Dig Boston Jan 7th 2015

BREAK the CHAINS MUSIC AND DANCE PARTY UNITING THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY

BELGIAN WAFFLES:

THE FOOD TRUCK PUSHING BOS-TIN

NEAR MISS AT LOGAN

DIGBOSTON.COM 1.7.15 - 1.14.15

ANDREW W.K.

SHARES SOME WELLNESS THOUGHTS

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NEWS, FEATURES + MEDIA FARM EDITOR Chris Faraone

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NEWS + FEATURES

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tak Toyoshima

The New Year begins, and so does a new year of local arts, entertainment, music, news, and politics coverage in DigBoston.

And with that in mind, it’s worth noting that for the ensuing months, or however long it will end up taking, we’ll be devoting plenty of coverage to the circus that is the criminal trial of the alleged Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. But our coverage will focus on how said hullabaloo is being covered by those doing the covering, rather than just the revelations and proceedings, which everyone from first-year Boston University student journalists to seasoned local hacks will be doing en masse, until the media hypervigilance of the Whitey Bulger trial seems like an afterthought.

Aside from that, be sure to pay attention to the layout, look, and design of this week’s DigBoston. Because very soon, that look is going to be shifting somewhat drastically. We’re heading into 2015 with some exciting changes to mirror those on our website, which we’ve streamlined and rebuilt in order to present our edgy, humorous, and fiery rhetoric in the best way possible. All of which would be all for naught without a dedicated readership composed of a community hungry for what we’re bringing week in and week out, especially when what we’re bringing is what everyone else isn’t.

And as always, thanks for reading.

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EDITOR Dan McCarthy

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EDITORIAL

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BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF DIGTIONARY

UBERRRR noun

/ˈo͞obərrrr/

The sound your mouth will make when you’re asked how you want to get from your front door to the corner store when the wind chill hits sub-zero later this week.

COVER ARTIST

Paris Visone is a touring music photographer. She really wanted to do this shoot because her friend Kati Mennett is obsessed with Andrew WK. Kati was Paris’s assistant for the shoot and she only peed her pants a little. www.parisvisone.com. Art direction by Scott Murry.

Wanna do a cover?

Email scott@digpublishing.com.

BECOME A SUBSCRIBER! Get an issue of Dig delivered each week for a year at the low rate of $150. Email john@digpublishing.com.

OH CRUEL WORLD Dear White People on Facebook, I’m happy about your career as a teacher/yogi/nonprofit worker and your success in blah blah. I’m sorry for your frustration on that tough day you had. You look cute in that picture. Now, consider that police have been killing unarmed black people.

Consider that carrying on like nothing is wrong implies that the targeted death of black Americans isn’t a problem.

White supremacy is real and

ILLUSTRATION BY PALOMA DIAZ-DICKSON

thrives on your indifference.

Go find an action, and visit wechargegenocide.org and byp100.org.

Send anonymous gripes to editorial@digpublishing.com.

©2015 DIGBOSTON IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY DIG PUBLISHING LLC. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION CAN BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT. DIG PUBLISHING LLC CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. ONE COPY OF DIGBOSTON IS AVAILABLE FREE TO MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS EACH WEEK. ANYONE REMOVING PAPERS IN BULK WILL BE PROSECUTED ON THEFT CHARGES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW.

VOL 17 + ISSUE 1 JANUARY 7, 2015 - JANUARY 14, 2015

NEWS & OPINIONS

>> WE BROKE THE STORY ABOUT THE COP WHO BEAT AN UBER DRIVER, HURLED RACIAL EPITHETS, AND STOLE A CAB. >> DECIDING WHERE CASINO ATMS SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T GO IS LIKE REARRANGING CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC.

THE COPS DON'T GET IT

BY CHRIS FARAONE @FARA1

BROOKLINE BALLBUSTER

In an attempt to minimize the shitty impact of Boston College students on the neighborhoods they live in, some new dorms at the school will have windows that only open six inches, rendering balconies off-limits.

Ridiculous and penal as this seems, it might actually not be such a horrible idea. Pass the zoom tube.

280,000

Number of low-wage Mass workers getting new min wage raise from $8 to $9 an hour, the first of three annual $1 increases.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM RANKS,

BOSTON BASTARD

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We have seen numerous downtown protests against police brutality, but last week in Dorchester we got to see what a pro-police rally looks like. Read the story at digboston.com, in which a Quincy officer says, “These people are all walking around with their hands up and they’re totally lying.”

LET’S PREFACE THIS POLEMIC with the same superficial

line that every parrot in the media meaninglessly burps: Not all cops are bad. Or racist. Or the world’s worst Uber customers.

I say that not merely to mock the incompetent hacks and columnists who use such sentiments in lieu of consciously considering the epidemic of police brutality, but also to remind readers of the humanity of the good cops, because the voices of those officers are so rarely heard.

For the first few weeks of major Black Lives Matter rallies and related actions in the Hub, I assumed that Boston Police Department Commissioner William Evans was just playing dumb. Clearly, I thought, he and the other seemingly intelligent higher-ups understood that the public isn’t only furious about the killing of Michael Brown by a cop in Ferguson, Missouri, or the death of Eric Garner in New York.

Now, a few months into the most robust protest momentum Boston has seen in years, I’m convinced otherwise. Now I realize they do not get it, and by “they” I mean the white guys representing the

BPD IS CLUELESS

department, from the upper echelons down to the rank-andfile. Let’s commence at the top of the pecking order with Evans.

“The majority of the community is behind the police force,” the commissioner claimed before planned demonstrations for First Night.

“It’s not the community that is going to be up in arms protesting. This is for the most part people from outside the city.”

That’s Evans saying, in the most socially acceptable way possible, that police brutality, or whatever those ridiculous kids are hollering about, is not a Boston issue. It’s a crass and blatant lie for any number of reasons, but it’s also tone deaf and dismissive, a glowing example of how even Evans, presumably the best of the best, is reluctant to acknowledge any real problems. What kind of foundation is that for a community policing model?

Those are the more respectable BPD delegates. In the subbasement of the department food chain is the Pax Centurion, the continued on pg. 6

PHOTO BY CHRIS FARAONE

2006

The last time there was a minimum wage increase around here.

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continued from pg. 4

tomorrow exchange buy * *sell*trade sell*trade

official newsletter of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association (BPPA). For decades, the Pax has proudly exemplified just how out of touch some beat cops are with Boston’s changing landscape, and the recent holiday edition carried on with that tradition. Primarily focused on the Black Lives Matter movement, one tract claims, “The [Michael Brown] case has sparked numerous protests from college kids looking for a cause, former ‘Occupy Boston’ radicals, and other anarchists.”

Among other examples of creative compassion in the latest Pax: ON DEMONSTRATIONS: “The Boston Police Department has wrongly—for reasons of political correctness—described them as ‘peaceful protests.’ There is nothing ‘peaceful’ about sitting down in the middle of Tremont St. at rush hour to prevent working people from simply going home.”

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Are you in a band?

Have a gallery show?

ON PROGRESS: The Pax claims protest behavior “used to be … known as disorderly conduct, subject to immediate arrest.”

Debuting your brand new line of apparel?

ON ERIC GARNER: “A tragedy, yes, but a self-inflicted one.”

Submit your events, FOR FREE

ON POLITICS: “Liberals created the conditions, the rules and the ordinances that we, the police, are left to deal with. And then they turn their video cameras and cellphones on us and tell us that we’re brutal and racist.”

ON FANBOYS: There’s a very special letter to the editor, hand-picked and re-printed from the Lowell Sun, by a guy wondering “Where is the outrage over [Kevin Quick],” whom the reader writes “was kidnapped and murdered by four black gang members.” “Where is the white outrage?” he cries. “Where is the hatemonger Al Sharpton?”

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for more info... digboston.com/listings

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Some people reading this are probably outraged. Others may be thinking, “How come nobody knows about this?” But they do know. Activists in Boston’s communities of color have derided the Pax for years, as have organizers from Occupy Boston and members of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers. Just like Black Lives Matter protesters, they’ve argued that cop culture in Boston needs to change, including the BPPA’s bigoted rag. Sadly, from the bottom to the top of the totem pole, their message has fallen on hard heads.

“So we just keep doing what we do and hopefully all is well,” reads the latest Pax. “The protests, demonstrations and riots, well this too shall pass. That is of course until the next one. We all know that there will be a next one.”

With that kind of attitude, they can bet on it.

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BY MEDIA FARM @MEDIAFARM

NEWS + FEATURES

They’re covering the Tsarnaev trial; we’re covering their coverage

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It’s much easier to talk shit than it is to actually perform. That’s not the only reason we’re abstaining from daily courtroom coverage of the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial, but it’s a damn good one. Truth is also that between the favoring of those contributing to dreadful pool reporting and the paperwork involved, the price of entry for a rag like the Dig is to bend over and surrender our alternative cred at the courthouse metal detector.

That said, while we may show up on day credentials occasionally, we have a role to play in calling out the rancid bullshit that will pass for journalism in the next few months. We’ll be morphing into Media Farm bitch mode every time an out-of-town reporter refers to Cambridge as Boston, when local hacks applaud the response of authorities without also noting interagency ineptitude, and … you get the picture. It might not be quite as horrid of a circus as the week after the bombing of the Boston Marathon, but you can expect the media to serve a mountain of manure.

We’ll be there with a shovel. And a slingshot.

–First and least interesting is the tedious procrastinatory litigiousness Tsarnaev’s legal crew has demonstrated thus far. Long story short: Due to everything from the nonstop media tsunami to the Dzhokhar fan club gathering outside of the federal courthouse, the alleged bomber’s lawyers don’t think he can get a fair trial on the South Boston waterfront.

Everybody else, from Presiding Judge George

O’Toole to the civil servant plunging the toilet in his private chambers, either disagrees or simply wishes to commence with proceedings. This is fairly easy stuff to cover, and the rare instance in which we trust everyone from Boston.com to WBZ not to fuck up.

