If you want to avoid the scalpers and Craigslist scams, consult this handy guide to the shows soon to go on sale …

Here’s hoping he leans more toward the “Higher Ground” and “Living for the City” repertoire and less toward the “I Just Called to Say I Love You” songbook. Either way, Stevie Wonder is a legend and totally deserving of the $175 price tag ($75 and $120 tix also available) for his show at AC’s Mark G. Etess Arena on June 21st. On sale Saturday, noon.

I could have sworn that the Eagles (think “Hotel California” and “Desperado,” not McNabb and Reid) embarked on a “Farewell Tour” some time ago. So either they never stopped and have been on that same tour for years, which seems unlikely, or they are bold-faced liars. They play the Wachovia Center on July 14th. Tickets are $50, $85 and $185. On sale Monday, 10 a.m.

And for those that like their music frenetic and edgy — or, at least, music that was once frenetic and edgy — the Nine Inch Nails are heading our way. The band just announced that fans can download a completely free copy of their new album. Really. Unfortunately, their August 29th show at the Wachovia Center is not free. It is $44.50-$54. On sale Saturday, 10 a.m.

If you’ve seen (heck, if you’ve even heard about) Cirque du Soleil, you can’t deny those stunts are pretty damn superhuman. And this Thursday, the Big Top pops up in South Philly for Cirque’s KOOZA show. Acrobatic performance and coaching director Boris Verkhovsky — picture an affable version of the Rocky and Bullwinkle guy, not a looming Karloff — shared a bit about the show and the menacing Wheel of Death. — Cheryl McEvoy

You started off coaching acrobatics and gymnastics. Was Cirque du Soleil a big jump for you?
It was a very big jump, on many different levels. For me, to be able to perform acrobatics has always been an interesting, very involved, curious challenge. But it was in a sports environment, so [there was] a lot of preparation and then a “peak performance.” So that was one aspect of the challenge, because the [show] is done nine to 10 times a week.

Cirque isn’t the typical three-ring gig most Americans are used to. Why do you think it caught on?
It’s very surprising … they say it’s an example of where there is no market and then the market is created. It’s an honest performance. If we do a performance where the risk is too high, we don’t hide the safety elements. We make them visible. So there is no pretending that it’s flying without any aid. I think it’s a healthy attitude.

What’s the story behind KOOZA?
KOOZA, when the initial mandate was given, was to go in the direction of returning to the roots of what circus is. Very physical, risk taking, on the edge, in your face. That was for the acrobatics, and that was also for clowning, because that’s the original clowning in traditional circus, where it’s in your face. The name [KOOZA] stems from the reference to a treasure box. And if you think of the notion of a Jack-in-the-box, the show actually begins with a story of an innocent in this marvelous world, and then Jack literally pops out of the box. It’s a trickster who will run the show, who will play and tease an innocent without malice. So the type of emotions, all those behaviors or relationships that are being established there, are something that we face every day.

One of the acts uses a 1,600-pound Wheel of Death. Who comes up with these death-defying acts?
Well, in this particular case, it’s a discipline that has existed for a while now in traditional circus. We did not invent it. We present it differently than it’s usually done. It’s a lot closer to the public than usual. It actually, to some extent, feels like it’s over the public and, boy, if you’re in the first row, you will feel it. You’ll feel the wind of it … What’s very unique about it is its name and the way it’s performed, there’s an insinuation of an unbelievable level of risk. I’m not gonna say that it’s not risky, but I will say that, from an acrobatic perspective, it’s a fairly simple act. But even though you’re not doing phenomenal tricks, the room for mistake is very, very, very real. And the punishment for the mistake is grave.

Are the performers cliquey — like, contortionists versus clowns — or is it a big happy family?
Of course, you want it to always be a big happy family. You deal with a fairly great ethnic diversity. It’s multiculturalism from every aspect of it … If you and I came from the same country, that does not make us the same culture, because you may come from the South and I may come from the North. That’s already a different culture. If we are 15 years apart in terms of age, that’s already a different culture, even if everything else is the same. If you are male, female — that’s a different culture. If you come from the circus world and I come from gymnastics, that’s a different culture. So in that sense, multiculturalism has so many facets and so many colors that it makes it easier, because everybody is different.

