Dresden Dolls

Riot-grrrl punk meets German cabaret in the whimsical world of Dresden Dolls. Besides being the only band on MTV that can reliably claim to be influenced by early ’30s Weimar Republic cabaret music, Dresden Dolls boast a campy yet honest piano-and-drums attack that rivals the most disturbing work by either Tori Amos or Joel Grey. Bonus: the act dresses in authentic Weimar-style burlesque and whiteface. The duo performs 7 p.m. Saturday a Liberty Hall, 642 Mass.

White Dynamite

Alfred Nobel may have invented dynamite, but there will be no peace prizes awarded to the band White Dynamite after one of its raucous shows. The Denver four-piece offers a volatile mix of screeching guitars and in-your-face vocals that conjure images of Drive Like Jehu and Circus Lupus. White Dynamite joins Lawrence’s Ad Astra Per Aspera 10 p.m. Saturday at The Replay Lounge, 946 Mass.

Winter in Alaska

The band Winter in Alaska really spends most of the seasons in Normal, Il. Pulling influence from classical, jazz, folk, indie and alternative styles of music, this quartet has successfully blended its own brand of laid-back, dynamically expressive rock music. While none of the four members have actually been to Alaska, their debut album, “Innocence We’ve Lost,” is rumored to be available in Anchorage. The band is joined by Brunette 10 p.m. today at The Bottleneck.

‘A BIRD, I WISH I WERE’

An exhibition of mixed media works on paper by Paul Flinders opens Saturday at Olive Gallery and Art Supply, 15 E. Eighth St. Although at first glance, Flinders’ illustratorly pieces seem to focus on themes of isolation and melancholy, he says he’s actually exploring the idea of greater possibilities and fulfilling potential. “I am interested in the journey taken when an individual spans the distance between who they are and who they want to be,” he says. An opening reception for “a bird, i wish i were,” which runs through Jan. 26, will be 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday.

‘The Exploring Eye’

Emporia-born photographer Leo Lutz has been using a camera to make black-and-white photographs of natural landscapes, historical locations and architectural subjects for some 17 years. The Kansas University graduate studied with masters associated with the F64 Group of California photographers. Like those purists, Lutz shoots normal perspectives in sharp focus rather than manipulating images to resemble other art media. His one-man exhibition, “The Exploring Eye,” opens Tuesday at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H., and runs through Feb. 11.