–Hub writer Luke O’Neil rang in the new year with a bold feature on Boston.com that is more or less the only thing worth reading about the trial so far. Sure, we’re relying on Garrett Quinn at MassLive and a few others for reliable day-today courtroom updates, but in terms of thinking beyond the prosecutor’s narrative, O’Neil raises a number of important questions (as well as some that are not so important) through the lens of the fringe community posing them. In the city where FBI agents famously worked with notorious murderer-mobsters, this is a healthy activity.

–You bet we partook in the Boston Globe’s clever online wizard tooled to parse a theoretical jury for the bombing trial. We made it through a few inquiries—we’re over 18-years-old and under 70, and have no problem executing Jizz if he keeps showing up looking like a Bop Magazine centerfold. In the end though, we were denied a chance to serve; turns out they’ve had difficulties before when allowing semianonymous inanimate columns to determine the fate of mortals.

Fortunately, there’s no rule that prevents us from masquerading as the judge and jury of jurist journalism. Stay tuned …

CANDY MAN

Can Mass count on Charlie and the Cannabis Dispensary?

BY NICHOLE SNOW You should know about the Act for Humanitarian Medical Use of Marijuana. Crafted by a coalition of groups including the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance (MPAA), the current law was written so caregivers would be available to help patients while they wait for dispensaries to open, and also for the benefit of patients who cannot afford dispensaries after they open.

Instead, the caregiver system was effectively eliminated through regulations that created a restrictive ratio of one patient for each caregiver.

This impediment continues to put lives at risk by limiting safe access to quality medicine.

For most patients, cultivating their own medicine is not a realistic option because they lack the expertise, time, physical ability, or space. However, under the 1:1 ratio, it is nearly impossible for people to find available caregivers because patients drastically outnumber providers.

The MPAA has also heard from many caregivers who point out that growing medicine for just one patient is too expensive to justify. Caregivers can only produce medical marijuana at a reasonable price when they grow for multiple patients. In a recent email I received from the the Department of Public Health responding to

my challenge of the ratio, I was informed that it’s “the spirit of the initiative” to reduce the caregiver ratio to one caregiver, one patient. This is false.

Restricting the hardship cultivation apparatus doesn’t reflect an intent to ensure safe access for all in a timely fashion. With this in mind, the MPAA is continuing to advocate for improvements to the caregiver system, and for the rapid implementation of dispensaries.

Beyond continuing to build support at the local level, we are working to introduce a bill for the upcoming 2015-2016 legislative session that would fix the caregiver system and provide discrimination protections for patients.

But rather than wait for a bill to slowly wind its way through the State House, the most expedient way to help patients would be for DPH to immediately fix the caregiver regulation. Outgoing Governor Deval Patrick remained silent in the face of countless pleas for change, but we are hopeful that the incoming Governor, Charlie Baker, will recognize the current crisis, and respond by addressing this issue.

Nichole Snow is the deputy director of the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance.

HOW ABOUT SHANEKA THOMPSON?

BY EMILY HOPKINS @GENDERPIZZA

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Late last month, Ismaaiyl Brinsley showed up uninvited at his former girlfriend Shaneka Thompson’s apartment in Owings Mills, Maryland. After knocking on her door and gaining entry, Brinsley proceeded to argue with Thompson about their failed relationship, eventually shooting Thompson in the stomach.

Following the assault, Brinsley left the Baltimore suburb for his childhood hometown of Brooklyn, where he shot and killed two onduty police officers as they sat in a patrol car. The grisly scene occurred while tension between cops and civilians is high, rendering the situation an easy target for inexact analysis, especially since

Brinsley posted photos indicating he was killing for revenge. But what about Thompson?

If we are going to understand why such violence occurs, we need to look at the entire picture. Domestic violence often precedes more “newsworthy” acts of aggression. The public seems adamant in reaffirming that such brutal cop killings are heinous. Why, then, is the attempted murder of Thompson a footnote to this tragedy?

Domestic violence doesn’t exist in a bubble.

Such extreme acts begin somewhere, in this case at the doorstep of Shaneka Thompson. Don’t erase her from the story.

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PUSHING

You never hear about the sky-high tragedies that don't happen ... until now

BY BRADLEY SUNSHINE

The lights over Logan Airport

in Boston splash across the tarmac. Flashes of blue and white dot the blacktop as plane after plane plods through the darkness. It’s a September night in 2013, and craft from numerous airlines arrive and wheel through, as thousands of passengers prepare to traverse great distances inside the roaring fuselages.

Above it all, Logan’s air traffic controllers stand in their glass lair, the crown jewel perched atop a pair of concrete pillars with a panoramic view of Boston and its vast surroundings. The bright Hub skyline glows from the west, and nautical Winthrop shines to the east. Below, white jet bridges dart around conjoined taxiways. The 285-foot-tall structure anchors a complex mechanism.

As massive chunks of steel roll across the game board, the controllers guide and sequence traffic, experienced improvisers.

The pavement is a giant jigsaw puzzle, and Logan’s air traffic controllers are its masters.

Confident voices shepherd the aircraft forward, as do succinct radio transmissions,

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BOS-TIN

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which instruct pilots about their routes and courses. The standard phraseology is heavy with jargon: “Hold short” means stop, while “squawk” is an aircraft’s transponder.

For visual cues, taxiways are labeled with letters, runways with numbers. Planes making their initial climbs are instructed to “contact departure.”

As the air traffic controllers manage the congestion, pilots stay tuned to variations in the cadences in their headsets. Every intonation registers, and it’s noticeable when a voice cracks. There is little time to question directives, so cockpit crews must immediately comply. Confusion for even a matter of seconds can mean the difference between life and death.

Nunzio DiMillo understands this importance innately. The 48-year-old Sagamore Beach resident has been an air traffic controller for nearly 30 years, half of which he’s spent at Logan. On this evening he stands near the tower’s slanted glass and gazes out over the airport, keeping in mind, as he always does, that while some aircraft types and airlines have evolved through the continued >

"Despite his experience, DiMillo doesn’t anticipate what’s coming. No one could. Beyond the lights of Boston Harbor, a singleengine four-seat Cirrus Sr22 approaches from the southwest, descending from the sky over Dorchester."

DiMILLO (LEFT) AND WOOD (RIGHT) IN FLIGHT TOGETHER AFTER THEIR CLOSE CALL

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years, Logan’s intersecting runways remain. DiMillo issues clearances and watches it all move. Multitasking is a key element of his job, and the stalwart controller takes pride in his ability to see all.

It’s a hectic night: Ninety-two aircraft take off or land within the hour. DiMillo speaks to the pilots flying all of them, pressing his left thumb against his headset’s “pushto-talk” button, which is clipped to the pocket of his jeans.

It’s just after 7pm, and he’s already five hours into his shift.

The radio transmissions are as constant and deliberate as his New England accent, which moves across the airwaves as planes pass through the matrix.

Despite his experience, DiMillo doesn’t anticipate what’s coming. No one could. Beyond the lights of Boston Harbor, a single-engine four-seat Cirrus Sr22 approaches from the southwest, descending from the sky over Dorchester. It’s the kind of civil utility toy that millionaires and hobby airmen fly on weekends, but the pilot is preparing to land at Logan with the big boys.

DiMillo scans the tarmac below, as JetBlue Airways Captain Thomas “T.R.” Wood readies his flight for departure. Wood’s trip to Buffalo is expected to be just over an hour long, and the 100-seat Embraer jet in his command is nearly full. Always focused on the customer, Wood, a New Hampshire resident, stands in the cabin and introduces himself over the PA. He gives passengers the flight time, explains the route, and updates all on the weather. “There are no anticipated delays out of Logan,” Wood assures them. He surveys the faces in front of him and lets his eyes linger on the first row. His girlfriend Alison, sitting in the 1A window seat, smiles back.

NEAR MISS

Being close to Boston has been Wood’s dream for some time. In past jobs, he’s flown Boeing 747 freighters around the world, often traveling for three weeks at a time. A former marine and part-time combative instructor for weapons and defense trainings, he’s enjoyed visiting cities like Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Still, for Wood, no place

ever compared to Bow, New Hampshire, and working for JetBlue after a career crossing oceans meant being able to return home almost every night.

Wood’s deep New England flying roots are never far from mind. He often thinks of his aviation family when he straps himself into the pilot seat. His father was a Boston-based Eastern Airlines captain. Before that, Wood’s grandfather flew in the Berlin Airlift at the onset of the Cold War, and after his military service became the chief pilot for the Gillette Company. In his own time, Wood often flies for fun in his family’s four-seat Piper Cherokee.

He treasures old pictures of himself with his head literally in the clouds.

The tires under Wood’s Embraer roll over the tarmac as the JetBlue flight is pushed back from the gate. The pilot monitors the start of the right engine as the jet bridge disappears into the dark horizon. No place like home—for Wood, Logan has a generational link, and Alison being aboard makes tonight’s flight that much more personal.

The Embraer isn’t yet under the control of DiMillo, who is busy issuing clearances on another taxiway, where aircraft higher up in the queue are trundling toward departure runways. His flight data strips—printouts and handwritten notes about flights—are stacked on a vertical board resembling a music stand. Wood’s outgoing flight is listed; so is the small inbound Cirrus, the latter given the radio call sign “Six Bravo Juliet.”

Due to the large and fast jet traffic, private propeller aircraft seldom fly into Logan. Imagine the difficulties of driving a moped on the interstate. So when the pilot manning Six Bravo Juliet establishes contact, DiMillo plans to guide the piston plane over Boston Harbor so that it can land on a runway pointing northward. The surface parallels a taxiway, but that shouldn’t confuse any pilot, private or commercial. Runway lights are white, and taxiways are always outlined in blue. They are separate surfaces.

Wood turns the Embraer onto his designated taxiway.

