May 2, 2018 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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ELECTION GUIDE: WILL THE HOTLY CONTESTED LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR‛S RACE YIELD THE RIGHT SIDEKICK FOR PA. GOV. TOM WOLF‛S WOLF NOVEMBER RE-ELECTION FIGHT?

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What pass is best for you?

In for the long run. Annual Pass- Best value if you ride frequently all year long. Price includes a full year of unlimited rides. Pay for the first 11 months– the 12th month is free. Cost: $1,072.50

Take 10. Ten-Trip Pass*- So, you plan to ride but don’t know exactly when. No problem. The ten-trip pass gives you the flexibility to use according to your unpredictable schedule. Cost: $25.00

Everyday commuter? Monthly Pass- The next best option, if you prefer to pay each month instead.

Receive unlimited rides, just not the free month.

Valid for a calendar month beginning with the first day and ending on the last. Well worth it if you intend to ride at least 20 days per month. Cost: $97.50

Forget Cash. Stored Cash Value- Provides the same flexibility as a ten-trip pass and will save you from paying an extra $.25 if you use cash.

Stored cash value is required in order to purchase a $1 electronic transfer. Cost: Load any value up to $200

Taking it one week at a time. Weekly PassA good short-term option if you plan to ride often throughout a specific week. Receive unlimited rides for a calendar week Sunday through Saturday. Cost: $25.00

Taking it day by day. Day Pass*- Your best option for unlimited rides for one service day.

The pass is valid from first tap on a farebox to the end of Port Authority service that same day.

Cost: $7.00 Passes are available on a Connectix, the paper version of an electronic smart card, and can be purchased at any ConnectCard Vending Machine.

One day at a time. Single Trip Pass/Single Trip Pass with Transfer- A great option for occasional riders and visitors. Perfect if you just need a one-way ride to or from an event or want to see Downtown Pittsburgh at night from the Monongahela Incline. Cost: $2.50/$3.50

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

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MAY 2-9, 2018 // VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 18

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NEWS +VIEWS KATHI COZZONE

NINA AHMAD

ROY SOSA

JOHN FETTERMAN

MIKE STACK

Democratic candidates for Pennsylvania’s lieutenant-governor seat

.ELECTION.

DUO DYNAMICS Pa. Democrats will choose the governor’s running mate; But which candidate would be the best sidekick for a run at a second term?

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

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N TERMS of profile, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant-governor seat isn’t one that normally commands the spotlight.

The “LG” sits on the state’s Board of Pardons and issues tie-breaking votes in the state Senate. But mostly, the state’s second-in-command is exactly that: the person who takes over the big office in case the governor dies or resigns. (Former Gov. Tom Ridge resigned to become the nation’s first director of Homeland Security in 2002.)

“The average voter can totally go through life not being engaged with this office,” says Pennsylvania pollster Terry Madonna, also the director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College.

But politically, lieutenant governors can do more than just break ties and recommend pardons. Madonna says some lieutenant governors have been effective advocates on specific issues

important to their party’s cause. Madonna adds that lieutenant-governor candidates could also provide a marginal boost to the gubernatorial candidate in the general election.

In Pennsylvania’s primary election, voters decide which candidate will split the ticket with the gubernatorial candidate in November. That means Democratic voters get to pick who runs alongside Wolf in the general election. It is odd, however, that an incumbent looking for a second term would get any legitimate challengers during a re-election campaign. But that’s the position incumbent Mike Stack finds himself in. A scandal involving he and his wife’s treatment of state employees working for them has made Stack a target and he will face four challengers in the Democratic primary later this month.

With this opportunity at voters’ fingertips, City Paper

talked to Madonna and Jake Sternberger, the former campaign manager for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Joe Sestak, about the five candidates running for lieutenant governor and their potential to help ensure that Democrats maintain the governor’s mansion.

Sternberger says lieutenant-governor candidates have four factors to potentially boost a split ticket: geography, identity, crossover appeal and fundraising ability. So, come November, who will be the best sidekick for Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf?

NINA AHMAD Ahmad is a former deputy-mayor under Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. She was the last candidate to enter the race, but Sternberger says she has many factors that could boost Wolf on a split ticket.

Ahmad is a Bangladeshi immigrant and Sternberger says her identity is especially important this year because voters are hungry to support female candidates and her immigrant background “brings an aspect to the ticket that is unique.”

Ahmad’s campaign has focused on selling a more inclusive vision of Pennsylvania — “Equity and inclusion are monument,” Ahmad told CP in March.

Sternberger says her geographic advantage is weak, as most candidates are from Southeastern Pennsylvania. However, Ahmad did pick up the endorsement of Pittsburgh’s 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club in a race where there is a local candidate. She also has a big financial advantage. At press time, her campaign had more than $600,000 on hand, the most of any candidate.

KATHI COZZONE Currently a Chester County Commissioner, Cozzone also has the advantage of being a female candidate in a year when that is likely to make a difference. “I don’t think there is any doubt that female candidates can give a boost,” says Madonna.

Sternberger adds that Cozzone has some crossover appeal since she has won elections in Chester County, where Republicans have dominated historically.

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And Chester County is filled with wealthy suburbanites that have been shifting toward the Democratic party and have proven critical for Democratic victories in elections across the country.

However, Cozzone hasn’t had success in fundraising with only about $10,000 cash on hand. “It is shame that she has not been able to raise money,” says Sternberger. “Money is the ultimate test in campaigning.”

JOHN FETTERMAN

For someone who doesn’t already hold statewide office, Fetterman has the most name recognition, says Madonna.

The Braddock mayor ran for U.S. Senate in 2016 and has appeared on TV shows and in national publications, both leftand right-leaning. Madonna also notes Fetterman, as the only candidate from Western Pennsylvania, has a geographic advantage and support from some wellknown political figures.

“By far the most present candidate with the most publicity is Fetterman,” says Madonna. “He has [former Gov. Ed] Rendell’s endorsement, and [Pittsburgh Mayor Bill] Peduto’s endorsement. He has an advantage in the East-West battle.”

Fetterman’s crossover appeal might be a mixed bag. Sternberger says Fetterman has been building up a persona to align with working-class rural and urban communities, but he still comes from a wealthy family and he “appeals the most to the left,” given many of his progressive stances.

However, Sternberger admits that Fetterman’s strategy of visiting towns in every corner of the state could be a winning one and might pull in additional rural votes on a split ticket in November.

Fetterman also has a significant amount of cash on hand, about $140,000.

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In terms of providing Wolf a boost, Sternberger says Sosa is the weakest candidate. Sosa is the president of Round Hills Investments, a financial consulting firm, but Sternberger says he’s relatively unheard of, even in Montgomery County, where he lives.

Sosa is the only Latino candidate in the race, and Sternberger notes that might appeal to Latino voting blocs in places like Lancaster, Reading and Allentown, but Sosa might not be well known enough to bring out those voters. “There may be some appeal, in Latino pockets, but he has no base,” says Sternberger. “It is not enough to run on a Latino last name.”

And Sternberger says it will be almost impossible for Sosa to boost his profile, since his campaign has no cash on hand.

MIKE STACK As the incumbent lieutenant governor with a political career in Harrisburg and Philadelphia that stretches decades, Stack has the most name recognition of any candidate. But that’s good and bad.

Scandals have also thrust Stack’s name into the headlines. Stack allegedly mistreated his staff, and Gov. Wolf responded by taking away Stack’s security detail. But Madonna says those scandals won’t matter much come the general election, since most of the focus will be on Wolf.

Sternberger says Stack probably has the best ability to increase turnout in the most Democrat-supporting region in the state: Philadelphia. “Philly is going to go the deepest of blues, and he can increase turnout there,” asks Sternberger.

Sternberger says getting high turnout in Philadelphia is crucial in statewide elections, but notes Stack’s crossover appeal is bad, since he is an establishment Democrat from Philadelphia who has recently been mired in scandal. But Stack is a seasoned fundraiser, says Sternberger.

He has more than $275,000 cash on hand.

And despite his scandal, he’s still received plenty of support, notably from the majority of Democrats in the state Senate.

In the end, both Madonna and Sternberger say the lieutenant-governor nominee will have only a small effect on boosting the split ticket. Madonna says that by election day, most of the campaign focus will be on the gubernatorial candidates themselves, not their running mates.

Sternberger says the lieutenant governor is a “vanity position” and most of the attention on the race has come from political junkies and the media. Sternberger also believes that good gubernatorial candidates will succeed with or without a boost from a lieutenant governor.

“Real heroes don’t need sidekicks,” says Sternberger.

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★ PA SENATE DISTRICT 38 ★

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The 38th District of the Pennsylvania Senate became more conservative after being redrawn in 2011 to include most northern Allegheny County suburbs. Republican Sen. Randy Vulakovich was elected in 2014, but since then, District 38 started moving left.

Hillary Clinton narrowly won here in 2016, and two Democrats, Stephanie Walsh and Lindsey Williams, are hoping to continue that leftward shift.

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412-304-1990 Williams is currently the communications director at Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers and a member of One Pennsylvania, a progressive statewide political organization. She graduated from Duquesne University School of Law and received national attention for her work with the National Whistleblowers Center when she sued for wrongful termination after attempting to form a union. She won that lawsuit.

LABOR

Walsh supports a $15 hourly minimum wage, but backs a Democratic initiative in the state legislature to raise the wage instantly to $12 an hour and increase it to $15 incrementally. Wants to boost the economy by investing in infrastructure to create jobs.

A proponent of unions, she previously worked with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, organizing strikes and other labor actions.

Williams supports an immediate raise in the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour for large companies, and an adjusted minimum-wage raise for small businesses.

EDUCATION

As a former public-school teacher, Walsh says she knows exactly what it’s like to not have a budget and have to pull from her own paycheck for student supplies. Supports an increase in state funding toward education with an eye for budgets that will allow schools to update classroom materials and programs.

Williams favors traditional publicschool education over charter schools, saying Pennsylvania has one of the worst charter-school funding laws in the country. Williams says charter schools are not accountable to taxpayers and “drain money from our public schools.” Supports funding career and technical educational programs, as well as early childhood development.

Throughout her career, Walsh has worked as an environmental consultant, writing reports on Environmental Protection Agency regulations; fought pollution with nonprofit Clean Water Action and taught environmental science to students. Supports investments into the renewable-energy industry and the end of subsidies for fossil fuels.

Supports investments in renewable energy to fight climate change.

Believes a way to protect the environment would be to strengthen whistleblower protections to raise awareness of issues with environmental regulations.

Support from Thaddeus Popovich, cofounder of Allegheny County Clean Air Now and 314 Action, an advocacy organization committed to electing scientists and STEM professionals to public office.

Endorsed by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Allegheny County Democratic Committee and Michelle Boyle, a former Democratic candidate for state Senate District 38, who dropped out of the primary in February.

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

BIOGRAPHY

Walsh, of Highland Park, holds degrees in environmental conservation, secondary education and public policy. A senior analyst for Public Works, a firm that helps municipal governments work more efficiently, Walsh has also worked as a non-partisan budget analyst in Colorado and a middle-school science teacher.

ENVIRONMENT

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★ PA HOUSE DISTRICT 21 ★

DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS

Both candidates in Pennsylvania’s District 21 House race have contrasting ideas on where the district is heading. Democratic incumbent Dom Costa of Stanton Heights believes moderate political stances have the most support. Democratic challenger Sara Innamorato notes the district supported Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary and believes her progressive stances will win over voters.

BIOGRAPHY

The former Pittsburgh Chief of Police has been serving as a state representative since 2008. Has advocated for quality education, public safety, animal protection, affordable housing and expanding mental health, according to his campaign website. Leads the Allegheny County Democratic Party delegation in the state House. Lives in Stanton Heights.

Ross Township native and Lawrenceville resident, Innamorato graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a business degree. Runs a nonprofit that helps prepare women to run for public office. Had volunteered on the housing committee of the community group Lawrenceville United. Says state government needs more young members with progressive ideals.

