November 30, 2021 — Pittsburgh City Paper

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DEC. 1-8, 2021

SQUIRREL HILL’S DAVID GARROW HELPED EXONERATE TWO MEN CONVICTED FOR KILLING MALCOLM X. OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE PULITZER PRIZEWINNING AUTHOR IS INSIDE.

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FIRSTSHOT BYY YASH MITTAL

The Chabad of Pittsburgh invited community members to gather at the City County Building on Mon., Nov. 29 for the Downtown Menorah Lighting in celebration of Hanukkah.

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DEC. 1-8, 2021 VOLUME 30 + ISSUE 48 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Director of Advertising JASMINE HUGHES Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD Managing Editor RYAN DETO A&E Editor AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writer DANI JANAE Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Editorial Designer LUCY CHEN Graphic Designer JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Digital Marketing Coordinator DARYA KHARABI Sales Representatives ZACK DURKIN, OWEN GABBEY, HANNAH MORAN-FUNWELA Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, MIKE CANTON, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA Interns TIA BAILEY, ISABELLA DIAZ, YASH MITTAL, JASON PHOX National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

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11/18/21 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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CORRECTING HISTORY, CONTINUED FROM PG. 5

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Stay up-to-date with the latest news, updated daily at pghcitypaper.com

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David Garrow

CONTINUES ON PG. 8

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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CORRECTING HISTORY, CONTINUED FROM PG. 6

PHOTO: ARK MEDIA

TV Series: Who Killed Malcolm X?

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Follow managing editor Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Tim Stevens performs with Phat Man Dee at Con Alma in Shadyside.

.FOOD.

VEGGIES AND JAZZ

BY DANI JANAE // DANIJANAE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

V

EGAN AND VEGETARIAN MENUS

are becoming more mainstream at restaurants across the country, but it still takes some boldness to pull them off.

Con Alma recently undertook that step and has transitioned to a full vegetarian menu at their Shadyside location on Ellsworth Avenue.

As a vegan, I was excited to try some of the restaurant’s plant-based offerings.

This was my first trip to the popular jazz bar, and the place was relatively quiet when I arrived around 6 p.m. on a Tuesday evening. For the uninitiated, Con Alma is located on the quieter section of Ellsworth, nestled back toward the shops and boutiques. Upon arrival, diners are greeted by the name scripted in stylish, neon pink lights.

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It wasn’t long before the restaurant began to wake up, with musicians and patrons arriving, and I ordered my entree.

I was enticed by the two curries toward the bottom of the menu, and chose a West Indian Chick Pea Curry with chickpeas, shallot, garlic, sweet pepper, fennel seed, curry powder, turmeric, ginger, cilantro, and coconut milk. What drew me away from the other offering, the Red Curry, was the addition of mint chutney, one of my favorite flavors.

When my curry came, it was served with white rice and topped with a heaping pile of fresh cilantro. This time — and they may not serve it this way always — the curry featured fingerling potatoes, another pleasant surprise. I tried the curry on its own first, and it had a richness attributed

to coconut milk but without the intense coconut flavor. The spices and curry really shone in that first bite, and the chickpeas were cooked well, with a nice bite that melted into a tender interior.

CON ALMA 5884 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. conalmapgh.com

There was also carrot in the curry, and while I usually am turned off by the flavor and texture of cooked carrot, it really absorbed the flavors of the curry and didn’t have the taste to which I am usually so adverse. They had been cooked pretty thoroughly, so there wasn’t any crunch, but that wasn’t an off-putting factor.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE IMMERSIVE VAN GOGH EXHIBIT

Immersive Van Gogh Yoga

.EVENT.

BUT IS IT ART?

BY AL HOFF // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HE KEY WORD IS “EXPERIENCE.” The

Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit is not an exhibition of paintings, but a 35-minute “immersive digital art experience,” designed by Massimiliano Siccardi with a significant assist from Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890). In a repurposed warehouse on the North Side, visitors stand or sit in a darkened room while a steady stream of digitally projected images drawn from dozens of Van Gogh paintings unfold across a seamless four-walled screen and the floor.

