September 27, 2023 - Pittsburgh City Paper

WAMO celebrates 75 years of broadcasting Black

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN

CELEBRATING 30+ YEARS

4 Smithfield Street, Suite 1210 Pittsburgh, PA 15222

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PGHCITYPAPER PITTSBURGHCITYPAPER

SEPT. 27–OCT. 3, 2023

VOL. 32 ISSUE 39

Editor-in-Chief ALI TRACHTA

Director of Advertising RACHEL WINNER

Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD

A&E Editor AMANDA WALTZ

News Editor COLIN WILLIAMS

Staff Writer RACHEL WILKINSON

Art Director LUCY CHEN

Photographer MARS JOHNSON

Audience Engagement Specialist STACY ROUNDS

Graphic Designer JEFF SCHRECKENGOST

Sales Representatives SIERRA CLARY, ALEISHA

STARKEY, MARIA STILLITANO

Digital Coordinator MORGAN BIDDLE

Marketing Coordinator LEE HOOD

BY COLIN WILLIAMS

BY KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON

Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH

Contributors KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON, REGE BEHE, LYNN CULLEN, MEG ST-ESPRIT, MATT PETRAS, JORDANA ROSENFELD, JORDAN SNOWDEN

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COVER PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

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PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

WAMO

The urban station has kept Black Pittsburgh on the airwaves through shifting frequencies and ownership.

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

FOR KIKI BROWN, WAMO 107.3’s afternoon DJ and Assistant Brand Manager, the urban radio station’s approaching 75th anniversary is more than a celebration: it’s about legacy.

“No matter what changes — we changed addresses, we changed outfits — we’re still the same WAMO,” Brown tells Pittsburgh City Paper

“We’re still here. We’re consistent. We went away for a little bit, but we came back, and we came back stronger.”

Over the years, the Pittsburgh radio station has undergone numerous transitions, from shifting ownership — first the Black-owned Sheridan Broadcasting Corp., then Martz Communications Group, and now Audacy Pittsburgh — to different channels, hosts, and even names: WHOD, WAMO 106 Jamz, WAMO 100, and simply WAMO.

local urban community.

“We are the only urban station, and have been the only urban station, in the city of Pittsburgh for 75 years, with hip-hop, R&B, soul, jazz, and gospel, and that means a lot to the Black community,” Brown says. “Because being Black, not just in this city but in this country, we’re looking for something that can represent us, be our voice, be our connection.”

But through it all, the station has continued to function as a voice for both Black Pittsburghers and the

WAMO has done that through community engagement, concerts, events, music festivals, on-air programming like “Stop the Music, Stop the Violence” segments, and featuring important figures on the radio, whether they be a favorite celebrity or sports star.

“WE’RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT CAN REPRESENT US, BE OUR VOICE, BE OUR CONNECTION.”

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON WAMO 107.3 celebrates their 75th anniversary this month.

MARKET SQUARE

MELLON SQUARE

own right. Besides working her way genre in the City of Bridges. and Pittsburgh’s CRAVE.

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

Kiki Brown, afternoon DJ and Assistant Brand Manager, poses for a portrait at WAMO studios.

Brown hopes the event will be a callback to the days when Pittsburgh’s nightlife scene was pulsating with clubs like the now-defunct Whiskey Dick’s, Chauncy’s, and Rosebud populating the Strip District, Station Square, and even Monroeville. The

says Brown, “but for those few hours, we just want to take you back to those good times.”

2009 to 2011. Then, during the late 2010s, the station’s signal could be pretty spotty, even in the middle

broadcasts no matter where they are in the United States.

The station is ready to reclaim its crown as Pittsburgh’s urban community engagement platform. Brown urges listeners to “let WAMO back in," saying, “some people still don’t

“WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIT THE SAME JEANS,

CHEERS TO FESTBIERS

BY COLIN WILLIAMS // COLIN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CITY PAPER TOOK ON the extremely difficult task of finding and drinking the city's finest Oktoberfest beers. Breweries from the North Side to Lawrenceville each offer their own interpretations, producing a nice range of golden suds to enjoy through early October.

We've rounded up some of the city's highlights below. Read on for where to find festbiers and upcoming Oktoberfest celebrations in the ’Burgh — Prost!

Cinderlands Beer Co.