His left hand holds the steering tiller by his knee. His right is rested atop the bulky thrust levers protruding from the center console. The complicated cockpit instruments

hardly resemble the gauges Wood’s father turned, yet Logan’s taxiways seem impervious to time. Some say the ghosts of Eastern Airlines jets, which his dad once proudly steered through these same skies, pass over this asphalt.

Wood and his co-pilot conduct their flight control checks as they punch forward. They switch radio frequencies and monitor the new controller’s transmissions. DiMillo’s steady voice fills their headsets.

Wood is comforted knowing that a pro is moving traffic, and that his life is in knowledgeable hands.

DiMillo weaves in and out of dialogue while peering down at the traffic below. The Embraer’s anti-collision beacon flashes through the darkness, its red pulses clashing with the taxiway’s blue edges. In the distance, the Cirrus’s lights glimmer as the propeller zeroes in on Logan.

Its pilot radios DiMillo, who clears him to land on an open leftside runway. DiMillo turns to watch the aircraft make its final course corrections. It’s within a mile of the airport, scheduled to touch down in less than a minute.

DiMillo’s 15 years in the tower have taught him to calculate precise expectations about traffic flow. Several hundred times a day, landing aircraft follow identical approach paths, and cross the same geographic points within his line of sight. Every puzzle piece has its place.

When one thing is amiss by even a fraction of a detail, DiMillo instinctively knows.

During an unexpected lull in radio chatter, DiMillo scrutinizes the Cirrus’s position. His gut tightens as the aircraft dips lower. DiMillo has watched thousands of planes land on this same runway over the years, and something is definitely awry. He quickly glances at the radar to cross-check his suspicion, and the electronic display confirms his fear: The aircraft is skimming above the ground.

DiMillo squeezes his push-to-talk button with his thumb. Decades of experience welled within him, he only has seconds to act. The Cirrus inadvertently lined up with the taxiway where Wood is readying for takeoff.

The air traffic controller takes a deep breath, then begins to speak: “Six Bravo Juliet, go around; Six Bravo Juliet, go

The whole time, DiMillo watched the Cirrus slowly gain altitude. “You were lined up for a taxiway, Six Bravo Juliet,” he transmitted. “Fly runway heading and … climb and maintain … 2,000 [feet].”

Bradley Sunshine lives in Chicago, where he is based as a corporate pilot for a Fortune 100 company.

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Flight numbers and call signs blend together, but the wayward Cirrus is hard to forget. DiMillo holds no ill will toward its pilot or smaller general aviation aircraft, and believes safety is contingent upon airmen and controllers learning from errors. An airman’s caliber and experience does not necessarily coincide with aircraft size. Still, DiMillo felt mixed emotions the next time the same Cirrus returned to Logan. He held the flight’s data strip tightly as the pilot called over the radio, only to notice that the voice sounded different. Another person seemed to be flying the plane.

DiMillo pressed his push-to-talk button and spoke in a clear and concise tenor. When the Cirrus pilot acknowledged the instructions, DiMillo shuttled the flight data strip aside. There were numerous pilots on the frequency, and he was busy. The Cirrus was of no particular concern.

As for Captain Wood … he became an instructor on the Embraer, training new-hire JetBlue pilots. Teaching Logan’s operational nuances is a big part of the job, and also one that’s in his blood: His father passed similar knowledge on to young Eastern Airlines pilots in his day. Wood occasionally hears DiMillo’s voice when he finishes a trip, and takes comfort knowing that his friend is working in the sky over Logan.

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Wood’s JetBlue flight was just one of many stacked along DiMillo’s board, but no pilot dared to interrupt the exchange. The evening push halted as the Cirrus, small as it is, became the most important aircraft at Logan. While the pilots remained pursed, only one voice broke the radio silence, as another controller yelled “Holy Cow!” in the background while DiMillo gave commands. Otherwise, as tape recordings show, DiMillo acted calm and professionally, his voice never faltering during those crucial moments.

DiMillo knew the pilot of the small plane had to be rattled.

Nearly impaling an airliner was one worry; almost landing on a taxiway was another. Pilots can have their licenses revoked for such infractions. The pilot’s mind was likely whirring with the daunting possibilities. Nevertheless, on his side DiMillo spoke evenly, knowing the shaken pilot was more apt to trust a confident controller. Plus they had a shared objective: Land the aircraft safely on the ground.

The Cirrus made its second approach under DiMillo’s gaze. Aligning with the correct surface, the pilot followed blazing runway lights. After the Cirrus landed, DiMillo handed the immediate control off to a coworker, and looked over at one of his supervisors standing near one of the tower’s numerous telephones. They had to talk to the pilot, who had been instructed to call after pulling into the general aviation apron.

Within the hour DiMillo purged his mind of the aircraft. It was on the ground and no longer his responsibility. He refocused on the other traffic, and began issuing clearances in his trademark cadence. He peered down at the JetBlue Embraer, still slightly askew on the taxiway, still full of passengers en route to Buffalo. DiMillo then instructed Wood to cross the runway and continue his departure. Just another day in the tower.

Months later, DiMillo was recognized for his exemplary conduct when the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) awarded him the Archie League Medal of Safety. This distinction, named for the first air traffic controller, is bestowed upon members of the trade who demonstrate paramount skill and judgment—qualities that save lives. DiMillo was honored with the President’s Award for the most laudable flight assist of 2013.

T.R. Wood attended the awards banquet in Las Vegas, where the captain captivated the audience with his experiences from that night. DiMillo’s actions and poise unquestionably averted disaster; the Cirrus passed within 30 feet of the Embraer. Even if Wood had managed to exit the taxiway, the Cirrus would have likely pierced the fuselage behind the cockpit—exactly where his girlfriend Allison was sitting. “I cannot thank Nunzio enough for what he did,” Wood said. “[Nunzio] would just say that he was doing his job, and for that, I owe him everything … It’s an honor … to present this award to not just my hero, but to my future lifelong friend.”

These days, DiMillo still works in Logan’s control tower, peering through the slanted glass and watching aircraft align in his planned sequence. The puzzle pieces are organized, just the way he likes them, with precise coordination among the outstretched taxiways and runways that he knows so well.

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around.” Wood presses his toes against the brake pedals as DiMillo’s call echoes through the flight deck. “Six Bravo Juliet go around, please. Go around!”

The Embraer lurches to a stop. A pilot’s being told to abort a landing, which means there’s wayward aircraft somewhere near the airport. Wood searches through the front windows for any unwelcome traffic, and sees a bright light directly ahead. The beam intensifies, and Wood’s cockpit, otherwise dark save for the flickering control panels, becomes bathed in a blinding heavenly white. Wood stares into the aura and realizes he needn’t look any further. The errant aircraft, the rogue piece in Logan’s puzzle, is screaming directly at him.

DiMillo’s heart pounds. He’s seen aircraft crash and explode before, lives instantly lost amidst deafening fireballs. The microseconds pass as he begs the Cirrus to climb. Meanwhile, the Embraer remains frozen in the landing light, as jet aircraft can’t easily swerve. Taxiways are narrow, and turbine engines require several seconds to spool up to “breakaway” thrust. Chances are the Cirrus will impact long before Wood can reposition. Nonetheless, it’s incumbent upon him to try. His girlfriend and other passengers are his responsibility.

Wood shoves his right hand forward and slams the thrust levers against their stops. The steering tiller cocks hard-right, as grass off to the side of the taxiway is the only possible salvation. The engine needles slowly tick upward as the turbofans awaken from their idle slumber and rev toward maximum power. The fuselage shudders, the Embraer begrudgingly turning. Wood implores the Cirrus pilot with his own silent plea: Pull Up! Pull Up! Pull Up! Finally, the Cirrus pilot responds, “Six Bravo Juliet is going around.” There’s a glimmer of hope that the taxiway will not become ablaze in fuel and fire, a chance the Cirrus will climb above the JetBlue craft rather than sear Logan with carnage. It’s going to be close.

As Wood forces his thrust levers forward, the Cirrus begins slowing in his mind. The light brightens. Studying combatives has facilitated in Wood a deep understanding of traumatic situations, and of the “auditory exclusion” principle, which explains why police officers often cannot hear their firearms discharging, and why automobile crash victims hear no impact. Facing death is frighteningly silent, especially as the Cirrus engine pierces the Embraer’s cockpit, rendering Wood’s noise-cancelling headsets useless. His eardrums throb.

Then, like a cool breeze, the painful buzz fades, and the light vanishes overhead. There’s no sudden jolt, as Wood had feared, expected. He retards the thrust levers, and the engines return to their idle rumble. The taxiway before him is dark and confusingly silent. Wood stares into the void.

His fingers remain locked around the flight control grips.

13

DEPARTMENT COMMERCE of

>> REPORTS ARE SWIRLING THAT DIFFICULT LEASE NEGOTIATIONS MAY SPELL DOOM FOR THE HARVEST CO-OP IN JP. >> THE CREATIVELY NAMED MASS AVE TAVERN, ON MASS AVE, HAS CLOSED DUE TO FORTHCOMING BUILDING RENOVATIONS.

2015 TIPS WITH

ANDREW W.K.

THE REAL DEAL

BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF

BY SCOTT MURRY Andrew W.K has become a modern-day wellness guru, providing people with advice on a weekly basis through the Village Voice and motivational speaking engagements.

We asked him about his resolutions for 2015, and his thoughts on wellness.

2015 resolutions. Go. Just be nicer and better in every possible way.

How can you achieve that?

Keep partying.

Word association: Change.

Maybe if you had a bathroom accident, you might change your clothes, or underwear at least.

Love.

It is its only association! Or maybe partying, I guess.

GOLDEN ERA

Vegetables.

Digestion, again.

DIGBOSTON.C0M

01 07 15 – 01 14 15

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Challenge.

More digestion problems.

It depends on if you haven’t been drinking a lot of water, or fiber and vegetables. That really helps reduce the challenge of using the restroom.

Of course too much fiber goes back to the theme of running and change after that happens.

