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THURSDAY, MAY 5

Click here for Salsa dancing and lessons in Boston with Havana Club!

BENEFITS

Tonight at Colorstruck! Boston’s Women of Color in Comedy, a benefit for St. Mark’s Area Main Street (Florian Hall, 55 Hallet Street, Dorchester), Iranian-American comic Tissa Hami sets out on a jihad to make you laugh as she performs her critically acclaimed comedic routine, while covered head to toe in the traditional Muslim hija, of course. The famous Muslim comic will be joined by three other notable Boston-area comics: Straight from Dot and Jimmy Tingle’s Off Broadway is African-American comic Deb Farrar-Parkman, who refers to Michael Jackson as a "poor little black boy who grew up to be a rich white woman." Rounding out the bill are Colleen Galvin, a frequent guest on "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn," and Filipino/Irish-American funnygal Malissa Hunt. Doors are at 7, dinner at 7:30. Tickets are $30. Call Dan Larner for more information at 617.825.3846

"SOUTH END STYLE" TO BENEFIT THE SOUTH END BUSINESS ALLIANCE, HURLEY ELEMENTARY School, AND UNITED SOUTH END SETTLEMENTS with food, jazz, and a fashion show is at 6:30 p.m. at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama, 539 Tremont St., Boston. Tickets $75; (617) 635-8489.

"WILD WOMAN OF THE HARP CONCERT" TO BENEFIT BREAST CANCER RESEARCH with Deborah Henson-Conant is at 8 p.m. at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. Tickets $22-$35; (781) 641-5776.

WINE TASTING & SILENT AUCTION TO BENEFIT DELTA PROJECTS, INC. is at 7 p.m. at the College Club, 44 Comm. Ave., Boston. Tickets $40; (781) 449-8545.

AT THE CLUBS

ROAD-TRIP. Underground hip-hop producers were once measured by whose crates had the rarest old-school vinyl; now, as some of the most revered producers embrace live instruments and rockist song forms, the yardstick seems to be whose album has the most obscure indie-rock cameo. And that’s led to an even more unusual phenomenon: the producer as bandleader. Iconoclast beatmaker Scott Herren, a/k/a Prefuse 73, had enough clout to pull off the dream-team pairing of El-P and Ghostface on his recent Surrounded by Silence (Warp), but the disc is peppered with appearances by the Books, Connecticut noise kid Tyondai Braxton, and Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino. Herren is touring with a live band, and his openers include Afro-futurist B-boy Beans, who appears on the disc, and Braxton’s math-rock band Battles. They’re all at Pearl Street (413-584-7810) in Northampton tonight.

OTHER LIVE SHOWS:

For the following shows, see the Club Directory for phone numbers and addresses.

ABBEY LOUNGE, Somerville. Main Stage: Modifiers, Dirty Truckers, Kickbacks, Fractious. Pub Stage: Supplee.

THE ASGARD, Cambridge. M.O. Joe.

THE AVENUE, Allston. At 7 p.m., "Acoustic Pop" with Will Daly.

AXIS, Boston. At 6 p.m., Punchline, A Thorn for Every Heart, Matches, This Day & Age.

THE BEACHCOMBER, Quincy. "Original Band Night."

BILL’S BAR, Boston. Cynix, Delano Grove.

BLUESTONE BISTRO, Brighton. "Open Mic."

BOSTON ROCKS, Boston. At 5 p.m., "After Work Thursday."

BRAVO at THE MFA Boston. Ron Poster.

THE BURREN, Somerville. Front Room: At 10 p.m., "Traditional Irish Music." Back Room: At 10 p.m., Swinging Johnsons.

CANTAB LOUNGE, Cambridge. At 9 p.m., New Day with Cris Waller.

CLUB PASSIM, Cambridge. At 8 p.m., Pierce Pettis & Tom Kimmel.

DICK’S LAST RESORT, Boston. "Cinco De Mayo Fiesta."

ENCORE, Boston. Michelle Currie.

GREEN BRIAR, Brighton. Jon Frederik Band.

GREEN DRAGON, Boston. Spitting Vinnies.

GREEN STREET GRILL, Cambridge. At 10:30 p.m., "Afro-pop Reggae High Life" with Joh Camara & Jama-Jigi.

