January 15, 2020 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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JAN. 15-22, 2020

THE COSTS OF DEVELOPMENT As cost of living in Lawrenceville skyrockets, are long-term tenants the ones paying the price?

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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. 15-22, 2020

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FIRSTSHOT

BY JARED WICKERHAM

4 Smithfield Street, Suite 1210 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.685.9009 E-MAIL info@pghcitypaper.com

pghcitypaper.com PGHCITYPAPER PITTSBURGHCITYPAPER

JAN. 15-22, 2020 VOLUME 29 + ISSUE 3 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Associate Publisher JUSTIN MATASE Director of Advertising JASMINE HUGHES 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.

GENERAL POLICIES: Contents copyrighted 2020

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

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COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM READ THE STORY ON PAGE 6

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THE BIG STORY

THE COSTS OF DEVELOPMENT

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

NTHONY HARDISON HAS LIVED in his Lawrenceville apartment for more than 10 years. He’s had his ups and downs, but 1 St. Johns Place, Apt. No. 2 has been the home that has provided him some much needed stability.

But at the end of this month, his housing situation is going to be a lot shakier.

In December 2019, Hardison received a letter from his property manager that the building owners planned to renovate his unit, so he would have to move out

by January 31.

Hardison’s life hasn’t worked out exactly as he envisioned. After high school, Hardison enrolled in the operational engineers training program and found work at the Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock and at construction sites like the Pittsburgh International Airport. It was his dream job. But just before his 21st birthday, he was hit by a car while crossing the street, fracturing several bones and severely damaging his left shoulder. He couldn’t operate heavy machinery anymore, let alone function on a construction site. He says his doctor told him he shouldn’t be lifting anything over 25 pounds because of his injury, even after completing several surgeries.

Over the years, Hardison, 49, found work at Pittsburgh city recreation centers, as a sports coach, and for PNC Bank. But that work was less steady and paid much less than his salary as an operational engineer. Hardison bounced around the region for years, living in Verona, Wilkinsburg, and other parts of Pittsburgh’s East End. Eventually he got on Section 8, a housing voucher program for low-income residents. His mother had lived at Liberty Point Apartments, the parcel in Lawrenceville that houses St. Johns Place and two other large apartment buildings.

In 2010, he was fortunate to find a place there that accepted his housing voucher, in a neighborhood with good public transit and quick and easy access to Downtown, where he takes classes at the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Hardison is still hopeful he can rejoin the operational engineers with the right training.

But with his desired housing situation ending, Hardison isn’t exactly sure what his future holds. He hasn’t yet found another apartment that will accept his Section 8 voucher, or one that would match his current $800 rent.

“I appreciate that my landlord rented me, but I don’t understand why they do this to tenants,” says Hardison. “It is just mind boggling. I have been here 10 years. I don’t know why they are doing this.”

Unfortunately for low-income residents in Lawrenceville, Hardison’s story is hardly unique. The neighborhood has been besieged by home flippers, which generally refers to when people or companies buy more run-down homes, add amenities, rehab the properties relatively quickly, and then sell them for much higher than originally purchased. And the housing market is red-hot. It’s not just home sales increasing dramatically; rental prices are also skyrocketing, and CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Liberty Point Apartments

CONTINUES ON PG. 8

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

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THE COSTS OF DEVELOPMENT, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Anthony Hardison in his living room at the Liberty Point Apartments

fewer and fewer landlords are accepting Section 8 vouchers.

Measures and initiatives were recently passed to help ensure Lawrenceville maintains affordable homes for low-income residents, but it’s easy for developers and flippers to find loopholes, and most of what they are doing is perfectly legal. As homes in Lawrenceville flip over one by one, tenants like Hardison may soon become a relic of the past.

HARDISON KNOWS LAWRENCEVILLE well.

He was born in Johnstown and moved to Pittsburgh as a child, where he attended Arsenal Middle School in Lawrenceville and spent his formative years in Garfield.

He is used to being in this part of town.

But now it’s looking less likely that he’ll be able to stay in the neighborhood.

Hardison says his original lease was up at the end of February 2020, but last month, representatives from the property management company that

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manages Liberty Point Apartments, Aishel Realty, knocked on his door and requested he sign a form. Shortly after, he received a lease-termination notice that required him to vacate the unit by the end of January because of a “planned renovation of the unit.”

He expected any new lease requests to be mailed to him, so he would have time to review it before making a decision. Hardison says he felt pressured to sign a change in his lease because representatives were standing at his door.

He also says he didn’t receive a letter detailing his new lease until a week before Christmas, even though it was dated December 11.

Aishel Realty didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.

Hardison has met with other apartment buildings in the area, notably the new building across from Arsenal Middle School, but the rental prices for a onebedroom unit are way out of his budget.

“It is definitely difficult, the area

has definitely changed,” says Hardison.

“Everyone has to be an engineer to afford rent. You have to be a doctor. A lot of people that work at places like FedEx or McDonald’s, there is no way [they] can afford the housing.”

According to RentCafe, the average rent of units listed for Lawrenceville in November 2019 was $1,438. Hardison paid $800 a month for his unit in Liberty Point. (Section 8 vouchers maintain that tenants pay one-third of their income in rent.)

Ernie Hogan of local policy group Pittsburgh Community Redevelopment Group told Pittsburgh City Paper last year that Lower Lawrenceville has experienced “clear gentrification.” Gentrification is when redevelopment brings in more affluent residents, typically at the cost of displacing low-income people.

According to a study from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Lower Lawrenceville, where Liberty Point is located, saw its resi-

dents’ average incomes increase by 25 percent, its college attainment double to 30 percent of residents, and its average home values increase by 126 percent to $133,600, between 2000-2013. And home prices have increased exponentially since 2013, with many homes in the neighborhood selling for more than $400,000. The neighborhood has always been majority white, but both Central and Lower Lawrenceville have lost hundreds of Black residents over the years.

Hardison has spent the last few weeks trying to box up his things. His apartment is modest, with an old stove and furnace that squeaks loudly every time it comes on. The unit isn’t flashy, but far from run-down. Hardison is a big sports fan, with posters of the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins adorning the wall of his living room. He recently sold a turntable to a friend for some cash.

He doesn’t want to complain too much about his situation, worried other landlords might blackball him, but

knows he needs to do something to help him find a new place to live.

“Sometimes when tenants like me complain, they consider me ‘undesirable’ and because of nothing that I did,” says Hardison. “I am concerned about my health. That is all I can speak about.

I don’t want to be mad at them. I am only fighting for my rights. But they are forcing me out. They are doing this to a lot of people.”

AISHEL DIDN’T RESPOND to questions

about Hardison’s record as a tenant.

In 2015, Aishel took him to magistrate court for back rent and the judge ordered him to pay $600. Nothing in Hardison’s lease-termination notice mentions any tenant violations on the part of Hardison, and Aishel offered to be a landlord reference for Hardison in the notice.

In 2017, Aishel came under fire when 140 units it managed throughout the East End were kept in deplorable conditions, resulting in the buildings losing federal subsidies.

Lawrenceville has the fastest growing real estate prices of any neighborhood in the city. This has been going on for the

“It is definitely difficult, the area has definitely changed. Everyone has to be an engineer to afford rent.

You have to be a doctor.” last several years, with rents rising and some prices pushing $700,000 for rowhomes. The neighborhood is arguably the most gentrified in the city, and what was once known as a working-class enclave is now known for its lively restaurant scene, hip bars, and trendy boutiques.

But for a while, Liberty Avenue on the edge of the neighborhood had avoided that. The only restaurant in that corridor is the long-standing Church Brew Works. The row homes along the corridor are older, but now run down.

Liberty Point is located on the very far-edge of Lawrenceville, close to the Herron Avenue busway station, but far from the amenities on Butler Street.

The last four years have seen dramatic changes for this part of the neighborhood.

The section of Lawrenceville from 36th to 40th and in between Penn and Liberty avenues saw at least 25 homes flip in the last four years, which was about half of the home sales that Pittsburgh City Paper counted in the area. And more than 20 of the recent sales that haven’t flipped are

owned by real estate firms that specialize in flipping and rehabbing homes.

According to ATTOM Data Solutions, about 7% of home sales in the U.S. over the last few years were flipped homes.

Proponents of house flipping say it’s necessary to update an old housing stock, and to bring more houses onto the market. But affordable housing organizations decry its role in increasing gentrification.

Groups like Lawrenceville United are fighting hard for housing policy that will help low-income residents stay in the neighborhood and push back against gentrification. The group backed a successful push for inclusionary zoning in Lawrenceville, which will require large projects to reserve a percentage of their units for households at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI). In 2017, Lawrenceville became home to a Community Land Trust, where nonprofit Lawrenceville Corporation sold seven homes to low-income homebuyers and the homes stay affordable in perpetuity.

WHILE THESE MEASURES are positive steps, Lawrenceville United director Dave Breigan says widespread disCONTINUES ON PG. 10

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

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THE COSTS OF DEVELOPMENT, CONTINUED FROM PG. 9

placement of low-income residents is still happening. He says large scale evictions haven’t really occurred, but instead scores of individual homes and units have been flipped one at a time.

“The story of displacement in Lawrenceville is tragic and still undertold in my opinion,” says Breigan. “The way it happens is individual properties or smaller portfolios like the ones we’ve talked about … not where hundreds of residents are displaced all at once.

Sometimes that obscures the cumulative impact, which is probably just as dramatic, if not worse.”

And since these flips aren’t technically part of one large project, developers don’t have to comply with the neighborhood’s new inclusionary zoning rule, which only requires projects of more than 20 units to ensure 10% affordability.

To combat this death-by-a-thousandcuts displacement problem, Breigan says Lawrenceville United and Lawrenceville Corporation teamed up in 2018 and tried to purchase more than 30 homes, some that were previously rented by Section 8 tenants, to add to the Community Land Trust. However, Breigan says the

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

seller “wanted too high a price to make it work,” and the homes were lost to the private market.

