The Beantown Bloggery Your Guide to Anything and Everything Boston Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 33 0 91 8203

Articles from The Beantown Bloggery

Shakespeare on the Common 2007-07-23 11:27:00 For those that make the annual trip to Boston Common during the summer to see a free performance of Shakespeare on the Common, be aware that the schedule has been chopped to about 1/3 this year due to budget cuts. Instead of the the usual 20 performances, there will only be 7. That's right SEVEN. The Boston Globe ran an article on this yesterday (here). So pack up the lawn chairs and beach blankets and head over to the Common this week. Otherwise, you'll miss your chance.This year, they're doing A Midsummer Night's Dream. I watched them rehearse briefly on Friday evening - It should be a great show. I have great respect for folks that can memorize and perform an entire play. Those are skills I just don't have. I can barely remember all the words to the songs on the radio. I'm hoping to go when I get back from my business trip late this week.Click (here) for the official website or see below for the schedule of performances.Tuesday, July 24 @ 8:00 p.m.Wednesday, July 25 @ ...

Getting a Gun in Boston - Part Two 2007-07-22 15:53:00 Sorry about not posting yesterday, I was busy Harry Pottering. As I told everyone a couple weeks ago, I finally received my gun license. Read about the entire gun licensing process (here).Yesterday, I took my newly acquired gun license to the gun shop to purchase my first firearm. From the research that I had done online, the closest/nicest gun shop in the area is The Four Seasons in Woburn - official website (here).The folks there are very friendly and quite knowledgeable. Since it took me 6 months to get my license, that gave me ample time to do research on what I would purchase as soon as I got my license. Here are things to consider.CaliberI decided to start with a .22 because ammo is cheap and I'm going to need lots and lots of practice so it's the most economical way to go. Second, most competition shooting is done with a .22, so it's a good thing to start with. Lastly, because it's a small caliber weapon, there's not much kickback.Brand I also just started a subscrip ...

Gospel Fest 2007 2007-07-20 14:07:00 Coming to Boston City Hall Plaza this Sunday, July 22nd is Gospel Fest 2007. The event will take place from 5:00 - 8:00 PM.This year marks the 8th anniversary of this firmly established Boston tradition. GospelFest 2007 blends contemporary and traditional gospel melodies and this year will feature Karen Clark-Sheard and J Moss. The program will also showcase Pajam artist 21:03 and local talent The Kingdom Sanctuary Choir.Click (here) for more information on the two featured performers.Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com ...

East Boston Italian Festival 2007-07-19 20:43:00 The saga continues. Now i'm in Philly, missed my connection due to delays, but rescheduled on an 11pm flight back to Boston. Let's hope there aren't any delays on this one. I'd like to be home at some point tonight.Starting tomorrow and lasting the entire weekend is the 13th Annual East Boston Italian Festival. The opening ceremony starts tomorrow (July 20th) at 7pm. Festivities will continue for the remainder of the weekend. Click (here) for official website and schedule of events. Here are my two favorites from the list:1. "World's Largest Sausage Eating Contest." So many jokes, so little time. Click (here) for a link to the contestants' profiles. 2. The music stylings of Frank Stallone (or as I'm sure Sylvester Stallone calls him: Mini-Me) Frank is his little brother, but you could tell me he was a clone and I wouldn't be surprised.Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com ...

Concerts in the MFA Courtyard 2007-07-18 16:03:00 Happy Hump Day everyone. Not so happy for me as I'm stuck in the Chicago O'Hare airport for the next several hours. Have a drink for me if you're out and about tonight.The MFA has been hosting a summer concert series in their courtyard all summer and now it's about halfway through. Concerts are held Wednesday evenings at 7pm in the courtyard. So if you're feeling classy and artsy tonight, go check it out. If it rains, the concert is brought indoors. Official website (here) and remaining concerts listed below.Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience - July 18Vieux Farka Toure - July 25Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective - August 1Elvis Perkins in Dearland with Dr. Dog - August 8Erin McKeown with the Winterpills - August 15Budos Band - August 22UPDATE: For those of you that were wondering, it's 5 hours later and I'm sitting on the plane in the middle of a lightning storm with 20 planes ahead of us. The airport is shut down so we can't head back so I guess we'll eve ...

