‘Cats,’ Hootie and the Blowfish and Florence and the Machine kick off the weekend

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Florence Welch performs at Spectrum Center on Wednesday night.

Florence Welch performs at Spectrum Center on Wednesday night.

There’s a lot going on this week. Here’s your cheat sheet of can’t-miss events around town.

“Cats”

The beloved musical known for its magnificent music (think: “Memory”) by famed composer Andrew Lloyd Weber and based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot features new sound design, direction and choreography for a new generation of audiences. Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham. June 4-9, times vary. Tickets from $37. dpacnc.com

Florence and the Machine

What better time to “shake it out” than at Walnut Creek as Florence and the Machine takes stage as part of its 2019 High as Hope North American tour. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats open. Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Raleigh. June 5, 7:30 p.m. Tickets from $27. parkwalnutcreek.org

Triangle Restaurant Week

Pull out the stretchy pants (or flowy maxi dresses). It’s time to eat. Triangle Restaurant Week is back with droves of delish dining ops at top restaurants across the Triangle. No reservations, tickets or passes required. Just an appetite — a big one. Nom nom. Check site for participating restaurants. June 3-9. 3-course lunch for $15, 3-course dinner for $20-$35 (price per person; does not include beverages, tax or gratuity). trirestaurantweek.com

Battle of the Rom-Coms vinner

“To me, you are perfect”— says all of us to the North Carolina Museum of Art’s winner of this tourney-style rom-com roundup of 16 of the most famed in the genre from the last four decades. The winning film was announced May 17 and will screen Friday. (You can find it online, or go and be surprised.) Either way, NCMA, you had us at rom-com. Museum Park, NCMA, Raleigh. June 7, 9 p.m. Free for members and children 6 and under (but tickets required for entry), $7 for nonmembers. ncartmuseum.org

Tour D’Coop

Your weekend’s got game (had to) with the Raleigh Chicken Tour – Cluckin’ for a Cause to benefit Urban Ministries of Wake County. Think chicken coops (obv), gorge gardens and beehives across 23 locations, plus fam-friendly fun like children’s activities, live music, food trucks and more. And don’t forget (fowl) play with the coop raffle! Check site for locations, Raleigh. June 1, coops available to visit from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., rain or shine. Tickets $15 per person, or $25 per group. tourdcoop.com

Hootie and the Blowfish

“With a little peace and some harmony,” Hootie takes the stage at Walnut Creek to “take you to the promise land”: aka a night of nostalgic ’90s college rock. Barenaked Ladies are the opening act. Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Raleigh. May 31, 7:30 p.m. Check LiveNation.com for available tickets and costs.

“Abbey Road Live!” Family Matinee

Paul McCartney has come and gone, but you can still introduce the kids to “yesterday” — pun intended — with this trip down memory lane by immersing them in the magic of the Beatles. Abbey Road LIVE! is an all-ages family matinee show. Cat’s Cradle, 300 E. Main St., Carboro. June 1, 4 p.m. Tickets $7.50-$10. catscradle.com

Southern Cooking, High and Low

Fun fact: Southern cooking is constituted mostly of traditions and ingredients from three groups: American Indians, European immigrants, and enslaved peoples from West and central Africa. Whether you knew that or not, this look at the cuisine’s history — with speaker John Beck, historian and author of “Southern Culture: An Introduction” — promises to fascinate. North Carolina Museum of History, 5 E. Edenton St., Raleigh. June 3, 6-8 p.m. Free. ncmuseumofhistory.org

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