Dierks Bentley at Star Lake; Sheila E. and Rita Wilson at Women Who Rock (Sat., 10/16/21)

1) Vanderbilt University is one of the nation’s finest, and while many college-bound youths enroll there to become scientists or scholars, young Dierks Bentley chose Vanderbilt for a different reason: it’s in Nashville. The hard-working undergrad from Phoenix, Arizona, earned his B.A. in 1997, officially studying English and the liberal arts while unofficially pursuing the highly competitive art of country music. By 2001, Bentley had progressed from fighting for open-mic slots to cutting an indie album. That release, Don’t Leave Me in Love, didn’t sell much but is now a collector’s item. It led to a contract with Capitol Records Nashville, which led to Bentley’s self-titled platinum album in 2003, and the rest is history. Bentley has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, and not having won one yet probably has him feeling like soap star Susan Lucci, who was nominated for a Daytime Emmy 18 times before eventually winning one. So hang in there, Dierks! Bentley is on his Beers on Me Tour. His most recent release is 2018’s The Mountain. You can catch him at the Pavilion at Star Lake with special guests Mitchell Tenpenny and The Cadillac Three. 7 p.m. 665 Rt. 18, Burgettstown. (E.C., R.H.)

2) It’s a night of Women Who Rock at Stage AE. Sheila E., a noted drummer, singer, and frequent collaborator with the late Prince, headlines. (The pair collaborated on 1986’s “A Love Bizarre.”) Very special guest actor/singer Rita Wilson will also be performing. The Gibson Gives event also features Lauren Monroe with Special Guest Rick Allen of Def Leppard, The Vindys, DJ Femi, and emcee Michele Michaels of 102.5 WDVE. Additionally, ticketholders can enjoy the Women Who Rock Beauty Bar featuring mini-services, giveaways, and perks, rockstar silent auction offering one-of-a-kind experiences and autographed music memorabilia, photo booth, pink carpet entrance, the Women Who Rock pop-up shop, and an interactive women’s health activation. Proceeds benefit women’s health at Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation. 6 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (C.M., R.H.)

Sheila E. in action on the kit.

3) For over a decade, comedian Bill Maher has torn his (mostly conservative) political targets to pieces on his talk show, HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Now he comes to Benedum Center for one night of stand-up comedy, armed with a full battery of his sharp-witted satire and political observations. Be warned: If nothing else, Maher is extremely opinionated. His sarcasm-laced polemics deal with subjects including, among other things: marijuana legalization, same-sex marriage, gun control, global warming, and religion. If it’s a divisive issue, Maher’s got an opinion on it, and that opinion invariably lies to the far left. Moreover, don’t expect him to waltz about within the boundaries of political correctness. A previous show Maher hosted was even called “Politically Incorrect” and he’s more likely to lampoon PC than adhere to it. 8 p.m. 7th St. & Penn Ave , Cultural District.

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