Author discusses “sex between straight white men” tomorrow at the University of Pittsburgh
Professor Jane Ward discusses her new book “Not Gay: Sex between Straight White Men” at the University of Pittsburgh
Listen Up! March 15
We’ve always wanted to insert little computer chips and speakers into City Paper, so that when you open it, music from artists featured in the paper plays while you read about them (like a big old greeting card). But that’s just not realistic. This is the second-best thing: a Spotify playlist featuring music from this…
Falernum, Maggie’s Farm Rum
Early warning for booze nerds: Maggie’s Farm has resurrected falernum, a popular tiki-drink ingredient from Barbados. Falernum isn’t widely commercially produced and can be a bit of a pain to make at home. Snag a bottle to enjoy a punchy liqueur with all the clove, all-spice, lime and ginger flavors you can handle. Recommended by…
Pittsburgh City Paper Booze Battles: Tres Rios vs. täkō
Each week, we order the same cocktail at two different bars for a friendly head-to-head battle. Go to the bars, taste both drinks and tell us what you like about each by tagging @pghcitypaper on Twitter or Instagram and using #CPBoozeBattles. If you want to be a part of Booze Battles, send an email to…
WWE Superstars visit patients at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital to serve up championship belts and smiles
Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital patients get a visit from WWE Superstars
Constituents and advocates protest anti-immigration stances of Pittsburgh-area state reps
Five Allegheny County Democratic state representatives have voted for and sponsored several anti-immigrant bills.
Lynn Cullen Live 03/14/17
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Republicans plan to replace healthcare. New bra from Carnegie Mellon. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
MP3 Monday: Montell Fish
This week’s MP3 Monday is “Dreams Don’t Sleep” by Montell Fish. He’s the subject of this week’s Local Beat, so be sure to read up on him on Wednesday. Long story short: Fish started writing and producing hip-hop R&B as a teenager, smoked a lot of weed, had a religious awakening and now uses his…
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announces plan to provide water filters amidst lead concerns
The city, Peoples Gas and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority will invest $1 million for water filters for PWSA customers
Workshop performances of new opera about police brutality continue tonight at Pittsburgh’s First United Methodist Church
Series of free Pittsburgh Festival Opera performances of “A Gathering of Sons” continue in various neighborhoods into April
Lynn Cullen Live 03/10/17
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Men in the government question whether they should have to pay for pre-natal care. Children bring lawsuit against the government. Prison industrial system and bail bonds. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer…
Pittsburgh affordable-housing advocates rally in East Liberty; decry public subsidies to luxury development
According to housing advocates, more than $12 million in public subsidies have gone to four East End luxury developments.
Dancing with the Green Fairy: Part Two
The mystery shrouding this jade-colored spirit has intrigued drinkers for hundreds of years. Fascination spurred imitation, often with subpar ingredients, which contributed to the dangerous reputation absinthe acquired. Despite that, absinthe grew into a fashionable, high-demand fixture of modern bar programs. Cecil Usher, bar manager at Butcher and the Rye and newly-minted vice president of…
Lynn Cullen Live 03/09/17
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. How do you walk in those heels? Russia connections to Trump. WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
Tres Rios, on the South Side, offers Mex-American fare
Tres Rios 1719 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-930-0868 Hours: Sun.-Wed. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Thu. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight Prices: $6-16 Liquor: Full bar When Pittsburgh was a factory town, it was, famously, so dark from pollution that the streetlights sometimes shone at day. Today, with the factories gone and the air scrubbed…
It’s the battle of the talkers in City Paper’s sportscaster bracket battle
Fill out your own broadcast bracket On Sun., March 12, college-basketball fans and bandwagon-office-pool aficionados will find out which teams will make their March Madness bracket. Even people who don’t care about basketball will fill these out because they know that everything’s better in a bracket. With that in mind, I made my own little…
Key Players
South Side Region 1. Mike Lange: Pittsburgh Penguins radio play-by play. Legendary broadcaster who was in a Jean-Claude Van Damme flick. 2. Andrew Stockey: WTAE’s four-tool superstar: Sports anchor, news anchor, sports director and reporter. 3. Greg Brown: Pirates play-by-play guy with a great voice and even greater calls. 4. Bob Pompeani: KDKA sports director…
The Ottoman Lieutenant
