December 11, 2019 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

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GONE MISSING Will ownership’s ongoing assault on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom cause the city to lose even more?

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DEC. 11-18, 2019

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

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DEC. 11-18, 2019 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 50 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 Representative KAITLIN OLIVER 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.

The Heinz Chapel Choir performs at Heinz Chapel on the University of Pittsburgh campus on Tue., Dec. 3.

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COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM COVER MODEL: RODNEY REGAN READ THE STORY ON PAGE 6

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THE BIG STORY

GONE MISSING

Recent moves by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette management have led to a shrinking and increasingly chaotic newsroom. Can the P-G survive?

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HREE WEEKS INTO a byline strike, several members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh stood outside on a frigid Wednesday evening last week, handing out flyers to inform passersby of their recent vote of “no confidence” against Pittsburgh Post-Gazette management. Journalists from the paper spoke to people as they arrived at a networking event presented by the P-G, hoping to spread the word of their contentious labor battle with ownership, even as networking attendees rushed by to escape the cold. P-G journalists have been leafleting like this for almost a year. It’s not something journalists are generally comfortable doing — becoming a story rather than reporting on one. But combined with a byline strike (where reporters and photographers withhold their names from stories and photos) and social media posts on personal accounts, there is not much more staff members can do to remind readers why they want changes from management in regard to how the paper is run and the staff is treated. The guild, the labor union that represents P-G staffers, has been in a labor battle over a lack of a raise since 2007, years without a renewed contract, and being subjected to several negotiation meetings with a “union avoidance” law firm that have gone nowhere in three years. CONTINUES ON PG. 8

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GONE MISSING, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7

The Wednesday evening labor action was about more than that. The atmosphere of the P-G newsroom has been chaotic over the last year, especially after the controversial decision to name Keith Burris as executive editor in February. Burris had become infamous in Pittsburgh and beyond for penning an editorial that downplayed President Donald Trump’s comment calling African nations and Haiti “shithole countries.” The editorial was condemned by several local foundations. But the ﬁght over contract negotiations has spilled out of meetings between the guild and management and into the newsroom. Since the start of this year, 20 guild members have left the P-G, while nine

managers have either taken buyouts, been ﬁred, or been forced out by management. Another newsroom manager will leave by the end of the year. Some positions have been replaced, but not many. There was a well-documented newsroom tirade by publisher John Block, major editorial conﬂicts between reporters and management, the surprise early departure of a longtime editor, the print edition of the paper cut to three days a week, and several reporters being assigned new beats, which guild members see as retaliation against their labor actions. Michael Fuoco, P-G staff reporter and president of the guild, says management is practicing an intentional strategy to

make the newsroom so unbearable that guild members quit. “He is driving people out, he’s driving younger people out,” Fuoco says of Burris. “We believe it is a coordinated effort.” So, the evening leafleting session on Dec. 4 meant more than just advocating for better labor negations. It was an encapsulation of the fight for the future of news coverage in Pittsburgh. “They have now brought the battle into the newsroom, and that has really solidified us,” says Fuoco, who notes that the guild has received 100% participation for the byline strike among staffers. “We are asking people to join us and stand up for the 233 year tradition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.”

The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh is calling upon the public to “express its outrage” by emailing: • Publisher John Block: jrblock@post-gazette.com and jr_block@post-gazette.com • BCI Chairman Allan Block: ablock@blockcommunications.com and ajblock@accesstoledo.com • Executive Editor Keith Burris: kburris@post-gazette.com and kburris@theblade.com 8

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ITTSBURGH CITY PAPER interviewed several current and former P-G staffers, including guild members and non-guild managers, to get insight on what has been transpiring inside the newsroom. They paint a picture of fundamental disagreements over news coverage and of widespread doubts of Burris’ ability to run the newsroom. Sources give Burris some credit for initially trying to mend fences with individual reporters, but the situation has gotten more chaotic and contentious over the last several months. Remaining staffers are starting to believe the P-G will keep losing experienced and awardwinning journalists at a continual rate. In addition to putting journalists out of work, these changes can mean that important stories don’t get covered and corruption can go unchecked. Though public disagreements between the guild and management have been ongoing for some time, February is when that contention started to infiltrate the

newsroom. Burris was named executive editor on Feb. 18, a couple months after former editor David Shribman surprised the staff and left earlier than previously announced. According to a P-G staffer who has worked there for more than two years, Burris’ promotion was announced with an email sent from Block’s assistant and a piece of paper tacked up to the wall. “I don’t want to bash him for not being the most charismatic person, but your introduction to the newsroom is just bullet points and historic quotes,” said the staffer, who agreed to talk to CP on the condition of anonymity. Burris didn’t meet with the full newsroom until days after his announcement, according to the staffer, and he participated in an interview with KDKA before meeting with his staff. Burris didn’t respond to a request for an interview for this story. The staffer met with Burris one-onone a bit later in the year and gives him

credit for trying to smooth things over with the staff. But the attempts from Burris weren’t long-lasting. Newsroom staffers continued to drop off, and many were not replaced. By this fall, tensions remained high and came to a head over planning for the Tree of Life anniversary issue. In April, the P-G newsroom was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage in response to the mass shooting at the Squirrel Hill synagogue in 2018. For the anniversary issue, Burris came into a newsroom meeting with a list of assignments, before discussing any of them with editors. According to the staffer, on the top of the list was a proﬁle of a white nationalist. Discord erupted. Eventually, the staff completed most of the assignments but not before having another meeting with then-managing editor Lillian Thomas. According to the staffer, after it was discovered that Thomas intervened to guide some of the reporting on the Tree of Life package, she was

moved permanently to the night shift. Thomas left the paper earlier this month. Around the same time as the Tree of Life arguments, several non-guild editors were being put through a Hunger Games-style competition where three positions were made available for ﬁve current newsroom managers, according to an email shared by guild chair Jon Silver. Eventually, three longtime editors were out of the newsroom.

N TOP OF these instances, the

staffer says decisions by Burris are also hurting the paper’s overall coverage. The P-G is well-known for enterprise projects that shed a light on issues like child poverty and the grand jury report of abuse in the Catholic Church. “Just being here for those projects was such a sense of purpose. I am getting to be part of that process,” said the staffer. “The company has sort of sucked the life out of that. It just feels like [Burris] is playing

paper sometimes. And it is demoralizing.” Another current P-G reporter, who spoke to CP on the condition of anonymity, said enterprise positions have all but been eliminated, with those reporters moving to daily beats like Pittsburgh City Council. The reporter said this doesn’t mean enterprise reporting will be totally eliminated, just that reporters will have to complete those projects on top of their daily assessments. Additionally, several staffers have been reassigned beats for no obvious reason, including an editor effectively being demoted and reporters’ day schedules being moved to the night shift. “Given the recent spike in how many of my colleagues have left, there is this sense among younger people, that there is no sense of job security,” said the reporter. One reporter who left recently is Christopher Huffaker. He now works in Massachusetts and left because his girlfriend found work near Boston. But he CONTINUES ON PG. 10

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

GONE MISSING, CONTINUED FROM PG. 9

said he recognizes the situation is far from ideal for other young P-G journalists. “Even in the guild, it wasn’t an environment where you thought the paper was going to grow,” said Huffaker. Huffaker, who left in September, conﬁrmed details with CP about Burris’ first staff meeting and how his appointment was announced only by email and a piece of paper. He said the announcement was less about Burris and more about the Block family, who owns the paper, saying, “Hey, we are in charge. We can do what we want.” This dynamic appeared to play out with Shribman’s departure too. Huffaker said Shribman, who had been executive editor for about 16 years, had acted as a buffer against publisher John Block for the last couple of years of his leadership. Block was known to assign reporters stories that didn’t always align with the hard news the P-G is known for, like

A longer version of this article is available online at pghcitypaper.com. coverage of high society or features on dogs. But Shribman would simply ignore those orders or give Block the runaround. Eventually, Block had enough of the deﬂection, causing Shribman’s ouster. “The story was that he was leaving because he was doing too much buffering,” said Huffaker. A request to interview Shribman for this story went unanswered. But this left Burris in charge, whose journalistic experience mostly comprised of writing and editing opinion stories. Add this to the loss of editors with a combined 100 years of newspaper experience over the course of a few months, and the product is going to suffer. “There are really good reporters and editors that are gone, or other people

shifted into different roles,” said Huffaker. “It is obviously going to reduce the quality of coverage. My editor Lillian Thomas, she is a brilliant editor, and she is gone. I believe the paper’s news coverage will suffer from not having her.” The reporter who spoke to CP on the condition of anonymity is worried the newsroom won’t be able to accomplish the same type of journalism Pittsburgh expects if the staff keeps shrinking. “Because we have such a large staff, if we lose 16-20 people, we can cover those bases,” said the reporter. “But at some point naturally, there will be a breaking point.” In the past, Block Communications has justiﬁed potential cuts at the P-G since the paper itself is losing money. “We have

Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

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been covering the red ink,” Block said in a December 2018 article in the P-G. “We can’t be expected to permanently cover the losses.” Block said last year the paper lost $22 million. However, the guild says the entire Block Communication networks is proﬁtable. The company, which includes cable systems, TV stations, and other media holdings, reported $564 million in revenue in 2018 and makes “tens upon tens of millions of dollars in proﬁts annually.” As of press time, 139 guild members and 12 non-guild members remain on staff at the P-G. But in May, a former P-G staffer who left earlier this year and wished to remain anonymous told CP that Burris held a meeting with management and told them the Block family was looking to cut about 70 positions from the P-G in about two years.

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CP PHOTO: AMANDA WALTZ

HARRIS THEATER CONTINUES FILM SCREENINGS IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH Thanks to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the Harris schedule, which includes a variety of new independent films and a special shorts program, will run through December into early January 2020.

