CONCERT Touring behind a brand-new album, Ceremonials, British rockl band Florence and the Machine gives us hope that “The Dog Days” are really, truly over. The Head and the Heart and Mat Kearney open at WaMu Theater. Dec 8.

Alt-country mixed with soul? That’s Pickwick, a local sextet whose lead singer, Galen Disston, sounds like he came straight from Motown. They share the bill at the Neptune with rising Americana act Campfire OK. Dec 8.

The Bushwick Book Club Seattle and the 60-piece Seattle Rock Orchestra team up at Town Hall for a concert of original music inspired by Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Read on for more on this unusual book club. Dec 9.

FILM Revisit Peter Bogdanovich’s desolate Texas town and high school drama in a new 35mm print of two-time Oscar winner The Last Picture Show. It screens at NW Film Forum. Dec 9–11.

Lots of good stuff at SIFF Cinema at the Uptown this weekend. Families may want to check out the annual Willy Wonka in Smell-O-Vision event (Dec 9–11). SIFF turns the classic Gene Wilder Wonka into a multisensory experience, complete with candy-filled goodie bags. And on Sunday, actor/chameleon Gary Oldman —whose recent credits include Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series and Commissioner Gordon in Dark Knight—is in house for a showing of his new thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, followed by a Q&A. (Note: This event is sold out.)

SPECIAL EVENT Count ’em: 10,000 cookies for sale—shortbread, chocolate chip, gingerbread men—all made with love by two dozen of the city’s top bakeries and culinary schools for CookieFest. Proceeds support the Seattle Milk Fund. Dec 10, 9am.

DANCE At Velocity’s Next Fest NW: Theft and Devotion, emerging regional artists and genre benders showcase the latest in modern dance, including video installations by KT Niehoff, Amy O/tinyrage, and ballerina-turned-burlesque star Lily Verlaine. Dec 8–12.

VISUAL ART Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates comes to SAM with an installation of cultural ephemera built around a collection of 4,000 salvaged vinyl records from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. A DJ will sample from the exhibit on the first Thursday and Sunday of the month. Dec 9–July 1, 2012

HOLIDAY FARE Holiday Pops conductor Marvin Hamlisch, known for his extensive movie composing and EGOT award haul, leads the Seattle Symphony in holiday standards: "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Let it Snow,” “O Holy Night,” and more. Dec 8–11.