Our expert critics supply a guide to film, visual art, theater, author readings, and music. More offerings will be added as they come in.

Film

Boston Turkish Festival’s Documentary and Short Film Competition
Through December 6
Museum of Fine Arts Boston

The 19th Boston Turkish Festival’s Documentary and Short Film Competition opens with the international premiere of Tears of Cem Karaca, a biopic by Yüksel Aksu about the legendary musician known for his influential role in Turkey’s rock and pop music along with his political activism. Also screening is a remastered version of Fatih Akin’s 2005 documentary Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, which offers a vivid look at the city’s diverse music scene.

Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (Fatih Akin) on November 24 2:30 p.m.

Competition Finalists Streaming Online

Wicked Queer: Docs
Virtual Screenings
Through November 28

These are “pay what you can” starting at $5. All films are only available to stream in Massachusetts unless stated otherwise. Schedule

Times Square
November 24 at 7 p.m.
Harvard Film Archives

A rare showing of this odd film from 1980 with a soundtrack by Patti Smith, the Pretenders, Talking Heads, the Ramones, Roxy Music, and Suzi Quatro. Two runaway teenage girls, from opposite sides of the track, become media stars and develop their own rock band through their connection with a Times Square radio disc jockey played by Tim Curry. Directed by Allan Moyle (Pump Up the Volume, Empire Records).

The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
November 26 at 7 p.m.
Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline

Sound of Silence presents the Douglas Fairbanks classic with Jeff Rapsis performing his new piano score to accompany this epic fantasy-spectacle inspired by The Arabian Nights. The superb visual design, spectacle, and special effects, along with Fairbanks’s magnetic performance, all contribute to making it the actor’s greatest work. The film was not only Fairbanks’s most ambitious effort, but also one of the largest and most expensive made until that time. The Thief of Bagdad required 65 weeks to make, the sets covered six and a half acres at the Pickford-Fairbanks Studios in West Hollywood, and the prodigal production cost the enormous sum of $1,135,654.65 (from the essay by Jeffrey Vance). Raoul Walsh directed.

The Black Sea
December 6-8
Brattle Theatre, Cambridge

“An energetic yet modest story about a Black Brooklyn man unexpectedly stuck in a small Bulgarian town populated entirely by white people, it’s a testament to the possibility that human connection can be forged anywhere on Earth, even between individuals of wildly different backgrounds. Beneath the surface of that broader, uplifting theme, though, co-directors Crystal Moselle (The Wolfpack, HBO’s Betty) and Derrick B. Harden poke at issues like immigration and racism in ways that make this movie feel especially relevant even though it’s technically timeless.” (Vulture) The filmmakers will appear in person at the 7 p.m. on Friday.

Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light
December 7 at 2:30 p.m.
Museum of Fine Arts Boston

A documentary on the life and art of the ”Mother of Modernism.” In the ’20s, O’Keeffe became famous for her paintings of flowers, bones, and the beauties of nature. She posed nude for shocking photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, but denied that her paintings contained sexual imagery. In the ’70s, O’Keeffe emerged as an iconic role model for women. The film features narration by Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes, and music by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch (All of Us Strangers, Living).

Pick of the Week

Woman of the Hour, streaming on Netflix

Actress Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut is the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala Daniel Zovatto), who in 1978 appeared on an episode of TV’s The Dating Game, where he won a date with a woman named Cheryl Bradshaw. The narrative takes some liberties with fact, but many of the details are true. Kendrick, who also stars as Bradshaw, builds suspense across several storylines that focus on a spectrum of toxic male behaviors. According to the film’s screenwriter, Ian McDonald, “There were a lot of things that we now view as red flags that, back in 1978, were not considered red flags.” Kendrick draws compelling performances from a well-cast group of actors. Despite her well-meaning intentions, Kendrick felt “gross” profiting from the film and donated her pay to survivors of sexual abuse. It is one of this year’s best films and already available for streaming.

Note: The episode of The Dating Game that the film is based on is available on YouTube. It is exceedingly creepy given the subtext. It is available here.

— Tim Jackson

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Visual Arts

A square and a triangle make a child’s drawing of home: a square for the street wall and a triangle for a roof. The geometry is recognized almost everywhere, at least in the West. The Colby College Museum of Art exhibition, Square + Triangle: Home in the Colby Museum’s Collection, opening December 6, complicates the concept with artists who explore many ideas of home, from physical spaces to ideas, from refuge to disfunction. “[T]hese selections,” says the museum, “allow us to reflect on the boundless ways home can look and feel.”

