- Comedian and "Ghost Whisperer" co-star Jamie Kennedy - who, by the mere fact that he's dating Jennifer Love Hewitt, could be the luckiest SOB in Hollywood (have you seen the new cover of Maxim? Yikes!) - performs tonight and Saturday at 7:30 and 10 p.m. at WiseGuys Comedy Club, 3500 S. 2200 West, West Valley City. Tickets are $20, at SmithsTix.

- The "world famous" (registered trademark) Lipizzaner Stallions do their tricks, tonight at 7:30 at the E Center, 3200 S. Decker Lake Dr. (2200 West), West Valley City. Tickets are $22.50, at TicketMaster.

- The Utah Symphony performs Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, along with works by Borodin and Prokofiev, tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m., at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Andrew Grams is guest conductor (i.e., auditioning for Keith Lockhart's job), with violinist Baiba Skride (pictured at left) performing. Tickets available at ArtTix.

- "Live Green," the sixth annual downtown eco-festival, is set for Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Library Square, 210 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City. Free.

- Metal five-piece band A Skylit Drive headlines a long bill - that includes Dance Gavin Dance, Attack Attack!, Lower Definition and In Fear and Faith - Saturday, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Avalon, 3605 S. State St., South Salt Lake City. Tickets are $12 in advance, $14 on the day of show, at SmithsTix.

- The Eagles christen Rio Tinto Stadium's debut as a concert venue, Saturday at 8 at Rio Tinto Stadium, 9256 S. State St., Sandy. Michelle Branch is the opening act. Tickets, from $50 to $175, available at the stadium web site. (Read an e-mail interview with The Eagles' Don Henley and a phone talk with Michelle Branch, both conducted by the Tribune's David Burger - and read Burger's story about the stadium's musical aspirations.)

Labels: weekend schedule

- Lenka, the Aussie TV star-turned-singer/songwriter, and opening acts Greg Laswell and City Swell play tonight, starting at 6:30, at the Avalon Theater, 3605 S. State St., South Salt Lake City. Tickets, at $12, available at the door.

- Pioneer Theatre Company's production of the musical "Miss Saigon" starts a two-week run, tonight at 8 at Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. 1400 East, on the University of Utah campus, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $30 to $49, available at the PTC web site.

- Pygmalion Theatre Company's "The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon" - a play by Troy Williams and Charles Lynn Frost based on their character (developed on Williams' KRCL radio program and played by Frost), a good Mormon woman with a gay son who bears her testimony "by bringing Mormons and gays back together through direct action and creative casseroles" - opens a two-week run, tonight at 8 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tonight's show is sold out, but tickets for future shows are available at ArtTix.

- Celebrate a few days early at the U92 Cinco de Mayo Custom Car Car Show and Concert - with hip-hop stars David Rush & Pitbull, Chamillionaire, Lil Rob, Mims, Chino 4 Real, Gorilla Zoe, Jay Rock and Hogg Boss - Saturday at the Usana Amphitheatre, 5150 S. 6055 West, West Valley City. Gates open at 11 a.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $30 and $40 on the day of the show, at SmithsTix.

- Salt Lake City's roller-derby queens, the Salt City Derby Girls, take on their rivals from Ogden, the Junction City Roller Dolls, Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $10 in advance, at SmithsTix, or $15 at the door.

- Blues musician and bass player Kelly Joe Phelps performs, Sunday at 8 p.m. at The State Room, 638 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 on the day of show, at the State Room web site.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Singer-songwriter Kate Voegele (pictured at right), who appeared as a musician on the CW's bizarre drama "One Tree Hill," will play tonight at In the Venue, 579 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Doors open at 6. Tickets are $15, at SmithsTix or 24Tix. (Voegele is also giving a free live performance, being taped by her record label, tonight at 6 at the Graywhale, 390 N. 500 West, Bountiful.)

- The Utah Symphony finishes conductor Keith Lockhart's 10-year Mahler project with a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 9, tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $16 to $51, available at ArtTix.

- WiseGuys comedy club opens its new location in Trolley Square - within the new restaurant Poundcakes, at the site of the former Hard Rock Cafe, on 500 South between 600 and 700 East, Salt Lake City - with shows by Marcus (the "Last Comic Standing" runner-up) tonight and Saturday, at 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $15, at SmithsTix.

- New York alt-rock band Making April plays (in April - what are the odds?) Saturday at the Avalon, 3605 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Opening acts are The Record Life and Jimmy Robbins. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix or at the door.

- The Utah Jazz try to even up the score against the Los Angeles Lakers, Saturday at 7 p.m., at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at TicketMaster.

- Real Salt Lake faces the New England Revolution, Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium, 9256 S. State St., Sandy. Tickets available at the Real web site.

- Rocker Chris Cornell, (pictured at left), the Soundgarden and Audioslave lead singer whose latest album "Scream" found him collaborating with hip-hop producer Timbaland, performs Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Depot at 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $35, at SmithsTix.

- Heavy-metal champions Queensryche returns to one of their favorite haunts, The Depot at 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Sunday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35, at SmithsTix.

Labels: Marcus, Real Salt Lake, Utah Jazz, weekend schedule

- The Salt Lake Gallery Stroll takes place tonight from 6 to 9, at various galleries in and around downtown Salt Lake City. (Here's the list of participating galleries.) Some highlights: Spy Hop Productions is showing off its HQ at 511 W. 200 South, with music by Jeremy Chatelain and Spy Hop Records recording artists Sam Burton & Orion Chacon-Hurst; the People With AIDS Coalition of Utah will have its thrift store, called Our Store, open at 358 E. 300 South; and Ken Sanders Rare Books, at 268 S. 200 East, will host the DVD release party of Trent Harris' "Delightful Water Universe," along with an exhibit of Harris' paintings and photographs.

- A benefit screening of Charlie Chaplin silent shorts takes place tonight at 7:30 at The Organ Loft, 3331 S. Edison St. (half a block east of State Street), South Salt Lake City. Proceeds go to the wife and six children of Daniel Spencer Howells, a teacher killed in a recent car accident. Admission is $5 at the door; call 801-485-9265 for reservations.

- Saturday is Independent Record Store Day, and 13 Utah retailers - the seven Graywhale stores, Groovacious in Cedar City, Sgt. Pepper's Music and Video in Moab, and Salt Lake City venues Slowtrain Records, Positively 4th Street Music, Randy's Record Shop and The Heavy Metal Shop - are taking part in the celebrations, with live local artists performing and special vinyl releases by major artists. Go here for a list of events.

- Canadian prog-metal band Protest the Hero - with supporting acts Avenged Sevenfold, Bad Religion and Chiodos - plays Saturday, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Avalon, 3605 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Tickets are $12, at SmithsTix.

- The Salt City Derby Girls hold court again, with the Bomber Babes squaring off against the Death Dealers, Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Salt Palace, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix or at the door.

- A rap extravaganza - headlined by Tech N9ne, who shares the bill with MURS, Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun and Illuminati - Saturday at 8 p.m. at Saltair, 12408 W. Saltair Drive, Magna. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 on the day of show, at KTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- The Salt Lake Bees try again to start their season against the Reno Aces, starting at 6:35 p.m. at the newly renamed Spring Mobile Ballpark (pictured), 77 W. 1300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $7.50 to $22.50, available at the Bees' website or at the ballpark.

- Five-piece emo band Alesana is the headliner Saturday at the Avalon Theater, 3605 S. State St., South Salt Lake City. Also on the bill: Drop Dead Gorgeous, Fear Before, The March of Flames, I Set My Friends on Fire and Fall From Grace. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12, at SmithsTix.

- The Utah Jazz come home to play the Golden State Warriors, Saturday at 7 p.m. at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are available at TicketMaster.