2601 Smallman St., Strip District. cinderlands.com

Cinderlands’ festbier, Danville Train, is a clean-drinking festbier with a pleasant golden color. The beer starts with a noble hop and yeast nose followed by a slightly bready sweetness and clean finish.

To crush some Danville Trains in true Oktoberfest style, thirsty Pittsburghers can join Cinderfest 2023 on Oct. 5 — the celebration will feature music, German-inspired food, and games, including a steinhoisting competition. Unlike in previous years, the festival will take up the entire Strip District Warehouse location.

Penn Brewery

800 Vinial St., North Side. pennbrew.com

Pittsburgh’s oldest brewery, which also features one of the region’s largest Oktoberfest celebrations, has been brewing traditional Germanstyle beers since their 1986 inception, and it shows in the quality and crushability of their seasonal Oktoberfest beer. Leaning on a more complex malt bill, Penn’s Oktoberfest has a deep gold, almost russet color and a lightly sweet flavor with notes of toasted bread and pecan.

Even though Penn’s Oktoberfest starts fairly early, with its final weekend just behind us, Penn’s extensive menu of German delights means it’s basically Oktoberfest all year. Get some Oktoberfest and Gemütlichkeit while you can — if you miss it this time around, Penn’s similarly satisfying Märzen usually starts pouring in January.

Four Points

919 Western Ave., North Side. fourpointsbrewing.com

Four Points’ 4P Märzen has a rich amber color and a clean noble hop nose. Toasty malts with biscuit overtones give way to a slight hop bitterness and finish on the back of the tongue. This 5.8% lager comes served in a 4P mug.

The brewery released even more Teutonic goodness with the arrival of their Tomorrow Is Yesterday German pilsner on Sept. 22, and will add a dunkelweizen on Sept. 27 at their Western Ave. taproom.

Lolev Beer

5247 Butler St., Lawrenceville. lolev.beer

Lolev Brewing has a traditional Märzen called Sonnen available for Oktoberfest season. At 5.4%, and with a deep, almost orange golden color, Sonnen is deliciously malty, with a slightly sweeter, fuller-bodied flavor than other beers on this list as befits the style.

If you missed Lolev’s Oktoberfest celebration on Sat., Sept. 23, you can always quaff a Sonnen over trivia on Sept. 27 or while getting a Friday the 13th tattoo in October if supplies last.

Hop Farm Brewing Co.

5601 Butler St., Lawrenceville. hopfarmbrewingco.com

Hop Farm’s Oktoberfest tends to be a touch hoppier than other local entries in the category, says Hop Farm brewer and incoming Pittsburgh Brewers Guild executive director Mel Larrick, but it’s still balanced and refreshing with a beautifully clear yellow color. Clocking in

Mel Larrick pours beers from the tap at Hop Farm.

at 6.3%, the Hop Farm Oktoberfest goes down smoothly, with a lightly spicy hop nose, balanced sweetness, and a crisp finish. It comes served with a nice thick head in a classic dimpled mug.

Hop Farm will be celebrating the season with Bavarian food spe cials, including pretzels, sausage, and a German sandwich platter. Enjoy these treats in their expanded Lawrenceville warehouse space alongside events such as trivia or during Hoptoberfest on Oct. 3 with a performance by Aria412.

Trace Brewing

4312 Main St., Bloomfield. tracebloomfield.com

A lighter-drinking beer than others on the list, this 4.5% lager shows off Munich, Pilsner, and Vienna malts with a dry finish and a light floral nose from noble hops. The straw-colored lager comes served in a pint-sized

version of the traditional Bavarian . Toast with this balanced lager at one of Trace’s many upcoming readings and parties.

Elsewhere

Outside of city limits, there are numerous breweries making festbiers and celebrating in true Bavarian fashion. Dancing Gnome in Sharpsburg has both a Märzen and a Festbier on tap. Golden Age Beer in Homestead just tapped both an Oktoberfest and a smoked Märzen they’ve dutifully aged since March, and Hitchhiker Brewing also just tapped kegs of their Oktoberfest lager. Lastly, Necromancer Brewing will celebrate Oktoberfest the weekend of Sept. 29 with beer, games, and a sneak preview of the menu at soon-to-open Greenfield pub. Don your dirndls and lace up your lederhosen, lager fans — ’tis the season for a glass of Gemütlichkeit! •

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

Hop Farm is celebrating Oktoberfest this year with their slighly hoppier take on festbier.

