ON I T DE C E UI L E G OCT. 30NOV. 6, 2019
Beware the dangers of straight-party voting this Tuesday
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Protesters and Trump supporters gathered outside of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center near the intersection of 10th Street and Penn Avenue while President Trump spoke at a natural gas convention on Wed., Oct. 23.
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COVER ILLUSTRATION: VINCE DORSE READ THE STORY ON PAGE 6
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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CP ILLUSTRATIONS: ABBIE ADAMS
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NEWS
2019 GENERAL ELECTION GUIDE BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
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N 2016, ABOUT 42 PERCENT of Allegheny County voters went for a straight-party ticket. This means more than 277,000 voters in the county walked into the booth and pressed one button to support whichever political party they desired. For many elections, this might be the most desirable way to vote. It’s fast, and if you support left-leaning candidates, you are likely to just pick all Democrats in general elections anyway. Or if you back right-leaning candidates, then voting for all the Republicans is likely the way you will go. But this year is different. Allegheny County’s 2019 general election has a number of independent and non-traditional party candidates, some of which have run impressive campaigns. If voters go straight-party ticket this year, they won’t be able to vote for those third-party candidates and potentially could be voting for a someone they might not actually align with the closest. The highest profile of these cases is the most consequential county election this year: Allegheny County District Attorney. The incumbent, Democrat Stephen Zappala, cross-filed this year and is running as both a Democrat and a Republican (which is the reason a caricature of him as the twins from The
Shining graces our cover). Cross-filing is a common practice in Pennsylvania general elections as a means to thwart off potential challengers from the opposing major party, but this year is fairly unique in that the cross-filing didn’t deter a significant challenge to Zappala’s campaign. Lisa Middleman is running for DA as a progressive-minded Independent, with a campaign message of instituting criminal-justice reforms to help lower mass incarceration rates and combat racial inequities in Allegheny County. She’s garnered support from local progressive groups, the Libertarian and Green parties of Allegheny County, and a large health-care labor union. Her fundraising of over $200,000 has virtually matched Zappala, who has served as DA for more than 20 years. All the while, Zappala has positioned himself as the more conservative candidate; not only has he boosted his increased surveillance efforts, he met with the Young Republicans of Allegheny County in September (before eventually meeting with Democrats) and his campaign manager attended the Pittsburgh fracking conference where President Donald Trump spoke in October. And as Pittsburgh City Paper reported in October, some elected and appointed members of the
Allegheny County Democratic Committee are openly supporting Middleman, despite the fact Zappala secured the party’s endorsement and nomination this spring. But it’s not just the Middleman-Zappala race that has this dynamic. In Pittsburgh City Council District 1, the Democratic nominee Bobby Wilson has a legitimate Independent challenger in Chris Rosselet, who nabbed a big teachers’ union endorsement and has raised a decent amount of funds, as well as Malcolm Jarrett, a Socialist Workers Party candidate. And in Pittsburgh District 9, Democratic incumbent Ricky Burgess has three challengers, including Independent Randall Taylor, who is supported by the Democratic Socialists of America, and DeNeice Welch, who has garnered an impressive amount of campaign contributions. Overall, it means there are dangers this year to voting the straight-party ticket. You might be passing up a candidate that your views align with, even if their party doesn’t align with your preferences. Check out CP’s guide for more detailed information and as you ride your Big Wheel to the voting booth on Tuesday, you might want to reconsider playing with those straight-party buttons.
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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ELECTION 2019
ALLEGHENY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY The Allegheny County District Attorney is in charge of directing how people facing criminal charges are prosecuted in the county. The DA’s decisions impact cases as minor as disorderly conduct and as major as homicide. The office has a major impact on the county’s criminal justice system.
LISA MIDDLEMAN
Wants to the end the practice of over-charging defendants to coerce plea deals. Won’t apply criminal charges to cases where lead charge is marijuana possession. Says she’ll advocate in the state capital to encourage legislators to eliminate laws like “school zone drug laws,” which she says have a discriminatory effect on communities of color. Pledges to not request cash bail in any case and instead utilize release with conditions when necessary.
Says jail population shouldn’t be reduced just by transferring long-serving inmates to prisons. His office created 11 diversionary courts to address criminal-justice issues rooted in poverty and a policy entitling defendants to a bail modification hearing within 72 hours. Says he’s long worked on reducing cash bail, though a 2015 Pitt study found 81 percent of county jail inmates were held before being convicted of a crime. A recent ACLU report shows Black defendants in Allegheny County were 12 percent more likely than white defendants to be assigned bail.
Bristles at incumbent Zappala’s initiative to install investigative cameras throughout Allegheny County, saying that’s typically a police role, not a prosecutorial tool; is critical of the Chinese company Zappala has contracted with, which investigative reporting has shown is more accessible to hackers. Says ensuring safety should stem from an understanding of what causes crime and wants to focus collaborations with community members, mental-health systems, and addiction experts to stop crime before it happens.
His office has overseen the installation of more than 450 cameras in 75 locations countywide, including in South Side and near the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland. Also procured license plate-reading cameras to track suspects across municipal boundaries. Suggested using GPS to track people accused of crimes after they are released from county jail. Says his security camera initiative reduces local crime rates and quickly helps law enforcement solve open investigations.
Would advocate in the state capital to encourage state lawmakers to create an independent agency to investigate and prosecute police officers suspected of criminal activity. Until that agency is formed, plans to create a unit in DA’s office that is “firewalled” from other units. Has advocated for the creation of a countywide citizens police review board. Would request local police departments to release discipline record of officers and publicize racial disparity data on arrests, charges, and sentencing.
Says the current statewide use of force laws are too forgiving for police officers who shoot suspects, and says his office worked with police departments to standardize training and guide a more uniform understanding of use of force. Wants police departments to track use of force instances and says his office will prosecute violations. Supports the creation of a countywide citizens police review board. Says body cameras should be used by all police departments.
Democracy for America, Libertarian Party of Allegheny County, Green Party of Allegheny County, SEIU Healthcare labor union, State Reps. Sara Innamorato (D-Lawrenceville) and Summer Lee (D-Swissvale), Pittsburgh City Councilors Deb Gross (D-Highland Park) and Erika Strassburger (D-Shadyside), Former Allegheny County Medical Examiner Cyril Wecht. Raised more than $200,000 for her campaign, including $17,000 from small donor amounts of $50 or less.
Steel City Stonewall Democrats, Allegheny County Labor Council, Allegheny County Democratic Committee, financial backing from Steamfitters union and Teamsters. Raised more than $200,000 for his campaign, but only $164 in small donor amounts of $50 or less.
BIOGRAPHY
A Democrat, who cross-filed and is also the republican nominee, Zappala has served as Allegheny County District Attorney since 1998. Lives in Fox Chapel, raised in the Swissvale area, and graduated from Duquesne University Law School. Supported efforts to classify hate-driven assaults on LGBTQ individuals as hate crimes. Oversaw the creation of domestic violence and child abuse investigate units. In 2017, publicly supported reinstating mandatory minimum sentences as a tool to investigate serious crimes.
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(D/R-Fox Chapel)
Running as an independent, Middleman is a public defender and criminal defense attorney, and has been for the past 30 years. Helped organize her public defenders union. Graduated from University of Pittsburgh Law School. A Highland Park native, she entered theOF raceCANIDATE because she NAME says the current administration isn’t committed enough to tackling racial and economic injustices happening in the county. Says her progressive reforms will help tackle these issues, as well as reduce incarceration rates, which would save taxpayers millions.
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ELECTION 2019
ALLEGHENY COUNTY EXECUTIVE The county executive position provides leadership and strategic direction for all aspects of the Allegheny County government. The executive ensures policies of the county are implemented and its responsibilities to the residents of Allegheny County are met. Democratic incumbent Rich Fitzgerald — first elected as county executive in 2011 — is running for re-election against first time Republican challenger Matt Drozd.
CANDIDATE
BY ELISE LAVALLEE
RICH FITZGERALD
MATT DROZD
BIOGRAPHY
Rich Fitzgerald, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, was born and raised in the Bloomfield-Garfield area. Fitzgerald was elected to represent District 11 in Allegheny County Council NAME CANIDATE in 1999, serving OF the role for 12 years before being elected as county executive in 2011. If elected, this would mark Fitzgerald’s third and final term as county executive.
Matt Drozd, a resident of Ross Township, served as a county councilor from 2005 to 2013. He told CP that he imposed a term limit on himself, but in 2013 he lost the Republican primary. CANIDATE Drozd NAME is a formerOF Air Force officer, and has worked as a businessman and economic developer. Earned his bachelor’s and master’s in business administration from Duquesne University.
TAXES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Job creation and economic development are Fitzgerald’s top priorities as county executive, according to his website. Since taking office, his website claims he has helped to maintain economic growth at around 2 percent per year and kept taxes stable. Under Fitzgerald, the county’s general fund increased from $5 million in 2012 to over $49 million in 2019. He wrote an op-ed last year saying the county’s bond rating is the highest it has been since 1983.
Proposes to cut taxes and says this will create jobs in the county. While he didn’t offer specifics on how he plans to reduce taxes on Allegheny County residents, Drozd said he would consider taxes on large nonprofits, especially UPMC, to offset tax decreases on individuals. In the past, Drozd says he helped bring many jobs to the region while working for an economic development company.
PUBLIC HEALTH
(R-Ross)
Campaign website states he is dedicated to improving public health by improving air quality and access to health care and supporting clean energy. While in office, has supported fracking on county-owned land in Deer Lakes Park and the Pittsburgh International Airport. Recently came out in support of a micro-grid project at PIT that would combine solar energy and natural gas to power the airport’s energy needs. In 2019, under Fitzgerald, the county issued a $1 million fine on Clairton Coke Works for its repeated air quality violations. When UPMC announced they would no longer accept Highmark insurance, Fitzgerald told the Pittsburgh PostGazette, “I don’t like it but there’s not much I can do about it.”
Wants to analyze the county health department to look for potential improvements to efficiency. Opposed to fracking in public parks and neighborhoods and says the funds raised by fracking at the airport should go back to the taxpayers. (Fracking funds at the airport are currently used to subsidize flights and other redevelopment in the area.) Supports bringing more solar energy to the community, but hasn’t provided specifics.
FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS
(D-Squirrel Hill)
Allegheny County Democratic Committee and Steel City Stonewall Democrats. Has received campaign contributions from Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, SEIU 32 BJ PA American Dream Fund, and the Cement Masons Local 526.
Hasn’t received any endorsements. Drozd says he has not been actively seeking them. “We need an executive that works for the people of Allegheny County and not special interest groups,” Drozd said.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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ELECTION 2019
PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
Pittsburgh City Council District 1 covers the North Side neighborhoods of Brighton Heights, Marshall-Shadeland, Spring Hill, Spring Garden, Troy Hill, Fineview, Northview Heights, Observatory Hill, Spring Garden, Spring Hill, Summer Hill, Deutschtown (East Allegheny), Allegheny Center, and Allegheny West.There’s currently no incumbent running because incumbent Darlene Harris (D-Spring Hill) lost the Democratic primary to Bobby Wilson in the spring.
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(D-Spring Hill)
Jarrett didn’t respond to CP’s specific questions on the city’s role in potentially taxing large nonprofits like UPMC, but in other media reports, he says he doesn’t support more taxes on working people and would rather those taxes come from “wealthy businesses.” Opposes the city parks referendum.
Supports taxing large nonprofits, especially UPMC, which owns a significant amount of untaxed property in the city of Pittsburgh. Believes taxes on these properties could be used to fund infrastructure projects, without placing a tax burden on Pittsburgh residents. Opposes the parks referendum.
Wilson says he supports taxing larger nonprofits like UPMC, Highmark, and others, while also protecting smaller nonprofits from higher taxes.
Wants to advocate for increases in federal funding for a publicworks program to build roads, bridges, hospitals, child-care centers, mass transportation, and affordable housing. Supports a $15 an hour minimum wage.
Supports a balanced approach to development, ensuring vulnerable residents are not displaced as a result of new development. He believes low-income families and the elderly should be able to stay in their homes, while also benefiting from community development.
Believes it’s important that the growth in Pittsburgh is inclusive. Priority as a councilor is to ensure our North Side residents see new opportunities and real benefits from the city’s progress. “Longtime Pittsburghers and those who are economically vulnerable must not be displaced by new development.”
Jarrett didn’t respond to CP’s specific questions on how to address public safety concerns in the North Side, but in other media reports, he says he plans to continue to fight against police brutality and racial discrimination and supports ex-prisoners’ right to vote.
Believes improving public safety is linked to bettering the lives of residents, children, and police officers. Hopes to provide police with additional resources because “officers under stress and citizens under stress make for unsafe scenarios.” Also hopes to ensure living wages for families and create more spaces where children can “learn, grow, and become good citizens.”
Says officers should have the resources and training to do more than simply respond to emergency calls, so they can participate in more community engagement and outreach to “build and maintain trust.” Wants to bring law enforcement and struggling communities together to work towards strengthening bonds.
As of Oct. 1, has raised $391 in campaign contributions, all in small donor amounts of $50 or less.
Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. As of Oct. 1, has raised more than $10,000. Financial support mostly from individuals, but also from Clark Hill Thorp Reed PAC.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, District Council of Western Pennsylvania, SEIU Local 32BJ, Graphic Communications Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 24M/9N, Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees Chapter 20-15, the International Association of Professional Paramedics Local 1
BIOGRAPHY
Wilson is a fifth-generation North Sider. Earned a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Serves as the president of the Spring Hill Civic League, and as a board member of NAMELeadership OF CANIDATE the Northside Conference (NSLC). Represents the NSLC on the Breathe Project, a nonprofit advocating for clean air in Pittsburgh.
FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS
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Rosselot began his career in public service as an aide for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton), focusing on issues related to community development, access to health care and education, NAME OFimprovements. CANIDATE and transportation Moved to the North Side in 2003. Previously served as the president of the Community Alliance of Spring Garden and East Deutschtown.
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Jarrett, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, has lived in the North Side since 2003. A member of the Socialist Workers Party, he worked with SWP presidential candidate Alyson Kennedy NAME OF CANIDATE on a campaign focused on workers’ rights resisting police brutality. Has stood with workers on picket lines in Indiana, Pa. and local United Electric union members.
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ELECTION 2019
PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 9
Pittsburgh City Council District 9 covers the East End neighborhoods of East Hills, East Liberty, Garfield, Homewood, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, Point Breeze, and Stanton Heights.
CANDIDATE
BY RYAN DETO
RICKY BURGESS
BARBARA DANIELS
RANDALL TAYLOR (I-East Liberty)
DENEICE WELCH (Homewood)
A graduate of Carlow University, Daniels currently works for UMPC. A Youngstown, Ohio native, she now lives in Homewood. Daniels attempted to register as an independent, but that party affiliation NAME CANIDATE was already taken,OF so Daniels’ party is titled the “Community for Daniels” party. Plans to have a neighborhood Advisory Leveling Board made of community members if elected.
Taylor is a former Pittsburgh Public School board member and is running as an independent with backing from Pittsburgh’s Democratic Socialists of America. A vocal affordable housing NAME OF toCANIDATE advocate, Taylor used live in Penn Plaza in East Liberty, and was opposed to its demolition and loss of hundreds of below-market rate apartment units.
Holds a Ph.D. from Duquesne University and is president of the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN). A longtime community activist, says her activism helped lead to community CANIDATE policingNAME policies in OF Pittsburgh. Sought to register as an independent, but that party affiliation was already taken, so Welch’s party is titled the “Citizens for Welch” party.
Lauds his efforts in helping to bring community, nonprofit, and city leaders together in a successful application for the $30 million Choice Neighborhood HUD grant, which has created a large affordable housing neighborhood in Larimer. Voted in favor of an increase in the state real-estate transfer tax which funds city’s $10 million a year Housing Opportunity Fund. Supports more transit-friendly business districts.
Supports implementing a property tax freeze or lowering property taxes for homeowners. Backs home-repair programs for low-to-moderate income homeowners. Supports rent-control initiatives, funded by taxes on developers of low-income neighborhoods, and wants those same developers to construct a proportionate amount of affordable housing if they are building luxury housing.
Says council should fund the development of affordable housing co-operatives in addition to Community Land Trusts, which allow low-income residents to purchase homes. Taylor says these also help stabilize housing markets and property taxes. Wants council to incentivize landlords to accept housing vouchers; created a citywide Tenants Bill of Rights to shore up protections against evictions.
Wants ordinances to prevent absentee landlords from allowing their properties to decay into blight and provides low-interest loans to homeowners to fix up homes. Supports inclusionary zoning polices and tenant co-ops like Belmar Gardens, which can help residents own and control their own properties.
Wrote legislation to create a gunfire locator system called Shotspotter, which his website says has allowed police to respond quicker to gunshots. Says he’s worked to created and fund a Group Violence Intervention program, which provides resources to high-risk individuals. Says this is partially responsible for a 40 percent reduction in shootings since 2016.
Says city’s recently passed gun restrictions will be more symbolic than effective. “The gun restriction bill was not passed as a result of gun violence in District 9. The bill was passed as a result of the synagogue shooting in Squirrel Hill.” Says gun violence won’t be addressed in the district until larger issues like poverty and economic inequality are reduced.
Believes reducing gun violence starts with increasing economic opportunity in the district. Wants to require city workers and contractors be paid $18 an hour, and says this could put pressure on private employers to do the same. Supports boosting youth programming efforts, and says overpolicing and charging only contributes to poor economic conditions that encourage gun violence.
“The major source of gun violence is poverty.” Says boosting family-sustaining wages, transportation, access to quality health care and childcare and unionizing is the way to combat the source of gun violence. Supports council’s current efforts to restrict gun use in city limits. Would advocate for partnering with groups working to combat gun violence.
Recently introduced legislation along with City Councilor Daniel Lavelle (D-Hill District) that would declare racism in Pittsburgh a public health crisis and establish a leadership forum and monetary fund with the goals of eliminating racial inequalities and barriers. Urged large nonprofits and banks to contribute to the proposed fund.
Says a recent Pitt study showing stark economic and social inequities between Black and white Pittsburgh confirms what many Black people have felt for some time. Thinks more Black people should be represented in local government. Would work to address racial inequalities that exist within city hiring practices, and advocate for more a diverse police bureau.
Says Pittsburgh has racial disparities throughout its history, from land stolen from the Native American Haudenosaunee Confederacy to the stark economic and social inequalities Black Pittsburghers face today. Wants more education to teach Pittsburghers about these wrongs. Wants to tax large nonprofits like UPMC to fund transit passes, public housing, and free healthcare clinics to boost Black Pittsburghers.
Says African Americans have long been aware of the negative effects of racist policies, even without the recent Pitt study. Wants the city to acknowledge the racism and audits his hiring practices to ensure racial equity. Says the issue goes beyond money, but taxes on large corporations can ameliorate other systemic issues like housing, environmental concerns, and infrastructure.
Allegheny County Democratic Committee, Steel City Stonewall Democrats, SEIU local 32BJ. Financial support from Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto campaign, Mid-Atlantic Laborers’ Political League, E Properties and Development. Has raised the most money and has the largest financial war chest of any District 9 candidate.
Has not formally sought any endorsements. “My supporters are my family and friends, my community, and my church family.” As of Oct. 1, campaign finance reports show Daniels has raised $70.
Pittsburgh DSA, Sierra Club, Pitt Progressives, Gertrude Stein Political Club, Former Democratic District Attorney candidate Turahn Jenkins, racial and housing justice advocates Carl Redwood, Judith Ginyard, and Hop Kendrick
Says supporters are District 9 residents and those that advocate on shared causes like increased wages and Community Schools. According to campaign finance records, raised more than $37,000 between September and October of this year.
FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS
HOUSING
BIOGRAPHY
Burgess, a Democrat, is a longtime pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church, and has served on council since 2008. A Central Catholic High School grad, he received a master’s from Eastern NAME OFThe CANIDATE Michigan University. chair of Pittsburgh’s Land Bank Board of Directors.
GUN VIOLENCE
(Homewood)
RACIAL INEQUITY
(D-Point Breeze)
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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ELECTION 2019
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Cindy Kirk, a 31-year resident of District 2, was elected as county councilor in 2015. Kirk works as a nursing administrator at UPMC Oakland and earned her master’s NAME OF CANIDATE in nursing administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to election, Kirk volunteered in her community and served as a member of the Northland Library Foundation.
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Allen supports a countywide ban on conversion therapy, stating that the practices are harmful to LGBTQ children and communities and that major professional medical and mental health organizations have condemned the controversial practice of using psychological intervention to get LGBTQ youth to change their sexual orientation. “This unregulated practice not only doesn’t help but actively harms people who are subjected to it.”
Kirk told a writer for Progress PA that the proposed ordinance to ban conversion therapy is too vague and could be misconstrued as banning any type of therapy. Has claimed conversion therapy is already illegal in the U.S., though conversion therapy is still legal in Pennsylvania, including in Allegheny County outside of the city of Pittsburgh.
PUBLIC HEALTH
(D-Sewickley)
Allen believes issues of public health start with creating equitable access to clean air and water, affordable food, and quality health care. “We have glaring disparities in health outcomes, infant mortality can be predicted by race and neighborhood,” says Allen. Also believes natural gas drilling, aka fracking, and facilities like the Clairton Coke Works would “decrease the quality of our air and water.”
Kirk serves as a member of the county Health and Human Services committee. In 2015, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Kirk said she would have “unequivocally” voted in favor of allowing natural-gas drilling under Deer Lakes Park. Voted against the county’s indoor vaping ban in 2017. Supports action against air-pollution violators, like industrial facilities, and backs the continued transition to electric vehicles.
Allen is open to creating a countywide civilian police review board, but proposes a stronger bill, saying the current bill wouldn’t give the board enough legitimate power.
Kirk voted against forming a countywide civilian police review board in Aug. 2019. Kirk believes smaller municipalities would benefit more from combining resources and merging departments, like how the Northern Regional Police service four communities in her North Hills district.
Steel City Stonewall Democrats, the American Federation of Teachers, CCAC Local 267, Allegheny Group Sierra Club, Food and Water Action, Our Revolution, Women for the Future: PGH
Financial support from the campaign of Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Marshall), the anti-abortion LifePAC, Relight American PAC, a group affiliated with former U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-Sewickley), and the Republican Committee of Allegheny County
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ELECTION 2019
ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 5 Allegheny County District 5 covers the South Hills municipalities of Bethel Park, Bridgeville, Mount Lebanon, and Upper St. Clair.
CANDIDATE
BY ELISE LAVALLEE
THOMAS MATTHEW DUERR
SUE MEANS Means was born and raised in Bethel Park. Was first elected as District 5 county councilor in 2013, running on a platform of increasing transparency, limiting government involvement, and NAME OF CANIDATE preventing tax increases. Before that Means was a community organizer — helping to generate support for homeschooling and religious freedom — and served on the state Republican committee for ten years.
Believes legislative action is needed to fix the growing divide between police forces and their communities. If elected, he plans to help reintroduce and pass a bill to create a civilian review board within his first term. Duerr also believes in improving conditions for LGBTQ individuals in the county jail.
Voted against a bill to create a countywide civilian-lead police review board in August. Called for a special committee to investigate the causes of spikes in violence within the jail in 2018. Told the League of Women Voters she would support increased funding, if necessary, for the county’s Human Relations Commission, which enforces existing civil rights laws.
Believes there are still areas where we can look to expand LGTBQ rights and protections. Duerr supports a ban on conversion therapy, the controversial practice of using psychological intervention to get LGBTQ youth to change their sexual orientation. He hopes to re-introduce the conversion therapy bill, but include harsher fines for violators.
In March 2019, Means opposed the proposed county ordinance to ban conversion therapy, the controversial practice of using psychological intervention to get LGBTQ youth to change their sexual orientation, saying it would interfere with parental rights. Introduced her own version that prohibits “involuntary treatment” and would ban physical harm used in all conversion therapy attempts.
Believes expanding public transportation access helps small businesses and employees, especially those without access to a vehicle. Wants to further promote Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) in providing businesses with job specific classes and training, and support and vote for CCAC board members who share these goals.
Supports lowering taxes. Wrote in an election questionnaire to the League of Women Voters that “over-regulation and over-taxation of any industry deters its growth.”
Steel City Stonewall Democrats, Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania PAC, Run For Something, Sierra Club of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald (D-Squirrel Hill), state Senator Pam Iovino (D-Mt. Lebanon), state Rep. Austin Davis (D-McKeesport)
Anti-abortion group LIFEPAC , Firearm Owners Against Crime, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #1, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #91
LGBTQ
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
BIOGRAPHY
Duerr grew up in Bethel Park and attended Pennsylvania State University. Worked on the campaigns for Hillary Clinton, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, and other Democratic candidates. Says he NAME OF CANIDATE gained a better understanding of how to serve constituents through campaigning. Duerr hopes to improve Allegheny County by attracting new residents while retaining the current ones, as the county’s population is in decline.
SMALL BUSINESS
(R-Bethel Park)
FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS
(D-Bethel Park)
OUR SEXY
FOOD
PHOTOS ARE TAKEN BY PROFESSIONALS facebook.com/ PittsburghCityPaper
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
13
CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM
Sophomore Christian Davis plays disc golf with his classmates from the Propel Andrew Street school while on a field trip at Schenley Park.
.ELECTION 2019.
PAYING FOR PARKS Is a referendum asking for property-tax increases to fund city parks improvements worth it? BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
F
OUR HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
That’s how much Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy CEO Jayne Miller estimates is in the backlog for maintenance and projects at parks in the city of Pittsburgh. Miller says city parks have gone relatively untouched for decades in terms of investment and have been allowed to deteriorate to levels that will require significant investment to return them to their former glory. “The annual resources need to be greater regularly and going forward,” says Miller. “And the backlog, it is like a house that hasn’t been taken care of for 40 years.”