Geometry inspired the works in Divine Geometry: Islamic Art at the Wadsworth Atheneum, opening in Hartford on November 27. Passages in the Hadith — collections of oral traditions relating the sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet — have helped form an Islamic tradition against representing living things in art or decoration. The prohibition mostly applies to religious art and has been applied in different ways at different times and in different places, but it has helped create an alternative Islamic style of nonrepresentational art in calligraphy (in particular) and in rich, complex, and intriguing geometric designs used in mosques, palaces, paintings, and decorative arts alike. Westerners see these designs as distinctively and characteristically Islamic. This exhibition, drawn from the Wadsworth’s rarely seen collections of Islamic art, reveals how they have unfolded throughout the religion’s history and geography.

On November 30 at 1:30 pm, the Worcester Art Museum offers a guided tour of its recently opened exhibition, Twentieth-Century Nudes from the Tate. The tour will emphasize “how artists of the last century revolutionized an age-old genre, harnessing the nude to explore new perspectives on age, race, gender, and sexuality.” Nudes by Lucian Freud, Vanessa Bell, Alice Neel, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse are among those selected from the UK’s celebrated Tate Galleries for the show.

In the hot, humid climate of the Philippine islands, ephemerally light, semitransparent fabrics woven from pineapple leaves (pina) and banana plants (abaca), elaborately embroidered and made into clothing and accessories, were much prized by the elite. Later, they attracted attracted European and American ethnographers and tourists who bought examples as souvenirs. The RISD Museum’s From Pineapple to Panuelo: Philippine Textiles, opening December 7, presents a selection from the RISD collection, “highlighting the complex production and high level of skill found in their weaving and embroidering.”

Professor Jonathan Ribner of Boston University will lecture on Varieties of Postmodernism at the Museum of Fine Arts on December 4 at 1:00 pm. Ribner will look at a generation of artists in the late 20th century, including Cindy Sherman, David Salle, Jonathan Borofsky, and Ellen Brooks, who used cultural clichés and commercial imagery ironically, following the irreverent examples of postmodernist forerunners like Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp, and Robert Rauschenberg. Tickets are $35 ($28 for MFA members) in Remis Auditorium or $20 ($16 for members) livestream. The lecture is part of a five-session series, “Abstracting Nature: Exploring Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore.”

The Worcester Art Museum celebrates the traditions of the Festival of Lights with Hanukkah at WAM on December 8, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The all-day event, presented in partnership with the Worcester JCC and the Jewish Federation of Central MA, will include activities for all ages and backgrounds — “music, live cooking demonstrations, LEGO activities, and presentations on the history and traditions of this Jewish holiday.” Admission is free.

The Wadsworth’s annual seasonal celebration, Festival of Trees and Traditions, opens on December 5 and continues through December 12. During the week, the museum is lavishly decorated with trees, wreaths, and other seasonal decorations, many in strikingly original styles, created by local artists and organizations. Most of these are for sale, including all their trimmings, as a fundraiser for the museum. A special admissions surcharge of $5 will be in effect for the week.

— Peter Walsh

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Theater

COVID PROTOCOLS: Check with specific theaters.

Tartuffe by Molière. Translated by Richard Wilbur. Directed by Bryn Boice. Staged by the Hub Theatre Company of Boston at the Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Theatre, 539 Tremont, Street, through November 24. Donations of new and gently loved children’s books will be collected at each show for local charities.

Another go at the classic takedown of incredulous people caught in the machinations of religious (and lascivious) hucksters. The cast includes Steve Auger, Lily Ayotte, Jeremy Beazlie, Patrick Curran, Lauren Elias June Kfoury, Brendan O’Neill, Brooks Reeves, Laura Rocklyn, Kayla Sessoms, and Robert Thorpe.

Macbeth in Stride, written and performed by Whitney White. Directed by Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky. Choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly. Presented by Yale Rep,1120 Chapel Street, New Haven, December 5 through 14.

“The Queen is center stage. In a stacked setlist of original pop, rock, gospel, and R&B bangers, OBIE Award winner Whitney White subverts one of Shakespeare’s most iconic tales. The arc of Lady Macbeth is reimagined as the story of an ambitious Black woman, told through her own contemporary perspective of femininity, desire, and power with a capital P.” The one-person show promises to bring “Lady M’s herstory into the 21st century with energy, humor, and swagger to spare.”

