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NOV. 6-13, 2019 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 45 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Associate Publisher JUSTIN MATASE Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD Managing Editor ALEX GORDON Senior Writers RYAN DETO, AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writers HANNAH LYNN, JORDAN SNOWDEN Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Digital Media Manager JOSH OSWALD Editorial Designer ABBIE ADAMS Graphic Designers JOSIE NORTON, JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Events and Sponsorship Manager BLAKE LEWIS Senior Account Executive JOHN CLIFFORD Sales Representatives KAITLIN OLIVER, NICK PAGANO Operations Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Events and Marketing Coordinator BRYER BLUMENSCHEIN Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, LISSA BRENNAN, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, JESSIE SAGE Interns JOIE KNOUSE, ELISE LAVALLEE Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.
Oleg Dovhun, of the Conn-Greb boxing club, warms up in the hallway before his fight at the Printscape Arena in Canonsburg. Dovhun won in the third round by TKO to add to his undefeated record.
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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FILM
3RFF 2019
D
ESPITE WHAT MANY Pittsburgh cinephiles believe, the Three Rivers Film Festival (3RFF) is still around. The annual event, which has introduced local audiences to new films since it first began 36 years ago, changed course in 2018 by scaling down and deviating from its traditional autumn schedule. “It just didn’t have that broad reach that it typically has,” admits festival director Joe Morrison, who, in 2018, took over as director of programming for the 3RFF’s host organization, Pittsburgh Filmmakers. From Nov. 8–23, 3RFF returns to form with a diverse array of documentaries, short films, and more screening at locations around the city. It’s a reassuring sign of 3RFF’s commitment to its mission after a number of setbacks. The 2017 festival was canceled after losing its main sponsor, Dollar Bank, which had backed the event since 1998. In 2018, 3RFF switched to a summer date and shortened schedule in June, confusing many fans accustomed to its traditional schedule. There’s also Pittsburgh Filmmakers, which has slowly recovered from years of financial difficulties and what many see as mismanagement. In 2018, Filmmakers officially combined with the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PCA) to create the Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media, an arrangement that included the sale of the Pittsburgh Filmmakers facility on Melwood Avenue and a move to the PCA building in Shadyside.
BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
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PHOTO: THREE RIVERS FILM FESTIVAL
Barefoot: The Mark Baumer Story
The organization then brought on Morrison, who had previously served as operations manager and head of programming for the historic Hollywood Theater in Dormont, a venue once noted for its offbeat programming and mix of classic, indie, and cult films. After the community theater was acquired by the Theatre Historical Society of America in 2018, Morrison and the Friends of the Hollywood Theater formed Jump Cut Theater, a nonprofit traveling film show that hosts screenings in various locations throughout the region. Morrison believes this year’s festival will help re-establish Filmmakers within the Pittsburgh arts scene by emulating
the previously successful 3RFF model of opening and closing night celebrations, and featuring “as many visiting artists as we can cram” into two weeks. “The festival has always been the signature public event of this organization,” says Morrison, adding that each year, 3RFF has attracted thousands of visitors. “There’s nothing else this organization does that touches as many people in such a concentrated period of time.” While he admires the growth of the local film festival scene, which includes Pittsburgh Shorts, ReelAbilities, and the Black Bottom Film Festival, among others, he says no other event compares to the “broad-reaching, eclectic” selection of
new world cinema offered by 3RFF. “Nobody else has duplicated that,” says Morrison. “We love being able to put that out there.” 3RFF kicks off with several opening weekend screenings featuring notable guest appearances. At Regent Square Theater, Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin will present The Green Fog, his found-footage remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller, Vertigo. Catherine Wyler, daughter of legendary early filmmaker, William Wyler, will introduce the World War II documentary The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress at the Carnegie Science Center’s Rangos Giant Cinema. The recently
restored 1982 gospel documentary Say Amen, Somebody will play at the Harris Theater with the film’s director, George T. Nierenberg, in attendance. In terms of international cinema, 3RFF will present several films as part of the Polish Cultural Council sidebar, among them the notable director Agnieszka Holland’s latest effort, Mr. Jones, the post-World War II thriller Mister T (Pan T), and The Messenger, a “new James Bond-style action film.” Also showing is the Russian historical drama Beanpole and The Whistlers, a Romanian film Morrison describes as a “really clever” comedy crime caper with “lots of plot twists.” CONTINUES ON PG. 8
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3RFF 2019, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7
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// Another Day of Life
PHOTO: THREE RIVERS FILM FESTIVAL // Say Amen, Somebody
“I HOPE PEOPLE WILL TAKE A CHANCE ON SOMETHING THEY DIDN’T EXPECT TO COME TO PITTSBURGH.” “It centers around whistling, believe it or not,” says Morrison. Adding to the international selections is Another Day of Life, a bold Spanish/ Polish animated feature based on a book by war journalist Ryszard “Ricardo” Kapuściński, and House of Hummingbird, a Korean drama that won the Grand Prix for Best Feature Film at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival Generation 14plus. The festival also caters to animal lovers with Well Groomed, an offbeat documentary about the world of competitive dog grooming, and Los Reyes, a film about the friendship between two dogs in urban Chile. Representing Pittsburgh is documentarian Julie Sokolow, whose latest work, Barefoot: The Mark Baumer Story, will have its local premiere at 3RFF. The film about Mark Baumer, a writer and activist who was killed while walking barefoot across the country to bring attention to climate change, already screened at festivals like Heartland International
Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Premiere Documentary Feature.
THREE RIVERS FILM FESTIVAL Fri., Nov. 8–Sat., Nov. 23. Various locations. $10-15. threeriversfilmfestival.com
Morrison believes Barefoot adds to Sokolow’s tradition of making wellbalanced films about eccentric characters. This includes Aspie Seeks Love, an intimate look at the challenges of dating for people with Asperger syndrome, and The John Show, a 2017 short about John Riegert, a local artist who, after years of struggling with mental illness, died by suicide in November 2018. Adding to the local flavor is the premiere of the documentary Jewish Memories of Pittsburgh’s Hill District and Out of the Archives: Pittsburgh
Revealed, a curated selection of footage depicting the Pittsburgh region from the 1920s through the 1980s. The latter is a multifaceted view of the city’s history, from a commercial directed by George A. Romero to a Memorial Day Gay Picnic in 1983. 3RFF will also welcome the Ann Arbor Film Festival touring shorts program and the musical ensemble Alloy Orchestra, both of which had appeared at previous 3RFF events. Alloy will present original live scores for two films, the swashbuckling Black Pirate written by and starring silent film legend Douglas Fairbanks, and Gallery of Monsters, a 1924 melodrama about circus performers. Whether attendees choose to explore new films or rediscover old works lost to time, Morrison wants local audiences to take full advantage of 3RFF. “I hope people will take a chance on something they didn’t expect to come to Pittsburgh,” says Morrison. “This might be their one chance to see on the big screen.”
Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP
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.NEWS.
