New releases from String Machine, Secret Eyes, and Brahctopus
String Machine – “Eight Legged Dog” On August 2, experimental indie-folk band String Machine drops its second LP, Death of the Neon, with an accompanying album release party at The Mr. Roboto Project the following day. To tease the new music, the seven-member band released a music video for the LP’s second track “Eight Legged…
Marshmallow Moon Oreos are ‘tasty and fun’
Talkin’ Snack is a column all about the delicious world of snacks, from salty to sweet, from crunchy to gummy, from weird Oreo flavor to another weird Oreo flavor. Every time I go to Target, I am confronted with yet another new Oreo flavor. I don’t need to tell you this, because if you’ve been…
Pittsburgh Grooveline: July 11-July 17
Each week, the Pittsburgh City Paper compiles a list of Pittsburgh dance parties for you and your crew to bust loose to the best bangers, EDM, pop hits, and more. (All events are 21 and over unless otherwise stated.) Fri., July 12 Crawl After Dark: Footwork at Peirce Studio. 9 p.m. 805 Liberty Ave., Downtown.…
Concert photos: Hop Along and Kississippi at Rex Theater
“It’s not just Frances Quinlan’s remarkable voice — scratched, hurt, vulnerable, and angry — that makes Hop Along such a special band,” according to CP managing editor Alex Gordon. “It’s the way every syllable of her lyrics land on the music underneath.” Hop Along brought its “amazing chemistry” to Rex Theater on Tuesday night, with…
New bill makes female genital mutilation a felony in Pennsylvania
Female genital mutilation, a form of horrific abuse that affects thousands of women and girls throughout the world, is now a felony in Pennsylvania, thanks to some recently signed legislation. And good timing. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pittsburgh region ranks among one of the top metropolitan areas in the nation for female…
Have you seen this bird? Mysterious red pigeon appears in Downtown Pittsburgh
Reports of a bright red pigeon hanging out in Downtown Pittsburgh have been circulating for several weeks, with a video first shared to Pittsburgh City Paper’s Twitter account on Fri., June 24: @WTAE @KDKA @WPXI @PGHCityPaper can someone explain this #redpigeon hanging around Point Park U?? He seems okay but is this normal?? pic.twitter.com/ikjetPsdHK —…
Gender identity and expression added to Pittsburgh’s non-discrimination protections
Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday to include gender identity and gender expression into the city’s non-discrimination law. The city’s non-discrimination law, which is enforced by Pittsburgh’s Commission on Human Relations, now adds gender identity and gender expression to the protected classes of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, place of birth,…
Protesters gather in Greenfield following alleged assault by Pittsburgh firefighter of 13-year-old boy
About 60 people gathered today on the Greenfield Bridge to protest a recent altercation between a 13-year-old boy and a 46-year-old Pittsburgh firefighter Tom D’Andrea. D’Andrea was charged with assault after the incident on Four Mile Run Road on June 25. A viral video showed D’Andrea, a white man, straddling and holding down a 13-year-old…
Former congressional candidate Rick Saccone starts a blog called Veritas007 to expose “hidden agendas”
“Saccone, Rick Saccone” is a phrase that not even the most virulent QAnon conspiracy-believing, Trumped-up conservative would ever find themselves thinking. Equating the former special-election loser and former state Rep. Rick Saccone (R-Elizabeth) with James Bond makes absolutely no sense. Before his defeat to U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Mount Lebanon) last year, Saccone was best…
James Shoberg stages an updated Winnie the Pooh and the Seven Deadly Sins
Six years after his stage debut, a particularly gluttonous Winnie the Pooh is making his triumphant(ish) return. James Shoberg’s darkly comic Winnie the Pooh and the Seven Deadly Sins was first produced by his company, The Rage of the Stage Players, in 2013. The group has produced similarly adventurous programming since then — notably the…
The New York Times can’t decide what its new TV show is about
In an effort to expand its media empire to more non-readers, The New York Times has created a TV show, The Weekly, (named in harmony with its popular daily podcast, The Daily). The show airs on Sundays on FX, with episodes released the next day on Hulu. Each 30 minute episode follows New York Times…
BBGuns’ Help Yourself is an anxious, introspective, very good time
“Honey,” the third track from BBGuns’ new record Help Yourself, opens with a crunchy guitar line that sounds a whole lot like a live Big Brother and the Holding Company performance (and may be). The fidelity thickens after a few seconds and the sunny beat drops: a mix of playful psychedelia, extroverted catchiness, and sure-footed,…
Black Forge Coffee House opens second location next week in McKees Rocks
