MONDAY 12/15
(FILM) The late German-American filmmaker Michael Roemer is primarily known for his landmark films Nothing But a Man (1964) and The Plot Against Harry (1971), but his lesser-known family drama Vengeance Is Mine (1984) could give them a run for their money. On a trip to her family home in Rhode Island, where she hopes to get closure from her traumatic childhood, Jo (Brooke Adams) befriends neighbor Donna (Trish Van Devere) and finds herself ensnared in another domestic conflict altogether. Criterion Collection writes, “Bringing vérité naturalism to a seemingly melodramatic premise, Roemer crafts a miracle of novelistic psychological insight that, as it unspools, reveals ever-greater depths of human understanding.” (The Beacon, various times, through Dec 17) JULIANNE BELL
TUESDAY 12/16
Earl Sweatshirt, Liv.e, Zeloopers, Cletus Strap
(MUSIC) Earl Sweatshirt has been trying to turn the volume down for years. Once a teenage rap prodigy who found cult fame with, and brotherhood in, “the potty mouth posse” Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, Earl Sweatshirt now stands at age 31 as one of hip-hop’s old-soul success stories. Having just welcomed his second child and given up booze (and ramped up weed), he confidently told The New York Times’ Popcast this summer that his life is “fuckin’ normal, finally.” The recorded discography of Sweatshirt, born Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, documents the life journey of someone who once helped define, then survived to outgrow, a generation of youthful nihilism. But more than a post-nihilist victory lap, his new album, Live Laugh Love, is a bombastic celebration of passion. Gone are the days where each line was an avalanche of syllables that tumbled across the page like a chorus of cracking double-jointed knuckles; today, Sweatshirt raps with a blunted calm that sounds well-earned, but what remains is the vivid imagery and referential depth you have to rewind (gladly) to fully appreciate, proving he’s still one of the best to ever do it. (Showbox SoDo, 8 pm, all ages) TODD HAMM
WEDNESDAY 12/17
(HOLIDAY) Everyone’s favorite Capitol Hill dive bar is back with its annual holiday light show! Bait Shop always goes whole hog with holiday decorations, and its epic musical light show illuminates every hour on the hour(ish). The staff manually flips the light switches, so be sure to tap into the holiday spirit and tip them extra for their hard work. We love the bar’s seasonal bevvies and details like the decked-out bathrooms, dick-covered wrapping paper, and tiny Santa hats on every animal. (Bait Shop, 4 pm-2 am daily, 21+, free) SHANNON LUBETICH
THURSDAY 12/18
(PERFORMANCE) This evening of performances treats audiences to three different duets, each springing from long-term creative collaborations and exhibiting different choreographic styles. First up is the US premiere of Fable, a work from Bebe Miller with Angie Hauser and Darrell Jones that promises to explore “findings from a 25-year perspective on the contexts of art making through the body over a lifetime, exposing the collision of their internal processes as dance artists, friends, and citizens.” Next, Maurya Kerr, artistic director of the Bay Area-based company tinypistol, will present comet, whom I love, a “duet full of rapture, orbit, intimacy, fury, and presence.” Rachael Lincoln and Leslie Seiters will cap off the night with Fast Craft: Still Unlike Diving, a “study in pause, friction, and the beautiful collapse of certainty” 25 years in the making. (On the Boards, 8 pm, through Dec 20, all ages) JULIANNE BELL
FRIDAY 12/19
(MUSIC) Melina Mae Cortez Duterte, better known by her stage name Jay Som, dubs her brand of dreamy, intimate DIY bedroom pop “headphone music,” citing influences as disparate as Carly Rae Jepsen, Phil Elverum, and Alanis Morissette. She’s opened for musicians like Mitski and Japanese Breakfast, and contributed a song to the 2024 film I Saw the TV Glow. After a six-year break from solo music, during which she meticulously trained her technical skills, she’s released her latest album, Belong, which showcases her growth and leans into pop-punk territory with guest vocals from Hayley Williams of Paramore and Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World. Don’t miss an opening set from local artist Natalie Lew of Sea Lemon, who takes inspiration from the eerie beauty of the ocean and describes her vibe as “Costco Cocteau Twins.” (Neumos, 8 pm, all ages) JULIANNE BELL
SATURDAY 12/20
(VISUAL ART) What happens when art plays by its own rules? Or makes up new ones entirely? The Game Show is a two-weekend exhibition exploring this concept and the space between where games become art and art becomes play. Curated from an open call for work back in October, thirty artists now present whimsical, interactive, and delightfully odd projects, including dancers with bubble wrap, octopus roleplay, cardboard hotels built by mathematicians, projections that speak through walls, and, my personal favorite, a claw machine. Inspired by 20th-century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein’s idea that rules shift as we play, the show invites visitors to experiment, question, and engage through chance, movement, strategy, and mischief. (Vestibule, through Dec 21, free) LANGSTON THOMAS
SUNDAY 12/21
Seattle Torrent vs. Boston Fleet
(SPORTS) A lot of energy has been poured into developing a rivalry between the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes. I get it. Both clubs made their PWHL debut this year, and the cities are just a few hours apart, making it easy for fans to follow the teams on the road. I’m all for anything that drums up more excitement about women’s hockey. But I say the true Torrent rivals are the Boston Fleet, aka the team that put our Captain Hilary Knight up for grabs during the expansion draft (thanks, dummies!), and was formerly home to our GM, Meghan Turner. Other one-time Mass-holes on the Torrent roster include Alternate Captain Emily Brown, forward Lexie Adzija, and forward Hannah Bilka, who has a goal and two assists in three games. Hopefully, at Sunday’s matinee game, the Torrent can show the Fleet the error of their ways. (Climate Pledge Arena, 2 pm, all ages) MEGAN SELING
