Family lore claims that several decades ago, my great-uncle, three sheets to the wind, tried to knock out a circus monkey. The monkey, understandably, did not appreciate such shenanigans and quickly demonstrated that circus monkeys should not be trifled with. Several men were needed to save my battered great-uncle.

Such spectacles were outlawed by PETA long ago, but if you sit in your seat and behave, you can still enjoy the circus. Shrine Circus is in town at the Mellon Arena and with it tigers, elephants and Rocky the Boxing Kangaroo (who you really don't want to mess with). As if that weren't exciting enough, circus-goers can enjoy the Globe of Death, trapeze artists, the Incredible Hulk and Grandma the Clown. Yes, Grandma the Clown. Hold on to your hats, people.

Performances are Friday 11 a.m., 7 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. Tickets cost $13-$19 or get a Giant Eagle Family Fun Pack for $58. It includes four tickets and four hot dogs and soft drinks. Call 412-323-1919 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

-- Kate McCaffrey

This is a good weekend to explore Pittsburgh heritage and the way two contemporary artists -- who are also local boosters and past presidents of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh -- bring that to life through two exhibitions opening a few blocks from one another in Homestead.

The Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area presents works by Robert Qualters in "Monongahela Valley: A Time of Change, 1980-2000." The exhibition will feature paintings, prints, posters and photographs by Qualters that visually tell the story of the end of the industrial age in the Monongahela Valley. A private reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday at the Bost Building, 623 E. Eighth Ave. The exhibition continues through June 14, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information visit www.riversofsteel.com.

The Steel Valley Arts Council inaugurates a new gallery, artspace105, with "Art by Anna Marie Sninsky" at a reception from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at 105 Eighth Ave. Sninsky shows paintings inspired by the Steel Valley and made over the past three years. She will give a gallery talk at 7 p.m. April 30, the exhibition's last day. Gallery hours are 8-9 p.m. Wednesday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday (after April 5). For information, visit www.steelvalleyarts.org.

-- Mary Thomas

The University of Pittsburgh Dance Ensemble has been growing by proverbial leaps and bounds. Due to that burgeoning popularity, the spring performance series, "AMALGA-MOTION," will play to three enthusiastic and packed crowds at Trees Hall Dance Studio on the University of Pittsburgh campus tonight through Saturday at 8:15 p.m.

The work of student choreographers will appear alongside pieces by Dance Alloy Theatre's Scott Lowe and The Pillow Project's Pearlann Porter on this program of premieres and they'll handle things behind the scenes, too. Tickets, available at the door, are only $3 for students and $6 for the general public.

-- Jane Vranish

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra welcomes back French repertoire expert Charles Dutoit for a concert that includes music by Debussy (his lesser-known "Sarabande & Danse" and his "Jeux"), and a composer who spent much of his creative life in France, Chopin.

Emanuel Ax -- you might have heard of him -- will return after substituting for Alfred Brendel last month to perform Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2. Dutoit also has programmed Janacek's "Sinfonietta," one of those "must-hear" pieces, highlighted by potent brass writing that includes scoring for 12 trumpets. Concerts are at 1:30 p.m. today and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Heinz Hall, Downtown. Tickets are $17-$75; call 412-392-4900.

-- Andrew Druckenbrod

"Jazz in Pictures" blends two visual takes on jazz -- one classic and one contemporary.

This duo of photo exhibits features works by Teenie Harris and Nathan Schritter.

"Classics/Standards" features 15 works from the Teenie Harris Archives at the Carnegie Museum of Art. Taken between 1935 to 1960, the photographs document Pittsburgh's rich jazz history through the prolific lens of Harris, the noted Pittsburgh photojournalist who worked for the Pittsburgh Courier and who captured images of both famous and everyday people.

Nathan Schritter's "Improv/Observations" also documents Pittsburgh musicians and the creative process. Schritter has exhibited work at the Huntington Museum of Art and the International Children's Art Gallery, and is a contributor to "Along These Rivers," a Pittsburgh poetry and photography collection.

There will be an artist talk and reception with Schritter and jazz historian Dr. Nelson Harrison April 12 from 3 to 6 p.m.

"Jazz in Pictures" runs from Friday through May 2 at 709 Penn Gallery downtown. The opening is Friday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and features music by Jevon Rushton Group. Information: 412-325-7017.

-- Adrian McCoy

Jesse Malin assembled quite a cast for last year's "Glitter in the Gutter." The New York City rocker enlisted Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, Chris Shifflet of the Foo Fighters, Jakob Dylan and then Bruce Springsteen and Ryan Adams on the same song, "Broken Radio."

They won't be joining him at Diesel on Saturday night, but the former frontman for D-Generation knows his way around a stage by now and has three albums' worth of songs that range from roots-rock to something harder.

