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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
Clara Kent poses for a portrait with her own beer, called Aura, with Travis Tuttle, owner of Butler Brew Works
W
HAT DOES MUSIC taste like? For
Pittsburgh alternative punk band Swiss Army, it’s loaded with big hop flavor and aroma. Multi-talented solo artist Clara Kent’s album Aura tastes like blackberry, apple, lemon peel, and sage; a mixture as diverse as the genres she covers. And Jonny Goood, hip-hop artist and Lady Gaga’s touring bassist? His style of music tastes like a light but strong, two-hopped brew. As both the local music scene and craft beer industry in the city grow, so are collaborations between the two, with local brewers developing custom flavors for Pittsburgh musicians in special one-off collaborations that are quickly becoming more popular. At the end of 2017, Pennsylvania had a total of 282 craft breweries, according to the Brewers Association, an independent brewer’s trade organization based in Colorado. This number rose to 354 at the close of 2018, making it the sixth-highest in the nation. Last year, Pennsyl-
vania produced more than 3.7 million barrels of craft beer — the most in the nation. Pittsburgh has also seen a rapid expansion of craft beer too. Breweries like Cinderlands have expanded. Larger craft breweries have recently opened, with several more Pittsburgh locations planned. And suburban towns are getting their own microbreweries at a rapid pace. The music scene in Pittsburgh has experienced a similarly fast expansion. Since the start of the year, the city saw both the Thunderbird Café & Music Hall and 222 Ormsby reopen; two record stores pop up, The Government Center and Preserving Hardcore; two new event centers debut, the UMPC Events Center and the Rivers Casino Event Center; and an abundance of dance nights take off. And as City Paper pointed out in June’s Music Issue, “concerts aren’t just taking place at standard music venues anymore; shows are popping up in clothing stores, bowling alleys, and even plant nurseries.
With an influx of regional breweries and a rapid growth of both local artists and national touring acts performing in the city, how do breweries and musicians set themselves apart from the rest? In Pittsburgh, they’ve joined forces, with cans flying off the shelves, leading to more beer sales for local craft brewers and extra exposure for the artists.
GETTING CREATIVE BEER AND MUSICIAN collaborations are nothing
new. Trooper Beer, a golden ale collaboration between Iron Maiden and the UK’s Robinsons Family Brewers has been around since 2013 and was sold at local bars during Iron Maiden’s August Pittsburgh stop. Grateful Dead’s American Beauty, a pale ale made with Dogfish Head and brewed with granola, wildflower honey, and American hops, came out the same year. But just as Pennsylvania only recently began expanding the locations to buy beer, wine, and booze, Pittsburgh beer and music collaborations are just getting started. CONTINUES ON PG. 8
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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RHYTHM AND BOOZE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7
“HOST” BY SWISS ARMY BY JORDAN SNOWDEN JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Swiss Army’s “Host” drops on Friday via AF- Records, alongside its beer with Dancing Gnome. The band gave CP and its readers an exclusive first listen. Visit pghcitypaper.com to hear the song ahead of the release. There are a few keywords in “Host” that, if not listened to closely, can make the track sound Halloween themed — “ghost,” “speaking in tongues,” “coffin.” But the new single from the Pittsburgh-based alt-punk band is about the processes of creating and reinventing, masked under dark lyrics and guitar riffs. Lead singer Brandon Lehman belts, “Throwing batteries at cars / I only have my shit guitar / inside of me is close to nothing / started over in a coffin,” before making way for the chorus, “Do I hate myself or everybody else / am I proud of what I’ve done or what I will … tell me is it too late to change my ways.” Personal growth — the passion, the pain, the mistakes — is a core value for Swiss Army, found throughout songs in the 2018 release, Paris Mountain. “This beer and the whole day’s events capture [the band’s essence] really well I think,” says Lehman, referring to the Dancing Gnome collab, “Host,” and back-to-back release shows on Friday. “It’s about the teamwork that goes into creating something new with inspiring people.” “Host” comes shortly after the release of the single “On Top Of The World,” a track about the ups and downs that come with different levels of success. •
CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
Members of Swiss Army (Brandon Lehman, Dave Yarkovsky, Chris Hawthorne, and Jeff Morgan) pose for a portrait with owner Andrew Witchey (right) and operations manager, Mike Dunlay (left) at Dancing Gnome Brewery
Dancing Gnome’s first band beer came out in January 2018 with Minnesotan emo revival band, Tiny Moving Parts (TMP). The beer was an American pale ale named after the band’s single, “Swell.” “Music has always been a huge influence to us both in life and in beer,” says Andrew Witchey, owner/head brewer of Dancing Gnome. “The industries are different, but still quite similar in how the human component comes into play, and we’ll always be involved musically in some aspect moving forward.” Since then, the Sharpsburg brewery has made creations with Punchline, Delta Sleep, Nappy Roots, and now, Swiss Army, who was inspired by the Tiny Moving Parts release to ask to participate in a collaboration. “Our bassist Jeff [Morgan] went to a release there and while he was making his purchase, he heard them playing Tiny Moving Parts, a band in a similar genre,” explained Brandon Lehman, Swiss Army vocalist and guitarist. “They always play great music there. He asked one of the guys, who turned out to be Mike Dunlay,
our main contact there, how they ended up working together with TMP for their release. After a pretty quick discussion, we were on our way to a collab of our own.” The result is Host, a 3.6 percent session ale named after Swiss Army’s latest single. Lehman says the beer “won’t knock you on your ass and you can enjoy a few through the evening” and it’s “the perfect concert beer.” Not everyone drinks, however, and Lehman says the beer wasn’t about the alcohol content, anyway. “It’s about the teamwork that goes into creating something new with inspiring people,” he says. “Dancing Gnome has its own audience that we are hoping to introduce ourselves to, as well as our own audience who may not know about their beer. These collaborations are a great way to elevate brands and bands to new audiences.” Swiss Army and Dancing Gnome premiers Host with cans and drafts starting at 4 p.m. in the Sharpsburg taproom on Fri., Oct. 11. The band will put on a special acoustic performance, and Blue Sparrow food truck will be on site. Then
SWISS ARMY AND DANCING GNOME “HOST” RELEASE WITH JACK SWING AND HEARKEN 4-11:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 11. Mr. Smalls Theatre, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $10. mr.smalls.com
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Swiss Army moves to Mr. Smalls Theatre for a show alongside Jack Swing and Hearken. A limited number of Host will be available at the performance. “Our beers are in and out pretty quick,” says Witchey. “I wouldn’t expect Host to be around for more than a week.” The Commonheart’s August collaboration with Grist House, Pressure, sold out in 15 days. The craft brewery made 1,440 cans of the hazy pale ale, which came in at 5.5 percent ABV, to coincide with the release of the band’s new album of the same name. “Being a pale ale, it didn’t fly the way some of the splashier styles do,” explained Bailey Allegretti, marketing manager at Grist House, “but once the word got out about collab, it sold quite well. … When two breweries collaborate on a beer, we want to try something we’ve never tried before, combine our knowledge and do something weird, but when collaborating with a band, the focus is on the fans, the audience. Do they want to be jamming to The Commonheart with a 6.5 percent, full-bodied, fruit dessert sour with lactose? Some of them, heck yeah, but that’s not the goal here. With this collaboration, we got to dial everything back a bit and concentrate on creating a beer that was smooth and approachable while still being interesting and delicious.”
ANA PHOTO: MONT
EFAW
d and Full Pint ian Jonny Gooo Pittsburgh music
TAKING FLIGHT DANCING GNOME debuted its first
beer-music collab in early 2018. Seven months later, the nation’s first Black brew festival took place at Nova Place on the North Side. Created by Mike Potter, the founder of online magazine Black Brew Culture, along with Day Bracey and Ed Bailey, the voices of popular podcast Drinking Partners, the goal was to show diversity within the craft beer industry. And one of the biggest elements in the craft beer industry is collaboration. “Collaboration is something that music and craft beer have in common,” says Allegretti. “Collaborations have gone from onetime rarity to almost the norm for craft brewers,” says Cat Wolinski in an April 2018 VinePair article about the increasing popularity of beer collaborations. “Two or more breweries join forces to make a beer and ultimately sell it with both brands on the label. It’s communitydriven, it’s marketing savvy, and, at its best, it’s a learning experience.” For Fresh Fest, collaborations were just one of the unique parts of event, which already is the U.S.’s first event with all-Black brewers and beer owners. According to CP’s Maggie Weaver in an article about Fresh Fest earlier this year, “Potter views these partnerships between community members and local
any Brewing Comp
breweries as a way to ‘unite all cultures with projects that everyone can benefit from.’ It opens the door to dialogue, connecting businesses, artists, and activists, and neighbors who might not know the other exists.” During the initial Fresh Fest, there were 30 collaboration beers, ranging from brewery-brewery to brewery-barber shop, and of course, brewery-musician. Some of the latter partnerships included Dr. HollyHood and Butler Brew Works, Byron Nash and Helltown Brewing, and Mars Jackson and Burgh’ers Brewing. Photographer sarah huny young created a Brut IPA with Rock Bottom Brewery called This World Is Yours, in which musician Clara Kent modeled for the can design (Kent also performed at the event). This year, Kent had her own music and beer creation at Fresh Fest. There were 45 collaborations in total. The organizers of Fresh Fest chose the partnerships, and Kent was paired up with Butler Brew Works. “To be honest, Clara’s brand and what she does is completely different from ours,” says Travis Tuttle, head brewer and co-owner of Butler Brew Works. “That’s what made it so awesome, though. Bringing fresh ideas and a completely new perspective is what creates originality. … Our beers often contain nontraditional ingredients or CONTINUES ON PG. 10
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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RHYTHM AND BOOZE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 9
CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
Clara Kent’s Butler Brew Works beer, Aura
blur style guidelines, so this collaboration was not outside of our comfort zone. What differed in this beer was the inspiration and influence. Clara was able to feed me with ideas that I couldn’t come up with on my own. When I collaborate with other brewers, we tend to follow the same train of thought when it comes to recipe creation. With Clara, we talked more about teas and cocktails than we did beer.”
took the vision and manifested it perfectly. It’s a beer that craft brew fans and people who aren’t brew connoisseurs can enjoy together. … Usually artists are limited to digital ads, social media, or hand-to-hand for music promotion. This touches on the all of that, plus gives a boost to word of mouth, and nothing beats that! It also helps that my album cover is on the can itself.” Butler Brew Works made about 22
exist. It’s beautiful and I hope I get the opportunity to do a lot more of it.” The collaboration between Jonny Goood and Full Pint Brewery was also available at this year’s Fresh Fest. Like Kent, he performed at the inaugural event. “I was excited to get the call to actually partner up for the 2019 festival and make a fresh tasting brew for the city,” he says.
Goood plays bass while rapping as a solo artist, a sub-genre of hip hop he says he has been working on the last five years to introduce to his hometown. “The Bass Hop brew was a very fitting way to introduce my musical taste and our beer to the community,” says Goood. “I believe as I continue to grow as an artist, both the beer side and music side of Bass Hop will merge as one.” At its core, beer and music are very
“THESE COLLABORATIONS CREATE SOMETHING THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE EXIST. IT’S BEAUTIFUL AND I HOPE I GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A LOT MORE OF IT.” For their first meet up, Kent and Tuttle went to Mixtape in Garfield. Kent says that Tuttle “is extremely open to my expansive ideas and is a top tier craftsman, so I was able to give him all the flavor ideas I had for this ale without worry. I made the can design and chose the ale flavor and Travis made the beer himself.” However when it came time to try the creation, Kent was nervous — she isn’t a big beer fan. “[But] it turned out better than [imagined] honestly,” she says. “Travis
cases of 16-ounce cans, most of which were sold in-house. The rest were sent out for distribution. Those 22 cases sold out about three weeks after the release. “Today’s craft beer consumer constantly expects new and creative products,” says Tuttle. “Anytime we bring out something fresh like this, it does well. The real payoff was getting this beer in front of the fresh fest crowd, many of which did not know about our brewery. … Beer is art, as much as music is. These collaborations create something that would not otherwise
What excited Goood the most, however, was introducing his creation to the people of Pittsburgh. “I loved going around the city to places like Aiello’s, Time Bomb, Daily Bread, ReFresh, and Primanti Bros., dropping off cases to them to try and seeing the positive feedback was a great time. I also got to crash Randy Baumann’s morning show on WDVE. We cracked a can live on air and they loved it! To me, that was an unforgettable moment for myself and Bass Hop.” In addition to playing with Lady Gaga,
Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan
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similar. The same elements — water, a starch source, a brewer’s yeast for beer; melody, chords, notes for more — can result in almost unlimited combinations; you just have to get creative. “Art is always in a state of collaboration, whether it be something or someone inspiring an idea, or a collective of people coming together,” says Kent. “We all are here to create and share our lights with the world. Don’t limit yourself to one way of expressing your ideas or artistry. There many colors to use on the canvas of life.”
