Killer of Sheep on police brutality, the perils of nostalgia, and being Black in hardcore punk scenes
“My life is politics. Just being Black, going out there every day and being conscious of a certain type of way [of navigating] life in this country. Shit ain’t easy.”
Pittsburgh Grooveline: March 28-April 3
Each week, the 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.) Thu., March 28 Taste at Spirit. 10 p.m.-2 a.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $5. spiritpgh.com – Spirit…
Pittsburgh lawmakers sound off on prayer swearing in Pa.’s first Muslim woman lawmaker, citing Islamophobia
March 25 was a historic day for the Pennsylvania state legislature. It marked the first time that a Muslim woman state representative, Movita Johnson-Harrell (D-Philadelphia), would be sworn into the general assembly. As is customary at the state House, the session started with an opening prayer. But the prayer was anything but ordinary. State Rep.…
Point Park announces plans to demolish former Pittsburgh Playhouse site
From the 1930s up until last spring, The Pittsburgh Playhouse continuously hosted theatrical performances at its three-building complex in Oakland. This changed when the Playhouse moved Downtown to a more modern venue on Forbes Avenue, which opened in August. Now, the original three-building site is set to be razed. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Point…
Contemporary Craft says goodbye to the Strip District
Since 1986, Contemporary Craft has called the produce terminal in the Strip District home. That changed recently when a number of factors — including the redevelopment of the terminal into a new stretch of office, retail, and restaurant space — led the arts organization to make a difficult decision. “We had initially thought we could…
In Wiesenthal, the story of an architecture student who survived the Holocaust and dedicated the rest of his life to hunting Nazis
Tom Dugan’s play Wiesenthal (Nazi Hunter) lives up to the concise, straightforward premise of its title, but it goes far beyond that. There’s unexpected humor, expected modern-day resonance, and lessons beyond politics or history. It’s a true story about Simon Wiesenthal who, after surviving four years in a concentration camp, dedicates the rest of his…
Sport Clips: An Investigative Report
I don’t have a hairstyle, don’t like getting my hair cut, and the only thing keeping me at my Supercuts was that for every ten cheap haircuts, I got a free one — but that promotion has recently been killed off. So other than the free suckers and the stylists’ hands that smelled like smoke,…
CorningWorks marks ten years with a challenging new performance, with a shadow of…
Beth Corning has always been a performer. Her unofficial debut came at around age two when she climbed out of her crib, stripped off all her clothes, and started wandering and entertaining the crowd at her parent’s cocktail party. “I don’t think it has changed much,” Corning says. She hasn’t stopped entertaining audiences ever since…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/26/19
Video Archive Lynn is getting Susan’s take on the Mueller report to start things off today. Susan wants everyone to calm down. We haven’t seen the report, and might not actually get to. She says the goal is still the same. We need to keep our eyes on the prize, and come up with a…
412 Food Rescue announces 1 million pounds of food rescued, 1 million pounds redistributed
Local nonprofit 412 Food Rescue has taken major strides to reduce food insecurity in Pittsburgh. Since operations began in 2015, donation partner Giant Eagle has recovered and donated one million pounds of food and Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA), a recipient of rescued food, has redistributed one million pounds to Pittsburghers in need. Along with…
Tilden OG resident DJ, Tenova, returned for two night performance
It’s 2 a.m., and the bars are closing. You’re not ready to head home just yet; you want to keep grooving. After hearing whispers about Tilden, an after-hours bar downtown, I finally tried it out this weekend. It might have been the best time to do so. Both Friday and Saturday night – or Saturday…
More than a thousand march in student-led protest calling for justice for Antwon Rose II
Today, more than a thousand people marched through Downtown Pittsburgh streets calling for justice for Antwon Rose II. Rose was shot and killed by former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld last year. East Pittsburgh police were called to the scene following a report of a drive-by shooting. Rose, unarmed, fled from the vehicle and…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/25/19
Video Archive To start off the week Lynn is discussing the concept of justice. First up the results of the Michael Rosfeld trial. Lynn agrees with the statement from Antwon Rose’s mother. The verdict was not what she was hoping for, but it was what she was expecting. Protests throughout the city went on all…
Protests continue the day after a jury announced the acquittal of police officer who fatally shot Antwon Rose
Protests and community action continued Saturday afternoon and evening in reaction to the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh police officer Michael Rosfeld Friday night. After a four day trial and four hour deliberation, the jury acquitted Rosfeld of all charges in the killing of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II. A community solidarity service was held at…
Hundreds protest following not guilty verdict of Antwon Rose shooter Michael Rosfeld
After a four day trial, it took less than four hours for the jury to come to a verdict in the trial of Michael Rosfeld, the former East Pittsburgh police officer who shot unarmed teenager Antwon Rose II in the back last year. The jury had different options to convict Rosfeld, ranging from the most…
There is deeper meaning to unpack in Jordan Peele’s Us, but it’s better to just enjoy
