A podcast giant, the king of summer and Elsa on ice – the week in entertainment

Adam Carolla is mostly a funny man.

That’s what he built his career on, first in television and radio and now on the internet with the daily podcast that shares his name. He’s also a savvy businessman who has created a cross-platform media empire that includes a series of best-selling books and a foray into filmmaking. He directed the documentary “Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman” in 2015.

It’s the funny guy people will see Saturday night, when Carolla stages a live recording of his podcast at the Tower Theatre. This isn’t Carolla’s first time at the Tower. He brought his live show here in 2013 and 2015.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday. Tower Theatre, 815 E. Olive Ave. $39.50-$49.50. 559-485-9050, www.towertheatrefresno.com

Elsa, on ice

The event: Disney on Ice brings its “Worlds of Enchantment” for eight performances at the Selland Arena.

The draw: This has proven a successful endeavor at the Selland Arena. Last year, Disney on Ice’s performance run brought in upwards of 36,000 people and was the arena’s highest box office gross in a dozen years.

That’s just the numbers. The draw is seeing four of your (or your kid’s) favorite Disney and Pixar movies recreated live on skates. That’s: Lightning McQueen and Mater, Ariel and Ursula, Buzz and Woody and the whole cast of “Frozen” – Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Kristoff.

Details: 7 p.m. Thursdays, through February 6. At Selland Arena, 700 M St. $21-$68. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com

Method to his madness

The event: Blues guitarists Tommy Castro returns to Fulton 55. He will again be joined by his band, the Painkillers.

The draw: Castro has been a staple in blues circles since the late 1980s and is a top-level performer. The kind that can have Joe Bonamassa and Tab Benoit guest on his records because he has a B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year award on his resume. In recent years, the guitarist ditched the big brassy sound he was known for in favor of a stripped-down, raw vibe.

This is Castro’s annual visit, it seems. He has played Fulton 55 for the last two years.

Here’s some trivia: Castro was the first act to play the Memphis Blues Barrel Room, the venue that replaced Cabo Wabo in 2009.

Details: 7 p.m. Friday. Fulton 55, 875 Divisadero St. $44-$25, 559-412-7400, www.fulton55.com

King of the Summer

The event: Malibu rapper and hip-hop songwriter Shwayze plays an all-ages shows at Strummer’s nightclub.

The draw: According to a quick news search, Shwayze plays a lot of university campus shows. Which is to say he’s popular with the demographic. Local fans probably caught him playing the hip-hop portion of the 51Fifty Music Fest in April.

Here’s some trivia: Shwayze was on the Vans Warped tour in 2008. The tour also featured Katy Perry.

Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday. Strummer’s, 833 E. Fern Ave. $16. All ages. www.strummerclcub.com

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 10:14 AM with the headline "A podcast giant, the king of summer and Elsa on ice – the week in entertainment."