Follow News Editor Colin Williams on Twitter @colinwimbles

BENEATH THE OUTER SKIN

What happened to fetish shop The Outer Skin for the Inner You? Maybe it’s better we don’t know.

BY DADE LEMANSKI // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

SOME TIME IN THE EARLY 2000S, when Audrey* was still a teenager living in his parents’ house, a commercial interrupted his covert, late-night viewing of the Sunday Night Sex Show , sex therapist Sue Johanson’s hour of televised call-in advice which ran from 1996 to 2005. The Canadian TV program, which at the time was Audrey’s main outlet for sexual information, surprised him by advertising a resource close to where he lived in Pittsburgh’s South Hills: “The Outer Skin for the Inner You: I never forgot that [name].”

I first met Audrey when he messaged me on Twitter in February of 2022, soon after a piece I wrote for Pittsburgh City Paper about an adult bookstore in McKeesport, Modern Adult 711, came out. Audrey was looking for information about how to cruise and for someone who would accept his devotion to crossdressing — and his total secrecy about it. More recently, I reached out to Audrey because I was looking to find out why The Outer Skin, which once described itself as “The Largest Adult Store in the East,” had closed, suddenly and without warning. It seemed like the kind of place he may have had some experience with. It turned out I was correct.

On drives down 51 toward McKeesport, I had noticed the neon sign switched off, the mannequins in the display windows abandoned in their black satin gloves beneath signs advertising “Men’s Wear” and “Costumes & Accessories,” a handwritten notice taped to the locked side door warning “Do Not Change These Locks!” and directing anyone with questions to call Brandi Pickering or her attorney Esther Evans: “This Property Is Owned By An Estate Currently Pending In Orphan’s Court.” As the name suggests, Orphan’s Court handles adoptions, as well as other intimate relational matters in which the law intervenes: estates and wills, trusts and guardianships, marriage licenses, parental rights, etc. I tried both numbers listed on the sign but got no response, so I began to

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

The Outer Skin fetish shop in Munhall closed suddenly after 23 years of business.

frequented it.

Audrey told me it was seven years after that commercial on late-night cable before he got up the courage as a sophomore in college to visit the now-closed Ultra Flash boutique, which primarily sold clothing for dancers working at area strip clubs. Audrey purchased a pair of thighhighs and a garter belt at the boutique but never returned. “The shop was next to The Xchange [a comics and gaming store], and I knew too many people who might be there, I didn’t want to be recognized,” he said. Some time after that, in his early 20s, Audrey finally made his way to The Outer Skin for the Inner You, whose

The Outer Skin, which former contractor Richard Pickering opened in Munhall in 1999, occupied a sprawling half-block along Eighth Avenue just east of the Homestead Grays Bridge and was decorated with a large neon sign depicting the male and female symbols fused into one. According to a story in the PostGazette in the year 2000, Pickering was inspired to open the store after a visit to Las Vegas, during which he noticed many “small, specialty sex shops” and wondered what it might be like to consolidate their offerings. When the store opened, there was nothing like it in Pittsburgh.

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

A mannequin remains in the window of The Outer Skin in Munhall.

The shop, which the described as a “department store of fantasy and sexuality,” sold a wide array of sex toys, fetish outfits — con struction workers, nurses, angels and devils — and, especially, clothing for crossdressers and sissies like Audrey, who requested to be identified as a “sissy slut” for this article.

A “completely stocked Lifestyle Fantasy Room” at the back was available to rent for parties of up to 110, according to that column. In the 2000s, that room became a dungeon, Le Domaine Playground. Tammy Resnick, who holds the title of Ms. Pittsburgh Leather 1997 and was the only other source who would provide firsthand information about The Outer Skin for Pittsburgh City Paper people using the dungeon were part of a straight swinger scene, and there wasn’t much crossover in clientele with Pittsburgh’s queer and leather communities.

In 2005, Pickering’s then-fiance Lois Murrman opened the shortlived Lolita’s Boutique on Clairton Boulevard; she told the Post-Gazette that she intended for the store to be “a softer version” of Pickering’s establishment in Munhall, where later that year she was identi fied as the store manager in another article. (Murrman also told the paper that she “was named Lolita as a child

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

Opened in 1999, The Outer Skin "For the Inner You" stands abandoned in Munhall.

and like[d] its exotic sound.”)

