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The
2020
SPIRIT KING of
Award Ceremony
This annual award honors lifetime achievement in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Port Authority is proud to present Robert R. Lavelle and Nate Smith, Sr. as the 2020 Spirit of King honorees. The ceremony takes place Thursday, January 16th 10:00 am at The Kingsley Center, 6435 Frankstown Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Please RSVP by Friday, January 10, 2020 by calling 412.566.5320.
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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JAN. 8-15, 2020 VOLUME 29 + ISSUE 2 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 JOSIE NORTON, JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Events and Sponsorship Manager BLAKE LEWIS Senior Account Executive JOHN CLIFFORD Sales Representative KAITLIN OLIVER Operations Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Events and Marketing Coordinator BRYER BLUMENSCHEIN Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, LISSA BRENNAN, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, JESSIE SAGE National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.
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FIRSTSHOT
COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM READ THE STORY ON PAGE 6
BY JARED WICKERHAM
ON THE COVER: LEIA WAY LESTAT, MISS V, AND ALEXA CHAPMAN POSE FOR A PORTRAIT DURING A DRAG BRUNCH AT FRANK’S BAR AND GRILL IN SHADYSIDE
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M E D ICAL MAR IJ UAN A
PITTSBURGH’S
BEST DISPENSARY
thehealingcenterusa.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
Miss V performs during a drag brunch at Frank’s Bar and Grill
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THE BIG STORY
BRUNCH IS A DRAG BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
W
HEN THE HARD ROCK CAFE
in South Side started hosting drag brunches two years ago, the organizers ran into a problem: Many patrons had no idea about tipping etiquette, an integral component for both the show’s energy and the performers’ bottom line. “We always have to have a lot of dollars ready to change out some bills, because they’re not prepared,” says Pittsburgh Hard Rock Cafe sales and marketing manager, Roy Martin-Smith. Martin-Smith introduced drag brunches to Hard Rock when he noticed other spaces around Pittsburgh hosting them, including Olive or Twist and Ace Hotel. But much like his tipping-illiterate patrons, he had never actually attended a drag show. To remedy this, he visited Blue Moon, a popular drag spot in Lawrenceville, and asked his gay staff members and co-workers for advice. They suggested contacting local drag maven Lola LeCroix, who, among other things, hosts a regular drag brunch at 5801 in Shadyside. “Lola and I hooked up and we’ve been working together ever since,” says Martin-Smith, who also organizes events with local drag impersonator, Joe King. “I kind of defer to her for anything that we want to do.” Since then, the restaurant and concert venue has welcomed audiences of up to 100 to multiple brunch shows, where four to five queens perform dance numbers and do crowd-work. “It’s just a good vibe and I think people like the shows because they can be flashy and funny and can be CONTINUES ON PG. 8
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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BRUNCH IS A DRAG, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7
BRUNCHES FIT FOR A QUEEN Upcoming drag events around the city
Brunch you in the Face featuring Maximum Capacity at Smiling Moose 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sun., Jan. 12. 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. $15-80. smiling-moose.com
Ladies Who Drag Brunch at 5801 Video Lounge & Cafe 10:45 a.m.-1:45 a.m. Sun. Jan. 12. 5801 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. $5-10. 5801videolounge.com
Goddess Drag Brunch at Over Eden 11 a.m. Sun., Jan. 19. 177 40th St., Lawrenceville. $45. overeden.com
CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
Patrons hand out tips to performers during a drag brunch at Frank’s Bar and Grill
sassy, and I think people like that, and that’s what they want to come and check out,” he says. Martin-Smith believes the brunches, as well as the other drag events held at Hard Rock, align with his own values as a supporter of the gay community, and what he calls Hard Rock’s motto of “love all, serve all.” He adds that opening Hard Rock, a chain venue located in the major business district of Station Square, to drag brunches helps make the art form more accessible to the straight community, and to people unable or unwilling to attend late-night drag shows at bars and clubs. He also compares drag to the music movements Hard Rock represents, adding that it has a lot in common with the aesthetics of glam rock, hair metal, and punk acts like David Bowie, Poison, and the New York Dolls. “Drag is just as much rock ‘n’ roll as anything,” says Martin-Smith. “It’s got an edge to some degree, and it’s becoming more mainstream. When KISS came out, everyone thought they were Satan
himself. At the time, it was so taboo. … It’s the same thing with drag – at one time it might have been more shocking and taboo. … But the more we can expose people to this, the better it is, I think.”
L
OCAL DRAG PERFORMER Luna Skye
agrees that doing brunches helps to expand drag beyond the gay nightlife scene. “If it’s their first or one of their first times coming to a drag show, we want people to leave having the best time, having the best memories of it, wanting to come back, but also put their foot into other drag shows, as well,” says Skye, who started doing drag in Feb. 2019 and is now a regular performer at the Brewer’s Hotel bar in the Strip District. On Jan. 19, she and her partner, Indi Skies, will host the Goddess Drag Brunch, the first-ever drag brunch at the rooftop restaurant Over Eden at the Lawrenceville hotel TRYP. “There’s definitely a big glamour aspect to it,” she says, adding that audiences can expect several queens doing
a mix of lip-syncing, live singing, and dancing. She believes restaurants and other places now recognize the demand for drag events and how it can benefit everyone involved. “It’s a great moneymaker for the venues and the queens as well,” she says. Franki Wasik has definitely seen the advantage of hosting drag brunches at Franks Bar and Grill, a combination bar and fine dining establishment she owns and runs in Shadyside. In the short time since they opened in June 2019, they’ve hosted four Franks ‘N’ Queens drag brunches with local drag acts Mother Oak and Miss V. With a capacity of around 70 diners, some of the events either sold out or nearly sold out. “We’re really new and we’re trying new things, and the brunch has just been taking off, so it’s been helping us get noticed as well,” says Wasik. She also expresses surprise at the diversity of the brunch customers, whom she says range widely in age, from twentysomethings to grandparents. Even though the event is 21 CONTINUES ON PG. 10
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CITIZEN POLICE REVIEW BOARD 2020 MEETING DATES AND HOST NEIGHBORHOODS
CPRB PITTSBURGH
The following calendar maintains the tradition of meeting at 6:00 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every calendar month except as noted. The several meetings proposed for Council Chambers attempt to respond to the public recommendation that meeting at a centralized location may encourage increased public attendance.
Date January 28, 2020
February 25, 2020 March 24, 2020
All Meetings Scheduled to Begin at 6:00 p.m. Neighborhood Address 510 City-County Building 414 Grant Street Council Chambers Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 255-2142-office Council Chambers Freedom Unlimited
April 28, 2020
Council Chambers
May 26, 2020
Council Chambers
June 23, 2020
Jewish Community Center
510 City-County Building Pittsburgh, PA 15219 2201 Wylie Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 434-0919 510 City-County Building Pittsburgh, PA 15219 510 City-County Building Pittsburgh, PA 15219 5738 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (412) 521-8010
July 28, 2020 August , 2020 September 22, 2020 October 27, 2020 November, 2020 December 1, 2020
Council Chambers
(Z2)
(Z4)
510 City-County Building Pittsburgh, PA 15219
-Combined with SeptemberCouncil Chambers Sheraden Senior Center
510 City-County Building Pittsburgh, PA 15219 720 Sherwood Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15204 (412)777-5012
(Z6)
- Combined with December Council Chambers
510 City-County Building Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(The public will be notified of any change of date or location through media publication.) For Further Information: 412-765-8023 Confidential Tip Line: 412-255-CPRB PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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BRUNCH IS A DRAG, CONTINUED FROM PG. 8
PHOTO: CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH
Drag Queen Story Hour
and over, she says they once made an exception for two young female RuPaul’s Drag Race fans whose parents wanted to bring them to the show, despite its sometimes risqué content. “I told the queens what was happening and said, ‘Mom and dad said you don’t have to censor it,’” says Wasik, adding that underage patrons are “not a typical thing” at the brunches. Martin-Smith has also been surprised at the demographics of Hard Rock’s drag brunches, including one group of men who regularly attended the events. “I think they owned a trucking company,” says Martin-Smith. “They would bring their sons and coworkers, and they were all these big, burly guys you would not expect to be at a drag show. But they loved it. It was really great to see.” Just as unexpected are drag events popping up at area volunteer fire departments. Among them is the Presto Volunteer Fire Department (VFD), who teamed up with the Bridgeville VFD to
present its first drag bingo fundraiser this month. With 250 tickets available, the event sold out immediately.
burgh (CLP) discovered last year when it had to cancel the Drag Queen Story Hour due to violent threats on social media. Launched in Pittsburgh in 2017,
“DRAG IS JUST AS MUCH ROCK ‘N’ ROLL AS ANYTHING.” “We sold out of tickets before they were even printed,” says Brad Falick, captain of the Presto VFD located in Collier Township. “I had people who were upset because they couldn’t get them.” As a result, Falick says they plan on hosting another drag bingo next April. “We tend to ride the wave,” he says. “Whatever is happening and making money at the time, we’ll follow.” But not everyone is as accepting, something the Carnegie Library of Pitts-
the event pairs a children’s library specialist with a local drag performer to present children’s books. Molly Bennett, CLP’s director of communications and creative services, says the Drag Queen Story Hour is part of its family-friendly programs “developed in response to area families who have requested specific programming for their children that broadens perspectives, challenges gender stereotypes, embraces personal expression, self-acceptance,
Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP
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and self-confidence.” Despite the setback, Bennett says the library is “currently planning to present Drag Queen Story Hour in 2020.” “We are very proud of our Drag Queen Story Hour,” says Bennett, adding that it “helps children embrace their own differences and learn how to treat others with kindness and respect.” Martin-Smith says he has received some negative comments on social media about Hard Rock’s drag brunch, but seems undeterred by the feedback. While he applauds strides that have been made with LGBTQ rights and acceptance, he recognizes that the movement still has a long way to go, and hopes creating more spaces for drag shows can help with that. “You don’t know who out in the community will really like it, and the more that do, the better, because it makes that whole [LGBTQ] community feel safer to some degree, and that’s ultimately what I’d like to see happen,” says Martin-Smith.
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.JUST JAGGIN’.
