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TUESDAY, MAY 24

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BENEFITS

SILENT AUCTION TO BENEFIT ROBERT F. KENNEDY CHILDREN’S ACTION CORPS is at 5:30 p.m. at the Hampshire House, 84 Beacon St., Boston. Tickets $25; (617) 277-4183.

AT THE CLUBS

HIP-HOP. "I’m mad famous for being unknown," RA the Rugged Man spit on a song from his debut album, Die Rugged Man Die. He wasn’t kidding: by that point he’d been an MC for more than 15 years. His astonishing lyrics sparked a bidding war at age 18; but after signing to Jive, he recorded an album that has since become notorious for its violent, scatological bent: Night of the Bloody Apes, credited to Crustified Dibbs, included an infamous song with Biggie Smalls titled "Cunt Renaissance." Jive refused to release the disc in 1994, ending RA’s major-label career. Through the heyday of underground hip-hop — he was a standout on Rawkus’s Soundbombing compilations — he fashioned himself a martyr, the white rapper who failed so that Eminem could triumph. Following a battle with severe depression, RA returned to the studio and the stage with members of the Wu-Tang Clan, and he’s at Harpers Ferry, 156 Brighton Avenue in Allston, with Copywrite, the Porn Theatre Ushers, and Slaine. It’s an 18-plus show, and tickets are $10; call (617) 254-9743.

ROCK. Instru-metal geeks the Fucking Champs are fucking chumps. For one thing, they don’t have a singer. For another, every album they put out has that flat, dull, we-recorded-in-Steve-Albini’s-mudroom sound. We thought it was Albini’s fault; then we heard the High on Fire album he did, which rules. Morons who can’t take metal unless it’s spoon-fed to them as science or camp will be thrilled that the Champs are back in town. Go anyway, just to see the openers — Relapse’s Pittsburghian horror-movie-soundtrack duo Zombi — blow the tits off ’em upstairs at the Middle East, 472 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square. Call (617) 864-EAST.

JAZZ. The quartet Oregon — with bassist Glen Moore, guitarist Ralph Towner, tabla player Collin Walcott, and oboist Paul McCandless — transformed ideas about jazz and world-music fusion and became immensely popular playing at a very high level before the death of Walcott in a car accident in 1984. The band have regrouped several times since; now, with percussionist Mark Walker, they come to Scullers for a rare club performance. That’s in the DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel, 400 Soldiers Field Road at the Mass Pike. Shows are 8 and 10 p.m., and tickets are $22; call (617) 562-4111.

ROAD-TRIP. Cape-bred singer-songwriter Willy Mason was to have been the opening act for the Decemberists’ current tour, but as he details in a rambling mea culpa at www.willy-mason.com, he lost a battle with the bottle. Instead, former Spinane Rebecca Gates will open when Colin Meloy brings his Victorian retinue of adventurous roués, ill-fated waifs, bus-station hustlers, tragic tramps, rootless ghosts, and chimbley sweeps to Higher Ground (802-654-8888) in Burlington, VT tonight and Avalon (617-262-2424) in Boston tomorrow. And Hot Hot Heat and Robbers on High Street team up 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.

ACTON JAZZ CAFE, Acton. Kaufman, Gertz & Bergonzi.

THE BURREN, Somerville. Front Room: At 10 p.m., "Traditional Irish Music." Back Room: At 7 p.m., "Open Mic" with Hugh McGowan.

CANTAB LOUNGE, Cambridge. Upstairs: At 8 p.m., "Bluegrass Picking Party." At 10 p.m., Durango Reinhardt. Downstairs: At 9 p.m., "Bluegrass Picking Party."

CLUB PASSIM, Cambridge. At 7 p.m., "Open Mic" with Jacquie Barnaby.

DICK’S LAST RESORT, Boston. Nate Watkins.

DODGE STREET BAR & GRILL, Salem. At 9:30 p.m., Fats Hammond.

ENCORE, Boston. Bobby Femino.

THE EXCHANGE, Boston. Uncle Trouble.

GRAND CANAL, Boston. Maggie Rose Quartet.

GREEN DRAGON, Boston. Dave Leeb.

HARPERS FERRY, Allston. Copywrite, RA the Rugged Man, Slaine, Porn Theatre Ushsers, TD3 Camp.

HENNESSY’S, Boston. Scott Damgaard.

JOHNNY D’S, Somerville. Karen Savoca & Pete Heitzman.