CHECK OUT THE FULL INTERVIEW ONLINE AT DIGBOSTON.COM

FOR THOSE WITH A SENSE OF NOSTALGIA,

or who just want to expose their follicles to the grandeur of the bygone barbering days as part of some “new year, better-feeling you”type resolutions, Everything is Real barbershop in Roxbury’s Dudley Square is at your disposal. And for owner Allah Mathematics Allah, feeling good ultimately starts with looking good.

“A good haircut [will] change your overall mood,” say Allah. “You could have no money in your pocket and have a good haircut and feel good, versus a three-piece suit and not have a haircut and something just ain’t right about it, you know?”

After studying at the oldest barber school in the state, the Mass School of Barbering in Quincy, Allah mentored at Uncle Bill’s Unlimited Ubu in Mattapan Square, and later under the wing one of the famed Lawson brothers whose teachings, Allah says “really gave me the gist of things, like how to communicate [and] make people

>> EVERYTHING IS REAL. 182 DUDLEY ST., ROXBURY. 617-524-2887.

IS ALIVE AND WELL IN ROXBURY

feel good after you cut their hair … it’s another level of barbering.”

The shop has been a labor of love since opening in 2007, bringing a mix of approachable charm, old-school-meets-hip-hop vibe, classic arcade games, community events, and antique furniture, like the 210-pound vintage barber chairs from the 1920s. But in the end, it’s Allah’s skills and sense of camaraderie that bring people back.

“A man never forgets his first barbershop,” he says. “The smells, the sounds, the imagery. That’s what I do … create strong, positive images for the youth to use in the future. Maybe giving a young man a dictionary, or a backpack, or just a free haircut. Or solace. If you’re going through a lot and want to just sit down and vent, [this] is where you can do that.”

ANDREW W.K. PHOTO BY PARIS VISONE. EVERYHING IS REAL PHOTOS BY DAN MCCARTHY

BARBERSHOP LIFE

Running.

Digestion.

15

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

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D E PA R T M E N T O F COMMERCE

NEWS + FEATURES

NEXT OF ‘KEN

The badass Belgian waffle house Zinneken’s goes mobile

BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF

Month-Long (all of January)

Tap Take-Over The World’s Oldest Brewery, Est. 1040 AD

Tradition & Craft Produced Premium Bier

- Vitus Weizenbock

- Korbinian Doppelbock

- Hefeweissbier

- Kristall Weissbier”

- Hefeweissbier Dunkel

- Original Premium Lager

Tastings will be held: Thursday 1/8 7:00-9:00 PM Thursday 1/22 7:00-9:00 PM 518 Medford St, Somerville, MA 02145

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER DEALS $15 TICKETS @ NEW ENGLAND CANNABIS CONVENTION HOPPY FIRKIN XMAS WITH HARPOON @ STODDARDS HOLIDAY SALE @ MASSART TICKET GIVEAWAY FOR NECESSARY MONSTERS @ SPEAKEASY STAGE

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NOW

Mon through Wed 11:30 - 10:30 Thurs 11:30 - 11:30 | Fri & Sat 11:30 to 12

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dumplingroom.com 907 Main St, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (617) 491-6616

digboston.com/daily

DAILYdig

Things were mighty quiet on Cambridge's authentic Belgian waffle front for years. Right up until about September of 2011.

That’s when Harvard alumn Nhon Ma recalled his past spent among the wafting aromas and battered goodness of an acclaimed Belgian restaurant, peered around the Cantabridgian landscape with a steely eye, and understood that opening an authentic waffle house of his very own right in the heart of Harvard would be something that would bring sweetness and light to the denizens of our fair city. After that, all was well.

That is, right up until this past summer, when he and his partner, friend, and fellow Belgian Anh-Phi Tran began making inroads towards one-upping their already looming status as reigning gods of the waffle game in town. How? By taking their love of homeland-style soft and chewy waffles to the street by way of the Zinneken’s mobile food truck, which at long last is eyeballing this Thursday or Friday as the day they will officially hit the road and bring all the deliciousness to the people. So far they have locations locked near the Prudential, Copley Plaza, Northeastern, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

And according to Tran, it’s only the beginning.

“We definitely want to do festivals,” he says.

“SOWA market is a project [we want], but we’ll see how it goes. We want to do what we have now [and] into March, and see how we’re doing and how we’ll expand into festivals.”

Once the truck gets rolling this week, you can look forward to much of the same goodies you’d find in the brick-and-mortar store (think: soft and chewy Leige waffles made using caramelized Belgian pearl sugar, all of which can/will be drenched in bananas, nutella, Belgian chocolate, and strawberries, or even oreos), and soon after, the dynamite Brussels waffle made with “a delicate batter” will be added to the truck menu.

Or say you’re just in the mood for a light sugary snack and a café au lait to tide you over till dinner (yes, waffles can be for dinner). Tran says the truck will be serving a cookie that’s very popular in Belgium, called speculoos.

“It’s a light cookie with no peanuts, so people with allergies can have it,” he says.

But those of you allergic to light cookies may be out of luck.

And clearly born under a bad sign.

>> ZINNEKEN’S TRUCK. SLATED TO HIT THE STREETS FULL TIME THIS THURSDAY. CHECK ZINNETRUCK.COM FOR UPDATES/SCHEDULE.

BREAKFAST

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EAT+DRINK

NOW OPEN FOR

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Grocery stores.

They’re typically known for one thing. Namely: Groceries.

Well, be advised that if you find yourself frequenting the Somerville Stop & Shop located at 779 McGrath Highway, you can still get food. But different kinds of food. In fact, it could be called “restaurant-y” food.

Because that’s what it is.

Little restaurants inside the store itself. Call it grocerystore food you don’t have to cook.

Or, food from a small food court-ish area, housing the wares of Faneuil Hall restaurants, including bakery goods from Carol Ann’s Bake Shop and chowder from Fisherman’s Net. There’s even Mexican food via Salsa’s of Southie and Hingham fame, as well as the inimitable sausage, pepper, and onion noshables from everyone’s favorite Fenway Park-area staple and one-man-brand-untohimself, The Sausage Guy. This concludes our news about eating restaurant food in a grocery store. Use said information in any way you see fit.

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STOP & SHOP, NOW WITH MORE FOOD. LET US EXPLAIN …

BY DIG STAFF

17

LOW-CAL BEERS THAT DON’T SUCK Five local brews for low-regret imbibing in the New Year KAREN CINPINSKI @CATSINPJS

REAL FOOD every night TILL ' CLOSE 9 2 h a m p s hir e s t, ca m b r id g e , m a | 6 1 7-2 5 0 - 8 4 5 4 | l o r d h o b o.c o m

It’s the New Year, which means resolutions abound, making it tough to enjoy a night out and a few craft brews without that little asshole on your shoulder giving you the stink eye. For you: these five local beers. They’re your best (and best-tasting) options for low-cal, low-regret imbibing, all big on flavor but relatively low on calories, booze, and judgment.

JACK’S ABBY JABBY BRAU ESTIMATED CALORIES: 135 ABV: 4.5% This is probably how most beers tasted 100 years ago: a delicious, nofuss golden lager with crisp flavors of hops and malt. Nothing over the top, but certainly not lacking in taste. And at 4.5 percent alcohol-byvolume, this beer won’t make you overdo it in the calorie department.

(A brew’s calories generally come from its alcohol content.)

NOTCH LEFT OF THE DIAL IPA ESTIMATED CALORIES: 140 ABV: 4.3% You won’t find many India Pale Ales that qualify as “low-cal.” But at just 4.3 percent ABV, this option from the first-ever session-focused brewery, Notch Brewing in Mass, is a guilt-free swill that packs lots of hops flavor and soft bitterness, alongside lighter citrus notes and an aroma of pine and resin.

PEAK ORGANIC WINTER SESSION ALE ESTIMATED CALORIES: 150 ABV: 5% This seasonal wheat beer brewed by Maine’s Peak Organic Brewing uses dark malt to provide subtle toasty notes, plus the hoppy kick reminds you that you’re drinking a real beer, not some watered-down imposter. At 5 percent ABV—but only 150 calories per bottle—it’s refreshing and flavor-jammed, but without the pangs of conscience.

RAPSCALLION HONEY ALE ESTIMATED CALORIES: 135 ABV: 4.5% The flagship brew of Mass-based Rapscallion is a pale ale infused with native wildflower honey from area farmers, which balances the hop bite with a kiss of sweetness. It’s crisp, clean, refreshing, and at a 4.5 percent ABV, it’s a sessionable brew that will keep you in check. At least until you say, “The hell with it!”

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OTTER CREEK HOP SESSION ALE ESTIMATED CALORIES: 126 ABV: 4.2% If you want something lighter, but still with a good hops kick, grab this. This easy sipper, crafted by Vermont’s Otter Creek Brewing, lies somewhere between a pale ale and an IPA, with a delightful punch of hops and aroma paired with a rich blend of malt. This is your reward for (kind of) sticking with your New Year’s resolution of health and wellness, by way of beer in this case.

WEDNESDAYSʼ JAN 7TH – 28TH 5-11PM BISCUITS & GRAVY

bacon cheddar cheese biscuits / maple cured bacon / country gravy

FIG- ALICIOUS

figs wrapped in smoked bacon stuffed with goat cheese drizzled with balsamic

ARANCINI

risotto stuffed with pancetta fontina cheese amatriciana sauce

BACON RANGOON

black pepper bacon / charred jalapenos / cream cheese / plum sauce

LACQUERED CRISPY PORK BELLY Recall, if you will, the former nightclub known as Liquor Store. Yes, the one with the mechanical bull and a lifetime’s worth of bad decision making.

Good. Now, forget that entirely.

Because the nightclub-meets-performance-theater that’s moved in with five stages and four bars, STAGE American Vaudeville Nightclub, is a new animal altogether. And, well, it’s something to behold.

