5-8 pm, all ages, free

Matter heralds the revitalization of sculptural textiles for a new era, bringing together six artists who reside in the Northeast and Midwest who have created contemporary sculptures that are visually complex and compelling, grounded in ideas that transcend the traditions of craft. The work immerses viewers in a world of eye-catching visual experience and sheer imagination, utilizing work that is made by hand, bringing together cutting-edge and age-old visual techniques. Featured artists: Mike Andrews, Catharine Draper, Karen Gelardi, Amy Honchell, Caroline Lathan-Stiefel, and Mark Newport. The exhibit is curated by Catharine Draper as part of SPACE Gallery’s annual “Artists Curating Artists” series. Support for Matter is generously provided by the LEF Foundation.
http://www.space538.org/pages/gallery.php

2-5pm, MSA members free, general admission $5, all ages

If you write, play, listen to, or simply appreciate original music - be it in the shower or on stage - join us to celebrate the art of songwriting and our Maine songwriting community. The festivities will include tasty refreshments, the annual Maine Songwriters Association (MSA) elections, a songwriting seminar by Wayne Cohen, veteran multi-platinum selling hit songwriter, producer and educator in the northeast, and musical entertainment. As for presents? Feel free to bring CDs of your work if you've got them to swap with other songwriters.
http://www.mainesongwriters.com

Doors open at 7:00pm, music at 7:30pm, film at 8pm, $7, $5 for members, All ages
Buy tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com

One of the best reviewed films of 2007, The King of Kong follows an epic battle between a middle-school science teacher and a hot sauce mogul as they vie for the Guinness World Record on the arcade classic, Donkey Kong. Galen Richmond's one-man-band Computer At Sea coaxes pop songs and glitch breaks out of a tangle of aftermarket Casios, repurposed videogame machines and handmade electronics. Listeners are invited to play along on a circuit-bent Nintendo Entertainment System. Music before and after the film.
http://www.billyvssteve.com
http://profile.myspace.com/galenrichmondforstatesenate

Doors open at 8pm, music starts at 8:30pm, $5, 18+

Portland's brightest songwriters huddle by the proverbial fire to showcase their new fare and favorite cover songs for our second annual Dead of Winter get together. Expect intimate performances by Joshua Loring (Cult Maze), Leif Sherman Curtis (Conifer), Jeremy, Jerusha and David from Brown Bird, Chris Teret (Company), Ian Paige (white light), Lana Eddy (the Hot Tarts), Samuel James and more! Get there early for hot drinks, something for your sweet tooth, and a comfy seat to enjoy Portland's best.

Doors open at 9pm, music starts at 9:30, $12, 18+
Buy tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com

Restless sonic chameleons the Fiery Furnaces revolve around the brother and sister duo of Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, whose prickly childhood relationship and musical family set the stage for their playful, unpredictable music that incorporates simple, poppy melodies with a dizzying array of wordplay, sounds, and influences, including the Who, Captain Beefheart, Os Mutantes; dashes of folk, blues, and garage rock. They’ve toured with Sleater Kinney, Spoon and Ted Leo, and released their newest record in October on Thrill Jockey, mixed by Tortoise’s John McEntire.
www.thefieryfurnaces.com

Doors open at 7:00pm, film starts at 7:30pm, $7, $5 for members, All Ages
Buy tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com

Documentary Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, Manda Bala may be the vanguard of a revolution in nonfiction filmmaking. Using breathtaking cinematography, a vintage Tropicalia soundtrack and engaging interviews, Manda Bala draws together from seemingly disparate sources a biting portrait of unchecked crime and corruption in Brazil. Veteran filmmaker Errol Morris calls it "One of the best and most powerful films I have seen in years."
http://mandabala.com/

6:30pm, $25, $20 for Slow Food members, all ages
Buy tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com

Come hear local and nationally-known authors read from their favorite food writings and sample tastes of Maine’s soil and sea. Authors include: Margaret Hathaway (author of The Year of the Goat) Sandra Oliver (author of Saltwater Foodways), and James Peterson (author of Cooking, and the kitchen classics Sauces and Fish & Shellfish). An additional author is expected as well. Slow Food is an international movement that integrates enjoyment of food with ecology, tradition and culture, and harmonious living.
http://www.slowfoodportland.org

Doors open at 9:00pm, music at 9:30pm, $5, 18+
Buy tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com

New York outfit The Octagon seems to have a limitless supply of memorable and crazily efficient (read: really, really short) indie-pop gems at its fingertips. Its new album, Nothing but Change—on New York label indie Serious Business—is crammed with the kind of tunes you want to put on mixtapes for your best friends; song after song, the disc is brisk, clever, fiery and bravely poignant. With Cult Maze, a bright star in the Portand music galaxy of indie rock, and The Rattlesnakes, also hailing from Portland.
http://www.myspace.com/cultmaze
http://www.myspace.com/theoctagon
http://www.myspace.com/therattlesnakes

Doors open at 8:00pm, music starts at 8:30pm, $6, 18+

You’d surely recognize Chriss Sutherland from Cerberus Shoal, or from Fire on Fire. His solo debut, “Me In a Field,” will be released on Digitalis Industries this January, offering up something that may appear to be folky but develops into something freer and more exciting. Cursillistas is the mostly-solo project of Portland's Matt Lajoie, who has built on his folk sound by adding more and more experimentation.
http://www.myspace.com/chrisssutherland
http://www.myspace.com/cursillistas