LES ZYGOMATES, Boston. Rusty Scott Quartet.

LIZARD LOUNGE, Cambridge. At 8 p.m., Angeline. At 9:30 p.m., Carla Ryder Band.

MATT MURPHY’S, Brookline. "Public House."

MIDDLE EAST, Cambridge. Upstairs: Fucking Champs, Zombi, Boy Jazz.

MIDDLESEX LOUNGE, Cambridge. At 8:30 p.m., "Drinking Liberally: Democratic Drinking Club." At 10 p.m., "Sensitive Hand."

MILKY WAY, Jamaica Plain. "Classic Karaoke."

O’BRIEN’S, Allston. Art of All, 4 Degrees Warmer.

PADDY O’S, Boston. Brian Belcker.

PARADISE LOUNGE, Boston. Thee Monkey Butlers, Downbeat 5, TV Eye.

PARADISE ROCK CLUB, Boston. "#2 Pencil Film Premiere" with Cherry S/T.

PLOUGH & STARS, Cambridge. At 8:30 p.m., Lloyd Thayer.

REGATTABAR, Cambridge. At 7:30 p.m., Aquiles Baez.

RYLES, Cambridge. Honey Mack.

SCULLERS, Boston. Oregon.

SISSY K’S, Boston. Stu Sinclair.

TOAD, Cambridge. At 8:30 p.m., Bow Thayer Band, Rose Polenzani.

TOAST, Somerville. "Singularity: IDM, Glitch, Electronic."

TOP OF THE HUB, Boston. Bob Nieske Trio.

T.T. THE BEAR’S PLACE, Cambridge. Legendary Shack Shakers, Downbeat 5, Coffin Lids.

WALLY’S CAFE, Boston. Wally’s Stepchildren.

ZEITGEIST GALLERY, Cambridge. At 7 p.m., "Michael Brown’s Poetry Theatre." At 9:30 p.m., "Fight Night at the Zeitgeist" with Todd Brunel, Jeff Robinson Trio.

ZUZU, Cambridge. Chris Warren.

DJ SHOWS:

AN TUA NUA, Boston. At 10 p.m., "Lushlife" ’80s night.

ARIA, Boston. "One Nation Tuesdays," hip-hop, R&B, and reggae, with DJ Chubby Chub.

BLUE CAT CAFE, Boston. DJ "Easy on the Eyes" Carrie.

EMBASSY, Boston. At 10 p.m., "Industry Night" Hip-hop and R&B with DJ Sunone.

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

THE KELLS, Allston. "Totally ’80s Tuesday."

THE MODERN, Boston. At 10 p.m., "Lot 36," Latin house with DJ J.C.

PURPLE SHAMROCK, Boston. DJ Dana Z.

REDLINE, Cambridge. "Pressure Drop Presents Red Lounge" with Mr. Rourke.

RIVER GODS, Cambridge. "Boston Juke Box" with the Captain & Tracey Stark.

SISSY K’S, Boston. Upstairs: "In the Biz Hospitality Night," top 40 and popular dance, with DJ Ra-mu.

VAPOR, Boston. "Retro Night" with DJs Danae and Michael Sheehan.

VENU, Boston. "Mynt," international sounds with DJ Adilson.

VERTIGO, Boston. "Defmatch" electro-backbeat with DJs.

COMEDY

COMEDY CONNECTION, (617-248-9700), Upstairs at Faneuil Hall, Boston. Paul Nardizzi, Robbie Printz.

CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERTS

First we had POPSearch and LeAnn; now we have what amounts to the Pops Top 40, with a program selected by the listeners of local classical outpost WCRB as part of the station’s "Classical Countdown" series. Bruce Hangen conducts Pachelbel’s Kanon, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, excerpts from Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No. 3 (the one with the organ), Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and the Overture to his Le nozze di Figaro, Berlioz’s Carnaval romain Overture, and Ravel’s Boléro. That’s at 8 p.m. at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston. Tickets are $16 to $72; call (617) 266-1200.

LAVAZZA CHAMBER ENSEMBLE performs works by Brahms, Franck, and Ravel at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 15 St. Paul St., Brookline. Free; (617) 327-3787.

POP MUSIC CONCERTS

U2 AND KINGS OF LEON perform tonight and Thurs. at 7:30 p.m. at the FleetCenter, 1 FleetCenter Pl., Boston. Tickets $49.50-$165; (617) 931-2000.

