At Pittsburgh Comics Salon workshops, experimentation is key; drawing skills not so much
When I visited a recent Pittsburgh Comics Salon workshop, Juan José Fernández, one of the group’s facilitators, asked me if I draw. “Not well,” I said. But in Fernández’s opinion, comic making doesn’t require technical prowess. At these workshops, he likes to downplay the process of creating something sellable and instead focus on creating something personally…
Pittsburgh Grooveline: March 14-March 20
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. Thu., March 14 Groove Theory with DJ Selecta at Goldmark. 8 p.m. 4517 Butler St., Lawrenceville.…
Talkin’ Snack: “Internationally inspired” M&M’s
The most notable landmark in all of New York City is M&M’s World, a store devoted to the candy. But now, M&M’s are taking a leap, by exploring the actual world! In January, M&M’s released three “internationally inspired” peanut M&M flavors as part of a promotion to raise awareness about the existence of other countries.…
Pittsburgh City Council to state officials: Let us design safe streets
Yesterday, Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed a Will of Council requesting that state officials grant the city more local control over matters of improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and individuals with limited mobility. Councilor Erika Strassburger (D-Shadyside) introduced the resolution. She says certain PennDOT policies don’t provide adequate solutions for Pittsburgh. She is asking Gov.…
Pittsburgh Sandwich Society makes swoonworthy burgers at new brick-and-mortar spot in Lawrenceville
Sandwiches have always been an integral part of Pittsburgh cuisine, thanks to Joe Primanti and his Strip District cart. Primanti started wheeling out his slaw-topped goods in the 1930s, beginning the city’s decade-long sandwich obsession. Today, the love affair is crowned by a modest food truck that slaps together some of the city’s best. The…
SisterFriend provides menstrual hygiene products to schools, homeless shelters, and other places in need
People have a difficult time talking about periods. This is obvious from the language used to describe it publicly, like a bathroom sign indicating where to dispose of “feminine hygiene products” or a drug store aisle indicating the location of “feminine care products.” It’s most often seen as a women’s problem that should be dealt…
What is, ‘I’m sorry?’
The Pennsylvania gubernatorial debate in 2018 was a disaster. It was hosted by longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, and he went on a long rant about the Catholic Church, interrupted the candidates several times, and opined way too much. It was the race’s only debate, the only option for Pennsylvanians to see Gov. Tom Wolf…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/12/19
Video Archive “He’s just not worth it” those are the words Lynn and Susan are discussing this morning. They are debating whether or not they agree with Nancy Pelosi’s statement on impeaching Trump. Ultimately Susan says she wants revenge. In addition, they are talking about Cindy Yang peddling access to Trump, and her ties to…
Pittsburgh undocumented immigrant population among smallest of any large U.S. metro
Of metropolitan areas containing more than a million people, only three have fewer undocumented immigrants than Pittsburgh. According to Pew Research Center, only 0.7 percent of the Pittsburgh’s region population is estimated to be comprised of undocumented immigrants. The only large U.S. metros with a smaller percentages are Cleveland, Rochester, NY, and Buffalo, and only…
Tamara Tunie and Laurie Klatscher spar and shine in The Roommate
It’s summertime at a big old house in Iowa City when Sharon’s new roommate arrives. Robyn is a chill hippie from the Bronx, white and bohemian, with boxes full of flowy, flowery getups and weed. Sharon is polite, friendly, and reserved, and though Black and originally from Illinois, she’s settled comfortably into the Iowa lifestyle.…
Pittsburgh women strike for gender equality and a voice for women of all backgrounds
“A Woman’s Strike for the 99 percent” took place March 8, with millions of women worldwide leaving the workplace and taking to the streets to demand better treatment for some of the world’s most marginalized groups. Pittsburgh was no exception. The International Women’s Strike took place again this year on International Women’s Day, a day…
Glitter Box Theater dusts off The Importance of Being Earnest for Wilde Gone Wild
When Teresa Martuccio started Wilde Gone Wild, an annual theatrical tribute to the late-1800s Irish poet and playwright, Oscar Wilde, the initial response was less than enthusiastic. “The first read through, you could see the people, their faces were like, ‘what did I get into?’” says Martuccio, whose first production was a take on the…
#MusicMonday Wrap-up: March 11
Every Monday, CP staff writer Jordan Snowden wraps up the weekend in local and national music news with #MusicMonday. Here’s what went down in the past few days. Local Yesterday, Twitter fan account @MacMillerMemoir noticed a change on Apple Maps. Blue Side Park, a playground located in Frick Park, after which the late Mac Miller named…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/11/19
