July 24, 2019 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

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JULY 24-31, 2019

LGBTQ celebrations continue this week with Pittsburgh Black Pride.

Best Of Party • August 8 • 7pm

Get your tickets now at cooltix.com

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Come play with us! July 27 • Free with admission! Celebrate the Lozziwurm play sculpture with a day of family fun! Make music and art, enjoy the sunshine, and discover the playful side of our galleries!

cmoa.org

| one of the four carnegie museums of pittsburgh

Movies in the Courtyard Grab a friend and kick back for a unique outdoor screening in our sculpture courtyard. Explore the galleries with a themed tour, then enjoy the movie with a cash bar and classic snacks! Advanced tickets: $10 (Students: $5)

August 1

August 15

Rear Window 7–10 p.m.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower 8–11 p.m.

courtyard cinema

third thursday: pittsburgh fest

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sponsored by

one of the four carnegie museums of pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

650 Smithfield Street, Suite 2200 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.685.9009 E-MAIL info@pghcitypaper.com

FIRSTSHOT

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BY JARED WICKERHAM

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JULY 24-31, 2019 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 30 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 Events and Marketing Coordinator BRYER BLUMENSCHEIN Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, LISSA BRENNAN, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, JESSIE SAGE Interns SARAH CONNOR, JARED MURPHY, EMILY WOLFE Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

Make-up artist Cheryl Walker applies lipstick to Flecia Jackson, board member for Pittsburgh Black Pride, before her cover portrait.

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.

COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM READ THE STORY ON PAGE 6

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM MAKEUP: CHERYL WALKER

Pittsburgh Black Pride board member Flecia Jackson

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THE BIG STORY

A PLACE FOR

PRIDE

Pittsburgh Black Pride looks to find its place in the Steel City BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ITTSBURGH BLACK PRIDE has been running for 24 consecutive years, but unlike more well-known LGBTQ celebrations, it has not drawn as much city-wide attention. Following historic rulings, like the right for all American same-sex couples to marry, Pride celebrations have hit the mainstream more than ever before, including in Pittsburgh. This year’s Pride in the Streets, which is run by the Delta Foundation, was the largest in Pittsburgh’s history and has become so successful in attracting corporate sponsors that a counter-event celebrating LGBTQ rights called People’s Pride has also gained steam. People’s Pride embraces an intersectional LGBTQ celebration and rejects the corporate sponsorship of Pride, especially from businesses like EQT that also donated to antiLGBTQ politicians. Basically, there is a lot of Pride in Pittsburgh, so where does that leave Pittsburgh Black Pride? Andre Brown, the new executive director of Pittsburgh Black Pride, says he is trying to steer the organization to be somewhere in the middle. He says Black Pride is committed to addressing the racism in the LGBTQ community and being vocal is part of tackling that, but also says that building relationships with a diverse set of LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ organizations is crucial to combating some of the inequities facing Pride celebrations. CONTINUES ON PG. 8

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

A PLACE FOR PRIDE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7

SERVICES 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 • Discounted pharmacy program

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“Whole People, All People.” metrocommunityhealthcenter.org

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PHOTO: 2018 PITTSBURGH BLACK PRIDE

“Some folks think protesting is the way, some want to work behind the scenes,” says Brown. “I think it is a bit of both. We have to be vocal, but it does require being strategic too. Building relationships tend to happen in private.” Pittsburgh Black Pride board member Flecia Jackson agrees. Black Pride isn’t just a celebration; it is a time to confront some hard truths about the region’s LGBTQ community. “Black Pride was put in place for the community to recognize that we exist,” says Jackson. “There is ignorance in our community of the LGBTQIA people of color [experience].” But ﬁrst, Pittsburgh Black Pride needs a bit more attention. Brown says he needs to get more people in the community to notice and participate in the events. This year’s Black Pride takes place over several events spanning from July 24-28. There will be an opening reception at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, a karaoke night, and a community barbecue with food, music, and performances in Schenley Park. All events are free and open to the public. Brown, who has been involved in

Black Pride for about two years, says the group has struggled to attract large numbers. Black Pride takes place about a month after Pride in the Streets and People’s Pride, both of which attracted large crowds in June this year.

PITTSBURGH BLACK PRIDE Wed., July 24-Sun., July 28. Times and locations vary. pghblackpride.org

Brown believes both of the June Pride celebrations can be beneﬁcial to his organization’s event, saying the larger Prides are a good opportunity to advertise for Black Pride. Even so, Brown recognizes the growth of Black Pride hasn’t come as quickly as he had hoped. Last year, the organization went through structural changes, including establishing a board. Brown says Black Pride is still pushing towards more growth and thinks the structural changes are a part of that. But he says it might take a while. “At the time of rebirth, we were really excited about the infrastructure changes,” says Brown. “It has been a lot

slower as we had hoped for. It certainly is a long game.” But Brown has a strategy for sustaining the organization. He believes establishing a network of professional connections can help Black Pride expand and accomplish the organization’s goals of helping the Black LGBTQ community. One of those organizations working with Black Pride is Steel Smiling, a local mental-health nonprofit. Brown says this partnership will showcase the underlying theme of this year’s Black Pride: bringing awareness and action to mental health issues within the Black LGBTQ community. Participants in Pride events can make connections and learn about mental-health services available to them, as well as provide free mental health first aid training. “We see from the data that Black gay folks have higher mental health problems,” says Brown. “We don’t have a lot of mental health resources in our community and definitely not those that are appropriate to Black queer folk. We are really trying to help folks face the realities of an unjust world, but at the same time trying to make inroads into providing them help.”

Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Pam Iovino

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.NEWS.

PRECARIOUS POLITICS How state Sen. Pam Iovino is navigating one of Pennsylvania’s most pivotal senate districts BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N AN ERA when partisan politics

are getting stronger, Pennsylvania’s 37th Senate District in the suburbs of Pittsburgh is an anomaly, and it’s unclear whether any politician or party has figured out how to keep it in their grasp. That is the task ahead for newly elected state Sen. Pam Iovino (D-Mount Lebanon). In April, she won a special election to replace former Republican state Sen. Guy Reschenthaler, defeating candidate D. Raja (R-Mount Lebanon) and flipping the district for the third time since 2012. But Iovino is up for re-election again in 2020, meaning she has just over a year to convince voters she should keep the seat. And it goes beyond preserving her job. Keeping SD-37 in Democratic control is pivotal for Senate Democrats to have a chance at flipping the state Senate, something they haven’t done in more than two decades. If Democrats hold onto SD-37 and flip three other very competitive districts, they will hold a razor-thin tie-breaker majority in the chamber. Iovino is new to elected office, but she thinks a strong focus on constituent services, serving veterans, and backing public schools can help her maintain support. But Republicans are likely to target this seat aggressively, and for good reason: President Donald Trump won this district by six points in 2016, and

he is on the ballot again in 2020. Even so, Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Forest Hills) is conﬁdent Iovino can maintain the seat, citing her impressive knowledge of state government and her willingness to vote for her constituents’ preferences, but stand united with Democrats when she is needed most. Iovino’s foray into politics started long before she became a state senator. She says her family was always active in politics, including her parents serving as Democratic committee chairs in Whitehall borough. “My parents showed me [public service] wasn’t just a right, it was a responsibility,” says Iovino. Eventually, she became a congressional liaison for the Navy, where she would educate representatives on Navy issues. Iovino says the skills she learned there are helpful for her new job as a legislator, especially one servicing in the minority party, and especially in a district with constituents who herald bipartisanship. “I understand the process from the collaborating with stakeholders to the writing of the bills.” says Iovino. “It is exactly those skills that I use in Harrisburg today.” President George W. Bush appointed Iovino as Assistant Secretary in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in 2004. Despite Republican attack ads during her special election CONTINUES ON PG. 12

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

PRECARIOUS POLITICS, CONTINUED FROM PG. 11

for SD-37 that attempted to frame her as a radical aligned with some federal Democrats, Iovino says here the actual history of bipartisanship has boosted her proﬁle with voters. “I was hired by a Republican administration,” says Iovino of her time in the Bush administration. “I don’t think [the attack ad] was speciﬁc about me or what I have done.” Iovino says she plans to focus her term on providing constituent services like helping seniors procure discounted Connect Cards for public transit, and she wants to work in Harrisburg to streamline support services for veterans.

