May 15, 2019 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

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MAY 15-22, 2019 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 20

FIRSTSHOT BY JARED MURPHY

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

GENERAL POLICIES: Contents copyrighted 2019 by Eagle Media Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Pittsburgh City Paper are those of the author and not necessarily of Eagle Media Corp. LETTER POLICY: Letters, faxes or e-mails must be signed and include town and daytime phone number for confirmation. We may edit for length and clarity. DISTRIBUTION: Pittsburgh City Paper is published weekly by Eagle Media Corp. and is available free of charge at select distribution locations. One copy per reader; copies of past issues may be purchased for $3.00 each, payable in advance to Pittsburgh City Paper. FIRST CLASS MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available for $175 per year, $95 per half year. No refunds.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

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ELECTION GUIDE

PRIMARY BATTLE

Highlighting Pittsburgh’s biggest and most contentious elections of the 2019 primary season. BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

OTERS IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY might not recognize many of the names on

the ballot for the May 21 primary election, but they’re worth knowing. While not as well covered as the 2018 primaries or the upcoming 2020 presidential election, off-year primaries in many ways have an even more significant impact on daily life. This year, half of the Pittsburgh City Council and Allegheny County Council seats are up for grabs, as is the seat for Allegheny County District Attorney. There are also school board seats and local borough councilors and mayoral slots to fill. Issues like neighborhood street design and how our region reduces greenhouse gases are mostly solved in Pittsburgh City Council chambers, not the White House. In a city that is struggling with gentrification and rising housing costs, the solutions start at the City-County Building in Downtown, not at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Air pollution, of which our region gets consistently low grades, is mostly a county government problem. The governor or a congressman is less likely to affect the heavy industry that pollutes our air, than a county councilor or county official. In the wake of the Antwon Rose II shooting, not to mention the ongoing problems at the Allegheny County Jail, reform in the county’s criminal justice system feels vital. But knowing who the District Attorney is and what they believe is more important than following Kim Kardashian’s efforts to the same goal. On the following pages, we’ve created side-by-side comparison charts of some of Pittsburgh’s biggest and most contentious elections of this primary season. Allegheny County overwhelmingly votes for Democrats, especially in the city of Pittsburgh, so most of these races will be decided in the primary as many candidates lack Republican or independent challengers. For a full list of what you can expect on your ballot, visit alleghenycounty.civicengine.com. So, brush up, learn about the candidates, and get to polls on Tuesday to cast those votes.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

ELECTION 2019

ALLEGHENY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

CANDIDATE

The Allegheny County District Attorney is the person in charge of directing how people in the county facing criminal charges are prosecuted. The DA’s decisions impact cases ranging from disorderly conduct to homicide.

Former chief deputy director for county Public Defender’s Office. Currently a private criminal-defense attorney. Monroeville native and Democrat. “Justice demands change, NAME OF CANIDATE and I am that change. I have the legal and professional experience, a heart for the people, and the desire to make our criminal justice work for all us.”

A Democrat serving as Allegheny County District Attorney since 1998. Supports efforts to reduce cash bail and to classify hate-driven assaults on LGBTQNAME community as hate crimes. OF CANIDATE Says these efforts were overlooked because he “chose not to promote them politically.” In 2017, publicly supported reinstating mandatory minimum sentences as a tool to investigate serious crimes.

JAIL OVERCROWDING

Wants to reduce county jail population by 25 percent within first term by ending practice of overcharging; advocating that victimless and nonviolent offenders be released if they sign written promise to show up to court; recommending no jail time for technical probation violations; and changing current administration policy limiting assistant DAs from weighing in on bond arguments.

Says jail population shouldn’t be reduced solely by transferring long-serving inmates to penitentiaries, as that “significantly increases the systemic burden on people who are already fighting an uphill battle toward reintegration.” His office has created 11 diversionary courts to address criminal justice issues rooted in poverty.

OVERDOSE DEATHS

Supports expanding programs for addiction, recovery, and drug prevention through grant funding; increasing DA’s office visibility to engage students on dangers of drug use and addiction. Looking towards providing naltrexone (a medication to help prevent relapses) for people following release from incarceration.

Advises police to treat addiction as a health issue since “being an addict is not a crime.” Advocating for more treatment options and a better health insurance system because courts can require treatment for defendants, but only if insurance is willing to pay for those treatments.

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY

Advocates uniform training for law enforcement officers countywide. Supports a countywide citizen police review board. Criticized current DA Zappala in handling of prosecuting Antwon Rose shooter Michael Rosfeld, who was acquitted of all charges.

Says current state use of force laws are too forgiving for police officers who shoot suspects and should be changed. Says interpretation of the current law led to the acquittal of Rose’s shooter Michael Rosfeld. Supports creation of a countywide citizens police review board.

Pittsburgh NORML, Recommended by Pittsburgh Democratic Socialists of America. Drew support of progressives early in campaign, but was criticized after saying homosexuality is a sin. Has since apologized for those remarks, with some progressives continuing to back him.

Steel City Stonewall Democrats, Allegheny County Labor Council, Allegheny County Democratic Committee

BIOGRAPHY 8

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ELECTION 2019

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1

PYRAMID

Pittsburgh City Council District 1 covers the North Side neighborhoods of Brighton Heights, Marshall-Shadeland, Spring Hill, Spring Garden, Troy Hill, Deutschtown (East Allegheny), Nova Place (Allegheny Center), Allegheny West, and parts of the Mexican War Streets.

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BIOGRAPHY

CANDIDATE

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MARK BRENTLEY

DARLENE HARRIS

Lives in Allegheny Center and served as a Pittsburgh Public School board director for 16 years, up until 2015. Says his many years ofOF elected office is NAME CANIDATE the most important thing that voters should know about him. “I am experienced and dedicated to all tax payers in District 1.”

Longtime incumbent District 1 city councilor who unsuccessfully challenged Peduto for mayor in 2017. One of Peduto’s biggest critics, OF Harris has a NAME CANIDATE reputation for outlandish statements and has been the center of controversies regarding bike lanes and blocking some of her constituents on Facebook. Is frequently praised for responding quickly to some constituents’ district needs.

A fifth-generation North Sider who’s run for this seat two previous times. Lives in Spring Hill and works as a researcher at the NAME UniversityOF of Pittsburgh. CANIDATE Says raising his children in the North Side has helped him “see new opportunities for improvement and innovation to secure a strong future for all Pittsburghers.”

If elected, would kick off a 90-day listening tour to hear district residents’ concerns regarding development. Says he would support new development in the district and keep the community informed but didn’t specify what kind of development.

Voted against the 1 percent increase in the city’s real-estate transfer tax to fill the $10 million affordable-housing trust fund. Didn’t respond to questions about her role or future role guiding development in District 1.

Says he is committed to “community-led growth and revitalization that helps the North Side meet its full potential.” Wants to improve the District relationships between neighborhoods, developers, and city council to bring responsible development, especially to neighborhoods that have the greatest needs.

Says he would explore a more aggressive approach to getting nonprofits to pay their “fair share of taxes.” Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto currently supports negotiations with large nonprofits, but those negotiations have been ongoing for several years without a result.

One of only two dissenting votes against UPMC’s expansion plan in 2018. Harris said UPMC’s refusal to accept Highmark insurance factored into her vote. In the past was supportive of an aggressive push to get large nonprofits to pay city taxes but didn’t respond to questions asking where she stands now.

Says that UPMC “must pay their fair share” and would work with council and the mayor to ensure large nonprofits give back more the Pittsburgh. Didn’t indicate if he supports the mayor’s negotiation tactics or a more aggressive approach.

Says he has received backing from his family and friends.

Allegheny County Labor Council and the Allegheny County Democratic Committee

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, SEIU-32BJ, Clean Water Action, Conservation Voters of PA, Planned Parenthood PA PAC, Gertrude Stein Political Club, International Association of Professional Paramedics Local 1, Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees Chapter 20-15, Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania

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ELECTION 2019

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3

CANDIDATE

Pittsburgh City Council District 3 covers Allentown, Arlington, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, St. Clair, South Side, and Oakland.

KEN WOLFE

A self-described moderate Democrat and 25-year-old University of Pittsburgh student. Says he brings “a comprehensive and academic skill setNAME to the table sets [him] OFwhich CANIDATE apart from the rest of council.” Has supported rolling back parking restrictions in South Side.

Lives in Allentown where he was born and raised. Previously worked for Kraus in Pittsburgh City Council, and as a staffer for state legislators in Harrisburg. a board NAMEServed OF asCANIDATE member of Allentown’s communitydevelopment organization and as president of the Young Democrats of Allegheny County.

Supported package of city council bills banning use of assault rifles and restricting use of firearm accessories in city limits. Says decision was “well thought-out and a responsible action to begin fighting back on the scourge of gun violence that is plaguing this nation and our neighborhoods.”

Opposes the recently passed gun restrictions. Said the original proposed bills were illegal, and the bills that passed are meaningless and purely symbolic. Says push for city gun-control bills not abiding by state law is “a dangerous overreach of authority.”

Told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he would have supported the package of city council gun restrictions if in office, but that he would have advocated the state legislature first before attempting to pass bills in city council. Didn’t respond to Pittsburgh City Paper questions about gun restrictions.

Wants the city’s fleet of official vehicles to go 100 percent fossil-fuel free, divest city finances from fossil-fuel interests, and make all city operations run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.

Says city council should work closely with Allegheny County Council to advocate for appropriate changes and restrictions on industrial facilities in the county that emit a large number of pollutants.

Says large nonprofits are dependent on the city’s government services like police, fire, roads, etc. and they have an obligation to cover those costs through property taxes. He has not indicated the best way to get payments from nonprofits. Voted in favor for UPMC’s expansion proposal, which critics said didn’t provide enough benefits to the community.

Supports the push to negotiate with large nonprofits so they contribute to Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s OnePGH fund, but says “there is no guarantee that they will do anything.”

Critical of the city’s failure to negotiate payments from the large nonprofits. His campaign website says, “We must change the way the hospitals and insurers are covered under the charitable organizations laws.” Says city cannot grow without large nonprofits contributing to tax base.

Allegheny County Democratic Committee, Allegheny County Labor Council, Planned Parenthood, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, United Mine Workers, Gertrude Stein Club, Clean Water Action

Says his supporters are his family, friends, and voters in the district.

Didn’t respond to CP questions and no endorsements are listed on website.

ENVIRONMENT

GUN RESTRICTIONS

BIOGRAPHY

Served as a Democrat in District 3 for 12 years and as City Council President since 2014. Lives in the South Side Slopes and is Pittsburgh’s first openly gay elected official. sincerely believe NAME OF“ICANIDATE we are granted public office because of our history of service to community and a strong commitment to rigorously work toward policies which serve to unite us.”

