Fun around town, for $10 or less: Damn Near Impossible: Damn Near Impossible with Bring Me Solace & Life In Mind, 8PM at the M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.), $8. Call 215-739-5577 for more information. Stare Syndicate: Stare Syndicate with Paraffin, 12 Horse, Controlled Storms, & Jared Costa, 8PM at the North Star Bar (27th & Poplar sts.), $5. Call 215-787-0488 for more information. Val Emmich: See Val Emmich with Matt Lowell at the......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Holiday Concert: Featuring a heart-warming mix of favorite songs, arias, and Christmas classics, all sung by the big, beautiful voices of the Bel Canto Lyric Opera Company, at the Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd (3820 The Oak Road), 7:30PM. $10 Monday Poets Reading Series: Featuring Ann Michael and Daniel R. Collins, at the Skyline Room in the Parkway Central branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia (1901......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: WEDNESDAY: If We Tell You, We'll Have to Kill You In Five Years: The Ministry of Secret Jokes upstairs at Fergie's Pub (1214 Sansom), 9PM. Free Boys With Guitars: Jonah Delso, Tim McGlone, and Jake Snider at Upstairs at World Café Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $10 Gobblaroo: Silvertide, Jealousy Curve, Downtown Harvest, and The Dive at the TLA (334 South), 9PM. $9.33 (guess who's sponsoring the show) Quizzo......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Ars Nova: Andrea Parkins (accordion) and David Watson (bagpipes) presented by Ars Nova at the Rotunda (4014 Walnut), 8PM. Free New and Selected: Poet Henry Braun reads from his new collection as part of the Moonstone Poetry Series at Robin's Bookstore (108 S. 13th), 6PM. Free New Music Series: She Ends All, The Unprofessionals, Miss Vintage, Flights Kool, and Boy With Robot at North Star Bar (2639 Poplar),......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Ain't No Thing: Harrison Webb Blues Thing at Chris' Jazz Café (1421 Sansom), 5-8PM. $5 Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke With DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2 AM. Free (21+) Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the wealth!......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY: Hurrah!: The Last Hurrah of the Clementines performed by Missoula Oblongata and presented by Puppet Uprising at Studio 34 (4522 Baltimore), 8PM. $10 Accept No: Prabir and the Substitutes, Conversations With Enemies & Friends, and Johnny Action Figure at Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester), 9PM. $8 Opening: Gallery opening with Dan Ellerbroek's Arizona landscapes (and free wine and cheese) at Abbraccio Restaurant (820 S 47th), 5-7PM. Free SATURDAY:......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Get Ready to Run: New York Times Sports Writer Liz Robbins puts this weekend's marathon in context and discusses her experiences with the New York version and her book A Race Like No Other at Penn Bookstore (3601 Walnut), 7PM. Free Emerge, etc.: Night for Emerging Photographers, giving photogs a chance to open their work up to general comment and critique, at Project Basho (1305 Germantown Ave), 7PM.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Street: Street Movies Undercover featuring Villa African Colobo by Grupo Motivos about Norris Square's first African garden and Next Stop: Freedom by Frankford Group Ministry at Center in the Park (5818 Germantown Ave), 1PM. Free Canon, Schmanon: "Changing the Canon: Self-Taught Artists" featuring the film James Castle: Portrait of an Artist and a panel discussion on outsider art presented by the Penn Humanities Forum at the International House......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Are You Experienced?: The Erotic Literary Salon invites you to share your original or favorite erotica at L’Etage (624 S 6th), 8:30. $10 (registration required: 215-840-5830) Strings Attached: Guest recital with violinist and composer Mark O’Connor at the Curtis Institute of Music Field Concert Hall (1726 Locust), 8PM. Free Librarians Love This Stuff: 80th Anniversary celebration for the Oxford English Dictionary at the Central branch of the Free......