Video Archive The concept of contempt is something that is so prevalent in our everyday lives, and that’s what Lynn is discussing this morning. It’s exhausting, and debilitating, and ultimately it can’t be good for our society. She is wondering how we can ever pull out of this spiraling down. In an update of a…
Concert announcements: Ella Mai, St. Lucia, Pittsburgh Plays, and more
Stay up-to-date with your favorite artists coming to Pittsburgh. Each week, Pittsburgh City Paper delivers the most recent concert announcements so you never miss a show. Ella Mai. Wed., May 8. Stage AE, North Side. ON SALE NOW / 10 Summers Presents: The Debut Tour with @ellamai plus special guest @mahalia on May 8th! Tickets…
Gluten Free Goat opens for dinner, DiAnoia’s builds a meatball bomb, and a new brewery lands in Pittsburgh
Gluten Free Goat Dinner Service Gluten free eaters, rejoice! The Gluten Free Goat Bakery & Café is now offering a weekend and Monday night dinner menu. The bakery, known and loved for all things soy, oat, corn, and gluten free, has been consistently packed with diners looking for allergen-safe food. The menu, though not nut-free,…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/8/19
Video Archive The big news that has caught Lynn’s eye is the Paul Manafort sentence. It’s beyond belief that he only got 47 months. The lesson you get from this is that if you’re a powerful, rich, white male there is a different justice system for you. The inconsistency of the justice system drives Lynn…
Oakland students walk out as part of International Women’s Strike
At 3:08 p.m. today, about 50 students walked out of the classes and descended upon Schenley Plaza. They came from local college and high school campuses and were protesting as part of the International Women’s Strike, an event organized for March 8 that is billed to combat sexual assault, expand abortion access, and support Medicare…
DJ Femi selected to perform in all-female showcase at SXSW
In the music industry, every single decision and opportunity, small or large, can completely change an artist’s career. Bria ‘DJ Femi’ Thomas, took a risk in December when she quit all of her part-time jobs to pursue music full-time. At the time, the choice made sense. Thomas had a tour lined up with Jonny Goood,…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/7/19
Video Archive Lynn is glad this morning that Michael Bloomberg has announced he will not be running for president in 2020. At the same time she is sad to hear the news that Alex Trebek has stage 4 cancer. She can’t imagine Jeopardy without him, and sends him well wishes. And to run the full…
Gab Around ’Tahn: Who is the most badass woman in Pittsburgh history?
In honor of Women’s History Month, I decided to walk through Downtown Pittsburgh with my pal Cassi Bruno to see who random Pittsburghers think is the most badass female icon in Pittsburgh history. Alex from Forest Hills: “Sophie Masloff. She was cool. She was the first woman mayor. I gotta go with Sophie.” Gab: Interestingly,…
Lynn Cullen Live – 3/6/19
Video Archive Lynn is being joined by special guests today! Jay Kholos and Tom Dugan are here to talk about Wiesenthal (Nazi Hunter), an Off Broadway award winning production that added a special visit to Pittsburgh after the Tree of Life shooting. The show will be at the August Wilson Center March 26th – 28th,…
With Digits, Joselyn McDonald transforms decorated nails into bus passes, credit cards, even a Giant Eagle Advantage card
There is something powerful and durable about decorated nails. When painted, they can hold a color for days or weeks. Unlike makeup, they can withstand showers, sleep, rain, and work. When affixed, fake nails are a plastic power-play. Everyone else now knows you are more skilled because even reaching into a purse for keys requires…
Free Will Astrology
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Who was the model for Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting Mona Lisa? Many scholars think it was Italian noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo. Leonardo wanted her to feel comfortable during the long hours she sat for him, so he hired musicians to play for her and people with mellifluous voices to read…
7 Days of Concerts
Thursday ClockworkDJ, Moemaw Naedon, Choo Jackson, DJ ADMC 9 p.m. Spirit Lodge, Lawrenceville. spiritpgh.com Friday The Blue Stones 6:30 p.m. The Smiling Moose, South Side. smiling-moose.com Saturday Summer Heart 8 p.m. Cattivo, Lawrenceville. cattivopgh.com Sunday Conan Neutron & Secret Friends, Night Vapor, Five Foot Arm 8 p.m. Howlers, Bloomfield. howlerspittsburgh.com Monday Ann Hampton Callaway, Amanda…
Q&A with Pitt grad Rachael Lippincott, author of young adult novel Five Feet Apart
