MUSIC: Tonight's triple threat lineup at Mercury Lounge consists of Anathallo (pictured), Sam Amidon, and Bridges and Powerlines. Go early, stay late—all of these acts are well worth standing in a packed club for.

7:30 p.m. // Mercury Lounge [217 E Houston St] // $12

DEBATE: Down under Lolita Bar a serious debate will go on tonight: "Should Sci-Fi Avoid Nostalgia?" Host Todd Seavey notes it will be "a clash of titans—namely speculative-fiction-admiring Scott Nybakken and retro-rocketed Dan Raspler (a current and former DC Comics editor, respectively). Like the tension between monkey butler and robot butler, the forces of beloved memory (Flash Gordon, Star Wars, Transformers) and the forces of highbrow speculation (Kim Stanley Robinson, Arthur C. Clarke, Vernor Vinge) pull at every science fiction fan."

7 p.m. // Lolita [266 Broome St] // Free

CRAFTS: Before you break down those cardboard boxes, think about bringing them over to a Crafty Cardboard event. They say: "come on down to Sustainable NYC for an event that combines craftiness, adventure, and garbage. Using templates from RePlayrgound's designs, we will be transforming your cereal boxes into wallets, postcards, pencil boxes, and more." They'll provide added materials for all of you eco-friendly creative geniuses out there.

Sustainable NYC [139 Ave A at 9th St] // $10

EVENT: The Secret Science Club returns tonight with Mathematician and Population Expert Joel. E. Cohen, asking "Can conservation succeed with 9 billion people on the planet? Every day the world’s population grows by approximately 200,000 people. That means every 40 days, the planet adds enough new people to replace the entire population of New York City." Take the edge off those scary figures with the Population Bomb cocktail they'll be specially serving up.

7:30 p.m. // Union Hall [702 Union St, Park Slope] // Free