Listen Up! July 12 Issue
A playlist of artists featured in the music section of tomorrow’s issue, including Anti-Flag, Gwar, War on Women and Worriers.
An overview of ‘Non-Punk Pittsburgh,’ at Pittsburgh’s SPACE Gallery
Did you miss ‘Non-Punk Pittsburgh’ at SPACE Gallery last month? Here are the highlights.
Live art event at SPACE Gallery highlight of Friday night’s Downtown Gallery Crawl
A photo essay from Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Downtown Gallery Crawl on Fri., July 7
MP3 Monday: Blød Maud
Each week, we post a song from a local artist online for free. This week, it’s a track from Blød Maud’s latest EP, Mädel. “Peppermints” is a haunting, bass-heavy post-punk track with ghostly harmonies and driving percussion. It drifts between suspenseful sparseness and energetic instrumentals, building bridges that swell into a sinister jam burning it…
Pittsburgh Pirates to host Hello Neighbor night welcoming refugees and immigrants
The program links foreign-born residents with native Pittsburghers and the Pirates want to celebrate that inclusion.
Punchline celebrates 20 years of pop-punk togetherness with July 8 anniversary show
Punchline plans anniversary tour for July 8 at Mr. Smalls
Raising the minimum wage is gaining support across Pennsylvania
This week Pittsburgh City Council passed a will of council in support of raising the statewide minimum wage
Pittsburgh’s Subversive Cocktails throws weekend charity pop-up to benefit 412 Food Rescue
Pop-up bar in Bloomfield will benefit 412 Food Rescue
After Sen. Toomey’s invitation-only town hall, anger over the GOP’s health-care legislation continues in Pittsburgh
This week U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey held an invitation-only town hall about the GOP’s proposed health-care legislation, but many Pittsburgh remain concerned.
Lawrenceville breaks ground on Pittsburgh’s first Community Land Trust
The city’s hottest neighborhood is taking measures to combat rising home prices with seven permanently affordable properties.
Despicable Me 3
Those pill-shaped minions and their amusingly grumpy leader Gru will just never be as fresh and funny as they were in their 2010 debut Despicable Me. A 2013 sequel and a Minions-only spinoff last year were fine, but it’s not like the world needs another kid-friendly animated franchise to grind out in perpetuity. So yeah,…
Spirit Lodge’s synth playground offers musicians monthly aural stimulation
Descend into the cozy embrace of Spirit Lodge on the first Wednesday of every month and you’ll discover a treasure trove of synthesizers, effects pedals and drum machines — all there for playing and exploring. A welcoming team of knowledgeable synth enthusiasts and Pittsburgh Modular employees hang around, happy to answer questions. People in headphones…
Dogfish Head Festina Peche
I’ve caught flack for loving this beer, but love it I do. Its very tart peach flavor wakes up the palate for easy summer sipping that isn’t too sweet. At 4.5 ABV, this beer is also refreshing without too much of an alcoholic wallop. Recommended by Celine Roberts, CP staff writer Dogfish Head Festina Peche…
Pittsburgh’s internationally renowned jazz pianist Geri Allen dies at age 60
At her first Pitt Jazz Seminar Concert as its director, pianist Geri Allen opened the 2013 program with a composition by her predecessor, Dr. Nathan Davis. “If” had a low-down swampy groove, closer to Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew album than the hard-bop tunes that often opened the concerts in the 42 years prior. It was…
Pittsburgh City Paper Booze Battles: Benjamin’s vs. Needle & Pin
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…
Downtown’s Talia brings excellent, occasionally strikingly original takes on classic Italian cuisine
Talia 425 Sixth Ave., Downtown. 412-456-8214 Hours: Lunch Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner Mon.-Thu. 5-10 p.m., Fri. 5-11 p.m., Sat. 4-11 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Prices: Antipasti, salads, pizza and panini $9-15; entrees $16-40 Liquor: Full bar Raise your hand if you remember the Xplorion! A futuristic information hub installed in the lobby…
Nine solo and collaborative exhibitions at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts explore memory and more
2017 SOLO & COLLABORATIVE EXHIBITIONS continue through July 23. Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 6300 Fifth Ave., Shadyside. 412-361-0873 or pfpca.org In the age of memories downloaded or outsourced — the ones in our heads made redundant by endless documents, selfies, social-media profiles — it’s curious that so many of the nine shows currently at…
