Resorts Casino Hotel, North Carolina Avenue and the Boardwalk, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. today, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. tomorrow, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday, $5-$6 single tickets, $35 festival pass (all screenings), $75 VIP pass (all screenings and special events). Carnegie Library Center, 35 S. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd., 2-5 p.m. today and Sunday, $5 singles tickets. For tickets and schedule, downbeachfilmfestival.org.
SNEAK PEEKS
Like the other film festivals, only shorter, in one place, with a few films to see each time you go, fewer films overall, and more actors and filmmakers, our FirstGlance Film Fest is an easier way to see indie flicks you might otherwise miss. It's also cheaper. An all-access pass to the four-day bonanza will set you back $60. A ticket to one of the multi-screenings costs $8-$12. All the movies, short and long (including a thriller starring the Aramingo Diner and a history of JC Dobbs), show at the Franklin Institute.
FirstGlance Film Festival, Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., screenings today through Sunday night. Firstglancefilms.com.
FESTIVALS
MOON RIVER
Philadelphia's first Mid-Autumn Chinese Festival - coinciding with China's Moon Festival - offers you a glimpse of Asian culture without a passport. The Moon Festival is a traditional joyful celebration of family and this Mid-Autumn rendition features Chinese music and dance, arts and crafts. But it's also a way to showcase the partnership between Philadelphia and China, both commercial and cultural, says Main Line Cultural Center chairman Dr. Jun Huangpu. In the evening there's a concert by Curtis grad and rising star Ya-Jhu Yang with her new trio for pipa, erhu and cello.
Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Columbus Blvd., festival 11 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow, free; 6 p.m. lecture, 7 p.m. concert and postconcert reception, $35. www.mlccc.org.
OUT THERE
Cue theme from "The X-Files." This weekend alien believers-in descend upon the Sheraton Four Points at 9661 Roosevelt Blvd. to discuss close encounters of all kinds. The Pennsylvania Mutual UFO Network puts on the paranormal-centric two-day series, which covers subjects including energy healing and end time prophesies, Big Foot and not-so-little green men. The conference is nearly sold out. Last-minute attendees should show up tomorrow at 8 a.m. for a chance to come in.
Sheraton Four Points, 9661 Roosevelt Blvd., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow ($40) 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday ($35) 724-836-1266, mufonpa.com.
MUSIC
CHANGE UP PITCH
Hip-hop producer turned beat master RJD2 is the lure. Yet this show will surely focus on his fresh -chilled, neo-soul collaborations with singer Aaron Livingston, collectively known as Icebird, as their album with that group identity, "The Abandoned Lullabye" just dropped this week.
Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., 8:30 tonight, $17, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com.
TROMBONE HEAVEN
New Orleans' wah-wah rockin' Bonerama turn frowns upside down with brassy, sassy, mostly instrumental music - heavy on the trombones and tuba. And nobody covers Led Zep's "Ocean" better. Jason Ager and the C.O.P.O open.
North Star Bar, 27th and Poplar streets, 9 tonight, $20, 215-787-0488, www.northstarbar.com.
SUPER NIGHT
Celebrating the 20th anniversary edition of their 10-times platinum "Pocket Full of Kryptonite" album, the Spin Doctors are now performing the work start-to-end (a first). So get prepped for "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," "Two Princes" and the Superman-scaring title track. James Maddock heats the joint first.
World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 8 tonight, $22-$42, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.
ALL THAT JAZZ
The electrifying Wayne Krantz has added hipness to the bands of Steely Dan and Billy Cobham, but shines brightest with his own funky fusion. Joining Krantz - bassist Anthony Tidd and multidimensional Philly percussionist Ari Hoenig, who'll also be sitting in tomorrow with Misha Piatigorsky.
Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 8 & 10 tonight, $15, 215- 568-3131, www.chrisjazzcafe.com.
A LOOK BACK
Noted "old time" country revivalist (New Lost City Ramblers), historian, and documentary filmmaker John Cohen shares all that, performing with the Dust Busters and screening/chatting about his film on legendary Kentucky banjo picker Roscoe Holcomb.
Upstairs at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 7 tonight, $12, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.