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November 2nd • 8:30 pm - 12 am This is Red: 605 E 9th Ave, Munhall PA PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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The protected bike lane on Penn Avenue
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8_4.75_x_4.75.indd 1
CAR-FREE PITTSBURGH
10/4/19 4:37 PM
Pittsburgh is far behind car-free metros like NYC and San Francisco, but the city punches above its weight in living without a car compared to similar Rust Belt regions BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
P
ITTSBURGH DRIVERS constantly
decry traffic from the Squirrel Hill Tunnel or commuting home on Route 28, but new data shows that the region is actually a pretty good place to avoid traffic, and driving a car altogether, if Pittsburghers so choose. According to a recent CityLab article that measured each metro area in the U.S. by how amenable they are to living without owning a car, Pittsburgh was ranked 11th out of areas with more than 1 million people. Richard Florida of CityLab, who wrote the report, says Pittsburgh ranks in the top 10 percent of all 382 metro areas studied. This included very small metros, like college towns, that are much more friendly to car-free living than the average big city metro area. According to Florida’s article, the carfree metric is based on four variables: the share of households that don’t have
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access to their own vehicle, the share of commuters who take transit to work, the share of commuters who bike to work, and the share of commuters who walk to work. The data is based on fiveyear estimates from the 2017 American Community Survey, a division of the U.S. Census. The Pittsburgh area, like almost every region in the U.S., is still dominated by the car. Only 9.3 percent of commuters use public transit, walk, or bike to work in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Florida notes that 5.5 percent of commuters in the Pittsburgh region take transit, 3.4 percent walk to work, and 0.4 percent bike. Florida says that 4 percent of Pittsburgh-area residents do not have their own vehicle. But in comparison to other big city metros in America, Pittsburgh ranks at 37 overall, and experts say the region could be poised to actually increase the number of people who don’t require owning
TOP CAR-FREE LARGE METROS 1.) SAN FRANCISCO
6.) WASHINGTON
2.) BOSTON
7.) PHILADELPHIA
3.) NEW YORK
8.) CHICAGO
4.) SEATTLE
9.) NEW ORLEANS
5.) PORTLAND
10.) LOS ANGELES
11.) PITTSBURGH SOURCE: CITYLAB
a vehicle to get around. The high concentration of jobs in Downtown and Oakland has been cited by transit experts like Christof Spieler as to why the Pittsburgh region has great potential to increase its public transit ridership. According to last year’s ridership figures from the Port Authority of Allegheny County, ridership also went up last year, bucking the declining national trend. The Pittsburgh metro area includes Armstrong, Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. Cleveland is ranked at 76, and Cincinnati is ranked 156. Milwaukee (43), Buffalo (51), and Baltimore (55) are also close to Pittsburgh, but they are still bested by the Steel City. In terms of large metros, Pittsburgh is only topped by much larger regions, like the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The only large metro area that has a similar population to Pittsburgh and has a better car-free metric is New Orleans, which is ranked 34th overall. Pittsburgh still has a way to go to catch up to other regions like NYC and San Francisco. More than 30 percent of regional New Yorkers commute via public transit, and more than 22 percent don’t have access to a car. San Francisco Bay Area residents have large percentages of people who bike to work and who commute via walking, about 6 percent, almost double that of the Pittsburgh region. And internationally speaking, Pittsburgh still pales in comparison to carfree living. In Amsterdam, for example, 65 percent of all daily trips are made on bicycle. Bike commuters, particularly in the city of Pittsburgh, have been increasing for the last few years, but still
only comprise a fraction of a percent of regional commuters. But comparatively to all regions in the U.S., Pittsburgh is punching above its weight. In the Dallas-region, only about 1.5 percent of commuters use public transit, and 1.3 percent of commuters walk to work. “I think Pittsburgh’s relatively high ranking is due to the fact that a relatively large share of its workforce works Downtown or in Oakland,” says Florida, who used to teach at Carnegie Mellon University. “Whereas in other places, the workforce is more spread out.”
THE PITTSBURGH AREA, LIKE ALMOST EVERY REGION IN THE U.S., IS STILL DOMINATED BY THE CAR. With many jobs concentrated in the city limits, there is a high number of city residents who don’t use a car to commute. While 56 percent of city residents drive alone to work, about 18 percent take public transit, 11 percent walk, and 2 percent ride bikes. Other data also shows Pittsburgh’s car-free ranking has the potential to increase, since many of the car trips Pittsburghers make are relatively short. A recent report from INRIX shows 23 percent of car trips in the city of Pittsburgh are less than a mile, the second highest of any large city in the country.
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Lisa Middleman speaks at a rally at the Allegheny County Courthouse on Mon., Oct. 7.
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CALLING FOR CHANGE
Following unjust jailing of four teens, DA-candidate Lisa Middleman calls for change BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
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O
N OCT. 6, the Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette reported that four innocent teenagers had been unjustly held in the Allegheny County Jail for up to 15 months. All the teens had alibis, but were arrested in connection to a 2017 Hill District shooting that resulted in three children being wounded.
Lisa Middleman, who is running for Allegheny County DA as an independent against Zappala, believes that the blame lies with Zappala and decisions his office made in prosecuting the teenagers. Middleman held a rally at the Allegheny County Courthouse on Tue., Oct. 7 with about two dozen supporters.
“NOT ONLY HAVE THE CHILDREN LOST 15 MONTHS OF THEIR LIVES, BUT THE POLICE HAVE LOST 15 MONTHS OF WORK.” In September 2019, all four were released and their charges were dropped. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala told the P-G he accepts responsibility for the jailings, but also said there were problems that cut across his office, the Pittsburgh Police Department, and the Allegheny County Juvenile Probation.
She criticized Zappala’s office for using a grand jury indictment process in prosecuting the teens, which made it impossible for defense attorneys to challenge witness testimony in preliminary hearings. She claimed Zappala was more focused on winning the case than seeking the truth, saying there was a “lack of a
review of the facts.” Middleman noted the case is still unsolved and the shooters remain at large. “Not only have the children lost 15 months of their lives, but the police have lost 15 months of work,” said Middleman. Middleman said, if elected, she would cut down on the usage of grand jury indictments as a prosecutorial tool, and she would remove and/or reassign the vast majority of the district attorney investigators. Zappala’s office currently has 29 investigators assigned to dig up details on cases. Middleman questioned how that many investigators could miss basic facts in the teens’ cases, like their verifiable alibis. She said there are plenty of investigators in local, state, and federal law enforcement departments that can assist the DA office. Middleman also called for an investigative integrity office with the DA office, to ensure accountability. She said she has spoken to the four teens’ attorneys, but would not comment on what was discussed. She said she expects civil suits to be filed against Zappala’s office on behalf of the teens. Middleman is running as a reformer to Allegheny County’s criminal justice system. She has been endorsed by pro-
gressive groups, the Libertarian Party of Allegheny County, and several Democratic politicians in the area. Zappala, a Democrat, last held a campaign event with the Young Republicans of Allegheny County, a group that has come under fire for spreading false news about Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s office. As Pittsburgh City Paper reported in 2018, Black teens in Allegheny Country are 20 times as likely as white teens to be prosecuted as adults. Zappala defended this disparity, saying “I think it is the process we have in place, to put the burden on the prosecution. You are talking about serious stuff.” State Rep. Summer Lee (D-Swissvale) has introduced criminal-justice related bills and has been an outspoken advocate for reform in the county and the state. Lee has endorsed Middleman for DA, and tweeted on Oct. 6 that the current race for district attorney is the most important the Pittsburgh region currently faces. “Every day we learn new examples of black and brown folks abused in this system,” tweeted Lee. “Today, 4 [innocent] teens left in prison for a year, exculpatory evidence ignored. The time to pick a side is now.”
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[ HAUNTINGS, PUMPKIN PATCHES, + FALL FESTIVALS ] OPEN EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH SELECT SUNDAYS AND WEEKDAYS THROUGH NOVEMBER 2ND
SEPT 20, 21, 27, 28. OCT 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31. NOV 1, 2. OPEN 7PM TO 11PM ON FRI. & SAT.; 7PM TO 10PM ON SUN. & WEEKDAYS ADMISSION ONLY $15 EACH ATTRACTION OR $20 FOR BOTH - FREE PARKING
FRIGHT FARM Entering its 30th season, Fright Farm is one of Pennsylvania’s top rated professional haunted attractions. Guests hangout in the The Fest-Evil Midway with games, music and concessions before experiencing 5 distinct attractions: Hayride of No Return, Frightmare Mansion, Slaughter Grounds, The Clinic and The Abyss! State-ofthe-art special effects, custom digital soundtracks, computerized lighting, and talented actors elevate Fright Farm to an experience like no other!
HAUNTED HILLS HAYRIDE Haunted Hills Hayride and the Valley of Darkness Haunted Walking Trail (20th Annual); N. Versailes, PA. Journey through the woods at our two haunted attractions by wagon or foot for a factor of fright and fear. Karaoke/DJ, live bands; Benefits the Autism Society of Pittsburgh. For more info visit: hauntedhillshayride.com/ 724-382-8296; Facebook: Haunted Hills Hayride.
HUNDRED ACRES MANOR Pittsburgh’s Top Halloween Tradition, Hundred Acres Manor,
2034 Springhill Furnace Road . Smithfield, PA 15478
FRIGHTFARM.COM
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brings you a whole new vision of horror and fun all within one haunted house in Pittsburgh, PA! Your favorite Halloween tradition features a 6 themed haunted house sections as one LARGE walk-thru with add on attractions like escape rooms, burial simulators, beer gardens AND MORE! Come Experience why Hundred Acres Manor is ranked not only as “Pittsburgh’s Best Haunted House” by HauntWorld but also one of the nations scariest attractions by USA Today, LA Times, Forbes.com and more.
LINCOLN CAVERNS Horror...In the CAVE…Through THE Woods & ON THE WAGON! Our 36th Annual Ghosts & Goblins Tours promises to bring new themes & new surprises, creating a memorable experience for first time and repeat visitors alike, including our newest addition - The Haunted Hayride! Three Unique Experiences for the Price of One!
REVEL + ROOST Revel + Roost hosts annual Heaven & Hell Halloween Bash, Saturday, October 26th, doors open 8:00 p.m. Two floors of party includes apps and open bar. VIP ($50) and General ($25) tickets: https://revelandroost.com/heaven-hell-halloween-bash/
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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.RESTAURANT REVIEW.
MASALA HOUSE BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
U
NLIKE MANY OF Pittsburgh’s Indian restaurants, there’s no lunchtime buffet at Masala House Indian Bistro. Instead, the restaurant carries what are called “full meals”: rather than walking down the line of heat-lamp-warmed dishes, diners simply request a refill from the daily menu, a short list of chef-curated dishes served in tasting-style portions. The owners of the restaurant, brothers Suresh Kumar and Prasanna Kumar, and their partner Harjas Sandhu, are calling this experience the first-of-its-kind in Pittsburgh. Masala House isn’t the Kumar brothers’ first restaurant. The duo has been running eateries for fifteen years, opening their first spot in Canton, Ohio. In over a decade, they’ve run restaurants in Morgantown, Moon, Mount Lebanon, Cranberry, and Downtown. Their new spot on Baum Boulevard — the former space of Chaz & Odette — marks the family’s eighth venture. When I arrived for my lunchtime visit, I wasn’t given a menu. Instead, the server set down a gleaming tray in front of me, loaded with five silver bowls surrounding a pile of rice and a savory cracker, accompanied by a basket of naan. The “full meal” consisted of eggplant curry, mushroom matar, chicken manchurian, tandoor chicken, dal makhani, pakora, and chicken tikka masala. In the evening, when a menu is required to order, options include dishes found on typical Indian menus — masala, curry, dal, briyani — along with a slew of items unique to Masala House. For the experienced diner, the restaurant hopes these hard-to-find dishes will bring “nostalgic feelings of home.”
