10 Things Going on in Cleveland this Weekend (December 6-8)

Well, third time's a charm. Making up for the cancelled March and rescheduled-then-cancelled-again July shows, Animal Collective finally returns to town tonight. The highly experimental rock group's last release, Centipede Hz, is a strange and winding album. In comparison to some of their older records like 2004's Sung Tongs or 2009's Merriweather Post Pavilion, Centipede Hz is wilder and punchier. It has a glitchy grunginess to it too. The album's opener "Moonjock" blasts through the speakers with a heavy asymmetrical rhythm while the follow-up, "Today's Supernatural" carries the excitement with fast-paced chaos. The Baltimore-bred five-piece has such momentum, it's hard to pin down what they'll create next (AC member Panda Bear recently made a high-profile appearance on Daft Punk's new record). If you have a ticket to tonight's show, consider yourself lucky and pray the guys don't cancel again. (Stoops)

Director Aleksandr Sokurov won numerous awards for his 2011 flick Russian Ark, a film about 300 years of Russian history that he delivered in one single take. In 2011’s Faust, a version of Goethe's tragedy, he imagines what it was like for the desperate Faust (Johannes Zeiler) when he sold his soul to a pawnbroker (Anton Adasinsky). Filmed in soft sepia tones and characterized by overdubbed dialogue, the film plays out like some kind of grotesque nightmare. It makes its Cleveland premiere tonight at 6:30 at the Cleveland Museum of Art and screens again at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $9. (Niesel)

For the fifth year in a row, locally based Auburn Records has teamed up with WJCU 88.7 FM and German metal writer Iron Ingo Stührenberg to present the Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive. The benefit concerts that take place tonight and tomorrow night at the Beachland Ballroom will raise money for the Cleveland Foodbank, Friends Of the Cleveland Kennel and Lake Humane Society. Friday’s line-up includes Dark Arena, Soulless, Embalmer, Fuck You Pay Me, Vulgar Devils and Alternate Reality while Saturday will feature Shok Paris, Global Warning, Ground Zero, Black Death Resurrected, Slitt and Scum Park Hooligans. Black Death Resurrected and Vulgar Devils will make their live debuts. Foxy Playboy model Daniella Dior will host tonight’s concert while the burlesque troupe the Red Hot Heathens will do the honors tomorrow night. Both shows start at 7 p.m. and tickets are free but fans should bring non-perishable food times and/or cash donations. (Niesel)

Ring in the season with a little West Side cheer at the fourth annual Ohio City Holiday Festival in Market Square Park. Knock out some of your holiday shopping by picking up original Cleveland-made gift items from vendors such as Cleveland Bazaar and Made in the 216. Or pick out your Christmas tree and enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, carolers, arts and crafts, a photobooth, as well as a selection of mulled Christmas Ale, courtesy of Great Lakes Brewing Company. Today's festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Grab some friends and head on over. (McConnell) ohiocity.org.

A nine-person band devoted exclusively to playing original Christmas songs, the Ohio City Singers started out in 2004 as an informal collective of Northeast Ohio musicians. It’s slowly evolved into a seasonal enterprise. This year, in addition to playing several shows around the Cleveland area, the group has released A Town Called Christmas, a new album of eclectic tunes that celebrate the season. The group will also release its own special beer and it will reissue 2011’s Love and Hope on vinyl. It plays a family show today at 2 p.m. at Vosh and then has shows lined up between now and Christmas. Tickets to today's concert are $8 for adults and $4 for kids. (Niesel) $5

The Cleveland Handmade Market offers shoppers a wide array of handmade goods, and an opportunity to support both the local art and small business scenes in Cleveland. Stop by Tower City Press (1900 Superior) between 10 a.m. and 6 .m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, to browse for great gifts, plus you'll find free parking behind the building. Love what you see? Many of the artists who showcase here can also be found on Etsy under clevelandhandmade.com.

The ultimate cult movie for Cleveland’s ultimate cult movie series! Jeff Bridges, at his finest, portrays The Dude in The Big Lebowski, a Coen brothers’ movie about a stoner mistaken for a millionaire, his ruined rug and the bowling buddies he enlists to help seek restitution. This one’s a '90s classic that you probably watched in college a few times when nothing else was going on. It features some fine work by Coen standbys John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and John Turturro in supporting roles. Bridges won an Oscar for his performance in Crazy Heart, but he’ll always be most remembered for his exquisite turn as Lebowski. It screens at midnight tonight at the Cedar Lee Theatre. Tickets are $5. (Allard)

The monthly Gospel Brunch has been a spiritual Sunday staple for years at the House of Blues, but it recently added a new choreographer. Created by famed gospel singer Kirk Franklin, the reinvigorated show puts a bit more emphasis on the music. Today, local singer Torri Harp will perform. Starting at 11 a.m., the all-you-can-eat musical extravaganza features Southern classics like chicken jambalaya, biscuits and gravy, and chicken and waffles. (Niesel)

Spread a little culture this holiday season. More than a dozen of Cleveland’s best cultural attractions are opening their doors free of charge from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Each participating organization will have activities, music, food, fun and shopping for the whole family. Attractions include free horse-drawn carriage rides at Wade Oval, puzzle piece ornament crafts at the Children’s Museum, an ice-carving demonstration at the Natural History Museum and much, much more. Go online to view the entire list of participating organizations and their event schedules. (Rus) universitycircle.org.

A former stagecoach stop, Dunham Tavern Museum lays claim to being “the oldest building still standing on its original site in the city of Cleveland.” The building dates back to 1824, so it’s safe to say there aren’t too many buildings in town that can challenge that claim. For Christmas, the museum staff has decorated the place with natural greenery and made it look like it might have looked in the 1800s. Today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can check out the decorations at the museum’s free holiday party. Hot cider and cookies will be served up in the barn and there will be live music. Admission is free. (Niesel)