March 16, 2022 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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MARCH 16-23, 2022

WOMXN & MUSIC SUNSTAR MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNS TO THE KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER

FEATURING HEADLINERS NAIROBI AND NAJJ ANDREA ALONGSIDE MORE LOCAL ARTISTS

ALSO INSIDE: – LGBTQ DYSPHERIC COLLECTIVE – PITTSBURGH JAPANESE FILM FEST – GEORGE SAUNDERS’ NEW BOOK + MORE

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MARCH 16-23, 2022 VOLUME 31 + ISSUE 11 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Director of Advertising JASMINE HUGHES Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD A&E Editor AMANDA WALTZ News Reporter JORDANA ROSENFELD Arts & Culture Writer DANI JANAE Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Editorial Designer LUCY CHEN Graphic Designer JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Digital Editorial Coordinator HANNAH KINNEY-KOBRE Marketing + Sponsorships Manager ZACK DURKIN Sales Representatives OWEN GABBEY, MARIA STILLITANO Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, MIKE CANTON, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA Interns TIA BAILEY, PAM SMITH National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

FIRSTSHOT

BY LUCY CHEN

Pittsburgh students march down Liberty Avenue in Downtown during a Youth Walkout on Fri., March 11 in protest of national attacks against queer youth.

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COVER PHOTOS: COURTESY OF KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER READ THE STORY ON PAGE 4

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER

Nairobi

MUSIC

LET THEM SHINE

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HE UPCOMING SUNSTAR FESTIVAL at Kelly Strayhorn Theater promises to be a lot of things.

With a focus on Womxn & Music, the event will showcase a number of new and emerging Black femme musicians, DJs, and other artists, including headliners Nairobi and Najj Andrea, two local talents who will debut new works they created during KST’s Black Femme Musical Artist Incubator.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER

Najj Andrea

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To Nairobi, though, one description of the lineup, which includes King JMP, The Childlike Empress, Savannah Shantell, DJ Femi, Juiced Up Joey, Dejah Monea, ICY PISCES fka DJ Aesthetics, and others, represents something more.

“I also saw some people on Facebook say, ‘This is the most unambiguous group of Black women I’ve ever seen,’” says Nairobi, the stage name for Naomi Ruth Allen. “I was like, ‘Ooh, yay. That’s great.’”

She explains that, many times, when certain grants and other opportunities are categorized and promoted for Black women, it creates problems within the community, as the women chosen are often “racially ambiguous” or “exotic, in a way, but are Black.” This distinction adds to hurdles that both Nairobi and Najj see many Black women having to deal with in Pittsburgh and beyond.

“There seems to be this misconception, and I think this applies to women in general, that when we speak our minds, and when we say we’re clear on what we want, when we take that leadership role,

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then it’s, like, you’re a diva, you’re difficult to work with, it’s all these negative stereotypes that are suddenly being enforced,” says Nairobi. “And that’s been really difficult to navigate through in Pittsburgh because I’ve just constantly come across that so many different times, just from me saying, ‘This is what I want, or this is the artist that I am, or this is the music that I do, this is what I will do.' Just the simple act of advocating for yourself becomes you being difficult.”

Though the Sunstar Festival has taken place since 2009, this marks the first year for the Black Femme Musical Artist Incubator. The program, along with the show, which takes place over two nights from Fri., March 18-Sat., March 19, could help remedy what Nairobi and Najj see as disparities in the industry when it comes to representation.

Nairobi believes part of the reason she has trouble finding support is due to the kind of topics she covers in her music, including sexual assault and rape, something that she herself has experienced.

“Saying that you can overcome that, and you can be resilient and come from that and heal, and you don’t have to stay in that place that you were once in,” she says, “that’s just really important to me to do that. But it has been hard because, you know, some people look at it as too serious, I think it can be looked at as a form of activism as well. And I’m fine with that. But I’m also just like, ‘We need to have these conversations more.’”

She also uses her art to focus on mental health, which she says is a taboo subject in the Black community, where seeking treatment is seen as a sign of weakness.

“You can’t be vulnerable, you have to be strong all the time,” says Nairobi.

“And it’s so dehumanizing to believe these stigmas, to continue them, and it’s been passed down from generation to generation.”

Najj, aka Najjah Andrea M’Lei Cobb, says she has been performing professionally since she was 15 and in 10th grade, and that trying to make it in the music scene as a young Black woman has been “discouraging.”

“Balancing school life, music life, and just being a young female in this crazy world has been hard. It is also hard to be accepted and respected in

"THIS IS THE MOST UNAMBIGUOUS GROUP OF BLACK WOMEN I’VE EVER SEEN." this industry because I feel like we have to work and prove ourselves more and that causes us to come off as aggressive and crazy when we’re really just passionate about our art,” says Najj.

This is where programs like the Black Femme Musical Artist Incubator come in. The newly launched, sixweek program not only sought to cultivate “mainstage talent” for the Sunstar Festival, but also to provide tools and training to help the chosen artists become more successful in their respective careers. Along with mentorship from established artists, Nairobi and Najj attended sessions covering writing an artist statement and biography, fundraising, and promoting themselves on social media, as well as “considering the theatricality of stage performance with regard to lighting, effects, direction, and choreography,” according to a press release.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER

Additional Pittsburgh artists

SUNSTAR FESTIVAL 6-10 p.m. Fri., March 18-Sat., March 19.

Kelly Strayhorn Theater. 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty. $20-35 for a single ticket or $35-50 for a two day festival pass. kelly-strayhorn.org/events/sunstar2022

“I was able to learn the skills and mindset it takes to really put a show together,” says Najj. “Creating your dream set, making sure everybody is available, scheduling enough rehearsals, and balancing your daily responsibilities. It can all be a lot, and sometimes you get so caught up in it that you forget to actually enjoy the moment and the process.”