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Jazziest: Book release party for Ben Ratliff's The Jazz Ear featuring critically-acclaimed Philadelphia pianist Orrin Evans, presented by Ars Nova at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 8PM. Free Constantine's Sword: Screening of Constantine's Sword as part of the Jewish Film Festival at the Gershman Y (401 S Broad), 7PM. $10 Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY: Too Cool For: Screening of The Cool School: Story of the Ferus Art Gallery followed by The Way We Do Art Now and Other Sacred Tales at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $7 Not Lost: Found, a performance by Davy Rothbart, at the Painted Bride (230 Vine), 7PM. $10 No Wining: Breaking Through the Cork Ceiling, a wine panel discussion with six female winemakers at the......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Once More, With Feeling: Screening of Christmas on Mars, directed by Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, at Marvelous Records (208 S 40th), 8 & 10PM. $5 Lotta Stories: Barrelhouse and Philadelphia's Get Free Movement present 8 Million Stories, with readings from local authors and music by DJ Foxx Boogie at Tattooed Mom (530 South), 8:30PM. Free Poetry Reading: Faculty and students from the University of Delaware with read......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Optimistic? And Married? Come On Now: "The Marriage of Bette and Boo," a comedy by Christopher Durang, at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (3680 Walnut), 8PM. $5 Reign on Me: The Reign of Kindo and Mercy Blue at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut), 10PM. $10 Movie+Art+Reception: Philadelphia premiere of Alice Neel, in conjunction with the exhibit ''Alice Neel: Drawing from Life'' and featuring a conversation with......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Who's Afraid?: As part of the Scribe Video Center's 25th anniversary celebration, screenings of Rouch in Reverse and the Philadelphia premiere of Who's Afraid of Ngugi with director Manthia Diawara at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 6PM. $10 Open Up: Open Mic Extravaganza with 20 up-and-coming performers at Helium Comedy Club (2031 Sansom), 8-10PM. Free Nice DJ: Von Iva, MC Digga, DJ CB34, and DJ Nattie Ice at......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Never Too Early for Xmas: Screening of Christmas on Mars, directed by Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, at National Mechianics (22 S 3rd), 9PM. Free Time for the Recap/Rehash: "2008 to 2012: Where We’ve Been, Where We're Headed," a talk with Democrat Ezra Klein and Republican Reihan Salam about the past and upcoming presidential election (yup, already) at the National Constitution Center (525 Arch), 6:30PM. $9 Blue Monday:......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY: Goodbye Toys: Toyland closing reception at Nexus Foundation for Today's Art (1400 N American), 6-9PM. Free Kvetchers: Philadelphia Complaint Choir, a project of First Person Arts, at various locations, 5:45-7PM. Free The N Crowd: Improv comedy troupe the N Crowd perform at the Actors Center (257 N 3rd), 8PM. $10 SATURDAY: Dare to Dream: The Possible City: Exercises in Dreaming Philadelphia, with author Nathaniel Popkin, at the......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Graphic: Graphic Novels Panel with Art Spiegelman, Chip Kidd, Jessica Abel, Charles Burns and David Heatley at the Central Branch of the Free Library (1901 Vine), 7:30PM. Free Chat: Between Two Worlds, a conversation with award-winning filmmaker Mira Nair, at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 6PM. Free Beach: Bob Beach Trio, Mia Johnson, and Stephen DiJoseph at Tin Angel (20 S 2nd), 8:30PM. $8 Scary: You Me &......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Buzz: 2009 Oscar Preview lecture and discussion at the Philadelphia Art Alliance (251 S 18th), 7PM. Free Collage: Collage artists Heather Maries Davis Jones, Leroy Johnson, and Theodore A. Harris discuss their work at Woodmere Art Museum (9201 Germantown Ave), 7PM. Free Sweet Dreams: Bedtime Stories: A Tribute to the Philadelphia Phillies, part of Shubin Week by the Philly Improv Theater at the Shubin Theatre (407 Bainbridge), 8-9PM.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Free Mid-Day Music: Diane Meredith Belcher at St Mark's Church (1625 Locust), 12:45PM. Free Jazzy: Victor North and the Jazz Jam at Chris' Jazz Café (1421 Sansom), 9PM. $3 Is It Fatal?: Sparky's Flaw at Upstairs at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $10 Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the wealth!......