December 25, 2019/January 1, 2020 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

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DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 52 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 Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

FIRSTSHOT BY ABBIE ADAMS

GENERAL POLICIES: Contents copyrighted 2019/2020 by Eagle Media Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Pittsburgh City Paper are those of the author and not necessarily of Eagle Media Corp. LETTER POLICY: Letters, faxes or e-mails must bwe signed and include town and daytime phone number for confirmation. We may edit for length and clarity. DISTRIBUTION: Pittsburgh City Paper is published weekly by Eagle Media Corp. and is available free of charge at select distribution locations. One copy per reader; copies of past issues may be purchased for $3.00 each, payable in advance to Pittsburgh City Paper. FIRST CLASS MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available for $175 per year, $95 per half year. No refunds.

HAND LETTERING: ABBIE ADAMS READ THE STORY ON PAGE 6

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

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N A TOWN THAT’S STILL too often celebrated for its athletes more than its

academics, and in a year when political tensions were high and news headlines — like September’s report from the city’s Gender Equity Commission on “Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race” — revealed disparities in our region, one might mistakenly think we’re ending the year with little to celebrate. But, despite the difﬁculties, Pittsburgh has also had a lot of really great wins, largely made possible thanks to the efforts from the exceptional people we’re featuring throughout this week’s issue. Pittsburgh’s People of the Year include a teenager striking week after week on the steps of the City-County building, trying to make the world better for future generations. The pair of women spearheading a new direction for the city’s food and drink industry. The writer who is bringing Pittsburgh’s story to the world. The group of hard-working employees standing up to their employer against the odds. And, in what might be a surprise, the billionaire who’s using his position to enact much needed change. This year’s winners were selected through a process of nominations, debate, then a blind vote from members of Pittsburgh City Paper’s editorial staff. For the ﬁrst time ever, to better celebrate the people who make up our city, we’re celebrating winners in 10 different categories:

Environment: PAGE 8 Food and Drink: PAGE 12 Labor: PAGE 16 Music: PAGE 20 Visual Arts: PAGE 24

Literature: PAGE 28 Theater: PAGE 32 Health: PAGE 38 Politics: PAGE 42 Business: PAGE 50

NOMINATION COMMITTEE EDITOR IN CHIEF: Lisa Cunningham • MANAGING EDITOR: Alex Gordon SENIOR WRITERS: Ryan Deto and Amanda Waltz • STAFF WRITERS: Hannah Lynn, Jordan Snowden, and Maggie Weaver • DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER: Josh Oswald PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER: Jared Wickerham • EDITORIAL DESIGNER: Abbie Adams

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

ENVIRONMENT

LEANDRA MIRA fridaysforfuturepgh.org SINCE MAY, 18-year-old Leandra Mira has spent every Friday afternoon sitting outside the City-County building advocating for action against climate change. Mira is part of the global youth-led movement, made famous by Greta Thunberg, who understand that climate change is no longer a theoretical or distant problem. Though she started alone, Mira’s strike has attracted supporters in person and online. “In a year, if we keep doing this every Friday, we’ll get to a place where there’s hundreds of kids or thousands of kids,” Mira told Pittsburgh City Paper in June. In September, Mira spoke in front of hundreds of Pittsburgh protesters as part of the Global Climate Strike, when millions of young people around the world walked out of school and work as a call to action. Every city needs someone like Mira, who is part of a long history of young people who understand that their age is not a hindrance, but instead invigorates them with an urgent and clear-eyed sense of purpose. CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

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CRAFTY NEW YEAR PARTY! 90’s Alternative & Grunge band BLEACH FUZZ kicks off the evening at 7:30PM! MIDNIGHT BALL DROP COUNTDOWN with DJ GOODTHUGG taking us ‘til 2AM. .VOICES.

WORDS OF LOVE

Featuring Jack Daniel’s & Yuengling specials, and FREE Champagne Toast at Midnight.

BY TERENEH IDIA // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

S THE YEAR comes to a close, I

am thinking about love. I am not focused on romantic love, I am talking about the many forms of love that got me through this year. I will begin with family love. I am a survivor of childhood abuse, so I am not going on all fairytale-like. Yes, family love can be simple, pure, and true. But it can also be difﬁcult, messy, and conditional — based on accomplishments, religion/ faith, expressing your sexuality or gender in a certain way. There can be many barriers between an individual and their family, which can lead many of us to create and focus on a “logical family” rather than biological family. This year brought a new clarity about both my biological and logical families. The second form of love that got me through this year was a deeper understanding of my anger. Not a blinding rage — though some elements of that exists, how can it not? My anger comes from living in an unjust society that motivates me to work for real freedom for all. This anger simply drives me to expect justice for all. Self-love as survival — love No. 3 — is something I developed as a child, and for much of my life, it was my main source of love for self. Earlier this year, I dismissed this as “not enough love” to thrive, and it may not be, but truth be told, it is how I

still exist to this day. The ﬁnal form is self-love as an absolute love. After graduate school, I returned to the United States in such a state that a friend said to me, “Tereneh, you need to see someone.” That someone was a therapist and after several therapy sessions, the counselor asked me a simple enough question that changed my life: “Do you love yourself unconditionally?” My reaction was physical. It felt as though an explosion started in my pelvis and moved down to my feet, then erupted back through my legs, coursing up my spine and bursting from the base of my neck then out through my mouth and eyes in the form of tears, snot, and an animalistic wail. It took me about a minute (or 30) to ﬁnally form the simple one-word answer: “No.” Fast-forward several years and a friend who had seen me at my worst just a few weeks before that fateful therapy session said, “Tereneh, your Patronis is self-love.” This self-love is not the idea of self-perfection; this is unconditional love, like all forms of love, includes accountability. It may look happy, messy, angry, joyous, insistent, quiet or loud, but it is all love. And what I have learned is that love of self is a revolution.

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Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

FOOD & DRINK

DONNY DONOVAN + CAROLYN HILLIARD OF EMPATH empathpittsburgh.com IT’S NO SECRET that Pittsburgh is a

drinking town, which can make social situations difﬁcult for people who avoid alcohol. Carolyn Hilliard and Donny Donovan are working to change that with Empath, a sober pop-up bar that, for nearly two years, has been serving virgin drinks and mocktails at locations throughout the city. Inspired by their own struggles with sobriety, the two women have quickly made Empath a name in the local events scene by appearing at live music shows, galas, and markets, and by hosting sober happy hours at places like Bantha Tea Bar. And they’re just getting started, as they hope to settle down in a permanent space that will serve as a safe, welcoming environment for people who want to party without feeling pressured to drink. CP PHOTO: JOIE KNOUSE

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

THAI ME UP BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N 17 YEARS of business, Thai Me Up

has changed locations, tightened up service, and opened a grocery store in conjunction with their eatery. But one thing has remained the same: a light reference to bondage. It’s no coincidence the restaurant has tied down the South Side’s love with their sassy slogan, “We will spice you up and you’re bound to like it!” The food lives up to the claim. This includes standard Thai dishes, curries covering every combination of color and meat, fried rice ranging from classic to sriracha, and plenty of noodles. But the most exciting part of Thai Me Up was the chef-recommended section. This list — tiny in comparison to the rest of the menu — features less obvious Thai dishes.

THAI ME UP 118 S. 23rd St., South Side. thaimeuppittsburgh.com

I relied on this section during a weeknight visit to the restaurant, choosing nam tok (grilled short ribs) and khao soi (noodle curry) to pair with fresh rolls, crab Rangoon, and pad Thai. First to the table were the Thai Me Up rolls, rice wrappers ﬁlled with shredded lettuce, mint, vermicelli noodles, and tofu. Apart from the sauce, they were fairly basic, though I immediately took note of the skillfully prepared tofu. The sauce, however, was good enough to eat by the spoonful: heavy, sweet, and a little acidic. I refused to let the server take it off the table even after the rolls were gone. I wanted to dip everything in it.

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Pad Mee with pork belly at Thai Me Up

The wontons on the crab Rangoon were thick — more similar to the outside of a samosa than the typical Rangoon — and appropriately ﬂakey, fried just long enough to become a deep brown. The ﬁlling needed a little work, but the wrapper won me over. My choice of sticking to the chefrecommended dishes was a great one.

Khao soi, a traditional Northern Thai dish, was exceptional, despite being spiced with cumin more than I expected. It was topped by two pieces of incredibly tender chicken that fell off the bone with the lightest touch. Fermented herbs and crunchy noodles added delightful layers of tang and crunch. Even my dayold khao soi leftovers blew basic curry

FAVORITE FEATURES: Sticky Rice

Cooking Classes

Grocery

All rice is better sticky. Order a dish that comes with the glutinous rice and a small, wicker container of sticky rice will be your new favorite side dish.

Most months, the restaurant hosts cooking classes on Sunday nights. Call to reserve your spot.

Shop for all your Thai staples at Thai Me Up’s grocery store, right next to the restaurant.

out of the water. The nam tok was so good it rendered my dining partner speechless; they simply looked at me, wide-eyed and mouth agape. Thin pieces of short rib, expertly grilled, were paired with a simple — but stunning — mix of cilantro, shallot, and mint. It had everything: a kick of citrus, the slightly sweet and tangy shallots, and fresh cilantro. It was no surprise that among the dozens of Thai restaurants in Pittsburgh, Thai Me Up is frequently mentioned as a favorite. They brought the standard fare with skill (Take their pad Thai for example. Not the most vibrant dish on the table, but ﬂavor wise, spot-on), but didn’t limit themselves.

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Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

LABOR

PITTSBURGH POSTGAZETTE STAFFERS pghguild.com 16

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PITTSBURGH HAD A number of notable labor success stories this year. Workers at Carnegie Library and Google organized. Pitt faculty and grad students got a second chance at forming a union. And organized labor was key in getting local politicians elected. But among those successes was a high-profile struggle we thought more important to highlight. Despite not having a raise for 14 years, months of newsroom chaos, staff turnover, and public rants from ownership, the stamina and dedication exuded by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette staff and the members of its union, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, has been commendable. Their union is negotiating for higher pay and better health care. But really, their fight is about preserving the quality reporting a city like Pittsburgh deserves; it’s a fight Pittsburgh should get behind.

WE MOVED. Just down the street! Please update your records. 4 Smithƞeld Street / Suite 1210 / Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Eƙective January 1, 2020 / www.pghcitypaper.com

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Shur Save on Liberty Avenue

.ARCHITECTURE.

