Guitar gods have found their Olympus
We've always had the utmost respect for the dedication it takes to attend the Berklee College of Music, mainly because we lack the kind of talent it takes to walk through the door. We can pound out a simple rhythm on drums and bass, and dogs don't howl when we sing, but our musical aptitude ends there. We occasionally head down to Boylston and Mass. Ave to soak in the atmosphere of Berklee, and, truth be told, to stop into some of the excellent restaurants near there. This week, however, the music is the only draw, as the school conducts its annual Summer Guitar Sessions. Civilians can't stroll into the classes and clinics but the nightly concerts at the Berklee Performance Center are open to the public. Tonight's show is a gem: jazz-rock fusion guitarist Vernon Reid (left), whom most folks know from Living Colour. Opening the show will be Dave Fiuczynski, a Berklee associate professor whose band, the Screaming Headless Torsos, kicks major derriere. Show at 7. Tickets $5, $2 for seniors. 136 Massachusetts Ave., Boston. 617-747-2261.
Yes, she was right about Mr. Welles
An old acquaintance once called Orson Welles "the" director, the paragon that all others could only hope to approach. We never quite believed her, as she was an odd recluse who tended to spend all of her non-working hours watching and re-watching black-and-white films, which she said were "purer" than their chromatic kin. We're sure she'd approve of our flagging the new 35mm print of Welles's "Lady From Shanghai" at the Brattle Theatre. The 1947 film catches Welles and his leading lady, Rita Hayworth, midway through their rocky marriage, and it's likely that the tension on the set was toxic. (A tawdry backstory always gets us a few steps closer to the box office.) It doesn't take a total Welles-head to appreciate the masterful vision -- the hall-of-mirrors shootout scene is a film-noir classic -- but we're not sure we have the critical chops to evaluate this against Welles's full body of work. We do know it's not "Citizen Kane" and we'd just be happy in a dark room with a bag of popcorn. Screenings at 5:30 and 9:30 p.m.. Tickets $9. 40 Brattle St., Cambridge. 617-876-6837
Don't call them the God Squad
The members of Copeland don't shy away from their faith in interviews or on disc but still find themselves wandering in the music-industry wilderness. They're not "out" enough to be considered Christian rock, not "hardcore" enough to get full props from the emo punk crowd, not quirky enough for most modern rock stations, and too ordinary for faddish college rock playlists. We found the band's music to be uniformly tepid, but we're not a hormonal 16-year-old whose boyfriend gave her a copy of Copeland's "Beneath Medicine Tree" disc for their two-month anniversary. (Of course, she later found out that he hooked up with that skanky girl from last year's homeroom.) At Axis. With the Working Title, Lovedrug. Doors at 6 p.m.; all ages. $10. 13 Lansdowne St., Boston. 617-262-2437
Your eardrums will thank you
If a full-bore rock show is like a cake, then the stripped-down Other Side of the Bear semi-acoustic night is like a plate of petit fours. Like you, we almost gagged on that Forrest Gump-ish simile, but we found it the best way to describe to a friend the gentler goings-on at T.T. the Bear's Place. On tap tonight are Jesse and Stacy of the Fly Seville, Brendan Little, Emily Pilowa, Harry Gardner, and Kalifornia Frowns, all upstanding citizens who'll fight for your right to party quietly. Doors at 9 p.m.; $3 cover. 10 Brookline St., Cambridge. 617-492-BEAR. Events can always be canceled, rescheduled, or sold out; call to confirm. Go! can be reached at go@globe.com or by calling 617-929-8257.