- Brooklyn/Minnesota rockers The Hold Steady - whose "Stay Positive" was Entertainment Weekly's pick as the best album of 2008 - perform Saturday at the Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City. The War on Drugs is the opening act. Show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $17 on the day of show, at SmithsTix and 24Tix. (Read an interview the Tribune's David Burger conducted with The Hold Steady's Craig Finn and Tad Kubler here.)

- Hip-hop performer Atmosphere brings his "When God Gives You Ugly" tour, Sunday at In the Venue, 579 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Opening acts are P.O.S. and Attracted to Gods. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.50, at SmithsTix and 24Tix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Utah's favorite "American Idol" runner-up, David Archuleta, comes home to perform, tonight at 7 at the E Center, 3200 S. Decker Lake Dr., West Valley City. Tickets, at $22 to $32, are available at TicketMaster. (Read an interview with Archuleta by the Tribune's David Burger.)

- Ballet West launches "Treasures of the Ballets Russes," a trio of works, tonight at 7:30 at the Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Tonight's show is sold out, but tickets for the rest of the run - Saturday at 7:30, and Wednesday through next Saturday - are available at ArtTix.

- Utah jazz singer Melissa Pace-Tanner celebrates the release of her new CD, "Calm and Carefree," with a show, tonight at 7:30 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $15, at ArtTix.

- The Utah Symphony features violinist Viviane Hagner taking the lead on Korngold's Concerto for Violin in D major - in a program highlighting the works of Charles Ives - tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $16 to $60, are available at ArtTix. (Bring a can of food for the Utah Food Bank, as part of the Orchestras Feeding America drive.)

- Singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata (pictured) plays Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre, 3605 S. State St., South Salt Lake City. Tickets are $12, at SmithsTix.

- The Utah Jazz return home to play the Phoenix Suns (who beat the Jazz Wednesday in Arizona), Saturday at 7 p.m. at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are available at TicketMaster.

- The University of Utah's first Documentary Film Festival runs tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Fort Douglas Post Theatre, 245 S. Fort Douglas Road on the U. of U. campus, Salt Lake City. Tonight's screening features works by students at the U.'s Film Studies division, while Saturday's event features Jill Orschel's award-winning short "Sister Wife" (read more about it here) and Rhea Garvy's work-in-progress "Mayor Rocky and the Upstarters." Free.

- The "Saints & Sinners Tour" hits Utah (an appropriate place for it), Saturday night starting at 6 p.m. at Saltair, 12408 W. Saltair Drive, Magna. The lineup includes hip-hop/metal band Hollywood Undead (the sinners), Christian metal band Haste the Day (the saints), and opening acts Senses Fail and Brokencyde (who fall somewhere in between). Tickets are $18.50, at SmithsTix.

- The Salt City Derby Girls - Salt Lake City's own roller-derby queens - launch their 2009 home season, as the Sisters of No Mercy take on Leave It to Cleavers (go, Veronica Scars!), Saturday at 7 at the Salt Palace, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix or at the door.

- Folk legend Arlo Guthrie rolls - presumably on his motor-sickle - into Kingsbury Hall, on the U. of U. campus, Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, from $29.50 to $49.50, available on the Kingsbury web site.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Experimental folk-rock band Blitzen Trapper (which sounds like a Christmas school folder) plays tonight - with opening act Alela Diane - at 7 at Kilby Court, 741 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $10, at 24Tix or at the door.

- Utah Opera's production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" premieres tonight at 7:30 at the Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Tonight's performance is sold out, but tickets for the rest of the run (through March 22) are available at ArtTix.

- Primus frontman Les Claypool headlines "The Oddity Faire: A Mutated Mini Fest," which starts tonight at 8 at The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Also on the bill: Secret Chief 3 and performance-poet Saul Williams (who Sundance Film Festival veterans will remember from the '98 Grand Jury Prize winner "Slam"). Tickets are $29.50, at the door.

- The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, sponsored by the Hibernian Society of Utah, starts at 10 a.m. Saturday on 400 West and 200 North, behind West High School - then travels south down 400 West to 50 North, when it hangs a right and then a left onto Rio Grande Street through The Gateway, stopping on 200 South. The action adjourns to the Siamsa - with traditional Irish food and music - at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 279 S. 300 West. Free.

- 1964 - The Tribute, a Beatles tribute band, plays the Fab Four's hits Saturday at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $22 to $37, available at ArtTix.

- Bluesman Joe Bonamassa performs Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $29 to $40, are available at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- The Utah Symphony, conducted by Larry Rachleff and featuring violinist Boris Brovtsyn, present "An Evening in Vienna" - featuring Ablan Berg's Concerto for Violin and Beethoven's Third Symphony ("Eroica") - tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m., at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $16 to $60, available at ArtTix.

- Hit rapper The Game is the headliner on a bill (which includes Nipsey Hussle, Chino-4-Real, Ace-High and Strangerz) starting tonight at 8 at Saltair, 12408 W. Saltair Drive, Magna. Tickets, at $35 each, available at the door.

- The Provo band Fictionist - the official strangely-named band of the Culture Vulture blog - plays on a bill that includes Paul Jacobsen & the Madison Arm and Nate Pyfer, tonight at 8 at Velour, 135 N. University Ave., Provo. Admission is $7, at the door.

- The Utah Jazz go for their 10th straight win - and their last home game before a five-game East Coast road swing - against the division-leading Denver Nuggets, tonight at 8:30 at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are available through TicketMaster.

- "Charette: The Search for Utah's Iron Choreographer," Repertory Dance Theatre's annual competition, plays out Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $50, available at ArtTix.

- Jazz vocalist and one-man musical instrument Bobby McFerrin - who is so much more than "Don't Worry, Be Happy" - performs Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Circle on the University of Utah campus, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $19 to $49.50, available at the Kingsbury Hall web site.

- The Young Dubliners, the acclaimed Celtic-rock band, brings St. Patrick's Day a wee bit early, Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, at $20, available at SmithsTix.

- California death-metal band Decrepit Birth plays Sunday at 8 p.m. at Club Vegas. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix and 24Tix.

- And don't forget that Daylight Savings Time starts Sunday morning. Set your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night.

Labels: Fictionist, Utah Jazz, Utah Symphony, weekend schedule

- The documentary "Darius Goes West," about a young man's cross-country adventure to raise awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), screens tonight at 7 at the South Towne Expo Center, 9575 S. State St., Sandy - with the movie's central character, Darius Weems, and the crew in attendance. Free.

- Sweet Honey in the Rock brings its gospel-inflected a capella music to Salt Lake City, 7:30 tonight at Kingsbury Hall, 1395 Presidents Circle (on the University of Utah campus). Tickets, from $28.50 to $44.50, are available at the Kingsbury web site.

- The Utah Symphony plays Prokofiev's Concerto No. 3 (with Russian pianist Illya Yakushev as a last-minute replacement for Olga Kern) and Bartok's "The Miraculous Mandarin," tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple. Tickets, from $16 to $51, available at ArtTix.

- Return to the '90s: Rappers Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer share the bill, tonight at 8 at the McKay Events Center, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem. Tickets, from $32.50 to $38, are available at SmithsTix.

- Choose your annuals: The North Carolina indie-rock band Annuals (pictured) plays at 9 tonight at Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, Salt Lake City (tickets are $10, at the door), while Salt Lake City-based Band of Annuals play on a bill with Larkin Grimm and O Wild Birds at the Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City (doors open at 9 tonight; tickets are $7, at the door). The Tribune's David Burger talked to both bands, to try and clear up the confusion.