Van Gogh famously couldn’t sell his own paintings. Here, he is both artist and commodity, achieving remarkable heights of ancillary branding, albeit several steps removed from his brush. His life’s work is transformed into dancing pixels which are both the new medium and commercial product. Tickets range from $99.99 for the VIP option (includes a branded cushion) to off-peak hours for $39.99.

Early-rising types can opt for Gogh with Lifeway Kefir Immersive Yoga ($54.99), which combines the art presentation

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with a standard vinyasa flow. Yogis are instructed to just “feel good, take everything in,” because the film can be enjoyed with full attention after class, and indeed, the artwork was never mentioned again.

So patrons bend, twist, and stretch, while trying not to be distracted by the unavoidable screens. Even the floor is illuminated, which causes the mat to burst into skies, windmills, and Van Gogh’s troubled visage.

Working out in the bath of colored light has its charms — and its distractions — but the yoga and the presentation co-exist rather than combine into a sum greater than the two parts.

Not content to merely present, the film breaks up the paintings, as a close-up of a wheat field dissolves into a streetscape, which then might fracture into the artist’s scribble. (For the old-fashioned patron, banners hang in the lobby depicting full paintings with some explanatory text.)

Frequently, aspects within the paintings are animated — a train moves, blossoms quiver, flies crawl. As with a TV above the bar, the eye insistently travels to motion

set in stillness. But to stare at the flickering candle set in Van Gogh’s hat reduces the viewer’s focus and can minimize the impact of the total work. Strict “totalists” be advised: The art form sold here is evershifting pastiche. Movement is demanded, as if acknowledging that today’s spectator can’t simply stand unentertained before a static image, even those as inherently dynamic and compelling as Van Gogh’s.

VAN GOGH EXHIBIT:

THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE Continues through February 2022.

Lighthouse Artspace. 720 E. Lacock St., North Side. $29.99-99.99. vangoghpittsburgh.com

For even more sensory stimulation, an accompanying soundtrack plays mostly instrumental pieces and two rather random pop songs, including Edith Piaf’s “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” (Van Gogh himself seemed particularly prone to regrets ...).

And like all carefully constructed crowdpleasers, the presentation builds to Van Gogh’s biggest hit song … err … painting.

On a black screen, colorful blobs tease, build and swirl, like the opening chords to a fan-favorite tune. Yes! “Starry Night”!

Despite the ballyhoo at the door — “entrancing, moving images that highlight brushstrokes, detail, and color” — this presentation tends to flatten the artwork, creating the sensation of being boxed in a TV, immersed in a music video, not an oil painting. Only a few brief seconds transcend this — most so when hundreds of purple irises multiply frantically, becoming a psychedelic panorama of intense Van Gogh-ish color. This abstraction is more visually interesting than the often stilted parade of the paintings and painting fragments.

But more workshopping toward this effect is needed throughout. Another attempt at breaking the format — in which assorted Van Gogh self-portraits reflect in the dark waters of “Starry Night Over the Rhône” — is cheesy, a hasty mash-up

PHOTO: AL HOFF

The real “Starry Night” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City

of greatest hits, the bandaged ear in a starry night.

Immersive Van Gogh is certainly provocative: Questions come to mind as rapidly as sunflowers pop on and off the screen. Is it art? Is it fair to Van Gogh? Is it illuminating? Can two million visitors worldwide be wrong? How much money is being made here? Would that one friend love a ticket as a holiday present? Is there a “right” way to appreciate fine art?

