Pittsburgh Grooveline: June 13-June 19
Each week, 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., June 14 re:vision at Cattivo. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. 146 44th St., Lawrenceville. cattivopgh.com – Of re:vision,…
Pittsburgh loses its largest party supplier as The Prop Shop prepares to close
Over the past 20 years, anyone in need of a tiki bar for their tropical theme party or a classic car for their 1950s bash could look to The Prop Shop for the perfect items. Now over-the-top event organizers will have to find another supplier, as the party rental company has announced plans to close…
Thrival 2019 music headliners announced, and it’s free this year
There’s no denying that Thrival Innovation and Music Festival has had some hiccups in the past. But this year, in an effort to make the festival more accessible, the three-day festival will take place in the heart of Oakland from September 18-20. And all of the music is free. Headlining the music festival Friday in…
Don’t sleep on the exquisite pleasures of napping
My son recently finished pre-kindergarten where he has spent every work week for almost his entire life. While we are very proud of his stick-to-itiveness (not that he had much of choice in the matter), I have reason to believe he didn’t make the most of his time there. A couple of days before his…
Study estimates Pittsburgh ranks 4th in air pollution-related deaths nationally
The Pittsburgh region recently received an F rating from the American Air Association and is usually in the top 10 worst U.S. cities for air quality, despite the appearance that the air quality is improving. Now, a new study estimates that poor air quality is having significant and fatal effects. According to a collaborative report…
Marjorie Prime illustrates the pitfalls of artificial life after death
At first glance, sci-fi and theater might seem like a bad match. One is built for intimacy and vulnerability, the other for elaborate production and flamboyant artifice (there are exceptions, of course). But the past two decades have seen a shift in popular science fiction, from using technological advances to tell otherworldly stories, to mining…
Ocean Sole Africa uses cute animals to make environmental statement at Three Rivers Arts Festival
If you head to the Three Rivers Arts Festival (TRAF) this year, you might notice seven large, rainbow-colored animal sculptures in and around the Wyndham Lawn near Gateway Center. But the eye-catching public artworks aren’t made from marble or other traditional sculpting materials – they’re made from found flip-flops recovered from the beaches and waterways of…
Why a former Pittsburgh organizer confronted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last month
Scrutiny of Facebook’s role in spreading misinformation and influencing global politics has been increasing dramatically. High profile politicians have called for breaking up, regulating, and studying Facebook, while activists have been beating the drum and calling for changes at the social media and advertising giant. Some of that activism came to a head last week,…
Photos: People’s Pride Parade
Pittsburgh City Paper staff photographer Jared Wickerham documented the People’s Pride parade as they marched from Freedom Corner in Uptown all the way to Allegheny Commons Park in the North Side in unity with all LGBTQ+ groups.
Photos: Pittsburgh Pride Equality March
Pittsburgh City Paper photo intern Jared Murphy took to the streets to photograph the 2019 Pittsburgh Pride Equality March that made its way through Downtown Pittsburgh on Sun., June 9.
