Summer Camps 2019 List (Part I)
Looking to get the kids out of the house this summer? Pittsburgh City Paper has your back with the 2019 Summer Camps list.
Black History Month: Pittsburgh artist Marcel Walker educates and spreads joy
Part of Pittsburgh City Paper’s month-long celebration of Black History Month Marcel Walker’s smile is infectious. He’s one of those wonderful humans who lights up every room he enters with an enormous smile and a giant hug. Just last week, amidst all of the sappy posts from couples on Valentine’s Day, Walker posted this to…
Emily Calandrelli wants to make science nicer, stupid
Emily Calandrelli is a scientist, an Emmy-nominated television host, a children’s author; she appears regularly on Bill Nye Saves the World and lectures professionally on science literacy; she’s a Truman scholar and has a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT. People call her the “Space Gal.” She’s 31. It’s a crazy impressive resume,…
Kinetic Theatre Company’s An Octoroon is not for the faint of heart
An Octoroon is not for the faint of heart. In the prologue alone, a Black man dons white face, a Caucasian man dons red face, and an Indian man paints his face black. Throw in a few ton of N-words and F-words and, phew! Are you uncomfortable yet? Kinetic Theatre Company’s An Octoroon begins with playwright…
A Chinese woman lost her job at Westinghouse in Shanghai, so she flew all the way to Cranberry to ask for it back
For the past three weeks, Constance has been standing outside the Westinghouse Electric Corporation headquarters in Cranberry, Pa., every weekday, holding laminated signs that read “I just want my JOB back” and “I want to see CEO.” Even through snow, Constance stood in a winter coat, her high cheekbones poking through her scarf and wool hat;…
Black History Month: Walter Mosley defies categorization
Part of Pittsburgh City Paper’s month-long celebration of Black History Month Best known for penning crime-fiction and creating recurring character Easy Rawlins, Walter Mosley has written fiction and non-fiction, plays, and also produces visual art. And while it may seem obvious to categorize him as an author, Mosley defies simple definitions both as an artist…
Vote to make Picklesburgh the best specialty food festival in the country
Looks like America has pickle fever — at least, as far as one USA Today list is concerned. Picklesburgh, Pittsburgh’s annual, three-day celebration of briny goodness, was nominated as one of the best specialty food festivals in the country in USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. As of today, Picklesburgh has secured the number one spot,…
Who, or what, is healing whom?
“How does that work? Do you ask for God’s help first, then give them medicine? Or do you give them medicine and then pray that it works?” That question is posed to Rory Dobbs (Jonathan Berry), a reverend and doctor in Mark Clayton Southers’ Savior Samuel. The lines get a hearty laugh from the audience,…
Spoiler: Absinthe isn’t trippy
Distillers Dave Harmon and Joe DeGroot believe in a holy trinity: wormwood, fennel, and anise. Those three ingredients form the foundation of absinthe, a misunderstood liquor with a bad reputation. Historically, it was known as a hallucinogen, considered liable for murders in the early 1900s (think: Reefer Madness), and even has a syndrome named after…
Ranking System for Children’s Shows
Whoa! You actually clicked that link. You respect process, and I respect you. Zesty regards. There are a lot of factors one could consider when ranking children’s television shows. But the predominant aspect I used to determine each category was re-watchability. When kids are into a show, they want to watch it over and over…
The definitive ranking of 34 television shows for kids
I have seen a lot of kids’ TV shows. I don’t know how many exactly, but a rough estimate is at least 34 different programs, having viewed each ten times or more. Why? Because television is the extra parent that every child likes more than their biological ones. Before you judge me — Never mind,…
The Black Bottom Film Festival celebrates classic and modern innovations in black filmmaking
While the award show industry is beginning to acknowledge the increasingly abundant work of Black filmmakers, and its own history of ignoring their work, the majority of the nominees are still white, and there is still much work to be done. Now in its third year, the Black Bottom Film Festival, hosted by the August…
Giveaway: Register for a chance to win Winter Beerfest 2019 tickets! (Second round)
Do you love beer? Register for a chance to win tickets to Pittsburgh Winter Beerfest 2019!
