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FIRSTSHOT BY JARED MURPHY

650 Smithfield Street, Suite 2200 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.685.9009 E-MAIL info@pghcitypaper.com

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MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 22 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 Sales Representatives KAITLIN OLIVER, NICK PAGANO Office Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Events and Marketing Coordinator BRYER BLUMENSCHEIN Advertising Sales Assistant TAYLOR PASQUARELLI Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, GAB BONESSO, LISSA BRENNAN, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, JESSIE SAGE, STEVE SUCATO Interns SARAH CONNOR, JARED MURPHY, EMILY WOLFE Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

A peek inside the National Aviaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Living Dinosaurs exhibit

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Dennis Scott, owner of Wiener World, in front of his new sign

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CP PHOTO: JOSH OSWALD

Wiener World’s new sign being installed

THE BIG STORY

DOG GONE

What happened to Wiener World’s iconic neon sign? BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HE RED NEON GLOW of the

Wiener World sign could be seen everywhere. For decades, it was a landmark on Smithﬁeld Street in Downtown Pittsburgh, casting pink hues on the “Two Andys” mural that rested just above its perch on Strawberry Way. The sign could be spotted during car chase scenes in Hollywood blockbusters like The Dark Knight Rises and Jack Reacher. That instantly recognizable neon sign, familiar to so many Pittsburghers over the years, apparently transferred ownership in 2015 when the building was sold. In 2017, Wiener World’s new owners Dennis and Melody Scott changed a few things, like adding a made-to-order deli, but for the most part they have kept the place — and the sign — the same. For the ﬁrst year, things were

good. Old customers kept coming, new ones became fans, and online reviews were solid. But in 2018, Dennis received a surprising letter from the former owner’s lawyer. Seemingly out of nowhere, they were requesting hundreds of dollars a month to use the Wiener World name and sign. Scott felt like he was being squeezed. “There are Wiener Worlds all over the United States,” says Scott, noting the improbability of obtaining a copyright. “He didn’t really have a leg to stand on. He was just being spiteful, trying to get blood from stone.” RAY AUSLANDER owned and operated

the Wiener World on Smithﬁeld Street for about 50 years. Throughout his career, he opened multiple Wiener World restaurants in the Pittsburgh region, and even had three locations Downtown. He

developed a garlic seasoning recipe for his locally produced hot dogs and built a big local fan base. But by the 2010s, only one Wiener World remained and Auslander was pushing 70. So, in 2015, Auslander sold the building and business to Yuriy Bekman, who owns a jewelry store on the same block. Auslander retired and moved to Florida, hopeful Wiener World would be preserved as Pittsburghers knew it. “I wanted it to be run the same way and keep it going,” said Auslander in a 2015 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article. “I mean, it’s a little sentimental when you run a business for 50 years.” Bekman still owns the building, but he sold the business to the Scotts in 2017. The Scotts have run other restaurants Downtown for years, including Market Street Deli in the PPG Place food court, and decided to bring that deli

experience to Wiener World. The hot dog joint now serves brisket and roasted chicken, in addition to the classic menu of hot dogs, fries, and in the summer, soft-serve ice cream. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly. Bekman says he was happy with how the Scotts ran the business. In 2017, Auslander apparently still had admiration for his old restaurant, sharing a screenshot on Facebook of the scene in Jack Reacher where the Wiener World sign makes an appearance. But things took a wrong turn in September of 2018, and the ruckus centered on the iconic sign. Scott says this is when he received a letter from Auslander’s lawyer, requesting $500 a month to use the Wiener World name and the sign. After Scott consulted his lawyer, who communicated with Auslander, Scott says they discovered Auslander CONTINUES ON PG. 8

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

DOG GONE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7

CP PHOTO: KEVIN SHEPHERD

The original neon sign

didn’t own a copyright to the Wiener World name. Even so, Scott made a counter offer to Auslander out of good faith. He offered to pay $2,000 a year to use the sign, which he liked and wanted to keep. Scott says that offer was rejected. He then discovered that no agreement about the neon sign had been made when Auslander sold the building in 2015. The talks between the two parties ceased. ON SUN., FEB. 24, things got worse.

Ryan Clark, a friend of Scott’s and an employee with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, saw someone on a bucket ladder removing the sign. He contacted Scott, but by the time he arrived, the sign had already been sliced up and removed. “I think it was a shame that it was taken down. It was such a cool, outof-the-ordinary thing,” says Clark. “It added a middle ground between the modern, utilitarian architecture of the business building and the older churches and buildings in the area. It was eye-catching.”

Pittsburgh Police spokesperson Chris Togneri says a report was ﬁled about the sign being removed. According to the report, at 1 p.m. on Feb. 24, a contractor told police that he was paid $1,200 by Auslander to remove the sign. When the contractor was informed Auslander no longer owned the building, he ceased the work, but since the sign was already partially removed, it was agreed that the sign should be completely removed for public safety reasons. Scott says he suspects the sign was removed because he didn’t agree to pay Auslander. Auslander didn’t return several requests for comment for this story. Scott was caught completely off-guard when the sign was removed without warning. He thought he and Auslander both understood the struggles and needs of owning small, independent restaurants. “It was something that I never thought I had to deal with. It was iconic, it was in the Batman movie,” says Scott. “There was no solidarity. It just seemed

DO YOU HAVE A PHOTO OF YOURSELF WITH THE ORIGINAL NEON WIENER WORLD SIGN? SHARE IT WITH US ON TWITTER BY TAGGING @PGHCITYPAPER. really petty.” And Auslander might not know it, but it appears Scott feels much the same way about Wiener World as Auslander did. In 2015, Auslander told the P-G that he was supportive of Downtown’s redevelopment but wanted to see changes come to Smithfield Street, too. “There are other areas that need work,” he said of the corridor. Scott echoes this sentiment. “I don’t think enough of the city’s microscope is on this part of Downtown,” says Scott of the Smithfield Street corridor. “[The stores here] kind of get overlooked.” Scott says restaurants like Wiener World need to be maintained in a Downtown that is increasingly courting finedining or chain restaurants. He says he added the deli to broaden options for Downtown diners, but recognizes the importance of Wiener World’s loyal,

Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

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longtime customer base, too. He will always sell hot dogs. SCOTT RECENTLY REPLACED the sign and ﬁled a state business name license under Wiener World Pittsburgh. The new sign still says Wiener World in red letters, but it includes a seal inspired by the punk band The Ramones. (Scott says he’s an “old school punk.”) Scott says he would love to buy another neon sign, but he can’t afford the $12,000 price tag to bring in a new one, let alone the permits he would need to install it. Bekman, who still owns the building that houses Wiener World, has no hard feelings over the loss of the sign, but was hoping that it would have stayed up. “It’s a shame it went a different direction than everyone wanted it to,” says Bekman.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

CP PHOTO: LISA CUNNINGHAM

Lake Elizabeth

.VOICES.

NORTH SIDE VS. EVERYBODY BY TERENEH IDIA // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

“

HY IS THIS event all the

way over here?” “All the way over here” was central North Side, a threeminute drive from Downtown, a 15-20 minute walk. I explained how close North Side is to Downtown, only to be told by my East End friend that, “No one goes Downtown anymore. They should have had this event on the East End.” A couple years ago, a new-to-Pittsburgh Allegheny General Hospital doctor told me that the North Side stopped north of AGH. According to her imaginary map, the North Side began at the “North Shore” — the use of that term is a clear indicator that she doesn’t live on the North Side — “and ends right behind the hospital.” Actually, it extends miles beyond the hospital, I told her. But she explained that if you’re taking I-279 in from Cranberry, the “ﬁrst exit” into the city is North Avenue, where the hospital is, meaning the beginning or end of the North Side. She is wrong, of course. I am a bridge and river crosser from way back. So when I returned to Pittsburgh in 2014 and saw “North Side vs. Everybody” t-shirts, I would roll my eyes. But these days I don’t, because in an East-centric Pittsburgh, the North Side is often ignored and misunderstood. Most non-residents actually don’t go much farther north than North Avenue. Where a news broadcast indicates a speciﬁc neighborhood: Shadyside, East Liberty, Larimer, Squirrel Hill. But if something happens in one of our nearly 20 neighborhoods, it’s rounded up to “on the North Side.” Growing up in Pittsburgh and experi-

encing the entire city was how I thought everyone lived. I didn’t know any of the “never cross river” types only made me love the things that made the North Side unique, while also connecting to the heart of soul of the City of Pittsburgh. The North Side, to me, is the Lake Elizabeth view of Downtown that makes me think of a little Central Park. I miss the crosswalk over the train tracks, but I still get to the park, tennis courts, and Gus and Yiayia’s for popcorn and lemon ice. North Side is a pot of tea at Arnold’s Tea, a pint at Allegheny City Brewery, and a cocktail at Wigle Whiskey. It is the walk up a hill to burn the calories you are about to inhale at Breadworks. It is the librarians at the Carnegie Library who don’t need to see my card anymore because they know my name. It is the slightly harrowing bike ride down to the freedom of a trail, riding west through Manchester past the house boats and down to the old prison. It is the view from Riverview park, the telescope at the Allegheny Observatory and Observatory Hill. It is the African market on East Ohio Street where I can get a box of instant fufu. Used or new books at City Books. It is the Red, White & Blue on Ohio River Boulevard. It is the Mattress Factory and the City of Asylum. It is the Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church that opened their doors to this atheist women in need of a warm, friendly landing after years of living overseas. It is walking to the Andy Warhol Museum when I need a color boost and a view away from my sewing machine. It is Thai, BBQ, Jamaican, soul food, and more and more and more. North Side is Pittsburgh.

