November 15, 2023 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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What happened to Pittsburgh's nightlife scene? It's complicated.

BY COLIN WILLIAMS

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IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE: ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT 04 What happened to Pittsburgh’s

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A sex-trafficking bust in Monroeville has led one survivor to speak out

nightclub scene? It’s complicated.

BY COLIN WILLIAMS

BY KATY FLEMING

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The Covenant of Water author Abraham Verghese

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PLEASE

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What happened to Pittsburgh's nightlife scene? It's complicated.

BY COLIN WILLIAMS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

COMMON REFRAIN IN PITTSBURGH THESE DAYS is that nothing is ope n late anymore. Gone are the days of 24-hour diners, hedonistic nightlife, and after-hours clubs — to hear many tell it, they’ve been replaced by bank branches, uptight coffee shops, and craft breweries that close at 10.

Xavier Thomas, Pittsburgh City Paper’s Best Local Photographer in 2017 in part for his vivid shots of local nightlife, remembers when“everybody was trying to get to the clubs in Pittsburgh.” He grew up in Uniontown and remembers when Station Square, the South Side, and the Strip were a regional draw.

“Nightlife used to be so popping that they had to have an under21 club, [Club Zoo],” he tells City Paper. “To go from that to nothing, that is ridiculous.”

To be clear, this isn’t just a Pittsburgh issue. New York and Chicago have likewise seen clubs

decline in recent years; COVID-19 put many clubs facing economic headwinds permanently out of business across the globe. Changing habits means the way people party is no longer the same as it was when thousands packed venues like Metropol or Xtaza.

Still, in Pittsburgh, the decline of club-oriented nightlife mirrors local concerns about gentrification, racism, and the city’s shifting identity.

THE GOLDEN AGE Pittsburgh has boasted a huge variety of nightclubs and music venues over the years. The Crawford Grill and Syria Mosque are among the best-known — the Crawford hosted a who’s who of jazz legends in the years after World War II, while Syria Mosque brought international superstars through the ’Burgh, eventually achieving immortality through the Allman Brothers’ live album of the same name.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF XAVIER THOMAS/ART LIKE US

A party at the Enclave

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Belvedere's Ultra-Dive

Both of these venues’ sites are now parking lots. Still, they coexisted with other venues that carried their legacy through the dog days of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, when the city was in economic decline and many locals were pulling up stakes for the suburbs.

Perhaps most notable among this era’s venues was the Electric Banana.

Morphing from a go-go bar into a punk rock venue, the Oakland-based business played host to punk legends including Black Flag and the Misfits, up-and-comers such as the Goo Goo Dolls, and numerous local punk acts. The Banana held this role until closing in 1999 to refashion itself as an Italian restaurant.

Meanwhile, the death of passenger rail cleared the way for Station Square to emerge as a nightlife destination in 1976. Using the old Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad freight facilities and terminal building, the mixed-use destination soon became home to several nightclubs, including Chauncy’s, which began a 20-year run in the development in

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1984, and Matrix, CP’s Best Dance Club in 2006.

Were the late ’90s and early aughts a golden age of sorts for Pittsburgh nightlife? That largely depends on whom you ask.

To m G l o v e r , c o - o w n e r o f Abjuration Brew Co. in Stowe Township, worked at Metropol in the late ’90s before moving to Club Laga in Oakland at the turn of the Millennium — he remembers the motley group of employees included “Special Forces Rangers, bankers… and your standard food service worker degenerates.”

He keeps in touch with many Laga alumni through a group chat and recalls the club’s layout intimately.

Laga’s heyday ended in 2004 with its conversion to apartments. While The Upstage, a remnant of the club, survived, that, too, was shut down after a fatal accident in which a woman fell through a window. “They had put a foam insert before they fixed the window the next day,” Glover recalls. “She just literally got into an argument with her boyfriend and

died. It’s horrible.”

Despite such incidents, Glover remembers that era of clubbing as welcoming, inclusive, and rowdy.

“Every bar I worked at — Metropol, Laga, the Palace of Greensburg … these were safe havens for a lot of people,” he says. “One of the things that brings these places such endearment is they were good to everyone, and it didn’t matter who you were.”