FORESIGHT 2020 BY CHARLES ROSENBLUM // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

OR A COMING YEAR that’s synonymous with perfect vision, too many of us have a suitably ironic blindness to architecture for the present and future. Now is no time to declare a style for the decade in the practice of trendspotting or old timey art history. There has been plenty of lamentation in national press about the ﬂimsy and horrid condo style blanketing the U.S. generally, with Pittsburgh as no exception. Instead, I’m going to document a few resolutions. Some of these are things I need to do;

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others, I simply wish others would.

to be louder, earlier.

Speak Up Now.

Read Magazines.

I give the Planning Commission credit for running an open and methodical review process for the demolition of the Pittsburgh Playhouse complex, including the old Tree of Life Synagogue in Oakland. But by the time I made it to one of the later meetings, destruction was a foregone conclusion, so I stayed uncharacteristically silent. Whether to protest destruction of historic buildings or approval of dismal new ones, I need

And look at websites. And use Instagram and whatever other social media best ﬁt your architecture interests. Sure, plenty of people do this, but when major projects are unveiled in this city, and they look like crap compared to what we’ve seen on the (web)pages of the industry press and other tastemakers, I have to think that local developers have never heard of Architectural Record or Metropolis or ArchDaily.com or Curbed.com, among

many others, or they are desperately hoping that we somehow haven’t. When the city announces a “crown jewel” development near Heinz Field, and the rendering looks like a sad engineering diagram, we look like design-illiterates to the world.

Make comparisons. What’s the similar building in a comparable city or one by a favorite architect? Or one by an unknown architect? Why can’t we have a hotel like Baldrige Architects’ ARRIVE Hotel in Austin? Where is

ISS

M ER V E N

CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Shakespeare Giant Eagle shopping center at Penn and Shady

the housing that’s more like Waechter Architecture’s Origami project in Portland? Where’s our building by SHoP Architects? Or if the answer is that these buildings cost twice as much per square foot than we spend here, then that is good to know, too.

Stop being nice about bad design. Pittsburgh is filled with nice people we know who live down the street and shop at the same grocery store and we’ve known for a long time, but some of them design horrible, horrible buildings. Start the New Year like this. “Hey Gus, I extend my warmest wishes to you and your family for the holiday season. I hope the New Year affords you the opportunity to completely redesign the disheveled filing cabinet that your firm presented to the Planning Commission.”

Represent. Pittsburgh’s ofﬁce of GBBN Architects hosted a November exhibition, “Say It Loud,” presented by the National Organization of Minority Architects and Beyond the Built Environment. The event highlighted the achievements and experiences of minority architects, documenting considerable professional achievements while noting how white and unrepresentative the design professions are in their ofﬁces and their projects. We need more exhibits of this kind, more inclusion, more representation, until the design professions look like the

communities in which they build.

Not Just Community Process, Good Community Process. I’ll say it again. The community design process implemented by Action Housing and Bloomﬁeld Development Corporation with the Studio for Spatial Practice for the Shur Save site was one of the best of its kind, because it started with the community and worked its way toward real architecture. The process for the Shakespeare Giant Eagle site, where the developers and architects are simply showing what they intend to do and maybe taking (or simply enduring) some feedback has not been good, and other sham processes abound Community Process should precede design, not drag behind it.

Use your words. Sure there are plenty of ugly buildings, but why not criticize with specificity? Is it clunky? Discordant? Out of scale? Dehumanizing? Poorly composed? Is it hackneyed? Clumsy? Undercooked? A little more specificity will bring some substance to your invective, and better reflect the acuity of your observations. It’s going to be a long decade and the art of architecture often won’t seem like a top priority, but when we put important priorities in order, then architecture will be best suited to thrive along with them. And when it does, we’ll see it clearly.

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Follow contributing writer Charles Rosenblum on Twitter @CharlzR

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

MUSIC

CLARA KENT facebook.com/iamclarakent FOR THOSE TUNED into the Pittsburgh

music scene, it’s almost impossible to have not come across Clara Kent’s name at one point or another. In 2019 alone, Kent collaborated with Butler Brew Works to create a beer inspired by her 2018 album, Aura; she performed at Club Cafe, Stage AE, Hartwood Acres, Mr. Smalls Theatre, Picklesburgh, and Light Up Night, among others; went on a mini-tour with London-based music events company Sofar Sounds; and released an album, Mysterious Shit, with Bilal Abbey, Pharaoh Lum, and NVSV. But while Kent was working on her career growth, she spent her time continuously campaigning for other creatives in Pittsburgh. Whether their medium was music, canvas, or fabric, Kent has worked to uplift the creative community as a whole through her outspoken social media platforms. That is the reason Kent was named Pittsburgh City Paper’s Person of the Year for music, for her hard work and dedication to the Pittsburgh music scene, and support for projects other than her own. CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

THE LOCAL 913: ESSENTIAL MACHINES BY LIZ FELIX // LIZ@WYEP.ORG

When you hear the term “family band,” alternative rock is probably not the first genre to pop into your head. But for the Dietrich family, making alt-rock songs together comes naturally. The band started as a duo when RJ Dietrich says he finally got up the courage to ask his coworker, Karen, if she wanted to play music together. The pair eventually married, moved to Greensburg, and formed the group Essential Machine. Their son Robert also turned out to have an interest in music. He learned to play the flute in school and started tinkering around with synthesizers and making interesting sounds with keyboards. He says he thought it was cool that his STAY UP-TOparents had a band and DATE WITH THIS played shows. WEEK’S LOCAL “My parents MUSIC NEWS never wanted to pressure me into WITH CP MUSIC it,” says Robert. WRITER JORDAN “It was never like, SNOWDEN ‘Hey, you should be in our band.’ It AND WYEP happened pretty EVENING MIX organically.” His HOST LIZ FELIX parents started incorporating Listen every some of his Wednesday keyboard parts at 7 p.m. on into their shows, 91.3FM WYEP and Essential Machine became a three-piece. The band’s first full-length album Wildfires, produced by Jake Hanner from Donora, fully utilizes Robert’s creativity on the keys. You can hear his playing prominently on the standout single “Wasted,” along with the elder two Dietrichs’ dystopian lyrics. It’s a moody but very listenable record, and RJ’s soaring vocals sometimes recall The National or The Bends-era Radiohead. You can hear why Robert was excited to join the group. And unlike most family bands, there’s nothing contrived about Essential Machine — just great songs. •

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PHOTOS: ARTLIKEUS AND COTT BENNING

Pk Dlay

.MUSIC.

OUT WITH THE OLD BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N JAN. 1, 2019, Pk Delay started

releasing a new song every day of the year as part of his 365 project. On Jan. 1, 2020, he’ll delete nearly all of them. “I feel relieved and ready for what’s next,” says the musician, whose real name is William Hawkins IV. “It feels good though. … I learned that I have a lot more drive and dedication than most.” To avoid the threat of over-saturation on social media, every song that was part of the 365 project was posted only on Soundcloud. But a small number, Hawkins’ top picks out of over 365 tracks (some days he dropped more than one), were posted on other outlets like YouTube and Spotify. “If there was a song I really wanted to push, or that I really liked, I would put it on all the streaming sites,” says Hawkins. “I’d put out a music video and I make sure to perform the song if I had any live shows.” Those favorites will stay on Sound-

cloud into the new year, including the bass-thumping “Adding Up” and “Baby Woah,” in which Hawkins sings with lightly autotuned vocals instead of rapping. The kind of music Hawkins made changed depending on his mood or how his day was going.

PKDELAY.COM “I had family members pass and dealt with personal stuff,” says Hawkins. “Like anyone else going to work, you still have to get the job done, still have to keep it moving. That’s how I looked at it. … I would talk about what happened, depending on how I felt, a song would be a little more conscious or a little more emotional.” But there was never a time throughout the ups and downs of the year that

Hawkins wanted to give up. He knew what he was getting into from the start, and knew that the power of the project relied on consistency. Missing a day meant the entire project would be pointless. While a few of the songs from the 365 project will remain on other platforms, don’t expect an album featuring those select tracks. Hawkins is ready to move on from the project in 2020 and hopes to travel and do more shows outside of town. After completing such a proliﬁc body of work, Hawkins wants to show he can do more than pump out one-offs. “I agree that people are putting out music too fast because our attention spans are steadily decreasing because everything’s so rapid,” says Hawkins. “It’s just on to the next. But I felt like, why not? If that’s the way things are right now, why not take advantage of it? If you can create content at a good pace and it’s not affecting your personal life, why not create a lot of content?”

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

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.ON THE ROCKS .

ALLURING CURE BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

EOPLE HAVE BEEN looking for successful hangover cures for about as long as we’ve been drinking — in ancient Mesopotamia, for instance, a soup of licorice, beans, and toxic plants was in vogue. These days, popular remedies include activated charcoal, an IV, room temperature Pepsi, and cheeseburgers. (The worst suggestion I’ve ever received is to go back in time.) Personally, I’m committed to a combination of water, exercise, and diner food. But a targeted Instagram ad has brought a new remedy to my attention: Cheers Health, an after-alcohol aid. Cheers, featured on Shark Tank, comes in three versions: hydrate, protect, and restore, which promises to “neutralize alcohol’s negative effects.” Simply put, the supplement (a mix of unpronounceable chemicals and

CP PHOTO: MAGGIE WEAVER

CHEERS HEALTH cheershealth.com

herbs) speeds up how fast we process alcohol. To metabolize alcohol, the body converts it into acetaldehyde — 20 times as toxic as alcohol — aka the hangover culprit. Quickening this process reduces the amount of time your body is exposed to acetaldehyde, thus

reducing the symptoms that follow a night of heavy drinking. I think Cheers is an ambitious ask for a drunk person. On an average night, I barely remember to drink water and eat dinner. There is little chance I would remember to take a supplement.

