THURSDAY 12/13
Comedian Tim Gaither goes for laughs at The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Fri., 10 p.m. Fri., 9:30 p.m. Sat., $8-$12. Post-grunge rockers Smile Empty Soul take the stage at the Rev Room, with Co-Op and Eight Eyes, 8 p.m., $10-$13. The Central Arkansas Library System’s Not Quite Holiday Film Fest continues with a screening of “Love Actually,” 6:30 p.m., Ron Robinson Theater, $5. Songwriter/ukelele player Barbara Raney takes her clever turns of phrase to Guillermo’s Coffee, Tea & Roastery for Poetry Night, 6:30 p.m. Comedian Mo Alexander pays a visit to The Joint Theater & Coffeehouse, with Elaine Jackson, Colin Nelson and host Blake Lensing, 8 p.m., $12. Frontier Circus joins The Floor Also Rises at the White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $7. Tragikly White accompanies the dance party at Cajun’s Wharf, 9 p.m., $5, or go early and catch Brian Ramsey, 5:30 p.m., free. Bluesman Trey Johnson takes the stage at South on Main, 8 p.m., $8-$10.
FRIDAY 12/14
Couch Jackets, Elephantom and New Motto channel rock’s weirder tendencies at Maxine’s in Hot Springs, 9 p.m. With original Temptations member Otis Williams, The Legendary Temptations take the stage in El Dorado at Murphy Arts District’s First Financial Music Hall, with an opening set from Rodney Block, 8 p.m., $50-$85. Paul Prater of Haunted Argenta explores spooky holiday history at the Elks Lodge, 123 E. Broadway, for “Spirits of Christmas,” 8 p.m., $20. DeFrance takes its signature rock to TC’s Midtown Grill in Conway, 9 p.m. DiamondBack, XIIIX, Hooker Red, The Federalis and McCuin share a rock bill at the Clear Channel Metroplex for “Hardcore for the Homeless,” 8 p.m., $10 donation. Guitarist Asher Perkins and Resophonic guitar player Sean Essary, known as Roots Tour, perform at Fenix Fayetteville, 7 p.m., $10. Richie Johnson kicks off the weekend with a happy hour set at Cajun’s, 5:30 p.m., free, followed by a late night set from Mister Lucky, 9 p.m., $5. Four Quarter Bar hosts a show from The Busty Petites, 10 p.m., $7. At Oaklawn Racing & Gaming’s Silks Bar & Grill, the Wesley Pruitt Band plays, 10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. The Hendrix College Choir takes its Candlelight Carol Service on the road for a performance at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, 7:30 p.m., free. Monsterboy plays a set at Dugan’s Pub, 9 p.m. The City Boyz take the stage at Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $5. The Craig Gerdes Band performs at Kings Live Music in Conway with an opening set from Garth LaGrone, 8:30 p.m., $5. Guillermo’s hosts downtempo electronica sets from Flintwick, Fringe Bass and more for “Cafe Disco,” 7 p.m., $10.
SATURDAY 12/15
The White Water Tavern hosts a venerable trio of songwriters: Drexel & The Spirit, Isaac Alexander and Kevin Kerby, 9 p.m. Duo Bobby Matthews and Virginia Ralph, known as mömandpöp, take their “Old Fashioned Christmas” to South on Main for a kid-friendly Brown Bag Brunch, 10 a.m., $5. Dunbar Magnet Middle School sings at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center for “Cocoa and Carols,” 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team takes on the University of San Antonio’s Roadrunners at Verizon Arena, 7 p.m., $25. Hwy 124 kicks off a set at TC’s Midtown Grill in Conway, 9 p.m. Stickyz hosts the 6th Annual Christmas Karaoke for The Van, 8 p.m., $10. The Rodney Block Collective, featuring Bijoux, performs a live holiday set at Zin Urban Wine Bar, 11121 N. Rodney Parham, 9 p.m., $15. Gold Leather, Peace of the Sea, The Phlegms and Ankle Pop get loud at Maxine’s, 9 p.m. Liberty Bridge gives a concert at Hibernia Irish Tavern, 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY 12/16
Soprano Mary Ann Robinson joins the River City Men’s Chorus for a holiday concert, 3 p.m. Sun., 7 p.m. Mon.-Tue., Second Presbyterian Church, free. Stone’s Throw Brewing hosts a Sip & Stroll Neighborhood Caroling walk through the MacArthur Park neighborhood, 2 p.m. Students of the Margaret Wyatt Piano and Vocal Studio perform “Holiday Music at the Arsenal,” 2 p.m., MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, free. The Natural State Brass Band gives a Christmas concert at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 3 p.m.
MONDAY 12/17
Soak up the sounds of The Goat Band (with Jay Payette sitting in on percussion) at its Monthly Monday Jazz session at The Lobby Bar, 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY 12/18
The Not Quite Holiday Film Fest at CALS Ron Robinson continues with a screening of “Die Hard,” 6:30 p.m., $5. Punch Line Stand Up Comedy goes up at The Joint, 6 p.m., $5.
WEDNESDAY 12/19
Vocalist Bijoux takes center stage at South on Main as one of composer John Willis’ picks for the “Sessions” series, 8 p.m., $8-$10. Meanwhile, the Rev Room hosts an evening of Caroling for the Less Fortunate, $10 suggested donation, $15 VIP.