December 19, 2018 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

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DEC. 19-26, 2018 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 51

FIRSTSHOT BY JARED WICKERHAM

Joe Haden intercepts a fourth quarter pass by Tom Brady during the Steelersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; win against the Patriots on Sun., Dec. 16.

Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Associate Publisher JUSTIN MATASE Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD Managing Editor ALEX GORDON Senior Writers RYAN DETO, AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writers HANNAH LYNN, JORDAN SNOWDEN Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Digital Media Manager JOSH OSWALD Editorial Designer ABBIE ADAMS Graphic Designers MAYA PUSKARIC, JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Marketing and Promotions Coordinator CONNOR MARSHMAN Senior Sales Representative BLAKE LEWIS Sales Representatives KAITLIN OLIVER, NICK PAGANO Office Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Advertising Sales Assistant TAYLOR PASQUARELLI Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, GAB BONESSO, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CRAIG MRUSEK, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, JESSIE SAGE, STEVE SUCATO Intern ALEX POPICHAK Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

GENERAL POLICIES: Contents copyrighted 2018 by Eagle Media Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Pittsburgh City Paper are those of the author and not necessarily of Eagle Media Corp. LETTER POLICY: Letters, faxes or e-mails must be signed and include town and daytime phone number for confirmation. We may edit for length and clarity. DISTRIBUTION: Pittsburgh City Paper is published weekly by Eagle Media Corp. and is available free of charge at select distribution locations. One copy per reader; copies of past issues may be purchased for $3.00 each, payable in advance to Pittsburgh City Paper. FIRST CLASS MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available for $175 per year, $95 per half year. No refunds.

C OV E R P HOTO B Y JA RE D W I C K E RHA M HA N D L E T T E RI N G B Y A B B I E A D A M S

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

Our Pittsburghers of the Year are resilient. They stand up when others have fallen down. They give when others pockets are empty. In an especially difficult year, we’re awarding the title to two groups who have each shown they are not only Pittsburghers who take care of each other, but Pittsburghers whose kindness is spreading beyond our city. We’re also featuring one little Pittsburgher who provided a symbol for all of us who have faced this year and kept on keeping on. On the following pages, we invite you to read the real reason Pittsburgh is the “City of Champions.” — LISA CUNNINGHAM, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

Wasi Mohamed, executive director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGHERS OF THE YEAR

THE ISLAMIC CENTER OF PITTSBURGH As a group that deals with frequent antagonism, they consistently find a way to rise above it and focus on helping others in need. BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

reeled from the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in late October, a message of unity from a local community leader went viral. Wasi Mohamed, executive director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, gave a speech announcing that Pittsburgh’s Muslim community had raised $70,000 in just two days for Tree of Life victims. S PITTSBURGHERS

The story was picked up by national news. A tweet of that speech was shared more than 60,000 times on Twitter. Eventually, Pittsburgh’s Muslim community was joined by other Muslim groups and more than $238,000 was raised. Mohamed said his community was inspired to help by lessons found in the Koran. “It is because of these prophetic traditions that we decided to do something

for our Jewish brothers and sisters,” said Mohamed in his speech. “This is sincere. We are not going to stop, we don’t think our work is ﬁnished. We just want to know what you need. If it is more money, just let us know. If it’s people outside your next service, protecting you, let us know [and] we will be there.” Mohamed is executive director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh. He, along with his small staff and the center’s

board, embody the unifying message that was circulated throughout Pittsburgh following the Tree of Life shooting. But their generosity goes beyond the help provided after that tragedy. The Islamic Center has consistently been there for communities in times of need. They marched with protesters following the shooting of Antwon Rose Jr. They have advocated for humane treatment of immigrants in Pittsburgh. CONTINUES ON PG. 8

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Members of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh pray during service.

They back legislation that gives rights to LGBTQ people and restricts access to guns. This is why Pittsburgh City Paper has chosen the people of the Islamic Center as one of our Pittsburghers of the Year. As a group that deals with frequent antagonism, they consistently ﬁnd a way to rise above it and focus on helping others in need. Tree of Life synagogue Rabbi Jeffrey Myers agrees. “The Islamic Center of Pittsburgh has modeled love for fellow human beings,” says Myers. “After all, Muslims and Jews share the same father. This boundless love is a shining example for the entire world, and I am privileged to count the center’s members as my friends. May they continue to inspire us all.” Mohamed says that adherence to religion is at the heart of what drives the center’s call to help others, especially communities seeking equality. “First and foremost, it is within our religious tradition to ﬁght for justice,” says Mohamed. “To do this work, it is living the faith.” Those Muslim teachings have brought the Islamic Center in close contact with several groups in Pittsburgh, like 1Hood

social-justice activists, Moms Demand Action gun reformists, and All for All immigrant advocates. Betty Cruz of All for All counts Mohamed and the Islamic Center as a trusted partner. “ICP represents the very hope and potential we can each unleash when we thoughtfully open up our doors, engage our neighbors, and come together in community,” says Cruz. “[They are] working towards a better Pittsburgh.” The Islamic Center doesn’t just talk about embracing diversity, it’s actually reﬂected in its members. Mohamed is Indian-American, and other staff members come from other backgrounds like Somali-American Koshin Yusuf and Pakistani-American Mohamed Sajjad. Sajjad says prayer services at the center attract Muslims with roots from Turkey, Yemen, Morocco, and Syria, as well as Black and white Americans. Mohamed says the board is equally diverse. But that diversity and solidarity has not shielded the center from animosity. Following the Tree of Life fundraising effort, right-wing website Townhall falsely accused the Islamic Center of having “terror ties” and for not donating all of the money raised to Tree of Life.

Wasi understands the uphill climb the Center has in spreading a positive message of Islam. He cites a 2018 Institute for Social Policy and Understanding study showing that when Muslims are discussed in the media, it is overwhelmingly by right-wing ﬁgures and politicians like President Donald Trump, and usually in a negative light. The study shows Muslims talking about Muslim issues only receive 3 percent of the overall Muslim-focused coverage. “You can’t expect 1 percent of the population who gets only 3 percent of air time to change the conversation,” says Mohamed. But he believes uplifting Muslims is part of a broader goal of uplifting all minority communities simultaneously. He believes a solution can come when minority communities band together have each other’s backs. Mohamed is hopeful things will improve for Muslims, immigrants, African Americans, and others in Pittsburgh because he can feel the momentum moving towards solidarity. “We have created solidarity from this tragedy,” says Mohamed. “A movement of solidarity and we are not letting it die off. I think it is a special Pittsburgh thing.”

Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

The staff of 412 Food Rescue

PITTSBURGHERS OF THE YEAR

FOOD SAVERS The Pittsburgh-based organization wants to combat food waste in 20 more cities. BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N 2015, 412 Food Rescue began its mission to save food from ending up in landﬁlls. After three years and more than 4 million pounds of rescued food, the group’s co-founder and CEO, Leah Lizarondo, is looking to expand their efforts in the coming year. “Our goal is to grow to ten cities,” says Lizarondo, who originally created

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412 Food Rescue with Gisele Fetterman. So far, 412 Food Rescue, which relies on volunteers to pick up discarded or surplus food from places like restaurants and grocery stores and deliver it to nonproﬁts and agencies, has started to stake new territory outside of Allegheny County. In 2017, Lizarondo and her team, along with help from Farm

Aid, Giant Eagle, and area housing authorities, launched 724 Food Rescue in the counties of Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland. In a press release, Michael L. Washowich, executive director of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, a 724 Food Rescue founding partner, stated, “Many of our residents, both

families and elderly, know true hunger and do without adequate food for portions of each month. With 724 Food Rescue’s generous donors and volunteers, that can change; and we are grateful.” To achieve the ultimate dream of hitting 20 cities by 2020, the organization developed Food Rescue Hero, an

app that notifies volunteers when and where a food rescue pickup is available. The app launched in Philadelphia and Cleveland as the Hunger Network Food Rescue app. Lizarondo wants to bring it to San Francisco next. Launched in November, Hunger Network Food Rescue will help the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland address the disconnect between wasted food and food insecurity in Cuyahoga County, where the nonprofit says one in five people face hunger every day. “Hunger Network has served the region for 40 years, providing nearly 4 million meals each year,” stated Hunger Network CEO, Jennifer Scofield, in a press release. “Hunger Network Food Rescue offers an opportunity for everyone to take part in ending hunger. Through this, we can ensure that the good food we have feeds people, not landfills.” This year saw the organization’s most successful #GivingTuesday yet, with donations totaling over $10,000. Lizarondo attributes the ease and flexibility of the food recovery program for its accelerated growth. “I think everyone wants to do their

In helping with 412 Food Rescue, Shadyside Academy eighth grader, Parker Mendham, 13, helps his classmates load up water into the car of Jennifer Beresford, resident service coordinator at IW Able Place.

CONTINUES ON PG. 12

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PITTSBURGHERS OF THE YEAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 11

part. … It’s just that, unfortunately, life happens and we often feel like we can’t find the time,” says Lizarondo. “[Food Rescue Hero] constantly reminds you that, ‘Hey, you can do this today.’ It could be 9 a.m., it could be 3 p.m., it could be the weekend—it’s not like one event where if you miss it, that’s pretty much it.” She adds that the average food rescue takes no more than an hour and that volunteers get to see the immediate benefit of their actions. “Because it’s so fulfilling, our Food Rescue Heroes, they post on social media, they take selfies, and so they are actually helping us grow our own network. All of these ingredients are the reasons why it has grown so much in such a short period of time.” The organization has brought overdue attention to the problem of rampant food waste. Globally and domestically, the organization estimates that around 40 percent of all food produced is thrown out, an amount large enough to end world hunger four times over. Currently, 412 Food Rescue is the only organization in Southwestern Pa. focused solely on recovering food as a

Shadyside Academy eighth grader Maxwell Kimbrough, 13, helps load into a car for a 412 Food Rescue.

solution to hunger. To further combat and raise awareness about food waste, the organization also developed a variety of creative programs over the years. They created Hidden Harvest, an urban ag-

riculture project that collects surplus fruits and vegetables from public and privately-owned trees, orchards, farms and gardens, and UglyCSA, a subscription service that sells and distributes unusual looking produce rejected by

stores. They also combined efforts with local breweries and distilleries to create beverages from rescued food, including Loaf, a line of beer made from rescued bread, as well as a liqueur and cider made from rescued fruits and berries. They also work with local organizations to spread the beneﬁts of reducing food waste. University of Pittsburgh students and Pitt Dining worked with 412 Food Rescue to recover and donate surplus food from campus dining halls, cafeterias, and concessions. Together, they donated more than 24,000 pounds of surplus food to local hunger-ﬁghting agencies in the area, including the campus food pantry and the housing authority. Their efforts earned them a 2018 Food Recovery Challenge Regional Award from the EPA. Along with support from their various partners, Lizarondo credits 412 Food Rescue’s team and volunteers for the organization’s success. “I think we have a really special team that has been behind the mission and has worked really hard to make sure this crazy growth [would] happen,” says Lizarondo.