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Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX

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.GABBY NORMAL.

PICKLES FOR ONE, PLEASE! BY GAB BONESSO CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

OULD THIS BE the summer I break out of my shell? In the weeks before I stopped seeing my therapist, I told her I was worried that I was isolating myself from humanity. She wasn’t too concerned because she felt that it was a response to the amount of high energy and intensity I project through both my work and my personality. I’m usually satisfied being alone in my house because the ghosts and voices in my head keep me company. My therapist explained that the way I live life is a high-intensity sport, so it would only make sense that I would need more rest and silence than others. That’s all fine and dandy, but as the calendar pages keep flipping, my concern is that I am missing out on life. That’s why I would like to try and attend Picklesburgh this summer.

CP PHOTO: GAB BONESSO

Yes, Picklesburgh. I have wanted to go to Picklesburgh since its ﬁrst year. I love pickles. I review them on my YouTube channel. I bought pickle soda to try in a video. Last year, I even made my friend a pickle slushie. So yeah, I’m pretty obsessed with pickles. However, I also have a super loud brain that makes super loud events awful to attend. I either shut down, or I get super manic and make stupid decisions

that I’ll eventually regret. Therefore in past years rather than attending, I watched from afar on social media. Every acquaintance in Pittsburgh posts fun pictures of the event. I admit that sometimes social media helps recluses like me live vicariously, but sadly, more often it reinforces how limited our lonely existences can be. With summer on the horizon, I

Follow featured contributor Gab Bonesso on Twitter @gabbonesso

noticed everyone starting to post about this year’s Picklesburgh. I was getting annoyed because, yet again, I would be missing out on this event because of my brain. It dawned on me that perhaps with people becoming more aware of folks with sensory issues there might be sensory-safe areas at the event. That would mean that I could try and attend. I reached out to Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership to see if there would be sensory-friendly areas at Picklesburgh, but unfortunately, there won’t be. However, there are family events all summer for kids with sensory issues, which is a step in the right direction. I just think it’s important to remember that kids with sensory issues grow up to be adults with sensory issues. We need to continue creating safe spaces for families, but it’s also time to start making an effort for adult events as well. As for me, I’ll be hosting my own Picklesburgh in my blanket fort full of ghosts and imaginary friends. I mean, we won’t have Rusted Root or The Clarks, but we will have ocean sounds and eucalyptus oils. Please don’t be concerned – my shrink wasn’t.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

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JOIN US AT THE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER FOR ONGOING WORKSHOPS AS WE CONTINUE PROGRAMMING ON ARCHITECTURE, HISTORY, DESIGN, URBAN PLANNING, AND OTHER TOPICS RELATED TO HOW CITIES FUNCTION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION AS A TOOL OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6 • 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM LECTURE: LISTING YOUR HOUSE IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PRESENTER: JESSE BELFAST ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN MICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL Have you ever wondered about what it means—or what it would take—to get your house or a building listed in the National Register of Historic Places? Do you know the potential beneﬁts of National Register listing? Are you interested in pursuing National Register designation for your house, but unsure of the procedural requirements? Join us for this lecture and learn about the history of the National Register Program; the criteria for listing a property, and learn the basic components of a National Register Form. This lecture will also touch on tips for conducting research on your property, the procedural requirements for completing a nomination, and the beneﬁts of listing a property in the National Register.

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THIS LECTURE IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVPS ARE APPRECIATED: MARYLU@PHLF.ORGOR 412-471-5808 EXT. 527. 744 REBECCA AVENUE

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WILKINSBURG, PA 15221

412-471-5808

PHOTO: DAVID BLACK

Kim Gordon

BOLD, CRUDE, AND DANGEROUS CP contributing writer Lissa Brennan reviews Kim Gordon’s Lo-Fi Glamour exhibit at The Andy Warhol Museum

JENSORENSEN

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

MR. BULGOGI BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

SHORT MENU is usually a good sign when it comes to food trucks — it allows the chefs to deliver consistent ﬂavors and focus on what they do best. Mr. Bulgogi is no exception. The Pittsburgh food truck keeps the menu brief and frequently rotates dishes in and out. The only constant is its eponymous dish, bulgogi. Bulgogi (pronounced buhl-go-ghi) translates to “ﬁre meat.” The dish’s origin dates back to 37 B.C., evolving with the country’s invasion and independence until the 20th century when it was popularized neobiani, “thinly spread meat.” Mr. Bulgogi’s history doesn’t go back that far. The food truck hit Pittsburgh streets in 2017 and quickly drew a strong fan base (and the 2018 TacoMania Championship).

MR. BULGOGI Find Mr. Bulgogi at facebook.com/mrbulgogifoodtruck or on Twitter @MBulgogi

I tracked the truck down on a Saturday afternoon parked outside of Biddle’s Escape in Regent Square. On the day I visited, the menu consisted of three rice bowls, dumplings, and kimchi. I started with the bulgogi rice bowl. The beef was piled on top of rice with cilantro, lettuce, and streaked by two sauces. The ﬁrst, and perhaps most important, part of bulgogi is the meat, sliced razor-thin — so slim that the slices are almost translucent. It’s marinated in a concoction of soy sauce, apple (or Asian pear), onion, garlic, scallion, and brown sugar, the ratios varying based on the chef. No two marinades are the same. Because it’s sliced paper-thin, the

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Jae Park, owner of the Mr. Bulgogi food truck, poses for a portrait with an array of dishes.

meat absorbs ﬂavor quickly, so after a short time the meat is char-grilled on a barbecue or in ﬂames. The result is a tender, earthy meat, served with rice, kimchi, or wrapped in lettuce. My spiced pork bowl was marinated

in a Korean pepper paste, gochujang. It was every bit as tender as the beef, decorated by the same zig-zags of sauce, lettuce, and cilantro as the bulgogi, but ﬁnished by a sprinkle of green onions. Dark char marks on the meat balance

FAVORITE FEATURES: Track ’em down

Changing menu

Tofu

The best part about any food truck, in my opinion, is the surprise of finding one in your neighborhood. If you prefer to plan out your meals, keep an eye on the truck’s Facebook page. Every week, it updates its schedule.

Mr. Bulgogi’s menu is constantly changing. Make sure to order one of everything — you never know when it’ll be back.

Typically, fried tofu is soggy or over-oiled. Not at Mr. Bulgogi. The tofu was sliced thin and actually held flavor.

the thick, sweet marinade. Heat was not lost in sweetness; the gochujang spice came through loud and clear. The truck’s final offering was fried dumplings. These miniature, crimped pockets of chicken and vegetables were crispy, bubbly, and so delicious I don’t think I took a single breath before they were gone. There were no duds on Mr. Bulgogi’s menu on the day I visited and I’m confident I’d love pretty much anything the chef felt like putting on the menu. The day-to-day items might change, but the dynamic flavors — and the bulgogi — aren’t going anywhere.

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Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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Thai & Burmese Specialties!

DINING OUT

Pad Thai

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

SPONSORED LISTINGS FROM CITY PAPER ’S FINE ADVERTISERS

Noodle

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED RESTAURANT

4770 Liberty Ave 412.904.1640

THE CAFÉ CARNEGIE

padthainoodlepittsburgh.com

4400 FORBES AVE., OAKLAND 412-622-3225 THECAFECARNEGIE.COM An excellent dining experience from James Beard Semi-Finalist, Sonja Finn featuring a locally-focused menu, full service dining, and espresso and wine bar.

BAJA BAR & GRILL

EIGHTY ACRES

1366 OLD FREEPORT ROAD, FOX CHAPEL 412-963-0640, WWW.BAJABARGRILL.COM The Baja Bar & Grill is the perfect destination any time of the year for dancing to live bands and taking in great entertainment every weekend. In addition, there’s good food along with amazing views of the Allegheny River and the Fox Chapel Marina.

1910 NEW TEXAS ROAD, MONROEVILLE/PLUM 724-519-7304 / EIGHTYACRESKITCHEN.COM Eighty Acres Kitchen & Bar offers a refined, modern approach to contemporary American cuisine with a strong emphasis on local, farm-totable products.