IOVINO HOPES HER FOCUS ON THESE ISSUES WILL SHOWCASE TO VOTERS THEY WERE RIGHT TO PICK HER IN THE SPECIAL AND WILL DO SO AGAIN COME NOVEMBER 2020. She says 70 percent of the bills she has sponsored are bipartisan. She plans to co-introduce legislation that will establish a copay cap for prescription insulin drugs at $100 per one-month supply of insulin, and she is working on a bill to strengthen the recruitment and retention policies of career and volunteer fire departments. Iovino hopes her focus on these issues will showcase to voters they were right to pick her in the special and will do so again come November 2020. “I think the first thing you have to nail is the right candidate to fit a district,” says Iovino of convincing SD-37 voters to back her. “A lot of split ticket voters, it is not just [that] people are changing allegiance.” Regardless of policies, Iovino’s 2020 race will undoubtedly be close, even if it’s different from the recent special election. In April, she won by four points in a district that mostly covers Allegheny County’s southern and western suburbs. But the general election in a presidential year will bring in tens of thousands more voters. And former state Sen. Reschentahler won by 20 points when Trump was on the ballot in 2020, hinting that a down ballot Republican should have an edge. Christopher Nicholas, veteran Repub-

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lican political consultant, isn’t sure what will happen in this senate race come 2020, but he says Trump’s unpopularity statewide could leave an opening for Democrats. He says that down ballot races like the SD-37 race are mostly about the popularity of the presidential candidates. Nicholas says Trump’s approval rating in Pennsylvania has plateaued around 44 percent. And while this bodes well for Iovino, Nicholas says how she spends her time in Harrisburg will be crucial too, including her votes for important legislation like the state budget. Iovino voted in favor of the state budget, joining all 28 Republicans and 14 Democrats in passing the bill. In a statement, she said she approved the bill because it “makes vital investments” in public education, career and technical training, senior health, and workforce development. However she voted against several code bills that were attached to the budget, including the elimination of the state’s General Assistance program (GA), which supplies funds for lowincome people waiting on federal assistance like social security payments. The GA vote became the most contentious issue of the state’s budget battle, which included a viral video of a shouting match on the Senate floor. Iovnio stood with all 22 senate Democrats in voting against the removal of the GA, which was eventually eliminated with Republican support. This is the kind of high-profile battle that could prove precarious to Iovino’s push to remain bipartisan. But, Iovino says she will back legislation on its merits, not on how bipartisanship it appears. “If it is good legislation, then it is the right thing to do,” says Iovino. “I did not hear anything negative [about the GA vote]. I would characterize as people acting on their convictions and SD-37 doesn’t have a problem with that.” And even if it eventually does tie her to more progressive members in her party, Iovino says that showcases a virtue of the Democratic party and its diversity. “I don’t have a problem with a caucus “that is diverse enough to have people with different priorities,” says Iovino. State Sen. Jay Costa, who leads the Senate Democrats, agrees and that is why he believes Iovino is an ideal candidate for SD-37. “She is somebody that understands both parties,” says Costa. “She is thoughtful. I think she symbolizes the benefits of having a diverse understanding of what happens across the state and the diverse nature of our districts.”

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.NEWS.

RAPID TRANSIT BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ITTSBURGH’S NEXT big public transit project on the horizon is the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line from Downtown to Oakland and beyond. The project aims to provide bus-only lanes, new stations, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities in hopes of boosting multimodel transit options and decreasing congestion between the region’s two largest job centers. The project has been proposed for several years, but it appears to becoming closer to reality. In March, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a high rating to the BRT for the second year in a row, indicating it has support from the federal government, who will supply the majority of the funding. So where are we now? According to David Huffaker, the Chief Development Ofﬁcer at Port Authority of Allegheny County, BRT’s design will hopefully be completed at the end of this year. Huffaker presented at a Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission meeting last week, sharing that 60 percent of the BRT’s design is currently completed. Huffacker noted the importance of the project for the region. He said 25 to 28 percent of Port Authority’s service travels through the BRT corridor which stretches from Downtown to Oakland, with branch routes extending to Highland Park, Regent Square, and Homestead. The Port Authority recently took over the management of the BRT application process, which was previously run by Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. The Port Authority board will vote on fully authorizing the Port Authority to take control of the application

process this month, said Huffaker. Until the design is complete, the Port Authority can’t submit its application to the FTA for funds. The BRT has not yet received federal funding, but Huffaker is optimistic it will receive the FTA funds. Once the application is submitted, Huffacker says the FTA typically takes about six months to process it. If the application is accepted and the FTA funds are doled out, Huffaker expects construction to take about two years. Best case scenario, Pittsburgh is looking at a BRT completion date of about summer 2022. However, there have been reports that the Trump administration is slow walking its FTA funds for some major publictransit projects. Streetsblog has reported that large transit projects waiting for “money to start construction, now wait an average of 391 days, up from 176 days during the Obama administration.” House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) has called this slowdown “unlawful” and told Streetsblog that it threatens to add unnecessary costs to projects. Huffaker said he hadn’t read this Streetsblog report and couldn’t comment on its bearing on Pittsburgh’s BRT. In the meantime, Huffaker said the Port Authority will do a bit of BRT training when the authority tests some new battery-powered electric buses. He said the authority should be rolling out batterypowered electric buses soon and hopes that the BRT will use 10-25 electric buses when in operation, depending on how the buses perform in testing.

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.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

TOOK TOOK 98 BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ATHANAN MANJEEN loves snow.

Known by her nickname Tookta, Manjeen spent most of her life in the Bangkok heat. She wanted to move somewhere cold. Snow aside, Manjeen also came to Pittsburgh to cook. Since she was a child, working in her parents’ restaurant, Manjeen has aspired to run a kitchen of her own and teach people about Thai cuisine. Pittsburgh gave her a place to achieve both dreams. She enrolled in the international culinary program at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, graduated, and ﬁve years later, opened Took Took 98 in Squirrel Hill.

TOOK TOOK 98 2018 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. tooktook98.com

The menu at Took Took 98 checks nearly every box of Thai cuisine. There are brunch dishes made with eggs, snacks (Thai street food is all about finger food), soups, salads, noodle dishes, rice dishes, and curry. Widely known Thai favorites make the bill — pad Thai, pineapple fried rice, tom yum soup — but there are also unique Took Took signatures, like pad kra pow moo sub kai dow, a pork, green bean, and basil leaf plate, and kai kra ta, an egg dish topped with pork and bacon. Thai cuisine generally focuses on combining four flavor profiles: salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. A variety of herbs help to make up this group — lime, tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar — the fourth “flavor” attributed to chilies. These few basic flavors should be

CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Tom yum fried rice and aun chan ma now purple refresher at Took Took 98

found in every Thai dish. Manjeen has mastered the balance of those four flavors. Her pumpkin curry is on the sweeter side but evens out with the heat from the chilies and sour citrus of fresh kaffir lime leaf. Curry paste is hand-smashed (she buys a mother paste first), and, using her grandmother’s recipe, adds nuance to the dish that is unmatched by any store-bought paste. Thai cuisine includes a number of external culinary influences. Stir- and deep-frying — pad Thai for example — is a technique left from Chinese migration

through the country. Chilies are a result of Portuguese missionaries. Ghee, a common ingredient used in Indian curries, has been swapped for coconut. Ba mee keaw koong, one of Took Took 98’s signatures, is a beautiful step between pho, wonton, and chicken noodle soup, and a clear representation of Thai adaptation from neighboring cuisines. According to Manjeen, it’s sold on almost every corner in Thailand, and for good reason. The soup, made of egg noodles, shrimp wontons, bok choy, cabbage, and herbs, is incredibly

FAVORITE FEATURES: Took Took Soda

Sauces

Purple rice

The “Took Took Soda” is a bright red, bubbly drink made from salak (snake fruit). The palm fruit is tart, bright, and citrusy, like an apple and pineapple combined.

All of the restaurant’s seasoning sauces are imported from Thailand. Try the dumpling dipping sauce — it’s vinegarbased instead of soy sauce-based.

Mango sticky rice, a popular Thai dessert, gets a colorful twist at Took Took 98. The rice, molded into adorable shapes, is purple.

flavorful. The herbs are crisp and fresh, adding an aromatic bite to the simple, garlic-filled broth. Looking at the Took Took 98 logo, there are three things that pop out. There’s a giant tuk tuk, a Thai rickshaw, the country’s traditional method of transportation. It’s a quick, easy way to move through big cities. There’s the 98, as nine and eight are considered lucky in Thailand. Nine stands for moving forward and eight signifies infinity. Combined, they mean “moving forward forever.” The final part of the logo is Manjeen, who sits in the driver’s seat of the tuk tuk; she is driving the experience at Took Took 98. It connects to Manjeen’s original goal, to bring the cuisine she grew up with to Pittsburgh. As she says, “We will move forward together and enjoy incredible Thai food [together].”

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Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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Pad Thai

DINING OUT

Noodle

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

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BAJA BAR & GRILL 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.

BEA’S TACO TOWN 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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

Eating Happily. Leaving with Smile.

FRESH CONTENT Every Day. pghcitypaper.com

The 5th Judicial District of T Pennsylvania and Allegheny County

The True Taste of Thai

Pretrial Services urges you to enjoy your weekend out in Pittsburgh but

make the right choice,

2018 MURRAY AVE. PGH, PA 15217

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don’t drink & drive.

PHOTO: THREADBARE CIDER HOUSE & MEADERY

.ON THE ROCKS .

PIE OF THE BEHOLDER BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N JULY 28, Threadbare Cider House & Meadery is transforming into a scene from The Great British Bake-Off, minus Paul Hollywood. The North Side cider house is hosting amateur bakers at its ﬁrst-ever bake-off, The Great Threadbare Pie Bake-Off, to celebrate the debut of a new cider called Sweet Peach. Threadbare’s Sweet Peach Cider is the meadery’s sweetest release yet; most of its bottles are dry with less than 2 percent residual sugar. But because July is the peak of peach season, Threadbare decided to embrace the summer sweetness. And, as they say, “What other better way to capture the season than with a pie baking contest?” Any and all amateur bakers can enter their pie to compete. Thankfully (for the bakers), the local bake-off doesn’t mimic its British namesake; there’s only one round of competition and contestants can bake pies from the comfort of their home. Every pie entered in the contest must be handcrafted using commonplace, accessible ingredients and made in personal kitchens. No commercial equipment allowed. Each contestant will bake two matching dishes that qualify as “pies,” but that’s where the rules end. Bakers can get as creative as they want. The event’s No. 1 rule: “Have FUN! You are baking pie!” Organizer of the event, Elise Miranda, says she’s most excited about a maple creme meringue pie that’s been

submitted to the contest. Miranda also mentions meat pies — speciﬁcally a ham-egg-quiche-pie — that might show up on the judges’ table. Judges (the full panel has not been conﬁrmed yet) will include Pittsburghfamous pie enthusiasts. Miranda’s looking into local pastry chefs and pie lovers, including the pastry chef from Pie for Breakfast, Emily Bourdon.

