LISA DENTON: Barry, one of my favorite things in the world, besides sporks, is the smell of fresh crayons. That’s why I’m excited that Tennessee’s tax-free weekend is coming up Friday through Sunday.

Do I need a box of crayons? No, but like most things I buy, that’s beside the point. The takeaway here is that, for three days, I can get all kinds of pens, notebooks, clothes and shoes without having to add in the tax.

My only objection is that it falls during the same weekend as the World’s Longest Yard Sale. So it’s a question of tax-free on the new stuff or almost free on somebody else’s castoffs.

BARRY COURTER: Knowing how you love to shop, I imagine that does have to rub your fur the wrong way. On the bright side, either way you go, you’ll be buying future yard-sale items tax-free.

You know that I have a severe allergic reaction to shopping, but I do like a good deal, so I might have to do some buying myself.

Also this week, Paper Bird is playing at Rhythm & Brews on Wednesday. They are another in the new line of roots-based bands that have that vintage vibe. Old is new again, which I find refreshing.

LISA: Besides getting good reviews, the band also earned a spot opening for The Lumineers, whose “Ho, Hey” is one of my favorite songs of the summer.

BARRY: Careful how you say that.

LISA: In reverse, that’s a whole other song.

If you like punk music, there’s a nifty little show Tuesday night at Barking Legs Theater. The film club Mise En Scenesters will screen the documentary “A Band Called Death” about three teenage brothers who formed, well, a band called Death in the early ’70s before even the Ramones were on the scene. After the screening, a new Chattanooga band called Eight Knives will perform.

BARRY: Death was not only one of the very first punk bands, they were one of only a few comprised of African-Americans. They were definitely ahead of their time, and good for the Mise En Scenesters for bringing this to town. We had a pretty cool little punk scene in town back in the day. I might have to break out my old torn T-shirts, even though I can’t fit into them, which now that I think about it, was kind of the point to begin with. The safety pins do still fit, however.

LISA: That reminds me. You can go to the Tennessee Aquarium on Friday to get your hair done punk style as part of SharkFest. There’s a lot going on, including a screening of “Great White Shark” in 3-D at the Imax Theater, but my favorite part of the day would be the styling station where you can glop on the gel to shape your hair into a dorsal fin.

BARRY: I wonder if they can fashion up a ‘Sharknado’ ‘do.

Contact staff writer Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281. Contact staff writer Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.