STATUS SURVEILLANCE
What’s really behind the creation of Pennsylvania’s new E-Verify law? BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
I
N PENNSYLVANIA, it’s not uncommon to hear politicians dog whistle to nativism, especially when it comes to labor. Last month at the Shale Insight conference in Downtown, President Donald Trump received a large applause when he told the crowd he would “always put America first.” In a special election for state senate earlier this year, attack ads were levied against candidate D. Raja (R-Mt. Lebanon), an Indian-American businessman who runs a software company that employs workers from his native India and in Allegheny County, for “outsourcing” jobs and “importing talent.” And now, a new law has hit Pennsylvania’s books that harks back to similar themes. On paper, the Construction Industry Employee Verification Act, aka House
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Bill 1170 (HB 1170) — known more commonly as the E-Verify law — looks to tackle problems associated with labor fairness and to ensure everyone is following the same rules. It passed with overwhelming support on Oct. 7, moving swiftly through the legislature before Gov. Tom Wolf (D-York) let it lapse into law without signing. (When Pennsylvania governors don’t veto bills within 10 days of reaching the governor’s desk, they become law.) But there are disagreements on whether the law requiring employees of construction companies to be run through a verification system to determine if they are legally allowed to work in the U.S. will be able to accomplish those goals. The bill requires all private construction employers statewide to run new hires
through a federal E-Verify system, an electronic database that checks the legal work-status of new hires by comparing the employees’ information to that of the Social Security Administration and federal immigration officials. More than 20 states have mandated the use of E-Verify in some or all industries. Proponents of the law say it helps catch violators who employ off-thebook workers and thus avoid paying taxes and workers’ compensation fees. But opponents say the law will disproportionately hurt immigrants, noting the ineffectiveness of similar laws in other states and arguing it could lead to the deportation of undocumented immigrants and exacerbate a labor shortage. Labor unions and immigrant advocates are now wondering why the E-Verify law passed so quickly, and why
these potential shortcomings were not fully vetted. IN APRIL, the General Contractors Asso-
ciation of Pennsylvania (GCAP) provided testimony in favor of the state’s E-Verify law. GCAP director Jon O’Brien told a state House committee that, “because of the growing underground construction economy, construction companies are losing market share” and that companies associated with GPAC are hurting. Guillermo Perez, head of Pittsburgh’s chapter of Labor Council of Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), disagrees. Perez is a vocal critic of Pennsylvania’s E-Verify law for many reasons. He says labor movements should be trying to bring in all workers — including undocumented immigrants — to union membership instead of turning them
into federal immigration officials for possible deportation. But a big reason that LCLAA, which is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), is opposed to E-Verify is the possible economic effect it could have on Pennsylvania, particularly the western part of the state. He says E-Verify could compound the construction industry’s labor shortage by intimidating immigrants, both undocumented and with work visas, from seeking jobs out of fear of discrimination and deportation. HB 1170 requires new hires to be run through electronic databases, but there’s also a complaint system that other workers can utilize to tip off officials of alleged illegal workers. “We have a labor shortage,” says Perez of the local construction industry. “There is no evidence that local construction companies are losing work because of undocumented immigrants.” In 2017, residential construction companies and the Master Builders’ Association of Western Pennsylvania (MBA) complained of skilled worker
shortages in Westmoreland County, according to TribLive. In 2018, Builders Guild of Western Pennsylvania told KDKA that retirements are going to lead to a shortage of about 17,000 workers in the area. According to an April article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with unemployment below 4 percent in the region, it has become more difficult for construction employers to find workers. The MBA of Western Pennsylvania is an affiliate of GCAP, which was part of the advocacy for HB 1170. E-Verify bills also don’t always work out as intended. Perez notes that even though E-Verify for all employees has been on the books since 2008 in Mississippi, there were still large-scale raids recently at a chicken plant there. Perez thinks the Pennsylvania law is especially flawed in its own enforcement mechanisms. He says the law disproportionately hurts workers over employers, and the complaint system could lead to profiling and open hostility between employees. “Do we want to have an environment where people can anonymously claim that someone is undocumented?” CONTINUES ON PG. 12
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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STATUS SURVEILLANCE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 11
says Perez. “It is Kafkaesque. It harkens back to a time I thought we were past.” Perez notes that a section of the bill with an enforcement mechanism against employers who hire illegal workers might have holes. Section 5 (a) (4) of HB 1170 says agencies are “to suspend each license that is held by the employer if the employer fails to timely submit the verification.” But there might not be any licenses for the state to suspend. The state Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) didn’t return requests for questions on how specifically HB 1170 will strip business licenses, but the DLI website says that state government “currently has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors (or their employees).” Home improvement contractors must be registered with the state; some municipalities, like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Scranton, have local licensing rules for construction companies, but, according to the DLI website, “the Commonwealth has no jurisdiction” and maintains no records in municipal licensing, and that information “can only be obtained by contacting the municipality where construction work will occur.” Nothing in the HB 1170 specifies
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this dynamic. Sam Williamson, director of SEIU 32BJ, calls HB 1170 an anti-immigrant attack. His union, the largest service workers union in the state, is opposed to the E-Verify law. He says its main goal is to put undocumented immigrant workers into the hand of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “This anti-immigrant measure will not strengthen workplaces,” says Williamson. “The bill places the enforcement mechanism on the workers themselves, not the employers that hire them.” But Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council president Frank Sirianni bristles at any suggestion HB 1170 is an anti-immigrant law. He recently told the Pennsylvania Capital-Star the law will help stop the exploitation of immigrants
and migrant workers. “Perhaps we can find a way for more people who come into the country to become citizens in the future,” Sirianni said to the Capital-Star. “But abusing them through bad business practices isn’t helping anyone.” However, immigration activists like Dong Yoon Kim are skeptical HB 1170 will help more people than it will harm. Dong Yoon, who works for the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC), says the law could lead to profiling people who appear to be immigrants, particularly Latinos. Dong Yoon thinks claims that the law is more pro-labor than anti-immigrant are suspect, given that PICC believes HB 1170 shares many similarities to a model bill from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC is a right-wing nonprofit that helps to draft model legislation for state
legislators. It’s associated with several anti-immigrant and anti-union bills. In 2010, an ALEC model bill became SB 1070 in Arizona, broadly considered one of the most anti-immigrant bills to be passed into law in a U.S. state, as it required non-citizens over 18 to carry ID at all times or face a misdemeanor charge. ALEC also has been actively providing model legislation for “right to work” bills for several states, which virtually all unions, including the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, regard as anti-union. One similarity between the ALEC model bill on E-Verify and HB 1170 involves language of license suspensions, the same issue the state might not be able to enforce against employers. According to the progressive watchdog group the Center for Media and Democracy, the ALEC E-Verify model legislation reads, “The court shall order the appropriate agencies to suspend all licenses subject to this subdivision that are held by the employer.” HB 1170 states that agencies are “to suspend each license that is held by the employer if the employer fails to timely submit the verification.” HB 1170 fails to mention the complexity of Pennsylvania’s construction
business licensing, which is mostly run through municipalities and which the state has little to no jurisdiction over. Additionally, the organizations advocating for E-Verify laws have nefarious ties to white nationalist groups. During Democratic debates in October, the immigration-restriction group NumbersUSA ran several national ads pushing for E-Verify laws. NumbersUSA gets the majority of its funding from Pittsburgh’s Colcom Foundation, a group founded by Cordelia Scaife May, who espoused antiimmigrant and white nationalist sentiments throughout her life. Colcom also funds anti-immigrant groups, including VDare, a white nationalist website classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Williamson also says HB 1170 doesn’t fix a larger industry problem of misclassifying workers. He says several industries in Pennsylvania, including the construction industry, misclassify their workers as independent contractors when they really act as employees. Independent contractors technically don’t work for companies, so they are not entitled to benefits, health insurance, or other requirements of employers. But HB 1170 was supposed to come into law as part of a package with a
“DO WE WANT TO HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE CAN ANONYMOUSLY CLAIM THAT SOMEONE IS UNDOCUMENTED? IT IS KAFKAESQUE.”
ssification bill called HB 716. misclassifi “As for HB 1170 and the requirement of E-Verify for all construction nnsylvania, this is a perfect in Pennsylvania, nion piece of legislation for HB companion eads April testimony from GCAP. GCAP 716,” reads HB 716 was a rarity in Harrisburg in that it had universal support. Not one state House representative voted
against its passage in the House. LCLAA and SEIU also supported it. The E-Verify bill, on the other hand, had universal support from Republicans and many Democrats, but also
Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto
opposition from progressive Democrats, unions like the United Steelworkers, and immigrant-rights organizations. The only Pittsburgh-area legislators to oppose HB 1170 were state Reps. Dan Frankel (D-Squirrel Hill), Sara Innamorato (D-Lawrenceville), and Summer Lee (D-Swissvale). Even so, HB 1170 passed through the legislature, and HB 716 has stalled in the state Senate. In the end, Perez says the state’s E-Verify law will likely just make life harder for immigrants. According to a 2017 paper from the Dallas Federal Reserve, E-Verify laws drove down wages for mostly male undocumented immigrant workers. Correspondingly, the paper found that employment rates for female undocumented workers increased, indicating they were trying to make up for the lost wages of their male counterparts. Williamson agrees the law will mostly just punish immigrant workers and believes the Democrats who voted for HB 1170 will have to answer to their voters in the near future. “It puts immigrant workers into the hands of the ICE in the era of Trump; to say that is not anti-immigrant is preposterous,” says Williamson.
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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.FOOD.
TOCAYO BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
C
HEF FERMIN ACOSTA’S second
restaurant is strikingly different from the first, Totopo Mexican Kitchen & Bar in Mt. Lebanon, which celebrates the vibrancy of all Mexican cuisine. The menu at Acosta’s new spot, Tocayo, returns to the flavors of his childhood and honors his Purépechan roots, an indigenous people among the first to settle in Central America. The Purépecha reside in the northwestern Mexican state of Michoacán, often referred to as the “soul of Mexico;” indigenous cuisine has deep roots there. Known for its rustic, homey dishes, Michoacán’s culinary culture — traditional dishes dating back thousands of years — is often attributed to the Purépecha people. Acosta’s menu is poised around this idea, echoing the comforting, resilient flavors of Purépechan history.
TOCAYO 810 Ivy St., Shadyside. tocayopgh.com
Tocayo, unlike its signature cuisine, is fairly chic. Even the grey paneling outside sporting a stark, indigenous bird image, feels trendy. On the inside, decor mirrors the celebratory, bright nature of Acosta’s first restaurant, vibrant walls decorated with garlands for Dia de los Muertos and shelves full of candles. Tocayo is warm, but undeniably upscale. Tacos make up most of the taqueria’s menu, coming in orders of two of the same or mix-and-match. For those looking for something other than tacos, Acosta has a quesadilla, taquitos, dips, nachos, as well as a burrito, naked or wrapped. Tequila is the menu’s other star, though a pepino (cucumber) margarita
CP PHOTO: JOIE KNOUSE
Al pastor taco at Tocayo
left much to be desired, a little flat and dull. Twenty varieties of tequila are stocked at the bar, along with seven mezcals. A short bill of cocktails and beer rounds out the list. To my dismay, all guacamole at Tocayo is prepared tableside. (No matter the subject — cocktails, fish, flambé — I find tableside preparation to be an excruciatingly awkward experience.) But at the recommendation of my server, I ordered it. Thankfully (all credit to the employee
mashing avocados tableside), my experience was smooth and natural. The guacamole was smashed in less than two minutes, the end product well worth any grudge I had towards tableside service. It was fresh, packed with citrus, slightly spicy, and gobbled down in record time. Of the tacos I tried (there are 11 varieties; I chose four from the mix-and-match option), each was hearty but polished and unlike any taco I had before. Distinct flavors and warm spices added a unique
FAVORITE FEATURES: Queso
Chips
Soup and Salad
Don’t skip out on dips at Tocayo. The queso, an absurdly simple mix of mozzarella and American cheese, is unreasonably delicious.
A perfect vehicle for all the dips you won’t skip: sturdy, warm, and freshly fried.
All tacos come with a choice of soup or salad.
personality to the common dish. The tacos were built on a single blue corn tortilla, all but spilling over their small wraps. The al pastor was rich in spice, earthy, and sun-ripened. A vegetarian combo of cauliflower and eggplant had more layers than I expected, salsa roja adding a nice kick. Shrimp matched well with the sweetness of fried plantains and mango. But octopus took the crown. It was absolutely perfect: no sign of the all-too-common octopus chew and boosted with a sting from pickled red onions and roasted chile de arbol. In Spanish, Tocayo translates to “namesake” and it’s fitting for Acosta’s new eatery. The chef takes cues from a long Purépechan culinary history, transporting himself back “to the kitchens of his childhood,” and giving the city a window into Mexican cuisine like they’ve never had before.