IMMIGRATION

In the past, Costa supported bills making English the state’s official language and banning so called “sanctuary cities.” After constituents protested his votes on anti-immigrant bills, Costa has since dropped his support. Though in February 2017, he told CP that he refused to buckle to protesters’ demands on “illegal and undocumented immigration.”

Backs the “Sanctuary Commonwealth” bill that would bar Pennsylvania law enforcement from working with federal immigration officials. Told CP in March that she supports undocumented immigrants who are coming to the state to work hard and build families.

“By supporting [this] bill, I would be joining their fight for a stronger economy, safer neighborhoods and creating a commonwealth for us all.”

OPIOID EPIDEMIC

SARA INNAM INNAMORATO

A member of the Heroin, Opioid Prevention and Education Caucus, Costa believes in working in the legislature to secure “access to highquality prevention and treatment of the disease of drug and alcohol addiction.” Has hosted public forums to bring together law enforcement, health-care professionals and experts to find solutions to the opioid epidemic.

Lost her father due to an opioid addiction, and says that personal experience drives her to end the epidemic. Believes a universal health-care system can combat this problem by treating those with substance abuse addiction with “humane, affordable and accessible medical care, not a jail sentence.”

WOMEN’S HEALTH

DOM COSTA

In 2016, voted in favor of a 20-week abortion ban, which was vetoed by the governor. Told the Pittsburgh PostGazette in 2017 that he believes in abortion under certain circumstances, but not as birth control. However, when a 20-week abortion ban was re-introduced in 2017, Costa voted against that bill.

Believes in women’s right to choose to have abortions, and wants to craft legislation that protects that right. Believes Pennsylvanians should have access to affordable, or free, birth control, sex education, sexually transmitted infections prevention, and prenatal and pregnancy care.

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Costa is endorsed by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, a few local Teamsters unions, two Allegheny County police union lodges and Pennsylvania’s Service Union International Union state council. Supported by Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.

Endorsed by Pittsburgh’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the national progressive group People for Bernie, the pro-LGBTQ Steel City Stonewall Democrats and the statewide environmental group PennEnvironment.

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★ PA HOUSE DISTRICT 34 ★

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In 2011, Costa voted in favor of a bill, later signed into law, which enacted onerous restrictions on abortion providers. He defends this vote by arguing that the law made abortion clinics safer. Costa is personally against abortion as a form of birth control, but voted against a 20-week abortion ban in 2016 and 2017. Costa also supports the Affordable Care Act.

Lee defends access to reproductive healthcare including the right to an abortion. Lee also supports a universal, single-payer healthcare system which would provide Pennsylvanians with healthcare minus co-pays, premiums and deductions.

Costa notes that fracking is legal and allowing it is a decision that local municipalities should make.

However, if faced with a bill placing a moratorium on fracking, Costa says he would vote for it. In 2016, environmental group PennEnvironment gave Costa a 36 percent rating.

Lee intends to be a “tireless advocate and organizer” for the environment.

Among her goals are replacing lead water lines, investing in renewable energy and restoring funding to the Department of Environmental Protection. Lee opposes fracking and the proposed natural-gas well at the Edgar Thomson Steel Mill, near the District 34 boundary.

Costa says state funding for public education is not equitable. He believes schools should have well-rounded programming and seeks to get funding for underprivileged schools. Costa believes charter schools must be held to the same standards as public schools.

Lee believes in free, quality public education from pre-kindergarten programs through college. Lee will push for equal state funding for public schools, charter school transparency and expansions in quality education.

Has support from Braddock Mayor John Fetterman and has received financial support from Pennsylvania state Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

Endorsed by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

Lee has been endorsed by LGBTQrights group Equality PA and progressive political groups Our Revolution and the Pittsburgh chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Has support from Food and Water Action, a lobbying group to protect access to safe food and clean drinking water.

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Matthew Christopher has had an interest in abandoned sites since he was a child, but started documenting them a decade ago while researching the decline of the state hospital system. His work is featured in various publications and media outlets including the LA Times, ABC and NBC News, PDN, The Atlantic, Photographer’s Forum, Buzzfeed and others. You can follow his work through his web site, Abandoned America, which is considered one of the leading collections of images of abandoned spaces on the Internet

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WILKINSBURG, PA 15221

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Join author and photographer Matthew Christopher, creator of the Abandoned America website and book series, on a journey through some of the country’s most fascinating and hauntingly beautiful ruins. Matthew will relate his inspirations and how he came to explore such unusual spots, and share some of his favorites from across the state, focusing on the Pittsburgh region. A fascinating tour of forgotten schools, churches, prisons, factories, and homes that have not been included in his previous presentations, his work is at once a cry for the preservation of our vanishing architectural heritage and a eulogy for the ruins in our midst.

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SUMM SUMMER LEE

Lee has served in various organizer and activist roles throughout Pittsburgh. In 2016, she worked with Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and last year ran a successful write-in campaign for candidates for the Woodland Hills School Board. She currently serves on the Woodland Hills Commission on Youth Development and Learning. Believes her progressive policies can be funded by increasing taxes on wealthy Pennsylvanians.

THURSDAY, MAY 3 • 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM LECTURE: MATTHEW CHRISTOPHER

PAUL COSTA

Costa is an advocate for Braddock’s revitalization and says he has helped bring new, locally owned businesses into the community. He has spent the majority of his career involved in various local and statewide boards, including the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, the Wilkins Township Democratic Committee and House Liquor Control Committee.

BIOGRAPHY

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HEALTHY COMPETITION Pennsylvania State Rep. Paul Costa has represented the 34th District for the past 20 years, facing little to no opposition until this year. His opponent, Summer Lee, is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and has gained community support for her progressive stances. The district covers areas east of Pittsburgh, as well as Braddock and Homestead, and is a mix of middle-class, mostly white suburbs and predominantly black towns along the Monongahela River.

★ PA HOUSE DISTRICT 20 ★

DISTRICT SHOWDOWN This primary battle for the District 20 Pennsylvania House seat features Adam Ravenstahl, a four-term incumbent from the North Side, and Mike Devine, a political neophyte, but no stranger to the city where he works as a musician and a community organizer.

The district stretches from Bellevue/West View through the North Side and across the Allegheny into Downtown, the Strip District and Lawrenceville.

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At a CP candidate’s forum said he would support single-payer health care. Voted against last year’s 20-week abortion ban. Supported a 2013 bill to prevent health insurers from offering access to abortion services on health-care exchange markets except in certain circumstances.

Devine supports single-payer universal health care. Says health care should “be like public education. You live here, you get what you need.” Says he will “defend the right to contraceptive services, abortion access, and other reproductive health services.”

In 2014, Ravenstahl voted for HB 2354, which allows state legislators to weigh in on federal Department of Environmental Protection mandated carbon emission reduction targets, essentially slowing and possibly altering the process.

Wants to see Pennsylvania as a state commit to the Paris climate accords, and said he wants to ensure the Beaver County ethane cracker project can’t “pollute at will.” Says “future generations should not pay for our mistakes.”

Ravenstahl writes on his Facebook page that “Making sure our children receive a quality education has always been my No. 1 priority.

They are our greatest asset.”

Endorsed by Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA).

On his website, Devine outlines several priorities for reforming public schools, including reducing class sizes, increasing teacher pay and restoring after-school programs.

Says schools still haven’t recovered from massive budget cuts from Governor Tom Corbett’s tenure.

Wants to move toward free college tuition for all state residents.

Endorsements from Equality Pennsylvania, SEIU Pennsylvania State Council, PSEA, Pittsburgh Fire Fighters Local No. 1, Allegheny County Democratic Committee, Allegheny County Labor Council, Steel City Stonewall Democrats.

Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates; is a Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America candidate.

BIOGRAPHY

Devine, a musician, community organizer and DJ (known as Zombo), is a political newcomer. He describes himself as a “political outsider/ community insider.” He has worked with several community organizations including Lawrenceville United and Friends of Arsenal Park. He and his wife Julie live in Lawrenceville.

EDUCATION

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HEALTH CARE

ADAM RAVENSTAHL

After graduating from Robert Morris University in 2007, Ravenstahl worked as a business analyst for UPMC Health Plan. He was first elected to represent the 20th District following a 2010 special election, the same seat once held by his grandfather Robert Ravenstahl.

Brother to former Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Son of District Judge Robert Ravenstahl, Jr. Married to Alisha Ravenstahl.

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ITY PAPER has a proud tradition of calling out nonsense when we see it. And calling out state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe’s nonsense over the course of the past decade has pretty much been a full-time job.

We’ve found many of his opinions and beliefs to be racist, xenophobic, close-minded and full of general numbskullery. But our biggest rap on the Butler County Republican is that he is a blatant obstructionist with a powerful state government committee chairmanship and is able to block any bill he doesn’t believe in from reaching the house floor for a vote.

Admittedly, these were our opinions. However, late last month, Metcalfe unleashed a Facebook tirade for the ages after Philadelphia legislator Chris Rabb filed a complaint that he was in fear of Metcalfe after the two had an argument over legislation that Rabb said Metcalfe gutted.

“Another lying Philadelphia Liberal Democrat Legislator attacking me this week with the help of the media! Another Democrat playing the victim while he is actually the perpetrator! After a committee meeting last week Philadelphia Representative Rabb approached me and launched into a profanity-laced disrespectful tirade,” Metcalfe wrote.

Additionally, Metcalfe went on to call Philly Rep. Brian Sims a “lying homosexual,” and once again brought up last year’s incident when he came out as a heterosexual in response to “touchy-feely Rep Matt Bradford who has touched me over 40 times in what many observers have said is an attempt to provoke me!”

These outbursts alone back many of our assertions about Metcalfe. He lets his boorish, caveman attitudes get in the way of working for the betterment of the state.

“When they oppose us on my committee, they lose every vote and we win every vote! I block all substantive Democrat legislation sent to my committee and

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

advance good Republican legislation!”

Metcalfe wrote.

Think about that for a moment. Metcalfe proudly admitted that he won’t give a fair hearing to any bill drafted by a Democrat. That includes legislation like protections to prevent LGBTQ discrimination, a bill that polls have shown would pass if it was brought forward for a vote.

Metcalfe is intentionally sabotaging the work of many duly-elected legislators, not occasionally, but “all substan-

tive” legislation. Democracy isn’t supposed to be controlled by one person, yet clearly in the Pennsylvania House it is.

It’s time for Daryl Metcalfe to be removed from his committee chair now and then from office in November.

He’s not good for Pennsylvania now or in the future. In fact, his kind of thinking could be downright dangerous.

•

City Paper‘s editorial board is Charlie Deitch, Meg Fair and Celine Roberts.

JENSORENSEN

NOT YOUR SIGN? VISIT WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM FOR OUR FULL ASTROLOGICAL FORECAST

These days you have an enhanced ability to arouse the appreciation and generosity of your allies, friends, and loved ones.

The magnetic influence you’re emanating could even start to evoke the interest and inquiries of mere acquaintances and random strangers. Be discerning about how you wield that potent stuff! On the other hand, don’t be shy about using it to attract all the benefits it can bring you. It’s OK to be a bit greedier for goodies than usual as long as you’re also a bit more compassionate than usual.

CP FILE PHOTO

Jung Ho Kang in the Pirates dugout

.PITTSBURGH LEFT.

FOUL CALL

BY CHARLIE DEITCH // CDEITCH@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

ITTSBURGH PIRATES third baseman Jung Ho Kang is back in the United States. He finally received a work visa from the U.S. government more than a year after being convicted in South Korea for a third-offense DUI. Because of the conviction, Kang had been denied entrance into this country until early last week. He is first headed to Bradenton, Fla. to start getting into baseball shape in the hopes of returning to the Pirates this season. The decision to allow Kang back into the country came as a surprise to many. Aside from the DUIs, there’s still also an open investigation into allegations that Kang drugged and sexually assaulted a woman in Chicago. The case stalled in the fall of 2016 because police could not locate Kang’s accuser.

But still, given the state of immigration policy in this country, Kang gaining reentry is a bit stunning. Does anyone know the legal definition of “Bad Hombre,” because I’m confused.

