MUSIC
TJ Hickey Local pop/hip-hop artist TJ Hickey’s first love was hockey, and even when he switched to music in college, the rink never left his mind: “I’m scoring goals like I’m Gretzky”, he boasts of his sexual prowess on “Ice Cold”, over a typically Soulja Boy-esque beat. His bio doesn’t say why he quit hockey, but this is definitely a solid use of his time. Badfish If their success is any indication, Rhode Island’s Badfish, a Sublime tribute act originally formed in 2001 by URI comp sci majors, is the next best thing to Bradley Nowell rising from the grave. They’ve lasted longer and earned a larger following than most bands with original songs. It’s a testament both to the band’s reproductive skill and Sublime’s enduring popularity. Enter the Haggis In between the appearance of the Pogues and their second wave progeny like the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly, there came the Celtic folk and rock fusion of Toronto’s Enter the Haggis. Their last album, 2014’s “Penny Black”, released under the moniker Jubilee Riots, was a marked change in tone, but now they’re back to Enter the Haggis—as it should be. COMEDY
Jewmongous Being Jewish on Christmas can be alienating, but one person to whom you can turn for commiseration is Jewmongous, a.k.a. Sean Altman of the group Rockapella. He’ll be out singing his wonderfully irreverent numbers like the Passover song “They Tried to Kill Us (We Survived, Let’s Eat)” and a Jewish-themed lyric rewrite of the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated”. Artie Lange It seems like it’d be tough to escape the long shadow of Howard Stern’s microphone, but Artie Lange has pulled it off, with two books, a Comedy Central special and his own eponymous Fox News Radio show under his belt. With his everyman charm, he comes off as the armchair quarterback of the Universe—someone’s gotta be, right? EXERCISE
Hub on the Run This runner’s tour of Boston takes place every week, but it may prove especially serendipitous this week, as a chance to work off that Christmas dinner while taking in some of the sights in our fine city with that one visiting relative who’s all about how into running they are—you know the one we’re talking about. RSVP at the site above. OUTDOOR ART
Celestial: Winter Lights on the Harbor It’s a good year for outdoor light art—this installation by Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael Moss, presented by Fort Point Arts Channel, is one of many across town. Its glowing orbs intermingle the human spirit with the heavenly bodies, expressing our species’ enduring fascination with the stars, which still seem impossibly magical even in this most advanced of scientific ages. GOING OUT
Matzo Ball If you’re a single on Christmas Eve and looking for something more, shall we say, crunk than the Moo Shu—not to knock that fine tradition, but it doesn’t have much in the way of thundering subwoofers—this singles night might be just the thing. This is the annual party’s 29th year; similar events take place across the nation. TIDAL Xmas Eve Party Here’s another party option for anyone who’d rather get down with their bad selves on Christmas Eve—or those who just want to escape the family gathering before it doubles down tomorrow. TIDAL is apparently an acronym for “Thursday is DA Lituation”—no clue what that means, but hey, it’s a party! MOVIES
Sing-A-Long Sound of Music If you missed the “Mary Poppins” sing along screening earlier this Fall, here’s another classic musical sing along event, and another starring Julie Andrews. Something to ponder: was she the original manic pixie dream girl? Don’t ponder too hard… Just like last time, you’ll get a film-related goody bags, and attendees are encouraged to dress in costume. The British Arrows Awards This screening presents year’s best of British TV ads. It may seem a little ridiculous to pay to watch commercials, but these mini-movies were chosen because transcend mere capitalist motives, proving that even that most hated of arts—advertising—is indeed an art. From heartwarming to epic to bawdy, there’s a little of everything here. Rocco and His Brothers The Brattle screens a new restoration of this 1960 film by Luchino Visconti, which tells the story of a Sicilian family who head north for a better life, only to encounter a world of trials and temptations that threaten to break them apart. The film, reputedly Visconti’s favorite of his own works, is celebrated for its balance of drama and realism.
Saturday, 6 p.m.
Middle East Upstairs
472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge
$10-$12, all ages, 866-777-8932
www.ticketweb.com
Sunday, 7 p.m.
The Paradise
967 CommonwealthAve., Boston
$20, 18+, 800-745-3000
www.ticketmaster.com
Tuesday, 9 p.m.
The Sinclair
52 Church St., Cambridge
$17-$18, 800-745-3000
www.ticketmaster.com
Thursday, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Club Passim
47 Palmer St., Cambridge
$20, 617-492-7679
www.passim.org
Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
The Wilbur Theater
246 Tremont St., Boston
$32-$45, 800-745-3000
www.ticketmaster.com
Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.
Boston Marathon Runbase
855 Boylston St., Boston
Free
www.bostonrunbase.com
Through February
Waterfront Plaza
290 Congress St.
Free, 617-423-4299
www.fortpointarts.org
Friday, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Royale
279 Tremont St., Boston
$35, 21+
www.eventbrite.com
Thursday, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Savvor Boston
180 Lincoln St., Boston
Free, 21+, 857-400-7391
www.facebook.com/savvorbostonlounge
Friday through Tuesday
Regent Theater
7 Medford St., Arlington
$15, 781-646-4849
www.regenttheater.com
Saturday through Wednesday
Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave., Boston
$5-$10, 617-478-3103
www.icaboston.org
Friday through January 7
Brattle Theater
40 Brattle St., Cambridge
$9-$11, 617-876-6837
www.brattlefilm.org