Next time you have a rainy afternoon with nothing to do, stop by Nuggets and while away the hours browsing amidst the CDs, the tapes and records. Within Nuggets, you will find loads of items in every musical genre and if you give yourself time you are bound to find a couple of real treasures. No time to browse, just ask the staff at the front desk, they'll help you find what you seek more quickly. But that's not nearly as much fun....

Crews worked around the clock to transform the massive multi-use complex on Lansdowne Street into Boston's House of Blues before doors opened on Thursday, Feb. 19. Boston's House of Blues 100-seat restaurant also opened on Thursday, Feb. 19 with executive chef Tindaro Losurdo taking the helm. He's also spearheading the grits at the HOB's 75-seat private dining area known as the Foundation Room, catering to the complex's VIP diners. J. Geils Band, in a sold-out show, came together for the first time in 10 years for the grand opening to kick of the House of Blue's otherwise youth-geared lineup of musical acts including Jesse McCartney on Friday, Feb. 27, Bloc Party on Thursday, March 19, Lady GaGa on Monday, March 30 and Katy Perry on Wednesday, April 1. For those not in the know, Avalon officially closed on Oct. 1, 2007 and was sold to the House of Blues by the Lyons Group. The former Lansdowne hot spot is currently being transformed into a live-music complex that will accommodate 2,500 including a 350-seat lounge and a 125-seat restaurant. Boston faves the Dropkick Murphys will play six consecutive nights from Thursday, March 12 until Tuesday, March 17. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of its album "Clarity" with a 10-city tour, Jimmy Eat World announced that they're playing on the HOB stage on Thursday, Feb. 26. Other previously announced acts set to play the soon-to-be-opened venue include B.B. King and Buddy Guy on Sunday, Feb. 22 and George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

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Boston Arts Academy is a city-wide school focusing on dance, theatre, visual arts, vocal and instrumental music. In order to attend, you have to audition. Student enrollment is about 400 and the Academy partners with local colleges (Mass Art, Berklee, Emerson, Boston Conservancy) to provide an enriched educational experience.