Black History Month: Where to honor Pittsburgh’s Negro League baseball teams
Part of Pittsburgh City Paper’s month-long celebration of Black History Month Before baseball was racially integrated, the greatest Black ball players displayed their talents in the Negro Leagues. And during the 1930s, Pittsburgh was home to some of the all-time greats. Players like Josh Gibson, who legend has it hit more home runs than Babe…
Controversial editorial director Keith Burris promoted to executive editor of Post-Gazette
According to a photo from a tweet posted by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette assignment editor Jonathon Silver, editorial director Keith Burris has been promoted to P-G’s executive editor. That position was previously held by long-time editor David Shribman, who announced his retirement at the end of last year. This notice just went up in @PittsburghPG newsroom. pic.twitter.com/NygqMyjnyK…
Black History Month: Celebrating Toni Morrison’s 88th birthday
At 88 years old, writer Toni Morrison is still going strong. Earlier this month, the Nobel Prize winner published The Source of Self-Regard, a collection of essays and speeches written over the course of 40 years. Her writing has always been unmatched, with a staggering ability to condense an extensive history of race and gender in…
#MusicMonday Wrap-up: Feb. 18
Every Monday, CP staff writer Jordan Snowden wraps up the weekend in local and national music news with #MusicMonday. Here’s what went down in the past few days. Local Support local music! The lineup for the fourth annual Indie-Rockfest was announced, emceed by longtime Pittsburgh music staple Jeremy Caywood. Taking place on Sat., April 13, 100…
Five questions with Pittsburgh City Paper contributing writer Charles Rosenblum
Architecture critic and journalist presents “A Short Discussion of Architecture and Time” on Tue., Feb. 19.
Black History Month: Pittsburgh artist Wavy Wednesday seeks help taking Protect Black Women on the road
Part of Pittsburgh City Paper’s month-long celebration of Black History Month White Barbie grabs the shoulders of Black Barbie and in a voice bubble above her head asks, “Can I feel your hair?” “Hell no,” says Black Barbie. It’s the artwork of Pittsburgh’s Kamara Townes, aka Wavy Wednesday, who uses themes from pop culture to…
Black History Month: Wilson’s Bar-B-Q has been smoking on the North Side for 59 years
Part of Pittsburgh City Paper’s month-long celebration of Black History Month Barbecue took Pittsburgh by storm in 2018, with at least five new restaurants opening within miles of each other. But on the North Side, one Black-owned restaurant has set the standard for smoked meats since 1960, satisfying the city’s craving for traditional barbeque. In…
U.S. Senate passes bill extending funds for Carrie Furnaces and other Pittsburgh heritage areas
Rivers of Steel is Pittsburgh’s go-to resource for anybody looking to learn more about the region’s industrial past. The nonprofit hosts boat tours, preserves historic sites such as the Carrie Blast Furnaces, and maintains collections of materials of the regions’s once-thriving steel industry. Soon, it may get the chance to expand its operations even further.…
Nancy B.’s and Allegheny City Brewing partner up, and more of the best food stories of the week
Grist House Sneak Peek In January, Millvale-based brewery Grist House announced plans for expansion to Collier Township. With a few weeks of renovations under its belt, the brewers invited CP to take a look at their new home. Grist House is remodeling the Nike Missile Command Center. It extends 55,000 square feet, resting on a…
Lynn Cullen Live – 2/15/19
Video Archive The president is expected to sign the budget bill today while the show is going on, and then declare a national emergency in order to get funds for the border wall. Lynn is discussing what declaring a national emergency will mean, and where the money might come from. It appears that many Republicans…
Black History Month: Six Black contemporary women artists to follow on Instagram
Part of Pittsburgh City Paper’s month-long celebration of Black History Month In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting six Black contemporary women artists who will brighten up your Instagram feed throughout the entire year with their powerful artwork. Loveis Wise Illustrator and designer View this post on Instagram A post shared by Loveis Wise…
Wendy Bell declares love for Post-Gazette cartoonist who drew sexist cartoons
Happy Valentine’s Day, Pittsburgh. Love is in the air, and no more so than between KDKA radio personality Wendy Bell and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cartoonist Steve Kelley. Bell released a video today in which she said the best thing about subscribing to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was Kelley, who last month came under criticism for drawing three…
Black History Month: Lack of representation is the real monster in Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