Section 8 tenants like Hardison face

a shrinking supply pool in Pittsburgh neighborhoods because landlords don’t like renting to voucher holders and, in neighborhoods like Lawrenceville,

they can sell their previously affordable properties to flippers for large profits.

According to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette investigation from 2017, Lawrenceville lost 120 Section 8 units between 20112016, including 30 in Lower Lawrenceville.

Last year, the Pittsburgh Housing Authority altered its policy and now further incentivizes landlords to rent to Section 8 tenants in Lower Lawrenceville. But the lure of profits from flipping homes or units may be too powerful. In the third quarter of last year, Pittsburgh house flippers made one of the highest profit margins of any metro area in the country, netting $87,000 in average gross profit and a 136% return on investment, according to ATTOM. But through all this, Hardison remains optimistic. He knows it will be difficult to stay in Lawrenceville, but he’s hopeful he can complete retraining to join the operational engineers again, believing that improvements in technology means he can do the work, even with his bad shoulder.

If he can become an operational engineer again, he thinks he might be able to afford the neighborhood.

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Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

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.VOICES.

RESOLUTIONS FOR RACIAL EQUITY

BY BARBARA JOHNSON INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

R

ACIAL EQUITY is only possible

when you apply justice to a system that is out of balance.

Recall for a moment the racial trajectory of our nation. Families were separated, kidnapped, and trafficked from their homes to populate the system of slavery, a billion-dollar U.S. industry that created generational wealth for some and generational trauma for others.

The system of slavery ended and was replaced with Jim Crow, segregation, marginalization, red lining, and discrimination, continuing the seemingly endless exploitation and oppression of Brown and Black people.

Pittsburgh continues to wade in that historic trajectory of racism, allowing those systems to continue. Data from The Center for Race and Social Problems at Pitt, Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Voices report by New Voices Pittsburgh, and the City of Pittsburgh Gender Equity Report are some of the studies that confirm these systems of racial oppression do not make this city livable for all.

As we enter the year 2020, we have an opportunity to apply justice to these systems that are out of balance. A colleague said to me, “We can no longer just advocate, we must agitate.” As an experienced diversity and inclusion professional from higher education and a racial justice educator, I share seven

passion that would empower that person to reach the success of their dreams.

resolutions for you to consider: 1. Give decision-making power to those impacted by the decision. While education, wisdom, and expertise are important, individuals’ lived experiences and emotions bring balance to the story and equitable resolutions.

2. Seek out and listen to the voices of those who are marginalized. Let power and prestige step aside to make room and space to let other voices be heard.

3. Share your expertise and wisdom with someone who does not look like you.

Mentor, sponsor, and coach with the

4. Let your desire for diversity and inclusion flow into racially diverse friendship circles. Break pita, challah, naan, or cornbread at neighborhood tables to take your ally spirit to the next level through new friendship patterns.

5. Walk in someone else’s moccasins daily in neighborhoods and communities beyond your own. Amble through your discomfort toward a deeper engagement with strangers. Learn about their hopes and dreams with an intention to bring them into your sphere of influence and

help remove barriers to their success.

6. Hire 50% more Black and Brown people.

If you are not in the hiring role, recommend persons to be hired or to apply.

I often hear, “We cannot find qualified people.” That is the imbalance. Qualifications are often barriers to equality, so create new qualifications that upright the imbalance.

7. Read the works of Black and Brown authors who share the truths that our history lessons have missed and get the story right. Some that have been eye-opening for me are Isabel Wilkerson, Ijeoma Oluo, Madhur Jaffrey, and Esmeralda Santiago.

•

Barbara Johnson is the Senior Director of Race and Gender Equity at YWCA Greater Pittsburgh

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.JUST JAGGIN’.

CHECKING MY COMPS

BY JOSH OSWALD // JOSWALD@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

E

ARLY IN OUR relationship, like

a great first date, HGTV and I were fast friends. Having not yet owned a house, it was fun to watch House Hunters to see what kind of prices, locations, and styles might be available to my wife and me. Sure, the hunters were mostly entitled 25-yearold dipshits with $750,000 budgets who brought their sorority sisters or cousin along to give them bad advice. It was easy to ignore the turn-offs for some empty TV calories that would sustain me until a real meal came along.

Then I heard the term “open concept.”

“OK. That sounds like some marketing bullshit,” I thought. Then I heard it again.

Then every single house-hunter required an open concept, stainless-steel appliances, and a white-cabinet kitchen. I started getting tired. But like a Subway sandwich, which also makes me tired, HGTV got me where I needed to go until something better came along. Well, I think I’ve finally found that something.

It’s anything else!

I have hit the HGTV wall. Sure, there are handful of shows to choose from with a large variety of hosts who are all equipped with dynamic personalities.

There’s the quirky, white host, who spends too much money on a remodel, shooting for the stars with a “super, high design.” There’s the fiscally conservative, white host who is responsible for the bottom line. Sometimes, these modern-day odd couples co-host the

same show! Sometimes they’re even married or brothers or even A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER! It’s like the American government: so many different ideas and personalities, but somehow it all works.

There’s only so many times I can watch a person who couldn’t make their first passion financially viable buy a cheap piece of property, knock down every wall on the main floor, and paint the entire thing white. Maybe put “Live, Laugh, Love” on the wall somewhere or some fake books to flatter their clients who clearly don’t read.

These people hate carpets more than terrorism, but they love wood rescued from almost anywhere.

Here’s a list of words and phrases I hope I never hear again: Demo Day; Shiplap; Reclaimed Wood; Super, High Design; Mudroom; Man Cave; Comps; Jack and Jill Sink; Soaker Tub; Stainless Steel Appliances; Drew Scott; Open Concept; En Suite; “Hardwood throughout”; Two-car Garage; “Closer to the city”; Break-even; Max Budget; Over Budget; Steel Beam, HVAC, “Down to the studs”; Budget; Soft-Close Drawer; Quick Close; Site Unseen.

And with enough will power to find virtually anything else to do, I probably will never hear those words again.

However, My Lottery Dream Home is still a gas. I’ll probably continue to watch that. And maybe Love It or List It … God damnit.

•

Follow digital media manager Josh Oswald on Twitter @gentlemenRich PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

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.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

ALTA VIA

BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

LTA VIA WAS one of the most

anticipated restaurant openings of 2019. It marked the first new concept from the big Burrito Restaurant Group — owners of Pennsylvania’s Mad Mex fleet, plus Eleven, Casbah, Kaya, Soba, and Umi — in 15 years.

The Fox Chapel eatery explored new territory for the prodigious restaurant group, one that Bill Fuller, big Burrito corporate chef and president, had been pushing for: Italian food. This isn’t another iteration of Pittsburgh’s oldschool, checkered tablecloth-covered eateries, but one that fuses Italian cuisine with the fresh, healthy-feeling food of California wine country. This idea steered them toward three ideas for the foundation of Alta Via’s menu: fresh pasta, a wood-fired hearth, and vegetable-forward dishes.

The trio is prominent on the menu: Pastas are the obvious focus of the list, with an array of pasta shapes, sauces, and meats, and the vegetable section almost outnumbers the antipasti, many sporting a roast from the hearth.

Inside, Alta Via nails the modern, chic feel. Dim lighting, curling banquettes, and muted colors make the long row of tables cozy and intimate.

Service — as expected from a group that runs 19 restaurants — is terrific.

Dirty silverware and plates are removed from the table without sound or interruption, new courses and cocktails are paced out to keep the meal moving, but not so fast that diners are choking down dishes to keep from overlap.

But unlike the service, there was little memorable about my first round of dishes: burrata (with sundried tomato tapenade, basil, ciabatta crostini) and mushrooms (beech, hen of the woods, royal trumpet, smoked mozzarella,

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Warm ricotta toast, Radiatori, and Laurel Hill Trout with a house gin and tonic at Alta Via

pine nut, crispy sage). Burrata was left flat without enough seasoning, the small dollop of pesto barely enough to flavor one bite. The mushrooms promised to give the course some excitement but were a big letdown. A bite without the sage or cheese left you with unpleasant, oily shrooms.

Tuna tartare and fried calamari followed, both undoubtedly better than their predecessors and good representations of Fuller’s fresh, lighter take on Italian food. The tartare wasn’t bogged down by sauce which let the fish shine.

Crispy Meyer lemon brought life to the fried calamari.

ALTA VIA 46 Fox Chapel Road, Fox Chapel. altaviapgh.com

I found the entree list uninteresting.

The dishes, following the proteinand-vegetable formula, could likely be found on most Italian menus in the city. So I stuck with pasta for the main course, choosing the house special (a duck pasta) and gnocchi.

The special left much to be desired.

Duck brought no flavor to the dish;

FAVORITE FEATURES: Bread Board

Cocktails

Bar

Alta Via makes amazing, fluffy focaccia. I’d go back for the bread alone.

The wine list may be long, but don’t discount the restaurant’s cocktails.

Try the rosemary gimlet.

While you’re drinking that gimlet, take note of Alta Via’s bar. It’s the perfect place to sit for a pre-dinner drink.

accompanied by Brussels sprouts, an undetectable dusting of pecorino, and bland sauce, the dish was more or less lifeless. The gnocchi was too chewy for my taste but a step up from the offmenu feature. It was simple, paired with basil pesto, tomatoes, and housemade mozzarella. The pesto sauce was easily one of the most delicious things on the table.

A swirl of vanilla gelato and a tiramisu sundae finished off my meal.

The house-made gelato, sprinkled with pistachios, was refreshing and wellexecuted. The sundae marked another blunder; the frozen ladyfingers were icy and unpleasant.

Based on the reputation of the big Burrito Restaurant Group, I expected more from Alta Via. On a few occasions, the restaurant came close to a “wow” moment but lacked the finesse to bring any new excitement to its take on Italian cuisine.