The space itself is broken up into different themed sections. Enter through the Library Room, flanked with speakeasy-style décor and a small front stage, leading into the main rooms by way of a faux library shelf door, which opens into to the sprawling space composed of the Lyra Lounge, a dance floor, and by the main stage, black leather VIP booths where you can sip on the venue’s twists on classic drinks from the 1920s-1940s. Think: sparkling wine-topped Bathtub Gin “75” ($14), Bootlegger’s Mint Juleps ($15), and a vodka- and citrus-fueled Stage Pink Lady ($14).

Amidst all the tippling, you’ll pretty much have something to look at at all times. Be it an acrobatic dance in the lyra hoop hanging from the ceiling above the golden stretch booth (where performers wear everything from burlesque outfits to gorilla suits and unicorn masks), roving troupes of b-boy dancers, and even, shall we say, a “little” menagerie of Katy Perry/Nikki Minaj/Britney Spears impersonators twerking and lip-synching. Also: hula hoop dancers, Rod Stewart impersonators, and a master illusionist walking around performing random acts of magic on the crowd (and he’s quite good). Many of the performers hail from Emerson’s performing arts program, located around the corner.

When asked where the limits are for the performances, or if they will be including things like LGBT nights and drag performers, co-owner Russ deMarino quips with a smile: “If you can imagine it, you’ll see it here.”

So far, there’s nothing to suggest otherwise. >> STAGE AMERICAN VAUDEVILLE NIGHTCLUB. SOFT OPEN NOW. 19 BOYLSTON PL., BOSTON. 617-982-3000. STAGENIGHTCLUB.COM

Pre-sale price: $15

Regular Admission price: $25

Szechuan spices / hoisin glaze / Asian slaw

BACON POUTINE

Tatar tot / cheese curds / bacon onion gravy / topped with soft egg

BEEF BACON BLUE

Save 40% by buying NOW!

beef filets stuffed with blue cheese wrapped in bacon / pepper port reduction

BACON BOMB MAC & CHEESE

jalapeño bacon / slab bacon / chicharrones / smoked bacon / pancetta

BREAD PUDDING

warm maple bacon / dried fruit / salted caramel / bourbon ice cream

SMOKED MAPLE BACON OLDE FASHION muddled oranges / fresh cranberries

AECHT SCHLENKERLA RAUCHBIER ON DRAUGHT lightly smoked lager

Get your discounted tickets at:

cannaticket.com

Jan 31st & Feb 1st

@MAGOUNSSALOON OLDEMAGOUNSSALOON

At the Historic Castle at Park Plaza in the Heart of downtown Boston

518 Medford St Somerville

magounssaloon.com|617 - 7 76 - 2 6 0 0

NEWS + FEATURES

CANNABIS INDUSTRY CONVENTION!

BACON PALOOZA VI

D E PA R T M E N T O F COMMERCE

BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF

ON BOSTON’S ONLY

DIG THIS

Libations and acrobats in the old Liquor Store

DON’T MISS OUT

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

ON STAGE

OLDE MAGOUNʼS SALOON PRESENTS:

19

Wednesday January 7th

ERIN HARPE & THE DELTA SWINGERS MEMPHIS FUNDRAISER Blues

Thursday January 8th

CENTRAL SQ. CAMBRIDGE, MA mideastclub.com | zuzubar.com (617) 864-EAST | ticketweb.com

CLAVE & BLUES Latin Jazz

Friday January 9th 7:30PM

JOHNNY A Rock Guitarist

-DOWNSTAIRS-

Friday January 9th 10PM

SAT 1/10

EMPEROR NORTON’S STATIONARY MARCHING BAND

DJ STORM + DJ MOBETTER FRI 1/16

CRACKER / CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN SAT 1/17

plus AMORA OBCUR Brass Band

Saturday January 10th 7PM

MUSCLE SHOALS REVUE

with AMY BLACK & SARAH BORGES Saturday January 10th 10PM

DUPPY CONQUERORS Bob Marley Tribute

UPCOMING

WITH MUSIC BY DIAMOND D. ON 1&2S SUN 1/18 MR. CARMACK, DJEMBA DJEMBA GREAT DANE, PENTHOUSE PENTHOUSE

1/16 BIM SKALA BIM Ska 1/17 JUNIOR BROWN Steel Guitar 1/21 MIPSO Bluegrass 17 Holland St., Davis Sq. Somerville (617) 776-2004 Directly on T Red Line at Davis

- UPSTAIRS WED 1/7

BLOOD KNIFE DCDR

THUR 1/8

FIGHTING FRIDAY UNDERSTEA, GLACIER

THU 1.8

FRI 1/9

AFTER PARTY SUN 1/11 ESH & ARC, BOOGIE BOY METAL MOUTH

MON 1/12

THE VARLETS DIGBOSTON.C0M

01 07 15 – 01 14 15

20

TUES 1/13 SUN 1/18

Friday January 23rd 10PM We Dig Free Fridays presents

WHISKEY KILL PLUS THE RED PENNYS Rockabilly

Friday January 31st 10PM

SIOBHAN MAGNUS of American Idol Rock

Rockabilly

/mideastclub /zuzubar @mideastclub @zuzubar

17 Holland St., Davis Sq. Somerville (617) 776-2004 Directly on T Red Line at Davis

FRI 1.9

Ruby Rose Fox

African Music Night

Arcana

last call

back by popular demand

in the cards

Even if you’ve made it to every one of Ruby Rose Fox’s performances during her residency at Atwood’s Tavern, you should make it to this one. Because it’s the last, and a finale is always memorable. Unless it’s for a television show that’s jumped the shark, then it’s just a breath of fresh air. But we’ve digressed. Go. Because she rocks.

Unless you are grooving to the vibrant vocal stylings of Ruby Rose Fox, you should be at the Lilypad for the first night of their revived African Music Night series presented

by Kina Zoré. Over the next two months, Zoré will share the stage with different bands representing music from all over the African continent, including SambaLolo from Mali, Atlas Soul from North Africa, and the Paa Seck Diery Band from Senegal.

We got our tarot cards read once and the woman dealing the deck said she saw that we enjoyed a good meatball sub. But she probably read that in the marinara sauce on our shirt, not the cards. Speaking of tarot, UFORGE Gallery has honed in on the real charm of the tradition— the artistry—and invited folks to contribute their own decks to a group exhibition opening this Friday, which features more than a dozen designs ranging from the wickedly weird to the traditional.

Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 10pm/all ages/$10. lilypadinman.com

UFORGE Gallery, 767 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. Opening reception 6:30-9pm/all ages/FREE. uforgegallery.com

Tuesdays in January 5:30PM Free Barside Duo

JESSE & MARIAM

THU 1.8

Atwood’s Tavern, 877 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 10pm/21+/$7. rubyrosefox.com

NEWS + FEATURES D E PA R T M E N T O F COMMERCE

512 Mass. Ave. Central Sq. Cambridge, MA 617-576-6260 phoenixlandingbar.com

IN 2015, REMEMBER TO PARTY HARD ... WITH VEGETABLES.

FRI 1.9

SAT 1.10

MON 1.12

PHOTO BY PARIS VISONE. SUBMIT YOUR DIG THIS ARTWORK TO SCOTT@DIGPUBLISHING.COM

THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT IN CAMBRIDGE 7 DAYS A WEEK!

TUESDAYS

SUNDAYS

THIRSTY TUESDAYS

KNOCKIN’ BOOTS

Live Resident Band The Night Foxes, Playing everything Old, New & Everything Inbetween 21+, NO COVER, 10PM - 1AM

Serving $2 Gansett’s

The only Country night in Cambridge every Sunday with Live acoustic sets followed by live DJ Spinning country’s top hits until 1AM 21+, NO COVER, 7:30PM - 1AM

MONDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

MAKKA MONDAY

GEEKS WHO DRINK ELEMENTS

14+yrs every Monday night, Bringing Roots, Reggae & Dancehall Tunes 21+, 10PM - 1AM

THURSDAYS

Free Trivia Pub Quiz from 7:30PM - 9:30PM

RE:SET WEDNESDAYS

Weekly Dance Party, House, Disco, Techno, Local & International DJ’s

15+ Years of Resident Drum & Bass Bringing some of the worlds biggest DnB DJ’s to Cambridge

19+, 10PM - 2AM

19+, 10PM - 1AM

Otto Piene + Electronic Art

Winter Seasonal Folk Festival

Sex Positive Boston

FRIDAYS

SATURDAYS

kinetic craftsman

local brews and tunes

safe sexy spaces

PRETTY YOUNG THING

BOOM BOOM ROOM

Kicking off their 2015 season, Boston Cyberarts Gallery celebrates the late Otto Piene and his role as a founding figure at the intersection of art and technology in New England. If you are familiar with Piene’s pioneering role in the field, well than we don’t really need to say much more. And if you don’t know him, well, then you’re in for a treat, as the exhibit traces his monumental multi-decade career.

There are few things better than the Newport Folk Festival. Three warm days of cold beer, warm sun, and foot stomping, all set against the tranquil backdrop of blue skies and bluer ocean. But dammit, it’s not summer and we have no intention of standing around and counting down the days like a bunch of high school Deadheads longing for Bonnaroo. Instead, we’re going to get warm stomping our feet and sipping beer in the Somerville oasis that is Aeronaut Brewing Company.

Are you kinky, curious, creative, or all of the above? Are you looking to step out from behind your OKCupid “open-to-experimenting” profile and meet likeminded people in real time in a safe, open-minded space?

Do you believe in living in a world free of slut and prude shaming, where yes means yes and no means no? Believe it or not, there are other people in this puritanical town we call home who agree. And they want to meet you.

21+, 10PM - 2AM

21+, 10PM - 2AM

Boston Cyberarts, 141 Green St., Jamaica Plain. Opening reception 6-8pm/all ages/FREE. bostoncyberarts.org

Aeronaut Brewery, 14 Tyler St., Somerville. 2pm-11:45pm/21+/ FREE. aeronautbrewing.com

The Democracy Center, 45 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge. 7:30pm/all ages/donations accepted. For more information, visit pleasurepie.org

80’s Old School & Top 40 Dance hits

80’s, 90’s, 00’s One Hit Wonders

CHECK OUT ALL PHOENIX LANDING NIGHTLY EVENTS AT:

WWW.PHOENIXLANDINGBAR.COM

1/2 PRICED APPS DAILY 5 - 7PM WATCH EVERY SOCCER GAME! LIVE OPENING 7:30am

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Saturdays & Sundays Every Game shown live in HD on 12 Massive TV’s. We Show All European Soccer including Champions League, Europa League, German, French, Italian & Spanish Leagues.