And even if I did remember, popping capsules and waking up without a hangover seemed too good to be true. So, I decided to see if Cheers lived up to its promises. To set myself up for a really good hangover, I drank my way through an eclectic mix of spirits, beer, and moonshine. After about ﬁve or six drinks and a stressful 10 minutes when I lost the bottle of pills, I put myself to bed with Cheers. (The pills are meant to be consumed after your last drink or before bed. Note: if, like me, you are bad at swallowing pills, I’d recommend trying out a different remedy. The capsules are huge.) The results were unremarkable, save for how soundly I slept. (I even made it to my 5:30 a.m. gym class.) But other than my full seven hours of sleep, I still woke up with a headache, nausea, and felt off-balance all morning. Any lessening of my hangover symptoms was not noticeable. Cheers might call themselves “the best thing to happen to alcohol, since alcohol,” but in truth, the pills didn’t do much for me (though to be fair, this was a small sample size). But I still ended up sitting at my desk hungover, left to endure the pain of last night’s decisions and search for the nearest lukewarm Pepsi.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

VISUAL ARTS

NJAIMEH NJIE njaimehnjie.com NJAIMEH NJIE has been an active and

compelling voice in the Pittsburgh arts scene over the past several years, even being named the 2018 Emerging Artist of the Year by the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Media. But 2019 was an especially fruitful year for the photographer, ﬁlmmaker, and multimedia producer whose practice centers “everyday people, narratives, and landscapes,” with a particular focus on Black experiences. She completed her three-yearlong public art project Homecoming: Hill District, USA, a series of murals about the city’s historically Black neighborhood. She was also chosen to create an installation for Up, Lifted, a public art program at the Pittsburgh International Airport, and in November, she became the Duquesne University/August Wilson House Fellow, an honor that will allow her to continue documenting the Hill District community, as well as life on Duquesne University’s campus. CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

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.FILM.

LITTLE WOMEN, BIG FEELINGS BY HANNAH LYNN HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T FEELS CONFUSING to end the decade with such an excellent adaptation of Little Women since it was preceded by 10 years bloated with an excess of remakes and reboots. Greta Gerwig’s Little Women could have felt tired and pointless, like the remakes of The Great Gatsby and Romeo and Juliet before it, but it is the exception. It’s a sentimental movie just shy of saccharine, a tear-jerker but not melodramatic, a period piece that feels as alive as its vivacious protagonists. In the mid-19th century, there were few options for (white) women to make a living outside of their inevitable husbands. Most were stuck at home caring for their numerous babies, with no framework for having a life outside of the home. This is the environment in which Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) comes of age in a house full of women. She lives with her mother (Laura Dern), and sisters Meg (Emma Watson), Beth (Eliza Scanlen), and Amy (Florence Pugh), while their father is fighting for the Union during the Civil War. Each sister fulfills an archetype that complements the others. Jo is an independent and strong-willed writer; Meg, the oldest, is proper and domestic; Beth is a kind but timid homebody; and Amy, the youngest, is spoiled but smart. The family is poor enough that they can’t afford Christmas presents but not so poor that they can’t eat. Their father’s absence aside, they have a good life, putting on plays for each other, painting, playing the piano. One of the only men in their lives is Laurie, the grandson of a wealthy neighbor who becomes Jo’s best friend, and a lifelong fixture for the family. He pines for Jo, but Jo pines for no one, except her pen and paper. Becoming a writer is more important to Jo than getting married or making money, but not more important than her sisters. Eventually, Meg marries and has kids, Amy takes painting classes in Europe, and Jo is making her way as a

PHOTO: WILSON WEBB

writer and teacher in New York, until Beth gets ill, and eventually dies, shaking the foundation of the family.

LITTLE WOMEN Directed by Greta Gerwig. Opens everywhere Wed., Dec. 25.

There could be no better current actor to play Jo than Saoirse Ronan, who is equally biting, funny, and warm. She has several monologues about the confines of being a woman, but it never feels like preaching, or too modern as to be an anachronism. Timothée Chalamet is ideal for Laurie — beautiful, selfabsorbed, and infuriatingly charming. While watching the movie, I wrote in my notes that I wished I could be vaccinated against his charms, but I know that’s a pipe dream. Chalamet and Ronan have such palpable chemistry, not just as an almost-couple, but as lifelong best friends, which is even trickier to master. The film flashes between two periods, the humble utopia of the March

home when it’s full of teen girls on the brink of discovery, and the slightly harsher reality of adulthood. The past is full of brightness; orange leaves during fall, crisp white snow during Christmas, a sepia-toned trip to the beach for summer. Years later, when Beth is dying, none of the colors are as bright. Occasional deaths and personal struggles aside, the March family live an aspirational life. They all have big, good hearts. They are lucky to know rich and generous people. They have big dreams, many of which are fulfilled. The film ends on an idyllic picnic scene, with all the family gathered for a party. It feels odd, sometimes, to have such a beautiful movie set in the middle of the Civil War, but as acknowledged in the film, Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women in a way that her publisher believed would sell, which includes relatable hardship, but hope, and a happy ending too. The stories Alcott told and the way Gerwig interprets them are true to anyone who’s had or been a sister, or a woman, or a writer, or a mother, or has taken any of these things as seriously as Alcott did.

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

•

.LITERATURE.

BEST OF THE DECADE BY REGE BEHE // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HE CHANGES IN Pittsburgh’s liter-

ary scene over the last decade have been both subtle and notable. On the surface, there’s consistency: Many writers published memorable works. Longtime reading series such as Hemingway’s Poetry Series, the Pittsburgh Community Writers Series, and Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures are thriving. Digging deeper finds new writers telling new stories, and established writers releasing their best works. There also are more independent bookstores. In the 2010s, White Whale Bookstore (Bloomfield), City Books (North Side), Classic Lines (Squirrel Hill), Amazing Books and Records (Squirrel Hill and Downtown), Riverstone Books (McCandless) and City of Asylum Bookstore (North Side) joined longtime stalwarts Mystery Lovers Bookshop (Oakmont) and Penguin Bookshop (Sewickley) as havens for bibliophiles. There were losses. Jimmy Cvetic and Chuck Kinder, mentors for so many writers and poets in the city, passed away in 2019. They cannot be replaced, but every generation produces new voices who will influence and guide the next. Here are 11 local literary figures who stood out between 2010-2019.

JACOB BACHARACH: His novels have great titles — The Bend of the World (2014) and especially The Doorposts of Your House on Your Gates (2017) — but Jacob Bacharach also has a keen eye for how Pittsburgh looks and feels, plus a knack for stories that surprise and enthrall.

JANE BERNSTEIN: Bernstein’s 2019 novel, The Face Tells the Secret, is spectacular, but that’s expected. As an essayist, memoirist, and ﬁction writer, there are few

writers who can match the Carnegie Mellon University professor’s versatility.

JIM DANIELS: Director of the creative writing program at Carnegie Mellon University, Daniels celebrates the workingclass ethic of his Detroit childhood in poetry and his recent short-story collection, The Perp Walk. TOI DERRICOTTE: A professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh, Derricotte received well-deserved and widespread recognition when her poetry collection “I”: New and Selected Poems was named a ﬁnalist for the National Book Award for poetry in 2019.

Looking for the next fitness craze?

SHERRIE FLICK: As a writer and editor of ﬂash ﬁction, Flick is peerless. Her collection Thank Your Lucky Stars (2018) is a primer on how to illuminate stories with less. STEPHANIE FLOM: As the executive director of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, Flom has increased the organization’s public events from 25 to 42 during her six-year tenure. Notable guests during her stewardship include Patti Smith, Ron Chernow, Jennifer Egan, and Richard Powers.

TERRANCE HAYES: Hayes’ achievements include being named a MacArthur Fellow in 2014 and receiving the National Book Award for poetry for Lighthead in 2010. When based in Pittsburgh (Hayes now teaches English at New York University), he attained quasi-rock star status as a poet, drawing overﬂow crowds at his readings.

•

See the full list at

pghcitypaper.com

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

classifieds.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

LITERATURE

DAMON YOUNG damonjyoung.com DAMON YOUNG has been putting Pittsburgh on the map for years with his smart prose and hot takes on Black culture on Very Smart Brothas, the online magazine he co-founded with Washington, D.C. writer Panama Jackson. Their site is now hosted on The Root, one of the nation’s largest Black media sites, and his work has also appeared in GQ magazine and The New York Times. But it’s with this year’s release of his memoir What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker, about growing up Black in Pittsburgh, that Young has received critical acclaim. It’s landed him a book tour and spots on national lists, including NPR’s Favorite Books of 2019. And for good reason. His book is a must-read, an honest look at a city that still has a long way to go, but one that has hope if people like Young are still creating inside of it. CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Monday nights at 7:30 p.m., Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland Tickets: $15-35 There There is the shattering debut novel by Tommy Orange. Named a Pulitzer Prize finalist, the instant classic is a stunning portrayal of urban Native American life.

Author photo: Rolex-Bart Michiels

Author photo: Tamara Poppitt

Novelist Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black is an epic adventure about a boy who rises from slavery to become a man of the world. A New York Times 10 Best Books of 2018, this lush travelogue asks, what is true freedom?

Author photo: Elena Seibert

Author photo: Tom Storm

Carmen Maria Machado’s genre-bending Her Body and Other Parties was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her memoir, In the Dream House, reveals the history and reality of abuse in queer relationships.

Author of The English Patient and recipient of the Golden Booker, Michael Ondaatje’s newest novel is Warlight, a story of violence and love, intrigue and desire, set in post-World War II London.

Thursdays 7 p.m. and Sundays 2:30 p.m., Carnegie Lecture Hall, Oakland

Dan Gemeinhart is a former teacher-librarian and author of five middle grade novels. His latest heartwarming novel The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise was named a 2019 Parents’ Choice Award Winner.

Author photo: Derek Fowles

Author photo: Sonya Sones

Linda Sue Park is the author of more than two dozen books. Among her titles are the 2002 Newbery Medal winner A Single Shard, and the New York Times-bestseller A Long Walk to Water.

Author photo: Courtesy of Author

Author photo: Garret Jones

Eisner Award winner Jim Rugg is a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist and illustrator of the cult classic graphic novel The PLAIN Janes. Jim’s other books include Street Angel, Afrodisiac, Notebook Drawings, and Supermag.

FREE with a library card

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. Jarrett became a National Book Award finanalist with Hey, Kiddo, a profound memoir about growing up in a family grappling with addiction.

7:00 p.m., Carnegie Lecture Hall, Oakland Tickets: $33, includes a copy of the book Author photo: Hugh Chaloner

Author photo: Elizabeth Eagle

Internationally bestselling author Colum McCann returns with Apeirogon (named for a shape with a countably infinite number of sides), an epic story rooted in the real-life friendship between two men united by loss.

From the Man Booker Prizewinning Irish author Anne Enright, Actress is a brilliant and moving novel about fame, sexual power, and a daughter’s search to understand her mother’s hidden truths.

PghArtsLectures

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

PHOTO: PAUL G. WIEGMAN

New Year’s Eve Family Celebration at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

.EVENT.