•
Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav
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Eating Happily. Leaving with Smile.
DINING OUT
SPONSORED LISTINGS FROM CITY PAPER ’S FINE ADVERTISERS
THIS WEEK’S FEATURED RESTAURANT
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.
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.
LEON’S CARIBBEAN 823 E WARRINGTON AVE., ALLENTOWN 412-431-5366 / LEONSCARIBBEAN.COM Family owned and operated since December 2014. Here at Leon’s, we take pride in our recipes and quality of dishes. Simple menu with all the traditional dishes! Leon Sr. has been a chef for 30+ years, mastering the taste everyone has grown to love and can only get at Leon’s.
MERCURIO’S ARTISAN GELATO AND NEAPOLITAN PIZZA 5523 WALNUT ST., SHADYSIDE 412-621-6220 / MERCURIOSGELATOPIZZA.COM Authentic Neapolitan pizza, artisan gelato, and an inviting atmosphere are just a small
The True Taste of Thai
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.
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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.
Are you tired of tracking down food trucks?
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.
Don’t miss our Weekly Food Truck Schedule! Available every Tuesday at pghcitypaper.com
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 NOV. 6-13, 2019
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FRESH HANDMADE FOOD LOCAL CRAFT BEER DAILY SPECIALS
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A
NEW LINE of drinks from the
Glenshaw-based Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries aims to simplify your cocktail game — three pre-mixed drinks that can be used as a foundation for a more complex cocktail, or simply enjoyed over ice. The cocktails come in party-sized oneliter bottles or personal-sized flasks and feature the distillery’s award-winning potato vodka and BLY silver rum. Each cocktail is between 18 and 20 percent ABV. It might seem high, but it’s a standard number for a mixed drink (a Cosmopolitan, for instance, is about 20 to 30 percent ABV). The three flavors so far are lemon and lavender (with “dried lavender florets” infused into a house-made syrup and mixed with vodka); iced tea and lemonade (Earl Grey, house-made lemonade, and vodka); and daquiri (lime, cane sugar, and BLY rum). Out of the three (all consumed straight, without ice) the iced tea and lemonade is by far the easiest to drink. The tea isn’t super-sweet, failing to mask the strong hit of vodka on the back end of every sip. Even so, it’s a nice, refreshing take on the classic combo. Lemon and lavender follows in rank, with floral tones at first but eventually balancing out from a punch of citrus. Similar to the tea cocktail, the vodka isn’t particularly subtle nor overpowering, but
you know you’re drinking a cocktail. The daiquiri was tasty, though those averse to sour flavors should stay away. (It made me start sweating; a coworker beside me loved it.) A reasonable comparison would be to eat a handful of Warheads. With some tonic water, it would have been perfect.
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That same sentence could be said for all three cocktails. Add some tonic water, soda, or ice, and the cocktails will smooth out for easy drinking. Boyd & Blair recommends shaking or pouring over ice and serving as is — with a lime wedge in case of the daquiri — but the potential is there for each to serve as a building block for other cocktails. All three flavors are available for purchase at various PA Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores, as well as local businesses DiAnoia’s Eatery and Monaco Kimpton Hotels. You can also order them online through Boyd & Blair, though they can only be shipped within Pennsylvania. If you like cocktail recipes that come with shortcuts, these might be for you.
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.FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 7
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Studies suggest that on average each of us has a social network of about 250 people, of whom 120 we regard as a closer group of friendly acquaintances. But most of us have no more than 20 folks we trust, and only two or three whom we regard as confidants. I suspect that these numbers will be in flux for you during the next 12 months, Scorpio. I bet you’ll make more new friends than usual, and will also expand your inner circle. On the other hand, I expect that some people who are now in your sphere will depart. Net result: stronger alliances and more collaboration.
Poet James Merrill was ecstatic when he learned the Greek language. According to his biographer, he felt he could articulate his needs “with more force and clarity, with greater simplicity and less self-consciousness, than he ever could in his own language.” He concluded, “Freedom to be oneself is all very well; the greater freedom is not to be oneself.” Personally, I think that’s an exaggeration. I believe the freedom to be yourself is very, very important. But for you in the coming weeks, Taurus, the freedom to not be yourself could indeed be quite liberating. What might you do to stretch your capacities beyond what you’ve assumed is true about you? Are you willing to rebel against and transcend your previous self-conceptions?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I blame and thank the Sagittarian part of me when I get brave and brazen enough to follow my strongest emotions where they want to lead me. I also blame and thank the Sagittarian part of me when I strip off my defense mechanisms and invite the world to regard my vulnerabilities as interesting and beautiful. I furthermore blame and thank the Sagittarian side of me on those occasions when I run three miles down the beach at dawn, hoping to thereby jolt loose the secrets I’ve been concealing from myself. I suspect the coming weeks will be a favorable time to blame and thank the Sagittarian part of you for similar experiences.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Persian polymath Avicenna (980–1037) wrote 450 books on many topics, including medicine, philosophy, astronomy, geography, mathematics, theology, and poetry. While young, he tried to study the Metaphysics of Aristotle, but had difficulty grasping it. Forty times he read the text, even committing it to memory. But he made little progress toward fathoming it. Years later, he was browsing at an outdoor market and found a brief, cheap book about the Metaphysics by an author named al-Farabi. He read it quickly, and for the first time understood Aristotle’s great work. He was so delighted he went out to the streets and gave away gifts to poor people. I foresee a comparable milestone for you, Capricorn: something that has eluded your comprehension will become clear, at least in part due to a lucky accident.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In addition to being a key figure in Renaissance art, 15thcentury Italian painter Filippo Lippi had a colorful life. According to legend, he was once held prisoner by Barbary pirates, but gained his freedom by drawing a riveting portrait of their leader. Inspired by the astrological factors affecting you right now, I’m fantasizing about the possibility of a liberating event arriving in your life. Maybe you’ll call on one of your skills in a dramatic way, thereby enhancing your leeway or generating a breakthrough or unleashing an opportunity. (Please also re-read your horoscope from last week.)
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Stand high long enough and your lightning will come,” writes Piscean novelist William Gibson. He isn’t suggesting that we literally stand on top of a treeless hill in a thunderstorm and invite the lightning to shoot down through us. More realistically, I think he means that we should devotedly cultivate and discipline our highest forms of expression so that when inspiration finds us, we’ll be primed to receive and use its full power. That’s an excellent oracle for you.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries psychologist James Hillman said we keep “our images and fantasies at arm’s length because they are so full of love.” They’re also quite flammable, he added. They are always on the verge of catching fire, metaphorically speaking. That’s why many people wrap their lovefilled images and fantasies in metaphorical asbestos: to prevent them from igniting a blaze in their psyches. In my astrological opinion, you Aries folks always have a mandate to use less asbestos than all the other signs — even none at all. That’s even truer than usual right now. Keep your images and fantasies extra close and raw and wild.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Musician Brian Eno made a deck of oracular cards called Oblique Strategies. Each card has a suggestion designed to trigger creative thinking about a project or process you’re working on. You Geminis might find it useful to call on Oblique Strategies right now, since you’re navigating your way through a phase of adjustment and rearrangement. The card I drew for you is “Honor thy error as hidden intention.” Here’s how I interpret it: An apparent lapse or misstep will actually be the result of your deeper mind guiding you to take a fruitful detour.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): We devote a lot of energy to wishing and hoping about the meaningful joys we’d love to bring into our lives. And yet few of us have been trained in the best strategies for manifesting our wishes and hopes. That’s the bad news. The good news is that now is a favorable time for you to upgrade your skills at getting what you want. With that in mind, I present you with the simple but potent wisdom of author Maya Angelou: “Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.” To flesh that out, I’ll add: Formulate a precise statement describing your heart’s yearning, and then work hard to make yourself ready for its fulfillment.
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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): What are the key parts of your life — the sources and influences that enable you to be your most soulful self? I urge you to nourish them intensely during the next three weeks. Next question: What are the marginally important parts of your life — the activities and proclivities that aren’t essential for your long-term success and happiness? I urge you to corral all the energy you give to those marginally important things, and instead pour it into what’s most important. Now is a crucial time in the evolution of your relationship with your primal fuels, your indispensable resources, your sustaining foundations.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “When she spoke of beauty, he spoke of the fatty tissue supporting the epidermis,” wrote short story author Robert Musil. He was describing a conversation between a man and woman who were on different wavelengths. “When she mentioned love,” Musil continued, “he responded with the statistical curve that indicates the rise and fall in the annual birthrate.” Many of you Virgos have the flexibility to express yourself well on both of those wavelengths. But in the coming months, I hope you’ll emphasize the beauty and love wavelength rather than the fatty tissue and statistical curve wavelength. It’ll be an excellent strategy for getting the healing you need.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran blogger Ana-Sofia Cardelle was asked, “What is your signature perfume?” She said she hadn’t found one. But then she described how she would like to smell: “somewhere between fresh and earthy: cinnamon and honey, a rose garden, saltwater baked in the sun.” The coming days will be an excellent time to indulge in your own fantasies about the special fragrance you’d like to emanate. Moreover, I bet you’ll be energized by pinpointing a host of qualities you would like to serve as cornerstones of your identity: traits that embody and express your uniqueness.
Go to realastrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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PHOTO: WATS:ON? FESTIVAL
Jasiri X surrounded by fellow members of 1Hood Media in the music video “Speak No Evil.”