THE GREAT THREADBARE PIE BAKE-OFF AND SWEET PEACH CIDER RELEASE PARTY Sun., July 28. 11 a.m. Threadbare Cider House & Meadery, 1291 Spring Garden Ave., North Side. Free. threadbarecider.com

The panel will rate the pies on a 25-point scale: 10 for taste, five for appearance, five for crust, and five for creativity (maybe that meat pie is good for something after all). The pie with the most points will win a bottle of Sweet Peach Cider, two other Threadbare ciders of choice, two tickets for a tour of the cider house, and, perhaps most importantly, a golden cider bottle trophy. Second and third places will be awarded bottles of Threadbare cider. If you love pie but can’t bake, eat your way through the bake-off instead. Competition pies are only for show, but Mezza Luna cafe will be on-site with mini-pies for purchase. The final date to register a pie in the bake-off is July 24.

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SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS PITTSBURGH BLUES AND ROOTS FESTIVAL SAT., JULY 27 AND SUN., JULY 28

Live music is good. Live music for a charitable cause is better. That’s the case with the Pittsburgh Blues and Roots Festival, taking place at the Syria Shrine Center in Cheswick. Featuring music, food, and an inclusive environment, proceeds from the event will benefit the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Band Together Pittsburgh, “a community-based nonprofit that uses the power of music to enrich the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum and their families,” according to the festival website. Acts include locals like Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers, Soul Raydio, and non-locals like Vanessa Collier, C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band. Multiple times. 1877 Shriners Way, Cheswick. $25-40. pghbluesrootsfest.com PHOTO: JEFF FASANO

Vanessa Collier

FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com

THURSDAY JULY 25 DJS 0H85, GOOD DUDE LOJACK, DOMINICK GRANDE. Belvederes Ultra-Dive. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville. HOODWINK, FLETCH (DOWN TO FUNK). The Goldmark. 10 p.m. Lawrenceville.

HIP HOP CENTER OF LIFE’S FINAL SUMMER CONCERT. Gladstone School Building. 6 p.m. Hazelwood.

ROCK/PUNK ESSENTIAL MACHINE. Pittsburgh Community Broadcast Center. 6:30 p.m. South Side. WORLDS SCARIEST POLICE CHASES, BIG NOTHING, REMAINDERS. 222 Ormsby. 7 p.m. Mt. Oliver. THROWAWAY, TROVANTS, THE REAL SEA. Brillobox. 8 p.m. Bloomfield. DIRTY CONFESSION. Jergel’s. 8 p.m. Warrendale. CAMDEN LEEDS. Bierport. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

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ACOUSTIC SIMPLE GIFTS. Sweetwater Center for the Arts. 7 p.m. Sewickley. THE PITTSBURGH CLASSICAL GUITAR ORCHESTRA. Upper St. Clair Township Library. 7 p.m. Upper St. Clair.

JAZZ RML JAZZ. Greentree Park. 7 p.m. Green Tree. RICK MATT JAZZ BAND. Lucca Ristorante. 5 p.m. Oakland.

ELECTRONIC MARKET ST. BLOCK PARTY UNCLE RAY EDITION. Market St. 5 p.m. Downtown.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE SIDNEY GISH, ANOTHER MICHAEL, SWAMPWALK. The Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.

COUNTRY JUSTIN FABUS. St. Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church. 7 p.m. McKees Rocks. SHANNA RAE. SouthSide Works. 6 p.m. South Side.

METAL UN, WORMWITCH, ALTAR AND THE BULL. Howlers. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.

FRIDAY JULY 26

ACOUSTIC

JAZZ

ROCK

ROGER HUMPHRIES. Wolfie’s Pub. 5 p.m. Downtown. GEORGE HEID TRIO. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown.

FESTIVAL SOMMERFEST (GERMAN). Teutonia Männerchor. 5 p.m. North Side.

BLUES THE CONTENDERS. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District. BILLY PRICE, ALBERT CASTIGLIA. Moondog’s. 8:30 p.m. Blawnox. DAN BUBIEN & THE DELTA STRUTS. Enix Brewing. 8 p.m. Homestead.

DJS DJ SAMUEL ANDRES (THE WARM UP). The Goldmark. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

DARYL SHAWN. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown. BREAKING BENJAMIN. KeyBank Pavilion. 5:30 p.m. Burgettstown. SIKES AND THE NEW VIOLENCE. Get Hip Records Store. 8 p.m. North Side.

BLUEGRASS/ AMERICANA YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND. Roxian Theatre. McKees Rocks. 8:30 p.m. BREWER’S ROW, THE REMOTE. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.

METAL THE CONVALESCENCE (ALBUM RELEASE). Howlers. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.

COVERS LARGER THAN LIFE (BOY BAND TRIBUTE). Jergel’s. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

ELECTRONIC STEVE KNOTS. Bierport. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

SATURDAY JULY 27

ELECTRONIC

FESTIVAL

ROCK/PUNK

SOMMERFEST (GERMAN). Teutonia Männerchor. 12 p.m. North Side. SOUTH BY SOUTH WEST VIEW. West View Banquet Hall. 6 p.m. West View.

POP B.J. THOMAS. The Palace Theatre. 7 p.m. Greensburg.

COVERS

PEACH. Hot Mass. 12 a.m. Downtown. YOUNG THE GIANT, FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS. Stage AE. 6 p.m. North Side. SUMMER SALT W/ DANTE ELEPHANTE & MOTEL RADIO. Spirit. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville. THE WEAK DAYS, SALTLICK, WILLOW HILL MOTEL. The Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.

LEGENDARY ALBUM SERIES: APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION. Rex Theater. 7 p.m. South Side.

COUNTRY

PINK NOISE (A PINK FLOYD TRIBUTE). Moon Park. 8 p.m. Moon.

DIERKS BENTLEY. KeyBank Pavilion. 7 p.m. Burgettstown.

THE STRANGER (BILLY JOEL TRIBUTE). Hard Rock Cafe. 9:30 p.m. Station Square.

SUNDAY JULY 28

JAZZ RICK MATT TRIO. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. Strip District. 7 p.m. Strip District. OLGA WATKINS BAND. NOLA On the Square. 8 p.m. Downtown.

THE BEAGLE BROTHERS. Bier’s Pub. 6 p.m. North Side.

COVERS 28 NORTH BAND. Baja Bar and Grill. 2 p.m. Fox Chapel.

CLASSICAL BRUCE LUDWICK. St. Paul Cathedral. 3:30 p.m. Oakland.

PHOTO: GRACE PICKERING

KHALID

Khalid

MON., JULY 29 The release of “Location,” a simple 3 minute-and-39 second song, was all it took to for Khalid Donnel Robinson, better known as Khalid, to become an international sensation. The 2016 debut was on nearly every radio station on and peaked at No. 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart; Khalid’s soon-to-be distinctive voice curling over a booming bassline. Three years later and the 21-year-old now has five Grammy nominations, two full-lengths, and numerous collaborations with in-demand acts such as Ed Sheeran, Kane Brown, John Mayer, P!nk, and more. From the downtempo “Eastside” with Benny Blanco and Halsey, to the sultry “Talk,” produced by English electronic duo Disclosure, the list of Khalid’s earworm inducing songs is only just beginning. 7:30 p.m. PPG Paints Arena, 1001 Fifth Ave., Downtown. $37.95-76.20. ppgpaintsarena.com

ROCK

JAZZ

BIG BLITZ, ANDRE COSTELLO. Shadyside Nursery. 5 p.m. Shadyside.

GREAT GRANDPA, THE ZELLS, SCRATCHY BLANKET. The Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.

STEELTOWN HORNS. Katz Plaza. 5 p.m. Downtown.

FICTION, DIVE, A-MONEY & THE DOWNTOWN CITY. The Smiling Moose. 8 p.m. South Side

MARY WANDER, SOME DUDE, ASA MARTIN. OWL Hollow. 8 p.m. Hazelwood.

THE OLD FIRM CASUALS. Rex Theater. 6 p.m. South Side. ILLITERATE LIGHT. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.

WEDNESDAY JULY 31

R&B

ROCK

SNAIL MAIL. Rex Theater. 7 p.m. South Side. THE SOUL SURVIVORS. Portogallo Peppers N’AT. 4 p.m. Braddock.

FESTIVAL CHRISTMAS IN JULY. 222 Ormsby. 7 p.m. Mt. Oliver.

SKA/REGGAE THE PRIZEFIGHTERS. Howlers. 5 p.m. Bloomfield.

R&B ROSE ROYCE. Hartwood Acres Park. 7:30 p.m. Allison Park.

POP JOHN MAYER. PPG Paints Arena. 7:30 p.m. Downtown.

KHALID. PPG Paints Arena. 7:30 p.m. Downtown.

WORSHIP RIVERS & ROBOTS. Crossroads Church. 7 p.m. East Liberty.

TUESDAY JULY 30 ROCK

FOLK

QUEEN, ADAM LAMBERT. PPG Paints Arena. 8 p.m. Downtown. MESSER. Hard Rock Cafe. 8 p.m. Station Square.

JAZZ HONEY COLLECTIVE. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville. JESSICA LEE. Rivers Club. 5:30 p.m. Downtown.

METAL

MONDAY JULY 29

LAKE STREET DIVE. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side. SCOTT STAPP. The Palace Theatre. 8 p.m. Greensburg.

THE SUMMER SLAUGHTER TOUR. The Rex Theater. 3 p.m. South Side.

BLUES

CHICO. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

FOLK

JIMMY ALDER. Wolfie’s Pub. 6 p.m. Downtown.