THE 411 T ON NYE BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HE PRESSURE TO PARTY your hardest on New Year’s Eve can really take the fun out of celebrating, especially when it comes to ﬁnding the perfect event to hang your (probably bedazzled) hat. And if it becomes a night to forget, all the money spent on new outﬁts, ride-shares, booze, food, and tickets will seem like a waste. And while the big First Night event Downtown offers a vast array of great entertainment, food, and more, not everyone is willing or able to brave the cold and crowds. Pittsburgh City Paper wants to help you say farewell to 2019 in a way that suits your needs, whether it’s at a decade-ending dance party, a kid-friendly gala, or a more laid-back bash.

Move it or lose it Whether you’re single or fully embracing cuffing season, you can dance into 2020 at a variety of events throughout the city. Belvederes Ultra-Dive goes all out with NYE 2020 Dance Party, a night featuring DJs from some of the venue’s most popular regular dance parties (9 p.m.-2 a.m. 4016 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $10. belvederesultradive.com). Not far from Belvederes is fellow Lawrenceville haunt Cattivo, where revelers will find a New Year’s Eve happening complete with the best music from the 2010s spun by DJ Arie Cole and free champagne toasts at midnight (9 p.m.2 a.m. 146 44th St., Lawrenceville. $15. cattivopgh.com). Brillobox breaks out the club jams with nyeteqno: A 2020 Vision, a multimedia event by Cutups and Keebs of Lazercrunk, and the local EDM promoter, Dissolv. A solid DJ lineup will spin a wide variety of bass, techno, and more all night long as lasers light up the dance floor (9 p.m.-2 a.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $10/15 after 10 p.m. brilloboxpgh.com). Need more options? Join DJs from the Darkness is Spreading events collective, Junction, and more for Black Zenith 2020 at 3577 Studios, an evening described on the Facebook event page as an “Afrofuturistic rave” full of dance music, art, and more dedicated to the Black and queer experience. (9 p.m.-2 a.m. 3577 Bigelow Blvd., Polish Hill. $15. facebook.com/ darknessxspreading) This is only a sampling of all the NYE dance parties taking place, but be warned — no matter which one you choose, be sure to arrive early before they hit capacity.

For the kids The standard midnight-focused New Year’s Eve party time often leaves out the little ones, but local venues have found the perfect alternative with Countdown to Noon events. The afternoon parties invite kids and their caregivers to Grated versions of all the late-night stuff adults get to enjoy. Countdown to Noon has been a regular tradition at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum for years and 2019 promises live music by jazz musician Lee Robinson and the Iska Band, storytelling by Broadway and ﬁlm actor Tim Hartman, and more. (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 10 Children’s Way, North Side. $13-15. pittsburghkids.org). Other options include Noon Year’s Eve

at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (11 a.m.-1 p.m. 7370 Baker St., Highland Park. $14-15. Free for members and kids under 24 months. pittsburghzoo.org) and the New Year’s Eve Family Celebration at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (11 a.m.-2 p.m. 1 Schenley Park, Oakland. Included with admission. phipps. conservatory.org), both of which include live entertainment, activities, and a midday ball drop. Looking for family fun that won’t break the bank? Public libraries throughout the Pittsburgh region will host free countdown to noon events, so families get to ring in the New Year together while supporting a valuable asset in their community.

WE MOVED. Ʃ ĲĕūĒƞöīð ūŞööū ǈ Űĕūö ƦƧƦƥ ǈ ĕūūŤéŰŞČĒƽ ƦƪƧƧƧ ,ƙöêūĕƅö YÎĳŰÎŞƌ Ʀƽ ƧƥƧƥ ǈ ƆƆƆǂśČĒêĕūƌśÎśöŞǂêļĲ

A sober(ing) experience Despite the holiday’s booze-soaked reputation, not everyone wants to drink on New Year’s Eve. Dry patrons will find some places catering to their needs, including the obviously named A Sober NYE Celebration at Bantha Tea Bar. The event promises “playful and inventive non-alcoholic” mixed drinks crafted by Empath, a DJ set by Emma Vescio, homemade empanadas, and a complimentary toast at midnight (8 p.m-1 a.m. 5002 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $5. 16 and up. banthateabar.com) If you still want to drink while having options for your non-boozy boo, friend, or family member, try the New Year’s Eve Celebration at Kingfly Spirits. The 1920sinspired party includes a selection of cocktails, wine, and beer drink specials, as well as spirit-free mocktails. Sip away as you listen to live jazz, dance to music spun by DJ SWÄV PAV in the confines of the local distiller’s “urban barn” setting. There’s also a special “Nosh Loft” option for those who want to enjoy bites from esteemed local restaurants like Morcilla and Black Radish. Best of all, there’s no cover (6 p.m.-12 a.m. 2613 Smallman St., Strip District. Free. $30 for Nosh Loft. kingflyspirits.com). Not to be outdone, New Year’s Eve at Mixtape will have a selection of both nonalcoholic and alcoholic cocktails, as well as other beverages. The more lounge-y, laid-back event welcomes patrons to play a variety of in-house games as they listen to a curated selection of music and enjoy food, including gluten-free and vegan options, from Azorean Cafe. Tickets are limited so get them while you can (8 p.m.2 a.m. 4907 Penn Ave., Garfield. $100. mixtapepgh.com).

ADMISSION BUTTONS ON SALE NOW REGULAR PRICE $10

KIDS 5 & UNDER FREE

31 TU ES DAY, D EC EM B ER

•

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

THEATER

JANERA SOLOMON janerasolomon.com THE OUTGOING executive director of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, janera solomon, changed the Pittsburgh arts scene. In 2016, she implemented KST’s “pay-what-makes-you-happy” pricing system, letting attendees decide how much they can or want to pay for a show. Earlier this year, KST announced that solomon would be leaving her position of 11 years at the end of 2019. But her accomplishments go beyond accessible pricing. Under solomon’s leadership, KST established the newMoves Contemporary Dance Festival, artist residency programs, a merger that led to the theater’s satellite space, Alloy Studios, and much more. She helped cultivate a space for dance and performance art in East Liberty, but she also broadened the scope of what was possible for artists in Pittsburgh. CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

14 DAYS OF CONCERTS FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com

SUNSQUABI TWO NIGHT EVENT MON., DEC. 30 AND TUE., DEC. 31 Whether you have NYE plans or want to ring in the new year with an intersection of jam bands and electronic, there are two chances to see SunSquabi when they visit Pittsburgh. The Denver-based band first touches down in Lawrenceville to play at Thunderbird Café & Music Hall on Mon., Dec. 30. Then the three-piece outfit closes out 2019 with a show at the Rex Theater in South Side. Ticket options are available for one or both nights, so you can get as much SunSquabi as your heart desires. 8 p.m. Multiple locations. $20-90. sunsquabi.com PHOTO: MATHIAS CRUZ

SunSquabi

THURSDAY DEC. 26

ACOUSTIC

POP

FOLK

EDDAN SPARKS TRIO. Shady Grove. 9 p.m. Shadyside.

COVER THREE SIDES. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Overbrook.

JAZZ SPACE EXCHANGE BAND. Kingfly Spirits. 7 p.m. Strip District. INTERVAL JAZZ NIGHT. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville. ROGER HUMPHRIES. Con Alma. 8 p.m. Shadyside.

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ALEX TALBOT, AL REIBER. Spoonwood Brewing Co. 8 p.m. Bethel Park. BEN FORBECK. Inner Groove Brewing. 7 p.m. Verona. BILL DEASY. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.

R&B SHEENA B, RAY D. Portogallo Peppers N’AT. 7 p.m. Braddock.

FRIDAY DEC. 27 ROCK LOTUS. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.

BEATLES VS DEAD. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. SIX GUN SALLY. Level 20 Restaurant Bar. 8 p.m. Bethel Park. THE RECKONING REM. Club Cafe. 6:30 p.m. South Side. THE SCENIC ROUTE. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE KALLAN (ALBUM LISTENING PARTY). Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.

JAZZ TRIBUTE TO ART BLAKEY. Andrew Carnegie Free Library Music Hall. 8 p.m. Carnegie. SCOTT & ROSANNA. Monterey Bay Fish Grotto. 6 p.m. Mount Washington.

HIP HOP/R&B

WORLD

JAM BAND

SUPPORT BLACK BUSINESS (ALBUM RELEASE). Cattivo. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

GYPSY STRINGZ. Dorothy 6 Cafe. 6 p.m. Homestead.

THECAUSE. Rex Theater. 8 p.m. South Side.

BLUES BILLY PRICE. Moondog’s. 8:30 p.m. Blawnox.

BLUEGRASS/FOLK THE SHAMELESS HEX. The Park House. 9 p.m. North Side. THE LIVING STREET. North Park Lounge. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

SATURDAY DEC. 28 ELECTRONIC BUKU. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks. NAEEM, JARRETT TEBBETS. Hot Mass. 12 a.m. Downtown.

FUNK

ZAO. Black Forge Coffee House. 7 p.m. McKees Rocks.

BRAHCTOPUS, TRAILHEADS, MOAT RATS. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

REGGAE

JAZZ

WIZDOM. The Crafty Jackalope. 9 p.m. Bridgeville.

OLGA WATKINS BAND. NOLA On the Square. 8 p.m. Downtown.

METAL

ROCK THOM HUNTER AND THE ROCKET SURGEONS (ALBUM RELEASE). Howlers. 7:30 p.m. Bloomfield. DEREK WOODS BAND. Iron Rock Tap House. 10 p.m. Greensburg.

ACOUSTIC JON BAÑUELOS. Ineffable Cà Phê. 4 p.m. Bloomfield. ECLECTIC ACOUSTICS. Primanti Bros. 8:30 p.m. Allison Park.

POP SARAH TILGHMAN. Club Cafe. 6 p.m. South Side.

WE BUY RECORDS & CDS

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SINCE 1980 MON-FRI 9AM-6PM SAT 10AM-5PM CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Ky Vöss

SPIRIT NYE 2020

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TUE., DEC. 31 Start out 2020 with good tunes and pizza. Spirit is celebrating New Year’s Eve by bringing together a mix of musical acts including psychedelic Motown performer Diane Coffee, queer dance party DJs Jellyfish, psychpop band Spish, rapper Ramon Yancey III, dark pop artist Ky Vöss, rock group Sweat, and hip-hop musician Cobainish. And there’s free pizza from 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m., with a Maker’s Mark toast at midnight. But if that isn’t enough food to fill your belly, snag the ticket option that includes a dinner of traditional New Year’s fare (shrimp cocktail, crostini, grilled kielbasa, pierogi, etc.) from 7-8:30 p.m., so you don’t have to worry about figuring out what you’ll eat before a night of drinking. Vegan options are available upon request. 8 p.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $25-45. spritpgh.com MICHAEL WAVVES, JEROME. The Smiling Moose. 7 p.m. South Side.

