Feel marimba mania, listen to the ‘Art of Sound’ and more things to do in Boston this weekend

MUSIC

Brian Calhoon’s Marimba Cabaret

Most popular music is made on guitars and/or keyboard instruments, which can get quite boring. Brian Calhoon, on the other hand, performs a very eclectic array of pop covers, ranging from Leonard Bernstein to Outkast, on marimba and vibraphones. He even does Whitney Houston, which sounds worth the price of admission to us. Apparently, he also has “killer taste in shoes.” March 16, 7:30-9 p.m., Club Cafe, 209 Columbus Ave., $15-$20, briancalhoon.com

ST. PADDY’S

A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn

It would be weird if WGBH Celtic music DJ Brian O’Donovan and company didn’t put on a show for St. Patrick’s Day, but of course they do. With all the campy faux-Irishness that will be on display this weekend, this concert will be an oasis. Performers include the Karan Casey Band, Liz Carroll, Jenna Moynihan and Mairi Chaimbeul, and more.March 18, 3 and 7:30 p.m., Sanders Theater, $25-$45, bit.ly/1RyRKyy

Evacuation Day Party

Amidst the endless bars having St. Patrick’s Day parties each year, Stoddard’s goes against the grain, choosing the less-remembered reason to celebrate March 17: it’s the day in 1776 that British troops left Boston for good. That said, there will be a St. Patty’s menu, but because these folks have good taste, there’s no green beer. Surely you’ll be able to get it somewhere else. March 17, 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., Stoddard’s Fine Foods and Ale, 48 Temple Pl., Boston, Free, bit.ly/2nxRRDf

MUSIC

Shawn Mullins

Singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins scored a single glorious mainstream pop hit with 1998’s played-to-death “Lullaby,” probably more frequently referred to as “Rock-a-bye.” While he’s faded well into the background since, he’s been consistently busy. His 2006 album “9th Ward Pickin Parlor” yielded a No. 1 Americana hit, “Beautiful Wreck.” His latest, 2015’s “My Stupid Heart,” explores the ever-reliable theme of a difficult breakup.March 17, 8 p.m., Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge, $32, bit.ly/2n5UZd1

GAME SHOWS

Tell Me Something I Don’t Know

This podcast comes to town. Hosted by Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics fame, it features audience members bringing their favorite factoids to be judged by three celebrity panelists — typically a mix of scientists, politicians, athletes and comedians, who skeptically grill the trivia-bearer. A fact-checker is on hand to make sure no one cheats. It all amounts to a weird and amusing conversation.March 16, 7:30 p.m., The Wilbur Theater, 246 Tremont St., Boston, $22-$29, bit.ly/2mlmfQ2

ART

Listen Hear: The Art of Sound

This show features 12 sound-based art installations. Ten will be set up in Isabella Stewart Gardner’s original galleries, with two additional off-site installations at Ruggles Station and the Back Bay Fens. The pieces are meant, in the words of the Museum’s curator of contemporary art, “to inspire the public to listen and to become more aware of how sound affects us.” Through September 5,Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way, Boston, $5-$12, bit.ly/2mG4blC

THEATER

“Sister Anonymous”

Second Act Productions presents this world premiere play by Catherine M. O’Neill, telling the near-forgotten story of Sister Mary Ignatia Gavin, whose pioneering treatment of alcoholics was an important precursor to Alcoholics Anonymous. Her hospital, St. Thomas in Akron, Ohio, was the first to treat alcoholism as a medical condition — a decision that would revolutionize cultural attitudes towards addicts of all stripes.Through March 18, Plaza Theater Black Box, 539 Tremont St., Boston, $30, bit.ly/2lSznhb

“Mrs. Packard”

This play, from Bridge Repertory Theater, tells the true story of Elizabeth Packard, a mid-19th century Illinois woman whose Puritan husband committed her to a mental asylum for questioning his religious beliefs — state law said a husband could commit his wife without her consent, no questions asked. She would later advocate for the rights of both women and the mentally ill.Through April 9, Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., Cambridge, $14-$100, bit.ly/2jTZsd