January 7, 2015

WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM | 01.07/01.14.2015

ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES: DESPITE CHALLENGES, LOCAL UNIONIZATION EFFORTS PRESS ON 06

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

777 Seneca Allegany Boulevard Salamanca, NY 14779

01.07/01.14.2015 VOLUME 25 + ISSUE 01

{EDITORIAL} Editor CHARLIE DEITCH Arts & Entertainment Editor BILL O’DRISCOLL Music Editor ANDY MULKERIN Associate Editor AL HOFF Multimedia Editor ASHLEY MURRAY Listings Editor MARGARET WELSH Assistant Listings Editor CELINE ROBERTS Staff Writers REBECCA NUTTALL, ALEX ZIMMERMAN Staff Photographer HEATHER MULL Interns DANIELLE FOX, SAMANTHA WARD

{ART}

{COVER PHOTO BY JOHN ANDERSON}

[NEWS] an environment that’s been 06 “There’s created that provides some of the things unions used to do, and that’s led to less of an interest in unions.” — Pitt professor James Craft on the difficulties facing union organizers

[VIEWS] doesn’t want this to be an ‘us 16 “McLay or them’ situation, he’s pushing for ‘we’ — everyone working together to make this situation better.” — Charlie Deitch on the community-relations efforts of Police Chief Cameron McLay

[TASTE]

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“They deserve to be recognized as the professionals they are and have opportunities to turn what they love into a respectable career.” — Bobby Fry, co-owner of Bar Marco, on the restaurant’s new compensation package

[MUSIC]

what’s missing today.

26 “That’s Everything is firmly planted in mid-air.”

— Dale Watson on the lack of roots in contemporary country music

[SCREEN]

Director of Advertising JESSIE AUMAN-BROCK Senior Account Executives TOM FAULS, PAUL KLATZKIN, SANDI MARTIN, JEREMY WITHERELL Advertising Representatives DRA ANDERSON, MATT HAHN, CJ KELLY, SCOTT KLATZKIN, MELISSA LENIGAN, JUSTIN MATASE, DANA MCHENRY Classified Manager ANDREA JAMES Radio Sales Manager CHRIS KOHAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529

{MARKETING+PROMOTIONS} Marketing Director DEANNA KRYMOWSKI Marketing and Promotions Coordinator LINDSEY THOMPSON Advertising and Promotions Coordinator ASHLEY WALTER Radio Promotions Director VICKI CAPOCCIONI-WOLFE Radio Promotions Assistants ANDREW BILINSKY, NOAH FLEMING

{ADMINISTRATION} Business Manager LAURA ANTONIO Circulation Director JIM LAVRINC Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN Technical Director PAUL CARROLL Interactive Media Manager CARLO LEO

STEEL CITY MEDIA

on the psychology in Force Majeure

[ARTS] also important to see that a gay and 38 “It’s lesbian community was not just sitting still and taking it.” — Mark Zingarelli on the 1980s AIDS story in his new book Second Avenue Caper

[LAST PAGE] have to tell a lie, do it bold 55 “Iffaceyouanddomake sure it’s a darn good one” — Jimmy Cvetic, from his poem Just Because

{REGULAR & SPECIAL FEATURES} NEWS QUIRKS BY ROLAND SWEET 18 EVENTS LISTINGS 42 SAVAGE LOVE BY DAN SAVAGE 49 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY 50 STUFF WE LIKE 52 +

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a virulent mold, the anger and 35 “Like distrust spread outward.” — Al Hoff

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Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD Production Director JULIE SKIDMORE Art Director LISA CUNNINGHAM Graphic Designers SHEILA LETSON, JEFF SCHRECKENGOST, JENNIFER TRIVELLI

TA S T E

GENERAL POLICIES: Contents copyrighted 2015

by Steel City Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Pittsburgh City Paper are those of the author and not necessarily of Steel City Media. LETTER POLICY: Letters, faxes or e-mails must be signed and include town and daytime phone number for confirmation.

We may edit for length and clarity. DISTRIBUTION: Pittsburgh City Paper is published weekly by Steel City Media and is available free of charge at select distribution locations. One copy per reader; copies of past issues may be purchased for $3.00 each, payable in advance to Pittsburgh City Paper. FIRST CLASS MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available for $175 per year, $95 per half year. No refunds.

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CITY PAPER ANNOUNCES CONTENT CHANGES Starting today, City Paper readers will notice two new features in our print edition.

First, award-winning political cartoonist Jen Sorensen makes her Pittsburgh debut. Last year, Sorensen’s hard-hitting, socially conscious weekly political cartoon received the prestigious Herblock Prize for editorial cartoons, named for the Washington Post’s legendary cartoonist, Herb Block.

Her cartoons appear in more than 20 alternative newsweeklies as well as in other publications and websites including The Nation, Daily Kos and NPR. You can see Sorensen’s first CP cartoon on page 13 and read more about Sorensen’s career on page 14. Her strip will replace Idiot Box, by Matt Bors.

In addition, CP will also begin running “News Quirks,” a compilation of “odd-but-true” news stories from around the world. The column, compiled

by Roland Sweet, began in 1974 in the Syracuse New Times under the name “News & Blues” (the name it still appears under today). “News Quirks” began in 1991 and appears in 14 papers in the U.S. and Canada.

Sweet says his compilation is not a humor column, “although many items are hilarious in their absurdity. I regard it as a chronicle of human folly.” News Quirks replaces “News of the Weird.”

There have also been additions to content on our website, www. pghcitypaper.com. With the addition of multimedia editor Ashley Murray, we are striving to supplement our weekly news coverage with more daily online content including more audio and video presentations. CP also now offers a weekly podcast highlighting weekend happenings hosted by our listings editor, Margaret Welsh. More features will be added to the website as 2015 progresses.

BY CHARLIE DEITCH, CP EDITOR

“Minority Report meets the #NFL as @steelers’ security kicks out patron for tweet about running on field.”

— Jan. 5 tweet from “Paul Ogg” (@JustOGG)

“IF ANYTHING, WE NEED SMART, STRONG UNIONS NOW MORE THAN EVER.”

{PHOTO BY REBECCA NUTTALL}

Workers and supporters picket at the Rivers Casino in August

ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES L

AST MONTH, a group of 50 Rivers

Casino workers gathered in the employee cafeteria to decry the casino’s strict attendance policy. There they shared stories of employees who had been fired and their own personal struggles with an attendance policy they say has led to the casino’s high employee-turnover rate.

“We wanted to show how serious this is,” says cocktail-server Nicole Gallagher.

“The energy was really great.”

Following the rally, the group marched to the casino’s administrative offices, where they delivered a list of changes they want made to the attendance policy.

“We’ll be back,” they chanted after their mission was complete.

It was one of several demonstrations

that casino employees have held over the past few years in an effort to unionize their workplace. Another, this past August, drew union workers and employees engaged in similar union battles throughout the city.

Despite challenges, local unionization efforts press on {BY REBECCA NUTTALL} Casino employees are among a wider network of workers across Pittsburgh and the country fighting to unionize. But local efforts, including the high-profile union campaign by employees at UPMC, one of Pittsburgh’s largest employers, have

been slow going.

Casino workers have been organizing intermittently since 2009. UPMC workers have been at it since 2012. Other ongoing campaigns in Pittsburgh include museum workers, adjunct professors, fast-food workers and security guards.

Organizers say these campaigns have been hindered by employer intimidation.

Employers say their workers have simply chosen not to be represented by a union.

And other observers say the decline of unions is the result of their failure to adapt to changes in the American workplace.

“If anything, we need smart, strong unions now more than ever,” says Kyndall Mason, who’s been involved with local efforts to organize fast-food workers through CONTINUES ON PG. 08

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One Pittsburgh, a local workers’ rights organization. “The only reason unions have lost steam is because of the systematic dismantling of their power from conservative, corporate-aligned elected officials making and passing laws that weaken a union’s ability not only to organize, but to actually fight on the behalf of their workers.”

Over the course of organizing efforts at Rivers Casino, employees have seen a number of victories, including increases to benefits and vacation/sick days, and other policy changes. But without union representation, organizers say there’s no way to ensure these victories are permanent.

“Job security is the bottom line,” says Rivers employee Fred Lapka. “I don’t want to go to work scared that I could be fired at any time without doing anything wrong.”

The most recent demonstration at the casino was focused on the employee attendance policy, under which workers are penalized, for example, for being even a minute late for a shift. The workers trying to unionize say the casino’s inflexible policy has led to greater employee turnover, which has hindered their efforts to unionize because their voting base is in constant flux.

“I’ve seen a number of good workers fired for the attendance policy,” says Lapka. “The casino purchases a lot of billboards claiming to be the best employer in the city, but we have a turnover rate of 40 percent. I think the turnover rate speaks to them not being the best employer.”

Rivers officials declined an interview request from City Paper.

“Rivers Casino is proud to have been voted one of Pittsburgh’s ‘Best Places to Work’ by our Team Members, and we respect their rights to choose whether to be represented by a union,” casino spokesperson Jack Horner said in a statement.

“So far, our Team Members have chosen to remain independent.”

Horner also said the 40 percent turnover rate being touted by workers, “is incorrect; the actual is much lower.”

“Personnel data is proprietary, but I can tell you that we are consistent with industry standards,” Horner said via email.

Unionization efforts at other Pennsylvania casinos have been successful in recent years. Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie, Meadows Racetrack Casino in Washington, and Harrah’s Chester Casino in Philadelphia are represented by Unite

Here, a national union.

Unite Here’s Pittsburgh effort coincides with efforts at two other casinos run by the Rivers management group in other states. Local Unite Here spokesperson Jon Scolnik says the reason these efforts have been stalling is because Rivers has violated federal labor law.

“Rivers and its affiliates have the worst casino labor dispute outside of Las Vegas and Atlantic City,” says Scolnik.

“Typically, the standard in the industry is that employees have a fair process.”

Since April 2013, Unite Here has filed approximately 70 complaints against Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh with the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB found merit on 28 of the counts alleging casino management were intimidating workers and preventing them from having a fair organizing process.

“It’s a problem when an employer promises good jobs and then fails to deliver on them,” Scolnik says. “It’s a problem when a company can violate federal labor law and it’s hard for there to be any consequences.”

Without consequences for employers, organizers say many employees are too fearful to engage in unionizing efforts, especially when they’re earning low wages and living paycheck to paycheck.

“It’s hard enough to make it on $10 an hour right now, and the fear of working for even less makes it hard for people to stand up to their employers,” says Mason, from One Pittsburgh. “They are watching their co-workers get fired or reprimanded for being involved in organizing, and quite frankly, that fear means it is going to take longer to organize those places. I would be willing to wager that if there was no union-busting happening at these places it would take less than a year to organize.”

“I’M NOT SAYING THEY’RE UNNECESSARY AT ALL. I’M SAYING THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT MAKE A PERSON FEEL THAT THEY DON’T NEED A UNION.”

IN SEPTEMBER, as part of a demonstration organized in part by Mason, eight fast-food workers were arrested outside of a McDonald’s in Wilkinsburg. That rally was part of a national campaign calling for a $15 hourly wage for fastfood workers.

“When did asking for a living wage, so that you can pay your rent and your bills and buy groceries without having to skip on any one of those, become a problem?” says Mason. “We should keep in mind, people are asking for a living wage from CONTINUES ON PG. 13

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES, CONTINUED FROM PG. 08

corporations and companies that are quite literally raking it in, because of the work from their low-wage workers.”

But University of Pittsburgh professor James Craft, who has studied labor relations and human resources, says the decline of unions might be because organizers aren’t doing a good job of explaining to employees why they’re necessary.

“There’s an environment that’s been created that provides some of the things unions used to do and that’s led to less of an interest in unions,” says Craft. “I’m not saying they’re unnecessary at all. I’m saying there are environmental factors that make a person feel that they don’t need a union.”

Craft says that unlike when unions were at their peak, most workplaces now have human-resources departments that are supposed to give employees a voice. And workforce legislation has been enacted to do everything from protecting employees from discrimination to requiring that employers provide health care.

“If you talk to someone who’s a lowpaid service worker, do they feel like they

have a voice? Probably not,” says Craft.

“But we have all kinds of legislation to protect employees. These are things that used to be negotiated by unions.”

Pittsburgh United, a nonprofit focusing on social and economic justice, hosts a regular meeting where 10 different organizing campaigns from around the city come together to discuss strategy and progress.

“We’re seeing all of these different groups at different stages, but the commonality to all of them is they’re not going to win unless they put public pressure on employers,” says Pittsburgh United executive director Barney Oursler.

“This kind of work takes time. But if all of the campaigns succeed, we’re talking about 45,000 workers.”

For Oursler, the local union efforts are as much about improving the Pittsburgh economy as they are about improving the lives of the workers.

“Unless we create jobs that build the middle class, we’re not going to have a strong economy,” Oursler says. “You can fight for higher minimum wages, but in reality the only real power workers can use is collective bargaining.”

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A CONVERSATION WITH JEN SORENSEN

to them. I would say over the past few years, as more of my work has moved to online, I’ve noticed an uptick in overt misogynistic comments from people who tweet at me. I think that’s a function of things being shared more on social networks and reaching people who might not have seen my work before. There’s a lot of people who think I’m a guy despite my name. People are surprised to find out I’m a woman. Lately my comics have been shared a lot, so I really can’t complain, but I think that is an issue for women in the news media. They have to work harder to be seen and heard as authoritative voices.

Political cartoonist’s strip begins appearing in City Paper this week {BY ASHLEY MURRAY} DESPITE GROWING up across the state, in Lancaster, Jen Sorensen has visited Pittsburgh only once — when she attended the 2013 National Cartoonist Society convention. She loved the Toonseum, and ate the obligatory Primanti’s sandwich: “I was a little skeptical, but it won me over.”

Beginning this week, her award-winning political cartoons, this week on page 13, will begin running in the pages of City Paper. She spoke to us about her cartoons and career.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO CARTOONING? Cartooning is something I’ve always done as long as I can remember; I always drew for school publications, college papers and things like that. After I graduated from college, I never considered it as a serious career possibility, but I was so burnt out on school that I just wanted to draw comics for a while.

I put out a short comic book, and right after that I began the weekly strip in 1999. I guess at the time, doing an alt-weekly strip seemed like a good way to reach people on a regular basis, rather than drawing a comic book, which can take a year or so.

It became more political after the 2000 election. After 9/11, that was the catalyst for making it an alt-weekly political strip.

YOU’VE RECEIVED A LOT OF ACCOLADES, INCLUDING THE 2014 HERBLOCK PRIZE, WHICH IS ENDOWED BY THE FAMOUS WASHINGTON POST CARTOONIST HERB BLOCK. WHAT HAVE THESE AWARDS MEANT TO YOU? It’s important to always keep in mind that awards are highly subjective, so it’s good not to take them too seriously. But the Herb Block award was definitely the highlight of my career. I would say in some ways it has been kind of life-changing.

I think as an alt-weekly cartoonist you’re used to being a little marginalized in the media; you’re mostly confined to alt weeklies and alternative-type websites.

But this was a big, mainstream award that raised my profile, and was an incredible honor given what a historic figure Herb Block was.

“THE SUBJECT I CHOOSE TO DRAW A CARTOON ABOUT IS USUALLY THE ISSUE THAT IS BOTHERING ME THE MOST.”

YOUR CARTOONS SEEM TO TRY TO CALM THE CRAZY HYSTERIA CAUSED

BY TV’S TALKING HEADS AND TO EXPOSE HYPOCRISIES. ARE THESE YOUR GOALS WHEN YOU’RE DRAWING POLITICAL CARTOONS? WHAT ARE YOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES WHEN CHOOSING WHAT TO FOCUS ON? In any given week, the subject I choose to draw a cartoon about is usually the

Year End Clearance

Jen Sorensen

issue that is bothering me the most.

That’s a good way of knowing what to draw about. Certain weeks I just think there are issues that aren’t getting attention in the media. I feel like it’s my job to highlight these things. Other weeks, it’s fairly obvious what the story is that I need to address. I don’t go out of my way to be inflammatory, although I certainly can provoke that response in some people. Some of the best cartoons are like a mathematical proof that exposes the truth in a very simple way, a very logical argument. A comic is a simple way of addressing gross over-simplification [in the media], which is tricky because at the same time you have to keep a cartoon simple.

ARE THERE ANY CHALLENGES BEING A FEMALE CARTOONIST? For many years, I didn’t perceive any overt problems with that. I would say that all of my male colleagues have been extremely supportive, and I owe a lot

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SUBJECT TO FOCUS ON? One very important issue for me has been health insurance. I’ve done a number of comics about that, and I’ve done some freelance, long-form comics about that for Kaiser Health News. For many years, there were huge issues with health insurance for me because of my freelancing. It was such a nightmare having to go through that, and any time you move to another state you have to do it all over again. For me, the Affordable Care Act has been a big deal and has been something I’ve been defending, even though it may be imperfect.

I like to do strips about pop culture too, but things have been so politically charged in the news lately that I haven’t done those too much recently. But, you know, I like drawing cartoons about hipster beards and various fashion trends.

THOUGH IT MIGHT DECREASE DEMAND FOR YOUR POLITICAL STRIP, DO YOU WISH ANYTHING WOULD JUST CHANGE ABOUT AMERICAN SOCIETY? Yes, absolutely. I would much rather that we live in a just and fair society, and then I could go back to drawing more cartoons about hipsters. That would be great.

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[PITTSBURGH LEFT]

CHIEF PRIORITIES {BY CHARLIE DEITCH} BEFORE HE WAS elected mayor, I talked

ing, officers can be heard saying that they believed Ford was someone else and that he was lying about his identity. But the police were wrong about that. And a young man was left paralyzed, an officer was left on the street and the community was left wondering what in the hell was going on.

To his credit, McLay has begun answering the community’s concerns. If that had been all he was up to, it would have been a nice start. But on New Year’s Eve, the new chief was out and about in uniform Downtown, at First Night festivities. He stopped for a cup of coffee, began talking to some young protesters and had his picture taken with a sign that read: “I resolve to challenge racism @ work #endwhitesilence.”

Police-union officials took immediate issue with McLay. Union president Howard McQuillan told KDKA that “The chief is calling us racists. He believes the Pittsburgh Police Department is racist.” It’s no surprise that the union, which rarely seems to have an issue with officer conduct, would attack McLay for holding the sign. In years past, a riled-up union usually meant backpedaling by the administration and police brass. But not this time.

Peduto stood by his chief and even tweeted out the hashtag: #IsupportChiefMcLay. There are a lot of people who support Chief McLay right now. Some of them are folks who might have given up hope that there would ever be anyone in police leadership who understands that there are deep divides between the department and the African-American community. Don’t get me wrong: I know that even among police, McLay is not alone in his beliefs. But because of the culture within the department, until he arrived we’d never really heard from those like-minded officers.

Hopefully, through McLay’s leadership and guidance, those are the officers we’re going to start hearing about on a regular basis — those that will help usher in change for the better.

“I am the Chief of Police for the City of Pittsburgh and all of its citizens,” McLay said in response to the photo flap.

The police/community relationship in this city has long suffered under an apparent “us vs. them” volatility. But listen to his words and watch his actions and you’ll see that McLay doesn’t want this to be an “us” or “them” situation. He’s pushing for “we” — everyone working together to make this situation better.

That’s a plan we should all support.

“I AM THE CHIEF OF POLICE FOR THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH AND ALL OF ITS CITIZENS.”

FEAST ON

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to Bill Peduto many times about the importance of hiring the right police chief.

And many times he told me that while it was his priority, selecting a new chief had to be done the right way.

As his first term trudged along, I admit that I worried that the selection of a new chief was not really a priority. And I grew annoyed that the “New Pittsburgh” that Peduto had promised was being led by interim Chief Regina McDonald, who had been appointed by former Mayor Luke Ravenstahl after the resignation of former Chief Nate Harper.

Indeed, many other mayoral initiatives, and hires, would be announced before Cameron McLay was named interim chief in September and sworn in, in December.

But since then, one thing has become crystal-clear: Cam McLay was worth the wait. That became obvious with a series of events in recent weeks.

In a Dec. 23 letter to the community, first published in The New Pittsburgh Courier, McLay announced that he was placing Officer Dave Derbish on desk duty until a federal investigation into the November 2012 Leon Ford shooting was complete.

Derbish shot Ford following a traffic stop.

Ford was acquitted of aggravated assault in September, while the jury failed to reach a decision on several other charges.

Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to try Ford again on those charges.

But throughout the whole ordeal, Derbish remained on the street, much to the displeasure of community activists, until McLay acted last month “If we, the police, are to regain legitimacy, we must assure those calling for change that we hear and understand them, and are committed to police accountability,” McLay wrote in the letter. “… Accountability is one of our core values, and we must respect the integrity of the outside investigation of our actions, honor the findings when they are determined, and, in the process, demonstrate to our communities of color that we hear and understand the pain.”

Until that move by McLay, there had been no official actions taken by anyone in authority to assure the public that the shooting of Ford was being looked at.

In Ford’s case, the only person facing legal troubles was the young man himself, who was detained for what seemed to be an exorbitant amount of time for an alleged moving violation. On a video record-

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

an incubator for innovative thinking about the photographic image

Documentation or exploitation?

Fifteen-year-old Fabienne Cherisma was shot and killed by police for looting two chairs and three framed pictures during the aftermath of Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake of 2010. Photographer Nathan Weber captured a group of his colleagues documenting the tragic scene. This picture raises the question: When does photography cross the line from documentation to exploitation?

Respond to our question with text, photos, videos, or audio files, and we'll feature your response on our website.

nowseethis.org The death of Fabienne Cherisma, from the series Haiti, 2010 © Nathan Weber/NBW Photo

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NEWS QUIRKS {BY ROLAND SWEET}

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When Damontay Wright, 19, drove himself unaccompanied to a road-test facility in Jonesboro, Ark., for his driver’s license, a police officer approached to ticket him for driving without a license, but Wright sped off.

He smashed into a state trooper’s patrol car and then, with police in pursuit, lost control of his car and plowed through the wall of a house.