From there, Nairobi and Najj were allowed to choose two artists each to open for them, making the event accessible to even more voices.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MARCH 16 - 23, 2022

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LET THEM SHINE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 5

PHOTO: COURTESY OF KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER

Kelly Strayhorn Theater

“I HOPE YOU ALL ARE READY FOR THE EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER RIDE.” In terms of what Sunstar audiences can expect, Nairobi says her performance will combine elements of her theater background (she graduated from Point Park University with a BFA in acting) and “a lot of soul, a lot of passion, a lot of R&B music.”

“I would say the audience can expect to hear a lot of different sounds and music, to go through this journey of storytelling in which we’ll just talk about different aspects in life, and how these aspects have attributed to hardships as a Black woman in Pittsburgh, and just in life in general,” says Nairobi. “And then also a good time. I’m definitely planning on performing some music that we all know and love, and just having fun.”

Najj describes her set, titled “A Love Stimulation,” as “basically taking you through the emotions of relationships,” the good and the bad.

“Each song has a color that represents the emotion and feeling of the song,” says Najj. “So I hope you all are ready for the emotional roller coaster ride.”

Nairobi sees the latest Sunstar Festival as an example of ways that KST, and other institutions in Pittsburgh, can open up to artists who are often overlooked.

“It’s great to know that the representation is there and the support is there,” says Nairobi. “And yeah, I think Kelly Strayhorn is also doing a really good job because a lot of the opening acts are newer artists. And for a few of them, this is their first time ever at really performing. So that’s also really awesome, that they’re just willing to give the people that haven’t had as many opportunities and also just completely introduced new acts to the audience.” •

Follow a&e editor Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MARCH 16 - 23, 2022

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PHOTO: PENNDOT

Rendering for the new design of the Fern Hollow Bridge above Frick Park

NEWS

BRIDGING THE GAP

BY JORDANA ROSENFELD // JORDANA@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

ITTSBURGH RESIDENTS a re joining prominent local officials in asking PennDOT to consider their suggestions for improving the design of the new Fern Hollow Bridge.

Renderings for the new bridge, which is being replaced after the original collapsed on Jan. 28, were released on March 8 and have garnered critiques from multiple groups and officials.

The new bridge’s design has been described by some as resembling a “highway overpass,” according to Pittsburgh public radio station WESA. Like the old bridge, its plans include four lanes of vehicular traffic. The new design’s rendering has a pedestrian sidewalk on the north side of the bridge, and a mixed-use path (for bicycles, scooters, pedestrians, etc.) on the south side of the bridge.

On Feb. 27, the city’s Art Commission sent a letter to Mayor Gainey, asking him not to rush the build and consider the “aesthetic quality” of the design.

“While this bridge needs to be replaced promptly,” the letter stated, “we should not act in such haste that we create something we will regret for the next century.”

On March 10, City Controller Michael Lamb asked PennDOT, which is leading the project, to “pause” the design to get more input into the space needed for mon-motorized users, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We have a collective responsibility to ensure the new bridge serves the needs of all Pittsburghers,” Lamb wrote. “This includes walkers, bikers, and people of all ages and abilities.”

And while local transit advocate Scott

Bricker of Bike Pittsburgh says he doesn’t want to hold up the process, he tells Pittsburgh City Paper that he believes the bridge project could offer an opportunity to address the speeding issues on Forbes Avenue, which he says is “a raceway.”

He says he wants the bridge to be part of a “very safe, connected network for biking and walking” and suggests that removing a lane of traffic as Forbes Avenue approaches the bridge might help reduce “that excess capacity that results in speeding, potentially carving out more space for pedestrians or bicyclists.”

But the push to expedite the project, which is expected to begin in April, has, thus far, meant a lack of input from the general public on the project’s design and development.

This has not, however, stopped people

who live near the site of the collapsed bridge from offering their opinions to the public.

Wilkinsburg resident Gabrielle Marsden drew her own suggested layout for the bridge and posted it in several neighborhood Facebook groups to solicit feedback. Her design includes reducing lanes to three vehicular lanes of traffic, adding two bicycle lanes, and a pedestrian sidewalk to both the north and south lanes of the bridge.

“I am very, very familiar with this area, and I believe that many might not be,” Marsden tells Pittsburgh City Paper via Facebook message. “As far as I am concerned, that bridge gets a lot of nonmotorized traffic, and I want to make more people understand everything that is at stake.”

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MARCH 16 - 23, 2022

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BRIDGING THE GAP, CONTINUED FROM PG. 8

PHOTO: PENNDOT

Cross section of proposed design for the Fern Hollow Bridge

“WELL, THAT’S NOT REALLY ENOUGH. WE WOULD LIKE TO GET THE BEST BRIDGE WE CAN GET BUILT.” Marsden says she feels strongly that bicycle and pedestrian traffic need their own dedicated lanes and would like designers to consider adding crosswalks and speed bumps where appropriate and possible.

There are also more formal efforts underway to open a dialogue between communities near Fern Hollow and the powers that be.

“We’re planning just an informational meeting with the Regent Square Civic Association and representatives from the city, both the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure as well as our councilman’s office and Public Safety,” Jim Lenkner of the Greater Park Place Neighborhood Association tells City Paper.

Park Place is a neighborhood on the South Braddock Avenue side of Fern Hollow.

“We really didn’t initially think of this as a design meeting,” Lenkner adds.

