Lynn Cullen Live 01/24/12
Video Archive Phone guest: Susan; apologies for urging viewers to watch that snoozer of a debate yesterday; Seal & Heidi Klum are separating; Oscar Nominees ( and opinions on them )! Best Picture, Best Actor/Actress; Best Supporting Actor/Actress, snubbed movies; Snooki looks better without makeup; Newt wanted to look in control, almost presidential, last night;…
Review: Tycho at Shadow Lounge
Signs of the weather’s havoc were only noticeable on coat racks at Shadow Lounge this past blizzard-y Thursday. As a visual and audio artist, Tycho — aka Scott Hansen — presented his dreamscape art project to a house packed with a bleary-eyed crowd ready to soak up his sun-drenched blanket of beats. His music fits…
Mike Daisey at the Byham
Something I probably emphasized too little in my CP preview of the monologuist’s show The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs is just how funny he is. Having not seen Daisey perform live before, I was delightfully surprised by his electric stage presence: Though his whole two-hour show this past Saturday was performed sitting…
Erin Molchany to challenge Dan Deasy in state Rep race
Erin Molchany, a longtime advocate for young’uns in Pittsburgh, is vying for the state Rep. seat currently held by Democrat Dan Deasy. Perhaps best known as the head of the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project, Molchany’s resume is a progressive’s dream: She’s a product of the Coro Center, and in 2010, had the good taste to…
Lynn Cullen Live 01/23/12
Video Archive Joe Paterno – a sad end to a constructive life; GOP debates – wonderfully entertaining; Newt is the candidate that party deserves; he’s not scared of anything, revels in people attacking him; engrained in our subconscious ( even in black people ) to question black people; superpacs pulling out all the stops for…
Kickstarter update: Meeting of Important People
Every once in a while, we here at FFW>> mention a local band raising funds via Kickstarter. Right now, locals Meeting of Important People, whom we’ve told you about before, are working on collecting enough money to fully fund a self-released second full-length. Some of you have seen this band! Some of you like this…
Op-Ed: Rick Santorum doesn’t believe in the right to privacy. Is his wife still entitled to it?
“When you look at someone to determine whether they’d be the right person for public office, look at who they lay down with at night and what they believe in. Who is the person at their side who has … the closest counselor to that person?” — Rick Santorum, during an appearance at the “Value…
Lynn Cullen Live 01/20/12
Video Archive Yesterday’s Republican debate; Romney getting boo-ed; Newt’s ex-wife talking about his affair; Karen Santorum story in Newsweek, but no one is talking about it; Obama sings a little Al Green; Esquire blog: Under Democracy’s Shoe, A Newt; Perry: Requiem For a Lightweight; a year since Doug Hoerth passed away; sudden death during sex;…
Festival of Dutch Arts Announced
In past festivals of international arts, starting with 2004’s Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has hosted plenty of memorable exhibits and performances. The most recent of these, the 2008 Festival of Firsts, for instance, included the much-talked-about experiential-theater work Eco de los Sombras, by Teatro de los Sentidos. The forthcoming Distinctively…
Lynn Cullen Live 01/19/12
Video Archive Video Archive no longer available Guest: Tom Sokolowski; words of the day: invigilate, lambent; Santorum won Iowa primary; Rick Perry dropping off the bill; photo of soldiers urinating on dead bodies; women in the military; senators backing down from SOPA bill; fading ink; Oscar buzz: The Artist, The Descendants, My Week with Marilyn,…
Computer Artist Scott Draves to Speak at CMU
The internationally recognized Draves, who grew up in Monroeville, speaks Mon., Jan. 23. The talk prefaces dedication of his latest algorithmically generated artwork, to be displayed in the school’s Gates Hillman Center. The poster says Draves will discuss the software behind his famed “Electric Sheep” project, but Draves says non-geeks shouldn’t be intimidated: He’ll also…
Greenfield community group shuttered, reasons unclear (UPDATE)
The Greenfield Organization recently announced that it is at least temporarily shutting down, but board members for the neighborhood group appear to be keeping quiet about the reason why. (UPDATE: After this blog post was published, Greenfield Organization president Dolores Hanna sent us a statement citing fiscal problems as the reason for the closure. See…
Winter Guide 2012
So far, this winter hasn’t been marked with piled-up snow and bitterly cold temperatures. All the more reason to shift off the couch and go do something.
