Police release sketch in South Side bike attack
Police searching for white man in 20s or 30s; injured cyclist out of the hospital.
Rogue Flowers
This is the third summer for these flowers, growing wild on the outside ledge of the Roberto Clemente Bridge. I’ve been watching them each summer, beginning two years ago with a single flower growing from a bit a moss the size of a thumb to this year’s healthy spread. All I can figure is that…
Maps, turkey onesies, and a beard hat
A look at some Etsy offerings from local sellers.
What’s in a Name? North Siders Vote in Favor of “Re-branding”
If you hear someone reference the “Allegheny City Central” neighborhood, you won’t be alone in questioning your Pittsburgh geography lessons. The name is new as of Monday night, approved by a vote of 99-29 by members of the Central Northside Neighborhood Council and residents in the Allegheny Center neighborhood. While not officially official (the city…
Heads Up: Morning headlines for Sept. 11
Lights out for holiday display … gas-drilling tax revenue better than expected … and Dennis Roddy in the center of the storm (again)
Lynn Cullen Live 09/11/12
Video Archive Phone guest: Susan; remembering 9/11; nothing about 9/11 on the front page of the New York Times or New York Post; time to move on?; Joe Biden at a biker bar; Romney’s healthcare statement on Meet the Press; Republicans = fascists; Obama needs to appoint Clinton as the Secretary of Explaining Things; Michelle…
Cyclists rally to support injured rider
Community fundraising for injured cyclist
County turns out “Celebration of Lights” due to high costs, reduced sponsorships
Hartwood Acres Celebration of Lights suspended due to rising costs
At least the Pirates’ P.R. team is confident
The Pittsburgh Pirates may be looking hesitant and unsure of themselves on the field, but the team’s marketing department has confidence to spare. On a Monday morning following a three-game sweep by the abysmal Chicago Cubs, this email shows up in the old inbox: After the past couple of weeks if fans of the Pirates…
Heads Up: Morning headlines for Sept. 10
Story of the day: Last week’s party convention may have solidified Barack Obama’s lead. Pollster Nate Silver says the odds of Obama winning are four-to-one in favor, and Romney advisers acknowledge that Democrats have the advantage. A proposal to overhaul countywide pollution regulations meets with opposition from business groups. Which wouldn’t be surprising except for…
Lynn Cullen Live 09/10/12
Video Archive Guest: Jeanne Marie Laskas, author & director of writing program at Pitt; new book: Hidden America; immersion journalism; the book introduces you to the lives & personalities of coal miners, blueberry pickers, air traffic controllers, truck drivers, more; traveling & writing w/ a family at home; book launch party on Thursday @ Barnes…
Jazz Poetry Concert
It was another good night for City of Asylum/Pittsburgh’s annual Jazz Poetry Concert — even if threatening weather kept this free show indoors for the third straight year. Musical highlights at Saturday’s show at the New Hazlett Theater included sets by the Oliver Lake Steel Quartet with Meshell Ndegeocello. Lake’s band features Lyndon Achee, who…
Dude, where’s my royalty check? Local designer lashes out at Trib
When Dan Rugh spotted the new advertising placard on a Tribune-Review newspaper box, the cofounder of South Side’s Commonwealth Press couldn’t help noticing that it seemed somehow … familiar. The placard was advertising an upcoming “Zoltan” card promo the newspaper was running, based on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ quirky adoption of a hand gesture taken from…
Pittsburgh Track Authority on MTV Hive
Just wanted to point out quickly that Pittsburgh Track Authority, the project of some of the folks from Machine Age Studios, are featured on MTV Hive in an article about small-city dance scenes. Good on ’em!
Rodent PR
Yup, that’s a mess o’ rat holes, on a Friendship street. Above which some worried human — or attention-seeking rodent — has spraypainted “RATS.” The holes have recently been paved over, so somebody got the message.