TAXING LARGE NONPROFITS

CHRIS KUMANCHIK

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

BRUCE KRAUS

Campaign website is critical of Pittsburgh’s poor air quality, and that “the number one reason children living in economic poverty experience school absences is asthma.” Says the city can combat this through better land-use to create a more compact, connected city with walkable, transit-accessible communities.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

VOTE ON MAY 21st

ELECTION 2019

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 7

CANDIDATE

Pittsburgh City Council District covers the Strip District, Polish Hill, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Friendship, Morningside, and Highland Park.

Mary is ENDORSED by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee and Allegheny County Labor Council.

DEB GROSS

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Believes Pittsburgh should adopt a city-wide inclusionary zoning policy, where new developments are forced to include percentages of affordable units. Supports the creation of additional Community Land Trusts, where governments or nonprofits own land and lease out buildings they rest on as a way to offer continually affordable homes for sale.

Says District 7 neighborhoods are built for pedestrians, and that “walkable and bikeable neighborhoods are more livable for everyone.” Has pushed for budget allocations for pedestrian safety and bringing traffic calming to residential streets and intersections. Hopes to bring those changes to Polish Hill and Morningside. Wants a bike trail and public access along the Allegheny River.

Believes we need to work on creating safer bike lanes in Pittsburgh. Says she “would be interested in understanding where we have the highest bike ridership and work to make sure that we address those areas first.”

Says “big nonprofits must be held accountable.” Voted against UPMC’s expansion plans, citing inadequate public attention or community input. Supports adjusting zoning to require developers, like large nonprofits, to agree to community benefits such as affordable housing, childcare funding, and water and sewer infrastructure improvements.

Supports Mayor Bill Peduto’s push to negotiate payments from the large nonprofits to the OnePGH fund, not tax them. Says that in order to achieve climate action, infrastructure, and responsible development goals, we need to “work together the Pittsburgh way.”

Stonewall Steel City Democrats, Allegheny County Joint Labor Council, AFSCME public service employee union, Clean Water Action, PA Conservation Voters, Communications Workers of America, Planned Parenthood, Gertrude Stein Club, state Reps. Sara Innamorato and Ed Gainey

Allegheny County Democrat Committee, support from Magistrate Judge Tony Ceoffe

BIOGRAPHY

Supported creation of $10 million affordable-housing fund by increasing city’s real estate transfer tax by 1 percent. Introduced legislation to create an inclusionary zoning pilot in Lawrenceville, where developments of more than 20 units commit 10 percent to affordable units. Working with state leaders to create protections for longtime homeowners against potential rising property tax rates.

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A lifelong District 7 resident, who currently works for Highmark Health. Served seven years as a board member of community group Lawrenceville United.NAME Looks forward to “going on OF CANIDATE a listening tour of the district to meet residents and understand their unique issues.”

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Serving as District 7 city councilor since 2013, Gross lives in Highland Park and has a master’s degree from Duke University. Says campaign isn’t “afraid to challenge corporate NAMEgrowing OF CANIDATE power” and supports keeping Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority publicly owned.

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ELECTION 2019

ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 13

CANDIDATE

Allegheny County Council District 13 covers Bellevue, Lawrenceville, Strip District, Downtown, Uptown, Allentown, Beltzhoover, Morningside, Stanton Heights, Garfield, parts of South Side, and all of North Side.

BIOGRAPHY

A Manchester native who currently lives in Northview Heights, Bennett is a community organizer who has protested for better police NAME OFaccountability CANIDATE measures and gun-control legislation. Says her goal is to “represent and be the voice for those who have felt unrepresented and voiceless.”

A resident of Brighton Heights, first elected in 2015. Has served in the 27th ward Democratic Committee and owns and operates her own barbershop. Believes in “equity for NAME OF CANIDATE all people” and praises District 13 for making economic strides over the last few years.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

Supports creation of countywide civilian police review board. Wants to increase oversight of the county jail due to recent inmate suicides and pest-control problems. Says jail oversight is important since a large percentage of the county budget is used to run the jail. Wants more resources for patients living with mental-health issues.

Says we need better training for some municipal police departments, particularly small ones. Would like to see programs instituted to increase community policing, where officers engage directly with residents in an informal setting.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Supports increasing enforcement on polluting industrial facilities. Calls for increased transparency for industrial emissions. Supports county’s lawsuit against U.S. Steel, but would like to see the Health Department measure, analyze, and regularly report data from air quality monitors. “The data means nothing unless we study it.”

Supports the steps taken by the county Health Department to fine industrial polluters and increase air-quality monitoring. “I think these are all steps going in the right direction.” Doesn’t support action that would endanger the 3,000 union jobs at local U.S. Steel facilities.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

DENISE RANALLI RUSSELL

Supports a push to make Port Authority cash and ConnectCard fares the same price, transfers to be free, and to extend the East Busway out to Monroeville and the Mon Valley.

Advocated for weekend bus service for Garfield residents, which they received. Supports Port Authority and is “excited to see what the future holds for our riders.”

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

OLIVIA BENNETT

Steel City Stonewall Democrats, Run For Something, Food & Water Watch, Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Women for The Future, One PA, Gertrude Stein Political Club, UNITE PAC. Recommended by Young Democrats of Allegheny County. Support from state Rep. Summer Lee and local activists Brandi Fisher and Leon Ford

Allegheny County Democratic Committee, Allegheny County Labor Council, Pittsburgh Firefighters, Teamsters Local 249, Pittsburgh Building and Trades

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

ELECTION 2019

ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT AT-LARGE

CANDIDATE

This is a countywide election for a Democratic spot on the 15-member Allegheny County Council. This body handles county legislation concerning civil rights, infrastructure, environmental health, taxes, and more.

Ross Township native serving on the local Democratic committee. Following an athletic injury, she became addicted to prescription opioidsNAME and spentOF timeCANIDATE in the county jail. Says that experience helped her understand Allegheny County’s problems. Her campaign pressured county council to introduce an LGBTQ conversion therapy ban, which councilors did in March.

Supported two proposals, now enacted, to allow drilling on countyowned land at the airport and Deer Lakes Park. Says he would look at any future proposals on a case-by-case basis. Says drilling at airport and Deer Lakes provided beneficial monetary resources to those places.

Wants natural-gas drilling (fracking), phased out of Allegheny County, especially in public parks. Says “it endangers our health, threatens our water table.” Wants to invest in green energy jobs for the county, but didn’t say if fracking revenue would fund those proposals.

Says County Council’s most impactful rule is budgetary, and that identifying and funding resource needs is critical to reform. Supports initiatives of Allegheny County’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board and the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Politics.

Supports Black Lives Matter movement and says county council needs to make protecting Black lives a priority. Supports a countywide civilian police review board and a public database of police violations and firings across departments. Also backs state Rep. Summer Lee’s police use of force legislation.

Supports negotiating with large nonprofits to secure community benefits, instead of more forceful measures that could result in a tax-funded court battle.

Strongly supports stripping UPMC of its tax-exempt nonprofit status. Says “when a ‘nonprofit’ is acting maliciously, as UPMC has done by holding our healthcare hostage in order to increase its profits, we must legislate action.”

Allegheny County Democratic Committee, Allegheny-Fayette County Central Labor Council, United Steelworkers, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, State Senator Wayne Fontana, several local labor unions including IBEW Local 5, Steamfitters Local 449, and Fire Fighters Local 1

The Sierra Club, 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club, Pennsylvania Young Democrats, Our Revolution Pennsylvania, Women for the Future of Pittsburgh, Steel City Stonewall Democrats, State Reps. Ed Gainey, Summer Lee, and Sara Innamorato

BIOGRAPHY

President of Allegheny County Council. Has served on council as a Democrat since 2000. A retired pro wrestler known as Jumping Johnny, also worked as a union NAME OF CANIDATE leader who “always fought for fair wages and benefits.”

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

FOR LIVE LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS ON TUE., MAY 21, FOLLOW CP SENIOR WRITER RYAN DETO

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CANCEL CULTURE AS SELF CARE BY TERENEH IDIA // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

OW DOES A column entitled

“Cancel Culture” have the audacity to invoke the benevolent words of Lao Tzu? I love the idea of knotless rope or an unbolted lock — that openness — the lack of need to bind anything to secure it, to trust. How trust invokes the best in others. Part of me still hopes this is true; I have actually seen it to be true, often. But not often enough. Over and over again I have had to move along, break up with friends, break up with boyfriends, reframe relationships and lower expectations — these are all forms of canceling. This is not to say that I don’t care about them or wish the best for them, it is just to say, “Goodbye and good luck.” Cancel Culture has gotten a bad rap as of late, and I understand why. For many, a single tweet, song lyric, an album, movie, or ill-conceived outﬁt can get you canceled. That seems a bit much, right? As much as I am an aspiring Taoist, I am also about self-sustaining, protecting, and celebrating self-love. I take Cancel Culture from a different vantage point. In a society that teaches me that my well being is not valued, that promotes policies, entertainment, media, beauty, culture that is harmful to me, I must cancel to protect myself. For example, I have “canceled”: • Elected officials who perform progressive politics instead of instituting just and equitable policy. • Popular “White feminists” who I am told represent “all women” when they consistently ignore the needs of women

of the global majority. • Black male celebrities who have a history of disrespecting Black women. • Black celebrities who have a history of disrespecting Black people. I do not care what your new kicks or tracks look or sound like. • Favorite creatives, athletes, artists, and others accused and/or found guilty of sexual harassment, assault or abuse. • White pop singers who continually “copy and paste” the work of Beyoncé. • Celebrities, fashion, and beauty brands who consistently appropriate Black women’s culture references without giving creative credit or economic beneﬁt to the innovators of that heritage. My canceling is not a loud, large event. It is a choice I have made. I won’t stand in front of a movie theater holding a sign saying, “Do not attend this movie. Do not buy this hoodie.” I will just vote with my feet by not participating. I do this to preserve my own spirit and sense of self. All too often, especially as a Black woman, I am told to go to the back of the “women” line and to the back of the “Black” line — if I am even in the room when things like women and Black are being discussed. I have too much reverence for my selfworth as a human being to be diminished by those who care nothing for me. Why would I continue to consume art, politics, policy, or the very air of people or communities who care nothing for my existence? I do not. They have already canceled me by not acknowledging my value. I am just paying them back in kind.