Metropol and companion club Rosebud were sold in 2002 and ultimately closed, but that wasn’t the end of nightlife on the Strip. Thomas has fond memories of Xtaza, which occupied the same building on Smallman as Metropol.

“I shot some of my favorite artists there like Fabolous, Cardi B, Young Dolph,” he remembers. “The club was so big that if you and your friends couldn’t read text messages or hear them on the phone, you couldn’t find them.” Like Glover, Thomas remembers Xtaza, as well as neighboring clubs, as inclusive spaces where dress clubs were relatively less strict.

The Smallman Street building that once housed Xtaza is now home to an Argentine restaurant and the self-driving car company Aurora.

Like the rest of the Strip and Station Square, most of the big nightlife spots in repurposed spaces are gone — they’ve been replaced by restaurants, breweries, and boutiques. Bar Marco now serves wine and Italian fare in the former fire station where Firehouse Lounge, a lively, multilevel club, once resided. The church building formerly occupied by Altar Bar is once again a church. It’s a sign both of how Pittsburgh has changed and how people party differently in 2023.

CHANGING HABITS Instead of nightclubs, many Pittsburghers now cut loose at organized parties like Hot Mass and Jellyfish or follow DJ residencies at places like Cobra in Bloomfield. Chris Copen, the owner of Bottlerocket Social Hall in Allentown, says “there’s been a move toward parties instead of

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Cardi B at Xtaza

clubs,” in part because people don’t go out to meet new people, and because event promotion has shifted. He says it’s gotten expensive to stage shows and compete with behemoths like Live Nation, which now runs several larger venues in the region.

“Touring music went from supporting the album to, you know, the album is to support the tour,” Copen says. He also highlights the way themed nights such as Taylor Swift dance parties have taken over (Thomas and Glover likewise mentioned Taylor Swift nights unprompted as an example of the new way nightlife works). In essence, he says, people don’t go out just to go out as they did in the pre-dating-app era, a sentiment Glover echoes.

Chris Firman, who runs Enclave nightclub in the former Rex Theater space, concurs. “Before text messages and social media, you had to actually go out and socialize to meet people, whereas now, you can do that from the comfort of your own home on various online platforms,”

he tells CP. Streaming services have also replaced DJs as the way young people discover new music, he says.

Firman shares Copen’s assessment that big promoters, high costs, and changing habits have affected Pittsburgh. “The days of eight to 10 big-room clubs operating four to six nights a week at volume are long gone,” he says.

Copen points to another big factor driving the shift in Pittsburgh nightlife, stating “younger people don’t drink nearly as much as they used to.” Studies back this up — a bevy of publications have found that Gen Z prefers cannabis to booze and is much less inclined to binge drink.

Copen says the non-alcoholic portion of Bottlerocket’s drink menu is a big part of their business. Beer consumption has also fallen even as liquor sales rise.

“I used to go to the liquor store every three weeks. Now it’s every week,” Marshall Riggs, owner of North Side mainstay Riggs Lounge, tells CP. But he says he has noticed beer sales dip, as well. “Some kids…

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF XAVIER THOMAS/ART LIKE US

Hardo's Birthday Party

order a Southern Tier and then spend the rest of the night drinking PBR. I’ve given up trying to understand it.”

and “no bad Attitudes” [sic].

When it comes to the nightlife nowadays, “you ain’t allowed to

“THE DAYS OF EIGHT TO 10 BIG-ROOM CLUBS OPERATING FOUR TO SIX NIGHTS A WEEK AT VOLUME ARE LONG GONE.” For the more traditional nightclubs, Copen and Thomas say bottle service and strict rules have become much more normalized. Thomas says this necessarily means more restrictions on who can afford to go clubbing and often comes paired with covertly racist dress codes. Cavo, for example, specifies “Absolutely NO Ball Caps, (Dress hats are the only acceptable headwear). No Sweatpants, No Jerseys, No Hoodies”

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dress like a Black person,” Thomas quips. “You gotta wear a polo with a collar, a button-up, a T-shirt with some soccer club on it.” He says Black partiers looking for the kind of atmosphere Xtaza once created are now shunted to scattered clubs in Pittsburgh’s East End. This racial element has been part of several clubs’ closing over the past decade. Zen, a defunct Station Square spot, is the subject of

a Facebook group called “I’m Tired of Being Racially Profiled at ZEN Social Club in Pittsburgh.” Skybar, which sits above “party bar” Foxtail, closed after “a woman having a bottle inserted into her vagina in front of a crowd of shocked onlookers” made national news — though Foxtail has since reopened with a strict dress code in place, Skybar has not, citing a customer base its proprietors dubbed “problematic.” Perhaps not coincidentally, many people in the “lewd” viral video were Black.

