Our daily column, 5 Things You Need to Know Today, will help you to get your day started and offer you some fodder for water cooler conversation.

1. Eric Lilljequist and Dean Adrien will take the stage tonight at Amazing Things Arts Center tonight at 8. According to the website, "at 24 Eric was involved in the now classic Boston band, Orphan, along with fellow guitarist and harmonizer, Dean Adrien and Jonathan Edwards, who later penned Sunshine Go Away Today and went on to national stardom. Lilljequist's songwriting took off and their first album was entirely his own works." Uploaded to this column, is a video of a song off their latest CD.

2. Flags will fly at half staff from sunrise until sunset today, Aug. 31 in honor of Astronaut Neil Armstrong, who died Aug. 25, 2012 in accordance with President Barack Obama's proclamation.

3. The EcoTarium is free today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Consider picking up your child(ren) after school and start the long weekend off with a trip to the Worcester museum. 

4. Framingham (and MetroWest) have a lot of restaurants, but we want to hear what the area is missing. Click here and write your thoughts.

5. Don't forget to stay in touch with Framingham news via our newsletter, Facebook page and Twitter. We now have more than 1,500 fans on Facebook and more than 750 followers on Twitter.