DigBoston 12.6.18

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COVER: MUSIC

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LOLA’S URBAN VINTAGE PLUS HARD CORPS SKINCARE

LISA BELLO

AND YOUR BMA PREVIEW

GIFT

GUIDE PART 1

DRINKS: BAH CHRISMUKKAH! MACCABEE’S POPUP AT BETTER SORTS SOCIAL CLUB

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BOWERY BOSTON WWW.BOWERYBOSTON.COM VOL 20 + ISSUE49

DEC 06, 2018 - DEC 13, 2018 BUSINESS PUBLISHER John Loftus ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Chris Faraone Jason Pramas SALES EXECUTIVES Victoria Botana Derick Freire Nate Homan Nicole Howe FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION sales@digboston.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Chris Faraone EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jason Pramas MANAGING EDITOR Mitchell Dewar MUSIC EDITOR Nina Corcoran FILM EDITOR Jake Mulligan THEATER EDITOR Christopher Ehlers COMEDY EDITOR Dennis Maler STAFF WRITER Haley Hamilton CONTRIBUTORS G. Valentino Ball, Sarah Betancourt, Tim Bugbee, Patrick Cochran, Mike Crawford, Britni de la Cretaz, Kori Feener, Eoin Higgins, Zack Huffman, Marc Hurwitz, Marcus Johnson-Smith, C. Shardae Jobson, Heather Kapplow, Derek Kouyoumjian, Dan McCarthy, Rev. Irene Monroe, Peter Roberge, Maya Shaffer, Citizen Strain, M.J. Tidwell, Miriam Wasser, Dave Wedge, Baynard Woods INTERNS Casey Campbell, Sophia Higgins, Morgan Hume, Daniel Kaufman, Jillian Kravatz, Elvira Mora, Juan A. Ramirez, Jacob Schick

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ROYALE T H E BA L LROOM T H I EVE S

GOING … DOWN

What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On. With. Elevators.

These. Days.

Amirite!?!

Am I alone here? I can’t be the only injured person who gets mangled every other time that I step onto one of these contraptions. Please, tell me that you’re with me. Because we need a revolution.

Don’t look for some kind of a deeper metaphor or meaning here. I’m being literal—elevators suck. I’m constantly waiting for them in places where taking stairs isn’t an option, missing them, and getting aggravated on them. At least five times in the past month, I have had the door on one of these Darth elevators close too soon, leading to a painful or in one case seriously excruciating smashing of my knee and elbow.

Surely, I thought, some people must be dying on these things. And I was right.

According to a study from 2006 by the Center to Protect Workers’ Rights, “Incidents involving elevators and escalators kill about 30 and seriously injure about 17,000 people each year in the United States, according to data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.” Furthermore, “Elevators cause almost 90 percent of the deaths and 60 percent of serious injuries,” with “injuries to people working on or near elevators—including those installing, repairing, and maintaining elevators, and working in or near elevator shafts—accounting for 14 (almost half) of the annual deaths.”

That may be a dated assessment, but I’m sure it still applies, since elevators haven’t changed too much in several generations. This is a technology that’s been around for thousands of years. Even if we’re only talking about electric elevators, the human race has been building, using, and relying on them for more than a century, so why do they still come up short? Why the hell are people working on self-driving cars when we can’t get the door to remain open on a lift for long enough to wheel a bag cart through the door? Thousands have been maimed! And those are only the elevators that are in service. Just wait until an article I’m dropping next year about disability rights advocates and their struggle with broken MBTA facilities.

I wrote this column on my cell phone during a reluctant recent trip to a mall on the North Shore, where I should have just taken the escalator (I have no beef with them). Since I don’t live or work in a high rise, this pet peeve tends to irk me in the winter, when I spend a lot of time traversing Back Bay through the Pru and wind up in tall buildings more than usual.

Finally, and I promise not to overthink this (out loud or in print, at least), maybe the problem is that there isn’t a startup for elevators. There aren’t enough minds at MIT trying to make these killer guillotines a little safer. It’s probably not sexy enough for those heralded angel investors. I’m sure there is a charlatan or two trying to hock a Star Trek-type transporter to some rube selectmen in a smaller city who were sold the second that the sales guy showed them a selfie he took with Elon Musk on a spaceship, but what we really need is something brilliant and basic. Like a “door open” button that actually works.

That’s my elevator pitch.

CHRIS FARAONE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Tickets for Royale, The Sinclair, and Great Scott can be purchased online at AXS.COM. No fee tickets available at The Sinclair box office Wednesdays - Saturdays 12:00 - 7:00PM FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A COMPLETE LIST OF SHOWS, VISIT BOWERYBOSTON.COM NEWS TO US

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DEPT. OF COMMERCE

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3

NEWS+OPINION

THE GUN VOTE NEWS TO US

Is MassArt listening to students who are speaking out about arming officers on campus?

BY AMANDA LUCIDI MassArt won’t vote on arming their officers. And some within the college’s community have had enough.

A group of MassArt students and alumni has responded to a decision by the school’s board of trustees to again postpone a vote on whether to arm campus officers. The meeting was scheduled to take place Nov 27, and has since been postponed to February.

“They’ve been postponing it for a year—they keep saying they don’t have enough information,” said Stephanie Houten, a MassArt alumni. “This is a tactic of theirs to burn us out.”

Houten is part of a group of MassArt organizers fighting to keep guns off of campus. While administrators say that potentially arming the force is an effort to improve safety on campus, not everybody is convinced.

Students who are part of MassArt’s POC community have especially expressed fears over the potential repercussions of arming MassArt police, citing experiences of being racially profiled as well as microaggressions as reasons that board members ought to vote against the measure. They also note a lack of deescalation training on campus.

MassArt alumni Jordan Holmes recalls an experience in which someone called police on him for participating during a MassArt lecture series.

“I ask this question calmly and articulately, and I guess

“If there’s this much bias, and if people are that happy to call, and then what does that say?”

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they hear belligerent, angry, black man. They ran to go get help,” Holmes said. “If there’s this much bias, and if people are that happy to call, and then what does that say?”

Faculty members seem no more immune to these types of incidents than their student counterparts.

Professor Juan Ormaza recounted an experience where he was questioned and followed by police for looking into a window on campus. He attended a forum that was held to discuss the arming of cops on campus, but says that when he tried to share his experience, the board shut him down, saying that the meeting was for students only— even though a flyer advertised the meeting as a space for the entire MassArt community. He feels this silencing was an intentional effort to dismiss the relevance of his experience with campus police.

“We are teaching students they have to be afraid all the time. I don’t think arming solves the problem. I want to make [the school] see the root of the problem.

I think they’re crazy to teach contemporary art and not contemporary life,” Ornaza said. “They’re not ignoring it, but it is ignorance. And they say they want to have more people of color in the school, which is a terrible contradiction.”

A report was released in January of this year by the Campus Safety Work Group, which included a recommendation to arm officers plus provide bias and active shooter training. Said recommendation acknowledged that students are bothered by the listed reasons to arm, which seem to be from the perspective of the officers, as well as for the convenience of the administration. Such factors include MassArt’s apparent inability to retain officers, the cost of training new officers, and the statements of officers who have resigned.

In response to a request for comment, Pamela Parisis, chair of the school’s board of trustees, released

a statement: “At MassArt, we have been working on improving our campus safety over time and through many different measures. The next measure we’re considering is whether or not to arm the College’s trained police officers. We have conducted extensive research and consulted national experts in college campus safety, and held multiple open forums and surveys to gather input from students, faculty and staff.”

“Instead of making a student feel secure in their environment, they prioritize making the officer feel secure and safe in the environment, and even if it’s at the expense of the student’s security or feelings of security,” said MassArt student Camila Bohan-Insaurralde. “What does that say about the students at MassArt? Does it say we do not have a voice at the school we’re attending and where we’re learning from?

“If you disagree with something, it didn’t matter.”

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Want to work with our team? Come join BINJ, MuckRock, and the Emerson Engagement Lab at this open newsroom to help us dig through public records related to police militarization and gun sales in Mass.

WHEN: Monday, December 10, 5 - 8pm WHERE: encuentro 5, 9 Hamilton Place, Boston *Laptop or smartphone not required but could come in handy. Session will feature introduction and instruction plus hands-on research in which attendees can contribute to our ongoing investigation into firearm sales in the Commonwealth.

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FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

5

FAIR HOUSING WHACKED APPARENT HORIZON

Tufts students fight admin proposal to establish “classist” dorm system

BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS More than 200 Tufts University students, faculty, and allies from surrounding communities held a march and demonstration last week to protest a new campus housing policy, according to the Boston Herald. Over the summer, the Tufts administration announced that its annual lottery system for on-campus housing during each academic year would be heavily modified to establish “14 different tiers, ranging from $8,220 to $10,219 a year, in contrast to the $7,934 students currently pay.”

