WED 12.30

MIT Social Swing Dance and Lesson

What happens when you combine MIT and swing dancing? The opportunity of a lifetime. If you’ve ever had any interest in dancing whatsoever or just enjoyed the occasional awkward shuffle at concerts, you owe it to yourself to swing the night away. You’ll learn the basics from 7:30 to 9, and then you’ll get the chance to show your moves on the dance floor for two and a half hours. Bring a date, or maybe find someone there. It’s the ’20s; live it up.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 7:30-11:30pm/18+/FREE. web.mit.edu/swing

THU 12.31

2016 Prohibition Ball at Lucky’s Lounge

Prohibition: the darkest period in American history right next to the Great Depression and that time Saturday Night Live let Donald Trump host. Now’s your chance to go back in time to that anti-alcohol era and drink like getting caught will spell disaster for you and your kin. That’s right, Lucky’s Lounge is hosting a 1920s-themed costume party, rich with the music of the era and just enough Gatsby references that you won’t feel too bad if you’ve only seen the movie.

Lucky’s Lounge. 355 Congress St., Boston. 9:30pm-2am/21+/$40. eventbrite.com/e/the-2016-prohibition-ball-tickets-19821676167

FRI 1.1

The Oregon Fail: You Have Died of Comedy

ImprovBoston is ready to take you back to your childhood as it guides you through its interpretation of the Oregon Trail, the deathly trail that lays waste to all those foolish enough to traverse it. Good ol’ Ma and Pa might get mauled by bears. Little Suzie might drown in a river just for laughs. And poor Grandma might just get dysentery. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll go home and buy a copy of Oregon Trail and play it for half an hour before getting frustrated. It’s the best way to start off 2016.

ImprovBoston. 40 Prospect St., Cambridge. 11pm-Midnight/21+/$12. eventbrite.com/e/the-oregon-fail-you-have-died-of-comedy-tickets-18230305334

SAT 01.02

Holiday Music – 14 Foot 1 – The Owens – Saccharine

The holidays are over, but that doesn’t you can enjoy some Holiday Music. The Midway Cafe is starting the year right by giving their stage to local Massachusetts artists (and one Rhode Island artist.) Featuring the punk rock sound of Holiday Music, 14 Foot 1’s Math Rock (it sounds just as cool as it sounds,) the experimental style of The Owens, and the folk talents of Saccharine, you’re in for one hell of an evening.

The Midway Cafe. 3496 Washington St., Jamaica Plain. 9pm-Midnight/21+/$6. midwaycafe.com

SAT 1.2

The 5th Annual Boston One-Minute Play Festival, Series A: Where Have We Been?

You’ve seen one-acts, you’ve seen musicals, and you’ve seen Shakespeare, but now it’s time to expand your theatrical mind even further with one-minute plays. “What are one-minute plays?” you ask yourself. Well, that’s quite simple: They’re plays that last for only one minute. “Wow! That’s short!” It sure is, but that’s the appeal. How much can you be affected in one solid minute? Featuring plays by Hatem Addel, Mikey DiLoreto, David Marino, and a lot more directors, it’s bound to be a performance you’ll remember forever.

Boston Playwright’s Theatre. 949 Comm. Ave., Boston. 8-10pm/all ages/$20. facebook.com/events/1638423026424774

TUE 1.5

Burro Karaoke

The Painted Burro is a great bar; it’s even greater when karaoke is involved. Feel free to make an ass out of yourself as you put your vocal talents on display. Sing to your heart’s content after you get some margaritas in you with like-minded, equally intoxicated people. Have some nachos too (seriously though, have some nachos; they’re the only thing I eat there and they’re fantastic). You can’t spell 2016 with “karaoke.”

The Painted Burro. 219 Elm St., Somerville. 9pm-1am/21+/FREE. thebostoncalendar.com/events/burro-karaoke–19