Follow contributing writer Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX

•

Burger Month JULY 2019

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A MONTH LONG CELEBRATION OF UNIQUE CUSTOM BURGERS BY PITTSBURGH’S BEST RESTAURANTS * B U R G E R B A S H W I L L B E J U N E 3 0 T H A LO N G S I D E O P E N S T R E E T S I N L AW R E N C E V I L L E . FO R M O R E I N FO V I S I T P G H B U R G E R M O N T H .C O M PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

STREETS ON CARSON BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ATTHEW CHRISTIE and Lauren

Leon founded their restaurant in 2016 as a way to celebrate “the unique but simple things hidden by everyday life” and for them, that meant street food: inexpensive, simple, and tasty. The result is Streets on Carson, a South Side spot with a menu that takes its cues from the sort of food found at markets and bazaars from around the world. To create the menu, executive chef Christie searches for everyday favorites from across cultures. Many of his dishes are area trademarks (Philly Cheesesteak, for example). They’re humble, hearty plates, packed with flavor, carrying both cultural and culinary significance. Inside the restaurant, a huge graffiti mural covers the back walls. Tables are named after nearby streets and two working traffic lights hang in the front windows. Parts of the Pittsburgh skyline pop out from the bar. Christie’s two-part menu, labeled “little guys” and “sammies,” lists each item with its country of origin. The range is vast, with plates from Taiwan and Argentina. My meal had four countries represented (five if you count the French fries): meatballs from Marrakech, Morocco; beef from Nigeria; a sandwich from Bolivia; and snack-sized potato cakes from Islamabad, Pakistan. Flavors were intense and distinct, each dish strikingly, and wonderfully different from the rest. Moroccan meatballs reflected a popular Middle Eastern breakfast, shakshuka, but brought the robust, one-pot-foreverything, stew-like layered spices of Moroccan cuisine. Bites of the aloo

CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Pork belly steamed buns with pickled carrots, daikon radish, scallions, and Thai BBQ sauce

tikki (Pakistani potato cakes), were like taking a shot of cumin. The kick was an unexpected and welcome surprise, the spicy punch rounded out with a sweet tamarind reduction. Nigerian-seared beef skewers, suya, were light and refreshing compared to their “little guy” companions. There was a sun-ripened,

STREETS ON CARSON 1120 East Carson St., South Side. 412-918-1006 or streetsoncarson412.com

acidic touch to the rub, a nice refuge from its tablemates. The sandwich de chola, Bolivia’s

FAVORITE FEATURES:

Art for sale

Rotating menu

Kitchen Coffee

See a cool piece of art inside the restaurant? Ask if it’s for sale! Some of the framed, smaller pieces list prices. Take a bit of the Streets home with you.

There are so many global dishes Christie wants to explore, he keeps the menu rotating. Keep an eye out for the newest edition, ready for release on May 14.

Kitchen staff at restaurants work hard. We all know this. Buy your chefs a round of “Kitchen Coffee” (beer) to say thanks.

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“peasant sandwich,” was piled high with shaved pork, pickled vegetables, pork rinds, salsa, and a hot pepper sauce on a toasted, house-made roll. It’s one of Bolivia’s must-have street foods, the mild-flavored, sizable sandwich a perfect serving to stave off pre-dinner hunger. Textures were nicely balanced, with the soft roll contrasting against the crunchy vegetables and pork rinds. Streets on Carson brings a versatile menu to the South Side, perfect for a first date or after a long night out. The restaurant fills a much needed neighborhood gap with easy-to-eat, adventurous plates and a chance to eat around the globe without ever leaving Pittsburgh.

•

Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

Thai & Burmese Specialties!

DINING OUT

Pad Thai

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

SPONSORED LISTINGS FROM CITY PAPER ’S FINE ADVERTISERS

Noodle

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED RESTAURANT

4770 Liberty Ave 412.904.1640

THE CAFÉ CARNEGIE

padthainoodlepittsburgh.com

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

BAJA BAR & GRILL

EIGHTY ACRES

1366 OLD FREEPORT ROAD, FOX CHAPEL 412-963-0640, WWW.BAJABARGRILL.COM The Baja Bar & Grill is the perfect destination any time of the year for dancing to live bands and taking in great entertainment every weekend. In addition, there’s good food along with amazing views of the Allegheny River and the Fox Chapel Marina.

1910 NEW TEXAS ROAD, MONROEVILLE/PLUM 724-519-7304 / EIGHTYACRESKITCHEN.COM Eighty Acres Kitchen & Bar offers a refined, modern approach to contemporary American cuisine with a strong emphasis on local, farm-totable products.

BEA’S TACO TOWN

331 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE, PITTSBURGH 412-621-1551, ELIZAHOTELINDIGO.COM Set on the site of former iconic iron works, Eliza Furnace, Eliza is an American Bistro exploring classic Pittsburgh flavors, beloved by those that worked the furnaces, combined with the fresh perspective and seasonal sourcing that define what we eat in our region today. Relax with great food, cocktails, and enjoy live entertainment on the rooftop bar.

633 SMITHFIELD STREET, DOWNTOWN 412-471-8361, WWW.BEATAQUERIA.COM Authentic Mexican cuisine in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh! Bea Taco Town offers tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and much more all with traditional recipes. Slow cooked meats and fresh vegetables prepared daily will have you coming back to try it all.

CARMELLA’S PLATES & PINTS 1908 EAST CARSON STREET, SOUTHSIDE 412-918-1215, CARMELLASPLATESANDPINTS.COM Featuring an upscale ambiance, Carmella’s is located in the heart of South Side, serving a variety of refined comfort cuisine for dinner and brunch. The décor features a lodge-like feel with a wood beamed cathedral ceiling, stained glass and open fireplace. A local purveyor delivers fresh ingredients daily, which are crafted into unique and inventive meals, served alongside a curated cocktail list and comprehensive wine selection.

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

ELIZA HOT METAL BISTRO

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

MERCURIO’S ARTISAN GELATO AND NEAPOLITAN PIZZA 5523 WALNUT ST., SHADYSIDE 412-621-6220 / MERCURIOSGELATOPIZZA.COM Authentic Neapolitan pizza, artisan gelato, and an inviting atmosphere are just a small part of what helps create your experience

at Mercurio’s Gelato and Pizza in Pittsburgh. It’s not your standard pizza shop; in fact, this isn’t a “pizza shop” at all.

PAD THAI NOODLE 4770 LIBERTY AVE, BLOOMFIELD 412-904-1640 PADTHAINOODLEPITTSBURGH.COM This new café in Bloomfield features Thai and Burmese specialties. Standards like Pad Thai and Coconut Curry Noodle are sure to please. But don’t miss out on the Ono Kyowsway featuring egg noodle sautéed with coconut chicken, cilantro and curry sauce.

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

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

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

412 Brewery welcomes you to our newest taproom on Pgh’s historic Northside.

Dog-Friendly taproom with outdoor seating, firepits, games and more!

847 WESTERN AVENUE

412BREWS.COM

ANGELIA’S

PHOTO: COURTESY OF AF&CO.

Olivia Lindstrom

CRAFT PIZZA & BEER

.ON THE ROCKS.

Q&A WITH SPORK BEVERAGE MANAGER OLIVIA LINDSTROM

18 beer rotating tap list Daily food and drink specials New Thursday craft draft happy hours

angeliasitaliangrille.com

BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T 24 YEARS OLD, Spork beverage

manager Olivia Lindstrom has .already made a name for herself in her field. She is the youngest president of Pittsburgh’s chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild, a certified sommelier, a 2018 nominee for Pittsburgh’s Women and Whiskey Woman of the Year award, and was recently named one of 40 apprentices in a national cocktail program from the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. Pittsburgh City Paper chatted with Lindstrom about being young, her love for science, and drinking in Pittsburgh. WHY DID YOU BECOME A SOMMELIER? I fell in love with wine in less of a romantic way at first, in the way a scientist falls in love with gram stains, test tubes, and experimentation. I come from a biology background and had this immediate draw to wine, because of the way it encompasses my love for hospitality and science. DO YOU EVER GET PUSHBACK FOR BEING SO YOUNG? Of course, but who am I to let any sort of pushback or negativity get to me? I made one promise to myself as an adult: I would be happy with going to work every day. And I am. DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM BEHIND THE BAR? A holiday after-party we hosted at Spork – there were probably 100 people in our 50 seat restaurant. We ran out of glassware and the three of us bartending

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were exhausted, but I had the best time. I love nights that I work my ass off with coworkers. I have to admit, I was sore the next day. WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO COCKTAIL? A Negroni, no questions asked. Or, I’ll show my support for the Aperol spritz. Can you tell I’ve spent some time in Italy? BEST DRINK YOU’VE EVER HAD? The Treasure Chest at Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago. They top it off with a bottle of 2006 Dom Perignon, can you really beat that?!

SPORK 5430 Penn Ave., Garfield. 412-441-1700 or sporkpittsburgh.com

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BAR IN PITTSBURGH? I would probably say Acacia. That place feels more like my living room than my own living room. HOW DO YOU SPEND A DAY OFF? I’m pretty good at knitting, so that’s a new hobby of mine, and I could spend the rest of my life in Phipps if that was allowed. But right now, my perfect day off would include catching up on sleep, exploring Frick Park, happy hour or dinner at a place I don’t usually get to often, and a concert (music is my life, and it’s been a while since I’ve been to a live show), and then a night cap! This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

•

.FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 16

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

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The Louvre in Paris is the world’s biggest art museum. Over 35,000 works are on display, packed into 15 acres. If you wanted to see every piece, devoting just a minute to each, you would have to spend eight hours a day there for many weeks. I bring this to your attention, Gemini, because I suspect that now would be a good time for you to treat yourself to a marathon gaze-fest of art in the Louvre — or any other museum. For that matter, it’s a favorable phase to gorge yourself on any beauty anywhere that will make your soul freer and smarter and happier. You will thrive to the degree that you absorb a profusion of grace, elegance, and loveliness.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In my astrological opinion, you now have a mandate to exercise your rights to free speech with acute vigor. It’s time to articulate all the important insights you’ve been waiting for the right moment to call to everyone’s attention. It’s time to unearth the buried truths and veiled agendas and ripening mysteries. It’s time to be the catalyst that helps your allies to realize what’s real and important, what’s fake and irrelevant. I’m not saying you should be rude, but I do encourage you to be as candid as is necessary to nudge people in the direction of authenticity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): During summers in the far northern land of Alaska, many days have twenty hours of sunlight. Farmers take advantage of the extra photosynthesis by growing vegetables and fruits that are bigger and sweeter than crops grown further south. During the Alaska State Fair every August, you can find prodigies like 130-pound cabbages and 65-pound cantaloupes. I suspect you’ll express a comparable fertility and productiveness during the coming weeks, Leo. You’re primed to grow and create with extra verve. So let me ask you a key question: to which part of your life do you want to dedicate that bonus power?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It’s time for you to reach higher and dig deeper. So don’t be a mere tinkerer nursing a lukewarm interest in mediocre stories and trivial games. Be a strategic adventurer in the service of exalted stories and meaningful games. In fact, I feel strongly that if you’re not prepared to go

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I think it’s time for a sacred celebration: a blow-out extravaganza filled with reverence and revelry, singing and dancing, sensual delights and spiritual blessings. What is the occasion? After all these eons, your lost love has finally returned. And who exactly is your lost love? You! You are your own lost love! Having weaved and wobbled through countless adventures full of rich lessons, the missing part of you has finally wandered back. So give yourself a flurry of hugs and kisses. Start planning the jubilant hoopla. And exchange ardent vows, swearing that you’ll never be parted again. all the way, you shouldn’t go at all. Either give everything you’ve got or else keep it contained for now. Can you handle one further piece of strenuous advice, my dear? I think you will thrive as long as you don’t settle for business as usual or pleasure as usual. To claim the maximum vitality that’s available, you’ll need to make exceptions to at least some of your rules.

way, and take measures to move on from this energy sink. Then you’ll be free to focus on a more interesting and potentially productive dilemma — a twisty riddle that truly warrants your loving attention. As you work to solve it, you will reap rewards that will be useful and enduring.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Author Hélène Cixous articulated a poetically rigorous approach to love. I’ll tell you about it since in my astrological opinion you’re entering a phase when you’ll be wise to upgrade and refine your definitions of love, even as you upgrade and refine your practice of love. Here’s Cixous: “I want to love a person freely, including all her secrets. I want to love in this person someone she doesn’t know. I want to love outside the law: without judgment. Without imposed preference. Does that mean outside morality? No. Only this: without fault. Without false, without true. I want to meet her between the words, beneath language.”