•

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

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PITTSBURGHERS OF THE YEAR

FLOATING DUMPSTER BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

UMPSTERS ARE, by definition, unglamorous. They exist to hold large amounts of waste and are therefore filthy, some might even say disgusting. In order for a dumpster to become a star, something truly special has to happen. When heavy rains fell in the South Hills last May, the streets filled with gushing water. Then, a dumpster was caught on camera floating down the makeshift river of a state highway. An 18-second video shows the dumpster being gently carried along before halting and letting the flow of water beat against its walls. On Twitter, the video has been viewed nearly 10 million times. Surely, dumpsters have floated before, but not quite as well as this one. Search “floating dumpster” on YouTube and dozens of videos of dumpsters in other cities come up, but none captured quite as clearly as this one. A star was born. The video was first shared by KDKA anchor Ken Rice and almost instantly it became a meme. People compared the wayward trash receptacle to their ex, themselves at the beach, and Ben Roethlisberger. The word “dumpster” started locally trending on Twitter. It was picked up by news and blog sites, both local and national. Some claimed Floating Dumpster would replace Dumpster Fire as a colloquialism for uncontrollable chaos.

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But ultimately, the dumpster doesn’t need to be compared to anything else. Its swimming skills speak for itself. Environmentally, 2018 was a trying year for Pittsburgh. It is currently our second-wettest year on record (with time still left to make it to number one). The flood in which this particular dumpster was dislodged was only one in a slew of heavy storms that damaged public and private property, canceled festivals, and caused landslides. It’s hard to find levity in extreme weather patterns, especially when climate science shows they will only get more severe and frequent, but Floating Dumpster let us laugh at the absurdity of it all. Even without record-setting weather, this was a trying year for the city. From shootings — both police and civilian — to lives lost to the opioid crises, to nasty elections, to criminal priests. Processing these events can take a toll on the mind and the body. It can feel, at times, like the world is one giant dumpster, filled with dumpster people. But it’s not. Even in the midst of extreme turmoil, there are still reasons to keep going. Instead of a symbol of chaos, Floating Dumpster can represent staying afloat, even when the waters are choppy. To misquote F. Scott Fitzgerald: “So we beat on, dumpsters against the current …”

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Thanks... for Drinking Responsibly this Holiday Season! Happy Holidays from

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

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BY TERENEH IDIA CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N “APES**T,” Beyoncé sings “Call my

girls and put ‘em all on a spaceship” and I always raise hand and yell, “Call me ‘Yonce, pick me! I want to go.” Sometimes anywhere else in the cosmos seems better than planet Earth in 2018. I’ve coped with a difﬁcult year with occasional daydreaming. I let my mind wander uninhibited through random disconnected musings. For example, I imagine a real life “Dora Milaje,” the all-female special force serving Wakanda in Black Panther. In my mind, I see a global force of warrior women miraculously summoned by kimoyo-beaded bracelets to protect women and femmes from abuse, violence, or discrimination. They emerge as a man tells you to smile while walking down the street. They appear just as your boss is about to say, “How brilliant, Brett!” Suddenly you hear the tell-tale Dora theme, “djahdjah-djah.” The warriors materialize in the conference meeting room. “Now Brett, you have a choice,” the Dora says quietly and calmly, hand on spear. Brett, rightfully scared out of his wits says, “Yes, of course Tamika had said it earlier.” The Dora’s piercing unsmiling eyes move ever closer to the trembling Brett. “It, ah, yes it was her original idea,” Brett says head lowered. Another daydream is closer to home, but no less of a fantasy. I am walking down Fifth or Forbes and enter the Kaufmann’s bakery. I buy not one, but three thumbprint cookies. One chocolate

with sprinkles, one chocolate with nuts and one vanilla with sprinkles. The only difﬁculty I face is what order to eat them or more to the point which one to save for last. The daydreaming helps me get through the year, but by December, I usually recognize that, though my daydreams are comforting, they are impractical. I do not own a working kimoyo bracelet, Kaufmann’s bakery is no more, and Beyoncé doesn’t even have my phone number. So, I have to get practical. I discovered that before going to bed if I did a kind of “grateful meditation,” I would sleep better. Ever since grad school I’ve had a nasty habit of waking up around 3 a.m. in the morning, working for two hours before falling back asleep for another two hours. But I’ve found that if I take a few moments to consider the good things that happened that day, I had more sleep dreaming time. Something simple, a less than ﬁve-minute wait for the bus or grand, NASA’s Voyager 2 entering interstellar space. This is what I said last night: “I am grateful that I ate today and had water to drink. I have a roof over my head, I can sleep in a violence-free bed. I voted this year, and it counted. I know where my family members are and that they are safe. I am alive.” This “counting of blessings” may not be dream building and its also not the sum total of the wishes I have for my life. But not acknowledging my gratitude would be disingenuous. Plus, I want to be well rested when Beyoncé calls.

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Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX

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.GABBY NORMAL.

CHRISTMAS DEDUCTIONS BY GAB BONESSO CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ATHER ‘ROUND children, I want

to tell you a story. I was 9 years old and Christmas was approaching. I was visiting my grandmother and she was talking to my parents about baking Christmas cookies. She made the same three cookie recipes every year: chocolate chips, thumbprints, and Italian wedding cookies. She never varied from those three. This particular year I was obsessed with a new recipe she had found in the newspaper. The cookies were a play on Rice Krispies Treats. They were cocoa crispy balls with peanut butter inside and they were covered in chocolate ganache. Just typing the description is leaving me in a puddle of drool. I asked my grandmother if she would make those cookies for Christmas since

they were my new favorite. She answered me directly, by saying, “No.” Utterly confused, I asked her, “Why?” She explained that she and my grandfather lived on a strict budget with his pension and retirement. She only had a certain amount of money she could allot for cookies and my “special”

cookies would cost too much. My parents always struggled with money, so I immediately understood and dropped the subject. I didn’t want to make my grandmother feel sad because she couldn’t afford to make me the cookies. I put the whole thought out of my head. Fast-forward to Christmas Eve, my grandparents arrive at our house and

Follow featured contributor Gab Bonesso on Twitter @gabbonesso

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my grandmother hands me a Lipton Tea box. Inside the box were the cookies that I had asked her for earlier in the month. I couldn’t believe it. It was so unlike my grandmother to spend money that she didn’t have. I was so touched by her gesture and I couldn’t wait to add the cookies to the cookie table for everyone to enjoy. At the end of the night, my family began to exchange Christmas presents. My grandparents, with their strict budget, gave their eight grandkids the same present every year. We each would receive a card with a crisp twenty-dollar bill inside. Everyone began opening their cards and pulling out their crisp twenties. I opened my card and change started falling out with several one-dollar bills, and a hand-written note from my grandmother. She explained that since I wanted “special” cookies outside of her budget she had to deduct the ingredient costs from my gift since that would only be fair. Through the years I knew some kids who actually received coal for Christmas, but I’m the only one I know who ever received itemized deductions! Thanks for teaching me the value of a dollar, Scrooge. I mean, Gram.

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The Boulevard-sleigh cocktail at the Tinsel Town holiday bar inside Harris Grill

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OWNTOWN PITTSBURGH is home to a record four holiday pop-up bars this year: Auld Lang Syne, Jingle Bar, Tinsel Town Cocktails, and the perennial favorite Miracle. City Paper sent intrepid food reporter Maggie Weaver to sample the spirits, assess the festiveness, parse the cocktail puns, and see how these seasonal haunts measure up this year.

Tinsel Town Cocktails 245 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Open thru Jan. 7 Harris Grill turned its Downtown location into Tinsel Town, aptly named for the tinsel shimmer radiating from glitter-covered walls. Snoopy lights and more tinsel hung from the ceiling, next to drinking elves and a threeperson Capitan Morgan sweater (free to try on). The bar was tiny, ﬁtted with a few tables for food service and little standing room. Similarly, the menu was small, offering four cold cocktails and two hot. We went with two from the cold menu: Ho Ho Rita and Boulevardi-sleigh. The Ho Ho Rita was, as you might expect, a Christmas-themed margarita. Decked out with a sprig of rosemary

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and three cranberries, it was mostly tequila balanced by sugary mixers. The Boulevardi-sleigh — Maker’s Mark, Campari, and sweet vermouth — was tasty and standard. Do take note: Harris Grill doesn’t joke around with their alcohol. These pack a spirited punch, and just like the carol says, “You better watch out!”

Auld Lang Syne 20 Market Square, Downtown. Open thru Dec. 31 The team behind the Halloween popup Zombie Den has now transformed The Original Oyster House in Market Square into a holiday wonderland. We arrived before the happy-hour crowd, early enough to snag a table. A footie pajama-clad bartender brought us our drink choices: Old Laing Sighs, a wintery play on a whiskey smash made with rosemary, pine, and juniper, CONTINUES ON PG. 22

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

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The Noche de Navidad and Old Laing Sighs cocktails at Auld Lang Syne

and Noche de Navidad, a hot chocolate with mango-habanero whiskey and tequila. Old Laing Sighs was refreshing, the citrus mellowing out the bourbon. I was worried about the pine channeling ﬂashbacks to bad air fresheners, but it balanced with the rosemary and juniper. On the other hand, the Noche de Navidad was cloying, the mango and chocolate combo reminiscent of the foil-covered, chocolate oranges stuffed in my childhood stockings. There was a subtle burn at the end, but not enough to mask the saturated hot chocolate.