MY CASE FOR THE BEST LAWYERS IN PITTSBURGH BY JOSH OSWALD // JOSWALD@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
I
T’S DANGEROUS OUT there for us 99
percenters. Without basic access to personal drivers, hot-shot accountants, and lawyers on retainer, we are left to our own devices when the proverbial shit hits the proverbial fan. It’s a wonder any of us survive the omnipresent dangers of slips-and-falls (it’s black-ice season), crippling tax-filing errors, and marital infidelity. But take solace. In case you haven’t heard, we live in America’s Most Livable City, and Sixburgh has got your back with a robust selection of bankruptcy, personal injury, and divorce lawyers. And like our sizzling real estate market, they are all very reasonably priced. Here — in no particular order — is Pittsburgh’s all-pro legal team. DEMAY, DEMAY & DONNELLY [& TODD] If you’ve spent any amount of time as a sick kid home from school without cable in the late ’80s, early ’90s, you had two options for programming: The Price is Right and Demay, Demay & Donnelly personal-injury legal commercials. As a true renaissance man, I enjoyed both. At some point they added “Todd,” which I felt really threw off the rhythm and phrasing of the firm’s name. They quickly realized their mistake and kicked Todd out. Probably never really gained Donnelly’s respect. Using just a first name is not very professional. EDGAR SNYDER & ASSOCIATES This firm has over 300 years of legal experience, and that’s only counting Edgar’s resume. I can’t even calculate with the associates added. Edgar was born a 50-year-old man around the
time of the Industrial Revolution and has been pointing that reverse-aging index finger at viewers since the dawn of broadcast television, promising feeless legal expertise. Edgar has found the secret to eternal life; I’m sure he can find you a lush, cash settlement. STEIDL AND STEINBERG These two are going to solve your financial problems and take you straight to a Jimmy Buffet concert to celebrate — ON THEM! They’ve got the ponytail and chin-strap facial hair that solidify their counter-culture credentials. They know you are not perfect. They got into law not to be “the man,” but to stick it to him. They are your high school friend’s parents who knew you were smoking pot in their storage shed but looked the other way because kids will be kids. And while they may seem almost too relaxed, they will not be jerked around by some IRS square. CORDELL AND CORDELL This is the firm “dads can count on” for their divorce. Joe Cordell wrote the book Your Civil War: A Father’s Guide for Winning Child Custody, which dadmag.com claims “… hits harder than a threehundred pound linebacker … This isn’t pleasure reading — it’s a playbook.” He also has a website with the URL mensrights.com, so he has direct insight into how marginalized men are in today’s society. It’s good to know that despite all the problems we face as a society, we can count on facing them together with affordable, experienced attorneys who get results!
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Follow digital media manager Josh Oswald on Twitter @gentlemenRich PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM
An anti-war protest put on by the Pittsburgh Anti-Imperialism Committee takes place outside of the Federal Building in Downtown Pittsburgh.
.NEWS.
VOICING DISSENT
Hundreds take to Pittsburgh streets to protest Trump’s efforts to escalate war in the Middle East BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
O
N THU., JAN. 2, the Trump administration announced it had carried out the killing of Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general considered one of the most powerful people in Iran. Following the killing, there have been several reports on the likelihood of an escalated war with Iran. The Pentagon announced recently that about 3,500 additional troops were being sent to the Middle East. On Sat. Jan. 4, in Pittsburgh, more than 200 people gathered in Schenley Plaza to protest any escalation with Iran. The protesters denounced the current conflict in the Middle East, which has been ongoing since 2003, and called for an end to the wars. This
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was followed up by another, smaller rally in front of the Federal Building in Downtown on Mon. Jan 6. All told, more than 230 people in Pittsburgh protested against the possibility of increased war activity in the Middle East in the week following the killing of Soleimani. Paul Dordal, an Iraq War veteran who was stationed in Mosul, spoke to the crowd on Saturday and shared his opposition to the war. Dordal said he and other vets are frustrated with the prospect of prolonging or expanding American military presence in the Middle East. “I am angry, other vets are angry,” said Doral, who organizes with local group Veterans for Peace. “Thousands of lives lost, for what? Nothing, no
peace, no increased democracy.” Soleimani had been instrumental in terroristic events and U.S. officials have said he is responsible for the killings of hundreds of U.S. service members. The Trump administration has claimed Soleimani was close to carrying out another attack against Americans, but has yet to provide details or proof. Last month, the Washington Post published a report detailing how the U.S. government lied about progress being made by American armed services in Afghanistan. Fighting in Afghanistan has resulted in the deaths of more than 2,300 Americans, and more than 140,000 Afghans, including 31,000 civilians. America has spent more than $1
trillion in that conflict. SINCE RECEIVING backlash from protesters,
pundits, and presidential candidates — Bernie Sanders chief among them — President Donald Trump has doubled down on his efforts to antagonize Iran. He tweeted last week that he planned to target Iranian cultural sites with attacks as part of an escalated conflict with Iran. Attacking culturally historic sites is considered an international war crime. Iranians responded with a massive gathering in Tehran for Soleimani’s funeral, and many called for revenge for his killing. Iranian officials said they would no longer comply with the international agreement that kept
A new anti-war movement is burgeoning in response to President Donald Trump’s ordered killing of a high-ranking Iranian official and his attempts to escalate armed conflict with Iran. The movement has many familiar faces on the anti-war left, like socialists and civil- and human-rights groups. But another more sinister group is also trying to join that crowd: white supremacists. The faction is opposed to war for different reasons than the anti-war left. They believe a war in the Middle East will only help build power of Jewish people and Israelis. On Sat., Jan 3 in Pittsburgh, a group of white supremacists attempted to infiltrate an antiwar rally at Schenley Plaza. The group of four to five men were holding anti-Semitic posters, including images of Stars of David dripping in blood. One of men was Greg Conte, a wellknown white supremacist who attended the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. and was the director of operations at The National Policy Institute, a white nationalist group run by Richard Spencer. Pittsburgh protesters spotted the white supremacists and then booted them from the plaza while shouting “Nazis out!” repeatedly. Read more of Pittsburgh City Paper’s coverage of the white supremacists kicked out of the anti-war rally at
pghcitypaper.com.
them from developing nuclear weapons because of Soleimani’s killing. On Sunday, the Iraqi parliament voted to remove all U.S. troops from the country that neighbors Iran. The vote was in response to Soleimani’s death and a rebuke to Trump’s threat to cultural sites. According to news site Axios, Trump officials attempted, but failed, to stop the Iraqi parliament from holding its vote. Emily Hannon is a Pittsburgh resident and member of the ANSWER Coalition, a national anti-war and civil rights group. The Pittsburgh rally on Saturday was part of a national day of action organized by ANSWER that spanned more than a dozen U.S. cities. In total, thousands protested across the country against an escalation to war with Iran. Hannon spoke to the Pittsburgh crowd on Saturday and questioned who really benefited from escalations of armed conflicts, and noted that stock prices for weapons manufacturers increased dramatically after Soleimani was killed. “But look at the working class,” said Hannon. “They are suffering and living paycheck to paycheck.” Last year, Trump requested that 61% of the nation’s $1.19 trillion discretionary budget be spent on the military. In
that same request, he only asked for 2% to be spent on unemployment and only 5% on housing. On Sunday, Trump tweeted that the U.S. recently spent $2 trillion on military equipment. Helen Gerhardt, local activist and veteran of the Iraq War, decried the nation’s involvement in war efforts, saying the country was wasting valuable time and resources that could be used to address other problems like climate change. “The precious resources that could save our planet are instead going towards very few who profit off of war,” said Gerhardt. University of Pittsburgh student John Wearden cautioned the crowd that only continuous action will help avoid another war. He said that both Republicans and Democrats would be responsible, noting that even if Democrats were critical of Trump’s methods, they weren’t necessarily coming out fully opposed to war. “If war breaks out, it will be with tacit and implicit support from the Democratic Party,” said Wearden on Saturday. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton) said in a Jan. 3 statement that the “world is safer with [Soleimani] gone” but criticized Trump for failing to provide the legal basis for such a strike and his avoiding
of getting Congressional approval. Casey didn’t provide any criticism of a potential escalated conflict. He later tweeted that Trump’s failure to inform Congress of his actions in Iran “make us less safe.” Wearden said on Saturday that more protests will be necessary to convince politicians to avoid an escalated war. “Unless we protest more, there will be another war,” said Wearden, who is also a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. “This gathering scares the ruling class.” On Jan. 6, about 30 people gathered in front of the Federal Building in Downtown to protest an escalated war. The protest was organized by Pittsburgh Anti-Imperialism Committee and the group chanted in front of the Federal Building entranced and encouraged passersby to join them. Shahid Foroughi, an Iranian-American and member of the anti-imperialism committee, spoke to the crowd and told them the group plans to continually protest to discourage U.S. armed services recruiters. “We want a relentless campaign against recruiters,” said Foroughi on Jan. 6. “As long as they are trying to recruit working-class people, we won’t stop.”
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Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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Pittsburgh City Paper has signed up for Fun A Day Pittsburgh where participants spend every day in January working on a project. As a staff, we’ll be working on fun things to do with our newspaper pages after you’ve finished reading the weekly issues. Follow along online as we post a new project every day this month.
JENSORENSEN
.FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 9
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Let’s get 2020 started with a proper send-off. According to my reading of the astrological omens, the coming months will bring you opportunities to achieve a host of liberations. Among the things from which you could be at least partially emancipated: stale old suffering; shrunken expectations; people who don’t appreciate you for who you really are; and beliefs and theories that don’t serve you any more. (There may be others!) Here’s an inspirational maxim, courtesy of poet Mary Oliver: “Said the river: imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going.”
Mystic poet Rumi told us the kind of person he was attracted to. “I want a trouble-maker for a lover,” he wrote. “Blood spiller, blood drinker, a heart of flame, who quarrels with the sky and fights with fate, who burns like fire on the rushing sea.” In response to that testimony, I say, “Boo! Ugh! Yuck!” I say “To hell with being in an intimate relationship with a trouble-maker who fights with fate and quarrels with the sky.” I can’t imagine any bond that would be more unpleasant and serve me worse. What about you, Cancerian? Do you find Rumi’s definition glamorous and romantic? I hope not. If you do, I advise you to consider changing your mind. 2020 will be an excellent time to be precise in articulating the kinds of alliances that are healthy for you. They shouldn’t resemble Rumi’s description. (Rumi translation by Zara Houshmand.)
