LET'S MAKE UP

Although mankind has been anything but kind to the Earth, it would be nice if the Earth could do us little people in Pittsburgh one little favor and treat us to one nice Saturday this spring.

That way, we could get out of the house on Earth Day and enjoy the Earth, thereby working up some good will to be repaid in the future -- with such things as less gas usage, more vigorous recycling and more planting.

It is, after all, Earth Day on Saturday.

In the event there is not a blizzard or some other ridiculous weather event, Venture Outdoors invites people to spend Saturday hiking in the woods at McConnells Mill State Park in Portersville, Butler County. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10; $5 for members. Go to www.ventureoutdoors.org.

The Carnegie Science Center presents its first-ever Earth Day celebration Saturday with the Rachel Carson Environmental Film Festival, which features "EarthDance," a juried collection of more than 20 comedies, documentaries, animations, thrillers and family-friendly films on environmental themes. Visitors can also make recycled art and bagel bird feeders while learning about the environment. They can also explore climate change, go inside an 18-foot inflatable Earth and sample a variety of environmental movies for kids and adults by local and national filmmakers. Two IMAX favorites, "Stormchasers" and "Coral Reef," will be screened. Among those participating will be Venture Outdoors, Sustainable Pittsburgh, RiverQuest, Grow Pittsburgh, Bike Pittsburgh, The Climate Project and Group Against Smog & Pollution. Go to www. CarnegieScienceCenter.org or call 412-237-3400.

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History gets into the Earth Day spirit with guided tours, crafts for kids, docent discover carts and more from noon to 4 p.m.

TODAY

Jay Farrar, one of the lynchpins of the '90s alt-country scene, returns with his revamped version of Son Volt for an 8 p.m. show at Mr. Small's Theatre in Millvale. As the old story goes, Farrar was in Uncle Tupelo, the premier Americana band of its time, before he went off to Son Volt and his comrade Jeff Tweedy founded Wilco. While Tweedy has gone off into some adventurous and noisy directions, Farrar has stayed closer to the tried and true with songs in the vein of Neil Young and John Fogerty. The Son Volt moniker, which lasted from 1994-2000, returned in 2005 with new players on "Okemah and the Melody of Riot." The latest from Son Volt is "The Search," a record that's getting a mixed response from critics and fans. Jason Isbell, of Drive-By Truckers, opens the show. Tickets are $17-$20. Call 1-866-468-3401.

Arriving all the way from Newfoundland is Great Big Sea, a folk quintet with a flair for the sea shanty. The band is currently on tour with "Courage & Patience & Grit," a CD/DVD combo that captures its live set. Great Big Sea plays the Rex at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. 412-323-1919.

Pianist Lorie Line will be center stage with her grand piano at the New Hazlett Theater, North Side, for an evening of elegant songs. On some tunes, the Minneapolis performer will feature a small ensemble with favorite cast members from her Pop Chamber Orchestra. It's at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $42.

MCG Jazz Night at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Downtown, presents young jazz and blues singer Sachal Vasandani in two dinner shows at 7 and 9 p.m. for $24.95. Call the Terrace Room at 412-553-5235 for reservations.

ALL WEEKEND

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre wraps up its regular season with Balanchine Festival, a program featuring three pieces by the renowned choreographer: "Allegro Brillante," "Who Cares?" and "Theme and Variations," set to the music of Tchaikovsky and Gershwin. Guest conductor for the weekend is maestro Charles Barker, principal conductor of American Ballet Theatre. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $16 to $78. Go to www.pbt.org, or call 412-456-6666.

Beginning tonight, Pittsburgh gets a sneak peek at Lynn Ahrens and native son Stephen Flaherty's new musical, "The Glorious Ones," at the O'Reilly Theater, Downtown. The team that created "Ragtime," "Once on This Island" and "Seussical" presents a tale of a troupe of Italian actors, directed and choreographed by Broadway and film veteran Graciela Daniele. It runs through May 20. Tickets are $34.50-$53.50; www.pgharts.org, www.ppt.org or call 412-316-1600.

Violinist David Douglass joins Chatham Baroque to explore masque ayres and dances by English composers transplanted in Europe. Performances also feature humorous writings read by Richard Tobias. Concerts are 8 p.m. Friday at Sewickley United Methodist Church; 8 p.m. Saturday at Synod Hall, Oakland; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Calvary Episcopal Church, Shadyside. Tickets are $20; $16 seniors; $8 students. Go to www.chathambaroque.org.