“All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful,” wrote author Flannery O’Connor. I think that’s an observation worth considering. But I’ve also seen numerous exceptions to her rule. I know people who have eagerly welcomed grace into their lives even though they know that its arrival will change them forever. And amazingly, many of those people have experienced the resulting change as tonic and interesting, not primarily painful. In fact, I’ve come to believe that the act of eagerly welcoming change-inducing grace makes it more likely that the changes will be tonic and interesting. Everything I’ve just said will especially apply to you in the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): There’s a certain problem that has, in my opinion, occupied too much of your attention. It’s really rather trivial in the big picture of your life and doesn’t deserve to suck up so much of your attention. I suspect you will soon see things my

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn author Henry Miller wrote that his master plan was “to remain what I am and to become more and more only what I am — that is, to become more miraculous.” This is an excellent strategy for your use. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to renounce any tendency you might have to compare yourself to anyone else. You’ll attract blessings as you wean yourself

from imagining that you should live up to the expectations of others or follow a path that resembles theirs. So here’s my challenge: I dare you to become more and more only what you are — that is, to become more miraculous.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): London’s British Museum holds a compendium of artifacts from the civilizations of many different eras and locations. Author Jonathan Stroud writes that it’s “home to a million antiquities, several dozen of which were legitimately come by.” Why does he say that? Because so many of the museum’s antiquities were pilfered from other cultures. In accordance with current astrological omens, I invite you to fantasize about a scenario in which the British Museum’s administrators return these treasures to their original owners. When you’re done with that imaginative exercise, move on to the next one, which is to envision scenarios in which you recover the personal treasures and goodies and powers that you have been separated from over the years.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “I hate it when people tell me that I should ‘get out of my comfort zone,’” writes Piscean blogger Rosespell. “I don’t even have a comfort zone. My discomfort zone is pretty much everywhere.” I have good news for Rosespell and all of you Pisceans who might be inclined to utter similar testimony. The coming weeks will feature conditions that make it far more likely than usual that you will locate or create a real comfort zone you can rely on. For best results, cultivate a vivid expectation that such a sweet development is indeed possible.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to humorist Dave Barry, “The method of learning Japanese recommended by experts is to be born as a Japanese baby and raised by a Japanese family, in Japan.” As you enter an intensely educational phase of your astrological cycle, I suggest you adopt a similar strategy toward learning new skills and mastering unfamiliar knowledge and absorbing fresh information. Immerse yourself in environments that will efficiently and effectively fill you with the teachings you need. A more casual, slapdash approach just won’t enable you to take thorough advantage of your current opportunities to expand your repertoire.

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’s lone liberal talkshow host for 30+ years Listen live every weekday at 10 a.m. at lynncullen.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

Jack Swing: Rowdy Kanarek, Isaiah Ross, and Jonathan Lightfoot

.MUSIC.

CONTAGIOUS ENERGY BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ACK SWING’S newest EP was actually supposed to its debut full-length. But instead, founding member Isaiah Ross went with his gut and decided to pick out ﬁve tracks from LP and release them as a smaller package called Supermoon, out May 18.

“Listening to things, it didn’t seem like [the LP] was 100 percent there yet,” says Ross. “So, we decided to take all the songs that are of the same energy, focus on those, go back to the drawing board, and whip those into shape.” What uniﬁes the songs on Supermoon

is a strong, straightforward rock and roll sensibility, something Ross feels is lacking in the current musical climate. “Coming out of post-Nirvana, it’s almost like there’s an equation to rock music,” says Ross. “It’s lost what’s made it special; it’s lost its soul. Now we’re

putting all these things behind it to make it a money-making machine. We don’t want that. We want to take the energy from the stuff from that past and bring that to the new age.” About a year ago, after cutting down the tracklist for the EP, they went into the CONTINUES ON PG. 22

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

CONTAGIOUS ENERGY, CONTINUED FROM PG. 20

studio to rework and record what is now Supermoon. For Jack Swing, studio time is sacred. The band works hard to make sure the time is taken seriously, and each member’s contributions are heard. “We try to be honest about energy because the energy that’s in the room is the energy that ends up on the record,” says Ross. “Going back and listening to it now, there’s a lot of energy that I didn’t anticipate ending up on the recording.” That energy found on Supermoon can be summed up in one word: fiery. “Monkey Around,” the first song on the EP, is about both succumbing to bad habits and finding the strength to overcome them. The second track, “Take The Night,” chronicles being lost in your troubles and telling a lover to go on without you, even if that’s not what you want. “City Flows” discusses the woes of living in the city and modernday society. Both “Monkey Around” and “Take The Night” were recorded and released as singles in 2018, but the latter was re-recorded for Supermoon. “We went into it before thinking we wanted different things out of the song,” says Ross. “But now we understand it

SUPERMOON RELEASE PARTY 8:30–11:30 p.m. Sat., May 18. Cattivo, 146 44th St., Lawrenceville. $8. facebook.com/jackswingpgh

better. It’s a mature version of the song and a truer version to ourselves as well. Trying to make the songs the truest version of themselves [lets] the emotion to come through.” The other three tracks have yet to be

released, but those who have seen Jack Swing play in the past year may have already heard “Too Slow,” “City Flow,” and “Super.” “One of the best ways to test [the songs] out is to gauge an audience and

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

play it in front of them,” says Ross. Feeding off the energy of a room during a performance and using that experience in the writing process has been Jack Swing’s approach since 2016, though at the time, Ross was the only member of the band. Before starting Jack Swing, Ross played in emo punk bands Driver and Skull Kid. He left to pursue music alone because Ross felt like he wasn’t making the songs that he needed to be making. In December 2016, Cloud Cover became the ﬁrst EP released under the Jack Swing moniker. “Cloud Cover was an emotional album, and I was going through a lot,” says Ross. “It was important for me to get those emotions out, and to do [Cloud Cover] so that that could lead to this.” Jack Swing is now comprised of Ross, Jonathan Lightfoot, Rowdy Kanarek, and, most recently, Isaiah Small. Compared to Cloud Cover, Supermoon is heavier, groovier, and more polished. “It’s the ﬁrst release we have that sounds like Jack Swing,” says Ross. “A perfect combination of all of our musical interests. We’re all Jack Swing at this point.”

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

ARTWORK: KIM GORDON/303 GALLERY, NEW YORK /// PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST: DAVID BLACK

Kim Gordon and her artwork Sickness

.ARTS.

DIRTY BOOTS BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

EFORE HER legendary tenure on

bass and vocals for Sonic Youth, or later with bands like Free Kitten and Body/Head, Kim Gordon was primarily a visual artist. This week, her creative disciplines come together at The Andy Warhol Museum

with her ﬁrst solo museum outing, Lo-Fi Glamour. The exhibit will unite drawings and sculpture, along with a score for one of Warhol’s short ﬁlms, the commissioned work that set this in motion. “It’s been about a two-year process,” says Ben Harrison, the Warhol’s curator

KIM GORDON: LO-FI GLAMOUR Through Sept. 1. The Andy Warhol Museum, 117 Sandusky St., North Side. warhol.org

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

of performing arts, who teamed up with Jessica Beck, Milton Fine curator of art, to take the exhibition from inception to realization. Harrison initially contacted Gordon with the idea to compose a score for Kiss, a 50-minute experimental silent ﬁlm that features various couples joining at the mouth in segments of three-anda-half minutes. At the time, Harrison was well acquainted with Gordon’s music,

but says when he started learning about her work with visual art, it piqued the museum’s interest. “It went from a Sound Series to an exhibition,” says Beck. “How do we make this an exhibition of Kim’s painting and drawing and sculpture work and not just have her do this commissioned soundtrack?” Gordon ﬁrst emerged as an artist while attending Otis College of Art and

Design where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Beck says Gordon cites Warhol as an influence, saying getting a copy of Warhol’s 1980 memoir Popism was “like getting the keys to the city.” Throughout her career outside of visual art, Gordon continued her practice within it. In addition to penning her own memoirs in Girl in a Band, she published Is It My Body?, a book of essays on music and art written throughout her career. She’s also shown her own artwork, primarily at New York’s 303 Gallery in recent years. Gordon is as difficult to pin down visually as she is musically. Working across a range of media, she veers wildly from one series to the next. Her noise paintings blast white canvases with names of bands as chaotic as her representations of their honorifics; dripping, spindly, evocative of spray paint used to claim surface more than represent the artist who applies it. Her ceramic sculptures are delicate and contained; their subjects, women busy with self-pleasure, fit to burst. The “Ladies of the Paradise” series merges spray paint, glitter, resin, and fiberglass to crumple on canvas — drive furrowed, plowed, clutched, and released, bringing to mind sheets on beds well occupied

PHOTO: THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM

A still from Andy Warhol’s Kiss

but free of sleep. While Gordon has been an artist for most of her life, Beck says her Warhol show will be “the ﬁrst time that early work of hers will be looked at with brand new work, new drawings for the exhibition.”

This new work is not limited to that created by Gordon independent of the Warhol. Guided by Beck, all have worked collaboratively to devise something that brings together all of the varied aspects of Gordon’s innovation united as one collection. “The really

exciting part to me is that these aren’t two separate projects, they really became one,” says Harrison. The visual works, including drawings, paintings, and sculptures, reflect Gordon’s perspective as a woman. “There’s this look at feminine desire as power, commentary on power and agency and control that’s sort of hinted at in some of her paintings but comes out really strongly in ceramic sculptures,” says Beck. Six new drawings stemming from these conversations will be debuted in the exhibition. Gordon is an obvious and natural fit at the Warhol, not least of all because of the overlap of circles traveled in the New York art world: music, film, visual, theater, and every other discipline and junction of disciplines imaginable. Her first encounter with Warhol, however, was prior to her New York arrival. Gordon attended a book signing and opted instead to receive his signature on a pair of canvas boots. Rather than granting them the sanctity of objects sacred and revered, she wore them. They became a part of her uniform on and offstage as an artist with the world at her feet, the art world on her feet. “She still has them,” says Beck. “They’re in the exhibition.”