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PGHCITYPAPER.COM
To respond to this backlog, the Parks Conservancy has placed a referendum on this year’s ballot, asking that city property taxes increase half a mill in order to raise about $10 million a year in additional funds. (A “mill” is equal to $1 of property tax for every $1,000 in assessed value; an extra half a mill means city property owners will be taxed an extra $1 for every $2,000 in assessed value.) The referendum has garnered support from Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and has raised more than $680,000 in financial backing from the Parks Conservancy and a local civic nonprofit to convince voters to back the property-tax increase. But the initiative has critics. Pittsburgh City Councilor
Anthony Coghill (D-Beechview) has voiced opposition and some city council candidates are campaigning against it. City Controller Michael Lamb thinks a tax increase isn’t necessary to fund the parks, noting a surplus in the city’s budget, but Miller says the city can’t dedicate enough each year to do what is necessary. Luckily for Pittsburgh residents, this disagreement over what to do about the parks will come down to their votes on Nov. 5. Miller says if the referendum is passed, the Parks Conservancy has established a plan on how to spend the $57 million ($47 million the tax inc rease plans to raise plus $10 million from
the Conservancy). From 2020-2025, maintenance will receive 38 percent; rehabilitation, like new paths and replacing roofs at facilities will receive 20 percent; capital improvements will get 18 percent; programming will get 4 percent; and the remaining 20 percent will go to administrative technology and master planning initiatives. According to Miller, this formula was derived from public input, as well as calculating 234 walk sheds (the area in which you can easily walk to a park) of Pittsburgh’s 165 parks. “We counted poverty statistics, racial demographics, health and vacancy rates,” says Miller. “We want to understand what neighborhoods have the greatest needs. Parks make a significant difference in terms of addressing equity.” Miller says anyone who owns property in the city will be paying an increase in property taxes, but that three-quarters of Pittsburgh homeowners will pay less than $66 a year. This isn’t the first time Miller has supported a ballot referendum to raise taxes to increase parks’ funding. During her time in Ann Arbor, Mich., she oversaw a successful referendum in 2006 that increased millage rates in order to fund $5 million a year in ongoing improvements to Ann Arbor’s park system. The millage rates were extended in 2012, two years after Miller moved on to become superintendent at Minneapolis’ parks board. But in 2016, Miller failed to get a referendum onto the ballot, which would have increased taxes to fund parks and roads. Minneapolis council decided instead to write legislation to increase city taxes and issue debt in order to fund $800 million of dedicated funds
A deer crosses a bridge along the Bridle Trail at Schenley Park
over 20 years. After the investment, Minneapolis became one of the top cities in the U.S. in terms of per capita spending on parks. Miller believes Pittsburgh doesn’t have the budget to currently make this investment. She says the city doesn’t have enough extra revenue to cover the annual $33 million parks budget shortfall. “The city of Pittsburgh doesn’t have
that kind of money,” says Miller. “The city of Pittsburgh does not even have $10 million a year to give to the parks.” But controller Lamb recently reported the city budget is in relatively good shape. Pittsburgh’s revenue was up $29 million dollars in 2018 compared to 2017. Lamb told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in July that he expects a “significant surplus” in 2019, and said there is about $24.7
•
Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto
DATA DAY
million in unspent capital funds from the last two year’s allocations. Peduto’s office argued in the P-G that those capital dollars are dwindling and says there are too many projects to tackle just with current city revenue. Miller maintains the best way to get necessary and long-term funds is through a referendum. But funding concerns aren’t the only point of disagreement. In July, councilors Theresa Kail-Smith (D-West End) and Ricky Burgess (D-Point Breeze) shared concerns about potentially diverting money out of the city’s control and directly into the park’s conservation budget. Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is a public-private partnership. During its 10 years in existence, it has raised private funds in order to complete projects and programming at city parks. Miller says City Council will still have a say in how the parks’ money is allocated to the Conservancy. The legislation for the referendum states funds from the .5-mill increase “must be approved and set by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh each fiscal year.” She adds that the intent of the referendum is to boost the Parks Conservancy’s efforts, which typically generate between $7-8 million in private funding each year. Miller notes that if the referendum passes, City Council can authorize an agreement that will further spell out exactly how the funds will be spent. She relays the urgency of getting extra parks funding regardless. “In the first six years, we have almost $33.6 million to spend on maintenance and rehab,” says Miller. “If that money is deferred and not spent, those costs could go up to $168 million.”
Saturday, November 2 11 am – 2 pm Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main 4400 Forbes Avenue (Oakland)
Celebrate the many ways that civic open data influences and shapes our community. This year, we’ll be exploring all things Census! carnegielibrary.org
Presented in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Center for Social and Urban Research, home of the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
15
ON NOVEMBER 5 VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRITY
VOTE LISA MIDDLEMAN ALLEGHENY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
.JUST JAGGIN’.
FIXING A BROKEN SYSTEM BY JOSH OSWALD // JOSWALD@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Paid for by Allegheny County Justice for All. This is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
A
S AN AMERICAN citizen, you have the power to decide which old, rich, white man will further profiteer from our natural resources and labor, while providing absolutely nothing of tangible value to you or society. You’ll get a sticker, a selfie, and know you “made a difference.” OK. That was too harsh. I don’t have a problem with people who celebrate voting, even though it takes zero skill to identify blue or red buttons; you are not held accountable for bad decisions; and, you probably didn’t do ANY research. My real problem is with the polling places. I’m talking about those sweaty gyms, dusty municipal buildings, and fish-fry cafeterias we’re forced to vote in. Why is the most heralded freedom in American democracy held in the same room where people wrestle or pay parking tickets? Why are voters forced to vote either before or after work, the grumpiest, most exhausting times of the day? Why is there only one person in the precinct who knows how the machines work and where to find your name in the register and she is on break? Why’s there a sad ashtray full of unidentifiable hard candy sheathed in opaque red, yellow, and teal wrappers? You can hope the red one is cherry flavored, but you know it’s going to taste like a shot of expired Fireball. Why is the lighting always bad? It’s either too dim from November’s lack
of daylight or headache-inducing from the government-issued halogens. The voting process stinks, but it doesn’t have to:
Don’t rush voters We shouldn’t have to stand in lines and take time out of our schedules when I can literally get an HDMI cable from Amazon in 30 minutes. Can’t my “smart TV” log my vote from my house?
Make polling places fun Put voting booths in places where people actually like going to, such as the disco, drive-ins, or soda fountains. Finish your movie and your malt, then vote for your candidate. Choose your favorite politician during the previews with your smartphone.
Increase the incentive We get a sticker for participating in the most critical facet of our democratic process. Give me something I can use, like a Gloria Jean’s gift card or a fresh pair of slacks.
Raise the stakes There should be a consequence if you pick the candidate who doesn’t win or you pick the winner, and they’re terrible, like putting the voters’ names on a jumbotron while playing the Price Is Right loser horn.
•
Follow digital media manager Josh Oswald on Twitter @gentlemenRich
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PGHCITYPAPER.COM
CELEBRATE
at these great locations:
El Campesino 4063 William penn HWy. 4175 Washington rd. • 4771 McKnight Rd. Nov 2: all day Modelo + Negra Modelo $3.50 12oz bottles 460 Home dr. • Oct 27 - Nov 2: ALL DAY Modelo Negra Modelo 12oz bottles $3.50 160 East Bridge St. • Nov 2: all day Modelo + Negra Modelo 12oz bottles $3.50 Modelo Girls will be handing out swag on the patio from 9-11 PM.
Patron
La Palapa
• 2224 E Carson St. $4 Modelo bottles, $6.95 pozole soup with live music from 7:30-9pm
Ruggers Pub • 40 S. 22nd St. $3 Modelo Especial drafts all day during DDLM + the Rugby World Cup FInal
Tres Rios • 1719 E Carson St. $4 Modelo Negra drafts and $9.99 Birmingham burrito
135 South Highland AVE. • Nov 2: all day Modelo + Negra Modelo draft $4 16oz • $7 32oz
Archie’s • 2328 E Carson St.
Nightmare on Forbes
Mexi-casa • 3001 W Liberty Ave.
268 Forbes ave. • Nov 2: all day $5 Modelo 16oz drafts
Oct 31: ALL DAY $3.50 Modelo drafts
Doce Taqueria $7.25
1220 E Carson St. Modelo draft and a Taco
$4 Modelo Especial draft
PLEASE enjoy responsibly!
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
17
.RESTAURANT REVIEW.
PIZZERIA DAVIDE BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
I
N 2016, DAVE ANOIA started selling
pizza during the day at his Strip District spot, DiAnoia’s Eatery, and his “old world” style pies – cheese under sauce – became a big hit. DiAnoia’s pizza was in high demand. In May, Anoia and his team finally gave into Pittsburgh’s call for more and opened Pizzeria Davide, dedicated entirely to DiAnoia’s famous pies. The new pizzeria is located less than a block away from its sister restaurant, but service-wise, it’s the polar opposite. There’s no table service and no wine poured tableside — there aren’t even front doors. The takeout-only spot features a fenced-in dining area equipped with picnic tables and a walk-up window for ordering. The pizza, thankfully, hasn’t changed. Anoia makes his pies with the same three-day fermented dough recipe that propelled DiAnoia’s pies to celebrity status. This 72-hour process makes for a thin crust that’s sturdy and incredibly flavorful. It’s strong enough to hold sauce and toppings, but isn’t so thick it overpowers the pizza. If cheese before sauce doesn’t sit right with you, Pizzeria Davide’s other specialty is New York-style pizza: cooked red sauce topped with provolone, mozzarella, oregano, and parmesan. The menu also includes two other Italian classics marinara (no cheese) and margherita (mozzarella and basil), alongside two white pizzas, one topped by mortadella, truffle ricotta, hot peppers, and pistachio, the other featuring cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), broccoli, and pancetta. Out of the pizzeria’s signature styles, N.Y. and old world, I preferred the New Yorker. When the old world pie
CP PHOTO: JOIE KNOUSE
Prosciutto Roses and Marinara, made with prosciutto and provolone at Pizzeria Davide
was matched with spicy soppressata and mushrooms, I was inclined to pick up a second slice. But plain, it was unexpectedly dull. The N.Y. pie was almost too big to fit in my front seat. The box was gigantic, and even still, the pizza barely fit into its container. Each slice was exactly what it should have been: thin with a wider, chewy crust that had a bit of char on the edges and almost as big as my head. The cheese bubbled down,
and the sauce was warm, a dusting of oregano and salty parmesan adding the perfect zing.
PIZZERIA DAVIDE 2551 Penn Ave., Strip District. pizzeriadavide.com
Pizza may be the star of Anoia’s menu, but it isn’t the only option. If you’re
FAVORITE FEATURES:
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Sauce
Beer & Wine
Dessert Pizza
The pizzeria’s dip menu is as impressive as its food menu, with spicy ranch, garlic butter, ranch, pepper relish, and more.
Grab a six-pack to-go or sit and enjoy a can of wine after you order.
Pizza, but for dessert: Try Pizzeria Davide’s Nutella and ricotta pie.
PGHCITYPAPER.COM
looking for a Philly cheesesteak, Anoia’s comes as close as you can get without leaving Pittsburgh. The sandwich was picturesque. It had all the traditional features: a roll that wasn’t too crusty but soft enough to absorb some grease, meat tossed with fried onions, and cheese whiz (not from a can, Anoia makes his by hand). The final draw of DiAnoia’s menu was the meatball bomb, a mozzarellawrapped meatball covered and baked in pizza dough. It was, quite literally, a bomb of flavor. Two sauces — marinara and pesto — smothered Anoia’s meatball. It was a classic, no-frills meatball, cooked to perfection. The subject of Pittsburgh pizza is hotly debated, but it’s clear that the city pizza lovers can all agree on one thing: Dave Anoia makes great pizza.
•
Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav
Eating Happily. Leaving with Smile.
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
drinks with friends, Colony Cafe offers delicious house-made bistro fare in a stylish Downtown space.
EIGHTY ACRES
1910 NEW TEXAS ROAD, MONROEVILLE/PLUM 724-519-7304 / EIGHTYACRESKITCHEN.COM Eighty Acres Kitchen & Bar offers a refined, modern approach to contemporary American cuisine with a strong emphasis on local, farm-totable products.
ELIZA HOT METAL BISTRO
331 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE, PITTSBURGH 412-621-1551, ELIZAHOTELINDIGO.COM Set on the site of former iconic iron works, Eliza Furnace, Eliza is an American Bistro exploring classic Pittsburgh flavors, beloved by those that worked the furnaces, combined with the fresh perspective and seasonal sourcing that define what we eat in our region today. Relax with great food, cocktails, and enjoy live entertainment on the rooftop bar.
MERCURIO’S ARTISAN GELATO AND NEAPOLITAN PIZZA
5523 WALNUT ST., SHADYSIDE 412-621-6220 / MERCURIOSGELATOPIZZA.COM Authentic Neapolitan pizza, artisan gelato, and an inviting atmosphere are just a small part of what helps create your experience at Mercurio’s Gelato and Pizza in Pittsburgh. It’s not your standard pizza shop; in fact, this isn’t a “pizza shop” at all.