Elsewhere, Thomas says spots like Savoy, formerly owned by Steeler Chuck Sanders, who is Black, faced unfair Liquor Control Board scrutiny (CP reached out to Sanders for comment but did not hear back).

He jokes that Pittsburgh is more amenable to white hipsters who “have a pointy mustache and wear a top hat” than its approximately 70,000 Black residents.

“The City of Pittsburgh won’t allow Black music or Black entertainment

to thrive in the city,” Thomas tells CP. “I feel there are pros, but I feel like Pittsburgh is just not a place… for Black people to thrive in.”

PARTY ON Copen says Bottlerocket, with its smaller capacity of around 200 patrons, is thriving with a combination of comedy, theme nights, and bands. He’s grateful not to be in the thrall of Live Nation’s merch cuts and calendar control.

“We book everything in-house completely ourselves, and that kind of insulates us from that,” Copen tells CP. “I probably wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t 25 years old [with] nothing better to do.”

Glover has refocused his efforts on making beer with his brewing partner, Dave Hallam, another club scene veteran who used to DJ during the rave heyday.

Thomas, for his part, now divides his time between Pittsburgh and Southern California. He continues

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Cardi B at Xtaza

to photograph celebrities and hopes the city can eventually learn to not be so “cliquey.”

For those seeking a classic nightclub experience, Cavo, Enclave, and Foxtail still cater to that crowd, while Club VIP maintains a more hip-hop-centric vibe in Larimer.

Theme parties are a regular feature at venues like Spirit, Belvedere’s UltraDive, and the Roxian Theatre.

That Jellyfish, a known queerfriendly dance party, has outgrown its original home at P Town Bar in Oakland, speaks to how Pittsburgh’s late night has also become intentionally more inclusive. What was once an industry dominated by white, male DJs now features noticeably more Black, LGBTQ, and women DJs, ranging from Arie Cole and DJ Femi to the Mostbeautifullest collective.

As partiers now chase their favorite DJs and theme nights, club owners have to consider non-dance events to attract crowds. Firman says Enclave, as well as other, similarly

sized venues like The Goldmark and Flats on Carson, are planning events ranging from wrestling to bingo this winter. “We have a 550-person capacity, which places us in the sweet spot of a small- to midsize room that still has an intimate feel,” he says.

Firman believes that “the golden age of true ‘nightclubs’ in Pittsburgh is behind us,” a sentiment that applies to the Strip, where the hedonistic party scene has been replaced by expensive new housing and the family-friendly vibes of The Terminal.

Station Square, also much quieter, has made efforts to reinvent itself, while Carson Street, still a party spot for young people on the weekends, adjusts to a post-pandemic reality.

Like the age of steel and ketchup, Pittsburgh’s nightclub era is unlikely to return. In its place is a city of breweries, bars, and venues that, according to those who lived and worked during the city’s nightclub heyday, could learn a thing or two from the parties of the past. •

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SOCIAL JUSTICE

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALECIA OTT

The Autonomous Body Shop at Skullfest 2023

HEALTH ON WHEELS Autonomous Body Shop delivers reproductive education across Pittsburgh

BY INDIA KRUG // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

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his past summer, Alecia O t t wa s c o n s i d e r i n g selling her old van. She didn’t really use it, and it took up a lot of space. But then she had an idea. “After working in reproductive health and sex education for about 17 years, I found myself taking stock of the knowledge and skills I’ve accumulated,” Ott tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “So, I decided to try turning my van into a little roving distro of sorts.”

Now, Ott drives the cleverlynamed Autonomous Body Shop around the city. Offering f ree condoms,Plan B, pregnancy tests, Narcan, and informational zines, and decorated with an enormous flag, that reads “we will aid and abet abortion,” it’s a very visible and unabashed resource.

