boston progress radio

April showers bring May flowers. Flowers are nice, but I’ll just settle for warmer weather. April also means another Boston Progress sponsored open mic. (Can you believe that it is already April?) On April 11, 2008, the spoken word trio L.I.F.E. is featuring at East Meets Words Open Mic, the longest running Asian American open mic in New England. Come on down to East Meets West Bookstore at 934 Massachusetts Avenue at 8pm. Bring $3 to get in and something to share or just bring an open mind and open ears. All ages are welcome.

Tags: Boston Progress, Open Mic, spoken word.

A couple of friends of Boston Progress Arts Collective has embarked on a new adventure to spread positive facts and debunk old lies about Asian Americans—to tell everyone how awesome Asian Americans are behind the wheel.

Kit Yan—transgendered champion slam poet—and Melissa Li—lesbian folkrocker—are driving across the country in a small automobile, spreading their music and words wherever they go. Both of them featured at East Meets Words last year and I had the privilege of interviewing them for Boston Progress Radio.

You can follow them on their cross country journey as they travel through 30 states and 20 major cities, seeking out the Asian American and queer communities, and representing voices that are not often heard. Read about their adventures on their blog and check when they might be coming through your town. Read more

Tags: Boston Progress, Community, Concert, Video.

Exit Clov will be back in Cambridge, MA. They’ll be playing on March 5, 2008 at the Middle East Club starting at around 9pm. I’ve been told they’ll be playing with three other bands. Show is 18+ with a cover charge of $8. If you haven’t seen this quintet play before, come check them out. Check out our interview of Suz and Em that we did back on November 4.

The winner of the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for her debut story collection Interpreter of Maladies will be at MIT on March 4, 2008. She will be speaking from 7 to 9 pm at Building 32, Room 123 (The Stata Center). Lahiri’s first novel, The Namesake, was published in 2003 and a film version was released in 2007. Her new book of short stories, entitled Unaccustomed Earth, will be published in 2008. The event is free and open to the public.

The monthly East Meets Words Open Mic is coming to the East Coast’s most awesome independent Asian American bookstore, East Meets West Bookstore, on March 14, 2008. It happens to be the third anniversary of the open mic. Yes, it has been three years. We’re going to have a very special feature for this occasion, so you should bring all your friends down to 934 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA to check things out. Bring a piece to share and $3 to get in. As always, the open mic welcomes all ages and starts at 8pm.

Tags: Boston Progress, Open Mic.

January 2008 is almost over and my favorite month of the year is coming. I feel like it was just last week that I was writing my year in review for 2007. Anyhow, please come out to see the East Meets Words Open Mic February feature, One Signata Nach, on February 8, 2008 at the East Meets West Bookstore at 934 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA.

If you have trouble figuring out what “One Signata Nach” means, rest assured that “his name has no roots in the cultures of our world and can neither be misinterpreted, nor mispronounced.” But if you feel uncomfortable saying his name, well, you can just call him OSN.

The open mic starts around 8pm and is open to all ages. Cover charge is $3.

If you don’t like football, you should check out Jinah Kim, our December 2007 East Meets Words feature on February 3, 2008 March 2, 2008. She’s playing at Kennedy’s Midtown at 42 Province Street, Boston, MA. It’s located conveniently right by the Boston Common and the Orpheum Theatre. The cover is $5 and you must be 18+ to get in. She’s playing right at 7 pm, so even if you like football, you can go and catch the end of the game. Or just watch the commercials at halftime.

Um, yeah, if you don’t get it, well basically, the show got rescheduled. So now, with no football, you have no excuse not to go out and support Jinah.

Miss Vintage, an all Asian American rock band from Philadelphia, PA, is doing a special show at T. T. the Bear’s Place (that is a funny name for a club) on January 23, 2008 at 8:30 pm. T. T.’s can be found at 10 Brookline Street in Cambridge, MA near Central Square. It’s right next to the Middle East. The show is for 18+ folks and has a cover of $7. They’re playing with Roland High Life, Red Red Rockit, and Beats & Sources.