Author Rachael Lippincott fell in love with writing young adult fiction while taking writing classes at the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating in 2017, she got a call about an opportunity to adapt the screenplay for the upcoming film Five Feet Apart into a novel. The story centers around two hospitalized teenagers, one with cystic…
Kidmental has a theme song for that
In a digital age where “hellos” are barely exchanged in elevators, and heads hardly move to acknowledge a person sitting catty-corner on the bus, Jerome A. Jones, aka kidmental, is using music to connect people through personalized theme songs. As a delivery truck driver, Jones meets all kinds of people. But it wasn’t until he…
Material World, a new exhibit featuring six artists from around the globe, opens at the Pittsburgh Glass Center
Kneel and pray at the altar of Chanel No. 5. Stunning luxurious stained glass windows bearing the names of designer perfume and clothing brands hang on a wall at the very back of Pittsburgh Glass Center’s Hodge Gallery. Before the Chanel and Louis Vuitton windows sit two altars and two church pews. On adjoining walls,…
Musical comedy The Double-Threat Trio is fun but flimsy
What could be more threatening for an artist than to be in the midst of another artist with more talent? It’s a fear that plagues amateur and accomplished artists alike. The characters in The Double-Threat Trio grapple with this envy as performers coming to terms with their shortcomings. The musical, which had its world premiere…
Global Design, Not Local Marketing, Distinguish Latest Airport Design
The Allegheny County Airport Authority debuted the program design concept for its new terminal on Feb. 20 with an emphasis on NaTeCo – in the press release, in the promotional video, in various comments from designers and clients. The question is not what the word means. It’s a condensation of Nature, Technology, and Community, which…
Pittsburgh’s Riparian set for debut EP
Nobody likes to pigeonhole their music into a single genre, but if forced to, Louis Snyder of Riparian would call it “atmospheric death grind.” Hearing the first two tracks from the upcoming self-titled EP, that description makes sense. The music fuses death metal, speed, and some odder, more experimental characteristics to create something smart and…
‘Old White Dude’: Myth or Monolith?
Old White Dude.” Is it a monolith or a myth? Is it a state of mind, stereotype, or club? “Old White Dude.” Each word is up for interpretation. Depending on who you ask, “old” can mean 30 or 70. “White” is also up for grabs since we know that the meaning shifts but, in most cases,…
Inside a nondescript brick building in Beechview, Musa Caribbean/Cajun Fare is making some of the best food in Pittsburgh
Musa Caribbean/Cajun Fare provides something of a getaway without leaving the city. The Beechview restaurant is hidden in plain sight, treating Broadway Avenue to island-inspired food inside a deceptively plain brick building. Owner Kenrick Cheong is from Galveston, Texas on the Gulf Coast. His parents hail from the Caribbean and Cheong’s relationship to both Cajun…
Polarizing, unapologetic, not “your everyday politician”: Darlene Harris digs in for a three-challenger primary in May
As the May primary approaches, Pittsburgh City Councilor Darlene Harris is buffing her image as a contrarian who pushes back on Mayor Bill Peduto’s agenda. Her role as the antagonist in many city council debates and her unorthodoxy has garnered Harris support, and even her opponents say she gets things done for constituents, albeit often…
Pittsburgh distilleries are making rum a spirit to watch
Rum is the new whiskey. Forget Captain Morgan and Bacardi — it’s not college anymore — this rum is for sipping, not chugging. Thanks to a trio of Pittsburgh distilleries, Wigle Whiskey, Maggie’s Farm Rum, and Kingfly Spirits, rum is headlining the next spirit obsession. Each distillery takes a unique refining approach. It’s the diverse…
Three years since its inception, Brahctopus finally touches down with its debut album, Mothership
Psychedelic jam-band Brahctopus’ album release party and live laser show at the Carnegie Science Center sold out in 53 minutes. When the tickets went on sale on Jan. 25, it was two weeks before the seven-piece band’s first full-length album, Mothership, was even available to stream. “Watching it was pretty intense,” says Ethan Kovalcik, Brahctopus…
Backstage with Mattress Factory’s Teen Art Cooperative Coordinator Mattie Cannon
Name: Mattie Cannon, Bloomfield Work: Teen Art Cooperative Coordinator, Mattress Factory What do you do? I run all of the teen programs for the museum. That includes the Teen Arts Cooperative program, which is the most commitment intensive, with weekly attendance for several months; additionally, the summer workshop series; a youth arts educators network I’m…
Sound tells the story in Valeria Luiselli’s Lost Children Archive
There’s a line in Valeria Luiselli’s new novel, Lost Children Archive (Knopf), in which a 10-year-old boy asks his parents what they were like at his age. When Luiselli is asked what she was like at 10, she laughs, surprised by the question. How many of us retain clear memories of that age beyond our immediate…