.MUSIC.
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
T
HE ANNUAL interdisciplinary arts
festival wats:ON? was born in the aftermath of tragedy, but now brings a celebration of art, activism, and culture to Pittsburgh every year. The festival was founded in the memory of Jill Watson, a Carnegie Mellon University alumna of the School of Architecture and later an adjunct faculty member, who died in the 1996 TWA Flight 800 crash, which killed all 230 passengers. The festival was founded with a grant endowed to CMU by her family to both bear her name and celebrate her commitment to the arts and her transdisciplinary philosophy as an artist. The festival returns for its 22nd year on Thu., Nov. 7. Each year, organizers come
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up with a different interdisciplinary theme, mixing the arts which things like technology (2010’s wats:ON? VIRTUALITY), sound (2013’s wats:ON? NOISE), and perception (2017’s wats:ON? SHIFT). This year is wats:ON? NOW.
WATS:ON? NOW Thu., Nov 7-Sat., Nov. 9. Various Times. Multiple Locations. Free. watsonfestival.org
“NOW. directs us to the present; the period is intentional, with solid and emphatic punctuation included in the title to drive the point home,” says wats:ON? curator and artist director Spike Wolff,
who took over in 2009. “NOW. takes on the spirit of activism, with artists and work tapping into the zeitgeist of our current climate to redirect culture.” After deciding on this year’s theme, Wolff and the other organizers started reaching out to local artists to build an event around those two elements in a loose, organic process. “The artists participating in 2019: NOW. create work addressing issues that are culturally and contextually relevant in powerful and poetic ways,” says Wolff. On the wats:ON? NOW. lineup is artist and activist Jasiri X, the founder and CEO of 1Hood Media and “the first independent hip-hop artist to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate, which he received
from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2016.” Jasiri will put on a TED-style talk, mixed with spoken word and music to share his views on hip-hop, race, privilege, and politics. “It’s going to be a fluid, engaging, dynamic talk/performance,” says Wolff. In addition, Jasiri worked with Blak Rapp M.A.D.U.S.A. and CMU students enrolled in the wats:ON Festival CFA Interdisciplinary course to create an original music video, titled “Speak No Evil,” that will debut at the festival. “It’s very politically charged but very catchy,” says Wolff. “A lot of our artists are pulling double duty and doing two different things, sometimes three, like with Jasiri and Blak Rapp, performing, working on a music video, and a talk and play [respectively].” Along with the music video and a musical performance, Blak Rapp, a rapper, poet, activist, and historian, will also be performing her one-womxn play Mary’s Daughter: Memoirs of an Artivist. While most of the content featured in the festival is original, Memoirs of an Artivist has been performed in various cities, along with the Kelly Strayhorn Theater a few years ago. “It’s adapted over time, so it’s not the same performance and Blak Rapp is
PHOTO: CHRISTINA X. BROWN
Blak Rapp M.A.D.U.S.A. being filmed by CMU students for the “Speak No Evil” music video.
definitely adapting it again,” says Wolff. Following the play will be a discussion about activism.
And then there’s Mendi and Keith Obadike who “work collaboratively to make music, art, and literature, creating
Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan
ethereal works rooted in AfricanAmerican and African cultures, that address timely and relevant issues in beautiful and powerfully poetic ways.” The pair have a Book of Light soundlight performance scheduled for Friday (weather permitting) that works in conjunction with the facade of the College of Fine Arts building. A projection has been mapped to fit the surface, meaning they geometrically accounted for sculptural niches and stitched it together with video that will run in tandem to live music performances, with Mendi singing and Keith on percussion. The weekend closes out with a reception in CFA Great Hall and musical performances by Jasiri, Blak Rapp, and 1Hood Media, a “collective of socially conscious artists and activists who believe that art is the best way to challenge inequity, raise awareness, and unify humanity” for a hip hop dance party. “It’s going to pull people not just from the College of Fine Arts but hopefully people from outside of that and the Pittsburgh community too,” says Alexis Morrell of the CMU communications/marketing team. “The artists that [Wolff] chose are very active in their community, and I’m excited to see who it brings.”
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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CP PHOTOS: HANNAH LYNN
“Big Day”
.ART . .
GET WELL SOON BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
T
HERE’S NOTHING FRIENDLY
about hospitals. They almost seem designed to make patients and visitors feel unwelcome. Some of this can’t be avoided, like the harsh, but cheap and long-lasting fluorescent lighting. The sterility too is just something that comes with the business, even if it feels cold. And then there’s the color palette, one never found in nature, only in
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medical setting, like scrubs green or pill bottle-orange. In the solo exhibit Get Well Soon, now on display at 707 Gallery through Tue., Dec. 31, artist Derek Peel dives headfirst into the dreary, harsh, antiseptic, eerily colored world of hospitals and sickness. The collection of wry and insightful sculptures and conceptual pieces pokes fun at hospitals, illness, and the isolation of it all.
Entering the exhibit, the first piece you see is an enlarged pill case filled with empty pill bottles. Instead of labels for every day of the week, each box says Monday. It’s a way to visualize the disorientation that comes with taking several medications at once, especially for older adults or people with mental illness. The most eye-catching of the pieces, for its bright colors and striking contrast, is a hoard of balloons — the kind one
might be gifted during a hospital stay — trapped inside a dog crate hanging above. The balloons range from heartshaped baby pink to shriveled and deflated It-red. Peel says the piece captures some of the insincerity of people giving symbolic gifts when you’re sick, like a balloon or a card that says, “Get well soon.” The person giving it means well, but what can a balloon really do, besides litter?
“Condolences”
“I hope they last ‘til December,” Peel says of the balloons, some of which have started to deflate. But it only adds to the effect. The only thing more useless than a balloon in a hospital room is a deflated balloon in a hospital room. In the middle of the room sits a tall concrete block enveloped by a curtain, the type that might separate two patients sharing a hospital room. The pink looks sickly, like a faded nightgown you’d find in your grandma’s closet after she died. Peel describes it as a Schrödinger’s Cat for humans — the philosophical exercise that imagines a cat sealed in a box with a bomb, and without knowing whether or not the bomb went off, the cat is both dead and alive. Hospitals can be like that too. If someone you know is sick in the hospital, but you’re not there with them, their current state could be anything. Peel says that some visitors have been struck by how acutely the exhibition expresses their experiences with chronic illness, or that it reminded them of caring for a dying relative. One piece, a weightlifting bench with an extra-long bar, screwed into the wall on both ends,
imagines lifting an endless and impossible weight. One visitor told Peel it expressed exactly what Crohn’s disease feels like. Other pieces in the exhibit include a folded bed that resembles a bear trap, an IV stand with bags full of sand, and a nebulizer mask affixed to a bone-colored balloon.
GET WELL SOON Continues through Tue., Dec. 31. 707 Gallery, 707 Penn Ave., Downtown. Free. trustarts.org
Much like a hospital, the atmosphere of Get Well Soon is not exactly comforting, and that’s on purpose. The lights are harsh, industrial fluorescents, and the floor is a cold, smooth concrete. Peel says this is what she was looking for to tie the exhibit together. It might not seem like a welcoming space, but it is, because inside 707 Gallery is a collection of art that understands the lonely, funny, bizarre world of sickness.
•
Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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Name: staci b., Friendship Volunteer usher at PICT Classic Theatre, City Theatre, New Hazlett Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Texture Contemporary Ballet .STAGE.
BACKSTAGE
BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM CP PHOTO: JOIE KNOUSE
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? Back when I was in high school, my mother was friends with the volunteer coordinator at the [Pittsburgh Public Theater]. So in the ‘80s, I was seeing Leonard Nimoy in I think it was Twelfth Night, I got to see Sylvia Sidney and Judith Ivey in ‘Night Mother. At 16 or 17, I had no idea what I was seeing; now, as who I am it’s like, “Holy crap.” WERE YOU A FAN OF THEATER? I was weaned on PBS, and my mother was a huge theater fan; she’s the one who got me into it. WHAT ARE YOUR DUTIES? Be the face of the theater company and keep that in mind at all times. If you ask somebody not to take food or beverage into the theater, how you do it creates a perception of the theater company. A lot of people don’t know you’re a volunteer. Take tickets, show people to their
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seats, hand out programs. Sometimes there’s pre-work, programs need to be stuffed with flyers — we’re really pretty good here in Pittsburgh about promoting each other’s work. You’ll find a PICT flyer inside a Public program. Keep an eye on things. If there’s an emergency, take a leadership role in getting people out of the theater. In all my years, that’s never happened, but we’re all informed about the emergency exits so that should something happen we would be able to take charge [of].
came together, who’s directing it, and all that kind of stuff. Obviously, we’re all theater hounds or we wouldn’t be there, so that’s kinda cool to get to hear some of the backstory.
HOW DO YOU LEARN TO DO IT? If you have a brain and are paying attention, it’s not rocket science. Each theater has its own specific policies, so they’ll remind you of those. You usually have to be there an hour and a half before the show. They always have a group meeting prior to opening the house doors, go over trivia about the show, what it was like when it was on Broadway, how the show
DO YOU HAVE A THEATER BACKGROUND? I got into doing improv and acting when I was in New York, and then in Tampa even more — which is bizarre. But that’s what happened. I have an MFA from Point Park in Writing for the Stage and Screen. I’m a member of the Dramatists Guild. I went and got a master’s degree, and now I’m all about
DO YOU GET TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH PATRONS? [With] most patrons, it’s a quick thing: show me to my seat, give me my program, let’s call it a day. But others like to chat, and it’s nice to have some of that trivia fresh in your mind to share.
writing the essay and on my fourth novel. WHEN YOU’RE THERE AS A PATRON AND VOLUNTEER, ARE YOU ALSO THERE AS A WRITER? I can’t leave it out of the room. I’ve tried. And as an actor too. DO YOU HAVE ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE? We have, “Hey how are you? How have things been?” For some of them, there is that kind of relationship, but most of the time, they just bought the tickets, and this is where their seats are, as opposed to them being season subscribers. IS YOUR FAVORITE PART WATCHING THE SHOWS? I would say interacting with the patrons and getting to see the show are probably tied for the top. I enjoy seeing the people; I enjoy being around them. I won’t go so far as to call it family, but it is of sorts.
