Music and Cryptozoology A set of local organizations--Cloud City (aka Ben Sisto), The Footlight Club, and the Milky Way--are throwing a fund-raiser for 826 Boston. In a match made in heaven, the bookish Harry & the Potters will be the main event, and the openers will be Pants Yell! If you're nice, Bigfoot might show up in the shadows. Be observant. The Footlight Club, 7A Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain, 5:30 doors, 6:30 show, $12.......

Books Author Jami Attenberg, whom Bostonist had the pleasure of interviewing recently, is breaking out the big guns for her reading of her latest novel, The Kept Man. Kickass Cupcakes will provide food, and Ryan Walsh of Hallelujah the Hills will bring music. And it's free! Brookline Booksmith, 7:00 pm. Hot Dates SpeedDate.com is holding an online event tonight. Speed dating helped get a lot of dating crap out of the way, and it's even......

Jim McCue Book Launch Party Comedy Connection Faneuil Hall (T: Government Center) Sunday, December 16, 8:00 pm, $15 Free for veterans and military personnel Official Jim McCue Site AnySoldier.com The troops could use a lot from us right now, whether it be body armor or sunblock. But one local performer is using his specific talents to make the lives of the troops a little bit better. Comedian Jim McCue, who is also co-founder of the......

5 Funny Females Saturday, November 10--tonight!, 8:00 pm Midway Café, 3496 Washington, Jamaica Plain, $15 Official Site Can't make it to Comics Come Home? Or do you just want to see rising stars who aren't always on Comedy Central 24/7? Five funny females will be performing in Jamaica Plain tonight. The performers include host Susan Alexander, Maggie MacDonald, Erin Judge, Maria Ciampa, and Michelle Buteau. Urban myths and legends have sprung up that women......

The 19th Annual Boston Jewish Film Festival Now through November 11 At almost every theater in town Official site Sometimes film festivals aim to achieve a specific tone each year, or they provide selections that fit neatly into certain genres. This year's Boston Jewish Film Festival selections are unruly. They won't be boxed in. Even when it comes to their screenings, specific movies might be hard to find because they are popping up all over......

As it gets closer to Halloween for LAist, a contributer recollects her tale of staring down the serial killer, Richard Ramirez, otherwise known as the Night Stalker. Must think happy thoughts -- okay, free organic chocolate chip cookies for Los Angeles -- now that's a happy thought. Other happy Los Angeles thoughts include an interview with Jack Kehler of The Big Lebowski (he was the Dude's landlord), a beautiful and magical photographic moment in Venice......

After a week full of intense competition, the finalists in this year's Boston Comedy Festival Contest took the stage last night at the Cutler Majestic. The pressure was already high because they would be judged by Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Shelley Berman and Bill Dana, Comic of the Year winner Lewis Black, and a range of industry bigwigs. The comics also faced an even bigger challenge--the Red Sox game. These comics had to distract the......

Boston Comedy Festival Finals (with Lewis Black! woo!) Saturday, October 13, 8:15 p.m., Cutler Majestic Theatre, $45-$65 [Tickets] Annnnnnd the second round of the funnyfest semi-finals was another all-male show about how hard women are to deal with. Are these guys winning because they're funny or because comedy is a male-dominated profession? We'd say it might be a combo of both--most of the semifinalists drew some laughs, but we do wish there had been a......

Boston Comedy Festival Semi-Finals Friday, October 12, 8:30 p.m. @ Nick's Comedy Stop (100 Warrenton), $15 [Tickets] Boston Comedy Festival Finals (with Lewis Black! woo!) Saturday, October 13, 8:15 p.m., Cutler Majestic Theatre, $45-$65 [Tickets] Look out, kids, the big guns are here--it’s the Boston Comedy Festival semi-finals! And wouldn’t you know, it’s an all-boys’ club (because women aren’t funny, except when they are). Besides a penis, something that everyone on stage shared was......

--Semi-Finals: Thursday, October 11, Nick's Comedy Stop (Upstairs), 8:30 pm --Semi-Finals: Friday, October 12, Nick's Comedy Stop (Upstairs), 8:30 pm --Finals: Saturday, October 13, Cutler Majestic, 8:15 pm During the last night of the preliminaries, many of the comics tore into their routines like it was the last show of their lives. Everyone is burning out after four days of endless stand-up shows, but the comics of the last preliminary round made it all worth......

--Preliminaries: Tuesday, October 9, Comedy Connection, Faneuil Hall, 7:00 and 9:00 pm --Preliminaries: Wednesday, October 10, Comedy Connection, Faneuil Hall, 7:00 and 9:00 pm --Urban Comedy Showcase: Wednesday, October 10, Roxbury Center for Arts at Hibernian Hall, 8:00 pm --Semi-Finals: Thursday, October 11, Nick's Comedy Stop (Upstairs), 8:30 pm --Semi-Finals: Friday, October 12, Nick's Comedy Stop (Upstairs), 8:30 pm Now that we've warmed up, we'll get right to last night's results. For more on how......

Boston Comedy Festival Preliminary Rounds --Monday, October 8, Comedy Connection, Faneuil Hall, 7:00 and 9:00 pm --Tuesday, October 9, Comedy Connection, Faneuil Hall, 7:00 and 9:00 pm --Wednesday, October 10, Comedy Connection, Faneuil Hall, 7:00 and 9:00 pm All tickets for the preliminaries are $15 The comics rush up onstage and change right before your eyes. One moment, they gaze into the camera and at the audience like classic deer before headlines. Then, an internal......

This year's Boston Comedy Festival is about to start, and you won't be able to make up your mind about all the events happening around town. The following listings include just a few measly highlights, but the Boston Comedy Festival is sure to have something that suits your sense of humor, whether it be ironic, sarcastic, slapsticky, or potty. Check the official site and full schedule for all event details. Boston Comedy Festival Contest Preliminaries:......

Mort Sahl will perform at Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway Theater on Thursday night. For more information, go to Jimmy Tingle's website. All shows are at 7:30 pm. Without Mort Sahl, there would be no Daily Show or Colbert Report. James Wolcott at Vanity Fair went so far as to suggest that Sahl was more important to American comedy than Lenny Bruce. Whether or not that's true, Sahl laid the foundation for today's political satire. He......