Here's a look at entertainment this week in the Reno-Tahoe area.
• "American Idol" finalists Brooke White and Michael Johns have decided to ride their television exposure as far as possible and are currently on tour together. White was the fifth-place finisher in Season 7; Johns came in eighth. They will appear Saturday at the Grand Sierra in the space that used to be the Garage and Pearl nightclubs.
• Also at the Grand Sierra, Shinedown, the rock band from Jacksonville, Fla., and singers of hits like "Fly From the Inside" and "Save Me" (which occupied the top spot on the Active Rock chart for 12 weeks), has its debut Saturday in the showroom.
• Bill Maher has broken a lot of barriers with his politically driven comedy, irritating about half the electorate on a regular basis, delighting the other half, and along the way managing to shock everybody. His movie "Religulous" is now the seventh-highest-grossing documentary in history. In live performance, Maher, if possible, is even more scathing and more adult in language and subject matter than he is on "Real Time." He returns to the Silver Legacy on Saturday.
Around the Silver Circle
Now that football season is under way, many upsets are bound to take place. In another sport, competitive eating, one already has. Pat Bertoletti won the Nugget Rib Cook-Off eating contest, defeating ranking champion Joey Chestnut by a mere 0.1 pound of ribs, Bertoletti downing 5.8 pounds in 12 minutes; Chestnut, 5.7 pounds.
The annual Art Bark Fest at the Village at Squaw Valley will take place next Saturday and Sunday, combining the love of art and wine with that of animals. This unique event features artisans of all types presenting their creations with animal themes, several vineyards pouring their vintages, the Busy Bee Dog Show and dog lake-jumping competitions. Proceeds from the raffle, allowing winners to pick items from those displayed, will benefit the Humane Society of Tahoe-Truckee and Squaw Rescue Dogs.
IF YOU GO
• Brooke White and Michael Johns perform at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Grand Sierra. Tickets are $17. Shinedown performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, also at the Grand Sierra. Tickets are $30. (Ticketmaster or www.grandsierraresort.com)
• Bill Maher performs at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Silver Legacy. Tickets are $65 and $80 at (800) 687-8733 or www.silverlegacy.com.
• Admission to Bark Fest is free. More information is available at www.thebarkfestival.com.
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