• Courtesy of the artist
• Claire Bent & Citizen Funk play at the Palm Lounge at 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23.

Let's ease back into the nightlife after the holiday with some simple and fun shows for those of us with potentially stretched waistbands and exhausted social niceties through familial gorging. The popular Lionel Bart musical Oliver! Begins its three-date run at the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts tonight at 7 p.m. Come enjoy the story of Oliver Twist as it undergoes a cheeky and musical reimagining suitable for the entire family ($14-$25 depending on one's age and student status).

If you are looking for something a little more intimate, you can listen to the Celtic tunes of Whoops! for free at Cafe Mokka at 8 p.m. Perhaps a warm drink or a stint in the sauna or tubs will pair nicely with the dulcet tones of this interestingly named group.

And finally, tonight at the Palm Lounge at 9 p.m. you can dance, shuffle, or drink your way through a skillful set by Claire Bent & Citizen Funk, a local multi-generational crowd pleaser whose music I always enjoy in spite of my curmudgeonly temper toward typical public square fare. The band is uncomplicated and tight with a broad book of chops and Claire has the voice to raise the roof and tie the rafters into little bows (price TBA).