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1719 Penn Ave | Strip District | 412.471.0133 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

SOJU BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

OJU IS NOT Pittsburgh’s first Korean restaurant, but when it opened two years ago, owner Simon Chough knew he wanted to take a different approach than the traditional, longstanding eateries like Golden Pig and Sushi Kim. With the goal of exposing traditional dishes to unfamiliar eaters, he designed a menu that combined his grandmother’s recipes, their later Americanized versions, and for a shot of accessible sweetness, Hawaiian cuisine. The resulting menu is an exciting mix of flavor profiles ranging from nori French fries to poke bowls. The hardest part of dining at Soju is having to resist ordering one of everything on the menu. It’s an absolutely enticing bill of plates. To start, there’s a savory Korean pancake, killer tofu (tossed in a pineapple glaze), and Korean “poutine” topped with curry gravy and tofu instead of cheese curds. The entree list is just as enticing, with Korean grilled meats, bibimbap, and pineapple salmon.

SOJU 4923 Penn Ave., Garfield. simonchough.wixsite.com

I managed to narrow my order down to a few items, starting with gimbap (bibimbap rolled into sushi). Chough described the dish as “all the food groups in one bite,” with a satisfying tastetexture combination. Mondu, Korean dumplings, were another delightful starter, the small pockets packed with pork and pan-fried in triangles. A trio of Korean grilled meats — bulgogi (beef), dwaejibulgogi (pork), and kalbi (beef short ribs) — followed my ﬁrst course, fanned out around a pile of white rice. Out of the trio, the

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Korean bbq combination, BiBimBap, chicken and egg drop soup, mandu, and the ‘Waikiki Spam Jam’ cocktail at Soju

short ribs were my favorite, just fatty enough to keep the meat tender. Banchan, a collection of small side dishes often served with Korean cuisine (during my visit, pickled vegetables), balanced out the meat-heavy plate. Chough’s katsu curry, however, was easily the best dish on the table.

It consisted of a heavy brown curry covering rice, potatoes, carrots, and panko-breaded chicken. The ﬂavor was incomparable to any other curry: sweet, thick, and packed with a myriad of strong spices. The chicken was almost too good to be true, panko adding a perfect crunch to the stew-like plate. At

FAVORITE FEATURES: Cheesecake

Waikiki Spam Jam

Soju

Fluffy, homemade cheesecake. It’s the perfect end to any meal.

Don’t just eat your Spam, drink it! Try the spam-washed mezcal from an actual can of Spam.

The restaurant’s namesake drink is all over their menu. Grab a bottle or a shot; either way, don’t miss out on this Korean distilled spirit.

the end of each bite, my lips were burning from heat, but an enjoyable, sinusclearing kind of burn. Chough says some characterizations of Korean food as insulated — Anthony Bourdain said in 2016 that historically, “it was for other Koreans and they really didn’t dumb it down” — are incomplete. “If you package it right,” he says, “there’s a lot of Korean food people would enjoy.” And that’s why if you like what you eat at his restaurant, Chough is quick to recommend Nak Won Garden, Golden Pig, and other Korean restaurants in the city. Soju might not be most traditional, but it’s a great — and delicious — stepping stone for the curious.

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Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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THIS WEEK’S FEATURED RESTAURANT

THE CAFÉ CARNEGIE 4400 FORBES AVE., OAKLAND 412-622-3225 THECAFECARNEGIE.COM

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An excellent dining experience from James Beard Semi-Finalist, Sonja Finn featuring a locally-focused menu, full service dining, and espresso and wine bar.

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.

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 part of what helps create your experience at Mercurio’s Gelato and Pizza in Pittsburgh. It’s not your standard pizza shop; in fact, this isn’t a “pizza shop” at all.

PAD THAI NOODLE 4770 LIBERTY AVE, BLOOMFIELD 412-904-1640 PADTHAINOODLEPITTSBURGH.COM This new café in Bloomfield features Thai and Burmese specialties.

make the right choice,

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Standards like Pad Thai and Coconut Curry Noodle are sure to please. But don’t miss out on the Ono Kyowsway featuring egg noodle sautéed with coconut chicken, cilantro and curry sauce.

SUPERIOR MOTORS 1211 BRADDOCK AVE., BRADDOCK 412-271-1022 / SUPERIORMOTORS15104.COM Thoughtfully prepared food, drawing inspiration from Braddock, its people, its history, and its perseverance. The cuisine best represents the eclectic style which has become a trademark of Chef Kevin Sousa. Fine dining in an old Chevy dealership with an eclectic, farm-to-table menu and a community focus.

TOOK TOOK 98 2018 MURRAY AVE., SQUIRREL HILL 412-422-6767 / TOOKTOOK98.COM Eating Happily. Leaving with Smile. The True Taste of Thai. Our goal is to provide the highest customer satisfaction as well as offering authentic Thai street food with Thai environment. Therefore, we have been working hard to bring exceptional dine-in experience to you. We offer variety of authentic Thai food, drinks, and desserts including smiling full-service with BYOB.

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 DEC. 11-18, 2019

.FOOD.

BACK OF HOUSE BY LISSA BRENNAN CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

NAME: Brian Little, Braddock WORK: Sous Chef, Superior Motors WHAT DOES A SOUS CHEF DO? Basically run the kitchen, making sure everything is up to the chef’s or owner’s expectations, making sure it is exactly the way the person above me wants it to be. The more that I take off their plate, the more they can focus on things that might be more important. Ultimately, my job is to make their job easier. WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY? I start at 9 a.m., creating a list to delegate to the cooks. Anything that is going to be unmanageable I do: long sauces, butchery, proteins that need to be cooked longer, things a bit more technical respective to my skill set, a lot of the more ﬁnicky pastry stuff, vegan and gluten-friendly dishes which require a bit more attention and knowledge. On weekdays, I have multiple meetings with different reps and purveyors, farmers. I constantly have people coming to sell me product, give me better deals, so a lot of it is looking between the purveyors to make sure we’re getting the best deal but also making sure we’re getting the best product. Once service begins, my job is quality checking every team member’s station to make sure everything they put out is what I want them to be putting out. From there, I typically run expo, selling the dishes that the team is putting up — my station is a lot of garnishes, sauces, oils, herbs — then sending them to the front of the house. AND YOU’RE CREATING THE DISHES AS WELL? It’s a collaboration. I’ll have an idea and bounce it off of Kevin [Sousa, owner of Superior Motors]. He’ll give me feedback. A cook will mention an idea that they had or something that they wanted to try or had seen somewhere. We take all those ideas and put them together into what would be a representation of all of our thoughts. That way it’s not just me forcing dishes down people’s necks. IS IT A DISH AT A TIME OR WHOLE MENU? I try to never do a total revamp. It puts

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CP PHOTO: JOIE KNOUSE

Brian Little

a lot of stress on me but also the staff. I would rather do a dish a day than a whole overhaul. In the summertime, there are changes more frequently because some smaller farm operations may only have enough product to sustain maybe something they were just trying out, thought it was cool but can’t sell on a large scale to other places. Like Churchview Farm who has some of the most interesting produce in the city. I have the capability to run a dish for a day or two and really showcase that one ingredient. Now that’s slowed down a bit. AND IN ADDITION TO TEACHING BACK OF HOUSE HOW TO MAKE IT, YOU’RE TEACHING FRONT OF HOUSE HOW TO SELL IT? Yes. Our menu style is a bit more vague. The customer that sees the menu may only see a brief description. That gives us an opportunity to get a little more of the element of surprise — it might only have ﬁve ingredients listed, then when they receive the dish, it’s so much more complex. Some dishes will sell themselves. Someone that wants a steak is already sold. But the most interesting dishes require a knowledgeable team member in front of the house to sell that dish.

HOW’D YOU START? I started as a dishwasher and when it came time to go on my own and have real bills and grow up, I got a position as a prep cook that also did dishes because I wasn’t ready to cook and was terriﬁed of it. They slowly eased me into the role of cooking, and I just fell in love with it. WHY IS IT TERRIFYING? It seemed very intense — the lifestyle, how busy it was. I couldn’t fathom how people could operate and mass-produce food and didn’t have an understanding of it, so it was very daunting. It wasn’t anything I thought that I could ever do. WHAT MADE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH IT? I love food in general. Having an opportunity to be part of someone’s experience, if I do what I need to do and make the food as wonderful as it can be, people will remember that potentially forever if it’s good enough. DO YOU WANT TO OPEN YOUR OWN RESTAUNo. Absolutely not. I think I need someone above me constantly pushing me. If I were to go out on my own, I would

become complacent and I wouldn’t be able to keep my own fire going. WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART? The sacrifice. I’m a parent. I lose a lot of time with my son because of my hours. I’m typically working from when he would be waking up until he’s already in bed. That’s hard. But it’s something I have to do. I need to make a living, and I need to make sure I’m happy making that living, so I try to not let it get me down that much. I know what I’m doing is a good thing, and I make a lot of people happy here. What we do here in particular, which in my opinion is different than other places, is the education we give to people. We like to hire people with zero experience and give them an opportunity to learn and work in an environment that maybe they wouldn’t be able to anywhere else. WHAT DO PEOPLE NOT KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD? I think it’s important to know how much we put into it. We don’t get paid a lot of money. We do this because we love to do it. We are a very specific breed of people. I think we’re some of the most hardworking and interesting individuals out there.

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PHOTO: EAST END BREWING COMPANY

Scott Smith and Chris Meta pouring Big Hop at East End Brewing Company’s first Penn Brewery Beer Fest

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.ON THE ROCKS.

15 YEARS OF BIG HOP BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

AST END BREWING Company has

come a long way since tapping its ﬁrst keg of Big Hop at Kelly’s Bar & Lounge in 2004. In 15 years, the brewers graduated from a 10-barrel brewing system to a 20-barrel system, simultaneously trading in their home of eight years — a 4,000-square-foot, unmarked production brewery — for a 17,000-square-foot brewpub. The brewery has transitioned from production and growler ﬁlls-only to a full-blown taproom with 15 taps, a fridge full of cans, and, as of early this year, a restaurant.

