Jim Gaffigan at PPG Paints Arena; Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon (Sun., 5/1/22)

1) Doing clean, non-divisive material isn’t easy for stand-up comics. It’s challenging to be funny while steering clear of clichés, and the ooh-and-ah-eliciting shock value of sexual or political references is often too tempting a tool to give up. But Jim Gaffigan, who comes to PPG Paints Arena tonight, has made his more wholesome approach work for more than 25 years. The pudgy, always-bearded comedian has found plenty of material in guilty-pleasure food (cake, bacon, and Hot Pockets get frequent mentions), and he’s got loads of stories from two large Catholic families, the one that begot him and the one he begot. (The dude has five kids!) When his five-year-old son wrote “Daddy is fat” as part of a writing assignment, Gaffigan was able to turn it into a book and long-form stand-up routine. Gaffigan is also a frequent contributor to “CBS Sunday Morning.” He visits Pittsburgh as part of his The Fun Tour. 7 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (E.C.)

2) You don’t need to be a runner to enjoy all the festivities of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon this weekend. The fun starts bright and early at 7 a.m. for the full, half, and relay marathon runners. As a spectator, though, you get your choice of entertainment, depending on where you decide to park yourself on the course. Many musicians will be projecting their pipes along the route to keep spirits high, and every neighborhood that the races passes through offers some great acts. You can check out a map of the course here, then pick your favorite spot to cheer on the runners—whether it’s in South Side, Oakland, Shadyside, Bloomfield, or elsewhere. Downtown and surrounding communities.

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