Jingle Bar 268 Forbes Ave., Downtown. Sun.- Thu., 4:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat., 4 p.m.- 2 a.m. Open thru Dec. 31 Out of all the stops on our crawl, Jingle Bar was the most modern. It was lit with blacklights, producing a charming

neon purple hue. Stock holiday footage from Hulu was playing on a TV, a fascinating rotation between reindeer balloon animals and ﬁreworks. A huge bonus: Jingle Bar is quite large. We weren’t shoved into a corner or standing in a mosh-pit of strangers. A big “Sponsored by Smirnoff” sign should have been hanging from the ceiling, since almost every cocktail was branded by the vodka. We opted to go a different direction and chose one of the only non-vodka cocktails, the Silent Night (Tanqueray, honey grappa, lemon, and violette liqueur). The drink was clearly pre-mixed and left us a little confused. It was a competition between too many ﬂavors, resulting in an unappetizing cough-syrup taste.

Miracle on Liberty 709 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Mon.-Sun., 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Open thru Dec. 31 Our last stop was the Miracle pop-up, known nationwide with more than 80

Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Inside Jingle Bar

locations. If Christmas threw up, this bar would be the aftermath. It was covered wall-to-wall in decorations. Animatronic Santas moved creepily above the bartenders’ heads. It was packed and we squished next to a row of holiday carddecorated refrigerators. Since 2016, Miracle has been a part of Pittsburgh’s holiday celebrations and each year the drinks get better. The impressive cocktail program features interesting ingredients, like sweet potato and pumpkin pie. We ordered the Christmapolitan and Yippie Ki Yay

Mother F****r! The Christmapolitan was incredible, spiced cranberry adding a cold-weather feel to an otherwise summery drink. Yippie Ki Yay Mother F****r! surprised us, especially with the addition of sweet potato syrup, but drinking it was a challenge. It required full-face immersion into the mug, but it was worth every last drop. Miracle was by far the most festive of the holiday bars. We drank from fa-la-la barrels, Santa’s face, and Santa’s bottom half. By the end, we were drunk on holiday spirit.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

.FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 20.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Studies show that the best possible solution to the problem of homelessness is to provide cheap or free living spaces for the homeless. Not only is it the most effective way of helping the people involved; in the long run, it’s also the least expensive. Is there a comparable problem in your personal life? A chronic difficulty that you keep putting band-aids on but that never gets much better? I’m happy to inform you that 2019 will be a favorable time to dig down to find deeper, more fundamental solutions; to finally fix a troublesome issue rather than just addressing its symptoms.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Many people in Iceland write poems, but only a few publish them. There’s even a term for those who put their creations away in a drawer rather than seeking an audience: skúffuskáld, literally translated as “drawer-poet.” Is there a comparable phenomenon in your life, Aquarius? Do you produce some good thing but never share it? Is there a part of you that you’re proud of but keep secret? Is there an aspect of your ongoing adventures that’s meaningful but mostly private? If so, 2019 will be the year you might want to change your mind about it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Scientists at Goldsmiths University in London did a study to determine the catchiest pop song ever recorded. After extensive research in which they evaluated an array of factors, they decided that Queen’s “We Are the Champions” is the song that more people love to sing than any other. This triumphant tune happens to be your theme song in 2019. I suggest you learn the lyrics and melody and sing it once every day. It should help you build on the natural confidence-building influences that will be streaming into your life.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consumer Reports says that between 1975 and 2008, the average number of products for sale in a supermarket rose from about 9,000 to nearly 47,000. The glut is holding steady. Years ago you selected from among three or four brands of soup and shampoo. Nowadays you may be faced with twenty varieties of each. I suspect that 2019 will bring a comparable expansion in some of your life choices, Aries—especially when

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Until 1920, most American women didn’t have the right to vote. For that matter, few had ever been candidates for public office. There were exceptions. In 1866, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the first to seek a seat in Congress. In 1875, Victoria Woodhull ran for president. Susanna Salter became the first woman mayor in 1887. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Sagittarius, 2019 will be a Stanton-Woodhull-Salter type of year for you. You’re likely to be ahead of your time and primed to innovate. You’ll have the courage and resourcefulness necessary to try seemingly unlikely and unprecedented feats, and you’ll have a knack for ushering the future into the present. you’re deciding what to do with your future and who your allies should be. This could be both a problem and a blessing. For best results, opt for choices that have all three of these qualities: fun, usefulness, and meaningfulness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): People have been trying to convert ordinary metals into gold since at least 300 AD. At that time, an Egyptian alchemist named Zosimos of Panopolis unsuccessfully mixed sulfur and mercury in the hope of performing such magic. Fourteen centuries later, seminal scientist Isaac Newton also failed in his efforts to produce gold from cheap metal. But now let’s fast forward to twentieth-century chemist Glenn T. Seaborg, a distinguished researcher who won a share of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1951. He and his team did an experiment with bismuth, an element that’s immediately adjacent to lead on the periodical table. By using a particle accelerator, they literally transmuted a small quantity of bismuth into gold. I propose that we make this your teaching story for 2019. May it inspire you to seek transformations that have never before been possible.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): United States President Donald Trump wants to build a concrete and fenced wall between Mexico and America, hoping to slow down the flow of

immigrants across the border. Meanwhile, twelve Northern African countries are collaborating to build a 4,750-mile-long wall of drought-resistant trees at the border of the Sahara, hoping to stop the desert from swallowing up farmland. During the coming year, I’ll be rooting for you to draw inspiration from the latter, not the former. Erecting new boundaries will be healthy for you—if it’s done out of love and for the sake of your health, not out of fear and divisiveness.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau advised artists to notice the aspects of their work that critics didn’t like—and then cultivate those precise aspects. He regarded the disparaged or misconstrued elements as being key to an artist’s uniqueness and originality, even if they were as-yet immature. I’m expanding his suggestion and applying it to all of you Crabs during the next ten months, even if you’re not strictly an artist. Watch carefully what your community seems to misunderstand about the new trends you’re pursuing, and work hard to ripen them.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1891, a 29-year-old British mother named Constance Garnett decided she would study the Russian language and become a translator. She learned fast. During the next forty years, she produced English translations of 71 Russian

literary books, including works by Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Turgenev, and Chekhov. Many had never before been rendered in English. I see 2019 as a Constance Garnett-type year for you, Leo. Any late-blooming potential you might possess could enter a period of rapid maturation. Awash in enthusiasm and ambition, you’ll have the power to launch a new phase of development that could animate and motivate you for a long time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I’ll be bold and predict that 2019 will be a nurturing chapter in your story; a time when you will feel loved and supported to a greater degree than usual; a phase when you will be more at home in your body and more at peace with your fate than you have in a long time. I have chosen an appropriate blessing to bestow upon you, written by the poet Claire Wahmanholm. Speak her words as if they were your own. “On Earth I am held, honeysuckled not just by honeysuckle but by everything—marigolds, bog after bog of small sundews, the cold smell of spruce.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Be very, very careful what you put into that head, because you will never, ever get it out.” This advice is sometimes attributed to sixteenthcentury politician and cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Now I’m offering it to you as one of your important themes in 2019. Here’s how you can best take it to heart. First, be extremely discerning about what ideas, theories, and opinions you allow to flow into your imagination. Make sure they’re based on objective facts and make sure they’re good for you. Second, be aggressive about purging old ideas, theories, and opinions from your head, especially if they’re outmoded, unfounded, or toxic.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Memorize this quote by author Peter Newton and keep it close to your awareness during the coming months: “No remorse. No if-onlys. Just the alertness of being.” Here’s another useful maxim, this one from author Mignon McLaughlin: “Every day of our lives we are on the verge of making those slight changes that would make all the difference.” Shall we make it a lucky three mottoes to live by in 2019? This one’s by author A. A. Milne: “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

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.FOOD REVIEW.

THE PA MARKET BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HANGE IS NOT new for the

property at 108 19th Street in the Strip District. The towering structure has masqueraded as clubs, restaurants, and even a TV star, playing a part in the short-lived show, The Godfather of Pittsburgh. In March 2016, the space began to take a new form: a wine-driven, European-inspired food hall, The Pennsylvania Market. The PA Market, as it’s fondly nicknamed, was purchased by Anthony DiCio, a New York-based real estate developer. The 18,400-square foot, two-story building went under extensive renovations before holding a grand opening in early November. Navigating the PA Market is like walking a maze, it sprawls the length between 18th and 19th streets. On one end, there’s an open-air courtyard with vendor kiosks, a bar, and tables. Inside, a staircase leads to the main ﬂoor, featuring four restaurant concepts, a so-called “wine library,” and two fullservice bars. I visited the food hall on a lazy Tuesday. To my left were three counters, each serving a different menu. One focused on charcuterie. Bistro 108 served nibbles and entrees. The third one, Romulus Pizza, was an independently operated Roman-style pizzeria. Up another set of stairs was the wine library, decorated wall-to-wall with wine shelves. Every bottle was offered at retail price; diners were welcome to open purchased bottles in the restaurant without a corkage fee. Before I settled in with my wine, I placed my dinner orders. I decided to try a little of everything: two slices from

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Pork belly, sirloin steak, macaroni and cheese, and an assortment of pizza at PA Market

Romulus Pizza (one white slice, the other mortadella with artichoke), pork belly from the Bistro 108 nibbles menu and skirt steak and mac n’ cheese from its entree list. The new market seemed confused. The wine library was glossy, high-class, with the ambiance of an old-school cigar lounge. Down the stairs, it transformed into a modern wine-bar with wooden high tops and benches. Around a corner were low, country-club style tables. Dinner told a similar story. The pork

THE PENNSYLVANIA MARKET

108 19th St., Strip District. Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.10 p.m.; Fri., 11-2 a.m.; Sat., 9-2 a.m.; Sun., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. thepamarket.com

belly, by far my favorite dish, was drowned by its maple glaze. But the meat was prepared well, cut easily, and a touch of sweetness added good ﬂavor to the fatty meat. The skirt steak,

FAVORITE FEATURES: Globe

Courtyard

Before my visit to the PA Market, I don’t think I’d ever seen a globe used as a serious decoration. But there it was, front and center: kudos, PA Market. Not every restaurant can pull off globe decor.