- San Diego indie rockers We Shot the Moon play Saturday at Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, Salt Lake City. Big Surrender and Black Hounds are also on the bill. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix or 24Tix.

- Two Dollar Bash, an acoustic folk-country-blues band with roots in Scotland, Ireland and France, plays Saturday at 9 p.m. at Piper Down, 1492 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Admission is free, but private club membership dues may apply.

Labels: Utah Symphony, weekend schedule

- The Appleseed Cast, indie rockers from Kansas, play tonight at Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, Salt Lake City. I Hear Sirens and Shark Speed are the opening acts. Show starts at 7. Tickets are $10, at 24Tix or at the door.

- Spy Hop Records, a teen-run record label based in Salt Lake City, will have a signing party to showcase three new acts - hip-hop artist Malevolent MC, singer-songwriter Sam Burton and poetic MC Burnell - Saturday at 6 p.m. at NoBrow Coffee and Tea, 315 E. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Free.

- Skid Row, the late '80s/early '90s glam-rock band fronted by Sebastian Bach, plays Saturday at Saltair, 12408 W. Saltair Drive, Magna. L.A. Guns is the opening act. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $22, available at SmithsTix and KTix.

- Watch the Oscars and party for a good cause at the Utah AIDS Foundation's annual Oscar Night America gala, starting 6 p.m. Sunday at the 23rd floor of the Wells Fargo Building, 299 S. Main St., Salt Lake City. Tickets are $120, available through the UAF website.

- Celine Dion - whose hit from "Titanic," "My Heart Will Go On," won an Oscar - will belt out the tunes Sunday at 8 p.m. at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $45 to $125, are available at TicketMaster.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Minneapolis hip-hop star P.O.S. is the headliner tonight at Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), Salt Lake City. Also on the bill: MC Mike Mictlan and Lazerbeak. Doors open at 7. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix or at the door.

- Ballet West's run of "Madame Butterfly" begins tonight at 7:30 at Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. The show continues through Feb. 21. Tickets, from $17 to $71, available at ArtTix.

- Country-punk rocker Ben Kweller plays tonight at The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Opening acts are the top three local bands from the City Weekly Music Awards. Show starts at 8. Tickets are $15, available at SmithsTix or at the door.

- And remember, folks, that Saturday is Valentine's Day. If you don't have restaurant reservations made by now, you're in a heap of trouble.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Amy Ray, one half of the Indigo Girls, plays a solo show tonight at the Avalon Theatre, 3605 S. State, South Salt Lake City. Arizona is the opening act. Show starts at 6:30. Tickets are $15, at SmithsTix or the door.

- Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 4 - "The Inextinguishable" - highlights a Utah Symphony program that includes Mozard, Stravinsky and Berlioz, conducted by Hugh Wolff with pianist Peter Serkin, tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $16 to $51, available at ArtTix.

- You might be a redneck, but are you smarter than a fifth grader? Comic Jeff Foxworthy can tell you if you are, when he performs tonight at 8:30 at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $30, at TicketMaster.

- Lisa Williams, the medium and clairvoyant (seen on her TV series on Lifetime), delivers her "Messages From Beyond" program, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $35.50 to $55.50, are available at ArtTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Norwegian techno/speed metal band Combichrist asks the timeless musical question "What the F--- Is Wrong With You People?" (a question that comes to mind looking at the band's photo, at right), tonight at 6:30 at the Avalon Theatre, 3605 S. State, South Salt Lake City. Tickets are $17, at the door.

- Hard-rock quintet Rev Theory plays tonight at 6:30 at the Murray Theatre, 4916 S. State, Murray. Tickets are $10, at the door.

- Alwin Nikolais' colorful and kinetic dance work for children, "The Crystal and the Sphere" is performed by Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company tonight at 7, and Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., at Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $30, or $15 for students and seniors, at ArtTix.

- Guest conductor (or is it job candidate?) Thierry Fischer leads the Utah Symphony in Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony, tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $26 to $60, available at ArtTix.

- Mark the Chinese New Year, "The Year of the Ox," with dancers, displays and more, Saturday from 1 to 4 at the City Library, 210 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City. Free.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Local alt-country heroes Band of Annuals plays tonight at 9 at the Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $5, at 24Tix.

- British trance DJ (and movie soundtrack favorite) Paul Oakenfold and opening act Diesel Boy play Saturday at 8 p.m. at In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West, Salt Lake City. Tickets - $25.50 in advance, $30.50 day of - are available at SmithsTix.

- And, of course, the 2009 Sundance Film Festival is in full swing in Park City - as well as at venues in Salt Lake City, Ogden and the Sundance resort.

Labels: Sundance, weekend schedule

- Outspoken comic Suzanne Westenhoefer (pictured at left) performs tonight at 8 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center’s Jeanné Wagner Theatre, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $27.50-$34.50, at ArtTix.

- Pioneer Theatre Company has the world premiere of Charles Morey's drama "The Yellow Leaf," about the events that led to Mary Shelley's writing of Frankenstein, tonight at 8 at the Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake City. The show runs through Jan. 24. Tickets, at $24-$40, are available at the PTC web site.

- The LBC, a touring band that plays the music of Sublime, plays tonight at Harry O’s, 427 Main St., Park City. Doors open at 9. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix.

- Jazz quintet Q’ed Up performs Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Theatre, Salt Lake Community College, 1575 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Tickets are $15, with senior, student and family discounts; call 801-957-3322 for tickets.

- The Led Zeppelin tribute band No Quarter plays Saturday at 9 p.m. at the Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix and 24Tix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- So where will you be watching the Sugar Bowl, as the Utah Utes battle valiantly against the Crimson Tide of Alabama in the Louisiana SuperDome? Some Utah establishments will have viewing parties - The SkyBox at the Gateway is charging $10 to reserve a seat, while Brewvies Cinema Pub will have the game up on the big screen for free - or you can watch at home on Fox. Pre-game festivities start tonight around 6; kick-off is at 6:45.

- The Steel Thunder Tour, a monster-truck extravanganza featuring a visit from pro-wrestling legend Jerry "The King" Lawler, crushes cars and splits eardrums tonight at 8 and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the E Center, 3200 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City. Tickets - ranging from $11 to $36, with an upper-bowl discount for kids - are available at TicketMaster.

- The Salt Lake City band LOOM, on its own MySpace site, compares its sound to "a herd of whales giving birth to a baby herd of whales." If that's what you're into, they will headline a bill - along with Lexi Sayok and Shark Speed - Saturday at 7 at Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Labels: weekend schedule

- The " 'Twas the Night After Xmas Local Showcase" - with local bands Jayme, Cade, Ex Machina, Rocketworld (pictured), Belly of the Whale and Avenue - starts tonight at 6:30 at the Avalon Theater, 3605 S. State St., South Salt Lake. Tickets are $10 at Ktix, or at the door.

- Welcome the Utah Jazz back from their annual pre-Christmas road swing, as they take on the Dallas Mavericks tonight at 7 at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $10 to $180, available at TicketMaster.

- Utah comedian Scotty Lee (pictured) brings his "Am I Wrong" tour - with opening performers Melissa Merlot, Tyler Douglas and Chris Boise - Saturday at 9 p.m. at 5 Monkeys, 7 E. 4800 South, Murray. Tickets are $7 in advance, $10 on the day of show, at 24Tix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- The Salt Lake Film Society celebrates the holiday with a sing-along version of "The Sound of Music" - complete with treats and a costume contest - tonight at 6 and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $15, at the Tower or Broadway (111 E. 300 South) box offices.

- X96 marks the holiday with the second annual "Nightmare Before Xmas" concert - with Hoobastank, Anberlin, The Brobecks and The Market - tonight starting at 7 at Saltair, 12408 West Saltair Dr., Magna. Tickets are $9.60, available at the door or at Ktix or any Graywhale store.

