gallery, 1353 Cambridge St. (JW)

MUSIC | Fishlung Piano Series

This new piano series takes place on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. This week’s program features the quartet Surca and, as always, the trio Fishlung. 9:30 p.m. $10 donation. Zeitgeist Gallery, 1353 Cambridge St. (JW)

READING | Candlelite Open Bark Poetry Night

Artists are welcomed to perform their poetry, songs, music, or written word with poet Deborah Priestly in the homey atmosphere of Out of the Blue Gallery. 8:30 p.m. (sign-up 8 p.m.). $3-5 donation. Out of the Blue Gallery, 106 Prospect St. (JW)

READING | Susan Hood

Hood, the archivist at the Church of Ireland’s Representative Church Body Library in Dublin, discusses her tale of Ireland’s heraldic authority. 7 p.m. The Harvard Coop, 1400 Mass. Ave. (JW)

VISUAL | MIT Great Glass Pumpkin Patch

MIT’s Glass Lab has produced more than 1,000 hand-blown glass pumpkins, ranging in price from $20-$200. Artist Peter Houk oversaw the making of these autumn creations. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Kresge Oval, MIT. (JW)

sun, oct 12

VISUAL ART | Morning: Life Drawing

Come get away from your studies by attending this weekly morning drawing class. Open to anyone interested. 10:30 to 1 p.m. $8 donation. Zeitgeist Gallery, 1353 Cambridge St. (DME)

FILM | A Month of Sundays

Filmmakers Chelsea Spear and Guy Maddin will be premiering their latest works every Sunday in October including Spear’s new 16mm silent film The Hidden where she retells the Calypso/Ulysses story of The Odyssey from a woman’s point of view. 7 p.m. $7. Zeitgeist Gallery, 1353 Cambridge St. (DME)

MUSIC | Boston Philharmonic, Mahler #1

Sanders Theater presents the Boston Philharmonic, conducted by Benjamin Zander, with the first symphony composed by Gustav Mahler. It promises to be quite an enchanting journey as the concert features his great “Blumine” and “Songs of a Wayfarer.” 3pm. Tickets $63, $48, $35, $23; $4 off Students/Seniors. Sanders Theater. (DME)

MISC | Harvard Square Oktoberfest

This yearly event fills the square with great food, beer, art, crafts, entertainment, and more for the Oktoberfest celebration. Noon to 6 p.m. Harvard Sq., Cambridge. Free. (DME)

FILM | Taxi Driver

“You talkin’ to me?” Martin Scorsese’s gritty and intense 1976 classic comes to the Brattle this weekend in a new 35mm print, promising audiences a speckle-free view of Robert DeNiro’s angry, mohawk-topped visage. DeNiro is an alienated and violence-prone New York City cabbie who takes out his rage at society with extreme prejudice. The film won Scorsese the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and features Jodie Foster as a 12-year-old prostitute. 2:45 and 7:15 p.m. Sunday and Monday. $8.50, $7.50 before 5 p.m., $5.50 members. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St. (MMG)

FILM | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The new print of this 1974 hijacking thriller couldn’t have come out at a better time. After last summer’s New York blackout, being trapped in a subway seemed scarier than ever. Director Joseph Sargent’s taut suspense yarn plays on these fears—four criminals take over a subway train and demand one million dollars in ransom, as detective Walter Matthau rushes to save the day. Unfortunately, he’s only got an hour—after that, the passengers start dying. The color-coded hijackers—Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, etc.—were a direct influence on Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. 5 and 9:45 p.m. Sunday and Monday. $8.50, $7.50 before 5 p.m., $5.50 members. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St. (MMG)

FILM | Spellbound

A charming, suspenseful, fascinating, and hilarious documentary, Spellbound follows eight young word-fanatics as they train their way to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Half sociology study, half edge-of-your-seat thriller, this terrific film presents a broad cross-section of modern America, introducing the viewer to a daughter of Mexican illegal immigrants and an Indian-American boy whose father has paid for hundreds of his countrymen in India to pray 24 hours a day for his son’s success. The last half, showing the actual competition, is a nail-biter, but the inherent charm present in this great little film never wavers. 2 p.m. Monday and Thursday. $9, $8 students and MFA members. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. (MMG)

mon, oct 13

VISUAL ART | Bring the Bambino Back to Boston

Witness a so-called “baseball exorcism” as area artists construct a totem in honor of Babe Ruth. They hope to combat the long-standing curse and lead the Boston Red Sox to a World Series victory in 2004. 5 p.m. free. Zeitgeist Gallery, 1535 Cambridge St., Inman Square. (SLS)

MUSIC | The Fringe!