Taste of Cambridge 2007-07-17 10:41:00 I love food festivals for the same reason I love buffets. As a single guy, I can sample alot of different foods without having to order a bunch of dishes and eat leftovers for the rest of the week. Coming up on Thursday (unless it rains) is the Taste of Cambridge food festival. Official website (here)"The Taste of Cambridge is a celebration of the diverse restaurant scene in Cambridge. With cuisine from America to Japan to Brazil to France and everything in between, Cambridge is a melting pot- a tasty one to be sure- of culture and cuisine. This event features creative and abundant samples of food, beer and wine from the wonderful restaurants found around the city, enhanced by a beautiful outdoor setting, live music and a great crowd."Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. You can get them online at the website or at any Cambridge Whole Foods store.The event is currently planned for July 19th 5:30-7:30pm 2007 in Technology Square near Kendall. If it rains though, the even ...

Sasso's Oyster Night 2007-07-17 10:33:00 What's better than raw oysters? Free raw oysters. Sasso restaurant is hosting it's first ever Oyster night tonight, Tuesday July 17th. Oyster night will feature prosecco wine and Island Creek Oysters - FREE. The event runs from 5:30pm to 7:30pm or until the food runs out.Sasso is a new restaurant from the team that brough us Lucca in the North End. Click (here) for their official website. Sasso's owner, Skip Bennet will be there shucking oysters and giving away free T-shirts.Sasso Restaurant & Bar 116 Huntington AvenueBoston Massachusetts(617) 247-2400Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com ...

Harry Potter at the BPL 2007-07-16 18:04:00 Happy Monday everyone. As you may well know, the final Harry Potter book is going to be released this Saturday. If you haven't pre-ordered it yet, go (here) to find out where the best deal is. In celebration of the upcoming release, the Boston Public Library in Copley is holding free screenings of all the films to date. Each film will be shown at 1:30pm in the Rabb Lecture Hall. Apologies for not getting this out sooner, because the first screening already happened today.Mon July 16 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneTues July 17 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsWed July 18 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanFri July 20 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireOn Saturday, July 21, the BPL will host Harry Potter Day from 9am to 5pm in the Young Adults and Children's Rooms. They'll be celebrating the new release with movies, trivia, and games.Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com ...

Brunch in Boston 2007-07-15 19:14:00 When I lived in the South End, there were numerous options for brunch on Sunday mornings: Garden of Eden, Aquitaine, Tremont 647, and my personal favorite Metropolis Cafe. It was at Metropolis that I found the best orange juice next to fresh squeezed.Quick aside for the OJ - Natalie's Orchid Island orange juice is what they serve at Metropolis. I used to go religiously and order that stuff, one day while sitting at the bar area and having my breakfast, I asked the waitress if i could see the juice jug. I read the label and promptly went home and googled the name. Then I emailed the company to find out where I could buy it. Answer: Trader Joe's. Believe me, it's awesome stuff.Back to the topic of brunch. After moving from the south end, it's been slim pickins in terms of places i could walk to closeby. Last week I walked over to The Paramount in Beacon Hill with some friends. It was my first time eating there and I will say that it was pretty good. If you've never been ...

Bastille Day Street Dance 2007-07-13 10:07:00 Tomorrow, July 14th is Bastille Day. In celebration of this French Holiday commemorating the storming of the Bastille in 1789 the French Library Alliance is hosting a "Street Dance" from 6pm to 11pm tonight on Marlborough Street between Berkeley and Clarendon streets. Obviously that section of street will be closed off to traffic so if you're on the road, take a detour. The event features live music by three French-speaking performers: Rechard Lemvo from the Congo, Ousmane Toure from Senegal, and Emeline Michel from Haiti. Dance to the live music, sample some French Food, grab a cold beer or glass of wine and take a load off. It's been a long week. Tickets are $35 at the door if they haven't sold out yet. Broaden your horizons and celebrate a holiday from the folks that brought us french fries, french toast, and my personal favorite: french kissing. Just kidding..........french fries are my favorite.Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?Email ...

