Interview: Ground Up, playing Altar Bar Wed., Dec. 18
Rising from Philadelphia’s thriving hip-hop scene, trio Ground Up has been making waves with a series of independent mixtape and EP releases. On Wednesday, December 18, they hit the stage at Pittsburgh’s Altar Bar for a performance that’s certain to impress. Tell us about this upcoming show, at Altar Bar on December 18. Azar: We’re…
New Totem Pole at the Carnegie
Native American artist carved the work on the premises
Free sneak peek of Inside Llewyn Davis film
Inside Llewyn Davis The Coen brothers new film about the early 1960s folk-music scene in New York City — Inside Llewyn Davis — doesn’t open in Pittsburgh until Fri., Dec. 20. But you can catch a free sneak peek of it tonight at Regent Square Theater. The film which stars Oscar Davis, Carey Mulligan, John…
Review: Nellie McKay at the Warhol
Nellie McKay fooled me. It happened during an interview prior to her Pittsburgh performance in 2010. While talking on the phone McKay casually mentioned that she hadn’t visited the Steel City since high school when she was in the All State Jazz Band, or some equivalent. “When was that?” asked our intrepid reporter. After thinking…
Lynn Cullen Live 12/17/13
Video Archive Phone guest: Susan; HBO Vince Lombardi documentary; stop wasting your money on vitamins & supplements; 3.5 million Americans diagnosed w/ ADHD / ADD, pharmaceutical marketing ploys; anti-bacterial soaps may actually be bad for you; Salvation Army maybe not the greatest place to give your money after all; Pope Francis removed Cardinal Burke from…
Lynn Cullen Live 12/16/13
Video Archive Embarrassed by the empty seats at the Steelers game yesterday; Obits: Peter O’ Toole, actor / Joan Fontaine, actress; Rich Fitzgerald kicks Chelsa Wagner out of reception; 3rd largest cause of death in US are mistakes made in hospitals; stock market does better under democratic presidents; stories of good will; Brits overuse the…
Pittsburgh Playwright’s Theater Festival in Black & White Holiday Edition
There are three more days of performances for this unique local stage venture. More in Program Notes.
Pittsburgh Playwrights’ Theatre Festival in Black & White Holiday Edition
Programs of one-acts run through Tuesday
Lynn Cullen Live 12/13/13
Video Archive Guest: Chris Potter; war on Christmas; Megyn Kelly thinks Jesus & St. Nicholas were white men; Mandela’s sign language interpreter is totally crazy; pension fund: Ravenstahl vs. Peduto; Steelers fans most depressed after a loss; New York Times story on homeless family of 10 in NYC; Callers: Clarence, Canonsburg / George, Moon /…
UPDATED: Study shows just 0.1 percent of NIH funding went to LGBT research
The arc of the country’s moral universe is bending toward equality for LGBT people, so the narrative goes. Gay marriage is inevitable. And laws that allow for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and identity are the last vestiges of our intolerance. But publicly funded LGBT research might have a long way to go,…
Pension-fund drama! Actuarial tables gone mad! You’ll find it all here!
One of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s last acts as mayor may be leaving behind a multimillion-dollar pair of handcuffs for his successor and long-time rival, Mayor-elect Bill Peduto. This afternoon, Ravenstahl voted — by phone — with a majority of the city’sComprehensive Municipal Trust Fund to approve an accounting change that could compel Peduto to increase…
Locally Produced Doc Blood Brother Held Over
The locally produced, award-winning documentary Blood Brother, about a young Pittsburgh man who finds purpose working at an Indian orphanage for kids with HIV/AIDS, extends its run. Friday, Dec. 13, it moves to the Harris Theater, Downtown, where it will play through Thu., Dec. 19 (except Mon., Dec. 16). It’s a basic story of life,…
The Alchemists’ Lab at Point Park
The off-the-charts high-energy production of this new comedy at Point Park has six more performances this week. A review in Program Notes.
