Talkin' baseball

There are a few things in life that are hard to beat. A (very) brief list: lazy summer evenings, baseball games on lazy summer evenings, a good book and farm-fresh corn on the cob. Substitute smooth talkin' men for the corn, mix 'em all together and whadayaget? Smooth talkin' men reading a good book on a lazy summer evening about baseball! And then you can go home and eat some corn.

As part of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures' "American Shorts Reading Series," NPR's Stefan Fatsis, Pirates broadcaster Lanny Frattare, and the "Godfather" of creative nonfiction, Lee Gutkind, will read "The Anatomy of Baseball" from beginning to end; no whining, no bathroom breaks, no sneezing allowed. Reading aloud is serious stuff, people. Actually, they'll probably just read the really good bits.

The Pittsburgh Banjo Club will lend its stringed talent, and Rob Ruck's local documentary of Pittsburgh Negro baseball leagues, "Kings on the Hill," will be shown. This fine evening of entertainment is happening tonight at 7:30 at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall. Tickets are a paltry $10, so get 'em while they're hot. Call 412-622-8866. Peanuts, sunflower seeds and Cracker Jack not provided.

-- Kate McCaffrey

Gritty and greasy

If you plan to enter the Rex Theater on Saturday night, you'd better be ready to work up a sweat. It's rock-em, sock-em double bill of the Reverend Horton Heat and Nashville Pussy.

The Reverend, who first hit the dusty trail in 1985, is a psychobilly force of nature, and he knows it. His bio starts with "Undeniably, The Reverend Horton Heat, aka Jim Heath, is the biggest, baddest, grittiest, greasiest, greatest rocker that ever piled his hair up and pounded the drinks down." That's a big claim, and he's going to have to man-up to it on Saturday.

The challengers are the provocatively named Nashville Pussy, led by the husband/wife team of Blaine Cartwright and Ruyter Suys. They make the bill that much grittier and greasier with a sound that's been described as "like AC/DC making out with Motorhead while Lynyrd Skynyrd watches."

It begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22. Call 412-323-1919.

-- Scott Mervis

Unfettered music

Bach Choir of Pittsburgh concerts under artistic director Thomas Douglas have been nothing if not captivating, and this weekend is no exception. "The Promise of Freedom" finds the group exploring music that speaks from "the heart and soul of the oppressed," including that of slavery.

The Ambridge High School Steel Pan Ensemble joins the group at East Liberty Presbyterian Church for concerts at 8 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10-$25; call 412-394-3353.

-- Andrew Druckenbrod

'Passages' at Moxie Dada

Look! On that yard sale table -- between the Barbie torsos and the ceramic seagull! It's a piece of junk ... it's an antique ... no, it's a found art object! Wow, found art artists must have a crazy high-profit margin. Buy a few 50 cent items here and there, slap 'em together with crazy glue, give it a thought-provoking name and voila! That'll be $80.

Well, maybe that's how it works sometimes, but artist Randie Snow asks some compelling questions with her latest exhibition of found art, "Passages." For example, you can probably name some of the seven deadly sins, but what about the seven saintly virtues? Hmmm? Yeah, my Catholic schooling and I couldn't either ... now I feel guilty. Randie asks, "Why have the seven deadly sins become so ensconced in popular culture, while most would struggle to name even one of the seven saintly virtues? It gets hard to see the good when one is only confronted with the bad."

Good question, Randie. You can go ponder that Saturday, during the opening reception at Moxie Dada, 1416 Arch St., from 6-9 p.m. And, for you cheap date people, it's free.

-- McCaffrey

DIY man

Here's the kind of guy Bob Schneider is. On his new album, "When the Sun Breaks Down on the Moon," he plays uke, banjo, trumpet, trombone, bass, guitar, piano, drums, keyboards, mandolin, steel drums, melodica and harmonica. What, no tuba?

Now, the singer-songwriter, a favorite in his hometown of Austin, Texas, comes north to Diesel Saturday. That stuff is too much to carry, but he'll at least bring the guitar and harmonica, which he'll employ for a sound reminiscent of Dave Matthews.

And one more thing: He did the cover art, too.

Dead Rock West opens at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18-$20. Call 412-323-1919.

-- Mervis

Foss & moms

Comedian Tom Foss has an impressive resume. The West Virginia native doesn't stay in West Virginia too much. He's been to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Italy, Spain, England, Greece, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Africa, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Greenland and far, far away Hawaii. He's entertained U.S. troops (thanks for that, Tom), lent his vocal chords for XM and Sirius radio and guested on the Tom & Bob radio show.