He had three DUIs in his home country and was accused of sexual assault in this one. When he entered the first time, he already had two DUIs under his belt and now he’s getting a second bite at the apple.

“I am very grateful to the U.S. government for giving me a second chance to demonstrate my pride in and appreciation for being allowed to continue my dream of playing Major League Baseball in the United States,” Kang wrote in a statement released April 27.

Kang is here legally and he did it the “right way” by “waiting in line” for his

turn. In fact, he’s now done it twice, the second time with three DUI convictions and a sexual assault allegation hanging over his head. So, why did he get two shots at the American Dream? Two Reasons: 1. He’s good at baseball. 2. He’s not Mexican.

City Paper has covered many cases of individuals who have been aggressively hunted down by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and expelled from this country. We’ve spent a lot of time the past couple of years covering the case of Martín Esquivel-Hernandez, a Pittsburgh man who came to this country undocumented. In the time he was here, he worked, supported his family, was active in his kids’ school and was an activist for the immigrant community. Regardless, he was picked up and shipped out of the country.

I know the so-called counter argument to this: If he’s undocumented, he has to go and do it “the right way.” But let’s face facts — and the Kang case is an excellent example of this — most Mexican citizens who try to “wait their turn” never even get a shot to “do it the right way.” Conversely, Kang, a famous guy with felony convictions, is now on his second chance before most people ever get their first.

Unfortunately, that’s the way things are today. We don’t have room for Mexican immigrants with clean records who want to work hard and care for their families in this country. After all, we’ve got to make room for baseball players with checkered pasts and the ability to hit home runs.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

15

FOOD+DRINK

CP PHOTOS BY JOHN COLOMBO

Rack of lamb with mushroom risotto, peashoots and grilled ramp salad from The Whitfield’s lamb menu

.FOOD.

WHOLE FOOD “I don’t have to worry about making it taste good because this lamb already tastes so good on its own.”

BY CELINE ROBERTS // CELINE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

16

WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM

J

UST OUTSIDE OF Pittsburgh, there are thousands of acres of farmland dotted with farmers raising some of the highest-quality meats, organic vegetables and cheeses in the country.

For restaurants that want to make use of the local bounty, it’s a great culinary advantage to have these farms so close by. Jamison Farm in Latrobe, for example, has been raising lamb since 1976 that the New York Times lauded as some of the country’s best. Bethany Zozula, the executive chef at the Whitfield inside the Ace Hotel and James Beard Foundation 2018 semifinalist for Best Chef in the MidAtlantic, has long worked with Jamison’s lamb and wanted to bring it to her kitchen in East Liberty. So, in January, she started lamb dinners that focus on using the whole animal.

Zozula took the helm as executive chef at Whitfield when it opened in 2016, but her career started in the early

2000s at the former Mountain View Inn in Greensburg where she first worked with Jamison Farm lamb.

“I’ve always really liked Jamison lamb. The farm and hotel are in Westmoreland County and the chefs there always used it and I always loved it,” says Zozula, who also has a personal connection with the family. “I grew up in the cooking world with them and I worked with their daughter at Mountain View. I went to ballet school with her and didn’t even realize it. I feel like I’ve grown up with them in my cooking. It’s familiar.”

As the sous chef at Eleven, she continued to work with their meats and also became acquainted with Jubilee Hilltop Ranch beef, which she now also uses in her butchery program at the Whitfield.

When Zozula and Paul Sale, the corporate chef for the Ace Hotel group, were initially developing the menu

5326 Butler Street • Upper Lawrenceville

alleghenywinemixer.com

The Whitfield’s sous chef, Steven Beachy breaks down a whole lamb.

for the opening, it didn’t have lamb on it. “I really wanted [lamb] so I [added] a lamb carpaccio and we did lamb sausage once in a while,” she says. Then Zozula reconnected with Sukey Jamison and started buying lamb necks, which sold well, even at the highest price point on the menu. To lower the price and make it more accessible to diners, Sale suggested a special menu. Zozula was already doing whole-animal butchery for the Jubilee Hilltop beef, so she decided to try the same approach with the lamb. She tried a couple of special menus late last year and now the kitchen is pushing forward with twice-monthly lamb dinners on Wednesdays. The lamb items are offered as a la carte specials in addition to the regular dinner menu.

Now every other week, the Whitfield kitchen receives two whole lambs from Jamison Farm, which are butchered in-house. In 2017, Jamison was recognized as the Conservation Farmer of the Year by the Westmoreland Conservation District for their grazing practices. Their flocks are grass-fed and eat an all-natural diet while ranging

free in the fields. Each menu is built around the number of cuts available and seasonal preparations. The menu features a handy (and cute) drawing of a lamb with lines to denote where each cut comes from and as the night progresses servers monitor how many of each dish is still available.

But using the whole lamb can be a challenge.

“In the beginning we played with a lot of things, trying to use up the other parts like the scraps, the leg and the shoulder; being smart about it and not wasting it, it’s definitely a project to do it,” she says. A few months in, Zozula is finding it easier to fold in the butchering and preparation with the rest of the kitchen work. She also uses the lamb menus to help develop the regular dinner menu.

“We’ll put a dish together around the lamb and then perhaps that dish will become the vegetarian entree once the lamb is gone,” she says. “Lamb feels special to people. I don’t have to worry about making it taste good because this lamb already tastes so good on its own.”

Expires 5-30-18

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

17

.FOOD.

EAT ME

BY CELINE ROBERTS CELINE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CP PHOTO BY JAKE MYSLIWCZYK

The Gretas: Greta Harper and Greta Harmon

CP PHOTO BY CELINE ROBERTS

.ON THE ROCKS.

LOCATION:

ASK THE GRETAS

Spak Brothers, 5107 Penn Ave., Garfield MON to SAT 11A - 9P | SUN 4P - 9P 5865 ELLSWORTH AVE, 15232 | 412.441.4141

WWW.SENYAIPGH.COM WWW WW W W SE S NYA SENY NY Y A IPG PG G H CO COM M

AMBIANCE: A grungy, punk dive that’s constantly busy. The business is mostly takeout, but if you snag one of the bar seats, you can check out the wall art or peoplewatch on Penn Avenue.

WHAT WE ATE: Seitan “cheesesteak”

COST: $7.61

HOT TAKE: This sandwich fires every “guilty pleasure” circuit in your brain.

The crunch of the hoagie roll paired with the salty seitan, caramelized onions and creamy mayo is an irresistible combination.

Perfect for a late-night sandwich after a couple of beers or as a midday pick-me-up.

18

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BY CRAIG MRUSEK // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

G

RETA HARPER and Greta Harmon

oversee the bar programs at two of Pittsburgh’s newer restaurants, Pirata and Bar Frenchman [full disclosure: Greta Harmon is my boss]. Aside from having nearly identical names, they also share a wealth of knowledge on all things bar-related. I posed a few questions to them about rum, a frequently maligned and misunderstood spirit.

WHAT’S PITTSBURGH’S RELATIONSHIP WITH RUM? WE DON’T SEEM TO EMBRACE IT AS READILY AS OTHER SPIRITS. HARMON: By and large, what most people have been exposed to locally are drinks where it’s cheap rum mixed with a whole bunch of fake fruit juice and sugar, so it’s all like candy…

HARPER: ... And they’re like, “That’s not what I want.” But then they go somewhere that makes a proper, classic cocktail that’s well balanced, and they say, “That’s what I like! I don’t want that fruity stuff.”

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT RUM? HARPER: Rum is not always sweet.

HARMON: Everybody also thinks that all rum is either Captain Morgan or Bacardi.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO CHANGE THE NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS OF RUM? HARPER: Take all the pretension out of it. The biggest thing with rum is that

it’s fun. To me, it’s the most fun of all the spirits.

HARMON: And diverse.

HARPER: It can taste like anything under the sun. You can get a rum that tastes like whiskey, tequila or vodka.

IF SOMEONE IS INTERESTED IN TASTING RUM, WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH? HARPER: I ask them exactly what they’re looking for. Do they like sweeter-style rums? Do they want something super funky? Sometimes people say they want spice. I’ll give them a Spanish style, an English style, and an agricole [distilled directly from pressed sugar cane], and see what they like.

HARMON: Being a barrel-aged spirit, there’s a lot of flavor aspects in rum that are similar to whiskey. So, it’s really easy to switch that around with people who like whiskey and find them a rum that will be similar.

IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE A RUM-BASED COCKTAIL AS A “GATEWAY DRINK” FOR A NEWBIE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? HARPER: Daiquiris all the way. If you make a perfectly balanced daiquiri, you have no idea what’s in it. It’s just a good drink.

HARMON: A nice rum Old Fashioned. Use a good dark rum with a touch of falernum, maybe a little bit of simple syrup, and some orange and Angostura bitters.

It’s so simple and perfectly spiced. It’s just really delightful.

•

CHECK OUT these PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS!

MAY 13-19

Various locations (Visit website for more details)

946 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

4771 McKnight Rd #5, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

230 W Station Square Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

505 Rochester Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

4305 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201

3601 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201

140 Andrew Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275

More Added daily!

Follow along at PGHBURGERWEEK.COM | #PGHBURGERWEEK

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

19

Be Greek for a Week 57th Annual

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Sunday, May 6 to Saturday, May 12 Enjoy Wonderful Greek Food, Pastries & Lively Dancing SERVING HOURS Sunday: Noon to 8p Monday thru Thursday: 11a to 9p Friday & Saturday: 11a to 10p (music til midnight)

CP PHOTO BY JAKE MYSLIWCZYK

Bibimbap

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*St. Nicholas Cathedral is located on the corner of S. Dithridge St. and Forbes Ave., across from The Carnegie Museum.

Take-out available Monday through Friday Visit the FOOD FESTIVAL section of our website stnickspgh.org to place your ORDER ONLINE!* *Online orders can ONLY be picked up between 11a-2p & 5p-8p

.FOOD.

FOOD AND IDENTITY

BY CELINE ROBERTS // CELINE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

N EARLY April, Chef Simon Chough opened Soju on Penn Avenue after six years of work and preparation. Chough is a 31-year-old first generation Korean American who grew up in Pittsburgh, surrounded by family and Korean cooking.

He worked in friends’ restaurants during high school and watched his uncle struggle to run his own restaurant downtown. “That was kind of a deterrent to me,” he says. After graduation, he left to study biochemistry in Honolulu and watched the restaurant industry step into the spotlight as a respected profession.

In Honolulu, he honed his skills at a variety of jobs, some without pay and all with long hours. He loved it and developed a strong relationship with mentors, including a Korean chef who took him under his wing. When he came back to the city in 2012, he bought the building on Penn Avenue that now houses Soju.

SOJU 4923 Penn Ave., Garfield. 412-956-7699

“I think food should be an expression of identity,” says Chough. His iteration of that identity is unique — not just in the context of Korean cuisine, family and his time in Hawaii — but also from history.

Many Korean foods have a Japanese influence as a result of the Japanese occupation of from 1910 to 1945. Chough’s gimbap features vegetables and other ingredients rolled together in rice and “gim” (layered sheets of seaweed) and then cut into slices.

20

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Soju, n.

Origin: Korea I. A clear distilled spi rit typically made from rice or sw eet potatoes.

II. A new Korean restau rant from chef Simon Chough (pr onounced Cho) in Garfield “People don’t realize the strong Japanese influence and they will see the gimbap as sushi, and it really is in some ways,” says Chough laughing. “My grandfather, he tells me this story. He’s had three different names in his lifetime. He was born with his Korean name and then the Japanese occupied Korea when he was a kid and gave him a new name and a new language. When the Japanese left he went back to his Korean name and then he came to the States and got an American name.”

Chough believes that Pittsburgh diners are ready to embrace Korean cuisine.

“The majority of clientele so far is overwhelmingly not Korean,” he says. He’s spending time to make sure that the servers are trained to help guide newcomers through flavors and pronunciations. “Some things are a little more adventurous, like our kimchi, but I think Korean barbecue pleases anybody,” says Chough. He’s hopeful that clientele will learn to utilize his favorite side dishes called “banchan” which include spicy pickled vegetables (hint: try eating them between bites of meat to help cleanse the palate and cut the fat of the meat).

