Weekend Hotlist: 7/27/06

Thursday, July 27, 2006

It's a crazy, mixed-up music day in Pittsburgh, with American Idols Live and The Vans Warped Tour both hitting town. If only they could cross paths somehow, like NOFX jumping in between Kellie Pickler and Lisa Tucker, or Taylor Hicks having to fill a slot between AFI and Anti-Flag. That would be a concert and, possibly, a Survivor episode. The Idols show at 7 p.m. is sold out at the Mellon Arena, but there are still tickets for Warped at the Post-Gazette Pavilion, where there is nothing but space.

The other thing happening is a veteran punk show at Club Cafe with Rocket From the Tombs, led by Pere Ubu frontman David Thomas and also featuring Cheetah Chrome (The Dead Boys) on guitar and vocals, Richard Lloyd (Television) on guitar, Craig Bell (Saucers) on bass and vocals, and Steve Mehlman (Pere Ubu) on drums. The members originally debuted at the Viking Saloon in downtown Cleveland on June 16, 1974. They went on to fame, if not fortune, elsewhere, but then reunited for the 2004 release "Rocket Redux." They play Club Cafe at 7 p.m.

Didn't think that animals could shoot movies? Check out "Bear Island Crittercam," a National Geographic Film that used a tiny camera painlessly attached to a brown bear and taken into the wild. It is free and will be screened at Schenley Plaza at 8:30 p.m., starting with a presentation by Crittercam inventor Greg Marshall, whose technology was used in "March of the Penguins."

The American Shorts Reading Series continues with "Pranks," featuring readings by David Turkel, Elena Passarello and Toi Derricotte, films by Keith Tassick Shorts and Sarver Express Puppet Shows. It begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Brew House, South Side. Admission is $4. Call 412-622-8866.

The folks at the American Collectibles Roadshow Pittsburgh want to buy your stuff. They sweep in on a national tour at the Springhill Suites by Marriott in Robinson looking for the following items: toys, dolls and action figures of all types, like Barbie and GI Joe; train-related items from Lionel, American Flyer and others; instruments from Gibson, Martin, Fender, etc., as well as music boxes, Victrolas, phonographs and early radios; lamps; clocks and watches; jewelry; advertising signs from famous companies like Coke, Pepsi, Budweiser and John Deere; Hollywood memorabilia and military-related items. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Call 1-217-243-6418.

A different group of collectors will gather at the Embassy Suites in Moon for the 14th annual National Convention of the Phoenix and Consolidated Glass. There will be an open house for the public to see the glass made in Monaca and Coraopolis from the '20s to '40s from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. For details, call 1-217-243-6418.

It's war at the Butler Fairgrounds this week with the Three Rivers Paintball Festival, an event that will draw more than 1,500 competitors from across the country. There will be netted areas for spectators and a marketplace with paintball vendors. The games run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For details, go to www.paintballfestival.com or call 724-775-8299.

The Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival fell on the sword this year, but the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium steps in with the Dragon Renaissance Festival with live Celtic music, medieval crafts and a meet-the-keepers session. It runs Saturday and Sunday.

If you didn't major in art history, you might draw a blank at the mention of Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. The notable artists were Edward Coley Burne Jones (1833-98) and Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82) and what they did -- according to the press notes for the new exhibition at the Frick Art & Historical Center -- was "create a unique artistic movement in mid-19th-century Great Britain based on retrieving artistic forms from the Middle Ages -- the time before the Renaissance master Raphael -- and set the stage for the Arts and Crafts movement." Their subjects were drawn from classical mythology and literature, history, and Arthurian legends. The opening party for "Waking Dreams: The Art of the Pre-Raphaelites From the Delaware Art Museum" is from 6 to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended at 412-371-0600 ($25; $20 for members).

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble finishes its summer season with two concerts, presenting David Little's "Soldier Songs." Through different sources, including letters from his friends in the military, Little's work "traces the different stages of a person's life and their changing perspective on violence and death," says PNME artistic director Kevin Noe. "It is influenced by the tumultuous time that we live in." 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at City Theatre, South Side; $20 (seniors $10; students, pay-what-you-can, first-time visitors free); 412-431-2489.