BEA’S TACO TOWN

331 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE, PITTSBURGH 412-621-1551, ELIZAHOTELINDIGO.COM Set on the site of former iconic iron works, Eliza Furnace, Eliza is an American Bistro exploring classic Pittsburgh flavors, beloved by those that worked the furnaces, combined with the fresh perspective and seasonal sourcing that define what we eat in our region today. Relax with great food, cocktails, and enjoy live entertainment on the rooftop bar.

633 SMITHFIELD STREET, DOWNTOWN 412-471-8361, WWW.BEATAQUERIA.COM Authentic Mexican cuisine in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh! Bea Taco Town offers tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and much more all with traditional recipes. Slow cooked meats and fresh vegetables prepared daily will have you coming back to try it all.

CARMELLA’S PLATES & PINTS 1908 EAST CARSON STREET, SOUTHSIDE 412-918-1215, CARMELLASPLATESANDPINTS.COM Featuring an upscale ambiance, Carmella’s is located in the heart of South Side, serving a variety of refined comfort cuisine for dinner and brunch. The décor features a lodge-like feel with a wood beamed cathedral ceiling, stained glass and open fireplace. A local purveyor delivers fresh ingredients daily, which are crafted into unique and inventive meals, served alongside a curated cocktail list and comprehensive wine selection.

COLONY CAFE 1125 PENN AVE., STRIP DISTRICT 412-586-4850 / COLONYCAFEPGH.COM Whether stopping in for a weekday lunch, an afternoon latte or after-work drinks with friends, Colony Cafe offers delicious house-made bistro fare in a stylish Downtown space.

ELIZA HOT METAL BISTRO

LEON’S CARIBBEAN 823 E WARRINGTON AVE., ALLENTOWN 412-431-5366 / LEONSCARIBBEAN.COM Family owned and operated since December 2014. Here at Leon’s, we take pride in our recipes and quality of dishes. Simple menu with all the traditional dishes! Leon Sr. has been a chef for 30+ years, mastering the taste everyone has grown to love and can only get at Leon’s.

MERCURIO’S ARTISAN GELATO AND NEAPOLITAN PIZZA 5523 WALNUT ST., SHADYSIDE 412-621-6220 / MERCURIOSGELATOPIZZA.COM Authentic Neapolitan pizza, artisan gelato, and an inviting atmosphere are just a small part of what helps create your experience

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

PAD THAI NOODLE 4770 LIBERTY AVE, BLOOMFIELD 412-904-1640 PADTHAINOODLEPITTSBURGH.COM This new café in Bloomfield features Thai and Burmese specialties. Standards like Pad Thai and Coconut Curry Noodle are sure to please. But don’t miss out on the Ono Kyowsway featuring egg noodle sautéed with coconut chicken, cilantro and curry sauce.

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

TOTOPO MEXICAN KITCHEN AND BAR 660 WASHINGTON ROAD, MT. LEBANON 412-668-0773 / TOTOPOMEX.COM Totopo is a vibrant celebration of the culture and cuisine of Mexico, with a focus on the diverse foods served in the country. From Oaxacan tamales enveloped in banana leaves to the savory fish tacos of Baja California, you will experience the authentic flavor and freshness in every bite. They also feature a cocktail menu of tequila-based drinks to pair the perfect margarita with your meal.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

412 Brewery welcomes you to our newest taproom on Pgh’s historic Northside.

Dog-Friendly taproom with outdoor seating, firepits, games and more!

847 WESTERN AVENUE

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ANGELIA’S CRAFT PIZZA & BEER

CP PHOTO: HANNAH LYNN

.ON THE ROCKS.

18 beer rotating tap list Daily food and drink specials New Thursday craft draft happy hours

POWER SHOWER

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BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

OTHING EPITOMIZES relaxation

like the image of drinking wine in a bubble bath. Or better yet, a hot tub. If, like me, you’ve never had an apartment with a usable bathtub, then a shower beer is the next best thing. You heard me! I said drink your beer in the shower. Shower beers get a bad rap as something frat boys do to maximize pre-game time, but they have the potential for universal appeal. At the end of a long, exhausting day, the thought of a cold beer is nice. The feeling of a hot shower is also nice. Together, they make something beautiful.

beer is best when mild in ﬂavor, because the main focus is that it’s cold (more on that later). My shower beer of choice is IC Light because it’s cheap and tastes mostly like nothing. Cold beer. The best part of a shower beer is the contrast between the hot water on your head and the cold drink in your hand. Drinking a temperate beer won’t do. Save it for when you really need it. Of course you don’t need to drink a beer in the shower, but it’s much more satisfying to save the beer for when you’ve had a long hard day and could use a pick-me-up. If you drink a beer

SHOWER BEERS GET A BAD RAP AS SOMETHING FRAT BOYS DO TO MAXIMIZE PRE-GAME TIME, BUT THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR UNIVERSAL APPEAL. But not just any beer can be consumed in the shower, so here are some tips to ﬁnding the perfect one: Cans are ideal. Showers are infamously wet and therefore slippery, so a can is safer and less painful should you drop it, and it breaks/lands on your toe. (I know the photo accompanying this has a glass bottle, but that’s because they didn’t have cans.) Bad beer. If you bought an expensive six-pack with a variety of IPAs and stouts, save it for another time (like after you get out of the shower). A shower

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every time you take a shower, it’ll lose its shine. When you become an adult, you realize you can eat or drink whatever you want. This is bad, like when you accidentally eat a family-size bag of chips for dinner, but good when you understand how much little things, like drinking a beer in the shower, can make you happy. It doesn’t even have to be a beer. It can be a cold soda, an iced coffee, or whatever beverage you ﬁnd most refreshing. You’re an adult, and you can do whatever you want.

•

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

PHOTO: MEG ROBERTS ARSENOVIC

Meg Roberts Arsenovic’s “Tell Tales” at Brew House Association

.ART . .

COMMON THREADS BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

EFINING FIBER ART can be difﬁcult. It’s a blanket term that can encompass processes like weaving and knitting, and materials like glass, fabric, and paper. At its core, the ﬁeld is about texture and physical space, but its meaning is consistently being challenged and reimagined. And it’s sure to be expanded again when the 23rd Fiberart International exhibition

returns to Pittsburgh on Fri., May 31, with pieces from 55 national and international artists. Among the 56 pieces on display is “Wave” by Serbian artist Zlatko Cvetkovic, a jagged installation woven from recycled audio and video magnetic cassette tape that, as one description puts it, comments on “the phenomena of ephemerality and oblivion.” Then there’s Virginia-based artist

Meg Roberts Arsenovic whose “Tell Tales” uses orange PVC utility ﬂags. The show, which happens every three years and is now in its 23rd iteration, expands beyond its usual spot at Contemporary Craft by also setting up at the Brew House Association on the South Side. “The Fiberart International has always been CONTINUES ON PG. 20

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

COMMON THREADS, CONTINUED FROM PG. 18

SERVICES Services are offered to everyone, regardless of identity, income, or insurance status. • Full medical practice • Mental health services • Community health Navigator program • Transportation program

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Fiberart International at Contemporary Craft

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one of our favorite exhibitions because it is so accessible and appeals to visitors on many different levels,” says Contemporary Craft executive director Janet McCall. “Textile art is an art form that has been practiced for centuries. It emerged from the necessity to fill basic human needs and has evolved into an expressive medium that is powerful in its universal appeal and contemporary relevance.” The chosen artists, adds McCall, also use their work to “explore the relationships between fiber and social influences, and make a statement on social topics such as gender issues, politics, mental health, feminism, and the environment.” Canadian artist Susan Avishai comments on the wastefulness of the garment manufacturing industry with “No Place to Hide a Dark Heart,” a fiber sculpture made of deconstructed, discarded clothing from thrift shops. Patricia KennedyZafred of Murrysville, Pa. draws attention to the decline of the independent family farm with “American Portrait: Loss in the Heartland,” a piece using fabric, dyes, silkscreens, and ink. Contemporary Craft will also bring Fiberart International Downtown to its BNY Mellon Satellite Gallery with “Elemental Fiber,” a series of quilts by Kathy Nida. The California-based mixed

media artist uses her colorful quilts — six of which will be on view at the gallery through Aug. 18 — to address issues such as women’s rights, politics, climate change, and gun control.

FIBERART INTERNATIONAL May 31-Aug. 24. Contemporary Craft, 2100 Smallman St., Strip District; Brew House Association, 711 South 21st St., South Side. fiberartinternational.org

“We believe it is important to show these because art can open up discussion on difﬁcult social issues and prompt conversation among viewers with different perspectives,” says McCall. “The artists’ lived experiences as conveyed through their work can also encourage others to share their stories to form a more inclusive community.” Complementing the exhibition are various events and programming with exhibiting artists, including a day-long forum on Sat., June 1 that features a keynote speech by Fiberart International juror and renowned basket sculptor Jane Sauer. Also available is an intro to sculptural beading with artist Beth Blankenship and a glass-knitting workshop with Carol Milne (the process involves knitting with wax and casting in glass).

