Heating up the entertainment for fall's cooler temperatures

There's snow on the mountains and plenty of things going on around the area to keep you amused. For instance, the Carlos Santana Band plays at the Reno Events Center Friday at 8 p.m., followed by Reba and Kelly Clarkson Saturday at 8. Call (888) 788-1833. Then for outdoor folk there's the Teton Gravity Research Film Fest at the Nugget in Sparks. Call (800) 648-1177, wouldn't miss it. Ricci Martin plays there Oct. 17-18 with a tribute to his father Dean. And if Italian is your favorite menu, fall by the Eldorado all weekend in Reno for the casino's annual Great Italian Festival, outdoors and accented. As a onetime resident of Naples and Rome, this is a festival I wouldn't miss. Grape stomping is part of the event, along with all kinds of traditional Italian entertainment, including bocce ball.

LOCAL FUN

Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Hass play Friday night 7:30 p.m. at the Brewery's Performance Hall, 511 W. King St., in a program of explosive Scottish music new and old. He's on violin and she's on cello and together those strings have got to sing to you. Call 833-1976.

But the really hot ticket is to Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours rocking the roof at the Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31. McClain and the five-piece combo have become local favorites and for good reasons; they play the rootsy rock 'n' roll of their fathers. Antsy is also a single act at times so you get more for your money with the Troubs added in. Tickets are $25 with $3 off from BAC members, seniors and students. This is a case where the usual warning is right: get your tickets now because this is always a sold out show.

The venerable Mile High Jazz Band does its big band music thing Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Comma Coffee opposite the Legislature building on Carson Street. Modest ticket fee and dance lessons before the music starts. Yes, a lot of old big band stuff, but director David Bugali makes sure there's new stuff as well. Then Oct. 17 it's World Dance open floor in a benefit for Carson Advocates for Cancer Care in "Tickled Pink." Dancers are encouraged to wear something pink and dance with wit and grace, check 883-2662.

BOOK WORLD

David Lawrence is a Brit mystery writer of uncommon grace; he's also a prize-winning poet. Bringing those two qualities together he writes mysteries such as "Down in Darkness," set in London with the hero a onetime war correspondent gone soft and writing feature stories. But he and his live-in detective girlfriend become involved when a woman's nude body is found hanging from a tree bordering a busy street. Written on her with marker pen is DIRTY GIRL. Another body is found on a beach, throat slit and bearing the words FILTHY COWARD. How it all adds up is fascinating and not at all like the polite British mysteries of yore.

FROM THE VAULTS

"Westworld" was a 1973 adventure film starring Richard Benjamin (remember him?) and James Brolin as two playboys off to a super resort in the desert. It's all robotics there with Yul Brynner as a glassy-eyed gun fighter robot. The whole resort is computer controlled and when things go wrong anything can happen and does. Brynner certainly is creepy as he gets gunned down but brought back to "life." Rated PG, one hour and 28 minutes. Only for Brynner fans and anyone who wants to see Benjamin with a weird handlebar mustache.

• Contact Sam Bauman, retired entertainment editor, at editor@nevadaappeal.com.