The Alchemists’ Lab at Point Park
Madcap farce has six more showings
U.S. Department of Labor seeks favorite books on work
If there’s a book or two that helped define your understanding of the world of work, the Department wants to hear about it. To commemorate its 100th anniversary, the Department (in partnership with the Library of Congress) is starting a “national work-focused book club.” The initiative is called the Books That Shaped Work in America.…
Lynn Cullen Live 12/12/13
Video Archive Guest: Tom Sokolowski; throwing shade & selfies; no mobile phones allowed in to view Mandela’s body in state; what is it w/ Asians always taking pictures?; marijuana totally legal in Uruguay now; Jackson Whites; imposter sign language interpreter at Mandela’s tribute; Veteran’s Administration lobotomized WWII soldiers after the war; Canadian postal service will…
Anamanaguchi interview: Extended edition
Peter Berkman, founder and lead guitarist of Anamanaguchi, takes time to talk with City Paper about the band’s new album, ENDLESS FANTASY, dance music, and the importance of having fun.
Vote on Produce Terminal delayed … but not before Burgess drops a reference to apartheid
Pittsburgh City Council delayed a vote on the future of the Strip District’s historic Produce Terminal today … but not before newbie Deb Gross, who represents the area, got a taste of how business gets done on the fifth floor. As councilors lobbed questions at an on-the-spot city lawyer, City Councilor Ricky Burgess likened the…
ACLU launches new marriage equality campaign
Photo by Alex Zimmerman Peduto upstaged by ACLU plaintiffs’ son In an effort to increase visibility for marriage equality, and its lawsuit seeking to overturn Pennsylvania’s same-sex marriage ban, the state ACLU launched its “Why Marriage Matters” campaign this morning. Flanked by local politicos including mayor-elect Bill Peduto, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Braddock mayor…
Theater troupe seeks help after burglary
Bricolage Productions was burgled last weekend, and they need some assistance. More in Program Notes.
Every night is light-up night at Bob’s Garage in Blawnox
It’s a festival of lights all year long at Bob’s Garage on Freeport Road, in Blawnox. Depending on when you show up, the bar will be illuminated in light displays that offer thematic representations of Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, summertime or Halloween. However, it’s during the extended Christmas season (November through February) that the Garage…
Hoots on Hellmouth: A Conversation with Sean Hoots
HOOTS AND HELLMOUTH with HOLY GHOST TENT REVIVAL. 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 14. Club Café, 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $10. 412-431-4950 or clubcafelive.com Folk-rock band Hoots and Hellmouth toured almost nonstop for years after forming in 2005, and the Philadelphia-based band is back on the road again this fall after a year-long break.…
A luxury chocolate shop, Le Petit Chocolat, is a welcome addition to the South Side
The idea of opening a luxury chocolate shop on South Side’s bar-laden East Carson Street might sound odd to some people. But Le Petit Chocolat owner Amanda Sougouna says her shop, which opened in June, is a welcome addition to the community. “I’ve been welcomed by families who say, ‘Thank you for not being a…
Cuts in federal food benefits mean tightened belts for residents and charities alike
Personal Stories: Charlotte Paige Vickie Stevenson Michael Joynt Amy Gill Just weeks before Thanksgiving, a time when belts loosen all across the country, nearly 1.8 million low-income Pennsylvanians began tightening their own. On Nov. 1, cuts in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — often referred to as SNAP or food stamps — went into…
![Charlotte Paige: “I told [my son], ‘You can’t eat it all at one time.'”](https://dnm7v7agbcytc.cloudfront.net/2013/12/2cov_charlotte_50.webp-600x450.webp)
Charlotte Paige: “I told [my son], ‘You can’t eat it all at one time.'”
Personal Stories: Charlotte Paige Vickie Stevenson Michael Joynt Amy Gill Charlotte Paige has spent much of her adult life piecing together jobs to raise her kids and pay the bills. She’s worked at Burger King, cleaned office buildings Downtown, and, most recently, was a certified nursing assistant. But then the woman she was caring for…
Vickie Stevenson: “They give you so many hoops to jump through.”