HARPERS FERRY, Allston. Cardinal Direction.

HENNESSY’S, Boston. Me & Julio.

JACOB WIRTH RESTAURANT, Boston. At 6 p.m., Clay Brown Trio.

JASMINE & KENDALL LOUNGE, Cambridge. At 9:30 p.m., Dan Tepfer Trio.

JOHNNY D’S, Somerville. Tons of Chill, See Peoples.

JOSE McINTYRE’S, Boston. Downstairs: Me & Julio.

LES ZYGOMATES, Boston. Chris Stovall Brown.

MATT MURPHY’S, Brookline. "Round Midnight Jazz Session."

MIDDLE EAST, Cambridge. Upstairs: Modelo 78. Downstairs: Reverend Horton Heat, Supersuckers.

NED DEVINE’S, Boston. "Cinco de Mayo Fiesta."

O’BRIEN’S, Allston. "Chords & Discourse: The Rolling Stones."

PARADISE LOUNGE, Boston. At 8 p.m., Tarbox Ramblers, Jon Langford.

PARADISE ROCK CLUB, Boston. At 9 p.m., Soulive.

PA’S LOUNGE, Somerville. L Contra, Nice & Easy, Noel Weber.

PORTER’S BAR & GRILL, Boston. "L.A.B. Thursday: Local Music."

REDLINE, Cambridge. At 10 p.m., "Reunion Thursday" with NPG All-Stars.

SCULLERS, Boston. Funk Brothers.

SISSY K’S, Boston. Justin Beech.

TIR NA NOG, Somerville. Ronan "Fluffy" Quinn.

TOP OF THE HUB, Boston. Bob Nieske Trio.

T.T. THE BEAR’S PLACE, Cambridge. Superlow, Distinguished Members, Short Films, Suburban Sky.

WALLY’S CAFE, Boston. Francisco Mela Quintet.

WESTERN FRONT, Cambridge. Lobo, Swissivory.

WEST STREET GRILLE, Boston. "Late Night Lounge."

DJ SHOWS:

AN TAIN, Boston. At 5 p.m., DJ Keith.

AN TUA NUA, Boston. At 9 p.m., "Thursday Night Live" with DJ G Squared.

ARIA, Boston. NYC hip-hop with guest DJs.

AVALON, Boston. At 10 p.m., "Hot & Heavy Thursday" with DJ Caprice.

THE AVENUE, Allston. At 9 p.m., "Dance Your Ass Off" DJ Hoff.

AXIS, Boston. At 10 p.m., DJ Nailz, Tasty & Taner K spinning vocal and progressive house.

BLARNEY STONE PUB, Dorchester. ’80s and today with DJ Scorch.

BLUE CAT CAFE, Boston. DJ Casey.

BUCK MULLIGAN’S, West Roxbury. R&B and commercial dance with DJ George.

BUZZ BOSTON/EUROPA, Boston. "Absolute," house & trance with DJ Stezo.

CLUB CAFE, Boston. "Non Stop Video Show" with VJ Tom Yazbek.

COMMON GROUND, Allston. "Love Night," ’80s, all vinyl with DJ Brian.

DEVLIN’S LOUNGE AND BAR, Brighton. "Chart & Dance" with DJ Doc.

EKCO LOUNGE, Boston. "Red Velvet," with DJs Geespin and Master Jay.

EMBASSY, Boston. "The Glamorous Life" gay hip-hop & electro party with DJS Susan Esthera & Shawn Ryle.

ENORMOUS ROOM, Cambridge. Hip-hop with DJs Hua Hsu and Cchay.

THE E ROOM AT THE GOLDEN TEMPLE, Brookline. House and acid jazz with DJ Johan Van Cauwenberghe.

THE EXCHANGE, Boston. "Heaven & Hell," house and hip-hop with DJs Chaos, Mr. Aru.

FELT, Boston. "Liquid" with DJs Chris DeSimone & Jynx.

HANNAH’S, Somerville. Reggae and house with guest DJs.

HONG KONG, Cambridge. Mainstream, house & Reggae with DJ Bob.

JOSE McINTYRE’S, Boston. Upstairs: DJ John Tringall.