Galileo’s Daughter by Jessica Dickey. Directed by Reena Dutt. A co-production of WAM Theatre and Central Square Theatre. At Central Square Theatre, 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, through December 8.

Another theatrical perspective on Galileo: “Rattled by a personal crisis, a playwright flees to Florence to study the letters between Galileo and his eldest daughter Maria Celeste. Caught up in the threats against her father, Maria must abandon her work and join a convent. The writer’s discovery of Maria’s strength and tenacity inspires her own pursuit of purpose. Alternating between past and present, this play is a personal examination of faith, forgiveness, and the cost of seeking and speaking truth.”

Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?), written and performed by Zoë Kim. Directed by Chris Yejin. Co-produced by CHUANG Stage and Seoulful Productions at the Plaza Black Box Theatre, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, through November 30.

The world premiere of a one-person drama that is billed as a “love letter to the inner child.” This is “Kim’s autobiographical journey through love’s many forms — how it’s learned, given, and reflected inward.” The performer “shapeshifts into the souls of her family into a whirlwind of memory, where tears and laughter collide. It’s not just a story, but a reckoning — weaving through the soft threads of Korean/American identity, belonging, and healing.”

Extinction: The Musical. Written and performed by Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, (at Astor Place), New York, December 1, 8, 15, and 22. Livestreamed on the Joe’s Pub YouTube channel.

Given the explosion of conventional life-enhancing holiday entertainments (i.e., Scrooge & Co), I can’t help but toss out a more … radical … example of musical uplift. “As part of its crusade against consumerism,” writes the NYTimes of Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir, “an unorthodox New York church urges action to preserve the Earth.” This revue is billed as “a wild, loving experience that will make you want to live. If you’re troubled by consumer hypnosis, non-consensual plastic, The Sixth Extinction, or just exhausted by the contemporary moment this show is for you. Honest. Come get Revived.” Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir was the opening act for Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s 2024 Love Earth tour.

Sojourners by Mfoniso Udofia. Directed by Dawn M. Simmons. Staged by the Huntington Theatre Company at the Huntington Stage, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, through December 1.

The first production of what will be an ambitious city-wide production (over the course of two seasons) of the complete nine-play Ufot Family Cycle, a Nigerian American family story by the Massachusetts-raised playwright Mfoniso Udofia. Here’s the plot of the first play in the series, according to the HTC website: “Marriage, migration, and the pursuit of education collide with surprising humor when a young and brilliant Nigerian couple arrives in Houston in 1978, looking to earn their degrees and bring insights back to their home country. But when Abasiama discovers that her husband has been seduced by Motown records and American culture, she begins a surprising friendship with a local woman named Moxie.” Arts Fuse review

Note: “This Cycle marks the first time all nine plays will be complete and performed in their intended order. In addition to producing the first three plays, The Huntington will also serve as a motherboard of resources and connection to bolster the creative process and success of the remaining six productions that will be mounted through 2026 by and with arts organizations, universities, social organizations, non-profits, and a host of community activation partners.”

The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse. Directed by Tara Moses. Staged by Moonbox Productions at Arrow Street, 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge, through December 15.

According to the Moonbox Productions website, this revival of Fasthorse’s script raises some interesting queries: “Isn’t it time we rethink Thanksgiving? That’s the question on the table when four politically correct performers get together to create a new take on the traditional holiday pageant. Good intentions turn into outright tension as the group struggles to re-envision history, all without ruffling any feathers. Rambunctious, wild, and fearless, this satire serves up history and humor with a steaming side dish of uniquely American hypocrisy. Are you ready to eat your words?”

Note: “With each show, Moonbox Productions partners with a local non-profit, to raise awareness for their cause, create connections for them within the community and increase the reach and impact of their work. For the production of The Thanksgiving Play Moonbox will be partnering with North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB).”

Noises Off by Michael Frayn. Directed by Ilyse Robbins. Staged by the Lyric Stage Company of Boston at 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, through December 22.

Trump has been elected. Like so many of our theaters, the Lyric Stage thinks it needs to cheer us up. They have picked an ace comedy to do so. The company “rings in the holidays with the gift of laughter, outrageous characters, and meaningful time spent with loved ones” with another revival of Frayn’s celebrated backstage farce.

Mindplay by Vinny DePonto. Written by Vinny DePonto and Josh Koenigsberg. Directed by Andrew Neisler. Presented by the Huntington Theatre Company at the Huntington Calderwood, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, through December 1.