WINNIE DAHLGREN JAZZ TRIO performs at 12:15 p.m. at King’s Chapel, 58 Tremont St., Boston. Suggested donation $3; (617) 227-2155.

DANCE/PARTICIPATORY

BALKAN DANCE is at 8:30 p.m. at Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, 33 West Water St., Wakefield. Tickets $7; (781) 246-9663.

DANCE/PERFORMANCE

DERALDO FERREIRA AND AGI SARDI perform at noon at the Dance Complex, 536 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Tickets $12; (617) 547-9363.

AT THE MOVIES

Last year, local writer/director Joseph Gatto and his DIY film house Liquid Lunch Productions took Best Feature at the Boston Comedy and Film Festival and Most Effectively Offensive Film at the Boston Underground Film Festival with Overserved, a T&A comedy about waiters who turn the tables on their obnoxious customers. Now they’re back to throw a premiere party and screening for their latest low-budget short feature, "#2 Pencil," at the Paradise. It’s a horror revenge fantasy about a geeky, bullied comic-book artist who discovers he can, as the trailer puns, draw his own conclusions. Local modern-rockers Cherry S/T, who provide the soundtrack, will perform live, and stand-up comic Lamont Price will provide yuks. The Paradise is at 967 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, and tickets are $15; call (617) 562-8800, or visit www.liquidlunchproductions.com

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

READINGS & LECTURES

SUSAN BERGER AND THE LESLEY WRITERS GROUP read from their work at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, Porter Square Shopping Center, Cambridge. Free; (617) 491-2220.

ANN COOPER signs her In Mother’s Kitchen: Celebrated Women Chefs Share Beloved Family Recipes at noon at the Union Bar & Grille, 1357 Washington St., Boston. Tickets $65 (includes prix fixe lunch); (877) 927-7787.

DR. BROWN’S TRAVELING POETRY SHOW with Douglas Bishop, Jeff Taylor, Simone Beaubien, Ryk McIntyre, Valerie Lawson, Alex Charalambides, Mala Radhakrishnan, Melissa Buillet, Gary Hoare, Bizzoz 7, and others is at 7:30 p.m. at the Zeitgeist Gallery, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge. Tickets $7; (617) 876-6060.

AMITY GAGE reads from her O My Darling at 7:30 p.m. at Newtonville Books, 296 Walnut St., Newton. Free; (617) 244-6619.

AMY BUTLER GREENFIELD reads from her A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire at 6 p.m. at the Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway, Cambridge. Free; (617) 542-READ.

MARIE MYUNG-OK LEE reads from her Somebody’s Daughter at 7 p.m. at the Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St., Brookline. Free; (617) 739-6002.

MARIANNE MANCUSI discusses her A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court at 12:30 p.m. at Borders, 10-24 School St., Boston. Free; (617) 557-4995.

JEFFREY MEYERS discusses her Impressionist Quartet: The Intimate Genius of Manet and Morisot, Degas and Cassat at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Coop, 1400 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Free; (617) 499-2012.

RENE STEINKE reads from her Holy Skirts at 7 p.m. at the Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St., Brookline. Free; (617) 739-6002.

GILLEN D’ARCY WOOD reads from her Hosack’s Folly at 7:30 p.m. at Newtonville Books, 296 Walnut St., Newton. Free; (617) 244-6619.

"THREE DECADES REACHING MEN: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?" is a lecture by Nick Danforth at 12:30 p.m. at Brandeis University, Women’s Studies Research Center, Epstein Bldg., 515 South St., Waltham. Free; (781) 736-8100.

"WHAT IS EMOTION?" is a discussion with Lisa Feldman Barrett, Neta Crawford, Carl Marci, and Lama Migmar Tseten at 6:30 p.m. at the Institute of Contemporary Art, 955 Boylston St., Boston. Tickets $7; (617) 927-6635.

THEATER

The now-classic introspective on the true dysfunctionality of our traditional fairy tales, Into the Woods, is winding up its run at the New Repertory Theatre (54 Lincoln Street, Newton Highlands). Even if theater isn’t usually your bag, you should check this out. The production’s vain princes and perfectly psychotic little Red Riding Hood had us rolling with laughter, as did the rest of the cast. And we think the big bad wolf actually turned us on . . . um, never mind . . . But anyway, this is the New Rep’s final season in the old church in Newton, and this show is guaranteed to entertain. It runs through June 12th; for tickets and show times, visit www.newrep.org