FRIDAY

The Cultural District comes alive once again with the spring Gallery Crawl, a showcase featuring 20 participating venues, cutting-edge art exhibitions, live musical acts, refreshments and more from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Among the highlights will be a Wood Street Galleries opening of a Laser Sound Performance by Dutch artist Edwin van der Heide, a show of political art at the Three Rivers Art Gallery, and live performances by Pairdown, Red Moon Run and Labco Dance. It's free.

As mentioned in a recent Pop Noise blog (at post-gazette.com), ABConcerts at Carnegie Mellon has done a great job filling the concert void with recent shows by the likes of Deerhunter, Sophe Lux and Clockcleaner. It continues to spend its money wisely with the free carnival show on the lawn featuring respected Austin indie-rock band Spoon. It's been two years since the last record, "Gimme Fiction," but a new Spoon record, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga," is due July 10. Britt Daniel tells Rolling Stone that they wanted to make it sound "thrilling" and even enlisted producer Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Kanye West) to produce one track. The show begins at 8 p.m. with Weird Paul and Oakley Hall.

"The Powerful Hand of George Bellows: Drawings From the Boston Public Library" explores the work of an artist who sought to capture the spirit of American life in the early 20th century. Bellows, who grew up in Columbus, was a talented athlete but turned to drawing instead, often depicting sporting events and other social gatherings. He was on the board of the socialist journal The Masses beginning in 1911. The opening celebration is from 6 to 8 p.m. with admission $25; $20 members. For reservations, call 412-371-0600. The exhibit then opens Saturday and will remain on view through June 17.

Balkan Beat Box, a New York duo that puts an electronic spin on traditional Balkan music, plays the Rex Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $13. 412-323-1919.

CAPA Anithesis, an avant-garde ensemble comprising 11 students at Pittsburgh's High School for Creative and Performing Arts, will focus on the work of Anthony Braxton and Cornelius Cardew, as well as original student works, at 8 p.m. at The Andy Warhol Museum, North Side. Tickets are $5. Call 412-237-8300.

Big Leg Emma, an Americana folk roots-rock band from Jamestown, N.Y., that opened for Rusted Root this year, play Moondog's at 9 p.m. with former Root singer Jenn Wertz. Tickets are $8 to $10.

SATURDAY

Anti-Flag, having toured all over the world with its RCA debut, "For Blood and Empire," comes back home to open a two-night stand at Mr. Small's Theater with Alexisonfire, Big D and the Kids Table and Set Your Goals.

Calliope: Pittsburgh's Folk Music Society comes up with another strong country-folk pairing at Carnegie Lecture Hall. Eliza Gilkyson, sister of onetime X guitarist Tony Gilkyson, performs intimate songs, not unlike Lucinda Williams, that are reflective while also dealing with topical issues. Her latest record, "Paradise Hotel," won her four Folk Alliance Music Awards. Tom Russell, a familiar face in Pittsburgh, is a veteran singer-songwriter from Texas who weaves rich story songs in a voice remarkably like that of Johnny Cash. The show is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $28 advance; $30 door; $15 (student rush). Call 412-394-3353.

The Warhol opens an exhibition that sheds light on the nature of Warhol and the hype surrounding him. "The Gift of Gretchen Berg: The True Story of 'My True Story' " documents Berg's sit-down with Warhol in 1966 that was widely regarded as Warhol's most perceptive interview. According to the press notes, "The exhibition reveals for the first time that these words aren't Warhol's, but rather those of Berg, who carefully edited the conversation to make it appear as though she was eliminating her own voice. The exhibition showcases Berg's photographs, original recordings, a vintage photocopy of the typescript, and five publication sources of the interview." It opens Saturday and runs through Aug. 5

Station Square gets festive for Spring Fling, an afternoon of family fun with demonstrations, crafts and games. There will be two Care Bear stage shows featuring Cheer Bear and Bedtime Bear, giant interactive inflatables and bubble blowing and spin art activities presented by the Children's Museum. Part of the event is Kites for Kids, presented by KidsVoice, a local nonprofit organization that advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court and beyond, as part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It is free. Visit www.kidsvoice.org. The free event runs from noon to 4 p.m.

Fun fact from Wikipedia: Paula Poundstone is No. 88 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time, and No. 7 on Maxim's list of "Worst Comedians of All Time." What that means for her draw at the Rex Theatre is anyone's guess. She performs at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27.50. 412-323-1919.

SUNDAY

The New York-based Aquila Theater Company brings Chaucer's classic poem, "The Canterbury Tales," to life with what it fashions as a fast-paced show with a "modernly hip sensibility." The performance is at 4 p.m. at the Byham. Tickets are $25.50-$10.50; $20.50-$5.50 for children, 12 years old and under. Visit www.pgharts.org or call 412-456-6666.