Alton Brown Live! The Edible Inevitable Tour, in Houston for two shows on Saturday, promises to be full of the same insane and wonderful madness that spawned creations on Brown's long-running hit show Good Eats such as yeast puppets and chocolate pushers. In an emailed response to questions from the Houston Press, he says audiences can expect "A culinary variety show complete with live music, puppets, audience participation, comedy, and some very large, very strange, potentially dangerous culinary demonstrations."

So you have been warned. If you're sitting in the front rows, don't wear anything you care about, as things are going to get messy. Attendees in the strike zone will be offered rain ponchos, and might also be called upon to be culinary assistants.

Brown asked his Twitter followers for dining suggestions for each city he's visiting. Did he get any good ones for Houston? Brown wrote, "I never think about whether they'll be good or not. I just go where the fans send me." He says his best moment on the tour so far was "selling out the Fox Theater in Atlanta, my hometown." That's not the only show he has sold out. The original evening show in Houston sold out. An additional afternoon show has been added to the schedule.

Alton Brown takes the stage at 3 and 7 p.m. Cullen Performance Hall, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun. For information, visit altonbrowntour.com/shows/houston. $55.

Redbud Gallery's latest coup is "John Biggers: MAAME," the first commercial exhibition in Houston of work by the muralist in more than 30 years. (The opening reception is on Saturday.) "I was able to pull together 34 pieces for the show," gallery owner Gus Kopriva says. "Houston is a treasure trove. He lived here half a century, living here, making art."

Biggers's murals remain in place around the country, with a good number in Houston. "He is one of our most important American muralists," says Kopriva. "I just want to make sure the younger artists get to know his work. This is a rare opportunity. In this show, we will have works on paper, drawings, Conté and colored pastels; he was a great printmaker. We've captured the essence of color in this show."

The art, which captured the anguish and suffering of those living in the South, often focused on women and everyday objects. "He went from social realism -- women working in the fields -- to African-American art. He nailed it," said Kopriva. "In 1957, he got a [UNESCO] grant and went to Africa, before going to Africa was cool." After that, his pieces morphed into modernism, as he incorporated African symbolism and folklore into his work.

Born in North Carolina in 1924, Biggers eventually made his way to Houston. He served as the founding chairman of the art department at Houston's Texas State University for Negroes (now Texas Southern University), and as such directly influenced generations of artists.

There's an opening reception 6 to 9 p.m. April 4. Regular viewing hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Through April 26. 303 East 11th. For information, call 713-862-2532 or redbudgallery.com. Free.

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