•

DINING OUT

CP PHOTO BY VANESSA SONG

SPONSORED LISTINGS FROM CITY PAPER ’S FINE ADVERTISERS S

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED RESTAURANT

SENYAI THAI KITCHEN 5865 ELLSWORTH AVE., SHADYSIDE 412-441-4141 SENYAIPGH.COM Immersed in authenticity, Senyai Thai Kitchen creates an intricate fusion of food and design, where every detail transports you to a faraway place. Traditional favorites and new creations like jumbo lump crab curry make Senyai a destination.

THE ALLEGHENY WINE MIXER 5326 BUTLER ST., LAWRENCEVILLE 412-252-2337 WWW.ALLEGHENYWINEMIXER.COM Wine bar and tap room in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. Offering an eclectic list of wine by the glass or bottle, local beer, craft cocktails, cheese and cured meats, good times and bad art.

BROAD STREET BISTRO 1025 BROAD ST., NORTH VERSAILLES 412-829-2911 / BROADSTBISTRO.COM Broad Street Bistro is a neighborhood restaurant offering daily specials.

ALL food is prepared fresh and made to order. It is family friendly with a special kids’ menu.

COLONY CAFE 1125 PENN AVE., STRIP DISTRICT 412-586-4850 / COLONYCAFEPGH.COM Whether stopping in for a weekday lunch, an afternoon latte or after-work drinks with friends, Colony Cafe offers delicious house-made bistro fare in a stylish Downtown space.

EIGHTY ACRES 1910 NEW TEXAS ROAD, MONROEVILLE/PLUM 724-519-7304 / EIGHTYACRESKITCHEN.COM Eighty Acres Kitchen & Bar offers a refined, modern approach to contemporary American cuisine with a strong emphasis on local, farm-to-table products.

FULL PINT WILD SIDE TAP ROOM 5310 BUTLER ST., LAWRENCEVILLE 412-408-3083 / FULLPINTBREWING.COM Full Pint Wild Side Taproom is Full Pint Brewing company’s Lawrenceville location and features a full service

bar, huge sandwiches and half-priced happy hour. Open 4 p.m.-midnight, Mon.-Fri., and noon –midnight on Saturday. Check us out on Facebook for upcoming shows and events.

MERCURIO’S ARTISAN GELATO AND NEAPOLITAN PIZZA 5523 WALNUT ST., SHADYSIDE 412-621-6220 / MERCURIOSGELATOPIZZA.COM Authentic Neapolitan pizza, artisan gelato, and an inviting atmosphere are just a small part of what helps create your experience at Mercurio’s Gelato and Pizza in Pittsburgh, PA. It’s not your standard pizza shop; in fact, this isn’t a “pizza shop” at all.

PIAZZA TALARICO 3832 PENN AVE., LAWRENCEVILLE 412-652-9426 / PIAZZATALARICO.COM Piazza Talarico and Papa Joe’s Wine Cellar is a small, family-owned restaurant and winery in Western Pennsylvania serving authentic Italian peasant food. Enjoy the fresh food on site or take out. Specializes in “Baked Maccheron”, an al forno dish of rigatoni, Grandma’s sauce, cheese, pepperoni and boiled eggs.

SAGA HIBACHI 201 SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE MALL, BETHEL PARK 412-835-8888 / SAGAHIBACHI.COM Saga in the South Hills is now under new management. Stop in for exciting table-side preparations and the famous shrimp sauce. Or sit in the sushi-bar area for the freshest sushi experience, with both traditional preparations and contemporary variations.

Look for this symbol for Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurants, committed to building vibrant communities and supporting environmentally responsible practices.

Love Pittsburgh. Eat Sustainably. www.EatSustainably.org PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

21

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

Street Angel and her new friend on the cover of Jim Rugg’s Free Comic Book Day contribution

.COMIC.

FREE COMICS “It’s a chance to get in front of a bunch of new readers.”

BY REBECCA ADDISON // RADDISON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

22

WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

ITTSBURGHER JIM RUGG knew he wanted to be a comic artist from an early age.

“I started out reading comic books and I loved them and I love to draw and once I realized lots of people got paid to draw comic books, that was it for me,” Rugg says. “I was 12 and I decided that’s what I was wanted to do.”

Rugg is the Eisner Award-winning artist behind Street Angel, a comic series published by Image Comics (publisher of the The Walking Dead). This year, in honor of Free Comic Book Day, he’ll be releasing a new issue in the Street Angel series for free.

“People who don’t normally read comics will go to comic book stores on Free Comic Day to see what’s out there,” Rugg says. “Publishers see it as a big promotional event for their comics.”

The Street Angel series is about homeless, ninja, skateboarder Jesse “Street Angel” Sanchez. Rugg says he created the titular character because of the dearth of diversity in comic book characters.

“Whenever we first created Street Angel, it was to try to create a book that was different than all of the books I saw at comic book stores — primarily well-off white men fulfilling some 12-year-old male fantasy,” Rugg says.

“We wanted to create an alternative to that for readers who aren’t interested in those kinds of characters.”

In this year’s Free Comic Book Day installment, Street Angel’s Dog, Street Angel is dumpster-diving for food when she hears a noise. When she peers out of the dumpster, she sees a scared dog being bullied by a gang of kids.

Street Angel springs into action, scares the kids away and eventually sets out to help reunite the dog with his family.

“She falls in love with the dog right away, but then she realizes the dog has a home and a family,” says Rugg. “In her world — without a home and a family — these are sacred things.”

Free Comic Book Day is now in its 17th year. As part of the annual event, each publisher releases one or two books from its artists for free. This year, Image Comics chose Street Angel. The issue will be the largest print run of anything Rugg has published.

“It’s a chance to get in front of a bunch of new readers,” Rugg says.

“It has become a Black Friday for the comic book industry, every comic book shop I know, it’s their busiest day of the year. It’s a chance for me to put this comic in front of readers who have never heard of Street Angel.”

The book will be available at Eide’s, both Phantom of the Attic locations in Oakland and Monroeville, Copacetic Comics, Pittsburgh Comics, all five New Dimension Comics locations, South Side Comics, Duncan Comics and others. Rugg will be at New Dimension’s Pittsburgh Mills location to sign copies of his book on the day.

“Free Comic Book Day has become the biggest nerd holiday of the year!” said New Dimension Comics owner Todd McDevitt in a statement. “Every year, it’s more and more exciting to immerse into pop culture, which is dominated by all the cool characters that we have been selling for 32 years now. This is a great day for diehard fans, and for those curious to get a sample of what this great hobby is all about.”

But readers don’t have to wait until Free Comic Book Day to pick up another installment of Street Angel. On Wed., May 2, Rugg will be at Pittsburgh Comics to debut Street Angel Goes to Juvie, a

new adventure that finds Street Angel in the criminal justice system.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY STREET ANGEL BOOK SIGNING 7-9 p.m. Sat., May 5. New Dimension Comics, 590 Pittsburgh Mills Circle, Tarentum. Free. ndcomics.com

In addition to the new Street Angel books, Image Comics has published several hardcover collector’s editions of the series including Street Angel: After School Kung Fu Special, The Street Angel Gang and Street Angel: Superhero for a Day. In addition to the Street Angel series, Rugg has also worked with DC Comics to produce a series of young adult graphic novels called The P.L.A.I.N. Janes. His other works include Afrodisiac, One Model Nation and The Guild.

Snackable content to read on the go.

•

Editor’s note: Jim Rugg is an occassional contributor to City Paper.

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From left: Joe Lally, Anthony Pirog and Brendan Canty of The Messthetics

.MUSIC.

MARGIN WALKERS

SINCE 1980 MON-FRI 9AM-6PM SAT 10AM-5PM 513 GRANT AVENUE • MILLVALE Questions? Call Us 412-821-8484

ATTICRECORDS@VERIZON.NET

BY ALEX GORDON // ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

B

REN DAN CANTY is not only

an incredible drummer, multiinstrumentalist and film scorer, the dude can also turn a hell of a phrase.

He describes the playing of his former Fugazi bandmate and current Messthetics bassist Joe Lally as “a really sturdy jungle gym”; Messthetics guitarist Anthony Pirog’s style is “f—g fearless.” The Messthetics’ heady, odd time-signatures are “drummer torture” with “wackadoodle” meters. The Isley Brothers’ rhythm section is “glorious.”

THE MESSTHETICS WITH CALYX, TRACE REMAINS 8 p.m. Wed., May 2. Spirit Hall & Lodge, 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $10. spiritpgh.com

For Fugazi fans, hearing Lally and Canty reunited in The Messthetics is pretty glorious, too. Fugazi went into indefinite hiatus in 2003, and while Canty kept busy with film scoring and other bands in the time since, hearing the chemistry reignited between these two feels like eavesdropping on a longoverdue reunion between pals — which it pretty much is.

The Messthetics was born out of sessions following Lally’s return to Washington D.C. after nearly a decade living in Rome. He’d been composing jazzy, experimental tracks with guitarists in Italy, and started re-working them with Canty once back in the States. Pirog, a crazy-versatile guitarist and veteran

26

WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM

of experimental music, seemed like a perfect fit to round out the trio.

The result is an incredibly self-assured debut record, nine instrumental tracks of wild-eyed improvisation anchored by Lally and Canty’s deft, stubborn rhythm section. “Serpent Tongue,” the first single and first song they wrote as a trio, builds on a deceptively simple bassline with an odd time signature (three meters of five, then a meter of six, if you’re curious). The quirky meter stuff was Pirog’s idea, and despite being kind of a pain in the ass (“drummer torture”), the song emerged as something of a guiding principle for how and what the band would write from then on.

“It woke a bunch of muscles up that had been lying dormant for a while,” Canty says.

Odd signatures notwithstanding, the album is not math homework. The cerebral stuff might make the music majors perk up, but the final product is pure fun (think Delicate Steve or an instrumental Rush). Canty and Lally might have a 30year head start chemistry-wise, but Pirog weirdly fits right in. The album is fun to listen to because they actually had fun making it.

“The whole goal is to get up there on stage and try to listen to each other and communicate to each other and work together to make it happen on stage,” says Canty. “In that way, it’s really similar to Fugazi. It’s really a great matchup for Joe and me to be playing with [Pirog].

That’s obviously what we need, you know? It’s been a complete blast.”

•

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL HENNINGER

A weary life: Matthew Amendt as Hamlet

.STAGE.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

BY ALEX GORDON // ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

FTER AN impressive 18 years with Pittsburgh Public Theater, artistic

director and managing director Ted Pappas is moving on. And what better sendoff for a theater veteran than taking on Hamlet, one of the biggest monsters in all of theater?

If it’s been awhile, here are the bones of the thing: young Prince Hamlet returns to Denmark after his pops dies in questionable circumstances and finds his mom, Queen Gertrude, has already been remarried to his Uncle Claudius. There’s something fishy about the whole thing, underlined by intermittent appearances by Hamlet’s ghost-dad who dishes on Claudius’ fratricide and implores his hesitant son to get revenge. That might seem like good, reliable ghost-based evidence, but Hamlet has his doubts. A great deal of handwringing ensues. There’s a play within a play, a dead court jester exhumed and some badass sword-fighting. A bunch of people die. You might not remember every twist and turn of the story, but you’ll surely recognize its many imprints on modern language (“doth protest too much,” “infinite jest,” something about brevity and wit).

HAMLET Continues through May 20. O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. $30-75. ppt.org

While the entire ensemble handles the challenging language admirably, Matthew Amendt thrives in the title role. He won a Shakespeare monologue contest while still in high school and his ease with the tongue twisters is key to the production’s success. Matt Sullivan, as Prime Minister Polonius, provides some much-needed levity to the infamously heavy tale. But the big comic moments land on the shoulders of Tony Bingham and Quinn Patrick Shannon as the gravediggers; they do not disappoint.