NFL SUNDAY SPECIAL $4 Drafts, Wing Specials, Happy Hour Priced menu!

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

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Boston’s Best Irish Pub

21

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

>> MARK YOUR CALENDARS: THE 2015 ROCK ‘N’ ROLL RUMBLE WILL TAKE OVER T.T. THE BEAR’S FROM SUN 4.12 TO FRI 5.1. >> HEAD TO THE CAPITOL THEATRE FRIDAY TO SEE A SEQUEL TO ‘BATMAN & ROBIN’ MADE BY SOMERVILLE MUSICIANS.

PULP FRICTION

Finally. The moment we’ve all been waiting for: a Quentin Tarantino inspired burlesque show is coming to the Oberon on SUN 1.11 + FRI 1.23.

Complete with a twist contest and a stripping cheeseburger—and, we are assuming, ball gags, gimp masks, and pot bellies—Pulp Friction features a dozen of Boston’s best scantily-clad dancers, writhing and grinding to the tunes of Tarantino’s most-loved film. And in addition to the “Royale With Tease” numbers, there will be acts set to the quintessential songs from Reservoir Dogs, Inglourious Basterds, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, and Natural Born Killers. Go for the stripping cheeseburger, stay for the crème.

BREAK THE CHAINS

BY SUSANNA JACKSON @SUEDOESNTTWEET

PASTIE POPPIN’

22

THOUGH UNITED BY AN ACRONYM, the Boston

LGBTQ community can find itself segregated. Evan Greer, a singer/ songwriter and community organizer, has taken a step to unify with Break the Chains, a semi-monthly radically inclusive dance party featuring nationally touring queer and transgender performers.

“The name ‘Break the Chains’ is about reclaiming queer spaces as political spaces,” says Greer, who organizes the events with local singer/songwriter and activist Myriam Ortiz and activist and former political prisoner Kazi Toure. “This dance party is about breaking down the systems that oppress and divide us and having a ton of fun while doing it … This is not a gay dance party or a lesbian night.

GET DOWN AT BOSTON’S SEMI-MONTHLY ALL GENDER, ALL GENRE

DANCE PARTY

It’s an event for people of all genders and sexualities to come together around awesome music, social justice, and community.”

The dance night kicked off in a Jamaica Plain residence back in September, and has since extended to the beloved multipurpose cooperative workspace Make Shift Boston.

January’s installment features the funky Afro-Latin, reggae, and rock fusion sounds of Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde, with support from youth singer/songwriter Qusharia Perry and Puerto Rican singer/

BREAK THE CHAINS continued on pg. 24

PHOTO BY LIZ LAJEUNESSE

DIGBOSTON.C0M

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Burlesque in Boston is all about the three Bs: blood, boobs, and booze.

That much is evidenced by the aforementioned Pulp Friction, but also

by Punk Rockin’ and Pastie Poppin’, the Hub’s first monthly badass burlesque-show-slashpunk-rock-dance-party at JP’s Midway Cafe.

Established by Dinah Deville back in 2013, the always sexy shindig turns two this year on MON 1.12—and something tells us the fierce femmes have something special up their sleeves, or, er, fishnets, to celebrate.

23

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

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D E PA R T M E N T O F COMMERCE

NEWS + FEATURES

BREAK THE CHAINS continued from pg. 22

MUSIC EVENTS WED 1.7

DREAMY SURF POP LAZYEYES + BLACK BEACH + GYMSHORTS

[Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave., Allston. 9pm/18+/ $9. greatscottboston.com]

SYNTHPOP + FUZZ FUTURE ISLANDS + OPERATORS + WING DAM

[Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston. 8pm/all ages/$18+. boweryboston.com]

THU 1.8

CO-FOUNDER OF BASSIC BOSTON MAKE IT NEW WITH DAMIAN SILVA

[Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass Ave., Cambridge. 9pm/21+/ FREE. middlesexlounge.us] ATTENTION EVERYONE! WHOEVER TRIED FLUSHING THE CAT NEEDS TO LEAVE!

Wed 1.7 Fine Line Comedy Presents!

9PM

Thurs 1.8 If You Can Feel It, You Can Speak It 9PM

Fri 1.9 Gunpowder Gelatine (Queen Tribute)

w/ Bikini Whale (B-52’s Tribute)

9PM

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Sat 1.10 Uhuru Afrika 9:30PM

For more info on our shows visit

MilkyWayJP.com/Events

At the Brewery Complex next to Sam Adams Near the Stony Brook stop on the Orange Line 284 Amory St, Jamaica Plain, MA 617-524-6060 • milkywayjp.com

activist Marta Rodgruez, as well as the house band of Greer and her co-organizers Ortiz and Toure. The February 21 party, also at Make Shift, will feature Jewish rockers The Shondes, and in March, Break The Chains invites Defiance, Ohio, Hi Dive, and Purple 7m to the Spontaneous Celebrations stage.

“I wanted to create something more cohesive,” says Greer of her mission, “where people will know that almost every month there’s an awesome performer coming to their town, and they are willing to throw down to help make it happen. I also wanted to create a space where I could pair up-and-coming local performers with well-known touring acts to just generally support the development of queer and marginalized musicians who are taking their craft seriously and getting out there in the world.”

Not only bridging a systematic gap—as well as ensuring frequent and fairly paid gigs for emerging and established touring LGBTQ musicians—Break the Chains is an anti-racist, intergenerational space as well. “As a queer parent in the Boston area,” Greer says, “I can attest to a need for more events like this. I don’t want to be apart from the rest of the queer community and only attend LGBTQ ‘parenting’ events. I want to go to kickin’ dance parties, and sometimes even bring my kid. We’ve always had at least a few toddlers running around during the first few hours at the last few events and it’s been awesome.”

She continues: “I think if you asked most people what their favorite dance party they’d ever been to was, most would tell you it was a party at a friend’s house, not some 21+ club. Break the Chains is about bringing that magical feeling of a radical queer house party into spaces that are accessible for more people and where different segments of LGBTQ and activist communities can come together and party down.”

>> BREAK THE CHAINS FEATURING TAINA ASILI Y LA BANDA REBELDE. MAKE SHIFT BOSTON, 549 COLUMBUS AVE., BOSTON. SAT 1.10. 6PM – 10PM/ALL AGES/$10 - 20 SUGGESTED DONATION, $5 FOR YOUTH / LOW INCOME. FOR FULL EVENT DETAILS, VISIT THE EVENT FACEBOOK PAGE.

FRI 1.9

THAT GIRL WHO COVERED NIRVANA KAWEHI + ZOYA [Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave., Allston. 6pm/all ages/$12. crossroadspresents.com]

LOCAL PULP PUNK + FRIENDS

DAVE CRESPO’S AFTER PARTY + TWIN BERLIN + AWAIT RESCUE + THE FATAL FLAW + GREAT LAKES USA

[Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave., Cambridge.

8pm/18+/$10. mideastclub. com] SAT 1.10

FOLK LOVERS FOLK THE DEVIL MAKES THREE + JOE PUG

[House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston.

7pm/all ages/$22.50+. houseofblues.com]

NEWS + FEATURES

JOHN FLUEVOG SHOES DIG Boston AD: The Sarcastic Sale TRIM SIZE: 9.6 in W x 10 in H,

S SHOE AS W O AS L

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(BECAUSE YOU TOTALLY GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANTED OVER THE HOLIDAYS) ( YO U R S P O U S E TH I N KS TH I S I S A G R E AT I D E A BT W )

UP T

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J O H N F LU E VO G S H O E S N E W B U R Y S T · · F L U E V O G C O M

OFF

THE MOUSE THAT ROARED

Closing out one year, ringing in a new one with Cask Mouse

BY MARTÍN CABALLERO @_EL_CABALLERO

MUSIC EVENTS SUN 1.11

ELECTRONIC GREEN LANGUAGE RUSTIE

[The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge. 8pm/18+/$12. sinclaircambridge.com]

MIX TAPE OF INDIE HIP-HOP

CAGE + CESCHI + ESH & ARC + BOOGIE BOY METAL MOUTH + JUSTIN CLANCY [Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave., Cambridge.

8pm/18+/$10. mideastclub. com]

MON 1.12

GUYS, I SAY NEXT YEAR WE LOOK FOR A TWO-BATHROOM APARTMENT

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I can’t admit to having a strong memory as to which years have or have not been particularly good for New England-bred bands with a touch of whiskeysoaked folk and blues about them (some people call this “Americana,” and in my case it’s under silent protest), but I’ll roll the dice here and say 2014 felt like a solid effort. One way or another, these musicians often found themselves in the middle of something good—either a coveted opening slot at Boston Calling (Tigerman WOAH!) in September, or warm reviews for a new album (now-Nashville based Joe Fletcher and You’ve Got the Wrong Man…), or, in the case of Cask Mouse when we speak, just ducking inside someplace warm following soundcheck. The Allston band ends their busy year, which included a US tour and taking home an award for Best Americana Act at this year’s Boston Music Awards, right back where they were at the end of 2013: getting ready to perform in 20-degree weather as part of the First Night festivities, albeit considerably wiser and so forth.

“This year was a lot of moving around,” says Kevin Boldwin, dwindling down the last hours of 2014 at his apartment. He ticks off the highlights— the festivals in Vermont and New Hampshire, the BMAs (mostly because it “seemed like a pretty awesome party”), and even the smaller moments, like performing on top of a trailer in deep south Texas for a crowd of skeptical-but-soon-convinced locals. There’s a quick mention of early preparations for a third album, but as other voices from the band chime in on the conversation, they all agree that

they’d rather be onstage that in studio. “I love the songs we made on the last one and I don’t think enough people have heard them yet,” says Boldwin, “so we’re going to keep rocking until everybody hears it.”