AARON LEE TASJAN. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

STEVE GUNN. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

These listings are curated by Pittsburgh City Paper’s music writer Jordan Snowden and include events from our free online listings. Submit yours today at www.pghcitypaper.com/submitevent

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

PHOTOS: KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER

DanceAfrica: Pittsburgh

.DANCE.

DANCE AFRICA: PITTSBURGH BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

UDIENCES WILL BE immersed in three days of history and traditions of African art when DanceAfrica: Pittsburgh returns to Kelly Strayhorn Theater from Fri., July 26-Sun., July 28. Now in its eighth year, the event features performances from local dancers and choreographers and is done in partnership with the Legacy Arts Projects, a Pittsburgh-based organization dedicated to preserving the history and traditions

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of African art as represented throughout the diaspora. The event includes live dance and music performances, workshops, an African marketplace, and a community meetand-greet, all under the umbrella theme of “We Are the World,” which, as the KST website states, seeks to “create the world as we imagine it can be.” “The experience from the entrance to the theater, you enter this world of cultural expression,” says KST development

and communications manager Orlana Darkins Drewery. This encompasses everything from the performances on stage to the marketplace, with vendors selling items like clothing and oils and shea butter products. The schedule boasts two evenings of adult performances and a Sunday youth performance, all described as celebrating an “international perspective on West African traditions, culture, and the unique vitality of its intergenerational dancers and musicians.” In addition to the performances are morning workshops taking place in KST’s Alloy Studios. Among the instructors is Chrisala Brown, a local dancer, teacher, and choreographer who incorporates African diaspora traditions in dance styles and studies and performs traditional West African music and dances from the Republic of Guinea, Senegal, and Mali. Two other workshops will be led respectively by McDaniel Roberts, of the African American Dance Ensemble, and guest instructors from the Djapo Cultural Arts Institute, which teaches traditional dance and drumming. The DanceAfrica: Pittsburgh program is the city’s own version of a long-running New York-based festival founded in 1977 by the late Chuck “Baba Chuck” Davis, considered by many as a master of African dance in America. Davis was honored by DanceAfrica: Pittsburgh during its 2017 iteration, the same year he died. While this year is focused primarily on local talent, Darkins Drewery points out that past DanceAfrica: Pittsburgh events have welcomed national artists. Besides Pittsburgh-based groups like the STAYCEE PEARL dance project, the Balafon West

African Dance Ensemble, and the August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble, visiting artists like the Oyu Oro Experimental Afro-Cuban Dance Ensemble of New York and the Afoutayi Haitian Dance, Music & Arts Company of Minnesota have also taken the stage at the event. Darkins Drewery adds that partners like the Legacy Arts Project align with KST’s mission “to serve as a catalyst for creative expression that focuses on bringing diverse communities together and exposing neighborhoods to artists that range from making us more aware of issues to sharing or introducing audiences to cultural tradition.”

DANCEAFRICA: PITTSBURGH Fri., July 26-Sun., July 28. Kelly Strayhorn Theater, 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty. Pay-what-you-can. kelly-strayhorn.org

“[Legacy Arts Project] strives to share the history and traditions of African art through education, instruction, and interaction,” says Darkins Drewery. Founded by dancer Linda “Imani” Barrett as an arm of her art center in Harlem, the Legacy Arts Project showcases not only dancers and choreographers, but drummers, spoken word artists, poets, singers, and visual artists. “Their artistic presentation is designed to not only educate but uplift and unify,” says Darkins Drewery. “And that’s what KST strives to do in everything that we do and every partner that we work with, through creative expression, ﬁnds ways to build community.”

•

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

KID FLICKS BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

.FILM.

PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER BY HANNAH LYNN HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: SHOUT! STUDIOS

Tito and the Birds

Row House Cinema takes families around the world for the latest edition of its Pittsburgh International Children’s Film Festival. From July 26-Aug. 1, the single-screen theater will host a week of films, including classic favorites, award-winning shorts, documentaries, and acclaimed animated features. There will also be fun activities for all ages, including the chance to meet local animal celebrity, Doc the Pig. Now in its third year, the festival continues Row House’s mission of exposing audiences to films they wouldn’t otherwise see in mainstream theaters. “We love that this festival introduces kids to a wider variety of films that aren’t coming out of major studios PITTSBURGH like Disney INTERNATIONAL and Pixar,” CHILDREN’S FILM says festival director Molly FESTIVAL AT ROW Ebert. “When HOUSE CINEMA choosing films, Fri., July 26-Thu., Aug. 1. we’re thinking Showtimes vary. 4115 about diversity Butler St., Lawrenceville. $10-45. cffpgh.org in the types of films we’re showing as well as the characters and families shown on screen.” The lineup boasts the Pittsburgh premieres of three animated feature-length films – Tito and the Birds from Brazil, The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales from France, and Mexico’s first-ever Oscar entry for Best Animated Feature, Ana y Bruno. Also on the docket are shorts from the New York International Children’s Film Festival and Nostalgia Sunday, a full day featuring screenings of Casper, Little Rascals, Babe, The Great Muppet Caper, and Labyrinth. Row House marketing manager, Kelsey Zehmisch, says they also have some new programming in store for this year. “We’re particularly proud to be presenting new baby-friendly screenings, and we’re partnering with The Children’s Museum and MuseumLab, who will host our closing night in their new beautiful new facility, which is an exciting first for us,” says Zehmisch. •

HE DAY SHE found out about winning the Nobel Prize in literature, Toni Morrison was asked by a reporter what sets her apart from her peers to win such an esteemed prize. “I think I write well,” she says, without skipping a beat. It’s more fact than opinion. Toni Morrison writes well. Very well. Maybe better than anyone else, living or dead. A new documentary, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, reinforces this fact over and over. It features several interviews with Morrison, but also her friends, peers, and admirers gushing over her brilliance. Oprah, for example, recalls being so infatuated after reading Beloved that she called the fire department in Morrison’s town to get her number. It’s a love letter to her genius, the kind that is often made after the subject’s death and tinged with sadness. Instead, the film feels very alive, just like Morrison herself. Spanning from her childhood in Lorain, Ohio, through her career as a prize-winning novelist, the documentary explores Morrison’s career and place in the literary canon, but also the prevalence of the white gaze in literature and how she worked outside of it. She grew up in the 1940s in a town without enforced segregation and went to college at Howard University, an HBCU. She saw “whites only” signs for the first time in D.C. and colorism among the college’s sororities. She graduated, started teaching, got married, had kids, got divorced. She became an editor at a textbook publishing company, and then an editor at Random House where she nurtured and published a generation of Black authors, including Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali. While working as an editor and raising two kids on her own, Morrison wrote her first novel, The Bluest Eye. She kept working as an editor and notes in the film that she didn’t even start calling herself a writer until the publication of her third novel, Song of Solomon. While her critical acclaim is

PHOTO: TIMOTHY GREENFIELD-SANDERS / COURTESY OF MAGNOLIA PICTURES

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM Directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Opens Fri., July 26 at Regent Square Theater.

now universal, the film makes it clear that white critics didn’t accept her so easily. With the publication of her second novel, Sula, a critic at The New York Times praised Morrison’s talent, but lamented the way she wrote only about Black life, calling the subject “narrow.” Literature professor Farah Griffin says in the film that Morrison “questions that perspective, that you are only defined by what your oppressor thinks of you.” In an archival interview, Morrison calls racism “something distorted about the psyche” and a “profound neuroses.” It’s a sickness that damages the minds of perpetrators as it does its targets. In avoiding the white gaze, Morrison notes that she writes specifically for Black audiences. This doesn’t mean that white people can’t read or enjoy her books, just that they’ll have a harder time doing so if they don’t like reading stories outside their own world, or are uncomfortable with Black life having depth, or fear examining their own whiteness. It’s a bit ironic then, that the film’s director, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders,

is a white man. He acknowledges this in an interview, saying that Morrison’s trust in him — the two are longtime collaborators and friends — made him feel qualified. And his photographic eye is evident in the film, as interviews with Hilton Als, Walter Mosley, Oprah, Sonia Sanchez, and others are interspliced with street photography to give context to different eras (slavery, segregation, New York in the 90s), photos of Morrison throughout her life, and pieces of art from Mickalene Thomas, Kerry James Marshall, Kara Walker, Jacob Lawrence, and more. In addition to giving more visual interest to a documentary that consists mostly of interviews, the art puts Morrison’s work in the context of other artists who were responding to the same subjects in different mediums. It’s difficult to put together any coherent words about Toni Morrison, since she is such an expert at words herself. But The Pieces I Am succeeds in putting together a necessary documentation of her life and impact.

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

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•

.FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 25

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

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Congrats, Virgo! You are beginning the denouement of your yearly cycle. Anything you do to resolve lingering conflicts and finish up old business will yield fertile rewards. Fate will conspire benevolently in your behalf as you bid final goodbyes to the influences you’ll be smart not to drag along with you into the new cycle that will begin in a few weeks. To inspire your holy work, I give you this poem by Virgo poet Charles Wright: “Knot by knot I untie myself from the past / And let it rise away from me like a balloon. / What a small thing it becomes. / What a bright tweak at the vanishing point, blue on blue.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I predict that between now and the end of the year, a Libran genetic engineer will create a new species of animal called a dat. A cross between a cat and a dog, it will have the grace, independence, and vigilance of a Persian cat and the geniality, loyalty, and ebullient strength of a golden retriever. Its stalking skills will synthesize the cat’s and dog’s different styles of hunting. I also predict that in the coming months, you will achieve greater harmony between the cat and dog aspects of your own nature, thereby acquiring some of the hybrid talents of the dat.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio poet Marianne Moore (1887–1972) won the Pulitzer Prize and several other prestigious awards. She was a rare poet who became a celebrity. That’s one of the reasons why the Ford car company asked her to dream up interesting names for a new model they were manufacturing. Alas, Ford decided the 43 possibilities she presented were too poetic, and rejected all of them. But some of Moore’s names are apt descriptors for the roles you could and should play in the phase you’re beginning, so I’m offering them for your use. Here they are: 1. Anticipator. 2. The Impeccable. 3. Tonnere Alifère (French term for “winged thunder”). 4. Tir á l’arc (French term for “bull’s eye”). 5. Regina-Rex (Latin terms for “queen” and “king”).