What a headache it must have been for Jordan Peele to create Us. Not only are audiences expecting a film as critically and universally adored as Get Out, they’re probably also expecting him to match that film’s level of Easter eggery and symbolism. For what seemed like a full calendar year after its release, fans…
State Sen. Lindsey Williams wants to help Pennsylvanians manage their student debt
State Sen. Lindsey Williams (D-West View) is sponsoring a new plan to help Pennsylvanian students and their families manage student debt, according to a recent press release. The bill, called PA Student HELP (Higher Education Lending Protection), aims to protect borrowers, reduce loan debt, and track progress in addressing the state’s debt crisis. According to…
Picklesburgh is No. 1, Wigle Whiskey turns 7, and more Pittsburgh food news
Picklesburgh is No. 1! Congratulations, Pittsburgh! Picklesburgh is officially the nation’s “Best Specialty Food Festival,” taking the number one spot in a competition by USA Today. You could say that Pittsburgh is kind of a big dill. Picklesburgh took the crown from fierce competitors, like the nationwide Bacon and Beer Classic, Miami’s South Beach Seafood…
Superior Motors and Maggie’s Farm Rum team up for Latin American dinner
For the next installment of its 2019 dinner series, Superior Motors isn’t teaming up with a chef. The restaurant is partnering with a distillery. Maggie’s Farm Rum is the dinner’s star. Signature spirits from the distillery, such as the Queen’s Share and 50/50 dark rum, will be featured in cocktails crafted by Will Groves (Maggie’s…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/22/19
Video Archive Rob Rogers, political cartoonist extraordinaire, is joining Lynn today to talk about his new book ‘Enemy of the People.’ Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3 downloads page.
Pittsburgh City Podcast welcomes local high school students as new co-hosts
Last week, Pittsburgh City Podcast introduced a new host, CP managing editor Alex Gordon. This week, we’re introducing some new co-hosts: three students from Bishop Canevin High School. Join our co-hosts, Alex, and CP writers Jordan Snowden and Ryan Deto as they discuss an upcoming hair and fashion expo, the non-boring world of transit journalism,…
The linguistic dominance of white, western, English and how to recognize and disrupt it
Dr. Samy Alim has spent his career dissecting the ways language can empower, subvert, and control cultural norms. As an author and professor of anthropology and African-American studies at UCLA, Dr. Alim has studied in depth how western, white, English language has come to be understood to be the standard, an ideology that allows its…
After backlash, August Wilson Center restores “African American” to its name
After a backlash, the August Wilson Cultural Center is now the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. The name was changed earlier this year to omit “African American” from the center’s title. An online petition arose a few weeks ago asking to restore the name. More than 750 people has signed the petition. “The name…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/21/19
Video Archive The Michael Rosfeld trial is going on right now here in Pittsburgh. Lynn has decided to not spend a lot of time talking about it, because all she feels compelled to talk about is the victim, Antwon Rose. She simply can’t bare to read the stories about the case, let alone talk much…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/20/19
Video Archive Lynn keeps saying she thinks it’s too early to be really talking about who will be the Democratic candidate for 2020. The polls happening now show those leading are the ones who people know like Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Beto O’Rourke. The first debates are even scheduled for June. CNN however, has…
Spring Guide
As the sun begins to shine sporadically and flowers start to bloom in sidewalk cracks, it can only mean one thing: Spring is here. If, like a bear, you’ve been hibernating in your lair for several months, it’s time to get outside, stretch those legs, and explore all the city has to offer. The Pittsburgh…
La Feria combines culture and cuisine in Shadyside craft gallery
At first glance La Feria doesn’t look like a restaurant. Without a sidewalk board declaring “La Feria: Peruvian restaurant and folk art shop” I could have walked right past. Inside, it’s more like a museum, with a collection of Peruvian folk art bursting with color, texture, and history. La Fiera, which sits above Pamela’s Shadyside…
Experimental filmmaker Melika Bass makes Pittsburgh debut at Silver Eye
Artist and filmmaker Melika Bass uses several elements to bring an experimental quality to her films. But there’s one thing she wishes she could convey, especially when it comes to her 2011 film Shoals: smell. “Shoals has a really heightened sense of sweat and wind and grime,” Bass says of the film, which is set…
Inside Texture Contemporary Ballet’s Uncharted
Alexander Graham Bell’s adage “When one door closes another door opens,” proved true for Texture Contemporary Ballet’s Alexandra Tiso. The company’s longest tenured dancer came to Pittsburgh from her hometown of Tampa, Fla. to attend Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s prestigious graduate program with the hopes of earning a spot in the professional company. When that door closed,…
Do Your Math
“Do your math” The calculations. Not homework but daily life work. If you’re paying attention, you do it sometimes. If you’re Brown, most days. If you’re Black, always. Every day or e’rydamnday. What’s the constant? It’s white + supremacist + patriarchy (WSP). The variable: you. Add or subtract points on how closely you connect…
Colombian drug war epic Birds of Passage centers indigenous Wayúu people
In American television and film, the Latin American drug wars are mostly understood to be full of barbaric violence stemming from a culture that encourages it. There is little room for nuance that might paint a more complex narrative. Colombian drama Birds of Passage, directed by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra, follows the early years…
What is giantess porn?