Getting a Gun License In Boston 2007-07-12 12:53:00 My LTC (License to Carry) finally arrived. In celebration, I thought that I would detail out the steps that it takes for all my readers so that hopefully you will have an easier time getting one. In addition, these steps only apply to the city of Boston, most of the suburbs are less strict, so just keep that in mind and be sure to check in with your city's Police HQ to see what the exact protocol isTypes of LicensesThere are 3 types of Licenses that you can get:FID Card - A Firearms Identification Card is good for shotguns and rifles only. So if you plan on hunting, you can just go for one of these cards.LTC Class A - A Class A License to Carry allows you to purchase "high capacity" weapons. A high capacity weapon is defined as a handgun that holds more than 10 rounds or a shotgun that holds more than 5 founds. Also, if you get an unrestricted Class A LTC, you can carry a concealed handgun. Note: If you're in Boston, chances are you won't get approved for an unrestricted Clas ...

Tito Puente Latin Music Series 2007-07-11 19:12:00 If hanging out in a cemetary isn't your thing, maybe this will be more to your liking. Also on Thursday night (7pm - 9pm) O'Day Park in the South End will be hosting a performance by Cuban drummer Francisco Mela and his group Melao. His most recent album also named "Melao" was named the best debut album of 2006 by All About Jazz magazine.If you like Latin Jazz, click here for information on the rest of this concert series sponsored by Berklee School of Music. And if you don't know where O'Day Park is, the address is 85 West Newton Street. Oh, last but not least, all the concerts are free. Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com ...

Forest Hills Lantern Festival 2007-07-11 19:04:00 Happy Hump Day Everyone. Hope you're out celebrating and having a good time on this muggy Wednesday evening. Tomorrow night, July 12, from 6pm to 9pm the Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain will hold a Lantern Festival.Inspired by the traditional Japanese Bon Festival, a Buddhist ritual honoring the spirits of family members, you can inscribe and light a lantern with a candle and then set it to float on Lake Hibiscus. Japanese taiko drummers, traditional Japanese and Chinese dancers, and gospel singers will provide live entertainment. Like I said 'inspired' by the Japanese festival, but these folks are jazzing it up a bit. Click (here) for official website and additional information. Admission is free but making a lantern will cost $10. If it rains, the event will be rescheduled for the 19th.PS. There are no lights in the cemetary, so if you stay until after sundown, be sure to bring a flashlight with you so you can find your way out.Know of Any Interesting Boston News or E ...

Drive In Movies 2007-07-10 16:35:00 Drive In Movies were before my time, but I stumbled upon a list of a few in the area, and it's piqued my interest. It could be a fun novelty to check out at some point. For those of you in the same boat as me, and those of you that are older and just want to re-live the good 'ol days, here's a few places to check out while the weather is nice out. Northfield Drive In (MA & NH Border)Northfield – Hinsdale Road (Rt. 63)Wellfleet Drive in (Cape Cod)Route 6 Eastham-Wellfleet LineMansfield Drive In (Connecticut)228 Stafford Rd, Mansfield Center, CTKnow of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com ... Movies

Maroon 5 Concert Ticket Presale 2007-07-09 14:30:00 Calling all huge fans of Maroon 5. Presale tickets for their concert at TD Banknorth Garden on Monday, Oct 15, 2007 at 7:30pm just went on sale 30 minutes ago for members of their fan club.Membership into the Maroon 5 fan club costs $35. So if you're willing to shell out the extra dough, you can get tickets now for their concert in October. Click (here) for the Ticketmaster page where you can purchase tickets now. Tix are $38 and $48, not too bad if you ask me.If you'd rather not shell out the extra $35, tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday 7/14 at 10am EST.Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com ...