The Improper Bostonian

Concert Preview

Some concerts, like some unseasonal weeks in June, are hotter than others. Already this year, certain tours have jumped to stadiums, and the Newport Folk Festival has already sold out. But a glimpse across the region’s spectrum of open-air offerings suggests that it’s not all about popularity and scale… More>

Dining

Straight Shooter

Named after the larger-than-life Boston politician with a wobbly moral compass, JM Curley in Downtown Crossing aims to be an institution, a natural choice for a night on the town… More>

Style

Animated Shorts

Say good-bye to the sloppy cargo pockets of seasons past. With bolder colors and poppier prints, summer’s sharp shorts selection will have you looking like a modern man… More>

The Escape Artist

Child’s Play

Anyone who’s spent more than five minutes with a child knows the importance of a well-timed distraction. A hybrid between MacGyver and a sherpa, the smart parent is equipped with Cheerios, bottles, binkies, stuffed animals and flashing musical doodads… More>

First Taste

Change of Course

When West Bridge chef Matthew Gaudet and general manager Alexis Gelburd-Kimler jumped ship from Aquitaine in the South End, they put themselves in a sticky situation. They had to distance themselves from their former employer while serving a similar genre of cuisine… More>

Drink of the Moment

Sour Patch

Name: Cucumber Lavender Sour. Price: $15. Ingredients: Crop Cucumber Vodka, Domaine de Canton, lemon, lavender bitters, soda water, cucumber garnish… More>

Beauty

Past Tense

My philosophy on massage is “What doesn’t kill me makes me calmer.” As someone who hunches, tenses and stresses on the regular, I interpret a masseuse’s deep-tissue prodding as a painful but necessary “I told you so.&rdquo… More>

Nick and Choose

Whip it Good

I never thought it could happen to me, but there I was, deep inside a world of lust, sadism and painful cliché. Oh, man. Oh, baby. I was so aroused sexually… More>

Ez Sez

Don’t Go There!

Celebrities of the world, listen up. You knew this day would come eventually, and here it is. If you venture out in public wearing any piece of clothing that’s even mildly eccentric, you may be upbraided via a wickedly cutting pun, available for perusal at supermarket checkout lines nationwide… More>

Movies

Overruled

For starters, even the beard looks phony. Sacha Baron Cohen, the spindly comic genius behind Borat and Da Ali G Show, has a way of bringing characters to life. Part of the brilliance of Borat is Baron Cohen’s unwavering commitment to his Kazakh journalist. … More>

Music

Only Happy

‘I’ve finally allowed myself to say ‘I’m good at what I do,’” Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson says. “I’m tired and done making excuses and filling myself with self-doubt.”  … More>