CP PHOTOS: JOIE KNOUSE
Clockwise from left: tandoori chicken and garlic naan, mango mastani, chicken 65 (marinated chicken with South Indian spices)
This selection of chef specials boasts dishes like gutti vankaya, a South Indian eggplant curry slow-cooked with tamarind, or chettinad, a coconut and poppy seed curry named after a region known for its culinary treasures. Out of my seven “full meal” dishes, five were particularly memorable. The eggplant curry and mushroom matar were a bit mild for my taste, the eggplant carrying an unpleasant amount of oil. But these shortcomings were quickly overcome by their companions.
MASALA HOUSE INDIAN BISTRO 5102 Baum Blvd., East Liberty. masalahouseindianbistro.com
Tikka masala was sweet and tomato-heavy, with pieces of tender, slow-roasted chicken. The dal of the day, makhani, was lush with butter (the name translates to “lentils with butter”). It came out kicking with cinnamon; one bite seemed to hold
FAVORITE FEATURES: Naan
Pillows
BYOB
I love naan and Masala House’s didn’t disappoint. The restaurant’s fresh naan, baked and delivered to your table, is thick, crispy, and perfectly bubbly.
A wooden bench makes up the majority of the dining room seating and Masala House makes up for the uncomfortable wood with cushions and ornate, goldpatterned pillows.
Masala House has a small selection of drinks — think chai and mango lassis — but if you want something stronger, it’s BYOB.
more spice than the entire platter. The Chicken Manchurian, what my server described as like Chicken 65 — a popular, deep-fried, spicy chicken dish “but not” — reminded me of Chinesestyle sesame chicken with additional chilis. The tandoor chicken didn’t need anything else but flavor from the cylindrical oven; it burst with the richness of the tandoor. My pakora, a fried snack, was a savory sample of traditional street food. The full meal was the perfect way to experience Masala House’s food. It was better (and cheaper) than a buffet, and the options didn’t feel like a hodgepodge of everything on the menu. There was a sampling of all sides of Indian cuisine — something mild, something spicy, a touch of tandoor — and it gave the chef a way to add a regional edge to his dishes without overwhelming those new to Indian cuisine.
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Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav
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FRESH CONTENT Every Day.
DINING OUT
CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
SPONSORED LISTINGS FROM CITY PAPER ’S FINE ADVERTISERS
THIS WEEK’S FEATURED RESTAURANT
LEON’S CARIBBEAN 823 E WARRINGTON AVE., ALLENTOWN / 412-431-5366 LEONSCARIBBEAN.COM Family owned and operated since December 2014. Here at Leon’s, we take pride in our recipes and quality of dishes. Simple menu with all the traditional dishes! Leon Sr. has been a chef for 30+ years, mastering the taste everyone has grown to love and can only get at Leon’s.
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
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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
The 5th Judicial District of Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Pretrial Services urges you to enjoy your weekend out in Pittsburgh but
make the right choice,
don’t drink & drive.
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.
Eating Happily. Leaving with Smile.
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.
The True Taste of Thai
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.
2018 MURRAY AVE. PGH, PA 15217
412-422-6767
WWW.TOOKTOOK98.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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FRESH HANDMADE FOOD LOCAL CRAFT BEER DAILY SPECIALS
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CP PHOTO: MAGGIE WEAVER
.ON THE ROCKS.
BEER IN MY COFFEE BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
P
ABST BLUE RIBBON (PBR) is known for lager. The Wisconsin-based brewery’s “premium” brew is many drinkers’ cheap beer-of-choice; this year the brewery has even claimed a spot as one of the top 31 most consumed beer brands in the country. But PBR’s latest release has almost nothing to do with beer. In July, Pabst dropped its newest brew: hard coffee. And while pairing coffee with beer isn’t a new idea (Founders Brewing in Michigan has been making a coffee breakfast stout for over a decade), the hard version is mostly uncharted territory. Pabst’s hard coffee is a “malt beverage.” The brewery makes a malt base and ferments it, then strips the basic spirit of all beer-like qualities, leaving behind a flavorless alcohol. Then, Pabst adds in a coffee made with Arabica and Robusta beans, milk, and vanilla. The convergence of caffeine and alcohol, however, presents some challenges. In 2010, The Food and Drug Association cracked down on alcoholic energy drinks (known as the “Four Loko Effect”) for safety reasons. Pabst avoids this caffeine controversy by adding it in naturally — by way of coffee — to the drink. One can packs 5 percent ABV and 30 milligrams of caffeine, less than half of the average cup of coffee. The only words of advice I received before breaking into the four-pack of hard coffee were “don’t drink six at once,” courtesy of the cashier at Liberty Beer. (Apparently, this is a recommenda-
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tion based on experience; it’s not great on the stomach.) And after breaking into a can, I was astounded that the concerned cashier was able to drink six in one sitting. The brew, though it tasted nothing like one, is rich and heavy like a stout. It was similar to a canned Starbucks Frappuccino or a Yoo-hoo “chocolate drink”: sweet with an unexplainable metal aftertaste.
IF YOU’RE A DIE-HARD FOR BREAKFAST BEER, PBR HARD COFFEE MIGHT BE A GREAT STAND-IN. For the first few sips, I couldn’t taste any alcohol. It wasn’t until my head started getting a little foggy that I even remembered I was drinking an alcoholic beverage. But by the time it hit, the can started to taste like the bottom sips of a coffee cup. Finding a good time to drink hard coffee is still up for debate. If you’re a die-hard for breakfast beer, PBR hard coffee might be a great stand-in. But if you’re like me and drinking before 10 a.m. feels exhausting, it’s a great way to, as La Columbe markets its hard coffee, “rally like a grown up.”
•
.FOR THE WEEK OF OCT. 10
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I hope you are embarking on a vigorous new phase of selfredefinition. I trust you are excited about shedding old ways of thinking about yourself and eager to revise and re-imagine the plot of your life story. As you do, keep in mind this helpful counsel from physicist Richard Feynman: “You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.”
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ve probably heard the saying, “Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration.” It’s often attributed to inventor Thomas Edison. Sixteenth-century artist Michelangelo expressed a similar idea. “If you knew how much labor went into it, you would not call it genius,” he said about one of his masterpieces. I’m guessing that you Scorpios have been in a phase when these descriptions are highly apropos. The work you’ve been doing may look productive and interesting and heroic to the casual observer, and maybe only you know how arduous and exacting it has been. So now what do you do? I say it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Celebrate! Give yourself a thrilling gift.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you,” declared astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. If that’s even a little bit true, I bet you won’t believe it in the coming weeks. According to my analysis, the universe will make a great deal of sense to you — at times even exquisite, beautiful, breathtaking sense. Life will be in a revelatory and articulate mood. The evocative clues coming your way about the nature of reality could tempt you to believe that there is indeed a coherent plan and meaning to your personal destiny.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 2005, Facebook was a startup company barely on the map of the internet. Its president asked graffiti artist David Choe to paint murals on the walls of its headquarters. Choe asked for $60,000, but the president convinced him to be paid with Facebook stock instead. Years later, when Facebook went public, Choe became a multi-millionaire. I suspect that in the coming months you will be faced with choices that are less spectacular than that, Capricorn, but similar and important. My conclusion: Be willing to consider smart gambles when projects are germinating.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Experiment is the sole source of truth,” wrote philosopher and polymath Henri Poincaré. “It alone can teach us something new; it alone can give us certainty.” He wasn’t merely referring to the kinds of experiments that scientists conduct in laboratories. He was talking about the probes and explorations we can and should carry out in the course of our daily lives. I mention this, Aquarius, because the coming days will be prime time for you to do just that: ask provocative questions, initiate novel adventures, and incite fun learning experiences.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In my opinion, Piscean singer, poet, and actor Saul Williams produces high-quality art. So he has earned a right to critique mediocre art. In speaking about movies and TV shows that are hard to enjoy unless we dumb ourselves down, he says that “we have more guilty pleasure than actual f-----pleasure.” Your assignment in the coming weeks, Pisces, is to cut back on your “guilty pleasures” — the entertainment, art, and socializing that brings meager returns — as you increase and upgrade your actual f------ pleasure.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Love is when you meet someone who tells you something new about yourself,” wrote poet André Breton. I think that’s an excellent principle to put at the top of your priority list in the coming weeks, Aries. To be in maximum alignment with cosmic rhythms, you should seek input from allies who’ll offer
insights about you that are outside your current conceptions of yourself. You might even be daring enough to place yourself in the paths of strangers, acquaintances, animals, and teachers who can provide novel reflections. There’s just one caveat: Stay away from people who might be inclined to fling negative feedback.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Constantine P. Cavafy’s poem “Waiting for the Barbarians” imagines the imminent arrival of an unpredictable agent of chaos. “The barbarians are coming today,” declares the narrator. Everyone in town is uneasy. People’s routines are in disarray. Faces look worried. What’s going to happen? But the poem has a surprise ending. “It is night, and the barbarians haven’t come,” reports the narrator. “Some people have arrived from the frontier and say that there aren’t any more barbarians.” I propose that we use this scene as a metaphor for your life right now, Taurus. It’s quite possible that the perceived threat isn’t really a threat. So here’s my question, taken from near the end of the poem: “What are we going to do now without the barbarians?”
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Some folklorists prefer the term “wonder tales” rather than “fairy tales.” Indeed, many such stories are filled with marvelous events that feature magical transformations, talking animals, and mythical creatures like elves and dragons and unicorns. I bring this up, Gemini, because I want to encourage you to read some wonder tales. Hopefully, as you do, you’ll be inspired to re-imagine your life as a wonder tale; you’ll reframe the events of the “real world” around you as being elements in a richly entertaining wonder tale. Why do I recommend this? Because wonder tales are like waking dreams that reveal the wishes and curiosities and fascinations of your deep psyche. And I think you will benefit profoundly in the coming weeks from consciously tuning in to those wishes and curiosities and fascinations.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): I suspect that in the coming days you’ll be able to see into everyone’s souls more vividly than usual. You’ll have a special talent for piercing through the outer trappings of their personalities so as to gaze at the essence beneath. It’s as if your eyes will be blessed by an enhancement that enables you to discern what’s often hidden. This upgrade in your perception may at times be unsettling. For some of the people you behold, the difference between how they present themselves and who they actually are will be dramatic. But for the most part, penetrating to the depths should be fun, enriching, even healing.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “This heart is rusty,” writes poet Gabriel Gadfly. “It creaks, it clanks, it crashes and rattles and bangs.” Why is his heart in such a state? Because he has been separated from a person he loves. And so he’s out of practice in doing the little things, the caring gestures and tender words, that a lover does to keep the heart well-oiled. It’s my observation that most of us go through rusty-heart phases like this even when we are living in close proximity to an intimate ally. We neglect to practice the art of bestowing affectionate attention and low-key adoration. We forget how important it is for our own welfare that we continually refresh and reinvigorate our heart intelligence. These are good meditations for you right now, Leo.
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “All the effort in the world won’t matter if you’re not inspired,” writes novelist Chuck Palahniuk. I agree! And that’s a key meditation for you right now. Your assignment is to enhance and upgrade the inspiration you feel about the activities that are most important to you — the work and the play that give you the sense you’re living a meaningful life. So how do you boost your excitement and motivation for those essential actions you do on a regular basis? Here’s a good place to begin: Visualize in exuberant detail all the reasons you started doing them in the first place.
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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A Vessel for Carriage, Matty Davis and Ben Gould
.ART . .