In May, McKees Rocks became home to one of Pittsburgh’s newest live music venues, the Roxian Theatre. On Monday, July 15, McKees Rocks gets another vital addition to Chartiers Ave. – three blocks up from the Roxian – when Black Forge Coffee House opens its second location. Owner Ashley Corts began looking for a spot for Black Forge…
Rising Pittsburgh hip-hop musicians come together for what promises to be the show of the summer — and it’s free
Pittsburgh received two major hip-hop announcements yesterday. In addition to Wiz Khalifa’s Black and Yellow Primanti’s sandwich, 14 local rappers, hip-hop artists, and soul singers are coming together on July 25 for a free night of music at Stage AE. Set to perform as part of a local artist showcase from Songlink is Benji., Mars…
Turn Off the White Lights
Dim blue lighting has been popping up more and more in public spaces over the past two decades. In Tokyo, train stations installed blue lights to have a calming effect and deter suicides. In Scotland, Glasgow saw notable reductions in crime in blue-lit areas. Turkey Hill Markets and Sheetz locations throughout Pennsylvania have used blue…
Deutschtown Music Festival and everything else happening this week
Tue., July 9 Photo: Matt Allen/OctFest Hop Along [Music] Philadelphia rock band Hop Along stand out for the singularly sharp and piercing voice of lead singer Frances Quinlan. Catch them at Rex Theater along with indie pop from Kississippi. 8 p.m. 1602 E. Carson St., South Side. 21+. $18.50. rextheater.net Wed., July 10 [Art] 707 Gallery presents the…
Allegheny County likely to see boost in affordable housing funds next year
Thanks to the extension of a cap in the recently passed Pennsylvania state budget, Allegheny County is likely due for hundreds of thousands of dollars, potentially over $1 million, in additional funds for affordable housing come the next fiscal year. According to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE) cap…
Lynn Cullen Live – 7/9/19
Video Archive Susan is joining Lynn today. They are discussing a wide range of topics including reading disabilities, and the learning techniques that are now being used to assist individuals with them. They are also talking about an engagement announcement in the New York Times that caught Lynn’s attention. The Anthrocon convention was in town…
Rocket Loves Blue makes live Pittsburgh debut at Club Cafe
Rocket Loves Blue, a music duo consisting of vocalist Nikki Moulios and her guitarist boyfriend Josh Shapiro, had no intention of becoming alt-country until they waded into the Dolly Parton songbook. “There was a country night at one of the bars we used to play [in Los Angeles], and we would get up with a…
Tax the Rich Bus Tour comes to Schenley Plaza on Tuesday
On July 9 at 10 a.m., a green bus will roll into Schenley Plaza in Oakland as part of the Tax the Rich National Bus Tour. Run by grassroots coalition, Tax March, the tour is part of a call to, as stated, to make the wealthiest Americans pay higher taxes, but also as action against…
The Wright Stuff
Eight of Frank Lloyd Wright’s major works have officially been inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee, including Unity Temple, the Frederick C. Robie House, Taliesin, Hollyhock House, Fallingwater, the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House, Taliesin West, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, according to a post on the Frank…
Eat Wiz Khalifa’s Black and Yellow sandwich at Primanti’s
On July 20, Wiz Khalifa returns to Pittsburgh for a performance at KeyBank Pavilion. To celebrate his homecoming, the multi-platinum selling artist created an exclusive Primanti Bros. Sandwich. The Black and Yellow sandwich – available at all Pittsburgh Primanti’s locations now until the July 20 show – is a half-pound of angus sirloin beef, a quarter pound…
Lynn Cullen Live – 7/8/19
Video Archive A lot has happened over the long holiday weekend. First congratulations to the US Women’s Soccer team on their World Cup victory. In addition to their amazing win Lynn is also talking about Trump’s July 4th speech mistakes, which he blames on the teleprompter. And even though the Supreme Court has ruled that…
Pennsylvania has an abundance of bald eagles, and it needs help counting them
There are so many bald eagle nests in Pennsylvania right now, that the Pennsylvania Game Commission says it needs the public’s help with counting them. “The population has expanded to a point where tracking individual nests is not feasible,” Pennsylvania Game Commission ornithologist Sean Murphy told TribLive on July 4. This wasn’t always the case…
New music video warns of dangers from Pittsburgh’s recent alligator infestation
The following cryptic message was sent to Pittsburgh City Paper offices this morning: “Is Pittsburgh’s future at stake as alligators steadily infiltrate our society? Is your neighborhood at risk?” Attached was the following music video, “Alligators of Pittsburgh,” with the note: “I think it’s time that the people of Pittsburgh know the truth.” The video comes…
The origin of how Pittsburgh and furries fell in love with each other