GENUINE SIMULATION
Focusing on the complex, brass- and strings-endowed studio creations that the Beatles never performed in concert, the world's greatest cover band The Fab Faux turns attention this time to the "Magical Mystery Tour" soundtrack set. Your mother should know, it's gonna be good.
Keswick Theatre, Easton Road and Keswick Avenue. Glenside, 8 p.m. tomorrow, $47, $68, $83, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com.
ISLAND FEVER
The staggering 10-voice (plus drum percussion) Creole Choir of Cuba hails from the island's third-largest town of Camaguey and focuses on the vibrant, folkloric music that's been with their families for generations. Much of the material deals with their origins as West African slaves, brought by force first to Haiti then to Cuba.
You'll discover a complex intertwining of Afro/Cuban/Haitian tones and rhythms, plus incantational call/response vocals amazing to behold. As this is the choir's first North American tour, please make them welcome.
Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 6 p.m. Sunday, $30/$35 215-925-9914 www.painted
bride.org. Video:
http://youtu.be/AAyZVAPrfVE
TRICKS & TREATS
Oops. We were dead wrong Tuesday characterizing Southern Culture on the Skids' just reissued "Zombiefied" album of Halloween spooktaculars as a "new" set. This tremulous stuff first surfaced in 1998, but you can't keep a good corpse down. Pokey LaFarge and The South City Three amble out first.
World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 7 p.m. Sunday, $21-$39, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.
ART
STICKY
Art shows at Fishtown's Skybox at 2424 Studios are always impressive. There've been mass installations of plastic bottles cut and strung to resemble waterfalls and the most enormous, alive-looking balloon sculpture you've ever seen. This week promises an equally huge and fantastical environment. Sculptor Alison Stigora has installed 10,000 hand-charred tree limbs that roam and climb the soaring space, making it dark, scary and beautiful all at the same time.
Crossing Jordan, Skybox at 2424 Studios, 2424 East York St., opening reception 7-10 tonight. Gallery hours: noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 267-861-0290, 2424studios.com; also open for Open Studios Tours on Oct. 16, noon-6 p.m. Exhibit runs through Nov. 19.
SHOPPING
POP GOES THE HIPSTER
A little bit of Old City hipster chic has landed smack dab in the middle of Fabric Row. Moon & Arrow, a pop-up boutique that stocks a mix of all-American country-in-the-city vintage clothing, owner Chelsea Pearce's lines of handmade jewelry and terrariums by local Machele Nettles - all affordable. The shop plans to stick around until Jan. 8, but getting there sooner means shopping for yourself without holiday-induced you-should-be-shopping-for-others guilt.
Moon & Arrow, 727 South 4th St., closed Tuesdays, 215-200-1617, moonandarrow.com.
DO GOOD
POOCH PARTY
You've partied with dogs before. But party with the dogs at tomorrow night's PSPCA's Good Dog Gala and Bad Dog Ball and you're guaranteed to be happy with yourself the morning after. The red-carpeted event, for which about 400 humans and 100 of their tail-wagging companions dress in their finest, benefits the animal shelter, and has been known to have been attended by a certain animal-loving second baseman. If you go, and he's there, please, ask him about his dog, not the playoffs.
Good Dog Gala, 6:30-10 p.m. $200, Bad Dog Ball, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $80 in advance, $100 at the door; both events, $250, Hyatt Regency at Penn's Landing, 201 South Columbus Blvd., 215-426-6304, ext. 227, pspca.org.
CASINOS
ROLL OUT THE BARREL
So what's Oktoberfest without the "oom-pah-pah" of polka music? Not much, and when said dance modes come courtesy of legendary polka titan Jimmy Sturr, you know all is right with the world.
The universally recognized "King of Polka" and his band perform tomorrow and Sunday as part of the Oktoberfest celebration at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.
Resorts Casino Hotel, North Carolina Avenue and the Boardwalk, 3-4 p.m., 6-7 p.m. tomorrow; 1:15-2 p.m., 4:15-5:15 p.m. Sunday, free. resortsac.com.
- Chuck Darrow, Lauren
McCutcheon, Danielle Miess, and Jonathan Takiff contributed to this calendar.