Here's where things get interesting. The press release says, "Mother's Day is fast approaching and there is no better gift than laughter! What better way to say, 'Thanks Mom, for all the great times you've given your kids' and give yourself a break from the kitchen' than to load mom into the car for the Mother's Day Comedy Buffet." And I say "interesting" because this could be great, or not so great. Your dear mum could love it; it'd be funny, unique, good quality family time. Or your dear mum could hate it; listening to four-letter words and risque topics wasn't how she was expecting to spend the one day of the year devoted to motherhood. Your call, muchacho.

But, hey, take-your-mum-to-see-a-comedian day was just a PR suggestion, and he's performing on Saturday. Plenty of time to go and pick up flowers later. Foss will perform at 8:15 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., in the Verso Room at the Rostraver Ice Garden, Belle Vernon. Call 724-379-7100 for tickets.

-- McCaffrey

Porter and Pillow

Move over, alliteration and arts junkies. Penn Avenue has its First Fridays and Lawrenceville grabbed Final Fridays. This weekend Pearlann Porter and The Pillow Project will instigate Second Saturdays at the newly named The Space Upstairs at Construction Junction.

Second Saturdays will feature creative experimentations across multiple mediums in a casual gallery-like setting. Doors are open from 7 p.m. until midnight with live performances, cool music and refreshments. A $5 donation is suggested at the door. For more information 412-225-9269 or visit www.pillowproject.org.

-- Jane Vranish

Race for the Cure

Things to do on Mother's Day ... Let's see. Buy mom flowers. Buy mom of children flowers. Plan some kind of dinner. Figure out how to watch the Penguins game in the midst of all of this.

And, importantly, the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. The annual 5K Race/Walk begins Sunday morning on Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. More than 35,000 people are expected to participate in the event, raising money for breast cancer research.

Here is the Race Day schedule:

• 6:30 a.m. -- 8:15 a.m.: Late Registration and Late T-Shirt/Bib Pick-Up.
• 7:15 a.m.: Aerobic Warm-Up
• 7:30 a.m.: Kids Dash
• 7:50 a.m.: Survivor Parade and Tribute
• 8:35 a.m.: 5K Run
• 8:45 a.m.: 5K Walk and One Mile Fun Walk.

For details, go to www.pittsburgh-raceforthecure.org.

Free birds for moms

The National Aviary is offering human moms a day away from their own nests on Mother's Day. Moms will be admitted free to the Aviary this Sunday. Activities include hand feedings in the Tropical Forest and Wetlands rooms, and the Lories & Friends lorikeet area. It's also a chance to meet one of the Aviary's newest arrivals -- Sidney, the baby penguin, who'll make appearances at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., during the indoor bird show.

• Before the Pittsburgh Symphony's music director designate Manfred Honeck leads the orchestra next season, he arrives in Heinz Hall for one last guest conducting gig. The Austrian conductor will lead the group in Verdi's Overture to "La forza del destino," Strauss' "Ein Heldenleben" and a new work by Alan Fletcher, his Clarinet Concerto, with PSO clarinetist Michael Rusinek soloing. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $17-$95; call 412-392-4900.

• Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre officially concludes its season this weekend at Shady Side Academy's Hillman Center for Performing Arts on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium at Penn State Fayette's Eberly Campus on Saturday at 7 p.m. The concerts will feature a mixed repertoire, beginning with George Balanchine's classically oriented "Allegro Brillante" and concluding with Lauri Stallings' B.E. Taylor-inspired "glint." In between the company will spotlight its dancers in a trio of pas de deux, "Spring Waters," "Ave Maria" and "Le Corsaire." Call 412-394-3353 for the Shady Side concert and 724-430-4211 for the Penn State event.

• Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Museum of Rural Life in Avella will reopen to the public on Saturday after being closed last year for construction of the new roof. The 16,000-year-old Rockshelter is said to be the earliest site of human habitation in North America. For details, call 724-587-3412.

• The Pittsburgh-based Sort of Records celebrates its two-year anniversary with a pair of shows Saturday. The first is at 6:30 p.m. at Modern Formations, Garfield, with The Instances, KG Fields, Pairdown and Meanings. Then, the scene moves to the Brillobox, Bloomfield, at 10 p.m. with Daryl LeRoi Fleming, David Bernabo & Assembly and Paper Thin Stages.

• The Midgetman, a band from Austin, brings "slop punk," reckless abandon and a new CD called "Show Pony" to the 31st Street Pub Saturday at 10 p.m. with Seeing Eyeballs and Silver Eagle.