SUNDAY DEC. 29 ELECTRONIC SNAILS, RUSKO. Stage AE. 8 p.m. North Side.

BLUES BLACK LILIES. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

ROCK CHRIS KNIGHT BAND. Rex Theater. 8 p.m. South Side.

ACOUSTIC IDENTITY X. Club Cafe. 6:30 p.m. South Side.

MONDAY DEC. 30 ELECTRONIC THE MANIFEST GATHERING. The Green Room. 9 p.m. Mount Oliver.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE JOE LEYTRICK, PM MIRROR. Club Cafe. 6:30 p.m. South Side.

TUESDAY DEC. 31 ROCK THE SHINERS. Quality Inn. 6 p.m. New Kensington.

BLEACH FUZZ. The Crafty Jackalope. 7:30 p.m. Bridgeville.

COVERS BON JOURNEY. Oaks Theater. 6 p.m. Oakmont. STEELTOWN. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Overbrook. DANCING QUEEN. Baja Bar and Grill. 9 p.m. Fox Chapel. START MAKING SENSE. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Millvale.

ELECTRONIC TIME TRAVEL. Cattivo. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. DIRTYSNATCHA, G-SPACE. Duquesne Blvd. 7 p.m. Downtown. CONTINUES ON PG. 36

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BRIGHTONMUSIC.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

14 DAYS OF CONCERTS, CONTINUED FROM PG. 35

MISC RECORDS NYE

SERVICES Services are offered to everyone, regardless of identity, income, or insurance status.

TUE., DEC. 31 Dress to move at MISC Records New Year’s Eve Party. The team is bringing in their own sound system to pump loud, body-shaking tunes into the lobby bar of the Ace Hotel. MISC Records residents Ondo / Gusto and Naeem will be taking over attendees’ ear waves, along with slowdanger and DC’s Baronhawk Poitier. If you want to avoid traveling for dinner, make reservations to eat beforehand at Ace Hotel’s restaurant, Whitfield. 9 p.m. 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. Free. misc-records.com

• 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

CONTACT

PHOTO: MISC RECORDS

Ondo / Gusto

Proudly serving LGBT patients since 1999. 1789 S. Braddock Ave, #410 Pittsburgh, PA 15218 M Th F 8 AM - 4:30 PM Tu W 8 AM - 7:30 PM To make an appointment: (412) 247-2310

DISSOLV + LAZERCRUNK. Brillobox. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.

ACOUSTIC BILLY SCHNEIDER. Olive Or Twist. 9:30 p.m. Downtown.

BLUES

metrocommunityhealthcenter.org

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

COVER KOZ. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Overbrook.

DELTA STRUTS. NOLA On The Square. 9 p.m. Downtown.

JAZZ

SWING

ACOUSTIC

NEON SWING X-PERIENCE. Hard Rock Cafe. 9:30 p.m. South Side.

DARYL SHAWN. Scratch Food & Beverage. 8 p.m. Troy Hill.

METAL

FRIDAY JAN. 3

CROWD DETERRENT, FACEWRECK. Preserving Hardcore. 7 p.m. New Kensington.

“Whole People, All People.”

THURSDAY JAN. 2

WEDNESDAY JAN. 1 ALTERNATIVE/INDIE GREYCLIFF, SECOND TO SAFETY. Hambone’s. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

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

ROCK PUNCHLINE. Rex Theater. 7 p.m. South Side. A SUNDAY FIRE. Black Forge Coffee House. 7 p.m. McKees Rocks.

HIP HOP I LOVE PGH HIP HOP. The Smiling Moose. 8 p.m. South Side.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE

COUNTRY

THE VICS, DRAUVE. Club Cafe. 6 p.m. South Side.

ROCK

METAL APE VERMIN, THE STONE EYE. Gooski’s. 9 p.m. Polish Hill.

TRIBUTE SUPERVANA (NIRVANA). Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 9 p.m. Overbrook. SAY AHH (POISON), HIGH N DRY (DEF LEPPARD). Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

JACKSON MONSOUR. Iron Rock Tap House. 10 p.m. Greensburg. JACK SWING, BACK ALLEY SOUND. Club Cafe. 10 p.m. South Side. MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks. WICKED WILLOW, SWEAT, PRIESTESS. The Government Center. 7 p.m. North Side.

PUNK THE DOWNSTROKES, WYNDUP KID. Howlers. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.

TRIBUTE

SATURDAY JAN. 4

THE FOUR HORSEMEN (METALLICA). Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

ACOUSTIC

JAZZ

INEZ. Club Cafe. 6 p.m. South Side.

JESSICA LEE, MARK STRICKLAND. Friendship Perk & Brew. 5:30 p.m. Bloomfield.

CLASSICAL

R&B

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

BILL HENRY BAND. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 9 p.m. Overbrook.

PHOTO: SHAUNA MILLER

Starship Mantis

NEW YEAR NEW GALAXY SAT., JAN. 4 Blast into the new decade to the sounds of Starship Mantis. Along with Trio+, Shad Ali, and DJ Femi, the five-piece funk and jazz-fusion band is throwing an intergalactic costume party at Black Forge Coffee House in McKees Rocks. Since the show takes place on Jan. 4, you can pregame the event while recovering from New Year’s Eve shenanigans. Start with Starship Mantis’s debut, Trapped in the 9th Dimension, an album that channels funk lords such as Snarky Puppy and Parliament Funkadelic. Then move onto the group’s latest release, Black Hole Radio AM/FM, a musical story about daily life through the 9th Dimension told through the eyes of alien radio host Bizmarc the Martian. (Fun Fact, Bizmarc is voiced by Ben Penigar, owner of the Rex Theater.) Plus, Starship Mantis will be releasing a limited collab cream ale with Black Forge and Dancing Gnome. 8 p.m. 701 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. $15. facebook.com/starshipmantis

SUNDAY JAN. 5 ACOUSTIC SAM MILLER. Railyard Grill & Tap Room. 10 p.m. Bridgeville.

CLASSICAL

CLASSICAL BROOKLYN RIDER. Carnegie Music Hall. 7:30 p.m. Oakland.

TUESDAY JAN. 7

WEDNESDAY JAN. 8 JAZZ RICH ZABINSKI TRIO. Rivers Club. 5:30 p.m. Downtown.

ROCK

RUFF HOUSE. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

KING CATFISH, ARCADIA GREY. Howlers. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.

MONDAY JAN. 6

POP

PUNK

THE KEYMAKERS. Full Pint Wild Side. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

UNREAL CITY. Persevering Hardcore. 6:30 p.m. New Kensington.

JAZZ

CLASSICAL

COVER

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

JAMES IMAN. Rodef Shalom Congregation. 1 p.m. Oakland.

DUELING PIANOS. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Overbrook

SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY PERCUSSION. Heinz Memorial Chapel. 3 p.m. Oakland.

Selling your stuff for cash?

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

classifieds.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

HEALTH

TIMOTHY WONG ihealth.clinic HAVING HEALTH insurance is not a given

in America, and even those who have it dread untangling the web of paperwork, co-pays, deductibles, etc. At the iHealth Clinic in East Liberty, Dr. Timothy Wong is circumventing the insurance system all together. Wong’s clinic, where he is the only employee, doesn’t take any insurance. Instead, he charges a ﬂat fee of $35 per visit. Wong founded his practice after getting frustrated with how much time doctors’ ofﬁces spend dealing with insurance companies, who often get to decide what is and is not considered medically necessary. Wong decided to opt-out of a broken system that he felt was unfair to both doctors and patients, and is using his own money to create a place where uninsured patients don’t have to be scared of the bill. CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

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WE MOVED. Just down the street! Please update your records. 4 Smithfield Street / Suite 1210 / Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Effective January 1, 2020 / www.pghcitypaper.com

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

NAME: Ben Pryor, Friendship WORK: Senior Producer, Kelly Strayhorn Theater

.THEATER.

BACKSTAGE BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

WHAT DOES A SENIOR PRODUCER DO? I work between the institution and artists to realize what happens on the stage and support artists through programs that are not necessarily performanceoriented, working with artists in all capacities throughout the institution. We do all sorts of performances, both in our 350-seat theater and in the Dance Alloy Studios: musical concerts, theatrical productions, dance performances, symposiums, community events, neighborhood happy-hour programs, various opportunities for folks in the community to come together. I’m coordinating with all those artists and with our teams internally to work on communication for the event. ARE YOU PUTTING THE PROJECTS TOGETHER WITH THE ARTISTS, OR ARE THEY COMING IN AS FINISHED WORKS? Sometimes we’re working with national artists on works that might have been

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premiered elsewhere and are touring in. They might have a rider that we realize, or sometimes it’s a straight-up rental that comes in ready to go. Sometimes we’re conceptualizing what the event is going to be. An artist might come in and say, “I have an idea,” and we’ll work with them to say, “What does that look like? How do we put that together?” For example, the Freshworks program is an application-based program where an artist will get 80 hours of space in the studios, then a onenight work-in-progress showing. In that instance, I’ll build the application, put together a panel to review applicants, and think about what’s urgent and compelling — what wants to be seen, what wants to be heard, who has the capacity to do what they say what they want to do? I then work with the artists to make all that happen throughout the process. HOW DOES THAT ALL TRANSLATE INTO

WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU COME TO WORK EVERY DAY? There’s a lot of emailing, looking at calendars and planning, trying to anticipate things constantly in terms of, “What is this thing gonna need? We’re two months out from it, and the show hasn’t been created, but how can we anticipate what the needs of the production are going to be?” There’s a bit of guessing involved, but I’ve been doing this work for over 10 years, so there’s a lot of, I think for me, stuff that I’ve sort of learned and accumulated along the way that will inform my practice. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? I came to Kelly Strayhorn in April. I feel like I’ve got some impression of the landscape of Pittsburgh, but my role has still been really ﬁguring out the bobs and weaves through it. WHAT WERE YOU DOING PREVIOUSLY? For the past 10 years or so, I was working

independently in New York. The majority of my career has been working as an independent manager for choreographers, and I then ran a festival in New York that I started in 2010. Mostly in the experimental vein of dance, I was a musical theater kid growing up but also grew up with a mom who was a publicist for a contemporary classical composer. HOW DID YOU GET FROM MUSICAL THEATER TO ARTS ADMINISTRATION? While I was in school, I was not in the place where I was going to walk into a cattle call for a Broadway show, nail a double pirouette, and impress them with my vocals. So I started doing administration. I needed to work, so somehow arts admin is where I ended up. I think my mom had a lot to do with it. I was stufﬁng press kits as a sevenyear-old to earn an allowance and grew up going to atonal music concerts and having to stand in the corner quietly while she schmoozed.