The production is on its way to off-Broadway. The Huntington Theatre Company publicity swears that the show “invites audiences to an unforgettable experience infused with intrigue and mystery. Theatre maker and mentalist Vinny DePonto guides participants on a jaw-dropping, interactive journey as he reads minds while revealing his own.” Arts Fuse review

NOISE Book, music & lyrics by César Alvarez. Directed by Dante Green. Staged by the Wilbury Theatre Group at 475 Valley Street, Providence, December 5 through 22.

This immersive/interaction musical (a Rhode Island premiere) “follows a troupe of musicians who decide that society is broken and set out to make music that models a society they actually want to live in.” This is a “participatory theatrical celebration that sings across the history of music, and into the future, in a collective effort to invent a better world. As the show unravels into a dreamlike explosion of song and dance, the audience steps into a creative role.”

Emma by Kate Hamill. Based on the novel by Jane Austen. Directed by Regine Vital. Staged by Actors’ Shakespeare Project at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, 41 Second Street, East Cambridge, through December 15.

We are told this is going to be a “high-octane” adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved romantic comedy. Gasoline rather than tea will be served? The cast includes Jennie Israel, Dev Luthra, and Josephine Moshiri Elwood.

— Bill Marx

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World Music and Roots

Melo Green with Minya
November 26
Club Passim, Cambridge

This Boston psychedelic soul man seemingly came out of nowhere when his impressive and powerful debut album Lamnar Flow was released last month. His bio says he’s been singing in different contexts and names around town for two decades. His new persona is an exciting addition to Boston’s continuing Black folk renaissance, which Club Passim has spotlighted by way of its Folk Collective project.

Cornucopia of Cacophony: Fitting-Staples-Ryan-Anzalone-Haggerty
November 27, 7:30 p.m.
Sally O’Brien’s, Somerville

The night before Thanksgiving is when bars typically deploy their heavy musical hitters, and Sally O’s is certainly going that route with this all-star roots combo that includes harp man Jim Fitting, rhythm section supreme Chris Anzalone and Jim Haggerty, and two of Boston’s mandolin heroes: Sean Staples and Jimmy Ryan.

The 9th Power and Reckoners
November 29
The Sinclair, Cambridge

For the past few years a crew of Boston greats, guitarist Johnny Trama and singer/songwriter Tim Gearan among them, have put together a collective called the Band of Killers. While the name may accurately describe their musical prowess, it was still a wise move that the group renamed itself the Reckoners. On Thanksgiving they’re releasing a self-titled album that will delight any fan of old-fashioned rock ‘n’ soul. The next day they split a bill with another band of noted session players, 9th Power.

Will Evans
November 29
City Winery, Boston

Feel-good beach folk music isn’t just a California thing. This whimsical Ocean State troubadour has earned his devoted following with a unique, easy-going vibe that encompasses everything from beatboxing to the didgeridoo.

Steve Morse Celebration of Life
November 30, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Middle East, Cambridge

Boston’s extended music community suffered a major loss when longtime Boston Globe rock critic Steve Morse passed away last month. While Morse interviewed and reviewed just about every major rock superstar, his heart was in Boston’s local scene. (In fact I discovered the above-mentioned Reckoners via a recent suggestion from Morse, who never stopped evangelizing for area musicians.) So it’s fitting that a celebration of life will take place at the Middle East, one of the haunts where Morse spent many a night. The event is open to the public.

— Noah Schaffer

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Classical Music

Handel’s Messiah
Presented by Handel & Haydn Society
November 29 through December 1
Symphony Hall, Boston

H&H music director Jonathan Cohen returns to town to lead the group’s annual performances of Handel’s beloved oratorio. He’s joined by soprano Jeanine De Bique, countertenor Reginald Mobley, tenor Nicholas Phan, baritone Sumner Thompson, and the H&H Chorus.

A Medieval Christmas
Presented by Boston Camerata
December 6 at 7:30 p.m., 7 at 7 p.m., and 8 at 4 p.m.
First Church, Belmont (Friday); Central Congregational Church, Newburyport (Saturday); Old South Church, Boston (Sunday)

Anne Azéma leads the Camerata in their annual celebration of the season.