Unfortunately, it’s cold, and the courtyard was not open when I visited. But the space, a host for retail, produce, and other vendors, was charming. It’s the ideal place for a summer beer.

Bottom floor tenants The PA Market doesn’t live alone. On the bottom floor, tenants like East End Brewing and The Olive Tap have made the Pennsylvania Building their home.

swimming in a peppercorn sauce, didn’t excite me. My baked mac n’ cheese was okay, but I was missing a char-speckled, cheesy crust. Mac n’ cheese served in a restaurant needs to be speech-stopping delicious. The dish I had was just alright. I was split on the pizza. The white slice was fantastic while the mortadella fell flat. Ricotta cheese topped the white pie finished with cherry tomatoes and Italian seasoning, all on a bechamelesque base. The ricotta was warm but still creamy, cut by acid from the tomatoes. The crust was spongy with a crunchy bottom, with visible, gorgeous air bubbles. Despite some disappointment, I left feeling satisfied. I credited this to the atmosphere, ideal for sitting with friends, a bottle of wine, and a plate of cheese. The PA Market has the skeleton of a great food hall. Still a fresh face in the city, there are kinks to smooth out. But the market is worth a visit if not for the cushy, leather couches then for the perfect Saturday afternoon glass of wine.

•

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

DINING OUT

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

SPONSORED LISTINGS FROM CITY PAPER ’S FINE ADVERTISERS

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED RESTAURANT

LEON’S CARIBBEAN 823 E WARRINGTON AVE., ALLENTOWN 412-431-5366 / LEONSCARIBBEAN.COM Family owned and operated since December 2014. Here at Leon’s, we take pride in our recipes and quality of dishes. Simple menu with all the traditional dishes! Leon Sr. has been a chef for 30+ years, mastering the taste everyone has grown to love and can only get at Leon’s.

THE ALLEGHENY WINE MIXER

5326 BUTLER ST., LAWRENCEVILLE 412-252-2337 / ALLEGHENYWINEMIXER.COM Wine bar and tap room in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. Offering an eclectic list of wine by the glass or bottle, local beer, craft cocktails, cheese and cured meats, good times and bad art.

BAR LOUIE

330 N. SHORE DRIVE, NORTH SIDE (412-500-7530) AND 244 W BRIDGE ST., HOMESTEAD (412-462-6400) / BARLOUIE.COM We’re your neighborhood bar, where you can kick back and be the real you, with the help of an amazing staff, great music, handcrafted martinis and cocktails, local and regional drafts, incredible wines and a huge selection of bar bites, snacks, burgers, flatbreads and sandwiches. Come in after work, before the game, late night at night, or any time you need a quick bite or a night out with friends. Bar Louie. Less obligations. More libations.

BROAD STREET BISTRO

1025 BROAD ST., NORTH VERSAILLES 412-829-2911 / BROADSTBISTRO.COM Broad Street Bistro is a neighborhood restaurant offering daily specials. ALL food is prepared fresh and made to order. It is family friendly with a special kids’ menu.

THE CAFÉ CARNEGIE

4400 FORBES AVE., OAKLAND 412-622-3225 / THECAFECARNEGIE.COM An excellent dining experience from James Beard Semi-Finalist, Sonja Finn featuring a locally-focused menu, full service dining, and espresso and wine bar.

COLONY CAFE

1125 PENN AVE., STRIP DISTRICT 412-586-4850 / COLONYCAFEPGH.COM Whether stopping in for a weekday lunch, an afternoon latte or after-work drinks with friends, Colony Cafe offers delicious housemade bistro fare in a stylish Downtown space.

EIGHTY ACRES

1910 NEW TEXAS ROAD, MONROEVILLE/PLUM 724-519-7304 / EIGHTYACRESKITCHEN.COM Eighty Acres Kitchen & Bar offers a refined,

modern approach to contemporary American cuisine with a strong emphasis on local, farm-to-table products.

FULL PINT WILD SIDE TAP ROOM

5310 BUTLER ST., LAWRENCEVILLE 412-408-3083 / FULLPINTBREWING.COM Full Pint Wild Side Taproom is Full Pint Brewing company’s Lawrenceville location and features a full service bar, huge sandwiches and half-priced happy hour. Open 4 p.m.-midnight, Mon.-Fri., and noon– midnight on Saturday. Check us out on Facebook for upcoming shows and events.

HARTWOOD RESTAURANT AND WHISPER’S PUB

3400 HARTS RUN ROAD, GLENSHAW 412-767-3500 / HARTWOODRESTAURANT.COM A hidden treasure in the Pittsburgh suburbs. Outdoor dining, full bar, eclectic atmosphere. Casual elegance at its finest. Daily specials. Open Tuesday through Saturday. Hope to see you soon!

LIDIA’S PITTSBURGH

1400 SMALLMAN ST., STRIP DISTRICT 412-552-0150 / LIDIAS-PITTSBURGH.COM Lidia’s Pittsburgh is a warm Italian restaurant offering signature classics from Lidia Bastianich. Featuring brunch, lunch and dinner menus as well as private dining.

MERCURIO’S ARTISAN GELATO AND NEAPOLITAN PIZZA 5523 WALNUT ST., SHADYSIDE 412-621-6220 / MERCURIOSGELATOPIZZA.COM Authentic Neapolitan pizza, artisan gelato, and an inviting atmosphere are just a small part of what helps create your experience at Mercurio’s Gelato and Pizza in Pittsburgh. It’s not your standard pizza shop; in fact, this isn’t a “pizza shop” at all.

PAD THAI NOODLE

4770 LIBERTY AVE, BLOOMFIELD 412-904-1640 / PADTHAINOODLEPITTSBURGH.COM This new café in Bloomfield features Thai and Burmese specialties. Standards

like Pad Thai and Coconut Curry Noodle are sure to please. But don’t miss out on the Ono Kyowsway featuring egg noodle sautéed with coconut chicken, cilantro and curry sauce.

SAGA HIBACHI

201 SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE MALL, BETHEL PARK 412-835-8888 / SAGAHIBACHI.COM Saga in the South Hills is now under new management. Stop in for exciting table-side preparations and the famous shrimp sauce. Or sit in the sushi-bar area for the freshest sushi experience, with both traditional preparations and contemporary variations.

SPIRIT

242 51ST ST., LAWRENCEVILLE 412-586-4441 / SPIRITPGH.COM/SLICEISLAND Every day we bake fresh focaccia from unbleached flour, pull our own mozzarella, and curdle our own ricotta to put on your pizza with fresh toppings from the best local farms, butchers, and purveyors.

SUPERIOR MOTORS

1211 BRADDOCK AVE., BRADDOCK 412-271-1022 / SUPERIORMOTORS15104.COM Thoughtfully prepared food, drawing inspiration from Braddock, its people, its history and its perseverance. The cuisine best represents the eclectic style which has become a trademark of Chef Kevin Sousa. Fine dining in an old Chevy dealership with an eclectic, farm-to-table menu and a community focus.

TOTOPO MEXICAN KITCHEN AND BAR

660 WASHINGTON ROAD, MT. LEBANON 412-668-0773 / TOTOPOMEX.COM Totopo is a vibrant celebration of the culture and cuisine of Mexico, with a focus on the diverse foods served in the country. From Oaxacan tamales enveloped in banana leaves to the savory fish tacos of Baja California, you will experience the authentic flavor and freshness in every bite. We also feature a cocktail menu of tequila-based drinks to pair the perfect margarita with your meal.

Look for this symbol for Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurants, committed to building vibrant communities and supporting environmentally responsible practices. Love Pittsburgh. Eat Sustainably. www.EatSustainably.org

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

.HOLIDAY.

GIVE A LITTLE LOVE BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

REA NONPROFITS are hoping people will make the holidays special for certain members of the LGBTQ community. The 2018 Holiday Giving Projects promotes local groups gathering presents, gift cards, and other items for LGBTQ elders and youth. Launched by Sue Kerr in 2014, the program supports area LGBTQ people while raising awareness about the issues they struggle with, especially during this time of year. “The reason I do this every year is because the need is there and there are very few existing organizations that have holiday programming … that’s openly LGBTQ afﬁrming,” says Kerr, an active LGBTQ-rights advocate and founder of the Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents blog. Kerr adds that groups known to provide free meals or events around the holidays tend to be faith-based like the Salvation Army, which has been

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

accused of anti-LGBTQ discrimination by activists and journalists. “People don’t always have options or know where it’s safe to go,” says Kerr. “It’s not that they will turn you away if they think you’re queer, but a lot of us, we don’t go in places unless we’re certain that we’re welcome. Having to swallow and hide that part of yourself isn’t a very festive way to celebrate.”

seniors,” says Jay Yoder, director of development for the Persad Center, one of the nonproﬁts participating in the program. “The holidays are a season of love and community, and it can be hard when they’re isolated.” Persad already collected and distributed gifts for members of its LGBTQ youth program, who Yoder says are often “couch surﬁng or don’t have a solid or

“THESE ARE THINGS THESE FOLKS REALLY NEED AND OFTEN DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO.” Two groups beneﬁting from this year’s program are elderly and youth LGBTQ populations in rural areas, as they often lack access to the transportation, protections, and sense of community their urban peers enjoy. “It’s a particularly hard time of year for our

stable home environment.” Kerr credits Dok Harris, the son of Steelers legend Franco Harris and a former Pittsburgh mayoral candidate, for volunteering to buy a large portion of the youth gifts. “I’m not surprised that he responded with such incredible generosity,” says Kerr, adding that

Harris sometimes consults with her on how to best serve the LGBTQ community. “I think he understands that he has more resources than most people and he tries hard to be an ally.” However, Persad still needs gift cards for its SAGE program, which serves the 50-and-over community throughout the region. For them, the wish list includes Giant Eagle gift cards they can use to purchase basics like gas and groceries. “We just want to support whatever anyone might want or need,” says Yoder. While the trans community has always benefited from the Holiday Giving Projects, this year marks the first time two trans-led organizations, SisTers Pgh and Garden of Peace, joined the program. SisTers Pgh will collect items for transgender and nonbinary youth, with priority placed on gift cards and Port Authority bus tickets. Garden of Peace will gather backpacks filled with hygiene items and gift cards. The backpacks will be distributed on Dec. 23 to homeless, housing insecure, and transient Black trans and queer youth and their caretakers, as well as Black single mothers, during a special holiday celebration. Among the backpack items needed are menstrual care products, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and deodorant, as well as new winter gear like hand warmers, gloves, and scarves. “These are things these folks really need and often don’t have access to,” says Garden of Peace founder and executive co-director, Michael David Battle. The group also accepts cash donations to buy more supplies. To help keep the community warm, True T PGH (formerly True T Entertainment) will hold a winter coat drive over

HOW TO DONATE: • Persad will accept Amazon and Giant Eagle gift cards in any denomination for its SAGE elders. • Garden of Peace will accept filled backpacks or backpack supplies on Dec. 19-20. • Drop off new or gently used coats for the True T PGH drive at Persad or Kelly Strayhorn Theater. • SisTers Pgh accepts gift cards in any denomination (retailers along bus lines, please) and bus tickets. the holidays and into January. Kerr believes the Holiday Giving Projects are especially important this year given the current political and social climate. “The LGBTQ community has had a really hard year,” says Kerr, pointing out how LGBTQ organizations have lost funding or completely shut down. “Resources are stretched. The need is pretty signiﬁcant.” The program is also about making the season special for area LGBTQ people in need. “We want people at the holidays to just receive a little bit of joy,” says Yoder.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

.MUSIC.