What of all those dorm-room Van Gogh posters? Is a reproduction demonstrably less meaningful than standing before the actual painting? One is accessible to all, the other requires additional commitments of time, travel, and expense. Discuss.

steam in the immersive “Potato Eaters” that makes it seem more “real”; the inevitable exit-through-the-gift-shop where additional talismans — mass-produced in China utilizing other high-tech wizardry — of having Done Art can be acquired for inflated sums. (Indeed, Immersive offers a robust selection of Van Gogh-ish geegaws, from bucket hats to flasks, but the High Temple of MOMA is no different — need a “Starry Night” umbrella?)

Immersive Van Gogh is, as advertised, an entertainment experience, a preprogrammed spectacle with a patina of the intellectual weight that we believe the high art and serious knowledge enshrined in museums conveys. It is Laserium with

QUESTIONS COME TO MIND AS RAPIDLY AS SUNFLOWERS POP ON AND OFF THE SCREEN. IS IT ART? IS IT FAIR TO VAN GOGH? Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” painting is relatively nearby, just a day’s drive away, hanging in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, where a visitor may hope to glimpse it through a scrum of other visitors taking selfies. For many, the pleasure of art is inextricably tied to the modern experiential enhanced by technology — the proof of selfie; the added music (“I regret nothing …”); the rising

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classical music, or an IMAX plunge to the ocean floor, or a long-ago traveling sideshow that promised “wonders of exotic lands.” Such pursuits are wholly artificial, but you knew that going in, right? Each visitor will have their own take — be it awe, boredom, delight or revulsion — and in the end, only one question matters: Is standing in an illuminated box of animated Van Gogh paintings worth $60 to you?

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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Arlan Hess Title

(SHE/HER) Owner, City Books

Social Media @citybookspgh Handle/website citybookspgh.com

Longer version online at pghcitypaper.com

CP PHOTO: TERENEH IDIA

Arlan Hess inside City Books in the North Side

.FASHION.

CLOTHES MAKE ... ARLAN HESS

BY TERENEH IDIA // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

How would you define your style?

I think I’ve always looked best in classic styles with clean lines and solid colors. I don’t chase a lot of fads. I find what I like and what works for my body, and I stick with it — probably to a fault. Depending on the jobs I’ve had, I’ve had to dress up or down depending on the situation. In my 20s, I worked in an office and I enjoyed wearing skirts and suits. When I was teaching through my 30s and 40s, I wore lots of slacks and sweaters, with a tweed or corduroy blazer every once in a while — very light academia. But now at the bookstore, I am often lifting boxes, shelving books, and getting dusty, so comfort is key.

T-shirts and jeans and oversized sweaters are my uniform. I enjoy getting dressed up for artsy events and special occasions, but since the pandemic started, I haven’t done any of that. I miss it more than I thought I would.

Who are your style inspirations?

I had a 40-year-old’s figure when I was a teenager, so my style inspirations were more Katharine Hepburn and Lauren

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Bacall than Cindy Crawford and Elle MacPherson. I went hard for Lisa Birnbach’s Preppy Handbook when I was in junior high, so I wore embroidered pants and carried a Bermuda bag for longer than I care to admit.

In high school, I tried a few miniskirts and cropped tops, but that always felt more like a costume than personal style. Those were the early days of Limited Express, remember that? More recently, though, I’ve tried to find style inspiration in those close to my own age. Right now, I’m keeping my eye on Grece Ghanem, a gray-haired, over-50 microbiologist turned model from Montreal. I think I could pull off her combination of style, detail, and attitude.

She also wears more color than I do, which I am trying to emulate.

Do you have a favorite designer?

I don’t have a favorite designer because I tend to like individual pieces rather than a designer’s whole aesthetic. But lately, when I see something that I like on a celebrity, it turns out to be by Christian Siriano, which I get a kick out of because I watched him on Project Runway years ago.

One of the first things I wanted to be when I was little was a fashion designer because I loved the movie Mahogany. I was too young to understand what the film was really about, but I knew I liked the clothes. Before that, I hadn’t realized that clothing was actually designed by a person. I drew pictures of wardrobes for all the women in my family and my school teachers. The first real clothing designer I knew by name was Bob Mackie because of all of Cher’s wild dresses.