EAST END BREWING COMPANY 147 Julius St., Larimer. eastendbrewing.com

But through all of these changes, East End has stayed local. “It’s in our name,” says founder and owner Scott Smith. “Every couple years we talk about sending beer to Philly but ultimately think better of it. It’s better to keep it local with people we can connect with.” The brewery’s distribution footprint hasn’t changed since its ﬁrst year of operation. To this day, Big Hop — an unintentional ﬂagship beer that’s still

AUTHENTIC & FRESH

made with its original recipe — accounts for 40 percent of their sales. East End started out as a one-man show; Smith “never expected the public to come in at all.” The original Susquehanna St. production site was barely big enough to hold more than a few people at a time, but that didn’t stop Pittsburghers from coming for tastings and growler fills. “That’s where we built our sense of community, in our workplace,” says Smith. “You’d walk in and I’d be making a batch of beer, come off a platform, fill a growler, and then go right back to finishing a batch.” The brewery has taken this “clubhouse” feel with it as it’s moved locations and expanded. Smith has seen lives unfold around him in the taproom. “Customers have come in here single, then married, pregnant, and then with their kids,” the owner laughs. Their community widens every day when — as their tagline says — you buy a GOOD FRIEND a GOOD BEER. As the brewery heads into their next 15 years — which Smith jokes “has to be at least 110 in brewery years” — Smith’s plan is simple: keep evolving. “If our beer is not better this year than it was last year, we’re missing it. The quality and experience have to be moving forward.”

•

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.FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 12

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): How did humans figure out that a luxurious fabric could be made from the cocoons of insect larvae? Ancient Chinese sage Confucius told the following story. One day in 2460 B.C., 14-year-old Chinese princess Xi Ling Shi was sitting under a mulberry tree sipping tea. A silk worm’s cocoon fell off a branch and landed in her drink. She was curious, not bothered. She unrolled the delicate structure and got the idea of using the threads to weave a fabric. The rest is history. I foresee a silk-worm’s-cocoon-falling-in-your-cup-of-tea type of event in your future, Sagittarius. Be alert for it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “It is the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires,” wrote Capricorn author Rebecca West. “It must abandon itself to its master passion.” That’s a high standard to live up to! But then you Capricorns have substantial potential to do just that: become the champions of devoting practical commitment to righteous causes. With that in mind, I’ll ask you: How are you doing in your work to embody the ideal that Rebecca West articulated? Is your soul loyal to its deepest desires? Has it abandoned itself to its master passion? Take inventory — and make any corrections, if necessary.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I would never try to talk you into downplaying or denying your suffering. I would never try to convince you that the pain you have experienced is mild or tolerable or eminently manageable. Who among us has the wisdom to judge the severity or intractability of anyone else’s afflictions? Not I. But in the coming months, I will ask you to consider the possibility that you have the power — perhaps more than you realize — to diminish your primal aches and angst. I will encourage you to dream of healing yourself in ways that you have previously imagined to be impossible.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “You owe it to us all to get on with what you’re good at,” wrote Piscean poet W. H. Auden. In other words, you have a responsibility to develop your potential and figure out how to offer your best gifts. It’s not just a selfish act for you to fulfill your promise; it’s a generous act of service to your fellow humans. So how are you doing with that assignment, Pisces? According to my analysis, you should be right in the middle of raising your efforts to a higher octave; you should be discovering the key to activating the next phase of your success — which also happens to be the next phase of your ability to bestow blessings on others.

witty by being cynical — as if by exuding sardonic irony and sneering pessimism they could prove their mettle as brilliant observers of modern culture. An example is this lame wisecrack from humorist David Sedaris: “If you’re looking for sympathy you’ll find it between s--- and syphilis in the dictionary.” I bring this to your attention in the hope of coaxing you to avoid indulging in gratuitous pessimism during the coming weeks. For the sake of your good health, it’s important for you to be as open-minded and generous-spirited as possible. And besides that, pessimism will be unwarranted.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “You can shop online and find whatever you’re looking for,” writes pundit Paul Krugman, “but bookstores are where you find what you weren’t looking for.” That’s a good principle to apply in every area of your life. It’s always smart to know exactly what you need and want, but sometimes — like now — it’s important that you put yourself in position to encounter what you need and want but don’t realize that you need and want.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Bachianas Brasileiras is a nine-part piece of music that blends Brazilian folk music with the compositional style of Johann Sebastian Bach. The poet Anne Sexton relied on it, letting it re-play ceaselessly during her long writing sessions. My painter friend Robin sometimes follows a similar method with Leonard Cohen’s album Ten New Songs, allowing it to cycle for hours as she works on her latest masterpiece. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to select a new theme song or collection of theme songs to inspire your intense efforts in behalf of your labors of love in the coming weeks. It’s a favorable time to explore the generative power of joyous, lyrical obsession.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “I’ve spent my life butting my head against other people’s lack of imagination,” mourned Virgo musician Nick Cave, who’s renowned for his original approach to his craft. I’m bringing this to your attention because I suspect you will be endowed with an extra fertile imagination in the coming weeks. And I would hate for you to waste time and energy trying to make full use of it in the presence of influences that would resist and discourage you. Therefore, I’ll cheer you on as you seek out people and situations that enhance your freedom to express your imagination in its expansive glory.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

“Nobody knows really what they’re doing,” says Aries comedian Conan O’Brien. “And there are two ways to go with that information,” he continues. “One is to be afraid, and the other is to be liberated, and I choose to be liberated by it.” I hope you’ll be inspired by O’Brien’s example in the coming weeks, Aries. I suspect that if you shed your worries about the uncertainty you feel, you’ll trigger an influx of genius. Declaring your relaxed independence from the temptation to be a know-it-all will bless you with expansive new perspectives and freedom to move.

A scholar counted up how often the Bible delivers the command “Fear not!” and “Don’t be afraid!” and similar advice. The number was 145. I don’t think that approach to regulating behavior works very well. To be constantly thinking about what you’re not supposed to do and say and think about tends to strengthen and reinforce what you’re not supposed to do and say and think about. I prefer author Elizabeth Gilbert’s strategy. She writes, “I don’t try to kill off my fear. I make all that space for it. Heaps of space. I allow my fear to live and breathe and stretch out its legs comfortably. It seems to me the less I fight my fear, the less it fights back.” That’s the method I recommend for you, Libra — especially in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Creativity expert Roger von Oech tells us, “Everyone has a ‘risk muscle.’ You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day.” Here’s what I’ll add to his advice. If your risk muscle is flabby right now, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to whip it into better shape. Start with small, modest risks, and gradually work your way up to bigger and braver ones. And what should you do if your risk muscle is already well-toned? Dream and scheme about embarking on a major, long-term venture that is the robust embodiment of a smart gamble.

Isaac Newton (1642–1726) was one of history’s most influential scientists and a key contributor to physics, astronomy, mathematics, and optics. His mastery of the nuances of human relationships was less developed, however. He had one close friendship with a Swiss mathematician, though he broke it off abruptly after four years. And his biographers agree that he never had sex with another person. What I find most curious, however, is the fact that he refused to even meet the brilliant French philosopher Voltaire, who reached out to him and asked to get together. I trust you won’t do anything like that in the coming weeks, Scorpio. In fact, I urge you to be extra receptive to making new acquaintances, accepting invitations, and expanding your circle of influence.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Many people engage in laughably feeble attempts to appear

Go to realastrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700

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.RETAIL.

BLACKOWNED CBD SHOP GIVES BACK BY JORDAN SNOWDEN JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

OMEN OF COLOR account for

just 5% of senior roles in the cannabis industry, according to a 2017 study by Marijuana Business Daily, which is why I was excited to see a Black-owned CBD store open here in Pittsburgh. Total Peace & Wellness, which had its ofﬁcial grand opening in Lawrenceville in October, has brought not just diversity to the local scene, but education. CBD can be found almost everywhere now, from Dick’s Sporting Goods to Turnpike rest stops. But studies are not clear on which CBD products actually work, discouraging those who might beneﬁt from its usage. With the addition of Total Peace & Wellness, owners Rhonda Broadway and Carlos Smith are aiming to help people live happier and healthier lives by providing highquality products and spreading CBD education and awareness. “You can take CBD, you can take gummies, you can take the tincture,” says Broadway. “But the absorption rate isn’t that great, so you’re putting this tincture under your tongue and a lot of people are not feeling the reaction from it, and it’s because you’re not really absorbing it in the blood.” How the product is absorbed into the body is a key factor in how effective CBD can be, and the owners say they aim to help their customers understand the process. While Broadway says she knows what makes a CBD product good now, initially she discovered it through trial and error. While suffering from anxiety and stress a few years ago, she started going to different healthrelated expos and events to look for ways to help her mental state. “I saw a lot of CBD stands and didn’t really know much about it, and I purchased CBD tinctures from the events,” says Broadway. “Some were

Rhonda Broadway (left) and Carlos Smith (right) owners of Total Peace & Wellness

good, some were bad. After researching companies and how CBD works with our bodies, I was able to ﬁnd quality products that work well for me.” Total Peace & Wellness offers a variety of CBD-infused products online and in-store, such as tinctures, hemp ﬂower, pre-rolls, coffee, water, soaps, and even pet items like bath bombs for dogs.

are pamphlets on CBD in the body, its beneﬁts, and information on full-spectrum CBD. Patrons can also chat with either Broadway or Smith, who are both friendly and knowledgeable, and one of them is always in the shop. “We’re really focused on providing education about CBD in the community,” says Broadway. Additionally, it was Smith’s idea to

their families weren’t getting torn apart as often and as horribly as Black people.” Each month, 5% of Total Peace & Wellness’s monthly sales are donated to a nonproﬁt organization. For the month of October, the donation was made to The Essie Justice Group, which works with women of color who have family members that are incarcerated. The plan for November’s donation

“WE’RE REALLY FOCUSED ON PROVIDING EDUCATION ABOUT CBD IN THE COMMUNITY.” “Tinctures do the same thing for pets as it does for humans,” says Broadway. “If dogs are suffering from high stress, anxiety, or different medical issues, it relieves those symptoms as well.” In-store, next to the CBD products for pets is an informational guide about how CBD works with your pet, what to use for different ailments, and how much to use based on the animal’s weight and size. For humans, next to the register