Furries were just like most people when it came to stereotyping Pittsburgh. Sam Conway, the CEO of nonprofit Anthrocon, is a native of Philadelphia, which is where the Anthrocon convention was held from 1999-2005. Conway says when Anthrocon was starting to look for another location for the annual furry convention outside of Philadelphia, he was…
Best places to eat, drink, and be merry with furries in Pittsburgh
The convention that brings thousands of furries to Pittsburgh each year also brings millions of dollars in direct spending to the region. Anthrocon is hosted at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown’s Cultural District, and it’s not uncommon to see suited-up furries stopping in nearby shops for a bite or to buy a…
Avril Lavigne returns to Pittsburgh after a five-year hiatus
Avril Lavigne is a global recording superstar who has sold over 40 million albums and 50 million singles worldwide. Among countless accolades, she garnered eight GRAMMY® Award nominations and took home eight Juno Awards. She stands out as “one of the SoundScan-era’s top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S.” and “third-best-selling Canadian female artist of…
Win a dinner at Churchview Farm, featuring some of the city’s most well-known chefs
#GrazePGH Show your dedication to sustainability through social media and you could win an evening filled with food, drink, and music on a plot of urban farmland. Throughout July, Sustainable Pittsburgh is running a contest to celebrate Pittsburgh’s sustainable restaurants. Visit a sustainable business, post a photo on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with the tag…
City of Pittsburgh added to Supreme Court brief in support of LGBTQ rights
Pennsylvania as a whole still lacks civil rights protections for LGBTQ residents. In total, 30 U.S. states lack non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. To help combat this, the City of Pittsburgh signed onto a friend-of-the-court brief in three key LGBTQ rights cases to be heard at the Supreme Court. A press release states that the…
Pittsburgh Bike Share adding electric-assist bikes to fleet this summer
Riding up Pittsburgh’s hills is a huge deterrent to cycling in the city, but Pittsburgh’s bike-share system is hoping to make that easier. According to WESA, Healthy Ride, aka Pittsburgh Bike Share, will add five electric-assist bicycles to its fleet of hundreds of bikes sometime this summer. Electric-assist bikes, or e-bikes, act the same as…
Lynn Cullen Live – 7/3/19
Video Archive Today is the last show of the week due to the Fourth of July. Lynn is discussing the Office of Inspector General report on the conditions at the detention centers, as well as the make-up of the Senate. Many Democrats running for president would have a much better shot if they were instead…
Ghost Fleet tells the heartbreaking stories of kidnapped teens forced into commercial fishing
It’s easier to live in ignorance and think of slavery of something long past, a dark part of American history (with an eternal legacy). But the reality of slavery is that it takes many shapes, in many places, and is an ongoing horror. The documentary Ghost Fleet goes deep into the world of slave labor…
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Pittsburgh’s confectionary [ice] cream of the crop
“Where’s the best ice cream in Pittsburgh?” Throughout the summer, this is a question asked by locals and visitors alike. It reignites a never-ending debate with no right answer. There’s no “best” because Pittsburgh has it all: old-timey scoop shops that have been around for decades, roadside storefronts twisting the perfect soft serve, and ice…
Family Dynamics
The lines between work and play can get fuzzy when playing in a family band. Songwriting is brought up at dinner, or an old fight gets rehashed during practice. For married couple Karen and RJ Dietrich, the drummer and guitarist, respectively, in the local indie rock band Essential Machine, their family-band boundaries are even more…
We need to think about what we say regarding sexual abuse allegations
On June 21, columnist E. Jean Carroll published an excerpt from her new memoir, What Do We Need Men For?, in New York magazine, alleging a violent assault by President Trump more than 20 years ago in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room. She joins more than 20 women who have publicly accused President Trump of…
Taking new friends out to lunch or breakfast or whatever
I seem to get asked for money on the street a lot, so I’ll usually give a dollar or two, sometimes more. Since I don’t donate a lot of money to organizations, though I intend to (I’m looking at you, NPR), I see this as a convenient way to help someone out. But I’ve run…
LIKELIKE gallery in Garfield explores artistic creativity through video games
Every month on First Friday in the Bloomfield-Garfield corridor, the gallery space LIKELIKE puts on an art show that’s different from most of the other galleries on Penn Avenue. Most First Friday shows are typical to art crawls, involving stationary art hanging on the walls, but LIKELIKE’s focus is on something different: video games. Described…
Steven Haines is a microcinema presenter. What is that?!