We only learned how to make pillows in Home Ec, so I taught myself how to sew clothes the summer after high school. I sewed a lot through my 20s. I pulled out my old machine at the beginning of the pandemic to make face masks, but later in the summer, I bought a cheap dress form on eBay and started making my own patterns from watching YouTube videos. I only finished two pieces, but it passed the time.

Tell me about the clothes you’re wearing today?

This is a typical fall outfit for me. My jeans have a bit of stretch in them and they go

to my waist, which is what looks best on me because I am so short waisted. I like the dark wash. My shirt is washable silk from Quince. I’ve been trying to shop more sustainably and I’ve heard good things about them. I thrifted my cardigan from Goodwill. Since I left teaching, I’ve tried to shift from an outfit-based wardrobe to a closet-based wardrobe, so I don’t buy anything unless it goes with almost everything else I already own — like a capsule wardrobe. That keeps me focused on what I want versus what I really need.

It’s easier on my budget and cuts down on laundry.

I love the “A” necklace. Do you have any gifts from someone that you wear often or every day?

Yes! My sister gave me the “A” necklace last year. We are big Schitt’s Creek fans and Alexis wore one in gold.

Do you have a gift to yourself that you wear often?

I’ve splurged on eyewear over the last year because my eyes have gotten really bad. I have a huge collection of +2 readers, and

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“I FIND WHAT I LIKE AND WHAT WORKS FOR MY BODY, AND I STICK WITH IT.” although no one pair has been expensive, I have bought a lot of them. Other than that, it has been a couple of years since I bought myself what I would call a gift gift. But I just bought a vintage Mad Men-style winter coat and a pair of vintage Chuck Taylor camouflage high tops on Etsy. They haven’t gotten much wear yet, but they will.

One thing I noticed are the small details — the way your sweater is unbuttoned, the cuff of your shirt. I love that!

Thanks! I try to pay attention to details.

If I weren’t wearing a belt today, I might have buttoned all the way down. And the sleeves of this sweater are a little short, while the sleeves of the blouse are a little long. So form is following function. If the temperature were a bit warmer, I might have worn this as a cardigan instead of a

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pullover, but I like the pattern as a whole so I didn’t want to break it up.

What do you love about the North Side and being in this Western Avenue corridor? Do the stadiums help business?

I like being on the North Side because although it is in the city, it isn’t full of skyscrapers or office buildings over three or four stories. That gives it a small town feel. Northsiders also have a particular sense of independence that, I think, comes from Allegheny City being distinct from Pittsburgh for so long. The stadiums don’t help with business in a quantifiable way because people don’t usually buy a book on the way too or from a sporting event, but they do walk by the store when they are down here, and that is advertising that I couldn’t pay for otherwise.

Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @TerenehIdia

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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PHOTO: COURTESY PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

The ice rink inside the Hunt Armory

.ENTERTAINMENT.

ICE, ICE BABY

BY JASON PHOX // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

C

REATED IN 1916, the Hunt Armory

in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood served mainly as a training and shortage center during its long history, and was once the site for speeches by former U.S. Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. But what was originally a storehouse for weapons and ammunition is now an ice rink and opened to the public on Nov. 26.

The historic Hunt Armory was transformed into a seasonal ice rink funded by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 46,500 square foot armory was converted into an ice rink that features dashboard and glass installation, ice design, seating, and tenting for locker rooms.

HUNT ARMORY 324 Emerson St., Shadyside. huntarmoryicerink.com

The city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto gathered on

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“FINALLY, THIS LONGTIME GEM OF THE SHADYSIDE COMMUNITY IS BEING OPENED UP FOR ALL THE CITY TO ENJOY, THROUGH THE GREAT GAME OF HOCKEY.” Nov. 22 for the ribbon-cutting for the rink.

The rink is open to the public every day through March 1, 2021. Tickets must be purchased in advance and public skating time is limited.