The Tag Cloud is the Tag Cloud
A look inside Mike Tomlin’s weekly press conference
Andrew Jackson Trails Obama in Votes … At Pittsburgh Glass Center
Visitors to Pittsburgh Glass Center’s current exhibit, American Idols, have cast their votes, and President Obama — or, at least, artist John Moran’s glass bust of President Obama — takes the lead, with Old Hickory coming in second. All of the U.S. presidents appear in Moran’s exhibit — on view until November 10th — so…
Tomorrow’s Jazz Poetry Concert Moved Indoors
Weather forecast forces performance to move to the New Hazlett
Grand Theft: Steak ‘n’ Razors
Time for our look around local Patch.com police blotters, seeking the ugliest moments from suburban life. In Collier, this particular item sounds like someone was either working on an art project or stocking a frat house: A white male in his late 30s wearing a blue shirt and blue hat tried to steal a cart…
Heads Up: Morning headlines for Sept. 7
Obama solid, not spectacular, at DNC … Port Authority makes its pitch for RAD funding … and abuse allegations continue to haunt city schools.
Lynn Cullen Live 09/07/12
Video Archive Conventions are all done & the campaigns are on; stark contrast between parties, values & direction of the country; Dems emphasized the war, veterans, soldiers while Repubs didn’t even acknowledge we are in a war; citizenship; we have responsibilities as well as rights; Biden’s speech struggles; Romney needs to finish the debate with…
Organic Isn’t Just About Vitamins
People are still debating the results of a newly released Stanford University study, which concluded that there is little evidence that organic meat and produce are more nutritious than conventionally grown food.Here’s the abstract of the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.But as many observers continue to point out, nutrition as measured in…
Cyclist knifed in road rage incident
Cyclist stabbed in latest motorist-vs-cyclist case
At Last, Some Brevity at the DNC
From the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Barb Mikulski (D-Maryland) sent out a baffling series of teeny tiny tweets, most intriguing variations of letters C and D. An explanation (below) soon followed (Senators, they’re just like us!), but for a brief moment, there was poetry in the minimal.
Analysis: Rothfus uses golf as a wedge issue (get it?)
So it has come to this: Republicans — who are led by the chameleon-like Mitt Romney — have made the ultimate flip-flop. They are now against golf. Or so it would seem, based on the latest TV ad from Congressional candidate Keith Rothfus, which begins, “As President, Barack Obama has played over 100 rounds of…
Installation art, rebuilding a home, and a documentary on furries
Local projects currently funding on Kickstarter and Indie Go Go.
One Day only — Free Parking Spaces!
Reservations being accepted for the annual Pittsburgh Park(ing) day
Pennsylvania delegation says Obama’s DNC speech will “lead us into the future”
State Sen. Daylin Lynch says Clnton’s “masterful” speech paves way for President Obama to “lay out his agenda”
Taking Bets Now: What Will be in the former Arsenal Bank Safes?
Tender Bar and Kitchen owner Jeff Catalina is live tweeting this morning the attempt to crack the safes at the former Arsenal Bank at the intersection of 43rd and Butler streets. Follow him @TenderPGH. The six locked safes in a back room, each with a double combination, were probably installed during a remodeling of the…
Bacon Bacon Bacon
Among the benefits of attending the University of Pittsburgh — free bacon cheeseburgers tonight.
Heads Up: Morning headlines for Sept. 6
Clinton rocks convention … tax plan for transit questioned … GOP Senate candidate Tom Smith has a plan to (surprise!) help the rich.
Lynn Cullen Live 09/06/12
Video Archive Guest: Tom Sokolowski; science moving forward; Democratic National Convention; Bill Clinton’s speech; Clinton a good teacher, can more concisely explain things than Obama; it’s party before country for Republicans; “Democracy doesn’t have to be a bloodsport;” Obamacare’s successes so far; how we’re better than we were 4 years ago; the fastest growing jobs…
Merton Center calls for more democracy
The Thomas Merton Center has signed The Chambersburg Declaration, which calls for self-government and denounces the concentration of “wealth and greater governing power through the exploitation of human and natural communities,” according to a press release sent out today. The Declaration is issued by the Community Rights Network, a project of the Community Environmental Legal…
Extended Q&A: Frank Turner
Long version of our chat with Frank Turner
Heads Up: Morning headlines for Sept. 5
Democrats straight killing it in Charlotte … the county exec picks air-pollution appointees … and could Ed Rendell yet rise from the dead?
