This Is Not Fashion Exhibit Opens This Week - 9/19

I was just talking to one of my friends last week about how I haven't gone to a museum or any art exhibits in quite some time. I used to be part of the museum council at the MFA, but work got so busy that I ended up never having time to make it over there. On top of that, the ICA has been open for like two years now and I still haven't made it over there. Sad.

And as I was sitting there renewing my vow to get some culture back into my life, I got an email about a new art exhibit that will be opening this week.

The relationship between art and fashion receives fresh treatment in David Alsdorf‟s new exhibit, which makes its world premiere in Boston on September 19 th in association with Boston Fashion Week and South End Open Studios. Alsdorf‟s new collection This is Not Fashion redefines fashion photography, pushing people to examine the nature of this category of imagery and to confront its meaning.

This is Not Fashion opens for Boston Fashion Week on Friday, September 19, with a reception at Turtle (619A Tremont Street, Boston) from 5-7 PM. The opening continues during South End Open Studios, Saturday September 20 – Sunday September 21, 12-5pm. The exhibit will remain on display through Sunday, October 19

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See you guys there!

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Belgian Beer Festival Tickets On Sale Now

I blog a lot about the beer festivals that go on in Boston. Partly because all my friends always go and partly because they are wildly popular. Coming up in September is the Belgian Beer Festival which in my opinion is second only to the Extreme Beer Festival during the Jan/Feb time frame.

Here's a little story about just how popular these things are (these things always sell out). One of my friends had an extra ticket to the Extreme Beer Fest earlier this year so he posted it on craigslist. It was a $40 ticket. Guess how much someone offered him for it. $130. Over 300% return. If only I could choose stocks that well.

Anyhoo, tickets just went on sale a couple days ago. Get them while they're still available. I'll be at the session II. The event takes place on Sept 27th.

Oh and just because I like you guys so much, here's a promo code that I found online for 10% off: NN8XX9.

See you there!

Click (here) to buy your tickets.

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LGBT Boston Pride Parade - 6/14

Boston Pride week has been going on all week, but one of the highlights of the week is the upcoming LGBT Boston Pride Parade and Festival which will be taking place this Saturday on 6/14.

The parade starts at noon in the South End on Tremont Street and ends up at City Hall Plaza. Last year 10,000 people marched and 300,000 people attended (here). Also starting at noon on the same day is the Boston Pride Festival at City Hall Plaza.


At the festival, there will be carnival games, face painting, a beer garden, live music, and Festival headliners Kat DeLuna and Kimberley Locke. I don't know who they are but apparently one of them was on American idol.

I still remember a couple years back when I lived on Tremont Street in the South End, the parade was a highly entertaining event (not fun if you're still sleeping, but fun after you get yourself out of bed)

Click (here) for a calendar of other events going on during Pride Week.

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Rhys Gallery Opening Reception Tonight

Happy Thursday everyone! For those of you that want something to do prior to the Jay-Z & Mary J Blige concert tonight - perhaps you'd like to swing by the Rhys Gallery in the South End.

Tonight from 5pm to 8pm, they're hosting an opening reception for their new exhibition featuring Darren Foote and Ali Smith.

PS. For those that didn't get tickets to Jay-Z but want to go, I bet there will be tons of scalpers tonight selling below ticket value. I was trying to sell my tickets on stubhub because I originally wasn't able to go tonight, but tickets were already being sold below ticket value - so I rearranged my schedule. It might be worth swinging by the TD Banknorth Garden and checking it out.

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Brownstone: A Review

For those of you unfamiliar with the South End, there was a mediocre bbq restaurant on Dartmouth street called Prairie Star that in the past year has been renovated and turned into Brownstone. I'd seen advertisements for it in Stuff@Night and some of the other local magazines but had never tried it. Well, this past Sunday, my girlfriend and I had brunch there.

It was the worst meal we've had in years. There were so many problems, I'm not sure where to start: the beginning I suppose.

1. The half and half for the coffee was curdled/spoiled.
2. The cheeseburger pizza appetizer was luke warm and bland.
3. To the waitress: If you're not going to write down our orders, please make sure you get the orders correct. Bringing me the wrong omelette and then staring down at your blank notepad over and over again doesn't fix things.
4. How do you mess up a bacon cheeseburger? My gf's cheeseburger was inedible.

It's partly my fault. The fact that the restaurant was empty should have been an indication to keep walking. Also, I should have checked chowhound first. The reviews there (here) for Brownstone are also quite bad.

To Brownstone: I hope you go out of business soon, so that a real restaurant can take over.

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Belgian Beer Fest - 10/26

Coming up this weekend is The Return of the Belgian Beer Fest. This is a ritual amongst my friends. They go every time one of these fests comes along. Me personally, I've only been to one. I went to the American Beer Fest last year. It wasn't very good - no offense to the breweries that were there. I've heard though that the Belgian Beer Fest is a lot better in general

So if you don't have plans this weekend October 26-27, then head over to one of the sessions of the Beer Festival. Tickets are $60 and the event will be held where it always is, the Cyclorama in the South End.