According to a recent press release from the Tufts Housing League (THL), Tufts Student Action, and several other student groups: “The administration’s tiered housing proposal will effectively segregate dorms by income levels. Students able to afford the $2,000-a-year difference will live in the nicest dorms, while lowincome students, middle-income students, and students on financial aid will opt to live in old dorms without kitchens—or be forced to live off-campus and exacerbate the lack of affordable housing in the Somerville and Medford communities. This classist pricing plan reflects the same gentrifying process that the university is imposing on the surrounding communities.…”

The student activists are demanding that “Tufts end this policy, commit to building a new dorm, and create a democratic decision-making structure.” They point out that the university has already been accepting more students than it can house and that this move will only force more students off-campus where they will put even more pressure on an overburdened local housing market. Pushing rental, condo, and house prices even further skyward.

There is clearly a good deal of student resentment about the move given that the release explains that “less than 24 hours after the initial tiered housing announcement was sent to students on July 23, THL put out a statement signed by 29 student groups and a petition which included 1,582 signatures (over 1,000 garnered in the first 48 hours alone).”

Tufts spokesman Patrick Collins told the Herald that “the school is simply following the footsteps of Bay State colleges.” He then “acknowledged some students would see an increase in housing costs” but said that student aid would be adjusted no matter what kind of housing they selected.

A quick glance at the “Tufts plans to move to a more expensive tiered housing system, because screw you” discussion on the /r/Tufts subreddit provides a window into informed student opinion on the university position. According to anonymous poster “75812”: “They don’t increase financial aid grants in proportion to cost increases, though they always claim that the ability to pay stays the same. In reality they give you more loans, and in some cases ‘review your need’ and then cut your aid entirely. A lot of my friends, particularly those involved in student organizing (hmmmmmmm) have lost all their aid and had to transfer. But it’s okay because 50k in loans meets 100% of your demonstrated need, even though you’ll be a serf for ten years! Many students on financial aid work two or three campus jobs, while others work nearly full time at off campus shops and restaurants.”

The THL’s “Coalition Statement Opposing the Tufts Administration’s Plan to Implement Tiered Housing Prices” echos that sentiment: “Tiered pricing would be a betrayal of lowincome students, yet another indication, along with perpetually rising tuition and paltry student resources, that the administration does not care about them. This policy would invariably lead to economic segregation on campus as richer students congregate in the more expensive dorms and lower-income and middle-class 6

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students are left with the cheaper, less comfortable housing units. Despite claims to the contrary, students on financial aid may be blocked from higher-cost housing, either by complicated or inadequate reimbursement policy or by self selection.”

Unsurprisingly, the lived experience of on-campus financial aid students at an elite school (in terms of its $73,500 sticker price this academic year at least) like Tufts is a far cry from administration public relations speak on matters like housing. So, I think the activists are doing a fine job of researching the policy crisis the school’s action is creating and proposing an eminently reasonable solution: scrap the plan and build at least one new dorm at speed.

This is an old problem in Boston and environs given how many institutions of higher learning we have in the area. In fact, Boston University under the leadership of the infamous John Silber was doing exactly the same thing when I started school there in 1984. Over-accepting students to get the (bloated) tuition and (considerable) federal loan monies that came with them, and then placing literally hundreds of the new arrivals who we called “nomads” into hotel rooms for at least a semester or two. Until the usual forces of attrition did their job, and brought student numbers down to what would fit in the already packed dorms. Which only worked after floor lounges were converted to dorm rooms.

Over the intervening decades, big private schools like BU and Northeastern have gradually built more dorms and mandated that students stay in dorms at least the first year or two—under pressure from abutting neighborhoods and city governments. But they still play an outsized role in causing our region’s ongoing housing crisis.

All our wildly expensive major universities—Tufts, MIT, and Harvard first among them—make the situation even worse than it would otherwise be by attracting very wealthy students in significant numbers to move to the Boston area. Who then distort the housing market on their own by offering landlords mountains of cash on demand for properties that would have once rented or sold for far less.

So it’s great to see a major coalition of students in the very heart of this system push back against something that will throw gasoline on the fire of bad

housing policy at a school like Tufts.

However, I will add (as I have many times before) that we’re only going to fix all the problems that our existing university system creates—including housing crises—when we finally admit that the entire American higher education system is already public due to massive government subsidies at every level, and make the governance of all colleges public as well. While mandating university education as a right in a new K-20 system—coupled with expanded lifelong educational opportunities. All funded directly out of taxes like K-12 ed is now. Though preferably through income taxes, not property taxes… to ensure much more equality in educational outcome.

That’s way too tall an order for a bunch of student activists at one school to take on given everything they’ll have to do to win their current housing fight. As such, I’m just putting it out there for now.

Still, if enough student activists at enough colleges get behind the demand for federal higher ed reform it could happen overnight. And our society would be the better for it, when every student born in this country and every immigrant student besides is able to go all the way to grad school without paying a dime beyond taxes everyone pays anyway. Without, therefore, any of the terrible student debt that is crushing the life out of millions of former college students—young and old.

Sure, we’ll have to scrap a few government weapons programs to cover the new costs. And ludicrously large college “endowments”—like Tufts’ $1.8 billion war chest as of June 2017—that exist in no small part because schools get so much public money, would naturally need to be seized by the feds to help provide solid college educations for all who want one. But that’s a (super fun) discussion for another day.

For now, best wishes to the Tufts student activists.

Hope you all force your administration to build a muchneeded new dorm, and move from strength to strength in your campaign to make your school’s housing policy more fair for its campus community and surrounding communities alike.

Readers who would like to support the student campaign can check out the Tufts Housing League’s Facebook page at facebook.com/TuftsHousingLeague/.

TUFTS STUDENTS MARCH AGAINST TIERED CAMPUS HOUSING POLICY. PHOTO BY AMIRA AL-SUBAEY, TUFTS CLASS OF 2019.

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DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

7

REMIXED AND UPCYCLED LIFESTYLE

How Nicole Lyons of Lola’s Urban Vintage independently creates and sells in Boston

BY C. SHARDAE JOBSON Around this time last year, I wrote about how flea markets were the premier location of “Look at what I’ve found!” shopping moments. Lola’s Urban Vintage isn’t a flea market. But during its end-of-season sale on the Sunday after Black Friday, I was transported back to such wishful thinking, while digging through the basin marked “$10” outside of its studio. Bypassing the deep-violet denim vest with brocade on the chest pockets and a turquoise windbreaker, there it was, and exactly what I’d hoped I would find: a vintage gem in the form of a shoulderpadded Christian Dior blazer in the shade of Revlon’s iconic “Cherries in the Snow.”

Blazers are a sweet spot here. When I first visited the Lola’s Urban Vintage studio, two weeks prior to the sale, I took an immediate liking to an a.b.s. blazer from the ’80s that was floral and nipped at the waist. Before I promptly handed over $20 for it, I tried it on in front of the doorlength mirror, and Nicoletta “Nicole” Lyons, Lola’s maestra, immediately got into stylist mode and gave the waist a tug and shift here and there and commented on how much she loved the old school fit.

Lyons’ space is something of a triple threat—studio, showroom and shop—and her artistic sanctuary. It is the culmination of her many years in fashion. She’s worked as a costume designer for theater companies; as a jewelry, handbag and accessories designer; as a freelance photo stylist, and is also a vintage connoisseur. Having obtained a patience and stamina for hunting, Lyons has nurtured partnerships with vintage and wholesale sellers, locally as well as globally. When I caressed a Thierry Mugler skirt suit from the ’90s amid my first visit, she disclosed that Florida is low-key vintage heaven.

Lola’s specially thrives in exhibiting and selling Lyons’ one-of-a-kind remixed and deconstructed/upcycled apparel. All of her items, whether curated, vintage, or created from scratch, can be tailored and customized on the spot in her studio, or via a message request. It is a service that Lyons offers and is forgotten in today’s fastfashion and e-commerce landscape.

“I majored in theater arts at UMass Boston with a desire to act and design and was quickly noticed for my creative eye and design aesthetic,” Lyons, a personable and aroundthe-way girl, told the Dig. She continues: “I costumed Macbeth as my first show and never turned back. I then took some metalsmith classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Since I was designing a lot of jewelry after that, I took my costume designing to New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology for styling. That led me to the fashion world where I was dressing at New York Fashion Week for brands such as Jeremy Scott, Alexandre Herchcovitch, and Abaete.”

Lyons gave being “a normal citizen” a chance by attending Northeastern and earning “half of” a master’s degree in 8

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education. In a short time, she realized that “it just wasn’t for me.”

In 2007, she opened a storefront on Allston’s Harvard Avenue. That brick and mortar was in effect until 2011 and then transitioned into Lola Mobile, an 18-foot hot pink truck, which lasted until 2015.

“I do have to give a major shout-out to New England Open Markets,” Lyons added. “They consistently provided me with a platform to sell and stay afloat for the past 15 years, no matter what the situation was. To this day, you can still catch me at their markets.”