TOTAL PEACE & WELLNESS 4213 Butler St., Lawrenceville. totalpeaceandwellnesscbd.com

bring awareness to local organizations that provide some type of social equity for people who have been criminalized or affected by the War on Drugs, which is what an article in The Week cites might be the reason for the lack of women of color in the CBD business world. It quotes Raeven Duckett, a board member at Supernova Women which works to empower women of color in the cannabis industry: “[S]moking weed, having an ounce of weed on you, could mean you’re going to jail, you’re ruining your life; a whole lot of like negative impacts ... [White people] weren’t getting arrested, they weren’t going to jail, and

is to give to Students for Sensible Drug Policy, which has a chapter at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. CBD isn’t illegal and you can’t get high from it, but with its drug connotation and the racial bias found with marijuana arrests — people of color are 3.73 times more likely than their white counterparts to be arrested for marijuana, according to a study from ACLU— Black faces are not seen working with cannabis, psychoactive ingredient or not. The addition of the new Black business is refreshing to see, especially here in Pittsburgh, where Black women already have the short end of the stick.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

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THE LOCAL 913: THE MIXUS BROTHERS BY LIZ FELIX // LIZ@WYEP.ORG

The Mixus Brothers was born after a chance encounter in Frick Park. Johnny Willett (aka Red Mixus) took note of a Detroit Tigers hat that Jacob Stempky (aka Jebbh Mixus) was wearing, and the two discovered they had more in common than a favorite baseball team. “We recorded ‘She’s Your Baby’ by Ween as the first song we ever did. And our voices meshed just perfectly,” says Stempky. They started writing together and everything began falling into place. That early Ween cover hints at the Mixus Brothers’ quirkiness. The band’s songs have “elements STAY UP-TOfrom all of our influences, all DATE WITH THIS the way from the WEEK’S LOCAL Osborne Brothers MUSIC NEWS to Ween to Pink WITH CP MUSIC Floyd to Public Enemy and punk WRITER JORDAN SNOWDEN bands we liked in high school,” AND WYEP says Willett. EVENING MIX You can get HOST LIZ FELIX a sense of the Mixus sound on Listen every the band’s new Wednesday single, “Sweet at 7 p.m. on Lucinda.” The 91.3FM WYEP track wears its classic country influence on its sleeve with swaying horns, but it’s also a bit off-kilter. “Sweet Lucinda” isn’t just another Americana throwback. So what’s up with the nicknames? Stempky got them from a series of Western novels by Louis L’Amour. He says that getting into character as The Mixus Brothers opened them up to different sounds and that the collaboration between the two of them is vital: “It definitely allows us to go on a path that we might not necessarily have explored if we were to be making music on our own.” •

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CP PHOTO: JOIE KNOUSE

Ethan Mackowick, JJ Young, and Giovanni Orsini of Daisy Chain at their practice studio in Allentown

.MUSIC.

OH, DEVIL BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HEN DAISY CHAIN FIRST started playing around Pittsburgh in DIY

venues and houses, the band often ran into a problem: There weren’t enough mics. All three members of the three-piece rock band — Ethan Mackowick (guitar), Giovanni Orsini (bass), and J.J. Young (drums) — sing, and the venues were frequently unprepared for that setup. “We all have different voices, and we all like singing, so whenever we would write a song, one person’s voice would blend better than another on some of our songs,” says Young. “You can hear I might sing the verses, and someone else might sing the chorus because we just want to do whatever sounds best and makes sure everyone has fun and feels good.” Daisy Chain has since learned to bring their own mics to gigs, a lesson that coincides with the philosophy of the band and its DIY, nonprofit record label: “If you can do it yourself, then do it.” The label, Steel City Death Club Recordings (SCDC), is owned and operated by Orsini; on Fri., Dec. 13, Daisy Chain is set to drop its debut album, Oh My, Satan, on SCDC with an accompanying release show the next day at The Smiling Moose. “We’ve refined our process recently, but the album as a whole is a snapshot of our growth as a band,” says Young. Young feels the band is now moving towards more concise, radio-friendly songs. However, the tracks featured on the LP, which was finished in September,

CHECK OUT OUR VENUE GUIDE ON SMILING MOOSE AT PGHCITYPAPER.COM

DAISY CHAIN ALBUM RELEASE SHOW 6:30 p.m. Sat., Dec. 14. The Smiling Moose, 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. $10. facebook.com/daisychainpgh

are lengthy, jam-like tunes. “[Oh My, Satan] is an hour long,” says Young. “[It’s] a mixed bag of shorter songs for the people dig four- to ﬁveminute tracks, and then there’s longer ones, where there are three or four songs crammed into one.” Some of the songs are old, and some were shelved and made new later, but they were all composed from loose jam sessions, which is how the band actually came together. Each of the members came from other bands, some of which are still active. Mackowick plays in indie folkrock group Pachyderm, and Orsini and Young make up garage rock duo, Fortune Teller. A few years ago, after playing shows together, Mackowick was asked to play on a Fortune Teller track. “We met at Giovanni’s house, and it gelled really well,” says Young. “It was like a jammy thing that we didn’t have with any other band. We were like, ‘This is awesome; let’s keep doing it,’ and now two years later we’re putting out a record. It’s crazy how it all came together.” Oh My, Satan starts out with “The Beast Within,” an instrumental track that opens with rippling guitar riffs

PHOTO: NATALIE THOMPSON

Oh My, Satan

before making way for drums, maracas, and a body-gripping beat. The second track, “Watch My Secrets,” is where lis-

teners ﬁrst hear the guys sing lyrics like “Satan’s laughing as I load my gun” and “Mass confusion has to take its time.”

With the dark themes found in the vocals, and track titles like “Red” and “Graveyard,” it’s easy to draw ties to Satanism. But when chatting with Young on the phone, he was quick to dispel that. “Oh My, Satan, it’s a very tongue in cheek title,” he says. “It’s not like we are putting out a religious agenda that we are worshipping the devil or something. With music, I believe you should be inclusive, not exclusive, so if you are putting out a message that people don’t vibe with, that’s not good. Content-wise and lyrically speaking, the record is about dealing with your demons. Some of them are fun, and some of them are sad and dark.” Young cited standout tracks “Paper Carton Pulp” and “Float Away.” “‘Paper Carton Pulp’ is a favorite of all of ours. It came together really fast and was the last one we wrote for the album. It’s simple, it’s fun. [‘Float Away’] is a two-parter. The beginning is a slower ballad-type track, then it very abruptly takes a 180 and goes to a Black Sabbathtype jam. … There’s a lot of surprises. I guarantee when you hit start on track number one, it’s going to hit you in the face and not stop for an hour.”

•

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

PHOTO: PAUL NICKLEN

A spirit bear, on display at National Geographic: 50 Greatest Wildlife Photographs

.ART . .

DOUBLE EXPOSURE BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

NE MASSIVE BUILDING contains both the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Though the layout allows patrons to easily travel between worlds on their visit, the two museums

operate as separate entities, one housing art ranging from abstract sculpture to early American portraits, and the other memorializing dinosaur bones and rare gemstones. But two exhibits — A Delight for the Senses: The Still Life at CMOA and

A DELIGHT FOR THE SENSES: THE STILL LIFE AT CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART Continues through Sun., March 15.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: 50 GREATEST WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHS AT CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Continues through Mon., May 25. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. cmoa.org or carnegiemnh.org

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National Geographic: 50 Greatest Wildlife Photographs at CMNH — unexpectedly run in parallel. They both offer a glimpse of life and decay, and how the two can be interpreted in art. Still life paintings — familiar objects carefully arranged into a composition — are often thought of as a simplistic form of art. Students in beginning level art classes draw still lifes of fruit and cups of water. “Although the paintings may be centuries old, their subjects remain familiar,” reads a plaque introducing A Delight for the Senses, on display through March 15, 2020, which includes paintings

from the 1600s onwards. Even if the subjects of the paintings’ — fruit, flowers, seafood, and hunted game — are not particularly modern, they are still understandable to us now in a way that many paintings from the era are not. A bouquet of flowers is timeless, unlike, say, a painting of an 18th-century dignitary in velvet knickers. But there is a sense of luxury in the still lifes. They feature extravagant amounts of fruit or flowers, many of which would have been hard to come by when they were painted. The Jacob Fopsen van Es painting Still Life with Lemons, Oranges, and Pomegranates,

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A Delight for the Senses: The Still Life, Carnegie Museum of Art

from 1660, features the titular fruit, intricately peeled and piled high in a bowl. I could easily go buy a bag of lemons at Aldi for $3, but in 17th-century Belgium, the fruit was not so easily attainable. Even now, fresh fruit is more easily accessible to those with money. In this light, looking at an abundance of juicy lemons and ﬂeshy pomegranate feels like looking at gold. Many of the still lifes are obvious fantasies, like Rachel Ruysch’s 1704 painting Flowers in a Glass Vase, which features a cornucopia of a dozen different ﬂower varieties which, as its plaque explains, would not have been in bloom at the same time. The images captured by National Geographic photographers, on display at CMNH through May 25, 2020, feel like fantasy. But they’re not, because the photographers go to extensive lengths to capture shots of rare and isolated nature. For a head-on shot of a panda, posing like it knows how, photographer Ami Vitale went a nature reserve in China and stood behind an electric fence while wearing a panda suit soaked in panda urine. Other shots involve eight years of travel to an island in the north of Canada or plunging into freezing waters just to get one perfect shot. Sometimes the shots feel as luxurious and bountiful as the still life paintings, like Paul Nicklen’s photo of a spirit bear — a white bear that is neither albino nor a polar bear — surrounded by the lush green rainforests of British Columbia (the

bear also became an important symbol in a First Nations fight against a pipeline). Others are reminiscent of the decaying fruit or animal carcasses in the still life paintings, like a Mitsuaki Iwago photo of a lion mid-kill on a wildebeest. Many of the still life subjects feel like a reflection of wealth. Maybe the painter was already wealthy enough to have an abundance of fruit and flowers, or maybe they just wanted to imagine being so rich as to have every flower they love in bloom at the same time, like Ruysch’s bouquet. This feat is mimicked in a National Geographic photo of the Serengeti; photographer Stephen Wilkes took photos in the same spot for 30 continuous hours. He eventually pieced together several shots, going from night to day at the same waterhole, allowing him to create a scene of hippos, elephants, zebras, and wildebeest all in the same frame, even though it’s clearly more animals than are ever in the same place. The shot is a fantasy, made possible by funding and fancy equipment. For his shot of tortoises in the Galapagos Islands, photographer Thomas Peschak says he was looking for “a scene that would have looked almost the same 100,000 years ago.” On a smaller scale, this is what still life paintings capture. They freeze a point in time on something living, or close to it. Of course, nothing on earth will look the same 100,000 years from now.

