New concert announcements: Shemekia Copeland, Robben Ford, more
It’s midweek, and time to bring attention to a few upcoming concerts recently announced for Pittsburgh. Notable at Thunderbird Cafe: Cory Henry, of Snarky Puppy, appears with his trio on Mon., Feb. 23 ($15, on sale now). And Delicate Steve appears with local opener Andre Costello on April 2 ($10-12, on sale tomorrow). At the…
A Dale Watson playlist, to accompany this week’s feature
Charlie Deitch supplies us with a Dale Watson sampler.
Billy Porter to star in “Kinky Boots” here in August
The Pittsburgh native will play the role that made him nationally famous when Pittsburgh CLO presents the hit musical in August, the CLO announced today. Porter, who grew up in Homewood, won a Tony for playing Lola in Kinky Boots, which itself won the 2013 Tony for best musical (and four other Tonys, too). See…
Billy Porter to star in “Kinky Boots” here
The Pittsburgh native will play the role that made him nationally famous when Pittsburgh CLO presents the hit musical in August, the CLO announced today. Porter, who grew up in Homewood, won a Tony for playing Lola in Kinky Boots, which itself won the 2013 Tony for best musical (and four other Tonys, too). See…
The Gallery 4 marks fifth anniversary with opening on Saturday
The fifth birthday is a big one. While often celebrated with enough cake to induce a day-long sugar high, Gallery 4 is commemorating its own anniversary by opening the exhibition Quintessence. Gallery 4 is delving into the personal collection of its director, Joseph Veltri, to share some of the treasures it’s acquired over the years. For…
Bahamas’ Afie Jurvanen talks guitar, songwriting and Toronto
A longer version of our interview with the Canadian musician.
Final Week for Pittsburgh’s Lost Steamboat at the History Center
It struck me some hours after I’d seen this exhibit what felt so tellingly odd about it. Most displays of historical artifacts are notable because of who owned or used them: Lincoln’s hat, the Iceman’s copper axe. What’s striking about the large array of items in Pittsburgh’s Lost Steamboat: Treasures of the Arabia is that…
Lynn Cullen Live 1/6/15
Video Archive Giving money to universities. Child spas. Traveling IV docs. The music of language. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
MP3 Monday: Devil’s Holler
Our first MP3 Monday for 2015 comes courtesy of Devil’s Holler, the current project of Robert Gray, who’s been around for some time with groups like Several Conclusions. Devil’s Holler’s album, Croatoa, came out late last year, and earned a positive review from CP last week. Now, we bring you a track so you can…
Lynn Cullen Live 1/5/15
Video Archive Interview with Jaden and Willow Smith in T magazine. Word of the day is poutraged. Will Hollywood pull out of Pittsburgh because of Tom Wolfe? Pittsburgh police chief vows to challenge racism in the workplace. Much backlashed followed. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android…
Trailer for Sale or Rent: Woman in Black 2
This film was not screened for critics locally, so we took a look at the trailer. Film: Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death Opening Date: Fri., Jan. 2, 2015 Stars: British TV actors Necessary Info: Sequel to 2013’s The Woman in Black, which starred Daniel Radcliffe Trailer Analysis: Establishes that kids are being housed…
CP Weekend Podcast – Jan. 2 – 4, 2015
This week on the CP Weekend Podcast: Channel your inner Rastafarian, sip your cafe au lait and appreciate the arts, and witness local hip-hop’s take on Warhol.
