Hmm.. Hot Mess is rite. The past two Sundays I went here, I didn't make it to work on Monday…read more This is particularly embarrassing as I work a nite job... Oops. This nite was moved from Estate Sundays, and its home at Underbar seems much more comfortable. The decor is a tad cheesey, what with all the sea shells, blue paint, and driftwood style furniture, BUT this makes for some killer "Part of Your World" recreations that I swear will never get old ! YES! The drink prices aren't bad for a Theater District club. I think my drinks were $8, but .. after the 5th one I think I was just throwing all money at the bartender and asking if I gave enough. What seals the deal here is the MUSIC. They alternate DJs, but they play amazingly danceable remixes of random songs from the 80s and 90s. There is furniture all over the place that you can dance on, too. Dance boxes.. tables.. chairs.. couches.. nothing is safe. I think I saw someone put a cup on the ground just stand on that and dance. The swirling lights, loud music, fun crowd, (and yes.. maybe the drinks), all made for a rockin' good time. Unfortunately, I am running out of excuses as to why I am so "sick" on Mondays.. hrmm..

Horrified straight girl: OMG some girl is up on stage spilling her drink everywhere and throwing up…read moreon herself. I think she needs help! Bartender: Oh thank you! I'll let security know... *30 seconds pass, bartender returns* Bartender to me: Oh that was just Fena! Fena Barbitall is one of Boston's best drag queen performers. Hot Mess Sunday @ Underbar is by far my favorite and most tragic night in Boston. The kids who work the weekends or the ones who don't want it to ever stop extend their time off into the early hours of Monday morning boozing, cruising, and dancing to a crazy mash up of music. Every table, chair, box, face, etc is in danger of being danced on. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. I suggest you wear something that you're okay with being covered in alcohol because there is a 99 percent chance that someone including yourself is going to spill on you. There's hardly any cell service in this underground space so it's best to plan strategically with your friends at brunch earlier in the day what the game plan is. That's also a great opportunity to throw out any ideas for excuses why you need to call in sick to work the next morning.

Great time, great show, every year it's a bit different as they play to the strengths of the…read moreactors. And where do you get to see a burlesque show these days!

Interesting show! Even though as a foreigner I didn't understand most of the jokes in the…read morebeginning...

I've been on a fitness kick, to make 2014 the year I up my fitness level and get in better shape…read more I decided to take 2 BABE Fit classes here, and I'm glad I did. The reason to keep trying different types of work out classes, is sometimes you stumble upon something you really enjoy. The BABE Fit class was the most fun fitness class I've ever taken! The Thursday night classes were taught by Lucie. The first half hour was cardio dancing with some burlesque style moves (but no stripping). The 2nd half hour was floor work of things like crunches and leg stretches, with a 10 minute cool down. Now, I'm pretty uncoordinated, but it's totally OK if you don't pick up the dance moves right away. Lucie was very good at explaining slowly what the moves were, and they repeat, so sometimes the repetition helps you figure the moves out. I was smiling even if I stepped off on the wrong foot for a move. The class price is very reasonable, $12 in advance or $15 at the door. If you're looking for a fun way to get out of your comfort zone and have a great work out, check out BABEfit!

Upon taking one of Miss Mina's course, I did not feel that she was comfortable to be around. She…read morewas socially awkward, and I did not feel welcomed in her studio. I also do not like the fact that they often send out emails regarding how their business is having problems /w the city of quincy, and are frequently soliciting volunteers to help them clean up their place. It seems rather needy for a business to be asking all the time. Please get your stuff together.