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Pittsburgh City Paper’s weekly talk show THIS FRIDAY:
Pittsburgh City Paper ’s Managing Editor Alex Gordon welcomes special guest WYEP morning host Joey Spehar
tions before Tweet your ques hcitypaper the show to @pgfavorites on air our and we’ll read
Tune in live every Friday at 10 a.m. at pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS KAREN & THE SORROWS FRI., NOV. 8 Karen & the Sorrows’ songs touch on the topics stereotypically associated with the white male singers of country music (love, loss, whiskey), but do so from a queer perspective. Karen Pittelman, Elana Redfield, and Tami Johnson, who make up the Brooklyn-based band, have been helping open up the historically closed-off genre since 2011 when Pittelman formed the group. Hear their third album, Guaranteed Broken Heart, released Oct. 18, when the trio performs at Nights of Conroy, and join in on their queer country movement. 7 p.m. 3219 Central Ave., North Side. $10 suggested donation. facebook.com/karenandthesorrows PHOTO: LEAH JAMES
Karen Pittelman of Karen & the Sorrows
FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com
THURSDAY NOV. 7 HIP HOP/RAP A$AP FERG. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side. LOGIC. Petersen Events Center. 7:30 p.m. Oakland.
COUNTRY DRAKE WHITE. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks. HOME FREE. Carnegie Library Music Hall. 7 p.m. Homestead. TERRY MCBRIDE. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
ROCK JOHN PAPA GROS. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. L.A. GUNS. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale. BEACH SLANG. The Smiling Moose. 7 p.m. South Side.
CHILD BITE. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.
INCUBUS. Heinz Hall. 8 p.m. Downtown.
SAMM BONES, FIG BY FOUR, KINDRED BLUE. Gooski’s. 8 p.m. Polish Hill.
TOOL. PPG Paints Arena. 7 p.m. Uptown.
PUNK
THE RETINAS. Gooski’s. 8 p.m. Polish Hill.
ATLANTIC WASTELAND (ALBUM RELEASE). Club Cafe. 10 p.m. South Side.
BUDDY GUY. The Palace Theatre. 8 p.m. Greensburg.
JACK’S SHADOW. Hambone’s. 7:30 p.m. Lawrenceville.
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE
FOLK
STYX. River Casino. 8 p.m. North Side. NORM, TWIN BEDS. 222 Ormsby. 8 p.m. Mt. Oliver.
BLUES
THE LIVING STREET. Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. 7 p.m. East Liberty.
JAZZ THE THROCKMORTON PLOT. Kingfly Spirits. 7 p.m. Strip District.
FRIDAY NOV. 8 ELECTRONIC RUSS LIQUID, THRIFTWORKS. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
FESTIVAL WORLD MUSIC & FOOD FESTIVAL. MCG Jazz. 7 p.m. North Side.
COUNTRY JASON HAWK HARRIS. Hard Rock Cafe. 8:30 p.m. South Side. DAVID ALLAN COE. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale. JIM AVETT. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
SUNDAY NOV. 10
ROCK
FOLK/COUNTRY BOB DYLAN. UPMC Events Center. 8 p.m. Moon.
THE VICS, THE TINS. Max’s Allegheny Tavern. 7 p.m. North Side.
THE CLOCK READS, YAM YAM. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
ROCK
R&B/SOUL
INCO FIDO, BURY ME IN LIGHTS. 222 Ormsby. 7 p.m. Mt. Oliver.
CHANTAL. Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. 7 p.m. East Liberty.
FOLK
SATURDAY NOV. 9 JAZZ
JENNA NICHOLLS. Club Cafe. 6 p.m. South Side.
REGGAE KEYSTONE VIBE, STONE THROWERS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.
NOX BOYS, CHET VINCENT, BIG BEND. Moondog’s. 6 p.m. Blawnox. DELIVERANCE. Portogallo Peppers N’AT. 8:30 p.m. Braddock.
HIP HOP/RAP TRIBE ETERNAL X NVSV (ALBUM RELEASE). Full Pint Wild Side Pub. 2 p.m. Lawrenceville. STALLEY. Spirit. 9:30 p.m. Lawrenceville.
MIKE TOMARO. East Liberty Presbyterian Church. 7 p.m. East Liberty.
METAL
R&B/SOUL
CHELSEA GRIN. The Rex Theater. 5:30 p.m. South Side.
THE DIP. Cub Cafe. 6:30 p.m. South Side.
THE BOILERMAKERS. Swing City. 8 p.m. Squirrel Hill.
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE
METAL
JJ WILDE. The Smiling Moose. 7 p.m. South Side.
I AM, FROST KOFFIN. The Smiling Moose. 5:30 p.m. South Side.
THE ANXIOUS HEARTS, MACRO AGGRESSION. The Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.
RINGS OF SATURN. Rex Theatre. 6 p.m. South Side.
BLUEGRASS
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE
SWEATY ALREADY. Bier’s Pub. 7 p.m. North Side.
SEAN HENRY, SPIRIT WAS. Mr. Smalls Theater. 7 p.m. Millvale.
FOLK
GOSSAMER, THE STONE EYE. Tower 29. 8 p.m. Carrick.
BOBBY THOMPSON AND THE GROOVE. Moondog’s. 8 p.m. Blawnox.
THE JAKOB’S FERRY STRAGGLERS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.
COUNTRY
PUNK
ROCK
METAL
LONE WOLF, NEW52, RICHARD MOVE. Howlers. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.
DONNA THE BUFFALO. Roxian Theatre. 7:30 p.m. McKees Rocks.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (CHRISTIAN). Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.
CODY JOHNSON. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks.
PGHCITYPAPER.COM
WORLD MUSIC & FOOD FESTIVAL. MCG Jazz. 7 p.m. North Side. THE COMMONHEART. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.
BLUES
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FESTIVAL
JOSH TURNER. The Palace Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Greensburg.
DAVID ALLAN COE. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.
THE ATTIC 513 Grant Avenue, Millvale
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AHI
SAT., NOV. 9 AHI (Ahkinoah Habah Izarh), pronounced “eye,” was personally asked by NPR’s Bob Boilen to perform a Tiny Desk Concert. Both were attending a DIY Musicians Conference in Nashville, and Boilen says on npr.com that AHI’s voice “simply rose above everything else I heard.” The song that caught Boilen’s attention was “Ol’ Sweet Day,” from his debut album We Made It Through The Wreckage, and which closed out AHI’s Tiny Desk performance. See what Boilen was raving about Saturday at Cattivo. 7 p.m. 146 44th St., Lawrenceville. $12. cattivopgh.com
NoRTH SHORE LOCATION 127 Anderson Street - Suite 101 Timber Court Building, PIttsburgh, PA 15212 Phone: (412) 322-4151
WASHINGTON, PA LOCATION Questions? Call Us 412-821-8484
JAZZ
COUNTRY
ROCK
GEORGE HEID III. Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. 7 p.m. East Liberty.
ELI LEV, JUSTIN BENNETT, DAVID BECK. The Government Center. 8 p.m. North Side.
ELTON JOHN. PPG Paints Arena. 8 p.m. Uptown.
MONDAY NOV. 11
ROCK
PET CLINIC. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.
BLUES STAN HEFFNER, KATE HEFNER, BRENDA WATTY. Moondog’s. 6:30 p.m. Blawnox.
ROCK WHITE REAPER. The Smiling Moose. 6 p.m. South Side.
METAL NILE. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Whitehall.
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE ANNA TIVEL, MAYA DE VITRY. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
FRUIT BATS. Club Cafe. 6:30 p.m. South Side. SMALL TOWN TITANS. Hard Rock Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.
BLUES
ACOUSTIC
ELECTRONIC
RATIONAL ANTHEM. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.
TUESDAY NOV. 12
WEDNESDAY NOV. 13
METAL
JAZZ
MERAUDER, LEEWAY, FACEWRECK. Preserving Hardcore. 7 p.m. New Kensington.
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.
BLUES
PUNK
RICH ZABINSKI TRIO. Rivers Club. 5:30 p.m. Downtown. THE JENNY WILSON TRIO. City of Asylum. 7 p.m. North Side.
ATTICRECORDS@VERIZON.NET
95 Leonard Avenue - Suite 203 Washington PA 15301 Phone: (724) 249-2517
PALEHOUND. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.
BOBBY THOMPSON & THE GROOVE. Wolfie’s Pub. 6 p.m. Downtown.
TUPELO DONOVAN, CARRIE COLLINS. NOLA On The Square. 6:15 p.m. Downtown
are welcome
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AHI
your body & soul
POKEY LAFARGE. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. BLACK MARBLE, AUTOMATIC, BJORDAN. Spirit. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.
POP GUS DAPPERTON. Stage AE. 7:30 p.m. North Side.
PUNK CITY MOUSE, LAWN CARE. The Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield. SALVATION, T-TOPS, TRVSS. Brillobox. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.
METAL ABYSME, OBSCENE. Black Forge Coffee House. 7 p.m. McKees Rocks.
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 NOV. 6-13, 2019
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PHOTO: DOTTIE LUX
Kat de Lac
.STAGE.