ON THE SURFACE BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
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HE MILLER INSTITUTE for Contemporary Art at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) will examine both natural and man-made forms when it unveils two exhibitions, This Skin of Ours and Intersections. The two shows may not have a common theme, but they do provide an extensive look at the past, present, and future of art at CMU. Intersections serves as a 30th anniversary retrospective for the school’s Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry. Now one of the oldest centers for experimental arts research in the United States,
the studio has supported what director Golan Levin describes as “atypical, anti-disciplinary, and interinstitutional research at the intersection of art, science, technology, and culture.” This means, he says, preserving traditional art forms while embracing new media. “Culture is a living organism. We’re trying to support agents of cultural change and support artists who are creating new work,” says Levin, who has served as the studio’s director since 2009. “Right now, society is changing at an incredibly fast pace,
THIS SKIN OF OURS AND INTERSECTIONS AT MILLER INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART Sat., Oct 12-Sun., Nov. 17. 5000 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Free. miller-ica.cmu.edu
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owing to technological pressures and the integration of social media. Artists have to be there and have a seat at the table in terms of determining not only new technological agendas but also interpreting those changes for us.” This includes artists making with what he calls “playable art” in the form of video games, and working with robotics and interactive graphics, as well as projects dealing with environmental research or social issues that connect CMU with the Pittsburgh region. Intersections will highlight the latter with an exhibit on Conflict Kitchen, the now-closed Pittsburgh-based restaurant specializing in cuisine from countries with which the “United States is in conflict.” Golan says Intersections comes in two parts, the first, a history wall documenting about 120 projects created by faculty, staff, students, and
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Xoromancy, Gray Crawford and Aman Tiwari
artists-in-residence with help from the studio. The second part consists of 18 new projects, including real-time robotics installations, video sculptures, and virtual reality experiences. Guests can also expect a look at The Last Billboard, a public art project in East Liberty that notably ended last year after a submission by local Black artist Alisha B. Wormsley was taken down, an act that led to public outcry. Also highlighted are works by interdisciplinary artist Addie Wagenknecht of the cyber-feminist research collective Deep Lab, and Shining360, an experimental virtual reality video by Claire Hentschker based on Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining. Levin feels that, while the studio has existed since 1989 and presents a host of public programming, it’s still not well known in the Pittsburgh community, something he hopes Intersections will help change. “We present value outside of Carnegie Mellon’s walls as well as in it,” says Levin. But while Intersections mainly deals with the inorganic world of robots and screens, This Skin of Ours takes a very different approach with an intimate
exploration of the body’s largest and most exposed organ. Guest-curated by Liz Park, the exhibition is described as a “topical investigation of skin as a sensing and protective organ, an artistic surface, and a metaphor for the boundary between the self and the other, pain and healing.” “I think we don’t always think about the skin as a very important organ is because of its size we somehow take it for granted,” says Park, who also served as an associate curator for the 2018 Carnegie International at Carnegie Museum of Art. “If there’s something really ubiquitous, we don’t end up paying attention to it, so there’s invisibility to ubiquity.” Park also examines the idea of “sharing skin” and experiencing it as a “collective sensing organ, pulsing with color and texture, and having the capacity to feel and empathize with the pain of others as well as the pleasure from tender touch.” This idea plays out in a piece by performance artist duo Matty Davis and Ben Gould. As part of a residency at the Braddock Carnegie Library, the two will present a choreographed dance inspired by Gould being diagnosed with Tourette
syndrome, a neurological condition characterized by involuntary vocal or physical tics. In the performance, Park says Davis will both respond to and lead the “sudden bursts of energy” symptomatic of Gould’s condition. “It’s a really beautiful movementbased performance,” says Park. Also included are new works by Wilmer Wilson IV, Sara Greenberger Rafferty, and Byron Kim, who will contribute a series of so-called “bruise paintings” influenced by poet Carl Phillips. “When we’re talking about a bruise, the most obvious thing we see is it’s the result of a violent act, but also what’s happening is the repair that’s happening under the surface,” says Park. “We should be talking about care and intimacy and repair as much as the violence going on at the moment.” She sees This Skin of Ours as giving her the intellectual freedom to speak about a complicated topic, whether it’s through painting, sculpture, performance, or, in the case of featured artists Victoria Fu and Matt Rich, re-imagined aprons. “[There are] all these different ways we can explore this topic,” says Park, adding, “They are going to look really fantastic.”
Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP
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NAME: Alistair McQueen, Lawrenceville WORK: Event Producer, Promoter, Artiste
CP PHOTO: JOIE KNOUSE
.STAGE.
BACKSTAGE BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN PRODUCING AN EVENT? Everything. Contact and book performers, contract negotiations, press releases, flyers galore — all sizes and types because you want to get stuff out there on a regular basis and you need it to be different. Creating videos, all the social media, and planning and planning and planning. Then the show run-through, who’s going to be where, when. We like to throw in lots of art everywhere, organizing all that. Who’s at the door, seating people, pre-show entertainment, intermission entertainment. All that. WHO DO YOU DO EVENTS FOR? Steel City Kitty Burlesque and Variety Show. We’ve always got events in the Blue Moon Bar where I work — Award Winning Bartender! [Editor’s note: McQueen’s alter-ego “Mildred the Lunch Lady” was voted Best Bartender in Pittsburgh City Paper’s 2018 Best of Pittsburgh readers’ poll.] Dump Star Media is our film production company and we’re about to have our first live event coming up, the
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Rob Boss Penis Painting Party. DOES THIS MEAN PAINTINGS OF PENISES OR PAINTING WITH A PENIS? I paint with my tallywacker! SO YOU PERFORM AS WELL? Yes! And when it’s the day of the show, I’m part of setting up everything. It’s nuts. It’s a huge process with everything from arranging chairs to preparing food, who knows? Then I’m several different characters in one night. Rob Boss started as a one-off at Blue Moon. We had a Mr. Exotic World and he did a banana act, so I wasn’t gonna do my banana act! I decided, OK, I’m just gonna dress like Bob Ross and paint with my penis! And then everyone demanded I do it again! Same thing with Mildred the Lunch Lady, the bar started serving food; I just happened to have a lunch lady costume around, wore it, everyone demanded I do it every Monday. I thought I’d never get laid again. HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THIS?
I’ve been a boylesque performer for 12 years. I won the Mister Great Southern Exposure in Charlotte, N.C. In the women’s bathroom, I met [burlesque performer] Kat De Lac, and I told her I was moving to Pittsburgh to go to Pittsburgh Filmmakers, and she was like, “Well, I’m the mayor of Pittsburgh!” I was like, “Who is this crazy woman?” We started working together doing the shows every month, back when they were at Lava Lounge and I just helped any way I could and learned on the go.
IS CONTENT EVER AN ISSUE WITH VENUES? Our next show’s on the Gateway Clipper, Pittsburgh boating icon! Obviously we’re big fans of the Gateway Clipper, I mean who in Pittsburgh isn’t? It’s a legend! We were nervous that they might not want us, but they were just like, “No bubbles, no glitter!”
DO YOU FIND PERFORMERS OR DO THEY FIND YOU? We contact them, but this year we started having them contact us, like, “Here’s our rates!” We always book a winner! Someone who’s won a very prestigious title. Every event is a one-time experience you’ll never get again. At our last show at the Mattress Factory, we had a cabaret performer from London, a voodoo priestess from New Orleans, burlesque queen LouLou D’Vil from Finland — she got real naked!
HOW DO YOU PLAN AND STRUCTURE ALL OF THIS HAPPENING AT ONCE? I spend a lot of time at my computer. I make to-do lists a lot, every day, normally. And I work with very strong independent women and recommend it for everyone. We’ll go into meetings and men will just treat them, like, they’ll talk just to me. And it’s, like, what the hell? No, no, no. If you can have a strong powerful woman kicking ass, fuck yeah. I want that.
NOBODY WANTS TO CLEAN UP GLITTER AT THE END OF THE NIGHT. Nobody!
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THE LOCAL 913: SIERRA SELLERS BY LIZ FELIX // LIZ@WYEP.ORG
If you’re seen Sierra Sellers perform, you would probably be very surprised to know that she experiences stage fright. At a recent gig opening for Adia Victoria, Sellers owned the stage with her positive neo-soul songs. Being the first act can be tough, especially on a Tuesday night, but Sellers and her band got everyone dancing — including the night’s headliner, who emerged from her dressing room to watch the set. Between songs, Sellers chatted happily with the audience, appearing completely relaxed. Maybe her ability to STAY UP-TOovercome any DATE WITH THIS nerves about WEEK’S LOCAL performing MUSIC NEWS comes in part from the fact WITH CP MUSIC that she’s WRITER JORDAN a uniquely SNOWDEN talented vocalist. AND WYEP It doesn’t hurt EVENING MIX that she’s also got a great HOST LIZ FELIX band. “I’m very Listen every blessed with a Wednesday lot of talented at 7 p.m. on musicians who play with me,” 91.3FM WYEP she says. “I’m very happy and proud to have that friendship and bond with them.” One recent collaborator is Pittsburgh rapper My Favorite Color, who joins Sellers on her new single, “Shine.” It’s a warm, upbeat soul jam that Sellers says is “just about going out and having fun with your friends and being yourself and not needing to indulge in substances or alcohol — just having fun.” It’s hard not to have fun listening to the new single or during one of her live performances. Catch one of her shows now, before she finds herself on a much bigger stage. • PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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.STAGE.
NOT MEDEA BY ALEX GORDON ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
T
HE PROGRAM for off the WALL’s production of Not Medea features a handful of quotes about motherhood, but they’re not exactly crossstitch material. Most notably, there’s this gem from Katharine Hepburn: “Being a housewife and a mother is the biggest job in the world, but if it doesn’t interest you, don’t do it. It didn’t interest me, so I didn’t do it. Anyway, I would have been a terrible parent. The first time my child didn’t do what I wanted, I would have killed him.” Maybe it’s just our touchy modern ears, but generally people feel uncomfortable expressing contempt or violence towards their children, even if they’re just fleeting fantasies. That tension between societal expectations and honest expression, particularly when it comes to motherhood, is at the center of Allison Gregory’s Not Medea, a fourthwall breaking meditation on guilt and anger that takes place at a live performance of Euripides’ 431 BC play, Medea.
PHOTO: MARK SIMPSON
Allan Snyder, Drew Leigh Williams, and Elizabeth Boyke in Not Medea
Let’s start with the Greek classic and work forward. Things begin in Corinth with Medea’s husband Jason informing her that he plans to ditch her for a younger, richer princess. Long-brutal story short: Medea kills the bride-tobe and her dad, as well as her own two children as a way to get back at Jason. She poisons their robes. Who knew?
OFF THE WALL PRESENTS
NOT MEDEA Continues through Sat., Oct. 19. Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main St., Carnegie. $5-35. carnegiestage.com
Not Medea is not quite so dramatic, but it’s harrowing in its own way. The protagonist, known as “woman” (Drew Leigh Williams), shows up late to the performance of Medea we’re about to see. She’s in scrubs, appearing to just have gotten off a shift as a nurse, and starts sharing bits of her story by way of apologizing to the other theatergoers. (Fourth-wall breaking makes some people uncomfortable, but it’s handled pretty tastefully here.) Eventually, the real Medea starts (Elizabeth Boyke as the chorus, Allan Snyder as Jason, and “woman” alternately portraying herself and Medea). It turns
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out the nurse has a number of things in common with Medea and no shortage of defenses of her actions, though, as the title underlines, her main charge during the 90-minute performance is explaining to the audience how their stories are different in crucial ways. Without saying too much, the nurse has endured horrors of her own, and while not quite Greek in scale, they are still brutal. Reminder: jokes about killing children tend to not go over well, and even less so in the aftermath of tragedy. The early scene-setting and backstory exposition can be a little bit of a drag, but once the lines get blurred and we descend deeper into the original Medea, the chemistry and momentum fall into place. As the show wears on, the subtle flourishes that indicate the shifts between the play and the play within the play create a nice rhythm (nod to lighting director Paige Borak and director Allison M. Weakland), and against all odds, the audience is lulled into the back-and-forth between worlds that eventually bring the nurse and Medea both closer together and starker in contrast. It’s hard to imagine someone having such encyclopedic recall of a 2,400-yearold Greek tragedy, but maybe there’s just something about this one that hits too close to home.
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.JUST JAGGIN’.
EW TUBE BY JOSH OSWALD JOSWALD@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
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AISING CHILDREN IS difficult, and that is why God gave us television. Need a break from arguing with your son about why raccoons and geese are not “basically the same animal?” Pop on some Garfield. It’s a victimless crime. And while there are some kids shows parents would rather not watch — I’m looking at you PJ Masks — nothing could have prepared us for the horrors bestowed upon our living room after buying a smart TV: the pre-installed YouTube app. As a relatively average 39-yearold male, I know YouTube as a site for movie trailers, old music videos I like, and the thing that made a guy named PewDiePie rich, famous, and racist. My kids know YouTube as just another “TV” channel where they can watch kids doing activities instead of actually doing said activities themselves. One channel consists of a dad, a daughter and son, a mansion in the
hills of Malibu, and maybe a mom behind the camera, filming themselves doing all kinds of normal things. The dad, who looks and sounds like Simon Gruber from Die Hard 3, makes Nutella crepes, works in his home office, and gently disciplines his kids. The stars of this channel, the kids, fill up water balloons and throw them into their infinity pool. They replicate internet memes and
cartoon characters with colored pancake mix on electric griddles. They argue over why the older sister is allowed to have a cell phone, but the younger brother isn’t. And my kids sit there, watching, enrapt. There are very few plot lines, if any. Just people doing ordinary stuff then asking viewers to “like, subscribe, and share.” Like, subscribe, and share what? The fact that you have the basic skills to
Follow digital media manager Josh Oswald on Twitter @gentlemenRich
point a camera and upload you bothering your sister while she watches TV? It’s not like you spent three months learning some bizarre basketball trick shot or let an alligator loose in your kitchen — activities of value to the American public. There is another channel where the kids construct plot lines, which all revolve around their dad wearing spandex costumes and his uncanny ability to use Adobe After Effects to make himself disappear, reappear, disappear, reappear, and disappear again. They call him the Games Master, and there are a lot of Southwest U.S. desert landscapes and cardboard boxes that go into the production. And while I appreciate their effort, it is still pretty insufferable to watch. The good thing about the YouTube app is that it has driven us to make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of screen time we let our children have. Last weekend, I taught my son how chess pieces move. And now he has a new game to play that will stimulate his mind, and I have a child prodigy to video tape and exploit on my new YouTube channel: Kasparov Kids. If you enjoyed this week’s column, please like, subscribe, and share any of my musings on our newly redesigned website bit.ly/just_jaggincp.
