I've been meaning to check out the free "Your Terrible Ex!" show at The Riot Theater for a few…read moremonths now. But it takes place at 10pm on a Friday night, and I tend to have to wake up early the next day. So what finally brought me out to this area of JP? A free ComedySportz Improv show courtesy of CSZ Boston and the Yelp Elite Culture Club. With ComedySportz at 8pm - 9:30pm (free for me that night only, otherwise $15 plus $1.50 fee) and Your Terrible Ex! from 10pm - 11:30pm (free all the time, whether for you or for me), I decided, yes, it was time. I would show up for the first, and just simply stay put for the 2nd. Being a girl arriving by myself, I drove by maybe 6-8 times before a driver magically appeared to get into the car situated right on the corner by The Riot Theater. I didn't want to park too long a walk away, although there were some spots maybe 3 blocks off on South Street. According to their website, The Riot Theater, is housed in A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra's storefront rehearsal space, and seeks to bring quality comedy to a part of Boston that has a wealth of support for the arts but little in the way of a regular comedy scene. ComedySportz was fun and entertaining, and entirely family friendly - but I knew this already from a past experience. Ideas were requested of the audience, so it was interactive and what I imagine improv to be - thinking on your feet with information that you have no control over. A myriad of games were played, each with its own name and rules, such as Pile Up, Dirty Hand Randy, Five Things, I Can Do Better, Four Corners, Twinsies (with actual physical audience participation) and 185. I found out that night for the first time that ComedySportz is not just a Boston Institution, but is located in 23 cities across the country, and even in Manchester, UK and Berlin, Germany! That was pretty cool. After the ComedySportz crowd (aka tonight's loyal fans) exited to high fives from our show's cast, a new group took over the space, removed the score screen, set up some folding chairs along the stage, and adjusted the audience's seating a bit. We were told that Your Terrible Ex! would start 5 min late as always. A single private bathroom was available for use, and concessions were available at a table by the entrance. As often happens at events, the headlining show was preceded by a pre-show. And this evening, the guest comedy troupe was The Gorge, a four person group. Perhaps I missed something, but I didn't remember any audience participation. They just flung themselves into acting out a number of situations that confused me and seemed to confuse their improv partners as well. After The Gorge were done, Naffy Improv took over the stage for Your Terrible Ex!, interviewing one eager audience volunteer about his ex with whom he and his current girlfriend (who had introduced them) were no longer friends with. Taking from the interview the fact that he'd gone to museums on dates with this art student ex, the cast ran with it and came up with a skit that took place in a museum. Swears and certain intimate body parts were tossed nilly willy. The scene from Ghost was reinacted to a degree. Children died. Wine was bought; then promptly broken over someone's head. Oregano was requested. Naffy did a bit better on the improv front. Professionally, both groups were a bit lacking, as they would react to each other's bits when as actors they should not have. But hey, it was a free show that runs on donations. Based on this one visit, my order of preference by sheer entertainment value would be: ComedySportz, Naffy, guest group. Background music beat through the wall from Jeanie Johnston Pub & Grill next door, where it was suggested that we could grab a quick shot since The Riot Theater didn't have anything alcoholic.

This review is for Riot Stand Up Comedy at the Riot Theater in Roslindale, Saturday night at 10pm…read more I would not recommend this comedy venue for anyone over the age of about 30. On this evening, the audience was made up of comics and friends and partners of comics, and then there was our group. It's a very small space, so we immediately stuck out. Initially we didn't find the host or the first couple of comics very funny, and we politely chuckled and smiled. As the night wore on, the comics seemed to take offense that we were not laughing, and took it as a personal challenge to "break" us down, until toward the end of the evening the entire focus was on us. The jokes also got more vulgar with one pointing to our group to see if we might want to try a couples swap. The last straw was the next comic who worked himself up to saying he wanted to blank us and we just walked out. I can understand that this is a venue for budding comics to try develop a craft, but this group of 20- and 30-somethings couldn't connect outside their own generation. Some jokes were mildly funny, but too many had obscure references and missing punch lines. Even more, most of them didn't grasp the basic concept of comedy--present your material and if it doesn't get a laugh, you move on rather than take offense and single out or bully people not laughing.