This jazz combo features George Garzone on tenor sax, John Lockwood on bass and Bob Gullotti on drums. 10 p.m. $8 donation. Zeitgeist Gallery, 1535 Cambridge St., Inman Square. (SLS)

tues, oct 14

MUSIC | Boz Scaggs

A veteran of R&B and adult contemporary, Boz Scaggs is currently touring in support of his new album of jazz standards, But Beautiful. Scaggs started out as a member of the Steve Miller Band, but embarked on a solo career in the early 1970s. While commercial success only found him occasionally throughout the following decades, he remained an obscure critical darling throughout the 80s and 90s. On this tour, he’s been playing with a classic jazz quintet, and the understated, lonely songs on his new record will benefit from the Paradise’s intimacy. 7 p.m. Tickets $35; 18+. Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave. (LN = Leon Neyfakh)

MUSIC | Fishbone

The epileptic, ambitious new wave band is still going strong after almost 25 years together. Fusing funk, ska and bubblegum pop, Fishbone has won over a cult following over the years, enduring even 1997’s career-killing ska revival. Their live shows have always been frenzied and energetic, with lead singer Angelo Moore jumping and hollering all over the stage while his band plays the funky, undeniable rock that has kept crowds dancing for decades. 9 p.m. Tickets $20; 18+. The Middle East Downstairs. (LN)

THEATER | Shear Madness

The longest running non-musical play in American theater history, now in its 22nd season, Shear Madness is a comedy troupe that features lots of audience participation, improvisation, and a compelling “who-dun-it” angle that changes from night to night. The play is set in a hair salon on Newbury Street, and every night, a mysterious murder involving its goofy employees takes place. The audience solves the crime as the evening goes on, enjoying the cast’s timely, witty humor and Boston-specific references. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Tickets $20 students. Charles Playhouse, 74 Warrenton St. (LN)

weds, oct 15

FILM | Zampano’s Playhouse

Two vintage films on the subject of American style will be shown. The Story of a Beauty Contestant (1963) follows a woman’s quest to win the Miss California crown. Number 12 Looks a Lot Like You (1964) is a science fiction film about a futuristic society where anyone can surgically alter their face and body to look however they please. 8 p.m. $6 donation. Zeitgeist Gallery, 1535 Cambridge St., Inman Square. (SLS)

MUSIC | Jucifer

Metal band Jucifer deliver abrasive indie-rock that recalls such heavyweights as Nirvana, My Bloody Valentine and Black Sabbath. Jet by Day and Medea Connection also perform. 9 p.m. $8, 18+. The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Massachusetts Ave. (SLS)

MUSIC | Switchfoot, Sleeping at Last

Christian rock newcomers Switchfoot play music in the vein of Vertical Herizon, Jars of Clay and Nine Days. Already an enormous hit among the television executives over at Warner Brothers, Switchfoot is currently trying to expose an unsuspecting national audience to their essentially faceless brand of rock. The fantastic opening band, however, Chicago’s Sleeping at Last, might make this show worth attending. The Smashing Pumpkins-influenced local favorite has recently been signed to Interscope Records, and their new album Ghosts was released nationwide this Tuesday. 7 p.m. $12; All ages. Axis, 13 Lansdowne St. (LN)

VISUAL | The Boston Massacre: A Sound and Light Show

The Boston Historical Society and Museum presents a revealing look at the infamous Boston Massacre of 1770, highlighting the misconceptions and myths the American public has traditionally been taught. The production aims to expose Paul Revere’s famous, dramatic account of that March 5 night as nothing more than political propaganda, designed to drum up support for the Sons of Liberty. See the story unfold through the Historical Society’s masterfully designed, revealing narration. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $4; All ages. Old State House Museum, 206 Washington Street. (LN)

MISC | Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus

The 132nd edition of the phenomenally popular circus show makes its way through Boston for a ten night stay at the Fleet Center. The Greatest Show on Earth will, as always, feature acrobats, clowns, animals, and magic. This edition of the show will feature David Larible, the Prince of Laughter; Sara, the Tiger Whisperer; and T.M. the Gator Guy. Fans can come to the arena an hour early to hang out with performers, look at animals and learn juggling from the professionals. 7 p.m. $10-$60; All ages. Fleet Center. Fleetcenter Pl. through Oct. 19. (LN)

FILM | 28 Days Later

A sleeper hit this summer, 28 Days Later is a low-budget British horror import that produces genuine scares. Directed by Trainspotting’s Danny Boyle, the film opens with England devastated by the “rage” virus—everyone seems to be dead, except for Jim (Cillian Murphy), who must survive zombie attacks and find the few survivors that are left. The story gets a bit too over-the-top by the end, when it veers into Heart of Darkness territory, but overall it provides entertaining thrills and chills. The music and cinematography are great, and the cast of unknowns does an admirable job. 7:30 p.m. $8.50, $7.50 before 5 p.m., $5.50 members. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St. (MMG)