“That wasn’t our goal. Our goal was just to get information about the status of the project and the status of our neighborhood with respect to city services during the two years or so of [bridge] construction.”

Now that PennDOT has released draft renderings, Lenkner says the group looks forward to an opportunity to proactively share their thoughts on the Fern Hollow Bridge project.

“The first task was to get a bridge built.

Well, that’s not really enough,” Lenkner says. “We would like to get the best bridge we can get built.”

To that end, Wilkinsburg resident and public transit advocate Laura Wiens identifies several other concerns pertaining to building a better bridge, posting on the Park Place Neighborhood Facebook page that the previous bridge “had congestion during rush hour on the outbound side, that cyclists were funneled into traffic, that the sidewalks were too narrow to accommodate a person with a stroller or wheelchair, that crossing the street by the bridge was like playing Frogger, that people drive really fast on Forbes, both ways, but particularly on the inbound side — and to suggest that those design flaws be remedied by the new bridge, not be exacerbated by the new implementation.”

Wiens tells CP that she wants to challenge the idea that community input is an inconvenience to the bridge development process.

“If we don’t fix those problems during the rebuild,” Wiens continued on Facebook, “we will live with those issues forever.”

PennDOT spokesperson Steve Cowan told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the agency is collaborating on the bridge rebuild with Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.

Cowan said PennDOT plans to add a public comment feature to their website so that individuals can submit feedback on the project. •

Follow news reporter Jordana Rosenfeld on Twitter @rosenfeldjb

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MARCH 16 - 23, 2022

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FILM

SCREENING JAPAN

BY OWEN GABBEY OGABBEY@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HE PITTSBURGH Japanese Film Festival, touted as one of the larger celebrations of Japanese film in the United States, has brought local audiences all kinds of films, new and old, that have otherwise been difficult to see on the big screen.

However, the festival has been stymied the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But 2022 marks its return to Row House Cinema, kicking off on Fri., March 18 with a two-week run of varied and diverse films.

“Given the two-year hiatus, this year’s festival naturally takes on added meaning for us and Row House Cinema,” says festival director Keith Strausbaugh. “But we’re ecstatic to already see advance sell-out screenings.”

COURTESY OF GKIDS AND MOVIZ/“FORTUNE FAVORS LADY NIKUKO” PRODUCTION COMMITTEE

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko

PITTSBURGH JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL Fri., March 18-Thu., March 31. Row House Cinema. 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $12-27. $49-84 for festival passes. jffpgh.org

Opening night will see the Pittsburgh premiere of the charming 2019 film The Island of Cats, directed by Mitsuaki Iwago.

Row House will roll out swag bags and Japanese snacks for an evening dedicated to a film about an elderly man who lives in a small island town managed by felines.

The emphasis on pairings and different themes doesn’t just stop at opening night. Row House has tailored this year’s festival to be an interactive one, with multiple nights of special events paired alongside the films. This includes a tea tasting paired with the new Japanese anime film Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, a coming-ofage story with a dash of magical realism.

There will also be a Japanese whiskey tasting alongside Cure, a 1997 thriller about a rash of murders and a detective who starts to let the case get to him (Parasite director Bong Joon-Ho cites the film as one of his biggest inspirations).

Guests can also see a performance of Japanese Kouta, a traditional koutaburi dance that has long been performed by

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PHOTO: JANUS FILMS

Stray Dog

Japanese geishas, before a screening of Masahiro Shindoa’s noir Pale Flower.

The festival closes with a Brew and View beer tasting accompanying On-Gaku, a punk-rock anime film about a group of delinquent friends who discover themselves through music. Select beers will be served during key moments throughout the film.

Outside of the special events, there are all kinds of treats from a country rich with film history. From Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog, about a detective and a criminal whose paths become more and more

intertwined, to the famous samurai film Samurai Rebellion, to the breakout 2021 romcom It’s a Summer Film!, there is a wide variety of genres for fans to discover.

Not to be overlooked are the more unusual gems set to screen during the festival. This includes Matango, or Attack of the Mushroom People, a 1963 monster movie about a group of shipwrecked travelers attacked by people transformed into fungi. There is also a late night screening of the wildest moments in Japanese game shows, which essentially entails some of the most baffling things you’ve ever seen

put on television.

More than anything, the Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival sets out to be a celebration of in-person curated film programs and independent theaters, both of which were greatly missed by cinephiles over the course of the pandemic.

“It’s not news that the pandemic did a number on theaters nationwide,” says Strausbaugh, “but whether it’s a group of people around a flickering campfire, or strangers filling a dark theater to watch Japanese films, stories watched and told together seems to be part of our DNA.” •

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MARCH 16 - 23, 2022

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CP PHOTO: JOHN COLOMBO

Dysphoric’s Samira Mendoza, Stephanie “XC-17” Alona, and Yessi

LGBTQ

ALL ON THE FLOOR

BY DANI JANAE // DANIJANAE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

F

OR MANY QUEER PEOPLE i n Pittsburgh, the dance floor is a site for fun, community, and a reprieve from the transphobia and homophobia they encounter in their everyday lives. The city has a few dance nights geared toward an LGBTQ crowd but, according to a new dance party collective, that doesn’t always constitute “community” for all, especially for Black and Brown trans people.

Dyspheric, an LGBTQ dance party group started in late 2020 by Pittsburghers Stephanie Alona, Samira Mendoza, and Yessi, has stepped in to bring something new to the scene.

The crew came together after being in each other’s general orbits for a while.

By day, Alona, who is an artist, serves as the youth programming organizer for Black and trans-led nonprofit SisTers PGH. Mendoza is the monthly programs coordinator at arts and technology nonprofit Assemble and also serves on the artist council at East Liberty’s Kelly Strayhorn Theater. Yessi is a multimedia artist and musician. All three plan Dyspheric’s parties and DJ during the events.

