Didn't have $26 to see the Decemberists at Riviera? Well, problem solved! Metro announced today that the band will play a free show July 18 in Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion. It's all part of the Wrigleyville venue's 25th anniversary. But why aren't they having the show at the Metro, you ask? Because the Portland five-piece will be accompanied by the Grammy-nominated, 82-piece Grant Park Orchestra, which will provide orchestral arrangements to the songs. Sounds fun to us, but we wonder: Does this sound like a wee bit over the top to you?

Funky Buddha's nextdoor's sibling is -- finally -- ready to emerge! Butterfly Social Club, the long-delayed all-organic, environmentally conscious venue, is aiming to open Saturday, just in time for Earth Day on Sunday. Inside, you'll find faux trees (with real leaves!) crafted from mud, sand, clay and straw "growing" from of the wall.  When we checked out the space last year, it even smelled a little earthy. At this new spot, you can snuggle in your own little beeswax-coated "treehouse" nook while scoping the space for recycled materials, such as the mirrored mosaic butterflies. Solar power will keep the lights going and the turntables spinning while you sip chemical-free juices in this smoke-free club.

Got the pre-payday blues? Never fear, tonight we've got you covered with a free screening of "How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)," an affectionate documentary (well, hagiography might be more accurate) honoring filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles. Our suggestion? Check out the film--which originally screened as part of the 2005 Chicago International Film Festival--and then rent "Baadassss," Mario Van Peebles' (Melvin's son) excellent dramatization of the devotion it took his dad to make the 1971 surprise hit, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song."

 <--The spot: Amid the jumble of restaurants on Clark Street in Lakeview, the relatively new Radhuni Indian Kitchen offers a mix of cuisine from Bangladesh and Northern India. Tandoor classics like the chicken ($7.95/$12.95) and fish ($13.95), a Bangladeshi specialty, arrive sizzling and perfectly seasoned. For another taste of Bangladeshi cuisine, owner Sayeed Ahmed recommends biryani, made with basmati rice, saffron shrimp, lamb, chicken and vegetables ($10.95). A variety of curry dishes and 13 types of bread and naan fill out the menu.

<--The bottle: Nearby Binny's Ivanhoe Castle  offers plenty of the usual spicy-food suspects, including gruner veltliners, sauvignon blancs and rieslings. But for something just a little different, go for a torrontes, a white grape originally from Spain that's now grown widely in Argentina. Binny's offers torrontes from six different producers, but we always grab a bottle of Crios de Susana Balbo ($14.99), which   delivers fruitiness with a hint of sweetness; look for rose petals on the nose and minerality on the finish.

--Allison Knab, metromix special contributor