WHO’S IN TOWN
“Love Song” siren Sarah Bareilles, the pop vocalist for Fiona Apple lovers, is ready to take the national spotlight. First, she stops by Annapolis, headlining Rams Head Tavern for two nights. Tony Lucca opens. 8:30 p.m. Thursday, February 12, and Friday, February 13. $27.50. Rams Head OnStage, 33 West Street, Annapolis. www.RamsheadOnstage.com
MUSIC
Intimate songwriter and hitmaker Ben Folds plays melodic, punk piano hits for all ages. With Miniature Tigers. 7 p.m. $40. Rams Head Live, 20 Market Place, Baltimore. RamsheadLive.com
Instead of living it up at some loud club, live it down in chilly February in Dundalk. Plug in and play at open mic Thursdays. 7 to 11 p.m. Village Coffee House, 3 Commerce Street, Dundalk. 410-285-7270
ART
“The Dragon Awakes” features works by Asian artists from the region, including two local favorites, Sunny Moon, a sculptor from Westminster, and Jing-Jy Chen, a sumi-e painter from Laurel (whose cat is pictured) All are inspired by nature’s simplicity of form, beauty in imperfection, life cycles, calligraphy and iconic symbols. Through April 4. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; free. Tevis Gallery, Carroll Arts Center, 91 West Main St., Westminster. 410-848-7272 or www.CarrollCountyArtsCouncil.org
Towson Arts Collective’s “Travel Exhibit: Where have you been?” goes east, west, north and south to favorite vacation spots and solo escapes. Artists are inspired by what they see: beautiful scenery, different cultures and unchartered territory. This exhibit illustrates travel stories through black and white photography, paintings and other mediums. See the works by dozens of local and out-of-area artists. 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. Towson ARTS Collective; 406 York Road, Lower Level, Towson; free. www.TowsonArtsCollective.org
The exhibition “5:3 — Five Artists: Three States — Video: Animation: Sound,” curated by curated by David Yager and Symmes Gardner, features video, animation and sound works by Edgar Endress of Virginia, Joshua Mosley of Pennsylvania, Karen Yasinsky of Maryland and others. Through March 14. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday; Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, Fine Arts Building, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore. 410-455-3188; umbc.edu/arts
LECTURE
Barbara Whalen leads tonight’s Chesapeake Civil War Round Table, which includes a discussion on “The Fighting McCooks.” 7 to 9 p.m. Cade Center for Fine Arts, Anne Arundel Community College, 101 College Parkway, Arnold. 410-777-2428; www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/9925/CCWR.html
LITERARY
Michael Largo, author of “Genius and Heroin” and who observed in the 1980s how creative geniuses are prone to destructive behavior, speaks at the Maryland Historical Society on Edgar Allan Poe. In a talk titled “Feeding Poe’s Muse: The Secret Obsessions of Edgar Allan Poe,” Largo will entertainingly show how Poe’s genius was entwined with self-ruin. Poe’s favorite cocktails will be served. 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday; The Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore; $30 to $50.410-685-3750 ext. 319; www.mdhs.org
THEATER
For one more week, The Strand Theater invites theater-lovers to “Bermuda,” a new play by Californian playwright Noah Galuten. On the surface, “Bermuda” is about a recently married couple, Michael and Christie, who are having Michael’s brother and Christie’s ex, Donald, over for dinner. What begins as a humorous and awkward situation, soon turns into a dangerous and exploitive moment in the lives of all three characters. Can you say, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” Through February 15. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; Strand Theater, 1823 N. Charles Street, Baltimore; $15. 443-874-4917; www.strandtheatercompany.org
“The Eagle Has Landed” is a play about memory and the presence of someone who is no longer, presented by Fool’s Proof Theatre. The most unlikely of heroes, an odd but charming BBC Radio 4 reporter goes on a journey to find his brother who has been missing for twenty years. This moving story is told with quirky humor, idiosyncratic characters and quick scenes 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston Street, Baltimore. 410-752-8558; www.Theatreproject.org
AUTO SHOW
Start your engines! Learn tips on auto maintenance and how to save gas money. Oh, and you’ll also see the latest cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles at the 2009 Motor Trend International Auto Show. Noon to 10 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. $4 to $10; children under 12 free. Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W. Pratt Street, Baltimore. 410-649-7000; www.bccenter.org
EVENTS
Learn how to live green! Anne Arundel Community College hosts series of free information sessions, discussions and product demonstrations on alternative and sustainable energy systems, starting tonight. Leading off the series is a presentation on the Maryland Home Performance program and Energy Star products and services. The MHP program, sponsored by the Maryland Energy Administration, trains and certifies contractors to perform energy audits and install whole-house energy improvements. 5:30 to 7 p.m.; free. Cade Center for Fine Arts, Room 207, Anne Arundel Community College, 101 College Parkway, Arnold. 410-777-2306; www.aacc.edu/science/energycert.cfm