As with any canonical work, the challenge of directing Hamlet comes down to deciding where to make creative decisions and where to leave the original text intact. Too much embellishment and you’ll be roasted by the traditionalists, but a tasteful creative tweak here and there can make the difference between memorable and dull. Pappas walks the line well. The costumes by Gabriel Berry mix recognizably Shakespearian garb with august, early 20th century suits and jackets (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern could sub in for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in a pinch). The original score by Zach Moore punctuates the transitions without being distracting.

But aside from some clever flourishes by Amendt’s Hamlet, Pappas and crew let the text speak for itself.

It’s a hell of a curtain call.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

27

.DANCE.

FANCY FEET

BY STEVE SUCATO INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

S PART OF the global celebration

of the 100th birthday of late .choreographer/director Jerome Robbins (1918–1998), Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, along with the PBT Orchestra, will close out its 2017-18 season with three of the theater, movie and television icon’s dance works.

Closest to PBT artistic director Terrence Orr’s heart, Robbins’ masterwork “Fancy Free” (1947) will be featured. It’s a ballet Orr not only danced in but also staged for other dance companies. “[Robbins] got me to teach it to New York City Ballet … but he didn’t want the 1965 version I had danced but the original 1947 version,” says Orr. “He gave me these small reels of film shot from the wings of a performance in South America and I went through quite a learning process to really understand the ballet.”

The 29-minute WWII-era ballet about the exploits of three sailors on leave in New York was inspired in part

by American artist Paul Cadmus’s 1934 painting “The Fleet’s In,” as well as the friendship Robbins’ had with two of his fellow dancers at Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre). It launched the young choreographer’s career and that of its composer, Leonard Bernstein, who was unknown at the time.

Later the inspiration for the musical On the Town, “Fancy Free” is a microcosm of all that would come to characterize Robbins’ choreographic greatness.

Clever, technically demanding and dense

PHOTO COURTESY OF DUANE RIEDER

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in “West Side Story Suite”

“WEST SIDE STORY SUITE,” “IN THE NIGHT” AND “FANCY FREE” PERFORMED BY THE PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE (WITH ORCHESTRA) 8 p.m., Fri., May 4, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., Sat., May 5 and 3 p.m., Sun., May 6.

Benedum Center, 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $28-109. pbt.org

with animated movement storytelling, the ballet is genius.

“Jerry [Robbins] was about the art and

MC KEESPORT LITTLE THEATER PRESENTS...

The

N e rd

Larry Shue MAY 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 2018 A COMEDY BY

Thursday performances at 8:00p.m.

Friday and Saturday performances at 8:00p.m.; Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.

TICKETS ARE $15, $10 ON THURSDAYS - GROUP RATES AVAILABLE. HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE.

he wanted people to dance to their fullest potential… he was a great artist, choreographer and a perfectionist,” says Orr. The program will also feature a 36-minute suite from Robbins’ signature work West Side Story for which he won a 1957 Tony Award, as well as two Academy Awards for the 1961 film adaptation. Set to another of Bernstein’s iconic scores, the suite is a distillation of five dances from the Broadway musical included in the 1989 musical Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, plus another solo Robbins created to “Something’s Coming”.

PBT’s cast of 41 dancers will sing as well as dance in the familiar modern

adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.

“It’s a well-rounded shortened version of West Side Story,” says the ballet’s repetiteur Julio Monge. “Robbins is all about intentions in his choreography. There is a lot of sass and punch and American musical theater energy in it that he was the master of.”

Rounding out the program will be Robbins’ “In the Night” (1970). Danced to four nocturnes by Frédéric Chopin, the 21-minute ballet tells of “three contrasting sets of lovers, from innocent to impetuous, who meet beneath a midnight sky.”

•

presents

Abracadabra An E Evening vening ooff M Music usic & M Magic agic SATURDAY, MAY 5 - 8 PM TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL

231 Park Avenue • Washington, PA 15301 Tickets start at just $17.

Tickets available at 1-888-71-TICKETS or www.washsym.org.

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1614 COURSIN STREET • McKEESPORT • (412) 673-1100 FOR RESERVATIONS VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.MCKEESPORTLITTLETHEATER.COM

28

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The WSO has received funding i for f its it 2017-2018 2017 2018 season marketing k project from the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, Inc.

WINNER of TWO GRAMMY AWARDS!

TOP 5

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ORGANIZATIONS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

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Fre F Fres

BY REBECCA ADDISON RADDISON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

— NEXT WEEKEND!— FRIDAY, MAY 11 AT 8:00 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 12 AT 8:00 P.M. SUNDAY, MAY 13 AT 2:30 P.M. HEINZ HALL

CP PHOTO BY JAKE MYSLIWCZYK

Planned Parenthood volunteers

UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA Ongoing volunteer opportunities here include the Open Your Heart to a Senior and Be a Middle School Mentor programs. uwswpa.org

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WESTERN PA This organization is always looking for volunteers of all ages to help provide, promote, and protect reproductive healthcare services. plannedparenthood.org/plannedparenthood-western-pennsylvania

GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK This nonprofit needs volunteers to help at its repack center, with family engagement days and with its Produce to the People program. pittsburghfoodbank.org

WOMEN’S CENTER AND SHELTER OF GREATER PITTSBURGH Volunteers are needed to prepare food for residents in the emergency shelter and facilitate abuse support groups. Applicants must complete 40-hour training and obtain Act 33/34 clearances. wcspittsburgh.org

PITTSBURGH PARKS CONSERVANCY Nature enthusiasts can volunteer to cleanup local parks, plant and weed gardens, and work as a naturalist or docent at the new Frick Environmental Center. pittsburghparks.org

Michael Krajewski, conductor Storm Large, vocals From Cole Porter and Frank Sinatra to Elton John, The Pixies and Queen, join the sensational and sultry Storm Large on a pulse-racing tribute to Love, Lust & Rock ‘n’ Roll, with powerful hits including “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Forbidden Fruit,” “Somebody to Love,” and much more!

Outdoor Overtures SATURDAY, MAY 12

DISCOVERY TIME ADVENTURES: 10 A.M., • CONCERT AT 11:15 A.M.

HEINZ HALL

Discover the music of the great outdoors with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra! Travel to the wild west with Copland’s Hoe Down and soar with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee! The stars at night are big and bright in this fanciful outdoor adventure!

PRESENTING PARTNERS

IGOR LEVIT PERFORMS

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BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTO 4 NO.

FRIDAY, MAY 18 AT 8:00 P.M. SUNDAY, MAY 20 AT 2:30 P.M.

FRIDAY, JUNE 8 AT 8:00 P.M. SUNDAY, JUNE 10 AT 2:30 P.M.

Cristian Macelaru, conductor Augustin Hadelich, violin

Manfred Honeck, conductor • Igor Levit, piano

HEINZ HALL

ENESCU: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 &81Į - Violin Concerto COPLAND: Symphony No. 3

HEINZ HALL

MOZART: Symphony No. 33 BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4 VALI: Isfahan (Calligraphy No. 16) LISZT: Les Préludes WAGNER: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Prelude to Act 1

TICKETS START AT $20! GET YOURS TODAY! *GKP\ *CNN $QZ 1HƂEG | 412.392.4900 | pittsburghsymphony.org BRING YOUR GROUP AND SAVE! 412.392.4819 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

29

.CD REVIEW.

LOCAL BEAT

BY MEG FAIR MEGFAIR@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

DRINKIN’ TO THE DEAD >>

BY BASTARD BEARDED IRISHMEN SELF-RELEASED BASTARDBEARDEDIRISHMEN.COM

Bastard Bearded Irishmen has earned praise as a vivacious St. Patrick’s Day band with a remarkable live show, but on its latest album Drinkin’ to the Dead, the band sets out to prove that it’s more than just a band to listen to and see in the context of St. Paddy’s.

BBI pushes boundaries in sound on Drinkin’, but the raucous energy remains the same, so its tuneage is still appropriate for celebrations of all kinds.

BASTARD BEARDED The band takes its blend of Celtic music and IRISHMEN with punk rock and expands the limits on Drinkin’ to the MOLLY ALPHABET Dead by incorporating country sounds (“Dirty Old 7 p.m. Fri., May 4.

Town”) as well as Balkan elements (“Ya Ya Ya”) and 350 Station Square Drive, even hints of reggae (“Green Side of the Hill”). And South Side. $21.20. the band shows off it isn’t all Guinness and whiskey gatewayclipper.com with “Moscato (Intermission),” a silly, acoustic-based intermission about drinking some refreshing wine.

BBI first began performing to celebrate the life of a friend who had passed, and this record further cements that this kind of bright celebration is still at the heart of all it does, no matter what sound the band is putting forth. •

CP PHOTO BY JAKE MYSLIWCZYK

Check out more photos from this year’s Art All Night at www.pghcitypaper.com 30

WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITTONKATONK

Extraordinary Rendition Band at Pittonkatonk 2017

.MUSIC.

COMMUNITY AFFAIR

BY MEG FAIR // MEGFAIR@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

F

OR ATTENDEES, Pittonkatonk is a

blissful celebration that fills an afternoon and evening with music, potluck meals and conversations with friends new and old. But for the team of volunteer organizers, the day of Pittonkatonk begins at 8 a.m. and doesn’t end until the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Pavilion in Schenley Park is cleaned up and returned to the way it was found.

And that’s just the day of the party, of course. Pittonkatonk is a year-round effort with musical education-outreach programming running at Sto-Rox high school in addition to the months of planning that are required to pull off such a big community gathering.

Pete Spynda, one of the founders of Pittonkatonk, has been spending a lot of time thinking about the future and direction of Pittonkatonk, starting with some new additions this year. Previously the festival was mostly Balkan-centric in genre, but this year attendees will also hear Afro-Latinx sounds (Esso Afrojam Funkbeat), Colombian music (Gaiteros De Sanguashington), Tuareg guitar music (Mdou Moctar) and more.

“We made the conscious decision to include more voices since May Day comes from the People’s Labor Day,” explains Spynda. “We are really focusing on that and having different voices present at this year’s event.”

In its infancy, Pittonkatonk wasn’t much more than a backyard party, but these days it incorporates activism, advocacy and community groups from around the city.

“I spend a lot of time meeting with organizations to make sure we have dynamic voices in the event and we’re representing a true community event,” says Spynda.

As a result, there will be a community resources tent that features social and environmental justice organizations in the area including 1Hood and its Artivist Academy, the Latin American Cultural Union, Fair Districts PA, Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation, OnePA, the Allegheny Watershed Alliance, New Sun Rising, Artist Image Resource, Assemble, Prototype and the Thomas Merton Center.

PITTONKATONK 1 p.m. Sat., May 5. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Pavilion in Schenley Park, Oakland. pittonkatonk.org LINEUP: What Cheer Brigade (Providence) • Detroit Party Marching Band (Detroit) • Afro Yaqui Music Collective • Keleta and Super Yamba Band (West Africa/NYC) • Gaiteros De Sanguashington (Washington DC) • Mdou Moctar (Niger) • 1Hood • Coro Latinoamericano • Esso Afrojam Funkbeat (Chicago) • Timbeleza • Bitch Thunder (Toledo, OH) • Col Eagleburger • May Day Marching Band • Rumbon de la Calle • Sto-Rox Marching Band • Big Blitz • Bombici • Drum Lines & Hard Rhymes

“It’s a May Day celebration, so we’re talking about equal rights, talking about access to clean air and clean water, talking about things that maybe aren’t talked about as much as they should be talked about,” says Spynda. “I have bigger ideas for the tent in the future, and I see it growing into a more integral part of Pittonkatonk day in the park.

“The point is to highlight the work these organizations are doing and give them an opportunity to share it with an audience we’ve created.”

•

2018

VOTING BEGINS MAY 21

ST

Nominations are over...now the fun begins!

Get ready to vote for the Best of PGH finalists on May 21st.

Winners will be invited to attend the Best of PGH 2018 Party on August 9th!

pghcitypaper.com/bestofpgh #CPBESTOFPGH PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

31

Kick it with a

TASTY GROOVE

Djs are every Wed, Fri, & Sat. 10pm - 1am. Bands start between 8 - 9 pm on Thursday nights.

