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Nana Grizol

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5

Music: Still Cryin' for Ryan

Back in 2004, a dude with an acoustic guitar, a sweet voice and super spiky hair broke into the pop music scene. Ryan Cabrera brings his brand of pop rock to The Lansdowne (179 Crown St.; 203-285-3939, lansdownect.com) tonight. He's grown up a bit since those days of being the object of Ashlee Simpson's affection. 11 p.m. $15 advance, $20 at the door.

Books: Without a Match

Author Gregory Maguire has given secondary literary characters their time in the spotlight and retold classic stories from new perspectives with his novels Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Mirror Mirror. Tonight he comes to the Yale Bookstore (77 Broadway; 203-777-8440, yalebookstore.com), where he'll read from and sign his new revisionist work Matchless, which reworks Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Match Girl."

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6

Music: Better Late than Never

Back in July, two shows at two different venues within days of each other were postponed and both ended up being rescheduled for this week. Last night at The Space (295 Treadwell St., Bldg. H, Hamden; 203-288-6400, thespace.tk), folk rockers Deer Tick made up their July 23 show (missed due to illness), courtesy of Manic Productions, and tonight, country/roots songstress Eilen Jewell and her band team up with the rest of the The Sacred Shakers for a bluesy country-gospel good time to make up for their previously scheduled July 18 gig at Wesleyan's Crowell Concert Hall (Center for the Arts, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown; 860-685-3355, wesleyan.edu/cfa). 8 p.m. $8-$17.

Art: A helping hand

Local artist Lipgloss Crisis is holding a charity art show 5-9:30 p.m. tonight at BRU Café (141 Orange St.; 203-752-0052, brucafe.net) to benefit New Haven Home Recovery (nhhr.org). "Women for Women in New Haven" features Miss Lipgloss' own photos and paintings, and heart-themed works by other local women artists. Locals Baby G and Stephanie Harris provide live musical entertainment. Afterward at Café Nine (250 State St.; 203-789-8281, cafenine.com), Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, The Shellye Valauskas Experience and Brett Rosenberg continue the fun, and there will be raffles with prizes from local businesses, restaurants and more. $5.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7

Animals: Cats gone wild

FeralCare, a non-profit volunteer-driven organization, is helping curb feline overpopulation by providing no-cost spay/neuter clinics for pets as well as helping to neuter feral cats. They also run adoption clinics for these cats, one of which happens today at the Stratford Library (2203 Main St., Stratford; 203-385-4164, feralcare.com) from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Find a kitty to take home, or stop by to donate cat food and other needed supplies (which you can do now through Nov. 11).

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8

Music: Pop 'til you Drop

If you've had a hankering for danceable digi-pop punk, v-neck T-shirts and neon sweat bands, have no fear: Love Via Dance Machine return to The Space (295 Treadwell St., Bldg. H, Hamden; 203-288-6400, thespace.tk) tonight, opening for Quietdrive and The Higher. It's a genre that's easy to be bad at, even though it's quite formulaic, and over-saturated by substanceless identical-sounding bands. These kids actually know how to write a mean pop song, however. 7 p.m. $12 advance, $14 at the door.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 9

Music: Not so Cute

Tonight Manic Productions brings the catchy indie-pop sounds of Nana Grizol to The Space (295 Treadwell St., Bldg. H, Hamden; 203-288-6400, thespace.tk, manicproductions.org). They sound less cutesy than some of their song titles might imply, and that's a good thing. In-your-face DIYers Bomb the Music Industry! (full band!) and locals All the Friends open the show. 7 p.m. $8.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10

Music: "Oh dear, whatever shall become of us?"

Tonight at the Arena at Harbor Yard (600 Main St., Bridgeport; 203-345-2300, arenaatharboryard.com), Star Wars: In Concert unleashes its multi-media wonders with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra performing music from all six films with a full chorus and narration by Anthony Daniels (aka C-3PO) alongside thematic film montages synched to the music on a giant high-def LED screen, and an exhibit of costumes, props, artwork and behind-the-scenes footage from the films. Love it or hate it, this is sure to be epic. 6 p.m. $35-$75.

Talks: All Our troubles seem so far away

Charles F. Rosenay has been a Beatles fan all his life. He's organized conventions and tours to places of Beatles lore overseas, and at the end of the month, his BeatExpo convention will descend upon Stamford, his first convention in the state in 12 years. Tonight he tells his story at the Derby Public Library (313 Elizabeth St., Derby; 203-736-1482, derbypubliclibrary.org) when he presents "In My Life: A Beatles Fan's Odyssey." He's managed to meet three of the Fab Four. This is not to be missed if you're a fan as well. 6:30 p.m. Free.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11

Poetry: Leave No Man Behind

This Veterans Day, head over to BRU Café (141 Orange St.; 203-752-0052, brucafe.net) for Veterans' Voices, an Evening of Poetry. Seven Vietnam vets will read from their collection A Season of Now. Donations will be collected at the door to benefit The Homefront, the Columbus House's assistance program, which provides transitional housing support for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. 5:30-7 p.m.