My friend Chad Hart found Lyons’ business on Instagram. Via text and DMs, he gushed about how original her items were and was elated Lola’s was Bostonbased. At the time of his discovery, he was salivating over an oversized button-up with an attached cape and grommets. When I checked out Lola’s on Instagram myself, I saw that Lyons’ offerings were fabulous, funky, unafraid of S&M accouterments, and often done with a toast to Victorian flair and ’90s grunge. Lyons describes her inspirations as “urban landscape, graffiti, classic vintage, and contemporary designs.”

“I’ve been inspired by every single one of those [movements and eras],” she said. “In the late ’90s and early 2000s, I was really immersed in the local graffiti scene due to several people in it that were close to me.

Seeing that particular culture played a big role in how I approached my work. The very first items I released, aside from jewelry, were spray-painted vintage bags.”

In her studio, located inside a Norfolk Avenue building branded M A R K E T spelled out in white stencils, Lyons’ influences pop with touchstones of fashion history and multiculturalism from wall to wall.

“My mother, grandmother, and godfather were all into fashion, which allowed me to be exposed to it early on,” she says. “Culturally, my background is Middle Eastern, which naturally bleeds into everything I do. As far as other influences—Diana Vreeland, Patricia Field, Stevie Nicks, Grace Jones. The list could go on forever.”

Presently, Lyons’ biggest client is Erykah Badu. This is major for a her as a designer and stylist who works out of

a modest Boston studio, issuing affordable retro glam and kink to locals and now, a neo-soul icon. “[Badu’s] always been a huge influence on me, so the fact that we became personal on any level is a blessing.

We first got connected through a collective of artists on Instagram, and I then began providing her with a few creations.” They’ve been connected and friendly since April 2017; on Lola’s Instagram, you’ll see that Badu has left hellos and emojis on posts.

The studio features fantastic earrings hung on boards, listed for $10 and $15. A row of used footwear are below the earrings, like Jeffrey Campbell see-through platform creepers. There’s flamboyant millinery on the shelves.

Beaded, chained, and charm accessories; and two full racks that are an admixture of original and vintage, including drop-waist harem pants that are a Lola’s customer favorite.

Lola’s Urban Vintage has more exceptional items on Instagram, where Lyons advertises using still shots from photo shoots. On social media, the aesthetic she has championed since her days back at UMass amounts to a cornucopia of ingenuity—Leonardo da Vinci’s “St. John the Baptist” imposed on a sleeveless corset top (with matching pants, if you like); a beige “Lila” trench that would look traditional if not for the delightful polkadotted puffed sleeves.

“I want Lola’s to be the place to go if you want something that makes you stand out from the crowd and feel fierce,” Lyons said. “It’s an experience store that gives you the feeling of something tangible.”

Lyons is hopeful that she’ll one day have a store again. She dreams of it daily. But the woman who started designing as a six-year-old girl making a perforated soda bottle cap ring into a headband for her Barbie doll, wants the timing to be just right and according to plan.

“I love my customers and giving them a glimpse into my reality,” Lyons said. “It provides a certain level of comfort and confidence to them, being able to say, ‘I got this from my homegirl!’ rather than, ‘I got this from a store.’”

BOSTON, MA

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Please join Northeastern Crossing for our third annual

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

Enjoy holiday tunes by DJ José Massó as you meet neighbors and colleagues at Northeastern Crossing’s third annual Holiday Open House. Guests are invited to celebrate the season by creating origami decorations as holiday ornaments or gifts.

A special holiday menu will be served.

Tuesday December 11, 2018 4:30 PM- 7:00 PM 1175 Tremont Street, Roxbury FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

RSVP: northeastern.edu/crossing

NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

9

FRESH TRADITION PERFORMING ARTS

Boston’s Black Nativity Turns 48

BY CASEY CAMPBELL

IMAGE COURTESY OF BLACK NATIVITY

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Friday, Dec 7, marks the beginning of the 48th season of Black Nativity, a Boston-based song-play from the mind of Langston Hughes that will be playing at the Paramount Theatre. Despite nearing its semicentennial, the play remains fresh year in and year out. Barry Gaither, executive director of the National Center of Afro-American Artists (the same group that produces the play), has been with the production since its inception in 1970.

“Unlike the Off Broadway and the touring show of the 1960s, which featured an adult gospel group, our show prominently features the voices of children,” Gaither said. “John Andrew Ross, music director for Black Nativity until his death in 2006, arranged choral and solo parts especially for youngsters.”

Supplementing children for adults lends the show a “special glee and lightness that accents the joy inherent in the show.”

Another important and impressive feature of the show is the on-stage depiction of the choreographed labor of Mary and birth of Christ.

“Choreographer George Howard created a powerfully moving pas de deux in the beautiful dance of Mary and Joseph, which is performed to African percussion by noted Nigerian drummer M. Babatunde Olatunji,” Gaither explained. “No more dramatic setting for the arrival of the baby Jesus could be imagined than seeing him raise his tiny arms amid a swell of driving African drums and shakers.”

Finally, of the nearly 75 cast members, one-third are new every year.

While the show remains the same, its sound and dynamics are constantly changing.

“Consequently,” Gaither said, “Black Nativity remains perpetually fresh. I’m amazed with how those voices sculpt the overall performance in unexpected ways.”

This year, like every year, you can expect a story filled with energy, beauty, and uplifting character. The dances and gestures found in Black Nativity “recall attitudes common in black America, and thereby reference blackness.”

Blackness describes the cultural, social and artistic expressions that black people bring to their otherwise universal experiences. In the songplay, “blackness is reflected in its embrace of music—gospel, jazz, and African—that is rooted in improvisation and driving rhythms. The music also embraces emotion in the manner of what, in the 1960s, we called ‘soul’ music,” Gaither said.

With fresh voices, an engagingly timeless story, and the cultural importance of blackness, Black Nativity remains a go-to event during the holidays.

“Come not to see the show, but instead, to become one with the show.

Join in sharing the love about which we sing.” >> BLACK NATIVITY. 12.7-12.23. PARAMOUNT THEATRE, 559 WASHINGTON ST., BOSTON. BLACKNATIVITY.ORG.

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OUR ARBITRARY INDIE GIFT GUIDE GIFT GUIDE

From yule, to cool, to school, here’s our first random rhyming gift list

BY DIG STAFF @DIGBOSTON For more than a decade here at the Dig, around this time of the year, we ran an annual feature called “Kiddie Kroakers.” It was a satirical list of banned presents for children, products that we totally made up like “MILF on the Shelf” and “Mister Dictator Head,” the latter of which we described as a Trump-orange spud that any kid can outfit like their favorite megalomaniacal leader.

Since salacious and indecent humor only stands to get us a whole inbox full of outrage these days, we ended that tradition several years ago. Instead, we now like to sprinkle several issues in December with actual gift ideas. We’re not saying they’re all safe for kids, but we can say that unlike the crap you will see in many other publications at this time of year, none of our choices were paid for by our sponsors.

Also, everything that we picked rhymes with “yule” in one way or another.

The Gift of Fuel This holiday season, fight the corporate man with your coffee-themed gifts by eschewing Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts merchandise. Instead, head over to the Brighton section of Chestnut Hill Ave for a gift for your over-caffeinated friends and family. Fuel America, aside from its great selection of coffee, sandwiches, and other cafe fare, also has a little store. This store features bags of ground coffee and single-brew cups, and Fuel’s classic signage style makes an appearance in the graphic design on the chest of a shirt. Fuel is a Boston-area only enterprise, boasting the Brighton location as well as a shop in Logan Airport. While Dunkin’ might be more ubiquitous, this is a prime destination if you’re searching for… more. The shop sells its own unique blends, as well as extremely giftable embossed mugs. -Jacob Schick fuelamericacoffee.com The Gift of Spool With the full-out legalization of cannabis, you’re also no doubt hearing lots about hemp, its many uses, and how it will soon replace textiles that prohibitionist America has come to rely on. This isn’t hippy poppycock— it really is a phenomenal material and as kind to the ground in which it’s grown as it is to the backs its softer garment incarnations rests on. In the name of supporting the cannabis-oriented businesses that were holding it down in the area before we got recreational weed, we’re 12

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sending you to any of the Hempest locations this holiday season to knock out a bunch of shopping. From more crunchy fare to the outstanding Hoodlamb goods that all of their locations stock prominently, it’s not too late to catch this sensible, responsible trend at this still relatively early stage. -Chris Faraone hempest.com The Gift of Cool You’ll have to go online for this one. Because while we first and foremost obviously want to encourage our readers to hit spots like JP and Davis plus open markets galore all this shopping season, there’s no way of getting around just how totally awesome Knockarounds are, just like there’s no way to get around having to order these shades on the internet. Here’s the thing—it would be extremely difficult for any one store to stock the whole rainbow of color and pattern combinations this California outfit can cobble. Since they’re customizable, there are literally thousands of ways you can tweak styles, and with prices as low as $10 you can get a pair for yourself as well as the person you are shopping for. -Chris Faraone knockaround.com The Gift of Pool Looking for a holiday gift that says, I love you more than your mother but also you should know that humans evolved from primates who ate shrooms and tripped balls?