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS DIZZY WRIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 21

Las Vegas’ Dizzy Wright released his 2012 debut album SmokeOut Conversations on 4/20, but the rapper attests that he makes more than just music to smoke to. The inspiration behind the release is actually extremely personal. During a show in Detroit, he met his father — who spent 20 years in jail shortly after Wright was born — for the first time. To ease tensions the pair smoked and talked, talked and smoked. That experience left Wright with the title and theme for the album. Since then, Wright has released a number of strong records, the latest of which is Nobody Cares, Work Harder. He brings a tour of the same name to The Club at Stage AE. 7 p.m. 400 N. Shore Drive, North Side. $17. promowestlive.com PHOTO: DIZZY WRIGHT

Dizzy Wright

FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com

THURSDAY MAY 16 FOLK BUFFALO ROSE. WYEP Community Broadcast Center. 6:30 p.m. South Side. DRIFTWOOD. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

ACOUSTIC THE SHAMELESS HEX. Hop Farm Brewing. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. THE VAGRANTS. Spoonwood Brewing Co. 7 p.m. Bethel Park. JB UNPLUGGED. Southern Tier Brewing Co. 5 p.m. North Side.

ROCK/METAL DEADBUGGS, CALYX. The Rock Room. 7:30 p.m. Polish Hill.

JOSH RITTER, THE ROYAL BAND. Carnegie Music Hall. 8 p.m. Homestead.

EYEHATEGOD, SHEER TERROR. Cattivo. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

JAZZ

ZEAL AND ARDOR. Rex Theater. 8 p.m. South Side.

ETTA COX. City of Asylum. 7 p.m. North Side.

FELIX MARTIN. Smiling Moose. 6:30 p.m. South Side.

CASEY DEELY, BRANDON LEHMAN. Mansions on Fifth. 5 p.m. Shadyside. TERESA HAWTHORNE, LEGACEE. Wallace’s Whiskey Room. 7 p.m. East Liberty. GEORGE JONES NEW VIEW TRIO. Kingfly Spirits. 7 p.m. Strip District.

DJS DJ DIGITAL DAVE. Rivers Casino. 8 p.m. North Side.

HIP HOP/R&B TRACK MEET. Young Brothers Bar. 7 p.m. Brighton Heights.

FRIDAY MAY 17 ACOUSTIC DARYL SHAWN. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown. GUTTERRICH. Smiling Moose. 6 p.m. South Side.

JAZZ MORGAN AND CO. Wolfie’s Pub. 5 p.m. Downtown. JD CHAISSON. Enix Brewing. 7 p.m. Homestead.

OLDIES

REGGIE WATKINS TRIO. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown.

THE TAFFETAS. Apple Hill Playhouse. 7:30 p.m. Greensburg.

FUNKY FLY PROJECT. Venue 54. 7 p.m. Washington.

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

THE CONTENDERS. Cioppino Restaurant and Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

DJS DJ DIGITAL DAVE (FLASHBACK FRIDAY). Spirit. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville. TJ THE DJ. Rivers Casino. 8 p.m. North Side.

ROCK/PUNK WELSHLY ARMS. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side. ANIMALS AS LEADERS. Roxian Theatre. 7 p.m. McKees Rocks. THECAUSE. Moondogs. 8 p.m. Blawnox. AMPLINE, THE FULL COUNTS. Gooskis. 10 p.m. Polish Hill. DEAD LETTER OFFICE - TRIBUTE TO R.E.M. Hard Rock Cafe. 9 p.m. Station Square. JEFFERSON STARSHIP. Jergels. 8 p.m. Warrendale. CAUGHT ON SIGHT. Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield. TRENCH. Black Forge Coffee House. 8 p.m. Allentown.

COUNTRY THE BEAGLE BROTHERS, CHRIS RATTIE. Thunderbird Café and Music Hall. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville. SECKOND CHANYNE. Crafthouse Stage and Grill. 9 p.m. Whitehall.

ELECTRONIC ARCADE HIGH. Cattivo. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

REGGAE/FUNK THE FLOW BAND. Wallace’s Whiskey Room. 7 p.m. East Liberty.

NATHAN GRAY, JONAH MATRANGA. Black Forge Coffee House. 6:30 p.m. Allentown. DEMOB HAPPY, CLEOPATRICK. Smiling Moose. 7 p.m. South Side.

AFRO N’AT, KIWANO SOUR. Full Pint Wild Side Pub. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

DJS

HIP HOP/R&B

MILLENNIUM AGE SILENT PARTY. Savoy. 10 p.m. Downtown.

JEFFREY OSBORNE. Rivers Casino. 8 p.m. North Side. SHAWN ALLEN. Carmi Soul Food. 9 p.m. South Side.

FOLK ANGELA AUTUMN. Biers Pub. 7 p.m. North Side. SKINNY LISTER. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

SATURDAY MAY 18 COUNTRY GARTH BROOKS. Heinz Field. 7 p.m. North Side.

ROCK THE NIED’S HOTEL BAND. Moondogs. 7:30 p.m. Blawnox. THE OUTLAWS. Jergels. 8 p.m. Warrendale. BASEMENT. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

BILLY THE KID. Rivers Casino. 8 p.m. North Side.

BRUNO OLOVIANI. Satalios. 7 p.m. Mount. Washington.

ELECTRONIC DANNY DAZE. Hot Mass. 12 a.m. Downtown.

FOLK BEN SHANNON, LETITIA VANSANT. Sunburst School of Music. 7 p.m. Squirrel Hill.

HIP HOP/R&B ELMOZ FIRE. Downey’s House. 8:30 p.m. McKees Rocks.

SUNDAY MAY 19 OLDIES THE TAFFETAS. Apple Hill Playhouse. 7:30 p.m. Greensburg.

JAZZ/BLUES

THE LETTERMEN. Palace Theatre. 3 p.m. Greensburg.

SOULFUL FEMME. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown.

JAZZ/BLUES

ACOUSTIC CHRISTIAN SEDELMYER, ELI WEST. New Jupiter. 7 p.m. Allison Park.

OFF MINOR JAZZ. City of Asylum. 6 p.m. North Side. GEORGE HEID III. Wallace’s Whiskey Room. 7 p.m. East Liberty.

POP

BLUES SUNDAYS. Houlihan’s. 7 p.m. Mount Lebanon.

THE VINEYS, WORKING BREED. Club Cafe. 10:15 p.m. South Side.

ROCK/PUNK

RACHEL B. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.

REGGAE

THE SHUTOUTS. Satalio’s. 7 p.m. Mount Washington. BIG BOY BRASS. Howlers. 5 p.m. Bloomfield.

KEYSTONE VIBE. Westwood Golf Club. 9 p.m. West Mifflin.

MATT HIRES. Hard Rock Cafe. 8 p.m. Station Square.

THE FLOW BAND. 565 Live. 8:30 p.m. Bellevue.

NEKROMANTIX. Crafthouse Stage and Grill. 7 p.m. Whitehall.

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Every time you click “reload,” the saints cry.

PHOTO: ASHLEE GREEN

HONKY-TONK JUKEBOX

Honky-Tonk Jukebox 2019

SATURDAY, MAY 18

If you’ve been fixin’ to get down to some country and roots tunes, take note. HonkyTonk Jukebox, a monthly dance/concert hosted by Jon Bindley of Bindley Hardware Co., moseys into the Allegheny Elks Lodge #339. A rotating cast of Pittsburgh’s best country musicians — including Buffalo Rose, Chet Vincent, and Angela Autumn — set up shop and perform classic hits and modern originals. For the sixth edition, expect to see Bindley, Autumn, Molly Alphabet, Texas Tex, and more. 7:30 p.m. 400 Cedar Ave., North Side. $10. facebook.com/honkytonkjukebox

WHALE BONES, MESS. Black Forge Coffee House. 6:30 p.m. Allentown. SEEYOUSPACECOWBOY, WRISTMEETRAZOR. Black Forge Coffee House. 6:30 p.m. New Kensington.

ACOUSTIC/INDIE ANDY JENKINS. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side. JOEL LINDSEY. Kingfly Spirits. 1 p.m. Strip District. GATHERING SPARKS. Friendship House Concerts. 4 p.m. Friendship.

MONDAY MAY 20 ROCK/PUNK YNGWIE MALMSTEEN. Roxian Theatre. 7 p.m. McKees Rocks. THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE. Smiling Moose. 6 p.m. South Side. ANTISECT, BEHIND ENEMY LINES. Cattivo. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

DJS DJ ARVIN CLAY. Belvederes. 10 p.m. Lawrenceville.

TUESDAY MAY 21 ROCK/PUNK SPANISH LOVE SONGS. Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield. THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

JOHN HALL JR., STEELTOWN HORNS. Wolfie’s Pub. 7 p.m. Downtown.

DJS WEDNESDAY NIGHT PIZZA PARTY. Pizza Taglio. 8 p.m. East Liberty. DJ RAYJACK. Tom’s Diner. 10 p.m. Dormont.

ACOUSTIC SHELF LIFE STRING BAND. Park House. 9 p.m. North Side.

ROCK

TRAPT. Crafthouse Stage and Grill. 7:30 p.m. Whitehall.

WORRIERS. Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.

AVATAR. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.

SEBADOH. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

JAZZ/BLUES

NITA STRAUSS. Hard Rock Cafe. 7:30 p.m. Station Square.

STACIAWA ABBOTT. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown. BLACK CAT MOAN. Wolfie’s Pub. 5 p.m. Downtown.

DJS DJ JOANIE B. Howlers. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.

STRYPER. Jergels. 8 p.m. Warrendale. SINGLE JO, TRUETT. Club Cafe. 7:30 p.m. South Side. MENSTRUAL PARASITE. The Rock Room. 7:30 p.m. Polish Hill.

ELECTRONIC

BEASTO BLANCO. Hard Rock Cafe. 8 p.m. Station Square.

WEDNESDAY MAY 22

CHAOS GUIDES, KARL OJANPA. Brillobox. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.

INTERNATIONAL

JAZZ

LOS MIRLOS. 25 Carrick Ave. 8 p.m. Carrick.

CAPA ENSEMBLES. City of Asylum. 7 p.m. North Side.

SWEATY ALREADY STRING BAND. Arsenal Lanes. 10 p.m. Lawrenceville.

FOLK/BLUEGRASS

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 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

WINE COUNTRY

.FILM.

