Iconic poetry work to be celebrated on Saturday at White Whale Bookstore
Event marks a new edition of Muriel Rukeyser’s “The Book of the Dead,” inspired by a West Virginia mining disaster
This week in Pittsburgh Sports History
Feb. 1, 2009 With 16 seconds remaining in the first half of Super Bowl XLIII between the Steelers and Cardinals, 31-year-old linebacker James Harrison picks off a red-zone pass from Kurt Warner and returns it for a staggering 100-yard touchdown. Harrison lies down in the endzone and catches his breath for what seems like all…
Pittsburgh Jewish activists join immigrant groups in calling for path to citizenship for Dreamers
Before President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union speech, local activists want to show that a coalition is building around undocumented immigrants
Listen Up! Jan. 31 Issue
Music from tomorrow’s issue, today
Lynn Cullen Live – 1/30/18
Video Archive Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3 downloads page.
MP3 Monday: Mars Jackson
A delightfully dreamy R&B/pop track from Mars Jackson, here, for free
Pittsburghers call on Sen. Bob Casey to oppose 20-week abortion-ban bill
The federal Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would ban abortions after 20 weeks.
Lynn Cullen Live – 1/29/18
Video Archive It’s Lynn’s last Monday show for the next month or so, and Lynn is just trying to push through to her “Trump Free February.” But before that, we have three shows this week, so buckle up! The show starts with a little brain exercise, that shows we humans might not be as important…
Vicente Sandoval, a fixture in Pittsburgh’s Latin-dance community, has been detained by U.S. immigration officials
The Mexican undocumented immigrant has lived in Pittsburgh for more than 12 years, and has volunteered with local dance companies and in the Latino community
Video shows Pittsburgh cyclist being attacked by motorist in apparent road-rage incident
“Let’s be clear. This is criminal. This is assault. We urge the City and police to track down the driver and treat it as such.”
Lynn Cullen Live – 1/26/18
Video Archive Please excuse any strange sounds you may hear over the last few days, as the producer’s phone likes acting up at the wrong time. But besides that, welcome to Friday and the last show of the week with Lynn! First, Lynn can’t get over the shame of Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district, jokingly referred…
More than a dozen swastikas drawn in snow on cars in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood
According to an eye-witness, about 15-20 swastikas were drawn into the the snow on cars on Meyran Avenue. Jewish groups condemn the act.
Pennsylvania legislators call on state to recommit to Paris Climate Agreement goals
Democratic leaders in Allegheny County are proposing legislation to reduce statewide greenhouse-gas emissions by 30 percent by 2025
Lynn Cullen Live – 1/25/18
Video Archive Fun fact for this Thursday morning: did you know Saudi Arabia has a camel beauty pagent? Also,did you know that everything from potato chips to new cars to office furniture could hold small amount of carcinogens that California wants to label? That’s how Lynn is starting the show today to try and keep…
Lynn Cullen Live – 1/24/18
Video Archive It’s a Wednesday, and Lynn is trying to keep her voice down to prevent a headache. Let’s see how long that lasts… Firstly, Lynn is talking about the irrational exuberance around the local 35th special election district. Yeah, a Democrat won. But it was already a Democratic district, and with only 10 percent…
The Office’s Creed Bratton brings a night of comedy and music to Pittsburgh’s Rex Theater
It’s been five long years since we last saw the paper-pushers of Dunder Mifflin on TV’s The Office, but you’ll get a chance to reunite with one of the show’s greatest assets in Pittsburgh this week. Creed Bratton, everyone’s favorite head of quality assurance (or “quabbity assuance,” as Bratton once referred to it), brings an…
This Week in Sports History