Generated and operated by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Fiberart International continues the mission of a fiber arts movement dating back to the mid-20th century, when a group of craftspeople became frustrated with how textiles were ostracized from the fine art world. “There were a lot of artists working at that time who really thought that this was wrong,” says Fiberart International director Risë Nagin, adding that textiles could be used to make objects that were “expressive in a way that a beautiful sculpture or a beautiful painting would be.” Nagin feels that fiber arts have not only secured a place in the fine art world but have become a “general art practice,” even among those who “don’t necessarily think of themselves strictly as fiber artists.” The observation is backed up by local artists like Fiber Arts Guild member Tina Williams Brewer, whose story quilts have earned her a variety of distinctions, including the 2018 Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Artist of the Year. “Textiles are moving more and more into mainstream art,” says Nagin, “and I feel like this show is an articulation of that visually.”

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

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CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

Hell’s Oasis

.MUSIC.

THE BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ENRES COLLIDE and combine in intriguing ways on the

self-titled debut from Hell’s Oasis. The two-piece — married couple Ginger and Alexis Polozoff — borrow openly from funk, folk, and grunge, and more subtly from trip-hop and Celtic rock. “Don’t Blame the Rain” opens the record with Ginger’s airy, haunting vocals and a slow-burning, minor-chord progression resonant of The Cranberries. The fourth track, “Lilacs,” veers into pop and reggae, colored by syncopated rhythms and phased-out guitar. “Creature of the Night” is straight out of ‘90s alternative rock. “Fast ‘n’ Funky,” on the other hand, delivers exactly what the title suggests. “We think there are a lot of people like us who like music across a lot of different genres,” says Ginger. “I love Johnny Cash, I love Willie Nelson, and maybe you can hear a little bit of that in some things, but most of our stuff doesn’t sound anything like that. A lot of people that like that old-style country music or classic rock, or even SIA or Katy Perry — we’re not that far off from those guys either.” Alexis grew up in Pittsburgh and was classically trained,

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playing cello and piano throughout high school. Wanting a more portable instrument, he began playing guitar and jammed with several bands in New York City, then Austin, before moving back to Pittsburgh in the early 2000s. “Austin is a big funk and blues town,” says Alexis. “I picked up a lot of funk stuff while I was there.” At seven years old, Ginger began singing in church in a small Texas town. She took voice lessons in the U.K., Dallas, and with the famed Marcy Lynne in Austin. Austin is where Ginger met Alexis in the ’90s, after responding to an ad in the Austin Chronicle searching for a singer for a now-defunct band. “[When creating music, Alexis] will sing me a little bit about what he’s envisioning,” says Ginger, “and I’ll be like ‘Oh, that’s not striking me that way at all.’ But I think that’s the beauty of us coming at things with different backgrounds, different inﬂuences, different styles, and different skill sets.”

HELL’S OASIS Thu., May 30. 6 p.m. SouthSide Works, 424 S. 27th St., South Side. hellsoasis.net

The 412 is CP ’s new music section where you can get local band/ musician updates and fun, random tidbits of information all in one. QUESTIONS ABOUT MUSIC FAVORITE TRIP-HOP SONG? ALEXIS: “Trigger Hippie” by Morcheeba IF YOU COULD ONLY LISTEN TO ONE GENRE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? ALEXIS: Indie rock, because it encompasses a lot of things. GINGER: Classical. It’s not my favorite, but I don’t get tired of it. WHAT’S THE BEST MUSIC VIDEO YOU’VE EVER SEEN? GINGER: “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” by Panic! At The Disco ALEXIS: “Self Control” by Laura Branigan. It’s an Eyes Wide Shut sort of thing, really trippy. WHAT’S A SONG YOU’VE FELT EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO? ALEXIS: “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” by The Beatles. GINGER: “I Want You” is one of our favorite songs, period. I would pick, “Let It Be” also by The Beatles. I can barely say the name of the song without crying.

QUESTION ABOUT BEVERAGES DO YOU DRINK COFFEE? AND IF SO, HOW DO YOU TAKE IT? ALEXIS: I don’t really drink a lot of coffee. I drink mine in the early morning, just a splash of coffee. I drink it black. Not because I like it, because it helps me wake up. GINGER: I drink a couple of cups every day, and with cream.

QUESTIONS ABOUT RELAXING WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU DO IN YOUR DOWN TIME? GINGER: What downtime? [Laughs] We work, so downtime for us is when we get to work on our music. I can have a really terrible day and going through our set, it’s healing. IF YOU HAD ONE DAY TO DEVOTE TO A STAYCATION, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? ALEXIS: I’d like to wake up in the morning, take the dog for a nice long walk, spend 3-4 hours in the studio doing music, in the afternoon maybe take a nap, and then maybe spend some time out in the sun, sun gazing and relaxing. GINGER: That sounds amazing, so ditto! • Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS RUN THE MEAT, WALKMAN, BIG BLITZ FRIDAY, MAY 31 After opening its doors last fall and presenting Pittsburgh with a bowling alley and craft brewery in one, Enix Brewing is expanding further with an outdoor performance and events space. Pittsburgh based bands/musicians Run the Meat, Walkman, and Big Blitz will inaugurate the new space on Friday. Run the Meat identifies as the “dirtiest hard-funk band ever bred,” while Walkman mixes old and new styles of hip hop, and Big Blitz combines dance, rock, and jazz. 7–10 p.m. 337 E. Eighth Ave., Homestead. $10. enix.beer PHOTO: JARED TUK

Run the Meat

FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com

THURSDAY MAY 30 COVERS RIDGEMONT HIGH 80S. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

ROCK/METAL INDIGENOUS. Moondog’s. 7:30 p.m. Blawnox. OOZING WOUND, MICROWAVES. Howlers. 7 p.m. Bloomfield. THE WHO. PPG Paints Arena. 7:30 p.m. Downtown. MONTE’S PYTHONS. Riley’s Pour House. 8 p.m. Carnegie. BLACK SABBATH LIVES. Jergel’s. 8 p.m. Warrendale. AETHERE. Smiling Moose. 6:30 p.m. South Side. YEAR OF OCTOBER, JAKETHEHAWK. Full Pint Wild Side Pub. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

ELECTRONIC SODOWN. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

COUNTRY CLARE DUNN. Tequila Cowboy. 7 p.m. North Side. FRANK VIEIRA, JACKSON GARDNER. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

ACOUSTIC GARY PRISBY. Mansions on Fifth. 5:30 p.m. Shady Side. JUSTIN WADE. Southern Tier Brewing Co. 5 p.m. North Side.

RICK MATT. Il Pizzaiolo Cucina Napoletana. 7 p.m. Warrendale. MARK PETERS AND THE JAZZ CONSPIRACY. Allegheny Elks Lodge #339. 7:15 p.m. North Side.

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ROCK/PUNK 33 1/3. 1311. 7 p.m. South Side. HELLIN BACK BAND. Kendrew’s. 8 p.m. Moon. SAINT PÉ, THE SPECTRES. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale. GOOD SHIP GIBRALTAR. SouthSide Works. 6 p.m. South Side. 13 SAINTS, THE PUMP FAKES. Good Time Bar. 9 p.m. Millvale. ROYCE. Cattivo. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

END OF MAE. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown.

THE BIG BEND, BEAUMONT. The Park House. 9:30 p.m. North Side.

REGGAE

FACS, TRVSS, PLUME. Black Forge Coffee House. 7 p.m. McKees Rocks.

KEYSTONE VIBE. Spoonwood Brewing Co. 7 p.m. Bethel Park.

FOLK SADIE. Bierport. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

FRIDAY MAY 31 COUNTRY

JAZZ

THOTH TRIO. Kingfly Spirits. 7 p.m. Strip District.

TRAVIS TRITT, CHARLIE DANIELS BAND. Stage AE. 6:30 p.m. North Side.

ACOUSTIC JIM SCOTT. Arsenal Cider House-Wexford. 5 p.m. Wexford.

CRACK THE SKY. Jergel’s. 8 p.m. Warrendale. SOMEWHERE TO CALL HOME. Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield. COMBO CHIMBITA. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

DJS

ELECTRONIC

DJ GROVER. Baja Bar and Grill. 7 p.m. Fox Chapel.

ZACH BURGETT (RUN THE TRAP). Cabaret Banquet Hall & Event Center. 9:30 p.m. Homewood.

DJ DIGITAL DAVE. Rivers Casino. 8 p.m. North Side. DJ SAMUEL ANDRES. The Goldmark. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

CLASSICAL JACKIE EVANCHO. Byham Theater. 8 p.m. Downtown.