During the height of the pandemic, Alona was live streaming events with

friends, when Mendoza booked them to do Hodge Podge, an interdisciplinary arts series featuring performances from local artists, including installations and “curated ensembles.”

Yessi credits Alona with coming up with Dyspheric’s name and kicking off their collective. “Samira and I really loved what they were doing and the vision that they had and just wanted to support them,” says Yessi. “Without even us trying, it became something.”

While Pittsburgh has a budding queer night life scene, Dyspheric aims to add something different. Even their vibrant,

graphic event flyers show off the kind of vibe they are trying to give off. Whatever sound you like, whatever dance you want to do, the members of Dyspheric say there is room for everyone.

“When I started the livestream, it was to add more experimental diversity to the music scene,” says Alona. “Everyone’s playing what they want to play, and sometimes asking, ‘Should I play this?

Should I do this? Or should I do that?’

And then I also wanted to give people a voice who don’t have a voice. Not saying they don’t have a voice, it’s just that they are not getting the space to speak or to CONTINUES ON PG. 16

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Danielle Wenner Danika Lagorio David & Catherine Bomstein David Andersen David Boevers David Eckhardt David Eichelberger David Findley David Gerson David Hartman David Lampe David Newman David Oakley David Pratt Deanna Bucci Debbie Breckenridge Denis Newman-Griffis Denise Agliori Denise Seiffer Deno De Ciantis Diane Walter Divyansh Kaushik Dominic Campbell Don Pellegrino Donna Harrison Doreen Krut Dorothy Falk Eamon Geary Earl Laamanen Ed Ehrlich Ed Giles Ed Wrenn Edward Venator Eileen French Eliana Beigel Elaine Miller Elisabeth McCoy Elise Lavallee Elise Lu Elizabeth Archibald Elizabeth Butler Elizabeth Collura Elizabeth Engelhardt Elizabeth Silver Ellen Cicconi Ellen Doherty Ellen Philips Emiko MacKillop Emilie Yonan Emily Cleath Emily Forney Emily Kiernan Emily Skopov Emily Wolfe Emma Neely Emma Rehm Erica Warnitsky Erin Kelly Erin Larkin Eva Schlinger Evan DiBiase Evelyn Meinert Filomena Manns Finnian Carstens G Ronald Ripper Gabriel Ackman Geo Maroon Geoffrey Hutchison Georgann Jenkins George Kanakis Georgia Crowther Geral Schatten Gillian Kratzer Gina Vensel Gordon Core Greg Carey Greg Kellerman Greg Kochanski Greg Seaman

Gregory Johnstone Gregory Scott Gretchen Swecker Hal B Klein Hannah Diehl Harley Nester Harold Smoliar Heather Slack Heidi Bartholomew Helen Gerhardt Henry Doherty Hobart Webster Holly Eve Howard Seltman Ian Oman Ian Riggins Jacob Bacharach James Heinrich James Kiley James Morgan James Saal James Santelli Jamie Piotrowski Janet Lunde Janine Shaw Jared Pollock Jasiri X Jason Meer Jay Aronson Jay Walker Jean McClung Jeanne Cobetto Jeff Betten Jeffrey Benzing Jeffrey Brooks Jeffrey Bigham Jeffrey Zahren Jenni Easton Jennie Sweet-Cushman Jennifer Reigler Jenny Ladd Jeremy Kimmel Jess Williams Jessica Benham Jessica Bevan Jessica Manack Jessica Priselac Jessica Prom Jessica Prucnal Jill Bodnar Jill Harmon JoAnn Zindren Joanne Gilligan Jocelyn Codner Jodi Hirsh Joe D’Alessandro Joe Pasqualetti Joe Wagner John Bechtold John Berry John Meyer John Nath John Oliver John Riggs John Ryan John Wise John Yackovich Jonathan Salmans Jordan Bender Joseph Corrigan Joseph Morrison Josephine Ulrich Josh Nygaard Joshua Axelrod Joshua Kiley Joshua Pinter Joshua Pirl Joshua Smith Jude Vachon Judith Hartung

Judith Lenz Juli Wright Julia Lee Julia Posteraro Julia Scanlon Julian Routh Julie & Nick Futules Justin Dandoy Justin Krane Justin Matase Justin Nodes Justin Pekular Justin Romano Justin Rossini Kai Gutschow Kara Holsopple Karen Brown Karen Hodes Karen Shepherd Karen Van Dusen Kate Jones Kate Roberts Katharine Kelleman Katherine Kennedy Kathleen Heuer Kathryn Feeney Kathy Dax Kathy Woll Katie Damico Katie Markowski Katie Urich Katy Greulich Kay Brink Kayla Cline Keegan Gibson Keith Bare Keith Recker Kelly Burgess Kelly Hiser Kendra Ross Kenneth Levin Kenneth Mostern Kenneth Zenkevich Kevin Gallagher Kevin Marpoe Kevin Vickey Khris & Tom McGarity Kim Lyons Kimberly Ressler Kimberly Taylor Krista Wright Kristin Ebert-Wagner Kristin Komazec Kristopher Olson Kyle Cunningham Kyle Gracey Kyle Zboran Lady MacBonald Lara Putnam Larry Lynn Laura Adams Laura Dearolf Laura Dickey Laura Drogowski Laura Everhart Laura Heberton-Shlomchik Laura Hershel Laura Hubele Laura Myers Lauren Banka Lauren Lief Lazar Palnick Leah Hoechstetter Leo Hsu Lesley Carlin Lesley Rains Leslie Cooley Leslie Harman Levon Ritter Liam Lowe