May 3rd

Juan & Co.

May 17th

Casual Hobos Blue Grass

May 24th Told Ya So

May 31st

Acoustic Open Mic with Jay Constable

CP PHOTO BY SARAH WILSON

Amanda Averell, Christina McNeese and Suzanne Lawrence ham it up at Arcade Comedy Theater.

.COMEDY.

DJs & LIVE MUSIC Outdoor seating now open

EatShady.com

412-697-0909

5500 Walnut Street, Shadyside

FUNNY WOMEN

BY LAUREN ORTEGO // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

“

D

AMN. You’re funny for a

woman.”

From comments like this to being drafted for shows just because a manager wants to sleep with them to being made to feel as if they’re female first, comic second, women in comedy face a different set of criticisms compared to their male counterparts.

But in the growing Pittsburgh comedy scene, women like Gab Bonesso and Nance Marshall have made themselves known and the traditionally male-dominated field is becoming increasingly inclusive. Still, the culture has some catching up to do.

“Comedy, period, is like a guy’s club type of thing,” says Christina McNeese, a local comedian and the founder of comedy collective ChicksBurgh Comedy.

“But there are women who do it. And then within that circle of women there’s different [genres of comedy] scattered in there.”

McNeese started her career as a poet in New York and made the switch to comedy after a poetry slam that was too melancholy for her liking.

“There were some really great poems, but they were all depressing,” McNeese says. “So, I was like, ‘someone should tell some jokes so we don’t all kill ourselves when we go home.’”

McNeese, like all the comedians interviewed by City Paper, is fully aware that her treatment and experience as a comedian differs from that of her male colleagues.

“I feel like, just as in every industry, we don’t get paid as much,” McNeese says.

For more information on ChicksBurgh, follow @ChicksBurghMic on Twitter.

32

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“We often have to deal with the bullshit of not knowing if someone wants to put you on a show or if they want to have sex with you… You have to be really tough, you have to be funny, but you have to keep doing it.”

Wondering whether they’re found to actually be funny or simply attractive to the men planning comedy shows is a problem that many women in the industry face. Fellow local comedian Blair Parker echoed these sentiments.

Parker says that despite having more comedic experience, background and knowledge, she has found herself and her ideas being pushed to the side. This is what ultimately drove her from comedy writing to standup.

“I would show up on set to film a sketch that I wrote and directed ... and they would start changing my ideas,” says Parker. “I didn’t feel like any of them were taking me very seriously. So

I thought, ‘How can I continue to have these ideas and put them out there on my own?’”

Parker has been in the spotlight since she was a toddler. Originally a dancer, she would perform at the Warner Theatre in Erie in front of thousands of people.

“It’s always just been in my nature to be a performer,” Parker says. “It wasn’t until about high school, though, when my influence of Chris Farley told me to take that turn [to comedy].”

Parker and comedian Suzanne Lawrence say that because there are so few female comedians, there’s a sense of competitiveness among them that works not only to divide the group but also unnecessarily pits them against each other.

“Since it feels like every show has one woman on it, every time a new woman comes on the scene and starts getting booked, it feels like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if this is going to reduce the amount of shows I get booked on,’” says Lawrence. “[Which] is more than if a new guy started in comedy, because there’s so many more guys doing shows.”

Lawrence says she has never quite felt left out of the ring, however. She hasn’t had any experiences of overt discrimination and feels like eventually being the “token-woman comedian” will die out as more women enter the scene.

Lawrence first began dabbling in comedy as a child, donned in a horrendous Tweety-bird dress, armed with a Fozzie Bear joke book, and performing before a room full of company her parents had invited over. She says she’s always had a natural affinity for laughter.

Prevalent in all of these comedians

is a love for comedy, for commanding a room and for making audiences laugh.

They can all remember fondly the first time they felt a rush from making people laugh.

“Even as a kid, I wanted to write for Saturday Night Live, and do stuff like that,” says fellow comedian Amanda Averell. “So I’ve always wanted it; I just didn’t know how to get there or what to do.”

Averell, like many comedians, started performing at an open-mic night. But unlike many comedians, she first stepped on the stage on a whim and hasn’t looked back since.

“I FEEL LIKE, JUST AS IN EVERY INDUSTRY, WE DON’T GET PAID AS MUCH.” Averell’s hope for the future of comedy, not just in Pittsburgh, but in general, is that everyone across the board — regardless of gender, race, religion and nationality — can be represented.

“I eventually want it to not be viewed as being a ‘female’ comedian, but just as a comedian,” says Averell. “I want other people who read this [article] to realize that we want more women in the comedy scene, we want to make sure that the demographic — not just of comics, but of supporters of comedy — grows for men and women.”

•

.MUSIC.

MP 3 MONDAY >> POP THIEF Each week we post a song from a local artist online for free, and this week it’s “Etch” by Pop Thief, a meandering psychedelic hip-hop track about a person’s first LSD trip. The rapid-fire verses dissolve into dreamy, flowing choruses before giving way to a dark prog-rock instrumental finale. Stream or download “Etch” for free on FFW>>>, the music blog at pghcitypaper.com.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

33

.BOOK.

ON OUR SHELF

BY REBECCA ADDISON RADDISON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

UNTOLD TALES >> OF BIGFOOT

BY VINCE DORSE UNTOLDTALESOFBIGFOOT.COM

When Pittsburgh-based comic artist Vince Dorse released his web-comic series Untold Stories of Bigfoot in 2013, it was met with critical acclaim. (Dorse is an occasional City Paper contributor.)

He was nominated for a Cartoonist Studio Prize and a Reuben award and the series has continued to be nominated ever since.

The comic begins with a lonely Bigfoot looking for a friend, which he ultimately finds in a hunting dog named Scout who has been abandoned by its family. The two forge an unlikely friendship, often hindered by Bigfoot’s limited vocabulary.

Last month, Dorse began releasing a new story arc in the series. In this installment, “Devil in the Details,” Bigfoot and his dog find themselves in potential danger. Two men from Pitt & Krater’s Travelling Menagerie have arrived at the pair’s home in the forest and they’ve brought a net with them.

So far only three parts of the story have been released so there’s plenty of time to catch up and find out what lies in store for Bigfoot and Scout. •

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS GOODMAN

Mikey Felice

.MUSIC.

LONG LIVE THE GOBLIN KING

BY MEG FAIR // MEGFAIR@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

M

IKEY “Tha Pants” Felice, a leg-

end in the Pittsburgh punk community, died at age 36 on April 15 following a brief illness. Nearly two decades ago, Felice founded Rally Ally, a music venue in Latrobe, Pa., with his best friend Chris Goodman. Rally Ally hosted bands like Caustic Christ, Crucial Unit and more.

After Rally Ally closed, Felice continued to book shows around Pittsburgh, particularly at Belvedere’s in Lawrenceville, which he lovingly referred to as “Lawlessville.” He booked bands like Toxic Holocaust, Resistant Culture and The Vibrators among countless others, and he was known for his distinct flyers.

A longer oral history from the voices of friends and family of Mikey can be found at pghcitypaper.com.

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More than just being a promoter of legend, Felice had a magnetic personality. He was a welcoming figure and taught many of Pittsburgh’s punks about the music and culture that became their life, and he often provided a family for punks who needed it.

One of those punks is Ashlee Hagan, who met Felice when she was 16. When she needed a place to live, he welcomed her into his own home on Centre Avenue. “A lot of times people are under the impression that punks are mean, but Mikey wasn’t a mean punk.

He was someone who wanted you to know everything that he knew about

punk, and that’s what I think is so special about him,” says Hagan. “It was this automatic open arms, no questions asked policy.”

In an email exchange with City Paper, Goodman emphasized the kind of loving positivity that Felice embodied.

“Mikey was the most relentlessly positive person you’d ever meet. We both battled some demons. Some readers know what I’m talking about. Some of the same ones a lot of the time but Mikey never gave up hope. There were times when we literally had nothing between us but no matter what he never would let me get down,” Goodman wrote.

“Many people know the familiar image of his head popping out of a dumpster with this huge grin like he’d hit oil,” Goodman wrote. “When I think about his smile it kills me. His back teeth touched but his front didn’t. He had jaw problems, but it created this beautiful huge toothy smile.”

On Thu., April 26, friends and family of Felice gathered for a punk show at Belvedere’s to talk about his legacy and share some of their favorite stories of him while raising money to cover funeral costs. Two whole hours of the event were dedicated to story sharing.

“I want people to remember him their unique way. Everyone he crossed paths with has a story that’s similar to others but uniquely their own. He touched every single soul he came across. You felt lucky to know him,” Goodman wrote.

“He was a legend in his own right.”

•

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EARLY WARNINGS SPONSORED UPCOMING EVENTS FROM CITY PAPER’S FINE ADVERTISERS

SUNDAYS, MAY 6-27, 1-5 PM SOUTH PARK FAIRGROUNDS OPEN TO AGES 18+

WED., MAY 16 EMMURE 7 P.M. REX THEATER SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $18.50-22.

412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com.

WED., MAY 16 THE WAILERS 7:30 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE SOUTH HILLS. $30-32. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.

SUN., MAY 20 FROM ASHES TO NEW

WED., MAY 16 POPA CHUBBY

THE STAGE AT KARMA

8 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTH SIDE. $14-25. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.

With special guest Jeff Fetterman Band.

WED., MAY 16 YANNI 8 P.M. BENEDUM CENTER DOWNTOWN. $53.75-325.

412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

THU., MAY 17 WHITNEY PEYTON 6:30 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $10-12.

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With special guests East Koast Craziez, Ghozt Tha Dmented & Jay Caulfield.

THU., MAY 17 ANA POPOVIC 8 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. $18-30. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com. With special guest Stevee Wellons Band.

THU., MAY 17 TASTY GROOVE: DJS AND LIVE MUSIC

$40 per team for county residents and $50 for non-residents

Register at alleghenycounty.us/parkprograms

THU., MAY 17 FLEET FOXES 8 P.M. BENEDUM CENTER DOWNTOWN. $38.75-83.75.

412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

FRI., MAY 18 SIGNS OF SPRING HIKE 11 A.M. NORTH PARK WEXFORD. Free event (registration required).

724-935-2170 or alleghenycounty.us/ parkprograms.

FRI., MAY 18 SCIENCE FRIDAY LIVE 7:30 P.M. CARNEGIE OF HOMESTEAD MUSIC HALL MUNHALL. All-ages event. $29-49. 412-462-3444 or ticketfly.com.

SAT., MAY 19 THE MELVINS

8 P.M. SHADY GROVE RESTAURANT & BAR SHADYSIDE. Free event.

412-697-0909 or eatshady.com.

8 P.M. REX THEATER SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $25. 412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com.

With special guest All Souls.

THU., MAY 17 EQT CHILDREN’S THEATER FESTIVAL

SUN., MAY 20 PUNK IN DRUBLIC: MUSIC & CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

10 A.M. THROUGHOUT THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. All-ages event. $9.

Pghkids.trustarts.org.

12 P.M. HIGHMARK STADIUM STATION SQUARE. OVER-21 EVENT. $49.50-99.50. 412-224-4900 or

pittsburghpid.frontgatetickets.com.

SUN., MAY 20 FROM ASHES TO NEW 7:30 P.M. THE STAGE AT KARMA SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $12-14.

844-655-2762 or ticketfly.com.

SUN., MAY 20 SLAUGHTER 8 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. $28-45. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com. With special guests Dying Breed & Fatality Risen.

YOGA ON THE LAWN Classes meet Wednesdays May 9-30, 7-8 pm Hartwood Acres Mansion Lawn

TUE., MAY 22 ERIC JOHNSON AND THE FABALOUS A-TEAM 5 P.M. BACKSTAGE BAR AT THEATER SQUARE DOWNTOWN. Free event.

