Bloglander

So, you survived a (hopefully) fun-filled Thanksgiving weekend with the friends and family — congrats! It's not easy. But now we're looking down the barrel of December, with all the holiday hijinks that entails. Better make some time for yourself among all the frivolity, so check out our event listings and Staff Picks for some great things to do this week.

Here are some highlights of the week ahead: 

Monday, Nov. 30

LIVE BANDS | The Bartlett is hosting what is sure to be one of the best shows of the early winter with a bill featuring two artists who could easily be headliners, Sallie Ford and Tacocat. In Sallie Ford, you get a rootsy songwriter who's ditched her old band and moved into a confident and intriguing new direction. And in Tacocat, you get a candy-colored pop-punk quartet that will make it feel like summer. Check out our story about Tacocat, and give 'em a listen here: 

Tuesday, Dec. 1

COMMUNITY | Here's a fun night out for the puzzle-loving adults out there. Spark is hosting Code-Cracking with Cumberbatch, where you can have a few drinks, try to crack a few puzzles and watch the excellent 2014 film The Imitation Game, in which our man Cumberbatch helped bring WWII to a close through his code-breaking genius. 

Wednesday, Dec. 2

WORDS | Holocaust survivor Carla Peperzak, who worked for the Dutch resistance during WWII and helped hide some of Amsterdam's Jewish population from the Nazis, will talk about her experiences at a special event at the MAC, which will be paired with a screening of a documentary called With My Own Eyes, about other Northwest Holocaust survivors. 

LIVE BANDS | Chewelah native and almost-native son to Spokane Allen Stone saw the release of a fine new soul-fueled album, Radius, earlier this year, and now he comes through roughly a year since his last Spokane show for a gig at the Knitting Factory. Here's a sample of his new album: 

Thursday, Dec. 3

THEATER | The Modern Theater in CdA is revisiting the characters of The Great American Trailer Park Musical with a Christmas story involving Betty, Lin and Pickles dealing with a trailer-park Scrooge. A  lot of laughs and music, and an altogether different kind of holiday fare. 

Friday, Dec. 4

COMEDY | Pullman hosts a touring crew from The Second City — the comedy troupe that gave the world John Candy, Tina Fey and dozens more funny greats — for a special seasonal show called Holidazed and Confused. It's one night only, so get thee to the Palouse for some serious laughs. 

Saturday, Dec. 5

COMMUNITY | The Women's Club of Spokane is hosting a Vintage Fashion Tea Party, where you can enjoy some tea, cookies and sandwiches while checking out a fashion show featuring pieces from the Shirley J. Phipps Fashion Collection that stretches back to the 1880s.