Personal Stories: Charlotte Paige Vickie Stevenson Michael Joynt Amy Gill For Vickie Stevenson, a single mother living in Allison Park, getting by on SNAP benefits is all about planning ahead. She’s received food stamps off and on for the past eight months, and says she struggles during months she doesn’t receive them. “You always have…
Longtime promoter Rich Engler releases memoir about his rock-show days
Like any successful promoter, Rich Engler knows to give the public what it wants. So, after hearing time and time again, “You should write a book!” he decided to do just that. “There were some great stories and great memories that I had, and I started to put those down about three years ago,” Engler…
Michael Joynt: “I’ve learned to live simply.”
Personal Stories: Charlotte Paige Vickie Stevenson Michael Joynt Amy Gill The first time Michael Joynt set off on a solo adventure, it was 1,600 miles on a Greyhound from Pittsburgh to New Mexico. That was a trip he took for his 16th birthday, visiting his sister, who was stationed at an Air Force base there.…
Critics’ Picks: December 11 – 17
[ACOUSTIC] + FRI., DEC. 13 Ryan Lee Crosby hails from Boston, but plies the trade of old Southern blues. While he might be comparable to second-generation pickers like John Fahey and Leo Kottke, he also covers early-20th-century artists like Charlie Patton. Crosby’s latest release, Institution Blues, is a collection of mostly acoustic — but sometimes…
Amy Gill: “Often it’s that $15 that gets you through.”
Personal Stories: Charlotte Paige Vickie Stevenson Michael Joynt Amy Gill Amy Gill’s food-stamps account is empty … and it’s seven days before it will be replenished. “I’m due for my food stamps at the 9th of the month and I don’t have eggs or bread,” she says in the waiting area at the Northside Common…
New Releases
The Beauregards Eat at Beau’s (Self-released) The Beauregards — Pittsburgh-born, currently doing time at Ohio University — continue their good work on this four-song EP. Clean, poppy indie rock that’s reminiscent of the late ’90s and early ’00s (think Engine Down and the like, even Joan of Arc here and there). Extra points for food-themed…
An exhibit explores the spaces where playgrounds meet modern architecture.
THE PLAYGROUND PROJECT continues through March 16. Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. 412-622-3131 or cmoa.org Architecture has long had a paradoxical relationship with childhood and children. At least since Leon Battista Alberti construed architecture in the Renaissance as an erudite and scholarly enterprise, it has been a sophisticated pursuit, appropriate only for…
Lynn Cullen Live 12/11/13
Video Archive Garbage worker jobs worth more than some white collar jobs; Robert Frost & Ben Franklin quotes; events to honor Newtown victims — how about some reasonable gun control?!; Obama’s selfie at Mandela’s tribute, FLOTUS not pleased; throwing shade; Is Paris Burning — documentary on NYC dance / ball culture; Andrew McCutchen proposed to…
Author’s book recounts the after-effects of a rape in the heyday of peace-and-love
Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll: That was supposedly the spirit of the late 1960s and the 1970s. But Steve Hallock, author of the new memoir In Cheesman Park (Codefore Publications) wants to add a thing or two. Hallock, 64, directs the School of Communication at Point Park University. Growing up in the Denver area,…
Big environmental challenges face incoming Peduto administration
Tucked away in Schenley Park, Panther Hollow Lake looks idyllic — at least from a distance. Water inundates it during heavy rainfall, picking up sediment and the runoff from impervious surfaces — roofs, parking lots, and roads — located in neighborhoods upstream. According to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and the county’s sanitary authority, in 2012,…
City Theatre’s 2 Pianos 4 Hands
2 PIANOS 4 HANDS continues through Dec. 22. City Theatre, 1300 Bingham St., South Side. $15-55. 412-431-2489 or citytheatrecompany.org It was a great “you got peanut butter in my chocolate” moment in Toronto back in the mid-’90s when actors/musicians/writers Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt met while working on a theater project and found their childhoods…
Productive Debate
Pittsburgh City Council is about to decide whether to designate the Strip District’s 1,500-foot-long Produce Terminal as a historic structure. It’s the kind of debate Pittsburghers love to have: Worrying about preserving the Strip District’s authenticity, after all, is among the Strip District’s most authentic traditions. If you’re a newcomer, it might be hard to…