Jan. 24, 1963 Muhammad Ali faces Charles Powell at the Civic Arena in a televised 10-round boxing match. Ali predicted a knockout in the fifth round, but would only need three to take Powell down. While maybe not a household name like “The People’s Champ,” Powell was no small fry, with a career boxing record…
Winter Stage
Evil Dead: The Musical is the bloody, uproarious musical-comedy version of the cult-classic Evil Dead movies. It’s the first installment of Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s late-night After Hours series. Feb. 2-10. West End. 412-539-0900 or www.pittsburghmusicals.com In 1962 Alabama, an African-American detective from California tries to solve a small-town murder; Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co. stages Matt…
City Paper’s Winter Guide provides reasons to leave the house
Did somebody say that this winter’s weather has been abominable? Well, that’s no problem for our cover model — the Abominable Snowman just gets out there and makes his own fun. Follow in his oversized tracks: City Paper offers this handy guide, in which we list plenty of things to see and do, from plays…
Winter Literary
As Valentine’s Day draws near, who doesn’t have a story to tell about heartbreak? Or maybe you just want to feel better by hearing other people’s woes? Swing by the Rex Theater for The Moth’s live story-telling event fittingly titled “Love Hurts.” Feb. 6. South Side. www.themoth.org Min Jin Lee’s latest novel, Pachinko, tells the…
Lawrenceville Distilling to open in Upper Lawrenceville
As we trudge through this cold weather, it’s nice to think ahead to what new delights await later in 2018. Lawrenceville Distilling Co., set to open this fall, is one such bright light in the distance. The future distillery is the result of a deep affection for absinthe held by co-founders Dave Harmon and Joe…
Winter Outdoors
Is it snowing? Good. Now, go outside and make a snowball. Put the snowball in a safe place in the freezer and wait until June 21, the first day of summer. That’s the day that your snowball gets you pay-what-you-want admission to Carnegie Science Center, plus a chance to launch it into the by-then-unfrozen Ohio…
Shiner Bock, Spoetzl Brewery
“It’s a Texas-style lager. It’s like their Yuengling. It’s a staple beer that’s not too heavy and goes great with barbecue. The hops are earthy and traditional. The salt of the barbecue would bring out the flavor in the beer.” Recommended by Matt Meyers, bartender at Pork & Beans Shiner Bock is available at Pork…
Winter Kids
Kids and sports are a natural fit — and a great way to stay fit. The popular NFL PLAY 60 Training Camp returns to Heinz History Center. The indoor event offers a mini-combine, with speed and agility drills. Wear your favorite jersey and practice your touchdown dance. Sat., Jan. 27. Strip District. 412-454-6000 or www.heinzhistorycenter.org…
Can we fight climate change without scaling up nuclear power?
One long-running disagreement about the environment isn’t the familiar fight between people who understand that human-caused climate change is real and people who deny it. Rather, it’s between folks who contend that keeping the planet livable requires us to use nuclear energy, and those who say “no way.” Many pro-nukes types are scientists. In 2015,…
Other Fun Winter Events
A fine place to warm up and maybe learn a little something about tropical plants and tiny trees is the Orchid and Tropical Bonsai show at Phipps Conservatory. New this year: 5-foot-wide hanging orchid spheres. Schenley Park, Oakland. 412-622-6914 or www.phipps.conservatory.org The Andy Warhol Museum is hosting a get-together at the Ace Hotel, where folks…
A key lime pie is a good way to beat the winter’s gloom
As we slog through winter, our spirits long for lazy days in tropical climes … or even Florida (if it’s stopped snowing there, too). But in lieu of actually picking up and going — the prolonged chill is enervating, after all — perhaps just a vicarious trip via the region’s signature dessert, the key lime…
Freak Show