Savage Love
I’m a 29-year-old straight woman facing a dilemma. I dated this guy about a year ago, and in many ways he was exactly the guy I was looking for. The main hitch was sexual. Our sex was good, but he had a fetish where he wanted me to sleep with other guys. Basically, he gets…
Bill Steigerwald tells the story of the Pittsburgh journalist who went undercover as a black man in the Jim Crow South
BILL STEIGERWALD 6 p.m. Thu., July 6. Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures at the Carnegie Library International Poetry Room, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Free with registration at 412-622-8866 or pittsburghlectures.org For local newshounds and those who love them, journalist Ray Sprigle is the first name in Pittsburgh journalism. Bill Steigerwald (of those Steigerwalds) has been both…
This week in Pittsburgh Sports History
A look back at events that you’ve either forgotten about or never heard of in the first place. July 5, 1886 Pittsburgh Pirates catcher and old-timey hits-machine Fred Carroll set the Major League record for the most hits in one day when he had nine hits in a doubleheader against Baltimore. No one has ever…
Short List: July 6-11
SPOTLIGHT: Fri., July 7 – Art One year ago, Baron Batch was arrested for spray-painting graffiti on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. The prominent, locally based artist (a former Pittsburgh Steeler) was charged with 30 counts of criminal mischief; he eventually was sentenced to 18 months of probation and 150 hours of community service, and…
One Man, Two Guvnors at the Little Lake Theatre
ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS continues through Sat., July 15. Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg. $13.75-21.75. 724-745-6300 or littlelake.org Work sucks. That old adage is at the forefront of One Man, Two Guvnors, now playing at Little Lake Theatre. Based on Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters, this 2011 British play by Richard…
Zack Keim of Pittsburgh’s Nox Boys releases first solo effort, First Step
Zack Keim can typically be heard in the company of his garage-band mates, the Nox Boys. But two weeks ago, in the performance space at Get Hip Recordings (the label where Keim also works), he was armed with nothing more than an acoustic guitar. The occasion celebrated the release of his solo album, First Step,…
Donald Trump Twitter Word Search
Tweet us a photo of your completed puzzle to @pghcitypaper, and we’ll randomly select two readers to get a City Paper T-shirt. Answer key: Fake news Crash and burn Italy Russian meddling ISIS Crazy Bernie Sanders Weak Build the wall Evil Tapes USA Cryin Chuck Dishonest Witch hunt Media Sad FraudNewsCNN Crooked H Modern day…
New Releases: Wreck Loose
Wreck Loose OK, Wreck Loose Self-released http://www.wrecklooseband.com/ Wreck Loose is the kind of band that you could share with your parents and grandparents; it’s a band that everyone can enjoy together. It doesn’t even matter if the whole family understands the cheeky lyrical quips and pop-culture references that peek through. It’s a blend of Elton…
Fried dough rises to the top with these banana fritters
Fried dough is delicious and chameleon-like, transforming into irresistible treats that are sweet, savory, crispy, crunchy or spongy. Fried dough is humble. It makes amazing foods, from akra to beignets, croquettes to tortillas, even wontons. Everywhere, fried dough rises to the top. I have been in love with fried dough for 45 years. My banana…
Manifesto
In Julian Rosefeldt’s film, actress Cate Blanchett costumes herself as various characters — a schoolteacher, a homeless man, a television anchor — and in various settings, delivers a series of monologues — all taken verbatim from well-known manifestos. If that sounds arty, it is: Originally, these monologues were part of a video installation at the…
Carl Redwood talks activism success, struggles and how to move forward
On June 26, local housing activist Carl Redwood was honored by Garfield’s social-justice advocacy group the Thomas Merton Center. Redwood received the center’s 2017 New Person Award for his decades-long work advancing causes of racial, economic and social justice in the Pittsburgh area and beyond. Local artist/activist Vanessa German spoke at the event and sang…
Critics’ Picks: Absolute Suffering at Mr. Roboto Project