- Utah's own Kurt Bestor marks the 20th anniversary of his Christmas concerts, with performances tonight at 8 and Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 West South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $17.50 to $37.50, are available at the door (the ArtTix web site is shut down, overloaded by all the "Wicked" traffic).

- Rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony is back on the road - after member Flesh-n-Bone was released from an 8-year prison sentence for assault with a deadly weapon and violating parole - with a concert Saturday at the Murray Theater, 4916 S. State St., Murray. Opening acts are Ta Smallz, LDT, Stew Deez, Felicia and Big Sloan. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27, at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Does someone on your Christmas list want some art? (Maybe a Picasso or a Garfunkel.) The holiday edition of the Salt Lake Gallery Stroll is tonight, 6 to 9 p.m., at participating galleries in downtown Salt Lake City. Go to the stroll's web page for details.

- The "Literary Luminaries" program - with visiting authors and artists, a used-book sale, and a screening of "Sami MacBeth" (an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Scottish play" in the Lapland language of Sami, Saturday at 4 p.m.) - starts tonight at 6 the City Library, 210 E. 400 South, and runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For a complete schedule, go to the library's web site.

- Ballet West's holiday tradition, "The Nutcracker," debuts tonight at 7 at the Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Performances run through Dec. 27. Tickets, ranging from $18 to $66, are available at ArtTix.

- The Utah Symphony, with guest conductor Pietari Innkinen, will perform Mozart's Requieum - backed by the Utah Symphony Chorus - tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple. Tickets, from $16 to $60, are available at ArtTix.

- Country-rocker Ryan Bingham performs tonight at 7:30 at the Eccles Center, 1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City. Tickets, from $18-$65, at Park City Tickets.

- California ska superheroes The Aquabats deliver their "Hooray for the Holidays" performance - with supporting acts Suburban Legends, DJ Lance (from Nickelodeon's "Yo Gabba Gabba") and Super Hero - Saturday at 6 p.m. at In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $17 in advance, $19 day of show, at SmithsTix.

- Aiden - a Seattle post-hardcore band named for the little boy in "The Ring" - plays its last concert of the year, Sunday at the Avalon Theater, 3605 S. State St., South Salt Lake. Civet and God Or Julie share the bill. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12, at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

If you're coming into downtown Salt Lake City tonight, be prepared for big crowds. Look at what's going on tonight:

• The lights at Temple Square (bordered by North Temple, West Temple, South Temple and State streets) will be turned on at dusk - and the performance of "Savior of the World" starts at the Conference Center Theatre (on the corner of North Temple and West Temple) at 7:30.
• The "Light Up the Night Concert," featuring Jon Schmidt and the lighting of the tree at Olympic Legacy Plaza, is at 7 at The Gateway, South Temple and 400 West.
• And the Utah Jazz play the Sacramento Kings at 7 at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple.

Might I suggest taking Trax into the city?

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Here's some more holiday fun this weekend:

- "Plaid Tidings," the "Forever Plaid" Christmas musical, opens tonight at 7:30 at the SCERA Theatre, 745 S. State St., Orem. Shows run every night (except Wednesdays and Sundays) through Dec. 23. Tickets are $12, or $10 for children, students and seniors, at the SCERA web site.

- Hogle Zoo unveils "Zoo Lights," its annual holiday light exhibit, starting Saturday at 5 p.m. at the zoo, 2600 Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City. It runs every night until Dec. 31 (except Christmas Eve and Christmas), 5-8 p.m. most nights, open 'til 9 on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $6, $4 for children and seniors (a dollar off for zoo members), and free for kids 2 and under, at the gate.

- The Utah Symphony and Utah Symphony Chorus perform "The Sing-It-Yourself 'Messiah,' "
Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $7 to $14, available at ArtTix.

- The 2nd Generation Osmond Family Christmas - made up of the sons of Alan Osmond, one of the original Osmond brothers - is set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Half of the proceeds will go to The M.O.R.E. Project, a charity dedicated to impoverished families in Brazil. Tickets, from $17 to $29.50, at ArtTix.

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- The monthly Salt Lake Gallery Stroll is tonight, 6 to 9 p.m., at various galleries in and around downtown Salt Lake City. Among the highlights: The last day of the silent auction at Ken Sanders Rare Books, 268 S. 200 East, of the estate sale of Ken's dad Stan Sanders. (The Tribune's Roxana Orellana wrote about the Sanders clan - that's Ken pictured above, with some of his dad's stuff - and the sale in today's Tribune.)

- Now you know where all the disappointed Celine Dion fans will go tonight: Texas metal band Drowning Pool - now fronted by Ryan McCombs - plays tonight at 7 at Club Vegas, 445 S. 400 West, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $18, at the door.

- The Egyptian Theatre Company's production of "The Music Man" opens tonight at 7 at the Egyptian, 328 Main St., Park City - and continues with shows at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets, at $16 to $30 ($31 to $34 for cabaret tickets), are available here.

- Utah's own Marcus, runner-up on "Last Comic Standing," returns for a weekend's worth of shows at Wiseguys, 269 25th St., Ogden, tonight and Saturday at 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $15, at SmithsTix.

- The big rivalry game, the Brigham Young University Cougars vs. the University of Utah Utes, kicks off at 4 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium, on the U. of U. campus, Salt Lake City. The game is sold out, so either go with the scalpers or watch on TV (on The Mtn.).

- Despite what Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd said in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," you are not gay if you listen to Coldplay (even if Chris Martin does wear all that "Tale of Two Cities" faux-military garb). The British band brings its "Viva La Vida" tour to town, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Country-rockers Sleepercar and Electronica artist Jon Hopkins are the opening acts. Tickets are $49.50 to $97.50, at Ticketmaster.

- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - a funk/blues band from Vermont (where, apparently, they do have funk and blues) - play Saturday at Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Rapper-of-the-moment T.I. plays the E. Center, 3200 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, tonight. The bill includes Jadakiss, Nina Sky, DJ Unk and Chino 4 Real. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets, ranging from $33 to $68, are available at TicketMaster. (Read my colleague David Burger's interview with T.I.)

- Oh! Oh! Oh-oh-HO! '80s boy-band sensation New Kids on the Block brings its reunion tour Saturday to the E Center, 3200 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City. Natasha Bedingfield and Lady Gaga are the opening acts. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets, from $20 to $79.50, available at TicketMaster.

- Real Salt Lake faces the New York Red Bulls in MLS' Western Conference Final (though what the hell a New York team is doing in the Western Conference is beyond me), Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium, off State Street between 9000 and 9400 South, Sandy. Tickets, from $20 to $150, are available at the stadium web site.

- Comedian-actor Jamie Kennedy ("Scream," "The Ghost Whisperer") delivers his stand-up act, Saturday at 8 and 10 p.m., at Wiseguys Comedy Club, 269 Historic 25th St., Ogden. Tickets are $20, at SmithsTix. (Read Burger's interview with Kennedy.)

- The Italian singer Elisa will perform Saturday at 9 p.m. at Bar Deluxe, 666 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 on the day of show, at SmithsTix. (Read Burger's interview with Elisa.)

- CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will deliver the third annual McCarthey Family Lecture Series, on the topic "Reflctions on World Events and the Role of the Journalist," Sunday at 7 p.m. at Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School, 720 S. Guardsman Way, Salt Lake City. Free.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Pop-rock singer-songwriter-pianist Jon McLaughlin - best known for Oscar-nominated song "So Close" from Disney's "Enchanted" - plays tonight at 6:30 at the Avalon Theater, 3605 S. State St., South Salt Lake. Tickets are $14, at the door.

