The top events in Pittsburgh for March 17-23

Thu., March 17

MUSIC • IRL
Hard Rock Café will be breaking the law when Judas Priestess takes the stage. The all-female tribute band to one of the 1980’s more formative metal groups promises to put their own spin on songs like “Living After Midnight,” “You've Got Another Thing Coming,” and more. The band claims to have opened for Twisted Sister, Pentagram, and Action Bronson, and appeared in They Say I’m Different, a documentary about the late funk-rock icon and Homestead native Betty Davis. 8:30 p.m. Doors at 7:30 p.m. 230 W. Station Square Drive, South Side. $13-15. druskyentertainment.com

Fri., March 18

STAGE • IRL
Playwright Dominique Morisseau returns to City Theatre with Paradise Blue, the story of a 1949 club owner and trumpeter living in fast-gentrifying Detroit. The main character, Blue, must “choose between escaping his demons and the human cost of leaving the only home he’s ever known.” With music composed by jazz artist Theron Brown, direction by Kent Gash, and a cast that includes celebrated local performers like Wali Jamal and Monteze Freeland, this play is sure to leave an impression. 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., April 3. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. $20-65. citytheatrecompany.org

MARKET • IRL
Kick off the season by attending the Arts and Crafts Spring Fever Festival at the Monroeville Convention Center. The festival will have 165 vendors selling everything from jewelry and spring fashion to wine and baked goods. If you’re looking to redecorate your house or outdoor space for the warming weather, check out the Spring and Easter decor vendors, and enjoy the “fun and festival atmosphere” of the event. Continues through Sun., March 20. 209 Mall Blvd., Monroeville. $3-6. familyfestivals.com

Sat., March 19

EVENT • IRL
Trying to find a place to belt out “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt or “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M.? Head to the first-ever Sad Karaoke at Golden Age Beer. Hosted by Matt Buchholz of Alternate Histories and Andrea Laurion, the event encourages anyone to pick up the mic and pour their heart out on the brewery’s outdoor performing stage. All they ask is that you be earnest, no irony allowed. The event is free to attend, with a suggested $5 donation tip jar where all proceeds go to RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. 7 p.m. 337 E. Eighth Ave., Homestead. Free, or $5 suggested donation. Search “Sad Karaoke” on Facebook

EVENT • IRL
August Wilson African American Cultural Center welcomes everyone to enjoy a host of activities during AWCommunity Day: Growing Together. The free, family-friendly event will include a conversation with artist Cue Perry about his current exhibition Who Are You? (W.A.Y). The Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-op will provide a Farmer’s Market with planting kits by Soil Sisters Plant Nursery. Also included is a Storytime with Lytia Brock and a performance by Cam Chambers and Band. 12 p.m. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. aacc-awc.org

Sun., March 20

ART • IRL
See a new group exhibition when ZYNKA Gallery presents Wood Works. Explore pieces by Christopher Boring, Nate Lucas, Carin Mincemoyer, and Jonathan Shapiro, all artists described as working with wood “either as a material or as a subject.” From Lucas’ love of overlooked beauty to Mincemoyer’s work based on photos of landscape and water, the show promises to demonstrate the many possibilities of the artistic medium. Continues through April 30. 904 Main St., Sharpsburg. Free. zynkagallery.com

TALK • IRL
Hear from a paleontology expert when the Carnegie Museum of Natural History presents a Science and Nature lecture with Dr. Matt Lamanna. Taking place at the Powdermill Nature Reserve, the event will examine the Megaraptoridae, a type of predatory dinosaur whose fossils have been found in Patagonia, Argentina. In this lecture, Lamanna will present several discoveries made by him and his Argentine collaborators and what they mean for the field of paleontological research. 2-3 p.m. 1795 Route 381, Rector. Pay what you wish. Registration required. carnegiemnh.org

Mon., March 21

LIT • HYBRID
Join Wil Haygood and Emmai Alaquiva at City of Asylum for a conversation about their respective works. Haygood, a film historian, writer, and NAACP Image Award finalist, recently released the book Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World, which he will discuss with Alaquiva, a four-time Emmy Award-winning, Pittsburgh-based filmmaker and activist. This program is presented in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books. 7-8:30 p.m. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. Free. cityofasylum.org

Tue., March 22

COMICS • IRL
Two Pittsburgh artists will come together at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall for Embracing Our Differences: Chutz-Pow! Superheroes of the Holocaust. Comic artists Marcel Walker and Wayne Wise will speak on “the dangers of fascism and bigotry” while discussing Chutz-Pow! Superheroes of the Holocaust, the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh’s ongoing comic book, placing stories of resilience and sacrifice at the forefront of Holocaust awareness. Masks will be required to attend. 7 p.m. 300 Beechwood Ave., Carnegie. Free. Registration required. carnegiecarnegie.org

Wed., March 23

EXHIBIT • IRL
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens will be absolutely bursting with color when it unveils its latest exhibition, Spring Flower Show: Sunshine and Rainbows. For four weeks, guests can view what Phipps describes as “tens of thousands of spring blooms,” including lilies, daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths, as well as the Himalayan blue poppy, and much more. Make the most of your visit by also checking out Tropical Forest Hawaiʻi, a concurrent exhibit dedicated to the natural beauty of the island state. Continues through April. 1 Schenley Park, Oakland. Included with regular admission. phipps.conservatory.org