Part of Pittsburgh City Paper’s month-long celebration of Black History Month “We’ve always loved horror. It’s just that horror, unfortunately, hasn’t always loved us.” So goes the voice-over introduction to Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, a new documentary about African-American representation in a genre defined by whiteness, from white teen victims to white,…
Lynn Cullen Live – 2/14/19
Video Archive Professor Buzzkill is joining Lynn for the second half of the show to discuss the history of walls. But first Lynn is revisiting the big story she covered yesterday about the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and John Block’s outburst that occurred over the weekend. The story is now getting national coverage. The PG union…
Lynn Cullen Live – 2/13/19
Video Archive A local story is Lynn’s focus this morning. On Saturday night John Block stormed into the Pittsburgh Post Gazette newsroom with his young child, and went berserk over a union sign expressing their upset of Block’s refusal to pay increased healthcare costs during the ongoing contract negotiations. Many employees are now stating that…
Pittsburgh Love Stories: City Paper’s Fan Fiction Contest
Pick any well-known figure in pop culture, and there’s sure to be fan fiction written about them. The genre has grown in popularity so much over the years that it’s branched from stories about fictional characters to include “real person fiction,” with fans writing stories about celebrities and public figures they admire. For this year’s…
7 Days of Concerts
Thursday Ben Kweller 9 p.m. Spirit, Lawrenceville. spiritpgh.com Friday Spear of Destiny, Royal Honey, Love Dumpster 8 p.m. Cattivo, Lawrenceville. cattivopgh.com Saturday Three Dog Night 7 p.m. Carnegie Library Music Hall, Homestead. librarymusichall.com Sunday GoldCastle, Castle of Ink, Rsb, Mike The Artist 6:15 p.m. The Rex Theater, South Side. rextheater.net Monday That 1 Guy 7…
A Valentine’s Day letter to my clients’ wives
There’s a popular meme among sex workers that reads, “Thinking that a sex worker is going to steal your man is like thinking that a childcare provider is going to steal your child.” The analogy works because it holds a grain of truth. We do not want to replace you. While sex workers may care…
Know Your Bartender: Satya from Tessaro’s
You are granted an extra day in the week. How do you spend it? Setting fire to metal by some means or another — welding, blacksmithing, fabrication, etc., followed by hanging out with my amazing, wonderful, loving family. Then I would maybe ride an elephant for about 45 minutes. What Pittsburgh institution do you love?…
University of Pittsburgh looks at a lost era of Black history with Flyin’ West
The founding of America comes packaged in a white, male-dominated history full of pioneering figures like Davy Crockett and Buffalo Bill Cody. In reality, however, this country’s past is far more complex and diverse, as shown in Flyin’ West, a 1994 play written by African-American author and playwright Pearl Cleage, about African-American women settlers in…
IT’S LOVE & a Lot of Other Stuff
I do not know when I fell for you, but I do know that it was instant and all-consuming. Standing outside of the WQED studios on Fifth Avenue, I hesitated and asked myself as the rain started to fall, “What will I say?” What could I say to the man behind Sandwiches That You Will…
Venue Guide: Cattivo
Heading to a venue for the first time can be anxiety-inducing or at the very least cause inconveniences. Where’s will call? Is there parking? Will you have to hide your expensive bag behind a tree because it’s too big to pass security? Pittsburgh City Paper wants to help make attending shows as comfortable as possible.…
Distilled showcases the best of Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media
A distinct sense of whimsy characterizes Distilled, the latest exhibition at the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media (formerly Pittsburgh Center for the Arts). Woven throughout 82 works by 42 members, teaching artists, and staff are touches meant to delight and surprise. Visitors are greeted by the candy-colored, ribbon-y text of This Magic Moment, a…
Pittsburgh: The Real Celebrity
“Tell me again about your ex.” “Which one?” “The one who got famous and left you for someone better.” Slight eye roll. “Let me tell you about them all. They were all kind of famous, but for different reasons. “First there was Diamond. He was a Scottish farmer, with a sexy burr in his voice.…
An Elvis impersonator finds success as a drag queen in Florida in barebones productions’ 2019 season opener
In terms of career pivots, you could do worse than Elvis impersonator-to-drag queen. Some of the details of the job are obviously different, but the core skills — stage presence, big personality, fabulous outfits — would make for a smooth transition. That’s the driving plot of Matthew Lopez’s The Legend of Georgia McBride, staged at…
Fermentation Festival offers free fun, education, and sauerkraut