THE KELLS, Allston. "Fun House" with DJs Edgar & Mike Gioscia.

MACHINE, Boston. "Human Thursday" with DJs Sean Caron and Angles.

MAN RAY, Cambridge. "Campus," alternative boypop with DJ Chris Ewen and high energy house with DJ Brad Gwynn.

MANTRA Boston. At 10:30 p.m., "Mantra Thursday" DJs spin eclectic international, vocal house, & hip-hop.

MARQUEE, Boston. "Turn It Up Thursday."

MIDWAY CAFE, Jamaica Plain. "Women’s Dance Night" with DJ Mozz & Queeraoke.

MILKY WAY, Jamaica Plain. "Aquanet Dance Party" 80s, old school hip-hop, funk, and soul with DJs Casey, CTO, Frank White, Tommee, Knife, and Paul Foley.

THE MODERN, Boston. At 10 p.m., "Soma," with DJ Omar.

ORLEANS, Somerville. DJ Ren Justice.

PARADISE LOUNGE, Boston. At 10 p.m., "Bubble Up: Rub a Dubwise Reggae."

PHOENIX LANDING, Cambridge. "Elements," drum ‘n bass with DJs Crook, and Lenore.

PURPLE SHAMROCK, Boston. DJ Flanagan with musical guest Jim Plunkett.

Q, Boston. "Hawaiian Tropic Model Search."

THE RACK, Boston. DJs Massi & Mike Pardi.

ROGGIE’S, Brighton. Lounge: Tribal House and Break beat funk with DJ Jonathan Theory.

THE ROXY, Boston. At 10:30 p.m., "The Latin Quarter" with special guest DJs.

SISSY K’S, Boston. Upstairs: popular dance, with DJ Deja.

SUGAR SHACK, Boston. "College Night" with DJ B-Spin.

TOAST, Somerville. "Premier Night for Women."

TRATTORIA IL PANINO, Boston. "Young Professionals Club."

21st AMENDMENT, Boston. DJ Sean Daly.

VAPOR, Boston. "MOCCA," hip hop and R&B with DJs KC and Ron Steel.

VENU, Boston. NYC house with DJ Nailz and "ISE-O spa" with DJ Tasty.

VERTIGO, Boston. "Diversify Thursdays," soulful house with DJ Fran and UK hard house and progressive trance with DJs JLong, Tek, and Catatonic and guest DJs.

COMEDY

BEANTOWN COMEDY VAULT, (781-729-2565), at Remington’s, 124 Boylston St., Boston. "Comedy Showcase" with Greg Howell.

CANTAB LOUNGE, (617-354-2685), 738 Mass. Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge. At 8 p.m., "Tribe Improv."

COMEDY CONNECTION, (617-248-9700), Upstairs at Faneuil Hall, Boston. At 8:30 p.m., "The R-Rated Hypnotist," Frank Santos.

IMPROV ASYLUM, (617-263-6887), 216 Hanover St., Boston. At 8 p.m., "Pork Fried Clowns." At 9:45 p.m., "NXT: Up & Coming Talent."

IMPROVBOSTON THEATRE, (617-576-1253), 1253 Cambridge St., Cambridge. At 8 p.m. "UnNatural Selection." At 10 p.m., "The Great and Secret Comedy Show."

JIMMY TINGLE’S OFF BROADWAY, (617-591-1616), 255 Elm St., Somerville. At 7:30 p.m., "The Jimmy Tingle Show." At 9 p.m., "College Comedy Night" with Myq Kaplan.

NICK’S COMEDY STOP, (617-482-0930), 100 Warrenton St., Boston. At 8:30 p.m., George MacDonald, Mark Riley, Larry Lee Lewis.

ALSO: See "Benefits," above.

CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERTS

MICHAEL BAHMANN, NELL FLANDERS, AND CRAIG TROMPETER perform Rameau’s Pièces de clavecin en concert at 7 p.m. at the French Library and Cultural Center, 53 Marlborough St., Boston. Tickets $35, $25 for students, seniors, members; (617) 912-0400.

BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY RAFAEL FRÜHBECK DE BURGOS performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor), with Stephen Kovacevich, and Respighi’s Fontane di Roma and Pini di Roma tonight at 8 p.m., tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Symphony Hall, 301 Mass. Ave., Boston. Tickets $27-$105; (617) 266-1200.