Comfort & Joy
Presented by Boston Cecilia
December 6 at 8 p.m. and 8 at 3 p.m.
Church of the Advent (Friday), Boston, and All Saints Parish, Brookline (Sunday)

Michael Barrett and Boston Cecilia are joined by harpist Eduardo Betancourt for a program that seeks to find solace in difficult times. The concert includes selections by Brahms, Byrd, Isabella Leonarda, and others.

Handel’s Messiah
Presented by Boston Baroque
December 7 at 7:30 p.m. and 8 at 3 p.m.
GBH Calderwood Studio (Saturday), Brighton, and Jordan Hall, Boston (Sunday)

Martin Pearlman and Boston Baroque offer their annual Messiah performances. This year’s soloists are soprano Maya Kherani, contralto Avery Amereau, tenor Omar Najmi, and baritone Jesse Blumberg.

— Jonathan Blumhofer

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Jazz

Soggy Po Boys and Itay Dayan
November 30 at 9 p.m.
Lizard Lounge, Cambridge

The Dover, NH,–born, New Orleans–influenced Soggy Po Boys celebrate the release of Leave the Light On in a double bill with klezmer clarinetist Itay Dayan (not as odd a pairing as you might think). The Soggys are a septet that mixes second-line rhythms and other NOLA barrelhouse strains, including the Afro-Latin influence on the original “Over/Under.” Guitarist Stu Dias handles the vocals.

Jazzmeia Horn
December 1 at 7:30
City Winery, Boston

Singer and songwriter Jazzmeia Horn’s cred includes winning both the 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition and the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. So she has the chops as well as a sharp knack for social commentary (her latest is called Messages, both personal and political). When I talked to Horn a few years ago she identified herself as primarily a storyteller and, besides her Better Carter-like musical dexterity, she knows how to land on every syllable so it tells.

The Music of Toshiko Akiyoshi
December 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Jordan Hall, Boston
FREE

One of the advantages of living in a town with multiple music schools is that you get to check out well-trained young musicians digging into music and programs we might not otherwise get to hear — for free. In this case, the New England Conservatory Jazz Orchestra is celebrating the 95th birthday of the eminent pianist, composer, bandleader, and NEA Jazz Master Toshiko Akiyoshi with a program that includes much-celebrated compositions like “After Mr. Teng,” “American Ballad,” “Long Yellow Road,” “Roadtime Shuffle,” “Soliloquy” and “Tuning Up.” Jazz Studies cochair Ken Schaphorst leads the band. And, to repeat: It’s free.

Ehud Ettun’s Desert Snow Quartet
December 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Parish of All Saints, Dorchester, MA

Back in 2015, I compared bassist’s Ehud Ettun’s bass playing with “the deep soulfulness of Charlie Haden.” Ettun — Israeli-born, with a wide range of influences — has been working hard ever since. He plays Mandorla Music’s Dot Jazz Series with a new project, the Desert Snow Quartet featuring violinist Angela Varo, pianist Tim Ray on piano, and drummer Andre Sudol.

Maxim Lubarsky
December 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Regattabar, Cambridge

As part of Jazz Boston’s Jazz All Ways series at the Regattabar, Odessa-born polymath pianist and composer Maxim Lubarsky leads a stellar band that includes saxophonist Tucker Antell, bassist John Lockwood, and drummer Rafael Barata.

Steve Davis Quintet
December 6 at 7 p.m.
Scullers Jazz Club, Boston

No less an authority than Chick Corea is quoted as calling Steve Davis “the poet laureate of the trombone.” Some may remember Davis’s early work with both Jackie McLean — an early mentor — and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, before he set off on a career of myriad gigs as leader and collaborator in various post-hard-bop configurations. Davis is joined at Scullers by alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo, pianist Rick Germanson, bassist Nat Reeves, and drummer Willie Jones III.

Kevin Harris Project
December 6 at 7:30
Regattabar, Cambridge

The Lexington, KY,–born Boston pianist and composer Kevin Harris celebrates the release of a new CD, Embers, with a ridiculously stellar band: trumpeter Jason Palmer, alto saxophonist Caroline Davis, bassist Max Ridley, and drummer Tyson Jackson.

Marquis Hill
December 7 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Regattabar, Cambridge

The acclaimed 37-year-old Chicago-born trumpeter Marquis Hill (winner of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Trumpet Competition, among several other prestigious honors) comes to the Regattabar behind his latest disc, the free-ranging Composers Collective: Beyond the Jukebox. He’s joined by keyboardist Mike King, bassist Junius Paul, and singer Manasseh (all from the album) as well as drummer Jeremiah Collier.