The free show at South Park is Brian Auger and Oblivion Express, led by the fusion keyboardist, at 8 p.m.

Trisha Yearwood starts a great two days for country music fans (Kenny Chesney on Sunday being the other) with a headlining gig at the Dollar Bank Jamboree at Point State Park. Watch for hits like "She's in Love With the Boy," "Wrong Side of Memphis," "I Would Have Loved You Anyway," "How Do I Live" and "Georgia Rain." It begins at 3 p.m. and also features Jamey Johnson, PovertyNeck Hillbillies, Corbin/Hanner and Nomad. There will also be food, games for kids and fireworks. Proceeds from the Three Rivers Fishing Classic, which begins at 8 a.m., and T-shirts and beverages sold at the event will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania. Go to www.dollarbankjamboree.com or call 1-800-345-DOLLAR.

Patrizio Buanne, the Italian singing sensation who became a hit during the PBS pledge drives, hits the Byham with a mix of Neapolitan romance melodies and '50s and '60s Italian standards. It's at 8 p.m. and it's sold out.

The fourth annual Monroeville Jazz Festival brings the Gene Ludwig and Lisa Ferraro quartets to the Boyce Park wave pool north parking lot. With Ludwig you get an organist who's been a jazz presence since the 1950s. Ferraro is a singer who has performed with Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony. It runs from 6 to 10 p.m. The MJF benefits the Children's Diabetes Foundation. For details, go to www.monroevillejazz.org.

The Washington Wild Things have lined up a Monkee for the evening. Davy Jones will headline the Wild Things Fifth Year Anniversary concert along with The Skyliners and The Jaggerz, a classic car cruise and fireworks. The concert will get under way at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 412-323-1919.

Jam on Walnut fills the main street in Shadyside with its first headliner, The Spin Doctors, a New York jam band that had a little burst of popularity in the early '90s with "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong." Good Brother Earl opens at 7 p.m. The $2 admission to the drinking area benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Old Economy Village does its part for Pittsburgh Roars with the new exhibit "Roar of the Steam Engine." It illustrates the development of Harmony Society railroads in the Pittsburgh area including the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, the Little Saw Mill Run and the Darlington Cannel Coal Railroad. To celebrate, Saturday's activities will include traditional and fanciful stories for the kids along with demonstrations, displays and activities designed especially for young railroaders and their families. Visitors are also invited to help create scenery for the model railroad and work on a canal lock model. The exhibit will be open through Dec. 30, 2007, and will continue to evolve as the model railroad is built. The opening runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kenny Chesney, an American idol with a cowboy hat, is sold out for his 7 p.m. Post-Gazette Pavilion show. The Boston Globe wrote two weeks ago that "With his dashing looks and a ton of hits under his belt, a very poised and energetic Chesney closed the night in savvy, spectacular style." He'll be joined on stage by Uncle Kracker and a slick band, with opening acts Dierks Bentley and Jake Owen.

Rusted Root's extensive summer tour stops at home for a 5:30 p.m. show at the Chevrolet Amphitheatre with Keller Williams and Lotus. Before getting here, the band had the privilege of playing the Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee with the likes of Radiohead, Beck and moe. Around the country, newspapers are billing them as a jam band survivor with a reputation for great live shows. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 412-323-1919.

The Pittsburgh Chapter of Child Relief and You quotes Gandhi saying, "If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children." With that in mind, the nonprofit, which supports underprivileged children in India and here at home, presents Festival in the Park 2006 on Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. It will include an Indian dinner, a DJ set from CRY's Adam M and a performance by Pittsburgh band Chaibaba, as well as a Carnatic (south Indian) music trio featuring violinist Shankar Krish of Jim Dispirito's Big World. At sundown, Citiparks and Comcast will present the epic Oscar-winning 1982 film "Gandhi." The festival will begin at 3 p.m. and is free to the public. For details: 412-257-4277.

Monotonix, an indie garage trio from Tel Aviv, Israel, that should appeal to fans of the White Stripes and Strokes, plays Garfield Artworks with Jack In Irons (Kentucky), Village of Dead Roads (Erie) and Massif. It's at 8 p.m. All ages. $6. Call 412-361-2262.

At Hartwood, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals and Billy Price play a free show at 7:30 p.m.