Outpost

Even the address of this outré club gives you a hint that something unusual is going down. That extra "half" in 186 ½ Hampshire Street could well be the difference between a pedestrian, lackluster bar band (yawn), or a pulse-quickening, mind-blowing musical experience. A (literally) hidden gem, OUTPOST is not visible from the street — you have to walk along the side of the building to enter. Small and unassuming, the space is built on risk and chance, which of course always leaves the possibility for audience members to be confused or disappointed. But the risk is almost always rewarding, and as John Cage put it: "I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." Outpost celebrates the fringe of all artistic forays, usually heavy on improvisation. A sample of concert descriptions from the past few months includes "world and funk inspired jazz," "adventures in sound," "solo drums," and "space music from the other side of the universe," in addition to the thoroughly unique "The Whimsy!" bohemian vaudeville open-mic night.

OUTPOST | 186½ Hampshire Street, Inman Square, Cambridge | 617.876.0860 | zeitgeist-outpost.org