Editor’s Note: Welcome to V3 Weekend, Vanyaland‘s guide to help you sort out your weekend entertainment with curated selections and recommendations across our three pillars of Music, Comedy, and Film/TV. It’s what you should know about, where you need to be, and where you’ll be going, with us riding shotgun along the way.
Music: Thievery Corporation at House of Blues
From the desk of Senior Writer Michael Christopher: Don’t be hoodwinked by this sudden spate of warmish temperatures. The New England weather gods love to pull these sorts of climatic pranks every year, which is why we aren’t surprised to see it’s dropping back into the teens this weekend. It’s also a good reason on Saturday to post up at House of Blues and be warmed by the chill sounds of Thievery Corporation, the downtempo electronica project led by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. The Washington, D.C. duo have been blending a wide range of genres culled from raiding the crates in various cultural destinations for three decades now. Lyrically enlightening without being overtly preachy, it’s music designed to elicit a relaxation vibe typically experienced in low-lit lounges where the only moments that matter are the present ones. And if some insight is derived via osmosis or general open-mindedness, consider it a bonus. Expect a revolving door of collaborators joining T-Corp on vocals throughout the evening – including longtime associate and Boston native Mr. Lif – aiding in bringing to life songs like “The Richest Man in Babylon,” “Warning Shots,” and the late-’90s hit “Lebanese Blonde.”
THIEVERY CORPORATION + FLAMINGOSIS :: Saturday, March 1 at House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St. in Boston, MA :: 7 p.m., all ages, $54 to $77 :: Event info :: Advance tickets
Comedy: Zachariah Porter at Chevalier and The Wilbur
We love a good hometown success story, and this weekend we get two of them courtesy of Zachariah Porter. The New Bedford native holds court for a pair of sold-out shows, the latest in his highly successful Strip Mall Tease tour, first tonight at Chevalier Theatre in Medford and then Saturday at The Wilbur. We profiled Porter earlier this week, where the comedian talked about coming home and his various on-stage characters. “It’s pretty surreal. There’s nothing like performing in front of people who understand my humor like no one else does,” he tells Vanyaland. “Doing these shows in places like Texas and Arizona, they love what I’m doing, but there’s something about performing in front of a Massachusetts crowd where every character I bring out feels like someone’s mom, aunt, or the lady at Cumberland Farms. It’s so much stronger in front of hometown people.”
ZACHARIAH PORTER :: Saturday, March 1 at The Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St. in Boston, MA :: 6 p.m., $27 to $37 :: Advance tickets
Film/TV: Mahoning Drive-In Road Show at Somerville Theatre
Sunday’s Academy Awards celebrates the latest n’ greatest in film, and you can bet we’ll be locked in watching the festivities from Los Angeles. But before that, the Somerville Theatre kicks it old school on Saturday, as the Mahoning Drive-In Theater delivers a triple feature from the glory days of the movie-watching experience. Bringing their celebrated Road Show to town, the Pennsylvania retro drive-in screens a trio of classics in 35mm (with brief descriptions via the theatre): 1977’s Shock Waves at 8 p.m. (“a longtime Boston independent UHF TV favorite…Peter Cushing stars in the underwater Nazi zombie chiller”); 1981’s The Funhouse at 10 p.m. (“you pay to get in, and pray to get out of … Tobe Hooper’s carnival creeper about terrifying secrets on a monstrous midway!”); and 1980’s Alligator at midnight (“a giant Alligator threatens the citizens of New York, and only Robert Forster can stop it!”). Here’s the word: “For this indoor drive-in experience, Mahoning staff will be on hand to introduce a trio of late-’70s/early-’80s horror classics, along with vintage 35mm trailers, snack bar ads, and a classic intermission reel between the films!” Sounds awesome.
MAHONING DRIVE-IN ROAD SHOW :: Saturday, March 1 at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square in Somerville, MA :: 8 p.m., $20 :: Event info