They pass on offering details of what that new album might eventually sound like, but Cask Mouse is a band equally defined by what it is and what it is not. The members all knew each other prior to forming a band, but weren’t assembled as a unit until about five years ago, by Alvan Long, who placed them on his Curve of the Earth Records imprint.

They don’t have fixed roles within the group; “Bull,” the single of 2013’s “Heartbeat of the Northeast,” came about after the group hijacked a breakup song Boldwin was composing and rewrote it line-by-line by passing around a notebook in a circle.

Most importantly, they are a band comfortable navigating within the wide borders of their chosen genre without feeling self-conscious about their current zip code, with “Heartbeat of the Northeast” framing their warm-blooded sound with a New England perspective. “A little bit of our intention with the title,” says Boldwin, “was not trying to pull wool over anyone’s eyes that we are a country Southern band. We’re trying to be honest on where we are from and our roots.”

It’s true; only a New England band could squeeze some joy out of an outdoor crowd on a freezing December night. Considering that start, 2015 should be a great year.

>> CASK MOUSE W/ PARKS + TALLAHASSEE + HALLELUJAH THE HILLS. THE SINCLAIR, 52 CHURCH ST., CAMBRIDGE. SAT 1.10. 8PM/$12/18+.CASKMOUSE.COM

EXPLODING IN SOUND FUNNY GUYS KRILL + SWINGS [Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave., Allston. 9pm/18+/ $8. greatscottboston.com]

HIP HOP A$AP FERG + YG

[House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston.

8pm/all ages/$29+. houseofblues.com]

WED 1.14

SMORGASBORD OF LOCALS BOSTON SINGER PROJECT

[Passim, 47 Palmer St., Somerville. 8pm/$13-15. passim.org]

STONER ROCK

KARMA TO BURN + SIERRA + SAND RECKONER + RHINO KING

[T.T. The Bear’s, 10 Brookline St., Cambridge. 9pm/18+/$8. ttthebears.com]

Bedroom DJs, record collectors and anyone over the age of, let’s say, 40? Start digging. The rest of you, grab a beer.

If you’re in the former group, this is your moment: Tonight at the company’s brewery in Somerville, Aeronaut Brewing hosts the “Sharing is Caring” Edition of Tiny Vinyl, a BYO-vinyl party at which DJ The Lieutenant will play whatever you bring in, whether from a dusty basement bin or the Urban Outfitters you stopped by on the way.

Good music and good beer has been irrefutably proven one of the best combinations ever; all this does is add a low-stress crowdparticipation element that the organizers hope

will foster a broader sense of community. “I like the idea of getting to interact with folks a little more,” says The Lieutenant, “maybe discovering some new gems. The hope is that people come excited to talk about and share music, even if they don’t bring records.”

Despite the format, this is still a party, not your freshman dorm room. The DJ still has a job to do, so a little curation on your end will spare The Lieutenant from respectfully exercising her right to refuse ruining everyone else’s good time by playing your Creed single. “I’m very polite but highly opinionated about music,” she says ... politely.

>> TINY VINYL “SHARING IS CARING” EDITION. AERONAUT BREWERY, 14 TYLER ST., SOMERVILLE. WED 1.7 .8PM/FREE/21+. AERONAUTBREWING.COM

M/ O

“NEW YEAR’S EVE” GENRE | EMO BALLAD LABEL | RCA RECORDS

It was a big year for Danish songstress MØ. She broke through to America, dropped her excellent debut LP No Mythologies To Follow, and snagged some major international festival sets. To cap off the year, she raised a glass to the past and future with a new song, “New Year’s Eve.” The slow, sentimental number commemorates the best and worst time of the year: when we get to say farewell to all of our failures and welcome another 365 days of hopeful resolutions and fresh promises. When paired with the song’s music video, it gets nostalgic. Retro party footage and clips from The Little Mermaid and When Harry Met Sally highlight her emotional tone; oftentimes she sounds close to Lykke Li. Now that the confetti has fallen and the fireworks’ sparks have long faded, MØ leaves us with a somber but valid look towards what the new year will bring—and gives us the honesty we need to prepare for what’s ahead. [NINA CORCORAN]

K A N Y E WE S T FE AT. PA UL MC C A RTN E Y

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BY MARTÍN CABALLERO @_EL_CABALLERO

NEWS + FEATURES

SHOP

BYO Beats to Aeronaut Brewing

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SPIN CITY

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“ONLY ONE” GENRE | CELEBRITY BALLAD LABEL | N/A As hard as it is to picture Kanye West and Paul McCartney hanging in the studio together, the proof is now out, and the product of their session actually works quite well. “Only One” is a celebrity ballad that isn’t afraid to get soft. The audio is a bit compressed, but this effect adds to Kanye’s decision to turn the Auto-Tune up. There’s this desire to be perfect, to fix his voice and overcompensate, which speaks to the song’s lines about change, self-improvement, and aging.

When the chorus kicks in with “Know you’re not perfect but you’re not your mistakes,” things get sweet. “My mom was singing to me, and through me to my daughter,” West said in a press release. “Only One” gets more heartfelt come the end, when the organ grows round at its edges, acting as a lullaby that drifts off into sleep.

Considering McCartney lost his mother at age 14, the collaboration is all the more touching and, miraculously, appropriate. [NINA CORCORAN]

F o r r e g u l a r u p d at e s o n n e w d e a l s + s p e c i a l d i s c o u n t s , s i g n u p f o r t h e D a i ly D i g at

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FILM EVENTS

BATTLE SCARS

THU 1.8

Sienna Miller talks war on the home front in ‘American Sniper’

BY KRISTOFER JENSON @DAILYFANBOY

THE FILMS OF ALEC GUINNESS THE LADYKILLERS

[Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston.

7:30pm/NR/$9-$11. mfa. org/film]

MIYAZAKI SWAN SONG

THE WIND RISES

[Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge.

4:30pm, 7pm, 9:30pm/ PG-13/$7-12. brattlefilm.org]

FRI 1.9

HAMMER HORROR THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA

[Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. midnight/R/$11.25. coolidge.org]

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In a key scene in Clint Eastwood’s fact-based film American Sniper, Navy SEAL Chris Kyle—the deadliest sniper in American military history, with 160 confirmed kills—is attending a barbecue with his family in suburban Texas between one of his four tours of duty. As he sits on the porch with a beer, he is anything but at home; though his surroundings are idyllic, he is still absorbed by the heightened state of awareness that kept him alive in Iraq. Chris’s wife Taya does all she can to maintain normalcy while watching her pressure cooker of a partner out of the side of her eye, fearful of what might activate his as-yet-undiagnosed PTSD. He finally snaps, nearly killing a tame dog before coming back into reality.

“That’s how it is for a lot of Navy SEALs,” says actress Sienna Miller, who portrays Taya in her struggle to counterbalance the boiling intensity of her husband Chris (Bradley Cooper). “[Kyle’s] blood pressure was really high when he wasn’t in combat.

When he was in combat, his blood pressure would drop. They actually put him in a simulator and tested it. And if there was gunfire and explosions and he was active, then he was completely level.”

Eastwood’s most intimately insightful film in years is making headlines for Cooper’s transformation into the controversial Kyle, and its depiction of his torn sense of duty between his comrades in the field and his family back home, the people for whom he’s fighting in the first place. >> AMERICAN SNIPER. RATED R. IN THEATERS FRI 1.16

In some ways, the Kyles’ story is extraordinary for Chris’s achievements in combat; in others, it’s the story of every military family. To capture the reality of this difficult dynamic, Miller made a careful study of Taya that reflects her commitment to her clan despite its uncertain future. “[Taya] packs a punch,” says Miller. “She can match him. She’s a toughie.

That was something which I noticed about her.

At the same time, she’s incredibly vulnerable and incredibly loving and incredibly resilient.”

The Iraq War was launched over a decade ago but Hollywood is only beginning to find its footing in depicting the conflict and its repercussions.

American Sniper is determined to orient future films toward the reality of war, both at home and abroad.

Says Miller: “We’ve been at war for a lot of my life … To see a film [like American Sniper] that doesn’t hold back in showing what war is like and the effect that it has on families is really important. I have a huge empathy for not only the people in service who deserve enormous respect and gratitude, but also the people left behind who are sacrificing their lives and their partners’ for the benefit of all of us … Both sides of the coin have to be appreciated. Hopefully, this film will make people think in that way, and also be comforting to people who have been in combat and have come back and feel lost, to a certain degree. I think there will be something in this film that will be comforting to them as well.”

SAT 1.10

THE TRICK IS NOT MINDING THAT IT HURTS LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

[Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston.

12:30pm/NR/$9-$11. mfa. org/film]

NOT THE RACISM ONE. THE WEIRD CAR ACCIDENT SEX ONE

CRASH

[Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge.

11:30pm/NC-17/$7-12. brattlefilm.org]

TUE 1.13

CLASSIC IN THE MAKING DEAR WHITE PEOPLE

[Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge.

7:15pm/R/$7-$12. brattlefilm.org]

PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Are you in a band?

Have a gallery show?

WHO THE FUCK SHOT THE PIÑATA?

NEWS + FEATURES

#ICYMI

D E PA R T M E N T O F COMMERCE

Rewind to the best of 2014 cinema

A film released in January is as likely to receive critical acclaim, box office success, or your own stamp of approval as a guy with a knife is to win a gunfight. Sure, there are a few that come out swinging and hit that sweet spot between the ribs—Silence of the Lambs, Office Space, this year’s Inherent Vice—but more often than not, this gray, cold month sees a selection of dead-on-arrival sludge, making you regret that you didn’t catch the good ones on the big screen while you had the chance. Luckily, the Brattle is serving up the antidote to this month’s smorgasbord of sure-fire shit—The Boy Next Store, Black Sea, and Paddington, to name a few—with a selection of 2014’s best plucked from Oscar contenders, blockbuster bangers, and best-of-indie lists.

