These Pennsylvania Congressmen disregarded their own national-debt concerns with tax-bill vote
Three Republican Pennsylvania congressmen have ‘national debt clocks’ on their websites, but haven’t mentioned the debt since voting for a tax bill that will add to debt.
Pittsburgh City Councilor Dan Gilman to take over as mayor’s chief of staff
Gilman served as the mayor’s chief of staff for nine years when Peduto was on council.
WESA cancels longtime radio show Prosody
LIterary show’s farewell broadcast scheduled for Dec. 30
What’s it like to sing the national anthem at the biggest NFL game of the season? Ask Pittsburgh’s Clinton Clegg
“Being that the song is so short a minor mishap just glares at you.”
Sites from a Christmas Vacation themed Christmas display in Pittsburgh
Photo highlights of creative holiday displays from two Pittsburgh area neighborhoods
Lynn Cullen Live – 12/19/17
Video Archive Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3 downloads page.
U.S. Rep. candidate Beth Tarasi says Congressman Keith Rothfus should reveal how the tax bill would benefit him
Rothfus has the second highest net worth of any Pennsylvania Congressman and could benefit personally if the Republicans’ tax bill is passed.
MP3 Monday: Christmas with moon baby
It’s a fun play on an iconic holiday number, featuring delightfully frank lyrical content about the dumpster fire that has been 2017
Lynn Cullen Live – 12/18/17
Video Archive Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3 downloads page.
Referees play role of Grinch, steal away Pittsburgh Steelers win over the New England Patriots
Photo highlights from the Steelers fall to the Patriots at Heinz Field
Lynn Cullen Live – 12/15/17
Video Archive Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3 downloads page.
This year’s most-liked photos of Pittsburgh Instagram accounts
The ‘best nine’ Instagram photos of 2017 from some of Pittsburgh’s most popular accounts
Lynn Cullen Live – 12/14/17
Video Archive Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3 downloads page.
Pittsburgh-area U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle really wants to keep net neutrality alive
The Democratic congressman from Forest Hills is leading the charge to keep the Federal Communications Commission from killing net-neutrality rules.
Lynn Cullen Live – 12/13/17
Video Archive Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3 downloads page.
KDKA’s Marty Griffin’s troubling comments about this country’s sexual-harassment epidemic show how little he cares about the people he covers
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no fan of KDKA reporter and radio host Marty Griffin. Likewise, he’s no fan of City Paper, and has said so on his radio show over the years. But I have to admit that I was at least a little surprised on Wed., Dec. 6, when he…
Pittsburgh ranked No. 30 on list of “Most Sinful Cities in America”
Last month, personal-finance website WalletHub released a ranking of the “Most Sinful Cities in America.” Pittsburgh originally landed at No. 17, but a shift in the data dropped it to 30th. Sorry, sinners. We’ll just have to try harder next time. WalletHub, founded in 2013, provides credit scores and reports, financial tips and reviews of…
folkLAB reimagines folklore in the voices of the oppressed
Folk tales are a rich source of narrative art and cultural wisdom. What they’re typically not is a font of progressivism; too often, the characters and stories reinforce patriarchy, misogyny and other social ills. Abigail Lis-Perlis thinks that can change. The local theater artist’s new series, folkLAB, envisions “a new American folklore” of folklorically inspired…
Short List: Dec 14-20
SPOTLIGHT: Fri., Dec. 15 – Comedy Safe to say that The Skivvies’ upcoming stand at City Theatre will be this year’s lone Pittsburgh stage production with underwear sponsors. Cheeks Boutique and TRIM Pittsburgh are donating apparel to Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley because the pair perform in their undergarments. And they look good doing it,…
Some Netflix suggestions to ease the holiday get-togethers
There’s a good chance you’re gonna get stuck with guests — or be a guest — in this upcoming holiday season. Maybe everybody gets along and wants to play cards, or maybe it’s easier to just fire up the old Netflix box and kill a couple hours watching something. You know, let other people do…
Nat Finkelstein’s Velvet Underground photos; Abe Lincoln in pictures; the dawn of photography
Though unheralded at first, the Velvet Underground would loom large in rock history. And likely no one captured more early Velvets images than Nat Finkelstein, who (among his many distinctions) was house photographer for Velvets patron Andy Warhol’s Factory. A tantalizing 21 of Finkelstein’s photos from the mid-1960s form half of Up All Night, an…
Wait For Your Laugh
Stories of women struggling to find equal footing in the entertainment world are currently blowing up newsfeeds, and some of them have zeroed in on the extra difficulties of being a funny female performer. It’s tough now, but ladies, it has never been easy. Let Rose Marie tell you. The 94-year-old performer helps narrate Wait…