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Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

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SERVICES Services are offered to everyone, regardless of identity, income, or insurance status. • Full medical practice • Mental health services • Community health Navigator program • Transportation program • Food box program • Discounted pharmacy program • PrEP Clinic • Hepatitis C Clinic •HIV Clinic

PHOTO: RANDALL COLEMAN, COURTESY OF AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER

August Wilson African American Cultural Center Community Day-Holiday Edition

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BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HAT DO YOU know about

Kwanzaa? If you’re like most people in the U.S., your knowledge of the week-long holiday is limited. You can remedy that by attending the holiday edition of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center Community Day. The holiday Community Day — which takes place on Sat., Dec. 14 — will present performances, all-ages activities, and more, focused around the seven core principles of Kwanzaa: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Cydney Nunn, public relations and marketing manager for the Center, says Kwanzaa remains fairly obscure in Pittsburgh and throughout the country. “I think many people, both Black and white, simply don’t know what Kwanzaa is or why it’s celebrated,” says Nunn. “It’s our job at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center to be that home for storytelling around the AfricanAmerican experience and art of the African diaspora. We are charged with educating people about this very special tradition in African culture, even if we only reach our little corner of Pittsburgh.” Created in 1966 by Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga, a controversial but highly inﬂuential professor, activist,

and writer, Kwanzaa offers a chance to showcase and celebrate traditional African clothing, decorations, music, and dance, and includes candle-lighting and gift-giving. While the winter holiday is often overshadowed by Christmas and Hanukkah, it still has a strong following in the U.S. and in countries throughout the world.

AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER COMMUNITY DAY HOLIDAY EDITION 12-5 p.m. Sat., Dec. 14. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. aacc-awc.org

While information on the exact number of people who celebrate Kwanzaa is scant, some surveys have claimed that anywhere from 3 to 5 million Americans observe the holiday, with the vast majority of celebrants identifying as Black or African-American. For the holiday edition of the quarterly-event Community Day, anyone is welcome to come and experience an “immersive Kwanzaa experience.” Nunn says the event will have seven stations set up with different family-friendly activities designed to help people “really interact with the seven principles of Kwanzaa,” as well as live dancers

and drummers. Adding to the focus on Black arts are a holiday artisan market and a gallery tour with the curator Kilolo Luckett and artists Ben Jones and Amani Lewis, who both have current solo shows at the Center. Visitors can view Subjective Nature by Lewis, a Baltimore-based artist whose work features “intimate, mixedmedia portraits of friends and family members with the goal of showing their humanity, which often goes unnoticed.” Also on display are the large-scale works of Resurgence – Rise Again by Jones, a well-known New Jersey-based artist, activist, and educator who takes inspiration from the culture and struggles of people throughout the world, especially Cuba. Jones will also host a collage workshop at the event. In its early years, Kwanzaa was viewed as an alternative to Christmas, but it’s evolved into a holiday that’s celebrated alongside it. This is reﬂected at the Community Day event, which will give kids a chance to meet and have their photos taken with an on-site Santa and Mrs. Claus. Overall, though, Nunn sees the event as a more accessible, enjoyable way to learn about a holiday that often receives little attention during the season. “This is likely the most fun way to learn about Kwanzaa,” says Nunn.

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

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.LITERATURE.

REMEMBERING SOPHIE BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HE FIRST TIME Bill Clinton introduced himself to Sophie Masloff over the phone, she replied that was the Queen of Sheba and hung up on him. She also hung up when he called back. It wasn’t until the phone rang a third time that Masloff was convinced that the caller was the man running for the presidency in 1992. “She could not believe she was on the level of someone like Clinton,” says Barbara Burstin, author of Sophie: The Incomparable Mayor Masloff (Word Association). “She considered herself an ordinary person, and to get a call from a national figure was the biggest surprise.” Masloff, who was appointed mayor from City Council President when Richard Caliguiri died in 1988, might seem like an unlikely candidate to lead a major city. But as Burstin’s book shows, Masloff’s experiences prepared her for the mayor’s office, Born to Romanian immigrant parents in 1917 in the Hill District, Masloff embraced politics as soon as she graduated from Fifth Avenue High School in 1935. In addition to working various jobs in city and country offices and courts, Masloff became a staunch advocate for the Democratic Party. She organized fundraisers and helped launch clubs for women across the state as “the consummate volunteer,” according to Burstin, an adjunct professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. When Masloff was elected mayor in 1989 (she ran unopposed after winning the Democratic primary) she became both the city’s first Jewish mayor and the first woman to hold the office. “She was ambitious, but not for herself so much,” Burstin says. “She was ambitious to be the best public servant she could be. And when she was in politics, she loved meeting people. She never aspired to be mayor. Her goal was to sit on city council and make a contribution

PHOTO: REGE BEHE

Barbara Burstin

that way.” Masloff’s tenure as mayor was relatively successful, albeit with some controversies. She helped the city divest itself of the National Aviary, the Pittsburgh Zoo, and Phipps Conservatory. Masloff also supported redevelopment over preservation, much to the consternation of many who wanted to save the Syria Mosque, the Oakland landmark and concert hall. According to Burstin, Masloff’s focus was on jobs. “You have to remember the city was on the verge of ﬁnancial collapse [in the early 1990s]. It was described by some of her aides as Armageddon, or on the precipice. If you look at other cities around the country, they were either bankrupt or on the verge. She was determined [to make sure] Pittsburgh was not going to fall that way. You begin to gauge the economic challenges she faced — the collapse of the steel mills, no federal funds coming in, no grants or investments, no state funds coming in — and she’s dealt a pretty sobering hand.” Masloff was also subjected to the barbs of local pundits, cartoonists, and columnists, who exaggerated her hairdo (she got her hair done every Tuesday at 7 a.m. at Kaufmann’s downtown location) and her penchant for malaprops (notably Bruce Bedspring instead of Springsteen, and The How instead of The Who). But Masloff was always gracious toward those who made fun of her. “She never attacked the press because she said they were only doing their job,” Burstin says.

•

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

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classifieds.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS HELLOGOODBYE (SOLO) MON., DEC. 16 Baby, it’s fact: Electro-pop outfit Hellogoodbye is making its way to Pittsburgh. But this time, frontman Forrest Kline is riding solo. In support of 2018’s S’only Natural — the first new release from Hellogoodbye in 5 years — Kline is keeping with the bare, stripped-down theme and traveling around the world performing in small, intimate venues and, in some cities, the living rooms of fans. For those shows, space is minimal. During Kline’s Pittsburgh stop, however, there will be ample room as he plays at The Smiling Moose alongside openers Jay Caulfield and heyohwell. And if you’re hoping to hear the 2005 hit, “Here (In Your Arms),” reviews from previous living room shows reports Kline playing an acoustic version. 6:30 p.m. 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. $15. smiling-moose.com Hellogoodbye

FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com

THURSDAY DEC. 12 FUNK STRANGE MACHINES, SWEET EARTH. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

HIP HOP/RAP BEEDIE, JON QUEST (DUAL ALBUM RELEASE). Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

ROCK HIGHLY SUSPECT, THE UNLIKELY CANDIDATES. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale. HORSE JUMPER OF LOVE. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale. WADE COTA, THE JACKS. Hard Rock Cafe. 7:30 p.m. South Side.

PUNK J. ROBBINS, NIGHTMARATHONS. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.

ACOUSTIC SAME MOON. Spoonwood Brewing. 8 p.m. Bethel Park.

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

JAZZ

POP

PUNK

BOMBICI. Kingfly Spirits. 7 p.m. Strip District.

FLOWER CROWN (SINGLE RELEASE). Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

THE JASONS, THE SCRATCH N’ SNIFFS. Cattivo. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

THE ANXIOUS HEARTS. The Smiling Moose. 7 p.m. South Side.

ELECTRONIC

ROGER HUMPHRIES. Con Alma. 8 p.m. Shadyside.

FOLK THE OTHER FAVORITES. Black Forge Coffee House. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks.

FRIDAY DEC. 13 CLASSICAL LYRIC VOICES. First Unitarian Church. 7:30 p.m. Shadyside.

ACOUSTIC NO COVERS. The Alloy Studios. 8 p.m. Friendship.

KIX. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Scenario. 8 p.m. South Side.

WORLD

ULTIMA BAZAAR: APOCALYPSE. Brillobox. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.

SATURDAY DEC. 14

FUNK

ROCK

CLASSICAL

THE GET UP KIDS. Rex Theater. 6:30 p.m. South Side.

HOLIDAY BROWN BAG CONCERT. Pittsburgh Opera. 12 p.m. Strip District.

POP

THE VINDYS. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

MULTI-GENRE

THE REDLINES, SINGLE JO, PALM BODIES. The Government Center. 8 p.m. North Side. SINGLE MOTHERS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

MUNHALL COMMUNITY BAND. THIS IS RED. 4:30 p.m. Homestead.

ROCK

THE DEAD FLOWERS. The Park House. 9 p.m. North Side.

PICTURE THIS. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.

ANTHONY GOMES. Moondog’s. 8 p.m. Blawnox.

HERBIVORE. Club Cafe. 10 p.m. South Side.

SWEATY ALREADY STRING BAND. Bier’s Pub. 6:30 p.m. North Side.

PAUL LABRISE BAND, THE FULL COUNTS, ATS. Howlers. 10 p.m. Bloomfield.

SIX APPEAL. Hillman Center for Performing Arts. 7:30 p.m. Fox Chapel.

