WQED’s Rick Sebak launches crowdfunding campaign
WQED legend Rick Sebak has launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring new programming to public broadcasting
Bike-advocacy group takes issue with mayoral candidate John Welch’s comments on bike lanes
Bike Pittsburgh says Welch is pitting bike lanes against lead-water problems to “score political points.”
Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner calls on Pittsburgh mayor to end partial lead-line replacements
Water experts say partial lead service-line replacement does more harm than good
Music To Sweep To 13: Fela Kuti
Today we’re sweeping to the menacing funk of Fela Kuti.
Trump Puppet highlights Pittsburgh’s weekly Tuesdays With Toomey protest
March includes debut of No You’re the Puppet Theater
Report shows Pennsylvania fracking companies paying few fines for environmental infractions
PennEnvironment’s new reports shows that only 17 percent of fracking violations were accompanied by fines.
Lynn Cullen Live 03/28/17
Video Archive Who will be protected from Trump’s presidency and who won’t. Republican health care bill fails. Trump goes to his golf club for three meetings but is reportedly seen watching golf there. Arkansas having trouble finding enough witnesses for pending executions. Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3…
Minus the Bear isn’t finished
Talking Minus The Bear’s 16-year career with bassist Cory Mulchy
MP3 Monday: C. Scott
Dude makes hip-hop beats built for lyrics, but they’re good-to-go as is.
Lynn Cullen Live 03/27/17
Video Archive Who will be protected from Trump’s presidency and who won’t. Republican health care bill fails. Trump goes to his golf club for three meetings but is reportedly seen watching golf there. Arkansas having trouble finding enough witnesses for pending executions. Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3…
Don’t Buy New, Just Swap (Seeds, That Is)
For the fifth year, Grow Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens gather the community together for a free-for-all of seed and gardening information exchange. Sound Bite goes to scour the tables and talk to Pittsburgh gardeners about the season to come.
Air-quality expo scheduled for Sunday just outside of Pittsburgh
Event to provide information about fighting air pollution in the region
Final performances of ‘Virginia Woolf’ at Pittsburgh’s Cup-A-Jo Productions
Two showings remain of a strong production of Edward Albee’s classic drama
Lynn Cullen Live 03/24/17
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Paula Reed Ward on her book, Death by Cyanide. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
A+ Schools launch Vote School Board First campaign
A+ Schools’ campaign aimed at raising awareness of Pittsburgh’s upcoming school-board election.
Listen Up! March 22
We’ve always wanted to insert little computer chips and speakers into City Paper, so that when you open it, music from artists featured in the paper plays while you read about them (like a big old greeting card). But that’s just not realistic. This is the second-best thing: a Spotify playlist featuring music from this…
Pittsburgh Riverhounds are hungry to start a new season
In a city full of fans obsessed with the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins, it’s hard for other professional sports to get attention. Dave Brandt, head coach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the city’s professional soccer franchise, knows this but he’s not making excuses. “The burden is on us, it’s not on Pittsburghers,” says Brandt. “If pro…
The Best Tuna Salad (on a Salad)
I have few claims to fame, but I’m pretty sure my tuna salad is one of the best in the tri-state area. And if you eat it on a bed of lettuce or on tomato slices, you can cut out some serious carbs, and at least sort of justify skipping the gym yet again. Think…
Pittsburgh City Paper Booze Battles: Ace Hotel vs. Smallman Galley
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…
Pittsburgh Humanities Festival runs March 24-26
The second Pittsburgh Humanities Festival, presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and the Humanities Center at Carnegie Mellon University, runs March 24-26, with about 30 programs of “smart talk that matters” on the theme of Being Human by scholars, artists, writers and more. Most of the on-stage interviews and conversations take place at Downtown venues,…
Savage Love
I recently spoke at Curious Minds Weekend, in Toronto, at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. Audience members submitted questions on cards before the show —anonymously — but the moderator, Lisan Jutras of the Globe and Mail, and I were having so much fun talking with each other that we didn’t get to many cards.…