After his beloved (but boozy) mom (Bette Midler) goes to rehab, teenager Billy Bloom (Alex Lawther) relocates to his estranged dad’s mansion, located somewhere in the South. There, Billy attends a fancy high school (curiously named for Ulysses S. Grant), where conformity and football reign. Undaunted, Billy, who loves glam and cross-dressing, arrives for his…
Chatham University launches The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food and Transformation
Last fall, Chatham University launched The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food and Transformation known as CRAFT, at its Eden Hall campus, in Gibsonia. Connected with the Master of Arts Food Studies program and the Falk School of Sustainability, the center hopes to provide the community with research and information on food systems. “We’ve conceptualized it…
Mom and Dad
If you’re looking for an unrepentantly dark, bat-shit horror comedy, then writer-director Brian Taylor has got one for you. Its shocking premise is rooted in the tiresome trope of parents complaining about their kids and joking about killing them. Here, for some unexplained reason, on an otherwise normal sunny Southern California day, all the parents…
Samir Gangwani’s Become Camera
BECOME CAMERA continues through Feb. 9. Pittsburgh Filmmakers Galleries, 477 Melwood Ave., Oakland. 412- 681-5449 or pfpca.org Samir Gangwani describes himself as “a brown man with a beard.” He also flies a lot. And he gets “randomly checked” at airports — a lot. Once, he sent a selfie to @AskTSA and queried, “Do you recommend…
The world premiere of Steve Hackman’s The Times They Are A-Changin’ performed by the Mendelssohn Choir this week
When one thinks of Pittsburgh’s Mendelssohn Choir, what likely comes to mind is 70 voices joining to create one marvelous voice, replete with harmony and smooth texture. And when one thinks of Bob Dylan, what comes to mind is unconventional vocal work and rhythms bolstered by unbridled emotion and heartfelt poetry. Now imagine the work…
Critics’ Pick: Ardalan at Cattivo
[DJ] + SAT., JAN. 27 All you need to know about Ardalan is that he has an album named Thunderdad. I guess that’s not all you need to know, but that’s basically the most important part of this pick. The word “groovy” should be used in here as well. Honestly, I don’t know how to…
New venue on East Carson Street, on the South Side, plans a cultural shift
What was once Devils and Dolls nightclub on East Carson Street is now Karma, on the South Side, a multi-room music venue and art space. Its two rooms will hold 200 and 300-350 people, respectively, which opens up the possibilities for both DJs and full-band shows. City Paper met with Kevin Saftner, the co-owner of…
Winter Art and Exhibitions
In the United States, nearly all of us or our forebears came from another country. A new photographic exhibit, Emigration-Immigration-Migration, highlighting the work of five Pittsburgh photographers, looks at how immigration and migrants have helped form the American experience. Through April 22. Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg. 412-837-1500 or www.thewestmoreland.org Continuing the Carnegie Museum’s…
The recent poetry anthology Nasty Women & Bad Hombres reflects anxieties of the Trump era
In his poem, “Advice to Young Black Men Named Cameron, After the Election,” Cameron Barnett writes, “The beginning of anything is always the first heartbreak. / Remember that. / Turn off the news. Turn off the news feed. Feed yourself … / America is going to be great again.” It’s guidance many needed in the…
Critics’ Pick: Hearken, Calyx and late. at Spirit
[BEST LOCALS] + THU., JAN. 25 There are days when I am completely overwhelmed by how many amazing bands Pittsburgh has over such a wide span of genres. It’s a trial to see all the talent when bands are playing separate shows all over the city; it makes you wish you could be in two…
President Donald Trump said coal miners in Southwestern Pennsylvania would be put back to work. One year later, is that happening?