Sense of Community: Freshman Wilkinsburg city councilor working toward change
It’s a blustery night at the Church of Christ Scientist, Eastridge Center, on the suburban edge of Wilkinsburg. Scurrying out of the cold, people shed overcoats and scarves, pile plates high with wings ‘n’ veggies ‘n’ seasonal cookies. Bustling about, meeting and greeting, bestowing hugs, freshman Wilkinsburg Councilor Marita Garrett surfs the crowd. Tall, regal,…
Savage Love
What is your stance on maintenance sex? I’d never thought about the issue until reading Amy Poehler’s new memoir. I didn’t find anything she said controversial, and was surprised when this quote blew up in the feminist blogosphere: “You have to have sex with your husband occasionally, even though you’re exhausted. Sorry.” I’d never realized…
Haiku
manga festival in the row of doll faces a mirror − Don Wentworth Don Wentworth is a Pittsburgh-based poet whose work reflects his interest in the revelatory nature of brief, haiku-like moments in everyday life. His poetry has appeared in Modern Haiku, Bottle Rockets, Bear Creek Haiku and Rolling Stone, as well as a number…
Stuff We Like
Brick Sidewalk Snow-Relief Sculpture. The magical grid patterns along this Manchester walkway look great in early-morning light. Gridlock Lacquer. Why not market nail polish using the unique colors of Rust Belt cities, like silvery Buffalo: Blizzard of ’77 or taupe Cleveland: 10-Cent Beer Night. Now it’s Pittsburgh’s turn to shimmer, starting with the pink Chipped…
Short List: December 31 – January 8
SPOTLIGHT: Tue., Jan. 6 — Comedy Our abiding fascination with how Pittsburgh ranks on numbered lists suggests we’re obsessed with what outsiders think of us. A fresh take arrives Jan. 6-10, when The Second City makes its annual stop at Pittsburgh Public Theater with six performances of N’at’s All Folks! The evening of comedy and…
Willow
Willow 634 Camp Horne Road North Hills 412-847-1007 Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. 4-9 p.m. Prices: Snacks, salads, sandwiches and small plates $14-16; large plates $16-29 Liquor: Full bar When we first went to Willow, almost 10 years ago now, it was at the vanguard of a trend that’s become…
Shu Brew brings bold flavor and small-town charm
In a small wooden cabin on Zelienople’s Main Street, every stool at Shu Brew’s bar is filled. It’s cozy, with a Cheers-style atmosphere, and it’s easy to spend an hour or two enjoying the ever-rotating selection of beers created by brewmaster Zach Shumaker. As a recently certified cicerone, he has completed an extensive examination, and…
East Liberty’s Zeke’s Coffee is expanding
On Jan. 10, Zeke’s Coffee will close the doors of its café and bakery at 6012 Penn Ave., in East Liberty. But later this month, it hopes to open the doors of a new location right across the street, at 6015 Penn. Zeke’s Coffee was started in Baltimore, Md., by local owner Chris Rhodes’ grandfather.…
A retrospective of Chuck Connelly’s paintings is small but potent
CHUCK CONNELLY: MY AMERICA continues through Sun., Jan. 4 The Andy Warhol Museum 117 Sandusky St. North Side 412-237-8300 or warhol.org In today’s overheated and unregulated art market, it seems like artists are more like brands than cultural producers. Art seems more than ever to be a consumer good like any other. And just like…
The Interview
If you loved the other two films in the Seth Rogen/James Franco canon — Pineapple Express and This Is the End — and are a fan of quality fart/dick/vagina jokes, this film is for you, regardless of the geopolitical drama and “terrorist” threats surrounding its release. The film, directed by Rogen and his writing partner,…
The backstory is the intrigue in Andy Warhol’s 13 Most Wanted
13 MOST WANTED MEN: ANDY WARHOL AND THE 1964 WORLD’S FAIR continues through Sun., Jan. 4 The Andy Warhol Museum 117 Sandusky St. North Side 412-237-8300 or warhol.org Before moving to Pittsburgh, I lived in the shadow of the Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza in Albany, N.Y. Out my window I could see…
Shock Value: How Dan O’Bannon and Some USC Outsiders Helped Invent Modern Horror
This new anthology compiles some of the student film work done at University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts in the late 1960s and ’70s, with an emphasis on horror and sci-fi-ish films. The title argues that these short features presaged and were influential on the horror films of the late 1970s and early…