PAD THAI NOODLE
4770 LIBERTY AVE, BLOOMFIELD 412-904-1640 PADTHAINOODLEPITTSBURGH.COM This new café in Bloomfield features Thai and Burmese specialties. Standards like Pad Thai and Coconut Curry Noodle are sure to please. But
don’t miss out on the Ono Kyowsway featuring egg noodle sautéed with coconut chicken, cilantro and curry sauce.
SUPERIOR MOTORS
1211 BRADDOCK AVE., BRADDOCK 412-271-1022 / SUPERIORMOTORS15104.COM Thoughtfully prepared food, drawing inspiration from Braddock, its people, its history, and its perseverance. The cuisine best represents the eclectic style which has become a trademark of Chef Kevin Sousa. Fine dining in an old Chevy dealership with an eclectic, farm-to-table menu and a community focus.
TOOK TOOK 98
2018 MURRAY AVE., SQUIRREL HILL 412-422-6767 / TOOKTOOK98.COM Eating Happily. Leaving with Smile. The True Taste of Thai. Our goal is to provide the highest customer satisfaction as well as offering authentic Thai street food with Thai environment. Therefore, we have been working hard to bring exceptional dine-in experience to you. We offer variety of authentic Thai food, drinks, and desserts including smiling full-service with BYOB.
The True Taste of Thai
2018 MURRAY AVE. PGH, PA 15217
412-422-6767
WWW.TOOKTOOK98.COM
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 and drive.
TOTOPO MEXICAN KITCHEN AND BAR
660 WASHINGTON ROAD, MT. LEBANON 412-668-0773 / TOTOPOMEX.COM Totopo is a vibrant celebration of the culture and cuisine of Mexico, with a focus on the diverse foods served in the country. From Oaxacan tamales enveloped in banana leaves to the savory fish tacos of Baja California, you will experience the authentic flavor and freshness in every bite. They also feature a cocktail menu of tequila-based drinks to pair the perfect margarita with your meal.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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FRESH HANDMADE FOOD LOCAL CRAFT BEER DAILY SPECIALS
CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
The O.M.G. cocktail (includes cream, honey, and almonds, serves four, and includes a Polaroid photo) at Hidden Harbor
.ON THE ROCKS.
KING(S) OF THE JUNGLE CRAFTYJACKALOPE.COM
BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
I
4121 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201 • Mon-Fri 9am-3pm • Sat-Sun 9am-4pm
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PGHCITYPAPER.COM
F YOU’VE EVER been to a college
party, chances are that someone has shoved a cup in your hand and said, “This jungle juice is so good, trust me.” More often than not, this drunk party person is wrong, and the jungle juice is very bad. I have yet to find an enjoyable jungle juice — cue the bad memories of drinking a brown-ish punch ladled out of plastic tubs. But thankfully, if you’re smart about it, a big-batch of alcoholic punch doesn’t have to be like jungle juice at all. If you’re going off-recipe, there are a few key things to avoid. First, stay away from too much Everclear; the flavor is like drinking rubbing alcohol straight from the bottle. It’s great for making ’cellos, but not for drinking in large quantities. Second, there is such a thing as too much fruit. Unsurprisingly, a mix of Blue Hawaiian Punch, banana puree, cherry, orange, grapefruit, and lime juices doesn’t taste great. But fresh fruit is nothing to shy away from; there’s no drink a few fresh berries can’t class up, though I advise against vegetables. This isn’t a detox. Lastly, don’t be afraid of adding bitters and tinctures. The strong, extract-like substances add flavor without watering down a drink. Flavored syrups are good too.
The best part of making a big, alcoholic punch? It’s hard to mess up. If it’s too sweet, mix in a little more citrus. Too alcoholic? Serve it over ice. If you’re not ready to throw punch parties quite yet, check out one of these local bars serving up “four or more” cocktails:
BRIDGES & BOURBON BRIDGESANDBOURBONPGH.COM There are eight different rums in Bridges & Bourbon’s Polynesian Brew. The tropical drink blends rum with banana, cinnamon, brown sugar, lime, and hazelnut liqueur, and is served with a banana custard.
TINA’S FACEBOOK.COM/TINASPGH Substitute happy hour for “punch bowl hour” at Tina’s. The Bloomfield bar has two different shareable drinks: the super punch (an Italian amaro that tastes like spicy bubblegum), made with IC Light; and Oaxaca old fashioned, featuring mezcal and agave.
HIDDEN HARBOR HIDDENHARBORPGH.COM Three shareable cocktails make Hidden Harbor’s list, the most intense named Atlantis. Drinkers are advised to “embark on the adventure with only the bravest companions;” the drink is made up of over 20 exotic ingredients.
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I Am Jazz 3 &) )" 4&1% Ĺœ +&16 + "* +!
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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Andy Warhol by Christopher Makos
22
PGHCITYPAPER.COM
PHOTO: COURTESY OF TOM SAVINI
Tom Savini with Andy Warhol
.ZOMBIES.
WARHOL UNDEAD BY LISA CUNNINGHAM // LCUNNING@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
W
HEN PEOPLE THINK of Pittsburgh, two things often come to mind: Andy Warhol, born and raised in the Steel City before leaving for New York City after graduating from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University); and zombies, because of the Night of the Living Dead movies, filmed just outside of the city and adopted by Pittsburghers as their own. It only made sense, then, to continue our 31 Days of the Undead coverage of zombie media — highlighted every day of October on pghcitypaper.com — by searching Twitter for “zombie Andy Warhol,” in hopes of finding some Warholthemed Halloween costumes to include in one of our posts. The costumes have popped up occasionally online throughout the years, and I thought a round-up of photos would be a lot of fun. Instead, the search led to something even better, one of the most iconic Pittsburgh images I had never before seen: Andy Warhol in zombie makeup posed sideby-side with another of Pittsburgh’s own, world-renowned special effects make-up artist Tom Savini. Savini’s connection to zombies made sense, of course. The artist and actor is known for his special effects horror makeup and claims he owes his
fame to director George Romero offering him a gig on Dawn of the Dead, the second in the Living Dead series. “I wouldn’t have a career if not for this movie,” Savini told CP in 2018. “If there was no Dawn, there would be no Friday the 13th for me. That’s why I was contacted for Friday the 13th. There’s groundbreaking effects — it wasn’t necessarily realistic before Dawn.”
31 DAYS OF THE UNDEAD Pittsburgh City Paper’s daily online coverage of zombie media throughout October. pghcitypaper.com
But it was after the third Living Dead film when Savini was contacted for the photograph in question, bringing Pittsburgh’s most famous artist into his world. “I remember that I got a phone call after we did Day of the Dead, ‘Would I like to make up Andy Warhol as a zombie?’” Savini wrote CP over email. “Greg Nicotero and I went to New York and did his makeup and it appeared in Chris Makos’ book on Andy Warhol.” (Nicotero, best known today as executive
producer of zombie TV show The Walking Dead, worked as a makeup artist under Savini on Day of the Dead.) Savini had never met Warhol before that day, though notes that his brother went to college with the artist. “He was very quiet and sat patiently for the makeup until I went to move his hair out of the way,” he says. “He gently stopped my hand, and I could see it was a hairpiece taped on.” Makos, the photographer, was a longtime friend of Warhol and recalls the artist liked the idea of zombies in general. The Living Dead movies, he tells CP by phone from New York, were “so much in Andy’s fieldhouse, making movies with very little budget but still getting the point across.” The photograph appears in one of multiple books Makos has published in homage to his friend. Only one other person, according to Makos, owns a copy of the photograph of Zombie Warhol: Norman Reedus, the actor who plays the lead character Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead. The actor first saw the photograph during a portrait session in Makos’ studio, as he was admiring the photographer’s collection of prints. “The Andy Warhol zombie photo-
Follow editor-in-chief Lisa Cunningham on Twitter @trashyleesuh
graph I HAD to have for obvious reasons,” Reedus tells CP over email. “I just loved it. I called Greg Nicotero to tell him about it immediately, his answer was, ‘Oh yeah. I was there with Tom helping with the makeup on Andy.’ It’s one of my favorite photos of all time.” “It makes complete sense,” says Makos. “He’s a zombie killer, so for him to have a picture of Andy as a zombie, it makes perfect sense.” Makos offered to send a copy of that final portrait of Warhol in zombie makeup to CP, but only under the condition that we run it as big as possible. “I’m trying to make my picture famous,” he laughs, audibly excited that the photograph has so many connections to Pittsburgh, where it’ll be printed. But wait ... didn’t Warhol hate his hometown, like we’re so often told? “His adult life really began when he moved to New York City,” Makos says. “So it’s not that he didn’t like Pittsburgh, it’s that New York City is where he found himself.” As to the original online photo search which led to this discovery, I ask Makos what he thinks Warhol would think about people dressing up as him as Zombie Andy Warhol for Halloween. “I’m sure he would love it,” he says. “Absolutely, for sure, he’d be OK with it.”
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
23
.FOR THE WEEK OF OCT. 31
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In his novel Zone One, Scorpio author Colson Whitehead writes, “A monster is a person who has stopped pretending.” He means it in the worst sense possible: the emergence of the ugly beast who had been hiding behind social niceties. But I’m going to twist his meme for my own purposes. I propose that when you stop pretending and shed fake politeness, you may indeed resemble an ugly monster — but only temporarily. After the suppressed stuff gets free rein to yammer, it will relax and recede — and you will feel so cleansed and relieved that you’ll naturally be able to express more of your monumental beauty. Halloween costume suggestion: your beautiful, fully exorcised monster.
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“I am glad that I paid so little attention to good advice,” testified poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. “Had I abided by it, I might have been saved from some of my most valuable mistakes.” This is excellent advice for you. I suspect you’re in the midst of either committing or learning from a valuable mistake. It’s best if you don’t interrupt yourself! Halloween costume suggestion: the personification or embodiment of your valuable mistake.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
appears and takes command: “I sense a subtle shift, a nudge to move over, and everything cracks open, the writing is freed, the language is full, resources are plentiful, ideas pour forth, and to be frank, some of these ideas surprise me. It seems as though the universe is my friend and is helping me write, its hand over mine.” Even if you’re not a creative artist, Taurus, I suspect you’ll be offered intense visitations from a muse in the coming days. If you make yourself alert for and receptive to these potential blessings, you’ll feel like you’re being guided and fueled by a higher power. Halloween costume suggestion: your muse.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): More than a century ago, author Anton Chekhov wrote, “If many remedies are prescribed for an illness, you may be certain that the illness has no cure.” Decades later, I wrote, “If you’re frantically trying to heal yourself with a random flurry of half-assed remedies, you’ll never cure what ails you. But if you sit still in a safe place and ask your inner genius to identify the one or two things you need to do to heal, you will find the cure.” Halloween costume suggestions: physician, nurse, shaman, healer.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Cleopatra was an ancient Egyptian queen who ruled for 21 years. She was probably a Capricorn. All you need to know about her modern reputation is that Kim Kardashian portrayed her as a sultry seductress in a photo spread in a fashion magazine. But the facts are that Cleopatra was a well-educated, multilingual political leader with strategic cunning. Among her many skills were poetry, philosophy, and mathematics. I propose we make the REAL Cleopatra your role model. Now is an excellent time to correct people’s misunderstandings about you — and show people who you truly are. Halloween costume suggestion: your actual authentic self.
Cancerian artist Marc Chagall (1887–1985) was a playful visionary and a pioneer of modernism. He appealed to sophisticates despite being described as a dreamy, eccentric outsider who invented his own visual language. In the 1950s, Picasso observed that Chagall was one of the only painters who “understood what color really is.” In 2017, one of Chagall’s paintings sold for $28.5 million. What was the secret to his success? “If I create from the heart, nearly everything works,” he testified. “If from the head, almost nothing.” Your current assignment, Cancerian, is to authorize your heart to rule everything you do. Halloween costume suggestion: a heart.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Around the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the 11th sign of the zodiac, Aquarius, will be capable of strenuous feats; will have the power to achieve a success that surpasses past successes; will be authorized to attempt a brave act of transcendence that renders a long-standing limitation irrelevant. As for the 11 days and 11 hours before that magic hour, the 11th sign of the zodiac will be smart to engage in fierce meditation and thorough preparation for the magic hour. And as for the 11 days and 11 hours afterward, the 11th sign should expend all possible effort to capitalize on the semimiraculous breakthrough. Halloween costume suggestion: 11.