SHOWBOATING BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
A
S A DEDICATED RESEARCHER to the history of
burlesque in Pittsburgh, Steel City Kitty founder Kat de Lac has found some wild stories. One example: On May 15, 1930, the Pittsburgh Press reported that federal agents raided a floating speakeasy and gambling parlor called the Showboat, stationed on the Allegheny River by Sixth Street, according to the article. “[Four] held in raid on ‘Show Boat’ by Dry Sleuths,” the headline read. “Bottles of Guests and Roulette Seized; Park Promises State Action.” Owner Milton Jaffe was arrested, and though history does not preserve for us the identity of who sprang Milton from the clink, a solid theory is that it was his brother. George Jaffe was not a partner in his brother’s wagering venture and therefore not on Showboat at the time of the raid, but it’s improbable
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he was beached by seasickness or abstinence. As George was more inclined to temptation than temperance, a more feasible theory for his absence is that his time was being monopolized by preparations to take over and run what was then known as the Harris Theater. Under George’s eventual tenure, it would be rebranded as the Casino Theater, a house of burlesque eventually to boast visits by shimmy queens like Lili St. Cyr, Blaze Starr, and Tempest Storm, as well as box office sellouts in music and comedy. Jaffe’s burlesque and boats converged in a family affair, an intersection Pittsburgh would be unlikely to ever see again. Until now. De Lac is paying homage to the Showboat raid and the Jaffes, and celebrating her burlesque group’s ninth anniversary with the Burlesque & Variety Show Gateway Clipper Boat
Party on Sat., Nov. 9. “Keeping that history going, the history of what I do and the people who did it, is an extremely important part of what I do,” says de Lac. “It’s a modern interpretation, but it’s inspired by how it started and what it was then. What happened then made what’s happening now possible.” “I make a list every year of my goals, what I want to accomplish artistically and professionally,” says de Lac. “Doing a show on the Gateway Clipper has been at the top for a long time. It was a goal of mine since the beginning.” If there were any pelvic thrusts uncovered in the siege on Jaffe’s pleasure craft, they didn’t make the news. Omitting such a juicy detail seems dubious, so chances are that after spending so much time scrutinizing history, de Lac is now going
CP PHOTO: JOIE KNOUSE
Alistar McQueen
STEEL CITY KITTY BOAT SHOW 7 p.m. Gateway Clipper Fleet, 350 W. Station Square Drive, South Side. $80-130. 21 and over. steelcitykittyshow.com
beyond honoring it and instead making it her own with what can be confidently called the maiden voyage of burlesque on our Three Rivers (to coin a shamefully punning phrase, the birth of buoylesque). Variations and bad jokes aside (at least until they boost the lineup with a bit of vaudeville) old school burlesque is front and center with headliner Roxi D’Lite. With credits as Miss Exotic World Champion of Exotic Dance, and Reigning Queen of Burlesque at Vegas’ Burlesque Hall of Fame, she’s an indispensable superstar of the form. While many of her routines are solidly rooted in classic style, she supplants them with acts incorporating comedy, carny style, and hallmarks of fetish, including submission and shibari. Denver performer and producer of QUEERlesque: a Glitter Revue Indy Fire
brings extravagant boylesque, while Phara O’Harris brings hip-hop instruction and attitude from Austin, Texas. Local fans of not only burlesque but traditional theater will be familiar with Schwa de Vivre, recently seen in barebones productions’ The Legend of Georgia McBride in a turn nothing short of magnificent. And of course, de Lac herself will appear, along with Steel City Kitty fam Smokin’ McQueen supplying hometown boylesque and DJ and electro-pop artist Allinaline. It’s taken de Lac and crew nine years to get to the Clipper, but the journey began on what was once Diamond Street a century ago. As Steel City Kitty joins elements of the past to produce a unique entertainment experience in the present, one can’t help imagining that the Jaffes would be proud.
•
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
27
.MUSIC.
SEWER METAL BY EDWARD BANCHS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
W
HETHER OR NOT you’ve been
paying attention, death metal has been enjoying a resurgence in recent years. For one of Pittsburgh’s standouts in the genre, look to Absysme. For the “death metal power trio” of guitarist and vocalist Brad Heiple, bassist Mike Bolam, and drummer Timothy R. Williams, it’s about time for a revival, since they’ve been doing it for more than a decade and have felt a “little underrated and overlooked.” They’ve noticed an increase in attendance for extreme metal shows in the city for both touring and local artists alike.
ABYSME, OBSCENE, AUTO-REPLICANT 7 p.m. Wed., Nov. 13. Black Forge Coffee House II, 701 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. $8. abysme.bandcamp.com
Heiple says that fans are increasingly comfortable at extreme metal shows, as many promoters and bands themselves have worked toward making venues safe spaces for all who wish to attend. But what’s behind death metal’s resurgence? Heiple feels that most of this is likely driven by fans “reinvigorated by the old stuff” — an era, notably the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, when death metal acts were releasing genre-defining albums and drawing large audiences. Taking greater leaps away from the undecipherable, guttural vocal approaches, as well as incorporating
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more defined, groove-laden riffing, death metal’s resurgence is likely happening because of its greater accessibility. The era Heiple refers to speaks of a time when death metal was honest, aggressive, and “confrontational.” Yet today’s death metal is a step away from confrontations and increasingly more intellectual, which makes sense for Abysme, considering Williams and Bolam are both full-time librarians. Abysme has grown musically from the days when Pittsburgh City Paper referred to their music as “colossal riffing and fetid burp vocals.” The ever-evolving trio, formed in 2006 — the members having previously played in Funerus and Crucial Unit — take on a sound marked by riff-centered sludge. Heiple says that the band’s music is typically a reflection of where his “head is at the time.” Wherever Heiple’s head takes them, Abysme is ready to show off their new tracks this December via a split EP with California’s Ruin, which serves as the inaugural release of Memphis’ Wise Grinds Records. Label founder Josh Szewski-Denering says he was pleasantly surprised by Abysme’s “unadulterated, head crushing sound,” and is excited to showcase the upcoming effort, which he calls “so raw you can smell the sewage dripping off of it.” Fittingly, Heiple talks about his desire to pick up where the seminal Pittsburgh act Rottrevore left off, who self-identified as “sewer metal.” “I’d like to think that we’re helping carry the torch of the total sewer death.”
•
THE LOCAL 913: PETER PERKINS BY LIZ FELIX // LIZ@WYEP.ORG
Peter Perkins may have shelved a music career for something more practical in his younger years, but that doesn’t mean second chances aren’t possible. “I’ve been writing songs all my life,” he says. “I love music, but I figured there was a more secure career path and took that one.” Perkins became a home builder, but in recent years, he’s returned to his early passion for music. He’s also found some friends in the local music scene to help him along on his debut, the aptly named Better Late Than Never. “I was introduced to The Clarks through friends. They insisted that I sing a song with them every now and then, and STAY UP-TOthat evolved every time I saw them,” DATE WITH THIS Perkins says. Rob WEEK’S LOCAL James and Greg MUSIC NEWS Joseph of The WITH CP MUSIC Clarks play on his WRITER JORDAN new album, along with Chuck Leavell SNOWDEN AND WYEP of the Allman EVENING MIX Brothers Band, and Byron Berline HOST LIZ FELIX (fiddle player for the Rolling Stones, Listen every Bob Dylan, James Wednesday Taylor, and more), at 7 p.m. on 91.3FM WYEP both of whom Perkins also met through friends. Although Perkins says, “I found a little bit more of my own voice and style as I got older,” you can still hear echoes of some of his early favorites (like Taylor) on Better Late Than Never, including the sweet, Tayloresque opener “Songbird.” He says a big theme for the record is family. “Songbird” is one of three songs on the album written for his children’s weddings. It’s not a track that a younger songwriter would be likely to pen; maybe waiting to chase your musical dreams has its benefits. •
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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ISS
M ER V E N
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.LITERATURE.
CIRCE, RESTORED BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
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N GREEK MYTHOLOGY, the goddess Circe is portrayed as a conniving witch responsible for death and misfortune and not worthy of the devotion afforded by her male counterparts. That archetype lasted centuries, even bleeding into DC Comics, where Circe was long a foe of Wonder Woman. Madeline Miller’s Circe (Little, Brown), recasts the mythological figure with more positive qualities. Instead of being subservient to her father Helios, Zeus, and other male gods, Circe becomes the first feminist in the Greek pantheon. “I wanted her to come to be aware of the [many] inequalities, particularly because she has so many hundreds of years to think about this,” says Miller. “She comes to be able to see the mechanics of this world that is hostile to women and how many of the women she initially has conflicts with, she realizes they are in the same category, struggling with the same things she’s struggling with.”
PITTSBURGH ARTS & LECTURES:
MADELINE MILLER 7:30 p.m. Mon., Nov. 11. Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland. Sold out. pittsburghlectures.org
Miller, who appears Nov. 11 as a guest of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Ten Evenings’ series, has taught Latin, Greek, and Shakespeare to high school students for 15 years. Zealous about the importance of classics curricula, she wrote her first novel, Song of Achilles, knowing it might not find a readership. “I definitely was not sure if there was an audience out there, but I felt really, really passionate about Achilles’ and Patroclus’ story,” Miller says. “I felt frustrated that the interpretations that I was seeing and hearing from an academic background were not including an interpretation of them as lovers as one of the possibilities. For me, that was the way I read The Iliad that made the most sense.” Miller’s insight was rewarded with the Orange Prize (now the Women’s Prize) for Fiction in 2012. Circe, which became a
PHOTO: NINA SUBIN
Madeline Miller
No. 1 New York Times bestseller, is being developed by HBO Max as a straightto-series adaptation. Circe’s story — and those of many female characters written by Homer and other writers in Ancient Greece — became templates for how women were treated. When Odysseus arrives on Aiaia, the island to which Circe has been banished by Helios, Homer writes her as subservient to her visitor. “It’s no surprise in The Odyssey we see her wielding all this power, but then Odysseus came for her and she ends up kneeling before him and serving his story, sort of becoming this pained figure,” Miller says. “I absolutely think that many of these roles were used to enforce societal norms about women.” Because Circe is a relatively minor character, Miller was able to imagine her anew without going against longstanding images or ideas. “The stories we’ve been passing down are still holding on to a lot of these old attitudes that were hostile toward women or very constricting toward them,” says Miller. “We need some new versions of those stories; we need our women to be three-dimensional characters who make mistakes and try again and are interesting and have the same scope male heroes have been allowed to have. To not be perfect, to not be evil, but allowed to have that complexity, that fullness that encompasses what real humans are really like.”