— Jon Garelick

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Popular Music

 

Twisted Pine with Damn Tall Buildings and Ali McGuirk
November 30 (doos at 7/show at 8)
The Sinclair, Cambridge

Boston’s own Twisted Pine returned in October with their first new batch of songs in four years, Love Your Mind. Among its dozen tracks are a cover of Frank Zappa’s “Peaches en Regalia,” and collaborations with fellow Bostonian Ali McGuirk (“Chanel Perfume”) and multi-Grammy award winner Jerry Douglass (“Green Flash”). Having garnered praise from local outlets such as WBUR, the Boston Herald, and Glide (as well as No Depression and Americana Highways), Twisted Pine’s long-awaited return has proved to be a welcome one. The aforementioned Ali McGuirk – who earned her eighth Boston Music Award nomination this year – and the widely praised Brooklyn trio Damn Tall Building will provide support.

Chelsea Wolfe
December 4 (doors at 7/show at 8)
Arts at the Armory, Somerville

In addition to myriad singles and EPs, Chelsea Wolfe has released seven long players since 2010. Titles of the latter include Apokalypsis, Pain Is Beauty, and Birth of Violence. However, I was not familiar with her until a download of February’s obscurely titled She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She appeared in my inbox. I was immediately struck by the tastefully cacophonic, percussive, appropriately titled “Whispers in the Echo Chamber.” The first of these two attributes, along with Wolfe’s mesmerizing voice, reveal themselves throughout, making She Reaches Out… a challenging and highly rewarding listen. On November 15, she unveiled Unbound, an EP of enchanting acoustic versions of songs from the LP. Her upcoming show at Arts at the Armory will be solo and acoustic, squarely in the vein of Unbound.

The Ladybug Transistor with Lightheaded and Mark Robinson
December 4 (doors at 7/show at 8)
Deep Cuts, Medford

The Ladybug Transistor has not released any new material since 2011. Therefore, the fact that they are currently on a nine-date East Coast/West Coast tour calls for a celebration. Further reason to rejoice is that the quartet released a 25^th anniversary edition of their trademark record, The Albemarle Sound. With cuts that summon the ’60s baroque pop of Love, The Left Bank, The Zombies, and Chad & Jeremy (“Ocean in the Hall” sounds unmistakably like “A Summer Song”), you would think that Wes Anderson would have mined this for one if not several of his soundtracks. (Interestingly, Gary Olson’s vocals recall those of Jonathan Richman.) The deluxe version contains the original disc’s 12 songs along with bonus tracks comprising B-sides (including a cover of The Bee Gees’ “Massachusetts”), alternate versions, instrumental renderings, and demos. Given the timeless quality of The Albemarle Sound, the fact that there is more where it came from is reason to buy it even if you already the original. Of course, there is plenty more to The Ladybug Transistor’s catalog. The highlights from their six other LPs – released between 1996 and 2011 – would themselves make for a killer setlist. Medford’s Deep Cuts will have the honor of hosting the band’s first show on December 4. (And definitely be there as early as possible to catch the openers.)

Dogpark with Winyah and Good News
December 6 (doors at 7/show at 8)
Crystal Ballroom, Somerville

Indie quintet Dogpark got off to a hell of a start with this year’s Breaking in Brooklyn EP. This five-track collection includes the singles “Dive Bar Named Nirvana” and “Now It’s Over,” but is missing the equally superb “Caviar” and “Storefront Cabana.” This is not a bad thing: the 17-1/2 minutes of the EP is sure to leave the listener wanting more. The band covers quite a lot of musical ground. The single “Breaking in Brooklyn” features Television-esque chords and laid-back verses that give way to speedy, hard-rocking choruses. “Make It Happen” includes Strokes-y vocals and a sizzling guitar fade-out. “Dive Bar Named Nirvana” is downright danceable, “Washington Square Park” effectively mixes up tempos, and “Now It’s Over” wouldn’t sound out of place on a Jet’s debut. But don’t let these comparisons make you think that Dogpark is wholly derivative. They are more inspired than imitative, though they are well worth a listen for fans of the aforementioned bands. And the word must be out, because their Somerville show was moved from The Rockwell to a larger Davis Square venue, Crystal Ballroom.

