The annual cowboy poetry gathering in Elko is indisputably the country's most prestigious.

You could wait until Jan. 30 to Feb. 4 for the next event, or you could check out the popular but smaller 24th annual Rhymers Rodeer in the Carson Valley Inn's Valley Ballroom this Friday and Saturday.

A cocktail show will occur Friday evening at 7:30 ($30). An open-mike session is set for Saturday morning from 10 a.m. until noon, inviting all comers (free), and a Saturday dinner show starts at 6:30 p.m. ($55).

The lineup this year includes veteran poets such as Doris Daley from South Alberta, the first Canadian to receive the Best Cowboy Poet Award from the Academy of Western Artists. Her latest book is called "West Word Ho."

Ken Cook, who was the academy's 2010 Male Poet of the Year, comes from South Dakota; and Bob Christensen, author of "A Feedbag of Cowboy Poetry," is a resident of Syracuse, Utah.

Dave Bourne will also make an appearance. Fans of HBO's "Deadwood" will recognize him as one of Tolliver's minions, the piano player in the Gem Saloon. Bourne has been playing classic "saloon piano" for a long time, starting in 1958 in the Calico Saloon of Knott's Berry Farm.

The emcee this year is McAvoy Layne, who has built his career impersonating Mark Twain (1627 Highway 395 North in Minden, 775-783-6679, carsonvalleyinn.com).

Also this week

Tracy Nelson was the lead singer for Mother Earth. She also has a signature song, "Down So Low," which has been covered by the likes of Etta James and Cyndi Lauper. Annie Simpson was the lead singer of Stoneground.

Dorothy Morrison is best known as the co-author of the song "Oh, Happy Day," which became a memorable hit for the Edwin Hawkins Singers. And Angela Strehli helped establish Antone's, the blues mecca in Austin, Texas. Later, she did the same for Marin County's Rancho Nicasio.

Every now and then, these singers join forces on stage and become The Blues Broads, and they'll do so this Saturday at Harrah's Tahoe. For this performance, they will be joined by Deanna Bogart, the singer, pianist, and saxophonist who was last heard there with Tommy Castro (15 Highway 50, in Stateline; 7:30 p.m.; $25; 800-427-7247 or SouthShoreRoom.com).

Around the Silver Circle

• Christopher Titus says of his one-man show, "Love Is Evol:"

"This show will either fix your relationship or destroy it, and, either way, you're welcome. If my comedy ends your relationship, then it needed to end." The show deals with everything from domestic violence to custody battles. He'll perform it this Saturday at MontBleu (9 p.m.; $29.50; montbleuresort.com or 800-648-3353).

• Cyndi Lauper, whose "Memphis Blues" album debuted at No. 1 last year, has a chance to perform some of its songs for the first time in Reno this Saturday at the Silver Legacy. Lauper also got considerable exposure on last year's "Celebrity Apprentice" where she created as much or more consternation and chatter than anybody else (407 N. Virginia St. in Reno; 8 p.m.; $49.50; 800-687-8733 or silverlegacy.com).

• Weird Al Yankovic comes to Reno for the first time since 2004, appearing Saturday at the Grand Sierra (2500 E. Second St. in Reno; 9 p.m.; $30, $65; grandsierraresort.com).

• Only four productions of "Hamlet" in its original pronunciation have been performed in modern times, two at London's Globe, one at the University of Kansas and one at Cambridge. Now, the University of Nevada, Reno, brings British actor Ben Crystal to the Redfield Studio Theater for 15 performances. The Globe's own consultant and author of "Pronouncing Shakespeare," David Crystal is collaborating on this unique event (Nov. 4-5, 8-10, 11-12, 15-19 at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 6, 13, 20 at 1:30 p.m.; $15 adults, $12 seniors; unrschoolofthearts.org).

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