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In a poem titled “The Mess-iah,” spiritual teacher Jeff Foster counsels us, “Fall in love with the mess of your life ... the wild, uncontrollable, unplanned, unexpected moments of existence. Dignify the mess with your loving attention, your gratitude. Because if you love the mess enough, you will become a Mess-iah.” I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I suspect you’ll have a better chance to ascend to the role of Mess-iah in the coming weeks and months than you have had in many years.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Comedian John Cleese believes that “sometimes we hang onto people or relationships long after they’ve ceased to be of any use to either of you.” That’s why he has chosen to live in such a way that his web of alliances is constantly evolving. “I’m always meeting new people,” he says, “and my list of friends seems to change quite a bit.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Pisces, 2020 will be a propitious year for you to experiment with Cleese’s approach. You’ll have the chance to meet a greater number of interesting new people in the coming months than you have in a long time. (And don’t be afraid to phase out connections that have become a drain.)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): When comedian John Cleese was 61, his mother died. She was 101. Cleese testifies, “Just towards the end, as she began to run out of energy, she did actually stop trying to tell me what to do most of the time.” I bet you’ll experience a similar phenomenon in 2020 — only bigger and better. Fewer people will try to tell you what to do than at any previous time of your life. As a result, you’ll be freer to be yourself exactly as you want to be. You’ll have unprecedented power to express your uniqueness.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Renowned Taurus philosopher Bertrand Russell was sent to jail in 1918 because of his pacifism and anti-war activism. He liked being there. “I found prison in many ways quite agreeable,” he said. “I had no engagements, no difficult decisions to make, no fear of callers, no interruptions to my work. I read enormously; I wrote a book.” The book he produced, Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, is today regarded as a classic. In 2020, I would love to see you Tauruses cave out an equally luxurious sabbatical without having to go through the inconvenience of being incarcerated. I’m confident you can do this.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It’s common to feel attracted to people because of the way they look and dress and carry themselves. But here’s the problem: If you pursue an actual connection with someone whose appearance you like, there’s no guarantee it will turn out to be interesting and meaningful. That’s because the most important factor in becoming close to someone is not their cute face or body or style, but rather their ability to converse with you in ways you find interesting. And that’s a relatively rare phenomenon. As philosopher Mortimer Adler observed, “Love without conversation is impossible.” I bring these thoughts to your attention, Gemini, because I believe that in 2020 you could have some of the best conversations you’ve ever had — and as a result experience the richest intimacy.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The 18th-century comic novel Tristram Shandy is still being translated, adapted, and published today. Its popularity persists. Likewise, the 18th-century novel Moll Flanders, which features a rowdy, eccentric heroine who was unusual for her era, has had modern incarnations in TV, film, and radio. Then there’s the 19th-century satirical novel Vanity Fair. It’s considered a classic even now, and appears on lists of best-loved books. The authors of these three books had one thing in common: They had to pay to have their books published. No authority in the book business had any faith in them. You may have similar challenges in 2020, Leo — and rise to the occasion with equally good results. Believe in yourself!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I’ll present two possible scenarios that could unfold for you in 2020. Which scenario actually occurs will depend on how willing you are to transform yourself. Scenario #1. Love is awake, and you’re asleep. Love is ready for you but you’re not ready for love. Love is hard to recognize because you think it still looks like it did in the past. Love changed its name, and you didn’t notice. Scenario #2. Love is awake and you’re waking up. Love is ready for you and you’re making yourself ready for love. Love is older and wiser now, and you recognize its new guise. Love changed its name, and you found out. (Thanks to Sarah and Phil Kaye for the inspiration for this horoscope.)
The 5th Judicial District of Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Pretrial Services urges you to enjoy your weekend out in Pittsburgh but
make the right choice,
don’t drink & drive.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Renowned Greek sculptor Praxiteles created some famous and beloved statues in the fourth century B.C. One of his pieces, showing the gods Hermes and Dionysus, was displayed inside the Temple of Hera in Olympia. But a few centuries later an earthquake demolished the Temple and buried the statue. There it remained until 1877, when archaeologists dug it out of the rubble. I foresee a metaphorically equivalent recovery in your life, Libra — especially if you’re willing to excavate an old mess or investigate a debris field or explore a faded ruin.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Over a period of 74 years, the Scorpio philosopher and author Voltaire (1694–1778) wrote so many letters to so many people that they were eventually published in a series of 98 books, plus nine additional volumes of appendixes and indexes. I would love to see you communicate that abundantly and meticulously in 2020, Scorpio. The cosmic rhythms will tend to bring you good fortune if you do.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. He was also the richest. At the end of his life, experts estimate his worth was as much as $250 million, equivalent to $1.3 billion today. But in his earlier adulthood, while Picasso was turning himself into a genius and creating his early masterpieces, he lived and worked in a small, seedy, unheated room with no running water and a toilet he shared with twenty people. If there will be ever in your life be a semblance of Picasso’s financial transformation, Sagittarius, I’m guessing it would begin this year.
Go to realastrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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.RESTAURANT REVIEW.
DOUGHBOY’S PIZZA BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
T
HE CRUSTS AT Doughboy’s Pizza are colossal. Maybe it’s obvious from the name, but the McKees Rocks pizzeria sets itself apart with a unique dough and a meticulous, semisecret process of preparation. The result? Pizzas with eye-popping, formidable crusts that resemble few other pies in the city. “The dough recipe is pretty simple,” says Ryan Neal, who co-owns Doughboy’s with Chuck Landa. “But it’s the caretaking and the knowledge that you have to be able to select when it’s ready to be used and what temperature to get the end result you’re looking for.” The dough is made daily in-house, though Neal refuses to divulge anything else about the recipe. He does, however, allude to the process. It’s similar to that of a distiller: batches made daily aren’t necessarily used that day. They’re left to ferment and Neal chooses dough for use based on age, temperature, and time. Neal and Landa use the same dough recipe for their two styles of pizza, Sicilian and traditional, though the end results are vastly different. Sicilian pies have the rise of a thick focaccia, while the traditional crusts blossom so wide that they collapse in on themselves. I tried a slice of both styles, a traditional topped with pepperoni and mushroom, and a cheese Sicilian. The traditional pie was a little dull in comparison to the Sicilian, though the crust still surpassed that of an average slice. The light, sweet sauce didn’t have as much room to shine when weighed down with toppings. The Sicilian, on the other hand, was straight up blissful. It was doused
CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
Owner Ryan Neal grates cheese onto a pizza at Doughboy’s Pizza.
in butter with a crust so thick most of the sauce was absorbed, yet the edges remained crunchy. The pie rose in a way similar to a pan of brownies, giving the crust a fluffy, pillowy texture in the center. The cheese was a standard blend of mozzarella and provolone, but fooled me into thinking it was Swiss. This “unique” characteristic was the result of another secret process, says Neal. (It is worth noting that if you’re like me and enjoy pizza leftovers cold and straight from the fridge, stick to a traditional pie. When eaten cold, the buttersoaked Sicilian pie is too greasy. A slice of
the traditional is perfect for a breakfast on-the-go or late-night snack.)
DOUGHBOY’S PIZZA 508 Island Ave., McKees Rocks. doughboyspgh.com
While the dough is an undeniable standout, Doughboy’s also has a pretty substantial menu beyond slices and pies, including burgers, sandwiches, sides, gyros, and for dessert, cheesecake.
FAVORITE FEATURES: Doughboy’s Drivers
Toppings
All day
Yes, they do Postmates, but Doughboy’s still keeps things old-school with a fleet of its own drivers.
Doughboy’s doesn’t take the concept of toppings lightly, so be prepared when placing your order.
Need a pizza at 9 a.m.? Call Doughboy’s.
I went with a supersized sandwich named the Juggernaut and it was true to its name. It seemed to weigh five pounds, loaded with ham, turkey, bacon, fries, American cheese, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and the restaurant’s Shantz sauce. There was a little too much going on for my taste (I couldn’t even fit half of the sandwich in my mouth), but flavor-wise, it worked. There’s no shortage of neighborhood pizza joints in Pittsburgh, and from the outside, Doughboy’s Pizza looks like any other: small, takeout-only, and busy with delivery drivers and flour-covered chefs trying to keep afloat amid a constant flow of orders. But for the past 15 years, Neal and Landa have run Doughboy’s with one, unique goal in mind: “to give locals a more-than-average pizza restaurant that dishes out enormous flavors.” And it’s these flavors, or as Neal says, “a lot of love,” that will keep Pittsburghers coming back for 15 more.
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Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav
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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-totable products.
ELIZA HOT METAL BISTRO 331 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE, PITTSBURGH 412-621-1551, ELIZAHOTELINDIGO.COM Set on the site of former iconic iron works, Eliza Furnace, Eliza is an American Bistro exploring classic Pittsburgh flavors, beloved by those that worked the furnaces, combined with the fresh perspective and seasonal sourcing that define what we eat in our region today. Relax with great food, cocktails, and enjoy live entertainment on the rooftop bar.
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.
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
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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.
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.
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NAME: Blake Ragghianti, Scott Township WORK: Co-owner and head distiller, Kingfly Distillery
CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
Blake Ragghianti
.DRINKS.
BACK OF HOUSE BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
WHAT DO YOU DO? Develop the character of the company through the spirits we produce. We have a full bar, and everything behind the bar and on the cocktail menu, we make: rum, vodka, bourbon, vermouth, bitters, seltzer, tonic, sodas. Everything we make in-house. So it’s a lot to keep track of, it’s a lot to design, and it’s a lot to cohesively keep together. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ON A DAY-BY-DAY BASIS? Honestly, I wish I had the answer to that myself because it’s ever-changing; part and parcel of being a startup. We don’t have a regular set production where every Tuesday is rum production. At this point, we kind of are going with the flow. WHO IS “WE”? I have a sidekick, Colin Anderson. He started the bar programs at a bunch of popular places in Pittsburgh: Bar
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Marco, Morcilla, Spoon. Truth be told, I couldn’t do it without him. He’s not only a hard worker but phenomenally talented with an excellent palate. WHAT DOES DISTILLATION MEAN FOR YOU? The elimination of the inessential and the collection of the essential. If you start with raw material that’s marginal, you’re going to get a marginal essence. If you start with raw material that is perfect, like the most beautiful, perfect ripe pear or apple, and collect the essence of that, you’ll have a wonderful distillate at the end. IS PRODUCTION SEASONAL? Yes. We make vodka grapes from Napa Valley, so we have to schedule production around grape harvesting season. Lemons are only harvested in Sorrento once a year, so we pick and choose how and when we’re going to produce
limoncello based upon that schedule. HOW’D YOU GET STARTED? A genealogical research project led me to Italy and cousins that were long lost. We made limoncello, and they gave me the family recipe. Back in Pittsburgh, I wanted to make it but you need high-proof alcohol, and you can’t just obtain 190 proof at the state store. I was complaining about this to my dad and he said, “I have an old still that I made in the 1960s with my mother out of her pressure cooker.” We pulled this out of storage, [and] lo and behold, inside was the original recipe. We began to play around with that and I was hooked. I went to school for music and I’m always attracted to working with harmonies and balance, and this was the same thing, just a different medium. DID YOU THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE A BUSINESS OR SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF? It was for friends and family. I got so
into it that one night I’m at my parents’ house on my laptop reading about legalities. What if I wanted to make a product? How would I do it? I looked at my dad and said, “I’m going to start a distillery” and he said, “Yeah, right. Let me know when that happens.” I’ll never let him live that moment down. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART? When someone comes in and sits at the bar and tells me, “I really don’t like rum at all.” They had Captain Morgan in college, too much of it, and now hate rum, or that’s all they know about rum. I give them a taste of our spiced rum, and they say, “Oh my god, I could drink this all day long.” Changing people’s paradigm and perspectives and altering the way they think about spirits is really my favorite thing. Really, it’s the reason I started the distillery and is the main philosophy behind what we do.