April Would was first introduced to giantess porn last year. Working as a phone sex operator and audio narrator, she received a custom order for three recordings: “one where I played a very cruel giantess [crushing him at the end], one where I played a very romantic giantess, and one where I could take it…
Green Band aims to help single Pittsburghers meet in real life
A bad date was the last straw for Anne Lopez. She paid the tab, left her suitor at a bar, and thought “I can’t do this anymore.” Fed up with terrible matches, she created Green Band. Green Band is a lime green bracelet made of silicone, similar to those from the Livestrong craze. The movement…
How hosting Wine Night changed my life for the better
Few people have influenced my husband’s life like Stanley Tucci. The character actor, whose mischievous charm, love of food and drink, and onscreen reputation as a willing second-fiddle to many of Hollywood’s strong, leading women have garnered him a cult status. That’s definitely true in my house, where his cookbooks are prominently displayed in our…
Athletes discuss failure in Losers
Michael Bentt was a boxer who didn’t like getting punched. Nor did he seem to enjoy being the one doing the punching. He didn’t particularly like boxing in general, but was forced into it by a relentlessly overbearing and abusive father. And somewhat predictably, that toxic mix of anger and need for his father’s approval…
Get lost in Bassburgh’s School of Basscraft and Wizardry
It’s been 22 years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone first hit bookstores, and 18 years since the first movie was released. But the fandom is as lively as ever. Just a few weeks after the Harry Potter Film Festival at Row House Cinema, another Hogwarts-themed event is happening in Pittsburgh. This time, Pittsburgh…
Backstage with Art Preparator Jasen Bernthisel
Name: Jasen Bernthisel, Wilkinsburg Work: Art Preparator at Wood Street Galleries, Space, 937 Gallery, and 707 Gallery What do you do every day? Anything from something as straightforward as hanging paintings on a wall to as complex as the engineering of a large mirrored room. We know ahead of time about the fabrication process of…
7 Days of Concerts
Thursday Travis Denning 7 p.m. Tequila Cowboy, North Side. tequilacowboy.com Friday Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 7 p.m. Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall, Homestead. librarymusichall.com Saturday INCO FIdO 8 p.m. Howlers, Bloomfield. howlerspittsburgh.com Sunday .Michael., Giling, Andrew Muse + Olivia II, Sneeze Awfull 7:30 p.m. Three Pigs Collective, Lawrenceville. threepigsvintage.com Monday Nils Frahm 8 p.m. Mr.…
WPA’s Hair and Fashion Expo celebrates hair as art
Up until recently, I chemically straightened my hair, conforming to an unrealistic, single-minded idea of beauty. But last week, emerging from the Elevationz hair salon in Hazelwood after six hours having my short, curly locks transformed into a long, luscious black-to-purple ombre braids, I felt beautiful, confident, and self-assured. Braids have empowered Black women for…
Hedy Lamarr gets her due in Marie Benedict’s latest novel
Marie Benedict never lacks for material. The Sewickley-based writer keeps a list of women who have made contributions to the arts, sciences, and history, but are relatively unknown. The only reason they aren’t more famous is history’s tendency to be written with a patriarchal bias. “I have running lists of women, huge numbers of women,”…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): During the coming weeks, everything that needs to happen will indeed happen only if you surprise yourself on a regular basis. So I hope you will place yourself in unpredictable situations where you won’t be able to rely on well-rehearsed responses. I trust that you will regard innocence and curiosity and…
(Almost) Going Clear: Gab Bonesso on her father’s summer of Scientology
The summer I was eight, my father was going through a spiritual rough patch. The year prior, he sold his bar (which had been a life-long dream of his), and he quickly changed gears to a new kind of business. I can’t go into all the details but are you familiar with the term “fake…
Buffalo Rose moves in a new sonic direction
Since Buffalo Rose released its debut album last year, the six-member band lost — and then added — a vocalist to the group. With the addition of Rosanna Spindler, Buffalo Rose’s sonic direction moved towards pop. “We’ve been writing poppier and poppier songs as we’ve gone along,” says Lucy Clabby, Buffalo Rose singer and songwriter.…
The Waiting Game: A celebration of baseball
Warm weather is shambling toward Pittsburgh. And as we ease our way outside again to shop for mulch and various seeds, many of us will meander across the Clemente Bridge to PNC Park for another year of baseball. Some will mill around the off-brand merch dealers. Others will pause halfway across to take in the…