Semper Fi: Always Faithful
This documentary from Tony Hardmon and Rachel Libert follows the investigation of former career Marine Jerry Ensminger, as he works to uncover the links between contaminated water at Camp Lejeune Marine Base and the deformities and illnesses suffered by base residents, many of them children. (His own daughter died of leukemia at age 9.) The…
Pino’s Contemporary Italian
Pino’s Contemporary Italian 6738 Reynolds St., Point Breeze. 412-361-1336 Hours: Sun.-Mon. 4-9 p.m.;Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.;Fri. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat. noon-11 p.m. Prices: Small plates $4-16;pizza, sandwiches, pasta and entrees $10-24 Liquor: Full Bar Fifteen years ago, chef and owner Joseph “Pino” Mico opened a Point Breeze pizzeria, and soon began to upgrade. First, his…
Tomboy
When she moves with her family to a new town, the tomboyish 10-year-old Laure impulsively tells the neighborhood children that she is “Mikael.” Soon enough, she is roughhousing with the boys, spitting, scoring at soccer and even kissing a girl. It is a wonderful summer of freedom, as Laure tries on a new, more comfortable…
A modern-day “D-Vinci”
Although D’s Six Pax and Dogz in Regent Square might be best known for its microbrew-filled, make-your-own-six-pack “Beer Cave,” it’s also a canvas for local artist Jeff Lucas. Drink your beers near the main dining room’s large wall, and you can spend a few hours picking out familiar faces. In a work reminiscent of Alex…
Poll Dancing: Activists hoping to prevent passage of ID bill before election
For many Pennsylvanians, acknowledges Paul O’Hanlon, showing a driver’s license when they vote wouldn’t be a big deal. “A lot of able-bodied people in this state already have a driver’s license and producing it probably wouldn’t be a burden,” says the staff attorney for the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania. “But for people living in…
North Country Brewing Company
The beer that Bob McCafferty and his staff brew at the North Country Brewing Company, in Slippery Rock, is certainly worth the journey. But the craft beer isn’t the only reason to give North Country a look. Since it opened in 2005, McCafferty and his wife, Jodi, have aimed to serve fresh-brewed beer and pub…
Mike Daisey faces the dark side of his beloved Apple devices.
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs 8 p.m. Sat., Jan. 21 Byham Theater 101 Sixth St. Downtown. $18-35 412-456-6666www.trustarts.org Ever since his childhood, in small-town Maine, Mike Daisey has loved digital technology. He’s a particular fan of Apple products — the sort of person, he says, who frequents online Mac forums “as a…
CD Reviews
Nick Marzock Lead Me Home (Self-released) Marzock is just 21 but has been performing for a few years now. He’s a singer-songwriter in the Dave Matthews/John Mayer vein whose solid vocals skew sometimes toward Adam Duritz but more often toward Rob Thomas. On this full-length, a cast of local talents back him up. The songs…
The nationally recognized August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble honors songwriter Bill Withers.
Suite Bill 8 p.m. Sat., Jan. 21 (limited seating) August Wilson Center 980 Liberty Ave. Downtown. $25. 412-456-6666 www.culturaldistrict.org Fresh off being honored by the nation’s oldest and most respected dance publication, the August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble rings in the New Year with a program celebrating the life and music of multi-Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Bill…
Bumpy Ride: Port Authority getting set for massive service cuts, rate hikes
Even though Allegheny County’s bus and light-rail riders have been grappling with a 15 percent service reduction for less than a year, they’re about to get hit again. As this issue hits the streets, the Port Authority of Allegheny County is planning to roll out a proposal for a 35 percent cut in transit service…
Get your ticket for Jesus Hopped the A Train.
Jesus Hopped the A Train Through Jan. 29 New Hazlett Theater 6 Allegheny Square East North Side. 412-320-4610 website All art, and especially theater, is manipulative. No matter what academics might tell their students, theater isn’t about truth; it’s about the illusion of truth. So when we say something’s manipulative, we’re really saying the manipulation…
Lynn Cullen Live 01/18/12
Video Archive Video Archive no longer available Guest: Chris Potter; Spanish bagpipes; Wikipedia goes dark today to protest SOPA; more Port Authority bus cuts a-comin’; the most despicable person on the planet that isn’t a politician; Romney made over $370,000 from speaking engagements, said it was “not that much;” Karen Santorum’s 8-year romance with top…
A moody, engimatic installation work hits home at the Carnegie.