[HXC] + FRI., JULY 7 New York, Massachusetts and California are sending in three of their finest hardcore bands to tear it up at everyone’s favorite all-ages venue, the Mr. Roboto Project. Absolute Suffering, of Springfield, Mass., makes thrashy hardcore ripe for the fist-in-the-air, head-bang combo, while Albany, N.Y.’s two-step masters Concrete will make you…
Critics’ Picks: The Howlin’ Brothers at Howlers
[BLUEGRASS] + TUE., JULY 11 The Howlin’ Brothers, the Nashville-based trio of not-brothers, are a string band rooted in old-time bluegrass and folk, with hints of New Orleans jazz and Delta blues. Their sound is stripped down without being dumbed down, and they sing about subjects you’d expect from a banjo, guitar and fiddle (namely,…
Critics’ Picks: Tank and the Bangas at Hartwood Acres
[FUNK] + SUN., JULY 9 New Orleans-based Tank and the Bangas are lively, upbeat and colorful. The band made a well-deserved name for itself after winning the coveted Tiny Desk Concert contest on NPR. Catch its unique blend of jazz, funk, and spoken word for free at Hartwood Acres Amphitheater as part of the Allegheny…
Got a few thousand bucks laying around? Treat yourself to Roberto Clemente’s old shower shoes
Think about the mundane items you save, like receipts, tax forms and membership cards. We keep these things because we think someday we might need them; even though deep down, we know they’re worthless. And they are, unless you’re Roberto Clemente. On Tue., July 11, during the MLB’s All-Star festivities, Hunt Auctions will be auctioning…
Taking to Twitter may be the only way to get Donald Trump’s attention
Charlie Deitch @CharlieDee71 • July 5 • 3:14 a.m. Was going to write traditional column this week on @realDonaldTrump using @twitter to embarrass office of @POTUS #disgraceful Charlie Deitch @CharlieDee71 • July 5 • 3:15 a.m. But moron president @realDonaldTrump only understands @twitter language. Reading comprehension drops off at 140 characters. #dumb Charlie Deitch @CharlieDee71 •…
How will a planned medical-marijuana facility in McKeesport benefit those who live there?
McKeesport Mayor Mike Cherepko didn’t know much about medicinal cannabis when he was first approached by a company looking to build a growing facility in his community. But after learning about the health-care benefits of the marijuana plant, he now considers himself an advocate for its use as medicine. “It gave me the opportunity to…
Critics’ Picks: Priests at Mr. Smalls
[PUNK] + WED., JULY 12 It’s very easy to look at everything released in 2017 as a reflection of our turbulent political climate, but that sense of fury, attitude and resistance is nothing new for the Washington, D.C-based Priests. The group’s third album, Nothing Feels Natural, which came out in early 2017, tackles consumerism, complacency…
Pirates midseason report card shows more improvement than regression but will it be enough to win the division?
A good way for a team to check its progress is by looking at where you were at the same time last year. At this point last season, the Pirates sat 15 games behind the eventual World Series champion Chicago Cubs. The Buccos are in a better position now, but it’s not because they’ve gotten…
La Poblanita Mexican Store in Coraopolis offers authentic tacos
Oscar Reyes moved to Coraopolis five years ago from New York to start a roofing company. Over the years, he and his mostly Latino crew grew annoyed they couldn’t find a good place to nosh on authentic Mexican fare in the western part of Allegheny County. So, Reyes decided to open a taqueria. “We were…
We check out Birdly, at the National Aviary
Birdly 700 Arch St., North Side. $8 per person plus general admission ($14-15). 412-323-7235 or aviary.org While watching someone take flight on Birdly, a human-sized, bird-shaped contraption outfitted with virtual-reality goggles, I was distracted by a passing toddler who stopped to gawk. His eyebrows said it all: He was absolutely baffled by what he saw.…
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming Directed by Jon Watts Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr. Starts Fri., July 7 The key to any superhero movie is not in casting the person best suited to play the title character, but rather finding the best person to play the character’s true identity. Quite honestly, any well-toned…
Palehound tackles grief, love and sexual identity in new album; plays Pittsburgh July 11
Palehound with Denzell, Rue 7 p.m. Tue., July 11. The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $10-12. 412-821-4447 or mrsmalls.com Grief is one of the most powerful emotions we’re forced to encounter during our lifetimes. Since music is often an outlet for such potent sentiments, there’s been no shortage of grief-laden albums since,…