“Finally, this longtime gem of the Shadyside community is being opened up for all the city to enjoy, through the great game of hockey,” Peduto said in a press release. “I can’t wait to put my skates on and join in.”

The Penguins spent more than $1 million for the renovation and hope

that the new rink brings hockey to more urban fans. Funding also came from a grant from the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association to support efforts to create access to hockey for youth players of color in city neighborhoods.

In 2019, the URA purchased the Hunt Armory, hoping to preserve the historic nature of the building while also turning it into something that will benefit the community. They are glad to see the conversion of the former armory by the Penguins Foundation.

“We’ve waited years to see the Hunt Armory become animated again, and I can’t think of a better way to do so than with a community gathering space like this,” said Pittsburgh City Councilor Erika Strassburger, who represents the neighborhood. “This rink and the Penguins’ programming will provide an excellent opportunity to welcome children and families from across the city to Shadyside and to build bridges to other communities.”

The Penguins Foundation will also host free regularly-scheduled community skating opportunities for youth and community groups throughout the region. Public skates will be from 7-9 p.m.

Fridays; from 2-4 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m.

Saturdays; and 2-4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets must be purchased in advanced and cost $7. Skate rental is available for $3 fee. Purchases can be made in advance online at nhl.com/penguins/community/ hunt-armory-rink.

Public officials ask visitors to either walk, bike, or take public transit to the armory, if they can.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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PHOTO: JASON SNYDER

Kyle Haden, Mimi Jong, and Hansel Tan in Quantum Theatre’s Chimerica

.STAGE.

SEARCHING FOR TANK MAN

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HE ONCE-BUSTLING ACE HOTEL in

East Liberty has sat dormant for over a year. This is partly because of the pandemic, which put a stop to the kind of travel, dining, and events that kept the space open, as well as a legal dispute between the building owners and the company that owns the Ace brand.

Now, the venue has rebranded as The Maverick Hotel, and will soon play host to a theatrical production based on realworld events.

Quantum Theatre is using The Maverick’s large gym area to stage Chimerica, an award-winning play inspired by the iconic footage and photos of an unidentified man facing down four tanks in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in June 1989.

Dubbed “Tank Man,” his actions encapsulated the chaos in China, as months of student-led demonstrations protesting government corruption resulted in military intervention and thousands of citizens being killed.

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At the center of the play — which premiered on Nov. 27 and runs through Dec. 19 — is character Joe Schofield, an American journalist set on tracking down the Tank Man he had photographed over two decades before. Pittsburgh actor and director Kyle Haden stepped into the role, saying he was attracted to how the story, set during the 2012 presidential election, captures the intertwined relationship between two major world powers, China and the United States.

“One of the things that I’m really interested by is that it’s a view on America and on China by a Brit,” says Haden, referring to the play’s writer Lucy Kirkwood. “It’s an outsider view. But I think the things that she gets right are really right.”

A synopsis from Quantum describes the show as a “deft political thriller as well as a riveting personal journey.” The plot finds that as China-U.S. relations dominate presidential election debates, a “mysterious message” linked to the Tank

Man event appears in a Beijing newspaper. In response, Joe vows to “uncover the story behind the unknown hero” he photographed 23 years ago.

QUANTUM THEATRE PRESENTS

CHIMERICA Continues through Thu., Dec. 19.

The Maverick. 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. $38-58. Pay-what-you-can shows also available. quantumtheatre.com/chimerica

The play — named after a portmanteau that combines the names of the two countries — originally premiered in 2013 at London’s Almeida Theatre. Since then, it has been performed in various countries, and, in 2019, was adapted as a four-part miniseries for British television.

Haden says the Quantum version will transform the otherwise empty Maverick

gym into a “cool playing space” with “a lot of fun levels.”

“I’m running all over it,” laughs Haden. “I’m getting my 10,000 steps in for this one.”