Post-pandemics update:…read more This is a weekly (Fridays) swing dance venue on the industrial outskirts of Cambridge, MA. A beginner lesson starts at 8PM, the dance goes on from 9PM to midnight (finding a dance partner after 11:30PM is not easy). Masks are required, so is the proof of vaccination (with a booster!). The latter is better send via email in advance. The venue: the dance goes on inside the Q ballroom (formerly Extreme Dance Studio). The dance floor is pretty large, almost square in shape and of high quality. The only obstacle is a large red support pole in the center that is easy to avoid (or play around it). I had visited in late November, and the temperature control was adequate. The logistics: parking is free and easy. At 8PM, many parking spots are available in the parking lot of the ballroom itself. At this time, feel free to disregard the "restricted" signs and use the parking spots of other businesses nearby. However, per the Central's own web site, avoid the spots assigned to Evolve Fitness (I did not find any). There are coat hangers for the winter clothing in the lobby, cubes for the rest of your possessions at the far wall of the ballroom. Admission is $10 on DJ nights, apparently $15 on the band nights. Water is provided in the corner of the dance floor. Seating is very limited, experienced crowd tends to congregate in and around the front row of the seats closer to the entrance. The music: I have danced to the DJ music. As I understand, the live music is more typical, except during the holiday season. The music selection was excellent for lindy with many familiar mid-tempo pieces and practically no slow blues tunes. The lesson: starts at 8PM and is geared towards beginners, although covers a lot of ground at a pretty fast pace, so it is unlikely that a single lesson will be of much help to an absolute beginner. The crowd: about 50 dancers for the lesson, about 80 for the party. The dancers are mostly on the young side, their skills vary very significantly. There is a significant percentage of true beginners, to the point that leading them is very challenging, very few excellent dancers (on the night I have visited, there was a swing camp in the city, on my previous visit few years ago the number of advanced dancers was way higher), and many intermediate ones. There were more follows than leads during the party, but not disastrously so. The lesson was perfectly balanced. Overall: a must-go-to event in the Boston area. True beginner's mileage might vary. A minor advice for the beginner follows: if you want to dance, do not stand at the counter next to the entrance behind the row of seats: many people use this place to chill out, so a lead like me would rarely venture there - disregarding all the dancers in the front row! - to invite you to dance; sides of the floor will work much better.

This is the best weekly swing dance in Boston. They have a live band almost every week, including…read morelocal greats Beantown Swing Orchestra and the Fried Bananas. They also pull in great imports such as Solomon Douglas and Gordon Webster. The dance crowd is mostly Lindy Hop with some blues and East Coast (the step you learn in the free lesson before the dance). A lot of the dance instructors and advanced dancers frequent this dance. When you aren't dancing it is fun to sit back and watch and listen. You don't need to bring a partner. Most folks will dance with you if you ask them. Several people sport an "angel" bandana meaning they are experienced dancers looking to dance with people new to the dance. The drink of choice in this crowd is water so they are sharp and well balanced on the dance floor. There are jugs of water in the back left corner as well as light snacks. Check out the videos on the Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambridge-MA/Boston-Swing-Central/15316440838, and the events for upcoming bands. The pictures give an idea of what the crowd wears. You can wear jeans, however you won't be out of place if you dress up, though tuxes or sequins is probably over doing it. Swing Central has quite the following. Recently they reached capacity when a very popular band played and there was a wait to get in. If you get there before 9:30 or after 10:30 you should be able to get in with no problem. If you are new to dancing by all means attend the 8:00 lesson a few times. The instructors rotate so it isn't the same lesson every week. The dance has moved from St. Mary's Church in Central Square to a dedicated dance space, Crosby's Whistle stop at 24 Roland Street in Charleston (how appropriate). It is in an industrial building, but don't let that put you off. The brick walls and wooden floor are a nice step up from the church basement.

I was able to see Shear Madness with Yelp and wow what a treat!…read more The show is a murder mystery, and just absolutely phenomenal. The second half involves audience participation, but it's not mandatory if you're more on the shy side. The actors were incredible and very funny. They brought some modern twists and definitely some Boston jokes which I enjoyed. You will laugh a lot and have a great time trying to figure everything out. Overall, I think this would be a great show to see for locals and tourists alike. Perfect for a rainy day as well if you're in the area!