- Trolley Square, at 700 East and 600 South in Salt Lake City, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with barbershop and choir singing, silent-movie screenings and food at 1908 prices - and a firework display at 8 p.m. Free.

- The African Children's Choir performs Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Circle on the University of Utah campus, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $22.50-$32.50, $10 for children 18 and under, at the Kingsbury Hall web site.

- Pavement lead singer Stephen Malkmus brings his new band, The Jicks (featuring Janet Weiss, drummer for Sleater-Kinney and not the Susan Sarandon character from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"), to the Urban Lounge, 241 S. 5oo East, Salt Lake City, on Saturday. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16.50 in advance, $17 on the day of show, at SmithsTix.

- Danielson, a New Jersey-based gospel-influenced indie pop band that wears nurses' outfits (to symbolize healing), plays Sunday at Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, Salt Lake City. Cryptacize and Skeletons are also on the bill; show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 day of show, at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

Since grown-ups have stolen Halloween from the kiddies, there are plenty of party events tonight, such as:

- The "Still High 2008 Tour" - featuring rap stars Method Man, Redman, Evidence and The Alchemist - plays starting tonight at 7:30 at the Murray Theatre, 4916 S. State St., Murray. Tickets are $22, available at the door.

- Folk artist Martin Sexton plays tonight at 8 at The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $22, available at the door. Sexton is encouraging concertgoers and his band to wear costumes.

- New York alt-punk band Die Monster Die (named for a Boris Karloff movie) - now led by singer Alice Cohen, formerly of Shag Motor Pony and The Vels - plays tonight at Bar Deluxe, 666 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Devilock is the opening act; doors open at 8. Tickets are $7, available at the door.

- The annual screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," at 8 p.m. and midnight tonight and Saturday at the Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $10, at the Tower box office.

- "Le Tourment Halloween" - featuring dance music spun by DJ Jalal, DJ Soulkutz, DJ Green, DJ Blaze One & DJ LC Dub - takes place tonight at The Star Bar, 268 Main St., Park City. Doors open at 9. will spin dance music all night at The Star Bar. Tickets are $13, available at the door.

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Here's what the rest of the weekend has in store:

- The Utah Symphony and guest conductor David Angus perform a brass-heavy concert, featuring Bruckner's "Romantic" 4th Symphony, tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $16-$51, available at ArtTix.

- New Jersey alt-rockers Senses Fail, with opening act Foxy Shazam, plays Saturday at In the Venue, 579 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $14 in advance, $17 on the day of the show, available at SmithsTix.

- Publisher Leslie Brimhall signs copies of her children's picture book, "Mads Madsen," 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Three Little Monkeys, 285 South Mountain Road, Fruit Heights. Free.

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- The Salt Lake City Film Center's "Raucous Caucus Weekend" runs tonight through Sunday at the Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. The event kicks off tonight at 6:30 with a screening of the documentary "Body of War," introduced by its co-director, Phil Donahue. Saturday features several documentaries from PBS' "Frontline," with producer Michael Kirk in attendance. And Sunday brings author Naomi Wolf (pictured) for a noon reading and a 2 p.m. screening of the documentary "The End of America." All events are free.

- The 1953 sci-fi classic "Invaders From Mars" gets a screening tonight at 7 at the Harold B. Lee auditorium on the Brigham Young University campus, Provo. Doors open at 6:30. Children 8 and up allowed. Free.

- It's your last chance to see Lon Chaney's 1925 silent classic "The Phantom of the Opera" at The Organ Loft, 3331 S. Edison (half a block east of State Street) with Blaine Gale on the fabulous Wurlitzer organ, tonight at 7:30. Tickets are $5; call 801-485-9265 for reservations.

- Sixteen-year-old Provo emo-rocker RuRu has a CD release party, tonight at 8 at Velour, 135 N. University Ave., Provo. Tickets are $6 at the door, but a can of food gets you a dollar off.

- Austin psychedelic rockers The Black Angels play tonight at 8 at the Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $14, at SmithsTix.

- Jam for the Cure - a breast-cancer benefit concert for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, featuring local artists Jordan Booth, Kory Wilson, MaryAnn Butters, Evergreen, Fear of Rejection, Basurad and Uncle Scam & the Current Administration - plays Saturday starting at 5 p.m. at the Hard Rock Cafe in Trolley Square, 505 S. 600 East, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $5, at the door or through Ticketweb.com.

- From Illinois, the indie-emo band The Academy Is... plays Saturday at In the Venue, 579 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Doors open at 7. Tickets are $17.50 in advance, $20 on the day of show, at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- The Salt Lake Gallery Stroll is set for tonight, 6-9 p.m., at galleries in and around downtown Salt Lake City. Among the highlights: An opening reception for experimental mixed-media artist Jody Plant and mono-print and pastel artist Marjorie McClure at Palmers Gallery in Trolley Square. Free.

- Brooklyn-based rockers Locksley (pictured at right), on the MTV Choose or Lose tour, plays tonight at 6:30 at the Avalon Theatre, 3605 S. State St., South Salt Lake City. Tickets are $10, available at Ktix.

- The Downtown Farmers Market gathers for the last time this year, Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pioneer Park, 300 South and 300 West. Free.

- Chris Cornell, former frontman for Soundgarden and Audioslave, and his new collaborator Timbaland (that's them on the left) share the bill at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Avalon Theatre. Tickets are $35, available at Ktix and SmithsTix.

- The Salt City Derby Girls' championship match - the final rock-'em, sock-'em night of the season - is 7 p.m. Saturday at the Salt Palace. Tickets are $10, available at SmithsTix. (The team will also be passing the hat to earn money to fund a late-October road game in Sacramento.)

- Blues legend Taj Mahal leads the Taj Mahal Trio plays at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $30, available at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Boston punk band Street Dogs (at right), founded by former Dropkick Murphys frontman Mike McColgan, plays tonight at In the Venue, 579 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Time Again and Flatfoot 56 are also on the bill. Show starts at 5:30. Tickets are $15, at SmithsTix.

- Country diva Reba McEntire and pop star Kelly Clarkson co-headline on the "2 Worlds 2 Voices" tour, tonight at 8 at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $47. 50 to $57.50, are available at Ticketmaster.

- Poet Nikki Giovanni (pictured at left) - remembered recently for her emotional rallying cry to her Virginia Tech students after a campus shooting there - will read from her two children's books, Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat and Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship, tonight at 7 at The King's English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City. Free.

- The Utah Symphony plays "Land of the Midnight Music," a program highlighted by Sibelius' Violin Concerto, with guest conductor Hannu Lintu (who, like Sibelius, is Finnish), tonight and Saturday at 8 at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $16 to $60, are available at ArtTix.

- Peoples' Day - don't call it Columbus Day - will be celebrated by activists for peace, the environment, health care and anti-racism movements, Saturday from 4 to 6 at the City-County Building, 400 South and State Street, Salt Lake City. Music by Figmaster and Talking Bombs, with an opening prayer by Gene Thunderhawk. Free.

Labels: weekend schedule

- The 337 Project unveils its "newest transformation of the urban landscape" tonight at 7 at Neighborhood House, 1050 S. 500 West, Salt Lake City. Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon will preside over the unveiling. Special art openings take place before and after the unveiling - at Mestizo Coffee House (631 W. North Temple), Art Access (230 S. 500 West), Captain Captain Studios (825 S. 500 West) and B.O.B. Project Warehouse (155 S. 600 West). Free.

- Country star Leann Rimes performs tonight at 8 at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City, in a benefit for the Regence Caring Foundation for Children. Tickets, from $45-$65, are available at SmithsTix.