NEW GALLERY presents works by Mike Baggetta, Jeremy Udden, Julie Rosenthal, and Jonathan Bailey Holland with Jonathan Sandmel at 7 p.m. at the Community Music Center of Boston, 34 Warren Ave., Boston. Donations accepted; (617) 482-7494.

POPULAR MUSIC CONCERTS

Snoop Dogg and the Game made a big fuss over their gangland pasts in announcing their "How the West Was Won" tour — Snoop’s a Long Beach Crip, Game’s a Compton Blood — but the bigger rivalry this summer is between competing hip-hop blockbuster tours: this outing and Eminem’s "Anger Management" tour. Round one takes place at the DCU Center (formerly the Centrum), 50 Foster Street in Worcester. It’s a 7 p.m. show, and tickets are $40.75; call (508) 755-6800.

ALISON BROWN QUARTET WITH JOE CRAVEN performs at 8 p.m. at the National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Rd., Lexington. Tickets $18; (617) 757-2277.

DON GONZALEZ performs at 8 p.m. at Springstep, 98 George P. Hassett Dr., Medford. Donations accepted; (781) 395-0402.

SIR RICHARD BISHOP performs at 8:30 p.m. at Twisted Village, 12B Eliot St., Cambridge. Free, donations requested; (617) 354-6898.

STING AND FICTION PLANE perform at 7:30 p.m. at Agganis Arena, 925 Comm. Ave., Boston. Tickets $40.50-$61; (617) 931-2000.

WHY? AND BROTHER DANIELSON perform at 6 p.m. at the ICC, 557 Cambridge St., Allston. Tickets $8; (800) 594-TIXX.

DANCE/PARTICIPATORY

GREEK FOLK DANCE is at 7 p.m. at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary, 29 Central St., Somerville. Free; (617) 625-2222.

MILONGA LA PORTEÑA is at 8:30 p.m. at the Brookline Community Center for the Arts, 14 Green St., Brookline. Tickets $10; (617) 738-2800.

NEW ENGLAND CONTRAS AND SQUARES is at 8 p.m. at the VFW Mount Auburn Post, 688 Huron Ave., Cambridge. Tickets $6; (781) 662-6710.

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE is at 8 p.m. with a beginners’ dance at 7:30 p.m. at the Universalist Church, 211 Bridge St., Salem. Tickets $3; (978) 745-2229.

TANGO SALON is at 9 p.m. (with a lesson at 8 p.m.) at the Brookline Community Center for the Arts, 14 Green St., Brookline. Tickets $12 (with lesson), $7 (without); (617) 771-2554.

TEMPORADA LATINA SALSA AND MERENGUE DANCE is at 8 p.m. at Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge. Tickets $12 before 9 p.m.; $8 after 9 p.m.; (617) 876-9330.

DANCE/PERFORMANCE

BOSTON BALLET presents The Sleeping Beauty tonight at 7 p.m., tomorrow at 8 p.m., Sat.-Sun. at 2 and 8 p.m., and next Thurs. at 7 p.m. at the Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston. Tickets $18-$98; (800) 447-7400.

PRINCESS PAMPLEMOUSSE performs today and tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center Courtyard, 41 Second St., Cambridge. Free; (617) 577-1400.

DINING & WINING

Tonight, head to the Independent (75 Union Square, Somerville) for the restaurant’s first Cinco de Mayo Tequila Dinner, featuring a margarita reception and four-course dinner. The cost is $35; call (617) 440-6022 for reservations and information.

A good meal at Lala Rokh (97 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston) is pleasure enough; add to it a good musical performance and you have yourself a great package. Through Saturday, the Beacon Hill restaurant offers "Food & Music To Please the Soul," a three-course dinner and reserved seating at Saturday's performance of the Back Bay Chorale, at which the group will perform Robert Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, about Persian culture. The cost is $80, excluding alcohol; call (617) 720-5511 for reservations and information.

EVENTS

ARTS FIRST FESTIVAL with concerts, dance productions, theater, and exhibitions is from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in various locations in Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free; (617) 495-8676.