Some of her contraception and pregnancy tests came from national

organizations with donation programs. But Ott says many local reproductive justice and harm reduction organizing groups were enthusiastic about her project and helped connect her with supplies.

“I was able to get Narcan, fentanyl, and xylazine test strips, and more from Unity Recovery, an amazing organization on the South Side of Pittsburgh,” she shares. “Local groups like Filler Distro have helped with printing zines.”

From collaborating with others to stock her van, to the art taped on the passenger window that says “abortion access is a community responsibility,” Ott wants to make it clear that reproductive freedom really does take a village.

“The van exists to support bodily autonomy, but I also want to emphasize the importance of community care and being there for each other when the need arises,” she says. “I want this project to empower people to be sources of information, supplies, and care for their friend groups and communities.”

The van has made stops at music festivals, craft markets, a tattoo fundraiser, a movie screening, and the University of Pittsburgh. Ott partnered with the Pittsburgh Abortion Access Network, a student-led group working to expand reproductive healthcare on campus, to visit Pitt. Alexa Pierce, one of the group’s founders, says the response from students was

overwhelming — the van ran out of emergency contraception before the event ended.

“At first, it seemed like students were hesitant to approach the van, but as others broke the ice and we began talking to them, more stopped by,” Pierce tells City Paper. “At some point, there must have been 15-20 students crowded around the van at once.”

Ott remembers a mother and child at a different event. As they approached the van, the child asked what it was about. “The mom said something along the lines of ‘This is information about being in charge of your own body,’ and I found that to be such a succinct way of describing it,” Ott says.

And that’s what it’s really about — not only sharing information, but giving community members the tools and the encouragement to tell their HEALTH ON WHEELS, CONTINUES ON PG. 12

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own stories about their own bodies.

Ott has a history of combining her activism with modes of transportation—she organized motorcycle rides for reproductive freedom and sailed with Women on Waves, an Amsterdam-based group that delivers contraception and the abortion pill to countries where abortion is illegal.

But she was also inspired by an unlikely source — crisis pregnancy centers. “I noticed that some crisis pregnancy centers have vans, too,” she says.

The American Medical Association defines crisis pregnancy centers as “legal but unethical.” They pose as medical clinics, with an ulterior motive to dissuade pregnant people — especially young and low-income individuals — from

“Sex education for students is already lacking,” Pierce says. “Having community partners like Alecia who can meet college students where they’re at helps mitigate that potential confusion regarding reproductive healthcare.”

Ott says that, with all the stigma that exists, one mission of the van is to urge people to be loud and proud about supporting reproductive freedom. In addition to free contraception, Ott hands out stickers and buttons. After her visit to Pitt’s campus, they could be seen on students’ water bottles and laptops.

“I think it’s important to provide folks with ways to be visible in their support of abortion,” Ott argues. “It’s a sign that you’re a safe person to talk to, and it normalizes a very common

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“THAT’S WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT — NOT ONLY SHARING INFORMATION, BUT GIVING COMMUNITY MEMBERS THE TOOLS AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO TELL THEIR OWN STORIES ABOUT THEIR OWN BODIES.” considering abortion.

Their manipulation tactics are so well-known that talk show host John Oliver did a segment mocking CPCs with his own “Vanned Parenthood” vehicle. In Pennsylvania, crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion clinics 9:1. According to the CPC Map, there are eight in Pittsburgh compared to its two abortion clinics.

Alexa Pierce says that local CPCs deliberately advertise near her campus.

“We know that CPCs spread misinformation, and having the van visit Pitt combats their presence and threats to young people,” Pierce tells CP.

and safe component of healthcare.”

Ott’s next goals include stocking the van with menstrual hygiene products and making more stops across Pittsburgh to connect with community members. She’s in the process of planning events with other local groups, including women in STEM and trans-rights activists.

“I’m excited about the opportunities for creative collaboration with people and organizations who don’t necessarily tackle abortion access, but are mission-aligned,” she says. “The possibilities are there for scheming and dreaming together!”•

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SURVIVING THE SHADOWS

PHOTO: COURTESY OF KARLEIGH MAIDE

Karleigh Maide

A SEX-TRAFFICKING BUST IN MONROEVILLE HAS LED ONE SURVIVOR TO SPEAK OUT

BY KATY FLEMING // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

L

ast month, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the takedown of a multi-state sex trafficking ring near Pittsburgh.