Officers who charged Wright with felony fleeing added that the license plate on his car had been reported stolen. (The Jonesboro Sun)

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While Jose Lopez was being interviewed for a job in El Cajon, Calif., the business owner confronted him about showing up drunk. Lopez took offense, and a fight ensued, during which Lopez stabbed the owner in the arm. Lopez fled, but police quickly located him because he left behind his completed job application. (San Diego’s KNSD-TV)

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After the crash of Virgin Galactic’s space-tourism rocket SpaceShipTwo in California’s Mojave Desert during a test flight, “about 20” of the people holding tickets on the craft’s initial space voyage requested a refund, company representative Jess Gilbert said. Tickets originally cost $200,000 each, but later rose to $250,000. (The Hollywood Reporter)

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Korean Air executive Heather Cho delayed the departure of her flight from New York to Incheon by demanding the removal of a flight attendant who served her macadamia nuts in a bag instead of on a plate. The incident prompted Cho’s resignation but boosted macadamia sales in Korea nearly 12-fold. (BBC News)

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Police said two customers at a Tim Hortons store in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, threw a garter snake at an employee during an argument that began because they wanted the onions diced for their breakfast order. (Saskatoon’s The Star Phoenix)

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California authorities accused Kathy Rowe of harassing a couple who bought a house in a Carmel Valley neighborhood that Rowe had placed an offer on, calling it her “forever home.” The criminal complaint said Rowe signed the wife up for sex ads online that encouraged visitors to drop by unannounced while her husband was at work. The couple also received unwanted magazines, books and junk mail, and Rowe allegedly sent romantic Valentine’s Day cards from the husband to his female neighbors.

“Losing that house was devastating to my family and broke our hearts,” Rowe said, calling her actions “stupid pranks.” (ABC News)

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The National Security Agency informed the Federation of American Scientists that a report to Congress on authorized disclosures of classified intelligence to the media is classified and thus exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Congress requires government officials who authorize “disclosures of national intelligence” to notify it so congressional committees can tell authorized disclosures from unauthorized disclosures, or leaks. The NSA explanation was a response to an FAS FOIA request to learn which disclosures were authorized. (Federation of American Scientists)

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Hoping to attract and retain more career women, Facebook and Apple began paying up to $20,000 for employees to freeze their eggs until they’re ready to become parents.

(NBC News)

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Utah’s Housing First began a program in Salt Lake City to end homelessness by giving homeless people homes. Instead of spending more than $20,000 a year on care, Housing First reckons putting someone into permanent housing costs the state just $8,000. The program not only saves money, but also provides stability that allows them to turn their lives around. After 22 months, none of the 17 people placed in homes around the city when the program started was back on the streets. Subsequently, the number of Utah’s chronically homeless fell by 74 percent.

(The New Yorker)

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The Italian company WASP has developed a 20-foot-tall 3-D printer that can turn mud and fiber into homes. WASP CEO Massimo Moretti said the process will provide cheap housing in impoverished regions, starting this year in Sardinia, which has abundant wool to use as a fibrous binder in the printer’s mud. Moretti said that using the machine to work more closely with natural forms rather than the common squareshaped brick dwellings will help people express the power of their mind, rather than just constructing something by hand. (MAKE Magazine)

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Marvin Tramaine Hill II, 27, admitted attacking his pregnant wife with a McChicken sandwich after police arrested him at their home in Des Moines, Iowa. Police said Hill’s wife had mayonnaise on her shirt and face when they arrived, prompting Hill’s arrest for simple domestic assault. (The Huffington Post)

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Police arrested Lachon Welcher, 28, on drug charges in Dubuque, Iowa, after a witness called to report the woman was hitting a television with a can of beans. (Dubuque Telegraph Herald)

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Talking on hand-held cellphones while driving has declined in the past six years, according to a survey by State Farm insurance company. But the percentage of drivers who admit to accessing the Internet while driving has doubled, from 13 percent in 2009 to 26 percent in 2014, and the share of drivers who said they read email while behind the wheel rose from 15 percent to 25 percent. Those who said they read social media while driving went from 9 percent to 20 percent. (USA Today)

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The District of Columbia’s 2015 budget includes $2.7 million in anticipated proceeds from civil seizures of cash and property. Believing that provision creates incentive to seize property for slush funds, the city council introduced a bill that would require police to meet higher standards of proof before seizing property. Lawenforcement officials objected, saying the measure “would lead to a loss of significant forfeiture revenues,” according to former D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier insisted the department isn’t building its budget on civil seizures, simply using them to pay informants and rewards. (The Washington Post)

CO M P IL E D FRO M M A IN S TRE A M N E W S S O U RCE S BY R OL AN D S WE E T. AUT HE N T I C AT I ON O N D E M AND.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

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GYOZA DUMPLINGS, FRIED TO A GOLDEN CRISP, WERE ESPECIALLY FLAVORFUL

NO TIPPING {BY ASHLEY MURRAY} Bar Marco, the Pittsburgh restaurant that boasts spontaneity with its No Menu Mondays and made-toorder cocktails, is looking for more consistency … for its employees.

Beginning this year, the 3-year-old restaurant in the Strip District is offering complete employment contracts — including a full wage (starting salary $35,000), health care and shares in the company — and doing away with gratuities altogether.

Most restaurants pay servers less than $3 an hour and rely on customer tips to make up the difference.

“We saw 40 percent revenue growth last year, mainly because of [the employees], and they deserve to be recognized as the professionals they are and have opportunities to turn what they love into a respectable career with upside potential,” co-owner Bobby Fry says.

Fry says the change won’t translate to the customer as an automatic gratuity, nor will the menu prices just rise 20 percent. Rather, Bar Marco is expanding the depth of its menu and increasing the number of seatings in its Wine Room to make up the difference.

“We’ve done a year’s worth of homework for this,” Fry says. “Our greatest risk is that we do not take care of the people who make Bar Marco so special.”

Anything left on the table won’t go to your server. But it will still go to a good cause — the restaurant’s nonprofit Food Revolution Pittsburgh Cooking Club, which aims to expand culinary experiences for Pittsburgh Public Schools students.

AMURRAY@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

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On Jan. 16, we celebrate that long-time successful marriage of otherwiseneglected fruit and weirdly dry cookie.

That’s right: It’s National Fig Newton Day — a cookie made possible by the 19th-century invention of a machine that inserted fig jam into dough, and named for a Massachusetts town.

SUSHI AND MORE

{BY ANGELIQUE BAMBERG + JASON ROTH}

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E’VE ALWAYS liked Carnegie (here we refer to the town, not the fellow). With its traditional Main Street and West Busway access, we think this charming town has long been under-appreciated as a desirable address.

Our latest visit suggested that we might not be the only ones on this wavelength: Since last we strolled the sidewalks of Carnegie, its old post office has become an appealing coffee shop, a few new boutiques have launched sparkly holiday window displays, and Main Street features a couple of enticing restaurant additions.

One of these is Kasai PGH, a Japanese place run by a Korean-born entrepreneur.

“Kasai” is Japanese for “fire,” probably a reference to the hibachi dishes prepared in the kitchen — no table-side knife-flipping theater here. Other than these, and a few cooked appetizers and entrees, the menu is fairly sushi-centric.

Truthfully, “sushi” barely begins to describe all the options. Since raw fish and rice took America by storm in the 1980s, stateside sushi chefs have invented myr-

{PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}

Spicy crab-and-eel roll

iad new combinations with ingredients ranging from authentic (fish, of course, and vegetables) to not-so-much (cream cheese) to out there (jalapeño peppers and, uh, bacon?). Faced with this type of menu, there are two key questions: Has the sushi chef mastered the basics, and can that same chef pull off the flights of fancy?

KASAI PGH JAPANESE RESTAURANT 146 E. Main St., Carnegie. 412-279-5500 HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-9 p.m.

PRICES: $3-14 LIQUOR: BYOB

CP APPROVED Let’s address the first question. Kasai’s fish ranged from decent (tuna, which in our experience ranges pretty widely in quality, not only from sushi counter to sushi counter, but from visit to visit at any given establishment) to near-perfect. Scallop, for instance, needs to be just so to convey its unique blend of silken texture and buttery,

briny flavor, and Kasai’s was delectable.

Salmon, which we had in a few guises, was also excellent, supple and rich. And yellowtail was a standout, its bold flavor in contrast to its tender yet satiny flesh. Kasai may not pose a threat to the city’s handful of truly top-tier sushi houses, but its quality ranks high among our far larger contingent of workaday sushi purveyors.

If the fish was good, its accompaniments were better. Kasai’s were served with the fish cool and the rice warm, as they should be. Other fine details were observed, as well: a smear of wasabi between the rice and the tuna draped over it in the maguro nigiri; a sprinkling of bonito flakes, sesame seeds and shredded daikon in a bowl of chirashi (an array of raw fish scattered over rice).

Simple avocado and cucumber hosomaki (slender, one-filling rolls) were well proportioned, and the quality of the avocado — always iffy this time of year — was notable. An intriguing green spicy tuna roll — made with wasabi tobiko, or roe — barely deserved the “spicy” appellation, CONTINUES ON PG. 22

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although it was tasty enough in other ways. The crispy salmon skin was our only disappointing roll. The pleasure of a good salmon-skin roll is in the crackling-like texture and rich, fatty flavor of the fried-up skin, but here, the skin was still attached to the fish, resulting in only fleeting crispness and meat that was cooked to a dull orangegray. It wasn’t bad, but it was the only roll we didn’t avidly consume.

On the RoCKs

{BY DREW CRANISKY}

PUB RELATIONS East End Brewing turns brewpub

Chicken hibachi with vegetables and fried rice

We usually avoid stunt rolls, those massive agglomerations of several different kinds of fish, vegetables and sauces in which we find it difficult to discern any individual flavor. But after the delight of our scallop nigiri sushi, we couldn’t resist the spicy scallop maki. Here the spice was provided not by wasabi, but by an autumnal-hued trio of sauces: mahogany sweet soy, vermillion spicy mayo and crimson sriracha. These were served on the plate, not on the roll itself, a strategy that worked brilliantly: Sweeping each piece of roll through the sauces resulted in their combining playfully into a balance of hot, sweet and creamy notes which seasoned each bite of scallop without overwhelming its delicacy.

Rainbow roll with roe

We were impressed with Kasai’s nonsushi items, as well. Gyoza dumplings, fried to a golden crisp, were especially flavorful, with greens evident amid the usual ground-pork filling. Seaweed was salad-bright and crisp, and spicy craband-cucumber salad provided a pleasing combo of flavors and textures, even if it, like the green tuna roll, was scarcely spicy.

Kasai pulls its weight in lifting downtown Carnegie from its post-industrial doldrums and introducing its new reputation as a shopping and dining destination.

INF O @PGH C IT YPAPE R . C O M

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

Scott Smith entered the brewpub business kicking and screaming.

“I’m not a restaurant guy,” explained Smith, owner of East End Brewing Company. “I’m barely a pub guy. I avoided it like the plague.” But 10 years in, with demand high and space plentiful in the brewery’s new Larimer home, Smith couldn’t fight it any longer. And judging by the buzzing crowd that filled the brewery on a recent Friday night — and Smith’s toothy grin — the transition hasn’t been so bad.

In October, East End secured a brewpub license, meaning that rather than just (liberally) sampling from the taps, you can drink a pint there. A week of events in December officially launched the new identity. But the next chapter in the life of a local craft-beer pioneer had just begun.

First, expect more to munch on.

Though some brewpubs offer a token item that will never sell (what Smith calls the “$45 can of soup”) to satisfy state law, East End is serving up a fine cheese plate furnished by Wheel and Wedge. Smith is supplementing that with guest food trucks, and hopes to expand to a small, locally focused menu in the coming months.

Expect more to drink as well.

The bigger Larimer space leaves room to experiment, which means racks of barrels for aging beer, and equipment dedicated entirely to Brettanomyces, a yeast strain that imparts funky, sour flavors. East End’s Brett Hop, for instance, takes its standard Big Hop recipe and ferments it with “Brett,” creating a tart and altogether different beer.

On my way out, Smith pointed to a Christmas tree in the tasting room and said, “That’s a hint of what’s to come.” Nestled at the top of the tree, in place of a star, was a gleaming green can of East End’s flagship IPA. So if your New Year’s resolution involves drinking more Big Hop, it’s about to get a whole lot easier.

“I’M BARELY A PUB GUY.”

INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

THE FOLLOWING DINING LISTINGS ARE RESTAURANTS RECOMMENDED BY CITY PAPER FOOD CRITICS

DINING LISTINGS KEY

J = Cheap K = Night Out L = Splurge E = Alcohol Served F = BYOB

40 Craft Beers w

BELLA FRUTTETO. 2602 Brandt School Road, Wexford. 724-9407777. Adjacent orchards are one of the attractions at this comfortable, clubby suburban restaurant. The Italian-inspired menu features the fruits of these orchards in several apple-based dishes, including apple ravioli and apple bruschetta. Bella Frutteto combines an innovative but unfussy menu with friendly service and congenial seating. KE CAFÉ DES AMIS. 443 Division St., Sewickley. 412-741-2388.

A genuine French café — with rustic wooden tables, chalkboard menus and display cases full of sophisticated salads, sandwiches and desserts. A perfect spot for that relaxed, multi-hour meal that is France’s greatest export: Thus, dinner can be anything from croque monsieur to shepherd’s pie or roulades of beef. J CUCINA BELLA. 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., Bridgeville.

412-257-5150. This casual eatery offers an unassuming menu of pizzas and pasta that are prepared with a commitment to fresh ingredients and an openminded, thoughtful approach to flavor profiles. For instance, pizzas range from traditional tomato and cheese to arugula and prosciutto to the adventurous rosemary and pistachios, ricotta, sausage, and green olives. KF

Catering &

Party Room Rental

Famous BBQ RiBS! Vegan &Veggie Specialties,too!

Janice’s Sweet Harmony {PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL} restaurants — such as snails and penne stuffed with seafood — are traditional, not made up to satisfy eclectic contemporary tastes. The cannelloni alone merits a visit to one of Gran Canal’s cozy, familyfriendly dining rooms. KE GREEN FOREST. 655 Rodi Road, Penn Hills. 412-371-5560. Tucked into a nondescript office plaza is this churrascaria — a Brazilian all-you-can-eat restaurant. Servers pull barbequed meats right off the rotisserie grill and present them at your table, ready to carve off as much freshly cooked meat as you like. There are hot and cold buffets as well, but savvy diners load up on the juicy meats. KE

EASY STREET. 301 Grant St. (One Oxford Centre), Downtown.

412-235-7984. A relaxing Downtown venue succeeds with inventive bar fare such as a pork-belly sandwich and yellow-fin tuna tacos that straddle the Latin-Asian flavor divide.

Less exotic fare is treated well, too: Pastrami is made in house, and the braised-beef sandwich features arugula, pickled onions and cambozola cheese. KE EL BURRO COMEDOR. 1108 Federal St., North Side.

412-904-3451.A casual Southern California-style taqueria offers a variety of tacos, burritos and Cal-Mex specialties, such as carne asada fries, Tijuana dogs and chilaquiles (a homey casserole).

Tacos are come with a variety of fillings, including mahi mahi and shrimp, and burrito fillings run from standard to breakfast and French fries and steak. JF GRAN CANAL CAFFÉ. 1021 N. Canal St., Sharpsburg. 412-7812546. The menu here is classic coastal Mediterranean. Even dishes rarely seen at other Italian

{PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}

El Burro Comedor JANICE’S SWEET HARMONY CAFÉ. 2820 Duss Ave., Ambridge.

724-266-8099. A musically themed diner offers tried-andtrue breakfast-and-lunch diner standards (with fun, musical names such as “Slide Trombone”).

This is your stop for French toast, German apple pancake, fruit-filled pancakes, and savory options such as skillet fry-ups (eggs, home fries, cheese, sausage). J

LOLA BISTRO. 1100 Galveston Ave., Allegheny West. 412-3221106. This is a neighborhood bistro with an atmosphere you’d like to experience every night, and food good enough to do the same. The menu here offers “contemporary comfort cuisine” — it hews toward the familiar (meat and fish, pot pie, pasta Bolognese) while applying upto-the-minute sensibilities to the details: house-cured meats, infused oils, coconut milk in the Moroccan vegetable stew. LF

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24th & E. Carson St. in the South Side 412-390-1111 100 Adams Shoppes Mars/Cranberry 724-553-5212 DoubleWideGrill.com

2031 Penn Ave. (at 21st) • 412.904.1242

THE PINES TAVERN. 5018 Bakerstown Road, Gibsonia.

724-625-3252. A longtime commitment to seasonal and locally sourced food (including on-site gardens and beehives) spans the menu here. The restaurant’s casual elegance is suitable for drinks with friends or a celebration meal. And the fare ranges from pub grub, like burgers and meatloaf, to complex entrée plates, complete with wine and beer suggestions. KE PLUM PAN-ASIAN KITCHEN. 5996 Penn Circle South, East Liberty. 412-363-7586. The swanky space incorporates a dining room, sushi bar and cocktail nook. The pan-Asian menu consists mostly of well-known — and elegantly presented — dishes such as lo mein, seafood hot pot, Thai curries and basil stir-fries. Entrées

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now open 7 days a week!

@casareynamex

Thank you City Paper readers for voting us one of the Best Chinese Restaurants in Pittsburgh

NU MODERN JEWISH BISTRO. 1711 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill.

412-422-0220. This modern take on the traditional Jewish deli makes the argument that such Eastern European cuisine deserves to be served alongside the world’s favorites. Stop in for matzoh-ball soup, egg creams, blintzes and classic deli sandwiches, including one made with “Montreal meat,” a sort of Canadian hybrid of corned beef and pastrami. JF

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China Palace Shadyside Featuring cuisine in the style of

Peking, Hunan, Szechuan and Mandarin

Monday & Thursday $2 Yuengling 16oz Draft ____________________

Tuesday

100 VEGETARIAN

1/2 Price Wine by the Bottle ____________________

Wednesday

Pork & Pounder $10 ____________________

Friday

Sangria $2.95 ____________________

Saturday & Sunday

DISHES!

10:30am-3pm

Brunch Specials & Bloody Mary Bar

Delivery Hours

----- HAPPY HOUR -----

11:30 - 2 pm and 5-10pm

1/2 OFF SNACKS $2 OFF DRAFTS $5 WINE FEATURE

5440 Walnut Street, Shadyside 412-687-RICE chinapalace-shadyside.com

Mon- Fri 4:30 – 6:30pm ____________________ 900 Western Ave. I NORTH SIDE

412-224-2163

BenjaminsPgh.com

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The FRESHEST Local Produce from The Strip

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Cantina

TIC THAI CUISINE AUTHEN

Poor Richard’s Wexford Alehouse {PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}

MonDAY/WedNESDAY/SatURDAY $ 3.50 MargARITAS -----------------TACO Tuesday & Taco Thursday 99¢ tacos & 99¢ beers specials

are reasonably priced, so splurge on a signature cocktail or house-made dessert. KE

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DINE IN / TAKE OUT / BYOB DI

2512 East Carson St. (412) 431-1100 www.eltorolocomexrestaurant.com

1906 PENN AVENUE STRIP DISTRICT 412-586-4107 LITTLEBANGKOKINTHESTRIP.COM

POOR RICHARD’S WEXFORD ALEHOUSE. 10501 Perry Highway, Wexford. 724-935-9870.

This bar and restaurant delivers top-notch pub grub, plus a wellcurated beer menu. Among the offerings: the Buffalo, N.Y. classic sandwich, roast beef on weck, a Germanic roll with caraway seeds; and mac-and-cheese, made with Buffalo hot sauce.

Well-prepared burgers, wings, fish and chips, and sandwiches round out the menu. KE

(meat, pasta, fish) offer more sophisticated presentations. KE TABLES ON THE GREEN. 1299 Lane Ave., Natrona Heights. 724-226-0955. A golf course east of town may not be where one would expect to find refined Cajun and Creole cuisine, but that’s exactly what this clubhouse restaurant offers.

The menu offers Louisiana bayou classics such as shrimp, grits, gumbo and blackened fish in an authentic and well-prepared manner. In a nod to Pittsburgh, steaks and Italian pasta dishes are also offered. LE

THE PUB CHIP SHOP. 1830 THAI COTTAGE. 1109 S. E. Carson St., South Side.

Braddock Ave., Regent Square.

412-381-2447. This storefront 412-241-8424. This Regent venue offers British-style quick Square restaurant distinguishes fare, from fish and chips and itself with its appealing ambience, meat pies, to doner kebabs excellent service and superb and pasties. Pastry pies renditions of classic Thai cuisine: include traditional complexly textured, (meat, Stilton) but also with flavors balanced more modern fillings gloriously among like chicken curry sweet, salty and and vegan vindaloo. brightly tangy notes. . w ww per Beer-battered A good stop for the a p ty ci h pg haddock pairs well with popular appetizers, .com housemade sauces and soups, curries and thick fresh-cut fries. JF stir-fried entrees. KF

FULL LIST ONLINE

$ 2 DRINKS FRI-SAT

U CALL ITS

10PM-MIDNIGHT

35¢

Wings

pghcitypaper 24

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Monday thru FRIday 2328 E. E Carson St. St SOUTHSIDE 412.481.0852

RUMFISH GRILLE. 1155 Washington Pike, Bridgeville.

412-914-8013. The kitchen offers a modern yet comfortable take on seafood, offering distinctive appetizers and a few signature entrées. There is also a build-your-own entrée option, in which a dozen fish and shellfish (plus a few meat options) can be combined with interesting sauces, starches and vegetables to create a custom dinner, whether your tastes run to truffle jus or macn-cheese. LE SIENNA SULLA PIAZZA. 22 Market Square, Downtown.

412-281-6888. This fine-dining spot brings an elegantly casual, European vibe to the renovated Market Square, leaning toward small plates and starters without conceding an inch to American pub-grub conventions. Starters include grilled octopus, beans and greens, and flatbreads, while the entrees

URBAN TAP. 1209 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-586-7499.

Though it’s wallpapered in giant TVs, the menu here is mostly devoid of sports-bar clichés.

Instead, there is duck-confit poutine, mac-and-cheese with smoked Gouda, a burger topped with pork belly and even aged rib-eye steak. With top-notch service and excellent food, Urban Tap elevates tavern dining. KE WAFFLES, INCAFFEINATED. 1224 Third Ave., New Brighton (724-359-4841) and 2517 E. Carson St., South Side (412-301-1763).

The fresh-made waffles here are a marvelous foil for sweet and savory toppings. Sweet options include the Funky Monkey (chocolate chips, bananas, peanut butter and chocolate sauce).

