Get Autographs at NFL Play 60; See Autograph at Altar Bar (CPs Sat., 2/1/14)

1) When we were young’uns, no museum visit was complete without an attempt to run around the place like it was a McDonald’s with a playground, followed by icy stares from a parent or field-trip chaperone. Kids should fear no such reproach today at the Heinz History Center. The Center is the site of the NFL Play 60 Training Camp, put on by the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum and Dick’s Sporting Goods. All five floors will be filled with football-related fun, including kid-friendly versions of training camp exercises. You can also meet former or current Steelers Craig Wolfley, LaMarr Woodley, Maurkice Pouncey, and Emmanuel Sanders and sample health-conscious game-day snacks from chef Nicky D. Cooks. And all this fun comes at the usual price of museum admission. 11 a.m. 1212 Smallman St., Strip District.

2) Did any song epitomize the feel-good mentality of ’80s glam rock better than “Turn up the Radio” by Autograph? The band responsible for the 1984 anthem broke up at the end of the decade, but in 2011 a few members reconnected and decided to have a go at a reunion. (True story: They tracked down former drummer Keni Richards using Facebook.) They are now on tour and come to Altar Bar today. Sumpn Fierce, Neutral Loss, and SickSense open. 7:30 p.m. 1620 Penn Ave., Strip District.

3) Back in the ’90s, there were jam bands and there were electronic acts, and never the two did meet. As the 21st century dawned, Indiana-based Lotus forged a bridge between the two worlds. The band had the heavy grooves, wild improvisation, and 200-shows-a-year work ethic of groups like String Cheese Incident or Phish but the samples, throbbing bass, and occasional guest spot by a rapper associated with Daft Punk and other purveyors of the music of tomorrow. More than a decade later, Lotus still crisscrosses the country with a packed schedule of high-energy shows. Catch one at Stage AE tonight. Pittsburgh’s own electronica maestro Buku opens. 7 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore.

4) Propelled by a mix of samba, bossa nova, and hip-hop, the all-male international dance troupe Compagnie Kafig has an insane stage show that includes the guys doing back flips through rows of lit candles. The group’s choreographer Mourad Merzouki has engineered two high-flying, heart-stopping works, entitled Correria” and Agwa, and the dancers are now touring the U.S. with them. The Pittsburgh Dance Council brings them to the Byham Theater tonight. 8 p.m. 101 6th St., Cultural District.

5) Since 1974, the Steel City has had a group dedicated to performing choral works from the Renaissance to today, the Pittsburgh Camarata, and one person to thank for that is Gayle Kirkwood, the choir’s artistic director from 1985 to 1995. Today, at the Sixth Presbyterian Church in Squirrel Hill, the group is remembering its former leader with a show of her favorites from the likes of Rakmaninov, Brahms, and Britten. 3 p.m. 1688 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill.

6) Free admission to the Westmoreland Museum of American Art today if you have a membership from participating organizations including Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh (Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, The Andy Warhol Museum), the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, the Frick Art & Historical Center, the Mattress Factory, the National Aviary, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, the Senator John Heinz History Center, and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. If you don’t have a membership, now’s a perfect time to purchase one, support great local organizations and get a few extra free perks thrown in.

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Nick Keppler

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