Pitt Panthers Open Season Against Youngstown State; Swedish Folk and Americana Singer Sofia Talvik at Pittsburgh Winery

1) It’s that time of year again. The air carries a slight hint of autumnal fragrance, the wind conveys an ever-so-subtle chill (not this year)—and college football begins anew. Our hometown University of Pittsburgh Panthers kick off their 2015 season by hosting the Youngstown State University Penguins at Heinz Field. This will be the game that student season-ticket holders, from freshman to super senior, actually roll out of bed for, perhaps hung over and yet perhaps still dewy-eyed. For this particular Pitt alumnus, it’s hard to write this Cool Pick without a pang of nostalgia mixed with optimism. Maybe this will be the season. Anyway, gauged on title alone, it’s hardly conceivable that a Penguin, stands a ghost of a chance against a Panther. Best of luck Coach Narduzzi and team! Kickoff is at 1 p.m. 100 Art Rooney Ave., North Shore.

2) Singer-songwriter Sofia Talvik hails from Sweden, is based in Germany, but her music owes a heavy debt to the traditions of Americana and folk. So it’s probably no surprise she has a strong connection to the U.S.—her fifth album, Florida, was partly written while she lived for a short time in Orlando, and she toured here for 16 months in support of her 2012 album, The Owls Are Not What They Seem, visiting 37 states and playing 250 shows. That experience spawned a live album and a book based on the “Drivin’ & Dreaming” tour. Talvik’s now on the road again in support of her sixth full-length studio album, Big Sky Country, which she describes as “a storybook of adventures and hardships” and which draws from her touring experience again. With The DuPont Brothers. 9 p.m. Pittsburgh Winery, 2815 Penn Ave., Strip District. (HM)

3) Hitman: Agent 47 – The number of successful live-action films based on video games is fairly low and I think the reason is pretty obvious; when you crave the Halo experience it’s because you want to be inside it, not sitting in a room with a bunch of strangers in chairs all facing the same wall. In 2007, 20^th Century Fox made a film version of the video game “Hitman” which went on to be listed in Time magazine’s ten worst video game movies ever. But Hollywood’s nothing if not optimistic (in a cynical sort of way) so here comes a new version based on the same game. The title character is described as an assassin who has been genetically engineered and trained from birth to be the ultimate killing machine. Now all grown up, he’s out to destroy employees of the corporation trying to create their own elite assassins. Aleksander Bach directs a cast which includes Rupert Friend, Ciarán Hinds, Hannah Ware, and Pittsburgh’s own Zachary Quinto. For screens and times check Fandango. (TH)

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