If you want in on the Flight of the Conchords show at the Tower, good luck, because it is way sold out. (Actually, there are some good deals on Craigslist, so you might just get lucky if you keep your eyes peeled.) Your only other reasonable option would be Eddie Izzard, the British actor/comedian/transvestite, who brings his Stripped tour to the Academy for the first of three nights. Plenty of tickets ($45 to $65) remain for each show.

From Julio to Jay-Z … The talent playing Atlantic City this weekend is truly an absurd mix that spans half a century, crossing many demographics. First you’ve got Julio Iglesias Friday and Saturday at Caesars. I’ve gotta be honest, I have no idea what Julio sings or what the draw is, but he’s said to have played more than 5,000 shows throughout his career, so there must be somebody out there who is his Biggest Fan. Then you’ve got Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday. Unlike the dynamic duo’s recent Philly performance, lots of tickets remain. In a bizarre blast from the past, ex-clothes-shedding Debbie Gibson — oh, sorry, Deborah Gibson (remember her Playboy spread?) — begins a three-week run at Harrah’s on Sunday. And the incomparable-on-so-many-levels Dolly Parton plays her rescheduled (due to, er, back pain) Borgata gig Saturday night. Simultaneously in the Borgata, there’s Tracy Morgan. Even if he just puts 30 Rock re-runs on the projector, its bound to be funny.

And they’re off … Saturday is the 134th Kentucky Derby. Start the day off right at McGillin’s Olde Ale House with $3 mint juleps. If the kids are tagging along, precluding the consumption of copious amounts of bourbon, head to Franklin Square, where Philly’s own equestrian heroes Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex have been immortalized as carousel horses (for $60,000!!!). From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., every kid that rides will receive a first-place ribbon. Finally, everyone actually wins.

At last, a reason to hang out under I-95 … I love Zoe Strauss. Her photography is real Philadelphia: mean, gritty and honest. So there’s no better place for a Zoe Strauss exhibit than in South Philly, under I-95. Front and Mifflin from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Her work is so real, it’s realer than real. It’s unreal. Just, um, check it out.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you … A lot of people are confused. This Sunday is not Mother’s Day. Next Sunday is Mother’s Day. Which gives you a whole extra week to completely forget. This year, skip the Godiva and opt for John & Kira’s locally made chocolates. You have to order by May 6th for delivery, and you don’t want to send them belated, right?

Comcast-Spectacor just released seats for tonight’s Sixers-Pistons playoff game, which, if you haven’t been keeping track, the Sixers must win or they’re out. The game starts at 8 p.m. at the Wachovia Center, and it looks like you can get in for as little as $30 if you want to squint. It also looks like the tickets are moving way faster than I can type this, so if you want in, act now.

If you want to avoid the scalpers and Craigslist scams, consult this handy guide to the shows soon to go on sale …

First John Mellencamp performed for Obama, now he’s scheduled to do so for Hillary in Indiana, and then for you at the Mann Music Center on July 8th. Something tells me this is going to be one of those annoying concerts where you want to hear “Jack and Diane” but all he wants to do is wax politic. $65 to $95. On sale this Saturday, 10 a.m.

The O’Jays, Stylistics, Bluenotes, Delfonics, MFSB and Soul Survivors remind us what The Sound of Philadelphia was all about at the Borgata on June 7th. $45 to $75. On sale this Saturday, 10 a.m.

Journey brings their anthemic power ballads, not to mention Heart and Cheap Trick, to Hershey Park on August 28th. $85 to $125. On sale this Saturday, 10 a.m.

And finally, the Black Crowes and their peace-loving, jam- (and weed-) crazy fans take over the Fillmore at the TLA for not one, not two, but three nights, July 1st through 3rd. $46. On sale this Friday, 10 a.m.

