Altar Bar Hosts Butcher Babies in Concert; CMU in State of “Bliss” (CPs Fri., 10/3/14)

1) Butcher Babies is a Los Angeles metallurgical band led by two very attractive women vocalists—Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, known not only for their vocal talents and showmanship but also for their skimpy costumes, which sometimes includes just wearing tape over their nipples. Butcher Babies’ attire is influenced by Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics and their sound  by Marilyn Manson and Slayer. The band’s solid musical base is provided by Henry Flury (guitar), Jason Klein (bass), and Chris Warner (drums). Goliath—their debut album released in July ’13—reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Heatseeker Chart and No. 112 on its Hot 200 Chart in the album’s first week. Butcher Babies are touring in support of their latest album, Uncovered. Also on the rock bill are Anti Mortem, Fight Machine, and Through These Walls. 8 p.m. Altar Bar, 1620 Penn Ave., Strip District.

2) If satirical dystopian fantasy is your cup of tea, don’t miss Bliss, written by a virtuoso of the genre—Mikhail Bulgakov. Much of Bulgakov’s work was suppressed during his lifetime in Stalinist Russia, but he is known worldwide today for a novel published after his death: The Master and Margarita, in which the Devil visits the Soviet Union. (The book is said to have inspired the Rolling Stones song “Sympathy for the Devil.”)  Bliss is a time-travel play about a bizarre futuristic workers’ paradise, where alcohol runs from water taps and everything is peachy, except for a few certain details. Carnegie Mellon University drama students are performing a new English version translated and directed by Masters of Fine Arts candidate Margo Gray, who has studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School. Get tickets early for this short run, which is from Oct. 1 – 4. 8 p.m. Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theater, Purnell Center, Carnegie Mellon, 5000 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

3) Creative.Life.Support Revival Series at Mr. Smalls presents Jude Benedict & The Last Drop. Benedict’s sound is distilled from multi-genre influences, including rock, funk, and jazz. The revival also features performances by Jeremy Caywood & The Way of Life, Grey’s Fool, Morgan Erina, Jesse Young, and Zack Weiss, 7 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale.

4)  Unblurred: First Fridays on Penn features a variety of visual and performing arts at galleries, clubs, and restaurants along Penn Avenue (4800-5500) in the Garfield, Bloomfield, and Friendship neighborhoods. 6 p.m. – 2 a.m. Most events are free.

5) Good Fridays at the Warhol is a weekly party at the museum, featuring art exhibits, music, and cocktails in the high temple to Andy Warhol’s numerous talents. Half-price museum admission. 5 – 10 p.m. 117 Sandusky St., North Shore.

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