BLUES/BLUEGRASS

STANDARD BROADCAST (SINGLE RELEASE). Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

GARY HOEY, TURBOSONICS. Moondog’s. 8 p.m. Blawnox.

THE KLEZMATICS. Carnegie Lecture Hall. 7:30 p.m. Oakland. GLENN STROTHER PROJECT. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. HANSON. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks.

FOLK THIS SIDE OF EVE. Club Cafe. 6 p.m. South Side.

HIP HOP/R&B THE SOUL MERCHANTS. Portogallo Peppers N’AT. 8 p.m. Braddock. IMARKKEYZ, TJ GROOVER, RB, ALL2GTHR. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

JAZZ SOULFUL FEMME. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

THE HILLBILLY WAY. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 9 p.m. Overbrook.

SUNDAY DEC. 15

ELECTRONIC

HOLIDAY

MOZHGAN. Hot Mass. 12 a.m. Downtown.

A COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS. Sampson’s Mills Presbyterian Church. 3 p.m. McKeesport.

COUNTRY

TRNGS, JEFF HOST, RS, VYTIA. 3577 Studios. 9 p.m. Polish Hill.

ACOUSTIC BRAD YODER. Friendship Perk & Brew. 6:30 p.m. Bloomfield.

PITTSBURGH MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA. St. John’s Lutheran Church of Highland. 3 p.m. McCandless.

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SHINE OUT IN THE WILD KINDNESS

Glam Hand

TUE., DEC. 17 In August 2019, David Berman, the wildly inventive and influential musician from Silver Jews, Pavement and more, took his own life at the age of 52. The outpouring of grief, support, and memorials was immediate and widespread, generating tribute albums and performances from the likes of Galaxie 500, Stephen Malkmus, and more. In Pittsburgh, you can celebrate Berman’s life and work at Shine Out In The Wild Kindness (a line from Silver Jews’ song “The Wild Kindness”) at Club Cafe. Performers include Sara Renberg, Swampwalk, Glam Hand, The Mushrats, and more. All proceeds benefit Steel Smiling, a mental health support organization focused on Black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. 7 p.m. 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $8. “Shine Out In The Wild Kindness” on Facebook. HIGHMARK HOLIDAY POPS. Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. 2:30 p.m. Downtown.

JAZZ TMT TRIO. City of Asylum. 6 p.m. North Side.

JAZZ HOWIE ALEXANDER TRIO. Con Alma. 5 p.m. Shadyside.

TUESDAY DEC. 17 TANIA GRUBBS. City of Asylum. 7 p.m. North Side.

CLASSICAL

MARK STRICKLAND TRIO. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown.

ROCK

ROCK SOLITARY SET, CLAVICLE, SALT LICK, SCRATCHY BLANKET. 222 Ormsby. 5 p.m. Mount Oliver.

MONDAY DEC. 16 HOLIDAY FEEL THE LOVE. Heinz Hall. 7:30 p.m. Downtown.

TR3, TIM REYNOLDS. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

HOLIDAY HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Benedum Center. 7:30 p.m. Downtown.

ROCK NEW POLITICS, PLAIN WHITE T’S, THE MOWGLI’S. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.

SPECIAL FINANCING FROM SYNCHRONY. special rates like 12 and 18 months same as cash on select manufacturer instruments. Book an appointment for a free gift.

JAZZ

FUNK

All Intermediate, Professional band and orchestral instruments on sale!

WEDNESDAY DEC. 18 RML JAZZ. AC Hotel. 6:30 p.m. Strip District. MOUSTACHE BROTHERS, MILA SHADEL. Hambone’s. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

HOLIDAY STRAIGHT NO CHASER. Benedum Center. 8 p.m. Downtown. CELTIC WOMAN. Heinz Hall. 7:30 p.m. Downtown. PEOPLE’S GAS HOLIDAY MARKET. Market Square. 1 p.m. Downtown.

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

STEP UP YOUR EVENT SALE DEC 9TH-14TH • ALL WEEK LONG

RATT. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

GEORGE HEID III. Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. 7 p.m. East Liberty. FINDING YOUR ELEMENT. Carnegie Music Hall. 7 p.m. Oakland.

BOTH LOCATIONS PITTSBURGH & NEW BRIGHTON!

PITTSBURGH LOCATION ONLY!

VANDOREN STEP-UP YOUR SOUND ARTIST CLINIC & REED TESTING DEC 12TH • 5-8PM Reed testing and sampling of Vandoren Reed, Java, Java Reds, V16, traditional reed styles. Reserve seat in advance for a free gift.

MOUTHPIECE AND LIGATURE DEMO

For Saxophone and Clarinet Artist Clinic: Dr. Amanda R. MorrisonSlippery Rock University, Vandoren Artist Clinician, The PM Woodwind Project, Milano Duo

VISIT FACEBOOK.COM/BRIGHTONMUSIC.COM FACEBOOK COM FOR MORE DETAILS. 2110 BABCOCK BLVD • PITTSBURGH, PA • 412.821.5908 1015 THIRD AVE • NEW BRIGHTON, PA • 724.843.9380

BRIGHTONMUSIC.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

Pittsburgh’s lone liberal talkshow host for 30+ years Listen live every Monday thru Thursday at 10 a.m. at lynncullen. pghcitypaper.com PHOTO: NETFLIX

Mama Sané in Atlantics

.FILM.

LONG DISTANCE BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T And introducing ...

Pittsburgh City Paper’s new weekly talk show

Every Friday at 10 a.m. at lynncullen. pghcitypaper.com 26

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OWARD THE END of Senegalese romantic drama Atlantics, 17-yearold Ada says, “some memories are omens,” over a shot of the ocean for which the film is named. The water is as much a character in the film as any person, working as a symbol of hope, comfort, fear, and carrier of the omens Ada references. Atlantics, by Senegalese-French director Mati Diop, is a story about the migration crisis, specifically the burdens on those left behind, but it’s also about a broader sense of economic inequality. Ada (Mama Sané) lives in a suburb of Dakar and loves Souleiman (Ibrahima Traoré), a construction worker. They sneak off together to make out on the beach and stare longingly at the waves, and each other. But they both have heavier worries hanging over their heads; Souleiman works for a construction company building a massive luxury tower in the city, and the workers haven’t been paid in four months, while Ada is arranged to marry a wealthy, passionless man. One night, when Ada goes to meet Souleiman at the local ocean-side club, he doesn’t show. Neither do any of his friends. The club is filled with despondent women crying under the club lights. All the

men from the construction company left without notice, taking a boat out to sea to ﬁnd another life abroad, leaving behind distraught girlfriends, sisters, and mothers.

ATLANTICS is now streaming on Netflix.

Ada moves through life like a ghost. She sleeps all the time, she doesn’t eat, and when she talks to her fiancé on the phone, it sounds like she’s hearing bad news from a doctor. It’s a lovesickness for the ages. On her wedding day, Ada cries on the roof while a party goes on in her new husband’s house below, until it is interrupted by a sudden fire in her new bedroom. Local police launch an investigation into how the fire began, and Souleiman becomes the number one suspect, and something of an obsession of detective Issa (Amadou Mbow). He thinks Ada is hiding Souleiman, and, Ada, who tells Issa she knows nothing, can only dream of such a scenario. From here, the movies twists into something stranger and sadder than a typical romance drama. The genre veers into horror and magical realism, just

enough to scare the right people. Souleiman and his sea mates do return, but are unrecognizable from when they left (I’m being vague for your own good). Ada, her friends, and the detective are left trying to put together the pieces, but the pieces look different in every light. The haunting grief permeating the movie is supported by a ghostly soundtrack by electronic artist Fatima Al Qadiri, matched with equally beautiful and eerie shots of the ocean (at dawn, at dusk, in the middle of a storm). Diop treats all the shots in the movie with care, letting the camera linger on a scene after it’s served its purpose, just to let us sit in its world a little longer. The obvious antidote to fire is water, but with the recurring arson in Atlantics — first on Ada’s wedding night, then in the home of the wealthy developer withholding payments from the men who left — fire is a tool of revenge from those who have been hurt by the water. Like the insurmountable economic problems facing the workers in Dakar, the water is never-ending. It’s dangerous for those who go out to sea, not knowing what’s on the other side, but they unknowingly leave behind a very palpable pain on land for their loved ones.

•

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AMIE SYLVES SAYS she never care-

fully considered the ingredients in her beauty or skincare products until she was pregnant with her daughter. She began to explore “clean” beauty brands, those that eliminate harsh or harmful ingredients tied to everything from skin conditions to cancer. After living and working in New York for 10 years, the Pittsburgh native moved back to her home city and created Clara Mae James, a local, small beauty company that specializes in ﬁnding and selling non-toxic products made by independent, women-owned businesses. Launched in June, the concept combines her years of doing marketing for major brands like CoverGirl, SK-II, Laura Mercier, and L’Occitane, with her drive to ﬁnd high-quality and healthy beauty and skin products. Pittsburgh City Paper spoke with Sylves ahead of Clara Mae James appearing at the Made & Found Holiday Market on Sun., Dec. 15 at the Ace Hotel.

MADE & FOUND HOLIDAY MARKET AT THE ACE HOTEL 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., Dec. 15. 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. Free. acehotel.com/pittsburgh

WHERE DOES THE NAME CLARA MAE JAMES COME FROM? My name is Jamie Claire, and I was named after my grandparents, Clara Mae and James Sylves — both from North Braddock, which is where I grew up, too. In 2012, I started a blog called Clara Mae James, and it was a creative outlet for me to write about beauty, fashion, food, etc., and then after I had my daughter, I started to think of ways to evolve the site.

WHERE HAVE YOU SOLD? ARE YOU MOSTLY ONLINE? We are primarily an online shop with the hopes of having a brick-and-mortar someday. I’ve had pop-ups at Synthesis in Shadyside, Bloom Beauty Parlor in East Liberty, and most recently Reed & Co. for Small Business Saturday. I look for places that align with my brand ethos to ensure it’s a good ﬁt. IN TERMS OF HARMFUL INGREDIENTS, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU DON’T ALLOW IN YOUR PRODUCTS? Phthalates, parabens, ethanolamines, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), synthetic fragrance, to name a few.