Beat: Performing the Music of 80s King Crimson
December 6 (show at 8)
Lynn Auditorium, Lynn

According to the review by The Arts Fuse’s in-house King Crimson expert, Jason Rubin, Beat “deftly performed a balancing act between covering this difficult music (or at least elements of it) faithfully, while also allowing the enormously talented musicians, especially the new guys, to put their own individual stamp on the proceedings” at Shubert Theatre on October 11. Given King Crimson’s cachet as perhaps the ultimate progressive rock band, this is quite impressive. However, when you have David Bowie and Frank Zappa guitar alumnus Adrian Belew (click for my 2022 interview), bassist and Brookline native Tony Levin (click for Paul Robicheau’s Arts Fuse interview), Belew’s fellow Zappa alum Steve Vai, and lifelong Tool drummer Danny Carey in charge, it is not surprising. The name Beat is taken from the title of the second of three albums that King Crimson recorded from 1981-1984. The lineup for this and the others – Discipline and Three of a Perfect Pair – each included Belew and Levin. They and their more than capable fellow virtuosi will perform the cream of KC’s early-’80s crop when they generously return for a second Boston-area show on December 6.

— Blake Maddux

Author Events

Alan Lightman at Brookline Booksmith
The Miraculous from the Material
November 25 from 7 to 8 p.m.
Tickets are free or $36 with copy of book

“Pairing 36 beautiful, full-color photos evoking some of nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena with accessible and lyrical personal essays, The Miraculous from the Material explores the fascinating science underlying the natural world. Why do rainbows make an arc? Why does a particular waterfall at Yosemite National Park sometimes glow like it’s on fire? How does a hummingbird fly? The world has so many things to marvel at — and the science is just as fascinating.”

Black Friday Online Sale – Harvard Book Store
November 29

“It’s Black Friday and we’re kicking it off with a special site-wide discount! Shop our website at Harvard.com all day on November 29 and receive 20% off your purchase with the code.”

Orhan Pamuk at First Parish Church – Harvard Book Store
Memories of Distant Mountains: Illustrated Notebooks, 2009-2022
December 2 at 7 p.m.
First Parish Church, Cambridge
Tickets are $45 with book, $12 without

“Pictures of a writer’s days…. An intimate volume revealing glimpses of his life and work…. Although he gave up artwork in favor of writing, he still finds pleasure in combining both, as did William Blake…. Some illustrations, glowing with pinks, greens, and yellows, evoke Matisse. In slashes of black and grey, Pamuk captures the dark mysteries of seascapes; in other drawings, he tries to convey the quality of his dreams…. A lyrical illuminated memoir.” —Kirkus Reviews

Randall Munroe at First Parish Church – Harvard Book Store
What If? 10th Anniversary Edition: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
December 5 at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $40 with book

“Harvard Book Store welcomes Randall Munroe — creator of the webcomic xkcd, author of the New York Times bestsellers What If?, What If? 2, Thing Explainer, and How To, and former NASA roboticist — for a discussion of What If? 10th Anniversary Edition: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions. This special 10th anniversary edition has been revised and annotated with brand-new illustrations and answers to important questions you never thought to ask.”

WBUR CitySpace: Nate DiMeo and “The Memory Palace” – Brookline Booksmith
December 6 from 7-8 p.m.
Tickets are $25 or $10 for members

“Join us for a live taping of “The Memory Palace,” a podcast created and produced by Nate DiMeo that features short, narrative essays set to music that conjure lost moments and forgotten figures from America’s past or finds strange, new magic in the familiar.

The event will feature special guests along with beloved and exclusive stories from the Peabody Award-nominated podcast and DiMeo’s new book, The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past. Copies of the book will be available for purchase from Brookline Booksmith. DiMeo will sign copies following the event.”

Book Signing with Joey Carvello – Porter Square Books
The Boston Hustle
December 7 from 3-4 p.m.

“Dance music has its roots in the gay, black, and Italian discotheques that emerged in the late 1960s. At the center of that fusion, the city of Boston became the birthplace of the predecessor to mainstream dance music: Disco. Joey Carvello, an Italian kid from East Cambridge, burst out onto the disco scene and rode that cultural phenomenon into the record business where disco reigned for a time.

“But doesn’t everyone know that disco sucks? Maybe that’s just what they’ve been told. Filling in the gaps in disco’s history, The Boston Hustle shares the story of disco, its rise to prominence in clubs and its downfall at the hands of racist and homophobic record labels. The Boston Hustle will appeal to baby boomers who remember the reign of disco fondly and to anyone interested in music history from the ground. Fans of mainstream dance music who want to see the genre’s roots will appreciate this detailed account of how disco came to be.”

