James Taylor Tops 5 Things To Do This Weekend Around Cranberry

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA - We don’t recall which comedian sarcastically said it while we were growing up, but said it he or she did: “James Taylor has seen fire and rain? Wow! He’s really been around!” On July 15, he’s going to be around Pittsburgh, specifically at PPG Paints Arena.

For more than 40 years, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has touched the lives of millions with songs such as “Fire and Rain,” “How Sweet It Is,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” and “Your Smiling Face.”

This dude’s greatest hits album alone sold more than 10 million copies. That should be reason enough to see him, but consider this: His opening act, Bonnie Raitt, also is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So you get to see two rock and roll legends for the price of one. Speaking of price…

James Taylor tickets start at $66.

Other weekend highlights:

• Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals, July 15, 7:05 p.m.; July 16, 1:35 p.m., PNC Park, North Shore

Don’t look at this as an opportunity to watch two teams mired in mediocrity. Look at it as possibly one of your final opportunities to watch Andrew McCutchen in a Pirates uniform, as one of the all-time Bucs greats is a heavy favorite to be dealt to another team by the July 31 trading deadline. Pirates tickets start at $25.

• Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, “The Music of John Williams,” July 15, 8 p.m., July 16, 2:30 p.m., Heinz Hall, Downtown

Think of this guy as the Elvis Presley of movie soundtracks. Then you’ll want to be there when the symphony performs all the favorites you’ll immediately recognize from such classics as the Superman, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises. Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra tickets start at $27.

• Pittsburgh Beerfest, July 15, Stage AE, North Shore

Where else can you have an unlimited sample of hundreds of fresh craft beers of all styles and tastes? Where else can you drink knowing your ticket is helping Animal Rescue Partners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting numerous animal rescues, pet adoption groups and community spay-neuter programs in the Pittsburgh area? Where else? Nowhere else. Pittsburgh Beerfest tickets start at $50.

• Boz Scaggs with Jeff LeBlanc, July 16, 7:30 p.m. Hartwood Acres Park, Indiana Township

You have to be of a certain age to remember Scaggs, the rock-soul artist who scored 1970s hits such as “Lido Shuffle” and “Lowdown.” If we’re of that certain age, we’re certainly not going to admit it, although we will admit it’s virtually impossible to listen to “Lido” without tapping your toes. The latest in the 2017 Allegheny County summer concert series, the Boz Scaggs concert is free.

Photo by Bryan Ledgard via Creative Commons.