New York Times bestselling author Augusten Burroughs just released a new book, A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father. But while his oddly comedic Running With Scissors amused a hefty following of voyeurs — and scored a movie deal starring Annette Bening and Gwyneth Paltrow and, oh yeah, elicited charges of fabrication — Burroughs’s latest chronicle carries a darker tone. We talked to him about reliving memories, writing about the past and being called a liar. Catch him at the Free Library this Saturday. — Cheryl McEvoy

The new book — about your distant, alcoholic father — is being touted as a much more serious book than Running With Scissors. Do you think fans will miss the laughs?
I think some fans will and others will embrace the tone. A lot of people don’t have great fathers. The statistics on abuse are just incredible … But it’s a darker book, it’s a more intense book … It was just bald earnestness. I think some people may shake this book and say, “Hey, the funny’s broken,” but I think far more people will relate to it.

Are you trying to give people hope?
A good memoir, I believe, is when you come across a passage that explains exactly how you felt, it makes you feel like you’re not alone in the world and immediately connected … But I always write for myself. I don’t write what I think readers will like. And people nod at the truth.

Your new memoir is already being scrutinized for falsified facts. How do you deal with that?
Frankly, I welcome the scrutiny … I think [fabrication] cheapens the memoir, especially for people who are trying to write about their experiences and the truth. I think the press, what they do is miss the forest and the trees and just look at the bark. Like “You said you wore blue pants, but we called the manufacturer, and they only make the pants in brown and green.” But I have a good memory … I’ve had a crazy life — I don’t need to make things up.

Your website contains pictures from your childhood. Kinda eerie, actually. Do you find it hard to put your life on display?
It’s counterintuitive, but I don’t — only because I’ve written so many memoirs. There are stories I wish I hadn’t wrote … But for every [story], people come up to me and say “Me too, me too, me too.” Some people see me as a freak, but some people relate to it. People are very embracing of honesty.

Any regrets? Do you feel like you’re exploiting people from your childhood?
I don’t regret anything I’ve written. I regret the way I come off sometimes. There’s a distinction there … Whenever you write about family, you accept the risk that they may lash out. You don’t know how people will respond. But I feel I have the right to write about my life. What makes it worth it is getting to that human truth.

How do you deal with the emotions that bubble up when you’re writing?
It can be harrowing. Writing A Wolf at the Table was a very physical process. It was draining. My hands were cold and shaking like I was outside. I spent many years of my life trying to avoid discomfort and to avoid memories, but you just have to fly into like a hurricane. My memory is a double-edged sword — I can remember being eight months old … but the memories are also very vivid. When I’m writing, I don’t leave the house if I don’t have to. Maybe it’s my nature from when I used to drink — I become consumed by it until it’s done. And then I don’t write at all.

Long before their breakthrough HBO series, Canadian troupe The Kids in the Hall comedy-sketched their way across theater stages, in front of live audiences. Tonight, they get back to those basics at the Keswick in Glenside, where very limited seating is available. Need a refresher? Watch this clip of the Inexperienced Cannibal. $39.50 to $45; 8 p.m.

The South Street Headhouse District’s 8 Days of Eats celebration (think Restaurant Week, but all South Street-area restaurants) kicks off tonight with samples from places like Django, Xochitl, and Zot from 7-9 p.m. at Headhouse Square (2nd Street, between Pine and Lombard). At 8 p.m., the French will flood Verizon Hall for a performance by Orchestre National de France ($33-$115). And on the Main Line, the Bryn Mawr Film Institute hosts a special screening of King Corn, a documentary about Public Enemy Number One: corn. Yes, the vegetable.

Jewels and Binoculars plays jazz improvs based on the music of Bob Dylan, without a guitar in sight (though there are plenty of reed instruments). Seems downright sacrilegious, though the New York Times’s Ben Ratliff just gave it his stamp of approval. Tonight, they celebrate the release of their new album, Ships With Tattooed Sails, at the International House. $12; 8 p.m.