Look no further than the altered states starter kit. For a combined total of just $70 you can purchase somebody a 60-minute sensory deprivation tank session at Float Boston in Magoun Square, along with the original Altered States DVD! Watch Ken Russell’s classic thriller about going into a float tank and turning into a monkey, then go take a float and reconnect with your own mental.

-Daniel Kaufman floatboston.com The Gift of School Know someone who wants to learn more about weed? Maybe work in the industry? Of course you do.

Well, beginning in 2017, Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner began offering an online no-credit Cannabis Career Training Program. Students learn from expert growers, chefs, doctors, lawyers, dispensary owners, and other professionals in the cannabis industry.

It’s a collaboration with a private company called Online Cannabis Education and costs $299. There, students get

a year’s access to self-paced classes and materials. And there are other options as well, like the Leaf Collaborative (TLC). Opened in 2012 as the New England Grassroots Institute, it offers eight-week programs that cost $800, as well as one-day programs that cost $100. Past workshops have included Cooking with Cannabis and Medicated Holistic Tincture and Salve, and it also hosts other events like patient support groups. -Katherine Isbell grassroot420.com mwcc.3dcartstores.com The Gift of Buhl Picture frames are often cheap, purchased last minute, or have no significant meaning beyond, I stopped

by CVS on the way to this holiday dinner. Bill Phaneuf, the mastermind behind the local craft shop Frames With a History, hopes to change that. His Ayer-based store sells custom-made frames, mirrors, furniture, and home decor, all made of raw materials. Phaneuf builds items from antique pieces of wood, often dating back to the 18th century. We recommend checking out all their unique products at the base camp shop in Ayer, but in Boston you can also find them selling frames at SoWa Open Market on the weekends. Be sure to check them there along with countless other gifted artisans. -Morgan Hume frameswithahistory.com The Gift of Shoe This may be a bit high end for what we typically hock in the Dig, but we also know from years of experience that our readers are shoe crazy, and perhaps even willing to break into the piggy bank for remarkable kicks. If you’re willing to step into the $200 range, we recommend that you go for a fitting in Bow Market at the casual lair leased by Adelante. Every panel of every pair of their several styles is artistically smooth yet striking, while the company boasts an exceptionally responsible model in which cobblers in Guatemala are paid and therefore given better “access to education, nutritious food, transportation, and more for them and their families.”

You’ll still primarily want these shoes for the look and the experience of the custom fitting, but it’s nonetheless nice to know that the person who worked their ass off on your stitching was appropriately compensated. -Chris Faraone adelanteshoes.com

SMOOTH OPERATORS GIFT GUIDE

Skincare splurges and self-care delights for kings and queens

BY CHRISTOPHER EHLERS @_CHRISEHLERS If somebody you know or love is constantly complaining about their dry skin or latent acne, then they’re easier to shop for than you may have realized. Blemishes or other dermatological issues can make it easy to please them, in some cases with just a stocking stuffer. These handselected beauty and personal care gifts will put a smile on any face, whether pimply or perfectly primped.

Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum It’s possible that this miracle in a bottle is currently the most coveted skincare product in the industry.

Beauty junkies and skincare novices alike have all clamored for our reaction to this buzziest of buzzed about products, and the answer is, yes, it’s everything you’ve heard it is and more. An elixir of 22 botanicals and essential oils, Active Botanical Serum corrects, refines, renews, detoxes, clarifies, replenishes, hydrates, restores, smooths, protects, nourishes, brightens, and clears.

Even better—results can be seen as soon as the first application. Now that’s a gift. vintnersdaughter.com Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer Who knew that a hair dryer could be so sexy? The company behind the world’s best vacuums now makes what might be the world’s most alluring hair styling product. This lightweight dryer protects your hair from the effects of heat by measuring air temperature 20 times per second, protecting your natural shine. Ideal for any gender, the air stream is focused, precise, and even, and feels featherweight in your hand. Dyson Supersonic is so attractive that you may wind up mounting it on your wall rather than stashing it in a drawer. dyson.com Anything and Everything from Drunk Elephant Literally anything. The trendiest, cleanest skincare brand on the market is also the most fun (and the most Instagrammable). Whether you’re shopping for the casual beautyista or the die-hard skincare monster in

your life, the gift of Drunk Elephant will spur shrieks and maybe even a few tears. Its iconic 10-piece trunk is the best value ($592 worth of products for $425), but the smaller options are equally thrilling. I like the $28 midi-sized Babyfacial and the $90 set of eight small-size, travel-friendly products. drunkelephant.com Borghese Mini Mask Ornaments I don’t think that the Dig has used the word “darling” too many times before, but are these not just the most darling thing? Borghese’s iconic Fango mud masks are available in mini mask ornaments exclusively from Macy’s for the holidays. Five masks in total that brighten, calm, hydrate, purify, and illuminate skin are the perfect stocking stuffer for the vain. If you want all five, they’re available in a chic gift box, sans the darling ornaments. macys.com Mario Badescu Gift Sets While we’re on the topic of darling little things, we love this $12 Rosewater Facial Spray and Lip Balm set from Mario Badescu, Martha Stewart’s go-to skincare brand. It’s also got a great holiday set of their cult favorite facial sprays, as well as a bevy of other affordable, results-driven sets of its beloved formulas. If it’s good enough for Martha, it’s good enough for me. mariobadescu.com Molton Brown Holiday Fragrances Molton Brown products are the ultimate luxury home and bath companion. Still expertly blended in England from exotic ingredients, the brand’s newest holiday fragrance—Muddled Plum—gives new meaning to festive fragrance and delivers a decadent shower experience. The range includes a gorgeous scented candle, as well as a seductive Eau de Toilette and the requisite body wash and lotion. The festive bauble comes filled with one of seven different scents, as well as the hand wash and lotion sets (Frankincense & Allspice is to die for). Fun enough for all ages but refined enough to NEWS TO US

impress that hard-to-please person.

moltonbrown.com Aera Smart Diffuser This first-of-its-kind home fragrance system Aera is an effortless way to envelope your home in sophisticated scents, all without messy wall plugs or overpowering candles. The Smart Diffuser can be controlled from your phone: You can change the strength and even set a fragrance schedule so that you can walk into a beautifully smelling home every time. The perfect gift for so many kinds of people, Aera is a marvel of technological innovation and effortless style. aeraforhome.com Clarins Double Serum & Multi-Active Collection There’s no two ways about it, Clarins famous Double Serum works, and it works fast, for people of all ages, genders, and skin types. Twenty-one plant extracts work together to smooth lines, even skin tone, and give your skin the kind of glow that Clarins is world-renowned for. This gift set is one hell of a holiday threesome, combining the Double Serum with a Multi-Active Day Cream and an unbeatably good Multi-Active Night Cream. Despite the feminine packaging, all three work wonders for men, too. clarins.com Kiehl’s Smooth Skin Delights Hand Cream Set Kiehl’s hand creams are among the best on the market, especially for those of us who despise the greasy mess left behind by most. We’re sad that Coriander was left out of this year’s trio, but in its place is the original Ultimate Strength Hand Salve with its delicious eucalyptus scent. Joining it are grapefruit (which doesn’t smell too citrusy) and lavender, which is great for slathering on before bed. And this is a gift you can feel good about giving: 100 percent of the net proceeds go to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hungerrelief organization. kiehls.com FEATURE

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LEFT TO RIGHT: THE HEBREW HAMMER, THE LATKE SOUR, THE MANISCHEWITZ MARTINEZ PHOTO BY MIKE DISKIN

FIVE CRAZY NIGHTS DRINKS

Downtown Hanukkah pop-up delivers Maccabee Bar, “Jewish Christmas”

BY ERIC TWARDZIK Better Sorts Social Club, which opened in the Kimpton Nine Zero Hotel in October, has had only two months to be itself. But the downtown bar is already becoming something different, albeit for five nights: from Dec 4 to Dec 8, it will become “Maccabee Bar,” a Hanukkahthemed pop-up.

It’s the brainchild of head bartender Naomi Levy, who believes Maccabee Bar is the first local pop-up to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Levy, a long-time hospitality vet and former bar manager at Eastern Standard, said she conceived the idea before Better Sorts’ opening.

“Exactly how long I honestly don’t remember, but it’s definitely something that I’ve been dreaming of for a while,” says Levy.

It’s not her first foray into holiday pop-ups. The last two years saw Levy and her partner Zach Lieberman, then a general manager at Sycamore, take over the Newton restaurant for Christmas Eve. The first year’s Chrismukkah theme planted the seed for some of the drinks now on Maccabee Bar’s menu (the second year’s theme was “things we stole from our parents’ liquor cabinet”).