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WHO DO YOU SOURCE YOUR PRODUCTS FROM, AND HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THEM? In terms of sourcing, I go to trade shows, I read industry outlets to see who should be on my radar, and I find some brands through social media. ARE ANY OF THE PRODUCTS LOCALLY MADE? Not currently, but I’d love to consider local, clean brands that fit our criteria. HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU DIFFER FROM OTHER LOCAL SKINCARE/BEAUTY PRODUCT MAKERS? I offer a nice variety of beauty products, from skincare to body care to cosmetics, and recently launched wellness. It’s a one-stop-shop for clean beauty, all of our brands are woman-owned, and everything is under $100. WHAT’S YOUR BEST SELLER? It varies from online to pop-ups, but online it’s the Kari Gran Lip Whips, specifically Rosie Gold.

•

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Brian Holderman’s mural on the side of Pittsburgh Improv

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WALL OF FAME

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ANDORA, THE ORIGINAL internet

radio platform, has more to offer than music. In addition to podcasts, Pandora has a solid base of comedy albums available to users — no shufﬂing needed. That’s why when Stephen Walker, director of strategy for Improv Comedy Clubs, met with someone from Pandora and the topic of a collaboration came up, they ran with the idea. “Even local comedian Terry Jones has his albums posted on Pandora, and he gets a nice amount of play from there,” says Paul Tebbets, club manager at Pittsburgh Improv. “With the Improv, we’re the Parthenon of free speech; we’re not just comedy, we’re all sorts of entertainment. It just felt like a natural partnership to work with Pandora and getting people access to more media, more information, and broadening their horizons.” On Wed., Dec. 4, Pittsburgh Improv was one of nine businesses across the U.S. to unveil an interactive mural as part of a national campaign commissioned by Pandora. A local artist from

each city was brought on to create the mural. To showcase Pandora’s newest app function, when someone takes a picture of the large-scale artwork, a QR code leads to a customized playlist curated the mural’s artist. In Pittsburgh’s case, it’s a selection from street artist Brian Holderman. His 10-track playlist

style collage. “It’s gorgeous, I absolutely love Brian Holderman’s work,” says Tebbets. “I think it’s vibrant, lovely, it ﬁts what we do … It’s a blast from the past, Pittsburgh Improv, having been around since 1963, and a nod to the future, with its futuristic feel as well.”

“IT’S A BLAST FROM THE PAST ... AND A NOD TO THE FUTURE.” features artists such as MF Doom and Joan Jett, as well as comedy tracks from comedian Doug Stanhope. Another bonus: Those who take a picture in front of the mural and post it on Instagram with #improvmural will receive a free pass for two admissions to a future show. Located on the left side of the Improv’s building on East Bridge Street in Homewood, Holderman used a color scheme of orange, black, yellow, and red to create a throwback, The Jetsons-

This is not the ﬁrst time Pandora has collaborated with local artists to create murals. Earlier this year, the music streaming company debuted its Sound ON campaign, which ran in New York, San Francisco, Oakland, Atlanta, Miami, and Nashville, among others, and showcases portraits of top streaming artists. “We’re excited to keep the history of Improv moving forward,” says Tebbets, “and giving a platform for people to speak their mind and get people to laugh.”

•

Sponsored by

EARLY WARNINGS SPONSORED UPCOMING EVENTS FROM CITY PAPER’S FINE ADVERTISERS

THU. DEC. 26TH FOREVER PLAID 7:30 P.M. CLO THEATER, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $39.75-$47.50. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

THU. DEC. 26TH SPACE EXCHANGE BAND 7 P.M. KINGFLY SPIRITS, STRIP DISTRICT. 21+ Event. Free. 412-392-8928 or kingflyspirits.com

THU. DEC. 26TH THE ILLUSIONISTS: MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS 7:30 P.M. HEINZ HALL, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $33-$94. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

FRI., DEC. 27TH LOTUS AT STAGE AE! 7 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTHSHORE. All Ages. $39-$75. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.

FRI., DEC. 27TH ZAO, ETERNAL SLEEP & PLUME 7 P.M. BLACK FORGE COFFEE HOUSE, MCKEES ROCKS. All Ages. $15. 412-291-8994 or blackforgecoffee.com

FRI., DEC. 27TH WWE LIVE HOLIDAY TOUR 7:30 P.M. PPG PAINTS ARENA, UPTOWN. All Ages. $20-$120. 412-642-1800 or ticketmaster.com.

FRI. DEC. 27TH PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATER: THE NUTCRACKER 10 A.M BENEDUM, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $28-$117. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

SAT., DEC. 28TH LIVE MUSIC SATURDAYS AT BACKSTAGE BAR 5 P.M. BACKSTAGE BAR, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. Free. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

SAT., DEC. 28TH POP PUNK NIGHT 9:30 P.M. SMILING MOOSE, SOUTHSIDE. 21+. Free. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.

TUE., DEC. 31ST NEW YEARS EVE WITH PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER & CREATIVES DRINK THE PENNSYLVANIAN, DOWNTOWN.

SAT., DEC. 28TH PENGUINS ON PARADE

TUE., DEC. 31ST HIGHMARK FIRST NIGHT 2020

11 A.M. PITTSBURGH ZOO AND PPG AQUARIUM, HIGHLAND PARK. All Ages. $13-$16. 412-665-3640 or pittsburghzoo.com.

6 P.M. DOWNTOWN. All Ages. Free. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

SAT., DEC. 28TH DANDY ANDY: WARHOL’S QUEER HISTORY 3 P.M. ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $10-$20. (412) 237-8300 or warhol.org.

TUE., DEC. 31ST JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR: 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR 7:30 P.M. BENEDUM, DOWNTOWN. $33-$118. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

TUE., DEC. 31ST JEFF DUNHAM: SERIOUSLY

SAT., DEC. 28TH A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS LIVE ON STAGE

3 P.M. PPG PAINTS ARENA, UPTOWN. All Ages. $54-$89. 412-642-1800 or ticketmaster.com.

5 P.M. BYHAM THEATER, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $35-$95.75 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

TUE., DEC. 31ST NEW YEARS EVE WITH PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER & CREATIVES DRINK

SUN., DEC. 29TH SNAILS 8 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTHSHORE. All Ages. $31-$85 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.

MON. DEC. 30TH THE MANIFEST GATHERING 9 P.M. THE GREEN ROOM, MT. WASHINGTON. 18+ Event. $20. 281-330-8004 or facebook.com.

9 P.M. THE PENNSYLVANIAN, DOWNTOWN. 21+ Event. $75. eventbrite.com.

WED., JAN. 1ST MESSFEST 10 A.M. CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER, NORTH SHORE. All Ages. $11.95-$19.95. 412-237-3400 or carnegiesciencecenter.org.

MON. DEC. 30TH SUNSQUABI

FRI., JAN. 3RD PUNCHLINE ”DELIGHTFULLY PLEASED” TOUR

8 P.M. THUNDERBIRD MUSIC HALL, LAWRENCEVILLE. 21+ Event. $20. 412-682-0177 or thunderbirdmusic.com.

8 P.M. REX THEATER, SOUTHSIDE. All Ages. $20-$120. 412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com.

FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

PHOTO: PAUL ZHUKOY

^ Thu., Dec. 12: The Infernal Screen Machine

THURSDAY DEC. 12

ART Multimedia artist Amanda Struver’s exhibition Cerberus Milk, showing at Bunker Projects, features a collection of glittery and surreal sculptural and performance pieces. The collection is from the point of view of Shimmer, an alter-ego of Struver “who lives on the internet interpreting pop songs of love, power, hopes and dreams.” In Greek mythology, “Cerberus” means “the hound of Hades,” referring to a multi-headed dog

who guards the underworld. Continues through Fri., Dec. 13. 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. Gallery hours by appointment. bunkerprojects.org

COMEDY Six years ago, Pittsburgh-native Jon Daly debuted a character named Don in a sketch called “Pawnsylvania” on Comedy Central’s Kroll Show. It’s a reality TV show following Don’s Pittsburgh pawn shop and its rivalry with his cousin Murph’s in Philadelphia, but really it’s just an excuse for Daly and Nick Kroll to bust out some of the most extreme Pennsylvania accents to ever order a sandwich at a gas station. Kroll is from New York, but all of Daly’s

yinzerisms are earned: He was born here and got his start doing improv at the University of Pittsburgh. Look it up if you haven’t seen it, and keep an ear out for his flawless “dahns” and “yois.” Daly, who returns to Pittsburgh for a musical comedy revue at Club Cafe, currently has a role on Big Mouth and has made appearances on Bob’s Burgers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Drunk History, as well as a 2018 video with Pittsburgh Dad. 6:30 p.m. 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $10. clubcafelive.com

LIT City Theatre continues its year-long Momentum Reading Series with the reading of Simona’s Search by

playwright and screenwriter Martín Zimmerman. A “moving and poetic look at family, legacy, and persecution,” Simona’s Search follows a woman’s journey into understanding her father’s mysterious life before he emigrated to the U.S. from Latin America. The event takes place at City of Asylum’s Alphabet City and includes a post-reading discussion with Zimmerman and the actors. 7-9 p.m. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. alphabetcity.org

EVENT Women run the show at Gender Equity Cocktails with a Conscience, an evening focused on gender equity and women’s empowerment. Local CONTINUES ON PG. 32

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

LIVE CONCERT

RIVER CITY BRASS BAND

along with COL students

MONDAY 12.16.19

7:30 p.m.

Katz Performing Arts Center • 5738 Darlington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

TICKETS

$10 IN ADVANCE

Purchase tickets online at EGPVGTQƃKHG UCNUCNCDU QTI EQNVKEMGVU or by scanning this QR code with your smartphone.