ACOUSTIC GOOD GUYS ROCK. Wolfie’s Pub. 5 p.m. Downtown. GIRLIE SHOW: LIZ BERLIN, LISS VICTORY. Hambone’s. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. MONALLO. Full Pint Wild Side Pub. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

FOLK HACKENSAW BOYS. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

ELECTRONIC GLO PHASE. Bierport. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

SATURDAY JUNE 1 ROCK/METAL LOCAL NATIVES. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side. CHASE AND THE BARONS. Bakery Square. 11 a.m. East Liberty. PRIME 8 (CD RELEASE). Howlers. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.

JAZZ/FUNK

DURIAN, FIVE STAR HOTEL. The Rock Room. 8 p.m. Polish Hill.

THE RAINBOW ENDS. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown.

JAZZ

BANE, UHTCEARU, APPALLING. SUB Alpine Society. 9 p.m. Turtle Creek.

RANDOM PLAY. NOLA On The Square. 8 p.m. Downtown.

LUCARELLI TRIO. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

HELICOPTER HANDS, SINGLE JO, YOUNG FOOL. Black Forge Coffee House. 7 p.m. Allentown.

BLUES

RICH ZABINSKI QUARTET. NOLA On The Square. 8 p.m. Downtown.

UNCHAINED! A ‘SAVED BY THE SCENE’ BENEFIT SHOWCASE. Howlers. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.

THE CONTENDERS. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

THE TINA DANIELS BAND. Moondog’s. 8:30 p.m. Blawnox.

BENNY BENACK. Enix Brewing. 8 p.m. Homestead. AVI DIAMOND. Il Pizzaiolo Cucina Napoletana. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

ETTA COX, AL DOWE QUARTET. Portogallo Peppers N’AT. 8 p.m. Braddock. THE IMPURITY, PSALMS OF SILENCE. Black Forge Coffee House. 6 p.m. Allentown.

ACOUSTIC JORDAN AUTH. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown. THE HITCHHIKERS. Mike’s Beer Bar. 7 p.m. North Side.

COVERS TRAINWRECK. Downey’s House. 8:30 p.m. Robinson. PITTSBURGH DOO WOP BIG BAND. Oaks Theater. 7:30 p.m. Oakmont. THECAUSE. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

HIP HOP/RAP XAVIER WULF. Rex Theater. 6 p.m. South Side.

FOLK YARO AND THE STATIC (ALBUM RELEASE). Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.

SUNDAY JUNE 2 HIP HOP/RAP MACHINE GUN KELLY. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.

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ISAIAH SMALL

Isaiah Small

SUNDAY, JUNE 2 Isaiah Small has spent the last five years pursuing a music career in Pittsburgh, and now he’s moving on (to Canada, then Minnesota). To say goodbye, Small puts on a final show at Spirit on Sunday, accompanied by Sierra Sellers, NVSV, Back Alley Sound, The Summer Camp, My Favorite Color, and more local favorites. “This one is for the city,” says Small. “I made it free because I want to put on a great local show. I’ve never seen a mosh pit at a rap concert in a while, so for this one, we shall achieve the mosh pit!” 9 p.m.–12 a.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. Free. spiritpgh.com

SUNDAYZ VIBEZ WITH BILL HENRY BAND, DJ SELECTA. Metropolitan Club. 5 p.m. Downtown.

JAZZ/BLUES RML JAZZ. Vinoski Winery. 12 p.m. Belle Vernon.

THE STRUMBELLAS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

BLUES JIMMY ADLER. Wolfie’s Pub. 7 p.m. Downtown.

DAN BUBIEN. Houlihan’s Mt. Lebanon. 7 p.m. South Hills.

MATT ANDERSEN. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

ROCK/METAL

EXPERIMENTAL

WILSON. Smiling Moose. 6:30 p.m. South Side. DAVID CROSBY AND FRIENDS. Carnegie Library Music Hall. 7:30 p.m. Homestead. SICK OF IT ALL. Cattivo. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville. FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Whitehall. AGES AND AGES. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

FOLK STEFAN EDWARD. Allegheny City Brewing. 12 p.m. North Side.

MONDAY JUNE 3 ROCK JON SPENCER, THE HITMAKERS. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

VIREO, SUNDAES, SAM COPE. Glitter Box Theater. 7 p.m. Oakland.

TUESDAY JUNE 4 REGGAE TOOTS & THE MAYTALS. Roxian Theatre. 7 p.m. McKees Rocks.

BLUES THE SHINERS. Wolfie’s Pub. 5 p.m. Downtown.

ROCK/METAL

WEDNESDAY JUNE 5 JAZZ/BLUES YOKO SUZUKI TRIO. City of Asylum. 7 p.m. North Side.

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ERIN BURKETT, VIRGIL WALTERS. The Blind Pig Saloon. 7:30 p.m. New Kensington. DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

ROCK/METAL DRUIDS. Howlers. 9 p.m. Bloomfield. SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE. Highmark Stadium. 7 p.m. Station Square. FRANK IERO, THE FUTURE VIOLENTS. Rex Theater. 7 p.m. South Side.

L7, LE BUTCHERETTES. Rex Theater. 7 p.m. South Side.

TRAITORS. Smiling Moose. 6:30 p.m. South Side.

TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 6 p.m. Whitehall.

PAUL GILBERT. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Whitehall.

FOLK

DYKES AND YOUNG. The Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. 7:30 p.m. Bloomfield.

AMY RAY BAND. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

your body & soul

ACOUSTIC

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

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inkadinkadoo.net PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

THE WITCH IS BACK BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: ARTISAN ENTERTAINMENT

The Blair Witch Project

Any hardcore horror geek remembers their first encounter with The Blair Witch Project. For me, it was a full-page ad in Entertainment Weekly heralding the “totally true story” of three student filmmakers disappearing in the woods of Maryland — to make matters spookier, I read it while staying at my friend’s cabin in middle-ofnowhere Pennsylvania. On June 1, Carnegie Science Center will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the movie that sent us running and screaming into the dark unknown of the 21st century for a special Science on Screen event. Taking place at the center’s Rangos Giant Cinema, the evening features a talk by noted sociologist and author Dr. Margee Kerr, whose research looks into the science of fear. She believes The Blair Witch Project’s success was due to its immersive found-footage style and the uncertainty of the then-burgeoning internet age. “We’re there with [the characters], lost in the woods, in the dark, alone, and we feel the intense vulnerability SCIENCE ON SCREEN: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT coupled 20TH ANNIVERSARY with lack of control,” SCREENING. Sat., June 1. 7 p.m. 1 Allegheny Ave., says Kerr. North Side. $9.95. “It’s not carnegiesciencecenter.org just a great recipe for fear — it mirrors how many of us felt in the late ’90s as we began to adapt to living in the unknown online world, where the boundaries between entertainment and reality were disappearing.” While horror movies like Cannibal Holocaust used documentary elements before, The Blair Witch Project used it to greater effect, coupled with the power of hype (check out the fake TV documentary and still-functioning website, blairwitch. com/project/main, that fooled audiences into buying the film’s legitimacy). In a time when the horror genre was taking a cynical, postScream meta route, fans were looking for something new, something terrifying, something — for lack of a better term — real. The Blair Witch Project delivered just that, and then some. •

PHOTO: MUSIC BOX FILMS

.FILM.

TRANSIT BY ALEX GORDON // ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

VEN WHEN the world is falling apart, people still go shopping. That’s an idea voiced early on in the 2018 German film Transit, when a character mentions George Romero’s 1978 movie Dawn of the Dead, noting how even as everything has descended into chaos and zombies roam the streets eating people’s faces, everyone still ends up at a mall. In Transit, too, as France is occupied by Germany, the residents still get coffee, still go out for pizza and wine, still go shopping. This isn’t a 1940s Nazi occupation, but a surreal pseudo-modern version — the cars are contemporary, but nobody has cell phones or laptops. The police state here does things analog; paperwork, red tape, and old fashioned bureaucracy are in charge of those seeking asylum, as they might have during the Third Reich, but details about the occupancy and end game are blurry (despite mentions of juden, ghettos, and trains taking exiles ... elsewhere). Things open at a bar in Paris where Georg (Franz Rogowski) is offered good money to deliver two letters to a famous writer named Weidel. Georg is a German-born TV and radio engineer and does his best to treat the dystopian circumstances with a steely, scientific regard, but anxiety and dread still leak from his face, shuddering as wailing police sirens fly down the tiny streets. He takes the gig, but when he finally

gets to Weidel’s hotel room, he ﬁnds the writer in a bloody bathtub with his wrists cut. Georg takes his travel documents and assumes Weidel’s identity. Transit initially seems like a dystopian The Talented Mr. Ripley — a handsome, smart protagonist insinuating himself into strangers’ lives — but it soon veers into the territory of Children of Men and Schindler’s List, in which the need for identity theft for survival is not so much cunning as it is necessary. Georg isn’t in Weidel’s shoes for money or fame; he might as well have impersonated a wellliked butcher.