40+ handpicked funk-a-licious beers, plus guest speakers, cheese samples from Cabot, delicious food from Sunset Grill & Tap, and addictive Belgian waffles from the Waffle Haus.

Click (here) to go to the official website and purchase tickets while they last.

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Back to School - The South End

For today's Back to School edition, I'd like to talk about the South End. After having moved out of that neighborhood last year, I hadn't been back in a while - until this past Sunday. I had forgotten how much character and how quaint the South End is. Makes me almost miss living there.

The South End is basically the area south of Back Bay. Although they are the area around Shawmut Street and Washington Street have undergone extensive changes over the last few years, I never really roam south of Tremont Street. In fact, I spend most of my time there (all my favorite restaurants are conveniently located on Tremont).

View Larger Map

As you can tell, I really enjoyed all the restaurants on Tremont Street and didn't really venture away from that area very often. Why did I move? I had a car that I had to park in a garage 10 minutes away (Near Back Bay T Stop) and whenever I did park on the street, I had to worry about tickets from street cleaning and parking meters. Also, it was pretty noisy living on Tremont Street - garbage trucks at 5am woke me up almost daily.

But every place has their pros and cons. One big pro for the South End is definitely the food. If there are any other places readers would like me to mark on the map, send me a comment or email.

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Boston Tattoo Convention

It's sad that the work week hasn't even started yet and I'm already thinking about the weekend. Coming up on Friday 9/7 is the 6th Annual Boston Tattoo Convention. It runs all weekend and promises to be an interesting experience.

Tattoo artists from all around the country will be attending this event at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End. Click (here) for additional info on the official website. If I was in great physical shape, I'd totally get a tattoo - maybe on my back somewhere. Too bad I'm not in great shape, gotta hit the gym for a while first and lose some weight.

Boston Center for the Arts
539 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116

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Brunch in Boston

When I lived in the South End, there were numerous options for brunch on Sunday mornings: Garden of Eden, Aquitaine, Tremont 647, and my personal favorite Metropolis Cafe. It was at Metropolis that I found the best orange juice next to fresh squeezed.

Quick aside for the OJ - Natalie's Orchid Island orange juice is what they serve at Metropolis. I used to go religiously and order that stuff, one day while sitting at the bar area and having my breakfast, I asked the waitress if i could see the juice jug. I read the label and promptly went home and googled the name. Then I emailed the company to find out where I could buy it. Answer: Trader Joe's. Believe me, it's awesome stuff.

Back to the topic of brunch. After moving from the south end, it's been slim pickins in terms of places i could walk to closeby. Last week I walked over to The Paramount in Beacon Hill with some friends. It was my first time eating there and I will say that it was pretty good. If you've never been, they're cafeteria style. You stand in line and wait to get your food, and then only after are you allowed to grab a seat. Having only eaten there once, I'm not sure yet how I feel about it. A little amusing and a little annoying at the same time.

I'm always interested in new places, any readers out there have good brunch suggestions?

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Tito Puente Latin Music Series

If hanging out in a cemetary isn't your thing, maybe this will be more to your liking. Also on Thursday night (7pm - 9pm) O'Day Park in the South End will be hosting a performance by Cuban drummer Francisco Mela and his group Melao.

His most recent album also named "Melao" was named the best debut album of 2006 by All About Jazz magazine.

If you like Latin Jazz, click here for information on the rest of this concert series sponsored by Berklee School of Music.

And if you don't know where O'Day Park is, the address is 85 West Newton Street. Oh, last but not least, all the concerts are free.

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American Beer Festival

This weekend, the Beer Advocate presents the 3rd annual American Beer Fest. I went last year and it was a great time. Lucky thing that I lived close enough that i managed to crawl home. Remember kids, don't drink and drive.

Who: You
What: American Beer Fest
When: June 15th & 16th
Where: The Cyclorama @ The Boston Center for the Arts.
Why: Because beer is delicious

Details (here) on the festivities.

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Gay Pride Parade

The Gay Pride Parade 2007 will be taking place tomorrow. An estimated 35,000 people are expected to march from the South end to City Hall, Saturday June 9th. The parade starts at noon and will be taking place rain or shine.

I lived in the South End last year, right on Tremont Street. I remember watching the parade go by through my living room window. It was a sight to be seen. Unfortunately, the forecast looks like it's going to rain tomorrow, so if you're going to march or go out and show your support, bring your rain boots.

Click (here) for details and facts on this years parade. See below for the route that the parade will be taking. Take note, these streets will be closed tomorrow, so don't plan on driving in to the downtown area.

And if you're just a parade-type-of-person. Click (here) to one of my previous entries that had a link to the Boston Parade Schedule as supplied by the City of Boston.

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