Fri. June 22

The Strawbs, led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Dave Cousins, were one of the early prog-rock bands from the UK, and they distinguished themselves, like Jethro Tull, by drawing as much from folk traditions as rock. I remember, as a college dj in the mid-'70s, putting them into the Fairport Convention, Tull, Genesis, Yes set. (Rick Wakeman, future keyboardist for Yes, was once a Strawb.) In all honesty, the Strawbs sort of faded from our view as the music world spun out in all sorts of other directions. But the Strawbs still exist - they went through various lineup changes - and the current version is the same as the 1974 version, which featured guitarist Dave Lambert, bassist Chas Cronk, drummer Rob Coombes and keyboardist John Hawken. That group produced the albums, "Hero & Heroine" and "Ghosts." The latest disc is 2005's "Painted Sky." So, it shouldn't just be living in the past at the Regent Theatre in Arlington Friday June 22 when the Strawbs take the stage. And, for locals, the bonus treat is Orpheus Reborn, meaning the new incarnation of the one-time hitmaking soft-rock Boston band Orpheus. (Hit: "Can't Find the Time.") They open at 8 p.m. Tickts: $22.50.

7 Medford St., Arlington, 781-646-4849 regenttheatre.com

ongoing

"Georgia Rule" is the kind of movie sure to get overlooked in the summer deluge of blockbuster binges, sequels and flights of fantasy. The fact that Lindsay Lohan (in photo) has a central role didn't exactly make us race to the theater - although that "she sure was cast agains type" joke made us smile slightly. Then, news came on Memorial Day weekend that Lohan had crashed her car and picked up another DUI charge, In the movie, Lohan plays a messed-up teen who is exiled by her mother, played by Felicity Huffman, to Idaho, to stay with her grandmother, played by Jane Fonda. Everyone's got trouble here. The town vet's wife and child were killed in a car crash a few years back - how can he love again? Lohan's dad may have had sex with her when she was an even younger girl; yet, she's a druggie and the kind of girl who likes to make good on her teases. She talks the talk, walks the walk, does the nasty. Why is she this way? Could it be that Huffman's character is an alcoholic and at odds with her mother? Could it be Fonda's strict regimented way of life, totally at odds with any idea of fun? This is a film that doesn't unfold according to expectations, and all of the prime characters have shades of gray. Watch this play out and your alliances will shift continuously. It's not done in a manipulative fashion. It's just that all these folks have problems. Some will get resolved (sort of), some won't at all. Oh, and there's no way to come away with anything with but respect for the 20-year-old Lohan as an actress,  no matter what you think of her personal life or her place in the Britney-Paris world of fast-and-loose celebrity-dom '07. If this hasn't convinced you, don't forget it's directed by Garry Marshall and the man has long done a lot of quality work. It's moved away from the city cinemas, but don't let this get lost in the summer shuffle. The movie is at the Hollywood Hits in Danvers at 12:15, 3:10, 5:35 and 8 p.m. We'd suggest you see it now, because we're realists. This barely stands a chance against the rest, and there's more big-bam-bang movies to come. This isn't quite an art film, but it verges on that territory. Tickets: $8.75.

7 Hutchinston Dr., Danvers, 978-777-4000. hollywoodhitstheatre.com

Thurs. June 21

 The first great car movie we saw? Well, that would have to be "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" back when we were, well, young. My god, that thing was impressive. We wanted one! Perhaps, our parents bought us a toy replica. If so it's history now and probably valuable to whoever salvaged it. Now, cars have been stars in many a movie. Some of those cars get mighty smashed up; some are souped-up surreal vehicles of the other realm. Many are involved in chases that if you saw on the local news, well, you'd demand more restraints on those police pursuits. But we digress. The Larz Anderson Museum - where you can see some great old cars - is holdng the three-film series, "Stars & Cars at Larz" starting Thursday June 21 with "Chitty." ("The Great Race" is July 23 and "Back to the Future" is Aug. 23.) VinThey're free and they start at 8 p.m. Vintage cars will be on display. Food vendors will offer their wares. (And no booze on the premises, of course.) Co-sponsored by the Coolidge Corner Theatre.

15 Newton St., Brookline, 617-734-2500 coolidge.org/larz

Wed. June 20

We confess. Most every time we stop by the Foundation it's for a cool, relaxing martini or two. (It's a great pre-Sox meeting place if you want to avoid the beerhounds and bleacher mugs. We're not being elitist. It's just sometimes you don't want your beer served from a barrel in the Uno lobby.) But Summer Rayne Oakes (in photo) is giving us another reason to go to the Foundation Wednesday June 20 from 6-9 p.m. No, not to ogle. She is the "Eco-Model of the Year" (according to Grist mag) and was profiled in Vanity Fair's "Green" issue. Yes, we have trouble with the commodifying of enviro-friendly products and services, but we have that trouble with basic capitalism too. So, we'll give Oakes a break when she shows up to talk about her experience as an advocate within the fashion industry, pushing for brand strategies rooted in environmental and social concerns. (She heads up SRO, a consulting cmpany and is also an environmental scientist by training.) The Foundation event is put on by SustainLaine.com and Netimpact.org. It's free to get in but you must pre-register at netimpact.org to get in - the fee includes one drink and appetizers. So, we're guessing it's around $20 to get in. Does this not beat babble with the bloke on the next barstool?

500 Commonwealth Ave., 617-859-9900 hotelcommonwealth.com

 Sun. June 17

How many club gigs can you do? For rock bands on the circuit, the answer can be "infinite." But it can be a grind. It's work. How do you make each special? Aye, there's the rub. The guys in Jim's Big Ego - Jim Infantino's band - have an answer. You put on something called "The Ego & The Oracle: A Spontaneous Musical Interactive Theatrical Event" at Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway. What this means is the Boston-based Ego team up with writer/cult horror film actor/musician/radio mystic Andras Jones for what they call "rock 'n' roll divnination." Que? It's further described as "Magic 8 Ball meets the iPod Shuffle." OK, what happens is audience members are invited on stage to ask questions of the Oracle. Then, they spin a wheel with Ego's songs on it - shades of what Elvis Costello did years ago - and when the wheel stops the band plays the song, which is then interpreted as the answer to the question. This could be fun, a lark, or just plain weird, but these guys have done this before so they are pros ... at whatever it is they do. They have a Sunday residency that has one more show, Sunday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets:  Tickets: $15

255 Elm St., Somerville, 617-591-1616 jimmytingle.com