the edge PICKS.(Arts and Lifestyle)

The Boston Herald April 16, 2004 NIGHTLIFE * *Fortify yourself with (BOLD) DJ Funkmaster Flex, joined by MTV’s La La at the Platinum Party at Rio, the Palace, Entertainment Complex, 1500 Broadway, Saugus. House, Latin, disco, rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop and r & b are among the music styles jammin’ at the Palace’s 12 clubs. Tickets: $15 for 21-plus and $20 for 18-plus. Call 781-321-1660. – AIDEN FITZGERALD * *Play like a model and check out the scene at Armani Cafe, 214 Newbury St., this weekend. Black pants are the staple of its trendy crowd, so slap some on and feel as if you’re hanging at a European bar without leaving the zip code. Entrees range from $15-$25, and restaurant hours are Sunday-Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. The bar is open until midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends. Call 617-437-0909. – TENLEY WOODMAN MUSIC Ryle’s Jazz Club in Inman Square, Cambridge, celebrates its grand re-opening this weekend with a performance tonight by noted bassist Harvie S and his band. Mr. S used to be known as Harvie Swartz, but changed his name because of what he calls the “ch factor.” He just got tired of the problems caused by people misspelling his name as Schwartz. Mr. S’ music has shifted, too, in the direction of nontraditional Afro-Cuban jazz, as evidenced by his new album, “Texas Rumba.” As for Ryle’s, the club has a new booker for its music, Brian Walkley, and a new barbeque smoker for its ribs-and-more menu. Tickets: $10. Call 617-876-9330. – LARRY KATZ CLASSICAL MUSIC Who needs the Three Tenors when you can catch Three Rising Stars? That’s the name for a recital tomorrow at 8 p.m. at Jordan Hall featuring three young, up-and-coming classical musicians: pianist Ning An, violinist Joseph Lin and cellist Wendy Law. The trio’s resumes include prestigious competition wins and study at such schools as Juilliard, the New England Conservatory and Harvard University. The recital is presented by the Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts. Tickets: $15-$25 ($2 off for students). Call 617-585-1260 or 781-259-8195 or go to www.chineseperformingarts.net. – T.J. MEDREK VISUAL ARTS Barely a week after the home opener at Fenway, Panopticon Gallery of Waltham is celebrating with an opener of its own, in its second location at the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square. This one focuses on baseball, too – in the form of vintage black-and-white and color photographs drawn from several important local collections. For those who missed the 1914 World Series at Fenway, there’s a panoramic shot of the park. Other highlights include images of Jimmy Foxx, Lefty Grove, Ted Williams and Babe Ruth both before and after he decamped to New York. “Home Run: Vintage Baseball Photographs” is at Panopticon-Boston,Hotel Commonwealth, 500 Commonwealth Ave. Free. Call 617-933-5000. – JOANNE SILVER There’s still time to catch former marketing agency CEO turned artist Betsyann Duval’s “Flesh and Bones.” This poignant exhibit at the Bromfield Gallery features Duval’s work in oils and sculpture, in which she explores the human body and what it means to be human. The exhibit includes the topical sculpture installation “Collateral Damage,” which observes war and violence and how it impacts individuals. The exhibit runs through April 24. lemondropmartini.net lemon drop martini

Bromfield Art Gallery, 27 Thayer St., Wednesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Call 617-451-3605 or go to www.bromfieldartgallery.com. – LINDA LABAN TELEVISION More mysterious than Jack Bauer’s lack of need for food or water is the disappearance of “24″ this week. Fox bumped the show to make room for President Bush’s press conference Tuesday night, so the next new episode will air Sunday at 9 p.m. on WXFT (Ch. 25).

This temporary time slot pits the series against HBO’s “The Sopranos” and ABC’s “Alias.” Trust me – it’s worth figuring out how to tape the others and watch “24.” Sunday’s episode is one of the best in a wildly uneven season. Terrorist Stephen Saunders (Paul Blackthorne) orders President Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) to kill Ryan Chappelle (Paul Schulze, who coincidentally plays Carmela’s disapproving priest on “The Sopranos”). website lemon drop martini

Now that Kimberly Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert) and Meadow Soprano (Jamie-Lynn DiScala) are sharing the same time slot, perhaps they can run away together. Let’s be honest – it would take their respective shows weeks to notice- AMY AMATANGELO HOT SPOT The Milky Way Lounge & Lanes is one of those places you hate to tell people about simply because you don’t want to share it. The funky Jamaica Plain retro lounge has that comfy, quirky, shabby-chic feel that makes it a refreshing switch from the Boston bar scene.

With bright-red walls, diner-inspired stools, cozy booths, rainbow lighting and a stage to match, the bar offers a little bit of everything: from karaoke, Latin and ’80s nights to seven lanes of candlepin bowling, two pool tables, live entertainment, a full menu and a kick-ass lemon drop martini.

* *What to wear: Anything original. Break away from the Gap and hit some thrift shops for a funky vintage top and ripped pair of old Levis.* *What to order: JP’s Best Calamari – fried calamari in a chipotle aioli batter served over mesclun greens – or the steamed New World Mussels.* *What to drink: The lemon drop martini. The recipe, brought from the West Coast by bar manager Jay Bain, is a mix of Absolut Citron, Cointreau, lemons and a splash of homemade sour, served with a sugared rim. This drink in itself is a reason to go.

* *Best time to go: Mango’s Latin Night, starting at 6 p.m. on Saturdays, is the Milky Way’s salsa, merengue and bachata night. The rest of the week is packed with live bands, karaoke, jazz, reggae, pop, house music and rock.* *How much to bring: Cocktails, $3-10; appetizers and entrees, $4.95-$17; cover charge, $3-$10. – CAITLIN AUSTIN New this week DVDs (in stores Tuesday) “The Office – The Complete Second Series” “The Haunted Mansion” (widescreen) “The King of Queens – The Complete Second Season” CDs (in stores Tuesday) Prince: “Musicology” Patty Griffin: “Impossible Dream” Hanson: “Underneath”