412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

TUE., MAY 22 CRAFT BEER SCHOOL 6:15 P.M. CABARET AT THEATER SQUARE DOWNTOWN. $30.75. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

TUE., MAY 22 CINDERELLA 7:30 P.M. HEINZ HALL DOWNTOWN. $30-96. 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org.

FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYCOUNTY.US

$30 for county residents $40 for non-residents

Pre-registration required at alleghenycounty.us/parkprograms PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

35

.STAGE.

LIFE STAGE

BY TED HOOVER INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HERE’S A famous line in theater: “Be careful of the scenery … you never know who’s been chewing it before you.” In Ronald Harwood’s play The Dresser, the person previously gnawing down on every inch of available scenery would be the character known only as Sir. He’s an actor of the old school; bombastic, egomaniacal, shameless and now in the final act of his life.

But, as the title suggests, the play’s really about Norman, the man who’s been Sir’s life support system for many, many years. He not only sees to Sir’s costumes, he takes his abuse, controls backstage traffic and runs interference between Sir and his wife, known as Her Ladyship. And even though Norman has already given his all to Sir, when the play opens we see much more is going to be required.

It’s 1942 and Sir has taken his ragtag acting company out on a tour of

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES ORR

Joyce Miller, Mark Stevenson and Art DeConciliis in The Dresser

THE DRESSER continues through May 5. Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg. littlelaketheatre.org

the provinces just as the London Blitz is getting underway. Sir has passed his

sell-by date some years ago and though he’s hounded by existential dread, he can’t stop. In the first act, Norman tries desperately to ready the star for his evening’s performance of King Lear — even though Sir has just signed himself out of a local hospital. Act Two takes place during the Lear intermission

and what happens after the curtain comes down.

There’s no question Harwood started out as an actor himself — the language and feel of the show is steeped in old theater lore. But what elevates The Dresser beyond mere backstage story (and why it’s been twice made into a movie), is that Harwood uses theater as a metaphor for life — the endless repetitive slog of it all and the absolute necessity of deceiving yourself and others just to get through it.

It’s a funny, smart and moving work featuring two extremely juicy roles for actors.

Fortunately, the Little Lake Theatre production has Art DeConciliis and Mark Stevenson on hand to play Norman and Sir. DeConciliis’ painfully intense and quiet performance is the perfect match to the howling-at-the-wind rage of Stevenson. This is an expertly balanced co-performance finely calibrated by director James Critchfield.

There’s a number of enjoyable supporting performances as well, especially Joyce Miller playing the conflicted love and contempt of Her Ladyship and Lynne Franks’ furious, toxic devotion as the stage manager.

•

CALENDAR MAY 2-9

^ Thu., May 3: Avenue Q

WEDNESDAY DAY MAY 2 ADULT President Donald Trump has made several visits to Pittsburgh tsburgh during his presidency and d preceding campaign. So, it’s only fitting that Pittsburgh gh is a stop on the tour of one of Trump’s former “associates.” Adult film star Stormy Daniels, who says she had a sexual relationship

with Trump and was paid $130,000 not to talk about it, w will perform two shows tonight and two tomorrow night (May 3) at Blush Gentleman’s Club as part pa of her “Making America H Horny Tour.” Daniels has performed perform at the club before, but this is her he first performance since she spilled the beans about seeing the President’s top-secret briefs.

Presid Charlie Deitch 7 p.m. 135 Ninth St., Downtown. $20-40. blushexotic.com blush < Wed., May 2: Stormy Daniels PHOTO COURTESY OF GLENN FRANCIS (PACIFICPRODIGITAL.COM)

THURSDAY MAY 3

TRANSPORTATION The proposed Bus Rapid Transit system would alter bus rides for thousands of Pittsburghers by providing bus-only lanes and upgraded stops on routes from Downtown to Oakland, and beyond.

Transit riders protested the first BRT proposal that would have cut service to Mon-Valley communities, and the Port Authority of Allegheny County responded by going back to the drawing board. Today, residents can

learn up-to-date details at a BRT meeting at the Jewish Community Center, and ask questions about how it will affect their bus ride. This meeting will provide special focus on riders for 61 bus routes, as well as Squirrel Hill and Greenfield residents. Ryan Deto 6:30 p.m.

5738 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. Free. portauthority.org

STAGE Tonight marks the opening of Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s Avenue Q. This Tony Award-winning musical tells the coming-of-age story of a recent college graduate who moves to the big city. But he’s in for a rude awakening.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BLOOMFIELD-GARFIELD CORPORATION

^ Fri., May 4: Garfield Night Market

Despite his dreams, the main character has little money and finds himself living in a shabby apartment on Avenue Q. Directed by Stephen Santa, this oftcomical musical is a satire of children’s television shows, complete with puppets that serve as the main character’s friends, leading him through the trials and tribulations of adulthood. The show continues through May 13.

Rebecca Addison 7:30 p.m. Gargaro Theater, 327 S. Main St., West End. $40. pittsburghmusicals.com/shows/ westend/aveq

FILM Travel overseas without leaving the comfort of Pittsburgh tonight with a screening of Cold Tango as part of the 2018 Russian Film Symposium presented by the University of Pittburgh and Pittsburgh Filmmakers. Cold Tango, directed by Russian screenwriter and director Pavel Chukhray, is a postWWII love story about a Jewish Soviet police officer, Max, and Laima, the daughter of the man who killed Max’s

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parents during the war. Introducing the film is Elena Prokhorova, an associate professor of Russian at the College of William and Mary. Lauren Ortego 7:30 p.m. Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Ave., Oakland. $5-8. rusfilm. pitt.edu

MUSIC Multidisciplinary artist Holy Hum will turn the Funhouse at Mr. Smalls into a tidal wave of sound and sight.

The ethereal ambient post rock vibrates with vulnerable emotional energy, inviting you into the world of the ^ Fri., May 4: Ruby the RabbitFoot

brain behind Holy Hum, Andrew Yong Hoon Lee. His work sounds like the score to an out-of-body experience floating through the enormous pines of the Pacific Northwest, filling your lungs with cool, damp air and the smell of the earth.

Joining Holy Hum is local dancesound duo and eternal awe-creators slowdanger, as well as Thousandzz of Beez. For those not yet acquainted, Beez is an experimental rock act that incorporates soul and vintage folk energy into its music.

Meg Fair 8 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $10. mrsmalls.com

FRIDAY MAY 4 MARKET As Pittsburgh welcomes back warmer weather, it also welcomes back the Garfield Night Market to its streets. Held every first Friday of the month from May to September, this event brings together local artisans, businesses and food trucks for a night of community fun and vending. The market also overlaps with the monthly First Fridays gallery crawl event, making it easy to incorporate into your evening. Kids are welcome. Celine Roberts 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

N. Pacific Avenue between Penn Avenue and Dearborn Street, Garfield. Free. garfieldnightmarket.org

DRINK The zoo isn’t just for kids. Adults (the 21 and over type) can enjoy it while drinking a brew or two. At this year’s ZooBrew, more than 60 craft breweries will be on site offering tastings and

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^ Fri., May 4: Picasso at the Lapin Agile

snacks like pulled chicken tacos, pierogi and mini key lime pies. Catch a groove from the DJs while you stroll. There will also be a beer pong championship so you might want to practice your shooting skills before you arrive. CR 6 p.m. Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, 7370 Baker St., Highland Park. $63. pittsburghzoo.org

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STAGE Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein walk into a bar — this isn’t a history lesson, it’s the plot of writer and comedian Steve Martin’s play Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and it opens tonight at the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, directed by Daniel Freeman. The men meet in a bar, the Lapin Agile in Paris, right on the cusp of some of their greatest work — Picasso’s painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Einstein’s theory of relativity. There, they discuss and debate the value behind artistic talent and scientific talent along with a few other characters, each with their own specific role in the debate.

LO 8 p.m. 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $15-20. throughlinetheatre.org

MUSIC Mars Jackson is a one-of-a-kind performer.

He has an endless supply of charisma, espousing energy that feels otherworldly.

Tonight at Spirit, he’ll be celebrating the release of his new album on Misra Records, Good Days Never Last Forever.

Jackson will be performing with Nice Rec, but he’s bringing along some friends to kick the party off. Those friends include hip-hop/rap artist Christo (whose DJ and producer credits include the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller and Foster the People), as well as the thunderous dancy funk wizards Beauty Slap. The event

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAVIERA BASSI DE LA BARRERA

^ Thu., May 3: Holy Hum

MUSIC Synth-pop is a difficult genre to make sound warm and cozy, but somehow Ruby the RabbitFoot works her magic and creates a sound that feels intimate, folky and rich in a pool of synthesizers. Her warbly timbre and gift for crafting earworm melodies make her an addicting listen, and you can lose yourself in the tuneage tonight at the upstairs space of Spirit. Joining Ruby will be two locals, both of note: fuzzy-psychedelic-popoutfit delicious pastries and Good Sport, a lo-fi indie pop band that is impossible not to dance to. Definitely bring your comfiest dancing shoes and shiniest attire.

MF 10 p.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $5. spiritpgh.com CONTINUES ON PG. 40

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

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SATURDAY MAY 5 PARTY Come and celebrate Cinco De Mayo and the Kentucky Derby with h your best hat, finest threads and City Paper. er.

At this Cinco De Derby y event you can enjoy a select open bar and free e food. Sip on a mint julep p and enjoy the bluegrass band Well Strung. Taste a paloma ma while you dance with Mariachi riachi Internacional de Pittsburgh. h.

There will be a gaming tent nt with a chance to win some fantastic prizes, and all of the money raised will go to benefit the Free Care Fund at UPMC’s Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Bethany Ruhe 4:30 p.m. Rivers Casino Drum Bar, 777 Casino Dr., North Side. $55-90. pghcitypaper.com

STAGE Anne Frank was just 13 when she and her Jewish family went into hiding during World War II. Today, her harrowing tale, written in her diary and published as Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, is required reading in schools around the world, as a testament to what millions experienced during the Holocaust. Tonight, Prime Stage Theatre Company begins its run of Diary of Anne Frank an adaptation of Anne’s story. Dramatized by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, the local production is being directed by Wayne Brinda. And 13-year-old actress Madeline Dalesio will play the role of Anne. The show continues through May 13. RA 8 p.m. New Hazlett

because learning begins at birth.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA HARTIN

^ Sun., May 6: Brooklyn Bottomvitch & VyVyan Vyxn at DIVAS Soul Sunday

Theatre, 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. $10-30. primestage.com

SUNDAY MAY 6 STAGE Spend this Sunday getting DRAGged to

church by two of the most unconventional church ladies to grace your weekend spiritual.

Black Forge Coffee House presents its monthly DIVAS Soul Sunday’s Drag Show featuring VyVyan Vyxn and Brooklyn Bottomvitch with special guest Sasha Shook. Drag shows have everything from comedy to stunning lip sync performances and don’t forget to tip your drag queen.

The ticket price includes the show and

unlimited cocktails, but don’t go too crazy.

This is a kid-friendly drag show (parental discretion is advised and you must be at least 21 years old to get unlimited cocktails). LO 5 p.m. 1206 Arlington Ave., Allentown. $10. divasdopgh.com

MUSIC Imarhan means “the ones I care about,” which makes sense given the band was

It’s never too early to start reading to your baby. The more words children hear, the more the speech and language parts of their brains are stimulated. So reading aloud is helpful even before babies can understand the meaning of words.

Each year since 2000, a list of ten titles, identified as the Best Books for Babies published in the previous year, has been created by a panel of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh librarians and local child development and early literacy experts. This nationally recognized annual guide assists parents, teachers, and caregivers in selecting quality materials to share with babies age birth to 18 months.