Among those involved were two women and one girl — a minor — who were shut in a hotel room in Monroeville and forced to perform sex acts while fearing for their lives. Reportedly, in this case, one victim was recruited at 12 years old.

Popular movies have led some Americans to believe that sex trafficking primarily occurs in developing countries. The 2023 movie The Sound of Freedom, which was heavily promoted by right-wing political pundits, depicts sexual exploitation in Colombia but fails to outline the problems faced in places such as Western Pennsylvania.

In reality, human trafficking is less sensational, and statistics show that a majority of victims are

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recruited by family members or other people close to them. Local survivor and advocate Karleigh Maide, who was trafficked at age 15, gives insight into the problem. “It’s someone you trust or have grown some level of bonding with through the grooming process,” Maide says.

Traffickers often develop relationships with their victims first, whether in person or through the internet.

Social media is a convenient way for traffickers to seek out and groom

vulnerable children and adults. The exploitation occurs after developing trust and an emotional connection.

Frequently, sex traffickers manipulate vulnerable populations through lies, violence, threats, and other types of control.

Maide supports survivors as a case manager at the newly opened Emergency Housing program operated by Refuge for Women Pittsburgh.

The faith-based nonprofit, which is part of a national network founded in

2009, offers 90 days of housing and intervention programs for women who have survived sex trafficking and exploitation.

In efforts to spread awareness of the growing problem of sex trafficking in Pittsburgh and prevent further cases, Maide recently self-published a memoir, Surviving The Shadows: A Memoir of Overcoming Childhood Trauma and Sex Trafficking. In it, She sheds light on the grooming process of sexual exploitation and

trafficking occurring in the streets of Pittsburgh.

Experts believe that several aspects make Pittsburgh convenient for human traffickers. It has several modes of transportation, including three major rivers, an international airport, and major highways that provide easy access to surrounding states for multi-state rings. Additionally, since drugs are sometimes used to manipulate and control victims, the opioid epidemic, which many public health experts see Pittsburgh as being at the center of, makes the city primed for sexual exploitation.

(Editor’s note: Some, including sex workers, have questioned Polaris’ methodology and expressed unease with the nonprofit’s use of software from the controversial tech company Palantir.)

Maide urges first responders and healthcare professionals to learn the signs of sex trafficking, as the majority of trafficking survivors report having at least one interaction with a healthcare provider. The Safe House Project by the Malouf Foundation is one organization offering online training to recognize, report, and prevent sex trafficking. This survivor-led project

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“TRAFFICKERS OFTEN DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR VICTIMS FIRST, WHETHER IN PERSON OR THROUGH THE INTERNET.” Th e Tra f f i cki n g Vi ct i m s Protections Act of 2000 (TVPA) defines the crime of sex trafficking as compelling or coercing people to perform commercial sex. Children under the age of 18 are considered victims of sex trafficking regardless of force, fraud, and coercion. The Polaris Project-sponsored National Human Trafficking Hotline reported receiving calls in 2021 involving 10,571 victims of sex trafficking.

Narratives spread online, especially on social media sites like Facebook and TikiTok, depict sex trafficking as occurring when suspicious individuals follow children and women, snatch them, and get away in a van. In reality, a 2021 report from Polaris estimates that the use of abduction as a recruitment tactic represents 6% of sex trafficking cases. In contrast, recruitment by a family member, intimate partner, or marriage proposition represented over half of all cases reported in 2021.

Some believe the numbers provided by Polaris represent only a fraction of the problem, as many cases go unreported.

teaches key indicators through reallife survivor experiences.

Refuge for Women Pittsburgh offers opportunities for the community to support its Emergency Housing program, described on its website as offering female victims “immediate access to temporary housing, crisis intervention, and other support services.”

The Pennsylvania Office of Victim Services also provides a variety of resources on its Pennsylvania Human Trafficking Task Forces webpage.