The Breakfast Magic has bacon, cheddar and green onions inside, topped with a fried egg and sour cream. Or customize your waffles with a dizzying array of mix-ins. J

GUS’S RESTAURANT AND BAR

Gluten Free · Vegetarian · Vegan Offerings HOURS: FRIDAY - MONDAY OPEN AT 11 AM • TUESDAY - THURSDAY OPEN 4PM TO 2AM

UPCOMING EVENTS

ALL EVENTS 10PM-2AM NO COVER

MONDAY: ANYTHING GOES

OPEN TURNTABLE NIGHT ____________________________________________

WEDNESDAY

HOPPY HOUR

DJ REMY

JAN 21- ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY! FREE WING BUFFET, VEGAN BUFFET & PRIZES ____________________________________________

THURSDAY: 80’S DARK WAVE DJ____ EZ ____________________________________________ __ __LOU FRIDAY:

MON–FRI 4-6 PM

HALF OFF TAPS

FRIDAYS IN JANUARY: DJ SELECTA $2 PBR 24OZ CANS ____________________________________________ ___ _ __ _

SATURDAY: INTERNATIONAL MUSIC IC

REGGAE - CARIBBEAN - DANCEHALL ____________________________________________

SUNDAY: VAPE NIGHT

COMING SOON: OPEN MIC NIGHT

WEEKLY SPECIALS WEDNESDAY: All-You-Can-Eat

Jumbo Grilled Wings $15 (free range, no hormones, no antibiotics, local) ____________________________________________

THURSDAY: Vegan

Night 25% Off ALL Vegan Menu Items ____________________________________________

FRIDAY: Open

for Lunch at 11am Bourbon Night $2 Off select Bourbon ____________________________________________

HT EVERY SUNDAY VAPE NIG IN A CE BRING YOUR MODS AND JUINM ENT. RO VI VAPE FRIENDLY EN

Stop by Gus’s Café and try our Premium Vape Flavors at our Tester Stations Featuring:

SATURDAY: Brunch 11am–4pm ____________________________________________ SUNDAY: Sunday

Brunch from 11am-4pm All-You-Can-Eat Sliders $15 4pm–Close (local, no hormones, no antibiotics) ____________________________________________

MONDAY: Half

Menu Mondays 11am–Close.

Everything on the food menu is HALF OFF ____________________________________________

TUESDAY: Burg

Night-Half Off Burgers Plus Complimentary Bacon at the bar

4717 Butler St. · LAWRENCEVILLE 412-315-7271 · facebook.com/Gusscafe N E W S

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LOCAL

“I REMEMBER THINKING, ‘MAN, THINGS CAN’T GET ANY WORSE. BUT BOY, WAS I WRONG.”

BEAT

{BY MARGARET WELSH}

SHAPING UP

MWELSH@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

DIAMOND SHAPES with THE 302’S, THE MUTINY, MARISSA MATIS, STEVEN BANKS, WHERE’S IAN. 7 p.m. Sat., Jan 10. The Keynote Café, 227 S. Fourth St., Jeannette. $10. 412-638-5263 or keynotecafe.wordpress.com

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TOO

COUNTRY FOR

COUNTRY {BY CHARLIE DEITCH}

Diamond Shapes’ Lianna Ankney

Two years after deciding to start guitar lessons, Lianna Ankney made a deal with herself. Either she would start writing her own songs — something she had aimed to do from the beginning — or she would quit. “I thought, ‘I’ll put some chords together and see what comes of it,” she recalls. “And I started singing, which I found out I could do. Which was really strange.”

With some encouragement (and more guitar lessons) from her co-worker, Nic Snyder of the band 1,2,3, Ankney began recording her songs, and this past summer, finished her debut under the name Diamond Shapes. Snyder offered his production services.

Though Ankney had some musical experience — she played flute in the school band — Snyder did much of the arranging and helped Ankney figure out how she wanted the record to sound. “I felt like such a novice as a musician, [but] I really trusted his opinion,” she says.

“I really felt like [his input] fit my music very well.”

Though Ankney sings backup for Greensburg-based indie rockers Household Stories, she doesn’t play many shows on her own, partly because of stage fright, and partly because, she says with a smile and a shrug, “I don’t really know how to get into playing shows. I love sharing my music, but my issue is playing guitar in front of people. There’s always so much to learn.” True as that may be, it also seems a bit too modest in light of Diamond Shapes, an impressive collection of songs which bring to mind the simple sweetness and melodic complexity of Angel Olsen and Joanna Newsom, and the shimmer of Vashti Bunyan.

For now, Ankney, who works as a graphic designer, is taking things slow: In lieu of a big release show, she opted to host a small get-together in her home in Export. But this year she hopes to start playing out more often, and writing more songs. “When I was in high school, I was drawn to the visual arts, and quit band for that reason.” Now, she says, “I feel like it’s come full circle. I feel like this is what I was meant to be doing the whole time.”

D

ALE WATSON has given up on country music.

Not the sound, but the phrase.

More specifically, the music that the phrase now stands for. And if you’ve listened to modern “country music” for more than a heartbeat or driven through the North Shore the morning after a Kenny Chesney bro-fest, you can hardly blame him.

It wasn’t always like that for the 52-year-old honky-tonk troubadour. Over a career that has spanned more than 20 years and more than 20 records, Watson spent a lot of time fighting to take back the name. He rebelled against what country music had become — shallow pop songs stuffed with soulless, cheap hooks and played to a throng of so-called countrymusic fans who wouldn’t know Ray Price from Ray Charles.

“You take a guy like Kenny Chesney, and my music doesn’t fit in with his crowd at all,” Watson told City Paper from his home in Austin, Texas, last month. “And the reason is, his music, and others like him, have zero connection to the roots of country music like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.”

Watson comes to town Jan. 16 for a show with the Rev. Horton Heat, the godfather of American psychobilly, at Altar Bar in the Strip District. The show will combine the unique styles of Heat (real name: Jim Heath), who plays an amalgam of punk

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

{PHOTO BY JOHN ANDERSON}

Dale Watson has a message for contemporary country music.

rock, rockabilly and traditional country, and Watson, a quintessential honky-tonker.

DALE WATSON

WITH REV. HORTON HEAT 7:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 16. Altar Bar, 1620 Penn Ave., Strip District. $22-32.

412-206-9719 or www.thealtarbar.com

“Even though we play different styles, you listen to the Rev. Horton Heat, and you hear that connection to the past,” Watson says. “I’ve been to Jim’s house. I’ve gone through his George Jones and Johnny Cash records. That’s what I listen for. When you play records back to back — like Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens or Johnny Cash CONTINUES ON PG. 28

Jackie Evancho with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra February 13 Singing sensation and Pittsburgh native Jackie Evancho returns to her hometown for a special performance with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

VA L E N T I N E ’ S W E E K E N D W I T H T H E P I T T S B U R G H S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A

Casablanca with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra February 15 Hear the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra play the iconic ÃV Ài Ü i Ì i V >ÃÃ V w is shown in beautiful high`iw Ì ÛiÀ i>`°

For tickets call 412.392.4900 or visit pittsburghsymphony.org N E W S

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TOO COUNTRY FOR COUNTRY, CONTINUED FROM PG. 26

and Hank Williams, Porter Wagoner and Roy Acuff — you can hear the root.

“That’s what’s missing today. Everything is firmly planted in mid-air. Mainstream country is the same thing that’s playing on pop stations. They have no roots.”

That’s not an accusation that anyone could ever hurl at Watson. He was born into country music, growing up listening to and playing George Jones, Lefty Frizzell and Buck Owens with his father (a truckdriver and part-time country singer) and his brother, Jim. Watson’s sound can be as varied and eclectic as the many voices that have come and gone in country music.

His catalog contains a wide variety of tunes that often reflect where he was at a particular time in his life. There are drinking songs (“I Lie When I Drink”) and trucking songs (“Good Luck ’N Good Truckin’ Tonight”), and songs about country greats (“Runaway Train”), and gospel songs (“Hand of Jesus”), and there are heartbreak songs … oh man, are there heartbreak songs (“Crazy Again,” “Time Without You,” “Every Song I Write Is for You,” “Elbow Grease, Spackle and Pine Sol”).

Born in Alabama and growing up in Texas, he spent time trying to make it into the music business in Los Angeles and Nashville.

But Austin was the place where he’d eventually find a home, and his biggest success.

His career began to take off in the mid1990s with the release of his debut album, Cheatin’ Heart Attack. The eighth cut on that record would not only become Watson’s most famous, it would become an anthem to him and every supporter of traditional country music.

“I’m too country now for country, just like Johnny Cash,” goes the most famous line of that tune, “Nashville Rash.” It’s a song he wrote at a time when Cash, arguably country’s most well-known face and voice, didn’t have a record contract. Things were bleak for the genre, but as bad as they were then, today is much worse, he says.

“Yeah, boy, when I think about that, I remember thinking, ‘Man, things can’t get any worse,” Watson recalls. “But boy, was I wrong. I was so wrong.”

Watson has become so disenchanted with the genre that he has stopped altogether using the word “country” to describe his music. A few years ago he coined the term “Ameripolitan” to describe his music — “it’s what the roots of country used to be,” Watson explains. “If I tell people that I do country music, it gives people the totally wrong idea. So, now I tell them I do Amerip-

olitan, and I like to look at the blank look on their face. I tell them to pop by a show and you’ll find out what that is.”

This February in Austin, the Watsonfounded Ameripolitan Music Awards will present its second annual event. The awards are determined by fan voting, and the show is paid for through crowdfunding.

Categories include honky tonk, Western swing and rockabilly, and Watson himself is of course disqualified.

The inaugural show took place last year, one year after Watson got into a mini-feud with mainstream country artist Blake Shelton, who said that fans of traditional country were “old farts” and “jackasses.” That led Watson to write a tribute song to Shelton with the line: “Well, I’d rather be an old fart than a new country turd.” He set up the awards after that, to celebrate those who stay true the old ideals of country.

“People make a lot of sacrifices to make this music,” Watson says. “A lot of it is pretty thankless, because you don’t get the mainstream notoriety. It’s our way to say thank you for doing this music.”

Recognition is also something that Watson has been receiving in the past two years. In June 2013, Watson played live on the Late Show With David Letterman; he’s also performed on Austin City Limits, and his album El Rancho Azul debuted on the Billboard country chart at No. 57.

“These really have been the best years of my career,” Watson says. “Between those shows and the record … listen, that’s the only Billboard-chartin’ record I’ve ever had, and it’s kind of cool to have that, although I’ll be honest, I certainly never thought that would happen.”

If Watson never thought one of his records would chart on Billboard, maybe a broader audience for roots country music isn’t too far behind. For his part, Watson says new fans are out there, but they’re likely only going to come by growing the fan base organically.

“People are going to find this music the same way you found it, the same way I found it: through our parents,” Watson says. “Our fans are not going to come from the generation of fans who are listening to the Kenny Chesneys and the Jason Aldeans and that mess. We’re not going to get them.

“But what I hope is, the people who are fans, their kids will grow up listening; and their kids will keep listening. It’s not going to happen overnight. If we’re going to grow … the roots have got to take hold.”

“YOU TAKE A GUY LIKE KENNY CHESNEY, AND MY MUSIC DOESN’T FIT IN WITH HIS CROWD AT ALL.”

C D E I T C H @ P G H C I T Y PA P E R. C OM

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

live music, great wine

PITTSBURGH WINERY LIVE IN THE CELLAR

Jan. 10 The Tom Roberts Charlie Chaplin Silent Picture Show Jan. 16 The Sparrows and ill Willis Jan. 17 Strip District Music Festival Noon-Midnight

Jan. 23 “Songwriters in the Cellar” Hosted by Nathan Zoob with guests The Wreckids, Kayla Schureman, Mark Dignam, Max Somerville, Josh Verbanets

Jan. 24 Jan. 30 Jan. 31 Feb. 6 Feb. 7 Feb. 8

Joe Grushecky Solo Acoustic Boulevard of the Allies River Whyess The Black Lillies Runaway Dorothy w/Mike Cali Beauty Slap and Bridge City Hustle - 7PM Silencio The Gathering Field - 9PM The Gathering Field - 7PM Dharma Sons

Feb. 13 Feb. 14 Feb. 15 Feb. 21 Feb. 27 Poogie Bell presents Smooth Jazz w/Bob Baldwin Feb. 28 Brooke Annibale - Full Band Mar. 5 City Dwelling Nature Seekers Mar. 7 “Songwriters in the Cellar” Hosted by Max Somerville with Jordan DePaul, Brittany Kennell, and Spencer Marshall

Mar. 8 Mar. 12 Mar. 13 + 14 Mar. 19 Mar. 20 Mar. 21 Mar. 26 Mar. 27

River City Extension 7PM The Mulligan Brothers Big Jim and The Ravens - Songs and good aul Irish Craic.

Mouths of Babes Kuf Knotz Good Brother Earl w/Joshua Powell Matthew Perryman Jones Kevin Garrett w/Owen Danoff

Doors at 8PM show at 9PM unless otherwise noted | 21+ 2815 PENN AVE. | PITTSBURGH PA 15222 N E W S

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ALL DRESSED UP AND NOWHERE TO GO? Baha man: Afie Jurvanen

NEWFANGLED LOVE SONGS {BY ANDY MULKERIN}

City Paper Listings Editor Margaret Welsh is here to save your weekend, sharing her picks for the best events going on around town with our BRAND NEW

CP Weekend

PODCAST www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/ CPWeekendPodcast/Page

New content daily at www.pghcitypaper.com

AFIE JURVANEN was a prominent session player in Toronto, playing perhaps most notably with Feist, before setting out in 2008 with his solo project, Bahamas. His 2014 album Bahamas Is Afie was one of Canada’s most lauded releases of the year, ending up No. 1 on CBC radio show Q’s list of 2014’s best albums. Jurvanen comes to Club Café Wed., Jan. 14, for his first show in Pittsburgh ever; he spoke with CP last week from his home in Toronto. A longer version of this interview appears on our music blog, FFW>>.

WHAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THE NAME OF YOUR LATEST ALBUM, BAHAMAS IS AFIE? I think the idea was just a way of acknowledging my name in the music, and I felt like it was a nice time to do that, because I as a person feel a lot more comfortable with where I’m at and who I am, and I think that’s reflected in the album I made. When I first started playing, I didn’t really know what I was doing, and it was much easier just to be Bahamas, not be Afie Jurvanen.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HONOR THE GUITAR OR CONCENTRATE ON YOUR GUITAR PARTS MORE THAN THE AVERAGE SINGER-SONGWRITER? I have so much admiration and reverence for the guitar. I’ve sort of had this 20-year love affair with it. I think it’s inevitable that it forms who I am as a musician, but I try not to focus on it. I try to write songs that appeal to not just me but hopefully a wide

range of people. And if you make it all about the guitar, you alienate a lot of people.

YOU SEEM TO DRAW FROM YOUR OWN LIFE IN YOUR WRITING. For the most part I usually sing in the first person, and often those are my ideas, my feelings, and just as often, I’m translating my family, my friends, the people around me, and creating some kind of narrative out of that.

I’m still trying to write a better love song, all the time. I’m not sure why. There’s very few of them out there that have this quality that I like: the ability to be a very, very sad song, but also full of love. I think of a song like “You Were Always on My Mind,”

by Willie Nelson: It has all of those qualities.

I try to think about that when I’m writing.

BAHAMAS

WITH FIELD REPORT 7 p.m. Wed., Jan. 14. Club Café, 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $14.

412-431-4950 or www.clubcafelive.com

YOU’RE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS A “ROOTS” OR “FOLK” ARTIST. DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH THAT TERM? I love folk music, I love roots music, and I play a whole lot of acoustic guitar. The only thing that I’m always wary of is: I hope I’m not doing anything that’s “retro.” I don’t really want to get up there and say I’m a folk artist and have suspenders and a banjo and sing about traveling on freight trains and stuff like that. It’s not relevant to my life, and I think it’s not relevant to many people’s lives at this point. Finding a way to sing about the time that I live in and things that are personal to me, that’s something that I think about a lot more.

A M UL K E RI N @ P G HC I T Y PA P E R. C OM

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

CRITICS’ PICKS The Paisley Fields

blogh.pghcitypaper.com

1305 E. CARSON ST.

{PHOTO COURTESY OF RYAN DASHKEWICH}

412.431.0700

[LOCAL] + FRI., JAN. 09 January is when the volume of touring acts coming through town generally slows down; given the miseries of being on the road in winter in the Midwest and Northeast, many bands hunker down starting around the holidays and don’t emerge from their dens until SXSW season. The flip side: Winter is a great time to get more familiar with local acts. Tonight’s showcase at Mr. Small’s, part of Creative Life Support’s Revival Series, gives you just such an opportunity. {PHOTO Headlined by COURTESY OF MATT Circles and SHUCK} Squares, Jeremy Caywood and the Way of Life, and Jude Benedict and the Last Drop, the show also features guest appearances by Morgan Erina, Michael Thomas and Mike DeLuca. As is the case with all Revival shows, it’s free if you’re over 21, and $2 if you’re younger. Nice deal for a chilly January night! Andy Mulkerin 7 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. Free-$2. All ages. 412-821-4447 or www.mrsmalls.com

[GARAGE ROCK] + FRI., JAN. 09 By all accounts, The Nox Boys had a nice 2014: The mostly teenage garage-rock band released an album and played scads of shows, locally and out of town. The fourpiece hopes to start the new year out right with tonight’s Teenage Takeover Part 2, a new iteration of a series they started last year at the Warhol. Tonight’s show is at The Shop, Bloomfield’s all-ages venue; it features The Nox Boys along with a bunch of the finest other teen bands around: Pachyderm,

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La Huesuda, Face Box and Chase the Monkey. TULPA starts things off; it’s a good bet that all the cool kids will be there. AM 7 p.m. 4314 Main St., Bloomfield. $5. All ages. www.noxboys.com

[HIP HOP] + SAT., JAN. 10 The folks from Jenesis Magazine and C.O.O.L. Entertainment have put together a lineup of up-and-coming local acts at the Rex Theater tonight; Palermo Stone headlines the group of hip-hop and Circles and R&B performers.

Squares Also appearing: M. Tomlin, Zayy tha Scholar and more, plus DJ Spillz. For those unfamiliar, Jenesis is a leading voice on hip hop locally — so when the crew there suggest you take note of a local artist, you’d be wise to do as you’re told.

AM 9 p.m.

1602 E. Carson St., South Side. $10. 18 and over.

412-381-6811 or www.rextheater.com

Clicking “reload” makes the workday go faster

PITTSBURGH GUITARS IS PROUD TO BE A LONG-TIME MARQUIS DEALER FOR C.F. MARTIN & CO. STOP BY TODAY AND FIND YOUR MARTIN GUITAR OR UKULELE! STORE HOURS: MON-THU 11AM-8PM FRI-SAT 11AM-5PM

MARTIN D-28

LIST PRICE: $3299 MAP PRICE: $2499

PITTSBURGHGUITARS.COM

[COUNTRY] + SUN., JAN. 11 While The Paisley Fields have a good bit in common with contemporary country — rich production, songs with pop bones and twangy accents — the band probably won’t be touring with Toby Keith anytime soon. Songwriter and lead singer James Wilson doesn’t dance lyrically around the fact that his songs are about relationships with other men; they’re sometimes tender, sometimes virulent, but unmistakably gay, a refreshing change from country radio. He brings the Brooklyn band to Brillobox tonight; Adam & Steve and Middle Children open the show. AM 9 p.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $5. 412-621-4900 or www.brillobox.net

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TO SUBMIT A LISTING: HTTP://PGHCITYPAPER.COM/HAPPENINGS

412.316.3388 (FAX) + 412.316.3342 X194 (PHONE)

{ALL LISTINGS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 9 A.M. FRIDAY PRIOR TO PUBLICATION}

Pittsburgh’s 4th Annual

ROCK/POP THU 08 THURSDAY JAN 15/10PM

ALLINALINE, THE MOLECULE PARTY TWO MUFFIN RABBIT

JANUARY 16TH & 17 TH

THURSDAY JAN 29/10PM

Twentieth Century Club, Oakland 4201 Bigelow Blvd. • Pittsburgh, PA 15213

WORKSHOPS // PERFORMANCES // COMPETITION SOCIAL DANCING // BEGINNER BOOTCAMP Two nights of Latin dancing, performances, competitions and a full day of professional dance lessons for every dance level.

SalsaFuego.org • 774-310-1744 Student and pre-sale discounts available.

C O H E N

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G R I G S B Y

T R U S T

THE PARK PLAN, MURDER FOR GIRLS, GRAND BELL $2.75 PBR POUNDERS OR PBR DRAFTS

ALL DAY, EVERY DAY 2204 E. CARSON ST. (412) 431-5282 lavaloungepgh.com P R E S E N T S

S E R I E S

ON SALE NOW!

FRI 09 31ST STREET PUB. Karma To Burn, Sierra, Monolith Wielder.

Strip District. 412-391-8334.

CLUB CAFE. Cathy Witters Stewart, Laura B., Katie Simone, Rhonda Watson (Early).

South Side. 412-431-4950.

HAMBONE’S. Molly Alphabet, Life(Liss), Joanna Lowe.

The Girlie Show. Lawrenceville.

412-681-4318.

SAT 10 ALTAR BAR. Mushroomhead.

Strip District. 412-263-2877.

CLUB CAFE. Automagik, Coronado, There You Are (Late).

South Side. 412-431-4950.

DOWNEY’S HOUSE. Gone South. Robinson. 412-489-5631.

THE FALLOUT SHELTER. Crisis In America, Nervous Aggression, Dysmorphia, Super Fun Time Awesome Party Band. 740-424-0302.

HAMBONE’S. Charlie Wheeler Band. Lawrenceville.

412-681-4318.

HARD ROCK CAFE. Metalachi. Station Square.

412-481-7625.

HOWLERS COYOTE CAFE. Dragon Wagon, The Beagle Brothers, Joe Depp.

Bloomfield. 412-682-0320.

INK DIVISION. Del Rios, Grumpy, Murder For Girls,

MP 3 MONDAY

PARKER FRIDAY>JANUARY 16 > 8PM

BYHAM THEATER TRUSTARTS.ORG t BOX OFFICE AT THEATER SQUARE t GROUPS 10 + TICKETS 412- 471 - 6930 ACCESSIBLE ACCESSIB ACCE SSIBLE LE

SERVICES SERVIC SER VICES ES AVAILABLE

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

Each week, we bring you a new track from a local artist. This week’s offering comes from Devil’s Holler; stream or download “Movin’ On,� from the recent album Croatoa, for free on our music blog, FFW>>, at pghcitypaper.com.

SUN 11 BRILLOBOX. The Paisley Fields, Adam & Steve, Middle Children.

Bloomfield. 412-621-4900.

CLUB CAFE. That 1 Guy, DJ Feels Goodman. South Side.

412-431-4950.

MON 12 ALTAR BAR. Dark Tranquility.

Strip District. 412-263-2877.

REX THEATER. Particle, Broccoli Samurai. South Side.

412-381-6811.

WED 14

DEVIL’S HOLLER

MACEO

Weapons of Choice. Braddock.

412-381-1104.

IRON CREEK BAR & GRILLE. Dave & Andrea Iglar Duo. Bridgeville.

JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE. Totally 80s. Warrendale.

724-799-8333.

MOONDOG’S. 8th Street Rox. Blawnox. 412-828-2040.