June 10 – 14: The Lemonheads, Summer lovin’, Seth Meyers and much more hit town this week
Mon., June 10 Photo: Quitterie de Fommervault-Bernard Edward Gauvin [Talk] Ever wondered how onomatopoeias get translated into other languages? Find out at Comics in Translation, a talk at Alphabet City featuring Edward Gauvin, translator of over 300 French graphic novels. 7 p.m. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. alphabetcity.org Tue., June 11 [Event] It’s hard…
#MusicMonday Wrap-up: Damaged Pies grows, KeyBank Pavilion expands, and other Pittsburgh music news
Damaged Pies Expands Over 30 years into its existence, Damaged Pies is still growing. “We added members yet again,” reads the first line of an email from the band’s guitarist and vocalist Steve Bodner. “I keep thinking maybe this will be the year I wind this down and then I keep adding people!” The veteran…
Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey release ‘secret’ list of underperforming nursing homes, feds follow suit
Last week, Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators took matters into their own hands and released a list of nursing homes are known to underperform on quality standards. Both U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-Scranton) and Pat Toomey (R-Lehigh) released the list after the federal agency that oversees it balked. Now, the agency says it will make that information public…
American Idol alum Clay Aiken dazzles in Pittsburgh CLO’s Grease
As “Teen Angel” in the Pittsburgh CLO’s production of Grease, Clay Aiken is only on stage for about five minutes. Those five minutes, however, are fab-u-lous. If there were any doubt that the American Idol alumnus is still popular, one only needed to listen to the thunderous applause and squeals erupting throughout the Benedum Center…
Politically-charged Pittsburgh artist Ulric Joseph wins Best of Show in this year’s Juried Visual Art Exhibition at Three Rivers Arts Festival
Ulric Joseph is the Best of Show winner in the 2019 Juried Visual Art Exhibition at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, the first year the North Side artist has submitted any piece to the competition. But, he says, his best artwork was rejected. “I applied with three pieces,” says Joseph. “Two got accepted, and there’s…
Summer is coming: Pittsburgh Levels Up, Byron Nash and Helltown double down on BLQ Metal, Ed Sheeran gets a ketchup, and more food news this week
Level Up Bar First it was Jingle Bar. Then came XO Bar and Clover Bar, followed by Bar of Thrones. Today, Pittsburgh’s chameleon bar opens their latest concept, Level Up. The bar is a Nintendo-lovers’ paradise. It’s themed after the legacies: Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat, N64, Donkey Kong, and more, with plans to host tournaments…
Re:vision brings a weekly underground music night to Cattivo
Behind the scenes look at the transformation of Cattivo There’s something that the underground dance music scene in Pittsburgh has been wishing for: a reoccurring go-to spot for quality underground music. Dissolv and Flux-Capacitor are giving Pittsburgh exactly that with re:vision, a new weekly dance night at Cattivo. “We’re looking forward to bringing something different…
Tereneh Idia combines fashion and flying as Pittsburgh International Airport artist-in-residence
Pittsburgh City Paper columnist Tereneh Idia will be spending a lot of time at the airport for a new project called Wander, Wear Repeat. Idia, a fashion designer, writer, and founder and creative director of the global women artisans collaborative, Idia’Dega, will spend June as the artist-in-residence for the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). During that time, she…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/7/19
Video Archive The unbelievable Moe Berg, baseball catcher, speaker of 12 languages, quiz show sensation, and spy, is Lynn’s first topic of discussion today. He led an amazing life, and The Washington Post has a great article on Berg, and the new documentary on his life, “The Spy Behind Home Plate.” In addition, Lynn is…
Win four tickets to see Southern Accents: A Tom Petty Tribute at the new Roxian Theatre in Pittsburgh!
