Hot Tickets

Hot Tickets
TODAY
* Enjoy Thanksgiving with some real animals. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is offering free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Watch for special feeding times. Call (216) 661-6500 for more information.
FRIDAY
* Local modern rock band Tangent will play original tunes during its opening set for Donnie Iris at The Cellar, 162 S. Bridge St., Struthers. Tangent's influences include Foo Fighters, Creed, Puddle of Mudd, Stone Temple Pilots and Nickelback.
* Cleveland's Gund Arena will open its ice to Disney/Pixar's "Monsters Inc.," an ice show for the whole family. Tickets will go on sale in the morning through Ticketmaster for the 18-show engagement Jan. 7-19. The show features award-winning skaters and state-of-the-art special effects and promises to make each audience member feel like a citizen of Monstropolis.
SATURDAY
* The Prodigals, the band that mixes traditional Irish music with New York punk rock, return to Cleveland for a show at Beachland Ballroom at 8 p.m. One reviewer describes them as "The Chieftains on caffeine." Tickets are $12 in advance, $14 day of show, and can be purchased online at www.beachland.musictoday.com.
* If the mall is the last place you want to be right now, take a drive to Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh and step back in time with its Miniature Railroad & amp; Village exhibition. This is the 50th year that the exhibit has been displayed in Pittsburgh. It began in Charles Bowdish's home in 1920 and was a neighborhood attraction until 1953, when the family home was damaged by flooding. Bowdish's miniatures -- now antiques -- were moved to Buhl Planetarium, then the science center. Call (412) 237-3400 for information or directions.
SUNDAY
* A reunion show by Ed's Redeeming Qualities, an urban folk band with local roots, will be at 8 p.m. at Nyabinghi, 1229 Salt Springs Road, Youngstown. Members Dan Leone of Coitsville, Carrie Bradley of San Francisco, Jonah Winter of New York and Neno Perrotta of Brookfield will play in memory of founding member Dom Leone, who died of cancer in 1989. Dan Leone, a columnist with San Francisco Bay Guardian weekly magazine, will read from his latest book, "The Italian American Reader," and novelist Michael DeCapite will give readings as well. Admission is $6.
NEXT WEEK
* Everyone feels a little dread around the holidays, so why not add to it by attending a horror convention? The first annual Dark X-Mas Sci-fi/Horror Convention will be Dec. 5-7 at Youngstown Inn, state Route 46 at the Interstate 80 interchange in Austintown. The guest list is filled with horror and science-fiction celebrities, such as Robin Curtis and Chase Masterson of "Star Trek" fame, Michael Sheard of "Star Wars" and Ken Foree of "Dawn of the Dead." Events will include film screenings, autograph sessions, Q and A panels and an inking workshop with artist Stanlee Houston. Tickets are $15 ($35 for a weekend pass). Visit www.darkxmas.com for more information.
* Big Bird is coming. Tickets go on sale Monday for the latest production of "Sesame Street Live," titled "Everyone Makes Music." Eight shows will be squeezed in during the Jan. 15-18 engagement at Edward W. Powers Auditorium. Elmo, The Count, Bert & amp; Ernie and all the usual monsters will be there. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (330) 747-1212 or at www.ticketmaster.com.
* Steven Jackson leaves behind his band -- The Leavers -- for a free solo show at Peaberry's Caf & eacute; in Kilcawley Center on the Youngstown State University campus at noon Wednesday. The singer-songwriter describes his storytelling songs as "acoustic Americana" and he lists Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits as influences.
* Did you ever wish you could have a live CD of a concert you just saw in time for the ride home? Well, now you can with a revolutionary new service called Instant Live. Jam band extraordinaire Moe will bring the service with it for a concert next Thursday at Cleveland's Odeon Concert Club, 1295 Old River Road. Concert-goers can buy a high-quality recording of the show before leaving the building. Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster.
AHEAD
* An uncommon treat awaits basketball fans who attend the Cleveland State-Utah Valley State game Dec. 6 at CSU Convocation Center. Hip-hop star Common will give a post-game concert. It's part of the university's Homecoming 2003 festivities. Game tickets are $15, $12, $10 and $8 through Ticketmaster. Visit www.theconvo.com for details
* Also headed for CSU Convocation Center -- Monster Nationals Monster Truck and Thrill Show, at 1 and 8 p.m. Jan. 10. Besides the souped-up Ford, Dodge and Chevy trucks, there will be jet-powered snowmobiles, freestyle BMX bicycling and Megasaurus, a mechanical dinosaur who eats autos as entrees. Tickets are $19 now, $21 at the door for adults, $5.75 now and $7.75 on show day for children ages 12 and under.