Weekend picks: Catch Jonny Lang and his blistering guitar at Arcada

Smokin' guitar

First handed a guitar at the age of 12, blues prodigy Jonny Lang has spent over 20 years honing his craft and playing professionally. His music has taken him on the road, touring with the likes of BB King, Blues Traveler, Buddy Guy and more. Catch him when he comes to St. Charles, joined by Guthrie Brown. Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $49-$89. (630) 962-7000 or arcadalive.com. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10

Windy City Williams

Fans of comedian Damon Williams from radio's syndicated “Tom Joyner Morning Show” or as “the man on the street” for Chicago's SOUL 106.3 won't want to miss his set of standup gigs starting Wednesday at Zanies at MB Financial Park, 5437 Park Place, Rosemont. $22 plus a two-item purchase. (847) 813-0484 or rosemont.zanies.com. 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 9-10; 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11; and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12

Tasty classics

Following last year's Tacos-N-Tchaikovsky event, the Elgin Symphony Chamber Ensemble is once again teaming up with food vendors for a newly titled Meatballs-N-Mozart happening on Thursday at the Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates. $24.50; free parking. (847) 649-2270 or searscentre.com. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10

Bake off

See what the latest trends are in cakes, pies and other confectionary treats at the fourth annual America's Baking and Sweets Show. There are seminars with celebrity chefs and lots of tasting opportunities this weekend at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, 1551 Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg. $15; $10 seniors and youth; free admission for kids ages 12 and under. (312) 450-2574 or americasbakingandsweetsshow.com. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13

Honoring veterans

Enjoy a program of patriotic American music in the special Veterans Day concert “Stars and Stripes: The Music of Our Country With the Matt Kowalski Quartet” at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Free, but RSVP required. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com. 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11

Lights of honor

Cantigny Park and the First Division Museum commemorate Veterans Day with the park's annual Veterans Day Luminary Tribute in Parade Field at Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Visitors can walk through rows of lights or observe the display from a designated driving route. The tribute will take place rain or shine. Free admission and parking. cantigny.org. Sunset until 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11

Moonlit ride

Take a tractor-drawn hay-wagon ride under the stars and hear stories of the land's early inhabitants at the Full Moon Wagon Ride at St. James Farm Forest Preserve, on Winfield Road, Warrenville. Following the ride, guests can enjoy hot cocoa and s'mores by a fire. Those younger than 13 must be accompanied by an adult. $5. Register at (630) 580-7025 or dupageforest.org. Rides at 6, 6:30 and 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11

Salute to Irving Berlin

Vocalist Spider Saloff and pianist Tom Mueller pay tribute to veterans with a “Veterans Day Salute to Irving Berlin” at The Garlands of Barrington Center for the Performing Arts, 1000 Garlands Lane, Barrington. The concert is sponsored by the Barrington History Museum and the Masonic Lodge of Barrington. Refreshments will be served. $10-$15. barringtonhistorymuseum.org. (847) 381-1730. 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11

Let's dance

Beverly Bautista, a choreographer for the College of Lake County's upcoming Winter Dance Concert, will discuss her experiences dancing with Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears and Lil Wayne and give a dance demonstration in Room P103 of the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at CLC, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. Bautista's choreography style is influenced by hip-hop, jazz and modern dance. Free. (847) 543-2432 or clcillinois.edu/programs/dnc. 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11

Improv experts

Comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood were often integral to the success of TV's “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Catch them live with the touring show “The Two Man Group” tonight at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1201 Main St., Batavia. $44-$77. (630) 937-8930 or bataviafineartscentre.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11

Join the Fray

Piano-driven alternative rockers The Fray cruised onto the airwaves with the mid-2000s hit “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and the touching follow-up single “How to Save a Life” off the Billboard-winning album of the same name. Their tour stops at Chicago in support of their album “Through the Years: The Best of The Fray,” released last week, along with special guests American Authors. Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago. $34.75-$74.75. (312) 462-6300 or thechicagotheatre.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11

The whole shack shimmies

If you see a faded sign at the side of the road, you just may have stumbled across the B-52s. The new wave band is nearly 40 years old, but it keeps finding renewed love with each generation for its biggest hits, including “Love Shack,” “Rock Lobster” and more. Catch the party at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $28-$73. (847) 263-6300 or geneseetheatre.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11

Don as dad

Karen Knotts is an actress and the daughter of the late actor Don Knotts. Find out about her famous father and her own career in the comedy show “Tied Up in Knotts!” this weekend at The Comedy Shrine, 4034 Fox Valley Center Drive, Aurora. $30. (630) 585-0300 or comedyshrine.com. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12

Animal gathering

The Chicago Pet Show promises more than 100 pet-related companies, several petting areas and opportunities to be face-to-face with everything pet related. Families are welcome for a fun-filled weekend to meet and greet local rescues, pet services, magic acts, coldblooded creatures, caged birds and a whole lot more at the Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Road, St. Charles. $7; seniors and youth ages 18 and under admitted free. (630) 385-4000 or chicagopetshow.com. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 12 and 13

Tunes of the Irish

Irish musician Jimmy Keane presents the concert “Irish Labor and Irish Music in Chicago” at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, 110 W. Freemont St., Arlington Heights. Learn about Keane's ironworker family from Chicago's South Side and his roots in the labor movement while listening to Irish tunes. Free; donations welcome. ahmuseum.org. 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12

'Music for the Bard'

The Waukegan Symphony Orchestra honors the works of William Shakespeare in “Music for The Bard,” the first concert of its 43rd season, in Waukegan High School's Trapp Auditorium, 2325 Brookside Ave., Waukegan. The concert includes classical selections from Mendelssohn, Mozart, Nicolai and Walton, along with music from Leonard Bernstein's “West Side Story.” $8-$15; students 18 and younger admitted free. Kids 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. (847) 360-4740 or waukegansymphony.org. 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12

Concert for veterans

Cyndi Lauper, Anthony Kearns of the Irish Tenors, Gavin DeGraw, Wanda Jackson, CeCe Winans and Hoodie Allen are just a few of the singing stars scheduled to appear in a concert honoring veterans called “America Salutes You” on Saturday at the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. $35-$85. (800) 345-7000 or americasalutesyou.org or rosemonttheatre.org. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12

Classical cello

Cellist Allison Eldredge joins with the Lake Forest Symphony for concerts featuring Dvorak's Cello Concerto and Brahms' Symphony No. 3 this weekend at College of Lake County's Lumber Center for the Arts, 19351 Washington St., Grayslake. $35-$59. (847) 295-2135 or lakeforestsymphony.org. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12; 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13

Funny for you

Whether you know comedian Billy Gardell mostly from his TV series such as “Mike & Molly” or “Undrafted,” don't miss your chance to see him do standup comedy live on Saturday at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. $55-$65. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12

Stay the night

He made fans as the former lead singer of the band Chicago and on his own. Catch Peter Cetera perform in concert on Saturday at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $49.50-$92.50. (847) 263-6300 or geneseetheatre.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12

The music of Russia

Nazar Dzhuryn, assistant principal cellist for the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and the orchestra's pianist, Irina Feoktistova, present a program of Russian music at the Gail Borden Public Library District, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. The classical program, part of the library's and the ESO's “Passport to Russia” series, features works from Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and others. Free. Register at gailborden.info/russia. For information about the ESO, visit elginsymphony.org. 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13

Stories of Stones

Learn about gemstones - where they come from, how they are used in artwork and more - at the Stories of Stones lecture series presented by College of DuPage professor Kathy Baum in the Cleve Carney Art Gallery at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Free. atthemac.org. 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13