Good seats remain for the 30 Seconds to Mars show Wednesday at KeyBank Pavilion.
If you're a rock-concert regular who's never seen 30 Seconds to Mars, you owe it to yourself to catch a performance by the Jared Leto-led band.
Fans can expect the Los Angeles trio to play songs from its latest album, "America," which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200. The single “Walk on Water” spent five weeks atop Billboard’s Rock Airplay Chart despite a rather bizarre, "surprise" performance the band delivered while seated among a stunned "Ellen DeGeneres Show" television audience.
For an Oscar-winning actor ("Dallas Buyer's Club"), Leto proved amazingly accessible to fans last summer during 30 Seconds to Mars' loose and entertaining performance at the Burgettstown amphitheater, opening for Muse. Near the end of the set, Leto invited dozens of fans onto the stage to dance along with him and his bandmates, including brother Shannon Leto on drums. Earlier in the set, Leto sprinted off the stage and climbed into the second level of pavilion seats, where he chatted up a few fans.
Leto asked one guy if he was there on a date. Nervously, the young man tried to explain he was stuck in "the friend zone" with the person with whom he had attended the show.
"You can understand," the bashful fan said.
"Actually, no I can't," Leto shot back with perfect timing.
Nobody puts Jordan Catalano in the friend zone.
Award-winning film career aside, Leto always will be associated with his Catalano character, the good-looking bad-boy who made hearts flutter at a fictional suburban Pittsburgh high school on the 1990s ABC drama "My So-Called Life," a show that portrayed the struggles of adolescence so realistically viewers could handle only one season.
Nearly a quarter century later, Leto still has the looks that make the ladies sigh. Credit that vegan lifestyle.
But for everyone's sake, I hope Leto has ditched the biblical beard and robe he sported last year. That was a little odd.
The top support act Wednesday for 30 Seconds to Mars will be Walk the Moon, which turned in a fine set this past February headlining Stage AE. You can't help smiling when Walk the Moon performs its hit "Shut Up and Dance."
KeyBank Pavilion lists a 6 p.m. start for the show, which also includes warmup bands Misterwives and Joywave.
Farmers market gets music
Hopewell Township has launched a new farmers market, from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, where live music immediately will follow all the fruit and veggie shopping.
"Throughout the months of June and July, we are pairing the farmers market with our Concerts in the Park series," said Nora Janicki, the township's community outreach director.
Concerts begin at 7 p.m. at Hopewell Community Park.
The entertainment lineup:
June 12 — Monaca Cornet Band.
June 19 — Beaver County Symphonic Wind Ensemble.
June 26 — Pittsburgh Banjo Club.
July 10 — Carnival of Souls (Irish Music).
July 17 — Hopewell Community Big Band.
July 24 — Burke's Bavarian Brass (German Music).
Rocking the Dockside
MEM3 drew a nice-sized turnout for the classic-rock band's Beaver County debut last Wednesday on the patio of Mario's Dockside Grille in Bridgewater.
The combination of free admission, fresh air and the novelty of well-known Pittsburgh concert promoter Rich Engler playing drums for the year-old band kept people out past 10:30 p.m. on a worknight.
MEM3 covered the gamut from Supertramp to Yes to Paul McCartney & Wings to Emerson, Lake & Palmer. MEM3's Pete Moran, a veteran of dueling-piano gigs throughout Pittsburgh, played organ with one hand and bass keyboard with the other — like the Doors' Ran Manzarek — while Chuck Moses adeptly handled the guitar work, including the "Hotel California" soloing. Engler made some fun "drum faces" — I mean, he was really into it — often rising to his feet to give his cymbals a final whack before quieting them with the grip of his hand to keep the song finale's tight.
Everyone I spoke to had a good time.
After the second set's fourth song, a spot-on rendering of Argent's lofty "Hold Your Head Up," a friendly column reader I had met earlier ambled over and said, "That alone was worth coming here tonight." I agreed.
From what the regulars told me, Mario's Dockside is faring well with its entertainment. That outdoor setting, right along the river next to all those boats, is tough to beat locally.
Beaver in TV movie
Downtown Beaver pops up in the opening seconds of "An Hour Behind," a made-for-TV movie airing on Amazon Prime.
With autumn leaves visible in the distance, an aerial camera positioned behind the Beaver clock tower shows the Hostess Gift Shoppe, Beaver Super and other Third Street businesses.
The comedy-drama's director used Beaver's scenery as a quaint establishing shot for the movie that stars Barry Watson (TV's "7th Heaven") and Emily Rose ("ER").
The plot: Daylight saving time forgetfulness messes up a blind date but leads to a chance encounter where romantic sparks ignite.
Thanks to Leanne Condron of Harmony Township for providing a screen shot of "An Hour Behind" with the Beaver footage.
Question is, would she recommend watching the movie?
"I would recommend it to folks who enjoy the Hallmark type of movies," Condron said. "It's a good movie to watch on a Saturday afternoon, curled up with a cup of tea and a blanket. A make-you-feel-good kind of movie."
Beer here
Pittsburgh's craft beer culture gets national exposure Tuesday in an episode of "Beerland" on TV's Viceland channel.
The trailer shows footage from Allegheny River Brewery in Oakmont and Rock Bottom Brewery in Homestead. Beaver County comedian Day Bracey, co-host of the "Drinking Partners" podcast, also was among the local experts "Beerland" visited.
Throughout the 10 p.m. episode, "Beerland" host Meg Gill checks out the Pittsburgh beer community and "learns how craft beer is promoting diversity and meets with a group of engineers, a former symphony manager and a self-proclaimed mad scientist," according to Viceland's website.
Concert tidbits
• The Eldorado Band will play the second annual Barn Bash concert at 7 p.m. June 29 in the barn at Old Economy Park in Economy. Admission will be free for the family event that will include the Papa Duke's food truck selling gyros.
• National country artist Chris Lane ("Fix") will perform at the Rivers Casino amphitheater at 8 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the Rivers Casino Gift Shop or at RiversCasino.com. Tickets also include $5 free slot play.
• Hard-rock band Kingdom Come, featuring on guitar Pittsburgh native Danny Stag (brother of sports broadcasters Paul and John Steigerwald), have reunited for a 30th anniversary tour that plays Jergel's Rhythm Grille on Oct. 17. On the strength of the hit "Get It On," Kingdom Come earned the privilege of opening the 1988 Monsters of Rock show at Three Rivers Stadium starring Van Halen, Metallica, the Scorpions and Dokken.
Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.