The lyrical dialogue of Patty Larkin has been praised by The New York Times as "far from the glamor capitals of Los Angeles and New York." The Iowa-born songstress was raised by a family whose musicality goes back generations; Larkin herself has been playing since her early teens. Described as a fusion of samba, R&B, blues, celtic, rock, folk and jazz, her new album "Regrooving the Dream" (Vanguard Records) is a departure from her earlier, equally inventive, work. The icing on the cake? Larkin is renowned as an engaging and hilarious entertainer, making her live show well worth witnessing. (Thurs., 7 p.m., Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton. For tickets, call 586-8686.)

Smith College will host the first Five College Student Poetryfest. The poetry to be presented will feature works by students from all five colleges, with Billy Lopez '03 and Evan Klavon's '05 works representing Amherst. All poems were selected from solicited submissions, publications and class work, and will be bound in a limited-edition collection. If you're not a participant, however, don't dawdle in obtaining your copy-only a limited number will available to the general public at the event. (Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room at Smith College.)

So what do you think of the Picpockets? Sam Champion? These Bones? Oh, and what about The Billy Ripken Fuck Face Card? Well, I've never heard any of them play. But I intend to, at Hampshire's Big Ass Rock Show, which showcases these four unknown acts from New York and New Jersey. (Fri., 9 p.m., Prescott Tavern at Hampshire College. $5.)

It's an annual event, and one not to be missed. Mount Holyoke's Hawai'i Club (seriously) will put on its third Hawaii Night-an event whose official activities include hula lessons, music, lei making and plenty of food. We leave the unnamed possibilites to your imagination. (Sat., 7 p.m., Wilder Basement at Mount Holyoke College. $4.)

Editors' Movie Rental of the Week

It's true that Kate Winslet stars in the new film "The Life of David Gale," a thriller that appears to be, thanks to both its formula-perfect trailers and the presence of post-"American Beauty" sellout Kevin Spacey, a self-righteous, frustratingly generic morality tale. But let's not blame the girl-she has, after all, created quite an oeuvre of curious and captivating performances. Her first starring role was in "The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures," a true story about two young New Zealand teenagers' 1952 murder of one of their mothers. The performances of Winslet and costar Melanie Lynskey have a childlike rawness that couldn't have been achieved by more experienced, Method-immersed actors; they render the film's characters so punishingly pitiable that a viewer is too suffused with pity to be disposed to condemn.