The Dead Sea, on the border of Jordan and Israel, is far saltier than the ocean. No fish or frogs live in it. But here and there on the lake’s bottom are springs that exude fresh water. They support large, diverse communities of microbes. It’s hard for divers to get down there and study the life forms, though. The water’s so saline, they tend to float. So they carry 90 pounds of ballast that enables them to sink to the sea floor. I urge you to get inspired by this, Leo. What would be the metaphorical equivalent for you of descending into the lower depths so as to research unexplored sources of vitality and excitement? Halloween costume suggestions: diver, spelunker, archaeologist.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Robert Musil made a surprising declaration: “A number of flawed individuals can often add up to a brilliant social unit.” I propose we make that one of your mottoes for the coming months. I think you have the potential to be a flawed but inspiring individual who’ll serve as a dynamic force in assembling and nurturing a brilliant social unit. So let me ask you: What would be your dream-come-true of a brilliant social unit that is a fertile influence on you and everyone else in the unit? Halloween costume suggestions: ringleader, mastermind, orchestrator, general.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do you have any skill in fulfilling the wishes and answering the prayers of your allies? Have you developed a capacity to tune in to what people want even when they themselves aren’t sure of what they want? Do you sometimes have a knack for offering just the right gesture at the right time to help people do what they haven’t been able to do under their own power? If you possess any of those aptitudes, now is an excellent time to put them in play. More than usual, you are needed as a catalyst, a transformer, an inspirational influence. Halloween costume suggestions: angel, fairy godmother, genie, benefactor.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Amy Tan describes the magic moment when her muse
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “We have stripped all things of their mystery and luminosity,” lamented psychologist Carl Jung. “Nothing is holy any longer.” In accordance with current astrological omens, Virgo, your assignment is to rebel against that mournful state of affairs. I hope you will devote some of your fine intelligence to restoring mystery and luminosity to the world in which you dwell. I hope you will find and create holiness that’s worthy of your reverence and awe. Halloween costume suggestions: mage, priestess, poet, enchantrix, witch, alchemist, sacramentalist.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “One language is never enough,” says a Pashto proverb. How could it be, right? Each language has a specific structure and a finite vocabulary that limit its power to describe and understand the world. I think the same is true for religion: one is never enough. Why confine yourself to a single set of theories about spiritual matters when more will enable you to enlarge and deepen your perspective? With this in mind, Libra, I invite you to regard November as “One Is Never Enough Month” for you. Assume you need more of everything. Halloween costume suggestions: a bilingual Jewish Santa Claus; a pagan Sufi Buddha who intones prayers in three different languages.
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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THE LOCAL 913: ZOOM GRAND CARAVAN BY LIZ FELIX // LIZ@WYEP.ORG
Songwriting is often thought of as a solo craft. But for Joe Kukula and Linus Morales from Zoom Grand Caravan, it’s writing as a team that makes what they do special. “A lot of the time we bring an idea to the other,” says Kukula, “and it’s the other person responding to it and being excited about it and discovering it for something greater than what it was intended to be.” The two met at college in Indiana, Pa. and have maintained their writing partnership while Morales studies linguistics and teaches Chinese at the University of Arizona. Morales says they traded ideas and STAY UP-TOmelodies online to create their DATE WITH THIS new album, WEEK’S LOCAL Fingers Crossed. MUSIC NEWS “I think if WITH CP MUSIC someone was WRITER JORDAN spying on us or collecting our data SNOWDEN in order to do AND WYEP anything other than EVENING MIX sell us camping HOST LIZ FELIX stools in sponsored Listen every ads,” Kukula speculates, “there Wednesday would also be a at 7 p.m. on beautiful story to 91.3FM WYEP tell about a year spent creating things in spite of distance. Or maybe because of distance! It makes you be very intentional about that time.” He says the idea for album opener “Someone Else’s Awful Dream” came from the selfish feelings of annoyance that can arise when another person’s trauma intrudes on your life. “It’s not an answer song that tells you how to live your life in those situations,” Kukula says of the track, “but hopefully it’s a song that makes people feel understood if they’re feeling that way.” •
CP PHOTOS: JOIE KNOUSE
Left to right: Joshua Orange, Zachary Luettgen, Tony Resch, and Beck Reid
.MUSIC.
HAUNTSVILLE
BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
H
ALLOWEEN IS OFTEN associated
with immaterial fears of hauntings, ghost stories, and things that go bump in the night. Anthony Resch, fka Royal Haunts, and Joshua Orange are instead doing the spooking themselves with their Halloween event, Hauntsville: A Higher Realm. “We really wanted to have a Halloween event that didn’t just focus on the negative ideas of how the metaphysical interact with people’s lives,” says Orange. “People are sometimes like, ‘What’s not real can cause me distress.’ Our idea is,
‘Why can’t something that’s not real also cause you gratitude, appreciation, or happiness?’ We wanted to emphasize the idea of not being haunted by things before, but by us haunting upwards.” Guests are asked to come as the highest versions of themselves, or the “mythological you,” by incorporating an article of clothing from someone, someplace, or something that may not be around anymore. “[You] bring that energy and appreciation into the room,” says Orange. “Because whether you think about it
HAUNTSVILLE: A HIGHER REALM
8 p.m.-2 a.m. Thu., Oct. 31. Spirit, 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $10. spiritpgh.com
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as something that’s nonphysical or [intangible], it still influences the mindset that people are in.” Inclusivity and connectivity is the goal, with a focus on audience engagement. On Resch’s end, Hauntsville, which is an events series, was created to run shows in the Pittsburgh scene from his perspective. His songs can vary from one track to another, and he had a lineup of singles he wanted to release. Resch figured he would curate a group of artists for those singles rather than around general sound. “One of the things that exhausts me about local scenes, not just in Pittsburgh, is [that] there doesn’t seem to be a reason why certain acts or bands are playing
together all the time,” says Resch. “I wanted Hauntsville to feel like there was a reason why each of these musicians were chosen and there was a connectivity between all of us, a common string between us musically and especially.” Resch cited feeling like the odd one out when he performed on punk or all-rap bills. “I’m an R&B singer and pop producer,” says Resch. “My energy was always missed. Even if I performed my heart out, people would be standing there, not really caring.” Hauntsville’s concept was borrowed from that of independent labels, where musicians and bands are united by a similar mindset. “The idea was to create something more intentional than just having musicians come and play, to feel more like a party than a concert while also having all the professionalism and strength from a concert venue,” say Resch. “Once Josh got his hands on it, it evolved into something more colorful and spontaneous.” Resch brought the idea to Orange, and over the summer they had their first iteration of Hauntsville. During the inaugural event, Resch premiered his song “Purple Light.” For Hauntsville:
A Higher Realm, he is releasing “Might Die (Without Ur Love).” Also during that time, Orange was
in the process of creating Ou_rs, a community-driven effort for people to feel more involved in the organization
processes. In June, Ou_rs, along with Queerling Collective, was awarded a grant from Awesome Pittsburgh to start brunchouse, a quarterly daytime brunch and electronic house music event series. “The idea is to make a sense of community between the people that come and the people who run it,” says Orange. Attendees pay what they can, and if they want to cook, clean, DJ, or learn any new skills, brunchouse is more than happy to incorporate anyone into the process. “Ou_rs lies in the community,” says Orange. “Through this greater decentralized group I’ve personally been able to engage in an array of arts and trades which were otherwise inaccessible to me. Without staunch financial or social barriers to entry. Which I think is important for younger people to see — a culture of genuine mutual support.” Hauntsville is a manifestation of those values mixed with Resch’s musical agenda. “It’s about connectivity,” says Resch. “A show doesn’t have to be a show in the same way that we’ve been comfortable with for however many years. It can be about ourselves and our perception.”
•
Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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.STYLE.
CLOTHES MAKE ... BY TERENEH IDIA CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Name: Nisha Blackwell Founder and CEO of Knotzland, a very small bow tie company
TELL ME WHAT YOU’RE WEARING TODAY. Today I am wearing something very comfortable: a turtleneck from Amour Vert, an online sustainable fashion company. When I went to Atlanta and got to experience their retail store, I was blown away with how transparent they were, and to see a bigger brand pull it all together to go from online to a brick-and-mortar, it felt very near and dear. Now is the time of year to have a good black turtleneck. WITH KNOTZLAND, YOU DO THAT VERY WELL, REPRESENTATION OF ALL PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO WEAR BOW TIES. We started out creating things in menswear for the expression to shine through, colorful and all of these, but I started finding out that there are women who like to wear bow ties, there are non-binary, gender-nonconforming individuals who like to wear bow ties, and so it felt that we couldn’t limit ourselves. I love the structure, detail, [and] tailoring of menswear and that’s what draws me to menswear — it’s not about men versus women. ... Knotzland is for everyone. BACK TO WHAT YOU’RE WEARING. [My shoes] are from Ten Toes, ’70s style, floral. Disclaimer: I wear a size 10.5... so it is hard to find nice shoes, because the sizes 10, 10.5, 11 sell out. They remind me of ’70s go-go boots. I love wearing them, the personality of them, so I can plan an outfit and the boots speak for themselves. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR JEWELRY. The earrings are from Amour Vert. I love earrings. They are brass and it is something I can wear every day. As I get older, I just want to pick up things and go, put on things and go. The necklace: I was in Milwaukee on tour with Mon-
CP PHOTO: TERENEH IDIA
KNOTZLAND BOWTIES STUDIO & SHOWROOM
made [a craft business accelerator]. We went to Sherman Phoenix [a space for Black-owned businesses created in the aftermath of the 2016 police shooting of Sylville Smith]. Walking into the space, I just lit up. I wanted something special, so I got this [silver talisman] and I have worn it almost every day since. I HAVE TO ASK, BECAUSE I SAW A RECENT POST ON INSTAGRAM ABOUT YOUR MANICURE AND BIG APPLE RED, MY FAVORITE OPI NAIL COLOR. I love getting my nails done. I don’t always have the wherewithal to get them done but I realize how it becomes a tool for what I do. So it helps me grasp threads, it helps me physically make the bow ties. They are a tool. [Laughs] I
usually get a neutral, natural color, but this time I wanted to feel fierce.
it healed, I got my middle name, “Love,” tattooed on it.
I ALSO WOULD LOVE TO TALK ABOUT OTHER BODY ADORNMENT IF THAT IS OKAY. I have three tattoos. The one on my wrist is the first tattoo I got. It was [such a] little place, I probably should not have had this man tattoo me. [Laughs] Everyone asks me if it is closed. There is a thing about not having closed circle around your wrist. [Some believe having an enclosed ring, circle around your arm is bad luck]. But it is not closed, it is a Z-shape. The second one, I probably should not talk about that one. [Laughs] The third one: I was in an accident and had a nasty scar on my foot. As soon as
SO WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW AND LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE NEAR FUTURE? There’s a huge public thing that I cannot speak about yet. I am also looking forward to [Pittsburgh Magazine’s] 40 Under 40 meet and greet. Personally, as a creative, I have always been scrappy. I always wanted to make and create but now I am looking at this growth that is challenging the scrappy young person and it is time to grow up. [It’s] time to do the business. You have people counting on you. Time to plan Knotzland and make it a sustainable, viable, lucrative company. It’s time to do it.
Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX
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Nisha Blackwell
303 S. Trenton Ave., Wilkinsburg. knotzland.com / Instagram: @knotzland / Facebook: Knotzland
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SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS SAT., NOV. 2 In contrast to its name, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is actually a celebration of life. It is a time to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones who are no longer physically here on Earth, and like most other festivities, Dia de los Muertos is filled with music and dancing. At THIS IS RED, Pittsburgh City Paper and Creatives Drink celebrate the festival of life with Soulection’s Sasha Marie. Photographer/WAMO host Chancelor Humphrey hosts the event, with drinks curated by Round Corner Cantina, a costume contest, food trucks, and more. A portion of the night’s proceed will go to Casa San Jose, a Pittsburgh-based Latino recourse center which “supports and advocates for Latino communities on issues related to local integration and self-sufficiency.” 8:30 p.m. 1 Library Place, Homestead. $15-550. diapgh.com PHOTO: LESLIE COLON
Sasha Marie
FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com
THURSDAY OCTOBER 31 CLASSICAL ANDREW RANAUDO (ART AND...). Mattress Factory. 6 p.m. North Side.
ROCK DUSTIN ARBUCKLE & THE DAMNATIONS. Moondog’s. 7:30 p.m. Blawnox. AQUEOUS. Rex Theater. 8 p.m. South Side. VIXEN. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale. DAVID WAX MUSEUM. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side. MISALIGNED MIND. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.
ELECTRONIC
PUNK 999, THE CLAP. Cattivo. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
TRIBUTE THE DUDE RANCH (BLINK-182). Hard Rock Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.
FUNK SPRING WIZARD. Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. 7 p.m. East Liberty.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1 COUNTRY VINCE GILL. Heinz Hall. 7:30 p.m. Downtown. ANDY DAVIS BAND. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 8 p.m. Whitehall.
BLUES
THE CLIFFDOGS, LEILA RHODES, TY DANZUSO. Cattivo. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.
FOLK
BRADDOCK BROTHERS. Full Pint Wild Side Pub. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
RASPUTINA, CHARMING DISASTER. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
ACOUSTIC
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE
TRES LADS. Rivers Casino. 9 p.m. North Side.
R&B/SOUL DYNASTY. The Meadows Racetrack & Casino. 8 p.m. Washington.
POP LOUIE CASTLE & THE ROOKS. Hambone’s. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. GREG HOY & THE BOYS. Howlers. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.
DJS THE GET DOWN. Spirit. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
INFECTED MUSHROOM. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
THE BLUES ORPHANS. Andrew Carnegie Free Library Music Hall. 7:30 p.m. Carnegie.
SORSARI & MRKRYL, FIVE STAR HOTEL. Brillobox. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.