- Repertory Dance Theatre's season opener, "The Messengers" - featuring works by the late Glen Tetley, the legendary Ze'eva Cohen, Elizabeth Waters and of-the-moment choreographer Andrea Miller - continues tonight and Saturday at 8 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $30 at ArtTix.

- The Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 South, kicks off its month of midnight horror movies with a "surprise monster movie" (though the theater's web site gives away the surprise), tonight and Saturday at midnight. Admission is $5.

- The Salt City Shakers, our fair city's flat-track roller derby team, bump pads with the Sin City Rollergirls (from Vegas, natch) in the last match before this month's championships, Saturday at 7 at the Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix.

- "Bel Canto" author Ann Patchett (pictured at right) delivers this month's Dewey Lecture Series talk, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., at the City Library Auditorium, 210 E. 400 South. Free.

- Rapper Tech N9ne plays Saltair, Saturday at 8. Tickets are $27 in advance, $30 on the day of show, at SmithsTix.

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- The presidential debate is a go (apparently John McCain declared himself the winner before he confirmed he'd be showing up in Mississippi), so find yourself a comfortable spot to watch the fireworks, tonight at 7 on all channels. If you want to watch with Democratic partisans, the Salt Lake chapter of Drinking Liberally gathers every Friday, starting at 6:30, at Piper Down, 1492 S. State, Salt Lake City. (If you know of a Republican gathering, e-mail me and I'll include it here.)

- Speaking of politics, cha-chas, comedian Dennis Miller - who was a lot funnier (and a good deal more employable) before he turned into a right-winger - performs tonight at 7:30 at Kingsbury Hall, on the University of Utah campus, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $35.50 to $59.50, available at the Kingsbury Hall web site. (Check out an interview of Miller by the Tribune's David Burger.)

- "Judy Garland in Concert," a multimedia music experience featuring the Utah Symphony, plays at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $34 to $58, available at ArtTix.

- Psychedelic indie jam-rockers Dr. Dog play tonight at 9 at Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $12, at SmithsTix and 24Tix.

- The X96 Maverik Big Ass Show - which has been around long enough to see the word "ass" no longer be a radio taboo - runs Saturday from 11 a.m. to about 8 p.m. at Usana Amphitheatre, 5400 S. 6200 West, West Valley City. The lineup includes Shiny Toy Guns (pictured at left), Local H, Hawthorne Heights, From First to Last, Jack’s Mannequin, Ludo, Atreyu, Ten Years, Mindless Self Indulgence, Trapt and The Brobecks. Tickets are $20 in advance, through SmithsTix or at Graywhale Entertainment, or $25 at the door.

- Melissa Pace Turner and the Jay Lawrence Quintet will sing from The Great American Songbook, kicking off the Excellence in the Community concert series, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Theatre, Salt Lake Community College, 1575 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors, $10 for students, and $8 for children $8, available here.

- Icelandic experimental rockers Sigur Ros perform Sunday at Saltair, 12408 W. Saltair Drive, Magna. Parachutes is the opening act. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 in advance, $27 day of, at SmithsTix and KTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Everybody had the same idea you did - to see the "Monet to Picasso" exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts this weekend, before it closes for good Sunday - and now the sucker is sold out. That's what you get for procrastinating.

- So, instead, you can go see the artfully posed cadavers to "Body Worlds 3" at The Leonardo, 209 E. 500 South in Library Square, Salt Lake City, which opens today. Tickets are $22, or $16 for children 3 and up, available on The Leonardo's web site.

- Or you can hit the monthly Salt Lake Gallery Stroll, 6 to 9 tonight at several downtown Salt Lake City art galleries. One of the highlights is a fall fashion show, starting at 4, on East Broadway (300 South, around 250 East).

- Lisa Lampanelli - a Grammy-nominated "insult comic" (that's her URL, too) known as "The Queen of Mean" (pictured at right) - sets 'em up and knocks 'em down tonight at 8 at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus. Tickets are $34.75, at SmithsTix.

- Park City skier Tanner Hall is throwing a party for his neighbors tonight at 8, an outdoor screening of the ski film "The Massive" on Lower Main Street in Park City. The screening is free, but the after-party at Harry O's, at 427 Main in Park City, costs $5 at the door - and you have to be 21.

- The Imagine Peace Festival, a day of exhibits and music to raise awareness of peace-making and social-justice causes, runs Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at the City Library's main branch, 210 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City. Free.

Labels: UMFA, weekend schedule

- The Utah State Fair continues through the weekend, open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. today and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, at the Utah State Fairpark, 1000 W. North Temple, Salt Lake City. Tonight features the big headliner on the grandstand: "High School Musical" sweetheart Vanessa Hudgens (pictured), at 7:30 p.m. Gospel singer Natalie Grant sings Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and the "Country Gold Tour" arrives Sunday at 5 p.m. Tickets for the fair are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and kids 6-12, and free for children 5 and under. Tickets for Hudgens are $23, at SmithsTix. Admission to the other grandstand shows is included in the fair ticket price.

- The Salt Lake Greek Festival continues this weekend, through 11 p.m. tonight, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Holy Trinity Cathedral, 279 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City. Admission is $3. And don't forget the fun run Saturday morning, starting at 7:15 a.m.

- The Avenues Street Fair - with entertainment, street vendors, community organizers (and when did it become OK to boo community organizers?), a children's parade and public art gallery - is set for Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Third Avenue between I and N Streets. (Here's a challenge: Hit the Avenues fair, the Greek Festival and the State Fair all on the same day.)

- LAHPAH Fest, a one-day event to benefit Utah's homeless community, runs Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. at the Gallivan Center, 239 S. State, Salt Lake City. A slew of local acts - Afro Omega (pictured), Colin Robison, Gentri Watson, Debi Graham Band, Andale!, James Shook, Brinton Jones of The Devil Whale, Shaky Trade, Jebu, RuRu, Radio Rhythm Makers, Mad Max & The Wild Ones, Chaz Prymek, The Mandalas, Our Time In Space and Jackie Campbell - will perform at the event, sponsored by Wasatch United Front and KRCL. Tickets are $8, at the gate or through 24Tix.

- Singer-songwriter John Hiatt plays Sunday at Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, with Joan Osborne - who is probably as sick of singing "(If God Was) One of Us" as much as you are of hearing it - as the opening act. The show starts Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 for garden members, $35 for the public and $25 for children, available at redbuttegarden.org.

Labels: Utah State Fair, weekend schedule

- The Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship & Country Festival, a four-day tournament of working canines, runs today through Monday at Soldier Hollow, west of Heber City off U.S. 40 in Wasatch County. Tickets - $12 for the prelims, $15 for Monday's finals, with discounts for kids and seniors, and family passes and multi-day passes available - are available online.

- Toronto-based alt-rock band The Coast plays tonight at Kilby Court, 741 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City. Opening acts are Blue Sunshine Soul, Shadow Moses and Neon Trees. Show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door.

- The "Pioneer Park Picture Show" outdoor film series ends tonight at 9 at Pioneer Park, 300 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City, with the Brazilian coming-of-age drama "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation." Before the movie, there's a parade - led by a capoeira group - going from Tucanos Brazilian Grill at the Gateway (approximately 200 South and 400 West) to the park. This kicks off the Utah Brazilian Festival, set for 1-5 p.m. Saturday at the Gateway. The movie, the parade and Saturday's festival are all free.

- Australian didgeridoo player Xavier Rudd blows his big stick, Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Griffin House opens the show. Tickets are $17 at SmithsTix. Must be 21 and older.

- X96's "Geek Show Podcast" is holding a "Healing of the Geek Nation," with a back-to-back screening of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and "Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back," Sunday at 5 p.m. at Brewvies Cinema Pub, 667 S. 200 West, Salt Lake City. Free, but you must be 21 or older because of that beer-like fluid that Brewvies sells.