TRANSIT Directed by Christian Petzold. Opens Fri., May 31 at Harris Theater.

With Weidel’s ID, Georg makes it to the yet-unoccupied Marseilles, where he encounters a cast of characters trying to plan for the horror that is surely arriving within the next few weeks. There’s a North African kid named Driss (Lilien Batman) with whom Georg plays soccer, and his deaf-mute mother Melissa (Maryam Zaree); a fellow German who’s watching two dogs she doesn’t like for two Americans she doesn’t know in order to get a sponsorship to immigrate to Washington, D.C.; and Weidel’s widow Marie (Paula Beer). Marie is beautiful, mysterious, and sad — another 1940s

throwback — and seems to know Georg’s secret without ever coming out and saying it. With what’s coming, what would it really matter? At a certain point we’re told that leaving France was easier two weeks ago and would be harder once again two weeks from now. We’re on the edge of something terrible and it provokes a weird balance of wondering if the characters know the historical precedent of what’s coming or not. Maybe relevant: a character tells a joke about someone being sentenced to Hell in the afterlife and waiting at a nondescript door for information for weeks. When he finally finds someone in charge and asks where he can find Hell, he’s told that he’s already there. If that’s the case, Hell is everywhere in Transit. The majority of scenes happen in quiet conversations in visibly hot rooms, in which people try to figure out where they are and where they’re going. There’s something haunting about human suffering being decided at the whims of paper forms, initials and signatures, offices and desks and people in ties. The absurdity and ease of evildoing run through every vein of Transit, and the effect is predictably complicated, unpleasant, dreary, but unexpectedly hopeful and humane. As several characters on the run say throughout the film, that might be the best anyone can hope for.

Follow managing editor Alex Gordon on Twitter @shmalexgordon

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

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PHOTO: ERIC ROSÉ

Bodiography Spring Concert

.DANCE.

SPRING FORWARD BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HE BODIOGRAPHY CENTER for

Movement presents its annual Spring Concert as a way to provide its students — some as young as 6 years old — an opportunity to dance on a professional stage. Bodiography founding director Maria Caruso believes it also demonstrates how much dancers’ skills evolve, showing the progression from beginners to older, more experienced college preparatory students. But, as Caruso points out, Bodiography students advance based on merit and talent, not age. “You might see eighth graders who look like they could be dancing with professional ballet companies,” says Caruso. “We never hold back a child’s potential.” Overall, though, the Bodiography Spring Concert — taking place on Sat. June 1 at the Byham Theater — will show off the conservatory’s up-andcoming star dancers performing a variety of classical and contemporary works. Choreographed by Bodiography faculty, the night’s program includes acts from famous ballets, routines for jazz or modern dance, and contemporary ballet. The show also includes several performances by returning Bodiography alum who have gone on to careers in dance or the arts. Done in collaboration with La Roche College’s dance program, Caruso touts Bodiography as “truly an institute for dance education” that takes more of an academic approach. Part of that includes teaching dance as a language, both literally and ﬁguratively. Starting from age six,

students are taught French ballet terms and translations, along with learning the actual movements. As they grow older, students can advance to the La Roche dance program, going on to earn a fouryear degree in the ﬁeld.

BODIOGRAPHY PRESENTS THE SPRING CONCERT 7 p.m. Sat., June 1. 101 Sixth St. Downtown. $31.25. trustarts.org

Bodiography also invites a rotating list of guest artists and companies to interact with students. This year, the center collaborated with the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City, one of the world’s longest running and most celebrated modern dance companies. As a result, the center’s college prep students received free classes with Martha Graham School artists, learning ideas passed down from the woman widely regarded as the mother of modern dance. Graham also has local roots as a native of Allegheny City, what is now known as Pittsburgh’s North Side. The collaboration also produced some recent performances, including Bodiography Contemporary Ballet’s production of “Steps in the Street” — an excerpt from Graham’s larger 1936 work, Chronicle — at the Byham Theater last March. “I think that this year was really an incredible year to have so many international guest artists, but also to be working with one of the world’s best companies,” says Caruso.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

IMAGES: GENSLER

Architectural drawings from the May 15, 2019 Centre District Plan Update

.ARCHITECTURE.

UPHILL BATTLE BY CHARLES ROSENBLUM // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N THE STORIED 28 acres of the Lower Hill, no new

building has been constructed since the Civic Arena was completed in 1964 (and even that building was razed). The once thriving neighborhood — bounded by Centre and Bedford, Crawford and Washington Place — became mostly parking lots and, eventually, nothing but. Anything on this site would be an improvement, especially since a series of recent development plans and proposals — including an ofﬁce building for U.S. Steel and an audacious, expressionistic master plan from Danish architects, BIG — failed to proceed. Now the current owners, the Pittsburgh Penguins,

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have unveiled for the so-called Centre District a new master redevelopment plan: a mixture of office, retail, and residential, with food market and entertainment components. The first scheduled components are a 274-unit apartment building and a 250,000 square foot office and retail complex. (see www.pghcentredistrict.com) The October 2016 reopening of a few streets on the site, which have been closed since the 1950s, makes new construction seem more likely than ever. But the tighter, dense grid of the historic neighborhood will never return (Just look at the historic Hopkins Co. map of, say, 1906, on the

Historic Pittsburgh website for a comparison). Language about reconnecting the Hill is political speech. Penguins president and CEO, David Morehouse, is widely quoted as saying, “Let’s make something great,” when really, something pretty good would do just ﬁne. As masterplanning, it’s mostly impossible. Right now, plans as presented still need reconsideration and reﬁnement. The Department of City Planning wisely demands a master plan for a property this large to preclude large-scale surprises later on. However, six decades of experience suggest this site might never be completely built in a still-shrinking Pittsburgh. And the

published phasing plan leaves a majority of components without a schedule. Will they ever happen? The desire to turn Wylie Avenue into a major thoroughfare and Logan Street into a festival market makes sense to connect to the Penguins arena, but not so much to the Hill. It’s easy to imagine such a street ﬁlling up with Penguins fans (maybe at the expense of existing local places). The grand axis to Wylie seems like a big gesture, but not a gravitational draw. And it doesn’t really connect to Downtown.

SIX DECADES OF EXPERIENCE SUGGEST THIS SITE MIGHT NEVER BE COMPLETELY BUILT IN A STILL-SHRINKING PITTSBURGH. Maybe the Interstate Cap park will be nice, but there is no plan to redesign the intersections of Washington Place at either Bigelow or Center, so these will always be hazardous, daunting, and unpleasant barriers between this spot and Downtown. Not a real reconnection at all. I’d settle for some well-designed buildings. Yet, the very reputable architecture juggernaut Gensler is thus far giving us anonymous and shallow work. The rendering published in the Post-Gazette in March was especially disappointing — poorly composed and

badly proportioned. The version from the May 15 public presentation is more clear and less sloppy, but still dull and very far from the expressed aspirations. The hypothetical building would need a complete redesign that would improve the architecture while better connecting to the Hill. Whether Centre Avenue becomes a commercial street or not, it needs to have an open view corridor that showcases the beautiful Church of St. Benedict the Moor instead of obstructing it. That is a possible and necessary reconnection. Doing that could also provide suitable additional public space next to Freedom Corner, while giving I.M. Pei’s Washington Plaza, now City View Apartments, just a bit of breathing room. This would be the place for a couple of shops – coffee, sandwiches, a small market – that could extend and improve the existing neighborhood fabric of Crawford Roberts, which looks so neighborhood-y, but suffers so much from an absence of public space. Is it too late to bring in David Adjaye to work with Gensler? Or Rachel Gang? Speaking of architects who do award-winning housing design, what about Koning Eizenberg, who is fresh off another award-winning project for the Children’s Museum, and has done plenty of housing in L.A. that is just so much better than this? The desire to connect the Hill back to Downtown and the desire for greatness are ﬁne as political speech. If this project is really going forward, though, then it is really time to apply these desires to the complexities of architecture and urban design. That can be a rewarding process, but it is notably unﬁnished at this moment.

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Follow contributing writer Charles Rosenblum on Twitter @CharlzR PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

PHOTO: ASHLEY FAYE PHOTOGRAPHY

Kelly Frey, 2018 Women Who Rock Award recipient

.MUSIC.

TAE MORNING news anchor Kelly Frey received the 2018 Women Who Rock (WWR) Award last year for documenting and sharing her battle with triplenegative breast cancer. This included her live streaming a tour of the MageeWomens Research Institute and then crossing the street to UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital to receive her mammogram results. “This whole experience tied into Women Who Rock, and sharing her story tied into her and her open public battle,” says WWR CEO and founder Melinda Colaizzi. “We kept hearing, ‘Wow Kelly, thank you so much for doing this. I was always so afraid to get a mammogram, and now I feel more comfortable.’ That’s exactly what we’re trying to do through this.” Now in its third year, the annual WWR beneﬁt concert raises money to support women’s health.