When he died on October 2, 2017, Tom Petty left behind a lifetime of classic songs — songs that are woven into the very fabric of popular culture. Those songs live on in Petty’s dozens of albums, both as a solo artist and with the Heartbreakers. And now that the man himself is gone, so…
Where to get the best free, special donuts today for National Doughnut Day
Today, Fri., June 7, is National Doughnut Day. Eat every powdered-covered, jelly-filled, and sprinkle-splashed doughnut you can get your hands on, because this day rolls around just once every year. We’ve got your holiday covered with some of Pittsburgh’s best doughnut shops and holiday deals. Whether you’re vegan, gluten-free, or just plain hungry, there’s a…
Tree of Life advocacy groups condemn Rep. Guy Reschenthaler’s comments on immigration
The alleged Tree of Life shooter Robert Bowers blamed the HIAS, the Jewish group which advocates for immigrants and refugees, for helping immigrants and refugees come to Pittsburgh. Shortly before the Tree of Life shooting, Bowers posted on Gab, a social media platform popular with white nationalists, “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill…
Backstage Guitars preps for a new direction
Backstage Guitars, a hub for guitar sales, repairs, and lessons in Lawrenceville, is undergoing some major changes, including a new location and shift in services. Owner Jason Cook announced in a blog post on the Backstage Guitars website that the business will relocate in August. He also plans on eliminating the retail aspect of the…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/6/19
Video Archive Something that has been bugging Lynn for a while that she hasn’t brought up before is the state of Florida charging the sheriff’s deputy with neglect in the Parkland school shooting. Essentially Scot Peterson is being charged for his cowardness, for not entering the building during the shooting. The official charges against him…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/5/19
Video Archive A lawsuit that started years ago, Juliana v. United States, is receiving some attention again. A group of young people are taking on the government over climate change. They are fighting to prove the federal government violated their constitutional rights by not protecting children of today and the future from the effects of…
Meet the doctor behind the North Side’s growing LGBTQ and addiction-therapy health center
Dr. Stacy Lane has been fired from every job she’s ever had. Every time she’s worked somewhere as a doctor, she says, her contract never seemed to get renewed. Usually, she says her employers didn’t like the types of patients she attracted, or they disagreed with the way she practiced. “I was told that I…
Queering the Map visualizes the LGBTQ experience in Pittsburgh and beyond
I came out to my mom as pansexual here at a Lady Gaga concert surrounded by rainbows and queens. i told him i might be bi and he sneered. he slowly treated me worse after that. Lesbian Avengers unfurled a ginormous “Dykes Rule” banner from the Cathedral of Learning on National Coming Out Day, c.…
Fashion Forward: Stew Frick is NOT UR QUEER
Patched across a brown baseball hat reads the words “NOT UR QUEER” in scratchy font. The item comes from Sweet Tooth Customization, a project by Pittsburgh artist Stew Frick, who specializes in fashion design and clothing. Frick, who identifies as nonbinary, sees the declaration as a “nice quick, simple expression” of their frustration and anger.…
Explore 30 years of queer Pittsburgh at the Pittsburgh Queer History Project
Pittsburgh Queer History Project has a great website. The items in its archive, ranging from drag posters to t-shirts from 30 years of queer culture in Pittsburgh, are meticulously organized and easy to engage with. But it’s missing something. There are certain aspects of the materials that get lost when viewed on a screen —…
Find your community and feel the rhythm at these local LGBTQ dance parties
Pittsburgh partiers who identify as LGBTQ know of places like Tilden and Hot Mass at Club Pittsburgh. But the scene is growing, giving the community more options to hit the dance floor in a safe, welcoming space. Jellyfish at P Town. 4740 Baum Blvd., Oakland. jellyfishpgh.com Jellyfish stands out from a lot of dance parties…
The importance of the all the letters and identities of LGBTQIA+
June marks Pride Month, a celebration of LGBTQ identities that has its origins in the 1969 riots at Stonewall Inn, famously led by trans activists of color Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. During the 50th anniversary of the beginning of America’s gay rights movement, it is worth reflecting on who is now included in…
Free Will Astrology
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Some birds can fly for days without coming down to earth. Alpine swifts are the current record-holders, staying aloft for 200 consecutive days as they chase and feed on insects over West Africa. I propose we make the swift your soul ally for the next three weeks. May it help inspire…
Local Emerging Artists to visit at Three Rivers Art Festival’s Artist Market
