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10 things to do in Boston this weekend
BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest things to do in Boston.
Welcome to BosTen, your weekly guide to the coolest events and best things to do in Boston this weekend. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter here. Have an idea about what we should cover? Leave us a comment on this article or in the BosTen Facebook group, or email us at [email protected].
Geek out at the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival
The country’s longest running genre film festival is back for its 49th year. The Boston Science Fiction Film Festival has taken over the Somerville Theatre now through Monday, bringing in-person screenings, short film collections, panels, and more. The festival culminates with a 24-hour marathon of sci-fi films, ranging from genre classics to so-bad-they’re-good guilty pleasures. Tickets to the marathon and select individual film screenings are currently on sale. After the marathon concludes on Monday, the fest goes virtual on Filmocracy from Feb. 20-25 for anyone who can’t make the in-person screenings. (Thursday, Feb. 15 through Monday, Feb. 19; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville; $16 and up) — Natalie Gale
Catch all of the Oscar-nominated shorts
With less than a month to go until the 2024 Oscars on March 10, trying to watch all of the Oscar-nominated films you missed can be a challenge. One easy way to knock out a bunch of nominees in one night is watching the Oscar-nominated short films, which can only be seen in theaters starting this weekend. In just 80 minutes, you can watch all five nominees for Best Animated Short, including the odds-on favorite, “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko.” Directed by Dave Mullins, the short is set during World War I, where two soldiers on opposite sides sit down for a game of chess. A full list of local theaters showing the shorts — which includes AMC Boston Common, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Boston, and Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline — is available on Shorts.TV. (Starting Thursday, Feb. 15 at various times and locations) — Kevin Slane
Sing along with Mitski at MGM Music Hall
When Mitski (full name: Miski Miyawaki) first started making records as college projects, she was often referred to — in a positive way — as a gloomy crooner. Later on, she was called an indie alt-rocker. Later still, she and her music were being classified as throwbacks to the synthesizer pop of the ’80s. With her newest album, “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We,” critics are pointing out — again in a positive way — that she has worked wonders in incorporating a country flavor along with an orchestra and a 17-piece choir. No doubt a restless artist, always looking for new roads to explore, one constant is her gift of a rich, warm voice to sing her sometimes troubled lyrics, which will be on display this weekend during her four consecutive nights of shows at MGM Music Hall. (Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 15-18 at 8 p.m.; MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston; $36.50-$86.50) — Ed Symkus
Check out two new ICA exhibits
Whether you snagged some of the free Thursday night tickets or are planning a visit during regular hours, visitors to the ICA this weekend will be able to enjoy two exhibits that made their debut this week. “Lynloop [Toeing the Line],” by South African artist Igshaan Adams is a massive woven tapestry that draws on the concept of “desire lines,” paths created over time by pedestrians walking the same way outside of designated walkways, to consider themes like memories, life trajectories, community, and racial castes during the apartheid era. The second, “Of Whales” by Worcester-born artist Wu Tsang, was inspired partly by Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby-Dick.” The immersive exhibit of an oceanscape uses film and music to offer the perspective of the sperm whale, one of the world’s largest whales. (Starting Thursday, Feb. 15; ICA Boston; $10-20) — Natalie Gale
Shamble over to ‘Evil Dead: The Musical’
If you’re looking for a little counter-programming after two weeks’ worth of Valentine’s Day events, you can’t get much further from the lovey-dovey spirit of the holiday than a musical version of the 1981 cult classic film “The Evil Dead.” Sam Raimi’s comedy-horror movie was one of the first to play with the burgeoning archetypes of the slasher genre, putting five college students in a cabin in the woods where they unwittingly open a portal that turns their vacation into a hellscape of demonic possession. (Thursday, Feb. 15 through Sunday, Feb. 25; BCA Plaza Theatre, 539 Tremont St., Boston; $38.50 and up) — Kevin Slane
Rock out with Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band
Josh Ritter will spend the two weeks of February touring in celebration of the two full decades that have passed since the release of his third LP, “Hello Starling.” Like Dawes, however, he will (presumably) have one foot planted firmly in the present, as he has another album, “Spectral Lines,” that will still be less than one year old when he plays the last of these shows at the Paradise this Friday and Saturday. And just to keep things interesting, Ritter recently recorded his own version of Cyndi Lauper’s “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough.” Given that I am a fellow ’80s kid who is only six months older than he is, I can definitely appreciate that. (Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m.; Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston; $54) — Blake Maddux
Shake off the winter blues with a 5K
Indoor time got you a little stir crazy? Hit the streets with fellow runners, walkers, and joggers of all levels this Saturday for the Jamaica Pond Parkrun — a free, timed 5K around Jamaica Pond held each weekend in February. Show up at 8:45 a.m. for a 9 a.m. start, and register here. Join participants afterward at Espresso Yourself at 767 Centre St. for coffee and conversation. (Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8:45 a.m.; Pinebank Promontory, Jamaica Pond, Boston; free) — Cheryl Fenton
Embrace Cat Power at Chevalier Theatre
The artist Cat Power, born Charlyn Marie (“Chan”) Marshall, has recorded her own versions of songs by dozens of others. Thirty-eight of them can be found on “The Covers Record,” “Jukebox,” “Dark End of the Street,” and “Covers.” Interestingly, but probably not surprisingly, the only artist whose songs she recorded two of on any of the aforementioned records is Bob Dylan. For her latest release, Marshall has gone whole hog on Dylan by recreating in its entirety his 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” concert. Unlike the mislabeled Dylan bootleg whose name stuck (hence the quotation marks — it was actually recorded at the Manchester Free Trade Hall), “Cat Power Sings Dylan” was, in fact, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall. And now she’ll perform the whole thing in Medford this Saturday. (Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m.; Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest St., Medford; $55-$95) — Blake Maddux
Celebrate the Chinese New Year with a parade
Capping off weeks of Lunar New Year celebrations, the city’s annual Chinese New Year parade returns to the streets of Chinatown this Sunday. From 10:30 a.m. through the afternoon, dance troupes will perform the lion dance, a traditional ritual to bring prosperity into the new year. The day typically includes street food, firecrackers, and other traditional performances, and many restaurant owners in the neighborhood leave offerings to “feed” the lions, ensuring good luck for the new year. On the day of the parade, warm up inside the Lunar New Year Cultural Village at the China Trade Center, a free event with lion dancing, live music, and other performances. (Sunday, Feb. 18 from 10-3 p.m.; China Trade Center, 2 Boylston St., Boston; free) — Kevin Slane
Pao Arts Center Lunar New Year celebration
Need to warm up while out and about for the Chinatown parade? At the same time as the parade, the Pao Arts Center holds its annual Lunar New Year celebration. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., guests can find performances and art-making workshops geared toward families like a shadow puppet demonstration, Korean Dasik cookie stamping on clay, and Korean cultural dances. (Sunday, Feb. 18 from 11-3 p.m.; Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany St., Boston; free) — Natalie Gale
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