Rusted Root Plays Sold-out Show at Jergel’s; Mr. Smalls Hosts Minus the Bear (Sat., 4/1/17)

1) World music royalty (and hometown faves) Rusted Root headline Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. If you’re an older fan, you may know them from their legendary shows at the late Metropol. If you’re younger, you may know them and their 1994 single “Send Me on My Way” from the Matilda or Ice Age soundtracks. Rusted Root formed in Pittsburgh in 1990. 1994’s When I Woke, their second album and major-label debut, went platinum. They have continued to tour and record music, never forgetting their loyal homebase. And that base hasn’t forgotten them. During their last concert here, Mayor Bill Peduto took to Stage AE to proclaim November 20, 2016 Rusted Root Day. The band will be playing multiple dates this spring and summer across the East Coast and Midwest, including festivals. 2012’s The Movement is their latest album. Nicholas David, a finalist on the third season of NBC’s “The Voice,” opens. 8 p.m. SOLD OUT. 285 Northgate Dr., Warrendale. (CM)

2) Seattle indie-rock band Minus the Bear is in the ‘burgh tonight for a concert at Mr. Smalls. The band features a power pop-driven sound with signature guitar work, harmonic vocals, a rhythmic beat, and some elements of electronica. Minus the Bear formed in 2001 and released their debut, Highly Refined Pirates, in 2002. Standout song titles included “Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!” and “Hey, Wanna Throw Up?” Their sophomore album, 2005’s Menos el Oso, crystallized their sound while maintaining their sense of humor. (It’s essentially a self-titled album albeit in Spanish.) Menos el Oso expanded their fanbase, and they re-released it on vinyl for its 10th anniversary. The band has released six LPs and six EPs. One EP, 2014’s Lost Loves, catalogues rare and unreleased songs, ones which didn’t quite fit on any of their other albums. Their latest LP is 2017’s Voids. Beach Slang and Bayonne open. 8 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. (EC/CM)

3) Carrying on the tradition set by the grandmother of all fringe festivals—the Edinburgh Fringe in Scotland, founded in 1947—the Pittsburgh Fringe returns for its fourth year. This year’s event showcases nearly 40 out-of-the-mainstream works of theater, music, and/or comedy by performers and groups from our region to points far beyond. The shows include One-Man Apocalypse Now (a live re-enactment of the movie, by Philadelphia actor Chris Davis); The Bad Idea Variety Show (from the company Bad Idea Entertainment, whose motto is “Better entertainment through poor life choices”); and The Portable Dorothy Parker, a one-woman show about the writer famed for her ironic wit. Shows are at various times and venues in the North Side. See the Pittsburgh Fringe website for schedules and tickets. Continues through tomorrow. (MV)

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