Maide expresses gratitude for the dismantling of the Monroeville sex trafficking ring, saying that “two women and one child had their lives ripped from them. They were forced to engage in sexual acts to make a profit, and it’s horrific.”

Maide urges locals to “come together and truly make a difference within our communities.”

“Trafficking and exploitation is a severe problem happening around us,” Maide says. “We must stop closing our eyes to the reality of it. Sex trafficking can happen to anyone of any race or class, and it does.”• PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOVEMBER 15 - 22, 2023

15

POLITICS

THE TURNOUT

Allegheny County gets first woman chief executive, Dems win court seats

BY COLIN WILLIAMS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

h e 2 0 2 3 ge n e ra l e l e ction provided an opportunity for several firsts, and with progressive Democrat Sara Innamorato winning a close bid to succeed Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County is set to have its first woman executive. Innamorato declared victory about an hour after the Associated Press called the race on Nov. 7 at 10 p.m., thanking supporters and promising “transparent, responsive, and equitable” leadership. She carried most of the City of Pittsburgh, as well as swaths of the South Hills and outlying suburbs, including Sewickley, while Republican Joe Rockey dominated in the North Hills and western portions of the county. Turnout was high for an off-year at 41%.

Elsewhere, Democrats did well in judicial elections. Dan McCaffery won the state Supreme Court seat, left vacant by justice Max Baer’s death, by a six-point margin. The AP called one Superior Court race for Democrat Jill Beck late on Election Day, and Democrat Timika Lane holds a one-point edge for the second vacancy on the state’s highest criminal court of appeals. Democrat Matt Wolf also prevailed in the contest for Commonwealth Court. Judges up for a retention vote all appear set to hold their spots on the bench.

However, there was one prize Democrats couldn’t claim

— incumbent DA Stephen Zappala, who lost the Democratic primary to Matt Dugan and successfully bid for the Republican nomination, beat Dugan in a rematch by appealing to Democratic voters. Zappala peeled away enough Democrats in South Hills suburbs and other precincts narrowly carried by Innamorato to declare victory at 11 p.m. with an 11,000-vote lead.

There were also limits to voters’ progressive shift in heavily D e m o c ra t i c P i t t s b u r g h , w i t h I n d e p e n d e n t ca n d i da te s Ca rl Redwood and Sam Schmidt losing their bids for two County Council seats to the county Democrats’ endorsed candidates. Redwood and Schmidt had both campaigned to the left of Democrats with support from the Democratic Socialists of America. However, Redwood and Schmidt did make inroads with inperson voters in their prospective districts, who elsewhere skewed Republican in contests such as the County Executive race.

Down-ballot races saw both parties turn out in large numbers, including for school board races.

Co n s e r va t ive ca n d i d a t e M i ke Wiethorn appeared poised to oust incumbent Matt Mehalik in purple Pine-Richland. Democrats narrowly claimed seats in North Hills School District and Quaker Valley. Pittsburgh Public Schools also got three new THE TURNOUT, CONTINUES ON PG. 18

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PHOTO: STEPHANIE STRASBURG/PUBLICSOURCE

Sara Innamorato

PHOTO: JAMES PAUL/PITTSBURGH MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Stephen Zappala declared victory in the Allegheny County district attorney raceon Nov. 7, nearly three hours after the polls closed. A crowd of nearly 50 people watched him call the tight race in Cupka’s Café II.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOVEMBER 15 - 22, 2023

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THE TURNOUT, CONTINUED FROM PG. 16

directors in districts 4, 6, and 8.

The big picture is that Allegheny County’s progressive winning streak continues, but voters also demonstrated an appetite for balance, and favored several conservative and moderate incumbents such as Zappala. The long-serving DA could prove an obstacle to some elements of criminal justice reform. Conservative victories for school board could also portend continuing tensions around book-banning efforts and transgender participation in sports in exurban areas and Pittsburgh’s collar counties.

Still, the county and Commonwealth both demonstrated an appetite for reform-minded judges and local progressive office-holders.

The fact that turnout has continued to rise with each election cycle means voters, particularly Democrats, are paying close attention to who and what they’re voting for — and that could be good news heading into an acrimonious Presidential contest in 2024. •

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

Carl Redwood

PHOTO: BEN BRADY/PUBLICSOURCE

Joe Rockey delivers his concession speech at the Wyndham Grand Hotel downtown Pittsburgh after losing the race for Allegheny County Executive on Nov. 7, 2023.