PLANETARY TIES BY JORDAN SNOWDEN JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N SWEDEN, in cars, in apartments, and in basements – these sound like the beginning of a Dr. Seuss poem but are instead the places where musicians recorded the tracks that make up The October Project. The artists featured on the album were given one weekend, a single word to include in lyrics, and a theme to see what they could create. Benjamin T. Wilson, aka BENNTY, assembled a group of his friends to take on the challenge. With a prompt and a timeframe, could the artists write and record a song? Based on the electricguitar driven “I am a Planet” to the alt/ indie-pop “Cassini,” the answer is yes, yes they can. Primarily a filmmaker, Wilson got the idea from the 48 Hour Film Project, a contest that is popular in filmmaking communities. Contestants are given a prop, character, line of dialogue, and 48 hours to make a four- to seven-minute film. He started asking the question, “Why isn’t there a version of this for music?” One of The October Project’s contributors, April Yanko, says “When [Wilson] talked about the idea of adapting that concept to songwriting, I thought it was so great that I couldn’t believe it hadn’t been done before.” After talking to different artists and figuring out scheduling, Wilson had nine interested participants, ten including himself. Because of the number, one of Wilson’s theme considerations – the planets – became the obvious choice. “It just fit too perfectly not to use,” says Wilson. He even put the songs in planetary order, starting with Mercury and diverging at track four to make a stop at the moon, and ending finally with our old friend Pluto. Choosing the word for each artist to use in their lyrics was the tricky part. “I felt I had to pick something that was simple and versatile but also noticeable, so the listener could have that sort

PHOTO: ZELIENOPLE AND BEYOND

Benjamin T. Wilson

of ‘aha!’ moment when they hear it in each track.” The word “wire” turned out to check all those boxes. In the quirky acoustic guitar track, “Merkurius,” Daniela Surra sings “Got you on the wire, baby get in line.” Jake Elich drones “Cut down the wire that binds us to this mortal, dull world” in the dreary, downtempo “Beyond What We Are.” The collaborative effect of The October

Project is astonishing. Each song has its own personality, but together, the album ﬂows effortlessly. “It’s like someone created a unique but uniform playlist and turned it into one published collection,” says Yanko. “Anyone listening to it in its entirety should have a broad taste in music, because there’s so much to choose from.” The result is even more amazing because each person recorded their song far from one another. Brennan Plucknett sent his from Erie, Alex Moody was in Virginia, and Surra was in Sweden. “I was actually traveling through Stockholm visiting a friend – Sanni Lindroos – who I’ve also recorded with before,” says Surra. “She agreed to sing harmonies on the piece. In the last couple of hours of the 48-hour period, I found a guitar in her house, wrote while she was cooking dinner, and we

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

recorded 20 minutes later.” She captured the song in one take. Soﬁa Sparks, who performs as tap shorts, completed “spontaneous combustion” in a total of 45 minutes. She wrote the lyrics on her bus ride home and recorded the song once she reached her destination.

THE OCTOBER PROJECT BY BENNTY AND FRIENDS BENNTY.bandcamp.com

“If and when [Wilson] chooses to do another project like this,” says Sparks, “I would gladly get involved because I love the way it forces creatives to stop being perfectionists.” Wilson plans to continue the format in the future. “If anyone reading would like to be added to the list for future iterations of the project,” says Wilson, “please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

•

will be a breeze,” you tell your signiﬁcant other. Three days and 40 trips to Michael later, you wake up on the ﬂoor in a pool of sweat, and you’ve missed the party. Stay off Pinterest. Except for recipes. Pinterest has dynamite recipes. Parents need to form a trade alliance. I’ll even host the summit. I saw some really cool signature cocktail recipes on Pinterest … Damnit! No. We’ll drink Brandy like Churchill did.

.JUST JAGGIN’.

BARF BAGS BY JOSH OSWALD JOSWALD@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

WAS RECENTLY made aware that my kids have a birthday party to attend this weekend. I got astigmatism from how quickly my eyes rolled back in their sockets. It’s not that I don’t like kids, or parties, or bouncy houses, or needless injuries, or endless screaming, or trips to the emergency room. It’s that I loathe the gift bag. The kids’ party gift bag is well-intentioned. “Thanks for coming, friend, here’re some treats.” And that works great for a 5-year-old’s friendship. But that bag isn’t full of treats. It is full of problems. More specifically, spills, fights, and blood-sugar spiking snacks. This plastic sack and ribbon will wander its way around your house, seemingly on its own, depositing trinkets to step on, pick up, break, and squish into your carpet. Clean floor? Bam! Here’s a miniature bottle of bubbles with a wand too

Motions:

small to even work. But once this liquid is spilled on my moderately priced laminate, we’ve got full-blown structural issues. Peace and quiet? Nope. Here’s a bouncy ball for each of your kids. Oh, that’s nice. But they’re not the same color! And the other kid’s color is the best. Sanity? Here’s a weird little toy no one can ﬁgure out how to work. But your kids

are convinced you know how – you’re just holding out on them. When I Googled “kids party gift bags,” the FIRST result on the page was Pinterest. Of course it was. And the link was entitled “Happy Birthday! 32 Kids’ Goodie Bags That Are Actually Good.” Pinterest wants you to believe it makes life easier. “Oh, this is a cool idea,” you say. “This

1: Nothing smaller than a silver dollar. 2: No liquids, unless it’s a bubble bath or something we need, like dish soap. 3: NO (clap emoji) SLIME. 4: If you have to do Play-Doh, one color for kids under 5. 5: Replace the candy with anything else. Also, throw a little something in there for the parents, who reared, dressed, buckled, and drove the kid, then sat through three hours of them asking for money to play the claw game. Airplane-sized booze bottles are cute and ﬁt any theme. Good luck and Godspeed.

•

Follow staff writer Josh Oswald on Twitter @gentlemenRich

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

CHRISTMAS MOVIE MAYHEM

The MIstle-Tones

Christmas is just around the corner, and all month the Pittsburgh City Paper staff has been participating in self-imposed seasonal torture: a holiday movie advent calendar. It’s just like a regular Christmas advent calendar, except every day, instead of a little trinket or chocolate, the treat is a holiday movie. Most of them are wretched. All of the reviews are available in full online, but here’s a sampler to pique your interest.

The Mistle-Tones (Freeform) BY MAGGIE WEAVER

It’s a week before Christmas, and Holly (Tia Mowry) only has one chance to join the Snow Belles, an a capella group started by her dead mother, for their performance at the Deck the Mall Spectacular. Think painful, modernized holiday songs and show-choir choreography mixed with wine chugging and faux fur.

Christmas Harmony (Lifetime) BY RYAN DETO

Harmony (Kelley Jakle) is a songwriter for her popstar boyfriend when, out of the blue, he breaks up with her. She returns home to her hometown to heal from the breakup and put on a Christmas concert. Ever listen to a song so dull, so aggressively inoffensive that it actually becomes offensive, since it clearly wastes the talents of the musicians playing it? There’s a lot of that here.

A Christmas Prince (Netflix) BY JOSH OSWALD

A writer’s clickbait-driven editor-in-chief assigns her the scoop of a lifetime. The “international playboy” heir to the throne of Aldovia, Prince Richard, is to be coronated King during the nation-state’s Christmas Eve Ball. Spoiler: they fall in love.

A Very Nutty Christmas (Lifetime) BY AMANDA WALTZ

An investment banker-turned-workaholic baker Kate Holiday (Melissa Joan Hart) wakes up to find a handsome soldier who may or may not be Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Prince asleep in her living room. He teaches her to love Christmas and so much more.

PHOTO: MAGNOLIA PICTURES

Shoplifters

.SCREEN.

SHOPLIFTERS BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N SHOPLIFTERS, an untraditional

family living in poverty sticks together, despite a lack of blood relation. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, in Japanese with English subtitles, the movie takes a close look at how people build new families to depend on when their biological families fall short. Osamu (Lily Franky) and his wife Naboyu (Sakura Ando) live in a minuscule, cramped apartment with their son Shota (Kairi Jyo), grandma Hatsue, (Kirin Kiki), and aunt Aki (Mayu Matsuoka). The parents work menial jobs, Aki is a sex worker, and grandma collects a pension. To survive, father and son shoplift most of their food and necessities. One cold night, while walking home, they find a young girl, Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), alone outside her house. They take her in, assuming the shelter is temporary, but when they try to return Yuri to her family, they see it’s a violent, abusive household and decide to adopt her unofﬁcially. Only when the family sees Yuri on the news as a missing person do they cut her hair and change her name. As Yuri gets accustomed to the family’s

way of life, including no school and cramped sleeping, she also learns what it means to live in a house with people who want you there. Familial love is unconditional, but not always from the family you’re born into. After months of living in unconventional, downtrodden bliss, the truth about the family starts to unravel, and it becomes clear that the thread holding them together is not as strong as they thought.