Maccabee Bar, named for the scrappy, secondcentury BC rebels who play a starring role in the story

of Hanukkah, will feature eight cocktails inspired by the holiday and traditional Jewish flavors. The lineup will include the Hebrew Hammer, made with vodka and raspberry and rimmed with “leavened” sugar; a Latke Sour made with apple brandy, potato, lemon, and egg white; the Manischewitz Martinez prepared with gin, maraschino, and Manischewitz vermouth; a brisketinspired Holiday Armadillo featuring rye whiskey and a carrot-thyme syrup; as well as a yet-unnamed cocktail that incorporates gin, sherry and olive oil. (“Hanukkah is all about olive oil,” says Levy.)

But not every mixture is so Hanukkah-centric.

“We have one that is a kind of cheeky we’re calling Jewish Christmas, made with sesame-infused scotch and a little Sichuan peppercorn syrup,” Levy says. “That’s our token Christmas drink in a kind of funny way.”

While unique, Levy doesn’t consider the drinks to be a huge departure from the spirit of Better Sorts, whose opening menu featured offbeat creations with savory ingredients like the Cacio E Pepe Martini made with gouda-infused vermouth and a black pepper pasta water syrup.

“It’s still going to be true to the flavors that people who have gotten to try Better Sorts have come to expect,” Levy says. “They’re a little bit sillier, but I think

>> MACCABEE BAR 12.4 - 12.8 KIMPTON NINE ZERO HOTEL 90 TREMONT ST., BOSTON

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all of our cocktails are a little bit silly.”

On the nonliquid front, Maccabee Bar will serve a number of similarly inspired specials from executive chef Steve Hamilton, including huckleberry jam doughnuts, smoked brisket, and curried sweet potato latkes.

“They match in the sense that they are all based on Jewish and Hanukkah flavors. So you can have a latke with your latke cocktail,” Levy says.

You can also expect to see a bit more color within the normally reserved Better Sorts space.

“There’s going to be lots of blue lights, lots of blue tinsel and blue dreidels. You get the theme here—a lot of blue,” says Levy. “Fun menorahs will be lighted, all of that. It’s going to look very nice and festive in here.”

When asked if Maccabee Bar could return in 2019, Levy says, “I would love that. I’m absolutely hoping that we could make this an annual thing.”

For now, her focus is on the present.

“I’m just really excited for us to bring a side of the holidays that doesn’t always get the most attention, and I think it’s going to be really fun whether you celebrate Hanukkah or not,” she says.

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BOSTON MUSIC AWARDS MUSIC

Everything you need to know to celebrate the music scene’s biggest night

BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN Between the basement show scene, experimental electronica scene, the roots scene, and the rap scene, there’s a lot happening in Boston when it comes to local music. If there’s one thing that could gather all of the music scene together in one place, though, it’s the Boston Music Awards—and this year, that’s exactly what they’re trying to do.

Musicians, writers, photographers, promoters, bookers, industry members, and fans alike will gather at the House of Blues to celebrate one of the best year’s our city has seen for music. But for those who’ve never been before, the idea of a proper music award ceremony can seem intimidating. To break down the barriers and resolve whatever unanswered questions you may have about the event, we wrote a FAQ to prep you for the event. Hopefully we’ll see you there.

OKAY, SO WHAT IS THIS? The BMAs is an annual award event celebrating the music community in Boston that started back in 1987.

It looks to highlight not just the musicians killing it in our city but the people who work behind the scenes as well. On one night in December, your favorite rappers, live engineers, promoters, journalists, and more meet inside a venue of choice to celebrate one another’s hard work—making sure the award-worthy get credit. The whole thing lasts about three to four hours and is open to all ages and all people, regardless of their affiliation to the city or music.

see who wins Artist of the Year. Tickets are only $20, and all ticketing fees will be swiped in order to make sure anyone who wants to attend can attend. As far as weeknight concerts go, it’s pretty ideal.

WHEN DOES THIS HAPPEN? The 2018 BMAs take place at the House of Blues this Wednesday, Dec 12. The event kicks off at 6:30 pm, meaning you won’t have to stay up until midnight to

MUSIC EVENTS THU 12.06

SAT 12.08

SUN 12.09

SUN 12.09

[Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston. 8pm/18+/$20. royaleboston.com]

[Great Scott, 1222 Comm. Ave., Allston.

8:30pm/18+/$13. greatscottboston.com]

[ONCE Somerville, 156 Highland Ave., Somerville. 8pm/18+/$25. oncesomerville.com]

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

7pm/all ages/$25. houseofblues.com]

HOUSTON FUNK SLOWED DOWN TO ROLL KHRUANGBIN + WILL VAN HORN

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FOR FOLK CRIMES AND GOTHIC TRUTHS MARISSA NADLER + JOHANNA WARREN

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ROMANI, GREEK, SLAVIC ECLECTICISM FOR THE FOLK SOUL DEVOTCHKA

RAPPING ONEPOINTFIVE VERSES PER MINUTE AMINE + BUDDY + KAYO

MON 12.10

POLITICAL PUNK FROM THE HEART OF DC PRIESTS + EMPATH [Great Scott, 1222 Comm. Ave., Allston.

8:30pm/18+/$15. greatscottboston.com]

TUE 12.11

VIRTUOSIC GUITAR WITH A DEAFMAN GLANCE RYLEY WALKER + MUTE DUO + AVI JACOB [Great Scott, 1222 Comm. Ave., Allston.

8:30pm/18+/$12. greatscottboston.com]

BOSTON MUSIC AWARDS

WHO ARE WE EVEN CELEBRATING? Everyone, so take a deep breath: rock bands, rappers, unsigned artists, live performers, house bands, country singers, DJs, metal bands, punk acts, R&B artists, jazz virtuosos, Americana bands, studio producers, session musicians, live engineers, music venues, photographers, blogs, and promoters. To narrow things down, there were two rounds of ballots. First, general nomination ballots were sent to the 400 members of the BMA nominating committee, all people involved in creating, running, and supporting Boston’s music scene. Once nominees were selected and announced, voting was open to the general public for several months before closing in early November. That means every winner was chosen by the people of Boston. Kinda wholesome, right?

WHY IS THIS A BIG DEAL? Look, Boston never gets recognized when it comes to popular music in the US. Of course, most of you reading this know how killer our scene is, but those outside of Massachusetts don’t. Award ceremonies are trivial and voting is often a popularity contest, but they serve their purpose. Bands struggling to get noticed can use an award to help gain attention and credibility, whether they’re aiming to get a promoter, tour the country, or land a record deal. Other industry people never get recognized at all, and getting noticed like this feels like a serious accomplishment for an otherwise behindthe-scenes role. The BMAs are one of the few nights a year where Boston’s music scene gets to celebrate how kickass it is and recognize the strides we’re making—and all the ways it can grow in the future.

WHAT’S THE AWARD CEREMONY LIKE? Crowded, giddy, and fun. First and foremost, it’s a live concert and awards show, so those two things take priority in terms of time. Meanwhile, there’s other things to do. A handful of people will dress up to feel fancy. Others will wear their normal attire. There’s a photobooth for your red carpet moment. There are special drinks available to order to cheers your friends. Local nonprofits and organizations will table to introduce people to their work. It’s both formal and low-key all at once, and we wouldn’t want it to be any other way.

NO OFFENSE, BUT HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR? Representation. With 36 categories, this is the largest BMAs ballot in the franchise’s history. For starters, this year’s ballots have expanded to include 10 nominees, whereas past year’s categories roughly included five. The Male and Female Vocalist of the Year categories merged together to form Vocalist of the Year, which now includes nonbinary musician Walter Sickert as a nominee. Music Blog of the Year changed to Music Publication of the Year, a change of technicalities that allowed outlets like Boston Herald and DigBoston (hi!) to now be included. New category Music Journalist of the Year was also added, showcasing some of the city’s strongest writers like Amelia Mason and Arielle Gray. Best of all, artists who have been silently killing it—Oompa, Aubrey Haddard, Billy Dean Thomas, Edge Petal Burn, and more—were nominated for the first time. It’s credit where credit is due, and it’s best celebrated with you.

TOMMY BOY

Hyde Park native Lisa Bello gave up teaching for touring

BY MORGAN HUME In a city that is well known for its transient artists and pockets of culture, it’s not surprising that some native talents slip under the radar. In the case of Lisa Bello, who started performing in talent shows from Downtown to Jamaica Plain as a kid in the ’90s, there’s also been the added wrinkle that she is a diva of PHOTO BY TOMMY VO the R&B variety in a place that’s perhaps best recognized as something of an indie rock hub.

These days, that’s all changing. At least for Bello. For the past six months, she has been touring the United States and Europe on the strength of her most recent album, Tommy Boy. The project cracked the top 10 on the iTunes R&B/Soul chart in May and has since opened new doors for her abroad as well as in her hometown, with Bello up for a Boston Music Award for R&B Artist of the Year on Dec 12.