SKYLARK MOTOR INN. King’s Ransom. Moon.

412-264-5753.

SMILING MOOSE. Turnpike Gardens, Comfort Tech. Turnpike Gardens CD Release Party.

South Side. 412-431-4668.

TUE 13

CLUB CAFE. Bahamas, Field Report. South Side.

412-431-4950.

HOWLERS COYOTE CAFE. Dan Tedesco. Bloomfield.

412-682-0320. {PHOTO COURTESY OF HUGH TWYMAN}

SALSA CONGRESS/CONVENTION

CLUB CAFE. Rachel B, Lyndsey Smith & Soul Distribution.

South Side. 412-431-4950.

HITCHHIKER BREWING CO. Shelf Life String Band.

Mt. Lebanon. 412-343-1950.

SMILING MOOSE. Scab, Blod Maud, Wilcott. South Side.

412-431-4668.

THUNDERBIRD CAFE. Jones for Revival. Lawrenceville.

412-682-0177.

SMILING MOOSE. Houdini’s Psychic Theatre, Highway 4.

South Side. 412-431-4668.

DJS THU 08 BELVEDERE’S. Neon w/ DJ hatesyou. 80s Night. Lawrenceville.

412-687-2555.

CLUB TABOO. DJ Matt & Gangsta Shak. Homewood.

412-969-0260.

FRI 09 THE CLOAKROOM. DJ SMI. East Liberty. 412-779-2624.

DRUM BAR. DJ Kingfish.

North Side. 412-231-7777.

ONE 10 LOUNGE. DJ Goodnight, DJ Rojo. Downtown.

412-874-4582.

ROWDY BUCK. Top 40 Dance.

South Side. 412-431-2825.

RUGGER’S PUB. 80s Night w/ DJ Connor. South Side.

412-381-1330.

SAT 10 BRILLOBOX. TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party. Rare Soul, Funk & wild R&B 45s feat. DJ Gordy G. & J.Malls.

Bloomfield. 412-621-4900.

EARLY WARNINGS

EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH. Jazz at Emmanuel.

North Side. 412-231-0454.

OMNI WILLIAM PENN. Frank Cunimondo. Downtown.

412-553-5235.

MON 12 ECLIPSE LOUNGE. Open Jazz Night w/ the Howie Alexander Trio.

Lawrenceville. 412-251-0097.

Lights

WED 14 ANDYS. Life in Balance.

Downtown. 412-773-8884.

CAFE IO. Dave Brosky. Playing the Chapman Stick. Mt. Lebanon.

412-440-0414.

CREAMY CREATIONS. Rodney McCoy. Penn Hills.

412-799-3359.

CREAMY CREATIONS & MORE. Hump Day Jazz Jam w/ Rodney McCoy. East Liberty.

NOLA ON THE SQUARE. RML Jazz. Downtown. 412-370-9621.

RIVERS CLUB. Jessica Lee & Friends. Downtown.

412-391-5227.

VILLAGE TAVERN & TRATTORIA. The Dante’ Soulsville Project.

West End. 412-458-0417.

{MON., FEB. 23}

Cory Henry Trio Thunderbird Café, 4023 Butler St., Lawrenceville {THU., MARCH 05}

Lights

ACOUSTIC

Mr. Small’s Theater, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale

THU 08

{SAT., APRIL 18}

Robben Ford

ELWOOD’S PUB. Acoustic Open Stage. 724-265-1181.

Rex Theater, 1602 E. Carson St., South Side

FRI 09 ELWOOD’S PUB. Martin The Troubadour. 724-265-1181.

DIESEL. DJ CK. South Side.

412-431-8800.

DRUM BAR. VDJ Jack Millz.

North Side. 412-231-7777.

GUS’S CAFE. Pittsburgh Caribbean/International Saturdays.

Lawrenceville. 412-315-7271.

ROWDY BUCK. Top 40 Dance.

South Side. 412-431-2825.

S BAR. Pete Butta. South Side.

412-481-7227.

WED 14 THE NEW AMSTERDAM. The Programmer. Lawrenceville.

412-682-6414.

SPOON. Spoon Fed. Hump day chill. House music. aDesusParty.

East Liberty. 412-362-6001.

HIP HOP/R&B SAT 10 GROWN & SEXY II. Yolanda Barber. Strip District.

412-728-4155.

WED 14 ALTAR BAR. Mickey Avalon.

Strip District. 412-263-2877.

BLUES FRI 09 SHELBY’S STATION. AndersonVosel. Bridgeville. 412-319-7938.

SAT 10 COOL SPRINGS GOLD & FAMILY RECREATION CENTER. The Witchdoctors. Bethel Park.

412-831-5080.

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JAZZ

SAT 10 OLIVE OR TWIST. The Vagrants.

Downtown. 412-255-0525.

TAVERN IN THE WALL. Peter King. Aspinwall. 412-782-6542.

THU 08 ANDYS. Lisa Hindmarsh.

Downtown. 412-773-8884.

CAVO. Carlton Leeper, Lito Corpuz Victoria Brady, Patrick Whitehead. Strip District.

412-610-1384.

JAMES STREET GASTROPUB & SPEAKEASY. Roger Humphries Jam Session. North Side. 412-904-3335.

FRI 09 ANDYS. Tania Grubbs. Downtown.

412-773-8884.

OMNI WILLIAM PENN. Frank Cunimondo, Pat Crossly. Downtown.

412-553-5235.

WED 14 ALLEGHENY ELKS LODGE #339. Pittsburgh Banjo Club.

Wednesdays. North Side.

412-321-1834.

FULL LIST E ONLwIN w.

w paper pghcitym .co

ANDYS. Spanky Wilson.

Downtown. 412-773-8884.

THE CLOAKROOM. Hill Jordan & the Slide Worldwide. East Liberty.

THE SPACE UPSTAIRS. Second Saturdays. Jazz-happening series feat. live music, multimedia experimentations, more. Hosted

by The Pillow Project. Point Breeze. 412-225-9269.

SUPPER CLUB RESTAURANT. RML Jazz. Greensburg.

412-370-9621.

SUN 11 ANDYS. Velvet Heat. Downtown.

412-773-8884.

TA S T E

FRI 09 HOWLERS COYOTE CAFE. Muiguel Sague III & Latin Dance Night. Bloomfield.

412-682-0320.

Thu Jan 8

JONES FOR REVIVAL

CLASSICAL

Fri Jan 9

SUN 11

THE PAWNBROKERS

BEETHOVEN ON THE BLUFF: CONCERT VII: VIOLIN/CELLO III. Mary Pappert School of Music, Uptown. 412-396-4632.

Sat Jan 10

KYLE LAWSON BAND with CHARLIE HUSTLE & THE GRIFTERS

Mon Jan 12

OTHER MUSIC

OPEN STAGE with SGD

THU 08

Tue Jan 13

LEVELS. Nieds Hotel Combo.

North Side. 412-231-7777.

SPACE EXCHANGE

Sat Jan 17

FRI 09

MEETING OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE

CLUB CAFE. Silencio Performing the Soundtrack Works of David Lynch (Late). South Side.

412-431-4950.

LEVELS. Jason Kendall Duo. North Side. 412-231-7777.

with LOHIO

Thu Jan 22

FLOW TRIBE

Fri Jan 23

THE MCLOVINS

SAT 10 LEVELS. The Hobbs Sisters.

North Side. 412-231-7777.

Thu Feb 19

HACKENSAW BOYS

SUN 11

Fri Feb 20

HAMBONE’S. Steel City Ukulele Jam. Lawrenceville.

412-681-4318.

NY FUNK EXCHANGE

MON 12

CORY HENRY TRIO

Mon Feb 23

HAMBONE’S. Cabaret: Showtunes, Jazz Standards & Blues by Ian Kane. Lawrenceville.

412-681-4318.

4023 BUTLER ST LAWRENVEVILLE PITTSBURGH, PA ALL SHOWS 21+

New Year’s Resolution to quit smoking?

We can help!

REGGAE

SAT 10

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WORLD

NIED’S HOTEL. Slim Forsythe & The Stillhouse Pickers.

Lawrenceville. 412-781-9853.

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FRI 09

Chop Shop

CAPRI PIZZA AND BAR. Bombo Claat Friday Reggae w/ VYBZ Machine Intl Sound System. East Liberty.

412-362-1250.

COUNTRY SAT 10 ELWOOD’S PUB. Wendy & The Lost Boys. 724-265-1181.

HARVEY WILNER’S. The Fabulous Gunslingers. West Mifflin.

412-466-1331.

MEADOWS CASINO. Michael Christopher. Washington.

724-503-1200.

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Coolvapes.com 412-358-0200 7206 McKnight Rd Near Ross Park Mall

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PAID ADVERTORIAL SPONSORED BY

What to do January 7 - 13 WEDNESDAY 70 The Second City’s “N’At’s All Folks!”

O’REILLY THEATER Downtown.

412-316-1600. Tickets: ppt.org.

Through Jan. 10.

THURSDAY 81 Jones for Revival

THUNDERBIRD CAFE Lawrenceville. 412-682-0177.

Over 21 show. Tickets: greyareaprod.com. 9p.m.

Lyndsey Smith & Soul Distribution CLUB CAFE South Side. 412431-4950. Over 21 show. With special guest Rachel B. Tickets: ticketweb.com/opusone. 8p.m.

IN PITTSBURGH

Comedian David Kaye

412-456-6666. Tickets: livenation.com or Box Office at Theater Square. 8p.m.

LATITUDE 360 Robinson Twp. 412-693-5555. Tickets: latitude360.com/pittsburgh-pa.

8p.m.

The Tom Roberts Charlie Chapman Silent Picture Show

John “Dr. Dirty” Valby

PITTSBURGH WINERY Strip District. Over 21 event. Tickets: showclix.com. 9p.m.

Through Jan. 11.

ALTAR BAR Strip District.

412-263-2877. Over 21 show. Tickets: ticketfly.com or 1-877-4-FLY-TIX. 10:15p.m.

ALTAR BAR Strip District.

412-263-2877. All ages show.

With special guests Like Monroe, The Family Ruin & more. Tickets: ticketfly.com or 1-877-4-FLY-TIX. 5:30p.m.

Street Level JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE Warrendale. 724-799-8333. $9 cover charge. 9p.m.

Lewis Black

SATURDAY 10

HEINZ HALL Downtown. 412392-4900. Tickets: livenation. com. 8p.m.

Old Skool Weekend

FRIDAY 92

LATITUDE 360 Robinson Twp. 412-693-5555. Tickets: latitude360.com/pittsburgh-pa.

8:15p.m.

CONSOL ENERGY CENTER Downtown. Tickets: ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Elvis Lives!

Sesame Street Live

Mushroomhead

BENEDUM CENTER Downtown.

www.Q929FM.com

Metalachi HARD ROCK CAFE Station Square. 412-481-ROCK. Over 21 show. Tickets: ticketfly.com or 1-877-4-FLY-TIX. 10p.m.

SUNDAY 11

That 1 Guy / DJ Feels Goodman CLUB CAFE South Side.

412-431-4950. Over 21 show.

Tickets: ticketweb.com/opusone.

8p.m.

MONDAY 12 Dark Tranquility

ALTAR BAR Strip District.

412-263-2877. All ages show. Tickets: ticketfly.com or 1-877-4-FLY-TIX. 7p.m.

TUESDAY 13

Pittsburgh Brew ‘N Chew Particle w/ Broccoli Samurai MONROEVILLE CONVENTION Pittsburgh Brew ‘N Chew SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 MONROEVILLE CONVENTION CENTER

CENTER Monroeville. Tickets: goodtastepittsburgh.com.

1p.m. & 6p.m.

REX THEATER South Side.

412-381-6811. Over 18 show.

Tickets: greyareaprod.com. 8p.m.

DOWNLOAD THE FUN & FREE CP HAPPS APP TO FIND THE MOST POPULAR EVENTS IN PITTSBURGH

Download the fun & free CP HAPPS APP To find the most popular events in Pittsburgh Available on the App Store and Google Play.

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TAKEOVER

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34

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

A BRISK WOK {BY BILL O’DRISCOLL}

THE MATERIAL ALTERNATES BETWEEN BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT AND CRINGE-Y TO SIT THROUGH

Most of us know that our Chinese food is the Americanized version of the real thing.

But by focusing on one dish, Ian Cheney’s documentary The Search for General Tso proves a fascinating inquiry into history, culture and deep-fried chicken chunks.

PICTURE

PERFECT Order up: Chinese cuisine in America

CP APPROVED

The fast-paced, 73-minute film plays like a detective story investigating whether there was an historical Tso and how his phenomenally popular dish was born.

Experts, of course, already know the answers. But by tracking down historians and restauranteurs from Shanghai to Springfield, Mo., from Manhattan to Taipei, Cheney (King Corn) crafts an entertaining film, complete with witty shadow-puppet-style animation.

Included are a thumbnail sketch of Chinese-American history and an account of the odd twists Chinese fare’s popularity has taken in the States, from the invention of chop suey here (around 1900) to the role played by Nixonian diplomacy (oh, indeed). You’ll even learn why the Chinese themselves don’t know from General Tso’s chicken … and why there’s probably no such thing as “authentic” Chinese cuisine.

DRISCOLL@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

In various languages, with subtitles.

7:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 9; 9:30 p.m. Sat., Jan. 10; 4 p.m. Sun., Jan. 11; 7:30 p.m.

Mon., Jan. 12; and 7:30 p.m. Wed., Jan. 14. Hollywood

Just st when we were wondering ering why the divinely cheekboned Cillian an Murphy isn’t in as many movies vies any more, he turns up on n the small screen in the e oddly named d Peaky Blinders inders s series, on Netflix.. Your cure for the same me old gangster tale, since this his one takes place in the industrial ustrial midlands of Britain, n, in the troubled days after fter World War I.

{BY AL HOFF}

A

Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke), Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and their kids pose as a happy family.

RANDOM incident at a French

ski resort tears a Swedish family apart during their holiday in Force Majeure, writer-director Ruben Ostlund’s drama-with-a-comic-bite.

It opens with the resort photographer bullshitting Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke), Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and their two children about what a lovely family they are. And on day one, they do seem perfect — affluent Nordic super-people. But on the second day, their lunch is interrupted by an avalanche. Though nobody is hurt, Tomas’ instinctual reaction — he runs away, as his young children scream for him — sends disastrous psychological ripples through the family.

The film takes its title from a legal term, defining a period in which unexpected events can temporarily free parties from certain contractual obligations.

Here, it’s the avalanche that “frees” Tomas and Ebba from their prescribed gender roles. (The set-up is also re-enacted in the film’s coda, with different players.)

What follows for the couple is a painful rending and re-ordering, particularly in regard to masculinity and mother-

hood, while their expensive ski holiday continues to unfold.

Like a virulent mold, the anger and distrust spreads outward, infecting the children, other guests and old friends.

Being well-educated and moderately selfactualized, much of their fighting indulges modern psychobabble: Ebba claims to be “still under the influence” of the avalanche episode, and Tomas peevishly defends his version of events (“I can’t ‘admit’ to your perception”).

FORCE MAJEURE DIRECTED BY: Ruben Ostlund STARRING: Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli In English, and Swedish and Norwegian, with subtitles Starts Fri., Jan. 9. Regent Square

CP APPROVED Ostlund intercuts the family narrative with footage of the ski slope’s maintenance — such as snow-making tubes and chair lifts — complete with the mechanical whirrs and clanks they generate in the alpine silence. The mountain is an empty, cold world, made safe and attractive by

machinery. But danger is always present, as underscored by the muffled booms from the controlled avalanches, barelyheard warnings of something terrible potentially approaching.

The material alternates between beautiful to look at and cringe-y to sit through.

Ostlund lays on the foreshadowing — another creak of the gondola, a too-pristine slope, an empty hallway — and thus a fair amount of dread lurks beneath the sunny surface. But if you can bear the discomfort and the film’s deliberate pacing, there is also sly humor to be found. (It’s a bit like opening an Ikea catalog to find, to your satisfaction, passive-aggressive psychodrama oozing out from the too-perfect scenes of sleek European furnishing.)

Over the course of the film, Ostylund removes both the couple’s expensive ski togs and their carefully calibrated exteriors — they fight meanly, clad only in tiny underpants — until each is revealed to be shallow, petty and insular. They are a perfect modern family, but like the ski mountain, maintained only through constant artificial grooming and a casual disregard of ever-present dangers.

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FILM CAPSULES CP

= CITY PAPER APPROVED

NEW THIS WEEK INHERENT VICE. Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin star in this crime comedy set in early1970s Los Angeles. Director Paul Thomas Anderson adapts Thomas Pynchon’s novel.

Starts Fri., Jan. 9.

SELMA. David Oyelowo stars as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., in Ava DuVernay’s bio-pic about the organization and execution of the historic 1965 civil-rights march in Selma, Ala. Starts Fri., Jan. 9.

TAKEN 3. Now former government agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) has been falsely accused of murder. You know he’s gotta clear his name!

Olivier Megaton directs this actioner. Starts Fri., Jan. 9.

Big Eyes

REPERTORY ROW HOUSE CINEMA. Actors From Pittsburgh Area: An American in Paris (1951 romantic comedy with great dancing from Gene Kelly), Jan. 7. Jurassic Park (giant re-created dinosaurs vs. Jeff Goldblum, in this 1993 actioner), Jan. 7-8. The Magnificent Seven (1960 adaptation of Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai, starring Charles Bronson), Jan. 7-8. Beetlejuice (1988 ghost comedy starring Michael Keaton), Jan. 8.

Films of Stanley Kubrick: 2001: A Space Odyssey (visionary 1968 classic), Jan. 9-11 and Jan. 13-15.

Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (classic 1964 satire with Peter Sellers in multiple roles), Jan. 9-13 and Jan. 15. A Clockwork Orange (1971 adaptation of the Anthony Burgess novel about a youth run amuck), Jan. 9-15; and Full Metal Jacket (dark 1987 take on Vietnam), Jan. 9-12 and Jan. 14. Call or see website for times and complete listings. 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $5-9. 412-904-3225 or www.rowhousecinema.com CITIZEN KANE. Orson Welles’ dark 1941 portrait of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane remains an astonishing piece of filmmaking — and a deeply enjoyable film to revisit. Its visuals are so rich and layered that many await discovery, such as inventive tricks Welles used to create the illusion of a grand film from much smaller fragments. The film’s nonlinear narrative first plays as a mystery, but on subsequent screenings, the out-of-order sequences become puzzle pieces the viewer can assemble differently. And repeat viewings only strengthen Welles’ premise (so neatly aped in the opening newsreel montage of Kane’s life) that, despite new angles and fresh information, the life of a man can be unknowable. 7:30 p.m.

Wed., Jan. 7. AMC Loews. $5 (AH)

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DR. STRANGELOVE, OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB. The Cold War was never funnier than in Stanley Kubrick’s pitch-black satire. From the brilliant Peter Sellers’ three roles (including the titular doctor with a problematic artificial arm) to Sterling Hayden’s muttering about “precious bodily fluids” to Slim Pickens’ greatest ride, this mad rush to annihilation manages to be a sharply defined time capsule of early-’60s paranoia while remaining a hilarious all-purpose general indictment of military madness. The 1961 film continues a year-long look at Kubrick’s films.

7:30 p.m. Thu., Jan. 8; 9:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 9; 7 p.m. Sat., Jan. 10; 7 p.m. Sun., Jan. 11; and 7:30 p.m. Tue., Jan. 13. Hollywood (Al Hoff)

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

PARKWAY THEATER. A comedy series includes: Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (celebritystudded 2007 doc about the famed comedian, with rare concert footage), 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 9.

Eddie Murphy: Raw (the hit 1987 stand-up-comedy concert film), 9 p.m. Fri., Jan. 9. Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks’ classic 1974 spoof of Westerns), 6 p.m. Sat., Jan. 10. Caddyshack (1980 golfing comedy), 8 p.m. Sat., Jan. 10. Used Cars (Robert Zemeckis’ dark comedy about unscrupulous car salesmen, starring Kurt Russell and Jack Warden), 10 p.m. Sat., Jan. 10.

644 Broadway Ave., Mckees Rocks. 412-766-1668 or www.communityreelartscenter.org THE LADY VANISHES. In Alfred Hitchcock’s 1939 light comedy-thriller, a young woman (Margaret Lockwood) on board a trans-European train is baffled when her carriage companion, a sweet old lady, simply disappears. A charmingly rogue-ish music researcher (Michael Redgrave) comes to her aid. The I-hate-you/I-love-you exchanges between Redgrave and Lockwood are amusing, as is the slightly absurd plot, but the film is stolen by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne as a pair of stuffy British tourists obsessed with cricket. The film continues a monthlong, Sunday-night series of Hitchcock films. 8 p.m.

Sun., Jan. 11. Regent Square (AH)

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FILM KITCHEN. The monthly series for local and independent artists features Andrew Batista’s “The Commute.” This unnerving, 22-minute psychodrama stars Nathan Hollabaugh as a white-collar suburban guy who might have done something awful at home. Is it a dream, or a series of them? Ghost story? Mystery? Beautifully shot and skillfully acted, “The Commute” also carries a surprising emotional weight. The Jan. 13 Film Kitchen screening also includes Meg Koleck’s “How to Find a Man: An Educational Film.” It’s a campy, candy-colored parody of 1950s classroom shorts … and of patronizing attitudes toward women. (“Makeup is your only true friend.”) Nomi Darling stars. Film Kitchen curator Matthew Day also presents three music videos by Lakeeba Coleman. “Stage Fright” features vocalist Amira-Cole discussing and singing about her struggle with the malady. “Daydreaming,” a song by R&B vocalist Sam Trump, gets a narrative treatment. And vocalist Casaundra’s “When You Smile” addresses the plight of the people with depression. 8 p.m. Tue., Jan. 13. Melwood Screening Room, Oakland. $5.

412-682-4111 (Bill O’Driscoll) ROCKY. The endless sequels have made Sylvester Stallone’s Philadelphia-based pugilist something of a joke. But the 1976 film, directed by John Avildsen, was a small-scale, bittersweet drama that was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, and won

“The Commute” at Film Kitchen three, including Best Picture. Stallone, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith and Burt Young star. 7:30 p.m.

