Friday the 13th, Great Day for Concerts w/Cyndi Lauper, Dierks Bentley, Ellie Goulding (Fri., 5/13/16)

1) Two amazing facts about Cyndi Lauper: First, contrary to popular belief, she does not have a Brooklyn accent. Lauper grew up in the adjacent borough of Queens, many blocks away from Brooklyn! And second, at an age (62) when many aging stars do little more than recycle their repertoire of days gone by, this pop diva with the New York voice and New York values keeps experimenting. Her new album Detour is a series of covers of old-time country classics. In tracks like “Funnel of Love” (above), Lauper displays a rangier and more resonant sound than the youthful trill of her 1980s mega-hits such as “True Colors” and the iconic “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Given her other recent activities—like winning a Tony Award for writing the music and lyrics of the 2012 Broadway musical Kinky Boots, and her continuing advocacy on LGBTQ issues—one may wonder: What will Cyndi Lauper do next? The answer is a concert at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall with The Peach Kings. 8 p.m. 510 E. 10^th Ave., Munhall. (MV)

2) 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. He is now touring in support of his 10^th album, Black, which features “Somewhere on a Beach” and other laid-back ballads typical of the Bentley manner. You can catch him at First Niagara Pavilion with Randy Houser and Cam & Tucker Beathard. 7 p.m. 665 Rt. 18, Burgettstown. (MV)

3) This is not like the last British Invasion. When the Beatles crossed the Atlantic in 1964 with the bouncy, exuberant pop rock that marked their early hits, they were greeted by screaming crowds of teenaged girls. This time you’d better lock up your teenaged boys as well, because Ellie Goulding is coming to town. The London-based singer has a sexier style—call it sultry synthpop—and she is actually no stranger to these shores. Goulding first toured North America in 2011, after her debut album Lights had made her a rising star. Now she returns as a star of certified magnitude. Her signature singles include a cover of Elton John’s “Your Song,” which highlighted her command performance at Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton, and “Love Me Like You Do” (above) from her latest album, last year’s Delirium. Goulding is on tour with exotic electropopper Bebe Rexha and British trio Years & Years. Their outdoor show at Stage AE is sold out, so troll for tickets. Doors 6 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (MV)

4) The Pens face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight in an 8 p.m. playoff game at the Consol Energy Center. Let’s hope Friday the 13th is good for the Pens and bad for the Lightning. Let’s go Pens! 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown.

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