Linda Schott Lindsay Forman Lindsay Hagerty Lindsay Wright Lisa Saks Lisa Steinfeld Liz Dewar Liz Hrenda Liz Reid Lois Apple Loretta Deto Lori Delale-O’Connor Lori Flynn Lorie Milich Lucas Miller Lynn Cullen Lynne Cherepko Lynne Frank Lynne Hughes Lyudmila Sanina Mackenzie Moylan Madelyn Glymour Madison Stubblefield Magda Gangwar Mahita Gajanan Mandy Kivowitz-Delfaver Margaret Buckley Margaret Krauss Margaret Prescott Marjorie Waters Maria Sensi Sellner Marianne Donley Marilyn McCarty Marina Fang Mark Goodman Mark Rutherford Mark Solomon Mark Westbrook Mark Winer Marlee Brown Mary Briles Mary Guzzetta Mary Russell Maryellen Lammel Matt Adams Matt Malarich Matthew Buchholz Matthew Cartier Matthew Demers Matthew Griffin Matthew Kroen Matthew Lamberti Maureen Byko Max Garber Max Moclock Megan Brady Megan Fair Melissa Kohr Melissa Melewsky Micaela Corn Michael Colaresi Michael Donovan Michael Lamb Michael McKinney Michael Wasson Mike Beattie Mike Kutilek Mike Weis Mimi Forester MJ Holmes Moira Egler Molly Kasperek Molly Toth Morgan Jenkins Nan Alexander Nancy Dubensky Nancy Latimer Nate Good Nathan Thompson-Amato Neil Bhaerman

Neil Owen Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh Nicholas Gliozzi Nicole Egelhoff Nicole Connor Nicole Johnson Nikki Walton Noah Theriault Norine Minion Norma Bronder Office of Public Art Olie Bennett Guarino Olivia Tucker Olivia Zane Ollie Gratzinger Paolo Pedercini Patricia DeMarco Patricia Oliver Patrick Conneely Patrick Kelley Patty Delaney Paul Hertneky Paul McGowan Paula Majersky Peter McKay Peter Mudge Peter Reichl Rachael Hopkins Rachel Belloma Bonnet Rachel Busch Rachel Dalton Rachel Kovalcik Rachel Tiche Rachelle Haynik Rainy Sinclair Randall Baumann Randy Gowat Randy Sargent Raymond Kozlowski Raymond Leech Raymond Martin Rebecca Boyer Rebecca Ciez Rebecca Seibel Regina Connolly Regina Yankie Rich Lord Richard Kress Richelle Meer Rick D’Loss Rob Rossi Robert & Erin Blussick Robert Baird Robert Davis Robert Jauquet Robert Lang Robert McKnight Robert Nishikawa Robert Raczka Robert Sage Robin Bolea Ron Vodenichar Rosemary Mendel Rossilynne Culgan Ruth Craig Ryan Rydzewski Ryan Warsing Samantha Mudrinich Samantha Ritzer Samantha Wire Sam Barrett Samuel Boswell Sara Innamorato Sara Simon Sara Zullo Francart Sarah Birmingham Sarah Cassella Sarah Flaherty Sarah Paul

Sarah Pearman Sarah Peterson Sarah Rankin Sarah Sewall Sarah Sprague Sarah Vernau Sarah Wiggin Scott Bricker Sean Bailey Sean Collier Sean Mahan Sean ODonnell Selene Wartell Seth Peasley Shanna Carrick Shannon Kelly Shawn Cooke Shawn Melvin Sherri Suppa Shirlie Mae Choe Siena Kane Slava Starikov Smitha Prasadh Stacey Campbell Stacey Federoff Stephanie Sedor Stephanie Wein Stephen Riccardi Stephen Wagner Steve Felix Steve Holz Steven Haines Steven Thomas Stuart Strickland Sue D’Nihm Susan Caplan Susan Hawkins Susan Jackson Susan Rogers Susan Smith Susan Speicher Suzanne Kafantaris Sylvain Goyette Taia Pandolfi Tammy Schuey Tara Spence Tara Zeigler Ted Schroeder Tereneh Idia Terry Bicehouse Terry Peters Thomas Bartnik Timons Esaias Tina Shackleford Todd Derr Tom Samuel Toni Haraldsen Tracy Certo Tracy Travaglio Travis Hefner Trenton Tabor Trevor Baumel Trey Mason Tyler Bickford Tyler Gellasch Uwe Stender Valerie Moore Vicki Cunningham Virginia Alvino Young Will Bernstein Will Halim Will Simmons William Doran William Fulmer William J Schoy IV William Lovas William Maruca William O’Driscoll Yonatan Bisk Zack Tanner

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A Dyspheric party scene

breathe, in a way. … I feel like people just want more.”

Dyspheric operates out of a handful of different spaces, primarily Spirit in Lawrenceville, and Collision PGH, a more private venue.

One thing you often hear when talking to members of the LGBTQ community in Pittsburgh is that the scene, the bars and clubs, are still primarily geared toward a white, gay audience. This can be alienating if you don’t fit into this category, putting Black and Brown LGBTQ people in a position where they are made to feel like “the other.”

The three members of Dyspheric, who are all queer people of color, say the group started out of a need to see Black and Brown trans and nonbinary people prioritized in a physical space where they could convene and party together.

“One main reason why we also like to jump around genres so much, at least for me, is because the dance floor I see as a space where we really can break down all these barriers,” says Mendoza. “It’s one of the few spaces where you can see all these different types of people at once. Offering different genres and having the freedom to jump around that much also makes the sound cross-cultural and desegregated.

