Top-five things to do

Art, Music, Stage
A roundup of Seacoast entertainment for the weekend of Oct. 21

The weekend weather forecast looks pretty dreary, but the entertainment forecast is bright and cheery, filled with music, art, and comedy. Check out some highlights below. For a roundup of top pre-Halloween events, click here.

Black humor and satire
Dick Gregory

The title of the 2016 Black New England Conference at the University of New Hampshire is “Politically In-Correct: Humor, Satire and Black Consciousness.” The main honoree is comedian and social activist Dick Gregory, whose biting comedy attacks racial prejudice. He’ll deliver his keynote address, titled “Stay Woke,” during an awards dinner tonight, Oct. 21, from 6-8 p.m. at Huddleston Hall on UNH’s Durham campus. A number of panel discussions and other events exploring the evolution of black humor take place throughout the day on Friday and Saturday. For a full conference schedule and more information, click here.

Dirty Bourbon X2
Dirty Bourbon River Show

photo by Josh Brasted

The Dirty Bourbon River Show brings its brand of brass to the Seacoast for two shows this weekend. The boozy, bluesy, New Orleans-style band, featuring saxophone, sousaphone, horns, accordion, growly vocals, and more, is touring in support of its latest album, “Important Things Humans Should Know.” They’ll be at the Dover Brickhouse tonight, Oct. 21, at 8:30 p.m., and at The Music Hall Loft in Portsmouth tomorrow night, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. For details on the Dover show, click here; for more on the Portsmouth show, click here.

New art rises
Rise 3S Artspace

The UNH Department of Art and History, NextGen Climate, and 3S Artspace are collaborating on an exhibition devoted to the theme of climate change. “Rise: Climate Change in our World” features work by students, alumni, technical staff, and faculty. The show opens with a reception tonight, Oct. 21, from 5-8 p.m., and will remain on display at the 3S gallery in Portsmouth through Nov. 12. For more information, click here. Also opening this weekend is “En Plein Air,” an all-member show at the Kittery Art Association. The opening reception is Sunday, Oct. 23, from 4-6 p.m. Learn more here.

Wicked good comedy
Bob Marley

Northern New England has its own class of comedy that’s every bit as distinctive as its maple syrup and fall foliage. Few comedians deliver that regional humor as authentically as Maine’s own Bob Marley. He’s spread the New England brand of laughter around the country, appearing on Letterman, Leno, Conan, and Comedy Central, as well as in the cult-favorite film “The Boondock Saints” and its sequel. Marley will offer two performances at the Rochester Opera House on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7 and 9 p.m. Tickets and more information here.

Performance art
Alen Ilijic

Serbian avant-garde composer and multimedia artist Alen Ilijic has training and experience in film scoring, orchestration, electronic music, sound engineering, and visual art. He throws all those elements together in his concerts, which he performs around the world. Ilijic is offering a free show ($5 suggested donation) at the Portsmouth Music and Arts Center tonight, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m., in the Haas Family Gallery & Recital Hall. Find out more here.