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®

carnegielibrary.org

formed by a group of friends. Sound Series and Pandemic will be hosting Imarhan at the Andy Warhol Museum tonight, and as you immerse yourself in the music you can expect a unique blend of pan-African rhythms with roots in traditional Tuareg music, paired with dry guitar sounds and catchy pop melodies. Its February 2018 release Temet is an exploration of Imarhan’s sound through new musical lenses like funk, disco, rock and jazz, making for a delightfully fascinating and distinct blend. MF 8 p.m. 117 Sandusky St., North Side. $15-20. warhol.org

7 DAYS OF ART

BY REBECCA ADDISON RADDISON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOXHEART GALLERY

Jason Forck, Faint Study 3

THURSDAY Jason Forck : Miles from Anywhere 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. BoxHeart Gallery, Bloomfield. boxheartgallery.com

FRIDAY by means of play 7 p.m. Gallery One, Bloomfield. g1cw.com

SATURDAY TIMECAPSULE PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA MAE PEREZ

^ Sun., May 6: Imarhan

MONDAY MAY 7

11 a.m. BOOM Concepts, Garfield. facebook.com/boomconcepts

SUNDAY Abstract Minded: Works by Six Contemporary African Artists

LECTURE Author Arundhati Roy’s debut novel The God of Small Things is a modern classic. The international best seller won her the Man Booker Prize in 1997 and 20 years later, her second work of fiction, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, made it onto the 2017 Man Booker longlist.

Tonight, the author visits Pittsburgh as part of the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures series. There will be a book signing following the event. Full-price tickets include a paperback copy of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. RA 7 p.m. Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $10-22. pittsburghlectures.org/ lectures/arundhati-roy

TUESDAY MAY 8

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

August Wilson Center, Downtown. culturaldistrict.org/awc

MONDAY Painting Class w/ Joktan Faulk 6 p.m. Black Forge Coffee House, Allentown. facebook.com/ blackforgecoffeehouse

TUESDAY Under the Blankets – Printmakers Together 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Oakland. center.pfpca.org

WEDNESDAY

STAGE Travel back to ancient China tonight as the Shen Yun Performing Arts company comes back to town. In communist China, the rich cultural history of Shen Yun is not allowed, and the company has gone through great

Macular Cycles 11 a.m. to 6 pm. Wood Street Galleries, Downtown. woodstreetgalleries.org

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JASMINE HURST

^ Tue., May 8: Lydia Lunch

lengths to bring its beauty and artistry across the world. Using a live orchestra in their performances, the company presents colorful backdrops and carefully choreographed dancing. Despite facing enormous backlash from the Chinese Communist Party, Shen Yun continues to tour and teach audiences the history of Chinese arts, with the Chicago Tribune calling it, “Beautiful... A nimble mastery of traditional talents.” LO 7:30 p.m.

Benedum Center, 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $80-154.25. trustarts.org

Black Keys and Ted Pecchio of Colonel Bruce Hampton’s the Codetalkers. He’ll be joined tonight at Club Cafe by Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons, another catchy Ohio powerhouse blues rock band fronted by the arresting guitarist and vocalist (you guessed it!) Angela Perley.

MF 7 p.m. 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $12. clubcafelive.com

MUSIC Lydia Lunch Retrovirus is self-described as “an all-star cast of sonic brutarians in a no-holds-barred survey of her musical output from 1977 to the present.” It’s loud, swallowing, abrasive and hypnotizing. Lydia Lunch, if you haven’t heard of her yet, is a no-wave icon out of New York whose influential musical output from the late ‘70s on became a major influence for musicians of today. If seeing her and her band perform wasn’t exciting enough, Pittsburgh’s own pioneer dark-ambient outfit Powder French will also be performing after a 20-year hiatus. MF 8 p.m. Spirit Hall & Lodge, 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $16-20. spiritpgh.com

WEDNESDAY MAY 9 MUSIC Patrick Sweany is a blues rock musician born in Massillon, Ohio, and his music is infused with the gritty and honest working class energy of rust-belt Appalachia, marked by his cozy, slightly gritted voice. His rotating cast of musical cohorts throughout his career includes fellow Ohioan Dan Auerbach of the

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTINA MONOPOLI

^ Wed., May 9: Luke Winslow-King

MUSIC With his blues and jazz tunes with a side of guitar, Luke Winslow-King will be performing at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight.

King is a songwriter based out of New Orleans and has taken a liking to the sounds of jazz that often play through the city. His latest album, I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always, played on King’s love for traditional music, with some gospelinspired undertones paired with a solemn sound. King has been playing since he was a kid in Michigan and, despite dropping out of college, has clearly mastered the sound that fits him best. LO 8 p.m. 230 W. Station Square Drive, Station Square. $10-12. hardrock.com/cafes/pittsburgh •

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SERVICE PURSUANT TO SPECIAL ORDER OF COURT Rachel Fox v. Jordan Drum This special order of court has been established by Rachel Lee Fox (mother) in her child custody mediation of Cayden Lee Drum (son) against Jordan Porter Drum (father). Jordan Porter Drum must act by the court date of May 23, 2018 to be held at Allegheny County Family Division – Suite 1030 Family Law Center at 10:30am to ensure he is included in the proceeding.

NOTICE If you wish to defend, you must enter a written appearance personally or by attorney and file your defenses or objections in writing with the court. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you without further notice for the relief requested by the plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to you.

YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS PAPER TO YOUR LAWYER AT ONCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LAWYER, GO TO OR TELEPHONE THE OFFICE SET FORTH BELOW. THIS OFFICE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION ABOUT HIRING A LAWYER. IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO HIRE A LAWYER, THIS OFFICE MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION ABOUT AGENCIES THAT MAY OFFER LEGAL SERVICES TO ELIGIBLE PERSONS AT A REDUCED FEE OR NO FEE.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

43

JUST PATCHING THROUGH

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

ACROSS 1. Bit of profanity 6. Bit of profanity 10. Slug it out 14. With it 15. Good sign?

16. Arm bone 17. Trail of trenches?

19. Welcome financial gift 20. He-Man’s colleague 21. Its capital is Kampala 23. Test in a tube, briefly 25. Mall that can get you a date on Friday?

28. Long times 30. “Well ...?”

31. “There’s Really a Wolf” rapper 32. Running a bit behind 35. Wheel cheese 37. Porn connoisseurs?

43. Bubbly name 44. Grab quickly 45. Planted, as grass 48. Winter hrs. in the Twin Cities 50. Car freshener smell 51. Exam that checks your pliability?

55. Guy from Dallas

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56. Dave’s Single restaurant 57. Letter from Crete 59. Product with an Apple Pencil 60. Analog demos?

65. Silencing button 66. “But we should consider this”: initially 67. Orange-yellow 68. Floored it 69. Conservative in Chelsea 70. Beaks

DOWN 1. Bummed 2. Conflict under Woodrow Wilson 3. Corrodes 4. Eyebrow shape 5. Fix, as a dress alteration 6. “Well, fudge” 7. They can help you during a breakdown 8. RN’s approach 9. Blatherskite 10. Legacy builder 11. Puts (down) 12. Battery parts 13. Attacked 18. Mindless singing babble 22. Maker of the vivosport activity tracker

23. One of the Spice Girls 24. Engine’s sound 26. Bumper sticker word made of many different religious symbols 27. TV personality Kotb 29. “This might take a while” 33. Insubstantial 34. Surgeon General’s org.

36. Mornings: Abbr.

38. Cut into metal 39. Power ___ 40. Grave writings 41. Hard to

read letter 42. Eyewear, casually 45. Get to the plate 46. Elaborately decorated 47. Joined together 49. Irritable 51. Goes underwater, maybe 52. 100 beans 53. “Quit talking” 54. Rockie’s range 58. Snack with salsa 61. “Who am ___ you?”

62. Pointed peak 63. Shoe box letters 64. Group that’s not going back to sch.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 2-MAY 9, 2018

45

Savage Love {BY DAN SAVAGE}

Married from 28 to 36, single the last three years, and celibate most of the last couple years. The last two years of my marriage were sexless, and I saw professionals until I was priced out. I could probably earn twice what I’m making now if I moved away, but my current job gives me the flexibility to spend afternoons with my young kids.

Last year, I had a brief relationship (that included the best sex of my life), but I ended it because I needed more me time. So I lack the willingness or the confidence to be in a relationship, and I don’t have the cash to see pros. I’m not fussed by this. Should I be concerned about my celibacy?

ABSOLUTELY NOT GETTING SEX TODAY

maybe he was telling you the truth when he said he’d like you to make the first move. If he rebuffs you every time, then he doesn’t want to have sex with you—and you’ll have to make a move to end this relationship.

I wish I had a better question, but this is all I have: My friends and I were discussing the nuances of a straight orgy (a roughly equal number of male and female participants) versus a gang bang (one woman, many men), and we observed that there is no proper name for a one man, many women situation. The internet tells me it’s just a “reverse gang bang,” which is a very disappointing name. Can we please establish a new one?

CURIOUS NONPARTICIPANT

Seeing as your celibacy is intermittent and by your own choice (you walked away from the best sex of your life for me time? What kind of mid-’90s Oprah bullshit is that?), ANGST, you’re unlikely to wind up hanging out on an “incel” forum filled with angry, violent, socially maladapted men who blame the fact that they can’t get laid on women and feminism. So long as you continue to take personal responsibility for all the sex you’re not having, there’s nothing to be concerned about.

My boyfriend and I have been together for two years. When we first got together, we had sex every day. Then it dwindled. We had major problems along the way and separated this winter. During that time, he went to another state. We got back together longdistance, and I received many letters from him saying how much he wanted to have sex with me. He moved back two weeks ago, and we’ve had sex only twice. He used to say he wanted me to make the first move. But if he really wanted me, wouldn’t he make a move? I feel so neglected, yet he claims he loves me. Please give me some insight.

NO SEX FOR WEEKS

He says he wants sex (with you), but he doesn’t make a move. You say you want sex (with him), but you don’t make a move. So how about this: The next few times you want sex, NSFW, make a move. If he fucks you two out of three times,

How does “pussy riot” grab you? And while we’re on the subject of flipping gendered expressions: A number of years ago, I was asked to come up with a female version of “sausage fest.” Sticking with the food theme, I proposed “clam bake.”

Still mystified as to why it didn’t catch on.

tant to her. This is all complicated by the fact that this is easily the most loving, trusting, respectful relationship I’ve ever been in.

BOND AFFLICTED BY YEARS

Speak, BABY: “Look, you want kids. I’m not ready, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready. Also, I’m not sure about lifelong monogamy. If we need to part ways so you can find someone who wants the same things you do and wants them now, I’ll be devastated but I’ll understand.”

I’m a 22-year-old woman living in Central Asia doing development work. There are 14 other expats within an hour or two of me, but eight of them are in relationships. I’ve always been the “single friend,” and normally I don’t mind. But being surrounded by couples right now has been a tax on my mental health. I know I’m young and should be focusing on this amazing opportunity and my career, but I can’t help but feel lonely at times, especially since I can’t speak the local language well and these 14 other people are the only ones near me who speak English. What should I do?

FOCUS ON THIS OPPORTUNITY, FOCUS ON YOUR CAREER, AND FOCUS ON THAT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF NEARBY SINGLES.

I’m a youngish man who’s been in a loving relationship with an older woman for a year. The only area where the age difference comes into play is largely unspoken between us — she wants kids. All of her friends are having kids, and she’s nearing the end of her childbearing years. I’m nowhere near ready, and I sometimes question whether I want to be monogamous to any one person for life.

We never discuss it, but I can tell how deeply this bothers her and that in her ideal world, I’d be ready to start planning a future with her. I’m racked with guilt at the possibility that by the time I’m ready for that level of commitment (or, worse, by the time I realize I never will be), she’ll be biologically incapable of having kids, which is really impor-

SINGLE ANONYMOUS DAME

Math. Eight of the 14 nearby English-speaking expats are in relationships. That means six nearby expats are single like you, SAD. It’s not a lot of people to choose from in real numbers, I realize, but as a percentage—40 percent of nearby expats are single— it’s statistically significant, as the social scientists say.

Focus on this opportunity, focus on your career, and focus on that statistically significant number of nearby singles.

CONFIDENTIAL TO EVERYONE IN TORONTO: You’re in my thoughts, aka atheist prayers.

On the Lovecast, a sociological study of male escorting: savagelovecast.com.

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

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47

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5 Modelo Drafts