Wed., Jan.14. AMC Loews. $5 WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Mel Stuart’s 1971 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story is heartwarming without being gooey, and still deliciously weird. It’s a slow set-up while we wait out all the winners of the trip into Wonka’s secret candy factory — but once inside, the wonder, wackiness and even danger begin! The sets are wonderful color-saturated structures, free from the dumb special effects that date other older fantasy films. As Wonka, Gene Wilder is a delight, warm yet somehow malevolent. He doesn’t seem to care at all when bratty kids disappear. Sure, he says they’re coming back … What wicked pleasure to see irksome kids just vanish into psychedelic machinery. 7:30 p.m. Thu., Jan. 15; 10 p.m. Fri., Jan. 16; 4 and 10 p.m. Sat., Jan. 17; 7:30 p.m. Mon., Jan. 19. Hollywood (AH)

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The Interview

ONGOING A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT. Ana Lily Amirpour’s new film is a late holiday stocking for film fans, stuffed as it is with a jumble of genres, homages and arresting images. That said, it is wholly original: There isn’t another film about an Iranian teenage girl vampire out there. Amirpour used Southern California locations to depict life in “Bad City,” a lonesome small Iranian town marked by rusted industrial sites, empty streets and a gully full of dead bodies.

The film, shot in high-contrast black and white,

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moves at the languid pace of a European arthouse feature. The spare plot is presented in a series of vignettes, and focuses on a few of Bad City’s demimonde: Intersecting their lives is an unnamed teenage girl vampire (Sheila Vand).

The film’s wide-screen framing resembles a Western, an allusion further underscored by spaghettiWestern-style music. Nods to classic cinema are rife — from the sexualized vampire attack to the slowmotion Fellini-esque entr’acte in which a drag-queen cowgirl dances with a balloon. Running through the dreamlike Girl is palpable sense of loneliness — from the boarded-up suburban houses and scrubby landscapes to the failure of its characters to make meaningful connections. In Farsi, with subtitles.

Through Thu., Jan. 8. Regent Square (AH) BIG EYES. Tim Burton’s latest film is both a biopic of Walter and Margaret Keane, 1960s artists famed for their sentimental “big-eye” portraits, and a celebration of the space such works inhabited: the oftsneered-at lower rungs of popular culture. It’s also a bit of a legal thriller and a mild critique of the challenges faced by women — even creative and hard-working ones — in the 1950s and ’60s. If you’re burned out on Burton’s usual fare — pointless remakes, tarted up with extravagant sets and a bewigged Johnny Depp — come forward. This is Burton’s most enjoyable film in years: a straightforward story that’s amusing and heartfelt on the surface, with additional thoughtful layers for pondering the nature of art and commerce.

The acting, the sets, the dialogue, the candy-colorsaturated film — everything teeters on the kicky edge of silly, without succumbing to it.

The tale is simple: Poseur artist Walter Keane takes credit for the popular works his wife, Margaret, turns out. Big Eyes appreciatively notes Walter’s gift for promotion (despite his villainy), but reserves its full-throated support for Margaret, for women in art, for artists to be rightfully acknowledged and compensated. And for all of us who simply like what we like, no matter how kitschy, or high-minded, it is. (AH)

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THE INTERVIEW. If you loved the other two films in the Seth Rogen/James Franco canon — Pineapple Express and This Is the End — and are a fan of quality fart/dick/vagina jokes, this film is for you, regardless of the geopolitical drama and “terrorist” threats surrounding its release. The film, directed by Rogen and his writing partner, Evan Goldberg, depicts the attempted assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (wonderfully played by Randall Park) by bumbling entertainment journalist Dave Skylark (Franco) and his producer (Rogen). The film falls back on some gags we’ve seen before, but there’s plenty of original and surprisingly funny material here as well. And while

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the ensemble is great, nobody plays the role of handsome-but-moronic man-child better than Franco; his Dave Skylark is the star here. This film isn’t a historically important piece of political satire.

But it is a really good inappropriate buddy comedy from two giants of the genre. (Charlie Deitch) THE GAMBLER. In Rupert Wyatt’s drama, literary professor and novelist Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) repeatedly tells anyone who will listen that he is not, in fact, a gambler. That’s a tough line to swallow from a guy we see wager and lose somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000 over the course of the film.

Bennett is a depressed ne’er-do-well with daddy issues, whom we see at the start of this film grieving the loss of his grandfather (a cameo by veteran actor George Kennedy), “the 17th-richest man in California.”

Bennett has gambling debts, and his grandfather has left him out of the will.

A standard gambling addiction isn’t Bennett’s issue; he gambles only with the intention of losing, and sucking up the consequences that come along with it. But while you see this occurring, the film is too disjointed to successfully explain why. (Try to fill in the gaps in your head and you come up with a pretty entertaining picture.) So despite good performances from Wahlberg and underutilized stars like John Goodman and Jessica Lange, The Gambler fails to pay off. (Charlie Deitch)

pghcitypaper “THE

MOVIE TO SEE AND TALK ABOUT IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE ABSOLUTE BEST OF CONTEMPORARY CINEMA.” - Kenneth Turan, LOS ANGELES TIMES

“THE

MOST ACUTELY OBSERVED COMEDY OF THE YEAR, IF NOT IN SEVERAL YEARS.”

Rec4: Apocalypse (2014)

- Richard Lawson, VANITY FAIR

1/7 @ 7:30pm The fourth and final installment of the REC Spanish horror film series!

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Dr. Strangelove (1964)

1/8 @ 7:30pm, 1/9 @ 9:30pm, 1/10 @ 7:00pm, 1/11 @ 7:00pm, 1/13 @ 7:30pm Cold war classic, directed by Stanley Kubrick.

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The Search for General Tso (2014)

1/9 @ 7:30pm, 1/10 @ 9:30pm, 1/11 @ 4:00pm, 1/12 @ 7:30pm, 1/14 @ 7:30pm.

Who was General Tso and why are we eating his chicken? Find out in this new documentary!

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show - 1/10 @ Midnight

S C R E E N

MAGPICTURES.COM/FORCEMAJEURE

EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT

PITTSBURGH Pittsburgh

Regent Square STARTS FRIDAY Filmmakers (412) 682-4111 JANUARY 9 theaters.pittsburgharts.org

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[ART REVIEW]

“I KNEW HE COULD WORK WITH ME. HE JUST DIDN’T KNOW IT YET.”

BULLSEYE Emerge/Evolve is a small but mighty collection showcasing artists in the early stages of finding their expression through glass. This traveling exhibition was curated by Portland, Ore.’s Bullseye Glass Company, and is hosted locally by Pthe ittsburgh Glass Center.

The 14 artists represented bring a wide variety of styles and forms from all over the world. The show offers an experienced eye some up-and-coming talents, while opening a window for viewers unfamiliar with the medium. Slighter-scale pieces like Marion Delarue’s “Blue Agate Bracelet,” a perfect round bangle, or Amanda Simmons’ “Bird and Bone” and “Feather From The Swallows I,” both delicately brushed vessels, are accessible and possibly even practical.

“Glass Lace I,” by Manuela Castro Martins, is a lovely shallow bowl of graceful fused arcs of coral and charcoal.

In the single room that houses the exhibition, the two large hanging pieces immediately command your attention.

“Untitled (Wall),” by Kate Clements, is an amber curtain of thistly lace, seemingly fragile, that cascades almost to the floor.

Anna Mlasowsky’s “Resonance” staggers panels of thick black patterns, steel strong, looming above. They’re distinctly different in execution but stunning jawdroppers both, stirring and powerful.

Wall-mounted works include canvaslike pieces, such as Kathryn Wightman’s “Posy,” a nostalgic replication of crossstitching, and James B. Thompson’s “Lava Flow” — sandy, scratchy swirls on shiny latex black. “[insert title],” by Abram Deslautiers, crawls across one entire wall, spidery sticky tendrils alive with movement that you’re sure continue when you look away. But they are momentarily frozen mid-creep, full of vibrancy and vitality.

Sculptural works approach the organic in either duplication or evocation of the natural world. Cheryl Wilson Smith’s “Writer’s Lichen” would not be out of place deep within the woods or on the ocean floor, and Rei Chikaoka’s “Release” is a luscious spiraling coil of blood-orange and papaya juiciness — fresh, glistening, and enticingly ripe, but pricked with bits of metal. Conversely, Gina Zetts’ “The Apartment” hails manmade constructs in its doll-sized interior, crafted with painted wallpaper, hardwood floors, a single window and a cozy armchair.

With just over a dozen artists and typically one work from each, Emerge/ Evolve provides only a quick glimpse into contemporary glass work. But it’s a glimpse intriguing enough to lead the viewer to search out more and give a longer, closer look.

Luscious: Rei Chikaoka’s glasswork “Release”

{BY LISSA BRENNAN}

{BOOKS}

COMIC CAPER {BY DANIELLE FOX}

B

EFORE JOYCE BRABNER and Mark Zingarelli

could finish their book-length nonfiction comic on the 1980s AIDS crisis, they had to take things out back.

Halfway through completing Second Avenue Caper: When Goodfellas, Divas, and Dealers Plotted Against the Plague, Zingarelli, a professional illustrator/comic artist and writer, lost his momentum and his muse. But it was imperative that he and Brabner wrap up their five-year collaboration: The book’s main character, Ray, a friend of Brabner’s, was wrestling a grave illness.

With time dwindling and Zingarelli hung up on perfection, comics author Brabner drove from Cleveland to his doorstep in Irwin, Pa. From outdoors, after dusk, Brabner peered into Zingarelli’s window. He was eating dinner with his family. She knocked. He opened his front door.

Brabner says she “grabbed him by the shirt collar,” said, “‘Hi,’ ya know” to the family, then took him “out back and just let him have it.”

“Do you want to do this book or don’t you?” she asked. “Whether it’s artist’s block or whatever, ya know, this is going to be a good book.”

That talking-to — Zingarelli’s wife called it a “come-to-Jesus meeting” — worked. After a day or two of “soul-searching,” he says, his illustrations flowed into the 145-page true story of a queer

INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

EMERGE/EVOLVE continues through Jan. 18. Pittsburgh Glass Center, 5472 Penn Ave., Friendship. 412-365-2145 or www.pittsburghglasscenter.org

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Mark Zingarelli in his studio {PHOTO BY DANIELLE FOX}

A sequence from Second Avenue Caper, with art by Mark Zingarelli

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

artist community in Lower East Side Manhattan during the 1980s AIDS epidemic. Second Avenue Caper (Hill and Wang) hit shelves in November.

In a time before red ribbons, the medical community was slow to react to AIDS. It was initially labeled GRID (gayrelated immune deficiency) and considered “gay cancer.” Gays were stigmatized, and the U.S. government remained mum as AIDS swept San Francisco and New York. Today, AIDS remains the sixth leading cause of death worldwide.

With the Ebola outbreak, and affordable health care still an issue, their book remains timely, say Brabner and Zingarelli.

Second Avenue Caper introduces Ray, a nurse and playwright living in New York City, retelling the story to Brabner years after the fact.

Ray (many characters’ names have been changed) begins selling pot to fund a joke “Columbian arts interest grant” for him and his partner, Ben. After Ray cares for “patient # 24,” a young man suffering from a mysterious, debilitating disease hitting urban gay men, he and Ben channel their entrepreneurship toward a new task: aiding their sick friends. The book follows Ray, Ben and their community through an illegal, but heroic, narrative full of heartbreak and hope.

A graceless, crooked doctor kicks off their marijuana-funded enterprise, leading to a deal with the mafia.

In exchange for “errands,” the group received an RV with hidden compartments. The mobbed-out ride facilitates trips across the Mexican border to procure Ribavirin, the experimental AIDS drug.

“It’s also important to see that gay and lesbian community was not just sitting still and taking it,” Zingarelli says.

“They knew something had to be done, and they had to make a fuss. It was more than just distributing condoms, that sort of thing.”

Despite its looming specter of death, Zingarelli says Second Avenue Caper isn’t a sad book. “There’s a lot of people pulling together to help others who are less fortunate,” he says. “It was that kind of unheralded, unpublicized stuff that makes the story worth telling.”

Brabner and Zingarelli met when he lived in Seattle, in the mid-’80s.

Zingarelli later worked for Brabner’s husband, writer Harvey Pekar, on Pekar’s

WORLD PREMIERE FEBRUARY 6- 22

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Captivating, outrageous, provocative, and drop dead hilarious.

Art by Mark Zingarelli from Second Avenue Caper

Ronald Allan-Lindblom, Artistic Director • Earl Hughes, Producing Director

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iconic American Splendor comic series.

(Zingarelli’s work was also featured in the 2003 film adaptation.)

Pekar died in 2010, leaving Brabner to put Second Avenue Caper on hold while she carried out his unfinished projects.

She chose Zingarelli, she says, because of his journalistic perspective, clear illustration and good heart.

“This wasn’t going to be an easy thing for me, firstly because of the subject matter, but also because this is the first stand-alone book I’ve done since my husband’s death,” says Brabner.

Outside of graphic novels, Zingarelli built his career through commercial illustrations for publications like The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek. Other projects include “Eatin’ Out With Eddie,” a series of comic-strip restaurant reviews he began in 1988, and which he plans to publish as a comprehensive book.

Zingarelli, who returned to Pittsburgh in the ’90s, says his blue-collar upbringing in Western Pennsylvania colored his sense of community, which translates into his storytelling.

So far, Second Avenue Caper has received high praise. Los Angeles Times journalist David Ulin wrote that it “evokes the guerrilla status of these early activists, the street-level aspect of their work,” adding that Zingarelli renders “the human face of AIDS.” Brabner professes no surprise at the acclaim.

“I got a reputation for being hard but never harder than on anybody else than I am on myself,” she says. “I knew he could work with me. He just didn’t know it yet.

That’s all.”

“THEY KNEW SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE, AND THEY HAD TO MAKE A FUSS.”

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MUST-SEE EVENTS AT THE O’REILLY ON STAGE NOW! A hilarious sketch comedy and improv show loaded with local flavor.

{PHOTO COURTESY OF DETRE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES, JOHN HEINZ HISTORY CENTER}

Mellon Square circa 1960

[BOOKS]

THRU JANUARY 10 ONLY Weds, Thurs and Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 5:30 & 9 pm

The Most Loverly Musical Ever LERNER & LOEWE’S

Lad addyy Fairr LL

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Eliza Doolittle gets the ultimate makeover and is transformed from Cockney flower girl to the fairest lady at the ball.

JANUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 22 Years of Artistic Excellence

CALL 412.316.1600 At the O’Reilly Theater, in the Heart of the Cultural District

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ONLINE

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SQUARE DEAL {BY CHARLES ROSENBLUM}

WE ARE NOW so accustomed to the rhetoric of Pittsburgh’s superiority that we have lost touch with the days when its ills seemed grave and its needs for improvement, acute. Why did we get Mellon Square? Because our post-World War II city was so notoriously smoky and dismal that Richard King Mellon could not get capable executives to agree to move here. “And if they did, their wives balked.” So explains author Susan Rademacher in Mellon Square: Discovering a Modern Masterpiece, the second in the Modern Landscapes series from Princeton Architectural Press.

The Downtown plaza earns early entry in a prominent national series now, but a modern landscape was barely conceivable in the Golden Triangle in 1946.

Other parts of town had old-time parks and the occasional square. But the city had built no new public space for decades, and Downtown had no designed open space at all. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Regional Planning Association declared in a report “that the automobile had become the dominant form of transportation in the Central Business District by 1937.” The en-

suing congestion was leading to the failure of small businesses, rising office vacancy rates and a precipitous decline in property values. Garages were needed, as well as open spaces.

Richard Beatty Mellon and his cousin Paul sensed an opportunity for both the city and their own business interests.

They hired architects Mitchell & Ritchey to collaborate with landscape architects Simonds & Simonds to plan a complex centered on the block bounded by Sixth and Oliver avenues, Smithfield Street and William Penn Way. The site, which the Planning Association had recommended for such use, would include an underground parking garage, with office towers for Alcoa and U.S. Steel/Mellon Bank facing each other across an open space. That initial concept was the beginning of Mellon Square as we know it today. The two flanking skyscrapers that we see now proceeded only when the plaza/ parking garage hybrid got the go-ahead.

The book centers upon a detailed recounting of the design and construction of Mellon Square. The underground parking garage was a new idea, and the modern plaza on top of one was truly unprecedented. Certain early design proposals, such as a round fountain and built-in restaurant, fell by the wayside. And most elements

took definitive shape only after numerous iterative refinements. But the final design emerges through a series of drawings as if it were inevitable.

The broader plan accommodates cars at the sides and beckons pedestrians at the corners. It reconciles the slope of the streets by treating the spaces as overlooks above the street in most places, with the iconic cascading fountains along the steps to the corner of Smithfield and Oliver.

The planters at the plaza level, through shrewd articulation of shape, height and plant material, allow for the suitable location of paths, spaces and seats with multivalent and asymmetrical grace, punctuated by that iconic paving pattern in layered triangles. Of course, these elements have undergone some significant changes over the decades, culminating in the recent, deservedly lauded renovation by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

But author Rademacher (who is also the Conservancy’s parks curator) accounts for those changes in detail as well.

Throughout this narrative, collaborators Mitchell & Ritchey Architects and business partner and brother Philip Simonds play key roles in this project, but landscape architect John Simonds emerges as a particular hero. The Harvard-educated

designer drew influence from the modernist icon Walter Gropius as well as the lesserknown, more gentle Harvard dean Joseph Hudnut. “One designs not places, or spaces, or things,” Simonds wrote. “One designs experiences.” His 1961 book Landscape Architecture remains an influential text in the discipline today. And his career of major projects in Pittsburgh and nationally put him at the top of his profession, a stature that book series editor and essayist Charles Birnbaum seeks to bolster.

The paradox of Mellon Square is that it inaugurates the era of Renaissance I, a period of Pittsburgh history when automobileand plaza-driven megaprojects in the city have a checkered legacy at best. Point State Park is still celebrated, and Gateway Center is admired, but redevelopments in the Lower Hill (in which Simonds and Simonds contributed landscape designs, albeit incomplete ones) and East Liberty are widely viewed as historically disastrous.

This is not to question Simonds’ talents or legacy, only to wish for broader discussions of 20th-century landscape and urban design in Pittsburgh and further afield.

That is a larger scope than a book of this size can reasonably cover, but stimulating interest in the issues can be counted as one of its virtues.

PITTSBURGH CLO ACADEMY

Register Today for the

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CLASSES AVAILABLE for ages 3-18 Tap · Ballet · Hip Hop · Musical Theater Voice · Acting · Piano · and more!

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Next semester begins January 12 ENROLL ONLINE @ pittsburghCLO.org or call 412-281-2234

Did You Know?

Since 1989, Pittsburgh CLO Academy has provided early training to many successful theater, television, and movie stars.

A few of our notable alumni include: CHRIS JAMISON

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The Voice

TV/Film: Heroes, Star Trek, American Horror Story

Theater: Cry Baby, The Little Mermaid

I N F O @PGH C IT YPAPE R . C O M

Sebastian Errazuriz: Look Again Extended through January 19!

Look again. One last time.

Don’t miss your last chance to see Look Again, the first solo museum exhibition of Sebastian Errazuriz. This multi-faceted designer and artist challenges audiences with work that is lyrical, macabre, bizarre, and eloquent.

CMOA.ORG

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FOR THE WEEK OF

01.0801.15.15

SPOTLIGHT of the WEEK

Live Music

FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO SUBMIT LISTINGS AND PRESS RELEASES, CALL 412.316.3342 X161. by geologists to model land formations.” McGinnis, an assistant professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, is an area native with national and international exhibitions to his credit. This show continues what he calls his “investigation of geological time and the scientific knowledge that enables mineral extraction.” BO 5-7 p.m. Exhibition continues through Feb. 1. 4764 State Route 30, Greensburg. $7. www.wmuseumaa.org

Art by Chris McGinnis

{WORDS}

Rick Matt

WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 7 | 8PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Benny Benack

FRIDAY | JANUARY 9 | 8PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Satin Hearts

SATURDAY | JANUARY 10 | 8PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RML JAZZ

JAN. 09

WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 14 | 8PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thrust Excavation

John Gresh’s Gris Gris

FRIDAY | JANUARY 16 | 8PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BILLY THE KID & THE REGULATORS SATURDAY | JANUARY 17 | 8PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roger Barbour

WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 21 | 8PM

W W W. N O L A O N T H E S Q U A R E . C O M

24 MARKET SQUARE | PITTSBURGH | 412.471.9100 WWW.BIGYGROUP.COM 42

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

+ FRI., JAN. 09 {RADIO} WPTS usually broadcasts 18 hours a day or so. What distinguishes the University of Pittsburgh student radio station’s First Annual Winter Marathon isn’t endurance so much as variety. Starting today at noon, with the “One Hit Wonder Power Hour with Jake Sternberg and Max Datner,” there’ll be a new show every hour till noon Saturday. Notable: today’s 1 p.m. guest-DJ set from Mayor Bill Peduto; live sets from bands like So Death Cannot Find Me and Comprador; a midnight

guest DJ set from WRCT; a wee-hours feature called “Local Writers Share”; and tomorrow morning’s “Live Yoga.” Bill O’Driscoll Noon.

Continues through noon, Sat., Jan. 10. WPTS 92.1 FM. www.wptsradio.org

{ART} Still renovating its home building, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art continues its series of pop-up exhibitions in temporary space @rt 30. Tonight is the opening reception for Thrust Excavation, Chris McGinnis’ “drawings, paintings and layered objects inspired by physical deformation modeling, a process used

You know them; maybe you are them: kids just out of college who can’t seem to make life go their way. Losing in Gainesville is Brian Costello’s new take on the theme, tracking a year in the life of several characters in that Florida town circa 1996.

The protagonist is Ronnie Altamont, a struggling writer and musician. Costello — last seen in Pittsburgh with his rock band, Outer Minds — is himself a Central Florida native who’s lived in Gainesville.

Kirkus Reviews calls the book “a rock-and-roll fable about the secret lives of the unsatisfied.” The Chicagobased author reads tonight at Big Idea Book Store as part of the Curbside Splendor Tour, courtesy of that indie publisher. BO 7 p.m. 4812 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free.

412-687-4325

+ SAT., JAN. 10 {CALL FOR ARTISTS} It seems like a long way till June, and the 56th annual Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. But now is when the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust fest starts choosing its lineup of visual and performing artists.

If you’d like a shot at the Artist Market, the Juried Visual Art Exhibition, stage time or festival special projects, you have until Feb. 1 to apply.

This year’s theme is “Unseen/ Unheard,” addressing the expression of “narratives that are not heard, or are

sp otlight Like many writers hosted by City of Asylum/Pittsburgh, Shahriar Mandanipour was acclaimed in his own country … until he wasn’t.

Mandanipour, 57, was born in Iran and for years lauded for his fiction, nonfiction and essays; he won awards for everything from a children’s novel he wrote to his film criticism. But in 2006, a new regime at home cracked down on free expression; Mandanipour, then serving a fellowship at Brown University, has yet to return to his homeland. (In 2007, the monthly Iranian literary journal he had edited for years was banned.) But Mandanipour’s literary fortunes — internationally, at least — have only risen since. His first novel to appear in English, 2009’s Censoring an Iranian Love Story, was critically acclaimed and has been translated into 11 other languages. The novel weaves together the story of two young lovers and the story of a writer trying to write a romance that will get past censors. England’s The Guardian called it “a brilliant novel about the complexities of writing and publishing in Iran.”

