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MARNA Nudist Indoor Swim

$10 advance. MARNA, Linthicum.

If you're one of the many who have been braving the bitter cold in hopes of a long-awaited dip in the pool, why not don that bathing suit a little early? Better yet, why not go clothes-free with the Maryland Area Naturist Association at its monthly swim and social? MARNA is in its third year of hosting these events. A variety of age groups, from student to adult, is represented at the swims, held at a private indoor pool with a location that is undisclosed until after registration. To the shy and skittish: MARNA understands any preliminary anxiety with nudism and naturism and urges you to ease into the lifestyle at your own pace--everyone does! But, please, no glass containers. (Alexandra Douglas-Barrera)

Don Pasquale

http://www.baltimoreconcertopera.com, $25-$65. The Engineers Club, Baltimore.

Fictional characters always gotta do things the hard way. In the opera Don Pasquale, the titular wealthy 19th-century Italian decides he wants to get married even though he's in his 70s, which back then made him about 120. Rather than explain to him that any woman who would marry a rich man who should have been dead 30 years earlier was likely a gold digger, Don Pasquale's friends and family concoct a ridiculous scheme to teach him a lesson. Not the easiest way to get it done, but it does provide the Baltimore Concert Opera with a lot to sing about. (Anna Ditkoff)

Melt Banana, DD/MM/YYYY, Dope Body, Dry Season

$12. The Ottobar, Baltimore.

Contorted grooves on amphetamines; pepper sprays of shredding, grinding guitars; cranked-up girl yelps something in some language about who knows what. Rinse, repeat. This is Melt Banana, a Japanese what-wave/noise-rock something-or-other institution that's been beating its devoted listeners over the head with music that has the urgency of a brain aneurysm since the early '90s. This time around the States, the trio's basically touring with itself, performing once as Melt Banana and once as something called Melt Banana Lite, a mutation of the band that subs in synths and drum machine for guitars and live drums. You might ask why, but, really, does that word even have a Japanese translation? (Michael Byrne)

Charm City Roller Girls Try-Outs

charmcityrollergirls.com, $10 rink fee. Skateland Northpoint, Dundalk.

In Whip It, 17-year-old Bliss discovers roller derby, telling one of the wheeled brawlers that they are her heroes. The roller diva replies, "Put some skates on, be your own hero." Well, you can be your own hero today by trying out for the Charm City Roller Girls. You need to be able to roller skate, a lot--23 laps in 5 minutes--and most importantly get up when you fall down--which you will also do a lot, hence the mandatory helmet, elbow and knee pads, wrist guards, and mouth guard. Start thinking of your pun-tastic nickname now. (Anna Ditkoff)

We have no highlights for today. Maybe you can find something good.

Marduk, Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Merrimack, Tyrant's Hand

$18, $16 advance. Sonar, Baltimore.

In black metal, Marduk is the band that is supposedly really and truly fucked up. Like, this is the band that hates Jesus--its debut was titled Fuck Me Jesus in fact--loves war, and wishes ill on the innocent, as if they existed. Put all that invective together with black metal of the most violent and monolithic sort--drums like machine guns non-stop and wall-of-hell guitars--and Marduk is, at the very least, a unique pain. (Michael Byrne)

Taylor Branch

http://ubalt.edu/calendar, free, please register. University of Baltimore, Baltimore.

Baltimorean Taylor Branch has written for Esquire and Harper's magazines and won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1989. His newest work, The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President, stems from nearly 80 recorded private conversations with Bill Clinton during the eight years of Clinton's presidency. The Branch-Clinton friendship began in '72 when they both worked for the McGovern presidential campaign, and it was Clinton who asked Branch to compile their White House conversations. Branch will read passages and discuss his work, followed by a cocktail reception and book signing. Pre-registration is requested either online or over the phone. (Nicholas Harsh)

Metric

$20. Rams Head Live, Baltimore.

Wait, what? Let's back up just a few years. Metric was a middle-tier, somewhat arty indie-rock band with Canadian roots, a babe frontwoman, and some indie-rock remixes when indie-rock remixes were huge. And that's about it. Now, the four-piece is rubbing noses with party-rock object-of-affection Sebastien Grangier and headlining places like Rams Head Live. Was it dumb luck, good marketing, or retooling the band's style to sound like a sad-bastard version of effing Avril Lavigne? There's probably a lesson in there somewhere. (Michael Byrne)

Harnessing the Power of Stories Workshop

$50. Strand Theater, Baltimore.

According to Peter Davis of Better Brand Story, the marketing and advertising business he runs, "Many non-profit organizations' brands are vague and therefore underperform." In this three-hour crash course, Davis offers solutions to this detrimental haziness. He will guide leaders of small non-profits and proprietors of small businesses in finding the right words to get a compelling story out. With step-by-step instruction, attendees will learn better tactics for convincing people on the outside to share a passion for their cause or message. Come join a man who can brand just about anything, find out how to be a better storyteller, and step up your own brand story in the process. (Christian Quezada)