•
Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR
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WED., NOV. 20TH GRAMATIK 7 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTH SHORE. All-Ages. $25. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.
WED., NOV. 20TH TELEKINETIC YETI, TOKE & HOREHOUND 8:30 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATER, MILLVALE. All-Ages. $10. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.
WED., NOV. 20TH MOLLY HATCHET 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $23-$39. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
FRI., NOV. 22ND LAINE HARDY
THU., NOV. 21ST UNKNOWN HINSON
JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WARRENDALE.
5:30 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE STAGE & GRILLE, SOUTH HILLS. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $20-$32.50. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.
FRI., NOV. 22ND CHAD PRATHER
THU., NOV. 21ST JERROD NIEMANN
7 P.M. THE LAMP THEATER, IRWIN. All-Ages. $25-$45. 724-367-4000 or lamptheatre.org
6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian $22-$43. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
FRI., NOV. 22ND LAINE HARDY
FRI., NOV. 22ND PITTSBURGH GUITAR NIGHT WITH DANNY RECTENWALD 8 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATER, MILLVALE. 21+ Only. $10. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.
6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. All-Ages. $30-$99. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
SAT., NOV. 23RD LUKE COMBS: BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART TOUR
All-Ages. $15. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.
SAT., NOV. 23RD MOON HOOCH W/ BIG BLITZ 7 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATER, MILLVALE. All-Ages. $18-$20. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.
SAT., NOV. 23RD LEZ ZEPPELIN 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $25-$45. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
SUN., NOV. 24TH AUSTIN DRIVE
7 P.M. PPG PAINTS ARENA, DOWNTOWN. All-Ages. $110 and up. 412-642-1800 or ticketmaster.com.
12 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. All-Ages. $25. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.
6 P.M. SPIRIT HALL, LAWRENCEVILLE. 21+ Only. $10. 412-586-4441 or ticketmaster.
SAT., NOV. 23RD I MADE IT! FOR THE HOLIDAYS 19
SUN., NOV. 24TH THE LAST BISON
FRI., NOV. 22ND LIGHT UP NIGHT 2019
11 A.M. EDGEWOOD TOWNE CENTER, SWISSVALE All-Ages. Free. imadeitmarket.com
4 P.M. COUGHLINS LAW ALEHOUSE, MT. WASHINGTON All-Ages. Free. 412-586-5673 or eatatcoughlinslaw.com
SAT., NOV. 23RD BIG STAMPEDE EP RELEASE
FRI., NOV. 22ND IN BED BY TEN DANCE PARTY
FRI., NOV. 22ND BEERS OF THE BURGH WINTER WARMER 6 P.M. LUMAZE, STRIP DISTRICT. 21+ Only. $50-$65. showclix.com
7 P.M. THIS IS RED, MUNHALL. All-Ages. $15. buffalorose.com
SAT., NOV. 23RD THE KYLE GASS COMPANY 7:30 p.m. SMILING MOOSE, Southside.
6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE, SOUTHSIDE. AllAges. $13-$15. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.
MON., NOV. 25TH FAIRGROUND SAINTS 7:30 p.m. HARD ROCK CAFÉ, Station Square. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $10. 412-481-ROCK or ticketfly.com.
TUES., NOV. 26TH TINY MOVING PARTS 7:30 P.M. THE REX THEATER, SOUTHSIDE. 412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com.
FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
PHOTO: DAVID BACHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
^ Sat., Nov. 9: Florencia en al Amazonas
THURSDAY NOV. 7
STORYTELLING Listen to local storytellers relay the best story they’ve ever told at WordWrite Story Slam: The Best Story I’ve Ever Told. Hear tales from Rossilynne Culgan of The Incline, Mike Holden from WPXI, Megan Yunn of Beverly’s Birthdays, and others. You’ll leave with not just their stories, but a grasp on how to better tell your own. 5:30 p.m. Bricolage Production Company. 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $10-15. wordwritepr.com
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STAGE Normal-C tells the story of Chloe, who is dyslexic, Ben, who has Asperger syndrome, and Eddie, who has nonverbal autism, participants in a clinical trial for a pill to make them “normal.” The musical, written by Pittsburghers J.R. Hall (book) and Jason Coll (music and lyrics), portrays the unique experience of each character discovering what makes them special. Baldwin High School hosts the world premiere. 7 p.m. Continues through Nov. 9. 4653 Clairton Blvd., Baldwin. $6-12. baldwindrama.com
TALK Four years ago, the podcast Invisibilia debuted at No. 1 spot the iTunes charts. It’s an impressive feat for any new podcast, but especially considering the episode’s subject, “The Secret History of Thoughts,” tackled big, abstruse, ambitious questions about the nature of thinking and the evolution of psychology. But anyone who was familiar with the work of Invisibilia co-founder Lulu Miller wasn’t surprised that they were able to explain such heady, complex material in an entertaining and succinct package. Miller cut her teeth on the
science beat for NPR and Radiolab, and in addition to her work on Invisiblia, has a book called Why Fish Don’t Exist (April 2020). Enjoy a night of storytelling from this award-winning journalist and radio producer at Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, presented by Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series. 7:30 p.m. 650 Schenley Drive, Oakland. pghwriterseries.pitt.edu
STAGE When a young lawyer travels to a small English town to settle the estate of an elderly widow in The Woman in
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make the right choice,
don’t drink & drive.
PHOTO: CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH
^ Sat., Nov. 9: w
Alternative Homecoming
Black, he begins to experience eerie and unexplainable things. When he learns the truth about his client and the house she haunts, it becomes more chilling than he could have imagined. The spooky Stephen Mallatratt play (based on a book by Susan Hill, also made into a film starring Daniel Radcliffe in 2012) will be performed at the Fred Rogers Studio at WQED by the PICT Classic Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sat., Nov. 23. 4802 Fifth Ave., Shadyside. $15-48. 14 and older. picttheatre.org
STAGE One of Russia’s most influential playwrights gets a Pennsylvania twist when the Riverfront Theater Company presents Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. The Broadway comedy by Christopher Durang follows three siblings named after characters from Chekhov works. While Vanya and Sonia remain in the Bucks County farmhouse where they grew up, sister Masha travels the world as a famous movie star. When Masha suddenly returns with her young boyfriend Spike with intentions to sell the house, a weekend of antics ensues. 8 p.m. Continues through Sat., Nov. 16. 285 River Ave., Aspinwall. $20-30. facebook.com/Riverfronttheaterco ^ Thu., Nov. 7: LuLu Miller PHOTO: KIRSTEN FINN
FRIDAY NOV. 8
PYRAMIDTATTOO.COM
LIT Mystery Lovers Bookshop will host the book launch and signing for The Jersey, the latest release from local author James Rosenberg. The sophomore effort from Rosenberg — his first book Legal Reserves came out in 2018 — follows married father Dan West as he struggles with his loyalty to a disgraced friend and his ambitions as coach of his 11-year-old son’s soccer team to victory, all backlit by an unexpected tragedy that threatens to tear his life apart. 7 p.m. 514 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. Registration required. mysterylovers.com
BRIDGEVILLE, PA
SATURDAY NOV. 9 MARKET It’s been seven years since the first Pittsburgh Vintage Market, a vendor fair that brings together local collectors, makers, and enthusiasts. Now, heading into their 14th year, the mixer is going big. Its fall market has a new location, and the trio of organizers is gearing up CONTINUES ON PG. 34
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
33
CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 33
^ Sat., Nov. 9: One Night in Miami
to host twice the number of vendors for their one-day-only, eight-hour market. This mix of “kitsch, conversation, and collectibles” is not to be missed. 10 a.m. Nova Place, 100 S. Commons, North Side. $5. pghvintagemixer.com
STAGE City Theatre presents a preview performance of One Night in Miami, a play about four of the most important figures in Black Civil Rights history. Written by Kemp Powers and directed by Reginald L. Douglas, the work dramatizes the fateful night of Feb. 25, 1964, when young boxer Muhammed Ali, Islamic leader and activist Malcolm X, music legend Sam Cooke, and NFL player Jim Browne meet in a Miami hotel room to celebrate Ali’s title win over Sonny Liston. In a fictionalized account of a real event, the play portrays a pivotal moment in the lives of these men. 5:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., Dec. 1. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. Tickets start at $5. citytheatrecompany.org
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LIT Hear new voices in literature when Autumn House Press hosts its Fall Book Release at Brillobox. Charles Kell, winner of the Autumn House Poetry Prize, will read selections from his debut collection Cage of Lit Glass. Autumn House Nonfiction Prize winner, Jennifer Renee Blevins, will read from her debut memoir Limited by Body Habitus: An American Fat Story. Also expect readings from Hadley Moore, Lori Jakiela, and Erinn Batykefer. 5:30 p.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. autumnhouse.org
PARTY The Associated Artists of Pittsburgh celebrates more than a century in operation with a party at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art and Seton Hill University. The event includes a preview of the group’s 107th annual juried exhibition, showcasing works by artists from the region. There will be food and drink, live music, an awards presentation, and transportation to and from Seton Hill University, as well as and the opportunity to meet exhibition juror
Juana Williams and the chosen artists. The show opens to the public on Nov. 11. 6 p.m. Continues through Jan. 26, 2020. 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. $100. aapgh.org
FEST High school dances can be awkward, as any event would be when teens are invited to dress up and dance to Pitbull in their school’s gym. If you or a teen wants to opt out of such an event, check out Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Alternative Homecoming. The theme is “festival vibes,” so there will be flower-crown making and face painting. Plus there will be genderinclusive bathrooms and a sensory friendly space. 7-10 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $5. Ages 14-19. carnegielibrary.org