Topshelf Records Showcase Tour of Slingshot Dakota, Prawn, Queen Moo and People Like You perform at Mr. Smalls Dec. 19
You can’t have a conversation about DIY rock music in the 2010s without mentioning Topshelf Records. The San Diego imprint has quietly, by industry standards, amassed one of the most eclectic catalogs of any independent label this decade. The sheer diversity of its output continues to be vastly underappreciated even by those within its niche…
Critics’ Pick: The Pink Spiders at Smalls
[ROCK] + SAT., DEC. 16 It’s been 10 years since the release of power-pop group The Pink Spiders’ second album, Teenage Graffiti, and the band is celebrating with a tour. Its vibrant and rambunctious sound holds up, as the members yell, “don’t call it a crush / to be crushed like that,” on “Little Razorblade,”…
Critics’ Pick: The Early Mays at Old St. Luke’s
[FOLK CAROLS] + SUN., DEC. 17 Appalachian folk trio The Early Mays harmonizes so hypnotically that it’s hard to tell where one voice ends and another begins. It’s the perfect warm sound to get you in the mood for the holidays, as the members perform traditional carols and folk songs at Old St. Luke’s, as…
Critics’ Pick: Aimee Mann at Carnegie Lecture Hall
[FOLK] + SUN., DEC. 17 There are studies that show that humans like slow-motion because it allows us to notice things we might not otherwise see. The rich and layered sound of folk veteran Aimee Mann is supremely slow. On her latest album, Mental Illness, she refuses to sing at a speed that the listener…
Critics’ Pick: The Long Hunt at Brillobox
[POST-ROCK] + THU., DEC. 21 Tonight’s a good night for heavy, dark guitar music at Brillobox. The Long Hunt delivers minimalist, gloomy instrumentals; Love Dumpster brings ridiculously fun surf-punk something or other; and Action Camp plays moody, often heavily distorted post rock. It’s gonna be a good one. 8 p.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $7.…
Pittsburgh’s slowdanger collaborates with New York’s MICHIYAYA Dance
SLOWDANGER AND MICHIYAYA DANCE perform FÔR 8 p.m., Fri., Dec. 15, and 8 p.m Sat., Dec., 16. Alloy Studios, 5530 Penn Ave., Friendship. Pay what makes you happy. 412-363-3000 or kelly-strayhorn.org In dance’s version of a fix-up, choreographer Sidra Bell introduced fellow New York dancemakers Anya Clarke and Mitsuko Verdery, of MICHIYAYA Dance, to Anna Thompson and Taylor…
Rachel Lynne’s dreamy indie rock EP fueled by heartbreak and uprooting
Sometimes in life you have to burn everything down to get a fresh start. This is true of local musician Rachel Lynne, who moved to Pittsburgh from Georgia on a whim several years ago. In her early twenties, Lynne was in a long-distance relationship, a sort of pen-pal endeavor with a person she met on…
The Gift of the Magi at Point Park Conservatory Theatre Co.
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI continues through Sun., Dec. 17. Point Park Conservatory Theatre Co. at Pittsburgh Playhouse, 222 Craft Ave., Oakland. $10-24. 412-392-8000Learn more You can tell it’s Christmas when the tree goes up and the bank account goes down. But what if you don’t have a bank account? How can you prove that…
Matisyahu performs at Rex Theater Fri., Dec. 15
Musician, rapper and beatboxer Matisyahu arrived at his singular style of music via an unusual route. Growing up a Jewish kid in New York City, he says, the first music he explored outside his parents’ record collection was that of reggae superstar Bob Marley. “I loved the music and everything that went along with it,”…
The Carols at Carnegie Stage
It is December 1944, and the VFW is empty as the final year of World War II rages on. The Carols, a new musical with book and lyrics by Jennifer Childs and music by Pittsburgh-based Monica Stephenson, depicts three sisters (The Carols) insisting upon staging their annual production of A Christmas Carol. However, this year…
New Local Release: Bindley Hardware Co.’s Ever Satisfactory
Bindley Hardware Co. Ever Satisfactory Self-released https://bindleyhardwareco.bandcamp.com On Ever Satisfactory, Bindley Hardware Co. thoughtfully plays with genre boundaries to create a crossover-appealing record that uses rock, folk, Americana and country in a compelling mixture. Songs like “The Good Ones” lean more into the traditional twang, while tracks like “Down the Run” take a more stripped-down,…
Writelight
Upon my table I will write and fight — with words and let them win — when sense they make out and in the lines — They will take their time, and I will take their sense, and at this table, together, something new may bring a little light. — Season Ciechanowski Season Ciechanowski has…
New Local Release: Badluxe’s Ribcage Xylophone
Badluxe Ribcage Xylophone Self-released https://badluxe.bandcamp.com/releases Debut EP Ribcage Xylophone may only be four songs long, but it’s an encouraging sample of what new funk outfit Badluxe have to offer. Between Cea Carlesi’s dreamy voice — which can shift from airy croon to strong belt — and the grooving instrumentals of guitarist Stephen Conover, drummer Evan…
Speculators have been holding onto hundreds of properties in Uptown for years. What does that mean for the neighborhood’s future?