•
Family Owned and Operated
.ON THE ROCKS .
AUTHENTIC & FRESH
HARD SELTZERS, RANKED BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
H
ARD SELTZER WAS the drink of
2019. This phenomenal rise of alcoholic, “better-for-you” bubbles was the reason the summer was named The Summer of White Claw, with the seltzer outselling major light beer companies through the season. Since The Claw blew up, there’s been a flood of brands hopping on the hard seltzer trend. But like any new fad flooded with options, this boom comes with a question: Which one is the best? With that in mind, I, along with a few Pittsburgh City Paper coworkers, ranked eight of the most popular hard seltzer brands.
8. Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer: Raspberry Rosé If you’ve ever sipped from a can of soda left in a car overnight, you can imagine the exact flavor of Smirnoff’s seltzer. It’s bad. Someone needs to remind the company what both raspberries and rosé taste like, because this is not it.
7. Natty Light: Catalina Lime Mixer Please stick to beer, Natty Light. Drinking this is akin to cherry cold medicine straight from the bottle. Don’t waste your time.
6. Arctic Summer: Raspberry Lime Arctic Summer brought the bubbles (no surprise as its recipes are owned by Polar Seltzer), but no hint of fruit flavor. The can was quickly dubbed “100% trash.”
5. Bon & Viv: Grapefruit Bon & Viv is strikingly bland. The grape-
fruit flavor is dull with an incredibly acidic aftertaste. Save your fridge space.
4. Truly: Lime As one of the top-selling hard seltzer brands, I was surprised that Truly didn’t break into the top three. But it was simply unremarkable. The lime flavor was noticeably fake, making for a seltzer that was mediocre at best.
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3. Wild Basin: Classic Lime Wild Basin won its way into the top three with light bubbles and a subtle lime flavor, even though its kick of citrus carried the uncanny flavor of a lime jello salad. I was happy for something different, not just another can of synthetic citrus.
2. Press: Lime and Lemongrass The race for number one was close. Press — canned locally in Latrobe — had interesting flavors, like the lime and lemongrass, and managed to execute them without overdoing it. It was dropped to number two based on its ( ) and tendency to taste flat. low ABV (4%)
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11. White Claw: Grapefruit It’s true. White Claw — almost unanimously voted to the top — is the best h hard seltzer out there. It has it all: a flavor yo you can actually taste an and bubbles that stick ar around long enough to rem remember. White Claw law and don’t forget it. is law,
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CP PHOTO: MAGGIE WEAVER
classifieds.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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THE LOCAL 913: KIRK SALOPEK’S 66 BY LIZ FELIX // LIZ@WYEP.ORG
Kirk Salopek has a knack for putting all the right musical pieces together in any project. Although you might know him from Silencio or the Mandrake Project, he’s recently found himself in a myriad of musical offshoots, including The Regal Sweet and Three Easy Secrets. In addition to those new groups, Salopek also put together a short but gorgeous collection of songs under the name 66 that should not be overlooked. The flurry of side projects came from about 30 songs he’d written during some downtime from Silencio. The new EP from 66, Dreams for Sale, is a collaborative effort with female STAY UP-TOsingers from DATE WITH THIS the Pittsburgh WEEK’S LOCAL music scene. MUSIC NEWS Salopek sent the instrumental parts WITH CP MUSIC he’d written to the WRITER JORDAN singers, who then SNOWDEN added their own lyrics and vocals. AND WYEP They never EVENING MIX even met up at HOST LIZ FELIX the studio. “Nobody Listen every ever saw one Wednesday another for the at 7 p.m. on entire recording,” recounts Salopek. 91.3FM WYEP “Every instrument was recorded separately, so every instrument was recorded at different times, sometimes in different states, in different time zones.” Morgan Erina lends her haunting voice and words to the EP’s opener, the Roy Orbison-esque “This Distance,” and Salopek says her contribution guided the EP’s sound. “Her voice is kind of hushed and like a whisper, but it’s huge at the same time, which is really strange, that dynamic. She’s very quiet, but her quiet voice is larger than most other peoples’ voices. When she initially sent me her sketch, I was blown away.” •
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.MUSIC .
LEVEL UP BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
S
INCE THE RELEASE of psychedelic rock band Astrology Now’s
debut album, Semi-Hollow Review, there have been some significant changes. Most notably, the act went from a oneman project to a full group. And that’s what the band’s founder, Greg Mastrean, hopes listeners take note of in Astrology Now’s latest drop, Knife EP, which the group will celebrate with a release party Fri., Jan. 10 at Spirit. “I want people to hear the change from the songs I was doing by myself to what we have grown into,” says Mastrean. “It’s more exciting that way.” For Semi-Hollow Review, which came out in March 2018, Mastrean wrote each song on the 10-track release, played every instrument, and recorded the album himself on an 8-track cassette recorder. He then went to Mr. Smalls Studios for mixing and mastering. That’s where Mastrean met Nate Campisi. Campisi works at the Millvale recording and mastering studio as an audio engineer and has been involved in a number of Pittsburgh musical projects over the years, such as Soft Gondola and Jiant Eagle. As a local artist in Pittsburgh, there’s a high probability of working with Campisi at some point, or working with someone whose music has come across his soundboard at Mr. Smalls Studios. Campisi asked Mastrean what he planned to do with the songs once CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM
Astrology Now
they were complete. “I planned on just releasing them digitally and on cassette,” says Mastrean. “And I wanted to see if I could join someone else’s band. [Campisi’s] worked with so many people. He was like, ‘If you want this to be your band and have other people play, people would be into it.’ [So Campisi] helped put it together.” Through Campisi’s contacts, Astrology Now filled out its lineup with Zach Bronder (Bat Zuppel, Flower Crown) and Matt Turcsanyi (Keen Genie) on guitar and vocals, Gordy Brash (Bat Zuppel) on drums (Evan Meindl of Rave Ami has since taken over as drummer; Jan. 10 will be his first live show with the band) and Campisi on bass. “I’m not a bass player per say, but if a song would need bass on it, I would spend an entire weekend playing bass for one song,” says Mastrean. “[Whereas Campisi], who is really, really good at playing bass, he can figure that stuff out quickly. … I’m super happy all these guys are willing to play on it. It sounds a lot more polished now, just a little rough around the edges. It sounds more like a real band, where before it sounded like me alone in my bedroom, which is basically what it [was].” Adding bandmates streamlined
ASTROLOGY NOW EP RELEASE SHOW 9 p.m. Fri., Jan. 10. Spirit, 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. facebook.com/astrologynowmusic
Mastrean’s process and allowed him to focus more on song arrangements. (Everything is also recorded digitally now, as opposed to on tape.) Since each
Astrology Now member is in another Pittsburgh project, it also gave the band a step up in promotion and marketing. “If I would have started initially
Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan
with myself and a few other [new] people, it would have been harder to get shows booked and get the name out,” says Mastrean. “It’s been a net positive because they know so many people, and they will come to see the guys or hang out with them even if they don’t know me or the band.” While Mastrean still does most of the songwriting, Knife EP was created with input from all of Astrology Now. “I’m concentrating more on getting the songs arranged, getting the bones of it together, then I bring it to the rest of the band, and we flesh it out and turn it into something probably a lot better than I can do by myself,” he says. In the swirling title track, “Knife,” the first song Astrology Now did as a group, there’s a point when Bronder has a spoken-word verse. “The knife is never sharp enough,” he spurts, “This human form is dull, boring / I’ve grown old, sick, tired of myself …” When Bronder first suggested it, the rest of the group was hesitant, but let him go ahead and try it out anyway. “Then we were like, ‘Holy cow, where did that come from?’” says Mastrean. “It’s great when you can bring an idea and other talented people around you can take it to the next level.”
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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PHOTOS: JEROME CHARLES
Pieces from Still Good
.ART . .
WASTE NOT BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
O
NE MAN’S TRASH is another man’s treasure, but for artist Jerome “Chu” Charles, other people’s trash serves as the canvas for his work. His show Still Good, which runs through Sun., Feb. 9 at CDCP Project Space, incorporates recycled or discarded materials and uses them as inspiration for the works themselves.