- Bob Dylan and his band will be free-wheelin' at Deer Valley, Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are sold out, so good luck with the scalpers.

- Another classic act from the '60s, Three Dog Night, will be playing Monday at 8 p.m. at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre, 745 S. State St., Orem. Tickets are $15, or $10 for children, seniors and students, at www.scera.org.

Labels: weekend schedule

- The Bollywood adaptation of Jane Austen, "Bride & Prejudice," is this weekend's "Pioneer Park Picture Show," starting tonight at dusk (around 9 p.m.) at Pioneer Park, 300 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Free, and community booths open at 8 p.m.

- The Rock 'n' Ribs Festival takes over Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main, Salt Lake City, Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Crystal Shawanda (pictured) and the Hard Rockin' Johnsons are among the performers. Tickets are $5, or free for children 3 and under.

- Angry comedian Lewis Black dissects what's wrong with America in his "Let Them Eat Cake" tour, Saturday at 8 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall. Tickets are $47.50, $52.50 and $62.50, at SmithsTix.

- GG Elvis and the TCP Band, a comedic punk-rock tribute to the King, plays Saturday at 8 p.m. at Burt's Tiki Lounge, 726 S. State, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix.

- Ice Cube - the furious rap artist who's also a star of family-friendly movies (such as "The Longshots," which opened this weekend) - performs Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $30, at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- The Salt Lake Gallery Stroll goes on tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown Salt Lake City. Among the highlights: The first annual "Notorious" show (poster at right), with 30 posters by 30 artists, at Signed & Numbered, 221 E. 300 South; the start of the 14th Annual Partners Exhibit and the 11th Annual Teen Exhibit at Art Access Gallery, 230 S. 500 West; and a new exhibit of Waldo Midgely paintings at the Phillips Gallery, 444 E. 200 South.

- The Italian romance "Bread and Tulips" is tonight's movie for August's "Pioneer Park Picture Show," starting at dusk (about 9 p.m.) at Pioneer Park, 300 W. 300 South. The screening kicks off the weekend's Italian cultural festival, Ferragosto, which runs Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. across the street from Pioneer Park, at 300 S. 450 West.

- Son Volt, the current brainchild of alt-country pioneer Jay Farrar (who co-founded Uncle Tupelo with Jeff Tweedy, whose band Wilco will be in town Monday), plays tonight at the Paladium, 415 W. 600 North, Salt Lake City. Bobby Bare Jr. is the opening act. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 at SmithsTix. (Read my colleague David Burger's interview with Son Volt's Jay Farrar.)

- The Slippery Kittens, Salt Lake's own burlesque group, will celebrate its second anniversary - and give its last performance before heading to L.A. to compete on "America's Got Talent" - Saturday at Bar Deluxe, 666 S. State, Salt Lake City. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix.

- In case you're not getting enough Chinese culture watching the Beijing Olympics, the Golden Dragon Acrobats perform Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Deer Valley amphitheater in Park City. Tickets are $23 for lawn seating, $43 for reserved seating (which is sold out), available at ParkCityTickets.com.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Local alt-country stars Band of Annuals play as part of Snowbird's Cool Air Concert Series, tonight at 6 at Snowbird Resort, Highway 210, Little Cottonwood Canyon. Free.

- Corbin Bleu, of "High School Musical" fame, headlines the Weber County Fair in Ogden. He performs tonight at 7 at the fairgrounds, 1000 N. 1200 West, Ogden. Tickets are $25 and $20 at SmithsTix.

- Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away," screening as part of the "Pioneer Park Picture Show," tonight at sunset (around 9 p.m.) at Pioneer Park, 300 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Community booths open at 8 p.m. Free.

- Welcome back Marcus, Utah's own "Last Comic Standing" second-place finisher, with shows Saturday at 8 and 10 p.m. at Wiseguys Comedy Cafe, 269 Historic 25th St., Ogden, and Sunday at 8 p.m. at Wiseguys, 3500 S. 2200 West, West Valley City. Tickets are $20, at SmithTix (click here for the West Valley show).

- California hip-hop band Kottonmouth Kings rock out, Saturday at 7 p.m. at Saltair, 12408 W. Saltair Drive, Magna. Tech N9ne, Sen Dog, Hed PE and X Clan are also on the bill. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 on the day of show, at SmithsTix.

- Alejandro Escovedo is out (exhaustion), so folk singer Iris DeMent pinch-hits to share the bill with her husband, singer-songwriter Greg Brown, Sunday at 7 p.m. at Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City. Pieta Brown, Greg's daughter, is the opening act for this family affair. Tickets are $24 for garden members, $29 for the general public $29, and $20 for children at redbuttegarden.org.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Snowbird's Rock & Blues Festival is happening tonight and Saturday at the resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Bettye LaVette headlines tonight at 9:45, and Keb' Mo' (at right) brings it home Saturday at 9 p.m. Tickets are $35 general admission, $15 for kids, $50 for priority seating, and $55 for two-day tickets, or $90 for priority seating - at snowbirdrc.org.

- The Gloria Film Festival, celebrating uplifting and family-friendly movies, concludes today and Saturday at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, 1355 W. 3100 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $5 per screening; go to gloriafilmfest.org for details.

- The Deer Valley Music Festival continues, with the Utah Symphony performing Dvorak's New World Symphony tonight at 7:30 p.m. and a Broadway program Saturday at 7:30 p.m., both at Deer Valley Amphitheatre above Park City. Tickets for the Dvorak or the Broadway shows available at deervalleymusicfestival.org.

- Martina McBride, whose songs were a popular choice among "American Idol" auditioners earlier this week, brings her country flair to Usana Ampthitheatre, 5150 S. 6055 West, West Valley City, tonight at 7:30. Jack Ingram and Chris Young are the opening acts. Tickets range from $33 to $70, at SmithsTix. (Read the Tribune's David Burger's interview with McBride and Ingram.)

- Kansas will carry on, my wayward son, tonight at 8 p.m. at the Ed Kenley Amphitheatre, 430 N. Wasatch Dr., Layton. Tickets are $30 to $55, available at www.thedavisarts.com.

- The Pioneer Park Picture Show Series, outdoor movie screenings every Friday in August, starts with "Across the Universe" tonight at dusk (around 9) in Pioneer Park, 300 S. 300 West. Free.

- Parties for the release of Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final of Stephenie Meyer's teen-vampire saga, are slated at two bookstores tonight: The King's English at 1511 S. 1500 East, starting at 10 p.m.; and the Barnes & Noble in Sugar House, 1104 E. 2100 South, starting at 9 p.m. (though wristbands guaranteeing a place in line were given out this morning).

- U92's Summer Jam, featuring such rap stars as The Game (at right), David Banner, Play-N-Skillz, Wiz Khalifa, Dolla and Chino 4 Real, runs Saturday at Usana Ampthitheatre, 5150 S. 6055 West, West Valley City. Gates open at 1 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $30 in advance, $30 and $40 on the day of the show, at SmithsTix.

- And one more festival: The Park City Kimball Arts Festival runs Saturday and Sunday on Park City's Main Street, if you want to get away from 100-degree weather in the Salt Lake Valley. Free.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Get in the car and get yourself to Bicknell, Utah - about a three-hour drive from Salt Lake City - for the most fun you can have in the middle of nowhere: the 13th annual Bicknell International Film Festival at the fabulous Wayne Theatre. The theme this year is B-grade Westerns, with a screening tonight of Howard Hughes' "The Outlaw" (starring Jane Russell, pictured), and ending Saturday night with the infamous all-dwarf movie "The Terror of Tiny Town." For lodging and travel information for Bicknell and the Capitol Reef area, go here.

