Pencil This In

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

Justin Bernhaut

THEATER: The best $25 you can spend on theater right now is the daffy new opus from The National Theater of the United States America. Called Chautauqua!, this highly entertaining and amusing production is inspired by the Chautauqua Circuit, a wildly popular lecture circuit that flourished across America from 1874 to the Great Depression, using family-friendly entertainment and enlightened discourse to educate rural residents on science, art, culture and progressive politics. But unlike the original Chautauqua, Chautauqua! comes with free Sixpoint beer. Each night features a different guest star, and tonight that would be PS 122 Artistic Director Vallejo Gantner, on hand to present this year's Spalding Gray Award. And tonight only, the show will be followed by "celebrations and libations." Read our full review for more on this fun and edifying romp. — John Del Signore

7:30 p.m. // PS 122 [150 First Ave] // $25

ART/PARTY: The Armory Show, that annual explosion of contemporary art featuring over two hundred of the world’s leading galleries, kicks off tonight with a special preview, followed by a big bash at MoMA. Flavorpill got art-punkers Gang Gang Dance to shred the after-party, which features an open bar and DJ Justin Miller (DFA Records). If you've got money to blow on art, you've surely got money for this fiesta, which looks like the party of the week; $100 (benefiting MoMA and P.S. 1) includes The Armory Show preview and the MoMA after-party. A shuttle bus will be running from the show at Pier 94 to MoMA from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — John Del Signore

6 p.m. // The Armory Show [Piers 92 and 94 on the Hudson River,
Twelfth Avenue at Fifty-second Street], Party at MoMA [11 West 53rd Street] // $100

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