Despite titillating coverage of the stores, major opposition to The Outer Skin appears to have been limited to one indignant letter to the editor of the Post-Gazette following the 2000 profile; a resident of Baldwin Borough objected to the store being featured in the paper’s “Style File” when, she contended, such content might belong “in a ‘skin rag’ but certainly not in the society page of the PG ... This type of article is hardly fodder for the breakfast table nor acceptable to be seen by children who are innocently looking for a current event to use in a homework assignment.” Otherwise, it appears from the outside, store operations chugged along just fine.

Richard Pickering and Lois Murrman had married, and she had changed her last name to match his, by the time he died in Feb. 2022. The obituary acknowledged the store earnestly but indirectly, stating that “[a]gainst all odds, Richard became a successful self-made businessman.”

Pickering’s unlikely business, The Outer Skin for the Inner You, closed almost immediately after his death. In addition to his second wife, Lois, Pickering was survived by two children from his own first marriage and two from Lois’s.

In May of 2022, the Pittsburgh Legal Journa l noted that Brandi, Pickering’s daughter from his first marriage, and not Lois, was the executor of Pickering’s estate. What the dynamic is or was between these women I can only speculate: when my calls, including to the number listed on the corrugated plastic liquidator sign which later filled the front window to the store, continued to go unanswered, I began to get the sense that the reasons for the shop’s closure were not so much legislative or infrastructural as personal — private as the desires Audrey tried to satisfy by visiting The Outer Skin.

Nonetheless, the silence I found surrounding the shop, as well as Audrey’s requests for repeated assurances that I would protect his identity for this story, and the Baldwin Borough letter-writer’s objections all pointed to a social conspiracy of protection and secrecy among those patronizing The Outer Skin for the Inner You. The store provided a space where secrets could briefly be shared — swingers swing, but they always return to stasis.

While I could speculate about what drove Richard Pickering to devote the last 23 years of his life to running a niche fetish store — whose name

BENEATH THE OUTER SKIN, CONTINUES ON PG. 16

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

The Outer Skin fetish shop in Munhall closed suddenly after 23 years of business.

DESPITE TITILLATING COVERAGE OF THE STORES, MAJOR OPPOSITION TO THE OUTER SKIN APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO ONE INDIGNANT LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE POST-GAZETTE ...

advertised gender transgression and truth-telling that might seem at odds with the way a person presents themself to the world day-to-day — that would be invasive, unverifiable, and unkind. Instead, what I’ve now come to realize is that what is private between people, including estate disputes which take them to court in the wake of a death, should be allowed to stay that way. Who among us does not have pieces of ourselves which we share with a select few, or none at all? How strong is the charge, the fear or thrill, when we choose to reveal those pieces? How great the violation when others reveal them for us?

When I asked Audrey, who hadn’t patronized the store for many years before Pickering’s death, what, if anything, its closure meant to him, he told me, in no uncertain terms, “There’s nowhere else I feel comfortable going to buy those items, and I can’t order them to my house.” He wasn’t sure whether there was a community of crossdressers or

sissies that he might be part of, and the risk of finding out, he told me, was too great.

HOW STRONG IS THE CHARGE, THE FEAR OR THRILL, WHEN WE CHOOSE TO REVEAL THOSE PIECES?

HOW GREAT THE VIOLATION WHEN OTHERS REVEAL THEM FOR US?

Little lament has been made over the loss of places which people who don’t necessarily identify as queer or trans go to realize desires which don’t fit into the rest of their lives. Is death a closet for Pickering? Is the family a grave? What will happen to people who keep their erotic selves secret when there’s no place to go where they can briefly relieve themselves of that burden? •

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

The Outer Skin fetish shop in Munhall closed suddenly after 23 years of business.

TWO LIVES IN PITTSBURGH

BY KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES where Pittsburgh has been transformed into a different world for the sake of cinema. The city has worn the masks of New York, Detroit, and even the fictional Gotham in the case of The Dark Knight Rises

As Pittsburghers watching those films, we get a particular jolt when we recognize a bridge we regularly cross or a street corner we often walk past. But there is something so special when a film shot in Pittsburgh truly represents the city.