CD Reviews
Low Man Low Man EP (Self-released) This six-song EP is the first offering from the local stoner-rock outfit. Sweet riffs, screaming solos and a tight rhythm section are the album’s highlights. Sometimes the vocals feel a little forced and theatrical, though they’re also mixed a little flat. They might have a bit more pop if…
Critics’ Picks: September 5 – 11
[IRISH] + FRI., SEPT. 7 It’s like Christmas in July for people who like Irish stuff: At the opposite end of the calendar from St. Patrick’s Day comes the Pittsburgh Irish Festival, in its 22nd iteration this year. The smatterin’ o’ Irish culture takes place at the Sandcastle Riverplex, and features music galore. There are…
Blurring the Lines: Pa. redistricting wreaks havoc on city’s black neighborhoods
As the executive director of Larimer’s Kingsley Center, there’s one sentiment that Malik Bankston hears from citizens quite a bit: “Why should I worry about voting? My vote doesn’t matter.” So a few weeks ago, as a state judge was hearing arguments over the controversial Voter ID law, he put a message up on the…
Lynn Cullen Live 09/05/12
Video Archive Guest: Chris Potter; Democratic National Convention; Repubs couldn’t hold a candle to the Democrats’ energy; Deval Patrick’s speech; a lot of talk about gay marriage; Julian Castro’s speech; we are in the middle of a war, yet the Republicans didn’t mention it once in any of their speeches; Michelle Obama’s speech; Bill Clinton…
The North Side ponders a change of name — and direction
From his seat at the bar of the Monterey Pub, Jerome Kennedy says it out loud — a sentiment you sometimes hear in discussions about the changes taking place in the Mexican War Streets and the surrounding area. “We’re going to be the South Side pretty soon,” he says. “There’s a quote,” says bartender Mark…
The latest from Beth Corning’s Glue Factory is puppet dance-theater
CorningWorks presents The Glue Factory Project 2012: THE LIFE & DEATH OF LITTLE FINN Wed., Sept. 12-Sun., Sept. 16. Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh 10 Children’s Way North Side. $25-30 (18 and over); the 8 p.m. Sun., Sept. 16 show is pay-what-you-can. corningworks.org It has been a challenging three years for Beth Corning since she was…
All’s Fare
If you’re like me, you use transit regularly. And you partake of alcohol, and the city’s cultural scene, almost as often. You may even occasionally indulge in all three habits at the same time. So if you’re like me, it’s hard to pick a side in the debate over whether to shore up the Port…
The fall stage season gets rolling.
The REP opens its season with a celebrated work of contemporary drama. Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County (2008) won a Pulitzer and multiple Tonys with its darkly comic story of a deeply dysfunctional Oklahoma family. John Shepard directs this production of Point Park’s professional-theater company, starring a cast of top local actors including David Whalen,…
Savage Love
I have been in a long-term relationship with a wonderful woman. She is a Burning Man person and converses online with other “burners.” I confronted her when I realized she was discussing our relationship in a public online forum. She still hung out on that forum, but her presence diminished. A few months later, I…
The Man From Earth
THE MAN FROM EARTH continues through Sept. 15. South Park Theatre Corrigan Drive and Brownsville Road. $12. 412-831-8552 or southparktheatre.com Reluctantly, your friend John tells you a secret: He’s actually a 14,000-year-old caveman. He wasn’t preserved in ice. He didn’t travel through time. He just kicked around, wandering from glacier to fertile crescent to Renaissance…
What We Tell Our Black Sons
If you are stopped by a policeman raise your hands, fall to the ground, spread eagle, then pray. You are a black male and I want you to live to see another day. Never walk alone, protection in groups. Be mannerable, say yes, sir or yes, mum. Keep head bowed, do not look directly into their eyes. They…
The Burnt Part Boys
THE BURNT PART BOYS continues through Sat., Sept. 8. Bald Theatre Co. at The Grey Box Theatre 3595 Butler St. Lawrenceville. $20. 412-563-3357 or baldtheatre.org Lloyd Richards, among other things August Wilson’s favorite director, said: “It’s amazing how few people know how to write a play … and how many know how to rewrite one.”…
Short List: September 5 – 11
Sat., Sept. 8 — Event City of Asylum/Pittsburgh might find it hard to top last year’s Jazz Poetry Concert, which featured not only the sonic wallop of avant-jazz outfit Tarbaby but a surprise appearance by world-famous aerialists The Flying Wallendas. (Really.) But the group, which shelters and supports writers persecuted in their home countries, again…