•
Purchase a Coupon Card Benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh! Go to
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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CP PHOTOS: ALEX GORDON
Michael Orlovits
.EXHIBIT . .
UNDER WRAPS BY ALEX GORDON // ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
T
HE CURATORS and producers behind Carnegie Science Center’s new exhibit, Mummies of the World, want to make it clear that, despite opening in October and containing a lot of spooky imagery, this is not a Halloween show. And they’re mostly right: Mummification offers a unique (and somewhat unexpected) crosssection of disciplines, including the science of death and decomposition, anthropology, religion, and history. But it’s also not without superstition. On that last point, look to the final room of the exhibit, where the bodies of two parents and a one-year-old child
are displayed in glass cases under bright lights. This is the Orlovits family, “a group of 18th-century mummies discovered in Vác, Hungary in 1994.” DNA analysis of the parents, Michael and Veronica, shows evidence of severe tuberculosis, but baby Johannes has no such symptoms. In fact, he still has “baby fat,” a term that is never fun to apply to a dead person. Most strikingly, Johannes’ feet are bound by a small ribbon of cloth. Jason Simmons, operations director of IMG, the company that produced Mummies of the World, explains that the bound feet are likely serving one of two purposes. First, medical science being
MUMMIES OF THE WORLD Continues through April 19, 2020. Carnegie Science Center, 1 Allegheny Ave., North Side. $11.95-19.95. carnegiesciencecenter.org
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what it was in the 18th century meant that people were sometimes falsely pronounced dead, and the bound feet could be a way to keep the patient restrained in the off chance they wake up in the middle of their funeral. Second, Simmons says that paranoia and superstition around the recently deceased would be widespread at the time that Johannes died, so the bound feet would be to keep the undead immobile. OK, that’s undeniably Halloween-y, but the rest of the show is not. The majority of the exhibit — 125 artifacts, the largest of its kind ever assembled — explores the idea of mummification with a lack of sensationalism that smartly lets the artifacts speak for themselves. The show breaks the idea down into categories: natural
mummification (in which a body is preserved incidentally through a fortuitous environment); artificial mummification (an intentional process); and mummification for scientific, experimental, or medicinal purposes. In the artificial mummification camp, there’s a collection of shrunken heads, a tradition associated with South American tribes in which heads of vanquished enemies are taken as war trophies. The process generally involves removing the skull, boiling the remaining flesh and skin, filling it with a rock to retain its form, and decorating it. There is also a sloth head in this section. The Burns Collection fills out the experimental/scientific portion, with a set of cadavers preserved by 18thcentury Scottish doctor Allen Burns. In medical school in Glasgow, “Allen developed outstanding skills in dissection and devised new methods of specimen preservation, paying particular attention to the vascular system. At one time, the specimens created by Burns were considered superior to any other in the world.” Burns’ work is interesting on its own, but the way the collection made its way to the States is especially memorable. It’s worth looking up for the unabridged
Johannes Orlovits
version, but essentially Burns’ assistant Granville Pattison took ownership of the one-third of the artifacts after
Burns’ death. He was convicted of graverobbing the next year (cadavers were hard to come by at the time) and
acquitted shortly after; he then moved to America and sold the collection to the University of Maryland in 1820, who lent it out for the purpose of the exhibit. While it’s good fun to inspect these remarkable items through glass, the show thankfully allows for some tactile action. In the “What does a mummy feel like?” section, visitors can touch the different textures involved with different kinds of decomposition. Did you know that bog bones, remains preserved in a watery bog, feel “rubbery and soft”? They do. There’s a lot of fascinating information in Mummies of the World, much of it new to most of us; the exhibit is smart to include Egyptian mummification but not rely on it too heavily. What’s vaguely familiar from middle school history is still remarkable and kind of jarring to witness so close up, and the unfamiliar is occasionally shocking. The success of the exhibit is in illuminating how deeply bizarre this practice is, while hinting that there’s something instinctual about it to human life. Witnessing these artifacts, collected from cultures across the globe and some dating back thousands of years, points to something universal and timeless about mummification, which is both captivating and a little creepy.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE FRI., OCT. 11 If you missed Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe performance at this year’s Three Rivers Arts Festival or are merely itching to see the jazz-funk-fusion group play again, then you’re in luck. The musical group returns with its Thick As Thieves Tour at The Rex Theater. Made up of frontman Denson, guitarist DJ Williams, drummer Zak Najor, bassist Chris Stillwell, keyboardist David Veith, trumpeter Chris Littlefield, and slide/lap steel guitarist Seth Freeman, the group is on the road in support of its first new studio album in five years, Gnomes & Badgers, which follows the 2014, New Ammo. Some of the inspiration for Gnomes & Badgers came from the current political climate and the power of communication to different generations through music. 7 p.m. 1602 E. Carson St., South Side. $26. rextheater.net PHOTO: ROBBIE JEFFERS
Karl Denson
FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com
THURSDAY OCT. 10
ELECTRONIC
MEETING OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE, THE JENN WERTZ BAND. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
ACOUSTIC
BLUES
MULTI-GENRE
ERYN EVANS, KILO, JFTF, VIBRATER. TFS Bar & Grill. 10 p.m. South Side.
DARYL SHAWN. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown.
OWL HOLLOW LOVES CASA SAN JOSÉ. OWL Hollow. 4 p.m. Hazelwood.
COUNTRY
TRIBUTE
JENNIFER KNAPP. Club Cafe. 6 p.m. South Side.
METAL
JIMMY & THE FROGMEN, BLACK CAT MOAN. Moondog’s. 8 p.m. Blawnox.
ELECTRONIC
BLUES
PENITENTIARY, BOVICE, BUTCHER’S DOZEN. Preserving Hardcore. 6 p.m. New Kensington.
KIWANO SOUR, MOBROS, ZACHARY LEE. Spirit. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
ADLER & BARATH BLUES BAND. Moondog’s. 8 p.m. Blawnox.
POP
ELECTRONIC
DANNY GOKEY (CHRISTIAN). The Bible Chapel. 7 p.m. McMurray.
ENAMOUR. Market Street Grocery. 9 p.m. Downtown.
CHASE RICE, JON NITE. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.
ROCK GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS. The Palace Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Greensburg. MOTHER FEATHER, LATECOMER. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville. MOVIE CLUB, STARSHIP MANTIS. Cattivo. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville. RON BUMBLEFOOT THAL. Hard Rock Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side. LESS THAN JAKE, BOWLING FOR SOUP. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 6:30 p.m. Millvale.
JAZZ BONERAMA. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. STEVE IPPOLITO’S ELECTRIC SAMBA BAND. Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. 7 p.m. East Liberty. RALPH PETERSON MESSENGER LEGACY BAND. MCG Jazz. 7 p.m. North Side. LYNN SPEAKMAN. Kingfly Spirits. 7 p.m. Strip District.
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SMELLS LIKE NIRVANA. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7:30 p.m. Overbrook. QUEEN MACHINE. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.
POP MR. KITTY. PASTEL GHOST, PANIC PRIEST. Howlers. 9 p.m. Bloomfield. SUREFIRE. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
INDIE/ALTERNATIVE THE BURNING HELL, THE WRECKIDS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.
WORLD
BEAR GRILLZ, LUCII. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks. HOUSE PLANTS. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville. THE CHAINSMOKERS. PPG Paints Arena. 7 p.m. Downtown.
COUNTRY THW. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 9 p.m. Overbrook. JOE DIFFIE. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.
RAQUEL WINNICA YOUNG, DIETER HENNINGS-YEOMANS. City of Asylum. 7 p.m. North Side.
R&B
FRIDAY OCT. 11
INDIE/ALTERNATIVE
DYNASTY. Parlay Lounge. 8 p.m. Washington. THE ZELLS (EP RELEASE). Howlers. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.
TRIBUTE
YARO AND THE STATIC. The Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.
TRIBUTEFEST 10. Cattivo. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
CLASSICAL/OPERA
ROCK
RUDDIGORE. Andrew Carnegie Music Hall. 8 p.m. Carnegie.
THE NËRD HËRDËRS, LUXURY MACHINE. Full Pint Wild Side Pub. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
BEETHOVEN “EROICA.” Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. 8 p.m. Downtown.
SATURDAY OCT. 12 COUNTRY CARRIE UNDERWOOD. PPG Paints Arena. 7 p.m. Downtown. BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE. Carnegie Lecture Hall. 7:30 p.m. Oakland. COUNTRY FOR A CURE. Hard Rock Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.
CLASSICAL/OPERA ALEXI KENNEY. The Palace Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Greensburg.
ROCK OLIVER TREE. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks. DON GIOVANNI. Benedum Center. 8 p.m. Downtown. DARK STAR ORCHESTRA. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.
BOY HARSHER. 3577 Studios. 8 p.m. Polish Hill.
NISHKOSHEH, HI-VIS. Hot Mass. 12 a.m. Downtown. BOO’S CRUISE & SPOOKY TUNES. Lock Wall One Marina. 9 p.m. Strip District.
ROCK HELADO NEGRO. Andy Warhol Museum. 8 p.m. North Side. SINKANE. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
TRIBUTE TRIBUTEFEST 10. Cattivo. 7:30 p.m. Lawrenceville.
SUNDAY OCT. 13 CLASSICAL DREW PETERSEN. Kresge Theater. 3 p.m. Oakland. VOICEGIVERS CHOIR CONCERT. Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church. 4 p.m. Fox Chapel. THE EARLY MAYS. Levy Hall at Rodef Shalom. 4 p.m. Oakland.
ROCK JINJER. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 6:45 p.m. Overbrook. THE NUMBER TWELVE LOOKS LIKE YOU. The Smiling Moose. 6 p.m. South Side. RADIATOR KING, JESS KLEIN & THE GOOD TIME, LOFI DELPHI. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 6:30 p.m. Millvale.
WORLD LES FILLES DE ILLIGHADAD. 25 Carrick Ave. 7 p.m. Carrick.
JAZZ ALEX HARDING & LUCIAN BAN DUO. City of Asylum. 6 p.m. North Side.
FOLK TYRONE WELLS. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.
MONDAY OCT. 14 ROCK KARMIC JUGGERNAUT. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
THIS IS THE PLACE DMBQ
DMBQ THU., OCT. 10 It’s been about eight years since DMBQ last played in Pittsburgh (well, it was as a solo act from founding member Shinji Masuko), but the Tokyo-based band hasn’t stopped creating hard-hitting psychedelic power rock, notably like the 2018 release, Keeenly. The city gets to experience the trio’s passion in person when they visit Brillobox, along with local acts Expires, Terry & The Cops, and Scam Plans. Expect nothing less than a fiery performance — DMBQ stands for Dynamite Masters Blues Quartet, after all — and maybe dress in something flame-resistant. 8 p.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $10. brilloboxpgh.com ELECTRIC SIX. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
INDIE/ALTERNATIVE
CLASSICAL/OPERA
INDIE/ALTERNATIVE
DON GIOVANNI. Benedum Center. 7 p.m. Downtown.
THE BROS. LANDRETH. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
THE HEAD AND THE HEART. UMPC Events Center. 8 p.m. Moon.
POP
R&B
METAL
DEBORAH COX. Greer Cabaret Theater. 7 p.m. Downtown.
PUNK
MR TWIN SISTER. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.
ROCK LITTLE FEAT. The Palace Theatre. 8 p.m. Greensburg.