I left wanting more.

•

Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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DINING OUT

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

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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.

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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.

1789 S. Braddock Ave, #410 Pittsburgh, PA 15218 M Th F 8 AM - 4:30 PM Tu W 8 AM - 7:30 PM To make an appointment: (412) 247-2310

TOOK TOOK 98 2018 MURRAY AVE., SQUIRREL HILL 412-422-6767 / TOOKTOOK98.COM Eating Happily. Leaving with Smile. The True Taste of Thai. Our goal is to provide the highest customer satisfaction as well as offering authentic Thai street food with Thai environment. Therefore, we have been working hard to bring exceptional dine-in experience to you. We offer variety of authentic Thai food, drinks, and desserts including smiling full-service with BYOB.

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

“Whole People, All People.” metrocommunityhealthcenter.org PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

15

FRESH CONTENT Every Day. pghcitypaper.com

The 5th Judicial District of T Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Pretrial Services urges you to enjoy your weekend out in Pittsburgh but

make the right choice,

don’t drink & drive.

CP PHOTO: MAGGIE WEAVER

.ON THE ROCKS.

THE DRY ROAD

BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

ITTSBURGH’S NEWEST pop-up offers all the trimmings of your favorite bar, minus the booze.

Starting Wed., Jan. 15, Creative Coffee & Supply in Downtown Pittsburgh will be home to the city’s first pop-up bar for “Dry January,” a health initiative that encourages people to abstain from drinking for the month. The bar is a project of Mel Babitz, founder of The Open Road Bar, an alcohol-optional bottle shop she hopes to open in Pittsburgh by the end of the year.

Babitz’s idea for this alcohol-free bar has been “a long time coming.” She isn’t a big drinker but recognizes that bars are a huge part of the social scene.

“There are so many times when you’re at a bar, and maybe you want to have a drink or two and keep hanging out — or maybe you don’t want to have an alcoholic drink at all — but you want to be part of the experience,” she explains.

The happy hour pop-up will be completely alcohol-free. There will be cocktails — Babitz is using alternative

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spirits from Ritual Zero Proof (noalcohol gin and whiskey) and Seedlip Spirits — but because Pittsburgh is a “beer city,” she’s focusing her efforts on non-alcoholic craft beer.

THE OPEN ROAD BAR DRY JANUARY POP-UP Through Fri., Jan. 31. Creative Coffee & Supply.

309 Smithfield St., Downtown. Search “Dry January Happy Hour” on Facebook.

“If you’re a beer drinker but want to switch it up, it’s like three steps away [to] get an alcohol-free cocktail,” she notes. “[Non-alcoholic beer] is an easier transition.”

Babitz is carrying a variety of alcoholfree beer; her favorites are a stout from Athletic Brewing Company and a lemony sour by Gruvi. For hop-lovers, Babitz recommends Hoplark HopTea, which is “brewed like tea and hopped like beer.”

And she doesn’t hesitate to vouch for

the flavor of these alcohol-free brews, noting that they aren’t too far off from their alcoholic relatives, though maybe thinner or sweeter (but that’s just a few varieties). “If you got five different IPAs from five different breweries, they wouldn’t be the same,” she points out.

Babitz’ Dry January happy hour popup runs Wednesday-Friday through the end of the month. This won’t be her last event; as she works towards a permanent location for The Open Road Bar — Babitz plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign this spring — the city can expect to see pop-ups and tasting events throughout the year.

As for The Open Road Bar, it will have alcohol, but Babitz aims for her brickand-mortar to create a middle ground.

Instead of sipping on one beer for three hours or sticking to water, guests at The Open Road will have the choice to switch to a non- or low-alcoholic drink.

But if you want to get drunk, there will be an option for that too. Babitz plans to have something for everyone.

•

.FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 16

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Free confidential testing HIV • stD • hep c

BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

“I love to be surprised by something I have never thought of,” declares Capricorn actor Ralph Fiennes. According to my analysis of the astrological aspects, you’ll be wise to make that one of your top mottoes in 2020. Why? First, life is likely to bring to your attention a steady stream of things you’ve never imagined. And second, your ability to make good use of surprises will be at an all-time high. Here’s further advice to help ensure that the vast majority of your surprises will be welcome, even fun: Set aside as many of your dogmas and expectations as possible, so that you can be abundantly receptive to things you’ve never thought of.

Cancerian-born painter Stanley Spencer (1891–1959) didn’t align himself with any artistic movement. Early on, his work was an odd blend of French Post-Impressionism and 14thcentury Italian painting. I appreciate his stylistic independence, and suggest you draw inspiration from it in 2020. Another unique aspect of Spencer’s art was its mix of eroticism and religiosity. I think you’ll enjoy exploring that blend yourself in the coming months. Your spiritual and sexual longings could be quite synergistic. There’s one part of Spencer’s quirky nature I don’t recommend you imitate, however. He often wore pajamas beneath his clothes, even to formal occasions. Doing that wouldn’t serve your interests. (But it will be healthy for you to be somewhat indifferent to people’s opinions.)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “I love fools’ experiments. I am always making them.”

So said one of the most famous and influential scientists who ever lived, Aquarian-born naturalist Charles Darwin.

In accordance with upcoming astrological factors, I invite you to draw inspiration from his approach. Allow yourself to explore playfully as you conduct fun research. Just assume that you have a mandate to drum up educational experiences, and a good way to do that is to amuse yourself with improvisational adventures.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “How do you get your main pleasure in life?” That question was posed to Scorpio author Evelyn Waugh and Piscean social reformer William Beveridge. Waugh said, “I get mine spreading alarm and despondency.” Beveridge said, “I get mine trying to leave the world a better place than I found it.” I hope you will favor Beveridge’s approach over Waugh’s in 2020, Pisces — for two reasons. First, the world already has plenty of alarm and despondency; it doesn’t need even a tiny bit more. Second, aspiring to be like Beveridge will be the best possible strategy for fostering your mental and physical health.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Comedian John Cleese has an insight I hope you’ll consider.

He says, “It’s easier to do trivial things that are urgent than it is to do important things that are not urgent. It’s also easier to do little things we know we can do than to start on big things that we’re not so sure about.” I hope you’ll make this advice a priority in the coming weeks. You’ll be wise to prioritize important tasks, even those that aren’t urgent, as you de-emphasize trivial matters that tempt you to think they’re crucial. Focus on big things that are challenging, rather than on little things that are a snap.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Honoré Balzac (1799–1850) was born with sun and Mercury in Taurus and in the tenth house. Astrologers might hypothesize from these placements that he was ambitious, productive, tenacious, diligent, realistic, and willful. The evidence supporting this theory is strong. Balzac wrote over 80 novels that displayed a profound and nuanced understanding of the human comedy. I predict that 2020 will be a year when you could make dramatic progress in cultivating a Balzac-like approach in your own sphere. But here’s a caveat: Balzac didn’t take good care of his body. He drank far too much coffee and had a careless approach to eating and sleeping. My hope is that as you hone your drive for success, you’ll be impeccable in tending to your health.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Before he was 21 years old, William Shakespeare and his wife had birthed three kids. When he was 25, while the brood was still young, he started churning out literary masterpieces. By the time Will became a grandfather at age 43, he had written many of the works that ultimately made him one of history’s most illustrious authors. From this evidence, we might speculate that being a parent and husband heightened his creative flow. I bring this to your attention because I want to ask you: What role will commitment and duty and devotion play in your life during the coming months? (I suspect it’ll be a good one.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1440s. In subsequent decades, millions of mass-produced books became available for the first time, making their contents available to a far wider audience than ever before. The printing press caused other changes, too — some not as positive. For instance, people who worked as scribes found it harder to get work. In our era, big culture-wide shifts are impacting our personal lives. Climate change, the internet, smart phones, automation, and human-like robots are just a few examples. What are doing to adjust to the many innovations? And what will you do in the future? Now is an excellent time to meditate on these issues.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’re skilled at the art of self-editing. When bright new ideas well up in you, you understand they are not yet ready for prime time, but will need to be honed and finessed. When your creativity overflows, tantalizing you with fresh perspectives and novel approaches, you know that you’ll have to harness the raw surge. However, it’s also true that sometimes you go too far in your efforts to refine your imagination’s breakthroughs; you over-think and over-polish. But I have a good feeling about the coming weeks, Virgo. I suspect you’ll find the sweet spot, self-editing with just the right touch.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Thomas Love Peacock was a Libran author whose specialty was writing satirical novels that featured people sitting around tables arguing about opinions and ideas. He was not renowned for cheerful optimism. And yet he did appreciate sheer beauty.

“There is nothing perfect in this world,” he said, “except Mozart.” So much did Peacock love Mozart’s music that for one several-month stretch he attended six performances of the genius’s opera Don Giovanni . In this spirit, Libra, and in accordance with astrological indicators, I encourage you to make a list of your own perfect things — and spend extra time communing with them in the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Jean-Michel Basquiat started his career as a graffiti artist. When he evolved into being a full-time painter, he incorporated words amidst his images. On many occasions, he’d draw lines through the words. Why? “I cross out words so you will see them more,” he said. “The fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them.” In the coming weeks, you might benefit from discreetly using this strategy in your own life. In other words, draw attention to the things you want to emphasize by downplaying them or being mysterious about them or suggesting they are secret.

Reverse psychology can be an asset for you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Because of the onslaught of the internet and social media, lots of people no longer read books. But in 2020, I highly recommend that you not be one of that crowd. In my astrological opinion, you need more of the slow, deep wisdom that comes from reading books. You will also benefit from other acts of rebellion against the Short Attention Span Era. Crucial blessings will flow in your direction as you honor the gradual, incremental approach to everything.

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. 15-22, 2020

17

.LITERATURE.