Pittsburgh’s Alex Shabalov vies for his fifth U.S. Chess Championship on March 28 in St. Louis
Alex Shabalov won his first junior chess championship at the age of 11 in his native Latvia. In the 35-plus years since, the now-Pittsburgh-based grandmaster won the Under-16 Championship of the Soviet Union in 1982 and took home four U.S. Chess Championship titles, most recently in 2007. On March 28, Shabalov will vie for his…
Raw
In the French film, Raw, teenage Justine (Garance Marillier) is following the family tradition by attending a veterinarian medical school, just like her parents did and her older sister, Alexia (Ella Rumpf), currently does. A featureless clump of buildings in the countryside hides the outrageous goings-on at the school, including druggy parties, casual hookups and,…
The Bloody Mary, and variations on a theme
Ordering a Bloody Mary is a roll of the dice. Though brunch spots crank them out in huge quantities, ordering one at another bar might send the bartender scrambling to find that long-neglected bottle of Worcestershire. I’ve had my share of bad Bloodys, from one made with bitter, over-infused vodka to another that tasted like…
The Sense of an Ending
Ritesh Batra directs this adaptation of the Julian Barnes novel in which Tony (Jim Broadbent) is enjoying a comfortable retirement. He’s a bit of a curmudgeon, but perhaps he’s earned it. Then he receives notice that he has inherited a diary, from the estate of the mother of his college love. This prompts him to…
Jackie Hoysted explores belonging at BoxHeart
JACKIE HOYSTED: CONFLICTED continues through Fri., March 24. BoxHeart Gallery, 4523 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. 412-687-8858 or boxheart.org BoxHeart Gallery is a wonderland on a Sunday afternoon, part boutique and part gallery. Living-room furniture decorates the entrance, easing visitors into the intimate and compelling body of work by Irish-born, Maryland-based multimedia artist Jackie Hoysted. Conflicted fits…
La Clarine Farm ‘Jambalaia Blanc,’ Sierra Foothills, Calif., 2015 (Viognier/Marsanne/Albariño/Petit Manseng)
Bio-dynamic winemaking at its finest. This unusual white field blend [of grapes] bursts with aromas of fresh apple, citrus peel and tropical fruit. On the palate, it is bracing and crisp, showing pineapple and mango notes, and a nutty, savory minerality. Fantastic with lighter seafood fare or salads, or on its own with friends when…
The Guard at City Theatre
THE GUARD continues through April 2. City Theatre, 1300 Bingham St., South Side. $15-59. 412-431-2489 or citytheatrecompany.org Death. Depression. Lots of laughs. That’s the package City Theatre offers with its production of Jessica Dickey’s The Guard. The 2015 comedy-drama-fantasy also packs a lot of discussion about art: not just the painting that’s the focus of…
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s vast archive goes digital
Ten years ago, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra realized it was sitting on a vast collection of historic materials from its 120-plus-year run. It had thousands of show programs, posters and audio recordings, but no catalogue detailing how much it had and what exactly the materials held. With a series of grant-funded projects, the PSO began…
Daddy Long Legs at Pittsburgh Public Theater
DADDY LONG LEGS continues through April 9. Pittsburgh Public Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. $25-62. 412-316-1600 or ppt.org Based on the 1912 novel by Jean Webster, Daddy Long Legs is a sweet ode to turn-of-the-century love. This 2009 play, with music and lyrics by Paul Gordon and book by John Caird, is now on stage…
Lincoln-Lemington brownfields present development challenges
Development in Pittsburgh’s East End is hot, but venture east of Washington Boulevard and few signs of new construction are present. While East Liberty, Bloomfield, Shadyside and Larimer are seeing new high-end apartments, big-box stores, restaurants and even affordable-housing projects, Lincoln-Lemington is still waiting for a boom. Lincoln-Lemington is mostly residential and contains about 4,500…
At 21, Pittsburgh’s Amir Miles is taking his music career into his own hands
I could barely hear Amir Miles as we talked briefly in the Rex Theater on March 2. He had just opened for GZA, the legendary lyricist of the Wu-Tang Clan, and the crowd was already in full throat as the main event took the stage. Most of the conversation was drowned out by the music…
Beth Corning and dance legend Donald Byrd ask WHAT’S MISSING?