URNS, ET MORS, O HEIÐRÚN. Howlers. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.
BALLYHOO! Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 6:30 p.m. Overbrook.
PUNK
ACOUSTIC
GRADE 2. The Rock Room. 8 p.m. Polish Hill.
THE HUSSY, SILVER CAR CRASH, THE SPECTRES. The Rock Room. 8 p.m. Polish Hill.
SHELF LIFE STRING BAND. The Park House. 9 p.m. North Side.
JAZZ
INDIE/ALTERNATIVE
ANTOINETTE NO ORDINARY SOUL BAND. SAVOY Restaurant & Wine Bar. 6 p.m. Strip District.
SUN SEEKER, DUNCAN FELLOWS. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
INGESTED. The Smiling Moose. 6:30 p.m. South Side.
TUESDAY OCT. 15
BLUES
JAZZ STAR KITCHEN, CHRIS BULLOCK. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. JEFF BUSH QUARTET. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown. R&R JAZZ TRIO. The Park House. 8 p.m. North Side.
MAX SCHANG’S TRIO OF BLUES. Wolfie’s Pub. 6 p.m. Downtown.
WEDNESDAY OCT. 16 JAZZ LUCARELLI JAZZ. Rivers Club. 5:30 p.m. Downtown. TANIA GRUBBS. City of Asylum. 7 p.m. North Side.
Events ts
METAL FOLK/AMERICANA WES URBANIAK AND THE MOUNTAIN FOLK. Arsenal Bowl. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville. LUCY ISABEL. Black Forge Coffee House. 6 p.m. Allentown. UPSTATE. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side. RACHEL WHITCOMB. Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall. 7 p.m. Carnegie.
PUNK HISSING TILES, FLESH NARC. Gooski’s. 9 p.m. Polish Hill.
CORPORATE & PRIVATE EVENTS
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 OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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of flying metal spheres with sharp blades that hook themselves into its victims’ forehead. The cult film was first released in 1979, followed by four more films, the last of which came out in 2016. 12 a.m. Sat., Oct. 19. Manor Theater, 1729 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. $8-9.75. manorpgh.com
Halloween
PHOTO: DISNEY
.FILM.
Hocus Pocus
OH, THE HORROR BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
I
T’S OFFICIALLY HALLOWEEN season, and in addition to acting
spooky and eating too much candy, it’s a great time of year to dig into weird, scary, and haunting movies, from bone-chilling horror movies to family-friendly classics. There are a plethora of spooky movies playing across town (too many for this list) throughout the month, so we’ve compiled some of the best, divided into categories ranked by fear level and grotesqueness. Visit theater websites for complete lineups, or checkout Pittsburgh City Paper’s weekly film roundup every Friday on pghcitypaper.com.
SPOOKY BUT WHOLESOME The Mysterious Monsters See supposed proof of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, and other creatures of cryptozoology lore. The 1974 film features plenty of grainy home videos and interviews with witnesses, and definitively real science that is definitely real. 7 p.m. Fri., Oct. 11. Glitter Box Theater, 460 Melwood Ave., Oakland. $7. jumpcuttheater.org
Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who were hanged in 1693, because of a curse that would bring them back to life if a virgin lit a black candle. There’s also a black cat named Thackery Binx. What more could you want? Various times. Oct. 18-31. Row House Cinema, 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $7-10. rowhousecinema.com
WILL MAKE YOU SLEEP WITH THE LIGHT ON
What We Do in the Shadows
Night of the Living Dead
This horror/comedy/mockumentary directed by and starring Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi follows a group of vampire roommates as they navigate chores and rent, as well as their thirst for blood in the modern world. 12 a.m. Sat., Oct. 12. Manor Theater, 1729 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. $8-9.75. manorpgh.com
Apparently, this movie is kind of a big deal? By some guy named George Romero? It follows a group of people barricaded in a Southwestern Pennsylvania farmhouse as a horde of undead try to consume the living. Sounds like it might be a hit! 7 p.m. Fri., Oct. 11. Regent Square Theater, 1035 Braddock Ave., Regent Square. $10. cinema.pfpca.org
Hocus Pocus
Phantasm
A teen boy accidentally resurrects three witches in Salem, Mass., (Bette Midler,
The villain in Phantasm is a very tall undertaker. There are also a bunch
The 1978 John Carpenter classic follows the terror inflicted by Michael Myers, a young man who was locked away as a kid for stabbing his sister to death. Now he’s back to stab (and strangle) even more people. 12 a.m. Sat., Oct. 26. Manor Theater, 1729 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. $8-9.75. manorpgh.com
OH GOD, PLEASE NO, NO, GOD WHY The Amusement Park Even the biggest George Romero fans haven’t seen this film, because it’s only been seen by a few people, until now. Romero was commissioned to make the piece as a PSA about ageism and caring for the elderly, set in a theme park. It was too scary to use and was never released. Some who have seen it have described it as the director’s most horrifying film. 8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 12. Regent Square Theater, 1035 Braddock Ave., Regent Square. $10. cinema.pfpca.org
The Descent After the traumatic death of her husband and daughter, a woman goes on a caving expedition with her friends to take her mind off things. The trip does take her mind off things, but only because the group gets stuck in a cave from which there is no escape, and is filled with blood, bodies, and nasty underground creatures. Various times. Oct. 18-25. Row House Cinema, 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $7-10. rowhousecinema.com
Candyman A 19th-century ghost and son of a slave now haunts Chicago as a terrifying urban legend by the name of Candyman. When a white grad student begins writing a thesis on urban legends, Candyman retaliates by framing her for a series of hideous murders. Various times. Mon., Oct. 21 and Oct. 25-31. Row House Cinema, 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $7-10. rowhousecinema.com
Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny
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TRUER THAN NONFICTION BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
J
ANE BERNSTEIN is an accomplished novelist, screenwriter, and essayist. Her three memoirs — Bereft, about an older sister who was murdered in 1966, and Loving Rachel and Rachel in the World, about her daughter’s struggles with intellectual disabilities — are incisive, critically acclaimed works. But the Carnegie Mellon University professor of English believes her new novel, The Face Tells the Secret (Regal House), sets a new standard. “This book, in a certain way, is even thematically truer than my memoirs, even though I’ve always told the truth as best as I know it,” says Bernstein. The easy description of The Face might read, “middle-aged woman seeking love discovers a family secret.” But the novel transcends what could have been Hallmark material by way of the author’s ability to create fresh
JANE BERNSTEIN 7 p.m. Tue., Oct. 29. White Whale Bookstore, 4754 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. whitewhalebookstore.com
landscapes and flawed characters. “There’s a wide range of things I love to read,” Bernstein says. “But what I seek most often is what I think of as a book with a beating heart — where you forget how it’s put together, you forget the contrivances, you don’t see the structure,
you just are immersed on an emotional level. I’m driven to do that. I want to go there, I want to cast myself with whatever character it is and go deep.” In the novel, the emotionally charged character is Roxanne Garlick who we follow from an unhappy childhood in
Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR
New Jersey, to San Francisco, where she becomes an artist and designer, to Pittsburgh, where she reluctantly establishes a foothold. Throughout the story, there’s a sense that Roxanne is missing something that her mother, an emotionally distant physicist, and her father, a teacher who dotes on his wife, are keeping from her. When Roxanne discovers she has a disabled twin sister, Aviva, living in a residential community in Israel, her life is upended. Roxanne is a woman who ignores the realities of her own life — her parents, her relationships, and whom she has become — until she meets Aviva, whose frailty and dependency is almost too much to bear. “I wanted to tell the story of the repercussions of knowing nothing,” Bernstein says. “It’s related to this ghost presence, what’s it like to grow up and there are all these secrets. There’s so much insecurity in that, when you’re a kid or even when you’re a little bit older. To me, [Roxanne] was somebody who was so concerned with her own stability and keeping things going that she feared that asking too many questions, she would basically break apart. “I wanted to tell the story of her being able to ask the tough questions and still find that she’s going be okay.”
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.STAGE.
ROLE-PLAYING THEATER BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
A
NYONE WHO’S EVER attended a tech conference has experienced the contrived exuberance for the future of innovation, the glad-handing of potential investors, and the humblebrags from startup heads who see themselves as the next Steve Jobs. Now imagine that behind the Apple store slickness and overly-rehearsed talks are players engaged in a cloak-and-dagger game of clandestine meetings and secret, MacGuffin-esque files. Bricolage delivers just that with Project Amelia, a tech-inspired mystery positioned as the Pittsburgh-based immersive theater company’s most ambitious production to date. Set in an undisclosed South Side space (the location wasn’t revealed until the day before the show), Project Amelia requires a little preliminary work. Days before, I received an email from Bo Brunfeld, the fictional director of communications for the show’s fictional tech company, Aura, inviting me to register on an online portal. When I finally arrived at the location, I was outfitted with an RFID bracelet and given a smartphone device with my pre-loaded profile and two chat groups, a private one and an open one. You’re assigned a role — in this case, I was appropriately cast as a member of
PHOTO: JEFF SWENSEN
Project Amelia
PROJECT AMELIA Continues through Sun., Nov. 3. Bricolage Production Company, South Side. (Exact location disclosed via email in advance of ticked performance date.) $50-75. bricolagepgh.org
the press along with several others, who were all signed into my private group chat. There are also board members, influencers, VIPs, and others, all with different tasks and privy to different information. My fellow press members and I watched an introductory video in a private room before the wall opened to
reveal The Sandbox, a series of interactive games accessible with a tap of your RFID bracelet. Written and conceived by Michael Skirpan, and created in partnership with the coding and ethical design studio Probable Models, the show really captures the shiny, happy façade of the tech world,
something Pittsburgh is becoming more familiar with as a growing startup and robotics hub. Speeches contain plenty of tech industry jargon as engineers scurry about trying to fix glitches. And it all leads up to the big reveal — Amelia, a life-like android designed with voiceactivation, privacy safeguards, and machine learning, all to ensure a helper that totally won’t eventually rise up and kill you. Then things get weird, and your group is tasked with getting to the bottom of that weirdness while Aura tries to debut its latest questionable project to the world. With The Sandbox being an obvious nod, the production takes on the feel of a sort-of open-world video game. Actors provide subtle hints and clues at what to look for and where to go, but otherwise, you’re free to figure out ways to steal documents, sneak into rooms, and collect clues from or influence other guests, with every choice dictating how the show ends. Emily Willson, head of marketing for Bricolage, says there are seven different possible endings for Project Amelia. Those craving a variety of experiences can save their information for future shows and try for other endings, and even get handed different roles, all elements that add to the video game vibe. Providing any more details would risk revealing too much and ruining any potential surprises. I will say that overall, Project Amelia makes for a clever, engaging night of entertainment while also tackling big ethical questions in a time when tech companies are selling our data, virtual assistants are listening to our conversations, and smart devices are controlling our homes.
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For more information call 724-223-9796 or visit www.washsym.org The WSO has received funding for its 2019 2020 season marketing project from the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, Inc.
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The puppets and puppeteers of That Golden Girls Show!
.COMEDY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A PUPPET BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
E
VERYONE KNOWS THE story of The
Golden Girls, even if they haven’t seen much of the hit show. Four older puppets share a house in Miami and navigate sex, money, and aging, getting into all kinds of shenanigans along the way. Wait, that’s not right. Sorry, the original series starred four human women, but That Golden Girls Show! A Puppet Parody does star Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia living their lives in puppet form. The show comes to the Byham Theater on Oct. 11 and 12. The show first premiered in New York in 2016 and has been touring around the country ever since. It features the four muppet-like puppetcharacters along with their puppeteers on-stage to combine classic jokes and references with new writing. In case you need a refresher, The Golden Girls was a series that ran from 1985-1992, and starred Bea Arthur as sarcastic but grounded Dorothy; Betty White as Rose, a nice and spacey Minnesotan; Rue McClanahan as Blanche, a Southern gal who loves sex; and Estelle Getty as Sophia, Dorothy’s mother. The women were in turn smart, funny, sassy, sad, horny, and snarky. They were distinct characters and that’s part of what made them a good match for a puppet show. “There’s something so specific and special about the cast of women that originated Dorothy, Sophia, Rose, and Blanche. [Those are] some huge shoes to step into, and the puppets help us do that,” says director Michael Hull. “In addition to learning lines and practicing
the show, our cast spent hours watching original episodes of The Golden Girls so that they could study what makes each character so unique and memorable.” The puppets each share distinct physical features with the original characters exaggerated into a more cartoonish form; Rose’s blonde hair is even blonder, Dorothy’s eyebrows pointier. The kitchen, though, remains mostly the same.