FLOATING IN GELATIN

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

G

ELATIN IS A DECIDEDLY unmodern food, due to its artificial ingredients, odd texture, and lack

of any real flavor or taste. Its contemporary uses are as an alcohol vessel, a hospital food, or a relic from mid-century cookbooks to be mocked. But two local writers found inspiration in the substance for their new online literary magazine, Everything in Aspic.

The quarterly publication, founded by Chelsea Margaret Bodnar and Stephen Lin, focuses primarily on poetry, but is open to other kinds of work. The first issue was released digitally in December and a reading, “Suspended in Gelatin,” will take place at White Whale Bookstore on Fri., Jan. 17, featuring Rebecca Martin, Robin Clarke, Shannon Sankey, and Jeffrey “Boosie” Bolden.

Bodnar and Lin, both poets themselves, went through the University of Pittsburgh’s undergrad writing program and decided to start their own publication to regularly engage with other writers’ work (Lin was an editor at Three Rivers Review, Pitt’s undergrad literary magazine.) Having both experienced submitting dozens, or hundreds, of their own pieces to other publications, they had an idea of how they wanted to work as editors.

Both agreed that when starting a new publication, it is imperative to have a good name. They did a lot of brainstorming and tried random word generators before accidentally stumbling on the final result. “We started talking about mid-century cooking, and I think I just said, ‘They used to

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

SUSPENDED IN GELATIN READING 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 17. White Whale Bookstore, 4754 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free. everythinginaspic.com

put everything in aspic.’ And we thought it was a very pleasant phrase,” says Bodnar. “You can retroactively justify the theme.”

Everything in Aspic doesn’t necessarily have a theme in terms of the writing chosen, but both Bodnar and Lin say they look for more experimental poetry that veers away from traditional rhyming structures, and into modern issues and pop culture. Under the “mission” section of Everything in Aspic’s website is a paragraph, written by Lin, about the qualities that make up gelatin, which are also sometimes the qualities that make up the current cultural atmosphere.

“More and more it is becoming plain that our current moment is neither crystalline nor amber, neither immutable nor impenetrable,” the mission statement reads. “Today is something cast in a Jell-O mold, slapping wetly against yesterday and tomorrow. Tomorrow is a key-lime monstrosity we are unprepared to face. But the permeability of the gelatin is a reminder of what was and what may be again.”

Aspics are a form of gelatin food that can be savory or sweet, and are often shaped by a ring mold. Its innards can include meat, fruit, or other foods suspended in the jelly. They were a common sight in cookbooks from the 1950s-70s, and have found a resurgence online with the popularity of social media accounts that pay homage to disgusting recipes from old-timey

cookbooks. There are over a dozen Facebook groups dedicated to the strangeness of aspics, including one called “Show Me Your Aspics” and another called “Aspics with threatening auras.”

Make no mistake: Both groups contain extremely threatening gelatin images.

“I thought that gelatin is this very interesting metaphor for how we are able to make something visible but also distort it,” says Lin, “and what it means to not really see clearly the things that we’re reflecting on.” The Everything in Aspic website features an image of a house, a fox, and a rose, all submerged within a jiggly substance.

Literary magazines, especially those focused on poetry, tend to be more serious. They are often run by serious writers who publish other serious writers’ writing about serious things. But the humor of Everything in Aspic is refreshing (unlike Jell-O itself). The first issue features poetry about bog people, metaphorical cassette tapes, and a short story expert about squirrels in the walls. The layout is decorated with old botanical illustrations of flowers and snails found on a public domain site (each issue will feature a different ecosystem; the next issue is desert-themed).

“I like towing the line between being dead serious and being slightly ridiculous,” says Bodnar.

The next issue is scheduled for release in March, and submissions are currently open.

•

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

19

THE LOCAL 913: CHARIOT FADE

BY LIZ FELIX // LIZ@WYEP.ORG

About this time last year, delicious pastries decided to close out their 10th anniversary as a band with a farewell show. It felt like a natural winding down for the group, whose sound had begun to veer in a different direction. This year, things are looking up for fans of the group; three of its members have reformed under the name Chariot Fade.

Former pastry and current Chariot Fade member Jesse Ley says that, along with a more eclectic, electropop sound — one term he uses to describe what they’re doing now is “celebration wave” — the band has been figuring out new STAY UP-TOways to release DATE WITH THIS its music.

“When you’re WEEK’S LOCAL a new project MUSIC NEWS and there’s no demand for what WITH CP MUSIC you’re doing, it’s WRITER JORDAN a lot to ask of SNOWDEN somebody,” Ley AND WYEP says. “Like, ‘Hey, EVENING MIX stop scrolling HOST LIZ FELIX through your feed. Go to this Listen every totally different Wednesday site, which is going to take you at 7 p.m. on 91.3FM WYEP away from the place that you are, and then spend 40 minutes listening to something you didn’t ask for.’”

The solution to that problem for Chariot Fade is to put out songs two at a time instead of waiting for a full album to come together. The band has two excellent tracks out already: “Mirror Go Round/Arbiter of Knives” and “Spotless Century/Witness to a Lover” are up now on the group’s Bandcamp page.

A big gig is in the works too. Catch Chariot Fade on Sat., March 7, when the band will be opening for fellow “celebration wave” band of Montreal at Mr. Smalls. •

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

DJ Shoe and Deejay Aesthetics

.MUSIC.

OPEN FORMAT

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

G

OING OUT DANCING in Pitts-

burgh can be predictable. There’s the club that plays all trap; spots that play sing-along hits from the early aughts; and don’t forget about the ones that stick strictly to radio tunes from the past five years. David Shoemaker and Tresa Murphy-Green, who go by DJ Shoe and Deejay Aesthetics, respectively, have been changing Pittsburgh’s nightlife scene with Junction, an open-format monthly dance party that celebrates its first anniversary on Sat., Jan. 18.

“Junction is an enigma of sounds,” says Murphy-Green. “People don’t necessarily know what they’re gonna get when they come to Junction. I don’t think we know what we’re gonna play when it comes to Junction. It’s an experience.

The fact that we put open format as our leading thing, I think that that put a lot of pressure on other parties when we were first coming up. We forced other people to look at their events and see what they were doing.”

Murphy-Green and Shoemaker

JUNCTION ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY 10 p.m. Sat., Jan. 18. Brillobox, 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $5-7. facebook.com/meetusatjunction

started Junction in January 2019 with the idea to have a space where people from different backgrounds could come together for a night of music across multiple genres: Jersey club, NOLA bounce, dancehall, Afrobeat, etc.

The open-format concept means that possibilities are endless.

Shoemaker, who has experienced nightlife in London, Atlanta, and beyond, based Junction on already established open-format nights such as Everyday People in New York City and Matthew Law’s Friends & Fam parties in Philadelphia.

Law even consulted with Shoemaker via direct messages on social media.

“People were very joyous,” says Shoemaker. “You could line dance to Cameo’s ‘Candy,’ but then you could put on ‘Swag

Surfin’,’ and there’s this community.”

While the music selection is vital to Junction, the centerpiece of the event is the people who attend. Shoemaker and Murphy-Green play tracks based on the crowd, and demographics change from month to month.

“There’s been nights where you have a very, very white crowd, where you have [these musical] boundaries,” says Murphy-Green. “Then you have nights where it’s a very, very Black crowd, and you have those boundaries. Playing ballroom in an all-white crowd isn’t necessarily going to work, but playing ballroom in a very heteronormative Black crowd is not going to work either.

Junction has tested me on being able to read a room and being able to figure out how to mix different genres together into something that everybody can groove with.”

Both Murphy-Green and Shoemaker marked a turning point for Junction at an event in June. Former Pittsburghbased DJ EYE JAY performed a guest set and spun a bit of ballroom into her mix. Her name drew a crowd of Black femmes and queers, so Shoemaker decided to do the same.

“That’s the thing about Junction,” says Murphy-Green. “One night one of us will play this one-off, random genreass song, then the next thing you know you come to Junction two shows later and one of us will play a 30-minute set

of that genre. That was the night I got into playing ballroom and vogue and mixing [them] together with house.”

Ballroom, a genre drawing from disco and house, has been a part of the underground gay and transgender

community since the 1960s.

“Junction was able to be OK because of the groundwork EYE JAY placed,” says Murphy-Green. “It had been a good year and a half, two years since she had been here, and people were looking for it. It is extremely important, not only as a Black femme DJ, but to also give a spotlight to queer folks. I think about the things people say on the tracks, and why it’s important to be heard.

It’s broadened my horizons and the city’s horizons too. You can’t just have an event and play trap all night, not if you’re at a club. And that’s a testament to Junction.”

Unintentionally, it became essential for Junction to be a queer-centric and friendly environment.

“The people are so important,” says Shoemaker. “If we saw a bunch of people of African/Caribbean descent dancing to [Afrobeat], I guarantee it would become an Afrobeat set. Or if people are vibing to ballroom, we’re like OK, this might be a queer space tonight. … When people walk outside, who knows what can happen? Their feelings and sense of safety completely changes, but inside this space, how can we create joy?”

•

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

21

SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS

PHOTO: DAVID MCCANDLESS PHOTOGRAPHY

String Machine

STRING MACHINE VINYL RELEASE SHOW THU., JAN. 16

String Machine’s musical career picked up momentum in December when the experimental folk group signed with Philadelphia-based label Know Hope Records. This came just a few months after the independent release of Death of the Neon, String Machine’s second album. To mark the label signing, Know Hope Records and String Machine are reissuing the anxious but beautiful album on vinyl on Fri., Jan. 17, with an accompanying release show the day before at The Mr. Roboto Project. After that, String Machine will continue to tour on the East Coast in support of the record. 7 p.m. 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $10. stringmachine.bandcamp.com

THURSDAY JAN. 16

METAL

ACOUSTIC

JAZZ

THE MIXUS BROTHERS. Pittsburgh Community Broadcast Center.

6:30 p.m. South Side.

THE SHAMELESS HEX. Hop Farm Brewing.

