Barenaked Ladies Appearing at Stage AE; Opening Night for “Man of La Mancha” (Tues., 6/23/15)

1) Barenaked Ladies’ “One Week:” ironic rap played by Canadians, detailing a seven-day argument through nearly unintelligible lyrics. On paper, sounds like a failure. As a 1998 single, it worked pretty darn well, spending (ahem) one week atop the Billboard Hot 100. Far from being a one-hit wonder, Barenaked Ladies have many other recognizable singles, like “If I Had $1000000” and, yes, the theme for CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory.” Joining them at Stage AE are The Violent Femmes. It’s been nearly a decade since the Milwaukee trio played Pittsburgh’s Regatta, but college radio classics like “Kiss Off” and “Country Death Song” sound just as sharp now as they did then and as they did back in the mid-’80s. Additionally, the band has one of the most recognizable drum fills of all time. Also playing is Colin Hay, formerly of Australian band Men at Work. His solo career got a boost when Zach Braff began using his songs in both Scrubs and on the Garden State soundtrack. Although these three acts are different, a certain playfulness imbues all of them. Add a cool summer night with hopefully no rain, and audiences should leave this outdoor show feeling pretty good. Doors open 6 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (CM)

2) Some folks are shocked to learn that Man of La Mancha is not a faithful, literal adaptation of the great novel Don Quixote.  But that’s no reason to skip the award-winning musical. It’d be like skipping the Super Bowl because American football is not a literal adaptation of soccer.  Man of La Mancha—which won five Tony Awards (including Best Musical) for its 1965 Broadway debut, and is now being presented by Pittsburgh CLO—puts a new twist on the wild 17th-century tale. The musical imagines that the novel’s author, Miguel de Cervantes, is imprisoned by the Spanish Inquisition. There in a holding cell, Cervantes gets other prisoners to join him in acting out parts of his bizarre story about a guy who believes he’s a medieval knight. Plus, everybody sings.  “The Impossible Dream” is the best-known song and there are plenty more. 8 p.m. Benedum Center, 237 7th St., Cultural District. (MV)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y34mQzomgFw

3) In 2014, Against Me! had one of the year’s most lauded albums. It’s been a long journey. From 1997 to 2007, their band name was one of many you might spy buttoned to a young punk’s high school backpack. Then it seemed like the band peaked with their 2007 album, New Wave, a record produced by Butch Vig (Garbage, Nevermind) and name-dropped by Bruce Springsteen. Although Spin ranked New Wave album of the year, the record underwhelmed commercially as did its follow-up, 2010’s White Crosses. In 2012, singer/guitarist Tom Gabel revealed her lifelong struggle with gender dysphoria and that she would henceforth be Laura Jane Grace. She channeled her dysphoria (along with some power chords) into Transgender Dysphoria Blues—a triumph and the band’s best album since they formed in 1997 in Gainesville, Florida. Against Me! will play those blues, as well as lots of punk and rock, at Altar Bar. Joining them is Frank Iero, of My Chemical Romance, touring under the moniker “frnkiero andthe cellabration.” Annie Girl and the Flight also open. 7 p.m. 1620 Penn Ave., Strip District. (CM)

4) The Pirates are in action today against the Cincinnati Reds in a 7:05 p.m. game at PNC Park. Reds and Pirates are a Ohio River baseball rivalry. 115 Federal St., North Shore.

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