SHOPLIFTERS

DIRECTED BY: Hirokazu Kore-eda STARRING: Lily Franky, Sakura Ando Opens Fri., Dec. 21 at Regent Square Theater

Shoplifters has nearly everything you could want in a movie: empathy, mystery, warmth, humor, intimacy, sadness, noodles, the beach. It’s a close portrait of poverty in a country that likes to pretend these living conditions don’t exist (Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe notably ignored the movie after it won the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival). The movie shows beauty in the char-

acters’ lives without making poverty look idyllic, but it doesn’t patronize them either. Shoplifters tackles the complex morals of a fraught class system that shows the blurriness between right and wrong. Would you steal food to feed your family? Would you steal food to feed your fake family? Would you teach a kidnapped child to steal to help take care of the fake family? They want the best for each other, but don’t necessarily know what that means or how to give it. The acting is superb, especially Ando as Nobuyo, the makeshift mom of the family. She comes from the same line of sex work as Aki and bears the same scars as Yuri, but she tries to provide the love and safety she never had. Ando plays her with poise and the maternal disarray of someone who’s been playing house so long they’ve convinced themselves it’s a reality. But there’s not a weak link in the cast, including the children, who have that accidental genius thing child actors have without realizing it. In the end, no one in Shoplifters gets exactly what they want, but at least brieﬂy, they had a family.

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

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AUTHORS’ AUTHORS BY REGE BEHE // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T’S HARD TO wrap a book and make

it look like anything else. But book lovers and avid readers usually don’t mind, because they don’t want anything but books for presents. Pittsburgh is home to several indie bookstores and one of the best writing colonies in the country, if not the world. Who better to ask for book recommendations than some of the region’s most noted literary ﬁgures? Here’s what they are gift-wrapping for the holidays.

My gift book this year is Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India, by Sujatha Gidla, a multi-generational family history set in India that focuses on a segment of society we so rarely read about. Gidla writes about her larger-than-life uncle, a communist leader and poet, and her mother, who worked hard to overcome the limitations placed on her as a woman from a lower caste. It’s completely riveting nonﬁction with all the drama of ﬁction. — Geeta Kothari, director of the Writing Center at the University of Pittsburgh, author of I Brake for Moose and Other Stories

For a friend who enjoys feeling cocooned and spooked on a dark winter night, I would wrap up with Michelle

Paver’s Dark Matter, a ghost story set in the Arctic Circle in the 1930s, in which British explorer/scientists cope with bitter-cold isolation, both from the outside world and from each other. — Emily Winslow, CMU alumnus and author of the memoir Jane Doe January, and suspense novels set in Cambridge, England

I’d recommend I’m So Fine: A List of Famous Men & What I Had On, by Khadijah Queen. The ‘90s R&B nods will have you tripping in all the best ways. Some things are just un-Google-able. You had to be there. But this book will speak to every smart woman in your life, no matter her birth year. Queen’s poems will spark many conversations about gender, body image, and American fame and celebrity culture in fresh, witty, and complicated ways. — Yona Harvey, poet and author of the collection Hemming the Water, creative writing professor at the University of Pittsburgh, contributor to Marvel Comics World of Wakanda series

“[Mark] Whitaker’s research into Black Pittsburgh from the 1920-50s [for Smoketown] is impressive. He lays out the city’s own Harlem-like renaissance using the Pittsburgh Courier, the nation’s premier black newspaper, as source material. The book itself is not just a proﬁle of the

African-American art, music, and sports scene, but of that important newspaper.”

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— Sherrie Flick, author of fiction collection Thank Your Lucky Stars, creative writing lecturer at Chatham University

If I could convince people to buy one book this season, it would be The Sound of Holding Your Breath, a collection of short stories by Natalie Sypolt. Natalie is a West Virginia writer pushing back against the Appalachian stereotype that coalesced around Hillbilly Elegy after the 2016 election. Her characters invite the reader into their conﬁdence, telling ﬁercely human secrets to strangers and trusting us not to judge. I read it months ago and cannot stop thinking about it. — Arlan Hess, owner of City Books, North Side

The God of Small Things is pure poetry. Arundhati Roy casts a sharp eye on a pair of fascinating twins and the caste system in India. The book will nourish your brain with its imagery. In The Metal Shredders, Nancy Zafris writes about blue collar workers in Ohio with her usual compassion and utterly unique humor and sensibility.

blogh.pghcitypaper.com

Clicking “reload” makes the workday go faster

— Jane McCafferty, Carnegie Mellon professor of English, author of the novels One Heart and First You Try Everything

Follow contributing writer Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

PHOTOS: CASEY DROEGE

Support Group

.ART PREVIEW.

CAREER CREATIVES BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N 2017, Casey Droege set out to promote and

strengthen the Pittsburgh arts community by founding the artist-run, woman-owned consultation business Casey Droege Cultural Productions. Now Droege, an accomplished artist and self-described “cultural producer,” continues her mission of being an arts advocate with Support Group. Showing at 707 Gallery from Dec. 21-March 3, Support Group features an installation inspired by interviews Droege conducted with ﬁve women artists in their 70s or 80s. The group of interviewees consists

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of painter Kathleen Zimbicki; painter and mosaicist Linda Wallen; costume designer June Seale; mixedmedia printmaker, installation artist, and 2017 Pittsburgh Artist of the Year Jo-Anne Bates; and mixedmedia artist Charlotte Ka. “I started interviewing because I was hoping to learn how they built their careers,” says Droege. “None of them are super famous, but they’ve had these incredible, lifelong artistic careers — they continue to make, they continue to exhibit, they sell work, they do a number of other things, like teaching. So part of what I was looking for was a potential model

or ideas on how to continue to persevere.” Made up of around 20 pieces, including sculptures, drawings, and prints, the show seeks to answer questions surrounding ideas of support and sustenance. According to one description, it “functions as a gesture of reinforcement, an experiment in underpinning, and a dysfunctional crack at corroboration.” In some cases, Droege incorporated text from the interviews and included line graphs made by the interviewees summing up their careers. As an offering, Droege also made each artist a chair that pulls imagery and color palettes from

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their respective work. “There’s a mixture of paying homage to their careers, and what I’ve learned from them, and also kind of poking fun at myself for trying to exist within this very unreasonable structure of the art world,” says Droege. “Why we do this to ourselves, I still don’t know.”

SUPPORT GROUP OPENING

Fri., Dec. 21, 6:30-8 p.m. 707 Penn Ave., Downtown. Free. facebook.com/707pittsburgh

The show illustrates, to some degree, that there’s no set way to pursue and maintain a career in the arts, especially for women and marginalized groups who lack the same access and opportunities afforded to their white, male counterparts. Evidence for this can be seen on a local level. In May, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council released a yearlong study looking at hundreds of area arts organizations, which was prompted by a 2016 survey showing that 84 percent of non-

white respondents thought that Greater Pittsburgh’s arts funding was inequitable. The study ended up ﬁnding disparities between funding for white-majority arts organizations and ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American) arts organization. “I think there’s a lot to be learned about how creating a career in the arts is usually an adventure and you’re often creating your pathways,” says Droege. “But I think when you’re a woman and particularly a woman of color then you’re really creating your own pathway and you’re coming up with your own resources and you have to be really innovative and really hustle.” She also hopes to organize a panel with the women, so others can witness and learn from their experiences. “They’re all really incredibly intelligent, warm, wonderful women. They were just amazing and hilarious.” When asked how they managed successful, decades-long careers as artists, even in the face of adversity, “They were just like, ‘well, you just have to do it and keep going,’” says Droege.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

.DANCE.

BEST OF TOURING DANCE 2018 BY STEVE SUCATO CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HIS PAST YEAR was a banner one for touring dance productions gracing Pittsburgh stages. From the Cultural Trust’s Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts, featuring the U.S. premiere of Haitian dance company Ayikodans’ Cri des Nago and France’s Aurélien Bory and Compagnie 111’s ingenious ESPÆCE, to the Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s presentation of Michael Sakamoto’s intercultural work Soil and the Dance Council showcasing Los Angeles contemporary dance innovators BodyTrafﬁc, 2018 was a veritable dance smorgasbord.

Here are six touring treats that rose above the rest: Grupo Corpo (Byham Theater, Jan. 17) The Brazilian super-troupe came to town with a program looking back on its 43-year history of unique choreographic works that fuse modern dance, Brazilian street dance, ballet, and more. This program also marked the ﬁrst time the company presented work by someone other than its resident choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras. Wang Ramirez - Borderline (Byham Theater, March 7) Together, former hip-hop B-boy Sébastien Ramirez and ballet-trained Honji Wang have created a hybrid movement language that

PHOTO: JOSE LUIZ PENDERNEIRAS

Grupo Corpo dance company in Cassi Abranches’ Suite Branca

may be the forerunner for a new stylistic wave in dance. In Borderline, they added rigging (cables, harnesses) for an exploration of human relationships and social boundaries. Cynthia Oliver Co. - Virago-Man Dem (Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Sept. 28-29) Co-commissioned by KST, Bessie Awardwinning choreographer Cynthia Oliver’s abstract dance-theater work presented a nuanced study on masculinity within cultures of Caribbean and African-American communities that was both imagerich and skillfully performed. Deborah Colker Dance Company Cão sem Plumas (Byham Theater, Oct. 13) The U.S. premiere of the Brazilian troupe’s 2017 multimedia masterwork,

Cão sem Plumas (Dog Without Feathers) combined contemporary dance movement with filmmaker Cláudio Assis’ high-definition black-and-white film themed around the impoverished riverside population of the Capibaribe River Region in Brazil to create a visually stunning work about resiliency and beauty in the face of injustice. Yabin Wang & Her Friends - The Moon Opera (Byham Theater, Nov. 13) The North American premiere of awardwinning Chinese choreographer Yabin Wang’s 2015 dance drama told the story of aging Peking opera star Yanqiu, who struggled between dreams of artistic stardom and her traditional role as a woman in Chinese society.

Featuring a spellbinding performance by star dancer Ying Peng as Yanqiu, the haunting work was exquisitely-crafted and indelibly memorable. The Hip Hop Nutcracker (Benedum Center, Dec. 11-12) One of the most unique, refreshing, and entertaining takes on The Nutcracker story to come along in recent memory, director/choreographer Jennifer Weber’s reimagined tale set in contemporary New York City combined Tchaikovsky’s iconic score with old-school hip-hop and dance to create pure theatrical magic.

