Weekend picks: Get your update from Norm MacDonald at Arcada

Friday live

Fans who remember comedian Norm MacDonald and his stint as the main "Weekend Update" anchor on "Saturday Night Live" won't want to miss his special standup gig tonight at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $40-$55. (630) 962-7000 or arcadalive.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16

Royal Mirren

Catch Helen Mirren's Tony and Olivier Award-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth II in Peter Morgan's stage drama "The Audience" in an encore screening Thursday at Belushi Performance Hall at College of DuPage's McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. $20. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15

Soft rockers

Australian rockers Little River Band ("Cool Change," "Lady") share a concert bill with Ambrosia ("How Much I Feel," "Biggest Part of Me") on Thursday at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $29.50-$79.50. (847) 263-6300 or geneseetheatre.com. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15

Take me to the Riot

Riot Fest celebrates three days of music with some of the best punk, rock, alternative, metal and hip-hop with headliners Flaming Lips Friday, former Smiths frontman Morrisey taking the stage Saturday and Sunday's reunion of the original Misfits and many more bands at Douglas Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Drive, Chicago. Single-day passes start at $84.98; two-day combo passes are $159.98; three-day passes are sold out; VIP packages are still available. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Sept. 16-18

'Urban Flora'

See works by Glendale Heights artist Justin Suico in his debut solo exhibit, "Urban Flora," in the Conde Art Studio, fourth floor of Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St., Chicago. Complimentary snacks and drinks will be served. Free. (773) 523-0200 or zhoubartcenter.com. 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16

Guess who's at the G-g-g-g-Genesee

George Thorogood and the Destroyers' "Badder Than Ever" tour makes a stop at Waukegan's Genesee Theatre Friday, Sept. 16, bringing all the gritty, hard-rocking classics he built his career on since he started playing in the '70s, including "Move It On Over," "Who Do You Love?" and, of course, "Bad to the Bone." Southern blues rocker Damon Fowler joins them with his wicked guitar licks. Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $43-$63. (847) 263-6300 or geneseetheatre.com. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16

'Where My Baes At?'

And now for something completely different ... comedian Colleen Ballinger and her musically inept YouTube persona Miranda Sings take over the Rosemont Theatre for a night of badly sung music, delightfully terrible dance moves and loads of laughs. Her act channels the socially awkward spirit of her video satires of the self-absorbed, arrogant and narcissistic populating the internet. And while you may not take her music seriously, that's exactly the way she wants it. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. $37.50-$73. (847) 671-5100 or rosemont.com/theatre/events/miranda-sings/. 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16

Experiments in rock

There's nothing wrong with a little experimentation. And that's exactly what Dov Stanley, Kevin Houston and Sam Dunbar found a home for with their band Chyomin. Dabbling in classic rock heavily influenced by elements of the blues and touches of jazz instrumentation, Chyomin's jams create a power that's hard to not get sucked into. And that's just through headphones. I can't even imagine what a live show would feel like, especially at a joint like Frankie's in Naperville. Frankie's Blue Room, 16 W. Chicago Ave., Naperville. $5. (630) 416-4898 or frankiesblueroom.net. 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16

Sports Card Show

Buy, sell and trade baseball, football, basketball and hockey cards at the Sports Card Show at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Chicago Northwest, 495 Airport Road, Elgin. Free. For details, call Corky at (847) 815-5810 or email collectable2@yahoo.com. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17

Chicago Pet Show

Meet animals from local rescue organizations, shelters and humane societies at the Chicago Pet Show at the Libertyville Sports Complex, 1950 Route 45, Libertyville. Guests can get an up-close look at dogs, cats, birds and other animals who are in need of homes. More than 100 pet-related companies will be offering pet services and products. Adults $7; free for kids younger than 18 and seniors older than 65. Note: an adult ticket is good for the entire weekend. chicagopetshow.com. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17-18

Clues by car

Get behind the wheel to compete and find clues as part of The Famous Puzzler Rallye. This particular rallye is a fundraiser for UPS for DownS, a not-for-profit organization assisting families dealing with Down syndrome. Meet up on Saturday at Woodfield Mall, 5 Woodfield Road (west of Firestone Tire), Schaumburg. $25 preregistration. (847) 650-5614 or wheelsrallyeteam.com. 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17