When then-presidential candidate Donald Trump visited the Pittsburgh area during his campaign, he consistently promised that the coal industry would be making a rebound. “Coal — clean coal, clean coal — we’re bringing it back,” Trump said at an April 2016 rally at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. In July 2016,…
Critics’ Pick: Looming at Black Forge Coffee
[ROCK] + WED., JAN. 31 I literally cannot get enough of Looming’s music. The haunting voice and striking lyrics of Jessica Knight brings literal chills to my forearms each time I dive into a listen, and the thoughtful riffs and careful song construction keep me wrapped up in a nest of goodness, so comfortable I…
Two shows at Silver Eye explore the intersection of fantasy and reality
In both exhibitions currently at Silver Eye Center for Photography, photographers create fantasy from bits of reality. Tarrah Krajnak’s Sismos tells the story of returning to her birth country years after her adoption through other people’s photographs and documents. The aptly named Fantasy Life, by Tabitha Soren, depicts minor-league baseball players and explores the realities…
A few ways to channel momentum from the Women’s March into action
On Jan. 21, thousands marched through the streets of Downtown for the Pittsburgh Women’s March on Washington. Now in its second year, the event, which is part of a national movement, was spurred by the election of Donald Trump. The president has frequently made disparaging remarks about women, most notably in a 2005 audio recording…
New Local Release: The Living Street’s self-titled debut
The Living Street The Living Street Self-released www.facebook.com/thelivingstreetmusic/ On its self-titled debut, The Living Street presents nine sugary indie-pop songs ready to wiggle their way into your ear and refuse to exit. The pop duo, composed of Nick Guckert and Edward J. Angelo, plays with lyrical tone, from the bittersweet ballad “Not Waiting” to the…
Critics’ Pick: Sammi Lanzetta, String Machine at Roboto
[INDIE ROCK] + FRI., JAN. 26 If I could brand this show as “NPR rock” without sounding like a jerk, I would do it. Richmond, Va.-based Sammi Lanzetta is indie rock incarnate — meaning there’s a femme tenderness and powerful grittiness to the four-song EP she’s touring on. If you need any prodding, local neo-folk…
Monk Dreams
I surrender, dear. This locomotive is on fire. Meet me at the riverside, ’round midnight, or in Tokyo where the chimneys are green and the monks, alone with their hair shirts and dark desires dream of life on easy street. We’ll populate our world with comfortable furniture, glasses full to the brim, and raise four…
Lori Jakiela’s Portrait of the Artist as a Bingo Worker
As a somewhat reluctant member of the gig economy (professor, waiter, writer), I found myself rereading Lori Jakiela’s personal essay “The Union Project” multiple times as it appears in her new memoir collection, Portrait of the Artist as a Bingo Worker (Bottom Dog Press). Perhaps it’s because it’s relatable: that mix of pride and shame…
Critics’ Pick: Ugly Blondes at Hambone’s
[ROCK] + FRI., JAN. 26 I first experienced the rock ’n’ roll goodness of Ugly Blondes when I snuck into a Battle of the Bands competition when I was 16 (a time when I would tell people I liked “desert rock”). A folky pop group won the comp and the Blondes came in second, but…
Pittsburgh City Paper Booze Battles: The Independent Brewing Company vs. Maggie’s Farm
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…
12 Strong
Whatever has been going on in Afghanistan is now the United States’ longest war, but the conflict hasn’t generated many related movies. The best of them were grim documentaries, and the oddest was about a dog. Chalk it up to public disengagement, an unclear purpose or, most likely, a lack of easily encapsulated victories. So…
Winter Music
Whenever Adult Mom performs, the band’s gentle, warm indie pop surrounds you like a tender hug. Adult Mom is joined by the ever-charismatic, endearingly goofy power-pop artist Chris Farren. Feb. 4. Mr. Roboto Project, Bloomfield. www.therobotoproject.com The Warhol’s Sound Series brings multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Rostam to the ‘Burgh. Melt the winter blues away while…
Power to the People
Thousands marched across the country for the second annual Women’s March last weekend. Themed “Power to the Polls,” the main goal of this year’s march was to increase left-leaning voter turnout in the upcoming midterm elections. In Pittsburgh, our photo intern Jake Mysliwczyk was there to capture the scene Downtown as the crowd marched from…
New Local Release: This Side of Eve’s Solace
This Side of Eve Solace Self-released thissideofeve.bandcamp.com Solace is a record that feels organic, as if recorded in a familiar space in an intimate place of creation, and that’s because it was. The 10-song album was recorded in This Side of Eve’s home studio dubbed the “Backroom.” As a result, many of the songs feature…
Pittsburgh City Paper’s 21st-Century NFL Power Rankings
Every week during the NFL season, power rankings are released. Pointless arguments ensue over whether an 8-4 team is really better than one that’s 9-3. These rankings are fleeting and only a small picture of how a team is performing. But I’ve always believed that if you’re going to do something pointless, do it right.…
Den of Thieves
Christian Gudegast’s cops-and-robbers actioner Den of Thieves takes place in Los Angeles, which, according to a title card, is the “bank robbery capital of the world.” No surprise then when the opening scene is an armored bank van getting taken in a hail of gunfire. But wait: The van is empty! It’s pretty easy to…