He adds that Kirkwood combined both real and fictionalized elements to make the story work. He cites parallels between Chimerica and a 2006 television documentary by Frontline, and adds that Joe is an amalgamation of several Western photographers who documented the event.

Also bringing the play to life is art director and longtime Quantum collaborator Susan Tsu, a first-generation Chinese designer born in the U.S. A press release says Tsu provides “a unifying vision for Chimerica” by “drawing on both her own lived experience and a lifetime working with students from the United States and China.”

“Chimerica, while a distinctly Western play, nevertheless scratches at both the Chinese and American heart in search of

PHOTO: JASON SNYDER

Kyle Haden in Chimerica

“IT REVEALS THE UNEASY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OUR PEOPLE WITHIN THE ADVERSARIAL POSTURING OF OUR GOVERNMENTS.” the truth and the soul of our nations and who we have become since 1989,” says Tsu. “It reveals the uneasy connections between our people within the adversarial posturing of our governments.”

While Haden has performed with Quantum before as part of its 2018 production of Inside Passage, he feels especially honored to be cast by director Karla Boos to lead Chimerica.

“As an African-American actor, getting the opportunity to be ‘the American,’ like the face of America, is a really exciting opportunity,” says Haden. ”And the character is written as a white man, so I appreciate Karla thinking of me for this, and seeing traits that I have, and things that I can do as an actor in fitting into that.”

It also gave him a chance to delve into a subject he knew little about, acknowledging that he was only a teen when the events surrounding the Tank Man photo unfolded.

“For such a massive country with such power and influence in the world, I think the average American knows very little about China,” says Haden. “It’s been really cool getting a chance to learn more about the country. That’s what I love about theater, is that anytime I’m telling a story, whether I’m in it as an actor, or whether I’m helming as a director, it’s a chance for me to learn about something.”

Like with Chimerica, he adds that he has done research for past plays, including reading up on the Pittsburgh Steelers 330421_4.75_x_4.75.indd and the city’s history when he directed Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of The Chief, which follows the life and times of team founder Art Rooney.

“It was fun to pivot and jump into kind U.S.-Chinese relations and what happened in Tiananmen Square and kind of how China has developed and the backdrop of the 2012 election and revisiting that,” says Haden. “So I took the chance to do some Wikipedia deep dives and get lost in the vortex of the internet and read cool books.”

Beyond the heavy politics and history, however, is a human story, especially for Joe, who Haden says becomes consumed with “chasing down and getting close to his goal, and how he upends his life and other lives in pursuit of it.”

“There’s just a lot of humanity in this, too,” says Haden. “And for me, that’s what I always react to in a play. It’s really cool to see people from different lifestyles and cultural backgrounds, to see where we have common similar interests, right? That’s what makes us human. ... But I think people will appreciate that and maybe recognize themselves in folks that they didn’t think they would recognize themselves in.”

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Follow a&e editor Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

IRL

IN REAL LIFE EVENT

VIRTUAL STREAMING OR ONLINE-ONLY EVENT HYBRID MIX OF IN REAL LIFE AND ONLINE EVENT

PHOTO: COURTESY OF BIG PICTURE MEDIA

^ Heart Attack Man

THU., DEC. 2 STAGE • IRL North Side’s New Hazlett Theater brings director, playwright, and CMU grad NaTasha Thompson’s Lavender Terrace to the stage as part of its Community Supported Art Performance Series. The original multimedia production explores Marita Boner’s 1928 one-act play The Purple Flower, a metaphor for racial issues in the U.S. Thompson says her goal is to “push Marita’s original allegory forward and to capture the essence of Black life in America over the past 100 years.”

Proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required. 8 p.m. Continues through Fri., Dec. 3. 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. $15-25. newhazletttheater.org

MUSIC • IRL The Neck Deep tour is coming to Stage AE to deliver some high-energy pop-punk to the North Side. Neck Deep, a Welsh poppunk band that formed in 2012, will be joined by Heart Attack Man, Oxymorrons,

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Zero 9:36, and Boston Manor. Before the show, we recommend checking out Heart Attack Man’s new EP Thoughtz & Prayerz.

Proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required. 5 p.m. 400 N. Shore Drive, North Side. $42. promowestlive.com

FRI., DEC. 3 ART • HYBRID Help the Thomas Merton Center for Peace and Justice continue its fight for human rights during the Lost and Found: Pop-up Museum and Online Art Auction.

The two-day fundraising event — described as “celebrating the community, art, and activism” that has kept the Center going for nearly five decades — will feature works by 50 artists in a popup museum and online auction. There will also be family-friendly interactive exhibits, protest memorabilia, pop-up performances, and complimentary beverages and snacks.

4-10 p.m. Continues through Sat., Dec. 4.

5150 Penn Ave., Garfield. Timed tickets. $40 suggested admission. $5-250 pay-whatyou-can. thomasmertoncenter.org/2021

COMEDY • IRL Take a raincheck on your other plans for some laughs with Nate Bargatze. Taking place at the Benedum Center, The Raincheck Tour will feature the stand-up comedian and host of Nateland, a podcast described as tackling “the meaningless issues that we face day-to-day.” See why Bargatze has appeared on several TV shows and multiple Netflix comedy specials. 7 p.m. 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $31-51. trustarts.org

SAT., DEC. 4 MUSIC • IRL Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist Andrea Bocelli comes to PPG Paints Arena.

After performing in piano bars and competing in singing contests, Bocelli rose to fame in 1994 after winning the preliminary round of the 44th Sanremo Music Festival. In 1998, Bocelli was named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People, and later duetted with Celine Dion on the song “The Prayer.” Don’t miss this

highly anticipated tour that was postponed in 2020. 8 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Downtown. $80-499. ppgpaintsarena.com

VOLUNTEER • IRL A local outdoor retailer will join forces with several environmental organizations to help clean up the Ohio River. Public Lands, along with Friends of the Riverfront, Allegheny CleanWays, and United By Blue, will host a family-friendly event to pick up litter along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and West End Bridge.

Volunteers who register for the cleanup will receive a reusable cleanup kit and a limited edition T-shirt, as well as warm drinks and a snack from Soul Biscuit.

10 a.m.-1 p.m. 800-816 Kroll Drive, North Side. Free. Registration required. ohiorivercleanup.eventbrite.com

SUN., DEC. 5 KIDS • IRL Bring the kids to meet the jolly old elf during the Sensory-Friendly Magic Hours with Santa at The Mall at Robinson.

“Morning Made Us Us”

• 2XStrong Coffee is rebranding to 2 C Premium Coffee.

• Our coffee is freshly roasted when ordered.

• Free shipping until end of year.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE MALL AT ROBINSON

^ Sensory-friendly Magic Hours with Santa

Presented in partnership with Autism Speaks, the event promises a sensitive environment and sensory-friendly experience for kids with special needs and their families. Any photo purchase will benefit Autism Speaks. Come for a good time and mark the occasion with a festive photo to look back on for many holidays to come. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 100 Robinson Center Drive, Robinson. Reservation required. shoprobinsonmall.com/event

MON., DEC. 6 LIT • VIRTUAL As a part of the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures Ten Evenings program, author Yaa Gyasi will discuss her celebrated book Transcendent Kingdom. Now a New York Times bestseller, the work follows a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford whose studies are influenced by her younger brother who died of a heroin overdose. Born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Ala., Gyasi has received much acclaim for both Transcendent Kingdom and her debut, award-winning novel Homegoing. 7:30 p.m.