Name: Steven Haines, Homestead Work: Microcinema Presenter What is microcinema? [Films] from flea markets, estate sales, thrown in the trash. Educational and industrial, home movies, put together in programs — ephemeral stuff not screened elsewhere. I’d say the golden era is the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s. Every school had films, they all went in the trash…
‘How can I continue to teach kids compassion when they no longer see it from adults?’
How can I continue to teach kids compassion when they don’t always see it from adults? It’s been seven years now that I have traveled the mid-Atlantic region of America spreading a pro-kindness/anti-bully message. I have been to schools, churches, community centers, libraries, AARP meetings … You name it, I’ve been there. It’s been a…
Do Fourth of July fireworks pollute Pittsburgh air?
Pittsburgh’s love of fireworks is well documented. Whether it is Light Up Night or the nation’s biggest fireworks day, the Fourth of July, the Steel City excels in lighting up the sky with pyrotechnics. According to KDKA, there are at least 20 firework displays that will explode across the Allegheny County sky Thursday night if…
Row House Cinema explores atrocities of the Khmer Rouge with animated feature Funan
Beginning in 1975, the Khmer Rouge unleashed a reign of terror across Cambodia, killing between 1.7 and 2 million Cambodians, and exiling more. The horrific period unfolds from the perspective of a Cambodian family in Funan, the debut feature from Cambodian-French filmmaker, Denis Do. The French-language animated film — which makes its Pittsburgh premiere at…
South Park Theatre celebrates 25 years, mixes up programming for broader reach
With just 136 seats, the South Park Theatre has to be creative when it comes to putting on its productions each year, which include a wide range of genres, from musicals to dramas. “It’s a fairly intimate stage,” says South Park Theatre executive director, Lorraine Mszanski. That’s why they go with productions like The 25th…
Furry Nation: The True Story of America’s Most Misunderstood Subculture humanizes furry fandom and lifestyle
Furries are like sports fans who paint their bare chests in hopes of being seen on TV. It’s an analogy found early in Joe Strike’s 2017 book Furry Nation: The True Story of America’s Most Misunderstood Subculture, and one he disputes. Not all furries are in it for the attention, he points out, and only…
DJ and producer Dosk begins PAallDay tour in Pittsburgh
Diplo remembers Philadelphia DJ and producer Dosk as the “USB kid.” After the young musician — real name Dylan Doskicz — missed the opportunity to play the 2016 Mad Decent Block Party due to technical difficulties, Diplo gave Doskicz a pep talk backstage, telling him to use a USB in the future to prevent that…
Water Trash: From Beaver to Pitt to touring the nation
The members of local rock band Water Trash have been playing together for nearly a decade, but its current lineup is only around two years old. The group — featuring Ryan Hartman (guitar/vocals), Ryan Killen (keyboard), Carter Vannoy (lead vocals/guitar), Cheyenne Raithel (drums), and Victor Tonti (bass) — met through the youth music education group…
Furries are artists, and Anthrocon is their Sotheby’s
Furry culture tends to attract creative types. Unlike most other fandoms, furries are both the creators and the consumers of their culture. They’re in charge of creating their own costumes, literature, and art. At least that’s according to Eric Zawrotny, a furry and Anthrocon artist from Brighton Heights. “Being able to create your own material…
Arsenal Cider House’s alcoholic sorbet is not your mother’s drunken dessert
Adding alcohol to ice cream is not a particularly novel concept. Popular ice cream brands like Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s have debuted their own flavors blended with rum and bourbon. Boozy shakes have become a burger joint solution to the choice between beer or milkshake. Floats are switching out root beer for red wine. …
Free Will Astrology
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian voice actor Tom Kenny has played the roles of over 1,500 cartoon characters, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Spyro the Dragon, Jake Spidermonkey, Commander Peepers, and Doctor Octopus. I propose that we make him your role model in the coming weeks. It will be a favorable time for you to show your…
Independence for whom?
The Fourth of July is upon us. A day when many celebrate “Freedom” and others reflect on what “Freedom” would look like when it is finally won. Growing up, we had sparklers, fireworks and, a picnic BBQ. But as I got older, I started to wonder about the holiday. It wasn’t one specific thing that…
‘Traitor’ to Saddam Hussein come to Alphabet City
During the Persian Gulf War of 1991, Dunya Mikhail, then working as a journalist at the Baghdad Observer, was placed on a list of suspected traitors to Iraq. She had not committed a crime. She did not speak out against Saddam Hussein or the Iraqi government. True, the poetry collection she had published, The War…