Fermented foods are like zany science projects. They change shape and color in glass jars, grow mold, get stinkier and stranger and tastier. There are several ways to define the scientific processes that make up fermentation, but Justin Lubecki, director of the Pittsburgh Fermentation Festival, thinks broader definitions are better. “To me, it’s just a…
Writer’s Digest editor-at-large Jessica Strawser brings newest novel to Penguin Bookshop
Jessica Strawser had the perfect job to launch a career as a novelist. As the editor-at-large for Writer’s Digest, the Moon Area High School graduate has interviewed renowned writers including Alice Walker, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, and Khaled Hosseini. “The whole time I was working at Writer’s Digest full-time, that was my dream job,” says…
Not even a year after its formation, Kiwano Sour releases its first EP
For a new band, Kiwano Sour’s music career is building rapidly. Only ten months into its existence, the funk rock band has already performed at well-known venues around the city like the Rex, Mr. Smalls, and Stage at Karma. Kiwano Sour became affiliated with the art collective Three Rivers Circus and opened a studio with…
Single or coupled, there are plenty of Valentine’s Day events on the roster
Candlelit dinners are always a lovely choice, but they’re not the only option for celebrating Valentine’s Day this year. If you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path, check out our list of fun events around town for both couples and singles. Looking for love? Don’t lose yourself in the apps — the…
Backstage with operations manager Joanna Obuzor
Name: Joanna Obuzor, North Side Work: Operations Manager, Benedum Center Recent projects: Hamilton, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s annual gala, DOUBLE DARE LIVE! Upcoming: Come From Away, Mariah Carey, Jerry Seinfeld What does an operations manager do? We have 19 different rentable spaces. I manage everything that goes on in all of them, including stage, auditorium,…
Ancestry DNA kit determines Gab Bonesso’s entire life has been a lie
My entire life has been a lie. I only recently discovered this because I was given an Ancestry DNA kit for Christmas. The reality is that I was given an identity crisis for Christmas. Thanks, sis. My whole life I’ve declared that I am an Italian American. My father, I believed, was the product of…
Bonfire Food & Drink brings the heat to the South Side
Bonfire Food & Drink is new to Pittsburgh, but its chef is not. Head chef/owner Chris Bonfili is known (and loved) for Avenue B, a now-retired Shadyside restaurant. And, it’s clear from the expert craftsmanship behind Bonfire’s dishes why Avenue B is sorely missed. Heading into Bonfili’s new South Side digs, my eyeroll was almost…
Movies to watch on Valentine’s Day that aren’t corny or bad
Valentine’s Day is upon us, which means it’s time to curl up with your beloved person or bag of chips and watch a romantic flick. Instead of Googling “romantic movies,” just watch one of these! Cloudburst This Canadian road trip dramedy follows an aging lesbian couple on a journey to freedom. Sweet-tempered Dotty (Brenda Fricker)…
A snapshot of four generations of a Black American family, Part II
Thaddeus Gilmore Mosley (Sr.) may be one of strongest men you could ever encounter. At 5’9” he would bet that if you were 150 pounds or less, he could lift you with one hand. And he could. So one could not blame the then-teenaged Helen Lee Fagan for meeting Thaddeus and deciding, after a time,…
Yinz don’t have to be alone this Valentine’s Day
It’s hard to find a companion as a single person in Pittsburgh in 2019. The median age in the city is around 33, which significantly narrows the field. Bars and clubs are packed with Quaalude-toting jackals. And what can a dating app built by some self-righteous, Silicon Valley nerd know about who or what a…
Hurt in an accident
It caught me first as a glint, the globe glistening with the bold, radiant energy throbbing from his bright-lit, bald bulb. His finger was pointed, thrust in my direction. I didn’t know how to communicate with the faux-Uncle Sam, the daddy of accident protection, the maestro of injury claims. All I knew how to do…
An Evening at Armand’s
It was hard to believe that 2028 would finally be the year Chef Curtis Gamble’s new concept restaurant, Armand’s Bar and Grill, would re-emerge out of Neu Lawrenceville’s recently extended Liberty Avenue. I walked in on an unassuming night, chasing the simply-bulleted online menu: “The Special.” The haze of Armand’s red lights and stale air…
Free Will Astrology
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “A freshness lives deep in me which no one can take from me,” wrote Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelöf. “Something unstilled, unstillable is within me; it wants to be voiced,” wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In accordance with your astrological omens, I propose we make those two quotes your mottos for the next…
