In this era of the ever-shrinking paycheck, it’s tempting to just hunker down and stay at home with a good book and a cup of hot tea. Or maybe the remote control and a glass of cheap wine is more to your liking? Surely a person can’t be faulted for trying to ease through the storm.

But don’t let the the spreading darkness (and cold, for that matter) completely blot out the rays of light. Oh yes, they’re there. No matter how bad things get, you have to remember this: art is still being made.

This weekend, Peterborough will play host to an explosion of sound and art — The Show Before The Snow. Brought to you by Peterborough musician/artist/cultural gadfly Eric Gagne and his Glass Museum collective, The Show Before The Snow packages two separate concerts (on Friday and Saturday evening) with Broke, the affordable arts fair.

Friday night’s bill (Reynold’s Hall, 51 Concord St., 6:30PM) features Ampere (thermonuclear punk), Daniel Striped Tiger (post-apocalyptic rock), and Moving Pictures (Snooty rock critics might call this ‘post rock’).

Saturday night’s show (Toadstool Bookshop, 6:30PM) has the modern psychedelics of MV & EE, Larkin Grimm (like Bjork, if she was weirder and American), and the updated old-timyness (is that a word?) of Lonesome Lake.

From 10AM to 4PM on Saturday, Town Hall will feature the fore-mentioned affordable arts fair, Broke. 50 artists, with most offerings priced at less than $50. With art that spans the normal-to-OUT! spectrum, there is sure to be something for everybody.

Tickets for both music events are $10 at the door, though a package deal is available: both shows plus a beautiful commemorative screened Show Before The Snow poster, all for $15. These pre-ordered packages are available at Peterborough’s Toadstool Bookshop or Turn It Up! records in Keene.

Think of this as a buffer against weird economic times. It’ll be snowing soon, in more ways than one. Maybe we shouldn’t let it get us down. See you at the show!

Mark Saleski is a writer and music obsessive based out of the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. On his best day, he hopes to channel the ghosts of Lester Bangs and Jack Kerouac. He spends the hours of 9:32PM to 1:37AM carving out music reviews and essays for Jazz.com, Blogcritics.org and other publications. Mark covers local music releases and events for The Monadnock Review.