PHOTO: EVAN LEVINE/PITTSBURGH MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Matt Dugan with reporters

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOVEMBER 15 - 22, 2023

19

NEIGHBORHOOD

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

BY CP STAFF

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents The Nightmare Before Christmas. 7 p.m.

Heinz Hall. 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $75-110. pittsburghsymphony.org

DANCE • EAST LIBERTY

Drew and Lea Lachey present label•less.

7:30 p.m. Kelly Strayhorn Theater. 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty. $35. kelly-strayhorn.org

MAGIC/COMEDY • MUNHALL

What does one do after losing America’s Got Talent? You own the title, take your little dog, and go on a series of Las Vegas performances and nationwide tours. Piff the Magic Dragon — the alter-ego of British comedian and magician John van der Put — will share the stage with Mr. Piffles (touted as the “world’s only magic performing Chihuahua”) and showgirl Jade Simone at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall. The show promises new jokes and tricks and plenty of fun for all ages. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. 510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall. $30-65. librarymusichall.com

SAT., NOV. 18 KIDS • SOUTH SIDE

FRI., 7 1 NOV.

Dazzling Pink Party Cruise. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Gateway Clipper. 350 West Station Square Drive, South Side. $5-35. All ages. gatewayclipper.com

HOLIDAY • DOWNTOWN

PHOTO: COURTESY OF PIFF THE MAGIC DRAGON

Piff The Magic Dragon at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall

THU., NOV. 16 TECH • DOWNTOWN

Engage with the future when the Pittsburgh Robotics Network presents Discovery Day at David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Get an intimate look at the “cutting-edge robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem” used in various industries throughout Western Pennsylvania, from autonomous vehicles to advanced manufacturing. Experience live demonstrations, meet the people and startups behind these tech advancements, and question how robotics has already changed and will continue to change how we live and work. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown. Free.

Registration required. robopgh.org/ discoveryday

FILM • HOMESTEAD

Pittsburgh Sound + Image presents Cycles and Rhythms: RPM Festival, Pittsburgh Edition. 8-9:30 p.m.

Eberle Studios. 229 East Ninth Ave., Homestead. $10. pghsoundandimage.com

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MUSIC • SOUTH SIDE

Rhett Miller with Lauren Calve. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Club Cafe. 56-58 South 12th St., South Side. $30. opusoneproductions.com

FRI., NOV. 17 ART • LAWRENCEVILLE

Lavender Espresso 2: A Lavender Estero Exhibition. 5-7 p.m.

Espresso A Mano. 3623 Butler St., Lawrenceville.

Free. instagram.com/espressoamano_art

ART • NORTH SIDE

THU NOV. R., 16 PHOTO: SARAH DANELLI

Lauren Calve at Club Cafe

The Pittsburgh sky fascinated observers even before air quality and light pollution became worrisome issues. State of the Sky, a new exhibition at Mattress Factory, takes its name from a drawing made by one such observer — Samuel Pierpont Langley, a 19th-century Allegheny Observatory director who documented the stratosphere above the city.

Artist Luke Stettner and “10 creative collaborators” employ photography, sculpture, and poetry to explore “the complicated impact of industry on the environment and community health.” See this evolving two-year show during an opening reception. 6-7:30 p.m. 516 Sampsonia Way, North Side. Free. Registration required. mattress.org

MUSIC/FILM • DOWNTOWN

The holidays are, once again, right around the corner, and one illuminating event will get Pittsburgh into the season. Head Downtown for Highmark Light Up Night and the kick-off of the Peoples Gas Holiday Market. Organized by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, the day invites visitors to show off their karaoke skills, go ice skating in PPG Place, view the annual Gingerbread House Competition Display, and hear live music by local performers and American Idol winner Phillip Phillips. Expect plenty of family-friendly activities, shopping, fireworks, and more. 11 a.m.

Highmark Light Up Night begins at 3 p.m.

Multiple locations, Downtown. Free. downtownpittsburghholidays.com

SCIENCE • EAST LIBERTY

Moonshot Museum: Pittsburgh to the Moon.