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THAT GOLDEN GIRLS SHOW! A PUPPET PARODY 8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 11 and 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sat., Oct. 12. Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $35-45. trustarts.org
“Puppets provide a heightened sense of reality and encourage the imagination of the audience,” says Jonathan Rockefeller, producer and cocreator of the show. “Puppets also allow us to exaggerate the traits and nuances of the characters.” While the show obviously caters to longtime fans — the tagline on its website reads “calling all girls, gays, and grannies” — it’s also a good vehicle for bringing newcomers into the fold. “If you’re a die-hard Golden Girls fan, we challenge you to find all of the little details and Easter eggs that have been worked in there for you,” says Hull, adding that “the goal was to create something that would appeal to longtime fans as well as newcomers who are meeting the fab four for the first time.”
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PHOTO: CORRINE JASMIN
Miles Saal
.ART . .
THE SPIRIT OF YUNG MULATTO BY ALEX GORDON // ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
T
HE WAY CORRINE Jasmin came to
know Miles Saal will be familiar to many in the Pittsburgh arts community. She’d come across his illustrations online, produced under his moniker Yung Mulatto, and started following his work on Instagram and Twitter, eventually developing an “internet friendship.” His drawing style was hard to forget and easy to recognize; other folks took notice. Around the time Jasmin was introduced to Miles’ work, it was starting to be shared more and more online, on album covers for Benji. and Mars Jackson, in commissioned work, in affectionate portraits of his friends and collaborators drawn on coffee sleeves. Then Jasmin, a poet, author, and artist, had the opportunity to meet Miles at an event at the Flow
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Lounge where he was showing his work. They connected and she was drawn into his world, a network of artists and friends where Miles was always looking to help people connect and collaborate. He was a brilliant illustrator and gifted musician, but he had a special knack for recognizing kindred spirits, and getting them in the same room to create something new. He liked to bring people together. In November of 2017, after struggling with depression for years, Miles Saal took his own life at the age of 21. It was a shock to the community and, in the wake of the loss, many of his friends and collaborators were left to confront their own struggles with mental health and wonder what they could be doing to take better care of themselves and
their friends and family. For Jasmin, it was a brutal loss but also a wakeup call, eventually leading her to be more honest with herself and to be more willing to ask for help when she needed it. This pivot in Jasmin’s thinking about her mental health is something Miles’ family hopes to inspire more of with a new program called The Yung Mulatto Project, launching at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center on Sun., Oct. 13. With support from a grant from the Advancing Black Arts In Pittsburgh Program (a joint program between The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments), The Yung Mulatto project will promote “advocacy for mental health awareness in the Pittsburgh African American arts com-
munity with a collaborative art mural workshop and open discussion forum.” The event will commemorate Miles’ work with an exhibit and catalogue of his illustrations, and feature musical performances and readings from Jasmin, livefromthecity, Alona Williams, Shakara Wright, Clara Kent, deejay aesthetics, and Miles’ musical mentor David Eggar. This event will provide Miles’ community with a chance to celebrate his work and life, and encourage more open attitudes about mental health treatment, but the goal of the project goes beyond a single event. “One of my pet peeves — particularly in ‘underserved’ communities, AfricanAmerican communities — is that you’ll have this big outreach event during a cancer screening and whatnot and it’s
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JIMMY SAAL
Illustration by Miles Saal
THE YUNG MULATTO PROJECT OPENING EVENT AND MENTAL HEALTH FORUM 1 p.m. Sun., Oct. 13. August Wilson African American Cultural Center, 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. yungmulattoproject.com
just for the day,” says Dr. Felicia Snead, Miles’ mother and a radiation oncologist. “Then you do it and what happens? There’s no follow-up. No follow-through. That’s why it was really important for this event that the mental health forum group continues through the year, after the event is over to be an ongoing resource for our community.” The Yung Mulatto Project is focused on keeping the conversation open and ongoing. Snead and her husband Jimmy Saal experienced firsthand how hard it was to get Miles the help he needed over the years. But it can be especially hard for the younger, African-American artists in Miles’ community to find the resources they need, to learn how to navigate insurance, and find inexpensive or free treatment; these are the people they want to reach. “After his death, a lot of his friends and colleagues, some we knew and some we didn’t know about, just reached out to us and shared their stories and their
struggles with mental illness, or just knowing what to do and how to help each other,” says Snead. “They stated that we talk about our mental health challenges all the time but what we’d really like to know is to learn some skills and have resources to better support one another as well as ourselves.” The program started after a group called Leading Education and Awareness for Depression (LEAD) reached out to Snead and Jimmy Saal to offer support for a potential collaboration, and helped them connect with the proper professionals to get the project started. Snead and Saal then created The Blackout on Mental Health, a group of “professionals created specifically for mental health outreach programming for The Yung Mulatto Project” that will have its debut at Sunday’s event. In addition to the performances, there will be a collaborative art mural activity led by an art therapist, a nod to Miles’ way of dealing with pain through CONTINUES ON PG. 38
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THE SPIRIT OF YUNG MULATTO, CONTINUED FROM PG. 37
PHOTO: CORRINE JASMIN
Miles Saal
art. Guests will also have an opportunity to see never-before-seen illustrations found in the aftermath of Miles’ death. While the pieces cover a lot of ground, it was important to Snead to include works in which Miles acknowledged his mental health struggles, as a way to underline the message of the show, to encourage people to be open about their pain. Pittsburgh City Paper spoke with a number of Miles’ friends and collaborators, including livefromthecity, musician and family friend Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl, Eggar, Jasmin, and Kilolo Luckett, a family friend and curatorial consultant at August Wilson Center (she is in a volunteer capacity for this event). Though they all connected with Miles in different ways, each painted a similar picture of a deeply kind, curious, smart young man with an exciting, fulfilling life on the horizon. They’re all processing it in different ways. For Jasmin, the two years since Miles’ death have been challenging, though not without creation and growth. She threw herself into her work and wrote a book of poems, including one called “A Prayer for Miles Saal,” which she’ll read at Sunday’s event. She’s still working through her own struggles with mental health, but speaking about them more publicly. Her new mindset is to “bring light to being honest, being open, allowing people the space and energy to be open.” In the meantime, she’s been thinking
about one of her favorite memories of Miles. It was early on in their friendship, the first time they’d ever hung out alone, and Jasmin brought over a camera with a roll of black-and-white film to play around with. Miles showed her his room, which was littered with those coffee-sleeve drawings; they hung out on the porch; they drank tea and talked a lot; and Jasmin took pictures. When the roll was developed, Jasmin was overwhelmed by the beauty and vulnerability in Miles’ face. In the photos, he is unguarded and candid, and the ease between the two is palpable. The images have the same abstract sense of affection that Miles imbued in his illustrated portraits, the way his choice of a line or color or detail could communicate that he really understood these people and saw something in them that he liked. After months of keeping most of the photos to herself, Jasmin has begun to share them, first in an altar for Miles during her show at BOOM Concepts, and with City Paper for this story, and finally available at this weekend’s event. It’s her way of embracing the Yung Mulatto Project’s spirit of openness and celebrating Miles’ memory. “[Miles’] energy is still in the air. There are so many people that have become friends because of his passing. The community, it could use some work, but he left his mark on [it],” says Jasmin. “He started a movement.”
Follow managing editor Alex Gordon on Twitter @shmalexgordon
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EARLY WARNINGS SPONSORED UPCOMING EVENTS FROM CITY PAPER’S FINE ADVERTISERS
WED., OCT. 23RD THE DANGEROUS SUMMER “TEN YEARS UNDER THE SUN” 6:30 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTHSIDE. All-ages event. $20. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.
WED., OCT. 23RD MISSIO WITH SPECIAL GUESTS THE SCORE THE CLUB
THURSDAY, OCT. 24TH KIP MOORE
7 P.M. STAGE A.E. NORTH SHORE. All-ages event. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.
WED., OCT. 23RD AN EVENING WITH STEWART COPELAND 8 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATER MILLVALE. all-ages event. $20-$35. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.
WED., OCT. 23RD TAYLOR HICKS 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WEXFORD. Under 21 with a guardian $20-$34. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
THU., OCT. 24TH HALLOWEEN COOKIE FROST & SIP 6 P.M. THREADBARE CIDER HOUSE Northside. 21+ only. $40. threadbarecider.com.
THU., OCT. 24TH KIP MOORE 7 P.M. THE PALACE THEATRE GREENBURG. All-ages event. $29.75-$49.75. 724-836-8000 or thepalacetheatre.org.
THU., OCT. 24TH PROJECT AMELIA 7 P.M. BRICOLAGE PRODUCTION COMPANY DOWNTOWN. 18+ event. $50-$70. 412-471-0999 or bricolage.com.
THU., OCT. 24TH WYEP LOCAL LIVE: THE SUMMERCAMP 6:30 P.M. 91.3 WYEP FREE.
THE PALACE THEATRE GREENSBURG.
THU., OCT. 24TH BLACK SABBATH LIVES 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WEXFORD. Under 21 with a guardian $8-$15. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
FRI., OCT. 25TH THE EMO BAND 9 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTHSIDE. 21+ only. $10. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.
FRI., OCT. 25TH CHEERLY MEN, SMOKEY BELLOWS & THE NËRD HËRD HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA 8 P.M. THE FUNHOUSE AT MR. SMALLS MILLVALE. 21+ only. $10. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.
SAT., OCT. 26TH SLEATER-KINNEY: THE CENTER WON’T HOLD TOUR 7 P.M. STAGE A.E. NORTH SHORE. All-ages event. 32 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.
SAT., OCT. 26TH NATIVE PLANT AND SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE 9 A.M. PHIPPS CONSERVATORY ALL-AGES EVENT. $95. 412-441-4442 or phipps.conservatory.org.
SAT., OCT. 26TH HALLOWEEN ROCK STAR BASH & COSTUME PARTY 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WEXFORD. ALL-AGES EVENT. $20-$25.
724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
SUN., OCT. 27TH 2019 PITTSBURGH ZINE FAIR 12 P.M. THE ACE HOTEL EAST LIBERTY. All-ages event. Free. pghzinefair.com.
SUN., OCT. 27TH NIGHT OF THE SINGING DEAD 12 P.M. / 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WEXFORD. Under 21 with a guardian $13-$23. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
SUN., OCT. 27TH TWIZTID 6 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE STAGE & GRILL SOUTH HILLS. Under 21 with a guardian $20-$32. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.
MON., OCT. 28TH FUTURISTIC 6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTHSIDE. All-ages event. $23.97 - $28.01. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.
TUES., OCT. 29TH SASHA VELOUR PRESENTS SMOKE & MIRRORS 6:30 P.M. BYHAM THEATER DOWNTOWN. All-ages event. $35-$150. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.
TUES., OCT. 29TH UFO-LAST ORDERS 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR 6:30 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WEXFORD. Under 21 with a guardian. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
PHOTO: JOEL TSUI, COURTESY OF SATELLITE SPACE AND KEVIN CLANCY
^ Thu., Oct. 10: Utopia or Oblivion
THURSDAY OCT. 10
ART See works by botanical artists from all over the world at the 16th International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration. Now on display in the Hunt Library building at Carnegie Mellon University, the show features 41 artworks by 41
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artists from 14 countries. Presented by CMU’s Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, which specializes in botanical history and plant science, the show adds to a full-color, illustrated catalog of various specimens available both in print and online. The show also coincides with the American Society of Botanical Artists educational conference held from Oct. 17–19 in Pittsburgh. Continues through Wed., Dec. 18. 4909 Frew St., Oakland. Free. huntbotanical.org
ART Explore the ominous, neon world of technology acceleration with Utopia or Oblivion at Bunker Projects. The exhibit by mixed-media sculptural artist Kevin Clancy explores the “omnipresent forces” of phones, computers, tablets, and other screens in our lives, from social media to surveillance. His stark white sculptures, often backlit by glowing neon, are eerie in their critique, but like screens, you just can’t look away. Continues through Nov. 29. 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. bunkerprojects.org
FRIDAY OCT. 11 FILM Pittsburgh’s premiere haunted house organization and the city’s largest movie screen are coming together for a month of horror classics seen like never before. Rangos x ScareHouse present a trio of Universal Studio Classic Monsters with 4K laser projections (sounds impressive even
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^ Sat., Oct. 12: Don Giovanni
if you don’t know what it means): 1954’s The Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D, the original Frankenstein from 1931, and Bela Lugosi’s Dracula. The series concludes later this month with Dawn of the Dead 3D. Continues through Sun., Oct. 13. 1 Allegheny Ave., North Side. $9.95. carnegiesciencecenter.org
SATURDAY OCT. 12 STAGE The Mariposa Theatre for Young Audiences presents its closing performances of The Imaginators, a play about the power of imagination. The all-ages show follows siblings Anne and Tim as they try to adjust to a new home with the help of their next-door neighbor, Nina Frances Elizabeth Vanderhelden. Watch as the trio turns a simple garage into a world of make-believe adventure using only moving boxes and other objects. 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. 527 Lincoln Ave., Bellevue. $8-12. mariposatheatre.org ^ Fri., Oct. 11: Dracula
PARTY 5801 Video Lounge & Café is taking over the street to raise money for their favorite charities. Party with the popular Shadyside watering hole at their weekend-long Fallfest & Block Party. Head to Maryland Ave. on Saturday for a free drag show, Mayhem on Maryland, hosted by Tootise Snyder. Keep the party going until Sunday when the street closes again for a chili cook-off. 6 p.m. 5801 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. Free. Search “5801 Fallfest & Block Party” on Facebook.