Kicking off the 24-film rep series on January 9 is Wes Anderson’s second-most Wes Anderson film to date, The Grand Budapest Hotel, an Academy Award hopeful.

Also in the statuette category with expected screenplay, acting, directing, and best picture nods is the I-can’t-believe-you-haven’t-seen-it-yet Boyhood, Richard Linklater’s 12-years-in-the making opus starring Ethan Hawke and Rosanne Arquette (1.11). Of the big-budget fare, Guardians of the Galaxy represents ’14 comic book films in a double feature with adult-friendly kid flick The LEGO Movie (1.19). Another back-to-back screening features Dear White People and Listen Up Philip, both of which deserved longer screen time than their limited Boston releases allowed. Also included in the two-week rewind are foreign language heavyweights Ida (Polish) and Force Majeure (Swedish), as well as Australian horror flick The Babadook, Jim Jarmusch’s chatty vampires in Only Lovers Left Alive, and the succubus stylings of Scarlett Johansson in Under The Skin. >> (SOME OF) THE BEST OF 2014. BRATTLE THEATRE, 40 BRATTLE ST., CAMBRIDGE. FRI 1.9 – THU 1.22. FOR SHOWTIMES AND TICKET PRICES, VISIT BRATTLEFILM.ORG

THE SKELETON TWINS ( A M A Z O N)

Not included in Brattle’s best of offerings—but you didn’t want to put your pants on, anyways—is this year’s darkly comedic The Skeleton Twins.

Unexpected performances from Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig (and even more surprisingly, Luke Wilson) elevate this touching and often uncomfortable story of estranged twins reconnecting after a decade of silence to find that they have more in common than memories of a shared uterus.

ENEMY

(AMAZON)

Speaking of twins: In Enemy, Jake Gyllenhaal plays identical strangers whose lives intersect, throwing each of their starkly different worlds into a tailspin. The film is a sinister gem, but it is doubly enjoyable to watch as an amuse-bouche to Nightcrawler (also out this year, and the one receiving Oscar nods) in which Gyllenhaal shines as an amoral action news freelance cameraman.

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BY SUSANNA JACKSON @SUEDOESNTTWEET

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ARTS EVENTS

BOOK BANTER

WED 1.7

‘I Think You’re Totally Wrong’ feels totally right

BY MARK BAUMER @MARKBAUMER David Shields gets very sad whenever he hears people talk about plot. In his opinion, everything is overwritten and it all should just kill itself. The last good book he read was probably a tweet on why every piece of traditional literature should crawl under a bridge and drown. Caleb Powell is still trying to write his “great American novel.” His blog is comprised of his musings as a “sexist stay-at-home father.”

Years ago, David Shields was Caleb Powell’s student. Now, they are co-authors; their book, I Think You’re Totally Wrong: A Quarrel, aims to figure out what is wrong with everything.

For years, David Shields has devoted himself to the creation of a new form of writing built on the destruction of traditional storytelling. I Think You’re Totally Wrong fits in his paradigm, a continuation of this process. It is not a novel or a story. Even calling this book a “conversation” is misleading.

For much of the 256-page spar session, two white guys argue about art and life, but at least both Powell and Shields are aware that they are two white guys arguing about art and life. They both seem embarrassed by their situation, but each is too consumed by the arguments not to continue arguing. In some ways, while reading, I wished both of them had just stopped talking and instead published a book composed entirely from the silence of two white men refusing to gratuitously bicker.

Of course, I’m a guilty party in perpetuating this dialogue: I am the white male consuming a book about two white males arguing about art and life. But see, the thing is, I Think You’re Totally Wrong is very difficult not to read. It feeds on the same desires that draw people to Twitter and have them scrolling through their feeds endlessly, seeking immediate, direct, and at times uncensored banter. In that way, the entire book feels authentic. There is very little disconnect. As soon as I began reading, I immediately felt like I was a fly on the wall in Caleb Powell’s and David Shields’ conversation, or even one of the people volleying ideas across the net. And in a recent interview with Shields, I threw some of those ideas across the table.

What percentage of your life feels honest?

David Shields: A pretty high percentage, I must say.

That’s kind of important to me. If it’s not honest, I try to investigate its dishonesty.

Seven of your last eight books have been coauthored in some way. Do you feel less alone cowriting books?

Yes.

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We filmed I Think You’re Totally Wrong. Then we filmed Black Planet. Next up with James Franco is The Thing About Life. I like process of collaboration with James, but I doubt we’d do a book together, though one never knows.

How would you describe the relationship between your latest book and your life?

It’s a sequel. Life kind of reconstructs literature.

Is it easier to co-write a book? Does it happen quicker?

I don’t know about that. I like the cross-hatching of it. I like the other person questioning everything I do. I like the feeling of another person tugging on the other end of the line, saying, "Where’s your onepage riff?" One always has homework; I like that.

Have you been satisfied with the reviews so far?

One early review said I don’t really care. I just want to understand myself.

James Franco is involved in the filming of two of your books. Have you guys talked about co-writing a book?

What would you tell someone who doesn’t know how to live their life?

You are alive.

What are you going to do next?

I’m not 100-percent sure. The tension between order and life is erotic.

>> I THINK YOU’RE TOTALLY WRONG | NOW AVAILABLE | DAVIDSHIELDS.COM

COMEDIC CHEKHOVIAN MASHUP VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE

[BU Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., Boston. Ongoing through SUN 2.1. For showtimes and ticket prices, visit huntingtontheatre.org] FRI 1.9

SO NO ONE TOLD ME LIFE WOULD BE THIS WAY A FUTURE PERFECT [Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St., Boston. FRI 1.9 – SAT 2.7. For showtimes and ticket prices, visit speakeasystage.com]

TORN FROM THE SOURCE THE SKETCHBOOK SHOW

[Nave Gallery, 53 Chester St., Somerville. Opening reception 6-8pm/all ages/FREE. navegallery.org]

IMMERSIVE ELECTRO POP PLAY ACOUSTICAELECTRONICA WITH THE WIG

[Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge.

9:30pm/18+/$25+. americanrepertorytheater.org]

THE SURPRISINGLY INTERESTING STORY OF ROAD SALT SALT MOUNTAIN

[Howard Art Project, 1486 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester.

Opening reception /all ages/ FREE. howardartproject. wordpress.com]

SCI-FI INSPIRED VISUALS

WE’RE ALL FINE HERE NOW BY TIMOTHY MCCOOL

[Essex Art Center, 56 Island St., Lawrence. Artist talk + opening reception 5pm/all ages/FREE. essexartcenter.org]

WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST

BY PATT KELLEY WHATS4BREAKFAST.COM

You know that thing you sometimes do when your girlfriend asks in the heat of the moment what you wanna do? I don’t mean stare at her blankly—that’s the wrong thing to do—I mean choosing something at random. Do that thing every time.

Randomly pick something from your established repertoire and tell her you wanna do that thing right now. Then do it, MMM, provided she indicates that she wants to do it too. If she indicates her desire to do it verbally, then you can get right down to it, i.e., you can be a bit aggressive. If her signal is physical or nonverbal, then you should ease into that random selection much more gradually, so she can redirect and/or ask you to choose again if that particular random selection doesn’t work for her.

THE STRIP BAR BY PAT FALCO ILLFALCO.COM

New Year’s Eve came and went this year without a hitch. A week into 2015 I feel no change, the same as every year, I suppose.

All the years pile up and all of a sudden everything’s different without you even noticing how or when it happened. New Year’s Eve behind the bar was just like every other night but with more glitter, noisemakers, and a champagne toast at midnight.

As the evening wound down I couldn’t help but marvel at how lucky I was to have a bar full of well-behaved patrons. No fights or ejections, no one was rude, no one snapped at me or slapped the bar to get my attention. No one complained about the music, no one clogged the toilet, and no one threw up.

At the end of the day, one of the craziest times of a bartender’s year was beautiful in its ability to be just another night. It’s a wonderful thing to have a room full of respectful people who choose to welcome the start of a new year with a lot of liquor (and me). Even though I had to work I couldn’t help but feel like I was among friends, and I guess the bottom line is that I was.

Here’s to another wonderful year to those behind the bar and to those sitting at it. And pass the champagne, because I honestly think every bartender’s life would be 10 times better if every night featured a champagne toast at midnight.

OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS BY TIM CHAMBERLAIN OURVC.NET

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I’m a (mostly) straight male and I’ve been dating the same woman for more than a year.

It’s easily the best relationship I’ve been in. We get along great and rarely fight, and the sex has been great. But there were a few incidents recently when in the heat of the moment she asked me to tell her what I wanted to do and I froze. I didn’t know what she expected me to say or do. These incidents ended in an argument. She views this as a sign that I’m not attracted to her or I don’t have a strong libido.

Both are untrue. I don’t have strong preferences about sexual activities. I just enjoy it. Whether it’s going down on her, having her go down on me, doing a bit of role-play, intercourse in pretty much any position—whatever we’re doing, I’m enjoying myself. If there is something specific she wants, all she needs to do is ask. But when she asks me to take control in the bedroom or to describe my fantasies to her, I either stare blankly at her or choose something at random, achingly unsure of whether or not I made the right choice.

This has always been the way my brain works. When I masturbate, I just think about having sex, not about anything specific. When I look at porn, I am far more interested in how attracted I am to the woman involved than I am in what is going on. If you could give me some ideas for how I can make myself less boring in the sack, I would love to hear it.

Mister Milquetoast Missionary

BY LIZZIE HAVOC @BARHAVOC

DIG THIS

BY DAN SAVAGE @FAKEDANSAVAGE

ONE MORE NIGHT

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SAVAGE ILLUSTRATION BY JOE NEWTON

SECRET ASIAN MAN

BY TAK TOYOSHIMA @TAKTOYOSHIMA