DANCE | Don Quixote

Marius Petipa’s 1869 ballet version of Cervantes’s classic novel returns to Boston. The performances are a tribute to choreographer Rudolf Nureyev, who died 10 years ago. Refurbished sets and new costumes are featured in this new production of what artistic director Mikko Nissinen calls “the most significant work in Boston Ballet’s history.” 7 p.m. Through Oct. 19. $39-$96. Wang Center, 270 Tremont St., Boston. (MMG)

films

Lost in Translation

Fulfilling the boundless promise exhibited in her debut effort, The Virgin Suicides, director Sofia Coppola crafts a sublime love letter to both Tokyo and transitory friendship with her newest film, Lost in Translation. Hollywood star Bob Harris (Bill Murray) has been shipped off to Japan to hawk Suntory whiskey to the natives. There he encounters Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the beautiful wife of a photographer who spends much of her day staring out her window in hopes of somehow finding herself within the city’s skyline. The pair are soon discovering Tokyo culture and a profundity in their friendship that is lacking in their respective marriages. Johansson perfects the prolonged sulk, while Murray delivers his best performance yet, donning the hats of weary voyager, droll companion and cynical mentor with equal comfort. There are plenty of belly laughs to be had along the way, but what remains with the viewer is the significance of the fleeting connection that these two people share. Coppola dreamily lingers on every scene, adorning each of them with the sensation of the aftermath of a first kiss. (BYC)

The Magdalene Sisters

Set in an unconventional nunnery in 1960s Ireland, The Magdalene Sisters is a film about hypocrisy, dogma and the horrible deeds committed as a result of religious hysteria. This fact-based story focuses on the lives of three women who, in one sense or another, are judged by the Catholic Church as having been “sinful” and, as a result, are essentially sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor and abuse at the hands of the Sisters of Mercy in what was known as a Magdalene Laundry. The sins of these women extend from the merely unthinkable—flirting with boys—to the purely satanic bearing a child out of wedlock or being raped by one’s cousin. In reprisal for these transgressions, the nuns of the Laundry subject the women to humiliation, threats of eternal damnation, and pure outright sadism, all of which all but force the women—many of whom had been entirely sexually innocent prior to their arrival—to sell themselves for the slightest opportunity of escape. Not so much an attack on Catholicism as all religion, this film depicts the needless abuses inflicted upon women in the name of faith. (SNJ)

Mambo Italiano

Mambo Italiano opens with promise: warm coloring, fluid camerawork and appealing Italian-themed scenes, with the family eating gelato. We are introduced to in-the-closet Angelo (Luke Kirby), a young Italian man from Montreal finally moving out after 27 years of what he calls “the trap,” living at home with his parents, who just want him to meet and fall in love with a nice Italian girl. After Angelo’s new apartment is robbed, he moves in with Nino, a childhood friend who, like Angelo, is gay. But tell their parents? Fugghedaboutit. Mambo Italiano is a mess. Where sexual orientation, ethnic and family issues should be addressed seriously, another joke is made to relieve the tension. The idea of a gay Italian-French-Canadian has a lot of comic potential; in the end, unfortunately, the director is too overwhelmed to stop making jokes and tell what could have been a winning story. (MRR)

School of Rock

Jack Black is not a particularly funny man. He can pull off a one-liner, and he brightly sustains the Chris Farley torch of manic physical clowning, but it’s clear that his comedic range is inversely related to his girth. Fortunately, the producers of School of Rock have forged an ideal vehicle for Black’s brand of mischief, and with a sturdy cast and script behind him, he manages to whip up some of the biggest laughs of the year. Black plays Dewey Finn, a guitarist thrown out of his band, rendering him even less capable of paying the rent that he owes his substitute teacher roommate. Posing as his roommate, he assumes the responsibility of educating a classroom of unusually well-behaved fifth graders, who he discovers to be, rather conveniently, excellent musicians. School of Rock echoes with comic and emotional resonance without getting mired in sentimentality, allowing Black to revel in a role in which he manages to hit all of his notes perfectly. (BJS)

Thirteen

Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) and Evie (Nikki Reed) have just become teenagers in Thirteen, the story of a nice dorky girl who befriends the most popular girl in junior high and is led into the seedy underbelly of teenage life: drugs, sex and petty crime. Co-written by Reed and based on her own experiences, Thirteen has a refreshingly true perspective: it doesn’t blame anyone for Reed’s interest in the cool clique, it just shows her desire to be a part of it. As Wood follows Reed deeper and deeper into the hole they create for themselves, the movie becomes more and more over the top, but the strong acting keeps it from becoming a cheap, cautionary after-school special. But the key is Holly Hunter, playing Wood’s divorced mother. She embodies a mother who is both easy to hate and rebel against and then, finally, to come back to in an ending that lets the audience forgive all her maternal mistakes in the aura of the true love she shares with her daughter. (ASW)

Under the Tuscan Sun

A bit of late-summer escapism unfolds on the other side of the pond, as a recent divorcee (Diane Lane) flees to Italy, purchases a villa and finds a mysterious foreign love interest. Adapted for the screen by Audrey Well—who also produced and directed—from author Frances Mayes’ bestselling memoir, with a number of departures from the book. In the past, Wells has been responsible for such mixed fare as George of the Jungle, The Truth About Cats and Dogs and The Kid; here she strives to transcend the cliches of the typical romantic romp. An array of complications and subplots flesh out the simple story of one woman falling