Make plans to do something fun this weekend. Because even if another blizzard is probably just going to roll in and cancel everything, you might as well have something to complain about.
| 1. | Thursday, Feb. 20 – Third Thursdays |
The Gardner Museum’s monthly party celebrates newcomers to the city with a “Becoming a Bostonian” theme. Isabella Stewart Gardner, herself a transplant from New York, arrived in Boston during the frigid winter of 1860 to find locals adding ice to their morning coffees. “Iced coffee? What sorcery is this?” she said, probably. (5:30 p.m., $5-15, 21+)
| 2. | Thursday, Feb. 20 – Sun Ra Cosmic Centenary |
This concert at Berklee celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sun Ra, the visionary composer, keyboardist, and leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra (three original Arkestra members will perform). Sun Ra was even into alien abduction way before it was cool — in the ‘30s he claimed to have been teleported to Saturn, where aliens advised him to drop out of college. Imagine selling that to Mr. and Mrs. Ra? That’s worse than “I need to focus on my art.” (8 p.m., $8-12, all ages)
| 3. | Thursday to Saturday, Feb. 20-22 – College Comedy Festival |
ImprovBoston’s annual festival showcasing the finest in New England college comedy culminates with a Beanpot Tournament to crown the funniest school around. Finally, a Beanpot where Harvard actually has a fighting chance. (Various times and prices, all ages)
| 4. | Friday, Feb. 21 – “Awake” Opening Reception |
Cambridge’s Gallery 263 opens its newest exhibition, featuring a 27-foot wall installation comprised of hundreds of cell-phone selfies taken by artist Christina Balch upon waking up in the morning. Visitors can contribute to the exhibition by snapping their own reflections in a medicine cabinet mirror at the gallery, although it’s not really fair because you’ve had all day to perfectly sculpt your hair so it looks like you just woke up and didn’t do anything to it. (7 p.m., FREE, all ages)
| 5. | Saturday, Feb. 22 – Mr. Hip Presents |
Hosted by Donald Vincent, aka Mr. Hip (which as pseudonyms go is certainly no “Sun Ra”) the monthly reading series at JP’s UForge Gallery features poetry, spoken word, live music, and plenty of audience participation. (4 p.m., $7, all ages)
| 6. | Saturday, Feb. 22 – Pucker Gallery winter open house |
You won’t find any kissing booths at the Pucker Gallery, probably because it isn’t a ‘90s sitcom high school’s winter carnival to raise money for the class ski trip. But the five-story Newbury Street gallery is truly a hidden gem, and if the contemporary art exhibitions don’t do it for you, the free cider, cocoa, and cookies surely will. (2 p.m., FREE, all ages)
| 7. | Saturday, Feb. 22 – Asaf Avidan |
The Israeli singer-songwriter — before you skip this, don’t worry, he sings in English — has taken Europe by storm with a voice that’s been compared to a “hoarse angel” and “the love-child of Dylan and Joplin.” (8 p.m., $28, all ages)
| 8. | Sunday, Feb. 23 – Rock-n-Romp at the Sinclair |
If you’re a dad and you’re reading this, you’re probably a cool dad (your kids have cool names like “Dylan” and “Joplin.”) Just like a sharp pair of slim-fit chinos, this afternoon show with local rockers Sidewalk Driver qualifies as both cool and dad-friendly. Or maybe you’re just doing your older brother a solid and watching his kids so he owes you a favor — a much more expensive favor. (11:30 a.m., $5-10, all ages)
| 9. | Sunday, Feb. 23 – [email protected] |
“Honey, get dressed. We’re going to the opera.” Admit it, you’ve always wanted to say that. Except the opera is expensive, you don’t own a tux, renting a tux would cost more than any garment you own, and most importantly, vikings are scary. I checked and this Boston Opera Collaborative production doesn’t feature any vikings, plus it’s reasonably priced and no one wears a tux to Oberon. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m., $12-25, all ages)
[Photo credit: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum]
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