Steven “Nookie” Postal- Porter Square Books
The Nookbook: 120 Recipes for People With Busy Lives 
December 10 at 7 p.m.
Free

“From the mind of Steven “Nookie” Postal comes The NookBook. Whether you are just starting to master the craft of home-cooking, or struggling to keep up with feeding your raging, ungrateful children this book has landed in the right hands. From Game-Day snacks to an entire Thanksgiving spread, Nookie has you covered. Your partner tells you that 10 people are coming over for dinner and they need to be fed? Easy. This is your manual to navigate your life, regardless of the culinary scenarios you find yourself in.”

— Matt Hanson

Franz Kafka at Brandeis 1924/2024: A Celebratory Panel Discussion
November 25, 5 to 6:30 pm.
Mandel Reading Room 303, Mandel Center for Humanities, Brandeis University Campus, 415 South Street, Waltham.

A panel discussion featuring a trio of impressive guest speakers: “Indeterminate Roots: Learning to Teach with Kafka” (Evan Parks, a Visiting Scholar at New York University’s Center for the Humanities and Director of Education for the Bronfman Fellowship.); “Turn, turn, turn: Kafka’s parables and the history of the mashal” (Abigail Gillman, Professor of Hebrew, German and Comparative Literature in the Department of World Languages and Literatures at Boston University); and “Description of a Struggle: Kafka’s Prague Novella Revisited” (Veronika Tuckerová teaches at Harvard University’s Slavic Department. She grew up in Prague and studied at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and Columbia University. Her interests include Czech and German literature, art and literature of dissent, visual arts, and translation theory and practice.)

GLOBAL READING FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION & SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE AND LEBANON
At the start of Read Palestine Week, November 29-30. Beginning at 17:00 Palestinian time (EET), at 10 a.m. EST. YouTube link

“A 24+ hour online poetry reading organised by a coalition of independent presses, poets, writers, and translators worldwide. The event stands in solidarity with Palestine, Lebanon, and Sudan, amplifying the voices of those impacted by violence and oppression. This annual event has become a powerful and moving show of unity — poetry knows no borders and can speak powerfully for the right to free expression. Poetry bears witness!

“Publishers, collectives, and groups involved include, but are not limited to: Al Quds U, Belladonna* collaborative, Candela Review, Counterpath Press, Detroit Asylum Press, Galician Poets, kyklàda.press, Modern Poetry in Translation, Naropa University, Visible Binary, Nightboat Books, Ós Pressan, Pamenar Press, Poetry Lab Shanghai, Poetry Translation Centre, Publishers for Palestine, Roam Agency, Sefsafa Publishing, Shatr Collective, Small Press Traffic, Sangrí­a Editora, Sudanese Collective, Tamaas, Tripwire,  and Ugly Duckling Presse.

“Readers and attendees will convene online, beginning with Palestinian poets in Palestine and following the sun. As one part of the world rests, another will continue. Participants will share poems in their preferred language, affirming the collective power of words and calling for an immediate ceasefire. We remain committed to freedom of expression and stand with those facing violence and oppression.”

DARKNESS SPOKEN: Peter Filkins on Ingeborg Bachmann
December 5, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Woodberry Poetry Room (Lamont Library, Room 330)
Harvard University, Cambridge
Open to the public, Reading/Lecture

“In 2006, Zephyr published Darkness Spoken: The Collected Poems of Ingeborg Bachmann, translated by Peter Filkins, the most comprehensive collection of her work to date, with the original German poems and the English translation on facing pages. In addition to her published poems, Bachmann’s estate released to us 129 poems that had never been published, including 25 poems that had never even been published in German.

Earlier this year, Zephyr published a new Revised Second Edition of “Darkness Spoken.” Filkins has revised the translations of about one quarter of the poems based on his extensive archival research while he has been writing a biography of Bachmann (forthcoming, Yale University Press). The book also includes seven early poems never published before, making this the definitive edition of Bachmann’s poetry.

The voices of Bachmann herself and translator Filkins will come together in in this event to celebrate the life and work of Ingeborg Bachmann. Filkins will intersperse readings of his translations with those recordings of Bachmann made in 1955. He’ll also discuss the relationship between the poems that Bachmann recorded and the book she was completing while in Boston. Zephyr Press senior editor Christopher (Cris) Mattison will introduce the event.”

— Bill Marx