Stephen Chbosky, a writer, director, and Pittsburgh native best known for his book The Perks of Being a Wallflower and subsequent film adaptation, can fully attest to that. Chbosky has said in interviews that

it was essential to set his comingof-age story in Pittsburgh to highlight some of his favorite spots. This includes an iconic scene of the main character Charlie and his friends driving through the unmistakable Fort Pitt Tunnel as it exits onto a lit-up Downtown Pittsburgh.

TWO LIVES IN PITTSBURGH

twolivesinpittsburgh.com

Chbosky saw something in an indie film written and directed by another Pittsburgh native, Brian Silverman, so he signed on as executive producer for Two Lives in Pittsburgh

Two Lives in Pittsburgh follows Bernie Evers, a traditional blue-collar

guy who learns that his child, Maddie (Emma Basques), is exploring their gender identity. In the film, Bernie gets a few things wrong along the way, but above all else, his chosen path is love, and he works extra hard to be the parent Maddie needs him to be. A statement about the film describes it as a “catalyst for thoughtful, compassionate, and unifying dialogue” as it focuses on “imperfect people in an imperfect world.”

Chbosky — who recently wrapped production on the Vince Vaughn comedy Nonnas — calls Two Lives in Pittsburgh “a piece of good for the world right now.”

The film has screened at various festivals this year, winning awards at the OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival in North Carolina and the Buffalo

Dreams Fantastic Film Festival in New York, among others.

Silverman, who is also a teacher, says the story came to him as he witnessed many of his students explore their gender identity, particularly in the last decade. It became apparent that this would be new territory for parents who also need to understand what that journey means.

“Each case is different, each family is different, and some are very willing to explore, some are more resistant,” Silverman, a Mt. Lebanon native, tells Pittsburgh City Paper

As Bernie struggles to understand how his son, Matty, is now his daughter, Maddie, he confuses being transgender with being gay. Even with his misconceptions, he enforces a safe space for Maddie.

PHOTO: TIFFANY MURRAY Still from Two Lives in Pittsburgh

“When we confront something in ourselves that is a little bit closed, but starting to open, I think there’s that mix of pain and love,” Silverman says.

The filmmakers made it a priority to put money back into Pittsburgh’s film industry. Every frame was shot during a 20-day shoot in and around Pittsburgh. A large portion of the budget was used to secure local crew members and locations, as well as hire local suppliers, caterers, and other small-business vendors. The soundtrack features Pittsburgh musicians such as Evan Mulgrave, Shamar, and Bjordan.

(many of the actors were local, so they didn’t have to dig too deep to achieve such a feat.)

This film’s theme hit close to home with some of the cast and crew. Make-up artist Krista Montgomery hit it off immediately with Emma Basques, the teen actor cast to plays Maddie Evers. As a nonbinary person, Montgomery felt a kinship with Basques, who is transgender and advocates for LBGTQ rights. Montgomery was moved by the way Basques carried herself with such confidence at just 13 years old.

“I found myself feeling not only

The result could be described as the most Pittsburgh film ever. Black and gold are prominently displayed in every character’s home, with a special highlight on a “Terrible Tank.” Created by Silverman, the “Terrible Tank” is what you would imagine a Terrible Towel would look like as an oxygen tank, which is toted around by Bernie’s ill mom, Carla (Annie O’Donnell). Sarris candy bars were even awarded to cast members who broke out the best Pittsburgh accents

proud but protective of her; she reminded me of a younger me in many ways,” Montgomery tells City Paper

Silverman hopes that people will “see themselves maybe a little bit more clearly the way that I hopefully see myself a little bit more clearly after writing this.”

“I think there’s something important about being a little bit uncomfortable so that we can grow,” says Silverman. •

“I FOUND MYSELF FEELING NOT ONLY PROUD BUT PROTECTIVE OF HER; SHE REMINDED ME OF A YOUNGER ME IN MANY WAYS.”