$15 @ DOOR

For more information, contact Center of Life at 412.521.3468

č «À Vii`Ã Li iwÌ i ÌiÀ v vi° This concert has been underwritten by a generous grant from The Eden Hall Foundation.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 30

^ Sat., Dec. 14: Wears Your Mask?

service organization Repair the World and Gallery on Penn are combining forces for the event, featuring work from women entrepreneurs, food from two local, women-owned businesses, and a guest expert leading a discussion on journaling and reflection. The night may be all about supporting women, but all are welcome. 7 p.m. Gallery on Penn. 5835 Penn Ave., Garfield. werepair.org

Tom Brown answers the question, “What if stalactites and stalagmites produced light?” 8 p.m. Also 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 13. 4327 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $5.55. redfishbowl.com

ART

FILM

Catch three new light-based shows at the Lawrenceville studio Redfishbowl. The Infernal 25 Screen Machine by Kyle The Saint is a 5x5 grid of screens looping video art that comes with “interactive characters, audio & projection art & maybe even a beer if you’re good.” Joshua Challen Ice and Greg King’s Space Tubes is a sculpture of a mechanical heart that uses lighting patterns to reflect the rhythms of the body’s circulatory system; and Stalag-Lights by Kyle the Saint and

Survived Krampusnacht, but didn’t find any candy in your shoes? Confront the half-goat, half-demon in person at Jump Cut Theater’s first holiday fundraiser. Join the anti-St. Nicholas at Glitter Box Theater for food, drink, prizes (don your best Krampus look to win the costume contest), and a screening of the Mexican holiday film Santa Claus vs. The Devil. Proceeds benefit Jump Cut’s 2020 operating costs. 6 p.m. 460 Melwood Ave., Oakland. $25. “Cookies with Krampus” on Facebook

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FRIDAY DEC. 13

BALLET Everybody knows the story and has heard the songs at some point in their life, but you don’t really understand the magnificent weirdness of The Nutcracker until you catch it live. Pittsburgh Ballet Theater brings back its annual holiday tradition with shows running now through the end of the month. If you’re a fan of Tchaikovsky, rat kings, hallucinatory choreography, and extravagant set design, then you’ve probably already seen it. But if not, make sure you find a way to attend this production and maybe find a new holiday tradition of your own. 7 p.m. Continues through Sun., Dec. 29. Benedum Center, 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $28-117. pbt.culturaldistrict.org

COMEDY Many bizarre Christmas movies have been made over the years, but there are few stranger than 1964’s Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, in which aliens try and fail

to kidnap Santa. But hey, it’s nothing an all-female remake can’t fix. Join Alternate Histories and Arcade Comedy Theater for Santa Claus ConqHERS The Martians, a live-reading of the film, complete with an all-female cast and a drag Santa. Some proceeds from the show benefit Just Harvest, which works to reduce hunger in Allegheny County. 8 p.m. 943 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $12. arcadecomedytheater.com

ART Kelly Strayhorn Theater presents an evening of new work from local up-and-coming musicians with LoRen, No Covers at Alloy Studios. Curated by the FUTUREMAKERS artist accelerator program, the show features neo-soul act Clara Kent, singer/songwriter Kayli Kaufmann, and indie soul artist LoRen performing original works. The event is meant to encourage audiences to encounter artists “new to your ears, hear authentic voices, and share stories from a

^ Fri., Dec. 13: The Nutcracker

generation of music makers with something vital to contribute.” 8 p.m. 5530 Penn Ave., East Liberty. Pay what makes you happy. kelly-strayhorn.org

931 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $15-25. “A Very Divine Christmas Special” on Facebook

SATURDAY

DEC. 15

DEC. 14 STAGE

The Alumni Theater Company tackles a variety of issues concerning today’s youth with Wears Your Mask? Written and performed by seven young women from the ATC Teen Ensemble and the Jewish Community Center, Wears Your Mask? features original pieces that address “perceptions of ethnicity and the quest to define personal identity.” The work will also explore the respective cultures and experience of Black and Jewish teens in Pittsburgh and their reflections on race, religion, and being a teenager in America today. 7 p.m. Continues through Sun., Dec. 15. 6601 Hamilton Ave., Homewood. $12-18. alumnitheatercompany.org

DRAG Pay homage to an iconic drag performer and a trailblazing director while celebrating the holiday season with A Very Divine Christmas Special at There Ultra Lounge. The John Waters-themed night is not for the weak-stomached or hearted, and will feature locals Smokin’ McQueen, Bebe Beretta, Bethanne Phetamine, and Agnes Senga. Headliners are Violencia!, May May Graves, and Coleslaw. Otherwise, details are scant for the time being, but attendees are advised to expect crazy things. 9:30 p.m.

SUNDAY SCREEN There are a lot of familiar faces from Pittsburgh’s theater and film community in the new series Mulligan: Patrick Cannon, Tony Bingham, Patrick Jordan, Wali Jamal, and Daina Michelle Griffith, just to name a few. The Pittsburgh-shot independent series follows a disgraced amateur golf star (Cannon), trying to put his life back together after a stint in prison, battling bad habits, and settling old scores. Mulligan was an official selection at the 2018 L.A. Film Festival and the Rhode Island International Film Festival, but you can catch it in the city that spawned it with a screening here at Point Park University. 6 p.m. 414 Wood St., Downtown. “Mulligan” on Facebook

Ready to book a jam sesh?

DRAG Get out to Spirit for an evening of dancing and drag with Forever, a new party hosted by The Moon Baby. The event features both local and traveling drag performers, and this month’s editions has drag king Landon Cider, who won the title of “The World’s Next Drag Supermonster” on competition show The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula. The show features a collection of other local and traveling drag performers, as well as music provided by the DJs of Jellyfish. 9 p.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. 21 and older. $10-20. spiritpgh.com CONTINUES ON PG. 34

classifieds.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 33

^ Thu., Dec. 12: Jon Daly

MONDAY DEC. 16

FILM Jazz legend Eddie Jefferson was born in Pittsburgh 101 years ago and went on to become an innovator of the genre, as one of the first to add words to solo jazz improvisation. City of Asylum will host a screening of Eddie Jefferson LIVE in concert from the Jazz Showcase at Alphabet City, featuring the musician’s last recorded performance in 1976. Saxophonist Richie Cole, who appears in the film, will lead a Q&A after the screening. 7 p.m. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. alphabetcity.org

TUESDAY DEC. 17 FILM The Feast of the Seven Fishes — the holiday — is an Italian-American tradition on Christmas Eve involving multiple courses of seafood from shellfish to salted cod. The Feast of Seven Fishes — the movie — is about a big Italian family getting together to celebrate Christmas in 1983. At the center of the story is Tony (Skyler Gisondo), a meek but wholesome kid in his first serious relationship who

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has to navigate the outsized personalities of his many aunts and uncles during his girlfriend’s first appearance at the titular feast. The film, screening at Heinz History Center, features a handful of beloved character actors, including Joe Pantoliano, Ray Abruzzo (shoutout to Little Carmine), and Paul Ben Victor. Director Robert Tinnell will patriciate in a Q&A after the screening. 7 p.m. Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. $10. heinzhistorycenter.org

WEDNESDAY DEC. 18 COMEDY Kelly Strayhorn Theater pairs wine with performance during a special presentation of Ghost Rings by film and theater maker Tina Satter. The touring show examines Satter’s real-life relationships using a fake band portrayed by her and collaborators in her production company, Half Straddle. The Half Straddle website calls Ghost Rings a “vulnerable and harrowingly funny melodic reckoning” defined by a “theatrical pop song cycle that shifts expectations of theater and live music.” After the show, enjoy some vino with host Bonnie Gabel during a discussion about the work. 8 p.m. 5530 Penn Ave., East Liberty. Pay what makes you happy. kelly-strayhorn.org •

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019

PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM

HAVE A CLIENT, let’s call him Joe, who has been a regular for at least two and a half years. He calls me every few weeks, and we often text in between calls. He’s in a bowling league, and I keep track of when he’s playing because I like to send him naughty pics to throw him off his game. While he likes the flirty attention, it doesn’t work. He almost always wins. We talk about what is going on in our lives and with our jobs, he tells me about his home improvement projects, I make fun of him for nervously stammering around me. Once we’ve run through these pleasantries, we make each other come — often over and over. Our fantasies line up in ways that don’t always happen with clients; we have an easy and natural rapport, and the sex leaves us both dizzy and satisfied. With Joe, the work isn’t hard. It is playful, fun, and pleasurable. For this reason, he was the first person I thought of when a Vice documentary filmmaker who was working on a short feature about me and my husband PJ asked if I would be comfortable having him shoot one of my client interactions. Joe said yes immediately when I approached him about this. He told me that he can’t wait to get me back for all of my bowling alley teases by making me horny in front of a film

THE BEST CLIENTS ARE ONES WHO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS OUTSIDE OF THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE FOR THEM. crew, and asked if we should practice before the big day. I told him that the previous 100 times that we had phone sex was probably pretty good practice. What I didn’t know when I was setting the production schedule, which included this call, is that the week before this was set to happen we would ﬁnd out that my husband’s

cancer was back, and that the very day we were planning would also be PJ’s ﬁrst day of chemo. We decided to go ahead with the plans and work around his chemo. Given that this particular scene was one that PJ wasn’t going to be a part of, we decided that I would set him up at the hospital for treatment and then

go home for a few hours to talk to the filmmakers about some of my solo work and take Joe’s call on camera. When it came down to it, though, I couldn’t leave my husband at the hospital by himself, despite the fact that he insisted he would be fine. While I may have been able to talk abstractly about my work in the interview format, I realized I couldn’t actually take a call with a client when my head and my heart were elsewhere. The relationships that I have with my clients are not something that I have ever felt conflicted about in relation to my marriage. They are different sorts of relationships that don’t pose a threat to one another. But what I’d to come to terms with when I canceled my call with Joe was how sex work can be emotionally laden. As someone who loves the work that I do, and generally speaking has a great deal of emotional and sexual energy that I can throw at it, I can forget how much it takes to be present and available for another person; that so much of sex work, as is the case with any care work, is opening yourself up, and doing it on command. The best clients, though, are ones who understand that we are human beings outside of the services we provide for them, and who give back to us the support and care that we typically extend to them. Joe did just that.

•

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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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 11-18, 2019