DEVIL MAY CARE

BY HANNAH LYNN HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I PHOTO: COLLEEN HAYES

A group of friends drinks a lot of wine in Wine Country

There should be a word for the thing that happens when the cast of a movie is so stacked it’s almost doomed for mediocrity. A version of this occurs with the Amy Poehler-directed Netflix film Wine Country which stars her real-life circle of friends. A group of women who have WINE been friends since COUNTRY working together is now at a pizza shop in streaming on Chicago reunites Netflix. for Rebecca’s (Rachel Dratch) 50th birthday in Napa. The friend group includes Dratch and Poehler, along with Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer, Paula Pell, and Emily Spivey (who wrote the film). As is expected in a friend reunion film like this, old conflicts bubble to the surface, secrets come out, and lots and lots of wine is drunk. The plot is thin, and the conflicts are mostly weak. It feels like another casualty in Netflix’s exhausting quest to produce as much content as possible without giving much time or money to any one project. There are confusing loose ends in the plot, like how one character keeps whipping out a bag of molly, but they never take it. It feels like half a dozen scenes were left on the cutting-room floor. But these are also some of the funniest people in their class, so there are plenty of truly hilarious jokes. Dratch spiritually bonds with a family of raccoons. Rudolph flosses. Poehler delivers one of the best deadpan stares I’ve ever seen. All the women roll down a hill. It’s fun, and it’s full of wine, and that’s enough. As a bonus, the score for the film was done by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, of Prince’s band The Revolution. •

F YOU ARE not a Christian, then

the Christian parts of American government really start to stand out. The country’s pledge of allegiance states “one nation under God” and its paper money reads “in God we trust.” The pervasiveness of Christian dogma in state matters is the main grievance of The Satanic Temple in the documentary Hail Satan? In the midst of its ﬁght against Christian supremacy, the Temple builds a following bigger than anyone expected. In 2013, a group calling themselves The Satanic Temple held a rally endorsing then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott. They held up a large banner that read “HAIL SATAN! HAIL RICK SCOTT!” It was a stunt to troll Scott, who had recently tried to implement prayer in public schools. Nowadays, Temple members take themselves more seriously and wouldn’t pull a fake endorsement stunt, but that was the early days, before they’d established themselves as a legitimate organization. As the group drew more media attention, the Satanic Temple began to attract more and more followers who felt they ﬁnally found a place to belong.

HAIL SATAN? Directed by Penny Lane. Opens Fri., May 17 at Harris Theater.

The Temple doesn’t actually worship Satan, but instead ﬁnds a thrill and righteousness in rebelling against the authority and tyranny of Christianity and God. As one Satanist puts it, “Blasphemy is very much a declaration of personal independence.” They frame God as a corrupt authority and view Satanism as activism. In addition to more media stunts, like having a gay couple make out atop the grave of the mother of Westboro Baptist Church leader, Fred Phelps, they also do earnestly good work. As Satanic Temple chapters pop up across the country, the groups adopt highways and beaches to clean, start after-school programs, hold blood drives, and collect menstrual health products with an event called “Menstruation

PHOTO: MAGNOLIA PICTURES

Baphomet in front of the Arkansas state capitol building

with Satan.” They identify, not as “anti-Christian,” but as “post-Christian.” In addition to covering the formation of the Temple and the history of the “Satanic panic” of the ’80s and ’90s, the central focus of Hail Satan? is the debate over the Ten Commandments statues that sit in front of state capitol buildings in Oklahoma and Arkansas, among other states. Politicians and supporters insist that the commandments are non-religious, and in response, the Satanic Temple sets out to construct a statue of Baphomet, a creature of Satanic symbolism, to be placed next to the commandments. The piece they design has the head of a goat, a torso modeled off of Iggy Pop, and two children gazing up in adoration. Like everything the Temple does, it’s wry but with serious intentions. Director Penny Lane paints a picture that is almost obvious in its contradiction. “Can you believe that these Goths are actually smart people trying to do some good?” is a theme that runs throughout, but because there are so many people who really don’t believe such a thing is

possible, it never comes across as condescending. She splices together interviews with leaders and members of the Temple with frenzied news coverage. The film also employs a hearty number of scenes from movies and daytime talk shows about Satanism, relishing in the fiery, hysterical imagery. Mostly, Hail Satan? raises questions that put the onus on politicians, media, and churchgoers to question their actions. Why did the Archdiocese of Boston lead a protest against the Satanic Temple instead of reflecting on the church’s own documented evils? Why are the Ten Commandments statues so important to people when they were originally a promotional gift from Paramount Studios? Why is the separation between church and state not defended as aggressively as the other amendments? If you’re looking for a place of belonging that aligns with radical but earnest beliefs, then Hail Satan? might work as a recruitment film. For everyone else, it will simply restructure the way you think about God, government, and goats.

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

•

RED, WHITE & BREWS

MAY 25 TH JUSTIN FABUS

FOOD, DRINKS & MUSIC / SHADYSIDE UNTIL 11PM WALNUT STREET WILL SHUT DOWN AT 5PM (ALL CARS MUST BE OFF THE ROAD OR THEY WILL BE TOWED)

6/22

Dancing queen

7/20

The Delaneys

8/17

My So Called 90s Band

9/21

No Bad Juju

10/28

VelveetA

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

LaTrea Derome Rembert

.DANCE.

BACKSTAGE BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

NAME: LaTrea Derome Rembert, East Liberty RECENT WORK: Dance captain, The Scottsboro Boys, The REP at Point Park University; choreographer, The Legend of Georgia McBride, barebones productions; assistant director, Coram Boy, Conservatory Theatre at Point Park University HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN INVOLVED IN DANCE? I didn’t start training [at Point Park] until junior year. So I was 21. But I grew up dancing in church. If you turned music on, I could dance. But I didn’t seriously start training until Point Park. WHAT DOES A DANCE CAPTAIN DO? The role is almost like the director’s righthand man. Watch the show, know what’s going on, know what every person is doing at every moment. Speciﬁcally to the dancers, you know everyone’s chore-

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ography and are the go-to for questions about what a move is or where things are happening on the stage. The choreographer might not necessarily be in the rehearsal process the whole time — you’re an extra set of eyes. AND AS THE CHOREOGRAPHER, YOU’RE CREATING OR IMPLEMENTING THE MOVEMENT, WHICH IS WHAT YOU DID WITH THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE, FOR WHICH THE CHOREOGRAPHY WAS DRAG. Being a performer and having been a dance captain, it was nice to come in and do the choreography, literally just do that — watch and enjoy the show while still a part of it. I don’t do drag, but I’ve done Wig Out as an actor, a play that was in the drag world, so I’m familiar with it. YOU WORK WITH STAYCEE PEARL DANCE PROJECT. DO YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHOREOGRAPHY? The way she works is that we, as collaborative artists, get the chance to build into

it. She’s creating the piece in general, using her ideas and her movement phrases, but often she’ll give us a prompt: “This is where I want you to work from. Give me these speciﬁc things. I want to see a swing and a jump and it travels.” We then develop that on our own. She may use it, and we teach it to each other, and it becomes choreography. ARE YOU LOOKING TO CREATE CHOREOGRAPHY THAT YOU’LL PERFORM? I would love to create my own work, and I have a work that I want to get into the world soon. I would have to do that for myself. Running it all. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT VIEWING THE STAGE AS OPPOSED TO OCCUPYING IT? Watching a show come to life. Watching it go from the rehearsal room, in a private and intimate setting, then seeing it transition onto the stage with the technical aspects is incredible. An eye opener I enjoyed is getting to watch how

lighting designers work, how sound designers work, how it all works together. I was used to being onstage and, during the technical part of the process, chitchatting and just waiting, versus seeing what and why everyone is writing. The tech people are working their butts off to light you, and you have no clue what you look like, but you look amazing because of their work. WHAT DOES IT TEACH YOU AS A PERFORMER? I love sitting in on auditions. Most directors are literally rooting for everyone who walks into the room. I learn so much about how you present yourself. You walk in, and your energy is going to be read because they’re going to be on you, so what do you do with that? IS THERE ONE SIDE THAT YOU WOULD CHOOSE OVER THE OTHERS? If I can do everything and own every hat that would be great. But I’m going to have to really own them.

•

.LITERATURE.

THE HISTORY OF MY BREATH SERVICES

BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

RISTIN KOVACIC admits she’s

lived an “incredibly ordinary life.” Happily married with two adult children, the Carrick native and Oakland resident is not consumed by action and adventure. But as an essayist who tends to write about personal experiences, Kovacic finds a way to make her stories transcend that ordinariness. “I haven’t had experiences that are dramatic or traumatic,” says Kovacic, the author of the new essay collection History of My Breath (Red Mountain Press). “They’re the adventures of an ordinary life, and I’ve been really blessed to have those human adventures.” Kovacic, who teaches at Winchester Thurston School in Shadyside, has won a Pushcart Prize, earned a Pennsylvania Fellowship for the Arts, and published a poetry collection, House of Women. Most of the essays in History of My Breath examine the dynamics of family life: her son’s bout with chronic gastrointestinal reflux disease (the title story), her daughter’s inability to grasp a grammatical nuance (“Comma Momma”), a family trip to France in search of the perfect cassoulet (“Preserved”). Aside from the family element, the essays are connected by another common theme. “This image of breath starts cycling through very subtly in every single essay,” Kovacic says. “There’s an image of holding your breath, taking breath. The experiences of domestic adventures are both endless and fleeting at the same time, like your breath.” The centerpiece of History of My Breath is “Interrupted Journey,” a long essay about Kovacic’s experiences growing up in Carrick during an infamous busing controversy. When she was in the third grade in 1971, a large segment of the

Services are offered to everyone, regardless of identity, income, or insurance status. • Full medical practice • Mental health services • Community health Navigator program • Transportation program • Food box program Kristin Kovacic

community protested against a plan to bus students from Carrick to Knoxville Middle School, which was predominately Black, in order to comply with a Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission’s desegregation order. Parents kept children out of school and held classes at homes or places like the Carrick Literary and Social Club, a bar. During a one-day boycott of all schools in the South Hills in April 1972, Kovacic and her brother were the only ones in attendance at Concord Community School. What she failed to realize then was her mother had made a decision that would affect the rest of Kovacic’s life. “I didn’t understand how hard it was for my mother until I was a mother,” says Kovacic. “As a child, I was very confused by it and resentful and embarrassed to be the only one of my friends going to

BETWEEN THE LINES Marianne Novy and David Carrier will appear on May 18 at Classic Lines in Squirrel Hill. Novy is the author of Shakespeare and Feminist Theory. Carrier’s latest book is Aesthetics of the Margins / The Margins of Aesthetics: Wild Art Explained. 1 p.m. Sat., May 18. Classic Lines, 5825 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-422-2220 or facebook.com/Classic-Lines-685643054851974

school, and jealous of my friends not going to school. The memory is vivid, and whenever you have an emotional experience, that’s when your memory takes hold.” The essay’s title is borrowed from The Interrupted Journey, a book about a biracial couple who claimed they were abducted and probed by aliens in a flying saucer. Also in 1971, the Pittsburgh Pirates made history not only by winning the World Series but also fielding the first all-Black starting lineup. It is only in hindsight, “the superpower of the memoir,” that Kovacic was able to see the patterns, and the racial biases, that would inform her beliefs as an adult. “What you can do in that distance is what interests me,” she says. “And this story, in particular, took some time to write because I had to expose, in many ways, myself, my family, my community, to see what that was all about. What I learned was it was all about racism and that I was living in a neighborhood that was openly hostile to integration. How did that form me?”

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•

“Whole People, All People.”

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

metrocommunityhealthcenter.org

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

The Roxian Theatre

.MUSIC.