— Krista Montgomery, make-up artist

PHOTO: JEREMY PARSONS

Behind the scenes of Two Lives in Pittsburgh

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

BY CP STAFF

Sylvan Esso No Rules (Tour) with GRRL

7 p.m. Stage AE. 400 N. Shore Dr., North Side. $29.50-85. promowestlive.com

THEATER • WEST END

Get ready for dancing, singing, and torrents of blood when Pittsburgh Musical Theater presents Evil Dead The Musical. The live stage show combines elements from its cult namesake and sequels to follow its hero Ash on a musical fight against the Candarian Demons. Enjoy what director Nick Mitchell described as a “crazy, campy piece” under the stars at the West End Canopy 8:30 p.m. Continues through Oct. 22. 327 South Main

FRI., SEPT. 29

PARTY • GREENSBURG

Live! Casino Pittsburgh heads outside for a three-day, community-centered event in the venue’s parking lot. The first-ever Live! in the Community Block Party invites everyone to experience carnival games and rides, live music, beer, food trucks, and over 70 local artisans hosted by the Downtown Greensburg Project. The event will also feature a firework display, a 5K fun run, and free, kid-friendly activities. 5-10 p.m. Continues through Sun., Oct. 1. 5260 US-30, Greensburg. Free. All ages. pittsburgh. livecasinohotel.com

DANCE • HAZELWOOD

Open Air with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, August Wilson African American Cultural Center, and Hazelwood Local. 6-9:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., Oct. 1. Hazelwood Green. 4501 Lytle St., Hazelwood. Free. awc.culturaldistrict.org

MUSIC • MUNHALL

Gino Vanelli with Joseph Jones 8 p.m. Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall. 510 East 10th Ave., Munhall. $44.75-84.75. librarymusichall.com

MUSIC • BLOOMFIELD

Dan Koshute Record Release Show with Sweat and Crush Curl. 9 p.m. Brillobox. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $10. brilloboxpgh.com

SAT., SEPT. 30

FESTIVAL • STRIP DISTRICT

Various venues join forces with area Latino organizations to present the Hispanic Heritage Festival. The event kicks off at the Heinz History Center with a Community Festival that promises to “celebrate Pittsburgh’s vibrant Hispanic community” with authentic cuisine, live music, vendors, and family-friendly activities. The festivities continue at the Roberto Clemente Museum with an open house honoring the legendary Puerto Rican baseball player. An after-party at Cavo will conclude the busy weekend. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Multiple locations. Fees apply to some events. Registration required. pmahcc. wildapricot.org/HispanicHeritageFestival

OUTDOORS • SOUTH SIDE

Pedaltopia: Pedal for a Purpose Bike Ride and Fundraiser. 10 a.m-2 p.m. The Highline. 46 S. Fourth St., South Side. $45. communitopiapgh.org

FESTIVAL • POINT BREEZE

POGOH End of Summer Roll Up Community Day with NASH.V.ILL. 10 a.m.3 p.m. Westinghouse Park. 7052 Thomas Blvd., Point Breeze. Free. Registration required for some events. pogoh.com

FESTIVAL • WEST NEWTON

A Final Huzzah: Oktoberfest. 10:30 a.m.6:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., Oct. 1. Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival. 112 Renaissance Lane, West Newton. $12-25, free for kids under 5. pittsburghrenfest.com

FILM/DANCE • FOX CHAPEL

Shana Simmons Dance combines choreography, film, and nature with the premiere of Living Landscapes at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve. Take part in nature walks where live performances by Shana Simmons dancers will take place at sites along the trail. Screenings of the 20-minute-long Living Landscapes film will take place in the covered barn area. 5:307:30 p.m. 614 Dorseyville Road, Fox Chapel. $10-30. shanasimmonsdance.com

MUSIC • MCKEES ROCKS

Andy Frasco & The U.N. 7 p.m. Roxian Theatre. 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. Tickets start at $24. roxianlive.com

PHOTO: COURTESY OF SHANA SIMMONS DANCE Living Landscapes at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve

PHOTO: MATT POLK Pittsburgh Musical Theater presents Evil Dead The Musical

COMEDY • DOWNTOWN

Nick Offerman 7 p.m. Heinz Hall. 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $39.75-79.75. pittsburghsymphony.org

SUN., OCT. 1

CONVENTION • CHESWICK

Pittsburgh Reptile Show & Sale. 9 a.m.3 p.m. Harmar House. 1321 Freeport Road, Cheswick. $6, free for kids under 4. facebook.com/PittsburghReptile