8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

DOUG EDGELL TRIO. Inner Grove Brewing.

7 p.m. Verona.

CHRIS HANNIGAN. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

ELECTRONIC

SHADOW OF INTENT. Crafthouse Stage & Grill.

7 p.m. Overbrook.

LYNN SPEAKMAN QUINTET. Kingfly Spirits.

7 p.m. Strip District.

ROGER HUMPHRIES. Con Alma.

8 p.m. Shadyside.

FRIDAY JAN. 17 JAZZ/BLUES RICH ZABINSKI. Backstage Bar. 6 p.m. Downtown.

LATECOMER, AFLOAT. 222 Ormsby.

7 p.m. Mount Oliver.

FUEL. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille.

7:30 p.m. Warrendale.

ELECTRONIC FOMO BOIZ, CLOUTFITS. Remedy.

10 p.m. Lawrenceville.

CYANTIFIC. Cattivo.

9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

FUNK SWEET EARTH. Club Cafe. 10 p.m. South Side.

FESTIVAL

COUNTRY

ROCK

METAL

KINGSLAND HOLLER. The Park House.

9 p.m. North Side.

BILL TOMS AND HARD RAIN. Moondog’s.

8 p.m. Blawnox.

FOLK

HANDSOME JACK. Club Cafe. 10 p.m. South Side.

ENEMY MIND, PSYCHO ENHANCER. Preserving Underground.

7 p.m. New Kensington.

SAWYER FREDERICKS. Club Cafe.

6 p.m. South Side.

METAL

BYRON THE AQUARIUS. Hot Mass. 12 a.m. Downtown.

SUNDAY JAN. 19

SATURDAY JAN. 18

BLUES

ROCK

JAZZ

WINTER JAM. PPG Paints Arena.

7 p.m. Uptown.

ALTERATIVE/INDIE

ROCK

HIP HOP/RAP

WORLD

RIPE. Rex Theater.

8 p.m. South Side.

GET THE LED OUT. The Palace Theatre.

8 p.m. Greensburg.

THE GENIUS SHOWCASE. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

7 p.m. Millvale.

RAMY ESSAM. Carnegie Lecture Hall.

7:30 p.m. Oakland.

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

BOLÉRO. Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. 8 p.m. Downtown.

ELECTRONIC

MISS FREDDYE’S BLUES BAND. Moondog’s. 8:30 p.m. Blawnox.

22

CLASSICAL

DANNY WORSNOP. Crafthouse Stage & Grill.

8:30 p.m. Overbrook.

RML JAZZ. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

SLANDER. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.

MATT WATERS AND THE RECIPE. 222 Ormsby.

8 p.m. Mount Oliver.

THE AARPTONES, JACK OF DIAMONDS. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall.

6 p.m. Lawrenceville.

THE MATT BARRANTI BAND. Club Cafe.

7 p.m. South Side.

PACK, DINOSOUL, SIKES AND THE NEW VIOLENCE. Black Forge Coffee House.

7 p.m. McKees Rocks.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE

GREENSKY BLUEGRASS. Roxian Theatre.

8 p.m. McKees Rocks.

MIKE GORDON. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE HANNAH COHEN. Club Cafe.

6:30 p.m. South Side.

MAGIC CITY HIPPIES. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall.

8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

ISS

M ER V E N

CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Buscrates

BUSCRATES, C. SCOTT, PVKVSV SAT., JAN. 17

Three of Pittsburgh’s finest beatmakers and DJs join forces at Thunderbird Café & Music Hall for a night of hip hop, jazz, and funk instrumentals from Buscrates, C. Scott, and pvkvsv. Jazz is a main influence for each, so expect a mix of old and new beats, chopped together to create lush, danceable grooves. For a preview, listen to “Warm Outside” by Buscrates, C. Scott’s debut Phase Shifting, or “Exotica Chops” from pvkvsv.

8 p.m. 4023 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $7. roxianlive.com

FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com

PUNK KISSIES, CHILLER. Lavender Town.

7 p.m. Pittsburgh.

DECISIONS, MEDIUM UGLY. The Rock Room.

8 p.m. Polish Hill.

CLASSICAL SUNRISE QUINTET. Heinz Memorial Chapel.

3 p.m. Oakland.

HIP HOP MAC MILLER BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION. Stage AE. 5 p.m. North Side.

MONDAY JAN. 20 JAZZ HOMME DUO. AC Hotel. 5:30 p.m. Downtown.

HOWIE ALEXANDER TRIO. Con Alma. 5 p.m. Shadyside.

TUESDAY JAN. 21

POP AJR. UPMC Events Center.

8 p.m. Moon.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE LOBBY BOY, SCORPIO. The Mr. Roboto Project.

7 p.m. Bloomfield.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 22 JAZZ

ACOUSTIC

GEORGE DELANCEY QUARTET. City of Asylum. 7 p.m. North Side.

JEREMY CLYDE. Club Cafe.

6:30 p.m. South Side.

ACOUSTIC

METAL ETHER COVEN. The Smiling Moose.

6 p.m. South Side.

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 FOOAURA 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

BRAD BENDIS. Railyard Grill & Tap Room. 7 p.m. Bridgeville.

COUNTRY JEREMY PINNELL. Hard Rock Cafe. 8 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

PG AT Y A TOD S R TTE E L S NEW

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

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.ART . .

SPIRIT OF OUR SISTERS

BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

L

OCAL ARTIST KARA Bialecki says she has always been interested in Native American culture, but it wasn’t until last spring that she learned a shocking statistic.

While attending an event at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, she met a Native American performer who informed her that one in four indigenous women and girls in the U.S. have gone missing.

“I was like, ‘This is crazy, this cannot possibly be,’” says Bialecki, who manages the Alchemy Dry Cut Lounge in Lawrenceville and produces art under the name L’instant Boutique. “And I looked it up immediately and found that it is very true. My heart was breaking.”

To draw more attention to the alarming rate of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIWG), she created a series of watercolor paintings for Spirit Of Our Sisters, a solo exhibition opening on Sat., Jan. 18 and running through February at Commonplace Coffee in the North Side.

SPIRIT OF OUR SISTERS OPENING NIGHT EVENT AT COMMONPLACE COFFEE 6-8 p.m. Sat., Jan. 18. Continues through February.

1501 Buena Vista St., North Side. Free. commonplacecoffee.com/mws

Though Bialecki has gotten involved in social issues before, Spirit Of Our Sisters is the first time she has ever used her art to advocate for a cause, giving her an opportunity to share statistical information about MMIWG on the postcards and social media posts she uses to promote the event.

“Since I have been doing this project, I realized just bringing it up in conversation and sharing information through social media has really brought awareness to people who knew nothing or little about this issue,” she says.

Each Spirit Of Our Sisters painting is an artistic reinterpretation of photographs from a similarly titled project on Instagram and Tumblr, which featured 29 images of people holding eagle feathers to represent MMIWG in Canada. As part of the show, Bialecki will acknowledge the project by hanging the original photographs next to their corresponding paintings.

ART: KARA BIALECKI

Painting from Spirit Of Our Sisters

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CONTINUES ON PG. 26

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

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SPIRIT OF OUR SISTERS, CONTINUED FROM PG. 24

MAD (WO)MEN

BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: HANNAH LEVINSON OPPER

Artwork for Girls Beware: Are You People?

Let’s go back to the so-called good old days, when hot dogs cost a nickel, and ads pressured women to smoke during pregnancy and give their infants Coca-Cola.

The latter will get a healthy dose of spoofing during Girls Beware: Are You People?, an all-female improv show at Arcade Comedy Theater on Sat., Jan. 28.

Producer Hannah Levinson Opper says she will join several other women to create original performances inspired by projected educational videos GIRLS and ads primarily from the 1940s and BEWARE: ARE 1950s. She describes YOU PEOPLE? the concept as “an AT ARCADE improvised Mad Men, with a group of COMEDY THEATER female improvisers 8-9:30 p.m. Sat., exploring the world Jan. 18. 943 Liberty of women created Ave., Downtown. by men in a $12. arcadecomedywriters’ room.” theater.com She came up with Girls Beware: Are You People? after noticing how strongly people reacted to the old educational videos she used as a backdrop to a musical performance she did in New York City.

“After the show, everyone kept focusing on how absurd the video was, which was weird to me because in my mind I was like, ‘What about those epic song lyrics?’” she says.

She believes the clips resonate with audiences because of how backward they seem now, especially in the era of the Women’s March and the #MeToo movement. She curated much of content and reflects on how strange, and even dangerous, much of it seems. She cites one especially weird ad from the 1930s in which a toilet paper company claimed their competitor’s product was “full of splinters.”

“The blatant sexism and lack of product research at the time is inherently humorous, and honestly sort of horrifying, but we aim to explore it through the comedic perspective,” says Levinson Opper. •

Instead of painting detailed portraits of the photographs, Bialecki decided that using simple, watercolor linework looked less painterly and would draw more attention to the issue as opposed to her process. That the figures are faceless and featureless communicate how MMIWG are either overlooked or forgotten by society.

The show will also serve as a fundraiser, with a portion of proceeds from art sales and an opening night after-party at Pittsburgh Winery going to the Sovereign Bodies Institute, a database created to log cases of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in the U.S. and Canada going back to 1900.

The database highlights what many Native American activists see as a failure by law enforcement and the federal government to protect indigenous women and girls in North America. Bialecki cites various disturbing statistics she discovered through research, including a study from the federal National Crime Information Center showing that 5,712 American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls were reported missing in 2016 alone, but only 116 of those cases were logged with the Department of Justice.

A 2018 report published by the Urban Indian Health Institute went even further by identifying 506 documented cases of MMIWG in 71 cities across the U.S. since 2010, plus another 153 cases not recorded by law enforcement.

Of those cases, the report concluded that 95% were never covered by the media.

Bialecki attributes the lack of attention to the issue to a variety of factors, but sees deep-seated racism as the primary cause.