Uptown, a Pittsburgh neighborhood of fewer than 1,000 residents, is ready to explode. For decades, the neighborhood that abuts the Monongahela River between Downtown and Oakland, has been dominated by vacant buildings and parking lots. But with large development plans recently announced, Uptown is due for a huge transformation. UPMC is expanding its Mercy Hospital…
Critics’ Pick: The Weak Days at Roboto
[PUNK] + FRI., DEC. 15 Washington, D.C-area emo punks The Weak Days have enough heart to make their passion believable, but enough chill energy to repeatedly and unironically describe things as “tight” on their latest record — also called Tight. For more emo tunes to really get you in your feelings, Indiana’s Caving sings raw…
Recognizing dearth of women in elected office, Allegheny County politicians form new PAC
Pennsylvania has never had a female governor or U.S. Senator, despite being one of the original 13 colonies and having had ample time to elect one. “You look at Arizona, which became a state in 1912, they’ve had four female governors,” says outgoing Pittsburgh City Councilor Natalia Rudiak. “Women are summarily rejected and shut out…
The RedWood Café, in Mount Lebanon, is a modern take on the humble lunch counter
RedWood Café 698 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 412-668-0540 website It seems no longer necessary to state that Pittsburgh’s restaurant scene is exploding, resulting in an embarrassment of dining riches. What we do think it important to discuss is how this is happening. Increasingly, we see a bifurcation of the market: At one end are walk-in, fast-casual…
Refreshing Salad Cure to Holiday Food
With the holidays in full swing, heavy foods dominate our tables to substitute for all the sunlight we’re missing. But it’s nice to have a lift in the middle of the meal to help offset the pound of cheese you just ingested or the quart of eggnog you drank. Winter salads with lots of citrus…
Federal Galley opens on the North Side
The Galley Group, which opened restaurant incubator Smallman Galley two years ago, has launched its second project, Federal Galley. Located in the North Side’s newly renovated Nova Place, it hosts four restaurant concepts, featuring cuisine like Detroit-style pizza and Mexican fare, as well as Smallman Galley first-cohort favorite, Provision PGH. But what’s dinner without a…
Christmas Ale, Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Maybe it’s partly hometown nostalgia, but I love this Cleveland beer. It marks the beginning of seeing my old friends and sharing a spiced pint. In this light-bodied beer, the baking spices don’t overwhelm the other flavors. Recommended by Celine Roberts Christmas Ale is available at It’s Dogg’n It in Squirrel Hill.
New book Kings of the Bluff recalls a time when Duquesne basketball was the greatest game in town
A little more than a year ago, Duquesne University alumnus and season-ticket-holder David Finoli was sitting at a Dukes basketball game. The Dukes were losing when he thought, “I wonder how many people know that Duquesne is the only basketball team in the city to have won a national championship?” The thing you need to…
Pittsburgh City Paper Booze Battles: Pirata vs. Hidden Harbor
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…
Savage Love
As a 36-year-old straight woman with autism, I am often misidentified as lesbian because my social signaling must read as masculine. I am not bothered by this. However, it is annoying when someone who should know better thinks I would hide it if I were LGBTQ. I’m very direct and honest — sometimes to my…
Bae Bae’s Kitchen brings Korean-inspired fare to Downtown Pittsburgh
On Liberty Avenue Downtown, the Korean-inspired fast-casual eatery Bae Bae’s Kitchen has taken over the cozy spot formerly occupied by Umbrella Café. The interior is now utterly charming, with lots of weathered wood, enlivened by dozens of small plants scattered about. There’s table seating, with retro-style metal chairs, for about two dozen, and five stools…
This week in Pittsburgh Sports History
Dec. 16, 1972 Johnny Majors is hired to coach the Pitt Panthers football team. Four years later, Majors would lead Pitt to a 12-0 season and a national championship. Dec. 16, 2000 After being the home of the Steelers for 30 years, Three Rivers Stadium is closed down with a 24-3 Pittsburgh win over Washington.…
In Pittsburgh, the Steelers-Patriots game is the most anticipated holiday of the month
The only date on the December calendar more anticipated than the 25th is Dec. 17. This is the matchup on the Steelers’ schedule that jumped out when it was released last spring. The hated, villainous, treasonous, cheating World Champion New England Patriots come to town for a classic showdown. These two organizations account for one-third…
