Maria Taylor

Lawrence rapper Mac Lethal’s new album is going to be called “11:11,” but songwriter Maria Taylor beat him to the punch. The Saddle Creek singer-for-hire composes half of Azure Ray and one-fourth of Now It’s Overhead, though she’s also collaborated with Crooked Fingers, Bright Eyes, The Faint and Moby. Taylor’s “11:11” evokes the artistry of greats like Carole King, Laura Nyro and Rickie Lee Jones while spanning the spectrum from acoustic folk to electronic dream pop. Taylor joins Statistics and Davan at 9 p.m. today at The Bottleneck, 737 N.H.

Jonathan Byrd

A 2003 New Folk Winner at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival, Jonathan Byrd has a knack for flatpicking fiddle tunes and writing songs about today’s world using a traditional ballad style. In addition to his solo work, Byrd has collaborated with the world-fusion music duo Dromedary for “The Sea and the Sky,” a musical suite telling the stories of journeys from the Old World to the New World. Byrd performs at 7 p.m. today at The Gaslight Tavern, 317 N. Second St.

Diamond Nights

Rick Springfield, Thin Lizzy, Europe – it’s not necessarily OK to like these bands. It is, however, OK to like groups from New York that SOUND like these bands. Diamond Nights are just that, and you’d be a ghost of a human being to not be moved by its new wave/’80s metal hybrid. Songs like “Destination Diamonds” and “The Girl’s Attractive” would be disposable if they weren’t twice as good as the tunes they parody. As it is, Diamond Nights is the rare act (like The Darkness) that’s actually better than the shtick it’s pushing. The Nights join Tamarind Fold at 10 p.m. Saturday at The Jackpot Saloon, 943 Mass.

‘Les Miserables’

Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, “Les Miserables” tells the story of one man’s quest for personal freedom and another man’s obsession with the letter of the law. A cast of youths in grades eight through 12 will bring to life the show’s memorable characters, songs and action under the direction of Ric Averill, with musical direction by Mary Baker, costumes by Cindy Lynn and choreography by Deb Bettinger. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Marilynne Robinson’s ‘Gilead’

Author Marilynne Robinson’s latest novel, “Gilead,” snagged the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in fiction. The book is narrated by John Ames, a 76-year-old preacher from Gilead, Iowa, who is writing a letter to his 6-year-old son in the face of his failing health. He records his inner and outer selves, chronicling the lives of his father, a lifelong pacifist; his grandfather, who went to Kansas to march for abolition; and his childhood friend Jack Boughton. Robinson will give a talk and book signing at 7 p.m. today at Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vt.