Dec. 14-17 Weekend Entertainment Picks

Subscribe to this weekly newsletter here.r

rPICK OF THE WEEK: Thursday, Dec. 14: It’s here – the time of year to celebrate all the good and hopefully drink enough to forget all the bad at Encounter’s year-end party. This year, Cake! presents: Encounter Annual Magazine Celebration at Reverb Lounge in Benson. Join some of your favorite local DJs as they spin us out of our winter blues and into party mode. Booty Boy Bil$, Sharkwe3k, DJ Ema Marco, and DJ Gonzo aren’t going to let you eat cake alone in your room. (Yes, there will be real cake.) Dress up, get out, eat that cake, and then shake it off at the best dance party of the year. Get your tickets here before you’re stuck with alone-in-your-room option.

rFriday, Dec. 15 : Retreat from the frenzied holiday madness and escape to Jambo Cat in Dundee to listen to world-renowned jazz trumpeter Ryan Kisor. The award-winning musician is playing from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and will be joined by drummer John Kizilarmut and organist Mitch Towne. This is a unique opportunity to see this trio play in an intimate setting. Be sure to get your tickets here as soon as possible.

rFriday, Dec. 15 : Technically, this event is not in Omaha, but we didn’t want you to miss this opportunity to see the first exhibition of local artists, Jody Mantich and Chase Alexander. Not A Simple Mind opens at Soul Case Movement in Council Bluffs this Friday evening, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This is also the first exhibit for the yoga/art studio. There will be live music, refreshments, and a poetry reading from Echo Kermoade. To learn more, click here.

rSaturday, Dec. 16: Why yes, it is another toy drive. But tis the season to help others, and what better way to do so than by listening to some kickass live music? The Second Annual Wreck The Halls 2 is at Lookout Lounge this weekend, and it starts at 7 p.m. Local bands will be playing covers all night long, which means you can play a lot of the guess-this-song game. Bring a toy to gain access, or donate $10 if you’re sick of shopping and would rather just give cash. Toys and donations will go to Toys for Tots. Find out more here.

rSaturday, Dec. 16: There may be no better time to associate yourself with Russia than now. While you may not actually learn a lot at An Evening in Imperial Russia at The Max, you will most definitely have fun. Wear an ugly Christmas sweater if you want to show your holiday spirit and for a chance to win a prize.There will be plenty of Christmas goodies and hors d’oeuvres on hand. The party starts at 7 p.m and goes until 9 p.m., but don’t let that stop you from sticking around and shaking it out on the dance floor after. Let everyone know you’ll be there by heading here.

rSaturday, Dec. 16: Get Christmas-funky this weekend at the Old School Holiday Jam with Morris Day and the Time at Ralston Arena. They’ll be joined by Zapp, Rude Boys, and the queen of freak, Adina Howard. Don’t daydream too long, you need to get your tickets now if you want to get freaky and enjoy that jungle love. Prince may be gone, but the funk lives on. Buy those tickets here and treat yourself to some get-down dancing this holiday season.

rSunday, Dec. 17: Still looking for just the right gift for someone special? The Shake Your Trunk Holiday Shop at Slowdown this Sunday is where you need to go. Not only can you get your shopping done while listening to live, local music, you can also donate to the Siena/Francis House Homeless Shelter. It all goes down at 1 p.m. and lasts until 7 p.m., giving you plenty of time to browse through all the goodies. Swipe here to find out which vendors you’ll want to hit up.