Wed. Jan 10

Occasionally, something comes along and we say, "Damn, we wish we'd done that." Usually, these are impossibilities - like write a song as good as Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love" or direct a film as good as "The Departed." But when it comes to writing words, well, we do some of that. And when we found out Jake Halpern (who contributes to NPR's "All Things Considered") had written The Book on Fame, called "Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truth Behind America's Favorite Addiction," we both cursed and tipped our hat. See, we watch this preoccupation with celebrity minutiae with apalled disdain and, yet, perverse curiosity. In the grand scheme of things, who cares what the hell Paris Hilton did yesterday or who America voted their "American Idol"? (Halpern found more people watch "Idol" in that time slot than the other three major networks combined.) Halpern talks to fans, stars, aspiring stars and digs into the psychology and technology of it all, dissecting this tsunami of pop culture. He speaks at Brookline Booksmith Wednesday January 10 at 7 p.m. Free.

279 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-566-6660 brooklinebooksmith.com

Tues. Jan. 9

 If you're of a certain age - well, that could be many ages - the name Sedgwick probably means something to you. The first Sedgwick to cross our path was not early Speaker of the House Theodore Sedgwick - we're not that old! - but the doomed and drugged-out '60s legend/casualty Edie Sedgwick - the first "It" girl? Fame, depression, creativity, burnout, low-self esteem/large ego substance abuse. They're all linked, at least sometimes. Certainly, John Sedgwick - author of "The Dark House" and "The Education of Mrs. Bemis" -  found that out writing "In My Blood: Six Generations of Madness and Desire in an American Family." Well, he knew it before he started to write, certainly, but he was moved to delve deeper into his troubled Boston Brahmin past when he, too, sank into a life-threatening depression while writing his second novel. You can hear Sedgwick discuss this and the attributes and afflictions of his family at the Emmanuel Church in Boston, presented by the Harvard Book Store and the Massachusetts Historical Society. The talk is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Jan. 9. Admission: $15. 

15 Newbury St., 617-646-0560 masshist.org/events

Mon. Jan. 8

Dick's Last Resort may have moved from Huntington Ave. at the Pru (it did so about a year ago), but the attitude and atmosphere has simply been transferred Dick's at Quincy Market at Faneuil Hall. Now, the new Dick's is smaller by about half - it'll fit 140 - but it offers up a sassy, irreverent attitude and generous portions of food that's a whole lot better than you'd expect it to be. (The hidden attraction.) Yes, there's a certain calculation built into this "low brow" alternative to high-priced nightspots, but the late lamented House of Blues could be accused of creating a faux roadhouse, too. Dick's is a reliably fun and friendly place to visit, and, we're guessing, a raucous place Monday Jan. 8 with Elvis impersonator Dana Z and his Band play a "Hound Dog of a Musical Tribute to the King." (Dick's is big on El; they've always celebrated his birthday and the 8th would have been No 72.) Of course, there's some shtick involved: a jelly donut eating contxt, a look-a-like and sound-a-like contest (the winner of each gets $300) etc. For you imbibers, a 16 ounce Dick's Brew is but $2 and a Smirnoff martini goes for a way-low $4. No cover. Starts at 6 p.m. (Get discounted parking at 75 State Street Garage.)

Quincy Market at Faneuil Hall, 617-267-8080

Sun. Jan. 7

Clarinet, tuba, trumpet, accordion, drums, guitar. Guess the genre played the band using these instruments? It's klezmer, but the guys who play this klezmer - Naftule's Dream - do it with an attitude reminiscent of Firewater: It's klezmer with edge. The Village Voice put it this way: They "stretch the limits of densely composed and then freely jammed-out music of deep emotional resonance. It's a crazy-ass circus one minute, a funeral procession another, and everything in between most of the time." Sound enticing? They're at the Forest Hills Cemetery's Forsyth Chapel Sunday Jan. 7 at 4 p.m. Tickets: $15.

 95 Forest Hills Ave., Jamaica Plain, 617-524-3354 foresthillsturst.org

Sun. Jan. 7

Gospel music brings a whole set of conundrums to us, being that we were raised Catholic, in a church with bland, boring hymns, and are, at present, firmly (yeah, right) planted in the agnostic camp. Which is to say, we love a spirited, fervent gospel performance and it at least tips us, for a while, toward the God side. We generally fall back into the unknowingness that is agnosticism shortly thereafter. But we enjoy the gospel ride. Heck, at a U-U Christmas service we dug a female jazz quartet performing a snappy version of "What Child Is This." The new year is, of course, about banishing doubts and forgetting how horrible humans can be toward other humans and trying to gather hope. A way to do this might be to attned "Spirit," a Soulkore Gospel event with Bobby Perry & Rain, (in photo) Disciple and DJ Lady Grace in the decidedly non-church-like environs of the Milky Way Lounge & Lanes. We're not talking traditional gospel here, anyway. There are funk and hip-hop beats, splashed all about lyrics concerning the devotion to Jesus. One question: Are drinks being served during this? Would that be sacriligious or just business as usual? Well, either way it's a temptation - in a good way, not in a Satanic way - to check out this performance Sunday January 7 at 9 p.m. Tickts: $8.

403-5 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-524-3740 soulkore.com