In the mid-1910s, a headstrong American nurse named Lillie (Hera Hilmar) joins a medical mission in the wilds of Turkey. It proves a dangerous place to be, to least of which, two handsome men are fighting for her affections. One is Ismail (Michiel Huisman, Game of Thrones), a dashing Turkish lieutenant; the other is an…
The Wheeling Nailers are almost hockey heaven
On a classic episode of Family Ties, which was set in Columbus, Ohio, Alex P. Keaton wanted to celebrate his 18th birthday with his bros, Neil and Doug. One of these lads made the suggestion, “Let’s go to Wheeling, West Virginia, and drink.” Before 1986, you only had to be 18 to get drunk in…
Artichoke Bisque
This soup is the first one ever sold by Soup Nancys. It pairs a classic, creamy bisque texture with the delicious subtle earthiness of artichokes. And it won’t leave you penniless for your next date because potatoes make up a good deal of the volume. The best soup you can make starts with good stock…
Dan Savage’s Hump Film Festival of amateur porn shorts returns to Pittsburgh
As we all know, if you want to watch two people, or three people, or eight people fucking on film, there’s no reason to leave your house. Grab a laptop and some headphones, and you can be filling your eyes with all the sex you want in a matter of seconds. That’s why Dan Savage’s…
New app promises easier time ordering drinks
Everyone knows the frustration of trying to get a drink at a busy bar. The shouting, the jockeying for position, the fruitless attempts to make eye contact with the bartender. Of course, that bartender can move only so fast, and things get especially bogged down when people pay as they go or everyone wants to…
Kedi: The Cats of Istanbul
The Turkish capital is known for its large population of stray cats, and in Ceyda Torun’s charming documentary essay, some of those felines — and the humans who care for them — are profiled. What unfolds at a leisurely pace is a unique portrait of a vibrant and cosmopolitan city from the perspective of its…
The March edition of the Film Kitchen screening series has a “mental health” theme
While the hour-long program, curated by Matthew R. Day, includes four strong shorts by local artists, that theme feels tenuously related to its most elaborately produced film, Chris Preksta’s “Echo Torch.” Preksta, a writer and director best known for web comedy series Pittsburgh Dad and science-fiction web serial The Mercury Men, offers an involving —…
T-Funk, Full Pint Brewing Company
“It’s a light sour beer made with black tea and blackberries. It’s really good to drink with food because it’s so light. It was supposed to be a one-off beer, and it’s named after one of [Full Pint’s] bartenders. It became so popular that they keep brewing it.” Recommended by Alison Zazacky, bartender at Carson…
Pittsburgh-based Garment Project removes triggers for women with eating disorders
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, an estimated 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life. But only one in 10 of those suffering from an eating disorder ever receive treatment. Erin Drischler was one of the lucky ones who received professional treatment. But…
Pittsburgh City Paper Booze Battles: Kaya vs. Pirata
Each week, we order the same cocktail at two different bars for a friendly head-to-head battle. Go to the bars, taste both drinks and tell us what you like about each by tagging @pghcitypaper on Twitter or Instagram and using #CPBoozeBattles. If you want to be a part of Booze Battles, send an email to…
Jen Ashburn’s debut poetry collection goes home and away
Travel has long played an important role in literature, allowing writers to steep themselves in foreign cultures, sightseeing and mixing with locals before returning home to report their adventures. Getting away also allows for perspectives to change, and time for reflection. With a nod to Beat legend Gary Snyder, these ideas are at the heart…
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale says it’s time to get serious about marijuana legalization
On March 6, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale made a pretty bold move when he announced that the state should legalize and tax recreational marijuana to generate roughly $200 million in new revenues. “The regulation and taxation of the marijuana train has rumbled out of the station, and it is time to add a stop…
Pittsburgh hip-hop artist Choo Jackson’s career is ready to roll into primetime
Choo Jackson has a habit of naming his albums before he finishes them. He likes to set the mood for the creative process, and it makes it easier when that mood has a name. His latest mixtape, Choo, Where U Goin’?, was released last December, but the Pittsburgh-based Jackson came up with the title long…
What Kind of Daughter
What kind of daughter compares her father to a dog, to an animal? The kind who can’t look in his eyes as she described a dog unable to loosen its paw, but pad to floor, as he remembers the first time he noticed his half-fist, curled in concentration, stiff-armed behind him. But we were the…
Findings at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co.