Lori Jakiela’s first full-length collection explores her past life as a flight attendant
When Lori Jakiela references the sage William Stafford saying, “you must revise your life,” in her poem, “Looking for Life in the Classifieds,” it seems she’s found a creative mantra to help make literary sense of her former career as a flight attendant. It’s pointed advice that Jakiela, a Trafford native teaching writing at Pitt-Greensburg…
Squirrel Hill’s latest Thai restaurant is Curry on Murray
Curry on Murray 2121 Murray Ave. Squirrel Hill. 412-422-3120 Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat. noon-10 p.m.; Sun. noon-9 p.m Prices: Appetizers $4-7; entrees $11-17 Liquor: BYOB In an era when the names of new restaurants trend strongly toward neutral, numerical titles which serve mainly as useful mnemonics for an address…
Cosmopolis
Cosmopolis Directed by: David Cronenberg Starring: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton Starts: Fri., Sept. 7. Manor What do we think of when we think of David Cronenberg? Sci-fi horror thrillers like Scanners and The Fly? Literary works like Naked Lunch and M. Butterfly? Or is he the sort of kaleidoscopic fringe director…
North Side’s Brix pizza restaurant to re-open as Benjamins, a bar and burger joint
The fate of Brix — the North Side’s on-again, off-again wood-fired pizza restaurant and wine bar — has finally been decided. It’s closing permanently, to be replaced with a burger restaurant. “Over the past 20-plus months, we have heard about the ‘curse’ of 900 Western Avenue, and have only just begun to understand it,” says…
The winning entry for Pittsburgh 48 Hour Film Project headlines this month’s Film Kitchen
Neither Andrew Keleman nor Mike Rubino had ever made a film in 48 hours before. But in July, their smart detective spoof “Letter Die: A Gamut Sibling Mystery” was voted best film at Pittsburgh’s incarnation of the national 48 Hour Film Project short-film contest. A screening highlights the Sept. 11 Film Kitchen. Keleman shoots and…
Local breweries offer chance to taste fresh hops — if you act fast
As any beer connoisseur knows, hops provide a beer with its aroma, floral tones and bitterness. But because the flowers of Humulus lupulus are highly perishable, nearly the entire global crop is dried and compressed into pellets, which are shipped to breweries. Inevitably, say brewers, something is lost on the journey. Farm-fresh hops — known…
The Words
Plagiarism is a lively topic this summer, but this lightweight drama from co-directors/writers Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal won’t add much heft to the discussion. This tale of stolen words is too gimmicky, with its various contrivances creating more head-scratching than soul-searching. We’re introduced to The Words when a writer named Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid)…
The North Side has a new eatery, Eco Bistro in the Allegheny Center Mall
Eco Bistro, a cafeteria-style breakfast-and-lunch spot, is virtually hidden deep within the less-than-bustling Allegheny Center Mall. This joint venture of mall tenant PNC Bank and Parkhurst Dining is a five-minute walk from PNC Park. But amidst the mostly blind plate-glass windows of the former shopping mall’s two-story atrium, its array of tables feels like an…
A conversation with Frank Turner
FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS with LARRY AND HIS FLASK, JENNY OWEN YOUNGS. 8 p.m. Mon., Sept. 10. Mr. Small’s Theater 400 Lincoln Ave. Millvale. $16.50. All ages. 412-821-4447 or mrsmalls.com Frank Turner came up in hardcore bands in England, but has become known worldwide as a folksinger with a punk bent, in the…
Free-jazz saxophonist Sonny Simmons talks about playing with the greats
COSMOSAMATICS featuring SONNY SIMMONS. 8:30 p.m. Sat., Sept. 8. Thunderbird Café 4023 Butler St. Lawrenceville. $16-20. 412-682-0177 or thunderbirdcafe.net Alto saxophonist Sonny Simmons had the distinction of playing with some of the most revered jazz musicians during the 1960s, including multi-reedist Eric Dolphy, and John Coltrane’s rhythm section, Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison. As a…
Blasfome marks five years in the hip-hop clothing business
Blasfome is a clothing store, sure — but it’s also a part of local hip-hop culture. “From the moment we opened, we’ve been a meeting place for artists, DJs and fans,” says Sarah Wilderman, the shop’s marketing director. Dave Bartek, of Peters, founded Blasfome as an online store in 2007. In May 2011, he developed…
