As is sometimes the case in the re-emerging world of live local entertainment we find ourselves in, the good shows just aren’t spread evenly throughout the week. Drat. Fret not, because this weekend’s offerings are top-notch, with nationwide touring talent vying with some of our top local artists for your time and attention. We’re really in a glutton’s dilemma here, with the choice cuts happening in a small window of time. That’s good, a little feast and a famine now and then brings perspective. And I’ve added a few suggestions that will hopefully fill out the menu a bit. Enjoy.

Thusday

Cal Poly Humboldt hosts its local band night at the campus Student Activity Center at 8 p.m. (free). While this event is probably more geared towards students, it’s technically open to the public, and while I know next to nothing about the participating bands, I hear of a few acts called cowboy daddy and Shaggy Joon. Intriguing.

Meanwhile, half an hour later at the Miniplex, there’s a special addition from everyone’s favorite ad-hoc talent show. Y2Karaoke is, as the name suggests, a celebration of pop bangers from the turn of the last millennium. Just when I was a teenager, actually, which means I’ll probably be away because, like a lot of haters, I don’t have rose-colored glasses for the cultural forms of my youth. You will appreciate, however.

Friday

As my intro suggested, the weekend has arrived and I’m piling these days on with a heavy slate of shows to make up for Monday’s scarcity. The first entry in tonight’s trio of delights takes place at 7 p.m. in the Arcata Theater lounge, when the Bay Area bluegrass fusion band Buttered hot rum walks the boards and shares some pickin’ and grinnin’. Over a career spanning two decades, the quintet has built a reputation for its progressive, multi-genre approach to the most challenging acoustic arts. Walk out the door the night of with $25; $20 buys an advance ticket and $15 will guarantee an “early bird” ticket which likely won’t be available at press time.

Two hours later and two blocks from Humbrews, you’ll find another Bay Area institution hard at work, as two of the most celebrated members of the San Francisco/Los Angeles hip hop collective Living Legends. , The Grouch and Eligh return to Humboldt in the third year of the Age of Plague ($25, $20 advance). These two always find a very grateful crowd here, so the live thrill should be all over the dance floor. Fresh DJs and AmpLive will be slinging the beats.

Finally tonight, at the same time, the music is again at the rendezvous at the Logger Bar, in this case a brand new group called White meat makes its debut. Because I can’t describe what hasn’t happened yet, I’ll let you dive into the mystery of this show and decide accordingly (for free).

Saturday

If you thought last night was jam-packed, I’ve added another show to tonight’s lineup, as we celebrate the last day of TS Eliot’s “Cruelliest Month.” (Note its extra “L”.) canary and the vampire continues its triumphant crawling out of hibernation, returning to the scene of the crime for a live broadcast tonight at 8 p.m. (free). The scene in question is The Logger Bar, where the band filmed their first music video earlier this month, which technically isn’t a crime, but the song in question is called “OK Corral”, so some Criminal elements were certainly at play, if only in the lyrics.

At the same time at the Arcata Playhouse, mandolin virtuoso Jacob Jolliff bring his Bandaged at the scene. No, not the Yonder Mountain String Band, that’s his other gig. Rather, it’s about Mr. Jolliff’s band of handpickers, all of whom play amongst the rarefied tune of the string gods with their combined talents. Only $20 at the door, $18 for members and seniors.

The Miniplex is home to one of my favorite Humco bands, like Shively’s black plate returns to Arcata for a night of heartbreaking sounds at 8:30 p.m. Two other local bands that I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing yet are also on board: Money & Nails and Phosphorus. Sean Casement, vocalist/singer of Blackplate tells me that intake is a sliding scale/donation of gas, so I suggest you dig deep if you can – that amber liquid isn’t cheap these days.

One thing that has proven to be recession proof is the cost of admission to soul party at Humbrews. For $5 pre-puff at 9 p.m., you can still take part in the best vinyl dance party north of the 1970s and tonight there’s even a midnight dance contest with a cash prize on the line. Cheers.

Sunday (International Workers’ Day)

No music, however, Savage Henry has a special midnight comedy show featuring the talents of Sara Rocker of Reno, Andrea B. of Tahoe and Gaby Jesus from somewhere, Oregon. Only $10.

Monday and Tuesday

These are the aforementioned dead days. However, here’s a thought: Monday is the 76th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Alcatraz, a days-long prison riot that gripped the nation as its deadly drama unfolded. The following year, Burt Lancaster starred in a gritty film noir called Brute Force partly inspired by these events. Maybe see if you can find a copy and enjoy it.

Wednesday

I hate to do it, but here’s another movie night. This one takes place at the Arcata Theater Lounge at 6 p.m., as part of its ongoing Sci Fi Night series. The film is Paul Verhoeven’s ultra-violent satirical classic Starship Troopers. Set in a world full of gleeful fascism, where the only path to full citizenship is through participation in hyper-deadly space warfare with a remorseless enemy, this should serve as a sample of things to come for any kiddos in the audience. ($5).

Collin Yeo (he/him) read a particularly vicious novel by James Ellroy, which is why he writes like this. He lives in Arcata, gangsters and gangsters.