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): It’s conceivable that in one of your past lives you were a pioneer who made the rough 2,170mile migration via wagon train from Missouri to Oregon in the 1830s. Or maybe you were a sailor

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Queen of North America and Europe called me on the phone. At least that’s how she identified herself. “I have a message for your Leo readers,” she told me. “Why Leo?” I asked. “Because I’m a Leo myself,” she replied, “and I know what my tribe needs to know right now.” I said, “OK. Give it to me.” “Tell Leos to always keep in mind the difference between healthy pride and debilitating hubris,” she said. “Tell them to be dazzlingly and daringly competent without becoming bossy and egomaniacal. They should disappear their arrogance but nourish their mandate to express leadership and serve as a role model. Be shiny and bright but not glaring and blinding. Be irresistible but not envy-inducing.” who accompanied the Viking Leif Eriksson in his travels to the New World five hundred years before Columbus. Is it possible you were part of the team assembled by Italian diplomat Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, who journeyed from Rome to Mongolia in the thirteenth century? Here’s why I’m entertaining these thoughts, Sagittarius: I suspect that a similar itch to ramble and explore and seek adventure may rise up in you during the coming weeks. I won’t be surprised if you consider making a foray to the edge of your known world.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): When the dinosaurs died off 65 million years ago, the crocodiles didn’t. They were around for 135 million years before that era, and are still here now. Why? “They are extremely tough and robust,” says croc expert James Perran Ross. Their immune systems “are just incredible.” Maybe best of all, they “learn quickly and adapt to changes in their situation.” In accordance with the astrological omens, I’m naming the crocodile as your creature teacher for the coming weeks. I suspect you will be able to call on a comparable version of their will to thrive. (Read more about crocs: tinyurl.com/ToughAndRobust.)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “My only hope is that one day I can love myself as much as I love you.” Poet Mariah Gordon-

Dyke wrote that to a lover, and now I’m offering it to you as you begin your Season of Self-Love. You’ve passed through other Seasons of SelfLove in the past, but none of them has ever had such rich potential to deepen and ripen your self-love. I bet you’ll discover new secrets about how to love yourself with the same intensity you have loved your most treasured allies.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Poems can bring comfort,” writes Piscean poet Jane Hirshfield. “They let us know . . . that we are not alone — but they also unseat us and make us more susceptible, larger, elastic. They foment revolutions of awareness and allow the complex, uncertain, actual world to enter.” According to my understanding of upcoming astrological omens, Pisces, life itself will soon be like the poems Hirshfield describes: unruly yet comforting; a source of solace but also a catalyst for transformation; bringing you healing and support but also asking you to rise up and reinvent yourself. Sounds like fun!

ARIES (March 21-April 19): After analyzing unusual animal behavior, magnetic fluctuations, outbreaks of mayhem on Twitter, and the position of the moon, a psychic has foretold that a moderate earthquake will rumble through the St. Louis, Missouri area in the coming weeks. I don’t agree with her

prophecy. But I have a prediction of my own. Using data about how cosmic forces are conspiring to amuse and titillate your rapture chakra, I predict a major lovequake for many Aries between now and August 20. I suggest you start preparing immediately. How? Brainstorm about adventures and breakthroughs that will boost exciting togetherness. Get yourself in the frame of mind to seek out collaborative catharses that evoke both sensory delights and spiritual insights.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Tell me what you pay attention to and I will tell you who you are,” wrote Taurus philosopher José Ortega y Gasset. You could use that idea to achieve a finer grade of peace and grace in the coming weeks. The navel-gazing phase of your yearly cycle has begun, which means you’ll be in closest alignment with cosmic rhythms if you get to know yourself much better. One of the best ways to do that is to analyze what you pay most attention to. Another excellent way is to expand and refine and tenderize your feelings for what you pay most attention to.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano wrote that in Havana, people refer to their friends as mi sangre, my blood, or mi tierra, my country. In Caracas, he reported, a friend might be called mi llave, my key, or mi pana, my bread. Since you are in the alliance-boosting phase of your cycle, Gemini, I trust that you will find good reasons to think of your comrades as your blood, your country, your key, or your bread. It’s a favorable time for you to get closer, more personal, and more intimate. The affectionate depths are calling to you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your emotional intelligence is so strong right now that I bet you could alleviate the pain of a loved one even as you soothe a long-running ache of your own. You’re so spiritually alluring, I suspect you could arouse the sacred yearning of a guru, saint, or bodhisattva. You’re so interesting, someone might write a poem or story about you. You’re so overflowing with a lust for life that you might lift people out of their ruts just by being in their presence. You’re so smart you could come up with at least a partial solution to a riddle whose solution has evaded you for a long time.

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

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.DANCE.

BACKSTAGE BY LISSA BRENNAN CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

NAME: Kitoko Chargois WORK: Company photographer, communications and administrative director, and residency program coordinator at PearlArts Studios, the creative space for multi-media dance group STAYCEE PEARL Dance Project and Soy Sos HOW DID YOU BECOME COMPANY PHOTOGRAPHER? I pursue photography both as a hobby and professionally. I graduated [from] Chatham University with a degree in communications and photography. I was hired to help Staycee Pearl, co-executive/ artistic director, with a residency project that was launching. I saw that there were other ways that I could plug in. One of the ﬁrst projects, I brought my camera and asked, “Do you want me to take photos?” She said yes and from there, it continued. Everything that’s happened since has been completely organic, and I love every minute of it. HOW DOES WORKING WITH THE COMPANY IN OTHER CAPACITIES IMPACT YOUR WORK AS A PHOTOGRAPHER? I see the project as in development, so that gives different layers I can work with. Everyone has a part to play in the creation. Staycee has a vision everyone interprets. That extends to me photographically, because there is a narrative to the work; there are ideas, there’s a vision behind it, but I have the freedom to interpret it from my own perspective. Sometimes I am present for rehearsal and see it in progress so I tend to get a little bit of a rhythm, thinking about the music myself. It’s a little bit of an internal dance. WHICH GIVES YOU A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORK THAN YOU’D HAVE IF WORKING FROM OUTSIDE. I know when certain things are going to happen, I know when certain jumps are going to happen. But it’s really personal for me. The company is something I’m invested in. I’m close to the dancers, the producer. My work is very emotionally driven and I think that shows.

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CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Kitoko Chargois

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF YOUR WORK? I’m not just doing one thing. I have a tendency to feel stagnant when I have to have a routine. I love that every day is different, and I get to use all of the skill sets that I came out of college with. On top of that, I get to add to those skill sets. My job is just basically continuously learning, constantly learning how to serve our company better. DO YOU HAVE A DANCE BACKGROUND? Before I started, my point of knowledge when it came to dance was mainstream media. One of the ﬁrst things I appreciated was that Staycee’s choreography was so accessible I didn’t need to have that back-

ground to enjoy it or to get something from it. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY? Every time we have a show, I gain a new favorite memory. While I’ve been in rehearsals and see the dancers do their thing, when we premiere it, it transforms right before my eyes. It’s not what I was seeing before, not what I had expected. Whatever new piece we do always seems to be better than the last piece we did. DO YOU THINK THAT TRANSFORMATION IS DUE TO THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PERFORMERS AND THE AUDIENCE,

THE EXTRA ELEMENT IN THE ROOM? That definitely plays into it. The difference between photographing the dress rehearsal and photographing the performance is pretty noticeable. There’s a certain energy that just comes to life in the dancers when they’re on stage and it’s showtime, do or die time. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? Keep building on to the knowledge base I’ve acquired. I think all skills are intersectional; we use them together in conjunction. We have a few things coming up. We’re a little bit in transition. I can’t give anything away right now, but just stay tuned. It’s going to be awesome.

•

.STAGE.