MON., OCT. 2

MUSIC • DOWNTOWN

Chamber Music Pittsburgh presents Jerusalem Quartet. 7:30 p.m. PNC Theatre. 350 Forbes Ave., Downtown. $35-53. chambermusicpittsburgh.org

THEATER • DOWNTOWN

Mauricio Martínez. 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Greer Cabaret Theater. 655 Penn Ave., Downtown. $60. trustarts.org

TUE., OCT. 3

LIT • NORTH SIDE

Lost & Found in Translation: Storytelling with the World Affairs Council. 6-7:30 p.m. Alphabet City. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. Free. Registration required. Livesteam available. cityofasylum.org

WED.,

OCT.

MUSIC • SHADYSIDE

4

The Consortium presents Asian Music Series: Tengger. 7:30 p.m. First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh. 605 Morewood Ave., Shadyside. $30. wyep.org

MUSIC • MILLVALE

Bre Kennedy with Jess Nolan. 8 p.m. The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $15. livenation.com

PHOTO: STEPHANIE PARSLEY Andy Frasco & The U.N. at the Roxian Theatre

PHOTO: AVIANA ADAMS Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, part of Open Air at Hazelwood Green

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LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF FILING OF ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.

Notice is given that the Articles of Incorporation of DMZ ENTERTAINMENT GROUP INC have been filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State, and the corporation has been incorporated under the provisions of the Business Corporation Law of 1988.

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF HOUSTON, HYDIE RIAL, DECEASED OF VERONA, PA

Hydie Rial Houston, deceased, of Verona, PA. No. 06472 of 2023. William A Houston Jr, Extr., 6362 Whispering Lakes Ln. West Palm Beach, FL 33418.

ESTATE NOTICE ESTATE OF CHERICO, DIANA, DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA

Diana Cherico, deceased, of Pittsburgh, PA. No. 01048 of 2023.

Nick Cherico, Extr., 161 Pearl Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15224.

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LEGAL NOTICE

Onondaga County Supreme Court of the State of New York – Index # 000742/2023 In a Divorce matter.

Maria Killingsworth (Plaintiff) v. (Keith Thompson Defendant). A Motion for Alternate Service has been granted by the Honorable Kevin P. Kuehner for service via publication for three consecutive days upon Defendant Keith Thompson.

To the above-named Defendant, Keith Thompson, you are hereby SUMMONED to file an Answer to the Summons and Verified Complaint in Onondaga County Supreme Court. You can contact Judge Kuehner’s clerk by calling 315-728-7231. In case of your failure to appear, judgment will be taken against you by default.

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NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-009749

In re petition of Tyler James Yurek for change of name to Heldris S Yurek. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 25th day of October, 2023, at 9:30 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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NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-10711, In re petition of Tilak Chuwan, parent and legal guardian of Sayal Chhetri for change of name to Sayal Chuwan. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 23rd day of October 2023, at 9:30 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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SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure?

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-010869, In re petition of Laila Matthews, parent and legal guardian of Bruce Bernhardt for change of name to Bruce U’Prichard. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 23rd day of October 2023, 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.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

56.  Uplifting company?

58.  KanJam equipment

62.  Held therapists’ attentions?

65.  Halloween decoration

66.  Badness

67.  Land, as a big one

68.  “Speaking frankly,” initially

69.  Soup onion

70.  Company lover, so to speak

DOWN

1.  “Why does this keep happening to me!?”

2.  Very slightly

3.  Thing

4.  Flips out

5.  Middle Earth goblin

6.  Funk

7.  Long, long times

8.  Get into the hits at a concert?

9.  “Heads up,” initially

10.  Become proficient in

11.  Environmentalist’s bugaboo

12.  Spot for axels and lutzes

13.  Makes a choice

18.  Sub ___ (secretly)

19.  Some large

predecessor

26.  Cake finish

27.  Very dark

“The Matrix”

48.  Mark’s book

49.  They share your birthday

50.  Take a piece from 52.  It offers support for some MacBooks

54.  Group with allies, for short 55.  Thawb and keffiyeh wearers

56.  Dog drawn by Davis

57.  Conversation

59.  Resort location, maybe 60.  Mix things up

61.  “Teach Your Children” band, initially 63.  Night before 64.  Necklace that might land in a bowl of poi