“I think the colonial mindset that has been against indigenous peoples since the founding of this country hasn’t gone away in areas where there’s a high Native American population,” she says.

She also blames the system, describing how tribal governments on reservations lack the power to prosecute non-Native people. This is especially disturbing considering that the National Institute of Justice estimated that 97% of indigenous women and girls who experienced violence were victimized by nonNative perpetrators.

Despite having no Native American lineage, Bialecki feels compelled to help tribal communities, especially in Pennsylvania. While most indigenous people in the U.S. are located out west in states like Arizona and Oklahoma, as well

ART: KARA BIALECKI

Painting from Spirit Of Our Sisters

as Alaska, a 2010 U.S. Census Bureau report ranked Philadelphia as having one of the highest numbers of Native American residents in the country.

Bialecki plans to keep using her artwork to raise awareness of social justice issues, including a future project that will address the current immigration

“WE DON’T NECESSARILY HEAR ABOUT IT OR SEE IT, BUT IT’S DEFINITELY GOING ON.” “It is a big issue here also,” says Bialecki. “We don’t necessarily hear about it or see it, but it’s definitely going on.”

Commonplace Coffee will also host a community art project that welcomes patrons to make their own feathers out of denim scraps or macramé (they have yet to decide on the materials), which will then be displayed in the coffee house window.

crisis and support local efforts to deliver supplies to people detained at the Southern U.S. border.

But for now, she wants Spirit Of Our Sisters to inspire people to do their own research.

“I am hoping that after being exposed to this tragic epidemic people will educate themselves and look into the details further,” she says.

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

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.LITERATURE.

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BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

W

HAT IF THERE was a way, if not to wipe out death come pletely, to at least delay the e inevitable? To not only make possible lives that extend beyond the current U.S. lifespan of almost 79 years, but to make those lives worth living?

In his new book, Immortality, Inc.: Renegade Science, Silicon Valley Billions, and the Quest to Live Forever (National Geographic), Shadysidebased writer Chip Walter explores a concept that might sound preposterous until one considers other technological or scientific advances — air travel, heart transplants, nanotechnology — that once seemed beyond human comprehension.

“I wanted to tell a big story,” says Walter, who will speak on Jan. 16 in Oakland as a guest of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures’ Made Local series. “And I wanted to tell it as if I was looking back on it, telling history. That someday people will look back and say, ‘Ha! This is when it started to happen, this thing that completely capsized the human condition.’”

PITTSBURGH ARTS & LECTURES PRESENTS CHIP WALTER 6 p.m. Thu., Jan. 16.

Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

Free with registration. pittsburghlectures.org

In order to attract readers who might not be familiar with molecular biology or the Law of Accelerating Returns, Walter needed a hook. He found it through compelling characters who are intent on cracking the mystery of aging. There’s Ray Kurzweil, the noted futurist and inventor; Craig Venter, who’s done groundbreaking work in genomics; Arthur Levinson, a former chairman of Apple; and Daphne Koller, an expert in artificial applications in biomedical sciences.

Most of them have family histories marred by early deaths. Beyond those experiences, they all “want to take on

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Chip Walter

challenges that other ch pe people would not consid sider,” Walter says. “I think Ray Kurzweil loves attacking what other people consider impossible. Venter wants to live a good life in the sense of a full life, and his version of a full life is that every idea he comes up with, he’s going to make happen.”

Walter says that while concepts like immortality are often associated with spirituality or religion, those ideas are rarely, if ever, broached in Immortality.

He adds that anyone who works in this field has the underlying belief that the “soul is encased in [the] brain.” The economic stresses of prolonged human life, too, are debated but mostly dismissed in his book.

“Kurzweil’s answer is ‘science and technology will solve these problems,’” Walter says. “We will learn how to more sustainably control the planet and also fewer and fewer people will be born.

And that is already happening.”

While some may scoff at the idea that life can be prolonged beyond its perceived limits, there’s evidence that humanity has only just begun to explore its limitations. The proof — or at least, the plausibility — of longer lives can be found in the animal kingdom. Walter cites numerous examples of longevity in nature, including bowhead whales that can live more than 200 years in the icy depths of the Arctic Ocean.

Given the average lifespan was less than 50 at the turn of the 20th century, why shouldn’t we live longer?

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

27

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT OF VIDEO BY DEAN BOG

Dean Bog, twice, in Bloomfield

.FILM.

MEETING THE NEIGHBORS

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HERE ARE ABOUT 90 neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, give or take, depending on what you count as a neighborhood. Everyone knows the neighborhood in which they live and a handful of others. But nobody knows all of them well, not even YouTuber Dean Bog, who’s been highlighting different corners of Pittsburgh in his Neighborhoods of Pittsburgh series.

He started the project in September, and in his first video, which features Bloomfield and has amassed around 19,000 views, Bog says that he’ll be making five videos over five weeks on five different neighborhoods.

On Sunday, Bog (a shortened version of Bogdanovic) uploaded his 14th video — this one covering Mount Oliver. He also launched a Patreon account, which allows viewers to monetarily support the videos. He first started posting videos to the r/Pittsburgh subreddit, and Bog says the community was supportive and provided constructive feedback.

The videos consist of interviews, B-roll footage, a count of local parks, and a tally of trash in the neighborhood (which doubles as a clean-up to give back to the area). In some shots, Bog

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is standing in front of a church or in a park or on a tram, explaining something about the neighborhood to the camera.

Sometimes he appears twice on camera, interviewing himself playing a character.

Otherwise, the videos feature residents, shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and people hanging out on their stoops.

“I’m trying to kind of echo what [the interviews] tell me in the rest of the video, which is good because you kinda get a firsthand account of what the neighborhood’s going through, especially if you get somebody that’s lived there for a while,” says Bog. “But it’s bad, I suppose, because people misremember things, and it’s probably not the most accurate at times.”

While the project started as something of a full-time hobby (Bog only started making money when he launched the Patreon five months in), the videos don’t look like a scrappy school project. They look professional enough to have been shot by a whole film crew, but it’s just Bog. He uses a drone camera to capture cityscapes and sometimes affixes a camera to a helmet or bike handlebars. The videos often make you literally see the city in ways

you never have before.

So far, Bog has covered both bigger neighborhoods like Bloomfield and South Side, as well as smaller areas like Manchester and Four Mile Run (a small neighborhood in Greenfield). He says that switching between the two kinds is helpful, as the bigger neighborhoods can be overwhelming in how much there is to cover, and the smaller ones can require more digging.

Search “Dean Bog” on YouTube

According to Bog, the feedback on the videos has been overwhelmingly positive, which would be hard to believe if it didn’t seem to be true. Pittsburghers are proprietary over their neighborhoods and love to point out what an outsider might get wrong about their home. But the comment section on Bog’s videos is indeed mostly positive, as are the replies to his posts of the videos on Reddit, an impressive feat considering online com-

ment sections are prone to vitriol.

In one video about the Hill District, Bog talks to a resident, who is Black, as he explains how the neighborhood struggles because people from other neighborhoods see it as unsafe. The clip is followed by Bog’s interaction with a white driver in his car, who warns Bog to guard his camera gear closely.

But the purpose of the videos is to let the neighborhoods and its residents speak for themselves, and Bog doesn’t let stereotypes or racism toward the Hill obstruct what its residents like about it. He shows the neighborhood’s many churches and parks and ends the video by telling viewers when and where they can meet him for dinner, at a Hill District Jamaican restaurant. In the comment section, several current and former Hill residents commend the video’s positivity.

Not everyone would be able to walk up to strangers and get them to talk in detail about their homes, but Bog has an ability to draw conversations out of people.

“I certainly try to be very open and conversational and honest with them,” he says. “I think that can sometimes elicit the same response.”

•

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. 15-22, 2020

29

PHOTO: GREGORY D. NEISER

Derek Hughes

.STAGE.

BAG OF TRICKS

BY LISA CUNNINGHAM // LCUNNING@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

W

HEN MAGICIAN Derek Hughes

performed a mental telepathy trick on America’s Got Talent, the television audience erupted into applause and celebrity judge Heidi Klum’s jaw nearly hit the floor. The same thing happened when Hughes repeated the trick on the opening night of Bag of Tricks, his new month-long gig at Downtown’s Liberty Magic, as the audience shook their heads in disbelief for pretty much the entire 90 solid minutes.

The mind-blowing telepathy act in question (not gonna spoil it, but it’s easily accessible on YouTube if you can’t resist) helped land him a spot as a top 10 finalist on the talent competition.

Before Hughes began his performance in Pittsburgh, a brief clip from the show played on a screen as an introduction.

(Tickets for this run started selling out even before he hit the stage on opening night, so it appears folks here have seen the show.)

DEREK HUGHES IN BAG OF TRICKS Continues through Sun., Feb. 16.

Liberty Magic, 811 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $40-65. trustarts.org

The video shares how Hughes decided to become a magician after having open heart surgery at the age of 10, and how getting a magic set helped pave the path to his future during his recovery. Now grown with a brilliant mustache accessorizing his baby face, Hughes uses those skills to both amaze

audiences with his sleight of hand, and entertain them with his gift of gab.

During Hughes’ set, it’s hard not to appreciate that Liberty Magic is in the spot where Arcade Comedy Theater once stood before moving down the street to a larger venue. The self-dubbed “stand-up magician” isn’t just clever, he’s funny. Really funny. Between card tricks and conjuring acts, he kept the audience in full belly laughs throughout the show; his quick wit, a perfect match for interacting with unpredictable audience volunteers.

During his audition for America’s Got Talent, Hughes impressed celebrity judge Howard Stern by pulling a card out of his butt. There’s nothing as juvenile in the Pittsburgh show, though there are a few dick jokes — more along the

Follow editor-in-chief Lisa Cunningham on Twitter @trashyleesuh

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

lines of, “I want to measure my junk in centimeters not inches, hardy har har,” but nothing overly annoying, if you don’t like that kind of thing. Instead, Hughes has a natural talent for making people genuinely laugh. Even skeptics.

