Natalie Merchant in Concert at CHMH; Steve Byrne Returns Home to Play Pittsburgh Improv (CPs Thurs., 12/11/14)

1) Singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant plays a show at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall tonight after an illness caused her to cancel her July tour dates. Merchant began her career with 10,000 Maniacs, one of the first bands to herald ‘90s alternative rock. The group released five studio albums with Merchant, plus a critically and commercially successful MTV Unplugged live album. Merchant followed her stint at 10,000 Maniacs with an equally successful solo career, beginning with the release of the 1995 album Tigerlily. In 2003, she covered American and British folk songs for the album The House Carpenter’s Daughter. In 2010, she released Leave Your Sleep, a double album of songs adapted from 19th- and 20th-century poems pertaining to childhood. This year, Merchant returns with a self-titled album, her first collection of new and original material in 13 years. Those “do-do-do-do-do-do-dos” on “Ladybird” make for some vintage Merchant. 7:30 p.m. 510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall. The show is Sold Out, but tickets may be available on ticket reselling sites.

2) Comedian Steve Byrne co-created and starred in the successful TBS network comedy “Sullivan & Son,” about a corporate attorney who leaves his position to take over a Pittsburgh bar owned by his father. Possibly he chose the local setting because he grew up in Hampton Township. The show was not renewed after a three-year run, which gives Byrne plenty of time to perform standup and look for other acting roles. Byrne has won comedy awards, had his own special on Comedy Central, and performed small acting roles in the movies Four Christmases, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, and Couples Retreat. Head over to Pittsburgh Improv this weekend and welcome Byrne home. 8 p.m., with shows through Saturday. 166 E. Bridge St.,  the Waterfront, Homestead.

3) Dance off some beer carbs while drinking beer (or other beverages) at Belvedere’s Ultra Dive‘s NEON-80’s Night with DJ Hatesyou 2.0. 9 p.m. 4016 Butler St., Lawrenceville.

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