Midway cafe is exactly what Jamaica Plain needs -- an edgier, queer-friendly dive bar. From drag…read moreshows to karaoke to live music, Midway really does have everything. The space is pretty intimate which makes shows special. The bartenders are nice and the drinks aren't expensive. I don't think they serve food. Definitely stop by and support this neighborhood bar!

I can't stress enough how fucking awesome this place is. It is a safe place for young people to…read morehang out in a queer environment. The staff are experienced and have been looking out for the clientele for decades. And that music is off the hook! It gets mad hot though wear a T-shirt.

This is "the place" for dance lessons in Boston. Liz Nania is amazing and I'd give her 6 stars if…read moreI could. My partner and I started taking lessons this winter, and with Liz's help I've gone from avoiding the dance floor to looking forward to dance in just a few sessions. She is knowledgeable and patient, and focuses on what you are doing right before moving on to ideas to make you even better. Her class is the perfect end/beginning to the work week, and it seems she also has a strange telekinetic ability to attract some of the nicest people I have ever met to her classes. :-) In addition, her rates are extremely affordable and she offers discounts for taking more than one class in a term.

I have zero dance skills. I saw liz for a basic intro dance class so that I could get onto the…read moredance floor with my friends for once. One hour with Liz and I left feeling like I actually could get on the dance floor without being totally humiliated. She is so great! Makes you feel so comfortable - talking and dancing with her! Love love love her and would highly recommend her for all levels of dance. You won't regard a class with her!

I am a pretty serious model railroader but I am also a child at heart. While I love to see…read morecarefully crafted model railroads with exquisite details and a focus on realistic train operation, I also enjoy just seeing a bunch of shiny trains running round and round with lots of lights and sounds. The BSMRM combines both of these desires. It is a model railroad club first, which means to a potential visitor that you will find somewhat cramped aisles, sections of the layouts that are under construction or perhaps needing a face lift for the scenery, and some really cool vantage points roped off to visitors. The three layouts (N scale, HO scale, O scale) were designed primarily for the member's enjoyment, not hundreds of public members walking through, and that also translates to an experience that isn't handicapped accessible. That being said, they are open once a year (the first weekend in December) and for $5 you are invited into their "home" to see their pride and joy. Sure, the trains run well (usually) but there might be a few issues along the way. And while most of the staff are friendly, problems do come up and if you try and talk to them when they are busy trying to trouble shoot an issue they be less than responsive. That being said, though, I really enjoyed myself. I drove from Albany, NY solely to see their train layouts after reading articles about them in the model railroad magazines and was not disappointed. It was hot, it was loud, it was crowded, and it was fun! If you like model trains (or have kids that do), a visit here during their open house weekend will not disappoint.

I have to give these ultra, mega, total nerds some serious credit for developing a museum for model…read moretrains. This place is a local legend and it is open only a couple times a year to the public, the rest of the year the collector guys just sit around and play with trains i guess. This is a serious collection and a good spot to bring little kids to if they are well behaved and won't pick up sharp things just to try and swallow them.

We recently had the pleasure of booking Davey the clown for our daughter's 4th birthday party at…read moreour home and man o man did he deliver! His professionalism and dedication to his craft are top notch! From start to finish he had all the kids and the adults glued to his every move. He actually rode a unicycle in our living room while parading our daughter around on a two wheeled carriage. When his performance was over he stayed and made every child a personalized balloon creation and then played happy birthday on his accordion while we brought out the cake. Don't think twice about hiring this talented kind man for your next kids party.

My cousin hired Davey for her dad's 90th birthday celebration, adding a delightful vibe to a…read morewonderful party. Davey's talent is mesmerizing and his connection to both the children and the adults was gentle and kind. He worked with the kids quietly in the corner of the room, and emerged with a glowing parade of delighted children who marched gleefully around the room with their balloon animals. It felt like it was right out of a story book! He did not overpower the event, instead, blending into the crowd nicely on his unicycle. He noticed my disabled nephew seated at a table in his wheelchair and the next thing we see is him being pushed in his wheelchair around the room by a clown riding a unicycle. We were all so happy, but none as happy as my nephew. Davey is the antidote for anyone who developed a fear of clowns and for sadness in our world. I think he must be some kind of hero disguised as a clown.