Pittsburgh is also just clearly a very segregated place still. There aren’t many parties that don’t reflect that.”

Dyspheric plans to host other DJs

and performers at upcoming parties, in addition to Yessi, Alona, and Mendoza, including Yadirtydaughter and Ali Berger on Sat., April 2 at Oakland’s P-Town Bar. The group says Dyspheric’s focus on trans and nonbinary talent allows for a diversity of sounds that folks might not catch anywhere else.

“I feel like sometimes people say

DYSPHERIC instagram.com/dyspheric_

queer with ‘trans’ missing,” says Alona.

“Because the girls are not getting gigs, the girls are not coming here, playing here.

You don’t really see trans DJs playing here.”

Dyspheric is setting out to change that, with help from friends along the way.

“My favorite shows are those in which you can feel a lot of generosity and reciprocity in the help that we receive,” says Yessi. “If you’re working at the door, you deserve fair pay like everyone else. People have been knowing that we don’t have a ton of resources and have been super generous.”

And the parties continue for folks at home, too. In addition to their in-person parties, Dyspheric also has an online radio show at verge.fm that airs at 9 p.m. every third Sunday of the month. •

Follow arts & culture writer Dani Janae on Twitter @figwidow

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BY MIKE CANTON // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

W

HEN MOONCHILD’S Starfruit hit my inbox, the first observation was Lalah Hathaway in the credits. I thought, “Hmmmm …

Lalah’s bringing her luster yet again,” as when she won Grammys with Robert Glasper and Snarky Puppy. Her contribution here, “Tell Him,” was how I introduced this new release to The Soul Show on WYEP. Tracks featuring Rapsody, then Tank and the Bangas, followed.

Truth is, what makes this Moonchild album special is the guest roster: Ill Camille and Josh Johnson are some of the other visiting vocalists and musicians who offer valuable textures to the presentation. Moonchild’s own Amber Navran, with her breathiness and voice overdubs, feels formulaic without the support. I found myself dozing

midstream until Ill Camille reignited things. Rap can spark.

One more reflective note before I return to the whys of this album pick: there was the constant reminder of my preference for bass from strings instead of keyboard. Fingers plucking and stroking make low notes sing. The deep registers on Starfruit drone at times. I can’t imagine what Dayton-based funk band Slave would have been without Mark Adams’ magic on electric bass. Yes, I know Stevie Wonder could pull it off with synths, as on “Higher Ground.” Not everyone can.

What intrigues me about Starfruit is Moonchild’s new collaborative experiment. Listen to “Need That” and “Love I Need.” I really enjoy what the visiting talent has brought along. •

Mike Canton is the longtime host and producer of The Soul Show on WYEP 91.3FM. He recently launched a syndicated edition of the program, now airing in four markets. Both are produced in his Electric Basement Studios. Canton is also a Pittsburgh-area voice artist.

LYNNCULLENLIVE every Monday thru Thursday at 10 a.m. at lynncullen.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MARCH 16 - 23, 2022

17

LIT

HISTORY LESSONS

BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

N A SWIM IN THE POND IN THE RAIN: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life (Random House), George Saunders dissects short stories by four writers whose works have proven timeless.

The Man Booker Prize winner (for Lincoln in the Bardo) includes writings on Anton Chekhov’s In the Cart, Ivan Turgenev’s The Singer, The Nose by Nikolai Gogol, and Leo Tolstoy’s Alyosha the Pot, published in 1905 and the most recent story in the collection.

Each of A Swim in the Pond in the Rain’s stories is transcendent, even though most were written in the 19th century.

Why do these stories about peasants and landowners, ne’er-do-wells and widows, seem relevant today?

“I think in every time the good writers are the people who somehow, maybe just in the moments when they are working, can see through the distractions and haze to the essential stuff,” says Saunders, who appears Mon., March 21 as a guest of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Ten Evenings series. “That’s why I love the Russians. They seem to be able to step out of real life and go, ‘Ah, death is coming.’’’

Saunders will present his lecture remotely, broadcast via live video projection to an in-person audience at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, followed by a Q&A session.

The structure of A Swim in the Pond in the Rain is similar to Saunders’ course on writing at Syracuse University. A story is presented to be read, and then Saunders examines it in depth, page by page, sometimes line by line.

While the book ostensibly is a primer on how to write — and read — stories, it becomes an examination of how writing and reading are inexorably linked.

“I have come to think of it as one purpose,” Saunders says. “Because I’m writing, I’m producing, and that’s fun.

Then comes the fatal step when you’ve got to look at it. So then you’re kind of putting on your reader hat and, for me, there was a big breakthrough moment when I admitted that.”

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PHOTO: ZACH KRAHMER

George Saunders

Saunders says he always thought the idea of writing was that one should be in an “exalted state,” where a writer makes great prose and doesn’t have to look at it. “In other words,” he says, “the fact that you felt a certain way when you wrote it is proof that it’s good. But then the breakthrough was, no, that doesn’t mean

anything; you’re just stoned. When you come back to read it, if you can be at home with your actual reaction, then you can do something about it. Or, if you’re in a state of denial, you can’t. So, the whole thing is to say I did write it, but it’s not me, it’s of me. Now I can take a breath and look at it and see if I can make it better.”

That is similar to the reader’s experience. It’s essential, Saunders believes, to get feedback from readers, without which the work becomes meaningless.

“Really the only thing a writer has to work with is the reaction summoned up in the reader,” he says.