AT THE MOVIES

In the wilds of Winnipeg, far from the cares and woes of Hollywood and the rest of the world, madman Guy Maddin cobbles together his wild, hilarious dreamlike movies. Cowards Bend the Knee (2003) is a black-and-white silent set in a sperm specimen that includes a hockey team, severed blue hands, a ghost having an abortion, and the revenge of wax replicas of the Winnipeg Maroons. It screens at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum of Fine Arts’ Remis Auditorium. And if you’re looking for something more structured and concrete, don’t write the museum off just yet. Manfred Kirchheimer’s documentary Tall: The American Skyscraper and Louis Sullivan (2004) explains how all those great, big glassy things came to block our views and sunlight. It screens at 2:15 p.m. The MFA is at 465 Huntington Avenue in Boston; call (617) 369-3907.

For more movies and showtimes, see our Movie Theater directory.

READINGS & LECTURES

BOOK RELEASE PARTY for Susie Davidson’s I Refused To Die: Stories of Boston-Area Holocaust Survivors and Soldiers Who Liberated the Concentration Camps of World War II is at 6 p.m. at Hebrew SeniorLife, 100 Centre St., Brookline. Free; (617) 566-7557.

WIBKE BRUHNS reads from her My Father’s Country: History of a German Family at 7:30 p.m. at the Goethe-Institut, 170 Beacon St., Boston. Free; (617) 262-6050 ext. 18.

RACHEL DeWOSKIN reads from her Foreign Babes in Beijing: Behind the Scenes of a New China at 7 p.m. the BU Barnes & Noble, 660 Beacon St., Boston. Free; (617) 267-8484.

THOMAS FRANK discusses his What’s the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America at noon at the Harvard Coop, 1400 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Free; (617) 499-2012.

JANE GROSSMAN & FELICE YAGER discuss their Foot Notes: A Walking Guide To Boston at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Coop, 1400 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Free; (617) 499-2012.

JANE MILLER reads from her poetry at 5:30 p.m. at Harvard University, Lamont Library, Harvard Yard, Cambridge. Free; (617) 495-2454.

LETTA NEELY discusses her Geographies of Power at 7 p.m. at the Durrell Hall, 820 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Free; (617) 876-5310.

DANIELLE OFRI reads from her Incidental Findings: Lessons from my Patients in the Art of Medicine at 6:30 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Free; (617) 542-READ.

WESLEY STACE (AKA JOHN WESLEY HARDING) reads from his Misfortune at 7:30 p.m. at Newtonville Books, 296 Walnut St., Newton. Free; (617) 244-6619.

BETH TEITELL reads from her From Here to Maternity at 7 p.m. at the Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St., Brookline. Free; (617) 739-6002.

"A SHORT HISTORY OF BOSTON" is a lecture by Robert J. Allison at 6:30 p.m. at Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St., Boston. Tickets $5; (617) 482-6439.

"CLOSING THE NATION’S RACIAL ACHIEVEMENT GAP: WHAT WE KNOW & STILL NEED TO LEARN" is a discussion with Ronald Ferguson, Prudence Carter, and Mica Pollock at 6 p.m. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Gutman Library, Cambridge. Free; (617) 496-1884.

"FICTION & HUMAN EXPERIENCE" is a lecture by Tema Nason at 12:30 p.m. at Brandeis University, Women’s Studies Research Center, Epstein Bldg., 515 South St., Waltham. Free; (781) 736-8100.

"FOOD IN BOSTON HISTORY: THE BAKER CHOCOLATE COMPANY" is a lecture by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco at 6:30 p.m. at the Boston Public Library, Copley Sq., Boston. Free; (617) 536-5400.

"PHILLIS WHEATLEY & THE MYTHIC ORIGINS OF ANGLO-AFRICAN PORTRAITURE IN NEW ENGLAND" is a lecture by Gwendolyn Dubois Shaw at 6:30 p.m. at MIT, Stata Center, Room 32-144, 32 Vassar St., Cambridge. Free; (617) 258-8438.

"SMALL IS BIG: SCIENCE THAT’S CHANGING THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE" with lectures on stem cell research, genetics, and nanotechnology is at 5:45 p.m. at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, 35 Lansdowne St., Cambridge. Tickets $20; (847) 491-7991.