I think that Napster, which begat Kazaa, which begat Limewire, which eventually somehow got us to iTunes, has done great things for musical variety. My sense is that everyone who doesn’t live in New York City, Milwaukee or Austin occasionally gripes about their local music scene, but to me, this weekend is the perfect example of how far we’ve come in certain respects. This weekend there are a bunch of different bands playing original music all over the area in a bunch of different genres. The easy availability of music has allowed people to explore different kinds of stuff that they would never have bothered with before. Today, we have tools like Pandora and iTunes that introduce us to new music all of the time, and as a result, we are more open to trying new things. With that in mind, this weekend is a great opportunity to try new things, because off the top of my head, I know you have the opportunity to listen to Roots Blues, Jam, Parisian String Jazz, Classical Bluegrass and Retro Brit-Pop live in Central Pennsylvania within the next few days. Events-wise, Friday night is all about music, or at the very least, musicals. The Whitaker Center has the feel-good fem-rock musical Girls Night, and their own description of the show tells me that it’s the “perfect treat for women of all ages.” Sorry guys, you’re not invited. The show is about a group of forty-something women out for a night of karaoke. If that doesn’t appeal to you, you could always actually go out for a night of karaoke. Or go watch either Hoots and Hellmouth at Gullifty’s or The Juice at the Abbey Bar. Hoots and Hellmouth plays gritty, rootsy music that definitely has a place on my iPod. The Juice is a jam band, and though I don’t have tons of knowledge about their brand of music, they remind me a bit of the Disco Biscuits. Saturday marks the beginning of Chivalry and Romance weekend at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, so take that special someone to Mount Hope to do all kinds of mushy stuff. Or if you don’t have a special someone, go yourself and enter the wooing contest. Who knows what you’ll come home with if you win. Also on Saturday is the Kids and Kritters benefit at Jackson’s Junction, which features tons of live music including the Brit-pop outfit The Tamboureens, who I absolutely love. If you have a lot of hair and need a trim, you could also stop by the Locks of Love Cut-a-Thon at the Capitol City Mall. If you don’t have that much hair and love peaches as much as I do, don’t miss the Peach Festival at New Hope Church in Harrisburg. Millions of peaches, peaches for me, millions of peaches, peaches for free. On Sunday, an absolutely brilliant bluegrass band from Alaska named Bearfoot(pictured) will be playing in Fort Hunter’s Sunset Series. Seriously, seriously beautiful music. Parisian string jazz quintet the Gadjo Playboys will also be playing outside as the latest installment in the Italian Lake Concert Series. As for me, I’ll be packing Friday night, moving during the day on Saturday and hopefully checking out a new restaurant and a new bottle of wine when all the boxes are empty. Have fun kids.

When I saw that the Whitaker Center was going to have The Dark Night in IMAX, I was excited for about 3.7 seconds before realizing that my motion sickness would make it nearly impossible to make it through the movie without hurling. That's inconvenient, because The Dark Night has become one of the most hyped movies in memory, and I wanted to at least mention it in this space. Luckily, Winton, a friend of Spotobe, has a much stronger stomach, and graciously agreed to provide us all with a brief report. Here’s what he has to say: “After one failed attempt at purchasing tickets to see The Dark Knight at the Whitaker Center, I finally scored a set of tickets last Sunday. My persistence was worth it, and I’m glad I held out to see the movie in IMAX. After seeing it, I can promise you that there are some scenes that just wouldn't have been as good without the fully immersed experience you get in an IMAX theater. Being that IMAX movies are displayed in a much larger format than your normal movie theater, I recommend arriving early to pick your seats. I sat in the middle of the theater and I wish I had been a few rows further back. If you are late, be prepared to sit in the front row and leave with a sore neck. The first couple of action scenes were a little bit overwhelming where I was sitting, and I imagine that if you had been sitting in the very front it would have taken a while to get comfortable. There’s just so much happening visually that it’s hard to take it all in. Everyone in the theater just sits there wide-eyed. As for the movie itself, The Dark Knight was an excellent addition to the other Batman flicks. From Heath Ledger’s amazing portrayal of the Joker to something as small as Batman’s new gadgets, the movie has got something for everyone. I’d still recommend seeing it even if you are new to Batman all together, because there is no prior knowledge necessary. If you love Batman, you are in for a special treat. Overall, I would highly recommend checking out The Dark Knight at the Whitaker Center. You could always go see it in a regular theater, but I’d make the extra effort to catch it in IMAX.” If you’d like to take Winton’s advice, you can get tickets online here.

On the agenda tonight: Spice's "White Party" As for the weekend, well - that's up to you. Here's your semi-regular roundup. Don't forget - if you want me to know about your events, e-mail me.

• It's French Quarter Night at Confit - authentic Cajun food (don't forget Chef Matt Black was the original chef and owner of Bayou)
• Tonight is also the Artist Meet'n Greet at Art House Lounge from 6-9 p.m.
• Because it's right up my L&O-obsessed alley, check out Law & Disorder at Whitaker Center all weekend
• In the market for a home? Stop out to Camp Hill for Cordier Antiques' Real Estate Auction
• On Monday, check out the Cigar Dinner on the Hilton Patio. Three course dinner, wine and cigars for $75.