It’s not uncommon to see a toogood-to-be-real magic trick performed on television and think, “If only I saw that up close, I could figure it out,” which is exactly what I thought when I realized Hughes was repeating that clever mental telepathy trick from the TV show. But even though I was hyperaware and stared at every single move Hughes made during the trick, determined to figure out his secret, abra-fucking-dabra, the trick was over and I realized he had, once again, blown my freakin’ mind.

•

Sponsored by

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

WED., JAN. 22ND. JEREMY PINNELL 7:30 P.M. HARD ROCK CAFÉ, STATION SQUARE. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $10.

412-481-ROCK or ticketfly.com.

WED., JAN. 22ND. DANCING WITH THE STARS 7:30 P.M. BENEDUM CENTER, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $69.50-$581.

412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

THU., JAN. 23RD. GRACE POTTER 7 P.M. ROXIAN THEATER, MCKEES ROCKS. All Ages. $73-$115.

412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com.

WED., JAN. 22ND. JEREMY PINNELL HARD ROCK CAFÉ, STATION SQUARE

THU., JAN. 23RD. THURSDAY YOGA AT CMOA 7 P.M. CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART, OAKLAND. All Ages. $5-$10.

412-622-3131 or cmoa.org.

THU., JAN. 23RD. NERD NITE-NATURAL HISTORY NIGHT 6:30 P.M. SPIRIT MUSIC HALL, LAWRENCEVILLE. 21+ Event. $5.

412-586-4441 or ticketmaster.

THU., JAN. 23RD. DOSED DOCUMENTARY + Q&A 6:30 P.M. ROWHOUSE CINEMAS, LAWRENCEVILLE.13+ Event. $13.

412-904-3225 or rowhousecinema.com

THU., JAN. 23RD. 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.

FRI., JAN. 24TH. GALLERY CRAWL IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT 5:30 P.M. CULTURAL DISTRICT, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. Free.

412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

FRI., JAN. 24TH. THE TUBES 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE,

WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $32-$47. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

SAT., JAN. 25TH. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: OVO

FRI., JAN. 24TH. UMPHREY’S MCGEE

7:30 P.M. PPG PAINTS ARENA, UPTOWN. All Ages. $65-$135.

412-642-1800 or ticketmaster.com.

6 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTH SHORE. All Ages. $25-$38. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.

FRI., JAN. 24TH. LED ZEPPLIN 2 PLAYS III: A 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 8 P.M. THE REX THEATER, SOUTHSIDE. All Ages. $20.

412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com.

FRI., JAN. 24TH. SCIENCE AFTER HOURS: BREAKING BAD 6 P.M. CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER, NORTH SHORE. 21+ Event. $15-$20. 412-237-3400 or carnegiesciencecenter.org.

SAT., JAN. 25TH. THE STRUGGLE BUS W/ BACK ALLEY SOUND 8:30 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATER, MILLVALE. 21+ Event. $10. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

SAT., JAN. 25TH. LAUREN ALAINA 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $25-$115. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

SAT., JAN. 25TH. LOLA LECROIX PRESENTS RAVEN : ELECTRIC CHAPEL 9 P.M. CAKE NIGHTCLUB, STRIP DISTRICT. 21+ Event. $13-$40. tables@cakepgh.com or showclix.com

SUN., JAN. 26TH. ELECTRIC LYNNE ORCHESTRA TRIBUTE TO JEFF LYNNE & ELO 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $15-$25.

724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

SUN., JAN. 26TH. BEAUTY AND THE BALLET 11 A.M. PHIPPS CONSERVATORY, OAKLAND. Ages 3-8 $45. For more info visit phipps.conservatory.org.

TUE., JAN. 28TH STACIAWA ABBOTT 5 P.M. BACKSTAGE BAR, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. Free. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

TUE., JAN. 28TH TUESDAY NIGHT TRAIL RUNS 6 P.M. FRICK PARK, OAKLAND. All Ages.

Free. 412-871-5038 or 3riversoutdoor.com

FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

31

SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

^ Mon., Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

THURSDAY JAN. 16

ART Among the 50-plus works of the 107th annual Associated Artists of Pittsburgh exhibition, there were three that the organizers found particularly intriguing and needed to know more about: Sheila Cuellar-Shaffer’s acrylic painting Candyman, Nancy McNary Smith’s sculpture Warrior, and Katie Ott’s installation Man Up. For a deeper dive

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into these standouts, Westmoreland Museum of American Art hosts a night of “interactive conversations” with the artists to find out what “inspired these works of art, how they know when an artwork is done, what artist tool they can’t live without, and what’s their favorite work of art.” 6-7 p.m. Exhibit continues through Sun., Jan. 26.

221 N. Main St., Greensburg. Registration required. thewestmoreland.org

ART Most people understand the historical significance and impact of the

Holocaust. But it’s nearly impossible to fully relate the experiences of the people who suffered through it. That’s where Chutz-Pow! Superheroes of the Holocaust Exhibit comes in. Chutz-Pow! is an “acclaimed and ongoing comic-book series created and published by The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh that seeks, as its mission, to place stories of UpStanders’ courage, resilience, and sacrifice at the forefront of Holocaust awareness.” Come to Chatham University to see, learn, reflect, and celebrate the launch of Chutz-Pow! volume IV. 6 p.m. 5798 W. Woodland Road, Oakland. Free with registration. chatham.edu

DANCE It’s not often that you get to see live tap-dancing. The art form doesn’t always get the attention it deserves, but dancer Sarah Reich is on a mission to change that with modern, updated tap that still honors the tradition of the genre. Her debut album, New Change, uses tap as a percussion instrument (along with more traditional musical instruments). Catch her show at the Greer Cabaret Theater, backed by a full band and featuring a special mystery guest. 8 p.m. Continues through Sat., Jan. 18. 655 Penn Ave., Downtown. $10-65. trustarts.org

presents

PHOTO: JEREMY JACKSON

^ Thu., Jan. 16: Sarah Reich

FRIDAY JAN. 17 HEALTH Bunnies are soft and plump, but maybe that’s not the body type you’re looking for.

Hop on down to Animal Friends to enjoy those cuddly, cozy bunnies as you lengthen and strengthen during Animal Friends’ Bunny Yoga. Children 11 years or older are welcome to attend but must be accompanied by an adult and remain on their yoga mat during class. Learn a rabbit pose from the pros! 6 p.m. 562 Camp Horne Road, Ohio Township. thinkingoutsidethecage.org

STAGE An elephant makes for a terrible getaway partner, but a sharp and poignant metaphor in the hands of playwright Michael Morpurgo (War Horse, Private Peaceful). In Morpurgo’s story An Elephant in the Garden (and its stage adaptation), a mother, her two children, and an elephant named Marlene flee their home in Dresden as the Allies rain bombs down at the close of World War II. That might not sound family-friendly, but the one-woman play — at the Byham Theater for two performances this weekend — is ultimately an uplifting story, more about love and survival than bombs and Nazis. That being said, probably best for kids under seven to skip this one. 7 p.m. Also 2 p.m. Sat., Jan. 18.

101 Sixth St., Downtown. $12. trustarts.org

STAGE “In one year in the early part of the 20th

century, the deaths of 196 men in one southwestern Pennsylvania steel mill were the result of workplace accidents. This is the story of one that wasn’t.” So goes the ominous synopsis for Grist from the Mill: 1902, a new play at Carnegie Stage.

Written and performed by Lissa Brennan, who has written for City Paper, and produced by Dog & Pony Show Theatricals, the show begins a trilogy of works inspired by “fairy tales and folk music, specifically Irish murder ballads which spoke of ugly events with considered beauty.” 8 p.m.

Continues through Sat., Jan. 18. 25 W. Main St., Carnegie. $5-15. carnegiestage.com

LIT The August Wilson African American Cultural Center honors the legacy of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with the fourth annual Poetry Unplugged.

Hosted by Mahogany Browne, the night includes work inspired by the life and work of MLK. Featured acts include Detroit-based poet jessica Care moore, spoken-word recording artist Ursula Rucker, and other spoken-word artists and musicians from across the country. 8-11 p.m. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $23.75. aacc-awc.org

SATURDAY JAN. 18 DRINKS Onesies are a fun piece of clothing because they’re soft, comfortable, and make you feel like a tall baby. The only way to become more of an adult baby is to crawl, CONTINUES ON PG. 34

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH ENERGY INNOVATION CENTER • 7PM START 1435 BEDFORD AVE., PITTSBURGH PA 15219 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

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CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 33

ART: CHERYL CAPEZZUTI

^ Wed., Jan.22: Discarded

which you can do at the Onesie Bar Crawl in South Side. Beginning at Carson City Saloon, the event also includes Skybar, Steel Cactus, Twelve Whiskey Barbecue, and more, each with their own drink specials for onesie-wearers. Don’t be afraid to wear your silliest and dumbest onesies, as the event includes a $500 prize for best costume.