Comic-Tanium explores the science (and pseudo-science) of superheroes
COMIC-TANIUM continues through Sun., Jan. 4 ToonSeum 945 Liberty Ave. Downtown 412-232-0199 or toonseum.org Comic books are well-known violators of the laws of science. It’d be impossible to consume the calories necessary to run at the speed of The Flash. An infant Superman wouldn’t still be an infant after traveling the light years from Krypton.…
Ring in 2015 with predictions and wishes from our music writers
Last week, we looked at what was good and unique in music in 2014. This week, some of our music writers look ahead at 2015: What trends will emerge? What trends should emerge? What local artists are poised to have a breakout year? What should just … stop? More Funk, Please I hope to see…
A review of fireWALL’s Uproar
fireWALL Dance Theater’s UPROAR continues through Jan. 11. Off the Wall 25 W. Main St. Carnegie $5-25 888-718-4253 or insideoff thewall.com For its sophomore effort, fireWALL Dance Theater embarked on a unique project. The resident dance company at Carnegie’s Off the Wall performing-arts center created a companion dance-theater piece to the Liz Duffy Adams play…
Young Junne goes all in and reaps the rewards
Young Junne, like most young hip-hop artists, started with a dream of being noticed by a hip-hop mogul and signed to a major label. Unlike most, Junne has made it a reality. Using his social-media presence to reach out to fans and hip-hop bloggers, Junne launched a campaign and got the title track of his…
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Directed by: Ana Lily Amirpour Starring: Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi In Farsi, with subtitles. Starts Fri., Jan. 2. Regent Square. Ana Lily Amirpour’s new film, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, is a late holiday stocking for film fans, stuffed as it is with a jumble of…
Critics’ Picks, Jan. 1-7
[INDIE ROCK] + SAT., JAN 3 Start the year off by reminding yourself that you can still see world-class rock for $5, and not even end up spending $20 on drinks, if you drop by The Mr. Roboto Project. Tonight’s feature: Shellshag, the longtime raggedy, poppy garage-rock duo from Brooklyn. Think Pavement but with only…
Local film professionals are hopeful for more productions in Southwestern Pennsylvania
Last summer, things were looking uncertain for the Pittsburgh-based film industry. Locals who work on movie productions anxiously awaited word from Gov. Tom Corbett on whether he would renew the state’s $60 million Film and Television Production Tax Credit. Corbett renewed the tax credit through 2018, but left it capped at its present amount. And…
New Releases
David Wilson Songs from Wood Street (Self-released) www.davidwilsonmusic.com Full-length from the local singer-songwriter. Simple arrangements, mostly just guitar and Wilson’s voice, both of which shine — his vocals at times recall James Taylor. While the minimal arrangement works, it also brings to mind the question of what these songs would sound like with a full…
Pittsburgh on Film
Fathers and Daughters. Gabriele Muccino directed Russell Crowe, Aaron Paul, Jane Fonda and Amanda Seyfried in this domestic drama. Judy’s Dead. Local actor Tom Atkins heads the cast of this dark drama about family relations. Written and directed by Dave Rodkey. The Last Witch Hunter. Directed by Breck Eisner and starring Vin Diesel; Pittsburgh subs…
Coming Attractions: Locals sound off on their 2015 Pittsburgh Predictions
For years, someone — mother, significant other, mental-health professional, probation officer — has been telling you to stop living in the past and to look to the future. The problem, of course, is that the future is cold, scary and full of unknown catastrophic dangers — bottomless potholes, cast-aside parking chairs and Daryl Metcalfe’s latest…
The Gambler
In Rupert Wyatt’s drama, literary professor and novelist Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) repeatedly tells anyone who will listen that he is not, in fact, a gambler. That’s a tough line to swallow from a guy we see wager and lose somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000 over the course of the film. Bennett is a…