The garbage theme of the show is both about literal garbage, which Charles uses to paint on — reusing framed art from goodwill and painting objects found on the sidewalk — but also garbage as a feeling. It’s become part of the general lexicon to say things like “I feel like trash” or “I’m garbage” (in addition to broader sentiments, like “the
STILL GOOD Opening reception 8-8 p.m. Sat., Jan. 11. Continues through Sun., Feb. 9. CDCP Project Space, 317 S. Trenton Ave., Wilkinsburg. Free. caseydroege.com/projectspace
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world is a garbage fire”). Charles calls this aspect of Still Good “public acknowledgment of being a garbage person.” “People say ‘be that kind of person behind closed doors that you wanna be in public,’ and I just wasn’t doing that for a long time,” says Charles. “I just wasn’t acting like a person that people would want to be around. You know, probation and losing friends and all that stuff can really put that kind of stuff in perspective.” In 2016, Charles was charged with criminal mischief for graffiti tagging dozens of spots around the city with his
signature tag, “Chu.” Part of the reason he started incorporating unwanted items into his art is because after the whole legal process, he didn’t have much money to buy art supplies, but he did have the drive to keep making art. He’d scour the neighborhood for stuff left out on the curb or go to Goodwill for discounted items, like already framed art he could draw on top of, which also helped make up for some feelings of inadequacy. “I’m a new illustrator, so I sort of struggle with making backgrounds. It takes the stress away if I can play with
the art that already exists and draw on top of that,” he says. The work, though, doesn’t look amateur. It’s bright and cartoonish, but also funny and sometimes touching. And while painting over old art might be a shortcut, it’s not without precedent, like artist Wayne White who makes sardonic word paintings over cheap landscape art he finds at thrift stores. One of the pieces that spurred the idea for Charles’ show is a painting of a dented soup can with a peeling label in the damaged aisle of the grocery store (69 cents). It doesn’t look perfect, but the contents are still good (Still Good). “For somebody, that’s easily something that you could pass up, but for somebody [else], the extra cents that you save means the difference,” says Charles. “There are people out there who are willing to put in the work and they can accept the dented can because they know that it still has worth.” Another piece in the show features a junkyard cat based on Heathcliff, the comic strip feline who’s always causing a nuisance, holding an apple pie and wearing a crown with empty
pockets turned out. It’s inspired by a Robyn song called “Bum Like You.” In it, she sings about loving someone who doesn’t have their shit together. “She’s basically describing being in love with a trash person, and I feel like I have been that trash person and it’s nice to know there are still people who are out there who are willing to love trash people,” says Charles. The description of the show on CDCP’s website might sum it up best, with an anonymous quote: “Just because you’re trash doesn’t mean you can’t do great things. It’s called garbage can, not garbage cannot.” Like many of his pieces, the cat painting also includes Charles’ signature tag, Chu, as the cat’s mouth. It’s a nod to his graffiti days, as well as a way to put himself in the art. “Even when I was a photographer, some of the best work were self-portraits,” says Charles, about one of his previous iterations as an artist. “It just follows the same theme, that in my art, my tag follows through everything. It helps me actually put myself into the painting and I can express myself better that way.”
•
Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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IDIA IN INDIA
BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
P
ITTSBURGH CITY PAPER columnist Tereneh Idia is temporarily going off the grid. Idia, whose awardwinning column covers social justice and race issues, as well as fashion, will be absent this January to become an artist-in-resident for the first-ever Wildbiyoo zero-waste arts program in Goa, India. United by the theme of addressing the climate crisis, the gathering of Indian and international artists will culminate in a two-day long eco-festival at the beginning of February. While there, Idia, whose resume includes residencies at the Pittsburgh International Airport and Brew House Association, as well as her fashion company Idia’Dega, hopes to study native textiles at the Khaama Kethna Holistic Wellbeing Retreat Centre and make pieces out of found natural materials. Before her departure, she spoke with CP about her goals for the residency and making sustainable fashion.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM? I spent most of the end of summer through fall daily looking at residences. My goal for 2020 is to spend most of it
not in the United States. So the proposal I made was to make adornment out of jungle waste. Adornment is anything you put on your body — hairstyles, earrings, tattoos, piercings. And I don’t know what that looks like. In my mind, I’m thinking fallen leaves, and snakeskin that had been shed and left, and bones. … It’s very much what is naturally there and that would eventually biodegrade. HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER RESIDENCIES YOU’VE DONE? This is my first international residency because everything else I’ve done for Idia’Dega. … Also I feel like I’m trying to balance out making fashion for this capitalist company with this artistdeveloped stuff as well. So there’s the design company, the design artist, and the design educator, and figuring out how to do all those different things. WHAT ASPECT OF THIS ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT? I’m most excited about meeting people from the community and learning about the traditional textiles. … I don’t know enough about it to say, “This is
what Goan fashion is.” … The relationships I make are going to be primarily the relationships that the organization has already made. So I’m not sure how much I can spread out and into the community, but I really want to try and do that. If I’m not welcome, that’s fine too. I have lots of other materials and a lot of other things to do. … What I learned about traveling and design with other people is that you can go in with an idea, but you have to just see what happens. Even with the designs that I do with Idia’Dega, I don’t go into [a Maasai community in Kenya] like, “Well, I have a master’s degree in fashion design and I taught here and I’ve done this,” because everyone I’m working with has experiences I don’t have and skills I don’t have. So how can we work together? I KNOW INDIA HAS SEEN THE IMPACT OF FAST FASHION AND THE AMOUNT OF POLLUTION IT HAS BROUGHT. I DON’T KNOW IF THAT’S SOMETHING YOU’VE THOUGHT ABOUT OR EXAMINED GOING INTO THIS. Part of what I do is create clothes out of sustainable materials and making
Are you tired of tracking down food trucks? Don’t miss our Weekly Food Truck Schedule! Available every Tuesday at pghcitypaper.com
“MY GOAL FOR 2020 IS TO SPEND MOST OF IT NOT IN THE UNITED STATES.” clothes using non-toxic dyes and things like that. So it’s difficult because I’m trying to figure out how to use fast fashion for good. Because people can choose not to buy these $10 dresses from these big [retailers], but some people have to. I just think about sustainability and all of this as a continuum. There’s the whole, “I wear a different outfit every day, I drive a Hummer,” and then there’s sitting on a lotus leaf somewhere not even breathing. I’m flying to India. I’m not kayaking to India. … From there, I’ll be using a solar charger, I won’t be using very much water or electricity, but still, you have to fly to get there. So you’re on this pendulum. BUT I THINK CONSUMERS ARE BECOMING MORE EDUCATED ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF FAST FASHION. I think we’re breaking through that old idea of, “Well, someone else wore those shoes,” and it’s like, “Yeah someone
did, and it’s fine, and it’s cool, and it’s made well, and I’m going to wear it.” … Because I do talk about, even beyond fast fashion, just how much [clothing production] pollutes. It is one of the biggest polluters in the world. And people don’t know that. So it’s important for people to know, but doing it in a way that’s, “Here are all these other options and alternatives,” as opposed to shaming. Because I don’t know what it would be like to have kids and not a lot of money and go to Target and get everyone new outfits for $60. WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO BRING BACK FROM THIS, ULTIMATELY? I really hope to have a map on how to be a designer and make things in this era that is valuable in every aspect. Valuable in terms of materials that are not harming the planet, valuable in a way that is a circular economy that supports lots of different communities, and valuable in that people actually want to wear it.
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS
TŌTH WED., JAN. 15 The last time Tōth performed in Pittsburgh, he was opening for Lady Lamb under the pulsating lights of Ian Brill’s Vault installation. Now the rock musician, real name Alex Toth, returns as the headliner at Club Cafe. He brings his breakup album, Practice Magic and Seek Professional Help When Necessary, born from a split with Annakalmia Traver, his former partner and co-founder of their band Rubblebucket. It’s an album with a good bit of sadness and anger, but it also embraces new beginnings. 6:30 p.m. 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $13-15. clubcafelive.com PHOTO: ERIN ALLPORT
Tōth at Spirit in November
FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com
THURSDAY JAN. 9 COUNTRY WILLIAM MATHENY, WILLIAM JACKALOPE. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale. MARK TWANG, ROWAN ERIKSON. Gooski’s. 9 p.m. Polish Hill.
ROGER HUMPHRIES. Con Alma. 8 p.m. Shadyside.
ACOUSTIC SPENCER ALLEN PATRICK. Spoonwood Brewing Co. 7 p.m. Bethel Park.
FOLK SEE THE SUMMER. Apericena Wine Bar. 7 p.m. Upper Saint Clair.
GRIFFEN HANDSHAKE, THE CAREGIVERS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 6 p.m. Millvale.
ACOUSTIC BRIAN GENOVESI (EP RELEASE). Howlers. 8 p.m. Bloomfield. LISS VICTORY, JESSICA ROSARIO. Hambone’s. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.
THE MILLBILLYS. Houlihan’s. 6:30 p.m. Mt. Lebanon.
FRIDAY JAN. 10
HIP HOP
ROCK
ELECTRONIC
WARM YOU BUNS, BAND YOUR HEADS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 6 p.m. Millvale.
WAX FUTURE, LITZ. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
JIMMY AND THE FROGMEN. Moondog’s. 8 p.m. Blawnox.
LOTEMP DICEY BANDO. Scenario. 9 p.m. South Side.
BACK ALLEY SOUND. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Overbrook.
JAZZ THE THROCKMORTON PLOT. Kingfly Spirits. 7 p.m. Strip District.
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DARYL SHAWN. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown.
RAVER THINGS 3. Cattivo. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.
THE LIVING STREET. Blind Pig Saloon. 8:30 p.m. New Kensington.
THE REAL SEA, NATURAL RAT. Brillobox. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.
R&B/SOUL
COUNTRY
HOUSE OF SOUL. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 9 p.m. Overbrook.
MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER. Club Cafe. 6 p.m. South Side.
HOMESAFE. The Smiling Moose. 6 p.m. South Side.
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE
THE CONTENDERS. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.
WHY NOT, SECOND TO SAFETY. 222 Ormsby. 7 p.m. Mount Oliver.
REGGAE KEYSTONE VIBE. 31 Sports Bar Grille. 9 p.m. Bridgeville.
BLUES
PUNK GEL, PLASMID. Preserving Underground. 7:30 p.m. New Kensington.
KK. The Boiler Room. 10 p.m. Green Tree.
SATURDAY JAN. 11
FOLK
ROCK
SUZIE BROWN, SCOT SAX. Liveburghstudio. 7 p.m. Glenshaw.
KARMIC JUGGERNAUT, ACID CATS. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
RAP/HIP HOP
WORKING BREED. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7:30 p.n. Millvale. THE ALMOST. Rex Theater. 6 p.m. South Side. FLOCK OF WALRI, 10K CASH, MURDER FOR GIRLS. Obey House Tavern. 9 p.m. Craftton Heights.
BLUES THE NICOLE BELLI BAND. Moondog’s. 8:30 p.m. Blawnox.
ELECTRONIC LET IT GLO. Braddock Elks. 8 p.m. Braddock.
