Reading period has officially started, so naturally students are avoiding studying at all costs. Take a break from SciLi living and check out these cool events going on this weekend:

Tonight, the Bear Necessities and Higher Keys will join together for the A Beary Keys Holiday Concert. The concert is at 8 p.m. in Salomon. The combination of a capella and holiday music is priceless. But actually, admission is free.

If you can’t make it tonight, or don’t get your fix of music, tomorrow night there’ll be a midnight organ concert in Sayles featuring 14 a capella groups. The concert begins at midnight, but make sure to get there early so you don’t have to fight the person in a Snuggie for a spot.

Image via.

SungYong Han and the Brown Derbies sing on a beach in Cancun.

No, this isn’t a photo from last summer’s vacation–it’s from a few weeks ago, when members of the Brown Derbies went to Cancun for ten days to sing a capella, practice for gigs and an upcoming album, and spend some time with sun and sand.

Derbies Matt Garza and Raghava Kamalesh caught up with BlogDailyHerald to tell us about their trip:

Some of our most fun gigs were at an International School (we had photo shoots after the concert for students to wear our Derbies!), impromptu singing on the beaches, at the Plaza Caracol Mall, and at this fancy shmancy Italian restaurant where some fans surprised us with dinner! We also rehearsed a ton to prep for our next recording session and the beginning of the semester’s events. On the fun side, we challenged everyone in our hotel to beach volleyball/water polo tournaments, lounged in the amazing weather, and went out to clubs like Senor Frogs and “Little Light Up Floor” (as we named it) in the hotel district! We also met up with one of the Derbies’ biggest fans–Jose Cuervo! When in Mexico…

Jealous yet? After the jump, small children in big hats! Plus, Matt and Raghava tell us more about their trip and what the group has planned for the future.
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Eric Stonestreet (who some of you may know as Cameron from the ABC show Modern Family) posted a picture of the Higher Keys, one of Brown’s coed a capella groups, on his twitter feed today.  The Keys, while on their winter tour in California, apparently were lucky enough to meet a true acting talent:

Out of Bounds Sketch Comedy Presents: Breeding Period
9–10 pm
MacMillan 117
Free
Out of Bounds’ last show of the semester, promising Abe Lincoln, Santa and a pack of roaming dads.

BrownsTones Jabberwocks Holiday Celebration
9–10 pm
Salomon 001
Free
Another holiday a capella concert, this one promises to be “FLIP FLOPPING,” whatever that means.

Ivy Film Festival After-party
10 pm – 2 am
RISD Artisan’s Cafe (345 South Water)
Super awesome artsy film-y party.

If final exams/papers misery hasn’t set in yet and you’re lucky enough to still have free time to go out and enjoy the world, seize the moment while you can with some of these activities.

The Sound
8 pm
PW (7 Orchard St.)
Free
“A new play about wizards” that opened to a great review in The Herald. Tickets available for reservation are gone, but go early to try for one at the door!

The Beary Keys Holiday Concert
9–10 pm
Salomon 001
Free!
Go get some holiday cheer with the Bear Necessities and the Higher Keys, who also promise “an epic finale” you won’t want to miss.

Speakeasy Sessions, IV
10 pm – 2 am
Grad Center Lounge
Free!
BCA presents several student bands (which you can read about here), with some dizzy DJ-ing to finish off the night.

2010 Annual Sigma Chi Christmas Party
10 pm – 1 am
Olney House
$3 entry, $1 drinks
Promises irreverent nativity scene, terrible holiday sweaters and vile fun.

For the good stuff, skip to about 2:30.

Don’t worry if the closest you’ve gotten to a sports game this year was “GISP0001: Sports that Legitimize Female Aggression.” For tonight, sports fans and a capella aficionados alike can tune into ESPN at 7:00 pm to watch Brown’s all-male a capella group “The Jabberwocks” perform the national anthem at the start of the Mets game.