- San Francisco alternative folk-rockers Thao and The Get Down Stay Down - whose current album, "We Brave Bee Stings and All," is a perfect fit for the Beehive State - play tonight at 7 at Kilby Court, 741 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $8 at SmithsTix and 24Tix.

- Mary Wilson of the Supremes sings Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Sandy Amphitheater, 9400 S. 1300 East, Sandy. Tickets are $25 for chairs, $15 for lawn seating, at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

- The Salt Lake City Gallery Stroll runs from 6 to 9 tonight at art galleries around downtown. Go get yourself some culture.

- Flobots, the Colorado alt-rap group that boasts the 2008 hit "Handlebars," plays tonight at 6:30 at the Avalon Theater, 3605 S. State, South Salt Lake. Doomtree and P.O.S. are also on the bill. Tickets are $12 at SmithsTix and KTix.

- When their eloquence escapes you, their logic ties you up and rapes you - it's the Police, reunited for a world tour, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Usana Amphitheatre, 5150 S. 6055 West, West Valley City. Elvis Costello and the Imposters open the show. Tickets range from $46 to $206, at SmithsTix. (To prepare for the show, read my colleague David Burger's interview with the Police's drummer, Stewart Copeland.)

- Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, big music and bigger hair, play Saturday at 8 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus. Tickets, at $40 and $55, at SmithsTix. (Read Burger's interview with Lovett.)

- Flogging Molly, the L.A.-based Irish-influenced punk band, plays Saltair tonight. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 on the day of the show, at SmithsTix and KTix. (And read Burger's interview with frontman Dave King - geez, Burger was busy this week!)

- Incoming! The Utah Symphony kicks off the Deer Valley Music Festival with a rendition of the 1812 Overture, Saturday at the Deer Valley amphitheater in Park City. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.; gates open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets - $60 for reserved seats, $30 for general admission, $12 for students and kids - available at ArtTix.

- Children's movies don't get as weird as "Creating Rem Lezar," the latest entry from Out/Ex, Salt Lake's avant-garde film and video series, Saturday at 8 p.m. at Nobrow Coffee & Tea, 315 E. 300 South. Free.

- The evergreen Emmylou Harris plays Sunday at 7 p.m. at Red Butte Garden, 500 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City. Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein open the show. Tickets are $45, $40 for Garden members and $30 for children, available at redbuttegarden.org.

Labels: weekend schedule

- Red Butte Garden opens its new amphitheater tonight at 7, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra - featuring the great Wynton Marsalis. General tickets are $53, but forget it - it's sold out.

- If you can't get into that jazz show, the Salt Lake City Jazz Festival kicks off tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Washington Square (a k a the City-County Building), 400 South and State Street. Highlights: Jack Jones tonight at 7:40 p.m.; The E Family (Sheila E, along with Pete and Juan Escovedo), Saturday at 9:50 p.m.; and R&R (Rick Braun and Richard Elliott), Sunday at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per day, available at SmithsTix.

- Journey, Heart (pictured) and Cheap Trick - essentially the playlist on the FM stations of my childhood - play Usana Amphitheatre in West Valley City, tonight at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets, ranging from $25 to $125, are at SmithsTix.

- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy plays its retro-swing, tonight at 8 at the Ed Kenley Centennial Amphitheater, 403 N. Wasatch Dr., Layton. Tickets, at $23 and $28, are available at the door.

- Good Charlotte - the side project in which Joel and Benjy Madden perform when they're not acting as arm candy for Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton - and Boys Like Girls play Saturday at Saltair, 12406 W. Saltair Dr., Magna. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the opening act is Metro Station (a band that features Trace Cyrus and Michael Musso - who are the brother and TV co-star, respectively, of Miley Cyrus). Tickets are $26 in advance, $30 on the day of show, and are available at SmithsTix.

- The Salt City Shakers roller-derby squad bumps into FOCO Girls Gone Derby, Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Olympic Oval, 5662 S. 4800 West, Kearns. Tickets are $10 at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

If you're looking for a fireworks show on the Fourth, check out this list of places to go. Otherwise, here's what's going on this weekend:

- Poison, the '80s hair-metal band now better known because two of its members - lead singer Bret Michaels and guitarist C.C. DeVille - are reality-show stars, plays EnergySolutions Arena tonight at 7:30 p.m. Dokken is the opening act. Tickets, from $29.50 to $49.50, available at TicketMaster. (And there's a Bret Michaels after-show party at Club Vegas, 445 S. 400 West. Tickets are $25, available at SmithsTix.)

- Dancer/choreographer Bill Evans performs a solo tap concert (joined for two works by Salt Lake City dancer Deborah Robertson), tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $15 (or $10 for students), available at ArtTix.

- Styx rolls out its '70s hits, Friday at 8 p.m. at the Cache County Fairgrounds, 400 S. 500 West, Logan. Tickets are $25 through SmithsTix.

- Kenny Rogers will know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em in Wendover, Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Peppermill Concert Hall. Tickets range from $40 to $110, available through WendoverFun.com. Must be 21 or older.

- Girl in a Coma, a female San Antonio rock trio that has played the Vans Warped Tour, Sunday at 8 p.m., Burt's Tiki Lounge, 726 S. State, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $8, available at SmithsTix. Must be 21 or older.

- Constantines, performing blue-collar rock from Toronto, plays Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 on the day of show, through SmithsTix or 24tix.

Labels: weekend schedule

My, it's a busy weekend - with something for everybody:

- The Utah Arts Festival chugs along today through Sunday at Library Square, noon to 11 p.m. each day. Headliners: Reggae rockers Passafire tonight at 8:15; The Chicago Afrobeat Project tonight at 9:30; The Eric McFadden Trio with Bernie Worrell tonight at 9:45; eclectic rocker Chuck Prophet tonight at 9:45; Farewell and HELL-O, human and multimedia performance, Saturday at 10 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.; world-music band Traveler, Saturday at 4:45 p.m.; Latin rocker Javier Garcia, Saturday at 9:45 p.m.; Jazz combo Three Squared, Sunday at 6:45 p.m.; and bluegrass fiddler Michael Cleveland and his band Flamekeeper, Sunday at 9:45 p.m. Tickets are $10 each day, and free for kids under 12.

- The Nilbog Invasion, a three-day celebration of the terrible 1990 cult-fave movie "Troll 2," runs tonight through Sunday in Morgan, Utah (about 22 miles east of Ogden), where the movie was filmed. Outdoor screenings, games, contests and meet-and-greets with the "stars" and director are on tap. Click here for passes and information.

- Country star Tim McGraw plays the Usana Amphitheatre tonight at 7:30. Tickets range from $33 to $63, at SmithsTix. Halfway to Hazard and Jason Aldean are the opening acts. If you're going, I'd advise you to not to hurt anybody as you rush the stage - Tim hates that.

- Jerry Seinfeld performs stand-up tonight at 7 and 9:30 at Abravanel Hall. Tickets are $60 at ArtTix.

- The Vans Warped Tour, with more bands than I could name (or probably recognize), plays Saturday at the Utah State Fairpark, 155 N. 1000 West. Doors open at 11 a.m. for the all-day rock extraganza. Tickets are $27.66 in advance, $30 on the day of show, at SmithsTix. (Read my colleague David Burger's interview with Katy Perry, pictured, who's breaking through the Warped Tour's glass ceiling.)

- '80s rocker Richard Marx will be right there waiting for you, Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Sandy Amphitheater, 1245 E. 9400 South, Sandy. Tickets are $18-$28 at SmithsTix.

Labels: Tonight's schedule, weekend schedule