VENUE GUIDE: ROXIAN THEATRE BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T’S A GOOD TIME for live music in Pittsburgh. This spring and summer will see a number of new and reopened music venues and the first, Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks, finally opened its doors last week. It debuted nearly a century ago as a movie theater and went through numerous iterations and names before closing in 2003. The space was later purchased and renovated by Roxian Live LLC and after two years of construction, Roxian finally debuted its new venue with a pair of free shows from the New Mastersounds on May 9 and 10. Roxian Live LLC, made up of John and Ami Pergal and other McKees Rocks partners, opened the Roxian Theatre (and Thunderbird Café and Music Hall) hoping to “enhance

SMOKING • Non-smoking venue (this includes vapes) • Smoking is allowed out front, and re-entry is permitted

ROXIAN THEATRE 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks roxianlive.com

Full venue guide online at pghcitypaper.com

FOOD & BEVERAGE • Three full-size bars (one in VIP, not publicly accessible) • The second bar is located on floor 2R • Cash, credit, and debit are accepted • 20 drafts at each bar

> TV menus on sides of the bar detail draft list > Official Untappd location • No kitchen, but for certain shows a food truck park will be available next door. • Prices are mid-range, more than a dive, $5-$6 for a domestic beer, $4-$5 for a well drink • Bar opens an hour before the show and closes when the show ends • ATM available on site

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

the live-music culture of Pittsburgh” and “provide homes for touring acts that would otherwise pass through the city,” according to their website. The venue was built with both artists and patrons in mind. “Yeah, this venue is a big venue, and it’s a new venue, but it’s absolutely still homegrown,” says Alex Neal, box ofﬁce manager and publicist. “It’s grassroots, regardless of how big it is, or how much money they spent on it. The people working here are music industry professionals from the area. It’s as legitimate as a corporate company, but it’s very much a family, especially among the staff in the short time we’ve been working together. I hope that people feel that when they come in.”

• Nearby food venues

> Eat n’ Park > Rocks Landing Bar & Grille > Gavino’s Pizzeria > Suds & Subs

AGE RESTRICTIONS • Mostly all-ages, but depends on the show

TRANSPORTATION • Parking lot behind venue • Paid street parking on Chartiers Ave. (Free after 6 p.m.) • Uber and Lyft can drop off/pick up in front • 20, 21, and 24 buses get within walking distance

SECURITY • Attendees will be waved with a security wand upon entrance

•

• Plenty of security > McKees Rocks Police Officers will be set up outside of the venue during shows > House security > At the end of the night, house security will walk patrons out to make sure everyone gets where they need to be • Standard bag policy: small, wallet-sized purses are fine, larger bags (i.e. backpacks) are not permitted

TICKETING • Box office is located outside, in front of the venue • Tickets can be purchased online, at the box office during an event (if not sold out) or at the following outlets: > Culture Shop (South Side) > Dave’s Music Mine (South Side) > Government Center (North Side) > Hollowood Music & Sound (McKees Rocks) • Will call available, pick up tickets at front box office

PHOTO: HEATHER MULL

Jeffrey Carpenter in King Lear at Carrie Furnaces National Historic Landmark Site

.STAGE.

KING STEEL

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

NSIDE A GIANT blast furnace, a

colossal monument to Pittsburgh’s heyday of steel and iron production, it’s impossible to ignore thoughts of workers toiling away, smelting metals for hours on end. Even if an audience is being whisked away to Great Britain circa 8th century B.C., the sight of Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Swissvale is undeniably stark. Luckily, Quantum Theatre’s new production of King Lear leans into its surroundings, integrating the legacy of steel workers into the Shakespearean tragedy. The production, directed by Risher Reddick, is somewhat typical for Quantum, as it seeks to immerse the audience directly into the play, but the setting of the historic U.S. Steel complex is unique. The story follows the journey of King Lear (Jeffrey Carpenter), who has decided to split up his kingdom between his three daughters. After denying his favorite daughter, Cordelia (Catherine Gowl), any land for failing to praise him adequately, Lear divides the kingdom between Goneril and Regan and it all goes downhill from there, with backstabbing, extramarital affairs, violence, and cruelty. All this unfolds as Lear descends into madness, and Carpenter masterfully showcases all the sides of Lear: his pompousness, his insecurity, his insanity, and his benevolence. The play is condensed into two acts instead of the usual ﬁve. This allows most of the story to take place on a stage

directly in front of the main blast furnace, complete with stairs and elevated walkways that act as balconies. Wild birds zoom over the actors, but the cast maintains focus vigilantly. Joe McGranaghan turns in a wonderfully evil performance as Edmund, the play’s main antagonist. The second act is set in a small wooded paddock on the far side of Carrie Furnaces. The audience walks along a footpath lit by small blue lights meant to symbolize the trek to Dover done by the characters. The intermission was timed perfectly, as a periwinkle sky dimly lit the massive industrial features of the furnaces, adding to the foreboding nature of the story.

KING LEAR 7 p.m. Through June 2. Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Swissvale. $47 or $57 with tour. quantumtheatre.com

Costumes and accessories are a mix of early English garments and steelworks gear. Music and instruments pay homage to the songs of early 20th-century union workers. Lear’s fool plays the blues on a harmonica, and the Kentucky miners’ union-organizing song “Which side are you on?” is sung multiple times throughout the play. King Lear is about as tragic as Shakespeare plays get, so don’t expect any semblance of a happy ending. But superb acting and a once in a lifetime setting will make you appreciate the tragedy and decline of the characters.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

PHOTO: MONIKA KRYSZCZYNSKA

The Glass Room

.ART . .

AWOL ONLINE BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HEN THINKING about cybersecurity, what most likely comes to mind are the major data breaches that have hit companies like Target, Home Depot, and Marriott hotels over the past decade. Or maybe it’s the hacking of the credit report service Equifax, through which more than 148 million people had their personal ﬁnancial records exposed. While consumers might expect those big names to shore up security efforts, they also need to take steps of their own to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft. To add to that effort, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is hosting The Glass Room, a traveling pop-up exhibit that aims to generate a necessary conversation around data and privacy. Developed by the Berlin-based nonproﬁt organization, Tactical Technology Collective, The Glass Room is described as a series of “pop-up tech stores with a twist, featuring interactive art works and

installations.” Since its launch in 2017, the show has traveled to Berlin, New York, and London. The show, now on view at CLP-East Liberty May 18-31, previously ran at CLP-Oakland through May 15. Tess Wilson, an outreach librarian for CLP’s Library in Your Neighborhood, Community and Schools (LYNCS) program, says the exhibit coincided with Choose Privacy Week, an annual American Libraries Association initiative aimed at raising awareness of and engaging users with cybersecurity issues. She believes that for libraries to operate effectively, they must be able to ensure that anyone who uses their resources will not have their data compromised. “While data privacy and surveillance might seem like a tangential, even surprising subject for a public library to tackle, it’s at the root of our institution,” says Wilson. “Think about the services we offer – public computers,

THE GLASS ROOM May 18-31. 130 CLP - East Liberty, S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. Free. carnegielibrary.org

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

free internet, access to online and print materials. And then remember that we offer these services with a promise of confidentiality.” She adds that CLP recognizes the need to be more vigilant about privacy issues in the digital age as they become more dependent on technology. “The more connected we are to the Internet of Things and the more we find ourselves dependent on technologies of convenience, the more crucial it becomes to understand what we sacrifice for that kind of access,” says Wilson. “Our personal data is becoming increasingly precious and vulnerable.” If the CLP-Oakland show is any indication, local library-goers are definitely concerned about the issue. “The response at CLP-Oakland has been good, and there have been some fascinating responses from visitors,” says Wilson. “Some people leave feeling informed, while others leave feeling a bit concerned, even stunned, by what they’ve learned through the interaction.” After the exhibit, visitors can continue exploring ways to protect their identity

through the Data Detox Kit, an eight-day, step-by-step guide to eliminating traces of your data online. The program, which focuses on scrubbing information from apps, social media, and your phone, is available for free on Tactical Technology Collective’s website. CLP also offers complementary programming and information for The Glass Room, including a Data Detox blog series published in the month leading up to the exhibit. On May 22, CLP-East Liberty will host My Terms of Service, a privacy workshop examining what’s behind the ubiquitous “I Agree” box. Mainly, Wilson wants the exhibit to make visitors feel more empowered in the often confusing and deceptive online world. “We hope visitors will use this exhibit as a foundation to start conversation and introspection regarding their own digital footprint,” she says. “In other words, we hope people leave with a better understanding of who has access to their data, how it might be used, and what they can do to take back some control in this equation.”

•

.MUSIC.

THE BY JORDAN SNOWDEN JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ESPITE WHAT THE title of Nox Boys’ newest album, Out of Touch, may suggest, the garage-punk band seems pretty thoughtful, in tune, and aware these days. Here, the band’s trademark mix of psychedelia, pop, and punk sounds as mature and sure-footed as it ever has. Today, three out of the four band members are under the age of 25, and when Nox Boys released its self-titled debut album in 2014, those three members — Zack Keim (guitar/vocals), Zach Stadtlander (bass guitar), Sam Berman (drums) — were still in high school. While music from most teenage rock bands is unpolished, ﬂush with harsh switch-ups and slightly off-key notes, Nox Boys brings a sophisticated sound that’s full of energy, yet tight. Out of Touch opens with the title track, “written as an outlet for the frustrations of growing up in today’s political climate and circumscribing a pathway of your own,” before sliding into “Fire In Her Eyes,” a spicy track about a sultry, badass woman. The release mixes psychedelia, pop, and punk elements to make a true garage punk album seemingly plucked from the ‘60s or ‘70s.

NOX BOYS ALBUM RELEASE SHOW 7 p.m.- 2 a.m. Fri., May 17. Mr. Smalls Theatre, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $10-12. noxboys.com

The nod to the past may partly be thanks to Nox Boys slide-guitar player Bob Powers. A local music veteran, Powers was a frequent sideman to the late Pittsburgh guitar hero Warren King, a member of Diamond Reo, The Silencers, and the Mystic Knights of the Sea. The album features special guest appearances and production by Gregg Kostelich (The Cynics/Get Hip Records) and was engineered by Pete Drivere (Blue Ash/Deadbeat Poets/Inﬁdels). Most of the songs were done in one take. On Fri., May 17, Nox Boys celebrate the release of Out of Touch with a party/ show at Mr. Smalls Theatre. Pet Clinic,

PHOTO: HEATHER MULL

Nox Boys

Josh Verbanets, and Max T (Attic Record Store Pittsburgh) join the festivities. As part of the event, the band is teaming up with Spare Change, a music video charity that uses busking to raise funds on behalf of local nonproﬁt The Education Partnership, which provides school supplies for students and teachers in low-income schools throughout Southwestern, Pa. Spare Change will be releasing the episode this fall, so bring change to be featured in the video.

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PROUDLY TATTOOING PITTSBURGH SINCE ‘94!

The 412 is CP ’s new music section where you can get local band/musician updates and fun, random tidbits of information all in one. These answers are from the whole band.

QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAVELING HOW DO YOU PASS TIME WHEN ON THE ROAD? Browse Tinder while passing through random rural farm towns. WHAT’S A ROAD-TRIP ESSENTIAL? Remote back massager. WHICH MEMBERS SLEEPS THE MOST WHEN ON TOUR? Sam. WHO ALWAYS OVERPACKS? Zack.

QUESTION ABOUT MUSIC FAVORITE SONG TO LISTEN TO IN THE SHOWER? “Fur Elise” - Beethoven

QUESTIONS ABOUT TELEVISION MOST UNDERRATED TV SHOW? The Twilight Zone. SHOW YOU BINGE ON A SICK DAY? Curb Your Enthusiasm.

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inkadinkadoo.net PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

.STAGE.

KID STUFF BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

FTER 33 YEARS of producing

quality children’s entertainment .in Pittsburgh, the EQT Children’s Theater Festival (May 16-19) still has a few surprises up its sleeve – actually, quite a few. This year, families visiting the festival will be treated to a series of roving, pop-up performances from local artists like the River City Brass Band or theater group Hiawatha Project. “They’re on the schedule, you just don’t know exactly where they’ll show up,” says EQT Children’s Theater Festival executive director Pamela Komar. But the pop-ups aren’t the only thing making this year’s festival memorable. For one, attendees can expect a little more room to roam, as the festival closes down Seventh Street between Liberty and Penn Avenue, leading up to Theater Square Garage. Komar says they needed additional space for food trucks, as well as the more than 50 activities and experiences available for free to the public.

EQT CHILDREN’S THEATER FESTIVAL May 16-19. Various locations. Downtown. $12 for featured performance tickets. pghkids.trustarts.org

“There’s a little bit more outdoor space than previous years, which is exciting,” says Komar. “It’s a challenge to be Downtown and not be in a big park and using all kinds of spaces.” Besides the featured performances, expect to ﬁnd tons of locally-produced, family-friendly delights throughout the Cultural District, including storytelling by Citiparks, LEGO derby car-building with the Steel City LEGO Users Group, and a Frog Stop Scavenger Hunt complete with treats from Millie’s Ice Cream Truck. One big highlight is the world premiere of circle circle circle, a 15-foot-tall maze installed in a parking lot on Seventh Street, constructed out of multi-colored hula-hoops by French artist Cyril Lancelin. “We heard from the audiences that they really wanted to experience something like [circle circle circle],”

PHOTO: PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST

circle circle circle

says Komar. The ticketed shows offer work from a variety of national and international touring companies. Out of the United Kingdom comes Emily Brown and the Thing at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, a musical based on a book by How to Train Your Dragon author Cressida Cowell and illustrator Neal Layton. Also at August Wilson is Sons of Mystro, a pair of young, classically-trained musicians who transcribe pop songs into violin duets. For a taste of something strange, there’s the puppet show Fly by Denmark’s Theater Patrasket and Murikamiﬁcation by Netherlands-based company, Arch 8. Inspired by the works of Japanese

writer Haruki Murakami, the latter takes audiences into the streets, using the Cultural District as the setting for its magical journey. “They’re very physical,” says Komar, adding that Murikamiﬁcation involves acrobatics and performers balancing between buildings. “It’s something we’ve never tried before. Typically, shows take place in one space, so we’re curious to see how that works out.” She believes it should be exciting, given that Arch 8’s contribution to the festival in 2015 was TetrisPlus, a gravitydefying performance inspired by the block-building video game. Families with young children or kids with speciﬁc needs will not be disap-

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

pointed. The Mexican group Teatro al Vacio will present Sky and Stone, a gentle, movement-based show for babies and toddlers, and their caregivers. For young family members on the autism spectrum, there are sensory-friendly performances of Air Play, which uses fans to levitate objects or make huge sheets billow out over the audience, and Cityscape by the Pittsburgh-based Jumping Jack Theater. “It’s really kind of a whole menu of options of what families can put together to make their own festival experience,” says Komar. “We of course want them to buy some tickets and see a featured show, but all of that free stuff is certainly accessible and entertaining as well.”

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PHOTO: ROBERT WATERS

Tammy Thompson

.LITERATURE.

BLACK AUTHOR’S EXPO BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

AMMY THOMPSON has made it her

life’s work to uplift underserved communities in Pittsburgh. She seeks to break down financial barriers for those struggling with poverty through her company T3 Consulting, as executive director of the nonprofit Circles Greater Pittsburgh, and as the manager of Catapult: Startup to Storefront, a business incubator in East Liberty. She also served as the executive producer for We Wear the Mask, a 2017 documentary highlighting the stigma associated with women living in poverty. Now Thompson can add author to her resume with Spending Log, an instructional manual she wrote to help readers gain control of their finances by tracking their spending habits. On May 18, Thompson will mark the book’s release with the Black Author’s Expo: A Celebration of Black Literary Excellence at Gallery on Penn in East Liberty. “Instead of just having an individual book signing for myself, I realized that the city actually has a lot of amazing authors that no one knows about, particularly African-American authors,” says Thompson. “I decided I would have something where I could celebrate many of us and we could all get an opportunity to highlight our work and celebrate what I think is a pretty awesome achievement.” The event will feature 18 local Black authors representing multiple genres, including fiction, nonfiction, self-help, and, to Thompson’s own surprise, erotica. “I had sent an email to the authors asking who would be interested in doing the reading and a couple of the ladies were like, ‘Well, I don’t know if mine is going to be appropriate to read out loud,’

and I was like, ‘Oh, interesting.’” Besides readings, the expo will also include a book sale, music, and food. An added bonus of hosting it at Gallery on Penn is bringing traffic to Catapult businesses set up in the space. “We’re having events there because it’s a great way to draw people into the space, and the business owners in the space get to benefit from the foot traffic,” says Thompson, adding that it also gives local African-American owned businesses and artists a chance to connect with and support each other.

BLACK AUTHOR’S EXPO 12-5 p.m. Sat., May 18. Gallery On Penn, 5935 Penn Ave., East Liberty. Free. facebook.com/GalleryonPenn

Catapult, which began in November 2018, aims to give minority-owned start-ups a chance to grow along with the gentriﬁcation of East Liberty, where residents in the predominantly Black neighborhood feel left out of the push for new development and incoming businesses. The gallery raises awareness of its efforts through a variety of events, including I Luv Ur Work, a recent oneday show showcasing work from Black female photographers. Mostly Thompson hopes that the expo turns attendees on to some great local books. “We want people to come have fun, we want people to purchase books, we want people to hang out and get to know the authors and hear music and eat food,” she says. “I think this is going to be a celebration of some amazing Black literary talent in the city of Pittsburgh.”

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 15-22, 2019

.ARCHITECTURE.

PRITZKER PRIZE TURNS 40 BY CHARLES ROSENBLUM CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T FIRST GLANCE, Inﬂuencers: The

Pritzker Architecture Prize at the Heinz Architectural Center seems like just one exhibit. But really, it’s several — some of the pieces complement each other, others seem simply irreconcilable. The Pritzker Prize, celebrating its 40th year with this exhibit, was initiated to elevate the prestige of architecture by recognizing lifelong achievement in producing built work. So, in one way, casual visitors can be confident that they’re getting a comprehensive overview of excellence in the profession. Come in for some local familiarity: Philip Johnson’s William Granger Ryan Fine Arts Center (1979) is an unbuilt project for Seton Hall in Greensburg, represented here by a charming toylike wooden model whose pieces fit precisely in an accompanying box. And Gordon Bunshaft’s modernist Office and Research facility (1988) for Pittsburgh’s own H.J. Heinz Company is shown in a 1958 photo by Ezra Stoller with moody, dusk lighting that leaves the lobby, gridded windows, and delicate skybridge aglow. Stay for international stars whose buildings are distant, but represented with compelling immediacy in the show’s artifacts. Oscar Niemeyer’s Ibirapuera Canopy of 1950 in São Paulo, Brazil, photographed by Leonardo Finotti in 2007, is shown in a huge color photo print. It is one of the most remarkably intimate yet sweeping images of sheltered architecture at the edge of a landscape (designed by Roberto Burle Marx) that you will see. There’s plenty of fine work. One problem, though, is that it has been an old boys’ club. Zaha Hadid didn’t come along until 2004, when the Iraqi-born British architect was the first woman to receive the award. The exhibit includes a model of her Heydar Aliyev Center, a concert hall and cultural center in Baku, Azerbaijan. In this building, a concrete structure and space frame system create an other-

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Zaha Hadid’s model for the Heydar Aliyev Center, displayed at the Carnegie Art Museum

INFLUENCERS: THE PRITZKER ARCHITECTURE PRIZE Continues through Sun., Oct. 20. Heinz Architectural Center at Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. cmoa.org

worldly, column-free interior, and nearly every panel, in glass-fiber reinforced concrete or polyester, is unique. This is an exquisite little model of a project that, as winner of the London Museum’s Design of the Year in 2014, is especially well-known and, true to the exhibit’s title, influential. Appearances aside, this object did not simply land from outer space. Curator Ray Ryan lobbied and coaxed Hadid’s firm in order to add the model to Heinz Architectural Center’s collection. While some objects come from the museum’s department of decorative arts and others from the department of photography, plenty of this exhibit is here because of Ryan’s individual campaigns over the years to secure important works from illustrious offices. Other examples include the photos of the recently departed Kevin Roche (1982), with models and complete construction of

the Ford Foundation (1965, 1968), the astonishing masterpiece of enclosed space and interior landscape on 42nd Street in New York. Here, the sense of multiple perspectives on the exhibit is especially acute. Hadid’s Azerbaijan project memorializes a repressive dictator, the government forcibly evicting residents so the building could be constructed. And however pristine his Atheneum (1981) in New Harmony, Ind. may be in a black and white photo by Stoller, Richard Meier recently retired suddenly in disgrace over allegations that he sexually assaulted employees. Also, regardless of Hadid’s achievements, only women in pairs or groups have won the Pritzker since. And the committee managed to honor Wang Shu in 2012 while appallingly neglecting his partner, the cofounder of his ﬁrm, Lu Wenyu.

Follow contributing writer Charles Rosenblum on Twitter @CharlzR

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I don’t want to police the Pritzker prize; there is plenty to enjoy in this show. But the recent trend to recognize architects with more of a sense of social conscience, such as Alejandro Aravena (2016), does not help sufﬁciently with problems of sexism and racism that are baked into the profession. (Any winners from Africa or the African diaspora, such as the odds-on favorite Sir David Adjaye, architect of the National Museum for African American History and Culture on the Mall in D.C.? Not yet.) In other shows, HAC manifests its social conscience and desire for public engagement admirably in a variety of exhibits and activities, such as in the recent Building Optimism on Public Space in South America, or the series of HAC Lab exhibits that enfranchise visitors in creating and exhibiting work Inﬂuencers is admirable and enjoyable in so many ways. But it needs a more palpable acknowledgement that while Pritzker honors leading architects, the prize has a lagging sense of what leadership in architecture needs to be.

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