•

Next issue, my list of 2018’s local standout dance artists/productions

Follow featured contributor Steve Sucato on Twitter @ssucato

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Arlo Aldo

.MUSIC.

BARE NECESSITIES BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ITH JUST A pair of microphones between them, no editing, click tracks, or layering, David Manchester and Jessica Hoffman of Arlo Aldo recorded TwoPiece Promenade. The five-track release from November is 100 percent live and captures the indie-folk band in its most exposed and intimate form. “It’s very earnest and honest in terms of what we’re putting into it,” says Manchester. “It’s also the most stripped down and bare of anything we’ve done. Even other live recordings we’ve done, it’s been a fivepiece band or things like that.” And it’s true, without the layering, the EP is a step away from Arlo Aldo’s signature sound. Manchester says it gives listeners a chance to focus on the lyrics and meaning of the songs, and to take notice of Arlo Aldo’s whimsical, yet reflective, view of the world. With Manchester singing and playing guitar, and Hoffman playing viola and backing up vocals with soft harmonies, Two-Piece Promenade features five tracks, four of which are new to the band’s repertoire. In “Society,” Manchester belts out “When you think you have to want more than you need …” and takes a haunt-

ing look at consumer culture. Hoffman embraces the lead in “Porch Lights,” and urges the listener to come, sit on the porch, and simply enjoy one another’s company, no matter what is weighing down the mind. Fans of the Pittsburgh-based folk band might recognize a new version of “Snow Day,” a song from Arlo Aldo’s ﬁrst album, Zelie. “‘Snow Day’ has been through a lot of iterations,” says Manchester, “but it’s never been recorded with just two people. From my standpoint, it’s sort of a farewell to the recording of that song.” In essence, the entirety of Two-Piece Promenade is an interlude into Arlo Aldo’s next phase. “It’s kind of a palate cleanser because the next album is going to be much more of a concept album,” says Manchester. “The last couple of our recordings have been very sonically dense. I wanted to have something that gave people an idea of the kinds of material we are working on for the next album without exposing too much of what the next album will sound like.” Arlo Aldo hopes to get into the studio for the next album soon and aims to release new music next fall. Until then, fans can get to know them better with Two-Piece Promenade.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

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EARLY WARNINGS SPONSORED UPCOMING EVENTS FROM CITY PAPER’S FINE ADVERTISERS

WED., JANUARY 2 HOLIDAY MAGIC: LET IT GLOW! 5 P.M. PHIPPS CONSERVATORY OAKLAND. $11.95. For more info visit phipps.conservatory.org.

WED., JANUARY 2 HANDWORK: KIM FOX 6 A.M. STEEL PLAZA T STATION DOWNTOWN. Free event. Contemporarycraft.org.

THU., JANUARY 3 ICE SKATING LESSONS 4:40 P.M. NORTH PARK ICE RINK NORTH PARK. Over-5 event. Free event (registration required). 724-935-1280 or alleghenycounty.us/parkprograms.

THU., JANUARY 3 BLACK SABBATH LIVES 8 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. $17-28. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

THU., JANUARY 3 JESSICA BITSURA 8 P.M. CLUB CAFÉ SOUTH SIDE. Over-21 event. $15. 412-431-4950 or ticketweb.com/opusone.

FRI., JANUARY 4 BIT CITY LIVE 8 P.M. MR. SMALLS FUNHOUSE MILLVALE. All-ages event. $8. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

FRI., JANUARY 4 THE FOUR HORSEMEN: A TRIBUTE TO METALLICA 8 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. $17-28. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com. With special guest Vermithrax.

SAT., JANUARY 5 NORTH SHORE 5K TOUR 9 A.M. ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM NORTH SIDE. $25. 412-256-8640 or pittsburghrunningtours.com.

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FRI., JANUARY 4 THE FOUR HORSEMEN: A TRIBUTE TO METALLICA JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE

DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD LIVE! 11 A.M. BYHAM THEATER DOWNTOWN. $30. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

SAT., JANUARY 5 PENS IN THE PARK NOON. NORTH PARK ICE RINK NORTH PARK. Regular rink admission. 724-935-1280 or alleghenycounty.us/parkprograms.

SAT., JANUARY 5 READER RANGER: NATURE STORIES & HANDS ON EXPLORING 2 P.M. NORTH PARK ROSE BARN NORTH PARK. Free event (registration required). 724-935-1766 or alleghenycounty. us/parkprograms.

8 P.M. CLUB CAFÉ SOUTH SIDE. Over-21 event. $20. 412-431-4950 or ticketweb.com/opusone. With special guest Jim and Sam.

MON., JANUARY 7 GIVE HOCKEY A SHOT 5:30 P.M. NORTH PARK ICE RINK NORTH PARK. Ages 4-8. Free event (registration required). 724-935-1280 or alleghenycounty.us/parkprograms.

MON., JANUARY 7 ACOUSTICAFE OPEN STAGE 7 P.M. MR. SMALLS FUNHOUSE MILLVALE. Over-21 event. Free event. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

TUE., JANUARY 8 TINY TOTS SKATING

SAT., JANUARY 5 L.L. BEAN TAILS AND TRAILS HIKE

10 A.M. NORTH PARK ICE RINK NORTH PARK. Ages 3-6. $25-30 (registration required). 724-935-1280 or alleghenycounty.us/parkprograms.

2 P.M. L.L. BEAN TRAILER NORTH PARK. Free event (registration required). Llbean.com/pittsburgh.

TUE., JANUARY 8 BEGINNER SKI/ SNOWBOARD LESSONS

SAT., JANUARY 5 BILL TOMS 8 P.M. MR. SMALLS FUNHOUSE MILLVALE. Over-21 event. $12. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com. With special guests Hard Rain & Danny Gochnour Band.

SUN., JANUARY 6 WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS

6 P.M. BOYCE PARK SKI SLOPES BOYCE PARK. $85-119. 724-733-4656 or alleghenycounty.us/parkprograms.

TUE., JANUARY 8 BASIC YOGA FLOW 7 P.M. NORTH PARK ROSE BARN NORTH PARK. $30-40. 724-935-1766 or alleghenycounty.us/parkprograms.

FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

CALENDAR DECEMBER 19-26

PHOTO: MAURA SHEEDY

^ Thu., Dec. 20: Make Muse

THURSDAY DEC. 20 SCREEN

The Great Buster, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, celebrates the life and legacy of filmmaker Buster Keaton. Born in the late 1800s with a mind overflowing with talents for filmmaking, stunt-work, and silent comedy, Keaton’s gifts fit perfectly with the early 20th century transition from vaudeville to silent films. In this documentary, Bogdanovich and his neck scarf interview some of Keaton’s biggest fans and followers. To name a few: Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Werner Herzog,

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Quentin Tarantino, Dick Van Dyke, and Nick Kroll. Get to know this brilliant, troubled innovator with a screening of The Great Buster at Regent Square Theater. 7 p.m. 1035 S. Braddock Ave., Regent Square. $8. cinema.pfpca.org

STAGE

Hershey Felder is a good fit to portray Irving Berlin in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin (it’s right there in the name!). They’re both critically acclaimed pianists, composers, and lyricists, and while Felder’s name might not ring out as loud as Berlin’s, he does have experience embodying prolific influential composers like George Gershwin, Frederic Chopin, Leonard Bernstein, Beethoven and more.

In this performance, staged at O’Reilly Theater through Sun., Dec. 30, Felder brings Berlin to life with fan favorites like “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Blue Skies,” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” 7 p.m. 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. $25-65. ppt.org

LAUNCH

Pittsburgh teen Maura Sheedy challenged female beauty standards by going makeup-less for a year on her Instagram account. The project turned into Make Muse, a progressive media brand created for and by young women that challenges gender roles while covering a wide range of topics, from fashion and entertainment to activism and politics.

The first semi-annual print issue launches at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse during a celebration where young creatives can meet and mingle while enjoying refreshments by Bon Temps, Boxed Water, Tickle Water, and Gem and Bolt. 7:30-9:30 p.m. 214 N. Lexington St., Point Breeze. Free and open to the public. pccr.org

PARTY

Break out the spandex and leg warmers for an ‘80s-themed Third Thursday dance party at Carnegie Museum of Art. Inspired by the Pittsburgh-shot 1983 film Flashdance – screening all night in the museum – What a Feeling! features some of Pittsburgh’s best dance troupes, including

PHOTO: BRYAN CONLEY

^ Thu., Dec. 20: Third Thursday

courDANCE, fireWALL Dance Theater, and Level Up Studios, showing off their best moves to music from the era. Bedazzle your own sweatband, take some truly rad selfies in the photo booth, then compete in a dance contest for a Carnegie Museums membership. 8-11 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $5-10. cmoa.org

MUSIC

Tired of the same old holiday songs? Dauntless Media is. So they’re releasing a holiday record with a twist — an album of seasonal classics blended with R&B, hip hop, and trap. The 11-minute sampler includes four songs from local artists, Aria Jay, Clara Kent, Justo Ontario, and Deon. To promote the collection, DJ Ron Coleman, the four musicians, and some surprise guests will perform at Club Cafe for the Dauntless Records listening party: Be Dauntless Holiday 2018. Ring in the holidays with soulful renditions and original trap and hip-hop tracks. 8 p.m.–1 a.m. Club Cafe, 56 S. 12th St., South Side. Free. $10 for digital download. clubcafelive.com

FRIDAY DEC. 21 MARKET

Last weekend, I Made It! Market held its Last Minute Shopping event for procrastinating Pittsburghers. This weekend brings its sequel: Very Last Minute Shopping marketplace at McCandless Crossing. Thirty local vendors will be on-hand to peddle their wares (sell their stuff). Some

favorites include Puzzle Pax (custom wooden six-pack holders), Wren & Rita (handmade gifts from body sprays to natural lip balms), A519 Chocolate (chocolate), and custom apparel company Goods and Evil, which channels its love for veganism, horror, and punk to make unforgettable, Pittsburgh-centric designs. Look no further than its “Zombie Capital” shirt (pictured) for the sci-fi Pittsburgher in your life. 10 a.m.5 p.m. Continues Sat., Dec. 22 and Sun., Dec. 23. 5700 Corporate Drive, McCandless. imadeitmarket.com

