Ellis Ludwig-Leone Plays Brillobox; Pittsburgh Dad (Curt Wootton) and WDVE’s Bill Crawford Standup at Pittsburgh Improv (CP’s Thurs. 9/3/13)

1) San Fermin mastermind Ellis Ludwig-Leone is a music-maker impossible to categorize. He studied classical music at Yale, writes and records in the woods like Bon Iver, and has a full-bodied but slow and precise sound reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens (for whom he once arranged an orchestra). Showing an impressive attention to detail, San Fermin’s newly released self-titled album, featuring Ludwig-Leone and a mix of collaborators, is satisfying from start to finish and is one of the best debuts of the year. The band plays Brillobox today, with Cold Weather, a Pittsburgh band with a similar chamber pop approach, and Wicked Chief, a local foursome whose first-ever show is this one. As much as we love Brillobox, we doubt Ludwig-Leone and company will be playing medium-sized bars like it for long. [LS1] 9:30 p.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield.

2) For the past two years, Curt Wootton has been cracking up everyone with ‘Burgh roots with his dead-on “Pittsburgh Dad” persona. The only visible character of a YouTube micro-sitcom of the same name, Pittsburgh Dad complains relentlessly about changes to the thermostat, his neighbor Tom’s messy yard, and “jag-offs from Baltimore,” his speech peppered with “dahn,” “dem,” and, of course, “yinz.” Before Wootton and a friend got out an iPhone and recorded the first episode of the wildly popular series, he was working as a stand-up comedian and was featured on WDVE with morning host Bill Crawford once. Tonight the two of them are co-headlining at The Improv for a night of local comedy sillier than a pierogi run and more fun than a day at Kennywood. 8 p.m. 166 East Bridge St., Homestead.

3) It’s hard to stand out in the crowded neo-folk field, but David Wax Museum has found that it is “only hard before it gets easier.” (That’s a reference to their almost-breakout song which is in heavy rotation at WYEP FM).  The band got noticed for its south-of-the-border influences; its leader and namesake David Wax plays jarana, a Mexican guitar-like instrument, and violist Suz Slezak sometimes breaks out the quijada, a weird percussion instrument made from a donkey’s jawbone. Recently, The New York Times and Huffington Post ran glowing profiles of the band. Find out what everyone is talking about at Club Café tonight, after a set by North Carolina folk rock band Bombadil. 8 p.m. 56-58 South 12th St., South Side.

4) Art galleries too often do not make it into the entertainment diets of the active, city-dwelling folks who would otherwise enjoy them because they lack the libation-filled movement and easy socializing associated with going out. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust understands this and it is why it is holding a Pop-Up Lounge at its Wood Street Galleries. Dance to the selections of DJ Dave and sip some Blue Moon or Spodee (a chocolate-flavored wine brewed in New York’s Hudson Valley), all while checking out the gallery’s latest offering: an exhibition of video installations. And it is free! 7 p.m. 601 Wood St., Cultural District

5) Tonight at the Consol Energy Center, the Penguins take on the New Jersey Devils. One team takes its name was a cute flightless bird, the other from the personification of evil. Even if you weren’t from Pittsburgh, you might be inclined to root for one over the other. 7 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown.

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