Shear Madness was frankly one of the shows that really surprised me in terms of quality and fun…read morethat the crew was able to bring out from their audiences. With around 80-100 seats, the show was pretty intimate and fun. I love how their performers were able to adjust to and roll with each audience's feedback...and many times, returned with even funnier responses. It does take a talented crew to be able to work together and do a bit of improv to keep the audiences highly engaged and I definitely thought the team of performers I saw did such a fantastic job that night. I honestly went in without much expectations but definitely came out really happy that I got to see thus show. Many audiences felt the same as well. P.S. restrooms are underground and behind the stage...so you may not be able to get in there until they start letting the audiences in. Also, they have a bar downstairs so you can enjoy your show with your fav drinks, too.

An exciting event that's coming up in early 2007:…read more"Brickbottom Celebrates MacDowell" January 11-February 10 Brickbottom Gallery is honoring the MacDowell Colony's centennial year by featuring visual art created by the following local MacDowell Fellows: Karen Aqua, Toby Atlas, Michael Beatty, Erica Daborn, Liza Folman, Jane Goldman, Brian Healy, Catherine Kernan, Nona Hershey, Colleen Kiely, Suzanne Menon, Debra Olin, Amy Ragus, Lorna Ritz, Paul Santoleri, Jonathan Santos, Sandra Stark, Naoe Suzuki, Debra Weisberg, and Chantal Zakari. Schedule of special events: Opening Reception, Sunday, Jan. 21: 4-6 pm, music by "Blues Cabaret" jazz quartet; 6-7 pm music improv with Ken Field and David Sholl; 7pm animation by Karen Aqua. Writers Evening, Sunday, January 28: 7pm with Herbert Krohn, Marsha Pomerantz, Monica Raymond and Joyce Van Dyke.

Great non-profit community gallery between Lechmere and Union Square. There is almost always…read moresomething interesting on view, ranging from open-themed member shows (Brickbottom Artists' Association, which is actually open to artists beyond those living/working at Brickbottom) to small group shows organized by area artists/curators. Brickbottom Gallery is also a venue for the Somerville Toy Camera Festival. How cool is that?

Chu Ling wasted my precious 1.5 hours on Sunday for nothing, and I am really disappointed…read more She told me to meet at 12:25 by DD but no show until 1PM. I was about to leave then she finally return my call asking me to come back. Hoping to get some dance move, but she had her students just rehearse the choreography that's already completed. Then, what's the point for me to come all the way from Somerville? Just to see her student rehearsing ? She might be a good dancer, but she does not respect your time. Totally waste of your time. What kind of professional do such a thing ? ? I could have gone to different teacher and closer dance school if she had been more respectful with my time to let me know that she is coming in late + she is just rehearsing, so there's no class instead of have me come to just observe free dance performance. Oh god what a day, I am really upset about this.

I have seen Chuling's performance in World trade center. It's amazing!…read moreBest Chinese dance I ever seen, Highly recommend.

Awesome place!!! I had no idea what to expect for their 5 pm Sunday improv show. What I got was:…read more- Really easy to find - Get there a bit early otherwise you'll be standing in the back without a chair - Show up and if you want to do some improv, drop your name in the jar - And if you don't, just sit back and watch - About 1 1/2 hours of complete improv by the audience and only the audience The MC picks names from the jar, gives a small prompt, and then the group (2 or 8 or however many are up there) have around 1-4 minutes to make it happen. It was fun to watch. A very tiny venue with no food except for some small bites at the entrance, so expect, at least for this performance, to have fun and then go out for dinner elsewhere.

Not going to lie, I was a bit let down. For the experience that I got, I don't think it was worth a…read more$12 ticket. Overall felt very mediocre and wasn't all that funny. The show also lasted a little under an hour, and for $12 I just expected a bit more. Some things to consider: it's tiny so seats fill up fast. Also, there's no food/drinks except for water, a few chip options ($3), and pickles (which was interesting...)