In his latest bio, Malin notes, "being in a rock band is like being in a gang. Music should make you want to run through the streets with your pals, or make you want to fall in love or raise a glass."

It begins at 7 p.m. with De Novo Dahl. Tickets are $15. Call 412-323-1919.

-- Scott Mervis

Dress the kids in their PJs and take them out for an evening on the town this Saturday. The 4th annual "The Biggest Bedtime Story Ever!" is designed for families to celebrate the magic of reading together. It's presented by the Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy's READ! 365 campaign.

Guest readers include Kiya Tomlin, wife of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, Michelle Wright of WTAE and Mister McFeely of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

Each child will receive a book packet, with books provided through book drives conducted at local Borders stores.

"The Biggest Bedtime Story Ever!" is 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the University of Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center. Admission is free. Information: 412-361-8560 or www.read365.org or www.beginningwithbooks.org.

-- A.M.

The PSO's furry music cat, Fiddlesticks, will take children on imaginary romps outdoors Saturday. Conductor Lawrence Loh leads "Music in the Great Outdoors" at 11:15 a.m. at Heinz Hall.

"The concert focuses on the ways children can make music at home, in the great outdoors, and throughout their lives," and includes music by Copland and Beethoven, and an appearance by the Duquesne University Percussion Ensemble. Come early for Discovery Time Adventures -- educational activities that begin at 10 a.m. Tickets are $15-$18; call 412-392-4900.

The problem with college scholarships is that only smart people get them. It's unfair, biased, one-sided. We're not all cut out to be neurosurgeons and NASA engineers. But now, finally, others will get a chance to win $5,000 to pay for their textbooks. You don't have to know the molecular, er, structure of stuff for this award, you just gotta be able to sing. Well.

Eleven local college students will compete in the Campus Superstar 2008 competition -- think American Idol on a smaller scale. Contestants hail from Pitt, Point Park, Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon. Passing judgment on the students will be Etta Cox, Lynn Cullen, Ken Rice and Richard Rauh. Which one will be the Simon of the bunch?

The contest will be held at Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Students get in free. Tickets cost the rest of us working saps $25-$250. Proceeds from Campus Superstar benefit the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh. Call 412-621-8875 or visit www.hilleljuc.org/campussuperstar.

-- K.M.

• Delorean Music Showcase -- the same folks who brought us the recent Nirvana tribute -- turns its attention the campaign with Rock For Obama '08, a musical pep rally at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern at 9:15 p.m. Saturday featuring sets by indie-rock bands Bridgley Moore, Axelrod (Benchwarmer and Devin Russian), Fangs Of The Joybox, Guyliners and Oru (John Huffman). There also will be spoken word by Nikki Allen, Brian Francis and Renee Alberts, plus "voter registration and plenty of political bias." Admission is free.

• The Midwife Center's third annual premier cake decorating and tasting contest will be held at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh on Saturday from 7 to 9 pm. Professional and amateur cake bakers and decorators from the Pittsburgh area will submit over 40 cakes to be rated by a panel of expert judges. Attendees will have the chance to sample the cakes and register their vote. Festivities will include wine tasting with Barefoot Cellars, a silent auction and a music performance by Sugar Daddy and the Big Boned Girls. Tickets are $40; $50 at the door. Call 412-321-6884 or go to www.midwifecenter.org.

• Glen Phillips, former frontman for Toad the Wet Sprocket, has space on the brain on his latest record, "Secrets of the New Explorers." The tour brings him to Club Cafe Friday at 10 p.m. with Jonathan Kingham.

• It's no contradiction in terms to call New York City's Voltaire the ultimate "Gothic Renaissance man." He's a singer and violinist with his own gypsy pirate dark-cabaret band (with new album "Spooky Spooky" in tow on darkwave's Hot Topic staple, Projekt Records). He's also behind the creation of comic books, toys, and even an animated series on Nickelodeon. This Saturday at 8 p.m., he's at Pegasus Lounge, 818 Liberty Ave., Downtown, with openers Ego Likeness, Bonfire Night and Patricia Wake; $12/$15. 412-726-2925.

• Hooliganship, a band of two guys formerly of Pittsburgh now of Portland, Ore., will perform at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland at 8 p.m. Saturday, accompanying Cartune Xprez "a curatorial project for animated videos and multimedia performances" that has shown at the Whitney Biennial, MOMA and the Warhol Museum. The program will feature a new collection of videos, including a performance by Hooliganship that involves 3-D glasses. Call 412-681-5449.

---

Correction/Clarification: (Published April 5, 2008) Jesse Malin performs at Diesel on the South Side, Saturday April 5, 2008. The location was incorrect in this Hot List as originally published April 3, 2008.