Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend

Museums
Figuring Color
Figuring Color, the newest exhibition at the ICA, dives into the ways in which the worlds of color and form can double as metaphors for the human body. Expect a jolt of chroma, natch, and about 65 works that range from paintings to furniture to sculptures from artists like Kathy Butterly, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Roy McMakin, and Sue Williams.
$10 – $15, starts Friday, February 17 and runs through May 20, West Gallery, Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave., Boston, 617-478-3103, icaboston.org.

Music
Other Lives
I discovered Oklahoma-based Other Lives last summer, several days after they played a show at Brighton Music Hall, and have been waiting for another chance to see them live ever since. Learn from my mistake: catch this band while they’re still playing small, local venues — I’m particularly curious to see how five people plus the drums, violin, horns, piano, cello, bass, clarinet, and the band’s big sound will fit onto Great Scott’s tiny stage.
$13, 9 p.m., Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston, 617-566-9014, greatscottboston.com.

Beer
Beer Geek Week at Bukowski’s
Keg tapping! Rare beer releases! Swag Giveaways! Pint Nights! Beer cocktails! It’s Beer Geek Week at one of my favorite local watering holes (who, as of last week, had Oskar Blues’ Mama’s Little Yellow Pils and Jack’s Abby Framinghammer Baltic Porter on tap — bonus points for you, Buk’s!). Releases started on Monday, but go through Sunday so check the website for details. But between both the Boston and Cambridge locations, the next few days will see releases of Mystic Brewing’s Saison An Dreoilin, Wormtown’s Foxy Brown Imperial Maple Ale, Dogfish Head’s Ta Henket, and Brasserie Artisanale De Rullés’ La Rullés Triple.
Bukowski’s, 50 Dalton St., Boston, 617-437-9999; 1281 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 617-497-707, bukowskitavern.net.

Film
Academy Award-Nominated Shorts
What’s not to love about short films? (Tell me you’ve seen For the Birds?) The ICA is screening all of the 2011 of Academy Award-nominated short films, divvied into three separate categories: animation, live action, and documentary. The screenings start on President’s Day and go through March 11th — I  say get a jump on it and hit up the first day, where all films in all three categories will be screened from 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. I’m cheering for William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg’s The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Lessmore — check out the video below, but consider grabbing a tissue first.
$8 – $10, Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave., Boston, 617-478-3103, icaboston.org.

Dance
Triple Play
Three trifectas of dance (ballet, jazz, and modern) paired with music from three composers (Tchaikovsky’s Trio in a minor for violin, Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite and Latin American Suite, and John Adams’ “Hallelujah Junction”) by three different choreographers (Daniel Pelzig, former resident choreographer of the Boston Ballet; Cathy Young, the Conservatory’s artistic director; and Doug Varone) come together in this performance featuring Boston Conservatory dancers. Check out the video below for a sneak peek.
$10 – 25, 8 p.m. (Thursday – Saturday), 2 p.m. (Saturday – Sunday), February 16 – 19, The Boston Conservatory Theater, 8 The Fenway, Boston, 617-536-6340, bostonconservatory.edu.