Nice guys finish
Say what you will about Edwin McCain: He is one busy beaver. A likable one, too. Whenever we look up from our bowl of porridge, the singer-songwriter based in Greenville, S.C., has a gig at the Paradise, Avalon, or one of the outdoor radio station-sponsored shows. We were channel surfing a week ago and landed briefly at ABC's "Monday Night Football," and there was McCain , singing the national anthem. We're told he does this sort of thing frequently for NASCAR events. Oh, and he's running the New York City Marathon on Nov. 7 and playing a party for Runner's World magazine the night before. Truth be told, McCain's a little middle-of-the-road for our taste -- his music was featured on "Dawson's Creek" -- but we very much like what he sings in the new tune "Shooting Stars:" "Tired of hearing 'bout the bling-bling/We're so concerned with material things/It's all cars and diamond rings/And do you think it's gonna ease your sting/Cause that's a hole that you can't fill/Velvet rope overkill." That's a verse we could envision McCain singing to fellow marathoner P. Diddy. McCain and his quintet -- early in a tour that will take them through Dec. 6 -- play the Paradise tonight. Of the CD's positive slant, he says, "It seems like no one is saying anything positive right now. It's time for there to be a little more human kindness and a little less thoughtlessness and selfishness." Do your part tonight. It begins at 8. Tickets: $17.
967 Commonwealth Ave., 617-562-8800.
The sound of silence
The ART's Loeb Drama Center is not where you want to be these days if you suffer from even a mild case of allergies. You sniffle -- and it sounds like a waterfall. That's because Marcel Marceau -- the world's best-known mime -- is onstage bouncing imaginary balls, walking imaginary dogs, taming imaginary lions, and making imaginary masks. Some thoughts: In this fast and noisy culture, spending a stretch of time in near-silence -- there is recorded music for some bits -- is both refreshing and unnerving. If you want to follow what Marceau's character is trying to convey, you really have to focus. Marceau's white-faced, white-suited character, Mr. Bip, is nimble and ageless -- just like the guys in the rock band Kiss, although Kiss makes a bit more noise. (Marceau, at 81, is just a bit older than Gene Simmons.) Now what about the near-universal disdain for mimes? Punch up "mimes" and "annoying" on Google and you get about 3,450 hits. Truth be told, some of what Marceau does is quite charming -- smashing cymbals as he marches in a band, say -- but some is perplexing and some mildly aggravating. Judge for yourself. Marceau's "Les Contes Fantastiques (Fantastic Tales)" starts at 7:30 tonight and is up through Oct. 9. (He is solo for the first act; his company performs three pieces during the second act.) Tickets: $25-$45.64 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-547-8300
Blue like . . . you?
Sure, you've watched those strange, silent, bald blue men on stage stuff their mouths with Cap'n Crunch and Twinkies. You've watched them use one another as paintbrushes, making surreal splatter paintings. You've watched them nod their heads, all in synch, to a Sex Pistols song. Yeah, well, how'd you like to be in the middle of all that? The Blue Man Group -- there are currently 30 of them with shows up in five cities -- is looking for a few good men -- or women. The Blue Men, says a spokeswoman, are "egoless and genderless." They're holding a casting call at the Charles Playhouse today from noon to 5 p.m. Applicants should be between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-1, have an athletic body, and excellent acting and drumming skills. They should also be able to communicate joy, wonder, and depth of feeling, all while remaining wordless. Although the tryout is in Boston, people who make the cut are not a lock to perform in the show here. There is a two-month training camp and then actors are dispersed to such cities as Chicago, Las Vegas, Toronto, Berlin, or, maybe, yes, Boston.74 Warrenton St., 212-505-8104.
Killing time
Long before Daryl Hannah took part in "Kill Bill," five musicians in Chicago formed Kill Hannah. (This Hannah, we learn, was a purple-haired waif who broke lead singer Mat Devine's heart some time ago.) These guys, in fact, took shape nine years ago in a Chicago dorm room, creating a gender ambiguous, hard rock/glam sound not unaffected by the Smiths or the goths. In an early song, Devine sings, "I wanna be a Kennedy/ I wanna shake hands with heroes/ And kiss the girls of centerfolds on the tongue/ And die young." Go! applauds this kind of ambition and recalls the Shona Laing's '80s song "(Glad I'm) A Kennedy." At any rate, Kill Hannah is all dressed up to, uh, kill. They will mope and pout, but they will reach for the stars, too, not unlike kindred spirit, guiding light, and Uncle Fester-esque mentor, Billy Corgan. He has said of Hannah, "They're cute, they're legendary, and thanks to me they've actually learned a fourth chord. . . . They may have a sexually ambiguous nature, like me. They may sing in a high, nasal voice, like me. But unlike me, they're the future of Chicago rock." They're at the Middle East Downstairs tonight. Supporting is Seymour Glass, a New York band and the first act signed to Carson Daly's 456 Entertainment label. Last month they released their debut disc, "Note to Self." The 18-plus show starts at 9 and costs $12.472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-864-3278.
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.
