TUESDAY, DEC. 29
Patti Smith: The acclaimed art rocker and her band open a three-night San Francisco engagement. [8 p.m., Fillmore, 1805 Geary Blvd., S.F.]
2015 Doctor Who Christmas Special: River Song (Alex Kingston of “ER”) makes her triumphant return to the famed British TV series, which is being presented in a special theatrical screening. [7:30 and 10:15 p.m., Century San Francisco Centre, 845 Market St., S.F.]
Morrissey: The vocalist and songwriter of The Smiths fame is slated to appear in The City. [8 p.m., Masonic, 1111 California St., S.F.]
Chad Daniels, Laurie Kilmartin, Jacob Sirof: Daniels (from Minnesota) and Kilmartin and Sirof (from California) head up a night of standup comedy, with opener Ben Feldman. [8 p.m., Cobb’s Comedy Club, 915 Columbus Ave., S.F.]
Bay City Blues: Guitarist Chris Cain hosts the blues showcase, which features guitarist Terry Hiatt this week. [7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Biscuits & Blues, 401 Mason St., S.F.]
Sticks & Stones Comedy Night: Kollin Holtz and Adam Pearlstein host the every-other-Tuesday comedy show. [9 p.m,, Neck of the Woods, 406 Clement St., S.F.]
Underground Nomads; The eclectic DJ group presents its final “Global Bass & Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Night” of 2015. [9 p.m., 1192 Folsom Ave., S.F.]
Cracker, Camper van Beethoven: David Lowery’s alt-rock bands play their annual Bay Area holiday season concert. [8 p.m. Indpendent, 628 Divisadero St., S.F.]
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30
Elvin Bishop Band: The veteran bluesman (known for the 1976 hit “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” and 2014’s Grammy-nominated album “Can’t Even Do Wrong Right”) has been making music for five decades. [7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Biscuits & Blues, 401 Mason St., S.F.]
Greg Proops: The Bay Area comedian’s show is a live presentation of his “Smartest Man in the World” podcast. [8 p.m., Punch Line, 444 Battery St., S.F.]
Karaoke with KJ Paul: The free karaoke night is hosted by one of The City’s best karaoke jockeys, who boasts a top-notch sound system and encouraging personality. [9:30 p.m., Chapel, 777 Valencia St., S.F.]
Sonny & The Sunsets, Shannon & The Clams: Two favorite Bay Area pop rock bands co-headline a couple of festive end-of-the-year gigs. [9 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell St., S.F.]
Zoo Lights: The San Francisco Zoo offers a spectacular light display for the holidays, along with a spotlight on four reindeer visiting from the North Pole. [5 to 8 p.m., Great Highway and Sloat Boulevard, S.F.]
San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker: For more than 70 years, The City’s premier ballet company has staged its lavish production, the longest-running “Nutcracker” in America. [2 and 7 p.m., War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]
Luis Bravo’s Forever Tango: The show features six world-class Argentine Tango couples (plus Anna and Dmitry from “Dancing with the Stars”) and traditional Argentine 1930s style musical accompaniment. [8 p.m, Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]
Potted Potter: The parody takes on the challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books (and a real life game of Quidditch) into 70 hilarious minutes. [2:30 and 7:30 p.m., Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon St., S.F.]