4 p.m.-12 a.m. 1401 E. Carson St., South Side. $20. 21 and older. crawlwith.us

DANCE The AFROHEAT! dance party returns for another night of great world music at its new home, the Brazilian restaurant Casa Brasil. Formerly at Sprit, the monthly event features hours of deep, funky African and Afro-Latin beats spun by DJ SMI. Can’t make this one? Don’t worry. AFROHEAT! takes place on the third Saturday of every month. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. 5904 Bryant St., Highland Park. $7. casa-brasil.com

SUNDAY JAN. 19 KIDS “PAW Patrol, PAW Patrol, we’ll be there

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on the double!” “Two genies in a bottle, Up in the starry sky, It’s Shimmer and Shine, Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh.” If you have children under the age of six, these songs haunt your every waking hour and sometimes your dreams. But to your beautiful children, they are the elixir of life. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Nick Jr. Live! brings everyone’s favorite explorer to co-host a night of sing-alongs with two of your favorite pups — Marshall and Rubble from “PAW Patrol.” 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Benedum Center, 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $25.25-115.25. trustarts.org

NATURE One of the most prevalent ironies of modern science is that we look to space and sci-fi to sate our curiosity about bizarre life forms and wacky-looking aliens when we have plenty of mind-blowing weird shit here on Earth. A new exhibit at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens celebrates the latter category with Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Out of this World. Visitors can get up close and personal with “hundreds of star-shaped and otherworldly orchids” and a “cosmic collection of tropical bonsai.” Pittsburgh Bonsai Society President David Metzgar

will give a presentation on, you guessed it, bonsais, at 1:30 p.m. in the Serpentine Room; a special guest speaker will be on hand every Saturday and Sunday throughout the exhibit’s run.

1:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., March 8.

1 Schenley Drive, Oakland. Included in price of admission. phipps.conservatory.org

MONDAY JAN. 20

COMMUNITY Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a cross section of art, dance, music, and speakers with History & Futurity, Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., at Kelly Strayhorn Theater. Stop by any time from noon to 3 p.m. for activities and community discussions but make sure to be there by 1 p.m. for a performance featuring K Theater Dance Complex, jazz group The Funky Fly Project, queer youth arts group Dreams of Hope, and Balafon West African Dance Ensemble. The event will “affirm Dr. MLK Jr.’s example of activism, and remind youth of their power to transform our

world,” which we could all use right now.

12 p.m. 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty. Pay what makes you happy. kelly-strayhorn.org

COMMUNITY Honor the great Martin Luther King Jr. by writing a letter giving gratitude to someone who has inspired you. The Mattress Factory’s “Appreciation Station” is one of the hands-on art activities available to visitors of all ages at the contemporary art museum’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. The museum, normally closed on Mondays, will open its doors to the public for a variety of free events including an I Have a Dream-scape collaborative mixed-media mural, a cookie table and hot chocolate bar, and music by local DJ group Wavy Bunch Sound. 1-5 p.m. 500 Sampsonia Way, North Side. mattress.org

LIT For a proper introduction to the writing of Carmen Maria Machado, start with the short story “Especially Heinous: 272 Views of Law & Order SVU” from her 2017 collection Her Body and Other Parties. It’s a wildly inventive narrative written in the form of SVU episode synopses, with Olivia

PHOTO: ART STREIBER/AUGUST

^ Mon., Jan. 20: Carmen Maria Machado

Benson and Elliot Stabler encountering aliens, ghosts with bells for eyes, Edgar Allan Poe-ish hauntings, and pair of spooky doppelgängers of the investigators named Abler and Henson. If that piques your interest — and how could it not? — dive into Machado’s award-winning work and catch her lecture at Carnegie Music Hall, discussing her new novel In The Dream House. 7:30 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $15-35. pittsburghlectures.org

TUESDAY JAN. 21

ART Experience a selection of augmented reality works from Christopher Ruane’s Visions Series during the Visions, ETC. exhibition now on view at Point Park University’s Tomayko Gallery. Presented by Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, the show, which combines mixed reality, photography, and film, is described as exploring “topics of mortality, human impact on our environment, freedom of expression, and religion,” all while using Pittsburgh as a backdrop.

Each piece promises to take the viewer on an interactive journey by using both physical and virtual elements. Continues through Wed., March 11. 212 Wood St., Downtown. aapgh.org

LIT Join City of Asylum for the second installment of its Latinx and Proud! reading series. The events aim to highlight the diversity of voices within

the Latinx community, featuring local and national authors and poets. This month’s reading features Carlos Andrés Gómez, a Colombian-American poet/writer from New York. His latest poetry book, Hijito, covers survival in the changing cultural landscape. There will also be readings from Diannely, Rosa Iris Diendomi, and Juno Elio Avillez do Nascimento. 7 p.m. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. alphabetcity.org

WEDNESDAY JAN. 22

ART If you’ve ever attended a First Night parade in Downtown Pittsburgh, you’ve experienced the joy that comes from viewing Cheryl Capezzuti’s puppets. Hundreds of the artist’s larger-than-life, colorful characters have been dancing in the New Year’s Eve celebration for more than a decade.

Now, the Pittsburgh artist returns to her sculptural work in Discarded, a solo show at be galleries, featuring artwork created from items people normally throw away.

In one gallery, view puppets and masks created from travel debris collected during Capezzuti’s summer residency at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

In the second, human-sized sculptures created from dryer lint. (Yes, the stuff thrown away after your clothes are dry.)

Who knows? It just may inspire you to create some artwork yourself next time you’re doing a load of laundry.

Continues through Fri., Feb. 14. 3583 Butler St., Lawrenceville. begalleries.com • PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

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WE MOVED. ACROSS

1. Did some ground-breaking work?

5. Band with its own museum in Stockholm 9. Story with so many characters that it’s hard to keep track of 13. “Duh, that was obvious” 15. Leerer, colloquially 16. Walked (upon) 17. Regular working stiff 18. Bad funk 19. All of everything 20. Headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 23. Reason for a Tylenol 24. Ocho halved 28. “Yeah, [snort] right!”

33. Langston Hughes poem with the lines “Nobody’ll dare / Say to me, / ‘Eat in the kitchen,’ / Then.”

34. Bounding rhythm 35. Stat for Patrick Mahomes: Abbr.

36. Where birds go?

37. Off the hook 40. Pull a fast one 41. Certain sleeve makeup?

42. Cheers for Atlético Madrid 43. Fashion house name 44. Retro chic denim selection 49. Allows entry 50. Charges from Square or PayPal

51. When the most intense fighting occurs 57. Org. under the Department of Homeland Security 60. Norse trickster 61. Some Kia sedans 62. Loverboy with a quiver 63. Word for “residue” that’s more commonly a plural 64. Kick out 65. “Start of a ___” (first clue in a themed puzzle that likely elicits a groan) 66. Watch What Happens Live host Cohen 67. Character in a metallic bikini

DOWN 1. Area of concern for those looking to lose a few pounds 2. Southern stew veggie 3. Organic compound 4. Fresh Mexican Grill franchise 5. No longer sleeping 6. Alpine ski racer Miller 7. Voting group 8. Soft drink that, despite its name, is actually German 9. Patronize, as a campsite 10. Video installation, e.g.

11. Gunk 12. Woodshaping device

14. Big name in grape juice 21. “Now it makes sense” 22. Little Ivy just outside of Boston 25. Punk rocker Zedek 26. Daily allowance 27. Playful critters 28. Befitting a son or daughter 29. Immediately 30. Withstood challenges 31. Lock horns (with) 32. “___ Heldenleben” (Strauss) 37. Singer a.k.a the Thin White Duke 38. Actor who hosts the “Clear+Vivid” podcast 39. Video game platform that had a Power Glove controller

43. Dutch visual movement that translates to “The Style” 45. Enharmonic equivalent to E-flat 46. Burning man?

47. Nebraska senator Fischer 48. Marilyn Monroe née Norma ___ Mortenson 52. Unable to decide 53. Approved 54. Feature of Vermont’s and Maine’s state flags 55. Central points 56. Spanish 101 verb 57. It’s got all the answers: Abbr.

58. Down under bird 59. “Who? Little old me?”

Just down the street! Please update your records.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 15-22, 2020

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PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column

BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM

R

ECENTLY I POSTED a photo of

myself on social media, commenting on how I like the gray streaks in my hair and choose not to conceal them with dye. While I was certainly fishing for responses about the aesthetics of my choice, what I didn’t expect were comments on the ethics of my choice. And I definitely didn’t expect anyone to admire me for my bravery.

The reason I let my hair come in gray is not because I have a commitment to growing old gracefully (whatever that means), or because I think that the “natural” look is superior, or even because I worry about using chemicals on my body. My only real reason for not dying my hair is that I like the way gray streaks look. If I thought my hair looked better another color, I would dye it; and if I ever get sick of my current look, I will consider a change.

While this little anecdote might seem trivial (I mean, who really cares what I do with my hair?), it illustrated something I have been noticing: a growing fetishization of “the natural,” and a corresponding belief that aesthetic choices that can be read as natural are superior to those that are enhanced or altered. Let’s call this cosmetic naturalism.

Maybe I’m particularly attuned to this because I was getting praise

for my natural hair at the same time I was recovering from a breast augmentation surgery. It would have been impossible not to note the irony: Breast augmentation in particular is often one of the first things that is pitted against cosmetic naturalism.

I had several phone sex clients, for example, who talked to me about their conflicted feelings about my

surgery; they liked the results but struggled with what they perceived to be the ethical implications of their desires. Is it okay to be turned on by fake tits? What does this say about them and their attitude toward, or expectation of women?

Desire is complex, and therefore I cannot begin to answer these questions for them. What I can say, how-

ever, is that the conflict itself makes me feel that this entire question of naturalness puts women in a double bind (and it is usually women whose bodies and aesthetic choices are being scrutinized in this way). There is a ton of social pressure to be attractive in specific ways, but on top of this, women are supposed to meet these beauty expectations while making it appear effortless. You’re damned if you don’t look a certain way, and damned if you try to.

In this schema, perfect breasts (if they existed) that are “real,” are somehow superior to “perfect” breasts that are enhanced. Of course, we could say the same about all other aesthetic choices, from hair color, to make up, to fashion. My breasts are by no means the only thing I have altered. I make a habit of having my nails done; I get bikini waxes when I am inclined; and I also have tattoos, permanent makeup, and Botox. A litany of all of the “unnatural” things I have done to create the aesthetic that appeals to me, but that I by no means think is more valid than any other choice.

We need to stop talking about these choices as if they are moral ones. Doing so would loosen the grip of the double bind, and give everyone more space to express themselves as they chose. Fashion is cultural, there is nothing natural about it.

•

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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