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This year, WWR celebrated Women’s Health Awareness Week on May 12-18 by letting prominent women in Pittsburgh take over its official Instagram account, allowing those affected by health issues or working in the health field to share their stories via social media, much like Frey did. “It’s all about empowerment and women in music,” says Colaizzi, “and having them come together and unite to raise funds for women’s health research, which is very much understudied.” Magee-Womens is the largest research institute in the U.S. focused solely on the health of women and infants. More than 100 nationally recognized physician-scientists are engaged in groundbreaking research on women’s health. In 2018, WWR donated over $26,000 directly to the Oakland-based organization. For 2019, they hope to quadruple that amount. “We had a lot of conversations with our event committee about, ‘Did we want to place those funds to one specific research field? Would it just go to ovarian cancer? Would it just go to breast cancer?’” says Colaizzi. “But what we learned about the research institute is that there are so many different issues and different

PHOTO: ASHLEY FAYE PHOTOGRAPHY

2018 Rising Star winner Allissa Logsdon

WOMEN WHO ROCK 6:30 p.m. Thu., May 30. Stage AE, 400 N. Shore Drive, North Side. $55 general admission. womenwhorockpgh.com

avenues of women’s health that don’t get the same media coverage. We just felt that all these different issues were equally important, and we wanted to

give them that money and have them allocate it however they wanted.” This year’s WWR award recipient is Dr. Sharon Hillier, professor and vice-

chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Magee-Womens Research Institute. Her team recently discovered a ring, the ﬁrst of its kind, able to stop the spread of HIV in women. During Women’s Health Awareness Week, Dr. Hillier was one of the featured Instagram takeover guests, giving the world an intimate look into her lab. Frey will return to WWR on Thu., May 30 to present the award to Hillier. This year’s event at Stage AE will feature an all-female fronted lineup with headliner, Shelia E. The famous percussionist has performed and/or recorded with Prince, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Gloria Estefan, Patti LaBelle, and Stevie Nicks, among others. Joining Shelia E. is Lyndsey Smith, DJ Jess, award-winning women’s a cappella group Sounds of Pittsburgh Chorus, and this year’s Rising Star Contest winner, Melina Bowser, a current student at North Allegheny High School. In addition to the music, there is a beauty bar, photo booth, silent auction, and more. “It’s really all about a night of empowering women and making a difference,” says Colaizzi.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

PHOTO: BILL PERESTA

Island Moving Company

.DANCE.

SHARING THE STAGE BY STEVE SUCATO // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T’S BEEN A big year for Staycee and Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl. The husband and wife duo behind the STAYCEE PEARL dance project and PearlArts Studios recently won awards, mounted several successful productions, and have been commissioned by Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre to create a work for next season. Now the Pearls are embarking on one of their biggest projects to date, the weeklong pearlPRESENTS Dance Festival, June 3-9 at the New Hazlett Theater. Instrumental in the creation of the newMoves Contemporary Dance Festival at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Staycee is not new to mounting a dance event on this scale. She says the timing was right to highlight some of the collaborations the organization has developed with other dance companies and to create another performance platform for local dance artists to present work. Included in the inaugural event are daily masterclasses, an artist brunch at Federal Galley, and Saturday night’s

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post-performance pearlGALA catered by Black Radish with entertainment by DJ Orlando “Buscrates” Marshall. Here is a brief look at the festival’s performances:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5. 7 P.M.

3600 seconds of solos Twelve Pittsburgh-based artists chosen by lottery perform stylistically varied 5-minute solo works.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6. 7 P.M.

Groove Indian dance fusion styles and hip hop come together in chitra.MOVES’ female trio, TRIBE. Rhode Island’s Island Moving Company (IMC) makes its Pittsburgh debut in a trio of works including the 2018 duet “Kindred/Two Hearts 1952-1985” and choreographer Danielle Genest’s “Transport” (2018). STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos (SPdp & SS) will present a new work-in-progress on Blackness, “Circles,” and join forces with

IMC in “sol FRESH,” inspired by soul music of the late-1950s up through the mid-1970s.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7. 12 P.M. DOLLAR BANK MAIN STAGE, THREE RIVERS ARTS FESTIVAL

noontime/GROOVE The free concert features dance works by SPdp & SS, chitra.MOVES, and IMC.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7. 7 P.M.

On Point SPdp & SS reprise “sol FRESH” and “Circles” and IMC performs Jose Limon’s “Mazurkas” (1958) to music by Frederic Chopin. Also includes works by Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Cooper Verona and former PBT dancer, Julia Erickson.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8. 7 P.M.

DUO + pearlGALA The shared program will feature Sidra Bell Dance New York in a 40-minute preview of PRELUDE | IDENTITY in advance of its June premiere in Brooklyn. The intimate work “deals with our growing

lack of privacy,” says Bell. SPdp & SS will reprise their atmospheric work sym, inspired by sci-ﬁ writer Octavia Butler’s novel Fledgling.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9. 3:00 P.M.

PDMR Alumni Concert PearlDiving Movement Residency alumni reunite for this program. Includes works by Maree ReMalia, Jasmine Hearn, and SPdp company member, Joy-Marie Thompson, who says her new solo “LIBERATION” is about “the alienation that Black people receive in this world.” Also featured is slowdanger in the Pittsburgh premiere of “Empathy Machine.”

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PEARLPRESENTS DANCE FESTIVAL New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square, North Side. $15-20/show, $50/Festival Performance Pass, $160/pearlGALA + Festival Pass & $125 pearlGALA + Saturday show only. Full festival schedule and tickets at pearlartsstudios.com/pearlpresents

.FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 30

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

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’ve got a message for you from Cancerian poet Tyler Knott Gregson. Please read it every day for the next 15 days, including when you first wake up and right before sleep. Here it is: “Promise me you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves that you forget, truly forget, how much you have always loved to swim.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 2003, a group of thieves in Antwerp, Belgium pulled off the biggest jewelry heist in history. To steal the diamonds, gold, and other gems, together worth more than $100 million, they had to outsmart security guards, a seismic sensor, a protective magnetic field, Doppler radar, infrared detectors, and a lock. I mention this, Leo, because I suspect that in the coming weeks you will have a comparable ability to insinuate yourself into the presence of previously inaccessible treasures and secrets and codes. You’ll be able to penetrate barriers that have kept you shut off from valuable things. (P.S. I hope that unlike the Antwerp thieves, you’ll use your superpowers in an ethical manner.)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the northeast corner of Spain, bordering France, is an area known as Catalonia. With its own culture and language, it has a long history of seeking complete autonomy. On four occasions it has declared itself to be independent from Spain. The most recent time was in 2017, when 92 percent of the Catalans who voted expressed the desire to be free of Spain’s rule. Alas, none of the rebellions have succeeded. In the latest instance, no other nation on Earth recognized Catalonia’s claim to be an independent republic. In contrast to its frustrated attempts, your own personal quest to seek greater independence could make real progress in the coming months. For best results, formulate a clear intention and define the precise nature of the sovereignty you seek. Write it down!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A Libran blogger named OceanAlgorithms wrote, “I’m simultaneously wishing I were a naturalist whose specialty is finding undiscovered species in well-explored places; and a skateboarding mathematician meditating on an almost-impossible-

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I prefer live theater over movies. The glossy flawlessness of films, accomplished by machines that assemble and polish, is less emotionally rich than the direct impact of live performers’ unmediated voices and bodies and emotions. Their evocative imperfections move me in ways that glossy flawlessness can’t. Even if you’re not like me, Gemini, I invite you to experiment with my approach for a while — not just in the entertainment you choose, but in all areas of your life. As much as possible, get your experience raw and unfiltered. to-solve equation as I practice my skateboard tricks; and a fierce forest witch who casts spells on nature-despoilers; and a gothic heroine with twelve suitors; and the sexiest cat that ever lived.” I love how freewheeling and wide-ranging OceanAlgorithms is with her imaginative fantasies. In light of current astrological omens, I encourage you to do the same. Give yourself permission to dream and scheme extravagantly.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Geologists aren’t exactly sure why, but almost six million years ago, the Strait of Gibraltar closed up. As a result, the Mediterranean Sea was cut off from the Atlantic Ocean, and within a thousand years, it had mostly disappeared. Fast forward 600,000 years. Again, geologists don’t understand how it happened, but a flood broke through the barrier, allowing the ocean to flow back into the Mediterranean basin and restore it to its previous status as a sea. I propose that we invoke that replenishment as a holy symbol for the process you’re engaged in: a replenishment of your dried-out waters.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I invite you to meditate on this proposal from freelance writer Radha Marcum: “The spiritual definition of love is that when you look at the person you love, it makes you love yourself more.” I hope there’s a lot of that kind of action going on for you in the next four weeks. According to my assessment of life’s secret

