(MUSIC) In 1970, the popular singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson released Nilsson Sings Newman, an LP of songs by the less-popular singer/songwriter Randy Newman that introduced scores of listeners to the brilliance of the Newman songbook. Tonight singer/songwriter/Harvey Danger frontman Sean Nelson returns the favor with Nelson Sings Nilsson, a one-night-only evening of songs from the incomparable Harry Nilsson. Performed with a 24-piece orchestra and the band “Awesome,” it’s a win-win gimmick, drawing much-deserved attention to the Nilsson songbook while providing a most attractive setting for Nelson’s simply lovely voice. (Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, brownpapertickets.com, 7 pm, $10 adv/$12 DOS, all ages.)

David Schmader—former weed columnist and Stranger associate editor—is the author of the solo plays Straight and Letter to Axl, which he’s performed in Seattle and across the US. His latest...