Full of soul

The Grammy Award-winning Aaron Neville Duo makes a special concert appearance on Saturday at the Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. $65; $63 seniors and students. (847) 895-3600 or prairiecenter.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17

Symphonic opener

Violinist Simone Porter performs the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra for its season-opening concerts this weekend at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. $30-$65. (847) 888-4000 or elginsymphony.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18

Naughty knight

Main Street Opera tackles Verdi's final opera "Falstaff," which takes its inspiration from Shakespeare's comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor." The production plays at Forest View Education Center, 2121 S. Goebbert Road, Arlington Heights; then at St. John Cantius, 825 N. Carpenter St., Chicago. $26; $22 seniors and students; free for kids ages 12 and younger. (224) 764-1615 or mainstreetopera.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, in Arlington Heights; 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, in Chicago

Classical and Coldplay

Pianist Clayton Stephenson teams up with the Chicago Sinfonietta for the concerts titled "Unhinged," which features music by Stravinsky, Gershwin, Poulenc, Michael Jackson and even Coldplay. Hear these season-opening concerts Saturday and Monday at two locations: North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville, $10-$60; then at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. $10-$99. (312) 284-1554 or chicagosinfonietta.org. 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17; 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19

CSBarks Dog Festival

Calling all dog lovers: Spend the day with your pooch at the Carol Stream Park District's eighth annual CSBarks Dog Festival in the Carol Stream Town Center, at Gary Avenue and Lies Road. See canine agility and obedience activities, K-9 police demonstrations, Skydogz Frisbee dog performances and "wiener dog" races and take part in a parade of breeds and contests, including best-dressed dog and dog and owner look-alike. Visitors can also shop for dog-related supplies. Dogs should be of good temperament and not afraid of crowds or children. All dogs should be on a 6-foot (max) nonretractable leash and have updated vaccinations and rabies tags. Pets other than dogs are not allowed. Free. csparks.org. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18

Pioneer Day

Make like a pioneer at the annual Pioneer Day celebration on the grounds of the Elk Grove Historical Museum, 399 Biesterfield Road, Elk Grove Village. Participate in historical crafts and games, plus there's a petting zoo, music and dancing, historical demonstrations, farmhouse tours and scarecrow-making. Hosted by the Elk Grove Park District and the Elk Grove Historical Society. Free. The $10 fee for the scarecrow-making benefits the Elk Grove Garden Club. (847) 439-3994 or elkgroveparks.org. 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18

Obstacles ahead

"Up, Over & All-In" is a special family fun obstacle event to raise awareness and support for inclusion programming for the Jewish Community Center. Hot Ground Gym is providing the course for those ages 8 and older to climb, run, leap and jump with family and friends. Kids 3 to 7 are also invited to tackle an inflatable course on Sunday at the Bernard Weinger Jewish Community Center, 300 Revere Drive, Northbrook. $5-$36. (224) 406-9200 or jccchicago.org/event/up. 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18

Stage and screen legend

Plenty of songs and scintillating old Hollywood anecdotes are promised in "An Afternoon with Rita Moreno." Moreno, whose career stretches back to the 1940s, is one of the few entertainers to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. She appears on Sunday at College of Lake County's Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. $50; $49 seniors; $29 youth. (847) 543-2300 or jlcenter.clcillinois.edu. 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18

The Johnny Burnett Band

The Johnny Burnett Band blends pop, fusion and blues in a Concert in the Park event at Capannari Ice Cream, 10 S. Pine St., Mount Prospect. Guests are invited to bring a picnic dinner and dance along to the music. Bring lawn chairs for seating. Free. (847) 392-2277 or capannaris.com. 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18

Sons of the Never Wrong

Take the three-part harmony of Sue Demel, Deborah Lader and Bruce Roper and mix it with folk and you get Sons of the Never Wrong, who perform in a Lake County Folk Club-sponsored concert at Primo Restaurant, 720 Milwaukee Ave., Gurnee. Suggested admission donation is $15; $12 seniors; $10 club members. Call (847) 602-8882 for reservations. thelakecountyfolkclub.org. 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18