currents, all of creation will be conspiring to intensify and deepen your love for yourself by intensifying and deepening your love for other people. Cooperate with that conspiracy, please!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Is there a creature on earth that’s more annoying than the mosquito? I’ve never heard anyone gaze upon one of the pesky monsters sucking blood out of their arm and say, “Aw, what a cute little bug.” And yet every year there is a town in Russia that holds a jokey three-day celebration in honor of the mosquito. The people who live in Berezniki even stage a “most delicious” competition, in which people allow themselves to be pricked by mosquitoes for twenty minutes, with an award going to whomever accumulates the most bites. I highly approve of the spirit of this approach for your own use in the coming weeks, Capricorn. If you have fun with the things that bother you, I bet they won’t bother you as much.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s the Forever Season, Aquarius. You have a poetic license to act as if your body will live for a hundred years and your soul will live for all eternity. You are authorized to believe that in the coming decades you will grow steadily wiser, kinder, happier, and wilder. During the Forever Season, you may have dreams like flying over a waterfall at sunset, or finding the lost magic you were promised before you were born, or

discovering the key to a healing you feared would always elude you. As you careen through this unpredictable grace period, your understanding of reality may expand dramatically. I bet you’ll get practical epiphanies about how to express yourself with greater effectiveness.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A musical historian from Cambridge University decided it would be amusing to perform forgotten songs that were written in the Rhineland a thousand years ago. His research wasn’t easy, because musical notation was different back then. But he ultimately reconstructed the tunes in ways that he felt were 80 percent faithful to the originals. He and other musicians subsequently performed and recorded them. I propose a somewhat comparable assignment for you in the coming weeks, Pisces. You will benefit, I believe, from trying to recover the truth about events that occurred a long time ago and/or by trying to revivify old beauty that has new relevance.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks it will make good sense for you to travel down winding paths replete with interesting twists and provocative turns. The zigzags you’ll be inspired to pursue won’t be inconvenient or inefficient, but rather will be instrumental in obtaining the healing you need. To honor and celebrate this oddly lucky phase, I’ll quote parts of “Flying Crooked,” a poem by Robert Graves. “The butterfly will never master the art of flying straight, yet has a just sense of how not to fly: He lurches here and here by guess and God and hope and hopelessness. Even the acrobatic swift has not his flying-crooked gift.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Has a part of you become too timid, docile, or prosaic? Is there an aspect of your beautiful soul that is partially muzzled, submissive, or housebroken? If so, now is a favorable time to seek an antidote. But listen closely: the cure isn’t to become chaotic, turbulent, and out of control. It would be counterproductive to resort to berserk mayhem. Here’s a better way: be primal, lush, and exciting. Be wildly playful and unpredictably humorous and alluringly intriguing. Try experiments that rouse your rowdy sweetness, your unkempt elegance, your brazen joy, and your sensual intelligence.

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’s lone liberal talkshow host for 30+ years Listen live every weekday at 10 a.m. at lynncullen.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 29-JUNE 5, 2019

PHOTO: NICOLETTE KALAFATIS

Feralcat

.MUSIC.

IN THE WILD BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

OGER RAFAEL ROMERO, a saxo-

phonist who recently started recording music under the name Feralcat, doesn’t want the baggage that often comes with his instrument. “There’s a certain expectation that I’ve been trying to subvert for years on the saxophone,” says Romero. “You go up on stage, you thrust your hips, and you play whatever pop-gunk they want to hear. I’m not looking to work this angle as a jazz musician.” On Sat., June 1, during a doublerelease party with Starship Mantis, Romero will release his ﬁrst project, a self-titled EP, which he dubs as

progressive and art rock. “It’s the biggest release I’ve ever felt in my life,” says Romero. “Better than any drug. People keep asking me [if I’m nervous.] And I’m like, ‘No, not really.’ This is more like a coming out. I’ve been holding this part of me in for so long.” Two years ago, Romero’s ﬁrst serious musical endeavor, Eastend Mile, called it quits. Having assumed that the band would “become a thing,” he had no backup plan ready when it ended. So, he began working as a freelance musician at weddings and the like. Then, Romero met the lead singer of Sorority Noise, who invited the saxo-

FERALCAT AND STARSHIP MANTIS DOUBLE ALBUM RELEASE PARTY 8 p.m. Sat., June 1. Mr. Smalls Theatre, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $15. rogerrafaelromero.com

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phonist to play onstage with the emo/ punk rock band during a sold-out show at Spirit. “That kind of triggered something in me,” says Romero. “I was, like, I want to play music like this on stage. I just want to thrash around. But I’m not a singer. So I have to write music where I could be the front man, even though I’m a saxophone player.” Starting in March 2018 and ﬁnishing in October, Romero composed the six tracks on Feralcat. With Brandon Lehman and Drew Bayura playing guitar, Caleb Lombardi on the keys/synth, Chris “Trip” Trepagnier on bass, and Allen Bell on drums, Romero created a riveting and piercing rock EP, starring a saxophonist. “Squirtle Squad,” for example, begins with raw guitar licks, before the saxophone sneaks in, replacing the lines that might typically go to a vocalist.

“I think about that kid in high school jazz band,” says Romero, “that’s just like me, that had all these friends playing cool rock shows, and I just couldn’t do it, or if I did it was joining a ska band or something. The avenue for it didn’t exist then. And I’m trying to create that avenue.” Saturday’s release show at Mr. Smalls will be the ﬁrst time Romero plays the music with a full band live. He tested a few tracks from Feralcat at the ﬁrst iteration of City Paper Live in Market Square on Wed., May 15, with only backing tracks and his lead guitarist. “This music hits hard,” says Romero. “It’s high impact, high-energy music. If anyone’s expecting to just sit down, chill, and listen to some saxophone music, you have another thing coming. You’re either going to head bang or hate it and leave. Either way, there’s no apathy with this music.”

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FREE ENTERTAINMENT ALL SUMMER LONG

PHOTO: MATT POLK

.THEATER.

SPAMILTON

LIVE

BY MAGGIE WEAVER //MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

IN-MANUEL MIRANDA wants a

revolution, but not the kind that builds democracy in America. The bright-eyed, idealistic Miranda of Spamilton is ﬁghting on the battleﬁeld of Broadway. Spamilton: An American Parody lampoons Miranda’s smash hit Hamilton with winking reverence. Author Gerard Alessandrini’s imagination is on full display in the satire, producing wild musical mashups (the “Lion King and I” a personal favorite), crazy plot points, and surprisingly frequent use of hand puppets.

SPAMILTON: AN AMERICAN PARODY Continues through Aug. 25. Greer Cabaret Theater, 655 Penn Ave., Downtown. $31.25-59.75. pittsburghclo.org

The musical opens on Michelle and Barack Obama’s bedroom in 2016. Preparing for bed, Barack dusts off the Hamilton soundtrack. They cuddle up to Alexander Hamilton’s trademark beats, and Aaron Burr (Tru Verret-Fleming), pops out to deliver the opening verses. At ﬁrst, I thought the spoof was going to mirror the Hamilton score note-fornote, but it quickly goes off the rails. After the opening number — which introduces Miranda (T.J. Newton) and his goal not to let “Broadway rot” — the show becomes an outrageous hodgepodge of musical satire. The plot is loose, to say the least. The musical takes its inspiration’s lyrics and loses itself in silly, whimsical tangents

(instead of “throwing away his shot,” Miranda is not “throwing away this pot”). These tangents give way to some of the best moments: Erin Ramirez, who plays all the leading ladies, appearing as Liza Minnelli to sing a jazzy tune titled “Down with Rap;” the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme reimagined as a tribute to Daveed Diggs (who played Lafayette in Hamilton’s original cast); or a pianist serenading the audience with the sad news that “straight is back, it’s a cinch, Hedwig put away his angry inch.” Luckily the absurdity of the production doesn’t cloud the talents of this great cast. Justin Lonesome (Ben Franklin, George Washington, others), dressed as Annie, struck sky-high notes in a clear falsetto, and Ramirez executed ﬂawless, comedic impressions of all the Broadway divas. (Note: if you love Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, or Disney, this is not the show for you. Spamilton spends most of the script ragging on the greats, resulting in a water-gun assassination of Miranda from the coalition of big Broadway characters.) Nevertheless, things end up amicable in full corny musical fashion, with the cast imploring the audience to “raise a glass to Broadway.” Alessandrini’s writing taunts Hamilton, but there’s still obvious respect for the musical. It’s a ridiculous send-up created from a place of admiration, and I don’t think I stopped laughing during the entire hour. It was pure, absurd fun — worth the ticket price. Even if you’ve never seen Hamilton, the jokes still land.

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May 15 - August 7