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MT. LEBANON • LAWRENCEVILLE • STRIP DISTRICT
SOUTH SIDE _________ MONROEVILLE MALL
FILM In response to the current political climate, and the LGBTQ protections that have been rolled back by the current administration, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus embarked on a tour of the Deep South. The chorus includes several members who left the South because of persecution. Their journey is captured in the documentary Gay Chorus Deep South, which plays at Row House Cinema on the closing night of the Reel Q Pittsburgh LGBT Film Festival. Stick around after the screening for a special performance from Renaissance City Choir. 7:30 p.m. 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $15. reelq.org CONTINUES ON PG. 42
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CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 41
^ Tue., Oct. 15: Clown VS Puppet
OPERA One of opera’s most infamous characters returns to the stage when the Pittsburgh Opera kicks off its 81st season with Mozart’s 1787 work Don Giovanni. Rife with comedy and tragedy, the show follows the immoral title character as his past seductions and crimes, including rape and murder, catch up to him. As opposed to the original production, Pittsburgh Opera gives its version a twist by setting it in a seedy 1950s film noir world. It all takes place at the Benedum Center. Presented in Italian with English subtitles. 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., Oct. 20. Seventh St. and Penn Ave., Downtown. Ticket prices vary. pittsburghopera.org
COMEDY Kevin McDonald is an award-winning
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comedian and writer best known as a cast member and co-founder of the brilliant Canadian sketch show The Kids in the Hall. But he’s also popped up in winning cameos on dozens of TV shows, ranging from Arrested Development to Lilo & Stitch (and who could forget his role of Elaine’s unrequited suitor “denim vest guy” on Seinfeld). But if you’ve never seen his standup, you’re missing out. It’s got the odd jittery energy you’d expect from his work on Kids in the Hall, and just as funny. Catch McDonald performing and giving workshops during a weekend of appearances at Arcade Comedy Theater. 9 p.m. Continues through Sun., Oct. 13. 943 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $15. arcadecomedytheater.com
SUNDAY OCT. 13 MARKET Start your Sunday with coffee, cocktails at the Ace Hotel Pittsburgh with the Made + Found Fall Market. More than 25 of the area’s best makers, vintage collectors, and artists will be part of the market. Shop gender-neutral jewelry, handmade hats, ceramics, and more before enjoying the spoils of Ace Hotel’s weekend brunch. 10 a.m. Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. Free. “Made + Found Fall Market” on Facebook
FOOD Get a taste of fall at Taste of Lawrenceville: Harvest Fest. The free, seasonal festival
is back at Bay 41, featuring some of the area’s favorite vendors, restaurants, breweries, and distilleries. In the past, the fest has featured neighbors The Pittsburgh Sandwich Society, Eleventh Hour Brewing Co., and Lawrenceville Distilling. 12-5 p.m. Bay 41, 4107 Willow St., Lawrenceville. Free registration. “Taste of Lawrenceville: Harvest Fest” on Facebook
MONDAY OCT. 14 TALK A recent published report, “Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race,” supports what many local Black women and community activists have said for
PHOTO: ????????
^ Sat., Aug. 31: xxxxxxx ^ Mon., Oct. 14: Ibram X. Kendhi
years: Pittsburgh is one of the most unsafe cities for a Black woman to live. “The only way to undo racism is to consistently identify and describe it — and then dismantle it,” according to Ibram X. Kendi in his bestselling book, How To Be an Antiracist. Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures brings Kendi, founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University and columnist for The Atlantic, to Carnegie Music Hall as part of its Ten Evenings series. 7:30 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $15-35. (If event sells out, additional tickets may become available the night of the lecture. Call 412-622-8866 after noon the date of the lecture or check box office an hour before showtime for availability.) pittsburghlectures.org
TUESDAY OCT. 15 COMEDY Decisions, decisions. Watch clowns and puppets battle it out on live television, or watch them live in person while partaking in cocktails and kimchi tots. As the next Democratic debate stresses out and divides people in living rooms across America, circus performer O’Ryan the O’Mazing and puppeteer Dave English (in a pig mask!) will be battling it out on stage at Clown VS Puppet on the second floor of Brillobox. Cast your vote for “the least worst choice,” and if you really need to check in for updates on which of the 12 Democratic presidential
contenders are blasting Trump the best, the official debate will be aired on the first floor. 8 p.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $10-15. brilloboxpgh.com
WEDNESDAY OCT. 16 LASERS Is there anything more terrifying than lasers? Yes, definitely, but laser shows are still wildly entertaining for people of all ages. At the Laser Family Halloween Show at Carnegie Science Center, enjoy a laser show featuring Beetlejuice, The Addams Family, Ghostbusters, the “Monster Mash,” and a whole lot more. 2 p.m. Also Wed., Oct. 23 and Wed., Oct. 30. Carnegie Science Center, 1 Allegheny Ave., North Side. $8. carnegiesciencecenter.org
STORYTELLING The Green Tree Public Library will help you get in the Halloween spirit with its Ghost Stories for Grownups program. Leave the kids at home and brave some terrifying tales of revenge, lost love, and things that go bump in the night told by professional storyteller Alan Irvine. Known for his knowledge of history and folk tales, Irvine has led various local walking tours and appeared at various libraries, schools, and events, including the Three Rivers Storytelling Festival and the National Storytellers Conference. 7-8 p.m. 10 .W Manilla Ave., Green Tree. Free. Registration required. greentreelibrary.org • PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-12213. In re petition of Monica Janine Valle for change of name to Jesse Dakota Valle. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 19th day of November, 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-19-13781, In re petition of Carli Armstrong parent and legal guardian of Joshua Ryan Fitch Jr, for change of name to Ryan Armstrong. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 29th day of October, 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-19-13104. In re petition of Kelly Ann Maruca for change of name to Kelly Greer Maruca. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 6th day of November, 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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THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on November 5, 2019, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
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Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on October 7, 2019 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual. We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.
AYE AYE
BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM
ACROSS 1. “Cartel Crew” channel 6. Sports org. with a red, white, and blue ball 9. Some hipster beers, briefly 13. Ice cream orders 14. Some cats blow it 15. Coastal raptor 16. Wrestler’s elan? 18. Drying out spot 19. Decacorn’s debut: Abbr. 20. “Sounds about right” 21. Hexa- divided by two 22. Competed just so you can complain about calls? 26. With it 27. Is ready for 29. Teenage witch’s name 34. Remote batteries 35. Two things a carpenter without a car needs? 39. Underground rock? 40. Dessert made with booze 41. Religious war announcement 43. YA author Gratz
47. Monks’ dirt? 52. Have to pay back 53. Fool’s king 54. Laser hair removal spot 55. Toy’s squeaks 57. Thing that carries a lot of shit? 59. Never to be repeated 60. Rapper Lil ___ Vert 61. Jacques’s title in song 62. Georgia was a part of it: Abbr. 63. Juice 64. ___ over (helped for the time being)
DOWN 1. Content blocking technologies 2. Loud ruckus 3. Like library books and rental cars 4. Head of House Stark 5. Davis of “The Matrix” movies 6. Up till now 7. Iditarod sled dog 8. Firefighting gear 9. “Will it play in ___?” 10. Supergenius 11. OR staff 12. Locked in 17. [We haven’t run the numbers], initially
21. Hitting noise 23. Polite rural reply 24. Puerto Rico governor Vázquez 25. [Names intentionally left off] 28. Pocatello-toProvo dir. 30. Bubble up 31. Tool that breaks up a rat’s nest 32. Hit head on 33. Pioneering Terry Riley minimalist piece named for the key of its composition 35. Org. in Canton or Springfield 36. Yemeni 37. Sprint competitor
38. It’s often on a class ring 42. Real lulu 44. Spoke unclearly 45. Current amount 46. Closed in 48. “Hamilton” character who sings “That Would Be Enough” 49. Retired TV host Philbin 50. Bummed 51. Theft 55. Crossword nut, probably 56. Crossword entry: Abbr. 57. Illness 58. Superagent Emanuel LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 9 -16, 2019
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PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM IVEN THAT I AM very open about both working in the sex industry and being married, I am often asked by journalists, podcasters, non-sex working friends, and (sometimes) clients how my husband feels about my work. I find these questions difficult because he is integrated into much of my work, but also because they are not mine to answer. So this week, I decided to turn some of these questions where they belong. Introducing: PJ Sage.
G
But the work of helping clients realize their sexual fantasies doesn’t really impact our relationship so long as clients respect your boundaries. And I trust your ability to manage clients that have bad boundaries. Also, it’s important to recognize that the kinds of relationships we have with clients are generally centered on their fantasies. Even if we like some of our clients, sex with/for them is a job, and satisfaction comes more from doing that job well.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST FUN OR INTERESTING PARTS ABOUT DOING SEX WORK AS A COUPLE? Porn, in particular, is a creative process, and it’s exciting to make pretty and sexy things together, and to see that other people enjoy our sexual dynamic as much as we do. Finally, I think that sex work can be a space of honesty and vulnerability where you can learn a lot about how people think. That even includes us as partners.
IN ADDITION TO SEX WORK, I HAVE ALSO INCORPORATED DETAILS ABOUT OUR SEX LIFE INTO MY COLUMN. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT OUR PERSONAL SEX LIFE BEING PUBLIC? OR PUBLICIZED? At this point, it’s just part of the fabric of our lives. It’s closed some doors and opened others. But it’s hard to imagine not being public in this way. We’d be different people in some alternate dimension. Maybe the more interesting question is: What has having a public sex life taught us? And what I think we’ve found is that people are willing to be open and honest with you when you yourself embrace this kind of vulnerability and that people’s sexual experiences and desires are incredibly diverse — far more than the media, or even sex-positive culture, portrays.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES? There are always challenges with stigma that both of us have to negotiate, and that can be exhausting. The toughest issue, though, is that doing this kind of gig work full-time requires you to be constantly engaging with fans. It can be difficult (and costly) to
PJ and Jessie Sage
take time out to relax together. CAN YOU DESCRIBE ONE CLIENT INTERACTION THAT YOU THINK IS INDICATIVE OF WHAT IT IS LIKE TO DO SEX WORK AS A COUPLE? It’s hugely varied and part of the work is being flexible and willing to constantly adapt to different clients’ needs. But, I think back to our bi-acceptance video as something I’m proud of, and the kind of socially positive work I hope to do more of through porn. [Jessie: We created a custom bi-acceptance video for a client who was coming to terms with his bisexuality. He told us it was the only time he cried while watching porn.]
WHILE WE DO A LOT OF OUR WORK TOGETHER, I ALSO HAVE CLIENTS THAT I INTERACT WITH ON MY OWN. IS THIS EVER A CONFLICT? It’s sometimes a conflict, but not because I feel threatened or jealous; rather, it’s difficult because sometimes I need your help with a thing, but I also know you need to do your job. It’s a work/life balance issue, which isn’t really unique to sex work. When people ask about jealousy, they tend to conflate sex and love. I deeply value our relationship, and if I felt that client interactions were coming at the expense of our relationship, then I’d probably feel jealous or concerned.
•
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.
Pittsburgh’s lone liberal talkshow host for 30+ years Listen live Monday thru Thursday at 10 a.m. at lynncullen.pghcitypaper.com 46
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