The films of David Lynch, the business of chocolate, and more Boston events this week
By: Jim Martinho - Monday, Feb 23, 2015 - 10:24am
(Photo credit: Pere Ubu/Creative Commons)
Somehow February is the shortest month of the year but still feels like the longest, like how stupid tiny dogs bark the most because they don’t know how stupid and tiny they are. Shut up, February, no one likes you and it’s really not cool for your owner to bring you on the T. Here’s some stuff to do this week to help you make it to March, which is also awful, but it’s one step closer to not-awful months like April and May.
* Before you blame Boston Public Works because they didn’t plow your street, make sure you’ve got the city agency and not the theater company. In between reading your angry, misdirected tweets, “the other BPW” has been preparing for its upcoming production of From the Deep, about prisoners on opposite sides of the world who meet in a new dimension with no regard for space and time. Also, ping pong is involved. Meet the cast and crew for a few games at The Great Boston Public Works Theater Company Ping Pong Challenge of 2015, and score some swag and a chance to win free tickets, tonight at Blazing Paddles. 2.23. 7p. $10
* If you live in Somerville you probably already do stuff like purchase donuts covered in bacon at a farmers’ market located inside a turn of the century armory, so you might as well go full hipster and start doing stuff like making your own soap. The free Somerville Skillshare workshop series at the same armory that hosts farmers’ markets and poetry readings welcomes Somerville Soap Works for a two-hour session on ingredients, chemistry, how to “flavor” your soap, and most importantly, how to do all this safely in your home without disturbing your kombucha colony and urban chicken coop. 2.23. 7p. FREE
* David Lynch isn’t just one of the most influential filmmakers ever, he’s also one of only two white dudes alive who can pull off the shirt-buttoned-all-the-way-up-without-a-tie look (the other is Boyd Crowder from Justified). The Brattle Theatre celebrates the 25th anniversary of Lynch’s Twin Peaks with a career retrospective, Damn Fine Cinema: The Films of David Lynch. The series kicks off tonight — the night Laura Palmer was murdered — with the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me film, and runs through March 5 with screenings of the series pilot plus Lynch’s feature films, shorts, and commercial work. 2.23 to 3.5. Various times. $8-10
* If you listen to enough comedy podcasts you know that comedians aren’t just people who happen to know a few jokes — they’re deeply disturbed, broken individuals desperate for the comforting warmth of an audience’s approval. The monthly Stand Up Sit Down series at Cambridge’s East Meets West bookstore goes deep inside the twisted minds of some of Boston’s best comedians, with plenty of laughs for good measure. Tuesday’s edition welcomes Bethany Van Delft, Mike Mulloy, and an extra-special guest. 2.24. 8p. $5
* I mentioned this last week while talking about Mardi Gras, but it’s worth saying again: Dr. John only plays piano because his guitar-playing career ended after his left hand took a bullet from a gun that went off as it was being used to pistol-whip one of his bandmates. Dr. John is cooler than you will ever be. The New Orleans legend (real name: Mac Rebennack) brings his The Spirit of Satch tour to The Wilbur Theatre on Wednesday night. 2.25. 8p. $30-65
* Boston isn’t the most accommodating climate for growing cocoa, or really for growing anything right now except resentment and a savings account earmarked for the empty promise of moving to Florida, but it’s home to some of the most innovative startups in the chocolate industry. General Assembly, Branchfood, and WeWork team up for Sweet Rewards: The Business of Chocolate, featuring a panel discussion on the future of the chocolate business followed by a beer and chocolate tasting with seven local chocolatiers. 2.26. 6:30p. $10
* Boston GLOW fosters opportunities for women of all ages to become empowered community leaders and active world citizens, through programming, leadership training, and service-learning opportunities. They’ll celebrate and raise awareness at the fifth annual Ignite the Nite party on Thursday at the Artists for Humanities EpiCenter in South Boston. Tickets include four drink tickets plus delicious food from some of Boston’s top chefs, live music and dance party, and a chance to get all dressed up in support of a good cause and then take pics in a photobooth to document the one time in your life that you actually looked good and did something to help other people. 2.26. 7:30p. $75