Best Bets: Bacon Brothers, Bill Bellamy, Ani DiFranco
Tasty duo
Hollywood film star Kevin Bacon and his brother, Michael, make up the rock duo known as The Bacon Brothers. See these two up close and personal as they rock it out in the intimate space of the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. $55-$65. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 and 12
They sing together
Don your leather jackets and 1950s poodle skirts for a special singalong screening of the hit 1978 high school musical "Grease!" at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $6; $8 seniors/kids/military personnel. (847) 263-6300 or geneseetheatre.com. 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11
School time song
Six Flags Great America Friday hosts OneRepublic and Carolina Liar to help launch its new "got2b Back 2 School Blast Concert Series." Hear pop hits like "Apologize," "Show Me What I'm Looking For" and more at 1 Great America Parkway (I-94 and Route 132), Gurnee. Concert is free with paid park admission of $54.99; $34.99 for kids under 48 inches tall. (847) 249-2133 or sixflags.com/greatamerica. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11
Still standing
Bill Bellamy is the host of NBC's "Last Comic Standing," so expect him to show how stand-up comedy is done during four shows this weekend at Zanies locations at 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 584-6342; and at 230 Hawthorn Village Commons, Vernon Hills, (847) 549-6030. $25 (plus a two-menu-item minimum). zanies.com. 8 and 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, in St. Charles; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, in Vernon Hills
Season opener
The Prairie Center for the Arts kicks off its performing arts season Saturday with a special fundraiser called Celebration 2009. In addition to the silent auction, there's entertainment from singer Natalia Zukerman, Chicago cabaret regulars Anne and Mark Burnell, the big-band sound of Dana Legg's Stage Band and more. It all happens at 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. $50-$60. (847) 895-3600 or prairiecenter.org. 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12
Wooing Wopat
Tom Wopat may be best remembered for his time on TV's "Dukes of Hazzard," but lately he's built a career on Broadway and as a cabaret singer. Hear Wopat sing Frank Sinatra and more Saturday in the concert "Love Swings" on stage of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago. $50. (312) 922-2110 ext. 300 or auditoriumtheatre.org. 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12
Ani in Aurora
She's been labeled as "indie," "alternative" even "urban folk." Find out if Ani DiFranco lives up to all her non-conformist adjectives when she performs in concert Sunday at the Paramount Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. $39.50. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com. 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13
Ballet for all
The Joffrey Ballet entices Chicago-area fans Thursday with a free repertory program featuring Gerald Arpino's "Confetti," Helgi Tomasson's "Valses Poeticos," Edwaard Liang's "Age of Innocence" and Val Caniparoli's "Aria" at Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion, near Columbus Drive and Randolph Street, Chicago. Free. (312) 742-1168 or millenniumpark.org. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17
Time-Warped
If you missed The VANS Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration when it played in Los Angeles, you can still see it when it is screened in more than 400 movie theaters nationwide Thursday. Locally it is playing in Addison, South Barrington, Bloomingdale, Elgin and Gurnee, among other cities. $12.50. Visit ncm.com/Fathom for participating theaters and more information. 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17