ALL WEEKEND

AMERICANA FEST

Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, John Doe and Jason Isbell. They should have just wrapped this all together and made it an Americana festival. What a great bill that would be for a small amphitheater. (Do you think maybe Live Nation would hire me to make up these bills? They'd go bankrupt quickly.)

	Lucinda Williams plays the Byham on Saturday night. Click photo for larger image.

Anyway, all five are hitting town in the next several days, playing separate bills that will all be good, but who can go to this many shows?

If you're trying to decide, here's the breakdown:

Lucinda Williams: The alt-country diva is out with yet another critically acclaimed record, "West." This one deals with breakups and the passing of her mom, so it's not the most upbeat record in the world, but people turn to Lucinda for the poetry, the phrasing and the occasional force. She plays the Byham Saturday at 8 p.m.

Neko Case: Williams comes here a lot, but we don't see a lot of Case, a cool Patsy Cline-like singer who splits time between her solo career and her band, The New Pornographers. "It's nice to have both outlets," she told the Lincoln Journal Star. "One's like Six Flags. The other one, I have more responsibility. I've got responsibility in the New Pornographers, but it's not the same. It's rock 'n' roll Six Flags." She plays the Byham at 8 tonight.

Jason Isbell: After spending six years as one of three writers with the Drive-By Truckers, Isbell split from that Southern rock band to issue his solo debut, "Sirens of the Ditch," a mix Stonesy rock 'n' roll and more introspective balladry like the Iraq War song "Dress Blues." He plays Mr. Small's Saturday at 8 p.m.

John Doe: The man from X plays Club Cafe on Monday.

-- Scott Mervis

JAMBOREE TIME!

Get ready for the Jamboree in the Hills, a four-day music festival starting today in Morristown, Ohio. It began in 1977, when Johnny Cash was the featured act. The closest thing to a legend this year is Charlie Daniels, who headlines a day of Southern rock.

The Jamboree opens today with Joe Zelek taking the stage at 4:25 p.m. and continues with The PovertyNeck Hillbillies (5:35 p.m.); Kellie Pickler (6:45 p.m.); Taylor Swift (7:35 p.m.); Jack Ingram (8:25 p.m.); Brad Paisley (9:20 p.m.).

The Southern rock flag flies on Friday with four bands that rock and twang: The Outlaws (4:50 p.m.); .38 Special (6:15 p.m.); The Marshall Tucker Band (8 p.m.); The Charlie Daniels Band (9:50 p.m.).

Saturday will be a 12-hour marathon, at least, with Stephen Cochran starting the day at 10:30 a.m. and superstar Toby Keith hitting the stage at 9:40 p.m. The lineup in between is Cole Deggs and The Lonesome (11:55 a.m.); The Fabulous Bender Boys (1 p.m.); Christian Simmons (2:20 p.m.); Jason Michael Carroll (3:40 p.m.); The Wreckers (5 p.m.); Flynnville Train (6:30 p.m.); Miranda Lambert (7:55 p.m.).

It wraps up on Sunday with Steve Azar (11 a.m.); David Lee Murphy (12:20 p.m.); Bucky Covington (1:50 p.m.); Sawyer Brown (3:10 p.m.); Neal McCoy (4:55 p.m.).

Tickets are $200 for all four days; $190 for three days; $180 for two days; $95 for Thursday and Friday; $130 for Saturday; $120 for Sunday. Call 412-323-1919 or go to www.jamboreeinthehills.com.

-- Cody McDevitt

FRIDAY

GLASSWEEKEND

Pittsburgh's 2007 love affair with glass continues with a new show at Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery, "glassweekend '07," opening from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday. Gallery proprietress Amy Morgan recently participated in GlassWeekend, an annual international symposium and exhibition of contemporary glass, at WheatonArts (formerly Wheaton Village), New Jersey. She's reinstalled, in Shadyside, the exhibition she curated for that event, which comprises sculpture by a dozen artists and showcasing every technique employed in contemporary glassmaking. Morgan has exhibited at GlassWeekend six of the past 10 years.

The artists featured represent a range of background and styles, coming from as far as Australia and Japan and as upscale a location as UrbanGlass in Brooklyn.

