To start off, Thursday is the night of art exhibition openings, where it is possible to hob-knob with those that can afford to buy art, but also speak to actual artists -yeah, cool stories and a way to impress the folks back home, if you tell them you had an extended chat with an up-and-coming BCN artist- and also lots of times a way to get some free booze -typically cava- and every now and then platters of tasty treats -mini-tapas or mini-croissants and powdered things- laid out for consumption, and they're FREE.

This Thursday May 7th at 7.30pm, BAG (Barcelona Art Gay) a multi-genre art festival lasting till May 29th opens with the artsists on hand, catering, and vino from Vino Gay (Ribero del Duero) at Espai Cultural Francoli on C/Francoli, 13 near Lesseps metro. As an aside, there is also an interesting looking and again, FREE, workshop and seminar on monopositional and spider web bondage on Thursday the 14th, spots are limited, so contact BAG.

If you live in the L'Hospitalet area or aren't bothered by the mini-trek -it's not that far people- to metro stop Santa Eulalia, the Edificio Freixas at C/Gloria, 7 is having an open house with the participation of over 20 artists covering sculpture, ceramics, design, jewlery and more. Probably the coolest thing is that Stereonoise, the company Pep Torres designs with will be welcoming folks in to see what they are working on, and from the same people who designed aphrodisiac sheets, surely they'll have many interesting projects to display. Open from 11am on and formal preview of what is to come in the world of design from 7pm-12am. FREE and parking provided for those coming on two or four wheels.

Also on Thursday, try Afterwork at Gran Foc in Eixample on Roger de Lluria, 23 with Gran Via. Afterwork, which first began at Broadbar, finds itself at Gran Foc this week. The recurring Thursday night tapas buffet libre and after work happy hour of sorts complete with raffles and a different theme each week starts at 8.30pm. Music by groove, Brazilian and jazz fusion quartet  Diego Lopez Collia Project  starts at 9.30pm. It works like this, buy a drink, say a glass of wine for 3.50 euros and you can access the FREE tapas buffet they put out. Nothing too grand, it's a nice selection of tapas and if you get there early enough you can get several helpings in. Entry is FREE.

In Apolo at 10pm (doors open at 9pm) Thursday May 7th, the second edition of the Revolta party will kick off with Mendetz, a group that will, according to Apolo's website, "let you bring out your inner sex-appeal", electropop group Ultraplayback, and BCN-natives and post-punk collective, Ferguson, among others. The cost for a night of sexy, elextropoppy and post-punk fun, only 10 euros my friends and that INCLUDES a drink.

For Friday, check out the independent fashions at the 3G fashion show in Gracia in Vila de Gracia, know where that is? Check out the blog from April 30th...alright, I will just tell 'ya, it used to be Pl. Rius i Taulet, now re-christened Vila de Gracia. Starts at 9pm, see the related link for more details.

So, get a head start on the weekend and check back in for more FREE and semi-FREE stuff to carry you through to next week.