While writing is often considered to be

a “beautiful and tender memoir”

— NPR critic Ilana Masad

Join City Paper’s new book club and share your thoughts by using #CPBookclub a scholarly, rational pursuit that requires enormous concentration and attentiveness, Saunders isn’t sure that’s how his process works. He writes: “When I’m writing well, there’s almost no intellectual analytical thing going on.

The process is in intuition plus iteration.”

TEN EVENINGS WITH GEORGE SAUNDERS 7:30 p.m. Mon., March 21. $10-25.

Carnegie Music Hall. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Livestream pass also available. pittsburghlectures.org

That description seems comparable to athletes performing at the apex of their abilities being described as “in the zone.”

While Saunders isn’t sure if “in the zone” is the right description, he agrees the experiences are analogous.

The takeaway of his entire artistic life, Saunders says, is that part of the mind is real but it isn’t “literal or linear.”

“It works in real time without reductive thought, basically …,” he says. “When you’re driving, you swerve. When you’re in conversation with somebody and you’re talking a little faster than your censor and you blurt out something that’s really smart or really funny, that’s a part of your mind.”

And this idea is proven true when he begins revising his work.

“There’s this really lovely thing where you can start out with this really dumb idea or a facile idea or a kind of obvious idea, and if you just sort of keep your good taste by your side, you can work through it,” says Saunders. “The dumb idea becomes a kind of good idea, becomes a really good idea, becomes a profound idea, and at the end of that whole sequence it can become a question.”

Saunders adds that he considers himself working-class, and is not the most articulate or well-read person. But he took comfort early in his writing career after realizing he didn’t have to be “smart” with his first drafts.

“I could be smart cumulatively,” Saunders says, “over many revisions. And I think it’s like sports. After a game, when somebody does some transcendentally wonderful thing, the interviewer says, `How do you feel?’ And they don’t know what to say. ‘I felt good, I gave 210%?’

“But they did do something profound, they were in a profound state, but it just isn’t one that you really need to talk about,” he continues. “It’s obviously less physical when you’re writing, but there’s something about the split-second decisions that come from we don’t know where that are really interesting.” •

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

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19

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

IRL / IN REAL LIFE EVENT VIRTUAL / STREAMING OR ONLINE-ONLY EVENT HYBRID / MIX OF IN REAL LIFE AND ONLINE EVENT

PHOTO: PAUL G. WIEGMAN

^ Spring Flower Show: Sunshine and Rainbows at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

THU., MARCH 17 MUSIC • IRL Hard Rock Café will be breaking the law when Judas Priestess takes the stage.

The all-female tribute band to one of the 1980’s more formative metal groups promises to put their own spin on songs like “Living After Midnight,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,” and more. The band claims to have opened for Twisted Sister, Pentagram, and Action Bronson, and appeared in They Say I’m Different, a documentary about the late funk-rock icon and Homestead native Betty Davis.

8:30 p.m. Doors at 7:30 p.m. 230 W. Station Square Drive, South Side. $13-15. druskyentertainment.com

FRI., MARCH 18 STAGE • IRL Playwright Dominique Morisseau returns to City Theatre with Paradise Blue, the story

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of a 1949 club owner and trumpeter living in fast-gentrifying Detroit. The main character, Blue, must “choose between escaping his demons and the human cost of leaving the only home he’s ever known.”

With music composed by jazz artist Theron Brown, direction by Kent Gash, and a cast that includes celebrated local performers like Wali Jamal and Monteze Freeland, this play is sure to leave an impression. 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., April 3. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. $20-65. citytheatrecompany.org

MARKET • IRL Kick off the season by attending the Arts and Crafts Spring Fever Festival at the Monroeville Convention Center.

The festival will have 165 vendors selling everything from jewelry and spring fashion to wine and baked goods. If you’re looking to redecorate your house or outdoor space for the warming weather, check out the Spring and Easter decor vendors, and enjoy the “fun and festival atmosphere” of the

event. Continues through Sun., March 20.

209 Mall Blvd., Monroeville. $3-6. familyfestivals.com

SAT., MARCH 19 EVENT • IRL Trying to find a place to belt out “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt or “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M.?

Head to the first-ever Sad Karaoke at Golden Age Beer. Hosted by Matt Buchholz of Alternate Histories and Andrea Laurion, the event encourages anyone to pick up the mic and pour their heart out on the brewery’s outdoor performing stage. All they ask is that you be earnest, no irony allowed. The event is free to attend, with a suggested $5 donation tip jar where all proceeds go to RAINN, the nation’s largest antisexual violence organization. 7 p.m.

337 E. Eighth Ave., Homestead. Free, or $5 suggested donation. Search “Sad Karaoke” on Facebook

EVENT • IRL August Wilson African American Cultural Center welcomes everyone to enjoy a host of activities during AWCommunity Day: Growing Together. The free, family-friendly event will include a conversation with artist Cue Perry about his current exhibition Who Are You? (W.A.Y). The Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-op will provide a Farmer’s Market with planting kits by Soil Sisters Plant Nursery. Also included is a Storytime with Lytia Brock and a performance

by Cam Chambers and Band. 12 p.m. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. aacc-awc.org

SUN., MARCH 20 ART • IRL See a new group exhibition when ZYNKA Gallery presents Wood Works. Explore pieces by Christopher Boring, Nate Lucas, Carin Mincemoyer, and Jonathan Shapiro, all artists described as working with wood “either as a material or as a subject.”

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^ Sad Karaoke at Golden Age Beer

From Lucas’ love of overlooked beauty to Mincemoyer’s work based on photos of landscape and water, the show promises to demonstrate the many possibilities of the artistic medium.

