Doors’s Robbie Krieger at Hollywood Casino; ‘Two Trains Running’ at The Public; Moe’s Southwest Tour at Allegheny City Brewing; Pride Parade (Sat., 6/4/22)

1) The Doors were a band of mythic proportions, led by Jim Morrison, who was equal parts poetic rocker and rebel. Unfortunately, Morrison flew too high and too close to the sun. He died in 1971 like many deceased rockers of that time at the age of 27. Most passed from drug or alcohol abuse. With Morrison dying so young, it left the other members of The Doors in a quandary. They continued on for a while with every member contributing vocals until breaking up in 1973. There would be offshoots and reunions throughout the years. Keyboardist Ray Manzarek died in 2013. The Doors’ guitarist, Robby Krieger, is on tour now. He wrote or co-wrote many top Doors’ songs including “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times,” and “Touch Me.” He plays many Doors’ songs in his concerts. Krieger is a highly talented guitar player (no. 76 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Guitarists) and like the other Doors’ members is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. 8 p.m.  Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, 210 Racetrack Rd., Washington. (R.H.)

TWO TRAINS RUNNING by August Wilson. Pittsburgh Public Theater. June 1 – 19.

Melessie Clark and Brenden Peifer's characters are having an interesting conversation in this scene from Pittsburgh Public Theater's production of 'Two Trains Running.'

Melessie Clark and Brenden Peifer’s characters are having an interesting conversation in this scene from Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of ‘Two Trains Running.’

2) It feels redundant to write the phrase “a powerful August Wilson play”—are there any of his that aren’t?—but Two Trains Running is peak Wilson. And perhaps a bit underappreciated, since it was “only” a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, unlike a couple of his previous plays that took home the award. (They probably had to let other people win once in a while.) At any rate, Two Trains Running powerfully displays Wilson’s skill at driving home serious themes amid crackling wit and borderline-absurd humor. The play is set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District near the end of the 1960s, a turbulent time nationwide. All of Two Trains takes place in a restaurant owned by a man named Memphis, a revered but troubled local figure. Among the regulars who gather at Memphis’s place, the only one doing consistently well is West, owner of a recession-proof business—he’s a funeral director. No attempt to summarize the plot or the other characters would do the play justice. The right thing is to see this play staged by one of Pittsburgh’s top-notch companies. Pittsburgh Public Theater presents Two Trains Running in the O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (M.V.)

3) Moe’s Southwest Grill‘s local owner, Mike Geiger, appreciates the support his business had received during the hardest part of the pandemic from the communities they have locations in. As a way of repaying the public, Geiger, in collaboration with Easy Street Promotions, last year created the Moe’s Thank You Pittsburgh Brewery Tour with several stops at local breweries with free Moe’s food (tacos, chips, and queso) and live music. The Moe’s Southwest Brewery Tour was so popular that it is continuing this year. Today’s stop is at Allegheny City Brewing (North Side) with Shelf Life String Band performing. 6 to 9 p.m. Free. 507 Foreland St., North Side.

4) Pride Month celebrations continue with the Pride March & Parade this morning in Downtown Pittsburgh. The parade starts at 11 a.m. today at the City County Building so bring your signs, flags, and colorful outfits. The route takes it down Fifth avenue and then across the Andy Warhol (7th Street) Bridge to the North Side.

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Rick Handler

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