The Emerging Artist Scholarship program was created to help local artists. Tony Landolina Encaustic paintings created using beeswax, a propane torch, and razor blades June 7-11, Booth #59 tonylandolina.com Andrew Collins Colorful handmade ceramic vases and dinnerware June 7-11, Booth #70 jowdystudio.com Kierra Falbo Landscape oil paintings June 7-11, Booth #11 instagram.com/kierrajeano Yusuph Ulomi Mixed…
See Greer Lankton like you never have before, as a child in the Mattress Factory’s new exhibit
Artist Greer Lankton’s final work, the dioramic piece It’s all about ME, Not You, was first exhibited at the Mattress Factory in 1996, just a few months before she died. Since the piece became a permanent fixture at the museum in 2009, the museum has built a kind of shrine around the artist, exhibiting sketches,…
Bryce’s Hometown Pride
For pop musician Bryce, his performance at the 2019 Pittsburgh PrideFest is a full-circle moment. Now living in Washington D.C., the first experience the Pittsburgh native had with Pride was in his hometown as a child. “My parents took me to see Bernadette Peters at Heinz Hall – which in itself is very gay, but…
Arcade Comedy hires Pride programming coordinator to expand LGBTQ events beyond Pride Month
Comedy can feel exclusive. It’s a medium where the loudest and most confident are often given the most visibility and others are left on the sidelines. It’s a field that’s been dominated by heterosexual white men for so long that’s it’s even become a joke among heterosexual white men. But June is Pride Month, and…
Get into the Pride Month spirit with these five LGBTQ films
Some are streaming, some are not, but all are worth watching any time of year. It’s Pride Month, however, so here’s a list of them right now. Tangerine (Hulu) This Christmas dramedy, shot on an iPhone, follows a trans sex worker (Mya Taylor) who just got out of prison as she hunts down her boyfriend,…
Top 5 Local Concerts to see this week at Three Rivers Arts Festival
With so many great musicians and artists performing at Three Rivers Art Festival, how can you choose whom to see? With a little help from a friend. André Costello and the Cool Minors Somewhere in between indie rock and folk 2 p.m. Sat., June 8 Dollar Bank Main Stage Brittney Chantele Social justice meets pop…
Free Women’s March T-shirts spawn thriving, cause-conscious business
The day after President Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, Allison Butka and Joyce Swope joined hundreds of thousands of protesters in Washington, D.C. for the Women’s March on Washington, carrying a bag of T-shirts with “The whole world is watching” printed on them. “We were just really pissed off,” says Butka, “and we wanted to…
Black women and femmes don’t have time for ‘one thing at a time’
“One thing at a time, sister.” A Black male filmmaker said this to me after a screening of his film in the ’90s. I had not appreciated his depiction of women and I told him so as he walked through the crowd, basking in a sea of congratulatory handshakes and high-fives. This mentality has pervaded…
The food at Cattivo pairs well with whatever you are drinking
Cattivo has been a fixture in Lawrenceville for 25 years. The bar, which sits camouflaged among rows of houses, is one of the neighborhood’s most beloved and long-standing spots. On weeknights, the dimly lit space is low-key, a few patrons flitting in and out to play pool or drink beer. When the venue hosts a…
Historic Shadyside intersection has become official point of Pride
The corner of Ellsworth and Maryland Avenues has more significance than meets the eye. In the mid-1990s, when LGBTQ Pride marches in Pittsburgh were small and grassroots, Richard Parsakian and others in the community held a homemade rainbow flag over that intersection. Most of the early Pride marchers in Pittsburgh passed through the Ellsworth corridor,…
Confluence cowboy brings line-dancing legacy to Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ community
The International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC) was founded in 1993, with 32 groups in nearly as many cities. But it wasn’t until October 2018 that Pittsburgh got its own LGBTQ-oriented line dancing group, 412Step. Bill Blansett, creator of 412Step, got into the dance genre while living in Madison, Wis., where he…
Ciora Thomas creates a safe and welcoming space for fellow trans and people of color
From outside, the SisTers PGH community center in Squirrel Hill appears fairly mundane: a typical storefront office flanked by a beauty salon and a tiny bridge. Looking through the large window, a table piled high with box lunches is visible. But while they appear normal enough, the lunches serve an important purpose — they’re for anyone…
Being gay is not just OK, it’s fabulous
Calling all allies and future allies! In my work as a speaker over the past school year advocating pro-kindness, anti-bullying, and mental health awareness across the country, the question that was most asked during and after my assembly program was, “Is it OK to be gay?” I was asked this question in city schools, rural…