We spoke with Bello fresh off of her Tommy Boy tour, which domestically included stops in cities from Chicago, to Philly, to Nashville, to Miami. She’s written and recorded tracks for years, but the singer said that spending so much time outside of Boston throughout 2018 has transformed her vibe dramatically. Even before hitting the road, Bello had a major life change, giving up her job as a teacher in Boston Public Schools to move down to Brooklyn and do music full time.

“I’m always telling a story that has something to do with my life, but [inspiration still comes from] the bits and pieces of everyone that I’ve encountered along the way,” Bello told the Dig. Musically, her production shows that she draws inspiration from icons like Michael and Stevie, the latter of whom she has tattooed on her right hand. Bello also studies and admires fierce and legendary women such as Lauryn, Amy, and Janis, all of whom, like Bello, have memorable natural rasps in their voices.

While this latest buzz is welcome, the Hyde Park native hasn’t been a stranger to the Boston music scene and has performed at countless venues in the area—from clubs and theaters like the Orpheum and Wilbur, to Fenway Park and TD Banknorth Garden, where Bello has handled National Anthem duties. In 2011, she won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards, and next week she’s hoping to take the trophy home for best R&B act.

Looking back on the year, Bello says she has gained a new self-confidence, opened her voice up a lot more, and evolved in how she approaches the stage.

“I was kind of just writing about random things, things I thought people wanted to hear,” Bello said. “I think the evolution comes as I’ve matured as a woman, as a mom. I write more personal things that I truly know affect people and myself.

“Having the feeling of seeing other people affected by my music is what drives me and makes me feel so passionate. It’s what makes me not want to give up.”

Bello says one of the biggest challenges she faces as a woman in the music biz is not being taken seriously enough as an artist. She has a team behind her but still plays the central role in her band’s DIY hustle, and in the process she’s been mistaken for everything from a noob to a groupie.

“I think we’ve come a long way,” says Bello, “but it’s still 2018, and I’m calling venues and they’re asking to speak to my manager or someone else, and it’s usually a man they’re looking to speak to.”

Bello is newly balancing the dual responsibilities of being both a mother and a full-time music maker. Her mornings include bringing her son to school and then heading to the studio. After years of teaching, she’s her own boss, and she says the key is being organized and seriously motivated.

As for meeting new fans and experiencing the world beyond Boston, Bello said she has already begun to incorporate new influences into her creative output. In that spirit, while on tour she tried to reflect both the fun and glamour as well as the reallife hardships in the songs that she was writing and on social media.

“Some cities treat us like gold—we were wearing white bath robes and galavanting around the hotel,” Bello said.

“In other cities, I was sleeping in airports.”

Check facebook.com/lisabellomusic for info on Lisa Bello’s Boston album release party this week.

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CHALLENGING BOUNDARIES PERFORMING ARTS

Interview with Boston Dance Theater’s co-artistic director Jessie Jeanne Stinnett

BY OLIVIA MASTROSIMONE group they represent.

Take our piece Today for Now. It was choreographed by Yin Yue. I met Yin in 2010 at one of her very first public performances. We were on the same program. She’s a very captivating performer. I could tell that, whatever she was doing, she was articulating herself in an innovative way that still paid respect to her roots. She really brings in various different aspects of her identity in her work.

BOSTON DANCE THEATER PERFORMANCE. PHOTO BY GRANT STINNETT

Jessie Jeanne Stinnett, co-artistic director and dancer at Boston Dance Theater, is optimistic about the company’s upcoming inaugural season. In a recent interview with DigBoston, she emphasized working together with DutchIsraeli choreographer Itzik Galili to present shows that challenge social, cultural, and political boundaries, while striving to keep contemporary dance accessible within the Boston community.

Boston’s performing arts community is so rooted in traditional forms. With large traditional institutions like Boston Ballet Company and Boston Symphony Orchestra, do you feel that contemporary dance gets overshadowed or overlooked?

So Itzik was my director in Amsterdam when I was a dancer there. We continued our artistic relationship, and eventually, we became collaborators. He has family here in Boston and we sort of hatched this idea together to form a contemporary rep company here. We were kind of like, “Boston is one of the major cities in the US, why doesn’t it have its own contemporary company,” you know? That’s why I think BDT is so necessary right now, just to put contemporary dance on the map a little bit more and bring some more awareness to all of the cool things we can do.

We can integrate ourselves, and we can do interdisciplinary work. We can do a lot of things that more traditional dance forms have a harder time doing. There’s a lot of possibilities that I think most folks don’t really think about when they think of dance.

I noticed that you’ve already outlined the core values and goals you have for Boston Dance Theatre, like community outreach and education. Can you talk about these values and how you plan on implementing them?

Of course. Education is a big deal for us. There’s a huge disconnect between the educational world and actual jobs in the dance field. We have a trainee program which accepts students that have dedicated themselves to their training and want to understand what it means to live 18

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the life of a contemporary dancer in the 21st century. It’s a full-year, full-time program and completely immerses the students in dance. The students are actually in the studio with the full-time dancers at all times and have opportunities to perform with the company. It’s a much more direct transference of knowledge and skills that I think is more reflective of how dance education is evolving.

As for community outreach, we do a lot of performances at local libraries and public spaces. Last week we were at the Newton Senior Center, and we did a fun program for them. We also perform at several libraries at least four times a year, and on those programs, we always have interdisciplinary work. Our latest one was a collaboration with a poet and spoken word artist, so we had some slam poetry in there and some works that were really on the intersection of text and movement. We’re trying to grow dance audiences by coming into contact with folks who maybe wouldn’t feel comfortable going to see us at a theater or maybe wouldn’t be interested in it otherwise. It’s really about trying to help our audiences [see] that dance can live outside of a theater space. That’s something else: accessibility. For a lot of artists, accessibility feels like they are being asked to dumb their work down and for us, it’s not about that. We’re more thinking how can we invite people into what we’re doing in more than just a “here are the program notes” kind of way.

What is the most important value Boston Dance Theater has outlined for itself before its inaugural season?

There are so many male choreographers in our industry, so we really wanted to focus on support[ing] female creators. We want to support specifically people who were a little bit less established. We want to work with some folks that could also in a way benefit from dialogue with Itzik, someone who’s an international, established choreographer. All of the dancers are women in this program, and I get that question a lot. Is that intentional?

Is this an all-women’s company? And it is, for now. But for us, it’s more about the work our dancers do rather than the

What makes Boston Dance Theater different from other local contemporary dance companies?

Why should Boston be excited about you guys?

The official line is that we’re the first contemporary repertory dance company in Boston to have international partnership at the leadership level. What this means is that we have people on the ground here, I’m native to Boston, and my co-artistic director Itzik is Israeli and worked for 30 years in Holland. He’s still very active both in Israel and Europe. This company has access to artistic resources in those places as well as resources nationally and locally. In that way, we’re sort of in a great position to be able to fill some gaps here in the scene, historically speaking. The work that we’re bringing in is exciting particularly considering we’re working with a predominately Boston-based group of people. It’s a merging of international voices with Boston locals, which doesn’t really happen much here.

What is the most impactful piece you’ve worked on so far with Boston Dance Theatre?

I think Man of the Hour is important to mention particularly when speaking about women in the dance community. It was one of the first programming decisions we made when we were talking about Itzik’s work. We were deciding what to do, and we thought, “Well, we’ve got this kickass group of women here in Boston, so let’s do a piece that was created for men.” I won’t spoil it too much for you, but Man of the Hour is intense. It’s very confrontational, very strong, very cathartic. It feels right at this moment.

We chose to do this in 2016, and it’s just continued to feel relevant. Whenever people come in to watch us rehearse, all of the women watching ask, “Can I come in and do that with you guys?” It’s great. It’s what we need right now.

How are you dealing with fears that the season won’t be successful? How are you feeling about Boston Dance Theatre’s future?

I mean, there’s always fear, but I feel so confident in the work. I wouldn’t be doing this otherwise, to be honest.

I didn’t just wake up one morning and decide, “Let’s do a company,” you know? I needed a place for this work to exist in the US, to [be] more accessible to us as Americans. I think when I get worried about the grant deadlines or meetings with donors or ticket sales, or when I start thinking, “Oh my God, how am I going to get more press?” I have to look back and realize how much we’ve grown in just the short time since we’ve been incorporated and trust that that is going to carry us forward.

THEATER REVIEW PERFORMING ARTS

BY JACOB SCHICK @SCHICK_JACOB

GRINCH STEALS CHRISTMAS AND SHOW IN WANG THEATRE MUSICAL

Since 1957, when the original Dr. Seuss book was published, people have been enamored with the furry green grouch who hates the holiday season. So much so, in fact, that the word “Grinch” has come to refer to someone who resembles the character in temperament, if not in shape. So it’s no surprise that Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical broke records on Broadway and opened to resounding applause in Boston’s Wang Theatre.

