E-Mail This Article to a Friend Mis-Education Beyond the teaches of Peaches, back to school with Disorientation 2003, plus more

Beyond the teaches of Peaches

The swarthy Canadian disco-punk diva known as Peaches won the hearts of hard-rockers and electro svengalis alike with The Teaches of Peaches (Beggars XL), an album of filthy basement beats, filthier guitar riffs, and slurry raps that made Lil’ Kim seem downright demure. She ended up singing her signature dance-floor filler "Fuck the Pain Away" on tours by Larry Tee’s Electroclash cabal and metal titans Queens of the Stone Age, then hooked up with Iggy Pop for his forthcoming Stooges-abetted solo album. Iggy returns the favor by guesting on Peaches’ new Fatherfucker (Beggars XL), which is due September 23 and which she’ll support with a tour that comes to the Middle East, 480 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square, on October 6. Tickets are $15; call (617) 864-EAST.

Back to school

We’re not offering university credit for "Disorientation 2003," our annual welcome-back gift to the kids, but on the upside, we’re not asking for tuition, either. Brought to you by your friends at FNX and the Boston Phoenix, this year’s crash course in rock and roll will be headlined by sideburned heartthrob-in-waiting Bleu, who won over the local scene a couple years back with a star-studded Christmas album, trumped all comers at the Rumble, scored a number on the Spider-Man soundtrack, and signed with Aware/Columbia for his new Redhead. If we’re lucky, he’ll bring a version of the ad hoc scenester choir he’s been assembling for local gigs of late. Bleu leads our Disorientation master class (with special guest openers — listen to 101.7 FNX for details) at the Hatch Memorial Shell on the Charles River Esplanade next Saturday, September 13. It’s free; call (800) 570-6881.

Celebrity Series

We know some of you have been waiting with bated breath since we announced the 2003-2004 FleetBoston Celebrity Series schedule — now it’s time to set your speed dial and max out the charge cards. Tickets go on sale to non-subscribers this week, which means first crack at eight months’ worth of A-list classical, folk, and dance soirees, from Patti Lupone (Symphony Hall, October 25) to Dawn Upshaw (Jordan Hall, April 2), from hot pianist Lang Lang (Jordan Hall, November 8) to Bobby McFerrin (Symphony Hall, April 4), and from the New Shanghai Circus Acrobats of China (Symphony Hall, March 21) to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (Wang Theatre, April 13 through 18). A little birdie told us that if you have any hopes of checking out the trio of Anne-Sophie Mutter, André Previn, and Lynn Harrell on April 14 at Symphony Hall, or the first night of the Kirov Ballet’s November-13-through-16 engagement at the Wang Theatre, now would be a good time to act. A full schedule is available at www.celebrityseries.org. Tickets go on sale this Monday, September 8, at 9 a.m.; call (617) 482-6661, except for shows at Theater District venues (i.e., the Wang, the Shubert, and the Cutler Majestic Theatre), for which tickets are available by calling (800) 447-7400.

Square meals

Who sez too many chefs spoil the soup? Certainly not any of the folks putting together this year’s A Taste of Cambridge, a culinary tour of the People’s Republic that’ll bring together 40 area eateries, breweries, and vineyards on September 25 for an evening of noshing, with proceeds benefitting the Cambridge Licensee Advisory Board’s underage-drinking-prevention unit, as well as Shelter Inc.’s homeless-support services. Among the folks who’ll be cooking up a storm are — that’s them in the photo, from left — Ben Nathan (Centro), Michael Licchi (the Good Life), Peter Davis (Henrietta’s Table), Josh Velazquez (Bukowski’s), Paul O’Connell (Chez Henri), Nicole Coady (Finale), Gurnan Singh (Café India), Jorge Lopes (the Blue Room), Mark Romano (Green Street Grill), Jason Lord (East Coast Grill), and Elijah Crist (Zephyr on the Charles). They’ll pony up the eats while the local lounge act Four Piece Suit — back in the spotlight thanks to their music for Sex in the City — provide the tunes. The event runs from 5 to 8 at Technology Square, Main and Albany Streets at the MIT Courtyard. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the gate; call (617) 349-6140.