Zappa Plays Zappa Recreates the Frank Zappa Mystique at Carnegie Library Music Hall (CP’s Wed. 9/4/13)

1) Pittsburgh has recently been visited by tribute bands in which concertgoers have heard the music of  The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and David Bowie. The Zappa Plays Zappa ensemble has an authenticity beyond the others (if “authenticity” can be applied to a tribute act) because it is led by the late mustached guitarist’s son, Dweezil, perhaps the only man Zappa’s cult-ish fans would trust to channel the elder Zappa’s irreverent trippiness, offbeat humor, and multifaceted compositions. On this outing, ZPZ is playing Zappa’s 1974 live album Roxy and Elsewhere in its entirety. Before tonight’s show at the Carnegie Library Music Hall, Dweezil will be teaching a 90-minute guitar class at the library attached to the venue; he’s promising to show how he expanded his technique to play his dad’s dizzying works. 2 p.m. class; 7 p.m. concert. 510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall.

2) Apparently wanting to be very specific, Jupiter Vinyl describes their sound as “retro acoustic upbeat folk.” The local duo—Corinne Bohjanen and Edward Horey—has a gentle male-female vocal interplay reminiscent of The XX or Low. Listen up and you can catch plenty of Pittsburgh references in their songs. “Leaving the city and heading south/Through the Wabash tunnel and heading home/We set the South Side to music and made it our own,” they sing on “Wabash,” the only song we know about commuting to Pittsburgh from the South Hills. They’ve compiled a few of these cheerful numbers on a 12-inch vinyl and are holding a record release party tonight at Club Café, with Charlie and the Foxtrots and Broken Fences opening. 8 p.m. 56-58 S. 12th St., South Side.

3) There’s still someone on the planet interested in the Spice Girls, and that someone is Carnegie Mellon University-trained artist Terry Boyd. The newest Lawrenceville art gallery, The Inn, is exhibiting Boyd’s series of oil paintings inspired by the British girl group through Sept. 27. Boyd’s work has a hazy, impressionistic style and often leaves facial details out of his depictions of Posh, Ginger, Baby, Sporty, and Scary, perhaps as a commentary on the depersonalizing nature of fame or maybe just because it’s weird-looking. Whether you’re seeking a quick hit of ’90s nostalgia or want to see offbeat works of pop art, The Inn has got what you want—what you really, really want. Noon – 5 p.m. 5601 Butler St., Lawrenceville.

4) Wine tastings might seem like the ultimate ritzy social activity, something people only do on Martha’s Vineyard or at a Rhode Island country club. But for less than 40 bucks, tonight you can attend the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust‘s semi-regular Wine Flight Wednesdays event at the Cabaret at Theatre Square. Four primo wines from New Zealand and Australia will be sampled. It’s a great way to party like a wine snob without actually being one. 6:15 p.m. 655 Penn Ave., Cultural District.

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