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Friday, October 04, 2002

By Scott Mervis, Post-Gazette Weekend Editor

Still of the night

If you're going to see Sankai Juku, don't go sleepy, because they might just lull you into dreamland. Not that butoh is boring It's just all very still. The group, a favorite in Pittsburgh, opens the Pittsburgh Dance Council season with its latest piece, "Hibiki," winner of the Laurence Olivier prize for best new dance production in England. "Hibiki" may be the last butoh piece by Sankai Juku founder and choreographer Ushio Amagatsu, who has branched out into opera. It's at the Benedum at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $20 to $56. Call 412-456-6666.

Group sing

The Sing-A-Long Sound of Music is certain to be a livelier affair, what with the crowd following the bouncing ball across the screen and joining Julie on the do-re-mi's. Feel free to come as a nun (if that's legal) or a lonely goatherd for the costume contest, and feel free to wave props from the complimentary "magic moments pack" and boo the Nazis (how often do you get to do that?). It runs 7 p.m. today; 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $20; $10 under 12. Call 412-456-6666.

Music to remember

Jane Monheit knows her way around a mike. Inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, the Long Island singer was the first runner-up at the 1998 Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition at the wee age of 20. With three albums to her credit, her name is tossed about with the likes of Diana Krall and Norah Jones. She's at Rosebud at 8 tonight.

Session man Kasim Sulton went from Utopia to Hell -- "Bat out of Hell." Sunday night at Rosebud, he leaves Todd Rundgren and Meat Loaf at home and steps forward as a solo artist with "Quid Pro Quo," a record of love ballads that wouldn't be out of place on "American Idol." The show is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 advance, $14 at door. 412-323-1919.

Japanese noise-punk band Melt-Banana has all the right indie credentials: produced by Steve Albini, Jim O'Rourke and John Zorn; toured with Shellac, Fantomas and Mr. Bungle. Melt-Banana brings its shrieking vocals and shredding guitars to the Public Health Auditorium in Oakland at 8 p.m. Sunday with Xanopticon and Matt Weston. Tickets are $8. Call 412-422-8864.

Straight outta Brooklyn comes the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, a multiracial ensemble that plays in the African-jazz-funk spirit of Fela Kuti. They're at Club Laga at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. All ages. $13 advance, $15 at door. 412-323-1919.

Nightmare situations

The missing pieces of the Halloween puzzle are beginning to fill in. We've already told you about Phantom Fright Nights at Kennywood, Fright Nights at the Amphitheatre at Station Square and Tom Savini's Terror Mania in Monessen. Now, the haunting has doubled at Station Square with the opening of the U.S.S. Nightmare, the wicked ship in the Gateway Clipper Fleet. It starts tonight and runs through Oct. 31.

Also checking in this weekend are the two Make-A-Wish Foundation haunts. Here's the back story on Terrors by the Lake, at North Park: A beautiful girl named Eve was visited by horrible visions from the time she was a child. As she grew up, "Her only escape was her art. She spent days locked in her studio. But paper and clay were not enough. She began to create living art of flesh and bone." Whoa, that sounds cool. It opened last night and runs through Nov. 2.

At Phantoms in the Park, the other Make-A-Wish scare fest, "a necromancer waits for new souls to add to his collection." This one is in South Park.

Mariss & Mahler

Since joining the Pittsburgh Symphony as music director, Mariss Jansons has programmed Mahler's First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Ninth symphonies. He starts filling in the gap this weekend by conducting No. 6, "the most completely personal of his works," according to Mahler's wife, Alma. Although written at a happy time in his life -- 1903 to 1904 -- it is considered one of his bleakest works. Concerts are 8 tonight and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Heinz Hall. Kenneth Meltzer will talk about the piece one hour prior to the concerts. Tickets are $19.25 to $65.25. Call 412-392-4900.

Oar this

More than 4,000 rowers from all over North America descend on the Allegheny River Saturday for the 16th annual Head of the Ohio. Make sure you're there for the premiere event: the Canadian-American Challenge, featuring the United States Men's Four vs. the Canadian Men's Four in a 1,000-meter sprint. It follows right behind the Heinz Noon Sprints, featuring the top five or six college crews in a 500-meter sprint. The 2.8-mile course begins at Washington's Landing and finishes at the North Shore Riverfront Park. Times are 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. Proceeds go to the Pittsburgh Mercy Foundation. Go to www.headoftheohio.org.

Festivity

The Springs Folk Festival is a lovely one down in southern Somerset County. It features country crafts by more than 140 artisans, fresh-made bread and ice cream, bluegrass music and pioneer demonstrations. It's in the town of Springs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday. Admission is $5; $2 ages 6-18 and under 6 free. Call 814-662-4158 or go to www.somersetcountychamber.com.

There are harvest festivals in almost every direction. Franklin presents Applefest with arts and crafts, music, the Budweiser Clydesdales and more Friday through Sunday. More than 400 craft booths line the streets and square in Bedford for the Fall Foliage Festival this weekend and next. Clarion's big bash is the Autumn Leaf Festival, with parades, fireworks and the usual festival stuff Sunday through Oct. 13.

City special

Tonight and Sunday are good nights to catch "Inventing Van Gogh" at City Theatre. As part of the "City Specials" program, there's a post-show party with the funky Barrett Black Band at 10:15 p.m., following the 8 p.m. performance tonight. On Sunday at 4:15 p.m., there's a post-matinee discussion with Aaron Sheon, from University of Pittsburgh's Art History Department, who is the author of several studies that reconsider Van Gogh's reputation and goals. Both are free and open to the public, and for those shows, $10 tickets to the play can be purchased by students and anyone under 25. Call 412-431-CITY.

Living history

Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall goes to war this weekend with Living History Days II, an event that features Civil War encampments, diaries, letters and mementos from the front, an appearance by Andrew Carroll (author of "War Letters") and music by Home Front. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. It's free. Call 412-621-4523.

Music fest at Idlewild

This is the last weekend for the 2002 Fall of the Leaf Music Festival at Idlewild Park, Ligonier. It features rock bands performing on different stages throughout the park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

On Saturday, the schedule includes, at 11:30 a.m. Johnstown Classic Rockers; noon, Last Fall; 12:30 p.m., Powerage and Third Degree; 1 p.m., River Rock; 2 p.m., Johnstown Classic Rockers and Society of Sound; 2:30 p.m., Buzz Poets and Last Fall; 3:30 p.m., Third Degree; 4 p.m., The Legendary Hucklebucks and River Rock.

On Sunday, at 11:30 a.m., it's Open Wide; noon, Harombee; 12:30 p.m., 8th Street Rox and Shari Richards; 1 p.m., Dave Pahanish; 2 p.m., Open Wide and Mystic Knights; 2 p.m., Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers and Harombee, 3:30 p.m., Shari Richards; 4 p.m., Sodajerk and Dave Pahanish.

Along with the music, there will be festival food and beer from the official sponsor, Michelob Lite. Admission is $7. Warning: the park rides and attractions are not open. For more information, log onto www.idlewild.com and click on Fall of the Leaf Music Festival.