Warning: Funk Tornado watch tonight for Allston
As an obvious disciple of James Brown's funk and soul and a faithful emulator of Al Green's soulful croon, Jamie Lidell may not initially seem to be doing anything you haven't heard before. However, something distinctively modern emerges from Lidell's work on repeated listens, whether it is the background electronic twitches or other delightfully weird production techniques. Lidell's past-meets-present soul seems to be gathering friends in high places. According to his website, he was recently tapped to support Beck on his U.S. tour later this year. Lidell, a dance music veteran, holds himself to a high standard of entertainment, claiming, "I'm a one man funk tornado and I've got to keep my reputation up!" This unique weather phenomenon will be playing tonight at Great Scott in Allston as part of the Fenway Recording Sessions hosted by Fenway Records. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $12.
Skipping this Festival would be a huge mistake
Somerville Theatre is no stranger to celebrities: Concerts at the venue regularly bring in big musical names, from Sufjan Stevens to Bruce Springsteen to Jeff Daniels (really!). So it shouldn't have been a surprise to see George Michael there this weekend. Except that it was George-Michael Bluth (of "Arrested Development," played by actor Michael Cera), not the singer with questionable taste.
The actor was in Somerville as part of the Independent Film Festival of Boston, which began Apr. 19 and ends tonight. All told, the Festival boasts 74 films, which fall into three categories: documentaries, narrative features and shorts; The films are screened at six different locations around Boston: the Brattle Theatre, the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Middle East, Jimmy Tingle's in Davis Square and the Somerville Theatre.
Films being screened at the Somerville Theatre today include documentaries "American Blackout," "Pick Up The Mic" and "Thin"; narrative features "Chalk," "Down in the Valley," "The Guatemalan Handshake," "M?©moires Affectives," "The Proposition" and "The Puffy Chair"; and shorts "K-7," "Me, My Bag, and My Ball" and "Safety First." For a full schedule, check www.iffboston.org.
- compiled by Greg Connor and Blair Rainsford