For information, call 412-441-5200 or visit www.morganglassgallery.com.

-- Mary Thomas

PATSY GIRLS

It's a Girls' Night Out ... with Patsy Cline.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Pittsburgh CLO invites women to step out Friday for a manicure, massage, martini and a production of "Always ... Patsy Cline" at the Trust's Cabaret at Theater Square (655 Penn Avenue).

The package is $45; doors open at 5 p.m., and Always...Patsy Cline begins at 7:30 p.m. Manicure, massage and martini only, available from 7:30 to 9 p.m., can be purchased for $10 (excludes performance ticket). Reservations are required and space is limited; call 412-325-1582 for more information or visit www.pgharts.org.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

POWER JAM

Usually performers play together, but in David Cutler's "Super Power," the pianist and the percussionist are locked in mortal combat. Or make that immortal combat, because the warriors are imaginary characters ripped from the comic books.

"'Super Power,' is an aggressive, rhythmic, virtuosic episode inspired (naturally) by comic strips characters," writes Cutler, a Duquesne University composer, in his notes to the piece. "It is a battle of epic proportions between a Superhero pianist and a Supervillain percussionist. Will our hero be able to save the day? Will our nemesis destroy concerts as we know it?"

The two begin apart from each other and then interact musically -- at one point the percussionist plays the inside of the piano. The piece will be a highlight of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble concerts this weekend at City Theatre on the South Side, along with works by Iannis Xenakis, Thomas Ades, Kevin Puts, Martin Bresnick, Randy Woolf and Vinko Globokar. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $17-$25; call 412-431-2489.

-- Andrew Druckenbrod

SATURDAY

HIP-HOP JAM

When Mayor Luke Ravenstahl presents a key to a music group and declares a day in its honor, you know it's made it.

That's what will happen for CRAVE on Saturday during the WAMO 106.7 Summer Jam at Mellon Arena. People have taken notice of the group over the years.

"I was thinking this may be the group that Pittsburgh has been looking for to actually blow up and have other people start looking at Pittsburgh," DJ Kode Wred told the Post-Gazette two years ago.

Now CRAVE has been signed to a national deal by Pretty Ricky.

The Summer Jam will be headlined by Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy, with support from Lil Mama, DJ Unk, Maio, Lil Scrappy and Wiz Khalifa.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $25 to $65.

-- C.M.

SUNDAY

HORSEY RIDES

Looking for family fun in the heart of Oakland? Check out Kids Day at Schenley Plaza with free carousel rides, face-painting, balloons and caricatures, as well as glass bead-making demonstrations by The Pittsburgh Glass Center.

It runs from 2 to 4 p.m., courtesy of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, PNC Financial Services Group and UPMC Health Plan.

Not only that, rides on the Carousel will be free from 3 p.m. to closing every day through Oct. 15.

HIGHWAY TALES

Ever want to know the history of the highway? It has as many twists and turns as the roads we travel on.

On Sunday at noon, a special presentation featuring highway experts will take place at the John Heinz History Center. Author Michael Wallis, voice of "Sheriff" in Disney's animated film "Cars," will discuss his latest book, "The Lincoln Highway."

Bernie Queneau, a 95-year-old who crossed the country on the Lincoln Highway in 1928, will discuss his travels.

There will be a classic car cruise on Smallman Street, and there will be fixits from Eat'n Park's Smiley cookie and Kennywood's Kenny the Kangaroo.

-- C.M.

NEED TO KNOW

The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium offers free scuba diving lessons as part of the PPG Festival of Water Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow through Sunday. Participants must be at least 54 inches tall and 10 years or older to participate. Bathing suits are suggested but not required, and wet suits and towels will be provided. There will also be a chance to meet the keepers and enjoy animal enrichment sessions.

Mainspring, a group featuring that River City Brass Band euphoniumist Matthew Murchison and which performs everything from Irish jigs to reggae to Latin tango, appears at Bach, Beethoven & Brunch at 10:30 a.m. Sunday in Mellon Park.

Indie singer-songwriter Mirah plays Diesel on Friday with Laura Veirs, who recently performed with the Decemberists and released the excellent "Saltbreakers." It begins at 7 p.m. $12-$14. 412-323-1919.