LECTURE: Steig Larsson, the man responsible for the internationally best-selling trilogy of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, unfortunately passed away before anyone got to crack the spine on any of his books. Presented in conversation with Roy Eisenhardt, Swedish architect and author Eva Gabrielsson (a long-time collaborator of Larsson's) will lend some insight in to the mysterious author's life and career while previewing her own memoir "There are Things I Want You to Know" About Steig Larsson and Me as part of the CityArts Lecture series. Adding to the intrigue, rumors are swirling in Larsson's homeland of Sweden that the author was murdered by right-wing terrorists. It should also be noted that Gabrielsson didn't get a nickel from from Larsson's work. (8 p.m. the Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Ave. Tickets available from CityArts.)

MUSIC: IAMSOUND's series of free concerts in the Clift Hotel's slick (if oddly scaled) Velvet Room and Redwood Room continues tonight with a free acoustic performance from Mark Gardener - he of the 90s shoegazey Britpop outfit Ride. Tagging along with the show is a free screening the rock-doc "Upside Down", about the birth of Creation Records which launched the careers of Ride, The Jesus & Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and Oasis, among others. (9 p.m. at the Velvet Room, Clift Hotel 495 Geary Street. Free with RSVP.)

MOVIES: Polk Street's Red Devil Lounge wraps up their cult movies & mojito mondays with This is Spinal Tap. Admission is free, drinks are cheap, and JK47's VJ/DJ Wrecking Crew will stick around after the show to mash up classic movie clips with soul, funk and classic rock tunes. (Doors at 7 p.m, Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk Street. Free.)