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things: The Secrets, offering a look at feminism, sexual awakening and lesbianism in the world of the ultra-orthodox, part of the Jewish Film Festival at the Gershman Y (401 S Broad), 7PM. $10 It’s On: The Comic Vs. Audience comedy show at the Shubin Theatre (407 Bainbridge), 8PM. $5 Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY: Shhh!: MySpace Music secret show featuring (shhh!) The Ting Tings at the Barbary (951 Frankford), 7:30PM. Free (wear your costume) Whee!: Olde City Tattoo’s Satanic Rave X featuring Homocidals, El Toro De Oro, Sugar Daddy, Call The Paramedics, Y-DI, Scareho, Guns on the Run, The Dark Lords of Stonehurst, Real Ugly, and Hillside Wranglers at the Khyber (56 S 2nd), 9PM. $10, or free with costume Puppets!:......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Tributes R Us: The Great Unknown, Conversations With Enemies, Toy Soldiers, The Wayfairs, and The Armchairs at Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester Ave), 9PM. Free Green: Status Green at Tin Angel (20 S 2nd), 8:30PM. $8 Orch: West Philadelphia Orchestra, The Mean, and Old Goats at North Star Bar (27th and Poplar), 9PM. $10 BYOTP: Mischief Night Banger featuring $1 PBR and a live painting by Ben Howard at......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: We Like Her: Funny Girl Amy Sedaris and Bistro 7 owner/chef Michael O'Halloran co-host a cooking demo at Foster's Homeware (399 Market), 5PM. Free (reserved seating sold out, standing room first come first served) Shhhh: Ministry of Secret Jokes presents standup, and other things they'd tell you about but they'd have to kill you, at Fergie's Pub (1214 Sansom), 9PM. Free Role With It: Free advance screening of......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Strings: Sexcop, Sweet Soubrette, and Erin & Her Cello at World Café Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $10 Home Stretch: History of Philly's stints hosting politicians seen through student filmmakers' eyes at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Griffith Auditorium (600 S 43rd), 7PM. Free Moonstone Poetry Series: Poets Allison Wittenberg and Justin Vitiello, followed by an open mic, at Robin's Bookstore (108 S 13th), 6PM. Free Got a......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Girly: Young Widows, Gods & Queens, and Birth Control at Barbary Saloon (951 Frankford), 6:30PM. $10 Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke With DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2 AM. Free (21+) Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the wealth!......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Photos: Gallery talk by Stuart Rome, with photographer Koichiro Kurita, at Project Basho (1305 Germantown Ave), 7PM. Free Improv: Improv comedy with the N Crowd at the Actors Center (257 N 3rd), 8PM. $10 Jazzy: Erronius Krunk at Chris' Jazz Café (1421 Sansom), 5-7PM. $5 Mooses: Agent Moosehead and Now Soon Nowhere at Upstairs at World Café Live (3025 Walnut), 9PM. $9 Haunted: The tall ship Gazela......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Awesome: Awesome Color, Dactyl, Notekillers, Hot Guts, and Dogs on the Loose at Pilam, 8PM. $8 In the Round: New York Songwriters' Circle: Philadelphia featuring up-and-coming and established songwriters at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $10 Street: The Street Movies! Undercover program presents youth-produced films at Youth Health Empowerment Project (112 North Broad, 9th floor), 4PM. Free Visions: Visions of Paradise: Three Films about American Self-Taught Artists......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Crumby: Whenever Wednesday featuring a tour of the R. Crumb exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art (36th and Sansom), 6PM followed by a screening of the 1995 biography at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. Free Graphic: "The Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation," with writer Jonathan Hennessey explaining the doc through graphic art, at the National Constitution Center (525 Arch), 6:30PM. Free (RSVP here) Bridge: paraphrase/NEXUS and Soundfield......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Two Rose, One Not: The Rosewood Thieves, Look Mexico, and Adam Rose & The Gallants at M Room (15 W Girard), 8PM. $8 (21+) Open Up: Up and coming comics at Open Mic Night at Helium (2031 Sansom), 8-10PM. Free You Can See Britain from Robin's: Creative Freedom Writer's Tour, featuring UK authors Tanya Chan-Sam, Khadijah Ibrahiim, Simon Murray, Seni Seneviratne, Rommi Smith, and Jack Mapanje, at Robin’s......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Jazzy: Dan Loomis at Chris' Jazz Café (1421 Sansom), 8PM. $10 Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke With DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2 AM. Free (21+) Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the wealth!......