OPERA Get ready for a romantic musical adventure when the Pittsburgh Opera presents Florencia en al Amazonas. Inspired by the magical realism Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabriel García Márquez, the early 1900s story follows legendary opera diva Florencia Grimaldi as she travels down the
Amazon River on the steamboat El Dorado en route to a concert. Along the way, Florencia and the other passengers nearly perish in a strong storm, until they’re saved by the shape-shifting spirit, Riolobo. The journey then turns mystical as Florencia pines for a lost love and passengers develop intense romantic feelings for one another. 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., Nov. 17. $7-124. pittsburghopera.org
COMEDY Happy birthday to The Amish Monkeys: Pittsburgh’s longest-running improv comedy troupe is celebrating 20 years with an anniversary show at Sunburst School of Music, the group’s first performance in the East End since 2015. While only three members of the original group remain, they’ve clearly had no problem attracting new talent over the years — improv groups are not particularly known for longevity. As a plus, students from Sunburst will perform a short set at intermission, so you might be witnessing a future member making their big break. 8 p.m. 5843 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. $12. amishmonkeys.com
SUNDAY NOV. 10
LITERATURE In Cinelle Barnes’ new collection of essays, Malaya, the author tells her story of living in the U.S. as an undocumented teen from the Philippines, marrying a white man, new to motherhood, all while trying to navigate her identity and experiences while living with the complications of the American South. Barnes will appear at Alphabet City for a reading and discussion. 6 p.m. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. RSVP required. alphabetcity.org
MONDAY NOV. 11
STAGE On April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech entitled “Beyond Vietnam — A Time To Break The Silence” at Riverside Church in New York City. In just under an hour, King drew parallels between poverty, racism, and how Americans fight their wars, and highlighted the hypocrisy of the Vietnam War. Fifty-two
PHOTO: LISA SELIGMAN
^Sat., Nov. 9: The Amish Monkeys
years later, at the Warren United Methodist Church, iconic Pittsburgh actor Wali Jamal will do a dramatic reading of “Beyond Vietnam,” followed by an audience discussion. 7 p.m. 2606 Centre Ave., Hill District. “Learn from the Past; Move into the Future” on Facebook
TUESDAY NOV. 12
TALK The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC)
presents a lecture and book signing from Damon Young (What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker) as a part of its Social Justice Lecture Series. Young needs no introduction, but he’ll nevertheless be introduced and interviewed by PHRC’s executive director Chad Dion Lassiter, who describes Young’s work as having the rare ability for “self-introspection along the themes of race, racism, love, and masculinity” with genuine humor. A reception follows. 1 p.m. Carnegie Library Homewood, 7101 Hamilton Ave., Homewood. littsburgh.com
WEDNESDAY NOV. 13
STORYTELLING PublicSource presents My Story is the Pittsburgh Story at Ace Hotel, a night celebrating “first-person storytelling” from local journalists on the topics of economic development, equity, immigration, mental health, and accessibility. Speakers include Andrea Barber, Zack Block, Rosamaria Cristello, Jamie Kunning, and Heather Tomko. 5:30 p.m. 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. $25. “My Story is the Pittsburgh Story” on Facebook •
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
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IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-6549. In re petition of Leanna Marie Williams for change of name to Lesa Elmina Bonbon. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 27th day of November, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for
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THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on November 5, 2019, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
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VARIOUS BUILDINGS • Asbestos, Lead-based paint, Mold & Animal Excrement Remediation, Mitigation & Abatement including Repair, Restoration & Re-insulation Work • Environmental Abatement Contract Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on December 17, 2019, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
PGH. ALLEGHENY 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.
• Boiler Room Upgrade • General, Mechanical, Electrical, and Asbestos Abatement Primes Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on November 4, 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.
REMEMBER THE TROOPS BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM
ACROSS 1. Drilling machine 6. College application part 11. Jerky maneuver 14. Words on a screen 15. Familiar with, with “of” 16. Second person? 17. Fact-checked some speeches? 19. 66-Across’s group 20. False god 21. “It ___ funny!” 22. Last person on Earth to consume a cheeseburger, likely 24. Creature hated by Indiana Jones 26. Pecorino ___ 27. Burner that’s easy to cook on? 33. #Resistance member 34. Get up 35. Cheer for great cape work 38. Code word? 39. Hardly any 40. Read quickly 41. Ornamental Japanese fish 42. Big cheeses 43. Bikini blast 44. In-demand athletics? 47. Login requirement 49. With it 50. Relating to delivery 51. With it 54. Orchestra
woodwind 58. Doppelbock alternative 59. Vacuous singer Lyle? 62. Amazing p erformance 63. “The Fisherman” poet 64. Oldie but goodie 65. Sitter’s headache 66. Rapper nicknamed “Godfather of Gangsta Rap” 67. Full of chutzpah
DOWN 1. “Chuck” actor Zachary 2. Still snoozing, say 3. “Africa” yacht rockers 4. Southern metropolis, jokily 5. Squeeze (by) 6. Wolfs down 7. Adult cygnet 8. Shaker contents 9. Flood protection? 10. Passing motion? 11. Online gambling game 12. Davenport buyer, maybe? 13. Bat shit 18. Bowlfuls of appetizers 23. Musical genre with mopey/cringey lyrics 25. Dump 26. Healing process
27. Harsh criticism 28. Change of scenery, briefly 29. One who doesn’t work for very long 30. Implied 31. Give a longwinded address 32. Covered with ivy 36. End-of-the-year arts section story 37. Drivers who want everyone out of their way: Abbr. 39. Winter toy 40. Cross country break 42. It’s a bad look 43. Stereotypical banana eater 45. Pop singer Rita
46. Kiddie lit author Silverstein 47. Fish served in kabayaki 48. Massachusetts town where Halloween is a very big deal 51. Uncontrollable doofus 52. Contract drafter: Abbr. 53. Org. with a “Big Board” 55. Fingerpicker Fleck 56. Cookiemaker Spunkmeyer 57. Mark, as on glass 60. Start of a confession 61. Circle of power? LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOV. 6-13, 2019
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PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM
S
EVERAL YEARS AGO, I had a brief, albeit steamy, romance with a man I met on OkCupid. At the time, he was writing a dissertation on religious symbolism in medieval Europe. After several days of texts exclusively about our research interests, I invited him over. When I opened the door, he lifted me onto the nearby kitchen counter where we had sex, without so much as a hello. He didn’t have to ask; we both knew that our nerdy banter was foreplay. And damn, was it good foreplay. To be real, most of my sexual relationships have started this way. I’m a sucker for people who can talk about their interests with passion and who want to engage mine as well. (While this person happened to be an academic, I’ve had similarly strong connections with folks with wildly different backgrounds.) In fact, I would go so far as to say that I am unlikely to be sexually interested at all unless this dynamic is present. For this reason, when sapiosexuality — a term used to describe people who are sexually attracted to intelligence — started to gain popularity, it made a lot of sense to me. Yet, sapiosexuality has recently come under attack, especially on social media platforms like Twitter, by those who have argued that choosing to identify as sapiosexual is ableist and classist. After all, isn’t claiming to be drawn
to intelligence in a partner just the inverse of saying you reject people on the basis of natural ability (ableism) or educational circumstance (classism)? Isn’t this a form of discrimination? Such criticisms would be on point if, and this is a big if, those who identify with sapiosexuality understood it to be about characteristics of potential partners as opposed to the kinds of interactions that make them hot. In other words, it assumes that sapiosexuals are dividing up potential partners into two categories: intelligent people and unintelligent
people, and that these categories correspond to how desirable someone is. Rather than assuming that sapiosexuals are looking for partners who clear a certain intellectual bar (as if everyone is turned on by the same kind of intelligence), it seems more fair to say that they are interested in partners who have passions and interests that overlap with their own, thus creating the conditions for engaging conversation and intellectual connection. The sorts of interactions that spark this connection may vary from partner to partner given that partner’s interests, one’s
own, and the intersection of the two. In this sense, sapiosexuality is more about how you want to relate to a partner, what sort of interactions turn you on, and what sort of communication style you find sexy, than a partner’s IQ. Identifying as sapiosexual is more about asserting what turns you on than it is about eliminating partners that don’t measure up. You can, after all, have an intellectual connection with a variety of people, and an Ivy League pedigree doesn’t make someone intrinsically more interesting to talk to or have sex with. Perhaps what we need to criticize isn’t sapiosexuality itself, but people who (mis-)use the term to justify their own prejudices. There is nothing inherently problematic about the desire to have any intellectual connection with your sexual partners. And terms like sapiosexual, while not necessary, do help many people to better articulate those desires. It is worth pointing out that this term emerged in tandem with dating sites (it is attributed to OKCupid) and, probably more than anything else, is about signaling how you want a date to go. It can serve as a shorthand, for example, to things like, “small talk is boring/alienating to me,” “physical attraction isn’t enough,” and, “I want to talk passionately about something and carry that passion into the bedroom.”
•
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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