Foreigner, Cheap Trick Top 5 Things To Do Around Upper St. Clair This Weekend

UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA - How big are the three bands playing KeyBank Pavilion on Saturday? The one in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the opening acts.

Not to make you feel old, but Foreigner is in the midst of its 40th anniversary tour and the group responsible for such hits as “Feels Like The First Time,” “Hot Blooded,” “I Want To Know What Love is,” and more will be headlining.

Opening will be an act nearly as famous: Hall of Famers Cheap Trick, an act that’s been around even longer and is best known for songs such as “Surrender,” “I Want You To Want Me,” and “Dream Police.” Opening for the opening act will be Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience. If you’re wondering what gives Bonham the right to have one of those experiences, it’s because he’s the son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham.

Foreigner tickets (sorry, we’d type everyone who’s playing again but you don’t want our fingers to get tired before we get to the end of this post, do you?) start at $18.75.

Other weekend highlights:

• Steel City Con, Aug. 11-12, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Aug. 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville.

One of the superstars of ‘70s and ‘80s cinema will make a rare appearance in Pittsburgh at the latest Steel City Con. We’re talking Burt Reynolds, 81, of “Deliverance,” “Smokey and the Bandit” and “The Longest Yard” fame. There also will be a Brady Bunch reunion of sorts, with Barry Williams (Greg), Susan Olsen (Cindy) and Mike Lookinland (Bobby) in attendance. Also on hand will be Ralph Macchio, the original “Karate Kid.” It’s almost too much nostalgia to stand.
Steel City Con tickets start at $23.

• Eighth Annual Bocce Tournament and Festival, Aug. 12, noon-6 p.m., Senator John Heinz History Center, Strip District.

This event is oh so much more than watching 40 four-person bocce teams compete for a championship. It’s about enjoying Italian fare such as The Common Plea’s Italian beef sandwiches, pasta, pizza), beans & greens, eggplant parmigiana, gelato and more. It’s about listening to live music from the Faiellas, Pure Gold and The Neid’s Hotel Band. The Eighth Annual Bocce Tournament and Festival admission is free, but bring some bucks for food and beverages.

• Second Annual Crosstown Cookout, Aug. 13 1-9 p.m., Mon Wharf Parking Lot, Downtown.

Thanks to Fame15 Creative and Riverlife, the Mon Wharf will come alive on Sunday with a reggae band, DJs, skateboard show, roller derby demo, fishing competition, river activities and more. There also will be food trucks on hand and several pop-up bars as well. And you know what a draw food trucks can be in this town. Crosstown Cookout tickets are $5, but you’ll need more money if you want to grab food truck fare.

• Free bowling, Aug. 13, 4 p.m., Arsenal Lanes, Lawrenceville

The English language is full of intriguing combinations, put few are as intriguing as the pairing of “free” and “bowling” - particularly when the bowling is taking place at one of city’s coolest bowling alleys and hippest neighborhoods. Word & Worship Church, the event organizer, is making it as easy as possible to enjoy a few frames. All you have to do is register.

Photo by Nick Ares via Creative Commons.