•

.FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 26

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

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

Fifteenth-century Italian metalworker Lorenzo Ghiberti worked for 28 years to turn the Doors of the Florence Baptistry into a massive work of art. He used bronze to create numerous scenes from the Bible. His fellow artist Michelangelo was so impressed that he said Ghiberti’s doors could have served as “The Gates of Paradise.” I offer Ghiberti as inspiration for your life in 2020, Capricorn. I think you’ll be capable of beginning a masterwork that could take quite some time to complete and serve as your very own “gate to paradise”: in other words, an engaging project and delightful accomplishment that will make you feel your life is eminently meaningful and worthwhile.

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer,” wrote author Zora Neale Hurston. According to my astrological analysis, Cancerian, 2020 is likely to be one of those years that asks questions, while 2021 will be a time when you’ll get rich and meaningful answers to the queries you’ll pose in 2020. To ensure that this plan works out for your maximum benefit, it’s essential that you formulate provocative questions in the coming months. At first, it’s fine if you generate too many. As the year progresses, you can whittle them down to the most ultimate and important questions. Get started!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

The Roman Emperor Vespasian (9–79 AD) supervised the restoration of the Temple of Peace, the Temple of Claudius, and the Theater of Marcellus. He also built a huge statue of Apollo and the amphitheater now known as the Colosseum; whose magnificent ruins are still a major tourist attraction. Vespasian also created a less majestic but quite practical wonder: Rome’s first public urinals. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you Leos to be stimulated by his example in 2020. Be your usual magnificent self as you generate both inspiring beauty and earthy, pragmatic improvements.

You’re wise to cultivate a degree of skepticism and even contrariness. Like all of us, your abilities to say NO to detrimental influences and to criticize bad things are key to your mental health. On the other hand, it’s a smart idea to keep checking yourself for irrelevant, gratuitous skepticism and contrariness. You have a sacred duty to maintain just the amount you need, but no more — even as you foster a vigorous reservoir of receptivity, optimism, and generosity. And guess what? 2020 will be an excellent time to make this one of your cornerstone habits.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) finished writing The Divine Comedy in 1320. Today it’s considered one of the supreme literary accomplishments in the Italian language and a classic of world literature. But no one ever read the entire work in the English language until 1802, when it was translated for the first time. Let’s invoke this as a metaphor for your life in the coming months, Pisces. According to my visions, a resource or influence that has previously been inaccessible to you will finally arrive in a form you can understand and use. Some wisdom that has been untranslatable or unreadable will at last be available.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): When Virgo author Mary Shelley was 18 years old, she had a disconcerting dream-like vision about a mad chemist who created a weird human-like creature out of non-living matter. She set about to write a book based on her mirage. At age 20, she published Frankenstein, a novel that would ultimately wield a huge cultural influence and become a seminal work in the “science fiction” genre. I propose we make Shelley one of your role models for 2020. Why? Because I suspect that you, too, will have the power to transform a challenging event or influence into an important asset. You’ll be able to generate or attract a new source of energy by responding creatively to experiences that initially provoke anxiety.

Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Denmark during World War II. In 1943, Hitler ordered all Danish Jews to be arrested — a first step in his plan to send them to concentration camps. But the Danish resistance movement leapt into action and smuggled virtually all of them to safety via fishing boats bound for Sweden. As a result, 8,000+ Danish Jews survived the Holocaust. You may not have the opportunity to do anything quite as heroic in 2020, Aries. But I expect you will have chances to express a high order of practical idealism that could be among your noblest and most valiant efforts ever. Draw inspiration from the Danish resistance.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

When she was 31, Taurus writer Charlotte Brontë finished writing her novel Jane Eyre. She guessed it would have a better chance of getting published if its author was thought to be a man. So she adopted the masculine pen name of Currer Bell and sent the manuscript unsolicited to a London publisher. Less than eight weeks later, her new book was in print. It quickly became a commercial success. I propose that we make Brontë one of your role models for 2020, Taurus. May she inspire you to be audacious in expressing yourself and confident in seeking the help you need to reach your goals. May she embolden you, too, to use ingenious stratagems to support your righteous cause.

Among his many accomplishments, Scorpio rapper Drake is an inventive rhymer. In his song “Diplomatic Immunity,” he rhymes “sacred temple” with “stencil.” Brilliant! Other rhymes: “statistics” with “ballistics”; “Treaty of Versailles” with “no cease and desist in I”; and — my favorite — “Al Jazeera” (the Qatar-based news source) with “Shakira” (the Colombian singer). According to my analysis of the astrological omens in 2020, many of you Scorpios will have Drake-style skill at mixing and blending seemingly disparate elements. I bet you’ll also be good at connecting influences that belong together but have never been able to combine before.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

2020 can and should be a lyrically healing year for you. Here’s what I mean: Beauty and grace will be curative. The “medicine” you need will come to you via poetic and mellifluous experiences. With this in mind, I encourage you to seek out encounters with the following remedies. 1. Truth Whimsies 2. Curiosity Breakthroughs 3. Delight Gambles 4. Sacred Amusements 5. Redemptive Synchronicities 6. Surprise Ripenings 7. Gleeful Discoveries 8. Epiphany Adventures 9. Enchantment Games 10. Elegance Eruptions 11. Intimacy Angels 12. Playful Salvation 13. Luminosity Spells

Sagittarian poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) embodied a trait that many astrology textbooks suggest is common to the Sagittarian tribe: wanderlust. He was born in Prague but traveled widely throughout Europe and Russia. If there were a Guinness World Records’ category for “Time Spent as a Houseguest,” Rilke might hold it. There was a four-year period when he lived at fifty different addresses. I’m going to be bold here and hypothesize that 2020 will NOT be one of those years when you would benefit from being like Rilke. In fact, I hope you’ll seek out more stability and security than usual.

Libra-born mystic poet Rumi (1207–1273) wrote that he searched for holy sustenance and divine inspiration in temples, churches, and mosques — but couldn’t find them there. The good news? Because of his disappointment, he was motivated to go on an inner quest — and ultimately found holy sustenance and divine inspiration in his own heart. I’ve got a strong feeling that you’ll have similar experiences in 2020, Libra. Not on every occasion, but much of the time, you will discover the treasure you need and long for not in the outside world but rather in your own depths.

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Tired of tracking down food trucks? Don’t miss our Weekly Food Truck Schedule! Available every Tuesday at pghcitypaper.com

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

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

POLITICS

BETHANY HALLAM bethanyhallam.com BETHANY HALLAM showed that progressives can win all across Allegheny County. Her win of the County Council at-large seat in May’s Primary Election was a shock to many. Hallam took down County Councilor John DeFazio, a longtime incumbent with name recognition and support of big players like Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Even before being seated, Hallam is pushing back against the Democratic establishment, with efforts to get conversion therapy banned countywide and setting up a block of councilors to counter Fitzgerald’s stances on fracking and the county jail. On top of this, she’s made some inroads to shake up Allegheny County’s Democratic Committee structure. Her strategy is bold, unapologetic, and multi-faceted. She’s someone to watch in Pittsburgh politics. CP PHOTO: JOIE KNOUSE

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

WED., JAN. 8TH HUNKS THE SHOW 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 with Guardian. $16-$30. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

WED., JAN. 8TH PUPPIES AND BEER TAPROOM ADOPTION NIGHT 4:30 P.M. BIERPORT, LAWRENCEVILLE. All Ages. Free. 412-904-4248 or bierportpgh.com.

WED., JAN. 8TH ARE THERE LIMITS TO FREE SPEECH? 6 P.M. HEINZ HISTORY CENTER, STRIP DISTRICT. All Ages. Free. 412-622-6914 or heinzhistorycenter.org.

THU., JAN. 9TH BLACK SABBITCH 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 with Guardian. $18-$30. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

THU., JAN. 9TH WILLIAM MATHENY

WED., JAN. 8TH HUNKS THE SHOW JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD.

WWE PRESENTS NXT LIVE!

THE BLEEPY THINGS

7:30 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTHSHORE. All Ages. $20-$75. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.

6:30 P.M. CLUB CAFÉ, SOUTHSIDE. 21+ Event. 412-431-4950 or ticketweb.com/opusone.

FRI., JAN. 10TH LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS IN CONCERT

SAT., JAN. 11TH KARMIC JUGGERNAUT & ACID CATS

7 P.M. PHIPPS CONSERVATORY, OAKLAND. All Ages. $17-$30. 412-454-6000 or phipps.conservatory.org.

7 P.M. THUNDERBIRD CAFÉ & MUSIC HALL, LAWRENCEVILLE. 21+ Event. $10. 412-682-0177 or thunderbirdmusic.com.

SAT., JAN. 11TH FRI., JAN. 10TH THE ALMOSTWARM YOUR BUNS AND BANG YOUR HEAD-REIGN OF Z IF I BELIEVED YOU 7 p.m. MR. SMALLS THEATER, Millvale. All TOUR 2020 Ages. $10. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

8 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATER, MILLVALE. All Ages. $12. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

SAT., JAN. 11TH CREATING PATTERNS OF PRIDE W/ BATIK

FRI., JAN. 10TH JIM GAFFIGAN : PALE TOURIST TOUR

9 A.M. TRUST ARTS EDUCATION CENTER, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $15. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

8 P.M. PPG PAINTS ARENA, UPTOWN. All Ages. $29-$75. 412-642-1800 or ticketmaster.com.

SAT., JAN. 11TH SOUNDSCAPES WORKSHOP

FRI., JAN. 10TH LITZ & WAX FUTURE 8 P.M. THUNDERBIRD CAFÉ & MUSIC HALL, LAWRENCEVILLE. 21+ Event. $12. 412-682-0177 or thunderbirdmusic.com.

FRI., JAN. 10TH THE FIFTH ELEMENT 5 P.M. ROW HOUSE CINEMAS, LAWRENCEVILLE. 13+ Event. $8-$13. 412-904-3225 or rowhousecinema.com.

FRI., JAN. 10TH

1 P.M. TRUST ARTS EDUCATION CENTER, DOWNTOWN. Ages 12-16. $20. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

SAT., JAN. 11TH CONTEMPORARY CRAFT/ CONSTRUCTION JUNCTION PARTNERSHIP WORKSHOPS

7 P.M. REX THEATER, SOUTHSIDE. All Ages. $18. 412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com.

SAT., JAN. 11TH HOMESAFE 5:30 P.M. SMILING MOOSE, SOUTHSIDE. All Ages. $13. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.