ROCK
AMBIENT
BRET MICHAELS. The Palace Theatre. 8 p.m. Greensburg.
IAN MCGLUMPHY, W00DY, ALEX PRICE. Belvederes Ultra-Dive. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.
JOSHUA RADIN, THE WEEPIES. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks.
NONCONNAH, DRONEROOM, DILETTANTE. The Government Center. 8 p.m. North Side.
DJS
LOCK AND DAMS, SWEAT. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.
MANIC FOCUS. Rex Theatre. 8 p.m. South Side.
ICON FOR HIRE. The Smiling Moose. 6:30 p.m. South Side.
GRYFFIN. Stage AE. 7:30 p.m. North Side.
HOUSE OF WAX (DJ POPTONE). Full Pint Wild Side Pub. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
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PGHCITYPAPER.COM
PANDEMIC DANCE PARTY. Brillobox. 10 p.m. Bloomfield.
ELECTRONIC
BRADLEY SCOTT MALONE. Cobblehaus. 7 p.m. Coraopolis.
FIND ETHEL, SLOW VIOLET, KNOWN UNKNOWNS. The Smiling Moose. 9:30 p.m. South Side.
JAZZ TUBBY DANIELS BAND. Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. 7 p.m. East Liberty.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2 WORLD DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION. Andrew Carnegie Free Library Music Hall. 5 p.m. Carnegie.
ROCK WRECK LOOSE (ALBUM RELEASE). Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. A DAY TO REMEMBER. Petersen Events Center. 6:30 p.m. Oakland. ALLY VENABLE BAND. Excuses Bar & Grill. 7:30 p.m. South Side.
CHROME MOSES, JAMES WOLFF, THE BUFFALO RYDERS. Gooski’s. 9 p.m. Polish Hill.
ACOUSTIC
CLASSICAL
JAZZ
THE PERFORMER AND THE COMPOSER. Upper St. Clair High School. 7:30 p.m. Upper St. Clair. DISNEY IN CONCERT AROUND THE WORLD. Butler Intermediate High School. 7:30 p.m. Butler.
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE ZURICH CLOUD MOTORS, BARLOW. The Government Center. 8 p.m. North Side.
PUNK TIGER SEC, THE FILTHY LOWDOWN, ROYAL HONEY. Howlers. 8:30 p.m. Bloomfield.
ELECTRONIC ALIAS. Brillobox. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.
FESTIVAL 4TH RIVER CARNIVAL. OWL Hollow. 4 p.m. Hazelwood.
FOLK HARLEY POE, THE HOMELESS GOSPEL CHOIR. The Smiling Moose. 7 p.m. South Side.
POP
BADFLOWER. Rex Theater. 7:30 p.m. South Side.
SMALLPOOLS, GNASH. Carnegie Mellon University. 7 p.m. Shadyside.
THE VAUGHNS. The Smiling Moose. 10 p.m. South Side.
JON MCLAUGHLIN. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.
HEATHER PIERSON ACOUSTIC TRIO. SongSpace at First Unitarian. 7:30 p.m. Shadyside. JESSICA LEE, MARK STRICKLAND. Friendship Perk & Brew. 5 p.m. Bloomfield. TONY CAMPBELL. Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. 5 p.m. East Liberty.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3 ACOUSTIC MOLSKY’S MOUNTAIN DRIFTERS. The Roots Cellar. 5 p.m. Shadyside.
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE THE OBSESSIVES, JELANI SEI. The Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.
METAL ALLEGAEON, INFERI. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Whitehall.
BLUES JOHNNY A. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
ROCK HIGH PRIEST, THESE BEASTS, CRUCES. Gooski’s. 8 p.m. Polish Hill.
PHOTO: NICOLE LOCKERMAN
DONORA
Donora
SAT., NOV. 2 The members of indie rock band Donora were almost destined to pursue music. Siblings Jake and Casey Hanner grew up in a musical home; their father Dave Hanner is a musician, producer, songwriter with hits recorded by Glen Campbell, Lee Ann Womack, and Bonnie Prince Billy, to name a few. It was Dave who actually suggested Jake and Casey form a band, and soon they added bassist Jake Churton, making him an honorary part of their musical family. Dave, however, has had little to do with Donora’s music since their debut album in 2009, but his influence is evident in the carefree pop-leaning sound heard in the band’s four albums. Some of their songs have even been featured in TV shows such as Teen Wolf, Grey’s Anatomy, and Cribs. Hear Donora along with Brewster and String Machine when they play at The Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $10. donoramusic.com
JAZZ
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE
JAZZ
GEORGE HEID III. Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. 7 p.m. East Liberty.
FORTUNE TELLER, MUSTARDMIND, BOUQUETS. Howlers. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.
YOKO SUZUKI TRIO. City of Asylum. 7 p.m. North Side.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 4
RYAN BINGHAM. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks.
KUNG FU. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
COUNTRY
QUEEN OF JEANS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.
JEREMY PINNELL. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
METAL VITAL REMAINS, POST MORTAL POSSESSION. Black Forge Coffee House. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks.
PUNK FATAMORGANA, UNMAKER, SILENCE. Babyland. 8 p.m. Oakland.
ROCK
ELECTRONIC ROCK THE SCHIZOPHONICS. Get Hip Record Store. 8 p.m. North Side.
FOLK
MARCO BENEVENTO. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
BENJAMIN SHEPHERD. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.
WILCO. Heinz Hall. 6:30 p.m. Downtown.
JAZZ
HIP-HOP/RAP
R&R JAZZ TRIO. The Park House. 8 p.m. North Side.
BLIMES AND GAB. The Smiling Moose. 7 p.m. South Side.
BLUES
AARON LEWIS. The Palace Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Greensburg.
MARCIA BALL. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.
COUNTRY
TUESDAY WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5 NOVEMBER 6
PUNK
HIP HOP/RAP
CLASSICAL
ACOUSTIC
JUSTIN STONE. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.
BEO STRING QUARTET. Bar Marco. 7 p.m. Strip District.
BITTER WHISKERS. Full Pint Wild Side Pub. 7:30 p.m. Lawrenceville.
LEFTOVER CRACK. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.
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. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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FILM
THE LIGHTHOUSE BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
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Are you tired of tracking down food trucks? Don’t miss our Weekly Food Truck Schedule! Available every Tuesday at pghcitypaper.com
PHOTO: A24
Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson play two lighthouse keepers gone mad.
E
VERYONE HAS GROSS habits they do
to let out primitive urges, whether it’s picking your nose, popping pimples, biting toenails, watching videos of other people popping pimples, or something worse. For director Robert Eggers, it’s making movies like The Lighthouse, an engrossing and absolutely disgusting psychological horror film wherein two lighthouse keepers in 1890s New England slowly lose their minds (and every bodily fluid). After giving up his job cutting timber in the dense New England forests, Winslow (Robert Pattinson), takes a job working as a junior lighthouse keeper, under the command of Thomas (Willem Dafoe), a haggard and gassy keeper who speaks in a barely decipherable growl. Thomas is the only one allowed to actually operate the light, much to the chagrin of Winslow, who has to do the more laborious tasks of scrubbing floors, carrying barrels of kerosene, painting the lighthouse, and emptying chamber pots. After a few weeks, Winslow begins to resent Thomas’ post at the light and envy the ecstasy it seems to bring him. Thomas, on the other hand, knows Winslow didn’t come to the remote island just to get a change of scenery. When the ferry that’s supposed to pick Winslow up never shows and the
men are trapped by vicious storms, shit hits the fan (among other objects). For the entirety of his time on the island, Winslow is haunted by visions of siren screams and sexy mermaids washing up on the shore. He often masturbates to a small mermaid sculpture, and the creature begins to drive him mad. He becomes more and more obsessed with seeing the lighthouse light up close, but Thomas is steadfast in his refusal. He is also steadfast in his heavy drinking, which Winslow soon takes up, guzzling liquor out of the bottle until the two men are in a constant state of drinking, dancing, fighting, farting, vomiting, screaming, hallucinating, and punching. There’s a BDSM quality to their relationship, as Thomas replies to Winslow’s work complaints by saying, “you’ll like it cause I say you will.” (There’s also an incident with a dog leash, but no spoilers.) More than once, they want to kiss but end up in a fistfight. The movie is deeply unsettling and, again, disgusting, but it’s also funny. The claustrophobia of the lighthouse, the grossness of the bodily fluids, and the haunting of the sea would all be suffocating if it weren’t for the humor cutting through. In one scene, Winslow says he doesn’t like Thomas’ cooking, which causes him to launch into a drawn out soliloquy, cursing Winslow with
the wrath of Neptune. Another time, Winslow gets so exasperated with Thomas’ frequent farting that he yells that Thomas smells like “curdled foreskin.” Watching Dafoe and Pattinson together is like watching two lone zoo animals meet another of the same species for the first time (a species with razor-sharp cheekbones). The actors — and their characters — feed off each other’s intensity and it’s obvious they had fun doing so, unleashing a freedom they could only do in a two-man show as intimate as this. The whole film is shot in black and white, using a square, silent film aspect-ratio (so the movie never takes up the whole screen). The filmmakers even used camera lenses from the 1910s and 1930s to make it look especially dated, and it does. The soundscape is also crucial to the film’s aura: the long deep blow of a foghorn, crashing waves, drunken sailor songs, siren screams. In the end, the men’s relationship is too volatile for either to make it out whole, but not before bludgeoning the audience with its final, most grotesque scenes. The Lighthouse is a riveting, wellacted, and impressively made movie, and I never want to see it again.
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Now playing at The Manor Theatre and AMC Waterfront.
Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny
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Name: Lucy Stewart, Westmoreland County Work: Associate Curator of Education, Carnegie Museum of Art
CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY
.ART . .
BACKSTAGE
BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
WHAT DO YOU DO? I connect people to what we have on view, give them inroads, meet them where they are, and bring them into our conversation. I also develop and facilitate programs for people with different kinds of abilities. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ON A DAY-BY-DAY BASIS? Every day is different. We work on all exhibitions and the permanent collection, look at the complete picture, and provide opportunities across the board. I might be facilitating something with an exhibition on view at the moment but simultaneously working on something one or two years out in the future. It is shifting gears every hour. In the planning stages, we’re trying to figure out what are the most important points to highlight in an education
program and the best ways to do that, educational goals. How do we best want to achieve those goals? Is it through a workshop, a lecture? Who are the other community collaborators that we could work with? If something is a little bit further along, it’s about making those connections. I really try to get people from all over to participate, whether it be a living artist or expert of some sort. I look for various pathways into works of art; sometimes that comes via literature or music. SO EXPLORATION OF AN EXHIBITION ISN’T JUST ABOUT THE FACE OF THAT EXHIBITION? We try to take it yet a step further. Ask questions and then continue that in conversation outside that scope. It varies dramatically depending on the exhibition. That’s the best part about art; it opens
up a multitude of questions, things that you can talk about, approaches. That’s what I find exciting about it. IS YOUR OWN EDUCATION WITHIN THE ARTS? I have a master’s in printmaking and metal arts. I started in science then shifted gears. I’m very much a maker. HOW HAS WHAT YOU DO PROFESSIONALLY CHANGED HOW YOU INTERACT WITH ART PERSONALLY? It’s influenced some of the art I’ve made over the years in a very much one-to-one way. I have deep appreciation and respect for artists because of where I come from as an artist, and I think any time we can have a living artist speak about their work and connect people directly, it’s just such an important item that we can give to the community. I’ve always believed in that, but it solidifies it very, very much. And the sheer appreciation of being here that I experienced as a kid is something I try to help people have. You don’t have to know the history of art to have that relationship with a work of art.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? Twenty four years, always in education. I started as a secretary in the department. As people left, I assumed their jobs because we very often didn’t refill those positions. So it was just kind of like, “Well, OK, Lucy will do it.” The whole time I’ve been working on programming, I took classes here as a kid, so I love the museum, I love talking about art to people and sharing it with people, and that’s what I’ve always done. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE WORK OF ART IN THE MUI do. WHAT IS IT? YOU ANSWERED SO FAST. YOU’RE SO READY WITH THIS. It’s the Magritte unicorn [René Magritte’s Le Coeur du monde]. It’s my favorite work of art because I looked at it all the time and I was fascinated by it. It’s not on view now and has not been very often, but it was all the time when I was a kid. It’s such an interesting work of art for a little kid to look at.
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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ISS
M ER V E N
RY! O T AS
S RIE O T S S TOPG NEW S ’ EEKEAKIN W R S THIAND B
S, NG S I T LIS RE SIC FEATU U M AL , AND C O E G EL LIV VERA CO
, INK S R D T N D, OO AURA F T N I S ESTND RE B THE RS, A BA
, TEREWS A E I TH EV RT, VIE R A L MO UA VIS , AND K OO
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PHOTO: SARAH HUNY YOUNG
The inaugural Darkness is Spreading event, in the lobby of the Ace Hotel
.MUSIC.