Mandanipour, who last read in Pittsburgh in 2010, has also been a writer in residence at Harvard Univesity and a visiting professor of literary arts at Brown. He reads Jan. 13 in a salon-style event at City of Asylum. Bill O’Driscoll 7:30 p.m. (7 p.m. reception).

330 Sampsonia Way, North Side. Free. Seating is limited; reserve at 412-323-0278 or www.cityofasylumpittsburgh.org.

out of apolexy. Who else would name his fan club the Frustrated Union of Cynical Kindreds Universal? (It’s an acronym.) What other comic explodes in pop-eyed rage over Black Friday, climatechange-denying politicians and other such civilizational discontents? The grimacing,

summer, when those distinctive leaves are everywhere. At this time of year, it might seem nearly impossible. But Venture Outdoors claims it’s easier than you think. Follow ecologist Henry Schumacher on the group’s Winter Tree ID Walk, today in Frick Park. The easy two-hour jaunt should give you a new connection to nature, or at least keep you from, erm, barking up the wrong tree. BO 10 a.m. Frick Park. $10. Pre-register at www.ventureoutdoors.org.

JAN. 11

{PHOTO COURTESY OF JOAN MARCUS}

marginalized.” To help you get started, the festival holds this morning’s artist information session at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council offices. The session, like the fest itself, is free. BO 10-11:30 a.m.

810 Penn Ave. (seventh floor), Downtown. Free. Register at www.pittsburghartscouncil.org.

Click, Clack, Moo

{STAGE}

JAN. 11

That1Guy

{COMEDY} Determine precisely how much fun a barrel of Amish Monkeys might be as the long-running improv troupe stages its first show of the new year. The Monkeys perform monthly at Gemini Theater, in Point Breeze, but tonight’s show has a seasonal theme, with a song about the “New Year blues.” Comedy games include Animal Family Feud.

BO 8 p.m. 7501 Penn Ave., Point Breeze. $9. 412-243-5201 or www.amishmonkeys.com

{COMEDY} Lewis Black has made a career

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gravelly-voiced comic whose big break came on The Daily Show is on a national tour called The Rant Is Due Part Deux. It stops at Heinz Hall tonight. BO 8 p.m. 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $39.50-75. 412-392-4900 or www.pittsburghsymphony.org

{OUTDOORS} One mark of an outdoors person is the ability to identify trees. Beyond your obvious oaks and maples, that can be hard enough in the

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donation: $10. 412-396-6083 or www.duq.edu/musicevents

for his friend and teacher Antonio Salieri, and the final two he composed for cello and piano. Pianist David Allen Wehr, of Duquesne’s School of Music, is joined by guest artists Noah Bendix-Balgley — a violinist and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concertmaster — and PSO principal cellist Anne Martindale Williams. The concert is free, but a donation is requested. BO 3 p.m. PNC Recital Hall, Mary Pappert School of Music, Duquesne campus, Uptown.

Suggested

{MUSIC} It’s wise to be wary when someone’s press materials tout him as a “musical genius.” But Mike Silverman, a.k.a. That1Guy, might have the accolades to back it up.

Using an odd-looking hybrid instrument he calls The Magic Pipe, this solo performer makes electronic beats stacked with everything from catchy novelty numbers like “Packs a Wallop!” to the almost new-agey prog of “Whale Race.”

The San Francisco Bay Guardian praised

{MUSIC}

+ SUN., JAN. 11

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Barnyard animals, including cows, protest their working conditions — with typed messages — in Click, Clack, Moo. The hour-long musical for ages 4 and up is Theatreworks USA’s stage adaptation of the awardwinning picture book by Doreen Cronin and artist Betsy Lewin. Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater presents the production, whose six-person cast of characters includes des Farmer Brown, cows named amed Darlene and Loretta, hens ens and a duck. The celebration ation of bovine pride is in town wn for eight performances — one today, at the Byham Theater, eater, and seven through nextt Sunday at five area public blic schools. BO 2 p.m. (101 Sixth St., Downtown). Show continues Jan. 14-18 (various arious locations). $9.50-11. 412-4562-4566666 or www.trustarts.org org

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Duquesne University series eries Beethoven on the Blufff continues exploring the e composer’s late works with today’s concert. The he three sonatas on the program include one for piano and violin that Beethoven wrote

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his “eargasms”; Bass Player magazine called him “a one-man band plucked from the pages of Dr. Seuss.” He also works in magic tricks.

A seven-week national tour brings this music-festival regular to Club Café tonight.

DJ Feels Goodman opens.

BO 8 p.m. 56 12th St., South Side. $15. 412-431-4950 or www.clubcafelive.com w

+ TUE. JAN. 13 {STAGE} {S B Bizarre Drag Bowling with Brooklyn & VyVyan is more a B performance than it is a night p at the lanes (though it’s that, too). The monthly event at to Crafton Ingram Lanes features C a show by drag queens and kings alongside actual bowling. k The establishment offers BYOB T privileges. A VIP ticket includes p the lanes’ unlimited “cosmic th bowling” experience and b other perks. BO 7:30 p.m. o (show at 8:30 p.m.). 252 (s Crafton Ingram Shopping C Center, Crafton. Drag show C only: $6. General admission: o $12 $ (VIP: $16). www. dragqueenbowling.com

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{ALL LISTINGS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 9 A.M. FRIDAY PRIOR TO PUBLICATION}

TO SUBMIT A LISTING: HTTP://PGHCITYPAPER.COM/HAPPENINGS 412.316.3388 (FAX) + 412.316.3342 X161 (PHONE)

Tuesday

WEDNEsday

Feud Trivia Yuenglings $3 Mini Beers

THURSday Karaoke

a variety of

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$2.50

$2 Lights $3 Evil Shootts LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!

JEKYL AND HYDE | 140 S. 18TH STREET 412-488-0777 | BARSMART.COM/JEKYLANDHYDE

THEATER BEAUTY & THE BEAST. Based on the classic story, an interactive musical production.

Sat, Sun, 1 & 3:30 p.m. Thru Feb. 8. Gemini Theater, Point Breeze. 412-243-5201.

CLICK, CLACK, MOO. A Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater presentation of Theatreworks USA production.

All day long Farmer Brown hears “click clack moo, clickety clackety moo..” The cows are typing & protesting their working conditions! “Cows that type?

Hens on strike! This “Moo-ving” musical of Click, Clack, Moo is about negotiation & compromise.

Multiple Locations. Sun., Jan. 11, 2 p.m., Wed., Jan. 14, 7 p.m., Thu., Jan. 15, 5:30 & 7:30 p.m., Fri., Jan. 16, 7 p.m., Sat., Jan. 17, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. and Sun., Jan. 18, 2 p.m.

412-456-6666.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL. The story of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who

launched the careers of Diana Ross, Jan. 29 Hambone’s, Lawrenceville.

Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson 412-681-4318. & more. Thru Dec. 3, 8 p.m. Heinz OPEN STAGE COMEDY NIGHT. Hall, Downtown. 412-392-4900.

Thu Eclipse Lounge, Lawrenceville.

MURDER FOR TWO. 1 actor 412-251-0097. investigates the crime, the other PITTSBURGH IMPROV JAM. Thu, plays all of the suspects & they 10 p.m. Cabaret at Theater Square, both play the piano. Wed-Sat, Downtown. 412-325-6769.

7:30 p.m. and Sat, 2 p.m.

Thru Jan. 18. Cabaret N’AT’S ALL FOLKS! at Theater Square, This Second City Downtown. show includes Steel City 412-325-6769. politics, Pittsburgese, OR. One night in . w ww per sports, & local humor. the life of Aphra a p ty ci pgh m In addition to the Behn, poet, spy, first .co local angle, they will professional female perform favorites from playwright, in a plot full their repertoire of sketch comedy, of love, intrigue, murder & wacky songs, & trademark improv. career making decisions. Presented Presented by Pittsburgh Public by off the Wall Productions. Fri, Theatre. Thru Jan. 9, 8 p.m. and Sat, 8 p.m. Thru Jan. 10. Off Sat., Jan. 10, 5:30 & 9 p.m. O’Reilly the Wall Theater, Carnegie.

Theater, Downtown. 412-316-1600.

1-888-71-TICKETS.

THU 08 - FRI 09

FULL LIST ONLINE

COMEDY THU 08 COMEDY OPEN MIC HOSTED BY DEREK MINTO. Thu, 9 p.m. Thru

“BEST OF THE BURGH” COMEDY SHOWCASE. Come out and see Pittsburgh’s best comedians every Friday. Fri, 8 p.m.

PUBLICNOTICES P U BL I C NOT ICE S @P GH C IT YPAPE R . C O M

{BY ERIC LIDJI}

FRI 09

Available Now at Better Beer Retailers

Thru Feb. 6 Corner Cafe, South Side. 412-488-2995.

DAVID KAYE. A stand-up comedian w/ a career spanning three decades of corporate, college & comedy club performances, who has performed on Comedy Central & ABC. 8-9:30 p.m. Latitude 360, North Fayette. 412-693-5555.

JOHN “DR. DIRTY” VALBY. 10:15 p.m. Altar Bar, Strip District.

412-263-2877.

MAGICIAN-COMEDIAN EXTREME MICHAEL GIGLIOTTI. Amazing strolling magic & comedy.

Fun for the whole family feat.

Caesars Palace award winning Master Magician MICHAELANGELO. Fri, 5-7 p.m. Mullen’s Bar & Grill, North Side. 412-231-1112.

SAT 10 AMISH MONKEYS. This show’s assortment of games includes Animal Family Feud & a song about the New Year Blues. 8 p.m.

Gemini Theater, Point Breeze.

412-243-5201.

SUN 11 MUSICAL IMPROV SUNDAYS. Sun, 8 p.m. Thru Feb. 22 The Maker Theater, Shadyside.

412-404-2695.

MON 12 COMEDY SAUCE. Hosted by Aaron Kleiber. Mon, 9:30 p.m. Thru Feb. 23 Pleasure Bar, Bloomfield.

412-682-9603.

TFM IMPROV COMEDY. Full throttle improv every Monday night starring our resident house teams. Mon, 8 p.m. Thru Feb. 23 The Maker Theater, Shadyside.

412-404-2695.

UNPLANNED COMEDY’S JAMBONE. Mon, 9:30 p.m. Thru Jan. 26 Hambone’s, Lawrenceville.

412-681-4318.

TUE 13 TUESDAY NIGHT STAND-UP. Tue, 9 p.m. Hot Rod Cafe, Mt. Washington. 412-592-7869.

WED 14 BEERHIVE COMEDY. Open Mic. Hosted by Aaron Kleiber.

Wed, 8 p.m. Thru March 25 The BeerHive, Strip District.

412-904-4502.

COMEDY OPEN MIC. Hosted by Ronald Renwick. Wed, 9:30 p.m.

Scarpaci’s Place, Mt. Washington.

412-431-9908.

STAND-UP COMEDY OPEN MIC. Wed, 8 p.m. The BeerHive, Strip District. 412-904-4502.

EXHIBITS ALLEGHENY-KISKI VALLEY HERITAGE MUSEUM. Military CONTINUES ON PG. 46

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

talk (and bitch and moan and laugh until your cheeks hurt) radio* *on your computer!

LYNN CULLEN LIVE

VISUALART Hand-painted photo on glass, from Lantern Slides: 1880-1920, at Photo Antiquities, on the North Side

TALK RADIO without all the static

NEW THIS WEEK CARNEGIE LIBRARY, ALLEGHENY. North Side Crossing. Presented by City of Asylum, Blaine Siegel’s new public artwork is a communitywide video installation that will feature ten videos projected, continuously from sundown to midnight, onto the windows of three Northside locations: the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Allegheny, the Allegheny City Market, & the former Garden Theater. Opening reception, including artist talk, on Jan. 10, 4-5pm. Reservation online.

North Side. 412-323-0278.

EAST LIBERTY PLACE SOUTH. Artist Lecture & Reception: Leslie Ansley. Join the Office of Public Art & the Community Builders for a lecture & reception w/ artist Leslie Ansley.

Ansley created the artwork “Convergence”. Please RSVP. East Liberty. 412-391-2060 x237.

GALLERIE CHIZ. Attention.

Rising Star! Works on paper by Charity Baker & Dorthy Forman.

Jewerly by Masha Archer. Artists’ reception Feb. 6, 5:30-8pm.

Shadyside. 412-441-6005.

ONGOING ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM. Permanent collection.

Artwork and artifacts by the famed Pop Artist. North Side.

412-237-8300.

ARTDFACT. Artdfact Gallery.

The works of Timothy Kelley & other regional & US artists on display. Sculpture, oil & acrylic paintings, mixed media, found

objects, more. North Side.

724-797-3302.

ARTISTS IMAGE RESOURCE. Printwork 2014: AIR’s 3rd Annual National Juried Exhibition.

North Side. 412-321-8664.

BACKSTAGE BAR AT THEATRE SQUARE. Post-Impressionism to Abstract. Artwork by Vickie Schilling & Nadya Lapets.

Downtown. 412-325-6768.

BE GALLERIES. Ron Copeland: Illuminations. Lawrenceville.

412-687-2606.

CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART. Sebastian Errazuriz: Look Again Storyteller: The Photographs of Duane Michals.

The definitive retrospective & largest-ever presentation of this innovative artist’s work.

Oakland. 412-622-3131.

CHATHAM UNIVERSITY. Culture in Context. African Art from the Olkes Collection.

Shadyside. 412-365-1232.

CHRISTINE FRECHARD GALLERY. Pasquale Pristera & Zivi Aviraz. Feat. artworks by the “wood zipper artist”, Pasquale Pristera & Zivi Aviraz.

Squirrel Hill. 412-421- 8888.

COHEN & GRIGSBY GALLERY. Snap Judgments: Capturing the Architecture of the Allegheny County Courthouse. Work by David Aschkenas. By appointment.

Downtown. 412-297-4900.

CRAZY MOCHA COFFEE COMPANY. Artwork by Crystala Armagost. Bloomfield.

412-681-5225.

ECLECTIC ART & OBJECTS GALLERY. 19th century

American & European paintings combined with some of the world’s most talented contemporary artists & their artwork. The Hidden Collection.

Watercolors by Robert N. Blair (1912- 2003). Hiromi Traditional Japanese Oil Paintings The Lost Artists of the 1893 Chicago Exhibition. Collectors Showcase.

Emsworth. 412-734-2099.

FILMMAKERS GALLERIES. Spectator. Work by photographer April Friges.

Oakland. 412-681-5449.

FRICK ART & HISTORICAL CENTER. Charles Courtney Curran: Seeking the Ideal. Work

by French-trained American artist, known for his sparkling canvases of women in gardens & other outdoor settings.

Permanent collection of European Art. Point Breeze.

412-371-0600.

FUTURE TENANT. Along the Path II. A solo exhibition

by Christopher Boring.

Downtown. 412-325-7037.

GALLERIE CHIZ. Sparkle Plenty. New work by Carlos Sanchez Vegas w/ Laura Lee Junge, Chiz Turnross, Barbara Yerace, & more.

Shadyside. 412-441-6005.

GALLERY-VERY FINE ART. Group Show. Work

by Linda Price-Sneddon, Peggy Habets, James E. Trusko & others. South Side.

412-901-8805.

GLENN GREENE STAINED GLASS STUDIO INC. Original Glass Art by Glenn Greene.

Exhibition of new work, recent

ONLINE MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-11am only on www.pghcitypaper.com WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

former Andy Warhol Museum director Tom Sokolowski, every Thursday

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artifacts and exhibits on the Allegheny Valley’s industrial heritage. Tarentum. 724-224-7666.

ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM. Exposures. A window display & artist product series feat. Daniel Pillis. North Side. 412-237-8300.

AUGUST WILSON CENTER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE. Pittsburgh: Reclaim, Renew, Remix. Feat. imagery, film & oral history narratives to explore communities, cultures, & innovations.

Downtown. 412-258-2700.

BAYERNHOF MUSEUM. Large collection of automatic roll-played musical instruments and music boxes in a mansion setting.

Call for appointment. O’Hara.

412-782-4231.

BOST BUILDING. Collectors.

Preserved materials reflecting the industrial heritage of Southwestern PA. Homestead.

412-464-4020.

CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER. Ongoing: Buhl Digital Dome (planetarium), Miniature Railroad and Village, USS Requin submarine, and more. North Side.

412-237-3400.

CARRIE FURNACE. Built in 1907, Carrie Furnaces 6 & 7 are extremely rare examples of pre World War II ironmaking technology. Rankin.

412-464-4020 x.21.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PITTSBURGH. Tough Art. An annual exhibition of original, interactive artworks “tough” enough to withstand kid handling.

Take a walk through a prism forest, create cracks on kinetic stained glass, reach for a sky of 600 LEDs, & explore the inner workings of an intergalactic sheep. North Side.

412-322-5058.

COMPASS INN. Demos & tours with costumed guides featuring this restored stagecoach stop.

724-238-4983.

CONNEY M. KIMBO GALLERY. University of Pittsburgh Jazz Exhibit: Memorabilia & Awards from the International Hall of Fame. Oakland. 412-648-7446.

DEPRECIATION LANDS MUSEUM. Small living history museum celebrating the settlement & history of the Depreciation Lands. Allison Park. 412-486-0563.

FALLINGWATER. Tour the famed Frank Lloyd Wright house. 724-329-8501.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Tours of 13 Tiffany stained-glass windows.

Downtown. 412-471-3436.

FRICK ART & HISTORICAL CENTER. Ongoing: tours of Clayton, the Frick estate, with classes & programs for all ages.

Point Breeze. 412-371-0600.

HARTWOOD ACRES. Tour this Tudor mansion & stable complex. Enjoy hikes & outdoor activities in the surrounding park.

Allison Park. 412-767-9200.

KENTUCK KNOB. Tour the other Frank Lloyd Wright house.

724-329-8501.

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CONTINUED FROM PG. 45 KERR MEMORIAL MUSEUM. Tours of a restored 19th-century, middle-class home. Oakmont. work & older work. Regent Marsha Blaker, Byul Go, Romina 412-826-9295.

Square. 412-243-2772.

Gonzales & Edison Zapata, MARIDON MUSEUM. LA PRIMA ESPRESSO. Weston Lambert, more.

Collection includes jade & ivory Paintings/Prints of Italy.

Shadyside. 412-441-5200. statues from China and Japan, as Prints of Vince Ornato’s oil PHOTO ANTIQUITIES. well as Meissen porcelain. Butler. paintings of Italy. Strip District.

Photos on Glass. Lantern 724-282-0123.

412-281-1922. slides: 1880 to 1920, MCGINLEY HOUSE & MCCULLY LAKEVUE ATHLETIC hand-painted, sometimes LOG HOUSE. Historic homes CLUB. Pop-Up Gallery. with a single hair to color open for tours, lectures and more.

Work by a variety of artists. a small line. North Side.

Monroeville. 412-373-7794.

724-316-9326.

412-231-7881.

NATIONAL AVIARY. Home to MATTRESS FACTORY. PITTSBURGH CENTER more than 600 birds from over Artists in Residence. Installations FOR THE ARTS. 3 Guild 200 species. With classes, lectures, created in-residence by Danny Shows. 3 different shows demos and more. North Side.

Bracken, John Peña, Ryder presented at PCA: Women 412-323-7235.

Henry, Kathleen Montgomery, of Vision presents “Storytellers: NATIONALITY ROOMS. 26 & Benjamin Sota. Part of the Truth be Told”, Craftsmen rooms helping to tell the story 2014 Pittsburgh Biennial.

Guild presents “Illusions” of Pittsburgh’s immigrant past.

Ongoing Installations. Works & Fiberarts Guild presents University of Pittsburgh. Oakland.

by Turrell, Lutz, Kusama, “Construct”. Shadyside.

412-624-6000.

Anastasi, Highstein, Wexler 412-361-0873.

OLD ST. LUKE’S. Pioneer church & Woodrow. North Side.

PITTSBURGH GLASS features 1823 pipe organ, 412-231-3169.

CENTER. Emerge/Evolve.

Revolutionary War graves. Scott.

MENDELSON GALLERY. Ft. selected works from 412-851-9212.

David Lewis, Terry Shutko Emerge 2014, Bullseye Glass OLIVER MILLER HOMESTEAD. & Friends. Shadyside.

Company’s eighth biennial This pioneer/Whiskey Rebellion 412-361-8664. kiln-glass exhibition for site features log house, blacksmith MILLER GALLERY AT emerging artists, & work by shop & gardens. South Park.

CARNEGIE MELLON three past Emerge finalists.

412-835-1554.

UNIVERSITY. Armin Hoffman: Friendship. 412-365-2145.

PENNSYLVANIA TROLLEY Farbe/Color. Celebrating REVISION SPACE. Terry MUSEUM. Trolley rides and our Armin Hofmann Boyd “Pins & Needles” exhibits. Includes displays, walking exhibition of silkscreens & Solo Exhibition. Drawing tours, gift shop, picnic area and emerging talent from CMU & embroidery techniques, Trolley Theatre. Washington.

School of Design 2014 Seniors. incorporating drama, 724-228-9256.

Oakland. 412-268-3618. abstraction & performance PHIPPS CONSERVATORY MORGAN into multi-faceted & intense & BOTANICAL GARDEN. CONTEMPORARY GLASS pieces.Open weekends Winter Flower Show & Light GALLERY. texture&tension. & weekdays by appt.

Garden. Feat. a variety of festive Work by Alex Bernstein, Lawrenceville. 412-735-3201. poinsettias, showy amaryllis & aromatic paperwhites, Winter Flower Show showcases our heroine, who experiences commemorates Pittsburgh illuminated glass art & evergreens all the typical ups & downs, industrialists, local history. glowing with thousands of rejected ideas, & writers’ block.

Sewickley. 412-741-4487.

LED lights. 14 indoor rooms & Presented by fireWALL dance SOLDIERS & SAILORS 3 outdoor gardens feature MEMORIAL HALL. War in theatre. Sun, 7 p.m. and Sat., exotic plants and floral displays the Pacific 1941-1945. Feat. a Jan. 10, 3 p.m. Thru Jan. 11 from around the world. collection of military artifacts Off the Wall Theater, Carnegie.

Oakland. 412-622-6914. showcasing photographs, 1-888-71-TICKETS. PINBALL PERFECTION. uniforms, shells & other related Pinball museum & players club. items. Military museum West View. 412-931-4425. dedicated to honoring PITTSBURGH ZOO & PPG military service members AQUARIUM. Home to since the Civil War 4,000 animals, including BOOK ‘EM BOOKS TO through artifacts many endangered PRISONERS WORK PARTY. & personal species. Highland Park.