STELLLLLA! BY ALEX GORDON ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

SUCCESSFUL production of A Streetcar Named Desire requires more than a good Blanche DuBois, more than a Stanley Kowalski that can rock an undershirt and yell well. While those two are hufﬁng up all the air in the room, you gotta look to Stella. That’s the best way to approach Pittsburgh Classic Players’ production of Streetcar, directed by Shannon Knapp, communications and administrative associate at Quantum Theater. As the show wore on, the explosive interactions between Blanche and Stanley invariably sent my eyes to Jalina McClarin’s Stella and the way she reﬂected the light and energy off of her sister and husband’s volatile chemistry. Sometimes it’s more brutal to see a person witness an explosion than to see the explosion itself. And good god, what a brutal play this is. Everybody remembers the big stuff – the French Quarter, the very-1940s portrayal of sexual tension and homosexuality

PHOTO: SARAH SCHRECK

Brett Sullivan Santry and Alyssa Herron as Stanley and Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire

and promiscuity, the “Stella!” – but watching this production reminded me of what’s really at the core of Tennessee Williams’ play, which isn’t the kindness of strangers, but the cruelty of family. A plot refresher, if you’re hazy: a prim, self-styled Southern belle named Blanche DuBois (Alyssa Herron) lost the family plantation in Mississippi and has come to New Orleans to stay with her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley (Brett Sullivan Santry, co-founder of Pittsburgh Classic Players). Stella is pregnant, meek,

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Continues through Sun., July 28. Spartan Community Center of Hazelwood, 134 E. Elizabeth St., Hazelwood. $25. pghclassics.com

and more turned-on than disgusted by her husband’s apish testosterone. (The script’s portrayal of Stanley as Neanderthalic is a million miles from subtle; it’s shouted from the rooftops, or from the street, in this case.) The apartment is not big

Follow managing editor Alex Gordon on Twitter @shmalexgordon

enough to contain the in-laws’ egos, and over the play’s two acts, he meticulously whittles Blanche down to a nub before she eventually succumbs to an agonizing mental breakdown. There’s an immediacy to this performance which is both metaphorical and literal, since Knapp has thoughtfully staged the production in the tight conﬁnes of the Spartan Community Center in Hazelwood. Audience capacity was around 40, and since the space was not air-conditioned, guests were given rigid handheld fans and served lemon Coke and pralines as a nod to 1940s New Orleans. Sweating alongside the actors in a small space might seem contrived if pulled off differently, but the wet shine on Stanley’s bald head had the visceral effect of time-and-place setting that it intended. I kind of wanted to ask Stanley for a beer. Knapp’s production is a deeply satisfying experience, or as at least as deeply satisfying as a story with domestic violence, rape, and mental illness can be. It’s hard to know what to take away from it besides its humanity and honesty. But the story is what it is: an exploration of our worst impulses told through two profoundly unwell people. All we can do is sit, react, like Stella, and watch.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

PHOTO: TONY DUFF

Maya Temple’s designs

MAYA TEMPLE FASHION SHOW 6 p.m. Fri., July 26. Ace Hotel, 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. $10-20. Search “Maya Temple” on eventbrite.com

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.FASHION.

FASHION FORECAST BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

TTENDING ONE FASHION show

was all it took for 19-year-old Maya Myeko to quit her day job and pursue a career in fashion. Four months later, Myeko, who runs a clothing brand under the moniker Maya Temple, is putting on her ﬁrst-ever runway show at the Ace Hotel. “I was having really bad creative block,” says Myeko of her state of mind before attending the Frisk Me Good Fashion Show in Cleveland, Ohio, which was run by her godmother’s niece, a designer in her twenties. “[The show] made me realize how much I wanted to have my own, so I started planning one immediately when I got back to Pittsburgh.”

her neighborhood. Through the event, she hopes to show the world that every community in Pittsburgh holds incredible talent and by working together, there is room for everyone to succeed. “This is a product by not only me, but everyone involved in the show,” says Myeko. “We’re all young, talented creatives of Pittsburgh. We have great things here; we have great talent. I want to teach the younger generations that if you work together and use your talents together as a unit, you can get further.” Eager to have a place to show their work, ﬁnding models, designers, and performers was the easy part of Myeko’s planning process. The challenge came with booking a place for the event.

“I WANT TO TEACH THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS THAT IF YOU WORK TOGETHER AND USE YOUR TALENTS TOGETHER AS A UNIT, YOU CAN GET FURTHER.” With a mission to showcase not only herself but some of Pittsburgh’s best upcoming designers, the event will also feature clothing from OOTW Creations, Rare by Jamon, Pink Trap Collection, BreannaleeTheLabel, Monetary Apparel, and Arashi Apparel, in addition to poetry, live music, and dance performances from Febe, Leila Rhodes, Talia Spears, Esten J, Gerdezjah Olive, Selena Woods, and more. While Myeko sent out a casting call for models, performers, and the like, many of those participating in the show are her friends, or friends of friends, who she grew up with. A graduate of Woodland Hills High School, Myeko knew that many people looked at her community and high school as violent and unappealing. Myeko, however, saw the hidden treasures of

“It was supposed to be at a hotel in Oakland,” says Myeko, “but once I showed the lady my pictures, she stopped responding. I guess she looked at my website and just didn’t like the stuff that I had.” That was not an isolated incident. After going through the logistics of booking a space, other venues turned Myeko down after she showed her clothing or asked about having performers. But then she reached out to Ace Hotel. “The Ace Hotel was wonderful, they gave me a very great experience,” says Myeko. “The only thing was the price, but that’s why we are selling tickets to pay for the event, and all [the designers and performers] get exposure for free. It’s going to be a great night all because we put our talents together and supported each other.”

•

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PHOTO: PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST

“Some Body” by Adam Milner

T IS A NATURAL, though often

unhealthy, instinct to avoid talking about death at all costs. In an effort to change that attitude, What We Don’t Talk About, a new exhibit at 937 Gallery on display through Sun., Sept. 1, explores the way people process death and mortality of themselves of their loved ones. The exhibit, guest-curated by artist Becky Slemmons, features sculpture, sound, photography, tapestry, and ﬁlm from nine artists. Slemmons originally got the idea for the project from her friend Annuska Dal Maso, whose photo series “Where does sorrow live” is featured in the show and based on a box of letters about death. Slemmons went forward with the exhibit even though she was initially wary about the topic. “The fact that death and mortality, and speaking about death and mortality could, or even should be something that universally unites humanity — and yet it produces profound discomfort — fascinates me,” says Slemmons. While art relating to death often features dark colors — black, gray, red, more black — and imagery, the works in What We Don’t Talk About are lighter. Not lighter in the sense of shying away from the depth of the topic, but lighter in color and feel. It doesn’t feel like walking into a moody, gloomy exhibit, but instead one that thinks about how death can be beautiful, funny, and painful all at the

same time. “I did not want every piece to be about the experience of losing a loved one to death, but to include different perspectives on the subject of death and mortality from different approaches,” says Slemmons. “I am interested in this, that perhaps there is a beauty in the fact that we, as humans, have the ability to feel such a full range of emotions, from elation to the deepest sorrow, relating to death and beyond.”

WHAT WE DON’T TALK ABOUT Continues through Sun., Sept. 1. 937 Liberty. 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. trustarts.org

In her textile work, Mary M. Mazziotti toys with “memento mori,” a Latin phrase (“remember you will die”) that was popular in 17th-century European art. Mazziotti created a series of textiles with wry phrases meditating on death’s constant inconvenience. She has a series of banners. One reads “Oh Death! It’s always all about you, isn’t it?” in cursive, and others have a sinister rebus (a visual puzzle combining pictures and letters.) Kevin Clancy also employs morbid humor in his installation “DEAD,” a sculptural work featuring a metal grid afﬁxed with skeletal hands, sometimes

hanging on their own, sometimes sitting atop an iPad, all framed by glowing neon lights. Other works in the show get more intimate, tackling the more personal and specific reactions to death. Alisha B. Wormsley encases personal objects in resin — a funeral procession flag, hair with beads — and combines them with her phrase “there are Black people in the future.” The work is coupled with audio by sound artist Ricardo Iamuuri Robinson. Yvonne McBride created a version of an ancestral altar, featuring a jar surrounded by three candles where visitors can add the names of family or ancestors who have passed. A sculpture in the middle of the room by Lenore Thomas represents objects her mother held while dying. Several pieces are white or lightcolored. Adam Milner’s “Some Body” features a white table with bones, teeth, and other light-colored body parts (both real and sculpture). Natalie Settles’ graphite drawings feature a large expanse of white with finely detailed images, using the white space to capture that “death is about what is missing,” as her statement reads. “Black certainly is the color of mourning in our culture,” says Slemmons. “To me, black in reference to death also signifies the dark weight of fear of the unknown, the end, and all the emotions that go with that.”

•

YOU NOMINATED. YOU VOTED. NOW YOU PARTY.

Best Of Party • August 8 • 7pm bestofpgh.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

.LITERATURE.

EVERYWHERE, PA. BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HERE’S NOTHING typical about Sarah Elaine Smith’s debut novel, Marilou is Everywhere (Riverhead). Set in Greene County, Pa., the usual clichés about rural life are absent. The book reﬂects the language of the Southwestern Pennsylvania region, but never in a condescending manner. Marilou is Everywhere involves a young woman who goes missing while camping with friends. Jude is 18 and biracial, and lives with her bohemian mother, Bernadette, who raises goats and lives in a house ﬁlled with laundry in “soft, saggy piles” and “spider plants, a scummed jug of Carlo Rossi, a toppled pair of riding boots with a sky-blue tempura stripe painted up the side.” Then there’s Cindy Stoat, the 14-year-old protagonist, who does not conform to stereotypical images found in comparable books. Cindy is overweight because her diet consists mostly of junk food. She is not cute or exceptional. Simply, she’s a kid who needs help. “That’s sort of what I mean by central casting Appalachia,” says Smith, who celebrates her book launch Tue., July 30 at White Whale Bookstore. “There are some things that may be a little

PHOTO: JASON KIRKER

Sarah Elaine Smith

MARILOU IS EVERYWHERE LAUNCH AT WHITE WHALE BOOKSTORE 7 p.m. Tue., July 30. 4754 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free. whitewhalebookstore.com

glamorized to make characters waiﬁsh. I’m interested in something that feels more lived-in than that.”

With Cindy’s mother working out of town, there’s no electricity or running

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water in the family’s home. Her brothers are incapable of caring for her and she winds up living with Bernadette, who, in an alcoholic fugue state, thinks Cindy is Jude. The story starts with Cindy’s voice but also indulges Smith’s fascination with true-crime stories. “I was really rabid about [true crime] for a while,” says Smith, who has degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and worked as a proofreader for the Austin Chronicle in Texas before moving back to Pittsburgh. “I felt a little bit uncomfortable with my appetite for them. There’s something a little bit gruesome [about] taking in as much of it as I was taking in, and I started to think about what is it that draws me into these stories. What am I really doing?” Smith’s solution was to run Jude’s disappearance parallel to Cindy’s story while trying to capture a slice of the region that is often dismissed or overlooked. She tapped into her own childhood and the support she received from her parents and Janice Hatﬁeld, a teacher at West Greene High who gave her boxes of books to read. Greene County, sometimes portrayed as a cultural wasteland, was actually a great incubator for an aspiring writer. “A deﬁance of that image of Greene County and Appalachia is something I took with me when writing the book,” Smith says. “The part that I’m from is a little bit different than the other parts of the region that get a little bit more representation.”