Cathy Wilkes Through Feb. 26. Carnegie Museum of Art 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. 412-622-3131 www.cmoa.org Memory is susceptible to bias and distortion. It is impaired or enhanced by things like time and mood, and by visual aids like photographs. Memory and strong emotion mingle in Cathy Wilkes’ exhibition at the Carnegie Museum of Art, and…
Down Payment: Despite $88,000 settlement, city still faces lawsuits from G-20 arrestees
The City of Pittsburgh has awarded a total of $88,000 to 11 people arrested during the G-20 in exchange for dropping their claims of false arrest and excessive force. But that doesn’t end the city’s legal woes. The ACLU lawsuit that those 11 were part of, stemming from mass arrests during the 2009 international summit,…
Tycho takes a dive
TYCHO with BEACON, ENNUI 8 p.m. Thu., Jan. 19. Shadow Lounge 5972 Baum Blvd. East Liberty. 412-363-8277 www.shadowlounge.net Scott Hansen is the man behind the music, art and design elements that make up Tycho. The San Francisco-based electronic musician was known first for his design work (working under the alias ISO50), but Tycho — the…
A Sunlit Puzzle: Studying the mystery behind solar panel efficiency
Solar energy is considered clean. And it is — if you start counting only after the solar panels are up and running. That’s because, like any industrial process, manufacturing solar cells is dirty business. The silicon for the semiconductors must be mined. The solvents used in processing are toxic. And the whole process uses a…
Jaymay has fans in high places
Jaymay with The Wreckids. Greg Dutton 7 p.m. Wed., Jan. 25 Club Café. 56 S. 12th St. South Side. 412-431-4950 www.clubcafelive.com Jaymay’s career began nearly a decade ago at an open-mic night in New York City, and for years moved rather slowly — at a rate she pleasantly describes as “excruciating.” It has not, however, been without…
Community Fabric
Christina Worsing’s Give-and-Take rolled out — literally — on a sultry Sunday during last July’s Polish Hill Arts Festival. Some 500 people came to the corner of Dobson and Brereton streets, where they could see her borrowed silver Airstream trailer and racks of gently used clothes. Dressed in shorts and T-shirts, ball caps and tank…
Critics’ Picks: January 20 – 25
[INDIE ROCK] + FRI., JAN. 20 With a name like Mind Fish, you can figure a band doesn’t take itself too seriously. But the Toledo, Ohio-based power-pop outfit has more than a sense of humor; it’s got hooks out the wazoo, plus some killer vocals. Fans of ’90s alt-rock would do well to check the…
Savage Love
My 13-year-old son came out to us this morning. We love and accept our son, and this news isn’t surprising. (But when will the stereotypical neatness kick in?) But we do have some concerns. He has already made the news public at school. We want to make sure he knows that we don’t care about…
André Costello releases solo debut
André Costello’s musical journey was jump-started in part by a college-age breakup — not a horribly unique story. But it was helped along by the Law of Increased Entropy; in that, perhaps he’s a bit more novel. “We had broken up, and there was that — she was this perfection, then that was gone,” the…
Short List: January 19 – 25
Thu., Jan. 19 — Stage Known for its expert renderings of Shakespeare classics, Pittsburgh Public Theater essays one of the Bard’s most popular comedies. As You Like It drops the perennial girl-disguised-as-boy trope into the iconic Forest of Arden, where country folk mix with royalty and Orlando befriends Ganymede (a.k.a. Rosalind). Set in the Edwardian…
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Directed by Stephen Daldry Starring: Thomas Horn Sandra Bullock Tom Hanks Starts Fri., Jan. 20. The cover of the new movie tie-in paperback edition of Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is rather cluttered and a little difficult to read, and so are some of the pages…
Le Havre
Le Havre In French, with subtitles. Starts Fri., Jan. 20. Regent Square The Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki has made some odd and unsettling films (Leningrad Cowboys Go America, The Match Factory Girl), but the writer-director’s latest Le Havre is a surprisingly sweet fable. The story unfolds over a few days in the titular French port…
Contraband
After his brother-in-law runs afoul of a hot-tempered gangster (Giovanni Ribisi), a world-class smuggler (Mark Wahlberg) is forced out of retirement to do one more big play. He and his buddy (Ben Foster) set up a deal that involves a van’s worth of counterfeit bills and joining the crew of a notably corrupt ship run…
Full Metal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos
Those who have followed the Full Metal Alchemist anime series will jump in quicker to Kazuya Murata’s new film. Newbies may be a bit confused up front, as different characters, places and time periods are unveiled in rapid succession. But the film — which forefronts “alchemists,” or individuals able to harness extra-ordinary powers — soon…
MP3 Monday: Underscore Adia
Stream or download Underscore Adia’s “Baby, I’m Serious as a Heart Attack.”
MP3 of the week: Horse or Cycle
Courtesy of Hugh Twyman Horse or Cycle Welcome to 2012! I’m the 2012 welcoming dude, FYI. In order to help welcome you to 2012, I’m sharing a track from what I’d call the first awesome local release of 2012, if not for the fact that it was technically released in 2011! It’s the EP by…
MP3 Monday: Action Camp
Happy Boxing Day! Today we bring you a new MP3 from local duo Action Camp. Last week, we ran a review of their new EP, Better Made Fast; today, you can stream and download the leadoff track, “Seven Days.” Go for it! [[[Download link expired, sorry!]]]