Read & code letters, pick books, . mementos. Oakland.

412-665-3639. www per pack ‘em or database ‘em! a p ty 412-621-4253. pghci m RACHEL CARSON Sundays 4-7 p.m. or by appt. .co ST. ANTHONY’S HOMESTEAD. A Thomas Merton Center, Garfield.

CHAPEL. Features Reverence for Life.

412-361-3022.

5,000 relics of Catholic Photos and artifacts of SOUP N’AT. Celebrate & fund saints. North Side. her life & work. Springdale. local art projects w/ soup & 412-323-9504.

724-274-5459. a ballot. Meet new people & ST. NICHOLAS CROATIAN RIVERS OF STEEL NATIONAL learn about what local artists CATHOLIC CHURCH. Maxo HERITAGE AREA. Exhibits are working on. Live music by Vanka Murals. Mid-20th century on the Homestead Mill. Steel Keith Devries/KMFD. BYOB. murals depicting war, social industry and community artifacts 6-8:30 p.m. Union Project, justice and the immigrant from 1881-1986. Homestead.

Highland Park. 412-363-4550. experience in America. Millvale.

412-464-4020.

421-681-0905.

SENATOR JOHN HEINZ WEST OVERTON MUSEUMS. HISTORY CENTER. From LIBATIONS & DONATIONS. Learn about distilling and Slavery to Freedom. Highlight’s Butterjoint staff will be donating coke-making in this pre-Civil War Pittsburgh’s role in the antiall of their cash tips to various industrial village. 724-887-7910. slavery movement. Ongoing: local non-profits every second Western PA Sports Museum, Tuesday every month in 2015, Clash of Empires, and exhibits starting w/ Animal Rescue League on local history, more. on January 13th. 4:30 p.m.Strip District. 412-454-6000.

12 a.m. Butterjoint, Oakland.

UPROAR. A revealing glimpse SEWICKLEY HEIGHTS HISTORY CENTER. Museum into the “creative process” of 412-621-2700.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

FUNDRAISERS

FULL LIST ONLINE

SUN 11

TUE 13

DANCE

SAT 10 - SUN 11

SHAW GALLERIES. Sincronia.

Work by 6 contemporary artists from Venezuela.

Downtown. 412-281-4884.

SILVER EYE CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY. Close to Home. 7 artists use photography to explore different notions about home as a physical place w/ deep emotional connections.

Confronting Art: Writes come Close to Home. Two consecutive Sat. Jan 3 & Jan. 10, 1-3pm, join Silver Eye to witness & write about art work. Jan. 3, guides you in the ancient art of Ekphrasis by meditating on & addressing the images in writing. Meet David Oresick & learn about putting this show together. On Jan. 10, participants previous week’s writing will read their work. South Side.

412-431-1810.

SPACE. Obsessions.

Showcasing six artists from across the U.S., exploring the nature of obsession through painting, sculpture, sitespecific installation, video & performance. Ft. artists: Jeremiah Johnson, Jason Lockyer, Nathan Margoni, Mary Ivy Martin, Becky Slemmons & Laurie Trok.

Downtown. 412-325-7723.

POLITICS THU 08 GERTRUDE STEIN POLITICAL CLUB OF GREATER PITTSBURGH. Meetings of group devoted to LGBT issues in electoral politics.

Second Thu of every month, 7 p.m.

United Cerebral Palsy of Pittsburgh, Oakland. 412-521-2504.

LITERARY THU 08 ENGLISH LEARNERS’ BOOK CLUB. For advanced ESL students.

Presented in cooperation w/ the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council. Thu, 1 p.m. Mount Lebanon Public Library, Mt. Lebanon. 412-531-1912.

THE HOUR AFTER HAPPY HOUR WRITER’S WORKSHOP. Young writers & recent graduates looking for additional feedback on their work. thehourafterhappyhour.wordpress. com Thu, 7-9 p.m. Lot 17, Bloomfield. 412-687-8117.

SPANISH CONVERSATION CLUB. Second and Fourth Thu of every month, 6-7 p.m. Carnegie Library, Oakland. 412-622-3151.

FRI 09 CURBSIDE SPLENDOR TOUR: BRIAN COSTELLO & RYAN KENEALY. Readings by Brian

Costello & Ryan Kenealy from their works. 7 p.m. The Big Idea Bookstore & Cafe, Bloomfield.

412-687-4323.

LET’S READ ENGLISH. Book club for non-native English speakers. Second Fri of every month, 2 p.m. Carnegie Library, Oakland. 412-622-3151.

LISA ALEXANDER, CHRISTINA DEKA, KARLA LAMB. MadFrdays Reading Series. 7 p.m. Delanie’s Coffee, South Side. 412-927-4030.

MATTHEW BUCHHOLZ, AUTHOR OF ALTERNATE HISTORIES OF THE WORLD. An all-ages interactive talk w/ music, monsters, & video clips.

Book signing w/ Buchholz.

7 p.m. Shaler North Hills Library, Glenshaw. 412-486-0211.

SAT 10 BOOK SIGNING W/ DR. JOHN BARBER. Dr. John Barber is a local ophthalmologist & author of the book “Hey, Doc! What’s Wrong with My Eye”. 12-2 p.m.

Penguin Bookshop, Sewickley.

412-741-3838.

PITTSBURGH WRITERS PROJECT - ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS. Second Sat of every month, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Green Tree Public Library, Green Tree. 412-921-9292.

MON 12 GERMAN CONVERSATION CLUB. Second and Fourth Mon of every month, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Carnegie Library, Oakland.

412-622-3151.

TUE 13 LET’S SPEAK ENGLISH! Practice conversational English. Tue, 6 p.m.

Carnegie Library, Squirrel Hill.

412-422-9650.

PITTSBURGH CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY READING GROUP. Tue, 6 p.m. East End Book Exchange, Bloomfield.

412-224-2847.

KIDSTUFF THU 08 - WED 14 BACKYARD EXHIBIT. Musical swing set, sandbox, solar-powered instruments, more. Ongoing Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, North Side. 412-322-5058.

BOUNCE. An interactive exhibit celebrating the world’s most amazing ball. Experience how it moves, how it looks & the story of how it came to be. Ongoing Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, North Side. 412-322-5058.

SAT 10 FAMILY FRIENDLY KIDS OPEN MIC. Sat, 6 p.m. Hambone’s, Lawrenceville. 412-681-4318.

LEARN TO ICE SKATE. Teaching basic skating fundamentals of balance, edge control & stopping. Classes for all ranges of expertise. All ages.

Schenley Park Ice Rink. Sat, 10 a.m. Thru Feb. 28 Schenley Park, Oakland. 703-597-6905.

MARTY’S MARKET KIDS’ CORNER. Ages 5-11. Sat, 3-5 p.m.

Marty’s Market, Strip District.

412-586-7177.

PENNY ARCADE: KIDS COMEDY SHOW. Ft. crafting & collaboration stations & an improv show inspired by audience suggestions. Second Sat of every month, 1 p.m. Thru Jan. 10 Arcade Comedy Theater, Downtown. 412-339-0608.

OUTSIDE SUN 11 SUNDAY LECTURE SERIES: BARE TREE I.D. Learn to identify leafless winter trees with our helpful tricks. In the Parker Room. Hike to follow, weather permitting. 1 p.m.

Powdermill Nature Reserve.

724-593-4556.

own From Cr yond Her D o w n B e ER

HOMEWORK HELP. For grades 1-8. Tue, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Assemble, Garfield.

My neighbor is showering owering through these Kennedy-era nnedy-era walls, the skidding g whistle of old pipes will last ast 15 minutes or so, she’s scrubbing herself just on the other side of my cold wall, maybe just standing there, biblical, blical, like I often do, hands cupped to catch water at her chest, chin tilted like a statue of Mary perched on a shelf.

Surely there’s redness patching her skin as she dials higher and higher for warmth, inching the knob to keep the hot sting, letting the water butter her from crown down beyond her into the drain, muting her ears, water-beard falling from around her open mouth.

D ALEXAN

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TUE 13 SURVIVAL BASICS. Tue, 3-4:30 p.m. Schenley Park, Oakland. 412-477-4677.

WED 14 WEDNESDAY MORNING WALK. Naturalist-led, rain or shine. Wed Beechwood Farms, Fox Chapel. 412-963-6100.

OTHER STUFF THU 08 ADVANCED ITALIAN CONVERSATION. Thu, 10 a.m.

Mount Lebanon Public Library, Mt. Lebanon. 412-531-1912.

CHINESE CONVERSATION CLUB. Second and Fourth Thu of every month, 6-7 p.m. Carnegie Library, Oakland. 412-622-3151.

CONVERSATIONAL CHINESE & CHINESE CULTURE. Thu, 7 p.m.

Mount Lebanon Public Library, Mt. Lebanon. 412-531-1912.

DANCING W/ THE STARS LIVE. Bringing the show live to the stage w/ performances by Mark Ballas, Witney Carson & others. 8 p.m. Benedum Center, Downtown. 412-456-6666.

THE DEN: A SPECIAL PROGRAMMING SERIES FOR NEW ADULTS. Video games, board games, easy drop-in art projects, book discussions, more.

Second and Fourth Thu of every month, 6-7:30 p.m. Carnegie Library, Oakland. 412-622-3151.

GAME NITE AT THE ARCADE. Interactive games, hosted by Mike Buzzelli.

Second Thu of every month, 8 p.m. Arcade Comedy Theater, Downtown. 412-339-0608.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF PITTSBURGH. Social, cultural club of American/ international women. Thu First Baptist Church, Oakland. iwap. pittsburgh@gmail.com.

MEET ‘N MAKE. Open crafting night. Second Thu of every

N E W S

Lisa Alexander, Christina Deka and Karla Lamb read at Delanie’s Coffee for the

MadFridays Reading Series.

7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 9. 1737 E. Carson St., South Side.

Call 412-927-4030 or email sargesonkm@gmail.com for information. month, 6-8 p.m. Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, Homewood. 412-473-0100.

OPEN STUDIO NIGHT. Ages 21+.

Second Thu of every month, 6-8 p.m. Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, Homewood.

412-473-0100.

PFLAG BUTLER. Support, education & advocacy for the LGBTQ community, family & friends. Second Thu of every month, 7 p.m. Covenant Presbyterian Church, Butler.

412-518-1515.

PITTSBURGH RESTAURANT WEEK KICKOFF PARTY. The cocktail party-style event will include cocktails, free samplings from PRW-participating restaurants & charity raffles.

6-8 p.m. Pittsburgh Opera, Strip District. 412-281-0912.

RENAISSANCE DANCE GUILD. Learn a variety of dances from the 15-17th centuries. Porter Hall, Room A18A. Thu, 8 p.m. Carnegie Mellon University, Oakland.

412-567-7512.

WEST COAST SWING. Swing dance lessons for all levels. Thu, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh Dance Center, Bloomfield. 412-681-0111.

FRI 09 AFRICAN DANCE CLASS. Second and Third Fri of every month and Fourth and Last Fri of every month Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, Garfield.

412-924-0634.

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THE FIRST STEP: THE MECHANICS OF STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS. Thinking of starting a small business? Begin exploring the size of your market & what marketing tools you will need to attract customers, learn about business structures, access helpful resources, 7:30-10 a.m.

Wesley W. Posvar Hall, Oakland.

412-648-1544.

THE FLAVOR OF PITTSBURGH! On the Pittsburgh’s Popular Food Culture Tour visit iconic ‘Burgh eateries featured in Man vs. Food; Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives; Food & Wine magazine; Huffington Post & more. Fri, 10 a.m., Fri., Feb. 27, 10 a.m., Fri., March 13, 10 a.m., Fri., April 17, 10 a.m. and Wed, Fri, 10 a.m. Thru May 8 Crazy Mocha Coffee Company, Downtown. 412-323-4709.

FREE GOOD FRIDAYS. Free admission, bar, & DJ Huck Finn.

Presented by UPMC Health Plan.

Fri, 5-10 p.m. Thru Jan. 30 Andy Warhol Museum, North Side.

412-237-8300.

FRIDAY NIGHT CONTRA DANCE. A social, traditional American dance. No partner needed, beginners welcome, lesson at 7:30. Fri, 8 p.m. Swisshelm Park Community Center, Swissvale.

412-945-0554.

FRIDAY NIGHT CREATURE FEATURE. A creature painting & a creature movie. Fri, 7-11 p.m.

Thru Jan. 22 The Night Gallery, Lawrenceville. 412-969-7197.

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Fri, 5-10 p.m. Thru Jan. 30 Andy Warhol Museum, North Side.

412-237-8300.

WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS BREAKFAST SERIES. “How to Get in the News in 2015” w/ a panel of speakers from media outlets, including Pittsburgh Post Gazette & WESA. 7:30-9:30 a.m.

Chatham University, Shadyside.

412-365-1253.

SAT 10 BEGINNER TAI CHI CLASSES. www.pittsburghtaichi.com Sat, 9 a.m. Friends Meeting House, Oakland. 412-683-2669.

ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCING AFTERNOON TEA DANCE. Beginners session at 12:45; all dances taught; bring refreshments for the break. 1-3:30 p.m.

Friends Meeting House, Oakland.

412-683-2669.

FRENCH FOR BEGINNERS. French for Beginners is an introduction for those who are new to French or consider themselves a little bit rusty.

Second Sat of every month, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and Fourth Sat of every month, 10:30 a.m.12 p.m. Thru May 30 Carnegie Library, Oakland. 412-622-3151.

GADGET LAB. Drop in on our Gadget Lab to talk w/ a member of our Techsperts team of librarians to learn how to download & stream free eBooks, eAudio, eVideo, movies, television shows, digital magazines, music & more. Sat, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Thru Jan. 10 Carnegie Library, Downtown. 412-281-7141.

JOB SKILLS WORKSHOP. This live event will equip job hunters w/ the knowledge needed to effectively apply for & obtain the positions they desire.

Resume evaluation, advice, interview coaching, & social media management. 1-5 p.m.

Pittsburgh Marriot City Center, Downtown. 330-417-2164.

KOREAN II. Sat, 11 a.m.12:30 p.m. Thru Jan. 31 Carnegie Library, Oakland. 412-622-3116.

“THE LINCOLN DEGREE” SECRET MASONIC RITE. Following an overview of Freemasonry in the armies of the North & South, members of the Scottish Rite Valley of Pittsburgh will perform a three act mini-play called the “Lincoln Degree”. 1 p.m. Andrew Carnegie Free Library Music Hall, Carnegie.

412-276-3456 x9.

PITTSBURGH AREA JITTERBUG CLUB DANCE. Couples & singles welcome. Dance lesson at 7:30pm. 8-11:30 p.m. Sygan SNPJ, Bridgeville. 412-551-0830.

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING. Lessons 7-8 p.m., social dancing follows. No partner needed.

Mon, 7 p.m. and Sat, 7 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church, Mt. Washington.

412-683-5670.

SECOND SATURDAY ART WORKSHOPS. Classes in jewelry making, painting, cartooning, puppet making, quilting, more.

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Second Sat of every month Trust Arts Education Center, Downtown.

412-471-6079.

SECOND SATURDAY AT THE SPINNING PLATE. Art exhibits w/ various musical, literary & artistic performances. Second Sat of every month Spinning Plate Gallery, Friendship. 412-441-0194.

SMALL BUSINESS BASICS WORKSHOP. A workshop presented by SCORE Pittsburgh.

Second Sat of every month, 8 a.m. Thru Feb. 14 PNC YMCA, Downtown. 412-395-6560 ext. 130.

SPANISH CONVERSATION GROUP. Friendly, informal. At the Starbucks inside Target. Sat, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Target, East Liberty.

412-362-6108.

SWING CITY. Learn & practice swing dancing skills. Sat, 8 p.m.

Wightman School, Squirrel Hill.

412-759-1569.

WIGLE WHISKEY BARRELHOUSE TOURS. Sat, 12:30 & 2 p.m. Wigle Whiskey Barrel House, North Side.

412-224-2827.

SAT 10 - SUN 11 AMITAYU EMPOWERMENT & HEALING YOGA WORKSHOP. Amitayu empowerment & teachings on the 4 Thoughts & yoga w/ Ven. Lama Konchok Sonam. 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Sun., Jan. 11, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Three Rivers Dharma Center, Oakland.

SUN 11 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CAFE. Weekly letter writing event. Sun, 4-6 p.m. Panera Bread, Oakland.

412-683-3727.

ARABIC FOR BEGINNERS. Second and Third Sun of every month, 2-3 p.m. Carnegie Library, Oakland. 412-622-3151.

ARGENTINE TANGO CLASSES. Learn Argentine Tango w/ the Pittsburgh Tangueros. All levels.

No partner required. Sun, 5-7 p.m. Thru Feb. 1 Wilkins School Community Center, Swissvale. 412-661-2480.

CHINESE FOR BEGINNERS. Second and Fourth Sun of every month, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Carnegie Library, Oakland. 412-622-3151.

THE PITTSBURGH SAVOYARDS’ WINTER WARMER PARTY: THE ROAD TO TITIPU. Refreshments, raffles, Open Mic Gilbert & Sullivan, more. 4-9 p.m. Andrew Carnegie Free Library Music Hall, Carnegie.

412-276-3456.

TEA CLASS & TASTING. History of tea, steeping techniques, Storing Tea, Health Benefits, more. Tea samples & European cookies will be served. Reservations required. Sun, 7 p.m. Thru Jan. 25 Margaret’s Fine Imports, Squirrel Hill. 412-422-1606.

MON 12 BOUNDARIES & SELF CARE. A support group for women 30+.

CONTINUES ON PG. 48

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BIG LIST, CONTINUED FROM PG. 47

PITTSBURGH’S PREMIER GENTLEMEN’S CLUB

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST PARTY PRICES DRAFT BEERS $$1.50 & $$2.25 BUD LIGHT BOTTLES  ALL NIGHT EVERY NIGHT

WEDNESDAYS WEDNESDAY W WED EDNESDAY & THURSDAYS EDNESDA $2 WELL DRINKSS • $2 COORS LIGHT BOTTLES 2 FO FOR OR 1 LAP DANCES DANNC • 2 FOR 1 DRAFT BEERS ALL NIGHT LONG

FRIDAYS $4 VODKA MARTINIS ALL NIGHT LONG 1635 West Carson St. 412-471-5764

OPEN LATE Wednesday & Thursday 7pm-2am Friday-Saturday 7pm-4am

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BY POPULAR DEMAND, NOW OPEN ON WEDNESDAYS!

Second and Fourth Mon of every month Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry.

MORNING SPANISH LITERATURE & CONVERSATION. Mon, 10 a.m. Mount Lebanon Public Library, Mt. Lebanon.

412-531-1912.

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING. Lessons 7-8 p.m., social dancing follows. No partner needed. Mon, 7 p.m. and Sat, 7 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church, Mt. Washington.

412-683-5670.

SPELLING BEE WITH DAVE AND KUMAR. Mon Lava Lounge, South Side. 412-431-5282.

TUE 13 BIZARRE DRAG BOWLING W/ BROOKLYN & VYVYAN. Drag show, cosmic bowling, BYOB. 7:30 p.m. Crafton-Ingram Lanes, Crafton. 724-678-0834.

BOUNDARIES & SELF CARE. Fourth and Second Tue of every month, 6-7:30 p.m.

Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry. 412-366-1300.

HISTORY OF NINE MILE RUN. Speaker Zelda Curtiss, retired environmental attorney 7:30 p.m.

Church of the Redeemer, Squirrel Hill. 412-417-3707.

PITTSBURGH MOOD PROUD. Pittsburgh Mood Disorder Support Group is a peer sponsored group and is LGBTQIA friendly. Get focused about mental health topics &

make new friends. Tue, 7 p.m.

Thru Feb. 24 Crazy Mocha Baum, Friendship. 412-465-0381.

WED 14

AUDITIONS 2015 TRIB TOTAL MEDIA YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION. The competition is open to classical instrumentalists & vocalists who are residents of either Westmoreland or Fayette County or take private music lessons in either of those two counties & are have not graduated high school. Participants compete for performance opportunities.

Cash prizes. The postmarked registration deadline is January 9, 2015 for recorded auditions. Live auditions are Sunday, February 1.

724-837-1850.

56TH ANNUAL DOLLAR BANK THREE RIVERS ART FESTIVAL. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is accepting applications for participants in the 56th annual Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. The Festival seeks visual & performing artists of all disciplines.

The open application period

GREENSBURG CIVIC THEATRE. Auditions for The (Almost) Totally True Story of Hansel & Gretel.

Jan 17. Children & adults ages 8 +, with auditions consisting of cold readings from the script.

Visit gctheatre.org/auditions.html Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, Greensburg. 724-836-1757.

THE HERITAGE PLAYERS. Audition call for “Electra”.

Jan. 11, 7pm at The Seton Center & Jan. 12, 7pm at Schoolhouse Arts Center.

Email for an audition slot.

PITTSBURGH PLAYWRIGHTS THEATER COMPANY. Auditions for Theater Festival in Black & White: Multicultural Edition. Jan 10 & 11.

Prepare a 2-minute contemporary monologue. Actors of all ages, ethnicities, & backgrounds are welcome. Email mfreeland@ pghplaywrights.com to schedule an audition time.

AFTERNOON TEA DANCE. Lessons offered to beginners.

Wed, 12-2:30 p.m. Thru Feb. 25 Pittsburgh Dance Center, Bloomfield.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP. For Widows/Widowers over 50. Second and Fourth Wed of every month, 1-2:30 p.m.

St. Sebastian Church, Ross.

412-366-1300.

CENTER FOR WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPEN HOUSE. Meet our staff, facilitators, & past participants while learning about all of our services for women business owners & women in business.

Jan. 7 at Eden Hall campus & Jan. 14 at Shadyside campus.

Registration online. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Chatham University, Shadyside.

412-365-1253.

CONVERSATION SALON. [VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY] Conversation Salon is a forum for active participation in the discussion of the meaningful & interesting events of our time & an opportunity to connect with, CCAC is seeking language-arts and math tutors for its participate in & contribute to your Bridge to College and Career Pathways Program, which community. Second Wed of every serves adults who would like to develop the academic month, 10:15 a.m.-12 p.m. Thru June 10 Carnegie Library, Oakland. skills needed to obtain a GED. Teaching experience is not 412-622-3151. required, but volunteers must either have a four-year DETROIT STYLE URBAN degree or be enrolled in a four-year degree program.

BALLROOM DANCE. 3rd floor.

Training and support are provided. Call 412-237-4578 or Wed, 6:30-8 p.m. Hosanna House, visit www.ccac.edu.