•

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WED., AUG. 7 FROM ASHES TO NEW 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. All-ages event. $22-33. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

WED., AUG. 7 THIEVERY CORPORATION 8 P.M. ROXIAN THEATRE MCKEES ROCKS. All-ages event. $35-55. 412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com With special guests Magic City Hippies.

FRI., AUG. 9 JOHN SCHNEIDER

WED., AUG. 7 LUCINDA WILLIAMS AND HER BAND BUICK 6 8 P.M. BYHAM THEATER DOWNTOWN. $44.25-64.25 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org

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7 P.M. THUNDERBIRD CAFÉ & MUSIC HALL LAWRENCEVILLE. 21 and up. $15 412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com

6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $15-35. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com. With special guests Kyle Jennings and Walden Wesley.

FRI., AUG. 9 THE BOY BAND PROJECT

THU., AUG. 8 UNCLE KRACKER

7:30 P.M. WHEELING ISLAND SHOWROOM WHEELING. $15 ticketmaster.com

6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $25-39.75. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

FRI,. AUG, 9 PUBLIC TALK & BLESSING WITH HIS HOLINESS MENRI TRIZIN

THU., AUG. 8 DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

7 P.M. FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OAKLAND. $25. More events & tickets: www.olmoling.org.

6 P.M. WHITE OAK OFF-LEASH DOG AREA. Free event. alleghenycounty.us/parks

THU., AUG. 8 NELLY, TLC, AND FLO RIDA 7 P.M. KEYBANK PAVILLION BURGETTSTOWN. $25-39.50 724-947-7400 or livenation.com.

FRI., AUG. 9 JOHN SCHNEIDER 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $22-37. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com. With special guests Dinnerbell Road and Brian Genovesi.

FRI., AUG. 9 NAUGHTY PROFESSOR &

SAT., AUG. 10 AUGUST BURNS RED: 10 YEARS OF CONSTELLATIONS TOUR 7 P.M. ROXIAN THEATRE MCKEES ROCKS. All-ages event. $27.50-35. 412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com

SAT., AUG. 10 SAVES THE DAY/ JOYCE MANOR 8 P.M. REX THEATER SOUTHSIDE. $24 412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com.

SUN., AUG. 11 COMMON - LET LOVE TOUR 7 P.M. ROXIAN THEATRE MCKEES ROCKS. All-ages event. $42.75-179.00. 412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com

SUN., AUG. 11 MATCH GAYME: THE SHADY BUNCH 6 P.M. GREER CABARET THEATER DOWNTOWN. $19.69-29.25. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org

SUN., AUG. 11 HIT THE TRAIL FOR A HIKE: INTERMEDIATE 12 P.M. BOYCE PARK PLUM. Free event. alleghenycounty.us/parks

MON., AUG. 12 BULLETBOYS 6 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE SOUTH HILLS. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $12-14. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com. With special guest Meanstreet.

TUE., AUG 13 JAMES MOORE TRIO 5 P.M. AGNES KATZ PLAZA DOWNTOWN. Free event. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org

SUN., AUG. 11 BLACK FLAG

TUE., AUG 13 NIGHT SKY EXPLORATION: PERSEID METEOR SHOWER

7 P.M. REX THEATER SOUTHSIDE. All-ages event. $28-30. 412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com.

9 P.M. HARRISON HILLS PARK NATRONA HEIGHTS. Free event. alleghenycounty.us/parks

FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

CP PHOTO: STEPHEN CARUSO

^ Fri., July 26: Picklesburgh

THURSDAY JULY 25 ART Black Women in Art: Paint on Canvas is an event designed to empower, uplift, and create space for art made by Black women. The event at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center is hosted by The Queenpin PGH and The Thirsty Mind Collective, and will feature both exhibited art and panels of experts. See painted work by Ashante Josey, Morgan Overton, and Naomi Chambers,

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and learn about inclusion and the impact of diversity from those who practice and study it. 5-9 p.m. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $15-30. Search “Black women in art” on eventbrite.com

BIKE RIDE It’s hot out there, so take off your clothes and go for a bike ride. On the last Thursday of every month through October, the Pittsburgh Underwear Bike Ride takes place at different locations around the city. The event intends to encourage a positive-body image and help riders become comfortable with their bodies, whether clad in just their

underwear or easing their way into it with shorts and a tank top. July’s Underwear Bike Ride will take place in Lawrenceville with an afterparty at Spirit. 7:30 p.m. Meet at the corner of Butler St. and 46th St., Lawrenceville. Free. facebook.com/PghUnderwearBikeRide

FRIDAY JULY 26 PICKLES What is there to say about Picklesburgh that you don’t already know? The annual

festival of all things pickle features pickles on a stick, a pickle juice drinking contest, pickling demonstrations, live music (not about pickles), and more. The festival has become such a big dill that this year it’s expanding to both the Roberto Clemente Bridge and Fort Duquesne Boulevard. This is what they call brine dining! 12-10 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 28. Roberto Clemente Bridge and Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown. Free. picklesburgh.com

WIZARDS The Wizard World convention takes over the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for an entire weekend of geeking out over

^ Fri., July 26: American Idiot

comic books, movies, superheroes, and other pop culture favorites. Play games, dress up in your best cosplay, and meet celebrity guests, including Zachary Levi of the hit DC show Shazam! and Holly Marie Combs of the TV series Charmed and Pretty Little Liars. Continues through Sun., July 28. 4-9 p.m. 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown. One-day tickets starting at $15. wizardworld.com

PARTY The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium will close early on July 26, but only so they can host the liveliest party of the summer. The zoo’s Summer Safari is an annual event that features creative alcoholic drinks and gourmet food provided by some of the best local restaurants. Guests can roam the zoo after hours and are encouraged to dress in a classy, but safari-inspired fashion — so don’t shy away from the animal print dresses and safari hats with khakis. 6-11 p.m. 7370 Baker St., Highland Park. $85. pittsburghzoo.org

WORTH THE TRIP:

FESTIVAL Whether you know it or not, Southwestern Pennsylvania is a hot spot for paranormal investigation, and one ^ Fri., July 26: Kecksburg UFO Festival

of its most famous events is the 1965 Kecksburg UFO incident. A fiery object was spotted flying across the sky and landed 40 miles outside of Pittsburgh, where locals investigated and allegedly saw an acorn-shaped vessel partially buried in the ground. Military officials showed up, cordoned off the area, and a flatbed trailer carrying a large, tarp-covered object was observed leaving the scene. It’s been a topic of fascination and speculation ever since. Kecksburg is proud of this heritage, as it should be, and celebrates it annually with the Kecksburg UFO Festival. Enjoy a UFO hot dog eating contest, corn hole tournaments, fireworks, a parade, a “bed race,” a hay bale toss, food, music, and, of course, a UFO conference meeting. It’s worth the trip. 6 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 28. Free. 5128 Water St., Mount Pleasant. kecksburgvfd.com

STAGE It’s hard to remember while cruising the calm waters of 2019, but 2004 was a pretty tumultuous political climate: two wars, an unpopular president, a renewed sense of patriotism and militarism, and a renewed cynicism toward those values. So, as is always the case, mainstream punk rock and suburban ennui came to the rescue with Green Day’s American Idiot. It delivered some massive hits, won two CONTINUES ON PG. 42

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 41

^ Sat., July 27: Goat Fest

Grammy Awards, and eventually became a Broadway play in 2010, which then won two Tony Awards. The original run ended in 2011, but productions have been staged consistently all over the world in the years since, including one in Pittsburgh in 2016 with an all-Black cast which got a kudos tweet from Billie Joe Armstrong. Now, Duquesne University’s The Summer Company stages American Idiot at its Genesius Theater for a short run, directed by Justin Sines. It’s a great opportunity to see a Broadway blockbuster in an intimate setting, so don’t miss it. 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., June 28. 600 Forbes Ave., Uptown. $15. thesummercompany.com

SATURDAY JULY 27 GOATS Celebrate nature’s lawnmowers when

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the third annual Goat Fest comes to South Side Park. Hosted by the Friends of South Side Park, the familyfriendly event welcomes a herd of goats and their protective donkey friend from Allegheny Goatscape as they set out to clear vines and invasive plant species from the park’s Jurassic Valley. There will also be food trucks, live music, and a craft vendor market in the Bandi Schaum Community Garden, guided hikes, and more. Bring an umbrella or waterproof jacket because this fest is happening rain or shine. 12-4 p.m. 51 Greeley St., South Side. Free. goatfestpgh.com

MUSIC Mr. Smalls Theatre presents two days crammed with music and more during Yinzfest 2019. This year’s event will head back to 1990s with over 30 bands and live musical acts performing grunge-era covers, as well as their own original material. You can also expect

DJs, art, poetry by Tom Conroy, comedy by Noah Brown, and dance by JessAnn, as well as games, magic, contests, and more. So put on your best flannel, stretchy choker, and cut-up jeans for a weekend of fun. 2 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 28. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $20. mrsmalls.com

FURRIES Are you sad that we have to wait an entire year until Anthrocon comes back to hang out with the furries? Don’t be! Not only do you get the chance to meet local furries at Furbowlaeoke, you can sing and bowl with them too. Fursuits and friends gather monthly for the event where $13 will get you four games and a shoe rental, plus a chance to belt out your favorite tunes. Might we suggest “Hound Dog” or “Stray Cat Strut”? 8 p.m. AMF Bowling, 1601 Washington Road, Mount Lebanon. $13. facebook.com/pittsburghfurbowl

SUNDAY JULY 28 FESTIVAL Any cocktail that can work as a vessel for grilled cheese, shrimp, or bacon deserves your respect. Pay homage to the greatness of the Bloody Mary at Voodoo Brewery’s first-ever Bloody Mary Festival. The Homestead brewery is featuring samples of the city’s best bloody’s along with mimosas, food trucks, and live music. A portion of the profits will benefit Animal Rescue League. 12 p.m. 205 E. Ninth Ave., Homestead. $30. Search “Bloody Mary Festival” on Facebook.