The musical follows the classic story fairly closely—one that all but the youngest audience members are intimately familiar with by now. “Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot. But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did not.” The Grinch formulates a plan to steal Christmas from the noisy and cheery Whos by dressing up as Santa Claus and stealing all of their presents and decorations and “the log for their fire” with help from his dog, Max. But, when the Grinch realizes that Christmas still came for the Whos, and that they delight in spending time with each other for the holiday more than any material good, he comes to understand “the true meaning of Christmas” and returns everything. Happily ever after.

Even though the story is old, the musical made it feel brand new. Instead of Boris Karloff as the narrator, an elderly version Max (Ken Land) tells the story in a series of “flashbacks.” Directed by Matt August, The Musical begins with a bang. A large songand-dance by the vibrantly dressed and made-up Whos starts the action of the show.

With costumes designed by Robert Morgan changing the shape of the actors’ bodies into something sufficiently Seuss-like, the musical does a fantastic job in creating a truly live-action version of a cartoony story (discounting the 2000 film starring Jim Carrey, which this musical is better than). The audience is introduced to the largely secondary characters—Cindy Lou Who (Mackenzie Mercer), Papa Who (Danny Gurwin), Mama Who (Jacquelyn Piro Donovan)—as the focus of the goings-on in Whoville. We also meet the young Max (Aleksa Kurbalija) and with him, the star of the show.

The Grinch (Gavin Lee) truly does steal the show, even if he ends up returning Christmas. There’s something about this character, in all his iterations, that makes him so compelling and so enjoyable to watch. But attributing the whole of this show’s enjoyment to the character would be doing a disservice to Lee. The actor absolutely blows it out of the water. He is both dastardly and relatable, funny and pitiable. His timing is perfect, pausing so as not to step on the laughs or applause that his lines win.

He is cartoonish in his mannerisms, playing up the ridiculousness of his extra long and furry fingers. His facial expressions, combined with the extensive makeup he wears, give his reactions an amplifying effect that reaches all the way to the higher levels of the theatre. At times Lee as the Grinch would turn to address the audience, garnering guffaws and applause, as well as the consternation of Old Max as the narrator shouted, “Don’t encourage him.”

Performed with a live orchestra, the music for the show works to complement the comedy beats and the moments of emotion. Standouts among the musical numbers include “One of a Kind,” “It’s the Thought That Counts,” and, of course, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” But this is not to say that the other songs weren’t good. The musical numbers throughout the show never felt tiresome like they might in other musicals.

They were sung beautifully and well, and none of them went on for too long.

This show’s arrival in Boston is just in time for the holiday season, even though it has a short run. Its timing with The Grinch, the animated movie released this November, seems purely coincidental. But if choosing between which version to enjoy this holiday season, the musical has the movie beat on all fronts.

DR. SEUSS’S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL. 11.29–12.9. BOCH CENTER WANG THEATRE, 270 TREMONT ST., BOSTON.

GAVIN LEE AS THE GRINCH AND THE 2018 TOURING COMPANY OF DR SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL. PHOTO BY JORDAN BUSH. NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

19

DIGITAL ACTIVITY FILM

Some of 2018’s best horror movies are Very Online

BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN

The first movie that Blumhouse Productions got distributed in the United States was Stagedoor [2006], a nonfiction film about a theater camp in the Catskills.

But the house style of Blumhouse wasn’t really set until three years later, when the production company presented Paranormal Activity [2009], in the process establishing itself as a welcoming home for low- to midbudget genre movies that show at least a little bit of multiplex potential.

Now in point of fact, Paranormal Activity wasn’t even a Blumhouse feature until after it was finished—the movie was made independently by its director, Oren Peli, on a budget of about $15,000, with Blumhouse and its founder Jason Blum coming on as creative partners only after the first cut of the movie has premiered at festivals.

But despite its adopted status, Paranormal Activity still established a number of tendencies that remain standard among Blumhouse-produced films even now, nearly 10 years later: a heavy emphasis on horror, relatively atypical creative freedom afforded to relatively unproven filmmakers, and the constant presence of consumer-grade media formats and other forms of visual technology.

These particular traits are certainly true of Cam [2018] and Unfriended: Dark Web [2018], two Blumhouse movies released this year, each directed by a debuting filmmaker, both of them obsessively engaged with the aesthetic possibilities suggested by various new forms of online media.

In the opening scene of Cam, written by Isa Mazzei and directed by Daniel Goldhaber, we’re introduced to Alice Ackerman (Madeline Brewer), aka online camgirl pornographer Lola_Lola, as well as to a few of the spaces in which she practices her trade. One of those spaces, the “Pink Room” where she performs and records herself, is a physical one. But the rest of them are entirely digital— the website she uses to broadcast her work (FreeGirls.

Live), the chat room her viewers use to share emojis and memes and requests, the phone applications she uses to send messages and snaps to favored clients, the laptop programs she uses to broadcast her showers and other “private” moments to whoever’s bidding highest at the given moment. The movie depicts all this screen time

close-up, in oft-pixelated insert shots, to such an extent that one might suspect the Real Villain of this film is the all-encompassing nature of online sex work. To support that interpretation, one could point to a whole series of sex work-related stressors depicted within the first 30 or 40 minutes of Cam: The film pointedly suggests risks involving self-harm (one sequence connects online bullying to a mock suicide); stalking (one of Alice/Lola’s regulars is suspiciously sighted IRL); the loss of autonomy (one scene makes faux-horror of a scenario where Alice/ Lola allows her viewers to control the speed on her “vibratron”); threat of social humiliation (Alice hasn’t told Mom about Lola yet); and even industry sabotage (one of Alice’s camgirl peers acts like she’s featuring in All About Eve [1950]).

These are challenges to Alice’s closely guarded sense of agency, but challenges she can handle capably, setting the stage for the one she cannot: Alice wakes one morning to find a double of herself broadcasting on her own Lola_Lola page, from a double of her own Pink Room, the mirror image talking with Alice’s regulars in real time, taking all her money, not to mention violating Alice’s own rules of propriety in the process. It’s a demon of some unexplained origin, though we quickly surmise it’s less from the shadows than from the screens, a villain more algorithmic than mythic. The first half of Cam dutifully cataloged risks and concerns inherent to sex work, with the omnipresence of digital technology rendered a background factor. The second half of Cam flips that script: By film’s end the horror has little to do with how Alice uses her tech, and everything to do with what that tech might do back.

Mistaking an accurate description of the film’s aesthetic strategy for a valid critique, a New York Times review of Cam noted that “the movie suffers visually from too many shots of screens within screens.” It’s those screens that the movie draws its energy and momentum from—it’s T.O.S. horror—and they haunt every frame, sometimes even in layers.

Writer/director Stephen Susco’s Unfriended: Dark Web is similarly defined by very idea of “screens within screens”; it belongs to a horror subgenre so inextricable from

>> CAM IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON NETFLIX. RATED TV-MA. >> UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB IS AVAILABLE ON HOME VIDEO AND FOR OUTLETS. RATED R. 20

12.06.18 - 12.13.18

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DIGBOSTON.COM

modern technology that we don’t even have a name for it yet. Referred to with phrases like “computer screen films” and “desktop films,” Dark Web is the latest in a series of movies where the frame of the film is filled up by a screen being operated by one of its characters. In this case, we’re looking at the screen of a MacBook being operated

by Matias (Colin Woodell), who’s first seen guessing at a password (the laptop isn’t his), Facebook messaging with his girlfriend Amaya (Stephanie Nogueras), and planning for a Skype-session game night with some of his other friends (they’re playing Cards Against Humanity, a fitting motif for Dark Web, a film exceptionally meanspirited even by horrormovie standards). Even at this early point the movie is depicting specifically digital anxieties, playing up unfulfilled “typing…” bubbles, having Matias place tabs on opposite ends of the desktop so that your eyes don’t know where to look—savvy formal techniques that are unique to online experiences and that are developed to strong ends throughout the whole film. These quotidian online anxieties are quickly amped up by more sensational ones: Matias’ stolen laptop is actually home to a whole collection of snuff videos, and his indiscretion makes the whole game night gang into the next targets for the dark-web kill-squad that commissioned that footage in the first place. And that second group quickly prove themselves capable of hacking into just about everything, from messaging apps to hospital monitors to planes, trains, and automobiles (CIA surveillance is even invoked by a throwaway piece of dialogue, for the sake of either subtext or lols, depending on your disposition). The villain in the first Unfriended [2014] was a ghost, an old horror figure grafted onto a modern context. But in this case even the antagonists are updated, a group of nameless faceless enemies—egg avatars, in other words—who fight by doxxing, by swatting, by maliciously editing audio and video—a horror villain made deeply threatening only due to the clout and talents they posses within the digital sphere. Sound familiar?

Blumhouse is the link that binds these pictures, but that’s not to suggest the production company is their author. These are extremely different films made by extremely different artists, one an empathetic parable about digital life suffused with Twilight Zone vibes, the other a cruelly mechanical slasher movie that uses online signifiers for its bloody gears. But they’re each quietly radical in comparable ways, both working diligently to incorporate real aspects of modern digital life into film horror, that most stubborn of genres, usually stuck in its cliches for decades at a time. Our cinema is now tasked with making room to depict all these other screens that take up space in our lives; both Cam and Dark Web do their part to get the House into order.