12-1 p.m. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-East Liberty. 130 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. Free. carnegielibrary.org

ART • GARFIELD

Life is Short, Art is Long. 2-5 p.m. Continues through Dec. 1. Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. 5006 Penn Ave., Garfield. Free. irmafreeman.org

MUSIC • HOMEWOOD

The Afro-American Music Institute and Bayard Rustin Film Festival present Lady Day: The Music of Billie Holiday. 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Carnegie Library of PittsburghHomewood. 7101 Hamilton Ave., Homewood. $30-40. afroamericanmusic.org

HOLIDAY • WEST MIFFLIN

Kennywood Holiday Lights. 3-9 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Continues through Jan. 1, 2024. 4800 Kennywood Blvd., West Mifflin.

SAT NOV. ., 18

., WED 8 NOV.

PHOTO: EMERY MEYER FOR THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP

Highmark Light Up Night

Ticket prices vary, free for kids 3 and under. kennywood.com

Oakland. Included with regular admission. phipps.conservatory.org

SCIENCE • NORTH SIDE

MON., NOV. 20

Carnegie Science Center’s SkyWatch. 7-9 p.m. Buhl Planetarium. One Allegheny Ave., North Side. $10-12. carnegiesciencecenter.org

MUSIC • SHADYSIDE

The Baltimore Consort presents In Angel’s Wede: Music of Mary Queen of Scots. 7:30 p.m. Calvary Episcopal Church. 315 Shady Ave., Shadyside. $20-45. chathambaroque.org

MUSIC • DORMONT

The Parking Pad presents Brahctopus with Paging Doctor Moon. 8 p.m. Row House Hollywood. 1449 Potomac Ave., Dormont. $25. rowhousecinemas.com/hollywood

SUN., NOV. 19 EXHIBITION • OAKLAND

Take in the bold colors of amaryllis, orchids, and 21 varieties of poinsettias during the Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The annual exhibition returns with dazzling plant and light displays, as well as highlights like the Garden Railroad: Pennsylvania Through the Four Seasons model train set. Experience the new “singing tree,” take a stroll through the outdoor Winter Light Garden, and more. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Continues through Jan. 7, 2024. One Schenley Park,

FILM • DOWNTOWN

Anatomy of a Fall. 4:30 p.m. Continues through Dec. 7. Harris Theater. 809 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $11. trustarts.org

MUSIC • SOUTH SIDE

Abby Hamilton with Rocket Loves Blue. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Club Cafe. 56-58 South 12th St., South Side. $12. ticketweb.com

TUE., NOV. 21 ART • OAKLAND

Impossible Music. 12-6 p.m. Continues through Dec. 10. Miller Institute of Contemporary Art. 5000 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Free. miller-ica.cmu. edu

MUSIC • MILLVALE

Citizen with Narrow Head and Modern Color. 7:30 p.m. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $27 in advance, $30 at the door. mrsmalls.com

WED., NOV. 22 MAGIC • DOWNTOWN

Lee Terbosic in The Life and Death of Harry Houdini. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Dec. 3.

Liberty Magic. 811 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $40-65. trustarts.org

SAT., 8 1 NOV.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER

Carnegie Science Center’s SkyWatch

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER NOVEMBER 15 - 22, 2023

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In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: GD-23-009489.

In re: Petition of Emma Margaretha Jones, for change of name to Emma Margaretha Riva.

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Bldg., Pittsburgh, PA 15219, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-10878 In re petition of Jinye Zhang for change of name to Martin Zhang.

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 29th day of November, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

Chrystal C. Tinstman, Esquire, Attorney for Petitioner. Notaro Epstein Family Law Group, P.C., 310 Grant Street, Suite 1125, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Phone: (412)281-1988

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-0010293 In re petition of Mahleik Anthony Calloway for change of name to Mahleik DaiJuan Siler.

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 6th day of December, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF KNORR, HOWARD, J., DECEASED OF WEST MIFFLIN, PA Howard J. Knorr, deceased, of West Mifflin, PA. No. 022307174 of 2023.

Diane L. Griffin, Ext., 2913 John Street, Munhall, PA 15120

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