MONDAY JULY 29 ART Quilts, an art form with origins in recycling

ART: MASAYO ODAHASHI’S “BALANCE OF MY MIND III”

^ Tue., July 30: a parting glass! sculpture from abroad

fabric scraps, gets a modern twist with the Pop Art Quilt Exhibit at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library. On view through July, the show includes 17 pop art-inspired, mini-quilt pieces done by 12 Pittsburgh Modern Quilt Guild members. The chosen artists were encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and create something without the guidelines of a quilting pattern, all while using a red, blue, yellow, black, white, and grey color palette. Continues through Wed., July 31. 16 Castle Shannon Blvd., Mount Lebanon. Free. mtlebanonlibrary.org

TUESDAY JULY 30 ART From brightly colored sculptures of human heads to delicate miniature three-dimensional landscapes, a parting glass! sculpture from abroad brings a wide range of innovative perspectives to glasswork. The Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery exhibit features international artists from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Northern Ireland, South Korea, and Japan. All of them have previously shown their work in the gallery before, but “all of the artworks are unique and ^ Mon., July 29: Pop Art Quilt Exhibit PHOTO: PITTSBURGH MODERN QUILT GUILD

worthy of another look before they’re gone,” says gallery director Amy Morgan. 11 a.m. Continues through Sat., Sept. 14. 5833 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. morganglass gallery.com

PARTY Superior Motors is turning two: Join the Braddock restaurant for a food-filled outdoor party (complete with a water balloon toss). Acclaimed head chef/owner Kevin Sousa is putting together a menu of tacos, burgers, poke, and hot dogs, partnering with Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream to bring guests a sweet, boozy float for dessert. Live music includes local funk group The Beauty Slap and DJ Selecta. 5 p.m. 1121 Braddock Ave., Braddock. $45. superiormotors15104.com

WEDNESDAY JULY 31 FILM The film I’m Moshanty. Do You Love Me? explores the life and career of Moses “Moshanty” Tau, a beloved transgender musician and entertainer in Papua New Guinea, who passed away in 2018. She is described as having had “a mother’s heart, teeth of gold, and a voice like a coronet.” Join City of Asylum for a screening of the film at Alphabet City, hosted by Reel Q. There will also be a Q&A with director Tim Wolff over Skype. 7 p.m. 48 W. North Ave., North Side. Free. alphabetcity.org • PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

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NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-3218. In re petition of Darnell Laron Carey Jr for change of name to Darnell Laron Carey Thompson. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 12th day of August, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-9107. In re petition of Stephanie Veronica Sweetser for change of name to Anni Riwen Sweetser. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 26th day of August, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-9091. In re petition of Yiming Su for change of name to Yiming Zhad. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 28th day of August, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-8699. In re petition of Svetozar Stephen Milutinovic for change of name to Adrian Blaine. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 3rd day of September, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

HEALTHCARE/MEDICAL

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-7698. In re petition of Danielle Marie Evans for change of name to Elle Josephine Evans. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 30th day of July, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-6881. In re petition of Benjamin Paul Brooks for change of name to Haru Anna Brooks. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 8th day of August, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-8394. In re petition of Curtis Alphonso Waddy for change of name to Curtis Alphonso Jeffries. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 28th day of August, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

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AREA 51

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

ACROSS

1. Lollipop flavor 6. The Globe’s river 10. Nibble (on) 14. Return the favor, say 15. One who travels with balloons 16. Bank job? 17. With 23- and 53-Across, “Those who work at Area 51 will have all the answers”? 20. Little boys 21. Big name in plastic 22. Wu-Tang Clan rapper also known as “the Chef,” briefly 23. See 17-Across 25. Inits. used in some home-cooling systems 27. Runs like the wind 29. Faddish ‘90s disc 30. “The way,” from the East 31. Young swan 32. Big rum producer 34. Heart-to-heart 37. Military plans held at Area 51? 41. Company with a “Become A Host” page on its website 42. Computer that had roughly 18,000 vacuum tubes 44. Suffering person’s claim 47. Bock alternative 49. French wineproducing region 50. House lily

51. Chopin piece 53. See 17-Across 54. High priest in Samuel 55. Nate who covers polling for the New York Times 57. “Over there!” 59. Support a ceremony done at Area 51? 64. Away from the wind 65. Craft with wool 66. Difficult to read 67. Yankees catcher Sánchez 68. Toys around one’s house 69. College application part

DOWN

1. Movie supervillain who steals the moon 2. Holding ruler, briefly 3. Formal defense 4. Tree with oblong leaves 5. Looked over 6. Box in a musician’s rig 7. Subject of Gustave Courbet’s painting “L’Origine du monde” 8. Fatty acid type 9. Untouchable one 10. Dyna-___ (seed company) 11. Thing fired by thinking 12. Burning 13. Most

comprehensive 18. Org. focused on workplace falls 19. Vague notion 23. Canadian speed limit abbr. 24. Linguist Chomsky 26. SAT section 28. Utah city near the Great Salt Lake 30. Lake guaranteed to make you giggle 31. Mixtape with a lot of 90s songs on it, e.g. 33. Hiking path 35. Leigh ___ Caldwell (NBC News correspondent) 36. “I pass” 38. Bother 39. Some trustafarians

40. Bareilles who co-wrote the musical “Waitress” 43. Slice 44. Cold comfort provider 45. Peace Nobelist Yousafzai 46. Deli device 48. Bicycle kicking star 51. Colorless gas used in refrigeration 52. Dark 53. Barcelona stock? 56. Peeling spuds 58. Never before, never again 60. Important 61. “___ perfectly normal” 62. Drink from a bag 63. Ice cream man? LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 24-31, 2019

PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM

AST WEEK I talked to three Pitts-

burgh-based strippers — Eden, Iris, and Sheena — and asked them what people could do to be good customers and to have positive experiences in a strip club. What I noticed in talking to all three of them is that the concerns they had about women and couples in the club were different from the ones that they had about men. This week, I continue the conversation, focusing on women and couples.

SEXUAL AGGRESSION Eden says that one of the difﬁcult things about dealing with heterosexual couples at the club is that the women tend to be sexually aggressive. “In my experience, women who are coming in, especially as part of a couple, feel like they can touch me more, and with less respect, than the guys.” She goes on, “There is this assumption that it is okay [for women to be handsy].” Moreover, in the context of couples, some of this aggression can feel like a display for their partner. “If I was on stage, I would notice that women who were touchy were doing so as a ﬂirtation with their partner,” Eden says. “They are having some sort of homoerotic interaction, but catered toward the male gaze.”

TAKING OVER In addition to women who are part of

couples being more sexually aggressive with the dancers, Iris talked about the ways in which many of the women often tried to blur the line between customer and worker. “There are couples that come in and they are trying to live out some fantasy that is sex work related,” she says. In other words, rather than enjoying a customer experience, many women in couples try to take on the role of the dancer by doing things like getting drunk and trying to climb on stage. Even when they don’t physically go on stage, women who are part of couples engage in other disruptive

behavior that takes attention away from the dancers who are trying to do their job. “When a woman’s boyfriend or husband is sitting at the stage, they [will] give him a lap dance between him and the stage,” Sheena says. Similarly, all three of the women I talked to mentioned that when single women start to ﬂirt with customers at the club it threatens their ability to make money. “When women start ﬂirting with customers, I’m like, ‘Girl go, take it elsewhere!’” says Iris.

JEALOUSY In line with trying to take on the role

of the dancers, many of the women who come in, particularly with their partners, will behave in ways that demonstrate their own insecurities, which can be a lot for the dancers to manage. “[As dancers we have to recognize that] this is their shit and not ours to deal with,” Sheena says. “I have seen women get in physical ﬁghts with their boyfriends at the club, or with strippers.” Sheena says that this problem comes out of the culture strip clubs breed and that women need to think about it going in. “Strip clubs come out of a sexist patriarchal society. There is a lot of championing of young, hot, white bodies. It can be really toxic and hard for people to be around. It is important for women to realize where they are at with all that.”

POSITIVES All that being said, women and couples can add a lot to the club if they come in with respect for the dancers and an openness to enjoying the experience. “A big part of couples, no matter what their dynamic is, is trying to engage in something that feels foreign and sexy,” Iris says. “Couples can be really fun, really cool, and really sexy.” “I love when women come to the club and they are all about it!” Sheena says. “It is really fun to dance for women.”

•

JESSIE SAGE IS CO-HOST OF THE PEEPSHOW PODCAST AT PEEPSHOWPODCAST.COM. HER COLUMN PEEPSHOW IS EXCLUSIVE TO PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER. FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER @PEEP_CAST. HAVE A SEX QUESTION YOU’RE TOO AFRAID TO ASK? ASK JESSIE! EMAIL INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM. QUESTIONS MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR AN UPCOMING COLUMN.

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