DARKNESS HAS SPREAD BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
H
ALLOWEEN MIGHT BE artist/
DJ sarah huny young’s favorite holiday, so it was disheartening when, two years after moving to Pittsburgh from Harlem, she had yet to find a Halloween party that she felt comfortable attending. Her cousin, the writer Damon Young, had the name recognition and connections to get an event started, and worked with huny, who had the event planning and graphic design experience, to throw a Halloween bash, Darkness is Spreading, in 2017. Now, Darkness is Spreading (DiS) has evolved into an event collective that “that fosters dope music and good vibes from a Black and queer cultural perspective.” This Halloween,
DiS celebrates its two-year anniversary in the lobby at the Ace Hotel — where it all began. The idea for a lobby party came from huny’s time living in New York. When she thought it was a one-off event, the location seemed like a great fit — not too big, and able to grab the attention of passersby. And it worked, almost too well. “It turned out to be completely packed,” says huny. “There were people on social media that said to me, ‘This is the Blackest thing I’ve seen in this hotel,’ and ‘This is the blackest event I’ve seen in Pittsburgh in a really long time.’ Ben Stiller was having a party in the ballroom [of the hotel] because he just
THE FREAKS COME OUT: HALLOWEEN LOBBY JAM
9 p.m.–1 a.m. Thu., Oct. 31. Ace Hotel, 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. Free. facebook.com/darknessxspreading
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finished wrapping a movie and people were coming down into the lobby.” In February 2018, Black Panther arrived in theaters, and huny wanted to mark the milestone. She went back to Damon, and the day after Black Panther premiered in theaters, she hosted another event at the Ace: Darkness is Spreading II: The Afrofuture. This time, it was in the gym. After that success, huny started realizing she was onto something. Focusing on Black, queer, and female lineups, with Black people, LGBTQ people, LGBTQ people of color, and their allies all in one place, she was creating a vision. “People said, ‘What you’re doing is different, and I haven’t really seen anything like this as a series, you should keep doing this,’” says huny. In June 2018 came Diaspora 2 Dope, the third event thrown by DiS. It was then when huny took over completely.
During promotion, huny solidified DiS as an event series (she has since started calling it an event collective), making social media pages and obtaining a domain name. “I wasn’t going to stick with the name, it worked well for Halloween,” says huny. “But people liked it.” DiS comes from a Chappelle’s Show “True Hollywood Stories” skit, in which Charlie Murphy says that Rick James, as a lighter-skinned Black man, would say “darkness is spreading” every time he saw Murphy and Murphy’s brother, Eddie.
“MY PARTIES ARE ABOUT FEELING FREE IN YOUR OWN BODY, ACCEPTED, FEELING SAFE, FEELING COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY WITHOUT RESERVATION AND JUDGMENT.” “It’s hilarious but also made me think about how some people think of me and my parties at these venues that didn’t typically have a crowd that looked like us,” says huny. “They would walk in with eyes wide like, ‘Holy shit, what is going on in here right now?’ I kept it because I liked thinking of us as Black people, we are the darkness in a very segregated and very white city.” Since Diaspora 2 Dope, huny secured a spot hosting In The Weeds at Ace Hotel, an industry night that features cheap food and drinks along with music. It was this event that huny started, and has now secured, a spot as a Pittsburgh DJ. Next, huny hopes to pursue a monthly or bi-monthly DiS residency in a club or nightlife venue. “My parties are about feeling free in your own body, accepted, feeling safe, feeling completely and totally without reservation and judgment,” says huny. “Coming up on two years of building that kind of space for people and myself, I’m ecstatic, I’m appreciative, and if I hadn’t have moved to Pittsburgh, I don’t think this would be a part of my life right now.”
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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F
.ART . .
NOVI, DEAR BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
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OR NOVI, DEAR, a new exhibition opening Thu., Oct. 31 at the Silver Eye Center for Photography, artist Leonard Suryajaya investigates the conflicting facets of his life and identity. His website details his upbringing as part of the Chinese-born minority in Indonesia and as a Buddhist educated in Christian schools in a Muslim-majority country. As a gay man living in Chicago, he also explores his estrangement from his culture and immediate family, who still live in Indonesia. “The discovery of my sexuality … deeply alienated me from my home and family,” Suryajaya says in an artist statement on his website, adding that his traditional family and conservative country didn’t permit “fluid gender expression and homosexuality.” While this is heavy material, Silver Eye executive director and Novi, Dear organizer, David Oresick, describes the displayed images as “joyful, fun, energetic, and beautiful,” all with a touch of silliness. Those qualities are evident in the way Suryajaya uses his family and partner, Peter, as subjects in striking, pop-culture infused tableaux. In “Wrecking Ball,” a female relative becomes a surrogate Miley Cyrus in an image inspired by the singer’s hit song and music video. In the background, various other female relatives in vibrant floral dress dab as a man with an American flag draped over his face kneels, his hands tied behind his back. “[Suryajaya is] a person who has found a way to visually activate his communities,” says Oresick.
PHOTOS: LEONARD SURYAJAYA
Left: “Wrecking Ball.” Above: “Musing.”
NOVI, DEAR AT THE SILVER EYE CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY Opens Thu., Oct. 31. 7 p.m. Continues through Jan. 11, 2020. 4808 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. Free. silvereye.org
This extends to naming the exhibition after his sister, November, who, as Oresick explains, was the first person Suryajaya came out to, a moment captured in a video project playing at the gallery. Oresick says they chose to showcase Suryajaya because, even as a young artist, he clearly had confidence in his “unique vision.” “[Suryajaya] had a pretty complete vision of what the show was going to be,” says Oresick. It also fits the gallery’s mission of showcasing emerging artists who would otherwise never be seen locally. While Suryajaya has had solo exhibitions in Chicago, California, and his native Indonesia, this is his first such show in Pittsburgh. But while Suryajaya’s vision may come off as playful, it’s clearly driven by dark experiences that influenced him. In his artist statement, he says, “Oppression and suppression were the themes of my childhood.” This refers not only to hiding his own sexuality, but to events his own family experienced, like his grandfather fleeing the communist regime, genocide, and the eradication of Chinese culture by the Indonesian government. His approach to art appears to defy those themes; he holds nothing back. Oresick says the exhibition is a “visual overload,” with images crammed from corner to corner with flowers, layers of draped fabrics, and loads of props. Subjects adorned in costumes, jewelry, and makeup strike exaggerated poses,
such as in “Red,” a work depicting a woman — most likely a relative — seated upon a partially nude man’s back, her eyes and mouth opened cartoonishly wide and her tongue sticking out. In “Musing,” makeup is switched out for what appears to be a lunch meat face-mask on a young woman, who splays across a bedspread and looks blankly at the phone at the end of her selfie stick. As if to complement this outrageousness, Oresick says the show will also feature what he calls Silver Eye’s “most ambitious installation to date,” with 50,000 mirror balls affixed to the gallery walls, which he believes will make space feel “really immersive.” Not to be lost in all the elaborate staging and big, bold displays, however, is the desire for physical and emotional love, both romantic and familial, at the core of Suryajaya’s work. His images communicate a yearning for a connection between his two distinct worlds, including in “Mom and Peter,” a photo showing his mother and partner cuddled up underneath a blanket. “Through an absence of physical and verbal affection in my upbringing, I use the visual medium to produce a new language of intimacy and longing,” says Suryajaya in his artist statement. “The desire for closeness, accompanied by apprehension, guides me in my exploration. I found myself using photography as an excuse to construct a new and more privately familiar world.”
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Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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THIS WEEK ONLINE AT PGHCITYPAPER.COM
CP PHOTO: HANNAH LYNN
WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE DEAL WITH THE PITTSBURGH SINKHOLE? A Port Authority bus sank partially into a sinkhole that opened up Downtown on Mon., Oct. 28. Why do they happen? How do they happen? Are they, like most earthly problems, caused by humans?
JENSORENSEN
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EARLY WARNINGS SPONSORED UPCOMING EVENTS FROM CITY PAPER’S FINE ADVERTISERS
WED., NOV. 13TH JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 with Guardian. $15-$28. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
WED., NOV. 13TH ELTON JOHN: FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD 8 P.M. PPG PAINTS ARENA, UPTOWN. All Ages. $220 and up. 412-642-1800 or ticketmaster.com.
SAT., NOV. 16TH ARLO GUTHRIE - 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ALICE’S RESTAURANT CARNEGIE OF HOMESTEAD MUSIC HALL, MUNHALL.
SAT., NOV. 16TH ARLO GUTHRIE - 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ALICE’S RESTAURANT
2 P.M. CARNEGIE OF HOMESTEAD MUSIC HALL, MUNHALL. All Ages. Free. 412-462-3444 or ticketfly.com.
7:30 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTH SHORE. All Ages. $18. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.
7 P.M. CARNEGIE OF HOMESTEAD MUSIC HALL, MUNHALL. All Ages. $49-$69. 412-462-3444 or ticketfly.com.
SUN., NOV. 17TH DOOBIE
FRI., NOV. 15TH DREAMERS
SAT., NOV. 16TH LADY LAMB
WED., NOV. 13TH GUS DAPPERTONTHE POLLY PEOPLE US TOUR
HERITAGE OF AMERICA BAND
7 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTH SHORE. All Ages. $12-$55. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.
8 P.M. SPIRIT HALL, LAWRENCEVILLE. All Ages. $18. 412-586-4441 or ticketmaster.
8 P.M. SPIRIT HALL, LAWRENCEVILLE. All Ages. $17. 412-586-4441 or ticketmaster.
MON., NOV. 18TH HEATHER MCMAHAN: THE FAREWELL TOUR
FRI., NOV. 15TH SARA BAREILLES: AMIDST CHAOS TOUR 2019
SAT., NOV. 16TH GANJA WHITE NIGHT
8 P.M. THE ROXIAN THEATER, MCKEES ROCKS. All Ages. $39-$150. 412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com
8 P.M. UPMC EVENTS CENTER, MOON. All Ages. 412-397-2000 or ticketmaster.com
FRI., NOV. 15TH NICK JORDAN / SMIILES 6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE, SOUTHSIDE. All Ages. $40-$65. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.
FRI., NOV. 15TH THE NOISY NOVEMBER NIGHT TO REMEMBER FT. KORE ROZZIK 8:30 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATER, MILLVALE. All Ages. $10. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.
FRI., NOV. 15TH E5C4P3 - ESCAPE - THE JOURNEY TRIBUTE 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 with Guardian. $18-$30. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
8 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTH SHORE. All Ages. $25. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.
SAT., NOV. 16TH BOAT HOUSE ROW - YACHT ROCK EXPERIENCE 8:30 P.M. HARD ROCK CAFÉ, STATION SQUARE. Under 21 with Guardian. $17-$20. 412-481-ROCK or ticketfly.com.
SUN., NOV. 17TH THIS WILL DESTROY YOU 8 P.M. SPIRIT HALL, LAWRENCEVILLE. All Ages. $15. 412-586-4441 or mrsmalls.com.
SUN., NOV. 17TH THE 3RD ANNUAL MUSICAL MAYHEM 12 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. All Ages. $7-$10. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
SUN., NOV. 17TH AN EVENING WITH THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
MON., NOV. 18TH FREDDIE GIBBS: THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR TOUR 6 P.M. FOXTAIL, SOUTHSIDE. Ages 21+ $23-$85. 412-651-4713 or ticketfly.com.
TUES., NOV. 19TH SUFFOCATION / BELPHEGOR 6 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE STAGE & GRILL, SOUTH HILLS. Under 21 with Guardian. $28-$40.50. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.
TUES., NOV. 19TH ADAM HAMBRICK 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 with Guardian. $10-$18. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
TUES., NOV. 19TH LA DISPUTE W/ TOUCHE AMORE & EMPATH 7 P.M. THE REX THEATER, SOUTHSIDE. All Ages. $25-$28. 412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com.
FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
^ Fri., Nov. 1: Blue Dog at Pittsburgh Shorts Festival 2019
THURSDAY OCT. 31
HALLOWEEN Morning Glory Inn trades sunny for spooky with All Ghouls Gala, a Halloween charity event full of tricks and treats. Don your best get-up for the costume contest, win a prize at the Punch Board, or try some scary delicious farm-to-table food by Fish Hawk Acres. And make sure you bring some singles to rain over featured Pittsburgh drag queens Cherri Baum, Elizabeth Wayne Gaycee, and Veruca La’Piranha as they perform. All proceeds go toward the local trans/ nonbionary advocacy organization SisTers PGH. 6-8 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. 2119 Sarah St., South Side. $25. gloryinn.com
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TALK
STAGE
Mattress Factory puts a spooky spin on its latest Art And... series with a special talk and performance by Factory Installed artist Patte Loper and musician Andrew Ranaudo. Loper will discuss her Laboratory for Other Worlds, a new work at Mattress Factory described as a solar-powered “multi-layered immersive installation” that combines painting, drawing, and stop-motion video to tell the social and environmental justicetinged story of a “planet rejuvenated” by “resistance-minded extra-terrestrials.” Stick around for Ranaudo performing atmospheric piano music during a concert in the lobby of the museum’s main building. Halloween costumes encouraged. 6-8 p.m. 500 Sampsonia Way, North Side. $10/Free for members. mattress.org
Four dead guys are coming to Downtown Pittsburgh just in time for Halloween. Only these aren’t the typical zombies one might expect for a show opening on the second scariest night of the year. (See this week’s Election Guide for a preview of the first.) The members of the all-male singing group in Pittsburgh CLO’s production of Forever Plaid return to life not to eat the brains of unexpected passersby, but for the performance of a lifetime. The musical comedy features the goofy barbershop quartet performing classic 1950s hits. (Expect lots of crooning.) The show marks an anniversary for both the show and the cabaret theater — Forever Plaid was the very first show performed 15 years ago at the Greer Cabaret Theater and opens this year’s season. 7:30 p.m. Continues through
Sun., Dec. 29. 655 Penn Ave., Downtown. $39.75-56.25. pittsburghclo.org
FRIDAY NOV. 1 FILM Pittsburgh Shorts Festival 2019 opens with The Return, a documentary chronicling former Steeler and veteran Rocky Bleier traveling to Vietnam for the first time since he was wounded in battle five decades ago. With Bleier as special guest, opening night kicks off a week of screenings at SouthSide Works Cinema, featuring 116 films from 33 countries and spanning every genre. Screenings take place in 90-minute blocks. Times vary. Continues through Thu.,
^ Wed., Nov. 6: Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue
Nov. 7. 425 Cinema Drive, South Side. Prices vary. filmpittsburgh.org/pittsburgh-shorts
Sat., Nov. 16. 460 Melwood Ave., Oakland. Pay-what-you-can. theglitterboxtheater.com
FILM
COMEDY
TV writer Rod Serling was best known as the mastermind (and omnipresent host) of The Twilight Zone. He continued his eerie work in another anthology series, Night Gallery, which focused on macabre tales of the supernatural. Parkway Theater/ Film Lounge hosts Devil’s Night Gallery, a collection of short films and accompanying art pieces featuring an introduction by “a truly awful Rod Serling impersonator.” 7:30 p.m. 644 Broadway Ave., McKees Rocks. $5. communityreelartscenter.org
Comedian Chelsea Handler has gone through many cycles in her career. She hosted a talk show, wrote several books, had a sitcom based off one of her books, and now she’s taken a turn for the political with a Netflix docu-series about white privilege. She’ll talk about all the life that happened in between when her stand-up tour, “Life Will Be the Death of Me” comes to the Byham Theater. 8 p.m. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $61-116. trustarts.org
STAGE Non-State Actors, a local group specializing in bold performances, takes the stage at the Glitter Box Theater for the world premiere of The Ravages of Now, a play that looks at how perfectly normal people end up members of a cult. Inspired by her own experiences with religious extremism, director Shannon Knapp brings to life six characters as they reveal what they gave up in the name of their charismatic leader. 8 p.m. Continues through ^ Fri., Nov. 1: Chelsea Handler
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DANCE Kelly Strayhorn Theater presents an in-progress performance by Jameelah Platt and the dance crew Lost Culture. Presented as part of the theater’s Freshworks Residency program, the show combines dance and Platt’s work as a painter and collage artist, along with film and photography, to produce a “visual language that illustrates underrepresented, misrepresented and concealed narratives.” The show will take place in KST’s Alloy Studios and is presented in conjunction with Unblurred: First Fridays on Penn Avenue. 8 p.m. 5530 Penn Ave., East Liberty. Pay what makes you happy. kelly-strayhorn.org CONTINUES ON PG. 42
classifieds.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 41
PHOTO: ANDREW WEEKS PHOTOGRAPHY
^ Wed., Nov. 6: Path of Miracles
SATURDAY NOV. 2
OPEN MIC The podcast Girls Running Shit focuses on self-love, self-worth, and mental health, talking with local creatives each episode. Join the hosts Keea Hart, Janita Kilgore, and Mia Marshall for GRS Presents: Speak Your Truth Open Mic Night at Bricolage Production for a night of songs, poetry, spoken word, and other means of self-expression in a safe and welcoming space. 7:30 p.m.-12 a.m. 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $10. girlsrunningshit.com
SUNDAY NOV. 3
FEST Pittsburgh’s Slovak Heritage Festival stakes its claim as the largest of its kind in the United States,
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which is a little difficult to quantify, though the area’s high concentration of people w with Slovakian heritage makes it a safe bet. What is know known is that the 29th iteration of the celebration invo involves no shortage of Slova Slovakian music, dancing, histo history lectures, storytelling, and, of course, food food. Highligh Highlights include includ a lecture lectu from fro Andy An Warhol’s War nephew Donald Warhola abou about their families ^ Wed., Nov. 6: I Am Not Invisible PHOTO: GENE RUSSELL
Slovakian ancestry and screenings of the Czech-Slovak fairytale film Seven Raven. 1 p.m. Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland. “The Slovak Heritage Festival” on Facebook
MONDAY NOV. 4
TALK Take a deep dive into the work of one of the most perceptive and captivating writers in the game when Longform co-founder Max Linsky interviews Leslie Jamison for a live taping of the podcast at Frick Fine Arts Building. They’ll be discussing Jamison’s new book, Make It Scream, Make It Burn, a collection of essays about “the fantasy of objectivity,” as she described it to NPR in September. The book includes a version of her critically acclaimed 2014 essay in Atavist, “The Legend of the Loneliest Whale In The World,” about a blue whale who sings at
PHOTO: VISIONARY MEDIA
^ Sat., Nov. 2: Girls Running Shit
a frequency that can’t be heard by any of their species and the cultural phenomenon it provoked on land. 7:30 p.m. Frick Fine Arts Building, 650 Schenley Drive, Oakland. longform.org
TUESDAY NOV. 5 LIT
by Adagio Health, created to help “recognize and elevate” the women who serve our country. I Am Not Invisible, on display for one night at the Senator John Heinz History Center, will show the photos of these local women as part of this national campaign, as well as written stories a series of behind-the-scenes photographs taken by award-winning photographer Gene Russell. 6-9 p.m. 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. $30 suggested donation. adagiohealth.salsalabs.org/iamnotinvisible
Translation and migration are the topics of interest at this reading at Alphabet City, featuring writers Nathalie Handal and Angie Cruz. Handal will read from her new book of poetry, Life In A Country Album: Poems by Nathalie Handal which focuses on “borders and citizenship, hybrid identities and home, freedom and pleasure”; Cruz from her novel Dominicana, a coming-of-age story about a young woman from the Dominican Republic who finds herself unexpectedly living in New York City in the mid 1960s with a husband living one thousand miles away. A conversation will follow the readings. 7 p.m. Alphabet City, 40 W. North Ave., North Side. alphabetcity.org
STAGE
WEDNESDAY
Immersive theater has expanded into the dance world as San Francisco-based company ODC/Dance joins the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh for Path of Miracles, an immersive dance presentation. Audience members will be guided through Downtown’s beautiful Trinity Cathedral as the dancers tell the story of Camino de Santiago, the ancient Catholic pilgrimage across Northern Spain, with the choir performing a live score by British composter Joby Talbot. 8 p.m. Through Sat., Nov. 9. 28 Sixth Ave., Downtown. $10-65. trustarts.org •
NOV. 6 ART
When veterans are thanked in speeches and brought up onto stage at political events, it’s often only the men who have served who are represented. But 56 women veterans from Western Pennsylvania were photographed earlier this year as part of a national campaign
Get lost in the spectacle, romance, and colorful costumes of Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue at the Byham Theater. The internationally touring live musical captures the sights and sounds of India’s famed Bollywood cinema with a fusion of film, choreographed dance numbers, and soundtrack that features the songs of Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. The cast includes some of Bollywood’s biggest stars and a company of 18 dancers, as well as live musicians. 7:30 p.m. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $30-50. trustarts.org
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IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-13804. In re petition of Cloyed Arthur Sawyer Jr. for change of name to C. Tom Sawyer. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 22nd 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-19-11773, In re petition of Mile Djeric parent and legal guardian of Maja Djeric, for change of name to Jex Djeric. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 15th 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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OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT
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:
PGH. OBAMA 6-12 Gym A/C and Lighting Upgrades Mechanical, Electrical, and Asbestos Abatement Primes 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.
VAMPING
BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM
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49. Pre-election events 50. Pulled tight 52. DOJ div. 56. Right 57. Fan’s taunt during the World Series 60. Discovery One computer 61. Southern French town with a Roman amphitheater 62. Its website is off the landing page flychicago.com 63. Bullring cry 64. Scrawny 65. County just outside of London
DOWN
1. Grilling spots, for short 2. Pleasure seeker 3. Supreme Leader’s nation 4. You might get one watching an unboxing video or a movie trailer debut 5. Clock-setting abbr. 6. Tempo fluctuations in music 7. Regarding 8. Start-up funds 9. Craggy point 10. Desperate teacher’s question to a seemingly stumped classroom 11. Princess Leia killed him 12. See eye to eye 13. Blake ___
(President McCord’s personal secretary on “Madam Secretary”) 18. Two, to a Teuton 23. OK sch. founded by an evangelist 25. Rocky deposit 27. First floor apartment, maybe 28. Like outthere movies 29. Have to have 30. Game where the leads keep changing 31. Improves 33. Seminal 1983 hip-hop movie featuring many old school legends 35. Cookie similar to the Trader Joe’s Joe-Joe’s 36. Pita-and-
lamb lunch 38. Head space? 39. Great slaughters 41. Ace Clayton 42. Tech company owned by Verizon 44. Ginnie ___ 45. Kind of cloth bag 46. Its border with Canada is roughly 45 miles long 47. Its flag is shaped with two triangles 48. Cuckoo bananas 51. Put an end to 53. Cockpit predictions 54. Paris pop 55. Dinosaur whose teeth were the size of bananas 58. Previously, in verse 59. Lobster eggs
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER OCT. 30-NOV. 6, 2019
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PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM
R
ECENTLY I WAS ASKED what sort
of natural aphrodisiacs, such as specific foods or scents, work to heighten sexual arousal and increase libido. I had to admit that I really don’t know because, other than passing cultural references to things like oysters and chocolate, I had never given aphrodisiacs much thought. So, I did what any good sex writer would do: I did some research of my own, but I also reached out to my Twitter followers to ask them what has worked for them. Twitter suggestions were super interesting. They ranged from foods like pineapple juice, vanilla, bacon, chocolate, honey, and oysters; to essential oils like ylang-ylang and sandalwood; to roots such as maca and kava; to scents like lavender and lilac; and supplements like zinc. Some folks, like Ellie Boulder, even offered personal anecdote: “Once I had this raw chocolate with maca, and I wish I could remember the brand … [but I] ate it and threw the wrapper away before I realized how it had affected me. Made me GOOD horny.” While many people, both on my Twitter feed and elsewhere, have experienced increased arousal in conjunction with the things listed above, the FDA doesn’t recognize any specific chemicals as natural aphrodisiacs. This is not to say that they don’t exist, but rather that libido is hard to define
and even harder to study. Some have suggested that it isn’t the chemical makeup of the food or other substances that contribute to increased libido, but rather that they are somehow sexually suggestive, thus activating the arousal system. The foods that most readily fall into this category are ones that approximate sexual organs. Oysters and figs, for example, are thought to look like vulvas; eggplant and cucumbers resemble penises; and avocados, especially since they grow in pairs and are wrinkly,
conjure up images of testicles. It is no surprise that all of these foods are said to be aphrodisiacs. There is much debate about whether or not aphrodisiacs work inherently, or whether consumers experience increased libido due to association or some sort of placebo effect. Given the uncertainty around how aphrodisiacs work, perhaps a more compelling question is what our interest in aphrodisiacs tells us about our cultural attitudes toward sex. We tend to talk about aphrodisiacs
in a relational way: they are date foods, meant to set the tone for sex. Historically, rituals using aphrodisiacs were often intimately connected to marriage and mating rites. And while having sexy time with our partners is indeed desirable, it seems to me like looking to aphrodisiacs both assumes that non-arousal in ourselves or our partners is a problem that we need to fix; and moreover, that we can fix this problem by taking short-cuts that don’t include the hard work of communicating, negotiating, and connecting with our partners. It is natural for partners to have mismatched libidos. This can be frustrating on both ends. But this also assumes that sex needs to be symmetrical, an even exchange where both partners experience sex in the same way. In other words, it assumes that sex should be about mutual arousal and not about care for the other person and intimacy between partners. Instead of focusing on aphrodisiacs as a solution, I wonder if we should instead explore the point of mismatched libidos within our relationships as a way of learning to meet each other’s needs in both sexual and non-sexual ways; to talk about giving andreceivingpleasurethatiscompatible with whatever arousal level each partner has; and finding compromise that is sexy and fulfilling.
•
JESSIE SAGE IS CO-HOST OF THE PEEPSHOW PODCAST AT PEEPSHOWPODCAST.COM. HER COLUMN PEEPSHOW IS EXCLUSIVE TO PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER. FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER @PEEP_CAST. HAVE A SEX QUESTION YOU’RE TOO AFRAID TO ASK? ASK JESSIE! EMAIL INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM. QUESTIONS MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR AN UPCOMING COLUMN.
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