MUSIC ^ Fri., Dec. 21: Very Last Minute Shopping PHOTO: GOODS AND EVIL

Combining rock with chamber music, Cello Fury has been making classical music

bad ass for nearly ten years. Although Ben Munoz left the band earlier this year, founding members Nicole Meyers and Simon Cummings quickly added new cellist Cecilia Caughman. In case there was any doubt: “Yes, there will still be headbanging!” Meyers says. For its Cello Fury & Friends Holiday Show at Hard Rock Cafe, the long-haired threesome, backed by drummer Dave Throckmorton, is bringing in popular local singers Liz Berlin of Rusted Root, Scott Blasey of the Clarks, and Celtic-style vocalist Jacquelynn Ware. Expect an epic live concert experience. 8:30 p.m. Hard Rock Cafe, 230 W. Station Square Drive, Station Square. $10-15. cellofury.com

BASH

Is there a moustache on your face? If not, have you always wanted to grow one? Cattivo is throwing a party for all mustache enthusiasts with The Stache Bache, celebrating all facial hair, fake or real, with a dance-worthy lineup of live music. Not sold? Wear your gaudiest holiday sweater instead. Cattivo is giving out $50 prizes CONTINUES ON PG. 42

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 19-26, 2018

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 41

7 DAYS

OF CONCERTS BY JORDAN SNOWDEN JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: MICHAEL PEREZ

The Stolen

THURSDAY The Stolen, A Summer High, Bronnie, Young Lungs 7 p.m. The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls, Millvale. mrsmalls.com

FRIDAY Midnite Snake, Come Holy Spirit, Phil Boyd 9 p.m. Brillobox, Bloomfield. brilloboxpgh.com

SATURDAY Eternal Boy 6 p.m. The Smiling Moose, South Side. smiling-moose.com

SUNDAY PSO Highmark Holiday Pops 2:30 p.m. Heinz Hall, Downtown. pittsburghsymphony.org

MONDAY Steel Town Strings 7 p.m. Beulah Presbyterian Church, Churchill. beulahpresby.org

TUESDAY Merry Christmas! Listen to CP’s Christmas Playlist on Spotify by searching “Pittsburgh City Paper”

WEDNESDAY Bill Deasy 8 p.m. Club Cafe, South Side. clubcafelive.com

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: NADINE SHERMAN

^ Fri., Dec. 21: Cello Fury

MUSIC

for the best mustache and ugliest sweater. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. 146 44th St., Lawrenceville. $10. Cattivopgh.com

Beach Bunny, aka Chicago-native Lili Trifilio, chose the moniker because it paired well with her surf-pop, indie sadgirl music (a good fit for fans of Saintseneca, Alvvays, Snail Mail). She brings that sad warm-weather sound to The Mr. Roboto Project, along with folk artist Field Medic, Shay Park of Soda Club, Blankets for Laura, and local alt-rock musician Princex. Listening to beach music means it’s warm outside, right? 7 p.m. The Mr. Roboto Project, 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. therobotoproject.com

SATURDAY DEC. 22

WORKSHOP

Being funny isn’t really a skill that can be taught but performing alongside others in front of an audience might expedite the process. In its ever-growing commitment to making Pittsburghers funnier, Arcade Comedy Theater hosts comedian Phillip Markle for a workshop on improv called “Free Your Mind,” where students can learn to embrace mistakes and fail gloriously. Markle has a stacked performance resume that includes standup comedy, storytelling at The Moth, writing, and teaching. If education and self-improvement aren’t your thing, skip the class and check out Markle’s “Sparkle Hour!” one-person show at 8 p.m., Saturday night, also at Arcade. 2 p.m. 943 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $50-60. arcadecomedytheater.com

OUTDOORS

Enjoy an active night under the stars when the Friends of Riverview Park presents a Full Moon Hike. Starting at Riverview

MUSIC ^ Thu., Dec. 20: Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. (1924) PHOTO: COHEN MEDIA GROUP

Park’s Visitor Center, ranger Nancy Schaefer takes outdoorsy types willing to brave the cold for a for an all-ages 2-3 mile evening hike. Try to spot nocturnal wildlife as you navigate the trail using only the natural light of the winter full moon (hikers are also welcome to bring a headlamp or flashlight). The event will take place during snow but not rain. 5:30-7:30 p.m. 1 Riverview Ave., North Side. Free. pittsburghparks.org/riverview-park

In “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” the first track from Stevie Wonder’s 1976 album Songs In the Key of Life, Wonder pleads that the world needs more love, and hate halted: a similar mantra heard in Pittsburgh after the October Tree of Life shooting. To raise money for the Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh, Beni Rossman and a group of local musicians are bringing the funky, soulful stylings of Stevie Wonder to the Rex Theater, covering the entirety of the Songs in the Key of Life. Rossman posted in the Facebook event, “Songs in the Key of Life is an incredibly influential and spiritually reflective album, and being able to bring it to life means the world to me.” 8-11 p.m. Rex Theater, 1602 E. Carson, South Side. rextheater.net •

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IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-18-14418, In re petition of Janis Ellen Marie Kelly for change of name to Janis Ellen Leonard. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 13th day of December, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

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OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on January 8, 2019, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

Pgh. Brashear High School Bridge and Driveway Repairs General Prime Pgh. Grandview PreK-5 Finish Floor Replacements General and Asbestos Primes Pgh. Perry High School Concrete and Retaining Wall Repairs General Prime Pgh. Pioneer Education Center Vertical Transportation Modernization General and Electrical Primes Pgh. Phillips K-5 Air Conditioning Offices Mechanical Prime Pittsburgh South Annex (Online Academy) Vertical Transportation Modernization General and Electrical Primes Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on December 3, 2018 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual. We are an equal rights and opportunity school district

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NAME CHANGE IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-18-10626, In re petition of Sayra Samuels parent and legal guardian of Sydne Jeanne Samuels-Rottenberg and Sammie Bailee Samuels-Rottenberg, for change of name to Sydne Jeanne Samuels and Sammie Bailee Samuels. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 7th day of January, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

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PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column

DEAR JESSIE BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM

Dear Jessie, Vaginal penetration is rather “meh” for me. Clitoral stimulation is the best way for me to climax. Everyone seems to think it’s “wrong” that I prefer clitoral stimulation over penetration. Is it normal for someone to prefer clitoral stimulation/orgasms? ~ Shy Spells ~ Dear Shy Spells, You are certainly not alone in this! Many women who primarily or exclusively experience orgasm through clitoral stimulation have been made to feel like there is something wrong with the way they experience pleasure. Our culture’s near obsession with vaginal orgasms has a deep historical context, beginning with Sigmund Freud’s theory of female sexual development, where he connected vaginal orgasms to sexual maturity. According to Freud, young girls experience an active sexuality that is similar to that of their male counterparts. He believed sexual pleasure during this early stage of female development centered on the clitoris. In this way, early female sexuality was believed to resemble active masculine sexuality, which focused on the penis. However, Freud thought that normal maturation from girls into women

involved an abandonment of this masculine sexuality in favor of a passive femininity. In other words, a sign of female sexual maturity is the successful move from active clitorally-focused sexual pleasure to passive vaginally-focused sexual pleasure. He says, “With the change to femininity the clitoris should wholly or in part hand over its sensitivity, and at the same time its importance, to the vagina.” He goes so far as to call women who primarily achieve orgasm through clitoral stimulation “infantile” and “frigid.” Freud’s theories weren’t based in any careful observation of female anatomy or physiology and have long been debunked. So it’s worth asking why, more than 100 years later, many women are still shamed for not having vaginal orgasms. One explanation for this — embraced by many feminists — is that clitoral orgasm is threatening to male partners. (This is, in part, why vibrators are seen both dangerous and liberating.) Freud argued (and many men still, unfortunately, believe) that female pleasure is dependent upon male involvement and male pleasure — that women’s bodies are designed to be passive receptacles for male pleasure and only experience pleasure in fulﬁlling that role.

For a heterosexual man to admit that the majority of women don’t have sex through vaginal penetration alone would mean that he also has to come faceto-face with at least three other truths about his sex life. First, he may have to engage in sex that does not revolve around his penis and his pleasure in order to make his female partner orgasm; next, he is not necessary for his partner to experience pleasure; and third, female sexuality is not passive (which ties into the ﬁrst two points). In the last half century, much research has been done regarding female orgasms — all of which suggest that it is relatively uncommon for women to orgasm through vaginal penetration alone. Personally, I am quite sure I have never had an orgasm from penetration alone. So, despite what Freud asserted, and what many people have been led to believe, inability to orgasm without clitoral stimulation is perfectly normal. Rather than trying to force our bodies to experience pleasure in ways that don’t work for us, we should put our energy toward teaching and learning to respect each other’s bodies and desires. And partners that shame us into sex that is convenient for them, don’t deserve it.

Jessie Sage is co-host of the Peepshow Podcast, which addresses issues related to sex and social justice. Her column Peepshow is exclusive to City Paper. Follow her on Twitter @peep_cast.

•

Peepshow Podcast, Ep. 36 On Dec. 17, blogging platform Tumblr put into place a ban on all “adult content.” It is worthy of note that Dec. 17 is also the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, a day of remembrance observed around the world, including in Pittsburgh. For those who work within the sex work community, this timing seemed like a slap in the face. We fight for justice and recognition for our communities, while the very platforms that have sustained our livelihood, both in terms of building clientele and community, are being shut down, one by one. But as is often said, sex workers are canaries in the coal mine. What is happening to sex workers now — being shut out of internet platforms and silenced in public discourse — is a sign of what’s to come for others. In order to tackle the impact of the Tumblr sex ban, we have brought on two non-sex workers who will also be affected: erotic artist Jaymie Delight, and erotic genre fiction writer Sunny Moraine. For their reflections on the Tumblr ban and more go to peepshowpodcast.com/ peepshow-podcast-episode-36

Too embarrassed to ask your friends about a sexual position? Want to know what it’s really like to work in the sex industry? Jessie Sage wants to hear from you! Submit a question for a chance to get it answered in an upcoming column. Email your question to info@pghcitypaper.com with “Ask Jessie” in the subject line. (All questions will be kept confidential.) 46

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

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