Tortoise still races
Don't be bugged by the "post-rock" tag that's been hung around the neck of Tortoise. It really just means the Chicago-based quintet is not particularly fond of traditional song structure, and is more inclined to experiment. To say nothing of being all-instrumental. (Well, voices can sometimes be heard, though not actual lyrics.) It's kind of what progressive rock meant before the term (and the genre) turned to mush. Tortoise will incorporate cool jazz, German rock, tape loops, space music, electronica -- all in a subtle, nonflashy fashion. This show for the cerebral music fan takes place tonight at the Roxy. Tortoise is with Beans and Ex-Models, starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $16.50. 279 Tremont St., 617-931-2000.
Eat to the beat
The Hard Rock Cafe in Boston has always been a curious beast: It occasionally hosts live music events and serves juicy burgers amid scads of rock 'n' roll memorabilia. Recently though, the Hard Rock Cafe brought in old English new wavers, the Psychedelic Furs, for a concert, and tonight it is doing so again with the Chicago-based sharp-dressed men Urge Overkill. Brian Siemienas, the national chain's director of marketing says the larger Hard Rocks in Hollywood and New York have regular shows. As a smaller site, Boston hasn't had the same opportunity. But times may be changing. Note: The concert, which starts at 9 and costs $15, will probably shut down the food-and-drink service around 5. Doors will reopen at 8 for the concert.131 Clarendon St., 617-931-2000.
Huffing, not puffing
A few years back, Go! had the pleasure of chatting with Arianna Huffington, who we sort of view as a female version of George Soros: an ultra-rich liberal who does not mind creating a ruckus when she speaks. Huffington, however, balked at the "lefty" tag. "I don't think a concern for social justice and poverty should be the exclusive property of the left," she said in a phone interview. Truth be told, Huffington's not a big fan of either the Democratic or Republican parties and she's in Boston to discuss her latest book, "Fanatics & Fools: The Game Plan for Winning Back America." She speaks at Borders at 7. Free.10 School St., 617-557-7188.
Gorillas are her friends
Dawn Prince-Hughes struggled with life for a long time -- she was often homeless and disenfranchised from her family and her peers. At times, she worked as a nightclub dancer. In her late-30s, she was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism. Now fast forward. Her lifelong fascination with gorillas led her to study them and attain a PhD from Universitat Herisau in Switzerland. She built a family with her partner, Tara, and a son, Teryk. She teaches anthropology at Western Washington University. And she has a book about her struggle and her success called "Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism." Prince-Hughes speaks at Cabot Park Village at 7:30 p.m. It's free. 280 Newtonville Ave., Newton, 617527-2894.Shake it up
Manning Marable, professor of history and political science at Columbia University, has spent a lifetime studying and writing about racial issues in America. His latest book, "The Great Wells of Democracy: The Meaning of Race in American Life," has been called his boldest yet, in that he goes beyond traditional approaches such as affirmative action to champion a new political language to bridge the racial divide. Marable is in Cambridge through Thursday, holding three lectures (one each day) at 4 p.m. at Harvard as part of the W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture Series. The theme of the lectures is to examine how lessons learned from the past can empower African Americans to create what Marable calls their own "living black history." It's free at the Barker Center's Thompson Room.12 Quincy St., Cambridge, 617-495-3611.Something from nothing
View the artwork; meet the artists; pay nothing. Tim Noble and Sue Webster travel from their home in ol' Blighty to the Museum of Fine Arts to discuss their sculptures made from the discards of society, often bathed in flashing lights and neon. New pieces include "Girlfriend From Hell" and "Puny Undernourished Kid." A lecture at 6 p.m. follows today's viewing at 5:30. Remis Auditorium. 465 Huntington Ave., 617-267-9300. 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.