ISS
M ER V E N
PHOTO: FIRST ANGEL MEDIA
CUREROCK
Jess Klein and the Good Time
SAT., JAN. 11 Cancer affects the lives of many, but dealing with it can still feel isolating and lonely. CureRock aims to ease the stress – specifically for children and young adults – by serving as a source of enjoyment through community events in Pittsburgh, many of which involve live music. The next CureRock event takes place Saturday at The Mr. Roboto Project with local bands Rue, Jess Klein and the Good Time, late., and The Moon. It’ll be a mix of folk, rock, pop, and good vibes. Additionally, there’s a silent auction to raise money for the education, research, and quality-of-life programs for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer. 7 p.m. 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $10. curerock.org
PUNK CYNIMATICS, FUBAR, THE BLEEPY THINGS. Club Cafe. 6:30 p.m. South Side.
POP VIREO, CANDY ISLE. The Government Center. 7 p.m. North Side.
JAZZ AFRO YAQUI MUSIC COLLECTIVE. SongSpace at First Unitarian. 7:30 p.m. Bellefield.
METAL CUTTING TIES (EP RELEASE). Black Forge Coffee House. 6 p.m. McKees Rocks. STARKILL. Preserving Underground. 7 p.m. New Kensington. HEARTSICK. Cattivo. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.
SUNDAY JAN. 12
SEQUENTIA. Pittsburgh Playhouse. 7:30 p.m. Oakland.
PUNK
HORSE GIRL, BIG BABY. The Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.
MANEKA. Howlers. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.
MONDAY JAN. 13 JAZZ IAN KANE, RONNIE WEISS, TOM BOYCE. Hambone’s. 6:30 p.m. Lawrenceville.
TUESDAY JAN. 14 CLASSICAL LINDSEY GOODMAN (ALBUM RELEASE). Bar Marco. 7 p.m. Strip District.
PUNK
SPIRITUAL CRAMP. The Smiling Moose. 6 p.m. South Side.
WEDNESDAY JAN. 15 JAZZ LUCARELLI JAZZ. Rivers Club. 5:30 p.m. Downtown.
RY! O T AS
TH BO D AN NS,E M LU G CO VERA , S IE CO TOREWS S N AL TICIONAL I L PO AT ES, ND N N I L A EADOCAL H L CP TOP K TH E WEE I EW H AG OF T R E Y OV DA C C ERY I S MU EV AL S FOR N O ATI ATION N D AN END AL OMM C LO REC ERT NC O C ING UR T A E K, F S N I DR IEW ND T REV A D N FOOUARA L A ST LOCLY RE N I T EK BES WE E TH AL UR T L CU ND URGH A , B E NC PITTS A D UT M, FIL UGHO , E R O ATUT THR R E M LIT NMEN CO . , T R I E AR A PAP AL TERT Y U T S N I E VI HC
JEFF CROMPTON. Hambone’s. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
PUNK ON THE CINDER. Tiki Lounge. 9 p.m. South Side.
These listings are curated by Pittsburgh City Paper’s music writer Jordan Snowden and include events from our free online listings. Submit yours today at www.pghcitypaper.com/submitevent
R OU R O F UP N SIG
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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PHOTO: JANUS FILMS
.FILM.
VARDA BY AGNÈS BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
I
T’S HARD TO know where to start with the work of an acclaimed filmmaker. But Agnès Varda, as her parting gift, made a film about her films, and a prime starter for why her work was valuable. Varda By Agnès, the French filmmaker’s last work before her death in March 2019, is part autobiography, part artist’s statement, and part college film class. The documentary consists of clips of Varda speaking in front of eager audiences, talking with old friends, and addressing the camera directly. Interspersed are excerpts from her 50-plus year filmmaking career, as well as her ventures into visual art. She made narrative films, documentaries, and projects that fell in the purgatory between the two, though she might be best known for her 1962 film Cléo from 5 to 7. Varda begins the film, and her public talks, by describing the three words that make up her filmmaking philosophy: inspiration, creation, and sharing. Throughout the film, she explains where she found inspiration for her wide variety of subjects — which range from a French New Wave drama about marriage and happiness, to an art installation dedicated to potatoes. With creation, Varda describes different filmmaking techniques she used, like panning from right to left instead of the typical left to
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right, or fading to bright colors instead of fading to black at the end of a scene.
VARDA BY AGNÈS Opens Fri., Jan. 10. Continues through Thu., Jan. 16. Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Ave., Downtown. cinema.pfpca.org
The concept of sharing, Varda tells her audiences, is as important as the other two words, because films are not made to be watched alone. They are also, usually, not made alone. Almost every time she discusses the making of a film, Varda employs “we,” as in “we filmed it this way.” Male filmmakers of her caliber, or lower, are more likely to use “I” when describing their filmmaking. (I don’t have statistics to back me up on this, but the fact that her use of “we” stood out to me feels like evidence enough.) It is certainly true though, that male filmmakers get labeled as an “auteur” much more often than their female peers, which is a word that implies a singular person’s vision. Varda, by contrast, used the community around her, including her late husband, filmmaker Jacques Demy, her children, longtime friends, strangers she met and befriended through her curiosity, like apartment squatters or a group of
widows on a small French island. In one scene, she tells the audience that when Demy was dying and she wanted to be as close as possible to him, she did so in the best way she knew how, by filming his body with extreme close-ups. Varda By Agnès feels long because it covers such an expansive career (Varda was 90 when she died). At times it feels like a TED Talk or a college class which you find interesting but also kind of want to end. But mostly, it just makes you want to go back to Varda’s catalog and start from the beginning. Each of the film snippets featured in the documentary show why she was a unique filmmaker, not just in the shots or color palettes or subjects, but in her politics, which often found a way into her work, either overtly or covertly. In 1968, she made a short documentary about the Black Panthers during protests of Huey Newton’s arrest. Her 1977 film One Sings, the Other Doesn’t includes abortion in a story about friendship set against the women’s movement in France. In her filmmaking and her life, Varda had a vision for what she wanted to convey. She wanted people to see intimacy and beauty but also ugliness and the interior lives of downtrodden people. She wanted to make art about feminism as much as she wanted to honor a heart-shaped potato.
•
presents
.MUSIC .
IGNITION! DOESN’T BURN OUT OR FADE AWAY BY JOSH OSWALD // JOSWALD@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
L
ORD DUBIOUS’ Ignition! is a cornucopia of sonic textures and musical styles. The only element of this record that remains constant throughout its six tracks is song length. Whether that was intentional or not, it’s a remarkable component of this album that’s worth celebrating. With a maximum duration of 2:48 and a minimum of 2:14 per song, Lord Dubious lets his synths, beats, and samples simmer long enough to get a point across without overcooking any of his ideas. The songs on Ignition! could have each been at least a minute longer without overstaying their welcome. And with a total runtime of around 15 minutes, it’s an album you could listen to once or gladly play on repeat three or four times through. If you’re a music fan who appreciates sound more than song length, you’re also in luck. Lord Dubious’ mastery of stereo width on Ignition! produces a Phil Spector-like wall of sound that occupies enough speaker real estate, without oversaturating any of the tracks. Ignition! is filled with dynamic sounds, rhythms, vocal lines, and all the trappings of a great electronic record.
There are no forced hooks or overused sequences, making the album a truly flexible listening experience. Ignition! is a great record to devote your full focus to, but it also works well as background music. There are surely other works one could compare to Ignition! to better illustrate what this record sounds like, but that would be a disservice to the album and the potential listener. The best way to discover what Ignition! is trying to do is to listen to it. After all, it is the perfect length — if that’s something you are into.
0 2 0 2 , 7 2 . B E F Y A THURSD NTER • 7PM START N CE ENERGY INNOVATIO PITTSBURGH PA 15219 ., 1435 BEDFORD AVE
•
Find more album reviews from local artists in Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s STACKS platform each week at pghcitypaper.com. All music is free to stream, and free to download with a library card.
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.LITERATURE.
SURVIVAL RUN BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
C
HERYL COLLINS GATONS buried her
husband on the day of her 40th birthday in 2006. Kevin Gatons, with whom she shared a love of running and family, was only 46 when he died suddenly from arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) while coaching a runner at a state cross-country meet in Hershey. They’d been married eight years and had three children, all ages six and under. “When somebody dies so young, the grief is so consuming,” says Gatons, the Greensburg-based author of Farther Than 26.2 Miles (Palmetto). “There’s no happiness. Nothing makes you happy.” Gatons’ memoir recounts Kevin’s death and her struggle to take care of her children while dealing with her grief. Though supported by her family and faith (although Gatons admits she was initially “mad at God”), she still struggled, especially when her father died a few months later. Recovery started when she returned to competitive running.
FARTHER THAN 26.2 MILES is available now from Palmetto Publishing Group.
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A nationally ranked marathoner who ran in the 1996 Olympic Trials, Gatons initially had no intention of competing at the sport’s highest level. (She and Kevin actually met at the Columbus Marathon in the mid-’90s.) After her natural talent emerged and she started winning races in the early 1990s, Gatons began to take the sport more seriously, hiring coaches, and traveling across the country and around the world to compete in elite races. She was selected to be a representative for Avon’s running series in 1997, joining Joan Benoit Samuelson, Jackie JoynerKersee, and Lynn Jennings as one of the country’s top female track and field athletes. After getting married and having children, Gatons had less time to train, and though she’d run with her children in tow, serious training was impossible. But a short time after her husband’s
death, Gatons returned, fueled by her despair, anger, and grief, and eventually, her old rhythms came back. “I just love how running makes you feel,” she says. “It makes you feel free. I’m happy while running. There’s no pain. I’m not thinking about my life or the sadness or the heartache. I could escape all that.” But there were still many unanswered questions. Her faith provided some answers, but nothing that gave her true comfort. Therapists helped to some degree, but the dull ache in her heart persisted. The idea of giving up wasn’t possible because of her children. “If it was just me, it would have been easier,” she admits. “I had three lives I was responsible for and I wanted to make sure they were okay. I had a greater purpose.” It wasn’t easy. Her children, now 19, 16, and 14, all reacted to the grief of their father’s death in different ways. But by sheer force of will, Gatons held her family together. “It was both a blessing and a curse that they were so young when Kevin died,” she says. “Kevin was a great dad, and my father was a great dad, so I know what they are missing. But they really don’t know life with a dad because they were so young.” That kind of bittersweet reflection is a theme that runs through Farther Than 26.2 Miles, as in the book’s dedication, where Gatons writes, “I remember saying to my mom shortly after Kevin died, ‘I wish he never ran.’ And my mom replied, ‘But you never would have met him.’”
Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR
•
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EARLY WARNINGS SPONSORED UPCOMING EVENTS FROM CITY PAPER’S FINE ADVERTISERS
WED., JAN. 15TH. LIBERTY MAGIC: DEREK HUGHES IN BAG OF TRICKS 7:30 P.M. LIBERTY MAGIC, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $40-$65. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.