WHAT’S MISSING? 7 p.m. Wed., March 29; 8 p.m. Thu., March 30; 8 p.m. Fri., March 31; and 2 p.m. Sun., April 2. CorningWorks at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. $25-30; April 2 show is pay-what-you-can. 412-320-4610 or corningworks.org For over 15 years, dancer/choreographer Beth Corning’s Glue Factory Projects have…
Portugal. The Man Soundtracks the #Resistance
PORTUGAL. THE MAN with HDBEENDOPE 8 p.m. Mr. Smalls, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. All ages. 412-821-4447 or mrsmalls.com Portugal. The Man has been quiet for several years. After the wildly infectious Evil Friends was released, in 2013, the band spent several years working on a new album to be called Gloomin + Doomin. But the…
Pittsburgh Retro Gaming Expo celebrates a renaissance of old-school video-game design
Pittsburgh Retro Gaming Expo 10 a.m. Sat., March 25. Ace Hotel (in gym), 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. $15 (proceeds from the event benefit Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh). pittsburghretrogaming.com In the Nintendo game Haunted Halloween ’85, 10-year-old Donny Johnstown oversleeps after a night spent playing NES, Nintendo’s first gaming console that debuted in the…
Gluten Free Goat opens a storefront bakery and café in Garfield
Perhaps you’ve had some of Gluten Free Goat’s baked goods at various coffee shops around town. Or you miss its stall at the now-shuttered Pittsburgh Public Market. Good news: Gluten Free Goat’s storefront bakery and café in Garfield is now open. The airy space on Penn Avenue serves as a grab-and-go bakery and sit-down café…
A Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre collaboration with Dance Theatre of Harlem yields generally positive results
PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE and DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM continues through Sun., March 26. August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $28-108. 412-456-6666 or pbt.org “When Smokey sings, I hear violins,” crooned Martin Fry in new-wave band ABC’s 1987 hit “When Smokey Sings.” Last Thursday, at a post-performance party at Downtown’s August Wilson Center, the legendary…
The 11th annual Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival: Faces of Identity opens in Pittsburgh
The Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival: Faces of Identity runs Thu., March 23, through April 9, with more than a dozen feature films and documentaries. Unless noted, films screen at McConomy Auditorium, on the CMU campus, and are $10 ($5 students/seniors). A complete schedule, including guest speakers and specials events, is at www.cmu.edu/faces. Some recent…
Wheel America
Read the full version here.
Wilson
Wilson (Woody Harrelson) is a grumpy middle-aged guy stuck in a decades-old rut. He lives alone in a messy apartment, and bemoans the failing state of civilization. He is annoyed that people aren’t as social as they should be, but he’s about the most alienating conversationalist on the block; he has no filter and his…
Ranking the best Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitchers of all time
Last week in this spot, I unveiled the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top 10 starting pitchers of the past 50 years. Through a calculated formula, it was determined that the “Candy Man,” John Candelaria, was the best of the bunch. This week, we move onto the relievers, a.k.a. the placekickers of baseball. You’re supposed to do your…
Many Pittsburghers oppose privatization of the city’s water system
Almost two years ago to the day, Pittsburgh City Paper published a story about Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority customers who were having trouble with their bills. In some cases, customers had not received a bill for months, and in other cases, the customers claimed their bills were wildly inaccurate. But this was just the…
Short List: March 23-29
FREE EVENT: Sun., March 26 – Words Elena Passarello’s Animals Strike Curious Poses (Sarabande Books), a book inspired by both medieval bestiaries and an addiction to online animal videos, is on a roll. Last week, the glowing reviews of this essay collection continued when H is for Hawk author Helen Macdonald, writing in the New…
Jane the Rat
With one eye half open, she looks at me as I clean off her red-smeared socket crust. The wet Q-tip I’m using looks like it’s covered in dark blood, but it’s red porphyrin, a profusion of stress swallowed by cotton. She pulses as I hold her. Tuffs of soft white hair fall onto the ground.…
Checking in with Bassem Youssef, “the Jon Stewart of Egypt”
PITTSBURGH HUMANITIES FESTIVAL Fri., March 24-Sun., March 26. Various venues. Individual events: $10-50; all-access passes: $45-120. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org When the Jon Stewart of Egypt couldn’t live in Egypt anymore, he moved to the U.S. But now that he’s here, Bassem Youssef keeps seeing all the ways that politics in the two countries are the…
Bruneaux, a fine-dining French restaurant, opens in Sewickley
Bruneaux 409 Beaver St., Sewickley. 412-741-9200 Hours: Tue.-Sat. lunch noon-2 p.m.; dinner 5-10 p.m.; Sun. brunch noon-3 p.m. Prices: Soups, salads, small plates $8-16; entrees $20-54 Liquor: Full bar For a minute there, we were almost out of French restaurants in Pittsburgh. Not that we ever had many, but for most of American culinary history,…
Lynn Cullen Live 03/22/17
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. What did we know and when did we know it? Gorsuch’s evitable appointment. Co2 limits on coal power plants. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
Lynn Cullen Live 03/21/17
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Ivanka in the White House. Comey hearings. Swat strike in Cornelia, Georgia. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