Tenth Annual Theatre Festival in Black & White: Holiday Edition! at Pittsburgh Playwrights
THEATRE FESTIVAL IN BLACK & WHITE: HOLIDAY EDITION! continues through Dec. 17. Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co., 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $20-25. pghplaywrights.com/bwfest Never let it be said that Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co.’s Theatre Festival in Black & White is timid in its demands for theatrical diversity in the many senses of the term. Already celebrated…
Working Class
An early-winter rain fell on the North Side street corner — strategically located between a McDonald’s and a Wendy’s — as Elizabeth Massey-Demus stood with nearly 100 other protesters on Dec. 11. “I’m not out here doing this for my own good,” she told me. “We really need a $15 minimum wage.” Not that she’d…
Bricolage’s Animated Holidaze
MIDNIGHT RADIO’S ANIMATED HOLIDAZE continues through Sat., Dec. 14. Bricolage Theater, 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $15-25. bricolagepgh.org The last show of the fifth season of Bricolage’s Midnight Radio series, Animated Holidaze, is a dash through the cartoons of Christmas past, re-scored and voiced by Midnight Radio regulars and directed by Jeffrey Carpenter, with musical accompaniment…
Savage Love
I’m a straight woman who loves my boyfriend, but I want more sex. My boyfriend doesn’t see sex as a priority. When we first started dating, we had sex every day — it was incredible — but around the four-month mark, something changed. I’ve had to beg for it ever since — and I mean…
Continuum Dance Theater’s Object of DESIRE explores the American dream.
Continuum Dance Theater performs OBJECTS OF DESIRE 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 14. New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. $20. 412-320-4610 or newhazletttheater.org A nuclear family with 2.5 kids, a dog and a house with a white picket fence has been the stereotypical vision of the American dream. But is that vision still relevant? That is…
Short List: December 11 – 19
SPOTLIGHT: Fri., Dec. 13 — Art Drinkies are de rigueur at art openings, usually verboten in museum galleries. But while the Carnegie Museum of Art’s monthly Culture Club always offers cocktails in the museum’s lobby, on Dec. 13, visitors will be encouraged to imbibe in the makeshift gallery better known as the coatroom. That night,…
Nebraska
Nebraska Directed by: Alexander Payne Starring: Bruce Dern, Will Forte Starts Fri., Dec. 13 Since 1996, Alexander Payne has directed one great film (Election), one decent one (The Descendants), and three highly overrated ones. And yet, I never imagined he’d make a movie as hackneyed and unbearable as Nebraska. Tedious and simplistic, it’s another road…
Micro Diner
Micro Diner 221 Shiloh St., Mount Washington. 412-381-1391 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m.-4 p.m.; late night Thu.-Fri. 10 p.m.-4 a.m.; Sat.-Sun. 8 a.m.-4 a.m. Prices: $4-10 Liquor: BYOB. Micronesia is an archipelago of tiny islands. Microtel is a hotel full of bargain-size rooms. And Micro Diner is a tiny place to get lunch, dinner or breakfast…
The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology
The film essay The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, directed by Sophie Fiennes, opens with a scene from the futuristic actioner They Live. Our narrator and pontificator, Slovenian philosopher and cultural critic Slavoj Zizek, declares this 1988 film as “a forgotten masterpiece of Hollywood,” and particularly notable for its explicit critique of ideology. From this easily…
South Side juice-stand owner attracts good luck
Down on your luck? Try standing next to Ankit Goyal for a bit. The owner of South Side’s Fresh From the Farm Juices seems a magnet for good fortune — and ideas. A Long Island native, Goyal’s parents served him fresh juice every day. Fresh From the Farm Juices is his attempt to bring his…
Chiptune band Anamanaguchi balances punk and dance
ANAMANAGUCHI with RSK. 7 p.m. Wed., Dec. 18. Mr. Small’s Theatre, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $12-15. All ages. 412-821-4447 or mrsmalls.com Two guitars, a bass, and drums. Lights primed and ready to go. Pedals set, instruments tuned, and monitors balanced and aligned. At this point, most bands’ set-up would be done. For Anamanaguchi, however, there’s…
