Trailer trash rock wizards Southern Culture on the Skids plays at the Cat's Cradle Saturday night, capping a big weekend that brings Beirut for a sold-out show Thursday and the always-fun Holy Ghost Tent Revival on Friday. catscradle.com .

For the 10th year, authors Allan Gurganus and Michael Malone will present Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in Hillsborough. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 210 St. Mary's Road. Admission is $15. 919-732-7451, burwell school.org .

Really Terrible Orchestra of the Triangle founder and conductor W. Sands Hobgood tells audiences to turn their cell phones up, to drown out the sounds coming from the stage. That's all a bit of a put-on; RTOOT, as it is known, is a talented 50-piece community orchestra. They'll perform a holiday concert at 3 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Chapel Hill Bible Church, 260 Erwin Road. Admission is $7. rtoot.org.