Cat Power at Mr. Smalls; The Public Hosts ‘Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin’; RH Pioneers Play Club Cafe (Wed., 12/19/18)

1)This year’s Wanderer shows Cat Power at the top of her songwriting and arranging game. The single “Woman” features Lana Del Rey, and the album also includes a cover of Rihanna’s “Stay.” Cat Power was born Charlyn (“Chan”) Marshall in Atlanta. She released a series of acclaimed records from the mid-’90s through the early aughts, including a covers album in 2000. Her cover of “Sea of Love” also appeared on the soundtrack to the 2007 film Juno. Cat Power released The Greatest in 2006. Not a greatest hits album, but rather a collection of bare-bones originals, it is arguably “the greatest” record in her discography, released over a decade into her career. “Living Proof” is a beautiful song about love and doubt. Her previous album, Sun, seamlessly melded elements of electronica with blues. She released it in 2012. Catch her at Mr. Smalls. 8:30 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. (CM)

2) It’s hard to believe that the sentimental songwriter of “White Christmas” and the sly dude who wrote “Puttin’ on the Ritz” were one and the same person, but they were. Irving Berlin (1888-1989) even managed to live to 101. Along the way, he also: emigrated from what is now Belarus to New York, learned English, worked his way up from street-corner newsboy to Broadway sensation, and wrote about 1500 other songs, from “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” to “God Bless America.” Actor/pianist Hershey Felder re-creates the life and music of this extraordinary man in his one-man show titled, simply, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. Presented by Pittsburgh Public Theater at the O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (MV)

3) Ryan Hoffman and the Pioneers describe their sound as a “harken back to narrative songwriting, brought to life by modern synth folk arrangements.” To hear this intriguing musical description in action simply listen to songs such as “Underground” from their just released debut album, In the Alps. The band is composed of Songwriter Ryan Hoffman, singer Amy Linette, and guitarist Brad Collins.  They are opening tonight for Huntington, West Virginia, indie-rock band Ona. 8 p.m., Club Cafe, 56-58 S. 12th St., South Side.

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