Available to screen virtually online for one week. $10-15. pittsburghlectures.org

EVENT • VIRTUAL Learn how scientists contribute to environmental policy when the Carnegie Science Center presents its latest Virtual Café Sci. Join guest speaker Dr. Patrick Douglas Shirey for The Ecology Policy Lab, a look at how ecology can inform policy that helps to restore ecosystems and recover imperiled species. A certified ecologist and a professor from the Department of Geology and Environmental Science at the University of

Pittsburgh, Shirey promises to shed light on this important subject. 7-9 p.m. Takes place over Zoom. Free. Registration required. carnegiesciencecenter.org/programs/lectures

• 10% off subscriptions.

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TOUR • IRL Enjoy all the beauty Downtown has to offer this season with Walk the Burgh’s Holiday Lights Tour. Lasting until New Year’s Day, the tour takes guests through the Downtown area of the city to take in the architecture, decorations, lights, and more, all during a breathtaking two-hour walk. If the views weren’t tempting enough, the price also includes coupons from restaurant partners of Walk the Burgh Tours, so you can check out the food scene in the city as well. 5-7 p.m. Continues through Sat., Jan. 1, 2022. 1049 Penn Ave., Downtown. $15-25. walktheburgh.com

WED., DEC. 8 COMEDY • IRL If you’re looking to laugh this holiday season, look no further than The Second City’s It’s A Wild, Wacky, Wonderful Life at the O’Reilly Theater. Join the latest members of Chicago’s longtime improv comedy troupe as they skewer the archaic traditions that plague the holiday season with satirical sketches and songs.

Included in the line-up will be Rich Alfonso, Andrew Bolduc, Jenelle Cheyne, Tim Metzler, and Julia Morales. 7:30 p.m.

Continues through Sun., Dec. 12. 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. $37.25-$57.25. ppt.org

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SPORTSCENTER

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ACROSS 1. Bigger than big 5. Nob Hill squad 9. Biting snakes 13. Sports center 15. Cookie that comes in a gingerbread flavor for the holidays 16. Light carriage 17. Leftovers in a Jamba Juice compost bin 18. Ingredient in some muffins 20. Classic dog name 21. Here, in Amiens 23. 1954 Bogart role 24. Where you might roast peppers 28. Crowned?

30. Thing to be sold 31. Group going back to Temple 33. ___ doble 34. Intention 36. Paycheck deduction that goes towards Medicare 38. Mayhem exemplified 39. Grunge outfit 43. “ZOMG! BEQ just made a grunge reference!”

44. Russian city on the Oka 45. Caustic cleaner 46. Rock group with slash as a member?

48. Gothenburg guy, e.g.

50. Great British Baking Show contestant, at times

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54. Succeed 56. Healthy morsel in breakfast cereal 58. Bêtes noires 60. Prefix used with many schools of thought 61. [We’re not sure, check back later] 62. It features busy people 65. See 42-Down 67. Voice in the choir 68. “The Grapes of Wrath” drifter 69. Burning 70. 99%, say 71. Still-life fruit 72. Swingers grp. for women

DOWN 1. Meat of the bone 2. City that’s a 90-minute drive from Buffalo, NY 3. One who grew up making mixtapes 4. “Before I forget ...”

5. Willing to mingle 6. To and ___ 7. Comparative word 8. Rum brand named after a Cervantes character 9. Completely out of it 10. My Bloody Valentine’s genre 11. First foreign-born player to the NBA Rookie of the Year 12. Homs home: Abbr.

14. “Like that’s going to happen”

19. It puts PETA in a pet 22. Raises a fuss 25. Well organized 26. Winter warmer 27. Early immunologist ___ von Behring 29. Head in the Tube 32. Having three unequal sides 35. Midori in skates 37. Even a little bit 39. Tropical hardwood of Central America 40. Doddering fools 41. Beginner, in slang 42. With 65-Across, musical collaborator with Eric Idle on “The Rutles” and Monty Python 43. Internet problem 47. Is unable to 49. More like some

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To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 6th day of December 2021, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for. Christine Gale, Esquire. 707 Grant Street, Suite 3300, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-994-2739

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER DECEMBER 1-8, 2021

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