Welcome to our debut column at Lawrence.com, in which we will showcase a few worthy ways to spend part of your weekend in LFK.

Many of you may know us from our omnipresent tweeting via @LarryvilleLife. You might also remember our old “Weekend Picks” column from the now-defunct Larryville Chronicles blog, a site where we often said raunchy things that will not be repeated in the civilized world of Lawrence.com, because this is a happy place where even the commenters must behave and identify themselves these days. However, we do hope to maintain a little attitude and offer a bit of critical perspective on your weekend options. Otherwise, you might as well just peruse the calendar portion of this site.

We’ll do our best to offer a balance of selections covering music, comedy, art, theater, festivals and anything else that might broaden your cultural horizons. Is it possible to bribe us with a few PBRs and get your event mentioned here? Maybe.

So let’s see what’s happening this weekend.

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Gentlemen Geeks, 6-9 p.m. Friday at the Replay Lounge AND 10-ish, Frank’s North Star Tavern

Everyone knows the Replay has Sunday matinee patio shows in the spring and summer, but not everyone knows there are often Friday matinees as well, even in these often-gray winter months. At this time of year, the Friday matinees are indoors and cozy and provide a fine way to kick off your evening with a PBR and an intimate performance.

The Gentleman Geeks describe themselves as a hybrid of jazz and bluegrass, specifically “old-timey 1930s carnival influenced jazz/bluegrass.” Readers, you will see trombones alongside fiddles and a washtub bass. We caught one of their first LFK shows awhile back and were highly amused. We can also assure you that, unlike the carnival geeks of yesteryear, these “gentlemen” will (probably) not bite the heads off live chickens during the set.

If you enjoy the Geeks enough, perhaps you can carpool to Frank’s North Star Tavern with them after the show, since they are opening up for the County Graves around 10-ish. Busy, busy Geeks! The Argyle Sky opens the early show at the Replay.

Martin Sexton, doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Saturday, The Granada,

Our pick for touring act of the weekend is the acclaimed singer-songwriter Martin Sexton, whose last performance in LFK was an all-too-brief opening slot for a packed Josh Ritter show at Liberty Hall in 2013. Sexton seemed to win over a whole new set of younger LFK fans at that show, so perhaps some of them will help fill the Granada on Saturday for his headlining performance.

If you think you’re bored with the usual singer-songwriter fare, you probably haven’t heard Sexton’s brand of folk and soul, accompanied by a mind-boggling falsetto, fingerstyle guitar and occasional scat-singing.

If you’re an old fan, you may be thinking that the Granada seems like a bit of an odd room for Sexton, and perhaps it is. The few Sexton shows we’ve seen over the years, however, have convinced us he sounds great in ANY room. Sexton’s new album, “Mixtape for the Open Road,” is his first full-length studio recording in five years and was just released Feb. 10.

Chuck Mead and His Grassy Knoll Boys, doors 6 p.m., show 7 p.m. Saturday, the Bottleneck

The elder statesmen (and women) of the Lawrence scene always turn up in droves when Chuck Mead passes through town.

Well-known in Lawrence from his days in Homestead Grays and BR5-49, Mead is touring these days with his three Grassy Knoll Boys backing him up. The show we caught at the Bottleneck last February was a rollicking barnburner with guest vocal appearances from local legend Ricky Dean Sinatra and even Chuck’s mom. There is no reason to think this year’s gig will be anything less than a blast.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Chuck last year over at our old blog, where he relayed a memorable tale of a truly epic New Year’s Eve performance at a long-gone Lawrence venue. Give it a read here if you are so inclined. Note the early start time for this show, which is perfect for the older set and also makes way for a late show from great LFK hip-hop act Ebony Tusks.

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“True West” auditions, 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Lawrence Public Library, Room A

One of our most-anticipated theatrical events of the year is Card Table Theatre’s June production of “True West,” Sam Shepard’s classic 1980 tale of brothers and “double nature.” We’ve been excited about Card Table’s recent willingness to tackle more challenging and ambitious fare, and “True West” promises to fully deliver on those fronts.

Director Rob Schulte — everyone’s favorite local barista, comedian and Shepard scholar — is planning an unusual staging of the play at Liberty Hall with an intimate setup that will bring the audience onstage with the actors. But who will the actors be? Well, readers, it could be you!

Auditions are being held in Room A of the Lawrence Public Library from 1-3 p.m. The play calls for three male roles and one female role, and Rob’s plan for the production is to have the two male leads switch roles each night in the manner of the much-loved Broadway production that starred Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly. So you better bring your A-game to this audition! The Facebook event page notes that “actors are encouraged to bring a monologue, but sides will be provided.”

Taproom Poetry with Amy Ash, Sara Henning and Elizabeth Schultz, 5-7 p.m. Sunday, Eighth Street Taproom

By almost any reckoning, the Eighth Street Taproom is one of the three coolest bars in LFK, and the long-running Sunday poetry series (usually a monthly event) provides a nice chance to experience the Tap’s basement without finding yourself in the midst of a sweaty DJ dance party.

Many long-time Lawrence residents are certainly familiar with one of this month’s readers, Elizabeth Schultz. Schultz is a former KU professor, Melville scholar, and environmental advocate who published three — yes, three — books of poetry last year. As for us, we didn’t publish a single poem last year, so we’re pretty impressed.

If you’ve had a class with Beth Schultz (full disclosure: we have), you know she’s a local treasure, so stop by in advance of your Oscar parties and fill your ears with poems from her and the others.

Feel free to tweet us @LarryvilleLife with ideas for future Weekend Picks, and you can also email us blurbs and links at larryvillelife@gmail.com