tue, oct 21

MUSIC | Barenaked Ladies

Toronto’s Barenaked Ladies, best known for their fusion of rap and catchy pop in the cleverly written single “One Week,” will open their new headlining tour in Boston on the day their new CD, Everything for Everyone, is released. The Ladies will foster an intimate setting at the Orpheum by promoting the audience’s interaction with the band through a mid-concert Q&A session. 7:30 p.m. $40. Orpheum Theater, 1 Hamilton Pl., Boston. (JM)

MUSIC | Superchunk

With thirteen albums under their belt, indie rock band Superchunk knows a thing or two about preserving one’s allure amidst the often-homogeneous batch of alternative rock. The latest of their albums, Cup of Sand, is a two disc compilation that traces the band’s diverse sonorous endeavors and serves as an example of what the band does best: deliver singles. 8 p.m. $12; 18+. The Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. (JM)

MUSIC | Drunk Horse, Bongzilla, On Trial

A retro blend of hard rock and the blues, Drunk Horse’s third album, Adult Situations, is a throwback to classic 70s rock while still remaining unique through the edgy modern punk that’s thrown in the mix. The slow yet loud and angry tunes of Bongzilla lash at the country’s current marijuana laws in their third release, Gateway. Denmark-based On Trial, armed with their third album titled Blinded By The Sun, evoke the psychedelic 60s through the use of the organ and the sitar. 9:00 p.m. $9; 18+. The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. (JM)

READING | Sherwin Nuland

Surgeon and best-selling author Nuland dialogues on his new book, The Doctor’s Plague: Germs, Childbed Fever, and the Strange Story of Ignac Semmelweis, a medical detective story about Semmelweis, a figure remembered for his establishment of the notion that doctors must wash their hands prior to examining patients. Free. Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. (JM)

THEATER | Say Goodnight, Gracie

The critically acclaimed Broadway play allows audiences to experience an entertainment-infused American century through George Burns’ eyes. Renowned stage and screen actor Frank Gorshin assumes the role of Burns, an interpretation that earned him the coveted 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award. Runs through November 2. 8:00 p.m. $25-$67. Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St., Boston. (JM)

MISC | Eddie Izzard

Emmy Award-winning comedian and actor Eddie Izzard is in the midst of the largest tour his career has seen yet. His cleverly surreal humor is likely to make “Sexie” a show to rival the success of his HBO one-man show “Dress to Kill,” while his side project-appearance on Broadway’s “A Day in the Death of Joe Egg” has earned him a Tony Award nomination. Runs through October 25. 8:00 p.m. $40-$60. Shubert Theatre, 246 Tremont St., Boston. (JM)

weds, oct 22

MUSIC | Love with Arthur Lee – The Forever Changes Concert