THU., JAN. 16TH. THURSDAY YOGA AT CMOA 7 P.M. CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART, OAKLAND. All Ages. $10. 412-622-3131 or cmoa.org.
FRI., JAN. 17TH FUEL
THU., JAN. 16TH. SHADOW OF INTENT 5:30 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE STAGE & GRILL, SOUTH HILLS. All Ages. $16-$28.50. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.
THU., JAN. 16TH. STEEZ PROMO PRESENTS SLANDER 7 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTHSHORE. All Ages. $33-$38. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.
THU., JAN. 16TH. THE MOTELS 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $22-$35. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
THU., JAN. 16TH. SARAH REICH 8 P.M. GREER CABERET THEATER, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $35-$65. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.
THU., JAN. 16TH. 412 FOOD RESCUE HEROES CELEBRATION 5:30 P.M. CINDERELANDS BEER CO., STRIP. 21+ Event. Free. 412-209-1575 or eventbrite.com.
FRI., JAN. 17TH. FUEL 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $23-$114. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
FRI., JAN. 17TH. DANNY WORSNOP 7 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE STAGE & GRILL,
JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. SOUTH HILLS. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $20-$32.50. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.
SAT., JAN. 18TH. AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN 7 P.M. BYHAM THEATER, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $12. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.
SAT., JAN. 18TH. PACK, DINOSOUL, AND SIKES AND THE NEW VIOLENCE 7 P.M. BLACK FORGE COFFEE HOUSE, MCKEES ROCKS. All Ages. $10. 412-291-8994 or blackforgecoffe.com.
SAT., JAN. 18TH. NICK JR. LIVE! 10 A.M. BENEDUM THEATER, DOWNTOWN. Ages 3+. $31.25-$131.25. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.
SAT., JAN. 18TH. PENGUINS ON PARADE 11:30 A.M. PITTSBURGH ZOO & PPG AQUARIUM, HIGHLAND PARK. All Ages. $13-$20. 412-665-3640 or pittsburghzoo.com
SUN., JAN. 19TH. AN EVENING W/ TREY TAYLOR TO BENEFIT TIMKO FOR PA 5 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $100-$150 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
TUE., JAN. 21ST. THROWBACK W/ NOW & THEN 3 P.M. ROWHOUSE CINEMAS, LAWRENCEVILLE. All Ages. $8-$15. 412-904-3225 or rowhousecinema.com.
TUE., JAN. 21ST. ETHER COVEN / BARISHI / WVRM 5:30 P.M. SMILING MOOSE, SOUTHSIDE. All Ages $12. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.
TUE., JAN. 21ST. THE NEOTHEATER WORLD TOUR: AJR 8 P.M. UPMC EVENTS CENTER, MOON. All Ages. $35-$170. 412-397-2000 or ticketmaster.com.
SUN., JAN. 19TH. MAGIC CITY HIPPIES
TUE., JAN. 21ST. CRAFT BEER SCHOOL: LOGYARD BREWING
8 P.M. THUNDERBIRD CAFÉ, LAWRENCEVILLE. 21+ Event. $20. 412-682-0177 or thunderbirdmusic.com.
6:15 P.M. GREER CABERET THEATER, DOWNTOWN. 21+ Event. $31.25. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.
SUN., JAN. 19TH. AWAKE AT LAST
TUE., JAN. 21ST. THE ALEXANDER PECK TRIO
6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE, SOUTHSIDE. All Ages. $12. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.
5 P.M. BACKSTAGE BAR, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. Free. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.
FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
31
SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
PHOTO: INDICAN PICTURES
^ Thu., Jan. 9: Killer Unicorn
THURSDAY JAN. 9
ART South Side has a reputation for its bars, restaurants, and tattoo shops, but the neighborhood is also home to a thriving arts community. Join Brew House Association for the opening of Austral Exhibition, a juried collection of artists that live and/or work in South Side (“austral” often refers to the Southern Hemisphere). The show features photography, painting, and
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engravings by 14 artists, including Kurt Pfaff, Delli Speers, Derek Reese, and more. 5:30 p.m. Continues through Sat., Feb. 8. 711 S. 21st St., South Side. brewhousearts.org
ART Since the early ’90s, the Pittsburgh organization Master Visual Artists has been celebrating and preserving the work of artists who have had a long and fruitful career and are over the age of 60. Its current exhibit, Master Visual Artists VII: Preserving the Legacy at the Heinz History Center showcases some of these artists, who
will speak about their work at Meet the Master Artists, an event that includes access to the exhibit. Works include modern sculpture, photography collages, paintings, and more. 5:30 p.m. 1212 Smallman Street, Strip District. heinzhistorycenter.org
TALK Currently on display at the Andy Warhol Museum, Andy Warhol: Revelation has been touted as the first exhibition to “comprehensively examine” the artist’s “complex Catholic faith in relation to his artistic production.” The museum will further delve into this
subject with Revelation: A Conversation on Andy Warhol and Religion, led by professors Erika Doss and Paula Kane examining the role religion played in Warhol’s identity and creative process and the effect it has on modern art. 7-9 p.m. 117 Sandusky St., North Side. Registration required. warhol.org
FILM Horror has a horn when Ace Hotel hosts a special screening of Killer Unicorn, a slasher flick about a killer in a unicorn mask terrorizing the Brooklyn drag scene. Presented by local drag act Princess Jafar,
^ Sat., Jan. 11: Beaver County Snow Shovel Riding Championship
the event includes a show with the film’s star, Lady Havokk, as well as Brooklyn Barbie, and Veruca la’Piranha. Admission may be free, but be sure to bring cash to tip the performers. 9-11 p.m. 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. acehotel.com/pittsburgh
JAN. 10
Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast), comes to Pittsburgh Public Theater on Jan. 23 for a month-long run at O’Reilly Theater. But if that’s too long of a wait, get a preview with a cast performance of songs from the musical at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, which, given the horticultural plot, makes for a killer setting of this Broadway classic. 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. 1 Schenley Drive, Oakland. $30. phipps.conservatory.org
STAGE
COMEDY
It’s a tale as old as time: A lovelorn florist boosts a failing business by feeding blood and human flesh to the plants. Little Shop of Horrors, from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (the team behind Disney classics Aladdin, The
Do you like to eat? Do you like to laugh? Do you like to laugh at how much you eat? So does Jim Gaffigan. America’s favorite body-positive, Midwestern stand-up comes to PPG Paints Arena with all new material. Gaffigan’s
FRIDAY
comedy centers around family, observations, food, and laziness. If you can’t laugh at a guy with five children who willingly lives in a New York City apartment, you can’t laugh at anything. 8 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. Tickets start at $29.75. jimgaffigan.com
COMEDY Ron White is like the uncle everybody laughs at during the holidays. He smokes too much, drinks too much, and says too much, and it’s funny because you’re not actually related. See White drink, smoke, and drop some blue-collar comedy at Rivers Casino, a venue where that kind of behavior is not only allowed but encouraged. 8 p.m. 777 Rivers Drive, North Side. Tickets start at $89. tatersalad.com/tour
SATURDAY JAN. 11
OUTDOORS Are you glued to the TV screen every Winter Olympics, in awe of ski jumpers, figure skaters, and the luge? Sorry, you’re not gonna find anything that graceful at the 57th annual Beaver County Snow Shovel Riding Championship. In what just might be the most ridiculous competition of all of winter sports, brave souls race down a 165’ hill on snow shovels. The free event is open to all ages — drink some coffee or hot chocolate on the sidelines while watching the competition or join in on the fun for a chance to win CONTINUES ON PG. 34
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 33
ART: “ANDREW CARNEGIE NEVER ANTICIPATED SUZY” BY KURT PFAFF
^ Thu., Jan. 9: Austral Exhibition
a prize. (Just make sure you check the website before you leave: If there isn’t enough snow on the hillside, the event will be postponed to the following Saturday.) Registration: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.; Races 12:303 p.m. Old Economy Park, 5 Forcey Ave., Baden. visitbeavercounty.com
ART Visual artist Derek Peel makes sculptures and conceptual work that poke at weird or uncomfortable parts of life with wry humor and touching insight. Peel’s last exhibit, Get Well Soon, examined the isolated culture around hospitals and illness with caged balloons and a redundant pill case. Her latest show, at Phosphor Project Space, is called The Great Outdoors, and something suggests it won’t be a straightforward homage to nature. Opening reception 6-9 p.m. Continues through Sun., Jan. 26. 7720 Waverly St., Wilkinsburg. phosphorpgh.com
STAGE Play in a Day, formerly known as the 24-Hour Play Project created by Duquesne
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University’s theater group The Red Masquers, returns to Genesius Theater, for, well, a day. The idea is ambitious but simple: Current and former Red Masquers have 24 hours (starting Friday night) to write, direct, stage, and perform original new plays. It’s a trip for the creators but also oddly exciting for the audience thanks to the quirks and looseness you only get under unreasonable time constraints. Proceeds go to Keenan Lane Scholarship Fund. 8 p.m. Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Ave., Uptown. $5.