SAT., JAN. 11TH PITT FLOYD 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 with Guardian. $15-$25. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

TUE., JAN. 16TH. STEEZ PROMO PRESENTS SLANDER 7 P.M. STAGE AE, NORTHSHORE. All Ages. $33-$38. 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.

10 A.M. CONSTRUCTION JUNCTION, POINT BREEZE. All Ages. $90. 412-261-7003 or constructionjunction.com.

TUE., JAN. 16TH. SHADOW OF INTENT

SAT., JAN. 11TH CYNIMATICS / FUBAR /

5:30 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE STAGE & GRILL, SOUTH HILLS. All Ages. $16-$28.50. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.

FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

FOURTEEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

^ Sun., Jan. 5: The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System

THURSDAY DEC. 26 FILM This holiday season, when your house starts to feel too full of family members and antsy kids, head to the Carnegie Science Center. Lucky for you (and your sanity), Rangos Giant Cinema is playing classic, family-friendly films until the end of December. The day after Christmas, bring your little gremlins to see Gremlins, the story of young Billy Peltzer and his new, cuddly mogwai, a pet that comes with some very important rules. One

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Christmas Eve slip-up results in a pack of these creatures wreaking havoc on Peltzer’s small town. 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. 1 Allegheny Ave., North Side. $7.95-9.95. carnegiesciencecenter.org

FRIDAY DEC. 27 DINOS There’s no shortage of places to see dinosaur skeletons and sculptures in Pittsburgh, but there’s only one place where kids can immerse themselves in the world of these prehistoric creatures.

Dinosaur Adventure, at the Monroeville Convention Center, features lifelike dinosaurs that move and roar, a fossil dig area, giant fake dino poop, play areas, crafts, and more. As the old saying goes, the best way to trick a kid into learning about history is to disguise it as something fun. 12-8 p.m. Continues through Sun., Dec. 29. 209 Mall Plaza Blvd., Monroeville. $20-55. dinosauradventure.com

ART Didn’t get all the gifts on your holiday wish list? Head to True T Studios for the return of Artistic Integrity, a monthly event filled with

fashion, art, music, and shopping. Back after a five-year hiatus, the night features pieces from local fashion designers and artists, photography, and food and drinks, as well as live performances by musicians and spoken word poets. 7-11 p.m. 4623 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. truetpgh.com

SATURDAY DEC. 28 STAGE Settle in for a classic when the Byham Theater presents A Charlie Brown

^ Fri., Dec. 27: Dinosaur Adventure

SUNDAY

Christmas Live! Based on the 1965 animated TV special, the touring production brings Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and other favorites from Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip to life in a musical story about the true meaning of the season. It also features the jazz-infused music of Vince Guaraldi and a concert of holiday carols performed by the Peanuts characters. 1 p.m. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $35. trustarts.org

DEC. 29 MAGIC

Be dazzled, puzzled, and amazed at The Illusionists – Magic of the Holidays, a performance filled with astonishing acts. Six talented artists take the stage in a show critics have called “death-defying,” “brain-bendingly spectacular,” and “a magical, mystery, tour de force.” It’s packed with unbelievable magic, fire breathers, escape artists, levitation, and more. The show is only in Pittsburgh for three nights; get your tickets before they disappear. 7:30 p.m. Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $33-85. pittsburghsymphony.org

PARTY It’s been more than a decade since the iconic Pittsburgh club The Upstage closed its doors, but its legacy remains strong — anyone who was there at the time will be happy to tell you all about how Fugazi and Red Hot Chili Peppers played there in their early days. For the past four years, Spirit has hosted a throwback night to celebrate the defunct venue and this year’s, The Upstage Lives 4Ever!, features appearances from former Upstage DJs, including DJ EZ Lou, DJ Callisto, and DJ Arvin Clay. 8 p.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $15. spiritpgh.com

^ Thu., Dec. 26: Gremlins

DRAG “Imagine if David Sedaris had a Spice Girls tattoo.” That’s how comedian and storyteller David Montgomery is described in the synopsis for How the Queen Found His Crown, the one-man show that won the award for Audience

Choice at the 2016 Pittsburgh Fringe Festival. Montgomery returns to Pittsburgh for Bad Girl, a stand-up album recording show at Arcade Comedy Theater, with an opening set by local comic Amanda Averell. 9-10:30 p.m. 943 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $12. arcadecomedytheater.com

MONDAY DEC. 30 LECTURE Growing up in Pittsburgh, screenwriter Michael Mitnick saw the name CONTINUES ON PG. 46

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 45

PHOTO: EVAN ZIMMERMAN, MURPHYMADE

^ Tue., Dec. 31: Jesus Christ Superstar

Westinghouse everywhere, which sparked an interest in the engineering pioneer and his heated rivalry with Thomas Edison. In 2017, he brought that tumultuous story to the big screen with The Current War, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison and Michael Shannon as Westinghouse. Mitnick, director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and co-producer Jayne Sullivan join Heinz History Center president Andy Masich for President’s Lecture: The War of Currents. They’ll discuss the making of the film, the historic rivalry, and Pittsburgh’s role in all of it. 3 p.m. 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. $5-15. heinzhistorycenter.org

TUESDAY DEC. 31 STAGE After you’re done celebrating the birth of Christ, ring in the New Year with his crucifixion: Instead of fireworks, you’ll see an explosive theatrical performance

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when PNC Broadway brings Jesus Christ Superstar to the Benedum Center. But heathens, take note: this isn’t your father’s lord and savior. The star in this iconic musical is more rock ’n’ roll than hymnal, and the show is enjoyable, regardless of religious background. (Plus, if you really love fireworks, no worries: This performance is only 90 minutes, without an intermission, so you’ll have plenty of time to leave the show and toast under the illuminated sky at midnight.) 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., Jan. 5. 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $33-140. Trustarts.org

COMEDY Arcade Comedy Theater presents its first-ever New Year’s Eve Party. The1970sthemed bash includes tons of party games, including Quiplash on the big screen and You’re the Next Contestant, a special live Pittsburgh edition of the game show Card Sharks, complete with “celebrity” guests and audience participation. It all culminates with a toast when the clock

strikes midnight. Period attire encouraged but not required. 10:30 p.m. 943 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Tickets start at $35. arcadecomedytheater.com

WEDNESDAY JAN. 1

DIY If you’ve been promising yourself all year to make more time for personal projects, there’s no better time than right now to sign up for Fun a Day Pittsburgh. Everyone commits themselves to working on a fun new project every single day of January. It can be one giant project you work on a little bit every day or you can make something new every day of the month. (Last year CP editor Lisa Cunningham sewed “31 Random Objects In My House” including a Mrs. Potato Head, a Tom Waits album cover, and a container of mustard.) At the end of the month, there’s an art

show! There are no set rules, except for having fun, so no judgment if you’re not the most artistic. Continues through Fri., Jan. 31. funadaypgh.com

KIDS New Year’s Eve can be a messy holiday, but not as messy as News Year’s day with MessFest at the Carnegie Science Center. Kids can play with slime, eggs, and other goopy, messy things in a setting safe far from your stainable carpets and couches. There will be Oobleck, a green slime-like substance inspired by a Dr. Seuss book, an engineering challenge, planetarium shows, and more. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. 1 Allegheny Ave., North Side. Included with admission ($11.95-20.95). carnegiesciencecenter.org

THURSDAY JAN. 2 COMEDY Standup Nathaniel Stroman aka Earthquake

is a very specific breed, a pure road comedian with an unflappable stage presence and knack for improv. It’s not that he hasn’t gotten into TV and movies — a recurring role on Everyone Hates Chris, bit parts in Clerks II and The Longshots — but it’s clearly the stage where he’s happiest and most comfortable. If you’re unfamiliar, check out his 2008 special About Got Damn Time (John Mulaney has listed it as one of his favorites), then catch his weekend of shows at Pittsburgh Improv. 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., Jan. 5. Pittsburgh Improv, 166 E. Bridge St., Homestead. $25-75. improv.com/pittsburgh

COMEDY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Improv can be an intimidating practice, especially if you don’t feel welcome. Join Arcade Comedy Theater for LGBTQBert: Improv Jam with the theater’s all-queer improv team. No experience is required, and performers of all levels are invited to join the jam for both short and long form improv in a comfortable and friendly space. The stage is intended for LGBTQ performers, but anyone is invited to watch and laugh along. 10 p.m. 943 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $7 to watch, free for performers. arcadecomedytheater.com

JAN. 4

JAN. 3

OPERA

FILM If the dreary cold of January has you down, head down to Row House Cinema to bask in the warmth of West Texas circa 1980 (No Country For Old Men), sun-soaked Los Angeles county (The Big Lebowski), the balmy terrain of Mississippi (O Brother Where Art Thou?), or to really get your blood pumping, you could kidnap a baby in Arizona (Raising Arizona). Yes, these Coen Brothers films are all accessible and streamable from the comfort of your

^ Wed., Jan. 1: MessFest

home, but if you were too young to catch these in a cinema setting on their first run, now might be a good time to treat yourself.

Various showtimes. Continues through Thu., Jan. 9. 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. rowhousecinema.com

Sit in on a tribute to two operatic titans — George Frideric Handel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — during the January Brown Bag Concert at Pittsburgh Opera. Former Pittsburgh Opera resident artist Laurel Semerdjian will join five current resident artists for the event, which includes arias from Handel’s operas Alcina, Orlando, Giulio Cesare, and Rinaldo, and solos and duets from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Feel CONTINUES ON PG. 48

GENERAL ADMISSION: $50 VIP: $75 TICKET INFO VISIT TEQUILACOWBOYPITTSBURGH.COM

VIP INCLUDES PITTSBURGH-STYLE BUFFET 3 DRINKS TICKETS COMPLIMENTARY CHAMPAGNE TOAST AT MIDNIGHT.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 47

PHOTO: GREGORY D. NEISER

^ Wed., Jan. 8: Derek Hughes

free to bring a friend and a bagged lunch to this special afternoon of music. 12-1 p.m. 2425 Liberty Ave., Strip District. pittsburghopera.org

STYLE Join Cosmecon: The Coldest Winter Ever for a party celebrating fashion and modeling. The event at The Glitter Box Theater kicks off with “Sense of Style,” a competition to find the city’s best stylist. The party will continue with live music from Slicky Williams, Najj Andrea, Shorty Shayla, and more, along with food and drinks for sale. 2-8 p.m. 460 Melwood Ave., Oakland. $10-15. Search “Cosmecon: The Coldest Winter Ever” on Facebook.