VOL 10

Saturday • December 15 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Art by Barrington Edwards

Grove Hall Branch of the Boston Public Library 41 Geneva Ave • Dorchester 02121

Comics In Color is a safe space where you can come and nerd out about illustrated stories by and about people of color.

THIS MONTH! • Featured Guest: Michelle Abreu

Michelle is an Illustrator and comic book artist with two comic series, Novengard & The Lamb of the Altar, which can be found on AbreuIllustration.com.

• Discussion

Into the Spiderverse

• All-levels comics making activity • Samples of POC Comics • SNACKS! All are welcome but this is an event focused on comics by and about people of color.

COMICSINCOLOR.ORG

NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

21

CRINGE AND PURGE SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE @FAKEDANSAVAGE | MAIL@SAVAGELOVE.NET

I’m a 59-year-old man in good health. For basically my whole adult life, I’ve had this problem during intercourse with a woman of (1) being very quick to come and (2) having a too intense “cringey” sensation when I come. This has led to often going soft at the prospect of intercourse. This too-intense feeling makes me stop moving when I come, which is not satisfying at all. It doesn’t happen with hand jobs or oral sex—they feel fine and good. Is this a known phenomenon? And, most importantly, what can I do to get to a point where I can enjoy intercourse? This seriously messes up my enjoyment of sex and my confidence with women. One time, and only one time (out of many with a particular girlfriend), I had intercourse and it felt fine when I came, still thrusting, so I know it’s possible. I have been practicing with a Fleshlight, but it’s still painfully “cringey” when I come. It is not fun and rather depressing.

He Always Really Dreads Penetration And Regrets This I shared your letter with Dr. Ashley Winter, a urologist in private practice in Portland, Oregon, and the cohost of The Full Release, a sex, health, and relationship podcast. Dr. Winter wanted to note that her comments are a general discussion of a medical topic and NOT individual medical advice. She wanted me to emphasize this point—which she also emphasizes at the top of her terrific podcast—because Dr. Winter is a responsible doctor and not a card-carrying member of the Amalgamated Advice Columnists of America. (Membership in the AACA entitles advice columnists to say pretty much whatever they want.)

“There are three issues at play here,” said Dr. Winter. “First, the pain or ‘cringey’ sensation only associated with vaginal and Fleshlight penetration. Second, being too quick to come. And third, erectile dysfunction. HARDPART insightfully suggests his ED may be related to his performance anxiety as well as anticipated pain, and I would agree with this. I would add that his quick ejaculation is most likely also caused by a mix of ED and pain—the body adapts to pain and erection loss by letting the swimmers off the hook early.”

But why do you experience this pain only during penetrative sex? What is it about PIV (penis in vagina) or PIF (penis in Fleshlight) that causes those painfully cringey feelings?

“If he thrusts more during these activities than he does during oral or hand stimulation, I would expect that either pelvic floor muscle dysfunction or a nerve issue related to the lower spine could be causing the flairs,” said Dr. Winter. “If he were my patient, I would want to know if he has less pain when his partner is on top, which would mean his pelvis is moving less. Also, does he have chronic low back pain? Bowel or bladder issues?”

Dr. Winter and I continued to generally discuss the medical topics raised by your question, HARDPART, and we generally discussed—this is not, again, individual medical advice, but a general discussion—two things someone with your particular issue might want to think about doing. First, a guy with your problem could try taking Viagra—or a related drug—while also using a penis numbing spray. And a guy with your problem should also have his pelvic floor checked out. A urologist can help a guy with a problem like yours determine if there’s something wrong with the complex web of muscles and nerves that crowd together around your junk and, if it is a pelvic floor issue, refer him to a pelvic floor physical therapist.

Finally, a suggestion from me, the person with the AACA card: A guy with a problem like yours—a guy whose dick works a certain way and has worked that way for decades—could save himself the hassle of physical therapy and the side effects of Viagra by accepting his dick and the way his dick works. There are women out there who prefer oral and outercourse to PIV, HARDPART, and you could bed those women with confidence.

Follow Dr. Ashley Winter on Twitter @AshleyGWinter, and check out The Full Release podcast, which she cohosts with comedian Mo Mandel, at thefullreleasepod.com.

On the Lovecast, the Atlantic’s Kate Julian on why the kids aren’t having sex: savagelovecast.com.

savagelovecast.com

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DIGBOSTON.COM

COMEDY EVENTS THU 12.06 - SAT 12.08

CHAD DANIELS @ LAUGH BOSTON

Chad Daniels is a writer, performer and comedian from Fergus Falls, MN. He is one of only 13 comedians to have appeared on the Tonight Show when it was hosted by Conan O’Brien. Additionally, he has been featured on Live at Gotham, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn and Craig Ferguson, and CONAN on TBS.

425 SUMMER ST., BOSTON | VARIOUS | $25 THU 12.06

HEADLINERS IN THE SQUARE @ JOHN HARVARD’S BREWERY & ALE HOUSE Featuring: Deadair Dennis Maler, Kevin M. Quigley, & more

33 DUNSTER ST., CAMBRIDGE | 9PM | FREE FRI 12.07 - SAT 12.08

KELLY MACFARLAND @ NICK’S COMEDY STOP

As an experienced stand-up comedian, Kelly has an extensive and well-rounded resume including comedy clubs, theaters, colleges, festivals, television appearances and entertaining US troops overseas. Kelly was first runner up in the 2009 Boston Comedy Festival, voted Best of the Fest 2010 Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival, released her first album, Bombshell in 2011, performed with the Oddball Festival 2015, performed on the Comedy Stage at the 2016 and 2017 Boston Calling and has been a featured headliner for the Boston Women in Comedy Festival for multiple years.

100 WARRENTON ST., BOSTON | 8PM | $20 FRI 12.07

AGAPÉ COMEDY NIGHT @ AGAPÉ BREWING COMMUNITY

Featuring: James Creelman, Dicky Stock, Brandon Vallee, Tim Oliver, Matt Barry, & Vally D..

Hosted by Nathan Burke

40 NEW WAY LANE, GLOUCESTER | 7:30PM | $10 SUGGESTED DONATION SAT 12.08

COMEDY GOLD @ THE BLARNEY STONE

Featuring: J Smitty, Liam McGurk, Zenobia Del Mar, Ethan Diamond, & Ben Quick.

Hosted by Justin P. Drew

1505 DORCHESTER AVE., BOSTON | 8PM | $10 MON 12.10

LAUGHTER ON TAP @ DEMOCRACY BREWING

Featuring: Jeff Smith, Erin Spencer, Dana Jay Bein, Sabrina Wu, Zachary Brazão, & Christa Weiss.

Hosted by Kathleen DeMarle & Caitlin Arcand

35 TEMPLE PL, BOSTON | 9PM | FREE

Lineup & shows to change without notice. For more info on everything Boston Comedy visit BostonComedyShows. com Bios & writeups pulled from various sources, including from the clubs & comics…

RUTHERFORD

BY DON KUSS DONKUSS@DIGBOSTON.COM

WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST

BY PATT KELLEY PATTKELLEY.COM

HEADLINING THIS WEEK!

Chad Daniels

The Tonight Show, Comedy Central Presents Thursday - Saturday

COMING SOON April Macie

The Howard Stern Show, Last Comic Standing Dec 13-15 Comics 2 Cure Presents: Donnell Rawlings Fri, Dec 14 THE WAY WE WEREN’T

BY PAT FALCO ILLFALCO.COM

Guy Branum

FX, truTV, The Mindy Project Dec 21 + 22

Erica Rhodes

Special Engagement: Weds, Dec 26

Mark Normand

Tuesdays with Stories, Comedy Central Dec 29-31 (NYE SHOWS!)

OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS

BY TIM CHAMBERLAIN OURVC.NET

Helen Hong

Showtime, Inside Amy Schumer Jan 3-5 617.72.LAUGH | laughboston.com 425 Summer Street at the Westin Hotel in Boston’s Seaport District NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

23

DECEMBER 9

SAT. JANUARY 5

DECEMBER 20

FRI. JANUARY 11

DECEMBER 26

DECEMBER 28, 29, 30

DECEMBER 31

JANUARY 20

FRI. JANUARY 25

SAT. JANUARY 26

JANUARY 30

FEBRUARY 7

SAT. FEBRUARY 9

FEBRUARY 12

FEBRUARY 13

FEBRUARY 14

FRI. FEBRUARY 15

SAT. FEBRUARY 16

FEBRUARY 17

FEBRUARY 18

FEBRUARY 19

FEBRUARY 20

ON SALE FRIDAY 10AM

MARCH 10

ON SALE FRIDAY 10AM

APRIL 7

ON SALE FRIDAY 10AM

SAT. MAY 4

ON SALE FRIDAY 10AM