5 Things To Do This Weekend, Jan. 18-20: Cold hands, warm heart.

1. It’s WICKED nippy out there, ain’t it? It’s a freezer of a Friday, so if you’re out and about in Bangor, warm yourself up with either the energetic songwriter Chris Ross at Paddy Murphy’s, alt-rockers Bizzy Gruntry at the Big Easy at the Charles Inn, Midcoasters the 220s at the Sea Dog, or gypzy jazz ensemble Gypsy Caravan at Nocturnem Drafthaus. There’s also a contradance at the U.U. Church on Park Street, and up in Orono, the Skastitutes play Woodmans. On Saturday, When Particles Collide temporarily becomes a trio at Paddy Murphy’s, as they play a regular set, and then do an 11:30 set covering Green Day’s “Dookie.” Up the street at Nocturnem, the Interplay Jazz Trio with vocalist Molly Pitcher performs.

2. I love the names of dubstep DJs, don’t you? I mean, Saturday night at Empire there’s DJs like Wobblesaude, Supersillyus and Digital Bonesaw Society. Ridiculous. They’re preceded on Friday at Empire by Chaos Sauce and Shutdown Brown. Also Friday, check out Adam Ezra at One Longfellow Square and the Black Firs at Slainte. On Saturday at the Asylum 90s also-rans Lifehouse will play with Hello Newman, Amy Allen and Zach Jones. Also on Saturday there’s the Tonekings at the Big Easy, Lord Earth, Arcane Lore and Whale Oil at Geno’s, and the albino rock god Johnny Winter at Port City Music Hall. Your weekend rounds up with Trey Anastasio (pictured) on Sunday at the State Theatre.

3. Down along the Midcoast, you’ve got a handful of fun options; there’s the Bill Barnes Jazz Duo at Rock Harbor in Rockland on Friday, there’s Algorithm at Rock City Coffee on Friday, and on Saturday at Three Tides there’s the fifth annual Snowed In, a night of electronic music from around the state. Downeast, you can dig Trisha Mason at Chummies on Friday, or the Crown Vics at the Side Street Cafe in Bar Harbor; on Saturday, Portland songwriter Wesley Allen Hartley (pictured) plays at the Lompoc Cafe in Bar Harbor, as part of their Saturday night winter music series.

4. It’s a neat weekend for a variety of theatrical experiences in Maine. In Bangor, Her Majesty’s Cabaret – full disclosure, I, Captain Culture Shock, am a member of the group – brings its next sketch comedy show to Coespace on Columbia Street, with two performances set for 7:30 and 10 p.m.; admission is $7. Meanwhile, in Portland, the Mad Horse Theatre Company offers up its winter show, a production of the new drama “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” a Tony nominee and Pulitzer finalist, with performances set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Hutchins School in South Portland. Finally, the Meetinghouse Theatre Lab in Winter Harbor presents a staged reading Diana Son’s “Stop Kiss” at 7 p.m. Saturday at Hammond Hall.

5. It’s that time of year again. Time to bust out your 20 sided die and little metal figurines and head up to Snowcon, the fifth annual gathering of role players, board gamers and card players for a weekend of face-to-face social gaming. The fun kicks off Friday night in Orono with the “So You Meet In a Tavern” nerd-prov comedy event, set for 9 p.m. at the Bear Brew Pub. Saturday and Sunday, and it’s an all you can game buffet from 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Black Bear Inn. For information, visit the Snowcon website. 

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.