Former San Franciscan Veronica Klaus, whose singing style transports audiences to a bygone era, returns to Martuni's for two nights only on February 1 and 6.

New recordings of music from the era of Marcel Proust include works by Karol Szymanowski, Leoš Janáček, Béla Bartók, Gabriel Fauré and Reynaldo Hahn.

From bright and beautiful musicals to thought-provoking arts exhibits, and rousing nightlife events, you've got plenty to whet your appetite for culture and clubbing, this week and every week in Going Out.

With "The Life and Music of George Michael," at the Curran Theatre on February 3, the Wham-bam leather man hunk of your teenage dreams has joined the wizened, grizzled likes of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash on the "concert experience" circuit.

From folk to ethereal, new music by women artists ranges from sassy to spiritual, including Lydia Loveless, Ismay, Mitski and Spellling (not a typo).

On January 27 and 28, goth chanteuse Bonni Suval, who's been seen with the Thrillpeddlers and The Cockettes revival shows, will take to the stage of Martuni's for a night of song.

"As a little kid, I didn't even know about the Broadway show," said actor and singer Deborah Cox, who plays Glinda in a revival of "The Wiz," the Tony-winning 1975 musical that's playing a local stop of a national tour at the Golden Gate Theatre.

Michael Tilson Thomas returns as Music Director Laureate Jan. 25-27 to lead his final subscription concerts with the San Francisco Sympat Davies Symphony Hall. The program is devoted to Mahler, this time the composer's ecstatic Fifth Symphony.

From sugary pop to gravelly blues, reissues of classic albums revive fan favorites in new formats.

Never mind the rain. Wrap up, umbrellafy yourself and head out to enjoy arts and nightlife events. For details on dozens of precipitation-defying events, check out our weekly online listings in Going Out.

David Bowie introduced alternative sexuality and caught people's attention before many knew about Stonewall. But where and when did his exposure to queer culture happen? Two recent books explore the gay London music scene of the 1960s and '70s.

Whether you're looking for last-minute New Year's Eve plans, or craving some fun movies to watch cuddled up at home, we've got plenty to help you ring in the new year the way you want. We toast your arts and nightlife options each week.

For his second directorial effort following the success of "A Star Is Born," actor Bradley Cooper zeroes in on the larger-than-life Leonard Bernstein refracted through the prism of his tumultuous marriage, and gay affairs, in "Maestro."

Leo Delibes' "Lakme," Camille Saint-Saens' "Symphonic Poems" and "The Carnival of the Animals," and Francis Poulenc's "Stabat Mater" are among the new recordings of works by French composers.