ART Pittsburgh artist D.S. Kinsel leaves messages in unexpected places: “Young Gifted and Black” is hung on a telephone pole; “Black on Black Magic,” attached

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to a fence. Kinsel’s provocative, and often colorful, hand-scrawled signs largely address the daily lives of Black folks in Pittsburgh. Earlier this year, he released Totems, Shrines, & Sacraments, a book of his street sculptures and installations. Now, he brings an exhibit of the same name to the IAMB Gallery at City Books, with an opening reception for those seeking creative local art and free refreshments. 7 p.m. Continues through Sat., Jan. 29. 908 Galveston Ave., North Side. citybookspgh.com

SUNDAY JAN. 5

ART See the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh’s 107th Annual Exhibition at the Westmoreland Museum

of American Art before it closes at the end of January. The juried show features work from established contemporary artists in the region representing a vast array of media, from painting and sculpture to ceramics and installation. Pieces are on display at the Westmoreland and at the Seton Hill University Arts Center. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Continues through Sun., Jan. 26. 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. thewestmoreland.org

FILM Present Laughter is a messy romantic farce written by Noel Coward in 1939 that’s enjoyed decades of successful productions around the world with stars like Peter O’Toole, Ian McKellen, and Albert Finney. The current production stars Andrew Scott (Fleabag, Sherlock) at The Old Vic theater in London, but if you can’t make it across the pond, head to the only neighborhood on earth classier

than London: South Side. Two live performances of Present Laughter will stream live to SouthSide Works Cinema courtesy of National Theatre Live, which brings elite stages performances to audiences around the world. Knock $2 off ticket price with a ticket stub from New Hazlett Theater or PICT Classic Theatre. 11 a.m. Also 7 p.m. Wed., Jan. 8. 425 Cinema Drive, South Side. $20. clevelandcinemas.com

KIDS Climb onto the magic school bus and … get lost? Ms. Frizzle turns around a field-trip-gone-wrong into an intergalactic, musical journey in The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System. But the trip takes another turn, and students must pull through rivalries to rescue themselves from the solar system. Watch the young heroes in action as they save

^ Sun., Jan. 5: Present Laughter

the day on stage at the Byham Theater. Remember: seatbelts on! Performances continue through Sun., Jan. 12 at area schools. 2 p.m. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $12. trustarts.org

MONDAY JAN. 6

POETRY It’s a laid back night of beer and reading with Poetry and Pints at Burgh’ers in Lawrenceville. The monthly reading kicked off in 2016 at East End Brewing and it’s developed a strong following and tight-knit community of writers and readers who enjoy the no-pressure environment and workshopstyle structure. Read your own work or cover someone else’s; plus, “shameless self-promotion is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED,” so don’t be afraid to go off. 6 p.m. 3601 Butler St., Lawrenceville. pghpoetry.org

TUESDAY JAN. 7 WINE Winemakers around the globe are confronting the effects of climate change

on their industry. Dreadnought Wines and Palate Partners will discuss this issue and its influence on the future of wine, one of the most sensitive agriculture products in the world, as vineyards require specific conditions in order to grow. During Climate Change and Wine, sip wines from regions directly impacted by climate change as you learn about how vintners are adjusting to temperature shifts in order to survive. 6-8 p.m. 3401 Liberty Ave., Lawrenceville. $40. dreadnoughtwines.com

WEDNESDAY JAN. 8 MAGIC “Stand up magician” Derek Hughes pulled a two of spades out of his butt crack during his first appearance on America’s Got Talent, landing him a #ButtCard hashtag, praise from celebrity judge Howard Stern, and eventually, a spot in the show’s finals. It’s clear you should brace yourself for the traveling magician to conjure up the unexpected at Liberty Magic during his newest show, BAG OF TRICKS. See what magic/comedy legend Teller (of Penn & Teller fame) calls “engaging, artful, and smart.” 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., Feb. 16. 811 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $40-65. trustarts.org • PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

BUSINESS

ED STACK dickssportinggoods.com

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NORMALLY, WE’D BE AVERSE to congratulating a billionaire on anything, as most of their advocacy and actions make the world harder for working people of all creeds. But this year we made an exception for Ed Stack, Sewickley resident and the CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods. After the Parkland Shooting in 2018, Stack enacted a series of changes to restrict gun sales at his more than 850 stores. Dick’s stopped carrying assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, destroyed the remaining stock, and the stores increased the minimum age for purchasing guns to 21. This led to an online backlash and short term losses of more than $250 million for Stack’s company. In the long run, the move will likely prove to be financially beneficial, but the statement it sent was more powerful than dollars and cents. In a country where Congress and state legislature can’t pass any gun-control laws of substance, despite their broad popularity, it’s admirable to see someone with considerable influence take any sort of a stand against gun violence.

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NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-16183, In re petition of Kimberly Eisenman parent and legal guardian of Jaydin Chase Bower, for change of name to Jaydin Chase Eisenman. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 9th day of January, 2020, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-16918. In re petition of Lisa M. Roycroft for change of name to Lisa Jane Evans. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 24th day of January, 2020, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

HEAR AGAIN!

Are you tired of tracking down food trucks? Don’t miss our Weekly Food Truck Schedule! Available every Tuesday at pghcitypaper.com

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DEC. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020

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TIME AND SPACE

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

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ACROSS 1. As we speak 4. Just out of eyesight 8. Onion-filled Indian fitters 14. Mouth in Latin 15. Cooler brand name 16. Mali’s capital 17. Six-Day War hero 19. Reasons for impeachment 20. Word on a cornerstone 21. Proof-conclusion word 23. Info on a bike tire: Abbr. 24. Make a point in writing? 26. Christmas ___ 30. Put on 31. Cold one? 32. Enemy 33. One who plays with a yarn ball 34. Water-to-wine miracle locale 35. ___ Ice Arena (University of Michigan hockey arena) 36. 1979 #1 hit for Rod Stewart 39. Gallic existence 40. Meter maid? 41. Its last build was El Capitan 42. William Barr’s grp. 43. 31-Across imbibers 44. Turn bad 45. Solving crime, say 47. NPR drive giveaway, often

51. Private sleeping quarters 52. Masked no more 54. Bettor-known place 55. College sophomore’s picture card, maybe 58. “You get the picture...” 60. Semicircular bench 61. Coastal birds 62. Tiny drink 63. Liverpool’s river 64. Lock changers? 65. It might make a statement

DOWN 1. One without roots 2. Town where Stephen King lived when he went to college 3. “I ___ paying attention” (“My bad”) 4. Salty approval 5. Arab guerrillas 6. Combat company 7. Engagement gift 8. “Killing Eve” airer 9. “The Biggest Loser” host Bob 10. Way off 11. “Beat Shazam” host 12. “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” role 13. Pad name 18. Little black dress occasion, maybe 22. Excited gift

giver’s phrase 25. Ice planet in “The Empire Strikes Back” 27. 500 sheets 28. Likely to pry 29. Asian winter observance 31. Makes bread 33. Soul-searching criminal? 34. Bennies 35. Beatles classic with the dummy lyrics “scrambled eggs” 36. Ohio city where Orville Wright was born 37. Debuts of unicorns, briefly 38. Combustion residue 39. Old name of Tokyo

43. ClickHole article, e.g. 44. 1999 Heisman Trophy winner 46. Quad ladies 47. Like some sad goodbyes 48. Really hard puzzle 49. Molly’s “Pretty in Pink” role 50. Absolutely lose it 53. Bug-___ 55. Like “blanket,” or “house” in France: Abbr. 56. Wood splitter 57. Boxing ___ (December 26, and hint to this puzzle’s theme) 59. Sucker LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

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

I READ A STORY years ago about the 1998 AVN awards and there was a bit about how the judges who had to watch hours and hours of ﬁlm found their sexual circuitry kind of burnt out by the end. Many people can’t imagine being in that headspace for a living. Obviously, you could ask a sports writer “don’t you ever get tired of sports?” or a chef “don’t you get tired of talking about food?” But I feel like sex and arousal are such a primeval, deep part of the human psyche that I can imagine getting burnt out. I understand that it’s just like any other job with its perks and bummers. I am curious though how sex workers are able to channel into that headspace for a living and if you ever get burnt out. - Alex G.

HIS IS A GREAT question. While I can’t speak for all sex workers, I can talk about how my own relationship to adult content and to sexuality has changed over the years that I have done this job, because it certainly has. Pornography doesn’t sell itself, particularly in a world where free porn is ubiquitous. For this reason, all of us who are in the business of selling porn spend much of our time advertising, which includes countless hours on social media engaging with both fans and friends/colleagues who are also content creators. As a result, we have timelines full of pornography

that we scroll through all day. While I don’t know if I would describe my sexual circuitry as burnt out, I can say that I stop relating to it as sexual content; I rarely ﬁnd it sexually arousing. Contrary to many unrealistic fantasies about what sex workers’ lives look like, I don’t spend all day horny, couldn’t possibly masturbate to all of the content I encounter, and relate to pornography primarily as art. What this means is that I interact with porn in the way that any professional artist interacts with the work

of their colleagues: I study it and find inspiration for my own work. I take careful note of the sets, color schemes, lighting, and costuming that I find sexy. I screenshot pics of models with similar builds to mine when I find their poses flattering and think I could create something similar. I notice trends in advertising tags, body hairstyles, and popular fetishes (all of which change over time). And I continue to be interested not because it turns me on, but because I am amazed by the creativity and talent of every-

one around me. While it is not entirely the same, I can say something similar about the more interactive work I do with clients. I am not turned on by every one of their desires, nor am I always aroused (though, of course, I do have clients — usually long-term regulars — that are good at tapping into my fantasies in a way that turns me on). That being said, I stay interested in my work and in those interactions because I am endlessly curious about what turns others on, and because I get a lot of gratiﬁcation from getting them off. I love listening to the sounds my clients make as they come, and I feel a special satisfaction when they shyly thank me for fulﬁlling their fantasy. For me personally, swimming in a sea of sexual content and fantasies all day doesn’t typically burn me out, or at least I don’t experience it as burnout. But I can say that I stop experiencing much of it as sexual in the way that those who don’t have such high exposure to it do. Or perhaps more accurately, I don’t experience it as my sexual pleasure in the way that I do in my personal sex life. It is a job, and while the work is an expression of my own sexuality, it cannot be reduced to that. It is a service, and it is an art. And much of my satisfaction comes from a job well done.

•

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. 25, 2019-JAN. 8, 2020