Continues through April 30. 904 Main St., Sharpsburg. Free. zynkagallery.com

TALK • IRL Hear from a paleontology expert when the Carnegie Museum of Natural History presents a Science and Nature lecture with Dr. Matt Lamanna. Taking place at the Powdermill Nature Reserve, the event will examine the Megaraptoridae, a type of predatory dinosaur whose fossils have been found in Patagonia, Argentina. In this lecture, Lamanna will present several discoveries made by him and his Argentine collaborators and what they mean for the field of paleontological research. 2-3 p.m.

1795 Route 381, Rector. Pay what you wish.

Registration required. carnegiemnh.org

MON., MARCH 21 LIT • HYBRID Join Wil Haygood and Emmai Alaquiva at City of Asylum for a conversation about their respective works. Haygood, a film historian, writer, and NAACP Image Award finalist, recently released the book Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World, which he will discuss with Alaquiva, a four-time Emmy Award-winning, Pittsburghbased filmmaker and activist. This program is presented in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books. 7-8:30 p.m. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. Free. cityofasylum.org

TUE., MARCH 22 COMICS • IRL Two Pittsburgh artists will come together at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall for Embracing Our Differences: Chutz-Pow! Superheroes of the Holocaust.

Comic artists Marcel Walker and Wayne Wise will speak on “the dangers of fascism and bigotry” while discussing Chutz-Pow! Superheroes of the Holocaust, the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh’s ongoing comic book, placing stories of resilience and sacrifice at the forefront of Holocaust awareness. Masks will be required to attend. 7 p.m. 300 Beechwood Ave., Carnegie. Free. Registration required. carnegiecarnegie.org

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WED., MARCH 23 EXHIBIT • IRL Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens will be absolutely bursting with color when it unveils its latest exhibition, Spring Flower Show: Sunshine and Rainbows. For four weeks, guests can view what Phipps describes as “tens of thousands of spring blooms,” including lilies, daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths, as well as the Himalayan blue poppy, and much more. Make the most of your visit by also checking out Tropical Forest Hawai´i, a concurrent exhibit dedicated to the natural beauty of the island state.

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21

WEARING OF THE GREEN

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

ACROSS 1. Nervous spasms 5. Vermont jam band 10. Kicker Mia 14. Reply to “Still asleep?”

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33. Diamond arbiter 34. Top-rated 35. Indonesian makeup?

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42. 1962 Neil Simon musical 45. Sailor Moon and Fullmetal Alchemist genre 48. Went longer than scheduled 49. Relating to smell 53. Pizzeria needs

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FINANCIAL

FINANCIAL

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SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure?

CALL Homeowners Relief Line NOW for Help 1-855-4395853 Mon-Fri : 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Sat: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm(all times Pacific) (AAN CAN)

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SMOKERS WANTED The University of Pittsburgh’s Alcohol & Smoking Research Lab is looking for people to participate in a research project. You must: • Currently smoke cigarettes • Be 18-49 years old, in good health, and speak fluent English • Be right handed, willing to not smoke before two sessions, and to fill out questionnaires

Earn up to $260 for participating in this study.

For more information, call (412) 407-5029

OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on March 29, 2022, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

VARIOUS SCHOOLS AND BUILDINGS • HVAC Systems & Building Automation Controls • Mechanical Prime Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on March 11, 2022, at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

Free confidential testing HIV • stD • hep c

Notice is hereby given the property owner, 129 McKean Street LLC, has completed a C-PACE transaction as per Act 30 of 2018 (12 Pa. C. S. A. § 4301) chapter 43 of Title 12 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.

The legal description of the property located at 129 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in Allegheny County includes: The Development, known as The Distillery at South Shore, is a mixed- use redevelopment located to the south of the Monongahela River, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The building is located just west of the Liberty Bridge.

The subject is an existing industrial property containing 28,022 square feet of shell space as of the January 27, 2021, effective date. The proposed renovations and construction of a five-story addition are extensive and increase the gross building area to 55,780 square feet.

ALL that certain parcel or piece of ground situate in the Seventeenth Ward of the City of Pittsburgh, County of Allegheny, and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, being known as Lot 1 in the Madonna Land Company Consolidation Plan of Lots as recorded in Plan Book Volume 273, Page 127 on February 27, 2012, in the Department of Real Estate of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Tax ID/ Parcel: 3-A-80.

Qualified Project Amount and Description 129 McKean Street, LLC is expected to achieve energy and water savings through proposed improvements across the building’s systems, including HVAC systems, lighting, building envelope, and elevators. This project’s ECM Survey meets the Allegheny County Program Guidelines by demonstrating whole building level energy savings as part of a Substantial Renovation Project.

The annual assessment amount is equal to $384,338.80.

The principal amount financed was $5,176,100.96 with a fixed interest rate equal to 5.54%. Financing charges were equal to $99,751 with a capitalized interest of $63,723.55.

Dr. Stacy Lane, D.O. • 412-515-0000

HELP HEal all WITH NO JUDGEMENT

your body & soul

are welcome

• ALL INSURANCES ACCEPTED • WALK INS WELCOME • tRANSPORATION PROGRAM • NO INSURANCE? WE CAN HELP North Shore - 127 Anderson Street - Suite 101 Timber Court Building, PIttsburgh, PA 15212 (412) 322-4151 washington, pa - 95 Leonard Avenue Suite 203, Washington PA 15301 • (724) 249-2517 beaver county - 2360 hospital drive Suite 1, aliquippa, pa 15001 • (724)707-1155 Erie - 3104 State Street, Erie, PA 16508 (814) 619-4009 Cleveland - 2323 Lee Rd. Cleveland, OH 44118 • (216) 350-1000

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MARCH 16 - 23, 2022

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