FINDINGS continues through March 19. Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co., 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $22.50. pghplaywrights.org I usually don’t get to say this about a play, but Findings could stand to be a bit longer. The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co.’s world premiere of Arlene Weiner’s family drama is in serious need of a bit more backstory…
A Conversation with Poet Jan Beatty about her new book, Jackknife
JAN BEATTY BOOK LAUNCH 7:30 p.m. Sat., March 11 (with live music, refreshments and book-signing). Community Broadcast Center, 67 Bedford Square, South Side. Free. beattyjp@aol.com Jan Beatty has been one of Pittsburgh’s most prominent poets for two decades. As longtime host and producer of WESA 90.5 FM’s weekly show Prosody, she’s also been one of…
Savage Love
I got divorced five years ago after a 15-year marriage that produced two children who are now 13 and 6. When their mother moved out, she left pretty much everything. I took the wedding mementos — dress, video, photo albums — and threw them in a trunk. I have not looked at them since. Last…
Despite changing infrastructure needs in the Mon Valley, the Mon-Fayette Expressway refuses to die
The proposed extension of the Mon-Fayette Expressway is the highway plan that just won’t die. The raised, four-lane express toll-road from Jefferson Hills through Duquesne to Monroeville has been started and stalled so many times since the idea was first dreamed up in the late 1950s, that some have nicknamed it the “zombie highway.” Sustainable-development…
Pittsburgh universities and libraries team up with the Carnegie Museum of Art for second-annual feminist Wikipedia edit-a-thon
On March 4, the Carnegie Museum of Art’s Hall of Sculptures transformed into a center for feminist action. Natural light flooded the room; six large tables were assembled in the middle of the cavernous hall, anchored by a small cart in the center with books and colorful folders full of information packets. Participants, from across…
Political comic Lee Camp returns
LEE CAMP with Krish Mohan 7:30 p.m. Sat., March 11. Mr Smalls Funhouse, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $13.99-24.95. leecamp.net Nearly three years after the debut of his weekly online political-comedy talk show on RT.com, Redacted Tonight, Lee Camp is still basking in the freedom it gives him to fire away at big targets. In one…
1984 at Prime Stage Theatre
1984 continues through Sun., March 12. Prime Stage Theatre at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. $10-25. 724-773-0700 or primestage.com Have you ever had a negative thought about the ruling party of government? 1984, adapted from George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, and now at Prime Stage Theatre directed by Richard Keitel,…
Short List: March 9-16
SPOTLIGHT: Thu., March 9 – Stage Call it a lust for language: Lori Howsare, a.k.a. The Mad Muse, is starting a Literary Brothel. On arrival, guests will make the rounds of the chambers occupied by a series of Sacred Literary Whores, who’ll pleasure them with words and narrative (until, one assumes, each story climaxes). Howsare,…
Guitarist Mark Whitfield making his March 10 Pittsburgh show a family affair
WHITFIELD FAMILY BAND With Mark Strickland. 7:30 p.m. Fri., March 10. Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty. $30. 412-363-3000 or kelly-strayhorn.org “The Socrates Curse,” on Mark Whitfield’s new album Grace, features the guitarist’s rapid-melody lines getting extra drive from his taut rhythm section. The group dynamic hints at a long-standing relationship between the players,…
Table 19
TABLE 19 Directed by Jeffrey Blitz Starring Anna Kendrick, Craig Robinson, Lisa Kudrow, Wyatt Russell Plenty of the wedding-day experience is grimly endured by guests (and celebrants), whether it’s a tedious service, a draggy dinner reception or a lackluster cover band. But just as we have all suffered, so too should we all laugh knowingly…
Patti Smith to play Horses live at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Music Hall
PATTI SMITH 8 p.m. Mon., March 13. Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $59-94. 412-622-3131 Patti Smith threw herself under the bus in The New Yorker last December. In the “Cultural Comment” section of the magazine, she discussed her performance at the Nobel Prize ceremony three months prior, where she honored recipient Bob Dylan…
Tribute to Pittsburgh musician Dave Vucenich planned for March 10 at Gooski’s
For a guy who was well versed in obscure music, Dave Vucenich never used that knowledge to show superiority. He was more concerned with sharing the music, either as a rock-solid bassist, a record-store employee who organized the 45s inventory, or a friend who made cassette compilations of ’60s garage rock. “He would number my…
New York rapper Sammus, in Pittsburgh on March 13, balances academia with hip hop
SAMMUS with The Lopez, DJ EYEJAY 8 p.m. Mon., March 13. The Glitter Box Theater, 460 Melwood Ave., Oakland. All ages. $8. 724-699-2613 Samus was one of the first female protagonists in a video-game series. The Metroid main character, and certified bad ass, appeared in 1986, as a galactic bounty-hunter fitted with an exterior power…
Critics’ Picks, March 9-15
[FOLK POP] + FRI., MARCH 10 Seasaw may be just two people, but the duo of multi-instrumentalists Eve Wilczewski and Meg Golz amp up its sound with intricate harmonies and a careful weaving of folk-laden melodies to create a warm indie-pop vibe. The lyrics are sharp, and meld heartfelt, witty stories into the acoustic guitar,…
Lynn Cullen Live 03/08/17
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Trump voters are getting a rude awakening about healthcare reform. Paying for the wall to come out of FEMA and Coast Guard budgets. New laws proposed around protesting. New CIA surveillance methods revealed. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new…