SUNDAY JAN. 12 STAGE From renowned playwright Theresa Rebeck comes Downstairs, a tense and darkly comic story about a troubled but caring relationship between siblings Teddy and Irene. The former is crashing in the latter’s basement in a house purchased with money inherited by their
parents; Teddy is bright and kind but struggles to keep his mouth shut and sometimes has trouble separating fantasy and paranoia from his reality. The story, which takes place entirely in the house’s basement, “confronts family secrets, regrets, and the threat of madness in the search for the good life.” City Theatre’s production, directed by Marc Masterson, stars Martin Giles and Helena Routi in the leads. 7 p.m. Opening night: 8 p.m. Fri., Jan. 17. Continues through Sun., Feb. 2. City Theatre, 1300 Bingham St., South Side. $29. citytheatre. culturaldistrict.org
MONDAY JAN. 13 FILM “What the hell is a gigawatt?!” Answer that burning question as well as other curiosities, like “What’s it like to kiss your mom?” or “What was my dad like in high school?” during a screening of Back to the Future. Sci-Fi Fest 2020 is
a weeklong event held at Row House Cinema filled with your favorite cinematic sci-fi. Spoiler alert: If you’re Marty McFly, your dad was a Peeing Tom in high school. Pre-order any Back to the Future movie ticket by Jan. 9, and you’ll be entered in a contest to win a ride in a 1985 retrofitted DeLorean! 10:30 p.m. Sci-Fi Fest 2020 continues through Thu., Jan 19. 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. rowhousecinema.com
TRIVIA Game-lovers got a treat a few months ago when Mana Boardgame Tavern opened in the North Side. The bar offers guests access to over 250 boardgames for $5 (with monthly and yearly membership options available, and now it’s bringing in trivia lovers too. Teams of up to four people can join in to compete for prizes at Trivia Night hosted by Aaron DeLeo. Get a leg up on the competition by warming up before the night begins with one of the bar’s six editions of every quiz expert’s favorite boardgame, Trivial Pursuit. 7:30-9:30 p.m. 919 Western Ave., North Side. manapgh.com
FEATURED ON INK MASTER :ANGELS
PYRAMID
TATTOO & Body Piercing
^ Wed., Jan. 15: A Conversation with Xandria Phillips
TUESDAY JAN. 14
TALK David Harris has written about criminal justice for almost 30 years, but the story of Jordan Miles has dominated much of his work in the past decade. After being beaten by police officers during a 2010 arrest, Miles sued for wrongful arrest and excessive force, eventually winning a $125,000 settlement in 2016. The story might not be fresh on the national scale but it’s still in the minds of many Pittsburghers and echoes persistently in stories of police brutality and race in media today. In an appearance at Carnegie Library Music Hall, Harris — a Pittsburgh author, podcaster, and chair at the University of Pittsburgh Law School — will discuss the Miles case and his book A City Divided: Race, Fear and the Law in Police Confrontations. The talk will explore “not just what happened but why, what the stakes are, and, most importantly, what we must do differently to avoid these public-safety catastrophes.” 6 p.m. Carnegie Library Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Registration required. pittsburghlectures.org ART: ANDY WARHOL’S CROSS; IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC.
^ Thu., Jan. 9: Andy Warhol: Revelation
WEDNESDAY JAN. 15
LIT In their debut poetry collection, HULL, award-winning writer and artist Xandria Phillips covers the effects of racism and colonialism on the Black queer body. A Conversation with Xandria Phillips will bring a discussion and Q&A with the writer as part of City of Asylum’s Intimate Word Cellar series. “I didn’t know how badly I needed these poems until they were unfurling in my hands, devastating and brilliant,” New Yorker essayist Carmen Maria Machado wrote of Phillips’ book. 6 p.m. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. alphabetcity.org
PYRAMIDTATTOO.COM
BRIDGEVILLE, PA
TALK The 1Hood Artivist Academy kicks off 2020 at the Andy Warhol Museum with a conversation featuring hip-hop legend Rakim. Widely considered one of the greatest lyricists of all time, Rakim will discuss his long career, including his days as half of the hip-hop duo Eric B. and Rakim, as well as the current state of music. He’ll be joined by music journalist Bakari Kitwana, who co-authored Rakim’s memoir, Sweat the Technique. The event will also include an introduction to the 1Hood Artivist Academy 2020 cohort. 6-10 p.m. 117 Sandusky St., North Side. $20. warhol.org • PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-16750. In re petition of Bethany Elizabeth Uber for change of name to Bethany Elizabeth Uber-James. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 28th day of January, 2020, 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
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-17990, In re petition of Leanne Wilson parent and legal guardian of Layla Destiny Sewell, for change of name to Layla Destiny Sewell-Wilson. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 28th day of January, 2020, 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
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-17622, In re petition of Kristina Grottenthaler parent and legal guardian of Kayden Ellis Allen, for change of name to Kayden Ellis Grottenthaler. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 28th day of January, 2020, 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
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-14642. In re petition of Michael Mearl Cain for change of name to Michael Drake MacGowan. 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 January, 2020, 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
TOSSING BACK A FEW BEERS BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM
ACROSS 1. Cabrera of CNN 4. Crabs (and the like) nobody eats? 8. Exactly 14. My pronoun, for Merkel 15. Literary orphan sent to the Lowood Institution 16. How some grounders are fielded 17. Music genre that evokes an earlier time 19. Like sub-zero temperatures 20. “Actually, that’s bullshit” 21. Fashion designer Saab 23. Pipe down? 24. “Golic and Wingo” chanel 25. Deadly African snake 27. He’s a pig 29. Spanish province or its capital 30. Acting all emo 32. “Live at the Barbeque” rapper 33. Actor Felton of the Harry Potter movies 36. Where things stand today 40. Theses defenders: Abbr. 41. Thunder, on scoreboards
42. The tops 43. Strip off the Mediterranean 45. Al’s is 13: Abbr. 46. Test cases? 52. Perfect 54. Fighting 55. “That’s a good ___!” 56. More than you can count 57. Tanker’s route 59. Entertaining lavishly 61. Highly decorated 62. Woman’s name that means “pure” 63. Woody picture 64. Trash 65. Cummerbund, e.g. 66. Albuquerque-toLubbock dir.
DOWN 1. Eagle’s landing pad 2. Atomic structure physicist 3. Felix V and Alexander V, e.g. 4. Site admin’s concern, briefly 5. With a less neurotic personality 6. Amusingly odd 7. Old snap tone 8. ___ A. Bank 9. Paris-based arts org. 10. Get for a song 11. Original
“Buffy” network 12. More in need of an ice pack 13. Met tragedy, say 18. Fix up a loose board 22. Certain style 26. “Tik Tok” singer 28. Strand with code 30. Hadley and Bradley on the Moon: Abbr. 31. Japanese dumplings 32. Like payments made with your cellphone, briefly 33. Bills from the government, e.g. 34. Private discussions 35. Operation specialists, briefly
37. Rain forest resident that resembles a zebra 38. National Radon Action Mo. sponsor 39. Very deadly 43. Really bother 44. Spritz things up? 46. Marc of the Toronto Raptors 47. Fetal positions 48. “Gimme” 49. Elba of “Cats” 50. Actress Davis 51. Wise guys 53. Author Madeline L’___ 58. “Shut Up ‘n Play ___ Guitar” (Frank Zappa album) 60. Brick oven residue LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
ISS
M ER V E N
RY! O T AS
TH BO D AN NS,E M LU G CO VERA , S IE CO TOREWS S N AL TICIONAL I L PO AT ES, ND N N I L A EADOCAL H L CP TOP K TH E WEE I EW H AG OF T R E Y OV DA C C ERY I S MU EV AL S FOR N O ATI ATION N D AN END AL OMM C LO REC ERT NC O C ING UR T A E K, F S N I DR IEW ND T REV A D N FOOUARA L A ST LOCLY RE N I T EK BES WE E TH AL UR T L CU ND URGH A , B E NC PITTS A D UT M, FIL UGHO , E R O ATUT THR R E M LIT NMEN CO . , T R I E AR A PAP AL TERT Y U T S N I E VI HC
R OU R O F UP N SIG
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 8-15, 2020
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PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM
R
EESE PIPER is an autistic writer
and stripper living in Brooklyn, N.Y. She writes about disability, her experiences stripping, and the labor laws that impact her. This week, I sat down to talk to her about what it is like to be an autistic stripper. WHEN YOU WERE DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM, YOU HAD ALREADY BEEN STRIPPING FOR TWO YEARS. WERE THERE WAYS IN WHICH YOUR JOB AS A STRIPPER HELPED YOU TO RECOGNIZE YOUR AUTISM? I think I noticed from the beginning that I was able to socialize a lot more in the club. I was able to look people in the eye; I was able to converse. I knew that I struggled with these things in the outside world. Dancing gave me a perspective; it built a dichotomy in my head. I would ask myself: Who am I? I am so flirtatious here, but I feel so bland outside. WHY DO YOU THINK SOCIALIZING WAS EASIER INSIDE OF THE CLUB? I was able to do it because [the social interactions within a strip club] are so scripted. There were so many formulas. One dancer walked me through what kind of conversations she would have with customers, and I would do double dances with others. I would memorize what the other dancers said and did, and copy it with my customers.
Reese Piper is currently writing a memoir on how she discovered she was autistic while working as a stripper. Subscribe to her newsletter here: tinyletter.com/ReesePiper I would say hello, ask how their day is going, ask them a few questions about themselves, relate it to myself, and then ask if they want to buy me a drink — that would tell me if they were willing to spend money. Through this job, I learned to have a back and forth conversation. Also, because it is a job, these interactions aren’t supposed to be natural, I was taught how to have them. But socializing [outside of the club] is supposed to come naturally, and no one took me aside and taught me how to do that.
THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT DANCING IS A GOOD JOB FOR THOSE WITH AUTISM? Yes. At the beginning, in particular, it was nice to be in my body. I could pick my own hours and I had more control over my general mental health. If I was having a low day, I would take off work. Stripping gave me control over my autism in that way. It also gave me a space to be good at something. I was so bad at so many things. In stripping, I could focus on one thing and do it well. There is only one goal: I was just there to make money.
BESIDES THE SELF-KNOWLEDGE THAT DANCING FACILITATED, DO YOU
ARE THERE WAYS IN WHICH YOU FEEL LIKE YOU, AS AN AUTISTIC PERSON,
ARE PARTICULARLY WELL SUITED TO BE A STRIPPER, RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND? I noticed right away that it was easy for me to connect with random customers. In the club, it was just me and this person, and we could, for a short time, exist without the relationship boundaries that you have in real life. And because I don’t relate to people in real life the way neurotypical folks do, it was easier for me to exist in these heightened intimate spaces. Also, the stigma that is associated with sex work didn’t impact me in the same way that it impacted others. I had less shame and less embarrassment about getting close with others. The dirtiness that is presumed by people outside of sex work … I just didn’t take it in. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR WORK HAS IMPACTED YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE OF WORK? It has given me a sense of my limits and what I can handle. I discovered I work well when I have one project. It taught me to really listen to my own inner knowledge. However, because I have learned to take some of that into my personal life, I no longer find stripping as interesting. I started having my own relationships outside of the club and no longer needed the club to experience intimacy.
•
JESSIE SAGE IS CO-HOST OF THE PEEPSHOW PODCAST AT PEEPSHOWPODCAST.COM. HER COLUMN PEEPSHOW IS EXCLUSIVE TO PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER. FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER @PEEP_CAST. HAVE A SEX QUESTION YOU’RE TOO AFRAID TO ASK? ASK JESSIE! EMAIL INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM. QUESTIONS MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR AN UPCOMING COLUMN.
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