MOVIES
Etheria Film Night So you’re tired of the holiday season already? We hear ya. Go back to Halloween at this this miniature film festival, featuring an international collection of six horror shorts and a feature, “Inner Demon,”all of them directed by women doing badass work in a notoriously dude-dominated genre. Note: Saturday’s screening is a matinee repeat of Friday night. COMEDY
Laughing Liberally Boston If you’re like the majority of Bostonians, and you go for the progressive candidate at the ballot box, you’ll enjoy this monthly evening of left-leaning political comedy, hosted by Matthew Filipowicz. This month features comedians Wes Hazzard, Christa Weiss, Stirling Smith, Shawn Carter and Klondike 237, a sketch troupe, plus an interview with Kade Crockford of the local ACLU. DANCE
Tony Williams’ Urban Nutcracker Choreographer Tony Williams has offered his unique take on “The Nutcracker” for 15 years now. Based around Duke Ellington’s jazz adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s score, it integrates lots of other groovier sounds as well, and a multicultural rainbow of dance forms. Striving not only for entertainment but accessibility, Williams offers community discounts on tickets, and an autism-friendly performance. MUSIC
Marti Epstein: Works for Toy Piano The toy piano has a beautifully spooky, out-of-tune sound, but beyond the occasional pop song appearance (“Summer Breeze” by Seals and Crofts; “Good Day” by the Dresden Dolls), few have dared compose for the very limited instrument. Nonetheless, for this concert, the intrepid Marti Epstein will play compositions by 9 different folks who took the challenge, including herself. Deerhunter While they had a notoriously uncomfortable show in Los Angeles earlier on this tour, Deerhunter have played it straight otherwise, delivering their shimmering indie pop as only they can. Apparently it’s been a weird year for frontman Bradford Cox, who suffered a serious car accident that allegedly prompted an emotional awakening, strongly influencing the tone of Deerhunter’s latest record, “Fading Frontier.” And the Kids Western Massachusetts has been contributing some killer, woman-fronted indie rock bands lately, with Speedy Ortiz and Potty Mouth among the most prominent. Another is And the Kids, who offering a more soulful, folkier sound that either of those bands, rooted in the high, lonesome vocals of singer Hannah Mohan. That said, they can still rock out with the best of ‘em. Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear It’s not too often you see a mother-son band. We could make a bunch of snarky jokes about this, but to be honest, the music’s more interesting–a stirring, yearning folk style, with Ward leading on vocals and the Mama Bear jumping in for familial harmonies. Now and then they throw in the offbeat cover song–Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” is one.
Friday and Saturday
Somerville Theater
55 Davis Sq., Somerville
$15
allthingshorror.ticketleap.com
Saturday, 8 p.m.
Riot Theater
146a South St., Jamaica Plain
$8, 617-942-0294
theriottheater.com
Friday through December 27
Back Bay Events Center
180 Berkeley St., Boston
$25-$85, 617-524-4381
urbannutcracker.com
Friday, 8 p.m.
Gallery 263
263 Pearl St., Cambridge
$10, contact@gallery263.com
gallery263.com
Thursday, 9 p.m.
Royale
279 Tremont St., Boston
$20-$23, 18+, 800-745-3000
ticketmaster.com
Friday, 10:30 p.m.
Great Scott
1222 CommonwealthAve., Allston
$10, 21+, 800-745-3000
ticketmaster.com
Sunday, 8 p.m.
Brighton Music Hall
158 Brighton Ave., Allston
$12, 18+, 800-745-3000
ticketmaster.com
Deerhunter, the Urban Nutcracker and other awesome things to do
Guzman