Wilkinsburg. 412-242-4345.

ENGLISH CONVERSATION (ESL).

Wed, 10 a.m. Mount Lebanon ends on February 1, 2015. Submit Public Library, Mt. Lebanon. application online. Festival theme 412-531-1912.

2014-2015 WALDMAN is Unseen/Unheard. Information LET’S SPEAK ENGLISH! Practice INTERNATIONAL ARTS & session on Jan. 10 at 10-11:30am conversational English. Wed, WRITING COMPETITION. Seeking in the Big Room of the Greater 5-6 p.m. Carnegie Library, creative writing, short film & visual Pittsburgh Arts Council.

Oakland. 412-622-3151. arts submissions from middle & THE BALDWIN PLAYERS. THE PITTSBURGH BREWERY high-schoolers exploring the theme Auditions for “Fox on the TOUR. Visit the three most iconic of Real Life Superheroes in the Fairway”. Jan. 17, 2-4 pm, & breweries in Pittsburgh. Tour Face of Persecution. Submissions Jan. 18, 7-9 pm. Seeking 3 men includes safe transportation to all accepted through Jan 15, 2015. & 3 women aged 20 to early 50s; locations, an entertaining guide, 412-421-1500.

Sides will be provided. E-mail craft beer samples & guided tours THE DAP CO-OP. Seeking auditionsbp@gmail.com for an at each brewery. 11:30 a.m., Sat., performers & artists to participate audition slot. Schoolhouse Art March 28, 11:30 a.m., Sat., May 9, in First Fridays - Art in a Box. Center, Bethel Park. 412-835-9898.

11:30 a.m. and Sat., June 20, For more information, email BOBCAT PLAYERS. Auditions 11:30 a.m. The BeerHive, thedapcoopzumba@hotmail.com. for the 2015 season.

Strip District. 412-323-4709.

412-403-7357.

Jan. 10, 15 & 17. For THE PITTSBURGH THE HOUR AFTER HAPPY HOUR appointments call or SHOW OFFS. A REVIEW. Seeking submissions in email bobcatplayers@ meeting of jugglers all genres for fledgling literary gmail.com. Visit & spinners. All levels www. per a p magazine curated by members www.bobcatplayers. welcome. Wed, pghcitym o .c of the Hour After Happy com for information.

7:30 p.m. Union Hour Writing Workshop.

412-953-0237.

Project, Highland Park. afterhappyhourreview.com CREATE FESTIVAL. 412-363-4550.

INDEPENDENT FILM NIGHT. Individuals & companies ROCK & RYE COCKTAIL Submit your film, 10 minutes working at the intersection of CLASS. Learn the history of or less. Screenings held on the creativity and technology are the Rock & Rye how it can be second Thursday of every month. encouraged to: submit recent made at home. Tour the brewery DV8 Espresso Bar & Gallery, projects for the annual CREATEfest & make your own Rock & Rye. Greensburg. 724-219-0804.

Awards; propose compelling 6:30 p.m. Wigle Whiskey, THE NEW YINZER. Seeking workshops, talks or panels to Strip District. 412-224-2827. original essays about literature, raise awareness of creative TAROT CARD LESSONS. Wed, music, TV or film, & also essays technology trends in this year’s 7 p.m. Dobra Tea, Squirrel Hill. generally about Pittsburgh. To see theme of “Interconnectivity;” & 412-449-9833. some examples, visit www.new propose ideas for engaging arts WEST COAST SWING yinzer.com & view the current issue. & technology experiences WEDNESDAYS. Swing dance throughout the festival.

Email all pitches, submissions & lessons. Wed, 9 p.m. The Library, South Side. 916-287-1373.

Submissions due Feb. 1. inquiries to newyinzer@gmail.com.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

SUBMISSIONS

FULL LIST ONLINE

48

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

Savage Love {BY DAN SAVAGE}

I have been wearing bras and panties with stockings for so long now, it’s become a part of me, and I was wondering if you have heard of this before.

SENT FROM SAMSUNG MOBILE

People wearing bras and panties and stockings — that is something I’ve heard of before.

A quick programming note: Some weeks, half the questions I get are longer than the column itself. So while I usually appreciate letter writers who get to the point, it’s possible to be too brief.

Such is the case with your letter, SFSM, which is reproduced here in its entirety. I know what kind of phone you have, but it would be more helpful to know if you are male or female. I’m guessing you’re a dude, otherwise you probably wouldn’t feel conflicted about wearing bras, panties and stockings. I’m going to run with the “dude” assumption.

Anyway, SFSM, men who wear bras, panties and stockings — I have heard of that before, yes. Bras, panties and stockings are things that some men enjoy. But I once got pulled aside at a party by a butch dyke who confided in me that she likes to wear lacy/girly bras and panties under her Carhartt pants and flannel shirts. She too wanted to know if I had ever heard of someone like her before — a woman who essentially cross-dressed by wearing women’s underwear — and I had to tell her that I hadn’t. But that butch dyke enjoys wearing bras, panties and stockings for the exact same reason you and many other straight guys do: the frisson of transgression, the thrill of having a sexy secret, the reveal to a new partner. She didn’t seem particularly conflicted about her non-butch-dyke-normative tastes — heck, she seemed rather pleased with herself.

You should consider her a role model, SFSM, and follow her example.

blankly — that’s the wrong thing to do — I mean choosing something at random. Do that thing every time. Randomly pick something from your established repertoire and tell her you wanna do that thing right now. Then do it, MMM, provided she indicates that she wants to do it too. If she verbally indicates her desire to do it, then you can get right down to it, i.e., you can be a bit aggressive. If her signal is physical or nonverbal, then you should ease into that random selection much more gradually, so she can redirect and/or ask you to choose again if that particular random selection doesn’t work for her.

I’m a mid-40s gay man in a LTR with a man I love very much. The problem is that, due to ongoing GI problems, I’m unable to bottom. At heart, I’m a total bottom, and the handful of times when I’ve been physically capable of bottoming (before my illness became so severe), I’ve loved it way more than any other sexual act. My husband is 50/50 versatile, and we have an open relationship, so he gets what he wants from me and from others. But sometimes it’s frustrating for me to see him bottoming for another guy when I’m unable to. When a hot guy wants to fuck me, I have to decline every time. I’m glad that my husband is having great sex, but my health problems leave me sexually unfulfilled. I’m receiving treatment, but I’m still not ever “clean” enough to bottom confidently.

I’m not sure that I ever will be. Any advice for me?

YES. BRAS, PANTIES AND STOCKINGS ARE THINGS THAT SOME MEN ENJOY.

SADLY UNFILLED BOTTOM

MISTER MILQUETOAST MISSIONARY

Two practical tips: first, female condoms.

I realize you’re a dude, and I realize that female condoms are more expensive than male condoms, but they’re a terrific option for buttfuckees worried about cleanliness. For readers who may be unfamiliar with female condoms: They’re a bit larger than regular condoms and they get tucked inside the orifice that’s about to be fucked and remain in place during sex. A bare dick goes into a female condom clean and comes out “clean.” The female condom is removed after sex, SUB, which you can do alone in the bathroom.

Second option: frottage. It’s not bottoming — no penetration — but it’s a worthy and pleasurable substitute. Your loving partner/special guest star puts his lubed-up dick between your thighs, right at the top, you close your legs, and he plows away. If you’re on your stomach or doing it doggy style, SUB, you can put your lubed-up hands between your legs and cup your partner’s cock while he thrusts back and forth. You’re not being penetrated, but your taint, the outside of your hole, and your sack are all getting stimulated.

Frottage is also a good first step for people who want to experiment with anal play but aren’t ready for penetration.

You know that thing you sometimes do when your girlfriend asks in the heat of the moment what you wanna do? I don’t mean stare at her

On the Lovecast, Dan chats with comedian Mike Birbiglia about sleep-eating: savagelove cast.com.

I’m a (mostly) straight male and I’ve been dating the same woman for more than a year. It’s easily the best relationship I’ve been in. We get along great and rarely fight, and the sex has been great.

But there were a few incidents recently when in the heat of the moment she asked me to tell her what I wanted to do and I froze. I didn’t know what she expected me to say or do. She views this as a sign that I’m not attracted to her or I don’t have a strong libido. Both are untrue. I don’t have strong preferences about sexual activities. I just enjoy it. But when she asks me to take control in the bedroom or to describe my fantasies to her, I either stare blankly at her or choose something at random, achingly unsure of whether or not I made the right choice. If you could give me some ideas for how I can make myself less boring in the sack, I would love to hear it.

blogh.pghcitypaper.com

The first hit is free.

Actually, so are all the others.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO MAIL@SAVAGELOVE.NET AND FIND THE SAVAGE LOVECAST (DAN’S WEEKLY PODCAST) AT THESTRANGER.COM/SAVAGE

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FOR THE WEEK OF

Free Will Astrology

01.07-01.14

{BY ROB BREZSNY}

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Songwriter RB Morris wrote a fanciful poem in which he imagines a smart mockingbird hearing rock ’n’ roll music for the first time. “When Mockingbird first heard rock / He cocked his head and crapped / What in the hell is that? / It sounded like a train wreck / Someone was screaming / Someone’s banging on garbage cans.” Despite his initial alienation, Mockingbird couldn’t drag himself away. He stayed to listen. Soon he was spellbound. “His blood pounded and rolled.” Next thing you know, Mockingbird and his friends are making raucous music themselves — “all for the love of that joyful noise.” I foresee a comparable progression for you in the coming weeks, Capricorn. What initially disturbs you may ultimately excite you — maybe even fulfill you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Do you recall the opening scene of Lewis Carroll’s story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?

Alice is sitting outside on a hot day, feeling bored, when a White Rabbit scurries by. He’s wearing a coat and consulting a watch as he talks to himself. She follows him, even when he jumps into a hole in the ground. Her descent takes a long time. On the way down, she passes cupboards and bookshelves and other odd sights. Not once does she feel fear. Instead, she makes careful observations and thinks reasonably about her unexpected trip. Finally, she lands safely. As you do your personal equivalent of falling down the rabbit hole, Aquarius, be as poised and calm as Alice. Think of it as an adventure, not a crisis, and an adventure it will be.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You are positively oceanic these days. You are vast and deep, restless and boundless, unruly and unstoppable. As much as it’s possible for a human being to be, you are ageless and fantas-

tical. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could communicate telepathically and remember your past lives and observe the invisible world in great detail. I’m tempted to think of you as omnidirectional and omniscient, as well as polyrhythmic and polymorphously perverse. Dream big, you crazy wise dreamer.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In his novel Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut describes a character, Ned Lingamon, who “had a penis eight hundred miles long and two hundred and ten miles in diameter, but practically all of it was in the fourth dimension.”

If there is any part of you that metaphorically resembles Lingamon, Aries, the coming months will be a favorable time to fix the problem. You finally have sufficient power and wisdom and feistiness to start expressing your latent capacities in practical ways … to manifest your hidden beauty in a tangible form … to bring your purely fourth-dimensional aspects all the way into the third dimension.

get your yoga on! new year. new you. classes range from beginner to advanced, gentle to challenging

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Novelist E.L. Doctorow says that the art of writing “is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” This realistic yet hopeful assessment is true of many challenges, not just writing. The big picture of what you’re trying to accomplish is often obscure. You wish you had the comfort of knowing exactly what you’re doing every step of the way, but it seems that all you’re allowed to know is the next step.

Every now and then, however, you are blessed with an exception to the rule. Suddenly you get a glimpse of the whole story you’re embedded in. It’s like you’re standing on a mountaintop drinking in the vast view of what lies behind you and before you. I suspect that this is one of those times for you, Taurus.

strip district squirrel hill north hills

50

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Actress Uzo Aduba’s formal first name is Uzoamaka. She tells the story about how she wanted to change it when she was a kid. One day she came home and said, “Mommy, can you call me Zoe?” Her mother asked her why, and she said, “Because no one can say Uzoamaka.” Mom was quick to respond: “If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky and Michelangelo, they can learn to say Uzoamaka.” The moral of the story, as far as you’re concerned: This is no time to suppress your quirks and idiosyncrasies. That’s rarely a good idea, but especially now. Say NO to making yourself more generic.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Most people have numerous items in their closet that they never wear. Is that true for you? Why? Do you think you will eventually come to like them again, even though you don’t now? Are you hoping that by keeping them around you can avoid feeling remorse about having wasted money? Do you fantasize that the uncool stuff will come back into fashion? In accordance with the astrological omens, Gemini, I invite you to stage an all-out purge. Admit the truth to yourself about what clothes no longer work for you, and get rid of them. While you’re at it, why not carry out a similar cleanup in other areas of your life?

Doug Von Koss leads groups of people in singalongs. You don’t have to be an accomplished vocalist to be part of his events, nor is it crucial that you know the lyrics and melodies to a large repertoire of songs. He strives to foster a “perfection-free zone.” I encourage you to dwell in the midst of your own personal perfection-free zone everywhere you go this week, Libra. You need a break from the pressure to be smooth, sleek and savvy. You have a poetic license to be innocent, loose and a bit messy. At least temporarily, allow yourself the deep pleasure of ignoring everyone’s expectations and demands.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Nothing was ever created by two men,” wrote John Steinbeck in his novel East of Eden. “There are no good collaborations, whether in music, in art, in poetry, in mathematics, in philosophy.

Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man.” In my view, this statement is delusional nonsense. And it’s especially inapt for you in the coming weeks. In fact, the only success that will have any lasting impact will be the kind that you instigate in tandem with an ally or allies you respect.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I live in Northern California, where an extended drought led to water-rationing for much of 2014. But in December, a series of downpours arrived to replenish the parched landscape. Now bursts of white wildflowers have erupted along my favorite hiking trails. They’re called shepherd’s purse. Herbalists say this useful weed can be made into an ointment that eases pain and heals wounds. I’d like to give you a metaphorical version of this good stuff.

You could use some support in alleviating the

schoolhouseyoga.com

psychic aches and pangs you’re feeling. Any ideas about how to get it? Brainstorm. Ask questions.

Seek help.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I dream of lost vocabularies that might express some of what we no longer can,” wrote Jack Gilbert in his poem “The Forgotten Dialects of the Heart.” Judging from the current astrological omens, I’d say that you are close to accessing some of those lost vocabularies. You’re more eloquent than usual. You have an enhanced power to find the right words to describe mysterious feelings and subtle thoughts. As a result of your expanded facility with language, you may be able to grasp truths that have been out of reach before now.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “If you have built castles in the air,” said philosopher Henry David Thoreau, “your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” That may seem like a backward way to approach the building process: erecting the top of the structure first, and later the bottom. But I think this approach is more likely to work for you than it is for any other sign of the zodiac. And now is an excellent time to attend to such a task.

Write a summary of the great task you plan to accomplish in 2015. Tell me about it at Truthrooster@gmail.com.

GO TO REALASTROLOGY.COM TO CHECK OUT ROB BREZSNY’S EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES AND DAILY TEXT-MESSAGE HOROSCOPES. THE AUDIO HOROSCOPES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE BY PHONE AT 1-877-873-4888 OR 1-900-950-7700

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER

CLASSIFIEDS FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISEMENT, CALL 412-316-3342 EXT. 189

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Herbal Program. Also opportunity to earn up to $1,000 monthly. 1-800-492-4437 www.myherbalife.com

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25 x 60 storage or workspace $500 plus taxes, 12.5x40 $250 plus taxes.

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Call our Live Operators NOW! 800-267-3944 Ext 3090. www.easyworkgreatpay.com (Not Valid in MD)

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Many sizes available, no sec deposit, play @ the original and largest practice facility, 24/7 access.

$49.99/ hour Free Vichy Shower with 1HR or more body work

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CLASSES AVIATION Grads work with JetBlue, Boeing, NASA and others- start here with hands on training for FAA certification.

Financial aid if qualified.

Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 800-7251563 (AAN CAN)

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Sports, Swedish, Shiatsu. $50/Hour Northside Location Near Heinz Field Call Rick: 412-512-6716 www.pittsburghbodyworks.com

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CHINESE HEALTH SPA New Ownership!

Catering to Ladies and Gentlemen Full Body Massage & Foot massage from knees to yourToes with a warm soak.

Hot Stone & Reflexology Full Bodywork 30 min: $30 60 min: $50 90 min: $80 Reflexology 30 min: $18 60 min: $30 90 min: $45

TWO LOCATIONS 1190 Washington Pike, Bridgeville (across from Eat n’ Park)

Superior Chinese Massage

Free Table Shower w/60min 1310 E. Carson St. 412-488-3951

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Open 7 days- 9:30a-10:30p 412-777-7171 1789 Pine Hollow Rd, unit 2 McKees Rocks, PA 15126

(in Hillcrest Shopping Center)

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NOW HIRING: CNC Machinists and Skilled Assemblers in RIDC Park, O’Hara Township

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for Paid Psychology Research

(LOAN COUNSELORS)

2nd H]^[i EV^Y IgV^c^c\ Ij^i^dc GZ^bWjghZbZci

to participate in a research project at Carnegie Mellon University!

To be eligible for this study, you must be:

SPANISH BILINGUAL SKILLS NEEDED!

• 18-40 yrs. old • In good health • Willing to not smoke or use nicotine products before one session You may earn up to $50 for your participation in a 3 hour study.

For more information, call:

K^h^i PHEAA.org/jobs id Veean.

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The Behavioral Health Research Lab (412-268-3029) NOTE: Unfortunately, our lab is not wheelchair accessible.

PHEAA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

EEO/AA/M/F/Vet/Disability Employer

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Cervical Cancer Prevention

*Stuff We Like Always a Home Game Last year, former Steelers punter and current sports-talk host Josh Miller and writing partner Shawn Allen set out to document Steelers fandom by visiting dozens of Steelers bars across the country. Read about what they found (hint: plenty of black and gold) in their new book. www.alwaysahomegame.com

There’s a vaccine for that!

HPV vaccination is recommended for girls at age 11-12 years and can be given up to age 26.

Learn more at ImmunizeAllegheny.org

Not bitter, not too strong, just a comforting cup of coffee to have in the morning. 2005 Penn Ave., Strip District

An Honorab Honorable Woman Maggie Gyllenhaa Gyllenhaal anchors this dense, twisty British geo-political thriller about a well-connected series, a geo-polit family and the ongoing troubles in British-Israeli fami Honorable mention for slyest hangdog portrayal: Palestine. Honora Rea. Now on Netflix. co-star Stephen R

DJ Earworm Each December, DJ Earworm releases a mashup of hits from the past year and this year’s version includes a cameo from everyone’s favorite: Frozen. www.djearworm.com

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

Find something new every time you look at this incredibly detailed map: the big yellow duck, Potato Patch fries, Rick Sebak! www.mariozucca.com/shop

{PHOTO BY AL HOFF}

HPV vaccine has the power to protect females from a devastating form of cancer.

Allegheny Coffee & Tea Exchange’s Burgh Blend

Mario Zucca’s Illustrated Map of Pittsburgh

The Secret Shape of the Lawrenceville Library From the street, it resembles an ordinary right-angled building, but the sunny back room is semicircular, with stacks arranged in a fan-like formation. 279 Fisk St.

Judy’s Oriental Massage

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1744 Greensburg Pike, North Versailles, 15137 OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the, Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on February 3, 2015, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: • Pittsburgh Greenfield K-8 Boiler Feed Unit Replacement Mechanical Prime

• Pittsburgh Spring Garden ECC Roof Replacement General Prime

• Pittsburgh Classical 6-8 Pittsburgh Gifted Center and Professional Development Center Replace Fire Alarm System Electrical Prime

• Pittsburgh West Liberty K-5 Roof Replacement General Prime

Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on December 29, 2015 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700) 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.

Parent Hotline: 412-622-7920 www.pps.k12.pa.us

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Positive Recovery Solutions

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 01.07/01.14.2015

412-650-6155

JUST BECAUSE

{BY JIMMY CVETIC}

I know there are things that you ain’t suppose to do and will probably get you a good whipping if you’re caught but you’ll do them anyway just because and no other reason than just because.

Like you ain’t suppose to play with matches just because you can burn someone’s porch down or shoot marbles with a slingshot at a dog just because you ain’t and you ain’t suppose to tie two cats’ tails together and toss them over a clothes line and you ain’t supposed to fart in church and you ain’t supposed to rob the poor box ain’t supposed to stick anyone in the eye with an umbrella and you ain’t suppose to make pipe bombs cause you might get your fingers blown off and you ain’t suppose to stick bubble gum in anyone’s hair or put crazy glue on toilet seats or flush cherry bombs down the toilet and you ain’t suppose to tell lies but if you do have to tell a lie do it bold face and make sure it’s a darn good one and if you get caught red handed tell another one and make sure your head is hung down and mumble like you’re really sorry even when you ain’t and you ain’t suppose to swear unless you like eating soap or you ain’t suppose to hit your mother because when you die your hand will come out the grave and a dog will pee in it and you ain’t suppose to tell your sister to swallow a whole fizzy like it’s a Communion wafer because if she does her belly will well up like she’s going to have a baby and rumble like Mt. Vesuvius and purple stuff will come out her nose because she’ll run crying blame you for sure and even if you hide in a tree your mom will find you and you’ll catch the switch but it is something else to watch your mom climb a tree with a stick in her mouth when she’s mad

and you ain’t suppose to go swimming butt ass in the river because you might drown and be eaten by the fish and you ain’t suppose to throw anyone’s tennies in the toilet and you ain’t suppose to play hook from school and go downtown to shoplift and you ain’t suppose to steal cars or catch rats and put them in anyone’s locker or you ain’t suppose to sass or mimic or you ain’t suppose to put your palm up on a bus and have a pretty girl sit on your hand because she will sure enough get mad and think you goosed her and she’ll kick you in the shin and tattle and nothing good will come out of it when someone tattles on you for a goosing and you ain’t suppose to trick people out of things like their bag of potato chips or their apple because you’ll have to pretend that you like them even when you don’t and they will for sure want to hang around with you all day and you’ll have to douse them with skunk perfume and sure as gosh-awful will be found out because of a little crybaby telling and you ain’t never suppose to find fun in kicking a pigeon if caught you’ll get the blame for stuff you ain’t done even if you blame your brother.

Anyway, I know boys that never part their hair or wash their hands that lie and swear and smell like the alley and do fun things like this and that but they weren’t really bad boys maybe just a little mischievous but they weren’t bad and tell you the truth I think some of these things defined a boy as a man and sure as all sin follows forgiveness you ain’t never to look at girl’s behind when in church because you could go blind and because some things you just ain’t suppose to do just because but you do them anyway just because and there’s no other explanation other than just because and there’s a good possibility you could one day grow up and become the President.

I N F O@ P G H C I T Y PA P E R. C OM

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